Gaido Japan

Cirque Du Soleil Alegría
2023-02-08 00:00 - 2023-06-25 00:00 (Asia/Tokyo)
Alegría, a mesmerizing show by Cirque du Soleil, takes the audience on a surreal journey through acrobatics, music, and dance. Since its premiere in 1994, the show has traveled to over 250 cities worldwide, featuring stunning costumes, dazzling visuals, and jaw-dropping displays of human strength and agility. The show will be running in Tokyo until late June and then in Osaka from mid-July until early October. Ticket prices vary depending on the day of the week and seating section chosen. For more information on pricing and how to make reservations, please visit the official event website.

Night Sakura Sea of Clouds at Hotel Chinzanso
2023-02-08 00:00 - 2023-04-09 00:00
Tokyo’s Hotel Chinzanso welcomes the arrival of spring with kawazuzakura blossoms in February, followed by other variants like shuzenji-kanzakura, and even late-blooming types that peak in April, providing visitors with a significant window to appreciate the beauty of the blossoms. A special after-dark event called Night Sakura – Sea of Clouds is being held in the garden until April 9th, where attendees can enjoy the stunning blooms illuminated after sunset, surrounded by whimsical clouds that add to the magical atmosphere. Admission to the hotel’s gardens is free, making it a perfect and cost-effective activity for this spring. Don’t miss the chance to witness the captivating beauty of the Night Sakura – Sea of Clouds event at Hotel Chinzanso’s garden!

Taylor Swift Eras Tour
2023-02-07 - 2023-02-10
Taylor Swift, a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, has enthralled numerous fans in the United States with her Eras Tour. This tour is aptly described as a musical journey through the various eras of her career. Spanning until mid-2024, the tour will grace different parts of the world, including Japan, where four shows are scheduled to take place at the Tokyo Dome.
The Tokyo leg of the Eras Tour is scheduled to run from Wednesday, February 7th, until Saturday, February 10th. For more information on ticket sales, you can visit the official website, where English language option is available at the bottom of the page. Ticket prices for the tour start at ¥8800.
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Japanese plum blossoms at Kishu Ishigami
2023-02-04 09:00 - 2023-03-05 17:00
Experience the stunning beauty of Japanese plum blossoms at Kishu Ishigami Tanabe Ume Orchards in Wakayama Prefecture. With over 300,000 ume trees in full bloom, the orchards offer a breathtaking view that stretches all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The blossoms, which signal the beginning of the Lunar New Year and the start of spring, make for a perfect setting for a picnic with bento boxes and drinks. Although the orchards will be closed to visitors in 2021 due to the pandemic, you can still enjoy photos of the stunning scenery and look forward to visiting in the future. Don’t forget to dress warmly for your visit!

Odawara Flower Garden Plum Festival
2023-01-28 09:00 - 2023-03-05 17:00
The Odawara Flower Garden, established in 1995, is a must-visit destination for floral enthusiasts. With a variety of seasonal blooms, the garden is particularly popular during the plum tree blossoming season. An annual festival is held during this time, offering visitors the chance to admire hundreds of different plum tree varieties, including early, mid, and late-blooming types. Along with the beautiful blossoms, the festival features several other exciting activities. Guests can enjoy guided tours where garden staff explain the different varieties found on the grounds, a plant-dyeing craft event, a limited-time menu of plum-inspired food, and much more.
Among the special menu items at the garden is plum soba, available for ¥600. Admission to the garden is free, but those wishing to explore the tropical greenhouse must pay a fee of ¥200.

Nanrakuen Plum Festival
2023-01-28 09:00 - 2023-03-05 17:00
Nanrakuen Garden in Ehime hosts a plum festival annually from late January to early March. This event celebrates the beauty of around 160 plum trees in full bloom. Visitors can enjoy free plum tea, amazake, and zenzai during the festival, as well as purchase plants and flowers. For those who can’t make it during the plum season, there are other flower events held throughout the year such as sakura, azalea, and iris festivals. Admission to the park is 310 yen for adults and 150 yen for school-aged students and seniors aged 65 and above.

