Japan Festivals & Events 2026: Complete Calendar
Japan festivals 2026 — Gion Matsuri, Awa Odori, Nebuta, autumn foliage matsuri and more. Dates, locations and what to expect at each event.
Japan has one of the densest festival calendars in the world. Matsuri (祭り) range from neighbourhood shrine processions to UNESCO-listed spectacles drawing half a million people in a single night. Knowing which festivals happen when — and where to position yourself — is the difference between catching a once-a-year float procession and arriving the week after it ends.
Japan's festival seasons
Spring (March–May): Cherry blossom (sakura) season drives the biggest travel surge of the year. Hanami picnics appear in parks from late March; shrine festivals like Aoi Matsuri in Kyoto mark the transition to summer. Dates shift by up to two weeks each year depending on winter temperatures.
Summer (June–August): The peak matsuri season. Gion Matsuri fills all of July in Kyoto, culminating in the Yamaboko Junko float procession on 17 July. Nebuta Matsuri in Aomori, Awa Odori in Tokushima, Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka — the major summer festivals cluster in late July and early August. Fireworks (hanabi) displays run through August at rivers and harbours across the country.
Autumn (September–November): Autumn foliage (koyo) rivals cherry blossom for colour and draws comparable crowds. Festivals shift toward harvest and thanksgiving themes: Kishiwada Danjiri in Osaka Prefecture (September), Nikko Autumn Festival (October), Jidai Matsuri in Kyoto (October). Foliage peaks in Nikko in mid-October and Kyoto in mid-November.
Winter (December–February): Sapporo Snow Festival (early February) is the headline event — 2 million visitors, illuminated snow sculptures, international ice carving competition. New Year (shogatsu) is the most important cultural observance: Hatsumode first-shrine visits happen 1–3 January at every shrine in the country.
Upcoming events
- Tenjin Matsuri Japan · osaka
One of Japan's three great festivals — shrine processions, traditional boats along the Okawa River, and 5,000+ fireworks at Osaka Temmangu Shrine.
- Sumida River Fireworks Festival Japan · tokyo
Tokyo's oldest and most famous summer fireworks display — around 20,000 shells fired from two launch sites along the Sumida River in Asakusa.
- Matsumoto Castle Taiko Festival Japan · nagano
Taiko groups from across Japan perform in the grounds of Matsumoto Castle over two days — the castle walls make a dramatic backdrop after dark.
- Miyajima Water Fireworks Festival Japan · miyajima
Fireworks launched from barges frame Itsukushima Shrine's floating torii gate every August — one of Japan's most photographed summer spectacles.
- Aomori Nebuta Festival Visit website ↗ Japan · aomori
Giant illuminated floats up to 9 metres tall parade through Aomori with thousands of dancers and taiko drummers.
- Nara Tokae Lantern Festival Japan · nara
7,000 stone lanterns lit throughout Nara Park and Kasugataisha Shrine each evening for ten days — the deer sanctuary in soft candlelight.
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony Japan · hiroshima
Annual ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park marking the 8:15am bombing on 6 August 1945 — silence, the Peace Bell, and doves. Open to all.
- Sendai Tanabata Festival Visit website ↗ Japan · sendai
Japan's largest Tanabata festival — Sendai's main shopping arcades are transformed with thousands of enormous paper streamers in five colours.
- Toro Nagashi — Hiroshima Lantern Floating Japan · hiroshima
Paper lanterns floated down the Motoyasu River beside the Atomic Bomb Dome at the Peace Memorial Ceremony — one of Japan's most moving rituals.
- Awa Odori Festival Japan
Japan's largest dance festival — 100,000 performers and 1.3 million spectators over four nights in Tokushima. Awa Odori teams chant and dance.
- Gozan no Okuribi (Daimonji) Japan · kyoto
Five bonfires on Kyoto's mountains close Obon — the 大 character blazes on Daimonji-yama. Best viewed from the Kamo River banks or rooftop bars.
- Awa Odori — Koenji Japan · tokyo
The largest Awa Odori outside Tokushima — 10,000 dancers and one million spectators fill Koenji's streets for two evenings of traditional dance.
- Sapporo Autumn Fest Japan · sapporo
Hokkaido's largest food festival — over 100 stalls in Odori Park serving seafood, wagyu, soup curry, ramen, and Hokkaido wine for three weeks.
- Kanazawa Jazz Street Japan · kanazawa
Free outdoor jazz at 30+ venues in Kanazawa — one of Japan's largest jazz festivals, with domestic and international musicians over two days.
