Events in October 2018
| Toyako Long-run Firework | Every night for 20 minutes starting at 8:45 pm, the Lake Toyako night sky becomes full of fireworks. The fireworks are moved while being launched, visitors can enjoy them from everywhere in the resort. | Apr 28(Sat) to Oct 31(Wed) |
Hokkaido Lake Toya |
| Flower of Niagara & Hana Highway and Hana Kofuji | You can enjoy flowers of Niagara Falls and flower streets from where Mt. Fuji can be viewed. The event is held at Oishi Park close to Lake Kawaguchi. | early Jun to mid Oct |
Yamanashi Lake Kawaguchi |
| Flower Story | The whole shopping street will be full of flowers with a giant flower bed in the center of the shopping street and flower pots displayed by every hotel and shop. | late May to early Oct |
Hokkaido Soun-kyo Gorge |
| Thousand Torch Festival | It is an Ainu traditional event to thank the Fire of God and the northern earth. During the event, you can parade from hot spring town to Ainu Kotan holding the torch every night. | Sep 1(Sat) to Oct 8(Mon) |
Hokkaido Lake Akan |
| Iomante Fire Festival | Gathering around a bonfire, Ainu people dance and sing to pray for peace and visitors’ health with Ainu ceremonial dress as they did in the ancient time. | Sep 1(Sat) to Nov 30(Fri) |
Hokkaido Lake Akan |
| Yokohama Oktoberfest | Munich’s world famous beer festival “Oktoberfest” is taking place in Yokohama. There’ll be some 80 types of beer, with German varieties plus the locals. Also enjoy German music, and sauerkraut and German sausages that go perfect with beer. | Sep 28(Fri) to Oct 14(Sun) |
Kanagawa Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse |
| National Day of the People's Republic of China | National Day of the People's Republic of China to commemorate its foundation. Ethnic parades, lion & dragon dances are seen across Chinatown. | Oct 1(Mon) | Kanagawa Yokohama Chinatown |
| Autumn Leaves Illumination | The old samurai houses such as Odano Family, Kawada Family and Iwabashi Family in the Kadodate Samurai Residence Street will be illuminated together with autumn leaves. Time 18:30 to 21:30. | Oct 1(Mon) to Nov 30(Tue) | Akita Kadodate Samurai Residence Street |
| World Festa Yokohama | The festival where you can experience the culture of the world. Enjoy local foods, ethnic music, dance performances, as well as folk crafts from around the world. | Oct 6(Sat) and 7(Sun) | Kanagawa Yamashita Park |
| Naha Tug-of-war Festival | The largest event in Okinawa. Thousands of people gather in Naha to participate the event. The handmade rope is measured at 560 feet in length and weighs over 40 tons and it is recorded as the world’s largest rope. Visitors are welcome to join. | Oct 6(Sat) to 8(Mon) |
Okinawa Kokusai Street |
| Lake Shikotsu Autumn Leaves Festival | Visitors can enjoy autumn harvest delicacies while viewing the season’s red and yellow leaves. Stalls selling yakitori and lottery tickets line the fairgrounds and 300 cups of miso soup with mushrooms and kokanee salmon are served. | Oct 7(Sun) | Hokkaido Lake Shikotsu |
| O-Edo Mikoshi Matsuri | It features 200 groups and has more than 2,000 participants, with 13 large-size portable shrines. There will also be traditional performing arts from the Edo Period and traditional balad singing called kayo. | Oct 7(Sun) | Tokyo Kiba Park |
| Lake Akan Marimo Festival | The festival is led by the local Ainu people, and culminates on the third day with a ritual in which a senior Ainu on board a small wooden boat returns the marimo one by one, carefully and thankfully, into the lake. | Oct 8(Mon) to 10(Wed) |
Hokkaido Lake Akan |
| Takayama Autumn Festival | Ranked as one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals. It features the gorgeous festival floats decorated with detailed carvings, tapestries, and karakuri dolls (marionettes). The evening festival is also the festival's highlight. | Oct 9(Tue) and 10(Wed) | Gifu Takayama City |
| National Day of the Republic of China | There will be a variety of ceremonies and activities here during National Day, such as a ethnic parades, lion & dragon dances. | Oct 10(Wed) | Kanagawa Yokohama Chinatown |
