Discover insider tips, travel guides, and inspiring stories for your next adventure in Japan
Starting September 5, 2026, Minami-Chita Beachland in Aichi is launching "Sakana Quest," an AI image-recognition aquarium exploration game where visitors use a tablet to find sea creatures around the park and take on related quizzes and puzzles.
To coincide with the Minami-Koshigaya Awa Odori on August 22 and 23, 2026, the Minami-Koshigaya Rakuun shopping complex will host up to 16 food trucks, a nationwide "Ice Cream Championship" where visitors vote for their favorite regional ice cream, and a "Shaved Ice Lab" where two juices can be mixed into a custom-made shaved ice.
From September 12 to October 25, 2026, Moominvalley Park in Hanno, Saitama celebrates the autumn harvest with a Joxter-inspired lakeside terrace, the new participatory show "Apple Pop Playtime!," an umbrella-and-kochia photo spot, and story-themed decor — plus a new character joining the park.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the anime My Hero Academia, a merchandise lineup featuring a newly drawn key visual has been revealed for "Heroes' Footsteps," an immersive virtual exhibition on VRChat, with items available to order through the Anique Shop.
On September 11, 2026, Nagasaki Marriott Hotel's all-day dining restaurant HARBELLA will hold the 5th installment of its gourmet dinner series, themed around Australian wine, featuring a special course by Executive Chef Masayuki Haeiwa paired with sommelier-selected wines for 40 guests.
On September 4, 2026, Meieki Parklet in Nagoya's Nakamura Ward hosts Yoru Inu Matsuri, a free evening pet event with 26 pet food and goods shops, a Meitetsu Group information corner, a dog toast time, and photo spots, open to anyone who loves dogs.
Painter Nami Okada, who reconstructs landscapes from memory, presents her solo exhibition "Coordinates of Presence" at WALL_alternative in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo, from September 2 to September 26, 2026, featuring new works from her "one view" and "VOID" series alongside a new bound volume of drawings on organza.
The National Confectionery Expo Council has chosen Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture, to host the 29th National Confectionery Expo from September 14 to 30, 2029, Gifu's first time hosting the event in about a century. Known as the "Musubi no Chi" where Matsuo Basho's Oku no Hosomichi journey ends, Ogaki will bring together confectionery culture from across Japan and create a new stage for exchange with the world.
Vintage collector NEVERLAND brings around 60 rare '80s and '90s photo T-shirts and brand logo T-shirts, including pieces shot by Bruce Weber, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Richard Avedon, to a pop-up at CHELSEA VINTAGE ROOM™ in Ginza from August 21 to 30, 2026.
Capsule toy maker Qualia Co., Ltd. is holding the niccolino POPUP SHOP "niccolino Festival" at Tokyo Station Ichibangai's Ichiban Plaza from August 21 to 27, 2026, with venue-limited games, new merchandise, and gift campaigns.
Nyanko Daishoten Online has added five new acrylic stands — "Gross Cat," "Roe Cat," "大狂乱のゴムネコ," "巫女姫ミタマ," and "運命の子フォノ" — as the sixth installment in its acrylic stand series, starting August 21, 2026.
CyberStep has added a new character, Byakko, to its Japanese-style MMORPG Onigiri, along with a character event called "影散らす牙" running from August 20, 2026, offering exclusive accessories and event-limited skills. A repost campaign for a signed shikishi from voice actress Mei Harukawa and a Summer Thanks Campaign with a guaranteed top-rarity gacha ticket are also underway.