- Kishiwada Danjiri Festival Japan · osaka
Teams pull enormous wooden floats at speed through Kishiwada's streets, with dancers on top — dangerous and spectacular. Easy day trip from Osaka.
- Nagasaki Kunchi Festival Japan · nagasaki
A 380-year-old Suwa Shrine festival showcasing Nagasaki's mixed heritage — dragon boat dances and a Dutch ship float are the headline spectacles.
- Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri) Japan · takayama
Eleven ornate yatai floats with karakuri puppet shows parade through Takayama's Edo-era streets. Evening lantern procession on 9 October.
- Naha Great Tug-of-War Festival Japan · okinawa
Guinness record for largest tug-of-war — east and west teams pull a 200-metre, 40-tonne straw rope along Kokusaidori in central Naha. Free.
- Nada no Kenka Matsuri (Fighting Festival) Japan · kobe
Three portable shrines deliberately crashed into each other at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in Himeji — Japan's most intense autumn festival.
- Nikko Autumn Festival Japan · nikko
1,200 samurai in Edo-period armour carry portable shrines through the cedar avenues of Nikko Tosho-gu. Autumn foliage typically near peak.
- Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum Festival Japan · aomori
Over 3,000 chrysanthemum plants in sculpted arrangements through Hirosaki Castle Park — a quieter counterpart to the city's cherry blossom season.
- Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) Japan · kyoto
A procession of 2,000 people in historical costume spanning the Heian to Meiji eras, marching from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine since 1895.
- Ohara Matsuri Japan · kagoshima
20,000 participants in yukata parade on Kagoshima's main street perform the Ohara-bushi and Iso Ondori folk dances — Kyushu's top street festival.
- Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu Japan · hakone
Hundreds march 12km along the Tokaido road in Edo-era costume, re-enacting a feudal lord's procession from Odawara to Moto-Hakone. 3 November.
- Hakodate Christmas Fantasy Japan · hakodate
A giant Christmas tree on Hakodate's waterfront with nightly harbour fireworks throughout December — Japan's most atmospheric winter illumination.
- Arashiyama Hanatoro Japan · kyoto
Kyoto winter illumination: bamboo groves, temples and riverside paths lit with thousands of lanterns. Free to walk; some venues charge entry.
- Sendai Pageant of Starlight Japan · sendai
Around 600,000 LED lights illuminate Jozenji-dori's zelkova trees for three weeks each December — one of Tohoku's finest winter illuminations.
- Hatsumode — New Year Shrine Visits Japan
Japan's most important annual tradition — millions visit shrines and temples in the first three days of the new year.
- Sapporo Snow Festival Visit website ↗ Japan · sapporo
Japan's most famous winter festival — ice and snow sculptures across three Sapporo sites. Free entry. Book hotels at least six months in advance.
- Cherry Blossom Season — Tokyo Japan · tokyo
Tokyo's hanami season — peak bloom late March to early April. Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, and Chidorigafuchi are the top spots for blossom viewing.
- Cherry Blossom Season — Kyoto Japan · kyoto
Kyoto's hanami season draws crowds to Maruyama Park, the Philosopher's Path, and Nijo Castle. Book ahead — it's Kyoto's busiest week of the year.
- Gion Matsuri Visit website ↗ Japan · kyoto
Kyoto's greatest festival — month-long celebration with Yoiyama evenings (16–17 July) and the Yamaboko Junko float procession on 17 July.
- Fuji Rock Festival Visit website ↗ Japan
Japan's largest outdoor music festival — three days of international and Japanese acts across multiple stages at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata.
- Aomori Nebuta Festival Visit website ↗ Japan · aomori
Giant illuminated float parade through central Aomori — warriors and mythological figures up to 9m tall, with thousands of dancers and drummers.
- Awa Odori Festival Japan
Japan's largest dance festival — 100,000 performers and 1.3 million spectators in Tokushima, dancing through the streets in traditional costume.
- Autumn Foliage — Nikko Japan · nikko
Nikko's cedar-lined avenues and temple precincts turn vivid red and gold in late October — one of the most dramatic autumn displays near Tokyo.
- Autumn Foliage — Kyoto Japan · kyoto
Kyoto's second peak season — maples and ginkgo turn crimson and gold at Eikan-do, Tofuku-ji, and Arashiyama. Peak colour mid to late November.
Recently past
These events have just concluded — dates listed for 2027 planning.
- Gion Matsuri
kyoto
- Hakata Gion Yamakasa
fukuoka
- Yosakoi Soran Festival
sapporo
- Sanno Matsuri
tokyo
- Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Matsuri
kanazawa
- Aoi Matsuri
kyoto
- Sanja Matsuri
tokyo