Japan
Events & Gatherings
93 events
July 2026
8 events
07/01–07/15
Hakata Gion Yamakasa
Kamikawabata-machi, Hakata, Fukuoka (Kushida Shrine)
At 4:59 in the morning on July 15, the streets of Hakata erupt.
Seven teams — called nagare, each representing a distri
07/11–09/01
Gujo Odori
Hachiman, Gujo, Gifu
Every summer evening from July 11 to September 5 — thirty-one nights in all — music rises from the streets of Gujo Hachi
07/14–07/14
Nachi Fire Festival
Nachisan, Nachikatsuura, Wakayama (Kumano Nachi Taisha)
Once a year, the twelve deities of Kumano Nachi Taisha return to the great waterfall where they were first enshrined, 1,
07/17–07/17
Gion Matsuri
Yasaka Shrine and central Kyoto
It began as a way to quell a plague. Kyoto's Gion Matsuri, one of Japan's three great festivals, is a long rite that fil
07/20–07/21
Tsuchizaki Shinmeisha Festival Float Procession
Tsuchizaki Shinmeisha and surroundings, Tsuchizaki-minato, Akita
Behind each float hangs a placard mocking the times. In the port town of Tsuchizaki in Akita, summer brings a procession
07/20–07/20
Shiogama Minato Festival
Shiogama Shrine and Shiogama Port, Shiogama, Miyagi
The gods cross the sea by boat. In summer, the two portable shrines of Shiogama Shrine in Miyagi are placed aboard lavis
07/24–07/25
Tenjin Matsuri
Osaka Tenmangu Shrine and the Okawa River, Kita-ku, Osaka
A festival of boats, and a festival of fire. Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri is one of Japan's three great festivals, alongside K
07/25–07/25
Abekawa Fireworks Festival
Abe River banks, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka
The fireworks began as a memorial. In Shizuoka, the Abekawa Fireworks Festival sends around fifteen thousand shells over
August 2026
12 events
08/01–08/01
Hyuga Hyottoko Summer Festival
Around Hyuga-shi Station, Hyuga, Miyazaki
Wearing a Hyottoko mask, they dance while comically stumbling. In Hyuga, Miyazaki, the Hyottoko Summer Festival sends da
08/01–08/07
Hirosaki Neputa Festival
Dotemachi and surrounds, Hirosaki City, Aomori
Where Aomori's Nebuta moves fast and loud, Hirosaki's Neputa is slow and contemplative.
The floats are fan-shaped — pai
08/02–08/07
Aomori Nebuta Festival
Shinmachi-dori and surrounds, Aomori City, Aomori
Nine meters wide, five meters tall — the nebuta floats move through the streets of Aomori like creatures from another wo
08/04–08/08
Goshogawara Tachineputa
Tachineputa Museum and city streets, Goshogawara, Aomori
Look up, and your neck will ache. The towering floats of Goshogawara's summer festival rise some twenty-three meters, as
08/06–08/08
Sendai Tanabata Festival
Central arcade shopping district, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi
On the morning of August 6, the arcades of central Sendai are transformed overnight.
Enormous streamers of washi paper
08/07–08/09
Numata Festival
Around Numata Station, Numata, Gunma
A Tengu walks through the town. In Numata, Gunma, the summer festival sends a procession bearing great Tengu masks throu
08/11–08/15
Awa Odori
Ainobahama and other stages throughout central Tokushima City, Tokushima
"Fools who dance, fools who watch — if you're going to be a fool, you might as well dance."
