Japan Event Calendar: February and March 2026

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS:

• Odori Park

〒060-0042 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Odorinishi

• Susukino

Minami 6 Jōnishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0806

• Tsudome

885-1 Sakaemachi, Higashi Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 007-0852

TIMETABLE: varies according to exhibition site. Please see website for details.

WEBSITE: sapporo.travel

Setsubun marks the symbolic transition from winter to spring. It is traditionally celebrated by casting out oni (demons). The best-known method? Throwing roasted soybeans or beans at them! Yasaka Shrine hosts one of Japan's oldest and most important Setsubun celebrations, with themed shows and a lively atmosphere.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: 625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama district, Kyoto 605-0073

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WEBSITE: yasaka-jinja.or.jp

Another of Setsubun's major events, this festival is distinguished by its unique rituals. No bean-throwing here: specially prepared incense sticks are burned to ward off evil spirits. A sacred water sprinkling ceremony, blessed by the temple priest, is also part of the tradition.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: 1-6 Dojima, Kita district, Osaka
HOURS: 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WEBSITE: metronine.osaka

Overlooking the town of Ito, Mount Omuro is set ablaze every year to burn off the winter's dry grass and encourage new growth. This impressive tradition dates back over 700 years and offers a breathtaking spectacle when the mountain lights up in flames.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: 1317-5 Futo, Itō, Shizuoka Prefecture 413-231
HOURS: 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WEBSITE: omuroyama.com

The Setagaya Festival is a popular springtime event celebrating plum blossoms in Tokyo's Hanegi Park. Each year, over 650 trees are covered in delicate flowers, creating a fragrant, colorful landscape that heralds spring.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Hanegi Park, 4-38-52 Daita, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0033, Japan
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WEBSITE: setagaya-umematsuri.com

The locals handcraft huge paper balloons, sometimes measuring between 3 and 12 meters in height. Decorated with samurai, female figures and wishes of all kinds, these balloons are then released into the night sky, creating a fairytale scene worthy of an illustrated book.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Kamifūsen Square, Kamihinokinai, Nishiki-chō, Semboku City

HOURS: 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WEBSITE: city.semboku.akita.jp

Hirosaki Castle Park is adorned with small snow igloos called kamakura, delicately lit by lanterns. The atmosphere is peaceful and intimate, with the historic castle as a backdrop, providing an enchanting winter setting.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: 1-1 Shimoshiroganechō, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8356

HOURS: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

WEBSITE: hirosaki-kanko.or.jp

With over 1,300 years of history, this Buddhist ritual aims to purify participants, ward off evil spirits and pray for the coming year. Gomagi (prayer tablets) are burned, filling the temple courtyard with sacred smoke.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: 28-13 Motomachi, Suita, Osaka 564-0031

HOURS: 10.45 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WEBSITE: enmanji.com

Celebrate Valentine's Day in Tokyo in an unforgettable way! Held at the Nō Kanze Theater in Ginza, this candlelit concert immerses the audience in a romantic atmosphere, as the orchestra performs classics such as "A Whole New World" (Aladdin) or "I Will Always Love You" (The Bodyguard).

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: 6-10-1 Ginza, Chūō-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

HOURS: 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

WEBSITE: feverup.com

Kobe's Nankinmachi district is transformed for Chinese New Year, with purple decorations, lion dances and traditional music performances. Restaurants and stalls offer special menus in a festive atmosphere celebrating renewal, good fortune and community spirit.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: 1-3-18 Sakaemachidōri, Chūō district, Kobe, Hyōgo 650-0023

HOURS: 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

WEBSITE: nankinmachi.or.jp

Japan is renowned for the exceptional quality of its seafood, particularly in winter. Organized in Yoyogi Park, this gastronomic festival showcases seafood specialties. Not to be missed by lovers of good food!

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Yoyogi Events Square, 2-3 Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0041
Alley of Yoyogi zelkovas, 1-5-11 Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo

HOURS: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

WEBSITE: 37sakana.jp

Konomiya Hadaka Matsuri 2026 (Konomiya)

March 1st

Every year, in the small town of Konomiya near Nagoya, hundreds of men in fundoshi (traditional loincloth) take to the streets for the Hadaka Matsuri (literally "the festival of naked men"), a 1,200-year-old tradition. The aim? Touch the shinotoko, the sacred man, entirely naked, to transfer his bad luck to him and win good fortune for the year.

Although only men between the ages of 24 and 42 are allowed to march, the festival attracts an enthusiastic crowd, who are allowed to spray participants with cool water when tempers flare.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Owari Okunitama Shrine (Konomiya-jinja), 1 Chome-1-1 Konomiya, Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture 492-8205, Japan

SCHEDULE: From 3 p.m.