KYOTO STEAM
2023-01-27 - 2023-02-15
The KYOTO STEAM festival offers a one-of-a-kind blend of art and cultural events that delve into the interplay between art and science. Held annually in March in Okazaki, Kyoto, the festival showcases a diverse range of exhibitions suitable for all ages, guaranteed to leave you with lasting memories.

Atami Plum Garden Festival in Shizuoka
2023-01-07 08:30 - 2023-03-05 16:00
The Atami Plum Garden in Shizuoka is famous for its early-blooming plum trees, and visitors can enjoy the sight of close to 500 trees in 59 different varieties during the annual plum festival. With early, mid, and late-blooming trees, there is always something in bloom during the festival period which runs from mid-February to mid-March. Admission to the garden during the festival is priced at 300 yen for adults, and free for junior high school students and younger children.

Hitsujigaoka Snow Park event!
2023-01-06 10:00 - 2023-03-05 15:00
Looking for a fun winter activity that the whole family can enjoy? Consider checking out the Hitsujigaoka Snow Park event! This event has been held annually since 2004 and offers a variety of ways to play in the snow. There’s an 80-meter-long snow tubing course, ski walking, snowman building, and even snow strider bike riding for younger kids. Best of all, all of the activities and equipment rentals are free of charge, so it’s a budget-friendly option for a day out. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Kitain Temple Daruma Market
2023-01-03 09:00 - 17:00
A daruma doll is a hollow wooden round-shaped face with a beard. Most commonly they are red in color. When bought new, they have no eyes painted in. You paint one eye on receiving or buying the doll while making a promise to yourself, a New Year’s resolution as such. When you have completed the resolution, you paint the other eye. Every year on January 3rd, several temples around Japan have a Daruma doll market. People come to buy a new Daruma doll for the New Year. The Daruma doll has become one of several symbols of the New Year. It is also a symbol of perseverance. In Saitama Prefecture, one of the better-known Daruma Doll Markets is at Kitain Temple in Kawagoe city. Dozens of daruma doll vendors set up booths along the east side of the temple grounds, on the path that leads to Naritasan Temple. When somebody buys one of the larger-sized daruma dolls they ring out bells and the crowd explodes in simultaneous cheer. It is one of several New Year festivities held at Kitain Temple annually. * Unfortunately, this event has been canceled this year in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Hanamaki Souminsai
2023-01-02 08:30 - 13:00 | Koshio Shrine, 3-153 Yasawa, Hanamaki, Iwate prefecture, Koshio Shrine, 3-153 Yasawa, Hanamaki, Iwate prefecture, Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan
The Hanamaki Souminsai is held every year on January 2nd at the Koshio shrine on Mount Koshio. It’s a purification festival for the new year, it starts by making mochi (rice cake) and getting blessings from the local Shinto priest. After that, the participants walk up the mountain holding a torch and a blessing in their mouths to give them more determination. Hanamaki Souminsai in video The event finishes with the participants fighting over a pouch, a good luck bag. The fight can last over an hour and is extremely fierce, many participants end up badly bruised. The winner is said to have a prosperous year.

New Year at Kanasana Shrine
2023-01-01 08:00 - 2023-01-03 17:00
Kanasana Shrine is a 1900-year-old shrine in Saitama. It is a unique shrine in that it venerates the mountain rather than a religious artifact like most other shrines. The shrine is located in the mountain town of Kamikawa in Saitama Prefecture but on the border of Gunma Prefecture. Within Saitama, it is one of the most famous places for ‘hatsumode’. The shrine is quiet for most of the year, but at New Year, it attracts thousands of visitors. People come to the shrine for “hatsumode”, the first worship of the year. The event is held annually between January 1st and 3rd. It is particularly busy on the 3rd because the nearby Daiko Fushoji Temple holds a Daruma market. The shrine normally opens from 9 am to 4 pm, but for the New Year period, the extended hours are from 8 am to 5 pm.