This chant, sung to the rhy
08/15–08/16
Sasayama Dekansho Festival
Sannomaru Plaza, Sasayama Castle Ruins, Tamba-Sasayama, Hyogo
"Dekansho, Dekansho, and half the year is spent." So begins the song that has defined summer in this castle town for fou
08/16–08/16
Gozan no Okuribi
Five mountains around the Higashiyama and Kitayama districts, Kyoto
Characters are drawn on the mountains in fire. Kyoto's Gozan no Okuribi takes place on the night of August 16, sending t
08/16–08/18
Nishimonai Bon Odori
Honmachi-dori, Nishimonai, Ugo-cho, Akita
The dancers keep their faces hidden. Beneath deep woven hats or black hoods, they move through firelight without reveali
08/22–08/23
Tanegashima Gun Festival
Around Nishinoomote Port, Nishinoomote, Kagoshima
The island where guns first came to Japan. Tanegashima lies in the East China Sea, far south of the mainland's southern
08/26–08/27
Yoshida Fire Festival
5558 Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi
On the evening of August 26, more than seventy torches — each three meters tall — are lit simultaneously along a two-kil
September 2026
5 events
09/01–09/03
Owara Kaze no Bon
Yatsuo, Toyama City, Toyama
Every year, for three nights in early September, the sloping lanes of Yatsuo are given over to sound and slow movement.
09/05–09/06
Okinawa Zento Eisa Festival
Koza Athletic Stadium and city streets, Okinawa City, Okinawa
A dance to send off the ancestors fills the night. When Obon ends, Okinawa begins its eisa. Young people beat drums and
09/11–09/13
Hanamaki Festival
Streets around Hanamaki Station, Hanamaki, Iwate
Many performing arts converge in a single festival. Hanamaki's autumn celebration fills the streets for three days with
09/12–09/13
Kishiwada Danjiri Festival
Kishiki Shrine and throughout the city, Kishiwada, Osaka
They take the corner at full speed. In Kishiwada, Osaka, hundreds of men race wooden floats weighing more than four tons
09/19–09/23
Aizu Festival
Tsuruga Castle and central Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
A town of the defeated never forgets its pride. In Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, the Aizu Festival sends a grand procession
October 2026
7 events
10/01–11/23
MIND TRAIL Okuyamato
Yoshino, Tenkawa, Soni and the Okuyamato region, Nara
You walk through the mountains, and you look. In Okuyamato, the deep mountain region of southern Nara including Yoshino
10/07–10/09
Nagasaki Kunchi
長崎市上西山町18-15（諏訪神社）
Every October, a dragon descends the stone steps of Suwa Shrine and moves through the streets of Nagasaki. It has been d
10/09–10/10
Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri)
519 Hachimancho, Takayama, Gifu (Sakurayama Hachimangu)
In the same town, the same floats bring a different season. Alongside the spring Sanno Festival, this autumn celebration
10/10–10/12
Naha Great Tug-of-War Festival
Kumoji intersection, National Route 58, Naha, Okinawa
Everyone pulls a rope two hundred meters long. In Naha, Okinawa, the Great Tug-of-War uses the largest straw rope in the
10/14–10/17
Saijo Festival
Isono Shrine and others, Saijo, Ehime
In the autumn, ornate floats wade into a river. Saijo's festival fields more than a hundred floats, called danjiri, and
10/14–10/15
Nada Fighting Festival
Matsubara Hachiman Shrine, Shirahama-cho, Himeji, Hyogo
They smash the shrines together on purpose. In the Nada district of Himeji, three portable shrines are slammed into one
10/31–11/03
Mashiko Pottery Fair
Jonaizaka and Sayado areas, Mashiko, Tochigi
Twice a year, a small pottery town in the Kanto hills receives more visitors than it can comfortably hold — and the visi
November 2026
2 events
11/02–11/04
Karatsu Kunchi
3-13 Minamijounai, Karatsu, Saga (Karatsu Shrine)
Each of the fourteen floats has a name and a story. A red lion. A samurai helmet. A sea bream. A dragon. Urashima Taro o
11/03–11/03
Izushi Pottery Festival
Izushi castle town, Toyooka, Hyogo
It is simply white. That is Izushi ware. In Izushi, part of Toyooka in Hyogo, a small castle town called the little Kyot
December 2026
2 events
12/02–12/03
Chichibu Night Festival
1-3 Banba-cho, Chichibu, Saitama (Chichibu Shrine)
In December, when most festivals have long ended, Chichibu lights its winter sky. This is one of Japan's three great flo
12/05–12/05
Aenokoto Ritual of Oku-Noto
Farmhouses across the Oku-Noto region, Ishikawa
An invisible god is invited into the home and treated as an honored guest. In the farmhouses of Oku-Noto, the Aenokoto r
February 2027
4 events
02/01–02/02
Kurokawa Noh — Ogi Festival
Kasuga Shrine, Kurokawa, Tsuruoka, Yamagata
On the night of February 1st, in the farming village of Kurokawa in Yamagata Prefecture, the noh begins.
