Browse all travel guides tagged with "Traditional"
Kodai-ji Temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward will hold a special night viewing event, "Digital Noh in Kodai-ji," from October 2 to 4, 2026, featuring a Noh performance of "Hagoromo," illuminated clouds and bamboo in the temple garden, and a rare display of the reconstructed "Golden Tea Room" linked to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Wagokoro Co., Ltd. has opened hair ornament brand Kanzashi-ya WARGO and Japanese umbrella brand Hokusai Graphic as new specialty stores on the 1st floor of Shinjuku Marui Annex, while renewing its Hashiya Mansaku chopstick store, replacing the former multi-brand shop TheIchi with three individual specialty spaces from September 18, 2026.
On September 27, 2026, Buddhist temple Shoudaiji holds a free evening service and gagaku performance, "Mid-Autumn Moon Gagaku Evening," at Shinrin Koen Showa Jouen, a memorial garden in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture, inviting visitors to spend time reflecting on loved ones under the autumn moon.
As part of the Tokyo Sento Culture Outreach Project, the "TRY A TOKYO SENTO" campaign has been introducing the appeal of Tokyo's public bathhouses to visitors from Japan and abroad since September 1, and its campaign site is now adding new content, including a video from Taiwanese creator Machi (鄭羽婷), a sento appeal video from September 18, and a sento experience article at the end of September.
Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store hosts the Tokushima edition of its Harukas Nippon Expo from September 23 to 29, 2026, featuring a hands-on Awa Odori dance event, a gourmet fair where 8 of 13 participating brands make their first Kintetsu appearance, full-size ceramic-board reproductions of works by Vermeer, Leonardo da Vinci, and Van Gogh from the Otsuka Museum of Art, and Tokushima's traditional indigo-dye crafts.
From October 2 to 4, 2026, Osaka's Namba Square hosts "SHiNWA ni Negai wo — Craft the Future," a three-day event bringing Namahage drummers from Akita, roughly 1,400-year-old Konparu school Noh, and about 400 years of Osaka daikagura and lion dance to the plaza, alongside regional food stalls and a hands-on lantern-painting workshop.
Ahead of its October 9 opening, Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts has finalized the official catalog, original goods, and related events for its exhibition on Ming-dynasty calligraphy from the He Chuangshi Collection, Taipei, including a live calligraphy demonstration and a weekday sticker giveaway.
Yamaguchi sake brewery Abunotsuru Shuzo joined designer Kentaro Kameyama's show at New York Fashion Week, turning a traditional sake barrel into a runway look and sending sixth-generation brewer Ryutaro Miyoshi down the runway himself.
Marking the Ohori Park Noh Theater's 40th anniversary, the free Fukuoka Traditional Performing Arts Festa 2026 (Fukugei FUKUGEI) gathers Japanese dance, chikuzen biwa, Noh, shigin, gagaku, kagura, shamisen and rakugo on October 17, with a free hands-on Noh and rakugo workshop the day before.
QUESTION, the co-creation facility in Kyoto, is holding "Sento Switch. – The Breeze After a Bath, Walking Kyoto," a project for a sustainable future for Kyoto's sento, from October 10 to November 26, 2026, culminating in a finale DAY event with talk sessions, a quiz rally, and a goods marche on November 28.
Ikebana artist Mika Otani presents her first Tokai-region hotel lobby installation at Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, combining Aichi's traditional crafts with a large-scale flower arrangement on display from September 10 to October 26, 2026.
Nakamura Kankuro and Nakamura Shichinosuke's Nakamuraya troupe have finalized the program and cast for their 2027 nationwide kabuki tour, Shungyo Kabuki Special Performance 2027 and Yoshun Kabuki Special Performance 2027, which visit venues across Japan from March 2027.
Shinjuku Sumo Club, run by Mediabound Co., Ltd., is now accepting group and tour bookings for its roughly 90-minute, English-narrated sumo entertainment program, which lets visitors learn about sumo history, watch former professional wrestlers perform up close, and even step onto the dohyo themselves.
Chopsticks Studio Asakusa, a chopstick-making experience studio near Kaminarimon Gate in Tokyo's Asakusa, has welcomed more than 2,000 visitors in the roughly two months since its July 2026 opening, earning a 4.9 rating on OTAs such as Klook and GetYourGuide and a perfect 5.0 on Google Reviews.
A limited capsule collection born from a collaboration between the sashiko artisan collective Sashiko Gals and the fashion brand KUON launches at Patina Osaka and Patina Maldives on September 16, 2026, with Patina Tianjin to follow.
In Tamano, Okayama, whole-house rental kominka retreat "The Nature Uno" has welcomed guests from eight countries in the roughly five months since its May 2026 opening, pairing a "do-nothing" retreat with easy access to the art islands of Naoshima and Teshima.
JTOPIA, one of Japan's largest online marketplaces for luxury traditional crafts, has begun selling pieces from two celebrated Arita ware kilns — Kakiemon-style specialist Jingama and yohen-technique kiln Shinemongama — at ONE OFF TOKYO, a select shop inside Daimaru Tokyo directly connected to Tokyo Station.
Starting September 9, NIPPONIA HOTEL Ise Kawasaki Shonin-machi and Ise Rickshaw Tamaya are launching the "Tamaya Kago Plan," a new experience that puts guests in the starring role of a milestone celebration — riding Kansai's only traditional town palanquin through the historic streets of Ise, guided by a local rickshaw driver who knows the city inside out.
From September 2 to November 13, Sapporo's historic ryotei Elm Garden is serving Nomai Kaiseki, a weekday-only lunch course paired with a close-up Japanese dance performance set against its roughly 1,000-tsubo Japanese garden as the maples and rowans turn color.
The Hibiya Library & Museum in Tokyo is holding the Nara Ittobori Exhibition from December 19, 2026 to January 17, 2027, bringing together around 40 works and tools by leading artists of this thousand-year-old Nara woodcarving tradition.
Sasayama Joka-machi Hotel NIPPONIA, operated by Kazeno Heritage in Tamba Sasayama City, Hyogo, has partnered with SASAYAMA COTTON BASE to offer a new stay-and-craft experience of cotton ginning, hand weaving, and dyeing with Tamba black beans and chestnuts, available from September 8 to December 26, 2026.
Kintsugi artisan Sho Takeshita's brand ANYTSUGI has released the Simple Kintsugi Kit -kumo-, a lacquer-free kit that lets people repair broken tableware in a single day and use the mended pieces as food-safe dishware afterward.
IEGNIM in Tokyo's Yoyogi-Uehara area hosts a solo exhibition by Takatori Hassengama potter Yuko Takatori from September 12 to 23, 2026, showcasing works rooted in Takatori ware's 400-year "kirei-sabi" tradition, alongside a wagashi-making workshop with the artist on September 22.
THE FARM in Katori, Chiba, is offering a two-night, three-day stay plan that lets overseas visitors join the float-pulling and dancing at the autumn festival of the Sawara Grand Festival, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tradition, from October 8 to 10, 2026.
The 64th Yamanaka Onsen Koikoi Festival takes place September 19–20 in Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City, filling the hot spring town with mikoshi processions and circle dancing, while a free special performance of "Yamanaka-bushi Four Seasons Dance" is also being held this year.
Hakone Retreat före & villa 1/f in Sengokuhara is offering a yukata experience with salon mizu timed to the mid-autumn moon, featuring both a self-dressing plan and a creator-styled plan for hotel guests on September 25, 2026.
Characters from the My Hero Academia anime are getting their own hanafuda playing card set, finished with a premium traditional lining by Kyoto's Oishi Tengudo, with pre-orders opening September 4.
Starting August 29, 2026, Suigian in Nihonbashi, Tokyo is holding regular Miko Taikenkai sessions where participants wear the robes of a Shinto priest or shrine maiden and spend three hours learning traditional bearing, manners, and dance in a space steeped in centuries of history.
Uruma City, Okinawa hosts the 38th All-Island Lion Dance Festival on October 10 and 11, featuring an eve festival lit by LED sky lanterns and a day of vibrant lion dance performances at the historic Katsuren Castle Ruins.
The Jumangoku Matsuri Festival returns to Daishoji, Kaga City, on September 12–13, 2026, with stalls, a children's mikoshi, and an amateur singing contest, highlighted by the "Manto Mikoshi," a portable shrine covered in around 100 lanterns hoisted and paraded around the plaza on the first night.
One of the three great festivals of Kanto, the Hitachinokuni Sosha-gu Reitaisai, known locally as the Ishioka Festival, takes place over four days from September 15 to 21, 2026, in Ishioka City, Ibaraki, with grand mikoshi, dashi floats, and lion dance floats parading through the historic old town.
Kimono EXPO 2026, an annual event where tradition and modernity meet, comes to Tokyo from October 7 to 12 and Osaka from October 14 to 18, with hands-on workshops and artisan talks — admission is free.
Starting October 1, 2026, Kai Akiu in Miyagi's Akiu Onsen offers a new three-generation family plan inspired by Date Masamune's hospitality, featuring a hands-on zunda-making experience and a private "Date-Style Celebration Banquet" for milestones like a 60th birthday or Shichi-Go-San.
WAKISAKA KATSUJI / SOU・SOU MUSEUM in Kyoto's Shimogamo area will open for a reservation-only Silver Week viewing from September 19 to 23, 2026, showcasing around 60 years of work by textile designer Katsuji Wakisaka.
From October 17 to November 15, 2026, YATTOKAME FESTIVAL DOORS returns to Nagoya for its 14th edition, filling castles, historic restaurants, parks, and streets with traditional performing arts, wagashi tours, walking programs, and lectures. Ticket sales for the various programs begin September 11.
Minomachiya Co., Ltd.'s dispersed kominka hotel in Mino, Gifu Prefecture, is renaming itself from NIPPONIA Mino Merchant Town to NAE Mino on September 8, 2026, adding guided town walks, a local-news LINE account, a "Mino Najimifu" shop pass, and a share of lodging revenue donated back to the community.
OHYA is offering an early preview sale of three new metal cold tea cups, Nagomi, Kizashi, and Urara, at the Dai-Nippon Ichi trade show in Tokyo from September 2 to 4, 2026, ahead of their September 5 general release.