Daffodil Festival
2023-01-01 - 2023-01-18
Gongendo Park is renowned for its picturesque cherry blossom and rapeseed landscapes. However, the park also boasts an array of seasonal flowers that bloom throughout the year. During January and early February, you can witness over half a million daffodils in full bloom, standing amidst the bare Sakura trees.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the State of Emergency declared in 2021, the park’s annual daffodil festival had to be canceled. Despite this, visitors can still enjoy the beauty of daffodils. In a typical year, the festival would run from early January to mid-February, with additional events and food stalls being organized for the occasion. Additionally, there is a permanent cafe located within the park that serves refreshments, including ice cream and drinks.

Hashigo-nori
2023-01-01 - 2023-01-08
Hashigo-nori is a traditional performance that attempts to pass on the techniques and methods of firemen in the Edo period. The performance is held every year on a coming-of-age day (the second Monday of January) in front of the main hall of the Ikegami Honmonji by the Omori Steeplejack Association. Don’t miss their acrobatic performances on top of a 6m bamboo ladder only supported by ground crews using hooked wooden poles. There will be guidance in English and French on the day of the event. This article originally appeared on the Ota-City.com website and is republished with permission.

Karuta Hajime New Year's Card Game
2023-01-01 - 2023-01-09 | 625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-007, 625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-007, Higashiyama, Kyoto, 605-007, Japan
On the 3rd of January, Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto will host the first New Year’s ‘Karuta’ card game. Women dressed in Juni-hitoe (Heian period costume) will play this old card game. Karuta was introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century and became popular between the end of the 17th and the end of the 19th century. Today in Japan the game is played by about one million people: it can be played by several people together, or one-versus-one, and it is popular among families during the New Year’s holidays. Every year more than sixty tournaments of Kyogi Karuta are held in Japan, with five ranks of players. The game is played with two sets of 100 cards: one set is the “reading cards”, with a proverb written on each card, and the other set is the “playing cards”, each with a picture corresponding to one of the proverbs on the reading cards. To play the Karuta game, you have to listen to a reciter reading a proverb from one of the reading cards, then try to be the first to take the matching card from the playing cards.

Light of Hope
2023-01-01 - 2023-01-09 | 16-23 Gyoda, Saitama 361-0073, 16-23 Gyoda, Saitama 361-0073, Gyoda, Saitama, 361-0073, Japan
Each month in Gyoda City dozens of locations participate in a floral water font “hanachozu” event by displaying hanachozu at their premises. The event is called hanachozu week, but you can actually see the floral fonts for two weeks each month. During that period for one night, only three of the locations also have a light-up called Light of Hope. It is generally on the first Saturday of the month. For the Light of Hope event, Oshi Castle is lit up at night and Gyoda Hachiman and Sakitama shrines light up their floral fonts. Lights go on at dusk and stay on until 8 pm (or 8.30 pm when there are no restrictions due to the pandemic). 2022 Dates are as follows: January 15th February 5th (canceled) March 5th (canceled) April 2nd May 7th June 4th July 2nd September 3rd October 1st November 19th December 3rd

Haneda's New Year Edo Festival
2023-01-01 - 2023-01-09 | Haneda Airport, Ota City, Tokyo 144-0041, Haneda Airport, Ota City, Tokyo 144-0041, Ota, Tokyo, 144-0041, Japan
To welcome the New Year, Haneda Airport is hosting a unique, unmissable event: the Haneda Edo festival, recreating the era of Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. Between January 1st and 3rd, you can enjoy different events on the theme of the Edo period. One event is the twice-daily rice cake pounding: using old-fashioned mortar and pestle you can experience Mochitsuki (pounding boiled rice into mochi). There are also must-see Samurai and Geisha shows, with a Samurai parade, choreographed swordfights, ninjas, and beautiful geisha dances in modern arrangements. Other street performers will appear around the airport: you’ll meet balloon performers, traditional lion dancers, buskers, traditional bands, and acrobatic groups. Even children can enjoy the spirit of the Edo Era through traditional craft experiences, as several workshops will be held for both adults and children. You can make some items used by the warlords of Japan, paint your own Daruma Doll, make Ninja scrolls using Japanese calligraphy, take part in a stamp rally, and even enjoy a Find the Missing Person game. In a picture corner, you can take fun photos using a full range of face panels, kimonos, and umbrellas. Then if you post the pictures on your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram profile, you can win prizes.

