Festivals, exhibitions, pop-ups, and seasonal happenings across all nine regions.
By month: October 2026, November 2026, December 2026, January 2027
Historic winter celebration over 800 years old marking the end of the cold season with traditional performances and prayers for a bountiful rice harvest.
17–20 Feb 2027Hachinohe · AomoriA winter festival celebrates Edo-period scholar Bokushi Suzuki and the region's textile traditions with a 108-lantern Goma fire ceremony by mountain ascetics.
21 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetMinamiuonuma · NiigataAn Okayama festival over 500 years old where men in loincloths compete for a wooden stick; the winner becomes the Lucky Man, believed blessed for a year.
21 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetOkayamaYOKAI EXPO is a festival of yokai culture with exhibitions, performances, workshops and a goods market of crafts and interactive activities from across Japan.
22 Feb 2027Tonosho · KagawaA mid-February festival celebrates Hinase's oyster harvest with fresh seafood, barbecue areas, and regional specialties.
22 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetBizen · OkayamaA Fukushima winter festival in which volunteer bearers carry Japan's largest straw sandal, 12 metres long and made in an Edo-period tradition, through the city.
21–22 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetFukushimaAn ice festival at Lake Shikotsu showcases sculptures created from sprayed water, complemented by performances, fireworks, and nearby hot springs.
31 Jan – 23 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetChitose · HokkaidoThe festival illuminates Nagasaki's streets with around 15,000 Chinese lanterns, some reaching 10 metres, celebrating Lunar New Year traditions.
6–23 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetNagasakiThe Tokai region's largest ramen festival features 30 restaurants showcasing regional bowls and specialty dishes from February onward.
3–23 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetNagoya · AichiThe Zao Juhyo Festival in the Zao Mountains centres on the Snow Monsters, ice and snow formations that coat the trees, illuminated after dark.
27 Dec 2026 – 23 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetYamagataAn international festival in Niigata where animators and creative professionals present animated works through screenings, competitions and workshops.
20–25 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetNiigataThis handmade winter festival transforms harvested bamboo into intricate lanterns that celebrate Yamaga's heritage as a traditional umbrella-producing town.
6–28 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetYamaga · KumamotoHundreds of small snow huts, each holding a candle, light up the riverbed at Yunishigawa Onsen, a mountain hot spring village tied to Heike clan legends.
29 Jan – 28 Feb 2027Nikko · TochigiHistoric purification festival where nearly-naked men engage in a spirited struggle to touch the selected Naoi-nin, symbolizing the cleansing of misfortune.
1 Mar 2027Exact date not confirmed yetInazawa · AichiA festival celebrating Chofu's cinematic heritage since 1933 connects audiences with the city's continued cluster of film and media companies.
6 Feb – 1 Mar 2027Exact date not confirmed yetChofu · TokyoA winter festival at the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama celebrating Japan's regional strawberry varieties, with 45 vendors selling themed sweets and goods.
5 Feb – 1 Mar 2027Exact date not confirmed yetYokohama · KanagawaWinter fireworks light up the ski slopes of this snowy mountain town, offering a uniquely beautiful seasonal spectacle.
2 Mar 2027Exact date not confirmed yetYuzawa · NiigataEvery spring the town of Katsuura in Chiba sets out 10,000 hina dolls down shrine staircases, under temple gates, and through the shops and streets between.
1 Feb – 3 Mar 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKatsuura · Chiba
