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Explore the best of Japan with us! Follow for event updates, travel guides, and insider tips. Hokkaido to Okinawa, we've got it all. https://hey-japan.com

A crowd of visitors browsing white food-stall tents at dusk during the Asian night market, warmly lit from within. The nearest stall, hung with cloth banners, sells Taiwanese boiled dumplings (sui-gyoza). The image is from last year's event. Image provided by nonii Inc.

VAUNDY - odoriko ℗ 2021 SDR Inc.

A tall mound of strawberry kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) drenched in red syrup, topped with whipped cream and pastel pink and white puffed-rice balls.

Key visual: a sunflower field beneath a sky graded from deep blue to pink at the horizon, scattered with points of light, with the event title in Japanese. Provided by TSP Taiyo

Key visual for the exhibition: seven characters sit along a subway carriage seat, with the title, dates, and venue in glowing green text over the image. ©亀山陽平／タイタン工業

Illustrated key visual for "Yo-kai nism", the Minatoya Yoshiki exhibition, featuring a white bakeneko wearing a polka-dot headscarf and kimono, smoking a pipe with rising smoke, against a gold background, with event details for 22–28 July 2026 at Isetan Shinjuku. By Yoshiki Minatoya. Provided by Art Print Japan Co., Ltd.

Thelma Aoyama - Soba ni iru ne feat. SoulJa ℗ 2008 UNIVERSAL J, a division of UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC

The vermilion tower gate transformed by colourful projection mapping of flowers and foliage at night, beneath a full moon, during the summer illumination at Omi Jingu, Otsu, Shiga. ©One Bit & iz sound. Provided by AXIZ Light

Key visual for "The History and Folklore of Musashino" exhibition, featuring a clay figure, earthenware, a wooden signboard, and vintage matchbox labels. ©Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture

Rows of colourful paper strips (tanzaku) in blue, yellow, pink, and green, densely tied to ropes strung between poles, each handwritten with a wish.

A night-time poster showing an ornate golden mikoshi (portable shrine) topped with sheaves of rice on the left, and a lantern-lit festival float carrying seated performers on the right, both against a dark sky. The gold and white Japanese title reads "Moka Summer Festival: Kojin Festival", with the dates 24, 25, and 26 July 2026 (Friday to Sunday) and a schedule of events listed down the left side, including the opening ceremony, location, fireworks display, and closing procession. ©真岡市観光協会

[Alexandros] - Koeru ℗ 2025 RX-RECORDS, under exclusive license to UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC

A poster with night-time photographs of tall illuminated kiriko lantern floats standing in the sea, flames blazing above them and reflected on the dark water. The red-and-yellow Japanese title reads "Koiji Fire Festival", with the date, Sunday 19 July 2026, and the venue, Koiji Beach, at the lower left, and an inset of a guest fire performer spinning a ring of flame. ©恋路青年団

"The Chiba Tetsuya Family – 70th Anniversary of His Artistic Career":
A colour illustration gathering many characters from Tetsuya Chiba's manga together in a group, with a self-caricature of Chiba himself – a bald, bespectacled man in a blue and gold kimono – at the front, surrounded by a boxer, a golfer, children, an older woman, and dogs, arranged in an overlapping cluster against a white background. ©ちばてつや　©高森朝雄・ちばてつや／講談社

Bilingual exhibition poster for "Independent Study for Kids & Adults: Patterns of Delight 2" at the National Crafts Museum, split between a striped grey textile pattern on the left and a gold and red patterned textile on the right, with exhibition dates 3 July to 23 September 2026. © Agency for Cultural Affairs

A round, fluffy white long-tailed tit (shimaenaga) perched on a bare branch, looking upward as snow falls around it against a dark, muted background. Winner of the grand prix at the 8th Hokkaido Photo Point Ranking Annual Grand Prix Exhibition. Photograph by O_mura. Provided by Hokkaido Photo Point Ranking Production Committee

Promotional banner for the "POP YOKAI" exhibition at Yokai Art Museum, showing small yokai figures arranged within white cloud-like shapes against a grey background, with exhibition dates for the first and second display periods. © Shodoshima Healthy Land Co., Ltd.

