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Matsuri Journal

The festival pages in this guide tell you where a matsuri is and in which month it falls. The journal keeps the guide growing between those fixed facts: the coming month's schedule, date announcements for the famous festivals, and know-how for enjoying a matsuri when you get there.

• Festival News 2026-11-01
  Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 Dates Announced: 4–11 February at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome
  The organisers of the Sapporo Snow Festival have announced the dates for the 77th edition: Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February 2027, eight days across the Odori, Susukino and Tsudome sites. Here is what is confirmed, and what it means for planning a trip.
• Festival Know-How 2026-11-01
  Your First Matsuri: A Beginner's Guide to Enjoying a Japanese Festival
  A Japanese festival can look like cheerful chaos: a portable shrine bouncing through the streets, drums, food stalls and half the town in matching coats. This beginner's guide explains what is actually happening, what to bring, and the few rules that make you a welcome guest.
• Festival Calendar 2026-11-01
  December 2026 Festival Calendar: Night Floats in Chichibu, an Ancient Rite in Nara and Tokyo's Year-End Markets
  December is not a quiet month in Japan's festival calendar. From the fireworks and towering floats of the Chichibu Night Festival to Nara's On-Matsuri, held every year since 1136, and Tokyo's vast Boro-ichi market, here are the December 2026 dates worth planning around.