Hiroshima Andersen's fourth-floor Copenhagen Room presents a Tobe ware exhibition from September 8 (Tue) to 14 (Mon), 2026, featuring traditional and contemporary pieces, limited-edition original designs tied to Andersen's long history with the craft, and a hands-on painting workshop led by a certified traditional craftsperson.
The cultural tourism facility Kaga Iryokuen in Yamanaka Onsen presents Kutani ware artist Chika Yoshigai's first solo exhibition from August 19, followed by ceramic artist Chihiro Fujisaki's exhibition from September 19, 2026.
A new 21cm size of "Oseiron," a cooking vessel that pairs an Arita ware clay pot with a natural cedar steamer, has been released by livareit Co., Ltd., following an earlier 15cm version funded through Makuake. The steamer can be removed for use as a standalone clay pot, and an optional ceramic lid is now available for the first time.
From September 7 to 13, 2026, TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY hosts "Takanawa Tsukimachi," an event reviving Takanawa's Edo-era moon-waiting tradition with a sake pairing menu, a special afternoon tea, mochi-pounding, moon-themed light art, and free yukata dressing.
Ahead of next year's Koto Akizuki Hina Meguri, the historic town of Akizuki in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture will display around 600 hina dolls in front of the Akizuki Castle ruins' Nagayamon Gate on September 9, 2026, to mark the Chōyō no Sekku (Chrysanthemum Festival).
To mark its 2nd anniversary on August 20, 2026, Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto is relaunching Banyan Group's "Stay for Good" program tailored to Kyoto, centered on a new "Ninnaji Legacy Experience" created with the UNESCO World Heritage site Ninna-ji that gives guests special access to the temple, with part of the proceeds supporting its preservation.
A special exhibition at Atelier Shimura Gallery & School Tokyo, Setagaya runs from September 11 to October 20, 2026, showcasing washi paper flowers by Hananowa dyed through a collaboration with Atelier Shimura's plant dyeing, along with new plant-dyed beeswax paper products.
The Naritaya family's first joint national kabuki tour, The Road to Tradition, opened on August 21, 2026 at Kanazawa Kagekiza Theater, featuring an all-premiere program across 11 performances at 6 venues nationwide through August 30.
About 550 selected pieces spanning ceramics, textiles, lacquer art, metalwork, woodwork and bamboo work, doll craft, and other crafts -- including the newest work by Living National Treasures -- go on display at the 73rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, running September 2 to 15, 2026, on the 7th floor of Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store's Main Building.
![[Kaga Onsen-kyo] Giant Guzu Effigies Race Through the Old Post Town at the Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival, with the First-Ever Fireworks Display This Year](https://assets.hldycdn.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=webp,quality=75,width=400/e6b0673b-43e2-4d62-b1a8-cb97df3c2ad3.jpeg)
The Guzuyaki Matsuri Festival takes place in Iburibashi, Kaga City, from August 28 to 30, where giant effigies called guzu are paraded through the historic post town's alleys and burned at Furihashi Shrine. This year's festival also features the debut of the Guzuyaki Matsuri Fireworks Display on August 30.
On September 25, 2026, Higaki, the restaurant inside Kyoto Gyoen, will hold its first-ever, limited-seating "Harvest Moon Special Dinner and Moon-Viewing Banquet," pairing a special kaiseki dinner with a moon-viewing gathering held in a specially arranged area in front of the Kyoto Imperial Palace's Seisho-mon gate.
Kobe's Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum will hold the exhibition "Where Trees Live Again" from October 3 to December 13, 2026, spotlighting furniture designer George Nakashima and the Kagawa workshop that has carried on his craft in Japan for more than 60 years.
Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition AOMORI, an immersive digital art museum in Aomori City, has welcomed its 30,000th visitor and continues to run without any closed days through August 30, 2026.
From November 7 to 23, 2026, Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine in Saitama's Omiya Ward will glow with the "Tokimusubi no Mori" light-up event, featuring illuminated torii gates and projection mapping themed around Omiya's history and traditions.
LASTFRAME, a brand dedicated to carrying traditional Japanese craft techniques into contemporary design, releases new items in its "KASANE" bag series from August 26, 2026, drawing on "kasane no irome," a traditional Japanese color-layering aesthetic passed down since the Heian period.
As autumn arrives in Toyama, the Owara Kaze no Bon Festival lights up the historic town of Yatsuo from September 1–3, while Tateyama's cooling trails, the season's first red snow crab, and Kureha pears bring an early taste of fall.
On August 22, 2026, Nishi Ward's long-running Insect Sound Gathering returns to Kamon-yama Park in Yokohama for its 60th edition, with lantern displays, tea ceremony, koto and shakuhachi music, and a special Otome Bunraku puppet theater performance.
Hotel Metropolitan Kamakura's official-website-exclusive stay plan guarantees two S-seats, the closest viewing seats to the stage, for the 68th Kamakura Torchlight Noh Performance at Kamakura-gu Shrine on October 9, 2026, with reservations opening August 20 and rooms from ¥84,900 per night.
Nagato Yumoto Onsen in Yamaguchi Prefecture hosts the 7th "Utsuwa no Aki" from October 2 to November 3, 2026, spreading works from five Fukagawa Hagi ware kilns and eight artists across the hot spring town, this year themed around a collaboration with wagashi confectionery, with free admission.
TAIMATSU's fragrance brand YOKAI JAPAN has opened a new Perfume Shop on Ichinenzaka in Kyoto, its second location after Asakusa, offering scents inspired by the atmosphere and culture of the historic streets of Higashiyama.
Kabuki star Ichikawa Danjuro performs Dannoura Kabuki at a special venue overlooking Dannoura in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, on November 6 and 7, 2026, the finale of the three-year Yamaguchi Drama Tourism project.
On August 22, 2026, Kawasaki's Miyamae Ward will host the free "26th Resound! Miyamae Taiko Meeting," a summer festival featuring taiko drumming performances, illuminated Miyasaki Nebuta floats made by local students, a hands-on taiko corner, a yukata dressing experience, and a guest performance by the wagaku group Japaund.
Chopsticks Studio Shibuya, a chopstick-making experience studio five minutes on foot from Shibuya Station, opened on August 1, 2026, with an expanded group reception system for school trips, corporate training, and inbound tour and MICE groups, accommodating up to 44 guests at once across ten sessions a day.
Hayachine Take Kagura, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage from Iwate, comes to Silk Road Dance Hall in Yokohama Chinatown on October 13, 2026, marking 50 years since both its national designation and Amina Collection's founding.
NHK Culture's Kyoto classroom is holding a three-part course at Kongo Noh Theatre, where the young head of the Kongo school himself explains and performs excerpts from the elegant "Mai Kongo" style, alongside treasured masks and costumes passed down since the Muromachi period.
Ojiya City in Niigata Prefecture, home to about 30,000 people, hosts its biggest annual event, the Ojiya Festival, from August 21 to 23. Highlights include a Grand Fireworks Display with about 7,000 shells and a parade of hand-built karakuri mando, mechanized lantern floats crafted by local community groups.
As part of its 75th-anniversary "Summer, Let's Bloom – Fireworks Support Project," CBC Television will livestream the Kumano Fireworks Festival in Mie Prefecture on August 17, culminating in a finale where blasts reverberate through the World Heritage site Onigajo.
Mimirin, a brand founded by 24-year-old Mina Ichikawa that turns retired kimono into teddy bears and gifts, opened its first physical store in Kyoto's Gion district on August 8, 2026, following a crowdfunding campaign that reached 110% of its goal.
TAIMATSU's cultural experience brand FUJI JAPAN has opened a new location in Nara, inviting visitors to choose their own blade and handle and craft an original knife by hand, inside the same building as knife specialty shop MUSASHI JAPAN Nara.
Kronos Gaia's sumo show restaurant TOKYO SUMO CLUB ENTERTAINMENT opened on August 12 on Tokyo Tower's FootTown 5F, its second location after Sapporo, offering an English-narrated sumo show, a real clay dohyo guests can step onto, and meals built around a chanko nabe endorsed by former yokozuna Asahifuji.
Nihon no Yado Koyo, a hot spring ryokan in Kaminoyama Onsen, Yamagata, is renewing its long-loved "Hana no Yakata" guest rooms and welcoming guests to the refreshed spaces from September 14, 2026, blending Yamagata's traditional craftsmanship with modern luxury comforts.
From August 7 to September 13, 2026, traditional-craft lifestyle brand Tsugu will hold its first pop-up store in the Kansai region on the food floor of Umeda Tsutaya Bookstore, inside LUCUA ILE in Osaka.
WORLD IDOL REPUBLIC in NAGOYA SAKAE, a new permanent entertainment facility in Nagoya's Sakae district operated by NDP Co., Ltd., held its grand opening performance on August 8, 2026, blending illusion, traditional Japanese performing arts, and live music, with mascot character Sakura making her debut. The venue is now holding twice-daily "Obon Special Performances" from August 11 through 16.
Wagokoro Co., Ltd. has opened Ise Jingu Oharai-machi Kanzashiya Wargo, the brand's first store in the area, on Oharai-machi street near Ise Jingu's Naiku in Ise City, Mie Prefecture. The kanzashi specialty store offers handmade hair ornaments that blend traditional Japanese craftsmanship with modern design, drawn from an area that welcomes around 8 million visitors a year.
Starting September 21, 2026, HOSHINOYA Okinawa offers a lineup of autumn programs — from a traditional Ryukyu performing arts evening and a healing scent-sachet workshop to a purple sweet potato dessert course and a yachimun pottery afternoon tea — inviting guests to savor the beauty of Ryukyu culture and the flavors of the season.
The Tamba Sasayama Dekansho Festival returns to Tamba Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture on August 15 and 16, 2026. The festival centers on Sō Odori, a mass dance performed to the folk song Dekansho-bushi around one of Japan's largest wooden yagura towers, alongside food stalls and fireworks.
Wagokoro's chopstick and chopstick-rest brand Hashiya Mansaku is adding "Hakue-bashi," gold- and silver-lacquered chopsticks handcrafted using Fukui Prefecture's Wakasa-nuri technique, to its lineup starting Friday, August 7, at its stores and on "The Ichi" online shop.