Ushiku Daibutsu New Year Events
2022-12-29 - 2023-01-08
Hatsumode is the practice of the first religious worship of the year. It is typically associated with the first visit to a shrine, but some people prefer to worship at a temple. The temple at the Ushiku big Buddha, known as a Daibutsu, is a popular New Year’s pilgrimage for many. The temple offers many attractions for those who make the journey, from near and far, to pay homage to the big Buddha over New Year. New Year’s Fireworks The New Year’s at Ushiku Daibutsu is for three days from the evening of December 31st until the afternoon of January 3rd. It starts with a countdown event to the New Year and fireworks are launched at the stroke of midnight. Fireworks are a common way to ring in the New Year in many countries, but despite fireworks being very popular in Japan, they are not common in New Year at all. Ushiku Daibutsu is one of only a few places that ring in the New Year with a fireworks display at the stroke of midnight. The fireworks illuminate the stunning 120-meter-tall Buddha – one of the three largest Buddha statues in the whole world. Free entry From January 1st to 3rd you can enter the statue for free. Inside there is a small lotus-shaped museum, a gallery of golden Buddha statues, and an observation deck at 85 meters. Entry is normally 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for children just to enter the gardens. Combined with entry to the giant Buddha too it costs 800 yen for adults and 500 yen for children. This is a rare opportunity to enter both for free. Children’s events There is a small petting zoo at the back of the giant Buddha. They put on stage performances with animals a couple of times a day during the New Year period.

Legoland BricXmas
2022-12-18 10:00 - 2022-12-25 16:00
The festive season is upon us, and Legoland will be welcoming it with their Legoland BricXmas event. Running from November 13th until December 26th, the family-friendly affair will include a variety of seasonal touches including the world’s largest Lego Christmas tree (it uses 610,000 blocks and stands at a whopping 10 meters high), illuminations, Christmas photo spots, a Christmas-themed menu, and plenty more.
Along with the giant Lego Christmas tree, there will be other themed Lego decorations (Photo: Legoland Japan)
Admission prices to Legoland Japan vary depending on how far in advance you book your ticket. Pricing information can be found on the official website here.

Hagoita-Ichi Fair
2022-12-17 09:00 - 2022-12-19 21:00
Tokyo’s oldest temple, Senso-ji in Asakusa, holds an annual three-day fair called Hagoita-Ichi to sell good luck ornamental bats, called hagoita in Japanese. Dating back to Edo times, the festival takes place in front of Sensoji. From December 17th to 19th, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, 50 open-air stalls will be set up near the main hall of the temple. Hagoita is ornamental rectangular bats with a handle, modeled on those used in the traditional New Year’s game of hanetsuki, a sport quite similar to badminton. The hagoita is usually made of Japanese cedar, decorated on one side with lacquered or embroidered images. The good luck bats are traditionally decorated with images of kabuki actors, but actually these days you can find them decorated with cartoon characters, or sports, cinema, and TV stars. It is common practice for both sellers and buyers to clap their hands together when a sale is completed.

Lantern Night Osaka
2022-12-16 16:00 - 2022-12-18 20:00
Osaka’s annual Lantern Night event takes place for three days during December, with attendees able to enjoy thousands of LED lanterns coloring the night sky. Along with the colorful lanterns on display, the event also includes Christmas-themed foods, drinks, handmade items for sale, fun stage performances, and even appearances from Santa Claus to enhance the festive atmosphere. Adult admission to the event is priced at 6,500 yen which includes a LED sky lantern, and admission for children aged between 6 to 12 years is priced at 2,500 yen (no lantern is included in that price). Children aged 5 years and below receive free admission.

