Nov12026
Kabuki at Kabuki-za: November 2026 Programme
Kabuki-za's November programme runs 1 to 25 November 2026 with matinee and evening performances.
57 events start this month
What's on in Japan in November 2026.
Festivals, fireworks, illuminations and seasonal events starting in November 2026, checked against official sources.
Nov12026
Korankei Momiji Matsuri
Some 4,000 maples colour the Korankei gorge in Asuke, with Mt Iimori lit every evening of November.
Nov12026
Naoshima New Museum of Art and Benesse Art Site Naoshima (ongoing programme)
The tenth Tadao Ando building on Naoshima and the first focused on Asian contemporary art (Murakami, Cai Guo-Qiang, Do Ho Suh), anchoring the Benesse Art Site islands between Triennale years.
Nov12026
Shimonoseki Kaikyo Marathon 2026
A hilly, scenic marathon along the Kanmon Strait and the Sea of Japan coast of Shimonoseki, with a 'kaikyo' (strait) fun run; about 10,000 runners.
Nov22026
Kagoshima Ohara Matsuri
Mass dance festival in Tenmonkan, Kagoshima City, with more than 20,000 dancers performing to the Ohara-bushi folk song.
Nov22026
Karatsu Kunchi
Autumn festival of Karatsu Shrine in which 14 hikiyama floats are pulled through Karatsu City.
Nov22026
Ohara Matsuri (75th)
Southern Kyushu's largest festival: some 20,000 dancers in yukata perform the Ohara-bushi and Hanya-bushi along the tram tracks of Tenmonkan.
Nov32026
Hikari no Machi Hakata 2026
JR Hakata Station plaza becomes the 'City of Light Hakata' for its 15th year, with the new 160,000-bulb 'Hakatarium' symbol.
Nov32026
Hikone Castle Festival Parade
A period-costume parade of nearly 1,000 people through the castle town of Hikone, held every 3 November.
Nov32026
Midosuji Illumination 2026
Osaka's Midosuji boulevard lights about 4 kilometres of ginkgo trees as a core programme of the Festival of the Lights in Osaka.
Nov32026
Yamanashi Nouveau Festival 2026 (Tokyo)
Release-day festival for Yamanashi Nouveau (Koshu and Muscat Bailey A new wine), with dozens of Yamanashi wineries pouring in Hibiya Park on the Culture Day holiday.
Nov42026
Art Week Tokyo 2026
Art Basel-partnered citywide week linking 42 galleries and 13 institutional shows via free shuttle buses, with ten AWT Focus curator-led spaces. Tokyo's key annual contemporary-art moment.
Nov52026
Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka Illumination
Roppongi Hills lights its Keyakizaka zelkova avenue with about 970,000 LEDs in the 2026 'SNOW & BLUE' colour scheme.
Nov52026
Tokyo Skytree Town Dream Christmas 2026
Tokyo Skytree Town lights about 400,000 bulbs for its Dream Christmas, in 2026 themed 'STAR LIGHT GOLD'.
Nov62026
Echizen Crab Season
The fixed annual season for Echizen-gani snow crab, Fukui's winter delicacy, from 6 November to 20 March.
Nov62026
Huis Ten Bosch 'The Starlight Million' illumination and European Holy Christmas
Japan's largest illumination by bulb count (13 million+), fully refreshed for the first time in 16 years in 2026 with a 'walk among the stars' concept, plus a European Christmas market and giant trees.
Nov62026
Huis Ten Bosch Kingdom of Lights (The Starlight Million)
Winter illumination at Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo, renewed for 2026-27 as The Starlight Million.
Nov62026
Izu Kogen Gran Illumi (Granillumi)
Gran Illumi, the walk-through illumination at Izu Granpal Park, opens its 12th season and runs into the following summer.
Nov62026
Whisky Festival 2026 in Tokyo
Japan's largest whisky tasting fair, 121 exhibitors including Japanese craft distilleries, run by critic Mamoru Tsuchiya's Whisky Culture Institute. Prime chance to taste rare Japanese whisky.
Nov72026
Art Collaboration Kyoto 2026
Japan's leading collaborative contemporary art fair, pairing Japanese galleries with international partners (Hauser & Wirth, Jeffrey Deitch and others in 2026) inside Otani Sachio's brutalist conference hall, backed by Kyoto Prefecture.
Nov72026
Fuji-Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival
Maples line the Maple Corridor on Lake Kawaguchi's north shore, lit until 21:00 with Mt Fuji across the water.
Nov72026
Ishigaki Matsuri
The 62nd Ishigaki Island Festival, Ishigaki's largest civic festival, held at Shin'ei Park.
Nov72026
Tsuchiura All-Japan Fireworks Competition
One of Japan's three great fireworks competitions, where makers demonstrate new shells over the Sakura River in Tsuchiura.
Nov72026
Usuki Takeyoi Bamboo Lantern Festival
Some 20,000 bamboo lanterns light the samurai streets of Usuki for the legend of Princess Hannyahime.
Nov82026
Arashiyama Momiji Matsuri
Heian-style boats perform court music and dance on the Oi River under the autumn maples of Arashiyama.
Nov82026
Atami Marine Fireworks Festival
Fireworks over Atami Bay held more than ten times a year, each 20-minute display ending with the Dai-Kuchu Niagara finale across the bay.
Nov82026
Fukuoka Marathon 2026
Point-to-point city marathon for 13,000 runners from central Fukuoka to a coastal finish in Itoshima.
Nov82026
Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament 2026
The November grand sumo tournament: 15 days at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center.
