Festivals, exhibitions, pop-ups, and seasonal happenings across all nine regions.
By month: October 2026, November 2026, December 2026, January 2027
Sagicho-shinji burns New Year decorations on January 15 at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, in a fire believed to purify and bring a good harvest.
15 Jan 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKamakura · KanagawaA National Important Folk Cultural Property, this Little New Year fire ritual purifies homes and communities through burning traditional new-year decorations.
17 Jan 2027Exact date not confirmed yetOiso · KanagawaAn exhibition in Tokyo of Nara ittobori, carved and brightly painted wooden figures from Nara, shown with the tools used to make them.
19 Dec 2026 – 17 Jan 2027TokyoAn exhibition in Nagoya of swords carved on the blade, with dragons, deities and Sanskrit letters cut into the steel, shown in two changes of display.
1 Oct 2026 – 17 Jan 2027Nagoya · AichiAn annual show of custom cars and parts at Makuhari Messe, where Japanese carmakers also unveil new models and announce their motorsport plans.
15–17 Jan 2027ChibaAn ice sculpture competition with works by professional carvers, displayed in the grounds of Meiji Jingu, a Tokyo shrine.
17–18 Jan 2027TokyoThe final day of this week-long Buddhist observance at a UNESCO World Heritage temple features torchlit processions and prayers for good fortune.
14–20 Jan 2027Exact date not confirmed yetHiraizumi · IwateAn exhibition celebrates the absurdist manga Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo through interactive displays showcasing its protagonist's surreal martial arts techniques.
8–24 Jan 2027OsakaMatsumoto Castle Ice Sculpture Festival: a championship ice-carving contest and illuminated sculptures set against the National Treasure and the Northern Alps.
23–25 Jan 2027Exact date not confirmed yetMatsumoto · NaganoA room in Tennoz showing craft from workshops around Japan, most of it from Ishikawa, with the pieces for sale and tours to the makers to follow.
15 Sep 2026 – 30 Jan 2027TokyoAt Cape Shionomisaki, a practical piece of land management becomes a spectacular celebration as flaming arrows set the grasslands ablaze each winter.
30 Jan 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKushimoto · WakayamaThe first night opening of the Nara Prison Museum, with the Meiji-era red-brick prison lit after dark and light, film and sound inside its cell block.
4 Dec 2026 – 31 Jan 2027NaraA free weekend of coffee from independent shops in the United Nations University courtyard near Omotesando, held since 2015.
30–31 Jan 2027TokyoA February festival in which a procession of 200 costumed samurai in traditional armor marches to Bannaji Temple for a purification ceremony.
31 Jan 2027Exact date not confirmed yetAshikaga · TochigiA free light and sound installation linking Takeshiba, Takanawa and Oimachi in Tokyo, where visitors' movements set off light, sound and fountains.
19 Nov 2026 – 31 Jan 2027TokyoEstablished in 1952 and regarded as one of Japan's three most prestigious classic marathons, this Oita race draws dedicated runners annually.
1 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetOitaAncient Noto folk ritual where children masquerading as demons parade through streets to symbolically drive away laziness and encourage diligent work.
3 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetNoto · IshikawaThe Utasu Jinja Shrine Setsubun Festival marks the change of season with purification rituals and Mamemaki, the traditional throwing of roasted soybeans.
3 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKanazawa · Ishikawa