Kasukabe Hagoita Market
2022-12-15 - 2022-12-31
The pride of Kasukabe City is a long tradition of crafting paulownia wood furniture, baskets, and hats. But the most eye-catching craft in the city is undoubtedly the hagoita. Since the Muromachi Period, nearly 700 years ago, the hanetsuki game became popular in Japan. The game is similar to badminton. Players bat a shuttlecock back and forth as long as they can using wooden paddles called hagoita. The longer the players can keep the shuttlecock in play, the more luck they can receive in the coming year. Gradually, the hagoita became an ornamental object in the Edo Period. Oshie, a form of fabric relief sculpture, is applied to the hagoita to depict kabuki actors, celebrities, and even animated characters. The hagoita come in various sizes and are priced accordingly. Shoppers can take home an image of a warrior or kabuki actor for prosperity, or a maiden for happiness and good luck in the new year. The Kasukabe Hagoita Market also displays the other traditional crafts produced in the city, so you have a wide variety of gifts and souvenirs to choose from. If you want to learn more about hagoita and doll production or miss the market, visit the neighboring Iwatsuki Ward of Saitama City, home of the Doll History Museum.

Kasuga Wakamiya On-Matsuri
2022-12-15 - 2022-12-18 | 160 Kasugano-cho Nara, 160 Kasugano-cho Nara, Kasugano, Nara, Japan
Traditional performing arts can be enjoyed at this annual festival held since the 12th century. Named after the Wakamiya shrine that resides in the larger Kasuga-Taisha shrine complex, this On-Matsuri was originally held to pray for a rich harvest and good health. Spanning 4 days, the main events actually take place on the 17th. Visitors can enjoy kagura performances, traditional dances and bugaku (traditional Japanese court music), considered an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government. One of the highlights is undoubtedly the ‘Jidai Gyoretsu’ (Period Procession), where 500 volunteers dressed in traditional costumes represent the successive eras from the Heian period (9th century) through to the late Edo period (19th century).

Kobe Luminarie
2022-12-09 18:00 - 2022-12-18 22:00
Kobe Luminarie is held every year in the first two weeks of December to commemorate the Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995. Luminarie is an Italian word meaning illumination using miniature bulbs. The bulbs in the Kobe Luminarie have been provided by the Italian government and the illumination symbolizes hope for Kobe citizens. Kobe Luminarie is held at the Kyu Gaikokujin Kyoryuchi and the Higashi Yuenchi. Times vary by day: Monday to Thursday 6 pm – 9:30 pm Friday 6 pm – 10 pm Saturday 5 pm – 10 pm Sunday 5 pm – 9:30 pm The event entrance is free but 100-yen donations can be made to support this 1995 Osaka earthquake requiem event.

Umie Ice Marina
2022-11-19 16:00 - 2023-02-14 20:00
Discover the ultimate winter ice skating experience at Umie Ice Marina in Hyogo. This highly sought-after annual event offers breathtaking views of Kobe Harbor while you skate on the rink. If you don’t have your own skates, you can rent them along with gloves at the venue. However, if you bring your own skates, you’ll receive a ¥400 discount on your admission fee. Keep in mind that the rink hours vary between weekdays and weekends. On weekdays, the rink is open from 4 PM to 8 PM, while on weekends, it’s open from 11 AM to 8 PM.

