Events & Festivals in Japan 2027

Every event and festival in Japan in 2027, month by month — dates, venues and tickets, before they happen.

January 20271

♡Jan1

Upcoming

Hatsumode 2027 — Your First Shrine Visit of the Japanese New Year

Hatsumode is Japan's first shrine or temple visit of the New Year, done January 1–3, 2027. Here's what it means, when to go, and exactly how to pray — including the crucial shrine-vs-temple difference.

2027/01/01 Across JapanFree to visit and pray. Bring small coins for the offering box (a 5-yen coin is the lucky choice); omikuji fortunes, ema plaques, hamaya arrows and omamori amulets typically cost a few hundred yen each (as of 2026 — confirm at each site).

March 20271

♡Mar25

Upcoming

Cherry Blossom Season in Japan 2027 — When & Where to See Sakura

Japan's cherry blossoms typically peak late March to early April in Tokyo and Kyoto, with the bloom front moving north from Okinawa (late January) to Hokkaido (early May). The 2027 forecasts are not out yet: in the 2026 season the first ones came between December 18, 2025 and January 29, 2026 — here's how to plan now.

2027/03/25 Across JapanFree — most parks, riverbanks and temple grounds cost nothing to enter; some gardens (e.g. Shinjuku Gyoen) and castle keeps charge a small entry fee, and evening illuminations may have separate hours. As of 2026.