Festivals & Events in Japan

Animate Girls Festival (AGF) is one of Japan's largest comprehensive entertainment events for the otome (female-oriented) audience, held annually sinc...

AnimeJapan is one of the world's largest comprehensive anime events, held annually in March at Tokyo Big Sight. Born in 2014 from the merger of the To...

Shibuya Blue Cave Illumination is Japan's largest blue illumination event, held annually in the heart of Shibuya during winter. This magical pathway o...

The Arashiyama Momiji Festival (Autumn Leaves Festival) is an elegant riverboat celebration held every November in Arashiyama, Kyoto, one of Japan's m...

Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, is a botanical garden where you can enjoy seasonal flowers throughout the year. The expansi...

The Takayama Autumn Festival, held annually in October in Hida Takayama, is one of Japan's most prestigious festival celebrations, with approximately ...

The Chichibu Night Festival is the annual grand festival of Chichibu Shrine, held every December 2nd and 3rd, boasting over 300 years of history as on...

Eikando Lightup is a special evening viewing event held annually in autumn at Zenrinji Temple (commonly known as Eikando) in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto Prefect...

Experience Japan's most spectacular festival, the Gion Matsuri, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event that transforms Kyoto into a vibrant celeb...

The Grand Sumo Tournament (Ozumo Honbasho) is Japan's premier sumo competition, featuring 15-day official tournaments held six times throughout the ye...

Hakone Ekiden is the pinnacle of university long-distance relay racing, connecting Tokyo's Otemachi to Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture over a total dist...

Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, is Japan's largest theme park resort faithfully recreating Dutch cityscapes. Since opening in 1992, it ...

The Jidai Matsuri, or "Festival of the Ages," is a prestigious celebration counted alongside the Aoi Matsuri and Gion Matsuri as one of Kyoto's three ...

The Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Festival, held annually at Meiji Jingu Gaien in central Tokyo, is one of the city center's largest autumn events that has been ...

Jump Festa is one of Japan's largest manga and anime festivals, hosted by Shueisha. Held every December at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, this sp...

Kanazawa Castle & Kenrokuen Four Seasons Story is Ishikawa Prefecture's representative seasonal event, staged at the Special Place of Scenic Beauty "K...

Karatsu Kunchi is a traditional autumn festival held annually from November 2nd to 4th in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, boasting over 400 years of hi...

The Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual early-blooming cherry blossom festival held in Kawazu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, featuring one of Japa...

Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district is an ancient temple with more than 1,200 years of history since its founding in 778, a...

Nestled at the end of a picturesque stone-paved path in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, Kōdai-ji is a historic Zen temple where Nene, the widow of Toyot...

The Kurama Fire Festival, held annually on October 22nd in Kurama, northern Kyoto, is a traditional event with over 1,000 years of history as the annu...

Nabana no Sato, a theme park devoted to flowers, greenery, and cuisine inside Nagashima Resort in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, spreads across roughly ...

The Nagasaki Lantern Festival began in 1994, when a modest "Spring Festival" held by the Chinese community in Shinchi Chinatown was expanded to fill t...

The Naha Great Tug-of-War, boasting a history of approximately 600 years, is one of Okinawa's largest tug-of-war festivals, continuing since the era o...

The NARITA Fireworks Festival is an autumn tradition held annually on November 2nd in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture. Initiated in 2006 as an independe...

Sapporo Autumn Fest is Hokkaido's largest food festival that started in 2008. Under the theme of "promoting Hokkaido and Sapporo's food culture and re...

The Sapporo Snow Festival is Japan's largest snow and ice festival, held annually in early February in Sapporo, Hokkaido. This event began in 1950 whe...

The Shirakawa-go Light-up, held in the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Ogimachi gassho-zukuri village in Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, is a winter-only eve...

Shonan no Hoseki is a winter-only illumination event held at Enoshima Island in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture. With over 20 years of history, thi...

The Takayama Spring Festival is an annual traditional festival held on April 14th and 15th at Hie Shrine in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, and is rec...

The Sumida Park Cherry Blossom Festival is one of Tokyo's most historic cherry blossom spots, held annually in spring at Sumida Park. The Sumida Park ...

TAMASHII NATION is an annual figure festival held every autumn by BANDAI SPIRITS, featuring their adult collector's toy brand "TAMASHII NATIONS." Sinc...

Comic conventions, commonly known as "comic cons," are pop culture events that originated in the United States. In Japan, Tokyo Comic Con has been hel...

Tokyo Game Show (TOKYO GAME SHOW) is Asia's largest comprehensive gaming event held annually at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture. It serves as a pla...

The Tokyo Marathon is an international marathon held in Tokyo, Japan's capital city. Since its inaugural event in 2007, it has continuously developed ...

Tokyo Ramen Festa is Japan's largest outdoor ramen event, held annually in autumn at Komazawa Olympic Park in Tokyo. This beloved food festival brings...

The Tour de France Saitama Criterium was born in 2013 as the world's first event to bear the "Tour de France" name. Established in the commemorative y...

The Utsunomiya Gyoza Festival is Japan's largest gyoza food festival, held at Utsunomiya Castle Park in the heart of Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefectu...

Yokohama Oktoberfest is Japan's largest German beer festival, held annually in autumn (with occasional cancellations) at the historic Red Brick Wareho...