It has been go
02/04–02/10
Sapporo Snow Festival
Odori Park and other venues, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Snow sculptures are made knowing they will vanish in days. In February, giant sculptures rising more than ten meters lin
02/06–02/20
Nagasaki Lantern Festival
Shinchi Chinatown, Central Park and across Nagasaki
Why is a Japanese town this red? Nagasaki's Lantern Festival, held at the Lunar New Year, lights the city with some fift
02/14–03/07
Goto Camellia Festival
Fukue Island and across the Goto Islands, Goto, Nagasaki
The islands fill with camellias. The Goto Islands of Nagasaki are a scattering of more than a hundred and forty islands
April 2028
2 events
04/01–05/31
Onbashira Festival
Suwa Taisha Kamisha Honmiya and others, Suwa, Nagano
Men ride a giant log down a mountainside. Held once every six years at the Suwa Grand Shrine, the Onbashira Festival inv
04/18–11/09
Setouchi Triennale
Takamatsu, Naoshima, Shodoshima and other Seto Inland Sea islands, Kagawa/Okayama
Contemporary art came to islands that were emptying out. In the Seto Inland Sea of Kagawa, an art festival is held once
April 2026
2 events
04/14–04/15
Takayama Spring Festival (Sanno Matsuri)
156 Shiroyama, Takayama, Gifu (Hie Shrine)
Edo-period mechanical puppets still move today. The Sanno Festival announces spring in the old castle town of Takayama,
04/29–05/05
Kasama Himatsuri Pottery Festival
Kasama Geijutsu no Mori Park, Kasama, Ibaraki
There are as many shapes of vessel as there are artists. Kasama in Ibaraki is one of the Kanto region's leading pottery
May 2026
4 events
05/01–05/05
Hagi Pottery Festival
Hagi Civic Gymnasium and around, Hagi, Yamaguchi
A vessel whose face changes the more you use it. Hagi in Yamaguchi is the home of Hagi ware, long loved by tea masters,
05/05–05/05
Kamo Kurabeuma Horse Race
339 Kamigamo Motoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto (Kamigamo Shrine)
Horses race in Heian-era costume. At Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto, on the fifth of May, the Kamo Kurabeuma is run. Nearly a
05/15–05/17
Sanja Matsuri
2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Asakusa Shrine)
Asakusa fills with portable shrines. In May, the old downtown district of Tokyo holds the Sanja Matsuri, said to draw 1.
05/30–05/31
Craft Fair Matsumoto
Agata-no-Mori Park, Arigasaki, Matsumoto, Nagano
Making things, celebrated by a whole town. In Matsumoto, Nagano, at Agata-no-Mori Park, on the last weekend of May, Craf
Year-round
Daily
Jinya-mae Morning Market
岐阜県高山市八軒町1-5
Every morning, farmers come down from the mountain villages and set up their stalls in front of a government house that
Every Sun
Kochi Sunday Market
Otesujii, Kochi City, Kochi
Every Sunday morning, the boulevard leading to Kochi Castle becomes a different kind of road.
Both lanes are closed to
Daily
Miyagawa Morning Market
Miyagawa riverside (Kajibashi to Yayoibashi), Shimosan-no-machi, Takayama, Gifu
White canvas stalls line the east bank of the Miyagawa River for seven hundred meters, from Kajibashi bridge to Yayoibas
Daily (closed Wed)
Katsuura Morning Market
Shimohoncho and Nakahoncho streets, Katsuura, Chiba
In the fishing town of Katsuura on the Boso Peninsula, a morning market has been held almost every day since 1591.