A promotional image for the "Yokohama Star Night Drone Show" showing five giant baseball players formed from blue drone lights above the Minato Mirai skyline and stadium. © YDB

A hand holds up a colourful summer goshuin printed with a dog eating watermelon, alongside a cat, a rabbit, a kappa, and other characters among sunflowers and wind chimes, with real glass wind chimes hanging in the background. © Fukushima Hachimangu

A rice paddy planted to depict four people's portraits in tones of green and brown, with a question mark between them, set against wooded hills and a pylon. Provided by Nasushiobara City Tourism Bureau

Two visitors silhouetted before a blue-toned projection of a mountain and morning glories, beneath the "Ukiyoe Immersive Art Aomori" title and the line "The floating world of Japan". ©HITOHATA,INC.

A close-up of small plush toys with simple stitched smiling faces lined up on a white shelf, including a sushi-shaped piece and a red octopus-shaped sausage, with rows of further toys blurred in the background. © Qualia Inc.

A pink stage-themed key visual for the 41st Sanrio Character Ranking 2026 announcing the results, with first-place Pompompurin holding a gold medal on the central podium, second-place Cinnamoroll on the left, and third-place Pochacco on the right, above the Japanese text "Results announced!" © 2026 SANRIO CO., LTD. 著作株式会社サンリオ

Two people leap towards a tall projected wall marked with height lines at the "Maximum Reach Challenge!!" exhibit, where an animated Shoyo Hinata in a Karasuno number 10 kit jumps alongside readings of 333cm and 164.2cm, with "START!!" displayed on the right. ©古舘春一／集英社・「ハイキュー!!」製作委員会

miwa - 360 Degrees ℗ 2015 Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.

A person stands in silhouette inside an immersive installation filled with countless red light rays that sweep into a deep spiralling vortex, receding to a point in the distance. From teamLab's Asymmetric Existence series. Provided by Mori Building Co., Ltd.

Promotional poster for the Chiba Park Tanabata Festival 2026, set against a night scene of a crowd seated on a lawn beneath a star-filled sky, with glowing orange lanterns rising overhead. Japanese text gives the event name, the dates 4 to 5 July (Saturday and Sunday), the time 11:00 to 20:00, the venue Chiba Park lawn garden, and a "free entry" badge. Logos and organiser details appear at the foot. Provided by DotDeli Inc.

Promotional poster for "Miniature Bakery World Exhibition 2026" in Machida Modi. Miniature bread pieces held in palm, including toast with egg, croissant, and other baked goods rendered in precise detail. Exhibition dates 7/3–7/20 displayed in red banner. © ミニチュアベーカリーの世界展 2026 in 町田モディ

Promotional poster for "Hara Yasusaburo Collection: Hiroshige × Hokusai" exhibition. Hokusai's iconic "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" displayed at top. Below shows Hiroshige print depicting figures on covered bridge with buildings. Exhibition dates: 25 July–23 September 2026, Tokushima Prefectural Museum of Modern Art. Provided by Tokushima Prefecture

Ornate Tanabata festival display structure at Hiratsuka shopping street, decorated with hanging paper streamers in red, green, blue, pink, and yellow. Colorful decorative lanterns visible at top. Crowds of visitors walk beneath the display surrounded by modern apartment buildings.

Hanawa - Saitamaken no uta ℗ Victor Entertainment

Dark Godzilla figure with spiked dorsal plates, surrounded by blue glowing energy effects and light streaks against a blue background. Large white text reads "GODZILLA STATION" with Japanese text below. Event dates circle in top right: 6/26–7/5. Bottom text: Ekimaru A La Mode JR Kyoto Station West Exit. © TM ＆ © TOHO

Astro Boy character illustration in white, purple, and blue outfit with arms outstretched, set against a dynamic black background with radial light rays and splatter effects. Circular promotional badge below reads "Kenelephant × Osamu Tezuka Characters Shop, 28 August–6 September 2026, Ueno Marui 5F Calendarium, 11:00–19:00". ©Tezuka Productions

Illuminated Japanese umbrellas in red and white create a glowing pathway lined with 25,000 blue LED lights. Hikawa Shrine's tower gate glows pink in the background, transforming the sacred approach into a luminous corridor for the Tanabata festival. ©Saitama Central Junior Chamber of Commerce

"Samurai Saga: Blades of Sengoku" by Tsuyoshi Nagano. Oil painting depicting multiple samurai and military commanders in elaborate armour and period dress, arranged dynamically against a dramatic backdrop of fire and conflict with a purple-tinted sky. ©Tsuyoshi Nagano

Visitor stands immersed in animated waves at KUNIYOSHI IMMERSIVE ART. Enlarged blue and white wave patterns surge across all surfaces, with a mythical sea creature visible among the dynamic projections, transforming Kuniyoshi's iconic wave compositions into an enveloping experience. Provided by Hitohata Inc.