Iwata City Central Library's "Iwata's Giant Kofun" exhibition marks 70 years since the excavation of Doyama Kofun, one of Shizuoka Prefecture's largest keyhole-shaped tombs, with around 100 prefecturally designated artifacts on display through August 30, 2026.
To celebrate its 5th anniversary, ROKU KYOTO, LXR Hotels & Resorts in Kyoto's Takagamine will host "Dive into RIMPA," a three-day event from September 11 to 13, 2026, spotlighting Rinpa-inspired culture and craftsmanship.
From August 27 to September 8, 2026, ROTOTO STORE in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward hosts the second Nara Festival, bringing together eight Nara-based brands spanning sandals, textiles, fragrance, craft gin, chocolate, dried fruit, gelato, and craft beer, plus a special participating lifestyle brand from Fukui, alongside an opening reception and limited-edition art merchandise.
Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition AOMORI, an immersive digital art museum that has drawn more than 500,000 visitors worldwide, has released an official record video ahead of its run through August 30, 2026, marking the exhibition's first stop in the Tohoku region. Over 300 works by ukiyo-e masters including Hokusai and Hiroshige come to life through 3DCG animation and projection mapping at the Too Nippo Shinmachi Building in Aomori City.
A Koshu Inden gamaguchi coin purse featuring Pochita from Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, crafted by Kofu-based workshop Inden no Yamamoto, opens for pre-order on PochiMart starting August 4, 2026.
Since launching on May 20, 2026, ZEN Co., Ltd.'s DALULU character keychains, which blend Japan's daruma lucky charm with the twelve zodiac animals, have proven a hit with buyers. The mascots are now available at ZEN's online store, several Don Quijote locations, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's north observation deck.
GRAND MONday Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi, hotel MONday Group's 40th property and the first Kansai location for its top-tier "GRAND MONday" brand, opens near Shijo Kawaramachi on September 18, 2026, with 32 all-suite rooms featuring full kitchens, washer-dryers, and a rooftop terrace overlooking the Higashiyama hills.
From July 30 to August 12, 2026, the Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design is accepting Daimonji gomagi, the wooden prayer tablets burned each year during Kyoto Gozan Okuribi, at a special reception corner inside the museum. It is the first time advance reception has been offered away from the foot of Mt. Daimonji, with bilingual Japanese/English writing guidance available.
The Taiji Fireworks Festival takes place on Friday, August 14, from 8 PM at Taiji Fishing Port in Wakayama Prefecture, featuring around 1,000 fireworks and the traditional Hashiramatsu ceremony. The event marks the 10th anniversary of the Japan Heritage recognition of Taiji's whaling history and is a beloved summer tradition for locals and visitors alike.
funovo and Will have installed interior window panels that recreate the Former British Consulate Hakodate and traditional Japanese patterns using 3D printing in Will's new model house "CUBE+C," aiming to reproduce one-of-a-kind antique-style fixtures at dramatically lower cost.
Now in its 27th year, the "Yamashiro Daidengaku" performance in Kaga Onsen moves indoors for the first time, bringing dynamic rhythms, elaborate costumes, and mystical flute music to Kaga City Cultural Hall's Kamona Hall on August 8 and 9, 2026.
From August 22 to 30, 2026, Kashima Arts in Tokyo's Kyobashi district will hold a free preview viewing for "MEGURU" Vol. 27 Main Sale, an art auction featuring 15 works by Itō Jakuchū and a complete 12-panel set of Shikō Munakata's Two Bodhisattvas and Ten Disciples of Śākyamuni, among 213 works of Japanese and Western art.
On Saturday, August 15, 2026, the Asakusa Tourism Federation and Sumida City once again float roughly 5,000 paper lanterns along both banks of the Sumida River, with more launch points added this year to shorten the wait for visitors hoping to send one downstream.
From August 1 to 15, 2026, The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike will set up a reception space in its lobby where guests can offer gomagi votive sticks for "Matsugasaki Myoho," one of the bonfires of the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi lit near the hotel, alongside video screenings introducing the traditional Matsugasaki Daimoku Odori and Sashi Odori dances.
A new chopstick-making studio, Chopsticks Studio Asakusa, opened on July 5, 2026, just a three-minute walk from Kaminarimon Gate in Tokyo's Asakusa. Visitors can carve and polish their own wooden chopsticks -- including matching pairs for couples -- inside an air-conditioned space, with each one-hour session fitting easily into a day of sightseeing.
Taishukan Shoten has published 能と狂言の大事典, a new reference on Noh and Kyogen compiled by 65 specialists over 18 years with about 4,800 entries, covering the more than 600-year history of these traditional Japanese performing arts.
Earphone Guide’s Quick Guide to Kabuki, a beginner-friendly kabuki primer edited by Kumadorin Chaya, the community site run by Earphone Guide Co., Ltd., and written by Masayuki Nakamura, goes on sale in bookstores nationwide and online on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, from publisher JMAM.
Wagokoro Co., Ltd. will simultaneously open a Hashiya Mansaku chopstick specialty store and a second Hokusai Graphic Japanese umbrella store in Asakusa's おまいり町 in late August 2026, expanding its store count in the area to four.
Link Catering, a Kyoto-based catering and event-space production brand, has launched a new Japanese-style catering plan that pairs authentic washoku cuisine with traditional decor such as wagasa umbrellas and kimono textiles, aimed at MICE events and receptions.
Enjyukaku Bekkan, a nationally registered cultural property inside Marugame Castle, is opening as a one-group-a-day private villa stay with optional cultural experiences. Reservations open August 1, 2026, with check-ins starting September 1, 2026.
Sankeien Garden in Yokohama will open the interior of Kakushoukaku, a Yokohama City Designated Tangible Cultural Property and the former residence of founder Hara Sankei, from August 9 to 16, 2026, alongside a free rubbing-making workshop and a geisha dance performance.
The Tokyo Art Dealers Association is holding Tobi Art Fair 2026 from October 16 to 18, 2026 at Tokyo Art Club, where 118 of Japan's leading art dealers will exhibit more than 2,000 works spanning antiques, tea ceremony utensils, swords, and modern and contemporary art, with advance tickets going on sale July 29.
Kanzashi-ya WARGO Yufuin Kinrinko, a new hairpin specialty store from Wagokoro Co., Ltd., grand-opened on July 24, 2026, in the Kinrinko area of Yufuin, Oita Prefecture, becoming the company's third brand store in the area and bringing traditional Japanese kanzashi craftsmanship to visitors.
LASTFRAME, the Japanese brand that reimagines traditional craftsmanship through contemporary design, opens a pop-up store on the first floor of Isetan Shinjuku's main building from July 29 to August 25, 2026, showcasing its new Autumn/Winter 2026 collection.
A community dance festival that has colored Wakayama's summer nights for more than half a century, Kishu Odori "Bundara-bushi" returns to Wakayama Castle's Keyaki Odori avenue on Saturday, August 1, 2026, preceded by a pre-festival at Nishinomaru Plaza the evening before.
Navi Tomo will host a special guided tour at Shochiku Otani Library on September 11, 2026, with specialist staff introducing rare kabuki-related scripts, programs, and stage photographs, plus an original, non-sale library goods gift for participants.
From August 15 to 19, 2026, Kanze Noh Theater in GINZA SIX marks its annual summer festival with hands-on mask experiences, daily workshops, large-screen film presentations, and original Noh-inspired goods, all with support for international visitors.
Doi Shibazuke Honpo's Ohara Main Store in Kyoto will hold a special 125th-anniversary event from August 8 to 11, unveiling a new pickling barrel funded through crowdfunding and offering rare unpasteurized shibazuke, limited-time food, and hands-on attractions.
A stage devoted to the roughly 600-year-old comedic art of kyogen arrives at Roppongi Tricolore Theater this October and November, led by the young performer Mannojo Nomura.
Aburaya Ryokan, the last remaining inn in Itsukaichi, Tokyo after 114 years in business, has renewed its exterior and interior and relaunched its website with an online gallery tracing the town's streetscape from the inn's 1912 founding to today.
BASEGATE Yokohama Kannai, which opened this past March in front of JR Kannai Station, will hold its first summer festival, "BASEGATE Natsu Matsuri," from July 25 to August 31, 2026, featuring a night market, bon odori, jazz live music, and a lineup of cool seasonal food and drink.
Zushiya Ginza Main Store's B1 gallery is hosting the Hanasanga "Forms of Prayer" exhibition, featuring hariko Jizo and Bosatsu figures plus new works, through Sunday, August 9.
From July 11 to September 2, 2026, Hotel Granvia Osaka is decorating its lobby and floors with tenugui hand towels dyed using Naniwa Hon-zome, a nationally designated traditional Osaka craft, alongside a range of sustainability-minded summer initiatives shared with Hotel Vischio Osaka.
TABI Asakusa opens in Tokyo's Asakusa on September 18, 2026, as the second property in hotel MONday Group's new "TABI" brand, offering 58 rooms across seven room types that blend Zen tranquility, traditional Japanese aesthetics, and Asakusa's Edo-era spirit for long-stay and family travelers alike.
TOKYO BASE's select shop JAPAN EDITION opens a new flagship store on Namiki-dori in Ginza on July 16, 2026, marking the occasion with special collaboration items from YAMANE INDUSTRIES and gold.
Wagokoro Co., Ltd. is set to open Yufuin Kinrinko Kanzashiya Wargo, a new kanzashi (hair ornament) specialty store, in the Kinrinko area of Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, in late July 2026. The store will be the brand's third location in the Yufuin Kinrinko area, joining Yufuin Kinrinko Hokusai Graphic and Yufuin Kinrinko musumusu.
Kawagoe Prince Hotel will hold a 35th anniversary special show, Kinpare: What Do You Do with Rakugo and Painting?, on August 11, 2026, pairing illustrator Kin Shiotani's live drawing performance with rakugo storytelling by Tatekawa Harunosuke, alongside a pre-show lunch buffet at the hotel's Prince Hall.
Minato City Local History Museum's special exhibition room will present Edo Work Guide — Working by the Sea, Doing Business in Town and at Daimyo Residences, using ukiyo-e prints and historical documents to introduce the occupations of Edo-period Minato, from July 18 through September 23, 2026.