Nov112026
Eikando Autumn Exhibition and Maple Illumination
Kyoto's most famous maple temple: about 3,000 maples, a treasure exhibition and night illumination.
Nov112026
Shinjuku Minamillumi 2026-2027
About 275,000 LEDs light six venues around Shinjuku Station's south side, including Southern Terrace and the Suica Penguin plaza.
Nov122026
Dai Nagoya Building Winter Illumination
The Dai Nagoya Building's rooftop Sky Garden, three minutes from Nagoya Station, is expected to hold its winter illumination again in 2026.
Nov122026
HIBIYA Magic Time Illumination 2026
Tokyo Midtown Hibiya lights Hibiya Step Square, its Park View Garden and Hibiya Naka-dori from mid November to the end of February.
Nov122026
Marunouchi Illumination
Winter illumination of champagne-gold lights on the street trees of Marunouchi Naka-dori in Tokyo.
Nov142026
Baccarat Eternal Lights at Ebisu Garden Place
Ebisu Garden Place hangs its Baccarat crystal chandelier for the 27th edition of its winter illumination.
Nov142026
Design Festa vol.64
Asia's largest freestyle art event: about 6,500 booths of independent artists, illustrators, craft makers and performers over one weekend, held each May and November.
Nov142026
Echizen Crab Festival 2026
Opening-of-season crab market for Echizen gani, Fukui's prized snow crab, with boiled-crab stalls, live auctions and seafood barbecues on the coast. Held over two weekends only.
Nov142026
Fushimi Sake Festival in Otesuji 2026 (10th)
Fifteen Fushimi breweries (Gekkeikan, Kizakura, Tamanohikari etc.) pour their sake along the covered Otesuji arcade in one of Japan's great sake towns.
Nov142026
Minoo Maple Festival (Meiji no Mori Minoh Quasi-National Park)
Osaka's maple festival: the 2.7 km path to Minoo Falls lit nightly, with music points along the river.
Nov142026
Sagamiko Illumillion
Sagamiko Illumillion lights the hillside Sagamiko MORI MORI resort with about 6,000,000 bulbs, the largest scale in the Kanto region.
Nov152026
Hagi Jidai Matsuri
Autumn festival recreating the Hagi Daimyo Procession, with costumed warriors parading through the castle town to Kanaya Shrine.
Nov152026
Kobe Marathon 2026
Marathon for about 20,000 runners from central Kobe along the coast towards Akashi and back.
Nov152026
Sakamoto Ryoma Festival
Kochi celebrates Sakamoto Ryoma's birthday at Katsurahama on the Sunday closest to 15 November.
Nov152026
Takachiho Yokagura Night Kagura Season
All-night sacred kagura dances performed in Takachiho's villages from mid-November to early February.
Nov182026
Izumo Taisha Kamiari-sai (gathering of the gods)
The week in which Japan's eight million kami are said to gather at Izumo Taisha; begins with a torch-lit welcoming rite on Inasa Beach and includes en-musubi (matchmaking) rites.
Nov192026
Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination: TOKYO SNOW DOME CITY
Tokyo Dome City's 2026 winter illumination, 'TOKYO SNOW DOME CITY', uses over a million lights and a Cinnamoroll collaboration.
Nov202026
Himeji Otemae-dori and Himeji Castle Illumination 'Atarayo'
Himeji lights 2.5 kilometres of Otemae-dori and the castle with 510,000 full-colour LEDs in 'Atarayo', directed by Motoko Ishii.
Nov202026
Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo
Sapporo's sister-city Christmas market modelled on Munich's, with German food, Glühwein and craft stalls under the Odori Park illuminations.
Nov202026
NIIGATA Hikari no Pageant
Niigata's winter pageant wraps about 200 zelkova trees south of Niigata Station in 160,000 lights.
Nov202026
Osaka Castle Illuminage
Osaka Castle's Nishinomaru Garden hosts an Illuminage of Sengoku-era light art themed on the unification of Japan.
Nov202026
Ritsurin Garden Autumn Light-up 2026
Kagawa's Edo-period daimyo stroll garden lit up for ten autumn nights, with the maples around Kikugetsu-tei teahouse and Mt Shiun reflected in the ponds.
Nov202026
Sapporo White Illumination
Winter illuminations in central Sapporo, centred on Odori Park, first held in 1981.
Nov212026
Keyaki Light Parade by FeStA LuCe
Wakayama's Keyaki Odori lights 3.5 kilometres and about 500 street trees with over 1,500,000 LEDs for 100 days.
Nov222026
Takachiho Yokagura Festival (Shinwa no Takachiho Yokagura Matsuri)
Opening showcase of Takachiho's yokagura season: all 33 dances of the UNESCO-inscribed (2024) Takachiho night kagura, including Tajikarao hauling open the rock cave, performed over two days at the shrine.
Nov232026
Nagano Ebisuko Fireworks
Late-autumn fireworks over the Sai River in Nagano City on 23 November, the finale of the Ebisuko season.
Nov262026
Tokyo Midtown Midwinter Lights (MIDTOWN CHRISTMAS 2026)
Tokyo Midtown's Midtown Garden becomes 'Midwinter Lights', a snowy forest and aurora scene with floating bubbles, for MIDTOWN CHRISTMAS 2026.
Nov282026
Echigo Hillside Park Xmas Illumination
Echigo Hillside Park's Christmas illumination centres on its great zelkova symbol tree, on selected December days.
Nov292026
Japan Cup 2026 (G1 horse race)
Japan's premier international invitational turf race over 2,400 m at Tokyo Racecourse, with a purse among the richest in the world and overseas challengers invited each year.