WEBSITE: aichinow.pref.aichi.jp

Miyoshi Nagayoshi Warrior Parade 2026 (Daito)

Early 2026

In March, the city of Daito, in the prefecture of Osaka Prefecture, hosts the Miyoshi Nagayoshi Warrior Parade, a historic event paying tribute to Miyoshi Nagayoshi, one of Japan's great warlords. For the occasion, hundreds of participants dressed in samurai armor parade through the city streets. The procession is punctuated by demonstrations of katana fighting, offering a total immersion in the atmosphere of feudal Japan!

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: The procession starts at Hojo Park, 1 Chome-1 Hojochō, Daitō, Osaka 574-0054, Japan

SCHEDULE: From 1 p.m.

WEBSITE: city.daito.lg.jp

The fire festival at Mount Takao near Tokyo is a fascinating ritual in which monks and participants walk barefoot over embers to purify their souls and attract good luck. The festival is held in an open area near Kito-den Hall, in complete safety.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Kito-den Hall, 2177 Takao-machi, Hachioji City, Tokyo 193-8686, Japan

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WEBSITE: takaosan.or.jp

Osaka Sumo Grand Tournament (Osaka)

March 8th to 22nd

The Great Osaka Sumo Tournament is one of the six major sumo tournaments in Japan. It will take place from March 8 to 22, 2026, at the EDION Arena Osaka, a 10-minute walk from JR Namba station. While the upper-division bouts start at around 2pm, the gates open at 8:45am—a unique opportunity to experience the electric atmosphere of sumo fighting!

Tickets will be available from February 7, 2026, on the official Japan Sumo Association website. As they go fast, we advise you not to wait too long to get your tickets. Enjoy the match!

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: EDION Arena Osaka, 3-4-36 Nambanaka, Naniwa-ku, Osaka 556-0011, Japan

SCHEDULE: From 8:45 a.m.

WEBSITE: sumo.or.jp

The Seiryu-e, or Blue Dragon Festival, is held three times a year (March, April and October) at Kyoto's famous Kiyomizu-dera temple. Dedicated to Seiryu, the guardian dragon of the eastern part of the city, this unique event combines myth and visual spectacle, with an 18-meter-long dragon figure carried in a procession around the temple. An event not to be missed, if you want to have good luck for the rest of the year!

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Kiyomizu-dera, 1-294, Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 605-0862, Japan

OPENING HOURS: From 2 p.m.

WEBSITE: kiyomizudera.or.jp

The Shizukumiya Festival in Takayama is an annual festival celebrating new sake. This popular festival features a procession during which a mikoshi in the shape of a sake barrel is carried through the town before reaching the Miyagawa River for a purification ritual. The festival's festive, convivial atmosphere is perfect for the start of spring!

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Takayama Jinya-mae Square, 1-5 Hachikenmachi, Takayama-shi, Gifu 506-0012, Japan

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WEBSITE: shizukumiyamatsuri.com

If you're a matcha lover, Tokyo's Green Tea Marche is for you! Free of charge, it brings together producers and artisans to offer matcha tastings, desserts and tea-based beverages in a friendly, gourmet atmosphere. There are also opportunities to explore Japanese culture in its entirety, with initiations in calligraphy and tea ceremonies.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Yoyogi Park Event Square, 2-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0052, Japan

HOURS: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WEBSITE: instagram.com

Dogo Onsen Festival 2026 (Matsuyama)

March 19th-21st

Each year, the festival celebrates the historical and cultural heritage of Dogo Onsen, one of Japan's oldest public baths. For three days, the surrounding streets are adorned with lanterns and host parades in traditional costumes, processions and dances, to the delight of festival-goers. Stalls selling local produce complete the experience, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the unique atmosphere of this exceptional onsen.

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Dogo Onsen Honkan, 5-6 Dogo-yunomachi, Matsuyama City, Ehime 790-0842, Japan

HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WEBSITE: dogo.jp/

In spring, the banks of the Asuwa River in Fukui host the Fukui Cherry Blossom Festival, a colorful event celebrating the start of cherry blossoms in the region. More than 2.2 km of blossoms offer visitors a picturesque stroll, punctuated by nighttime illuminations and food stalls. The perfect opportunity to enjoy the warm weather!

FURTHER INFORMATION

ADDRESS: Asuwa River Cherry Blossom Avenue, 1 Chome-1, Hanandori, Fukui City, Fukui 910-0006, Japan

OPENING HOURS: Illuminations from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

WEBSITE: fuku-e.com