The Eleven-Headed Kannon statue, the principal image of Hasedera, stands centrally in the museum beneath dramatic lighting. The wooden sculpture displays elaborate ceremonial dress and jewellery, with smaller Buddha statues visible in illuminated cases to either side.

Two pale pink sasayuri lilies in bloom on a slender stem, their petals gently curved back to reveal reddish-brown anthers at the centre. Narrow green leaves trail along the stem, set against a dark, softly blurred background of woodland foliage. Provided by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.

A woodland grove carpeted with white Annabelle hydrangeas in rounded clusters, spreading beneath tall slender tree trunks. Two visitors walk along a path among the greenery in the background, dappled by sunlight through the leaves. Provided by The "Parks Japan.F

A large bronze seated Jizo statue holding a staff and a jewel, surrounded by hundreds of small stone Jizo figures arranged in rows. A wooden signboard with Japanese text stands beside a tree trunk, with offered flowers and green foliage to the left.

Exhibition poster for "Sacred Monsters in Buddhist Art" at Ryukoku Museum, running 11 July to 16 August 2026. Bold yellow Japanese title characters fill the centre against a dark background scattered with images of carved creatures, lions, dragons, and figures from Buddhist art, with event details listed at the left. Provided by Kyoto Shimbun Co., Ltd.

A large stone lantern carved with a deer motif stands among pink and purple hydrangeas. Wooden temple buildings with tiled roofs and green foliage are visible to either side.

ZUTOMAYO - Byoushin wo Kamu ℗ UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC

Promotional visual for the Ace of Diamond Act II original artwork exhibition. On a blue background overlaid with faint manga panels, the exhibition title appears in stylised Japanese lettering beside the tagline "Ano seishun ga, yomigaeru". To the right, more than a dozen baseball players in colour artwork stand grouped together, most in white Seido uniforms with Eijun Sawamura at the front holding a ball and bat. ©寺嶋裕二／講談社

Exhibition key visual on a pale blue checkered background. A ko-omote Noh mask of a serene young woman with a white face, faint smile and centre-parted black hair fills the middle, surrounded by embroidered floral roundels and phoenix motifs. Vertical white Japanese calligraphy reads "Onō, hajimemashite", with the dates 25 June to 20 July 2026 and the English title "Getting to Know the World of Noh". ©The Tokugawa Art Museum

Promotional artwork for the event “Shogun wa Rock ga Osuki” (The Shogun Likes Rock). The image is built on a traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print, showing a seated figure in a kimono surrounded by other figures, including a red demon and an elderly man with a fan. A modern blue-and-black electric guitar has been digitally composited over the foreground, laid across the seated figure's lap. The event title appears in white Japanese text down a dark vertical banner at the centre. ©Jidaimura Co., Ltd.

A pond at Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden framed by lush greenery, with a small arched stone bridge crossing the water in the foreground and the Tokyo Skytree tower rising against a clear blue sky in the distance. Provided by Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association

Multiple large fireworks bursting over a dark night sky in white, gold, red, blue and pink, with a row of fountain-like pink and purple fireworks rising along the riverbank below. City lights are visible low on the horizon. Photo provided by the Todabashi Fireworks Festival Executive Committee.

A display of chusen-dyed textiles at last year's event. Rows of patterned cloths hang overhead, while a mannequin wears a cream yukata with a blue floral design and yellow obi. A red-draped table in front holds rolls of fabric in sunflower and bamboo patterns, with folded cloths and parasols alongside. ©City of Sakai

A pop-art style grid of six identical cassette tape illustrations, each on a different bright background (pink, blue, yellow, green, purple, red). Each tape is marked "C-60", "1" and "LOW NOISE". ©Side-B Creations Inc.