Festivals, exhibitions, pop-ups, and seasonal happenings across all nine regions.
Summer Festa in Koriyama transforms JR Koriyama Station into a beer garden festival inspired by the delegation's 1993 Munich Oktoberfest visit, drawing 60,000 visitors annually.
24–26 Jul 2026Fukushima · TohokuMoka Summer Festival honors Kojin, the god of fire and hearth, with over 20 mikoshi and festival floats paraded through the city during a three-day summer celebration.
24–26 Jul 2026Tochigi · KantoA festival featuring massive serpent-shaped wooden floats that spew fire and smoke as they parade through Ōmuta City streets in July.
25–26 Jul 2026Fukuoka · KyushuA musical concert series brings virtual singers to Hamamatsu for the first time, featuring live band performances and creator exhibitions.
24–26 Jul 2026Shizuoka · ChubuA 600-year-old river festival in Tsushima, Aichi, held each July, where lantern-lit boats float down the Tenno River to traditional flute music, honouring the deity Gozu Tenno.
25–26 Jul 2026Aichi · ChubuThis coastal festival celebrates Otaru's maritime heritage with parades, fireworks, and cultural activities honoring the harbour's role in the city's growth.
24–26 Jul 2026Hokkaido · HokkaidoBiannual gathering for anime, gaming, and collecting communities, showcasing and selling garage kits created by independent artists and hobbyists.
26 Jul 2026Chiba · KantoA month-long Kyoto festival centered on Yasaka Jinja Shrine features sacred rituals, food stalls, illuminated floats, and culminates in a grand procession and parade.
1–31 Jul 2026Kyoto · KansaiThe Issaki Hōtō Festival features six massive illuminated lantern towers, each 10 meters tall, carried through the streets by teams in traditional festival attire.
1 Aug 2026Ishikawa · ChubuThis Utsunomiya summer festival brings residents together for parades, traditional performances, and displays of local culture.
1–2 Aug 2026Tochigi · KantoImmersive volleyball experience event where visitors participate as players on a real court guided by characters from the anime series.
27 Jun – 2 Aug 2026Osaka · KansaiThe Tsuyama Gongo Festival is a lively summer event in Tsuyama City featuring kappa-themed dances along Yakko-dori Street and one of Okayama's largest fireworks displays.
1–2 Aug 2026Okayama · ChugokuThe Nagano Binzuru Dance Festival draws over 10,000 participants in coordinated yukata processions through closed-off city streets in a fully participatory summer celebration.
2 Aug 2026Nagano · ChubuThe Summer Grand Festival honours Onominato Shrine's deities with Kanazawa's largest mikoshi procession, traditional dances, and rituals from the 1600s.
30 Jul – 2 Aug 2026Ishikawa · ChubuJapan's largest dedicated idol music festival spans three days with multiple stages hosting both established and emerging idol groups across a sprawling waterfront venue in Odaiba.
31 Jul – 2 Aug 2026Tokyo · KantoMajor summer dance festival originating from legend about a demon's defeat, featuring traditional Sansa Odori dance and powerful taiko performances.
1–4 Aug 2026Iwate · TohokuHachinohe Sansha Taisai combines traditional shrine processions with elaborately decorated floats and is recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
31 Jul – 4 Aug 2026Aomori · TohokuThe Chikugo River Fireworks Festival in Kurume, Fukuoka, launches around 18,000 fireworks over Kyushu's longest river, with roots tracing back over 350 years.
5 Aug 2026Fukuoka · Kyushu
