Seasonal calendar
Festivals, seasonal foods and the travel decisions around them. This monthly archive currently covers May 2026–August 2026; it is not a complete calendar of upcoming events.
Read the year on each entry. Event dates, climbing rules and public holidays are specific to that season; use the linked organisers for a later trip.
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May 2026 — Golden Week, Sanja Matsuri and new tea
2026-05
Golden Week holidays shape the start of May, followed by Asakusa’s Sanja Matsuri and the spring tea harvest. This is a record for May 2026: holiday dates and festival arrangements should not be carried forward to another year.
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June 2026 — Tsuyu, hydrangeas, and the year's halfway sweet
2026-06
June brings rainy-season planning, hydrangeas and the half-year observances associated with minazuki sweets. Rainfall and flowering differ by region: use a local forecast and a venue’s own reports rather than treating June as uniformly wet, quiet or inexpensive.
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July 2026 — Gion Matsuri, Fireworks and Fuji’s Climbing Season
2026-07
July’s calendar combines Kyoto’s month-long Gion Matsuri, local Tanabata celebrations, fireworks and the start of Mount Fuji’s climbing season. Rainy-season transitions differ by region, and mountain access has its own rules. These entries refer to the 2026 season.
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August 2026 — Nebuta, Awa Odori, Obon and summer fireworks
2026-08
August combines major festivals with Obon family travel. It is a busy period, but there is no blanket rule against travelling on August 11–16. Choose a specific event, reserve important transport and accommodation, and check the organiser’s access plan. This archive records the 2026 season.