It w
Daily
Hakodate Morning Market
9-19 Wakamatsu-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido
One minute on foot from Hakodate Station, and the city changes register entirely.
About 250 stalls spread across roughl
Daily
Omicho Market
50 Kami-Omichocho, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Locals call it Omicho.
The market opened in 1721, during the era of the Kaga domain, when a fire destroyed several mark
Monthly (21)
Toji Kobo-ichi Flea Market
1 Kujo-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto (To-ji Temple grounds)
On the 21st of every month, the grounds of To-ji Temple become a market.
More than a thousand stalls. Antiques, old too
Daily
Makishi Public Market
2-10-1 Matsuo, Naha, Okinawa
In Okinawa, a market is called a machigwaa.
Step inside, and the fish on the counters are colors you won't find on the
Year-round
Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale
Tokamachi, Niigata (Echigo-Tsumari region)
Echigo-Tsumari sits in the mountains along the border of Niigata and Nagano prefectures — a region of extraordinary snow
Year-round
Otona Shima Ryugaku — Island Living Program
Ama-cho, Oki Islands, Shimane
The island's unofficial motto is "Nai mono wa nai" — what isn't here, isn't needed. It's a quiet provocation, aimed at e
Year-round
Tono Festival
Tono City, Iwate
Tono is a town in the mountains of Iwate Prefecture that seems to remember things other places have forgotten. It was he
Year-round
Namahage Sedo Festival
Shinzan Shrine, Kitaura Shinzan, Oga, Akita
The Oga Peninsula in winter is a different country. Cold comes in off the Japan Sea, the cedar forests around Shinzan Sh
Year-round
Soma Nomaoi — The Wild Horse Chase
Hibaragahara Festival Grounds & Soma Nakamura Shrine, Minamisoma / Soma, Fukushima
The origin story is a thousand years old: Taira no Masakado, the warlord, released wild horses on the plains of what is
Daily
Ojiya Bullfighting (Ushi no Tsukiai)
Ojiya Bullfighting Arena, Oguriyama, Ojiya, Niigata
There is no winner. Every bout ends in a draw. In the mountains of Echigo, a tradition said to be nearly a thousand year
Daily
Iwami Kagura
Across the Iwami region of western Shimane (Hamada, Masuda, Oda and others)
Serpents writhe across the entire stage. In the Iwami region of western Shimane, performers in dazzling masks and embroi
Daily
Takachiho Night Kagura
Takachiho Shrine and village communities, Takachiho, Miyazaki
In the land where the myths were born, people dance through the night. Takachiho in Miyazaki is held to be the place whe
Daily (closed Wed)
Nishiki Market
Nishikikoji-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
It has long been called Kyoto's kitchen. Nishiki Market runs about three hundred and ninety meters under its arcade, lin
Every 2th Sat
Heian Flea Market
Okazaki Park, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
Once a month, someone's past gathers in a plaza. At Okazaki Park in Kyoto, the Heian Flea Market sets up on the second S
Every Sat & Sun
Farmer's Market at the United Nations University
United Nations University plaza, 5-53-70 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
In the middle of the city, you can talk to the people who grew it. In Aoyama, Tokyo, on the plaza before the United Nati
Daily
Tokyo Flea Market
Keiokaku, 4-31-1 Tamagawa, Chofu, Tokyo
Old things alone draw this many people. In Chofu, Tokyo, twice a year, in spring and autumn, the Tokyo Flea Market is he
Daily (closed Sun)
Tsukiji Outer Market
Tsukiji 4-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
The market moved, but the town remained. In Tsukiji, Tokyo, there once stood one of the world's largest fish markets. In
Daily
Kuromon Market
Nipponbashi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka
People call it Osaka's kitchen. Kuromon Market stretches about five hundred and eighty meters, lined with some hundred a
Daily
Design Festa
Tokyo Big Sight, 3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Whether it is good or not is beside the point. The only question is whether you made it. At Tokyo Big Sight, twice a yea
