Guide · Culture
Japan matsuri calendar 2026-27: what is dated and what is not
One firm 2027 date (Sapporo, 4 to 11 Feb), yearly patterns for Takayama and Nebuta, last-known 2026 dates for Kyoto's big three and a list of gaps.
Only one major festival has confirmed 2027 dates: the Sapporo Snow Festival, 4 to 11 February 2027 at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome. Kyoto’s Gion, Aoi and Jidai festivals have last-known 2026 dates and no 2027 notice, and for Sanja, Kanda and several others no 2027 dates are published yet. Plan around Sapporo, and treat every other date on this page as a pattern until the organisers publish.
What is confirmed for 2027?
The Sapporo Snow Festival runs from Thursday 4 February to Thursday 11 February 2027 at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome, according to the festival’s official site. Sapporo City’s 2026 notice says the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force builds the large sculptures. The Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 guide covers the three sites and lists what is still unannounced.
One other 2027 date follows a yearly rule. Nozawa Onsen’s fire festival falls on 15 January each year, which makes it Friday 15 January 2027. It is covered in its own section below because access is restricted.
Which festivals fall in which month?
The table lists every festival in our sources that has a date or a yearly pattern. Date status shows how firm each one is: “official” means the organiser’s site, “pattern” means a yearly rule on a tourism page, and “last known” means a 2026 date with no 2027 notice.
| Month | Festival | Where | Date status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Nozawa Onsen fire festival | Nozawa Onsen village | Pattern: 15 Jan each year, so Fri 15 Jan 2027 |
| February | Sapporo Snow Festival | Sapporo | Official: 4 to 11 Feb 2027 |
| April | Takayama spring festival (Sanno) | Takayama | Pattern: 14 and 15 Apr each year |
| May | Aoi Matsuri | Kyoto | Last known: 15 May 2026; 2027 not published |
| May | Sanja Matsuri | Asakusa, Tokyo | Last known: 15 to 17 May 2026; 2027 not found |
| July | Gion Matsuri | Kyoto | Last known: 1 to 31 Jul 2026; 2027 not stated |
| August | Nebuta Matsuri | Aomori | Pattern: 2 to 7 Aug each year; 2027 not confirmed |
| October | Jidai Matsuri | Kyoto | Last known: 22 Oct 2026; 2027 not stated |
By season, a winter trip has two entries, Nozawa Onsen in January and Sapporo in February. Spring brings Takayama, Aoi and Sanja, summer brings Gion and Nebuta, and Jidai is the autumn entry. November, December, March, June and September have no entry in this calendar.
Can you watch the Nozawa fire festival?
Reportedly only if you stay in the village. A secondary travel guide reports that attendance is limited to residents and overnight guests, and the 2027 rules are unpublished. The festival is held on 15 January each year. Villagers pull the logs on 13 January and build the shrine on 14 and 15 January. The main event runs about 19:00 to 22:00 on the 15th, and only local villagers light the fire and attack the shrine.
The same guide lists these rules for everyone else:
- Stay behind the ropes.
- Do not eat or drink if you are not a participant.
- Do not bring cans, bottles, umbrellas or drones, and do not throw things, chant or smoke.
- Avoid polyester and nylon clothing, because of embers.
Treat a night’s booking in the village as the entry condition.
What do we know about Kyoto’s three big festivals?
Kyoto’s tourism pages carry 2026 dates only. Read the 2026 values below as last known and the 2027 dates as unclear right now.
Gion Matsuri ran 1 to 31 July in 2026. The festival spans a month, and its dated events are the yoiyama days, 14 to 16 and 21 to 23 July, which lead up to the two float processions: the Saki procession on 17 July (23 floats, from 9:00) and the Ato procession on 24 July (11 floats, from 9:30). Paid viewing seats for 2026 went on sale on 1 June, a month before the festival opened. Kyoto’s page describes a fixed pattern but states no 2027 dates. Gion is a residential area, and the page asks visitors to respect the people who live there. Read Geisha and Gion etiquette before you go.
Aoi Matsuri was held on 15 May in 2026. The rain date was 16 May, announced around 18:00 the day before. No 2027 date is published. If you build a trip around Aoi, leave the following day free in case the same rule applies in 2027.
Jidai Matsuri is held on 22 October each year, per Kyoto’s tourism page. In 2026 it ran on 22 October from Kyoto Gyoen to Heian Jingu, and the paid seats sold out.
How firm are the Takayama, Nebuta and Sanja dates?
These are patterns, not announcements.
- Takayama spring festival (Sanno): the regional tourism page gives 14 and 15 April as fixed yearly dates but does not name a year.
- Nebuta Matsuri, Aomori: Aomori Tourism describes the eve on 1 August, evening parades on 2 to 6 August, and a daytime parade with fireworks on 7 August.
- Sanja Matsuri, Asakusa: Tokyo Tourism lists 15 to 17 May for 2026, which fits a third-weekend pattern. No 2027 dates are found.
What should you do with each kind of date?
Match your booking to how firm the date is.
| Status | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Official | The organiser has published the date | Book, with free cancellation |
| Pattern | A yearly rule, no 2027 notice | Hold a refundable room |
| Last known | A 2026 date only | Keep dates flexible and wait for the notice |
| Not found | No date in our sources | Do not plan around it |
A refundable room is the safe middle step because even a fixed date can shift on the day. Aoi shows how: its 2026 rain date was decided the evening before. For a Kyoto procession, also watch for the seat page, because Jidai’s 2026 paid seats sold out.
Which dates are missing?
- Kanda Matsuri, Tokyo: per a search summary of the Tokyo Tourism page, the main festival is held in odd years, so 2027 is a main-festival year. No dates are found.
- Tenjin Matsuri, Awa Odori and autumn Takayama: no official page reached, so no dates are stated here.
- Hatsumode and Setsubun: no official page reached, and no schedule is stated. Hatsumode is the first shrine or temple visit of the year, and secondary guides report queues of an hour or more at the biggest shrines in the first days of January.
Before you go Temples and shrines stay open over New Year, but many shops, banks and restaurants close on some days between 29 December and 4 January, per a secondary travel guide. The 2026-27 closures are unclear right now, so keep the first days of January flexible.
Where next?
- Festival sites and booking: Sapporo Snow Festival 2027.
- Manners in Kyoto: Geisha and Gion etiquette and Temple and shrine etiquette.
- Kyoto experiences that run outside festival dates: Tea ceremony, kimono and maiko in Kyoto.
- Background and the wider picture: the culture guide and the Culture hub.
Questions
4 to 11 February 2027, Thursday to Thursday, at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome, per the festival's official site. The Snow Festival guide covers the three sites and what is still unannounced.
Not stated yet. In 2026 it ran 1 to 31 July, with float processions on 17 and 24 July. Kyoto's tourism pages describe a fixed pattern but give no 2027 dates.
The Sapporo Snow Festival, 4 to 11 February 2027, is the one winter festival with confirmed dates. Nozawa Onsen's fire festival, held on 15 January each year, is reportedly limited to residents and overnight guests, and its 2027 rules are unpublished.
For Gion Matsuri and Jidai Matsuri, Kyoto's tourism pages list paid seats. Gion's 2026 seats went on sale on 1 June, and Jidai's 2026 paid seats sold out. 2027 sale dates are not published.
Per a search summary of the Tokyo Tourism page, Kanda Matsuri holds its main festival in odd years, so 2027 is a main-festival year. The 2027 dates are not found.