Local Events

This is the oldest shrine festival in Hayama, said to have a history of over 1250 years. There is a portable shrine (mikoshi) and night stalls line the shrine grounds.

This is not an event created for tourists, but a festival for the local people. That's why you can see the everyday face of this town. The shrine grounds are small, so hold hands with small children.

A once-a-year market where Hayama's shops gather all at once. From food and drink to bread, miscellaneous goods, and crafts, the town's 'best' are lined up on the shrine grounds.

You can visit individual shops that are usually scattered throughout the town all at once, so if you're only going out once during your stay, this is the place. Items sell out quickly, so go in the morning.

This is a triennial art festival featuring domestic and international artists, including Zushi-resident photographer Daido Moriyama. With the registered tangible cultural property 'Former Honda Residence' as the main venue, the streets of Zushi and the alleys of the Numa area become the stage for exhibitions.

Instead of a museum, it's a format where you encounter artworks in historical buildings and throughout the town while walking. Admission is generally free, with only some exhibitions, live performances, and workshops being charged. With a long duration of three weeks, it can be easily combined with other plans.

This is Shotaro Ishinomori's manga museum, built on a sandbank in the Kitakami River. Original drawings of Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009 are on permanent display.

Special exhibitions change every few months, so the content will be different even on a second visit.Destination for rainy dayscan also be used as.

It's within walking distance from accommodations in Ishinomaki. Character statues also line the street outside the museum (Ishinomaki Manga Road), so the journey won't be boring.

This is Sendai's autumn music festival where you can easily enjoy classical music in the city. Each performance is short, 45-60 minutes, and some performances allow entry from age 0, so you can drop in casually.

2026 marks the 20th anniversary, with 77 performances over three days. The venues are three facilities along the subway line, so you can immerse yourself in music day and night during your stay in Sendai. Please book popular performances early.

This is a festival in the Higashimatsushima city area that brightens up the eve of the Matsushima Air Base Air Show (the following day, October 4th). What was long held as the "Summer Festival" in August has been changed to the "Autumn Festival" in October from 2026 to avoid the intense summer heat.

This year's format allows for two consecutive days of enjoyment, combining it with the Air Show. In the city of the Blue Impulse, you can savor the afterglow of the flight and local food stalls and stage performances. The venue, time, and content will be finalized on the official Higashimatsushima City website as the event approaches, so please check once before visiting.

This festival brings together soba producers from all over Japan to Matsumoto Castle Park, where you can compare different types of handmade soba.

Not only Shinshu soba, but soba from various regions will be available. Since it's eaten outdoors while viewing the castle, it's weather-dependent.

This is a night festival where winter Matsumoto Castle is entirely decorated with light and ice. Centered around projection mapping on the National Treasure main keep, the entire castle town area, including Daimyocho Street and Chitose Bridge, is illuminated. Admission is free, and it's a winter highlight that can be reached by a night stroll from the accommodation.

During the period (usually a weekend in late January), the "National Treasure Matsumoto Castle Ice Sculpture Festival" is also held, featuring works by ice sculptors from across Japan and a giant ice slide in Matsumoto Castle Park. The dates for the 2026-27 season will be finalized on the official website as it approaches, so please check before visiting.

This is one of Nagano's leading craft festivals, bringing together approximately 260 artisans from across Japan. Handmade crafts such as woodworking, pottery, glass, and textiles are displayed under the trees of Agata no Mori Park.

It's a weekend where you can experience "Matsumoto, the city of folk crafts and craftsmanship." The highlight is being able to talk directly with the artisans and choose items. The dates are usually in late May, but please check the official website as it approaches.

This is an autumn cultural festival held throughout the Kagurazaka neighborhood. Over three weeks, about 40 events pop up in alley galleries, storefronts, and even temple grounds.

Highlights include the open-air exhibition "Kagurazaka Art Square" featuring paintings, calligraphy, and crafts in the precincts of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, and "Saka ni Oekaki" (Drawing on the Slope) on the final day, where a long sheet of paper is laid out across Kagurazaka-dori for anyone to draw on freely. You can walk from your accommodation and pick and choose the events that interest you. Please check the official website for the dates and times of each event during the festival period.

This is the Setsubun bean-throwing ceremony at Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, the face of Kagurazaka. It's a winter event held at the temple right in front of the accommodation, along Kagurazaka-dori, where people gather for lucky beans.

Although not large in scale, it's an event where you can truly feel the turning point of the year in Kagurazaka. Setsubun can sometimes fall on February 2nd depending on the year, so please check the official website for the date of that particular year.

Four summer days in Kagurazaka. The first two days are theHozuki Market, and the latter two days are theAwa Odori Dance Festival.

For Awa Odori, the slope itself becomes the venue. Dancers descend the narrow street, so you're very close to the action. Groups from Tokushima also participate.

The view differs between the top and bottom of the slope. If your accommodation is halfway up the slope, you can go out before it gets crowded and return when you're tired.