The Touken Ranbu ONLINE x Nippon Kodo incense collaboration returns as a five-piece lineup inspired by Mikazuki Munechika, Kogitsunemaru, Ishikirimaru, Ookurikara, and Tsurumaru Kuninaga, now paired with Seto ware incense plates. Pre-orders opened July 9, 2026 on Premium Bandai.
BUNZABURO, a Kyoto shibori (tie-dye) fashion brand born from tie-dye specialty shop Katayama Bunzaburo Shoten, opens a limited-time store in the AIRPORT MALL on the fourth floor of Narita Airport's Terminal 2 main building starting July 17, 2026, with a bag-centered lineup that highlights shibori's textured beauty.
A made-in-Japan mechanical watch combining The Ghost in the Shell with the traditional Japanese craft of Raden (mother-of-pearl inlay) is coming from GARRACK, its dial designed around the AI-equipped think tank Fuchikoma. Pre-orders open July 17, with sales beginning July 31, 2026.
The "地球人.jp presents Hakata Summer Festival 2026" returns to JR Hakata Station Plaza from August 4 to 16 for its 8th year, with nightly Bon dancing, an approximately 8-meter lantern tower, and festival food stalls including newcomers serving Hakata-style chicken skin skewers and Korean cheese hot dogs.
From July 29 to August 11, 2026, Hankyu Umeda Main Store's Koto Koto Stage 12 hosts "THE BON," a pop-up featuring modern Buddhist altar goods, unique memorial candles and incense, and seasonal gifts for the whole family.
Hashiya Mansaku Fushimi Inari, a new chopstick and chopstick-rest specialty store from Wagokoro Co., Ltd., grand-opened on July 12, 2026, along the approach to Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, becoming the company's 10th store in the Kyoto area and bringing traditional Japanese craft goods to domestic and international visitors.
The Kamimizo Summer Festival takes place in Sagamihara's Chuo Ward on July 25 and 26, 2026, with twelve mikoshi and eight festival floats parading through the streets near Kamimizo Station alongside food stalls, a parade, and a tradition tracing back to the late Edo period.
From July 18, the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei presents its annual collection exhibition drawn from the former Musashino Folk Museum, featuring a nationally designated Important Cultural Property clay earring alongside nostalgic shop signs and matchbox labels once seen around town.
From July 10 to August 16, 2026, Isebe Kakimoto Shrine in Kainan, Wakayama Prefecture, is holding its Wind Chime Festival, displaying about 200 colorful wind chimes made using traditional Kishu lacquerware techniques throughout the shrine grounds, filling the approach with cool sounds each time the wind blows.
On July 25, 2026 — the day of the 49th Sumida River Fireworks Festival — Lotte City Hotel Kinshicho will hold its original summer festival "Sumida Ennichi," offering guests hands-on workshops with local Sumida artisans, retro festival food, and a limited hotel-collaboration craft beer.
Yamagata Arcadia Tourism Bureau is offering a limited 6-guest night tour on August 15, 2026, following the Kurojishi black lion dance across multiple shrine grand festivals in Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture, with a Kurojishi YouTuber as guide.
From July 26 to 30, 2026, the Kanze Noh Theater in Ginza hosts a five-day event built around the hit anime The World Is Dancing, pairing movie screenings and noh performer talk sessions on stage with a mask try-on booth, giant photo spots, and original artwork in the lobby.
Nippon Kodo's new fragrance brand nowas is holding a three-day pop-up at the Kyoto machiya SIGHTS KYOTO in Miyagawa-cho, where visitors can try all four Eau de Parfum scents and join a workshop to make their own scented sachet.
For the first time in 11 years, the Sawara Grand Festival Summer Festival and the Narita Gion Festival fall on the same weekend, and a stamp rally connecting both venues runs from July 10 to 12, 2026.
Takashimaya's Nihonbashi and Osaka stores will host "The Beauty of Okinawa Encountered by Yanagi Soetsu: Ryukyu Mingei," an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the Mingei movement and the planned reconstruction of Shuri Castle's main hall, featuring around 100 works of Okinawan dyeing, weaving, and pottery drawn from the Japan Folk Crafts Museum's collection.
On August 1, 2026, Tsuchiura Kameki House will host a film screening and talk session exploring the theme of "white" across white porcelain, overglaze enamel porcelain, and textile dyeing, bringing together three leading craftspeople including Living National Treasure Imaizumi Imaemon XIV.
With just three days to go before its Tohoku debut, Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition AOMORI has confirmed extended hours until 8 PM on its July 11 opening day, alongside a new pop-up shop from Hirosaki select store Kusamura offering Aomori crafts and exhibition-exclusive goods.
From July 15 to 20, 2026, the 9th floor Art Stage at Hankyu Umeda Main Store will host an exhibition and sale introducing the American traditional craft of Nantucket baskets, featuring works by 16 talented artists centered on instructors from the Japan Nantucket Basket Association, along with daily workshops for visitors of all skill levels.
Guests staying at the hot spring inn Oedo Onsen Monogatari Aizu in Fukushima Prefecture can try a hands-on Akabeko painting experience from July 19 to August 23, decorating the region's beloved red cow folk craft as a keepsake of their trip.
Kazetsuchi and The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Naha are introducing "Ryukyu Experience," a new program pairing Ryukyu bingata workshop tours with hands-on dyeing sessions, starting July 10, 2026.
From July 1, ingredient-focused online store A RESTAURANT FOODS is gifting an original Kutami shibu-uchiwa fan, handcrafted with Kumamoto's century-old Kurikawa Shoten, to customers who spend ¥50,000 or more, blending traditional craftsmanship with playful food motifs.
JOURNAL STANDARD relume is releasing its third ethnic collection in collaboration with Indian brand bunai from early July 2026, featuring KALAMKARI block-print shirts and pants alongside exclusive handcrafted beads accessories.
Five types of summer limited goshuin, including two kirigami (paper-cut art) designs themed around a traditional purification ritual and the Tanabata star festival, will be available at Ikuta Shrine in Kobe from July 1, 2026.
Hankyu Umeda Honten's 11th-floor kimono section will feature KIMONO Terrasse's Okayama silk denim pieces — including a custom-order kimono and a pre-tied obi — from July 1 to 7, 2026.
Marugo, a tabi footwear maker founded over 100 years ago, has launched the ITARO 1201 TABI SETTA, a leather sandal that blends the split-toe tabi sole with the aesthetic of traditional Japanese setta sandals.
Kumano Nachi Taisha, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Wakayama Prefecture, will hold its annual grand festival "Nachi no Ogi Matsuri" on July 14, 2026, featuring a dramatic fire ceremony where 12 massive torches purify the stone-step path to Nachi Falls.
The Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition AOMORI, which has attracted over 500,000 visitors across venues in Japan and abroad, opens in Aomori City for the first time from July 11 to August 30, 2026, featuring 300+ ukiyo-e masterworks reimagined through 3DCG animation and projection mapping.
Toei Kyoto Studio Park in Kyoto is holding its first summer event since its renovation reopening — the UZUMASA BON DANCE FESTIVAL — from July 18 to August 30, 2026. Set in an Edo-period townscape, the festival features bon odori with Toei anime characters, maiko performances, and a yokai-themed night party.
Hashiya Mansaku, a specialty store for chopsticks and chopstick rests rooted in Japanese traditional craftsmanship, is set to open a new location in the Fushimi Inari area of Kyoto in mid-July 2026, marking Wagokoro Co., Ltd.'s 10th store in the Kyoto region.
KIMONO ARCH and remake brand YEAH RIGHT!! are launching their second collaboration collection on July 4, 2026, featuring unique one-of-a-kind haori and kimono pieces that bring together vintage European tablecloths and Japanese kimono fabric from production regions across Japan.
北斎グラフィック, a Japanese umbrella brand known for traditional waji-patterned designs, has opened a new store on Subana-dori in Enoshima, marking its first location in the Shonan/Enoshima area.
Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa in Nago City will host "Eisa Night," a series of 14 traditional Okinawan Eisa performances by different local youth associations, every Saturday and holiday from July 18 to September 26, 2026 — free for hotel guests.
SOU・SOU わらべぎ's "Isemomen Kodomo Jinbei," a children's summer garment made from traditional Ise cotton with vibrant Kyoto yuzen dyeing, has sold over 110,000 pieces since its 2010 launch and continues to grow in popularity.
The "Gion Matsuri in Kyoto Station Building" event brings the spirit of Kyoto's iconic summer festival to the station, with panel exhibitions, live Gion Bayashi performances, and hands-on musical experiences throughout July 2026.
Hotel Indigo Nagasaki Glover Street is offering a 3-night, 4-day luxury stay plan starting July 22, 2026, featuring visits to 潜龍酒造, a historic sake brewery, and 三川内焼 pottery kilns, with a special dinner at Restaurant Cathedréclat.
TryHard Japan is setting up premium reserved viewing seats at the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival on September 18–20, 2026, offering seated views of the dramatic "Yarimaawashi" sharp-turn maneuver at the iconic Kankan-ba intersection.
Starting June 27, 2026, lacquerware artist Tasuku Murose presents 15 works — including 13 new pieces featuring maki-e and raden techniques — in his debut solo exhibition at Lei Gallery Tokyo in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The immersive digital art experience showcasing Japanese yokai culture at Terada Warehouse in Tennozu Isle, Tokyo, has welcomed its 100,000th visitor. The exhibition runs through Sunday, June 28, 2026.
Hagihara Co., Ltd., a long-established manufacturer founded in 1892, begins accepting orders on July 1 for made-in-Japan custom-size igusa tatami mats, available as a single piece in sizes specified down to the millimeter.
Hotel Amanek Kanazawa is hosting a hinoki woodcraft coaster-making workshop on June 26 and 27, 2026, led by craft artist Susan Maree. Open to hotel guests and visitors alike, the hands-on session takes place at the hotel's 2nd floor lounge for ¥1,500 per person with no reservation required.