Keyaki Hiroba's winter illumination display
2022-11-12 17:00 - 2022-11-25 23:30
The Keyaki Hiroba’s winter illumination display is a must-see spectacle each year, with a unique theme that sets it apart from the previous year’s display. This year, they are presenting “Brilliant Earth Garden”, using stunning 500,000 lights to bring the trees to life and create mesmerizing photo opportunities. Located in Tamaari Town, formerly known as Saitama Shintoshin or Saitama Super Arena, Keyaki Hiroba is conveniently situated near the JR Saitama Shintoshin station, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. This year’s illumination display starts a bit later than usual, with the switch-on taking place on November 7th, and continuing until February 14th, 2021, marking the end of this annual event.

Naked Star Aquarium✨
2022-11-03 10:00 - 2022-12-25 17:00
To welcome in the festive season, Tokyo’s Shinagawa Aquarium is hosting a seasonal event in collaboration with the popular digital art collective Naked. The Naked Star Aquarium is set to include dolphin performances surrounded by colorful projection mapping, interactive Christmas trees that visitors can “decorate”, fish tanks surrounded by digital cityscapes, and plenty more.

Earth Vegan Fest
2022-10-29 10:00 - 2022-10-30 15:00
The Earth Vegan Fest is an event designed to spread awareness of veganism in Japan. The event will include stage presentations and workshops, vegan foods, vegan beauty products, and more. The event also aims to be sustainable and zero waste, so if you do plan on purchasing something, you’re asked to bring your own plate, utensils, cup, and recyclable bag. There will also be a compost bin available at the venue for any food scraps! Entry to the event is free, but do bring some yen if you plan to make a purchase from the vendors.

Shirakami Shrine Autumn Festival
2022-10-29
Shirakami-san is a historic shrine in downtown Hiroshima, located right on Peace Boulevard. During its autumn festival, held on October 28 & 29 every year, the decorated shrine is buzzing, food and game stalls line the street, and you can enjoy this region’s brand of colorful and rhythmic kagura dance.

Tsuruse Yosakoi Festival
2022-10-23 - 2022-10-31
Tsuruse Yosakoi Matsuri is a fantastic traditional dance festival with a small-town vibe. It is held annually on the 3rd Sunday of October in Fujimi City, Saitama. For those unfamiliar with this kind of event, yosakoi is a type of festival that welcomes dance teams from across the area (and even the country). Teams often comprise the residents of a particular neighborhood, one university’s students, and so on. There are even teams made up of young children, or senior citizen groups. Teams dress in matching costumes that are beautiful, colorful, and bold, and march down the street performing an intricately synchronized routine. The groups perform to music and often include chanting, flag waving, and props. Some groups’ performances are up-tempo, athletic, and flashy. Others are more subtle and controlled. The variance is what makes this kind of event so worth watching. And variance: 56 different teams come to Tsuruse for this event. Teams parade down the road in 3 sections and only perform for a few minutes at a time before moving to another point. So, once you’ve found a good spot to stand or sit on the curb, you can just relax and watch the show pass by. With so many teams performing, it’s an entire day’s worth of fun. Part of the charm of the Tsuruse Yosakoi Festival is its small-town feel. This is a solid, entertaining show without the crowds and commercialized feel of the larger yosakoi festivals in Tokyo. The food vendor stands set up along the route seem to be run by local organizations rather than professionals who move from one festival to the next. The people are friendly, and there are plenty of opportunities to get a front-row spot. It’s definitely a family-friendly atmosphere. Though Tsuruse Station is a bit rural and out-of-the-way, this yosakoi festival is traditionally held on the same day as the incredible Kawagoe Festival, which is just a few stations away and really gets cooking after sunset. The Kawagoe Festival brings in many thousands of people from all over. So, why not check out the Tsuruse Yosakoi during the day before heading down the Tobu Tojo Line to Kawagoe in the evening? It makes for a great 1-2 punch. The Tsuruse Yosakoi Festival is free. The beginning of the route is less than a 1-minute walk from the West Exit of Tsuruse Station on the Tobu Tojo Line (which becomes the Fukutoshin Line in Tokyo). It is located on the road running directly away from the station. You can follow the Tsuruse Yosakoi on Twitter at @tsuruseyosakoi (Japanese only).
