As summer fades, October brings a lot of festivities and activities to enjoy. Autumn is the ideal time to value the outdoors without the Japanese summer heat. Just like the cherry blossom season, Japan is famous for “Koyo,” or the autumn leaves. with various types of tree and the mountains all around, its easy to get some great views. of course there are plenty of other things as well! We’ve selected all the best events in October for you to check out. Read along and make some plans for your autumn here!
- 1. Universal Studios Japan Halloween Horror Nights
- 2. Odaiba Sea Lights Lantern Festival
- 3. Ibaraki Kochia Festival
- 4. Tokyo Ramen Festa
- 5. Nada Fighting Festival (Nada Kenka Matsuri)
- 6. Onomichi Lantern Festival
- 7. The Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony
- 8. Tokyo International Film Festival
- 9. Nikkō Tōshogū Autumn Festival
- 10. Tokyo Disney Halloween
- Japan Wonder Travel Tours
- Other articles you might be interested in
1. Universal Studios Japan Halloween Horror Nights
Eating raw fish with chopsticks isn’t spooky enough? Let’s spice this game up! Universal Studios Japan will spike your adrenaline with its Halloween Horror Nights. Make sure to dress up and check out USJ on Halloween to experience Japan’s spooky side!
Location: Universal Studios Japan, Osaka
2. Odaiba Sea Lights Lantern Festival
Can’t let go of summer yet? Then you should make sure to see the annual Sea Lights Festival at Odaiba Seaside Park. The pleasant early-October weather is the perfect way to enjoy a cheerful night at the beach. Usually held on Marine Day in July, the lantern festival got rescheduled to October to prevent heatstroke from the extreme summer heat. You have the chance to see thousands of colored lanterns along the beach, carefully arranged to form an image visible from a higher viewpoint.
Location: Odaiba Marine Park
Date: October 3 – 4, around 1 pm
Additional information:
5 pm: Visitors can participate and light the candles of paper lamps
17:20 pm: After sunset, paper lamp candles begin to illuminate the sandy beach, drawing light geoglyphs
May be canceled in case of rain
3. Ibaraki Kochia Festival
Ever wondered what the Japanese version of Lavender fields look like? They look like fluffy bushes which change colors from a vibrant green to a bright scarlet in October. This plant is called the Kochia (summer cypress) which marks the fields with around 1.9 hectares at Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki, just a day trip away from Tokyo! A must see during Fall and instagrammable spot to check out.
Location: Hitachi Seaside Park, Ibaraki Prefecture
Date: Mid October
Entry: 450 yen (in September), 800 yen (in October)
Kimono Rental | Japan Wonder Travel Blog
4. Tokyo Ramen Festa
Attention Ramen lovers! This year’s Ramen Festival will be held at Komazawa Olympic Park. You can experience a variety of delicious ramen with a total of 36 booths in the three acts, each four days long for a total span of 12 days. Advance tickets will be sold at Seven-Eleven stores nationwide.
Location: Komazawa Olympic Park, Tokyo
Date: October 30th to November 3rd
Entry: Free
5. Nada Fighting Festival (Nada Kenka Matsuri)
This Nada Kenka Matsuri festival is referred to as a “fighting festival,” as participants slam portable shrines known as “mikoshi” into one another to demonstrate dominance. Only men between 18 and 45 are allowed to participate in the fighting. Each member wears a headband which indicates their age, e.g. men over 35 wear white headbands, men between 26 and 35 wear yellow headbands and everyone below 26 wears red headbands.
Location: Matsubara Hachiman Shrine, Himeji City
Date: October 14 – 15
6. Onomichi Lantern Festival
During this lantern festival in Japan, 16 of Onomichi’s temples, located in Hiroshima prefecture, and other locations will light up over 30,000 candles and lanterns, transforming the town into a charming lightshow. Visiting the main illuminated locations you will stumble over smaller spots as well so make sure to wander around to get the most out of your night walk.
Location: Onomichi City, Hiroshima
Date: October 17th, 6 pm to 8.30 pm
7. The Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony
One of the most popular things Japan is known for are Tea Ceremonies. The ceremonial way of preparing Matcha, usually in a traditional tea room, is a way to show hospitality to visitors. This year the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, Arts Council Tokyo will hold the Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony 2026 at two venues making it easier for visitors to visit the ceremony.
Location and Dates:
Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum on October 24 and 25 (10:30 am – 16:00 pm) (admission: free)
Hama-Rikyu Gardens on October 31st and November 1st (10.00 am – 5 pm) (admission: 300 yen)
Kimono Rental | Japan Wonder Travel Blog
8. Tokyo International Film Festival
This year the 2026 Tokyo International Film Festival marks it’s 39th anniversary, which will be held from October 26th until November 4th.
Date: October 26th – November 4th
General ticket sales: October 17th
Fee: depending on movie
9. Nikkō Tōshogū Autumn Festival
This shrine autumn Festival located in Nikko is known for a grand parade of 1000 men dressed as Edo-era foot soldiers, archers and cavalry. The festival begins with a demonstration of Japanese horseback archery. On October 17th the grand parade will take place from Futarasan-jinja Shrine to Otabisho, one kilometer away.
Location: Nikkō Tōshō-gū
Date: October 16th – October 17th
Entry: Free
10. Tokyo Disney Halloween
A fun adventure for the whole family is to visit Tokyo Disney for Halloween where Disney Villains bring fun and adventure to the family trip! There will be a haunted mansion with a special program based on the movie “Tim Burton’s: The Nightmare Before Christmas” but the highlight of the day will be the fireworks at night. Costumes are appreciated.
Location: Tokyo Disney Resort, Chiba
Date: September 1st – October 31st, 2026
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