| Asama Hot Spring Great Burning Torches Festival | Known as one of the three strangest festivals of Japan. People carry great burning torches made of straw, and some of them are as big as 3 meters in size, walking around the town. The drumming performance is also demonstrated. | Oct 13(Sat) | Nagano Matsumoto City |
| Fujigane Farm Festival | You can enjoy many farm foods and dairy products, as well as local fruits, vegetables and other treats and events. | Oct 13(Sat) | Yamanashi Lake Kawaguchi |
| Takeda Style Kisha Yabusame | The archer armed with Takeda style armor to shoot the target which is 150-meter-long while riding on the horseback. | Sun close to Apr 24 and Oct 17 | Kumamoto Suizenji Jojuen Park |
| Sanja Matsuri new |
Nearly 2 million people join the festival. About one hundred mikoshi and portable shrines parade streets. During the festival, Asakusa is packed with food stalls, festival games and revelers amid a lively atmosphere of Japanese drums and flutes. | Oct 16(Fri)~ 18(Sun) |
Tokyo Sendoji Temple |
| Mazu Ascension Day | The day of Mazu's ascension into heaven. Ascension ceremony will be held. | Oct 17(Wed) | Kanagawa Yokohama Chinatown |
| Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum and Autumn Leaves Festival | The park is filled with colorful chrysanthemums include chrysanthemum dolls and beautiful autumn foliage which is also illuminated at night. Events such as folk entertainment shows, music concert on weekends and holidays are also enjoyable. | Oct 19(Fri)~ Nov 11(Sun) |
Aomori Hirosaki Park |
| Saigu Procession | A parade based on the procession which was held about 660 years ago. Hundreds of people will walk with Saio (the girl) wearing gorgeous traditional cloths. | Oct 20(Sun) | Kyoto Nonomiya Shrine |
| Indonesian-Japanese friendship Festival | Tens of booths offering Indonesian delicious food and beverages. Not only traditional dance and musical performances, visitors can also enjoy POP music from Indonesia. | Oct 20(Sat) and 21(Sun) | Tokyo Yoyogi Park |
| Fuji-Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves March | The official event of Japan Walking Association. About 4 thousands of people join walking aroud Fuji Five lakes. | Oct 20(Sat) and 21(Sun) | Yamanashi Lake Kawaguchi |
| Kawagoe Festival | The festival features spectacular festival floats carrying exquisitely crafted dolls which are pulled around the city. A highlight is ‘Hikkawase’ – a face off between floats with their accompanying orchestras while being cheered on by onlookers. | Oct 20(Sat) and 21(Sun) | Saitama Koedo-Kawagoe |
| Koto-Kumin Matsuri | The biggest citizen event in Koto award. Bazaar, parade, music and sports contests are held. The main event is an exhibition and display of traditional lumber workers' skills. | Oct 20(Sat) and 21(Sun) | Tokyo Kiba Park |
| Jidai Matsuri | One of the three most important festivals of Kyoto. A parade of 2,000 people attired in costumes from every period of Kyoto history winds its way on the Kyoto street, carrying the mikoshi (portable shrines) of Emperors Kammu and Komei. | Oct 22(Mon) | Kyoto Heian Shrine |
| Kurama Fire Festival | One of the three stranggest festivals in Kyoto. Watch fires called kagaribi are ignited all at once in front of the houses, and people in traditional cloth holding up small and large grand burning torches parade all night shouting "saireya, sairyo". | Oct 22(Mon) | Kyoto Sakyo-ku |
| Roppongi Hills Halloween Parade | One of Tokyo’s largest Halloween parade. Over 3,000 people join. Participants will be asked to dress up. The one-kilometer route starts at Roppongi Hills Arena and then go down Keyaki-zaka. Children will receive snacks after the parade. | Oct 27(Sat) | Tokyo Roppongi Hills |
| Shuri Castle Festival | Visitors are able to experience Okinawa traditional dances such as Ryukyu dances, Ukanshin odori and Kumiodori. Highlight is the reenacted procession of the Chinese Investiture Envoys and the coronation ceremony hold in Shurijo Castle. | Oct 27(Sat) to 28(Sun) |
Okinawa Shuri Castle |
| Motomachi Halloween | Not only the visitors, staffs of the shops will dress up in Halloween costumes. | Oct 31(Wed) | Kanagawa Yokohama Chinatown |