The Sankei-en Grand Tea Ceremony (三溪園大茶会), a prestigious gathering of five tea ceremony schools, returns for its 31st edition on October 31 and November 1, 2026 — the first time in 9 years. The event also marks the 120th anniversary of Sankei-en's opening.
The cultural tourism facility Kaga Iryokuen in Yamanaka Onsen is hosting rotating solo exhibitions by local artists. A metalwork show opens June 17, followed by a glass art exhibition on July 18.
Kyoto-based kimono brand KIMONOMACHI has expanded its popular CoolPass juban line with two new colors, 臙脂 (enji, deep red) and 牡丹鼠 (botannezu, grayish pale wisteria), offering moisture-wicking, machine-washable, and iron-free kimono under-garments year-round.
A contemporary Japanese sword crafted for a promotional event in Paris is now on display at the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum in Setouchi City, Okayama, from June 19 through July 20, 2026.
A new accommodation and experience area centered around 400-year-old terraced rice fields in Hayama, Kanagawa, is set to open as part of the "地域まるごとホテル @ 三浦半島" project, offering farm stays, local cuisine, and hands-on agricultural experiences.
KNT-CT Holdings is partnering with Rotterdam's Japanese goods store e-pick Store to begin test sales of "NEO Traditional Crafts" — modern reinterpretations of classic Japanese craftsmanship — starting summer 2026.
Discover why rainy days are the best time to visit Matsue, Shimane. From hydrangea temples to matcha teahouses, love-fortune ponds, and folk-craft pottery, four chapters of a unique retreat await you.
With over 70 years of wagashi craftsmanship in Aichi, Okamedo is releasing a summer-limited fu manju wrapped in bamboo leaves, featuring rare suji aonori and silky-smooth kawa-muki an.
The Gifu Sekigahara Battlefield Memorial Museum will hold a summer special exhibition from July 14 to September 6, 2026, showcasing battle-scene folding screens that trace the dramatic conflicts of the Sengoku era, including a newly acquired "Battle of Sekigahara" folding screen.
Kyoto-based shoemaker 吉靴房 has announced the Kaku-Koo (革公緒), a new leather zori sandal that fuses traditional Japanese footwear design with Western shoemaking principles, priced at ¥35,200.
On June 21, 2026, the Abeno Mikoshi and Hannan Shishimai (Hannan Lion Dance) will depart from Kintetsu's Osaka Abenobashi Station and parade through Abeno Harukas and the Harukas 300 Observatory, praying to ward off misfortune and bring good fortune to Osaka and the Kansai region.
Three mechanical watches combining Neon Genesis Evangelion designs with traditional Raden (mother-of-pearl inlay) craftsmanship are set to go on sale June 26, 2026, from GARRACK. Each dial is individually handcrafted by a Japanese artisan, with Unit 01, Unit 02, and Unit 00 models available.
Two special events celebrating Japanese traditional craftsmanship are coming to the 5th floor SKYTREE SHOP at Tokyo Skytree in June 2026, featuring foil-stamping goods from ROKKAKU and a Japanese incense experience from long-established shop Baikundo.
Kanzashiya Wargo's new Hana-goromo Ippon Kanzashi evokes a single flower graced with morning dew, combining matte acrylic petals with a brass hoop and shimmering pearl chain drops. Available in four soft garden-inspired colors from June 5, 2026.
A new hotel brand series called "Kazeno Heritage" brings together stays in Japan's castles, historic estates, and heritage townscapes, with properties now open across the country — including a grand opening in Kurayoshi, Tottori, planned for July 2026.
A new MUSASHI JAPAN store has opened in the heart of Kanazawa's Higashi Chaya-gai, where the Japanese kitchen knife brand's world is brought to life through traditional aesthetics, local craftsmanship culture, and an attached dining experience.
To mark the Saio's tamagushi offering at Takejinja Shrine during the 43rd Saio Festival procession in Meiwa Town, Mie Prefecture, a limited-edition goshuin stamp designed by graphic artist Yuki Koishikawa will be distributed in limited quantities starting June 6, 2026.
A limited-period members-only lounge will open at Tea Lounge ISOLA in MOKU KYOTO, Kyoto's Shijo Muromachi, during the Gion Festival's Yoiyama period from July 14 to 16, 2026, offering free-flow drinks and views of the festival from ¥22,000 per person.
A new series called KOKON SHODAI has been launched, connecting the 400-year-old Shodai-yaki pottery tradition of Kumamoto with regional food culture and everyday life.
The Japanese knife brand MUSASHI JAPAN has opened a new store in the Namba Ebisubashi shopping district of Osaka, bringing traditional craftsmanship to one of the city's most iconic neighborhoods.
A summer 2026 collection brings together iconic Japanese anime characters and Marugame Uchiwa — a nationally designated traditional craft from Kagawa Prefecture with roots tracing back to the Edo period. Pre-orders opened on June 1, 2026.
The Japanese-pattern umbrella brand Hokusai Graphic is set to open a new store in the Enoshima area of Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, in early July 2026 — marking the brand's first location in the Shonan/Enoshima area.
Eau Voyage, based in Gifu City, has launched luxury overnight stay packages that pair traditional Nagara River cormorant fishing (ukai) with French full-course dinners and private villa accommodations, available from May 11 to October 15 each year.
A new product line blending Shibuya's urban energy with Japanese traditional craftsmanship — the SHIBUYA TOKYO SOUVENIR SERIES — is now on sale at the SHIBUYA SKY SOUVENIR SHOP on the 46th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square.
Yamamoto Nohgakudo, one of Osaka's oldest noh theaters with nearly a century of history, has been selected to receive the "Walk of Fame" award at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Romania — marking the first time in the award's history that a theater institution has been honored.
From June 1, 2026, Hachikian Marutamachi, a long-established poultry restaurant in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward, will offer a summer-limited menu featuring Kamo eggplant, Kyoto duck, and Kyoto red ground chicken across three courses.
Five iconic kabuki dance pieces from Nippon Columbia's catalog have been released as digital-only singles on May 27, offering an accessible way to experience classic kabuki dance music following renewed interest sparked by the 2025 film Kokuhō.
Starting June 1, 2026, Ryusenji Temple (Saitama Yakuyoke Kaiun Daishi), the birthplace of the kirigami goshuin, is offering two summer-limited cut-paper votive seals — "So-kō" and "Song of the Summer Sky" — available until August 31, while supplies last.
Kawasaki Noh Theater marks its 40th anniversary in 2026 with a Noh performance by the Kanze School's Tessen-kai on July 20, featuring the plays Tenko and Kokaji.
Taniguchi Shoudo, a Kyoto-based Japanese paper goods maker founded in 1925, has announced the Kokon series — a new line of short-panel folding fans crafted from Mino washi with silk printing, available in four nature-inspired designs.
The Kyu Furuike Family Residence, a 15th-century thatched-roof dwelling in Himeji City, is set to become one of Japan's first private residences designated as a National Treasure among architectural structures.
From June 1 to June 30, 2026, Nihonbashi Dashiba Honten is offering "Dashi Hiyashiame," a limited-time cold sweet drink that pairs the traditional Kansai summer favorite with the rich umami of freshly shaved premium katsuobushi dashi.
Three types of decorative trays made from real kabuki stage costumes worn in the dance piece "Otsue Dojoji" go on sale from June 3, 2026, at the Shochiku Kabukiya Honpo shop in the Kabukiza basement and via the Shochiku online store.
Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo is offering a series of family-friendly hands-on workshops during the summer holiday season—from a French course table manners class to traditional Edo wind chime painting and bread and sweets making—starting July 21, 2026.
The MIKOSHI Bag, a new product from Hiroshima-based ethical fashion brand Re:ADY B, has been awarded Gold Winner in the Fashion Design category at London Design Awards 2026 — the first time a Japanese company has taken the prize in that category.
Kamakura Takezaiku set up a bamboo photo installation at the Kamakura Daibutsu-den Kotoku-in for the 58th Charity Tea Ceremony on May 23, 2026, drawing tea practitioners and tourists from around the world.
Freedom Gundam and Justice Gundam are reborn as traditional Shirakawa daruma dolls in a new collaboration at STRICT-G stores. Pre-orders open May 22, 2026, with in-store sales beginning August 1.
Nestled on the slopes of Mt. Haguro in Bandai-Asahi National Park, Yamagata Prefecture, Kyukamura Shonai Haguro has ranked No. 1 in the guest experience category among all 35 Kyukamura resorts nationwide for three consecutive years. Its hotel-guest-only tour to witness the morning Shinto ceremony at Dewa Sanzan Shrine has drawn the highest praise, and 2026 as the once-in-twelve-years auspicious Year of the Horse makes it a particularly ideal time to visit.
The MUSASHI JAPAN Shibuya Center-gai store has officially grand opened on April 30, 2026, unveiling a redesigned interior that blends modern metal and stone with the warmth of natural wood.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mob Psycho 100 TV anime series, a set of special hanafuda cards featuring character illustrations from seasons 1 through 3 is now available for pre-order.
Bamboo specialist Taketora has launched a new series of bamboo craft accessories and small items made from 1970s deadstock material, featuring intricate hand-woven craftsmanship in nine varieties including brooches, pendants, necklaces, keychains, and more.
A new character keychain blending Japan's traditional daruma lucky charms with the twelve zodiac signs goes on sale May 20th. The DALULU series aims to charm both inbound visitors and domestic buyers with its distinctly Japanese kimo-kawaii aesthetic.
Starting June 1, 2026, Kimono Tea Ceremony MAIKOYA's Karasuma-Shijo branch in Kyoto is offering a Private Proposal Plan—an all-in-one experience featuring kimono dressing, a private tea ceremony in a registered tangible cultural property, professional photography, and traditional celebration gifts.
The Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts (MOCAD) is holding its "Summer Kyomono Sale" to promote Kyoto traditional crafts for the summer season. A special in-person sale takes place at Zest Oike on June 1, 2026, while the online shop runs through the end of August.
From May 7 through June 6, 2026, Hotel Vischio Toyama in Toyama City is displaying miniature andon lanterns inspired by the vibrant Tsuzawa Yotaka Andon Festival held annually in Oyabe City, Toyama Prefecture.
