Events in Japan — May 2026

There are 37 upcoming events across Japan in may 2026. Top picks include 61st Venice Biennale, (UN)KNOWN HIROKO KOSHINO: New Perspectives, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon -Shining Theater Shinagawa Tokyo-.

Golden Week runs late April through early May, Japan's biggest holiday period with events nationwide.

Arts & Culture

UNTIL NOVEMBER 22

61st Venice Biennale

The 61st Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition is one…

Tokyo

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 26

(UN)KNOWN HIROKO KOSHINO: New Perspectives

This retrospective exhibition explores the influential caree…

Tokyo

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 31

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon -Shining Theater Shinagawa Tokyo-

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon -Shining Theater Shinagawa Tokyo…

Tokyo

Hiroyuki Okumura & Yuko Sasai — Playing with the Wind: Con Aire Mexicano

Playing with the Wind: Con Aire Mexicano is a collaborative …

Tokyo

Festivals & Matsuri

UNTIL MARCH 20

Kobe Port Weekend Fireworks

The Kobe Port Weekend Fireworks is a recurring free firework…

Kobe · Free

Food & Drink

UNTIL OCTOBER 15

Gifu Nagara River Cormorant Fishing

Ukai (cormorant fishing) on the Nagara River in Gifu is one …

Hamamatsu

Food & Drink

UNTIL JUNE 30

#Heisei Only Wins! — Complete Youth Revival

Heisei Only Wins!

Osaka

Festivals & Matsuri

UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17

12th Masahiko Fujiwara Essay Contest

The Masahiko Fujiwara Essay Contest is an annual writing com…

Himeji · Free

Festivals & Matsuri

UNTIL JUNE 30

Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden / Ropeway Rose Season

The Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden is one of Japan's largest herb…

Kobe · Free

🌸 Seasonal

Festivals & Matsuri

UNTIL JUNE 30

Takaoka-no-Sato Hydrangea Path — Peak Bloom Season

Takaoka-no-Sato Hydrangea Path is a scenic natural pathway i…

Osaka · Free

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 26

60th Anniversary Special Exhibition 1: Kawai Gyokudō

A special exhibition at the Yamatane Museum of Art in Tokyo …

Tokyo

Jonas Mekas / Gozou Yoshimasu

This event pairs the work of Lithuanian-American experimenta…

Tokyo

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 5

Red Book — A Woman's Story Musical

Red Book — A Woman's Story is a Korean hit musical making it…

Tokyo

art bit #6: Game-Playing Society — Contemporary Art & Indie Game Culture

art bit #6: Game-Playing Society is the sixth installment of…

Tokyo

Food & Drink

UNTIL JUNE 30

Hasedera Temple Hydrangea Viewing

Hasedera Temple in Kamakura is one of the region's most cele…

Yokohama

Arts & Culture

UNTIL AUGUST 20

Music Box Theater: Yoshitomo Nara "A Puppy That Wanted a Friend"

Music Box Theater: Yoshitomo Nara 'A Puppy That Wanted a Fri…

Kobe

Music

UNTIL DECEMBER 21

Chevon ONE MAN TOUR 2026 'Sansha Yagi'

Chevon ONE MAN TOUR 2026 'Sansha Yagi' is the largest nation…

Tokyo

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 18

BlackBoxKyoto Opening Program: Nao Yoshigai Archives — Hotta Maru Biyori

BlackBoxKyoto Opening Program presents a comprehensive retro…

Kyoto

SPECTRUM 2076 AD — Consciousness of the Coming World

SPECTRUM 2076 AD — Consciousness of the Coming World is a sp…

Tokyo

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 5

Black Lizard

Black Lizard is a production by the legendary Takarazuka Rev…

Osaka

Arts & Culture

UNTIL AUGUST 30

Tadanori Yokoo: The River of Sequential Paintings | Tadanori Yokoo Museum of Contemporary Art

Tadanori Yokoo: The River of Sequential Paintings is a major…

Kobe · Free

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 12

Yoko Matsumoto: The Day I Saw the Evening Star

Yoko Matsumoto: The Day I Saw the Evening Star is a solo con…

Tokyo

Arts & Culture

UNTIL OCTOBER 18

Collection Exhibition: Walking, Staying

Collection Exhibition: Walking, Staying is a thematic presen…

Kanazawa

Arts & Culture

UNTIL AUGUST 16

Special Exhibition: The World of Picture Book Artist Yoshiaki Yoh — From Fairy Tales to Peace

Yoshiaki Yoh has been making picture books and paintings sin…

Kobe

Music

UNTIL OCTOBER 31

Hiromi Go Concert Tour 2026 ~ ALL MY LOVE ~

Hiromi Go Concert Tour 2026 ~ ALL MY LOVE ~ is a major natio…

Osaka

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JUNE 30

SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL & ASIA 2026

One of Asia's largest and most prestigious short film festiv…

Tokyo · Free

Arts & Culture

UNTIL SEPTEMBER 13

120th Anniversary of His Birth: Hasegawa Saburo and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

This exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo …

Tokyo

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 12

160 Years of Japan-Italy Diplomatic Relations: Art Connections Between Italy and Kagoshima

This exhibition at Kagoshima City Art Museum marks 160 years…

Kagoshima

Arts & Culture

UNTIL SEPTEMBER 13

MOMAT Collection

The MOMAT Collection is a major permanent collection exhibit…

Tokyo

Nightlife

UNTIL OCTOBER 26

NIGHT PICNIC 2026 — Higashi Yuenchi

NIGHT PICNIC is an annual urban nightlife experiment produce…

Kobe · Free

Music

UNTIL JULY 18

SEX Kanmuri Tour 2026

Two of Japan's most theatrical heavy metal acts — THE冠 and S…

Nagoya

Festivals & Matsuri

UNTIL JULY 5

Suma Rikyu Park Iris and Hydrangea Viewing Festival

The Suma Rikyu Park Iris and Hydrangea Viewing Festival cele…

Kobe · Free

Music

UNTIL JULY 18

SEX Kanmuri Tour 2026

Two of Japan's most theatrical heavy metal acts — THE Kanmur…

Yokohama

Nankoku Hidai & Shoryuu Morita

This dual artist exhibition at Tokyo Gallery + BTAP brings t…

Tokyo

Kana Akamatsu: Soft Landscapes

Soft Landscapes is a solo exhibition by Japanese artist Kana…

Nara

Arts & Culture

UNTIL JULY 12

Reading Erotic Novels in the Reiwa Era — Special Video Streaming Event

A special online streaming event inspired by the drama 'Crea…

Osaka

Festivals & Matsuri

UNTIL JULY 5

Hydrangea Garden Opening and Illumination

Mimuroto-ji Temple in Uji, near Osaka, opens its celebrated …

Osaka · Free