Every 1th Sun
Kurashiki Tenryo Morning Market
Around the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, Honmachi, Kurashiki, Okayama
In a town of white walls, a morning market sets up. Kurashiki in Okayama prospered in the Edo period as a tenryo, a terr
Daily
Towada Oirase Art Festival
Lake Towada, Oirase Gorge and the city center, Towada, Aomori
The sound of the mountain stream becomes part of the work. In Towada, Aomori, lies Lake Towada and the Oirase Gorge that
Daily
Kunisaki Peninsula Art Festival
Kunisaki, Bungotakada and the Kunisaki Peninsula, Oita
In a land of Buddhas, contemporary art takes up residence. The Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita is a round peninsula jutting i
Daily
Northern Alps Art Festival
Omachi and the surrounding hills and lakes, Nagano
In a town raised by snowmelt, you look at art. Omachi in Nagano sits right at the foot of the Northern Alps, peaks of th
Daily
Boso Satoyama Art Festival (Ichihara Art Mix)
Around Ichihara Lakeside Museum and the Kominato Railway, Ichihara, Chiba
A closed school is reborn as a museum. Ichihara in Chiba is not far from Tokyo, yet here spreads deep satoyama countrysi
Daily
Yamagata Biennale
Tohoku University of Art and Design and venues across Yamagata City
A university opens up a town. In Yamagata City, an art festival is held once every two years, organized by the Tohoku Un
Daily
KENPOKU ART (Ibaraki North Art Festival)
Northern Ibaraki, including Hitachi, Hitachiota, and Daigo
Sea and mountains: two faces in a single festival. Northern Ibaraki has a coastal area facing the Pacific and a mountain
Daily
Nishiawakura Local Venture Program
Nishiawakura, Aida District, Okayama
A village that did not abandon its forest is calling the young. Nishiawakura in Okayama is a small mountain village of a
Daily
Nanmoku Mountain Village Study Program
Nanmoku, Kanra District, Gunma
From the most aged village in Japan. Nanmoku in Gunma is said to have one of the highest proportions of elderly resident
Daily
Goto Islands Farming and Fishing Life Experience
Fukue Island and the Goto Islands, Goto, Nagasaki
A life with both sea and field. The Goto Islands of Nagasaki are a scattering of more than a hundred and forty islands i
Daily
Kesennuma Fisherman Experience
Kesennuma, Miyagi
Betrayed by the sea, and still living with the sea. Kesennuma in Miyagi is a port town of Tohoku with one of the world's
Daily
Hida-Furukawa Artisan Town Stay
Furukawa, Hida, Gifu
In a town where carp swim, you face the wood. Hida-Furukawa in Gifu has rows of white-walled storehouses, and hundreds o
Daily
Yoshino Forestry Experience
Yoshino, Yoshino District, Nara
Looking five hundred years ahead, you plant a tree. Yoshino in Nara is famous for its cherry blossoms. But it is also a
Daily
Arita Porcelain Kiln Tour and Painting Experience
Arita, Nishimatsuura District, Saga
Japanese porcelain began in this town. Arita in Saga is where, four hundred years ago, Japan's first porcelain was fired
Daily
Mashiko Pottery Experience
Mashiko, Haga District, Tochigi
Beauty in the vessels of everyday use. Mashiko in Tochigi is a leading pottery town of the Kanto region, with many studi
Daily
Nishijin Textile Experience
Nishijin district, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto
A single thread becomes a pattern like a cosmos. Nishijin in Kyoto is the home of the luxury silk textile called Nishiji
Daily
Nanbu Ironware Foundry Tour
Mizusawa, Oshu, Iwate
Black, heavy, made to last a lifetime. Oshu in Iwate is the home of Nanbu ironware, known above all for iron kettles. Na
Daily
Hagi Ware Climbing Kiln Experience
Hagi, Yamaguchi
One of the vessels most loved by tea masters. Hagi in Yamaguchi is the home of Hagi ware, long held in high regard in th
Daily
Reborn-Art Festival
Oshika Peninsula and central Ishinomaki, Miyagi
On the scars of the tsunami, art rises. Ishinomaki in Miyagi, and the Oshika Peninsula, were struck hard by the Great Ea