Starting Golden Week and continuing through late May, the traditional performing art of Tsugizishi (Imabari Human Pyramid Lion Dance) will be showcased at spring festivals held at shrines throughout Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. Performers stack three to four tiers high, reaching up to 5 meters in a display that has been passed down for over 300 years.
On May 5, 2026, musician Kanisasare Ayako will hold her debut recital at Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo, presenting a program that weaves together traditional gagaku instruments, classical Western music, and live improvisation inspired by Natsume Soseki's literature.
The Ogori Tanabata Taiko group "Shirasagi-kai," founded in 1996, is hosting a free 30th anniversary commemorative concert on May 31 at the Ogori City Lifelong Learning Center Tanabata Hall.
A four-day, appointment-only kimono event takes place at Yurakuan in Kyoto's Muromachi district from May 22 to 25, 2026, featuring reuse kimono, traditional collections, and a special display of Kiyoshi Hikawa Calendar 2026 costumes.
The Kanze School Shiroishi Noh takes place at Hekisuien Noh Theater in Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture on June 13, 2026, featuring the classic play "Kurama Tengu." Mansai Nomura appears in the Kyogen segment, and tickets are now on sale.
The Iwami Ginzan lifestyle brand Gungendo has launched its new summer collection "Kaze no Fuku" (Clothes of the Wind) from April 23, 2026, featuring five standout natural-fiber fabrics crafted by artisans from across Japan.
A hands-on jam-making workshop is being held at Choushinjo Kinokuniya Kyomachiya in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto on May 16, 2026. Participants will make two varieties of jam using domestically sourced fruit, guided by a professional jam maker.
The Yonezawa Uesugi Festival, held April 29 to May 3, 2026, in Yamagata Prefecture, is welcoming overseas visitors for the second consecutive year to experience the Battle of Kawanakajima alongside around 700 armored warriors.
During Golden Week 2026, Sayama City hosts two beloved annual events in memory of Minamoto no Yoshitaka — a koinobori display at the Iruma River and a 24 km historical walk — commemorating the young warrior whose tragic story has moved taiga drama fans across Japan.
Priority applications are now being accepted for performing groups wishing to participate in the 2026 Awa Odori festival, scheduled for August 12–15 in Tokushima.
A historic machiya along the Chirimen Kaido in Yosano-cho, Kyoto Prefecture, has been transformed into "Kaya" (暇家 KAYA), a private whole-building rental inn centered on the concept of "itoma" (unhurried leisure). The property opens on May 1, 2026.
HOTEL NIWA TOKYO in Kanda Misakicho will hold a special evening combining traditional rakugo storytelling and seasonal kaiseki cuisine on May 16, 2026 — the 10th installment of its beloved "Misakicho Salon" cultural event series.
Kakogawa City in Hyogo Prefecture, home to around 70% of the prefecture's sock manufacturers, is championing a local gifting culture through its "Kutsushita Age Age Campaign," encouraging people to give quality locally made socks to loved ones for Mother's Day and Father's Day.
Japan's first large outdoor playground inspired by Ainu culture, "Tomtom," is opening at Upopoy in Shiraoi, Hokkaido — designed so children of all abilities can enjoy Ainu cultural themes together.
The 62nd Seiwa Genji Festival took place on April 12 in Kawanishi City, Hyogo, with around 250 participants in historical warrior costumes drawing approximately 23,000 visitors to witness a spectacular procession through the city.
The April Bunraku performance at the National Bunraku Theatre opened on April 4 and runs through April 26. The program features "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami," one of the three great masterpieces of ningyo joruri puppet theater marking its 280th anniversary, along with the dance piece "Futari Kamuro" and the epic "Hiragana Seisuiki."
TUISS DÉCOR has launched the Karakami collection, blending traditional Japanese karakami patterns — inherited since the Heian period — with a European color palette across roll screens, Roman shades, and curtains, available from April 9, 2026.
Umi Hachimangu Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture will hold its Koyasu Taisai spring festival on April 12, 2026, featuring the biennial "Goshinko" mikoshi procession — a designated intangible folk cultural property of Umi-cho — alongside a performance of the prefecturally designated Umi Kagura.
On March 1, 2026, SHIBUYA TSUMUGI staged a kimono fashion show along Shibuya Center-gai as part of SCG DAYs 2026, turning the busy shopping street into a runway that blended traditional and contemporary kimono styles.
A collaboration between a Tango textile workshop and university students has produced "mayure," a silk scrunchie made from 100% Tango Chirimen fabric, aiming to bring traditional silk into daily routines.
A large-scale sakura installation crafted from 1,500-year-old Echizen washi paper and recycled fluorescent lamp glass took center stage at the Japan-Monaco 20th Anniversary Diplomatic Celebration, earning front-page coverage across European media.
TILE, a creative seafood rice bowl restaurant near Kanazawa Station, has added four new appetizer dishes spotlighting traditional Kaga vegetables to its menu, available from April 7, 2026.
The 220-year-old Kyoto confectionery Kameya Yoshinaga is hosting hands-on wagashi-making workshops during Golden Week. Special May sessions feature seasonal designs inspired by Children's Day and Mother's Day.
YAMATOKOBO, a traditional Japanese sandal brand from Nara, has launched a new line of zori sandals dyed with Kyoto-grown Uji matcha, featuring antibacterial properties and premium Ojiya Chijimi ramie thongs.
Kazo City, known as the "town of koinobori," is selling original hand-towel (tenugui) designs drawn by the late Takashi Hashimoto, a third-generation master craftsman at the prefecture's only handmade koinobori manufacturer. Four designs are available at ¥500 each.
Kurokawa Noh, a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property from Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, will be performed at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore in late April and early May 2026, as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of Japan-Singapore diplomatic relations.
A spring night event at the World Heritage Site Daigoji Temple in Kyoto is currently underway, featuring approximately 700 cherry trees in full bloom alongside fantastical art installations by NAKED, INC.
A limited-time pop-up shop featuring NAKAGO's tin sake vessels and tea sake ware is on display at Shimoda View Hotel from April 6 to May 8, 2026.
ESPACIO Nagoya Castle is hosting "Celebration with cherry blossoms" through April 12, featuring a cherry blossom tunnel, a first-ever Pierre Hermé Paris collaboration dessert, and a lineup of spring activities including rickshaw rides, gold leaf workshops, koto performances, and nightly Jazz lives.
A 100-year-old farmhouse and earthen storehouse in Hiroshima City's Yuki Town have been renovated into SAUNA WABI-SABI, a unique sauna facility combining a wood-fired kura sauna, an ultra-soft natural spring water cold plunge, and serene relaxation spaces.
Hotel Intergate Kyoto Shijo Shinmachi will host "Maiko-han and the Light of Japanese Wax Candles – Experiencing Kyoto's Traditional Culture," a monthly evening event every second Friday from April 2026 through March 2027, featuring maiko dance performances, talk shows, ozashiki games, and photo opportunities.
Kazo Miraikan in Saitama is hosting the "Koinobori Aquarium," where the building's iconic glass wall transforms into a giant tank filled with colorful koinobori. A koinobori-making workshop led by the artisan community "Koishikai" is also scheduled for April 4th and 5th.
Kyoto confectionery maker Tsuruyayoshinobu is releasing Kyokanze Matcha, a new stone-ground matcha flavor of its century-old signature wagashi, available from April 11, 2026, at stores nationwide.
Starting May 15, 2026, HOSHINOYA Okinawa offers a lineup of summer programs — from moonlit pool evenings and traditional Sabani boat paddling to Eisa processions and seasonal Ryukyu sweets — designed to immerse guests in the timeless culture and natural beauty of Okinawa.
A new Shigaraki ware coffee kyusu called KOGA is now accepting pre-orders on Makuake. Its lid-hole-free sealed design traps aroma during brewing and releases it the moment the lid is opened.
A special 12-day exhibition bringing together traditional crafts and handwork from across Japan is held at Sogo Omiya Store's 7th floor event hall from March 26 to April 6, 2026.
Japan's leading kanzashi specialty brand Kanzashiya Wargo has unveiled new colors for its beloved cat-shaped ceramic hair pins, featuring aurora and metallic finishes. Sales begin March 27.
Okamedo, a long-established wagashi shop in Toyohashi with over 70 years of history, is selling five varieties of kashiwa-mochi from April 15 to May 7, including the regionally rare "morokoshi kashiwa-mochi" made with takakibi (sorghum) flour — a traditional flavor unique to the Mikawa area.
A pop-up store for Ando Co., Ltd.'s Shibori Bags is coming to Cross Hotel Kyoto from March 25 to May 6, 2026, featuring 25 variations and new shibori-dyeing workshop stay plan courses.
A new wing featuring a private sauna converted from a century-old storehouse and dog-friendly suites with private gardens is set to open at the heritage hotel in Iga, Mie Prefecture.
Hokkaido-based photo studio chain Shashin Kobo Palette has expanded its inbound support, offering international visitors a photo wedding experience that blends Japanese tradition with modern style.
The Edo-Tokyo Museum is set to reopen after approximately four years of renovation, with its first post-reopening special exhibition showcasing around 160 items from the museum's own collection, exploring the vibrant culture of Edo from April 25 to May 24, 2026.
A collection of traditional Japanese ko-uta and ha-uta songs depicting the light and shadow of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter, featuring rare recordings previously released only on vinyl, began streaming on March 18, 2026.
Okage Yokocho in Ise is hosting the annual Isuzugawa Cherry Blossom Festival from March 28 to April 5, 2026, featuring a reservation-only premium flower-viewing terrace, a spring music concert with oboe and jazz, nightly cherry blossom illumination, and traditional craft workshops.
Two special viewing plans are available for the Johana Hikiyama Festival on May 5, 2026 — experience the festival's iconic "Iori-uta" performances from a comfortable tatami room or a reserved outdoor seat.
THE YARD, a kimono brand with a minimalist approach, has released new visuals for its 2026 spring/summer collection themed around "Usurai" (thin ice). Sales begin sequentially from April 2, 2026.
The Ibaraki-based Hagiwara Shuzo brewery has launched "FOREST Rooted Light -The First Batch-," the debut release of its wood-barrel-fermented FOREST series, completing the LOVE, SKY, FOREST lineup.
