Why go in winter
From December to February, Japan is cold, clear and calm. Outside the New Year week and the snow festivals, hotels are easier to find and prices are lower than in spring or autumn. Many winter festivals are held at night, around fire or snow, and they are some of the most striking sights of the year.
Winter festivals fall into a few kinds. Pick one or two that suit your trip.
Snow and ice
- Sapporo Snow Festival (Hokkaido, February 4–11, 2027). Giant snow and ice sculptures fill Ōdōri Park and the Susukino district, lit up every evening. The easiest winter festival to visit: it is in the middle of a big city and lasts a week.
- Yokote Kamakura (Akita, February 12–13, 2027). Children sit in candle-lit snow huts, kamakura, and invite passers-by in for rice cakes and warm sweet amazake. Small, quiet and very beautiful.
Fire
- Nozawa Fire Festival (Nagano, January 15). In a snowy hot-spring village, villagers attack a tall wooden shrine with burning torches while men in their unlucky years defend it, until the whole structure goes up in flames.
- Wakakusa Yamayaki (Nara, fourth Saturday of January; January 23 in 2027 by the usual rule). Fireworks burst over Nara, then the whole grassy hillside of Mount Wakakusa is set alight.
- Yoshida Shrine Setsubun (Kyoto, February 2–4, 2027). On the eve of spring by the old calendar, demons are chased out of the shrine, and old charms are burned in a great bonfire.
Masked visitors and night rituals
- Namahage Sedo Festival (Akita, February 12–14, 2027). On the Oga Peninsula, masked namahage come down from the snowy forest by torchlight to a bonfire at Shinzan Shrine.
- Chichibu Night Festival (Saitama, December 2–3). Lantern-lit floats are hauled up a steep slope under winter fireworks, about 80 minutes from Tokyo by limited express. One of Japan’s three great float festivals.
- Kasuga Wakamiya On-matsuri (Nara, December 15–18). Held every year since 1136, with a costumed procession by day and ancient court dances for the kami by firelight.
- Shiromi Kagura (Miyazaki, December 12–16). In a mountain village, 33 sacred dances go on through a December night.
- Saidaiji Eyō (Okayama, usually the third Saturday of February). Thousands of men in loincloths pack a temple courtyard at night. After a fatal accident in 2026, the organizers plan to hold the 2027 festival without the scramble for the sacred sticks. Check the festival page before you go.
Lanterns, markets and lucky charms
- Nagasaki Lantern Festival (February 5–21, 2027). About 15,000 Chinese lanterns light up Nagasaki for the Lunar New Year.
- Tōka Ebisu (Osaka, January 9–11). About a million people collect lucky bamboo branches for business at Imamiya Ebisu Shrine.
- Usokae (Fukuoka, January 7). At Dazaifu Tenmangū, crowds swap little wooden bullfinches with strangers, trading last year’s bad luck for good.
- Maebashi Hatsuichi (Gunma, January 9). The year’s first market fills the streets with red daruma dolls.
- Hagoita-ichi (Tokyo, December 17–19) and Setagaya Boroichi (Tokyo, December 15–16 and January 15–16). Two old Tokyo markets, one for decorated paddles, the other for antiques and street food.
Planning a winter festival trip
- Combine Akita in one weekend. In 2027, Yokote Kamakura (February 12–13) and the Namahage Sedo Festival (February 12–14) fall on the same weekend in Akita Prefecture. Both are small towns, so book early.
- Sapporo fills up fast. Hotels in Sapporo for the snow festival week are the hardest winter booking in Japan. Book as soon as your dates are fixed.
- New Year is a different trip. Around December 29 to January 4, transport is very busy and many shops close. See our guides to New Year in Japan and hatsumōde.
- Dress for the cold. Night festivals mean standing outside for hours. In the snow country, wear warm layers, gloves and boots with a good grip; paths are icy at night.
- Check the weather. Snow can delay trains in the north and in the mountains. Leave extra time, especially on the day you travel to a festival.
For the full list by month, see December, January and February.