Nikko City introduces a new tableware line crafted with the Nikko Bori woodcarving technique, and holds a traditional crafts fair at TIC TOKYO on March 19, 2026.
A two-day hands-on workshop lets participants dye their own Allbirds shoes or apparel with natural indigo, guided by master dyer Kenta Watanabe from Tokushima.
Kakogawa's most cherished spring tradition returns to Kakurinji Temple, where a three-day ceremony centered on Prince Shotoku's memorial rites marks the arrival of the season — including a fire-walking ritual open to the public.
Everything overseas visitors need to know about the Japanese tea ceremony (chado), from its centuries-old origins and proper guest etiquette to the best places in Kyoto and Tokyo where you can join a session in English.
A practical guide to renting kimono and yukata in Japan, covering the best rental shops in Kyoto and Tokyo, what the dressing process looks like, typical prices, and tips for getting the most out of your experience.
Everything you need to know before visiting Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, from opening hours and access to the Inner Garden, sacred forest, omikuji, and nearby Harajuku and Shibuya.
The Otabi Festival is a spectacular spring event held annually in May in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, featuring children's kabuki performed on ornate floats and a breathtaking golden float procession lit up at night.
CHUMS has released a limited line of products blending Tohoku's traditional crafts and folk culture with the brand's signature Booby Bird designs, available at select stores in the Tohoku region from March 11, 2026.
Kaga Iryokuen in Yamanaka Onsen presents "Motome Takayuki Exhibition," showcasing around 60 pieces of Kutani ware inspired by flora and white animals, on view from March 11 to April 13, 2026.
The 4th collaboration between New Era and Kyoto-based textile brand Eirakuya features caps made with traditional tenugui fabric, offered in 59FIFTY® and 9THIRTY™ models.
Kamawanu releases the ninth installment of its Peanuts collaboration, featuring 8 tenugui hand towels and 4 compact mini uchiwa fans dyed using the traditional chūsen technique, all themed around "Summer Outings" with Snoopy and friends.
On April 18 and 19, 2026, incense specialty store Kohgen is hosting a special two-day event where visitors can experience the scent of kyara — an ultra-rare type of agarwood worth more than five times the price of gold. Admission is free for those under 20.
Sowa Seihon Co., Ltd. (SOWALABO) has launched the "Maarui Goshuincho Sakura," a circular goshuin book featuring a 130mm hinoki cypress wood cover and ink-resistant Japanese paper — now available via their official online shop for 3,300 yen.
The inaugural Arita MONO・NO・SU Table Coordinate Contest 2026 is coming to Arita Town, Saga Prefecture, with applications opening on April 1, 2026. The contest pairs table coordinators 1-on-1 with local Arita ware kilns in a hands-on collaborative format.
The 101st Azuma Odori, the annual traditional geisha dance performance of Tokyo's Shinbashi flower district, will take place at Shinbashi Enbujo from May 22 to 25, 2026, with 8 performances over 4 days.
From March 11 to 20, 2026, Hotel Intergate Kyoto Shijo Shinmachi is holding a 10-day series of events and workshops celebrating Kyoto's traditional crafts and culture, including a maiko performance by candlelight, Kyoto koma spinning top workshops, Nishijin-ori weaving demonstrations, and a tea ceremony.
The Recovery Lantern Project returns for its 8th year in Koriyama, Fukushima, displaying approximately 350 handcrafted lanterns made from traditional Ebine washi paper to honor the memory of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Mari Mayans Hierbas Ibicencas, a traditional herbal liqueur from Ibiza, Spain, has won the Best Spirits Award in the IGP category at the prestigious Alimentos de España 2025, organized by Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
The Omiya Takigi-Noh, a beloved traditional performing arts event held on the grounds of Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine in Saitama, reaches its 45th anniversary this year. Featuring Noh performances by the Hosho and Konparu schools alongside Kyogen by the Izumi school, the two-night event will welcome popular performers Nomura Mansaku and Nomura Mansai.
Shichimiya Honpo, a 370-year-old spice shop along the Kiyomizudera pilgrimage road in Kyoto, reopened its Kiyomizu main store on March 5, 2026, with a renovated interior designed for a more relaxed shopping experience.
Satsuma Kinzan-gura announces the release of "Fukukinzan," a new authentic sweet potato shochu inspired by Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa, blending white and rare golden koji for a mellow, aromatic flavor, presented in a striking indigo and gold leaf bottle design.
A new permanent tabi-shibai theater, Gion Gofukuza, is set to open at Gion Kaikan in Kyoto's Higashiyama ward in May 2026 — the first permanent venue of its kind in Kyoto.
Hotel Amanek Ginza East in Tokyo's Ginza district is hosting a kabuki-themed kumadori mask-making workshop on March 8, 2026, where hotel guests can learn about the art of kabuki face painting and create their own masks.
Starting March 1, Hachikian Marutamachi in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward launches a range of spring limited menus featuring seasonal ingredients such as bamboo shoots, rape blossoms, and wild mountain vegetables paired with Kyoto Red Chicken and Kyoto Duck.
KIMOTO GLASSWARE is set to participate in the Edo Tokyo Kirari Project's Naniga Umareru? Ten Japanese Craftsmanship Exhibition, a three-day event held at Omotesando Hills from March 6 to 8, 2026.
Holiday Travel staff Arimi visits Benitsuya in Shimbashi, Tokyo for an authentic geisha dinner experience. Read her honest review of the kaiseki cuisine, traditional dance performances, and exciting ozashiki asobi (parlor games) at this welcoming venue popular with international visitors.
The Shiroato History Museum in Takatsuki City will present approximately 200 items related to horses — from Edo-period festival horse tack to folk toys — in a free exhibition running from March 14 to May 31, 2026.
Tokyo Revue 2026's Haru no Odori (Spring Dance), presenting the authentic revue style inherited from SKD Shochiku Kagekidan, will be performed at Asakusa Hanagekijo on March 27 and 28, 2026.
The "Dedication Indigo Dyeing Experience," previously featured at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, returns to Tokushima Prefectural Government Building for a two-day event on March 14 and 15, 2026.
A special spring lobby exhibition is on display at Hotel Granvia Wakayama in its fifth year of collaboration with Kudoyama Town, featuring "Daisuke Yume Juushi" warrior dolls and traditional spring decorations from February 25 through mid-March 2026.
A new series of Hagiyaki pottery called "Urara" is set to arrive on March 1, featuring handcrafted pieces with soft pink-to-milky-white tones and flower petal-shaped rims that bring a sense of spring to the table.
Crafted by an Okinawa Prefecture-certified master of Ryukyuan cuisine, the "Kariyushi Ryukyuan Set Meal" is served exclusively on Ryukyuan Cuisine Day — the third Thursday of each month — at Ryukyu Dining Hanafu.
A high-definition replica of Ishida Yūtei's Flock of Cranes — held in the Minneapolis Institute of Art — is now on display at Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History through May 6, 2026, marking a homecoming to the painter's native Hyogo.
The resort hotel is transforming seven Japanese-style rooms into shower-equipped Japanese-Western rooms adorned with Echizen washi paper and Echizen lacquerware, opening March 25, 2026.
A celebration of Okinawan traditional performing arts returns to Seijo Hall after five years, featuring Living National Treasure Nishie Kiharu and renowned dancers in a program honoring the reconstruction of Shuri Castle.
The historic town of Akizuki in Asakura City hosts a special Hina Meguri event from February 14 to March 8, featuring over 600 hina dolls displayed on stone steps.
From February 20 to 24, Hankyu Umeda Main Store showcases the charm of satoyama living with the GREENable brand from Okayama Prefecture's Maniwa City, featuring traditional crafts, fermented foods, and plant-dyed apparel.
Washin Co., Ltd., which develops traditional Japanese accessory brands nationwide, has renewed four stores in Kyoto's major tourist areas, transforming them into spaces where visitors can experience Japanese culture more intuitively.
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the Kyoto Ceramics Cooperative Federation and Tachikichi are hosting an online exhibition featuring traditional sake and tea vessels fired in Kyoto climbing kilns, available from February 18 to March 18, 2026.
The National Bunraku Theatre's traditional Rōkyoku performance by leading performers returns on February 21, 2026. Leading performers discuss their enthusiasm for this special event, which includes the first-ever explanatory segment and commemorates the designation of Rōkyoku as an Important Intangible Cultural Property.
From February 18 to 24, Matsuya Ginza will host the NEW FUKUI exhibition, showcasing traditional Fukui crafts including Echizen lacquerware, Sabae woodcarving, and Echizen washi paper reimagined for modern lifestyles. The event features hands-on workshops, artist demonstrations, and a special solo exhibition.
Fukui Prefecture's Obama City chopstick craftsmen revive the popular Wakasa lacquered chopsticks featuring hand-drawn patterns of Kinnikuman Soldier. On sale from February 9th, 2026.
The historic white-walled streets of Yoshii Town in Ukiha City, Fukuoka Prefecture, will transform into a vibrant hina doll festival from February 11 to March 20, 2026, featuring colorful flower arrangements and traditional "Okiage" dolls.
On March 20, 2026, Hotel Granvia Kyoto will host "Manabunka in Kyoto Station Building," a hands-on workshop event featuring 19 booths showcasing traditional Kyoto crafts including Kyo-Yuzen, Kyo-Shippo, and more. The event includes special experiences like learning about dashi (soup stock) and appearances by Tora-rin, the official character of Kyoto National Museum.
A new exhibition showcasing Tokyo's traditional crafts and artisan skills opens at Omotesando Hills from March 6 to 8, 2026. Experience the techniques behind Edo-Tokyo's treasures.
Participate in one of Hokuriku's premier festivals - the Kehi Jingu Matsuri in Tsuruga City. Join local residents in carrying portable shrines, pulling festival floats, and performing traditional folk dances at this historic celebration.
A new Made-in-Hakata bag brings traditional Hakata weaving into daily use. The NABIKI bag, a collaboration between Fukuoka Canvas and Hakata Ori, features upcycled obi fabric and goes on sale February 21st at Hakata Machiya Furusatokan.
The Royal Park Hotel Fukuoka has introduced a new Traditional Crafts Room on its premium floor, showcasing authentic Hakata weaving, Hakata magemono, and Hakata dolls. This special accommodation offers guests a unique opportunity to experience the city's rich cultural heritage.
Raymaka's Kamiora brand unveils innovative products combining traditional Japanese paper fabric with recycled industrial iron powder at Tokyo Big Sight from February 4-6, 2026.
Japanese furniture and interior brand AREA collaborates with OBI PORCELAIN to create contemporary Hinamatsuri dolls that blend traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics.
TSUGI, a local creative company based in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, has unveiled 14 new items from F-TRAD MADE, a project that bridges Fukui traditional crafts with contemporary lifestyles. These products showcase techniques from seven nationally designated traditional crafts including Echizen lacquerware, Echizen washi paper, and Wakasa-nuri chopsticks.
The Hokusai-kan Museum celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special exhibition on dragons and phoenixes, featuring contemporary traditional craft artists responding to Hokusai's masterpieces through March 29.
The Westin Miyako Kyoto and craft brand SHITSURAE KYOTO are hosting a special exhibition titled "POST-TRAD Exhibition 2026" from February 14 to February 23, 2026, featuring traditional Buddhist altar craftsmanship reimagined as contemporary art.
The Kyoto Pottery Cooperative Association celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special exhibition at Kyoto Ceramic Center, showcasing sake and tea vessels created by Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki artisans and fired in a historic climbing kiln in Uji, from January 30 to February 11, 2026.
A 130-year-old traditional inn in Fukushima's Namie Town, closed since the 2011 nuclear disaster, launches a revival project with media experience tours on February 28, 2026.
Mori no Machi Grace in Okayama hosts a special Setsubun festival on February 1, 2026, featuring traditional Chayamachi Oni-Daiko performances, candy throwing events for children, and a Fagiano Okayama pop-up shop with exclusive merchandise.
A one-night-only stage performance bringing together Noh theater, lacquerware artistry, and music will be held on February 8, 2026, at Kanze Noh Theater in Ginza. Special instruments featuring traditional maki-e lacquer decoration will be used in this unique cultural event.
From February 21 to April 12, 2026, the historic Heijo Palace in Nara hosts Heijokyo Hiina Festival, celebrating the origins of Japan's traditional Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival) with a grand 51-day event featuring hina doll displays, traditional ceremonies, and illuminated night experiences.
Yamamotoyama releases an ultra-premium gyokuro tea made from rare hand-picked leaves from Uji Ogura, the birthplace of gyokuro. Limited to 800 pieces, this winter-aged tea recreates the passion of 1835 when gyokuro was first invented.
Every February 10, Sugou Isobe Shrine in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, hosts the Gongan Shinji, a powerful traditional ritual. Locally known as Gongan-san or Bamboo Splitting Festival, this winter tradition carries a long and storied history into the present.
TERAS, a brand specializing in traditional Japanese Sashiko and Boro crafts, is hosting an art exhibition and limited-time pop-up shop at Toko Pottery Gallery in Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture from February 7 to March 11, 2026.
KYUKAMURA RIKUCHU-MIYAKO offers a special accommodation plan to experience Kuromori Kagura, a 300-year-old traditional ritual performance, with a special performance at the hotel on February 14, 2026.
A beloved Showa-era cafe cherished in Kobe's Minato Motomachi area reopens as Meriken Dori Prologue on January 24, 2026, operated by coffee specialist Nichibei Coffee, preserving its nostalgic atmosphere and signature coffee blend.
New products blending Japanese traditional crafts with cutting-edge technology will be showcased at the urban creative festival TOKYO PROTOTYPE, held at Toranomon Hills from January 29 to 31, 2026.
FANCL Ginza Square features a special display of Kishu Temari, traditional Japanese hand-crafted ornamental balls from Wakayama, as part of a regional cultural collaboration. The display runs from January 20 to March 16, 2026.
A Hakone ryokan transforms ehomaki from a commercial product into a cultural experience, offering guests the opportunity to learn the tradition's meaning, prepare their own lucky roll, and face the auspicious direction in quiet reflection. Available through February 2026 to minimize food waste.
TAIMATSU Co., Ltd., the company behind the Japanese knife brand MUSASHI JAPAN, has opened FUJI JAPAN in Kyoto Sanjo. The immersive cultural experience facility offers hands-on knife sharpening workshops, allowing visitors to truly engage with Japanese craftsmanship.
NIDEC Kyoto Tower will hold a Setsubun Tsuinasai festival at its 100-meter-high observation deck on February 2, 2026. The event features a traditional ceremony and bean-throwing by local kindergarteners to pray for good health and ward off evil spirits.
Gora Karaku in Hakone now features indigo-dyed crafts from Mikuriya Dyers and Weavers, a Shizuoka folk craft tradition. The shop showcases scarves, accessories, and other items dyed with natural Awa indigo, along with a photo exhibition of the dyeing process.
A fusion of Noh theater and video projection comes to Hangi Hall in Kanzaki City, Saga Prefecture. Contemporary artist Yukihiro Yamagami presents the traditional art form in an accessible new way.
The Nishikawa Town Mountain Village Revitalization Council presents a popup featuring collaboration items between traditional vine craft artisan KOGUMA and designer unit pinkpepper, running February 5-10, 2026, at THINK OF THINGS in Shibuya.
Hokusai Graphic near Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa reopens with a renewed focus on traditional Japanese umbrellas, featuring approximately 1,200 umbrellas and an enhanced shopping experience.
On January 24, 2026, visitors can enjoy a special sake tasting event using traditional Ohori Soma Ware cups at JR Koriyama Station's tourist information center, featuring locally crafted pottery and Namie Town sake.
Design unit hitoe launches a new series of single-flower vases crafted in the form of traditional kokeshi dolls, featuring natural plant dyeing by skilled artisans in Tokyo.
The annual cold-water soaking process for Shogawa Kanzarashi Soba begins in Takayama's Shogawa Town, utilizing the region's harsh winter climate to create this specialty soba with enhanced sweetness and reduced bitterness.
Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture has launched a metaverse project to preserve and share three traditional taiko dances designated as Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. Starting January 13, 2026, visitors can experience these historical performances virtually on VRChat.
Cross Hotel Kyoto presents a special 2-day workshop featuring Nishimura Yuzen-Chokoku's live demonstrations and hands-on stencil carving experience on January 23-24, 2026.
Hotel Amaneku Hida Takayama is hosting special events featuring koto and taiko performances by local high school students, offering guests a chance to experience traditional Japanese music up close on January 17 and February 8, 2026.
A new luxury whole-house rental brand launches in Kyoto's historic Ishibe Koji alley, offering an intimate stay near Kiyomizu-dera and Gion with private chef facilities and dedicated concierge service.
Shiba Park Hotel in Tokyo showcases traditional Japanese crafts in its latest exhibition, featuring oshie hagoita paddles and karakami decorative paper from December 1, 2025 to March 8, 2026.
Seven companies from the Nishiwaki Chamber of Commerce will showcase Banshu Ori textile products at Tokyo Big Sight from February 4-6, 2026. Experience the soft texture, natural feel, and rich colors of this traditional Japanese fabric.
Akachan Honpo Co., Ltd. is offering a carefully selected collection of Hina dolls that adorn spring, ranging from natural styles to traditional classic designs. An extensive lineup to suit various lifestyles is now available at stores nationwide and online starting December 26, 2025.
Yamanaka-za theater in Kaga Onsen hosts its annual New Year opening ceremony on January 2, 2026, featuring traditional dances by Yamanaka geisha. Experience authentic Japanese performing arts in this historic hot spring town.
Handmade bamboo lanterns crafted from reclaimed bamboo forests illuminate the hot spring town in Kumamoto's Kurokawa Onsen through March 31, 2026.
Takamiya Garden Saryo in Fukuoka is hosting its popular adult workshops from January 20 to 29, 2026. Experience traditional Japanese crafts including wagashi making, tea brewing, art calligraphy, and kumihimo cord making, each paired with delicious meals.
Hotel Intergate Hiroshima will host a special traditional Hiroshima Kagura performance by the Arida Kagura Troupe on January 17, 2026, celebrating the hotel's 7th anniversary.
Hankyu Umeda Main Store presents the 41st "Delicious, Beautiful. Kanazawa, Kaga, and Noto Exhibition" from January 14-19, 2026. Experience traditional crafts, elegant wagashi sweets featuring the Kaga Five Colors, gold leaf specialties, and artisan creations celebrating the cultural heritage of these regions.
Fairfield by Marriott Gifu Mino hosts a special hands-on workshop where guests can create their own Mino washi paper crafts in a historic 270-year-old building, experiencing the region's UNESCO-recognized papermaking tradition.
From January 2-6, 2026, Edoya Honten near Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine hosts an exhibition and sale of rare traditional Japanese crafts including tamahagane accessories, washi paper products, straw crafts, and hand-painted kites.
TOKYO LOLLIPOP, a brand selected for Forbes JAPAN's Culture-Preneurs 30, opens a new store on the B2F of Ginza Station featuring an over 180cm tall giant vending machine and unique experiential shopping.
JAPAN MADE, operated by Hyakuhachi Co., Ltd., will host an experiential event "Awai" on December 13-14, 2025, in collaboration with Kojima Shoten, a long-established lantern workshop in Kyoto. The exhibition features traditional Kyoto lantern craftsmanship through photos, videos, writings, and hands-on workshops where visitors can experience lantern-making techniques passed down for over 200 years.
Two renovated guesthouses open in Wakayama's historic Kyū-Oguchi Village, a key stopover on the Kumano Kodo trail. SEN.HAVEN NAKAMURA and SAKURAI offer simple, comfortable lodging for trekkers exploring the sacred pilgrimage routes.
Discover the best izakayas in Fukuoka, from traditional ramen-focused establishments to fresh seafood specialists. This guide covers 15 must-visit spots where locals and tourists alike enjoy authentic Japanese pub culture with regional specialties.
U/M/A/A Inc. announces the release of TB-02 The Ghost in the Shell series on January 30, 2026, featuring visuals from the globally acclaimed sci-fi work The Ghost in the Shell rendered on traditional Japanese folding screens using foil craftsmanship with over 500 years of history.