2026’s Disneyland Halloween event sees two extra-special parts: a daytime parade, “The Villains’ Halloween ‘Into the Frenzy’,” and a nighttime fireworks show, “Night High Halloween.” That accompanies the Haunted Mansion “Holiday Nightmare” attraction, based on Tim Burton’s hit, The Nightmare Before Christmas, open until January 2027.

“The Villains’ Halloween ‘Into the Frenzy’” 45-minute parade returns with key Disney Villains, including Dr. Facilier, The Evil Queen and Cruella De Vil. They’ll be joined by Mickey and his friends: favorites Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, and more. “Night High Halloween” lights up the sky with its five-minute Halloween-themed pyrotechnic display after the sun sets.

All aboard for Tokyo DisneySea’s Halloween spectacular. This year includes Mickey Mouse and friends helming a pumpkin-decked boat, with Lazos de la Familia paying tribute to Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), and Halloween-themed merchandise.

The Mickey Mouse trick-or-treat boat will appear at the Mediterranean Harbor to spread Halloween cheer, doling out treats to anyone who says “Trick or Treat!,” and performing a dance for 15 minutes each time. The Lost River Delta section of the park will host Lazos de la Familia, with festive dances, decorations, and mariachi music.

Sanrio Puroland, best known for its abundance of Hello Kitty, hosts its Halloween event with a special guest this year: the incredibly viral Labubu. For the Halloween Parade, Hello Kitty will be joined by a Labubu mascot and characters such as MyMelody and Pompompurin, to spread Halloween cheer through the park daily.

On October 31, the park holds an all-night mini music festival “Spooky Pumpkin” for big kids aged 20 and over, with 50 popular Japanese acts, such as Wednesday Campanella and Okamoto Reiji. Get loose in costume, enjoy greetings, alcohol, and dance to your new favorite acts under the Halloween moon.

(Notes: Images are for reference only. Information is current as of September 22, and may be updated without notice.)

Kawasaki and Setagaya’s biggest fireworks show is back, lighting 6,000 fireworks every year for its Tamagawa Fireworks Festival. Run between Kawasaki and Setagaya areas, thousands of yukata-wearing revelers come to experience autumnal fireworks on Tama River, the stretch of water between Tokyo and Kanagawa.

The fireworks display, which dates back to 1929, aims to put a smile on the face of everyone who watches, serving as an expression for the bright future of the area through its children, and fostering community spirit among onlookers, and a renewed appreciation for the river. The theme for 2026 is 「～夜空を駆ける、新たなる飛翔～」, which loosely translates to “A New Flight, Soaring into the Night Sky.” There will be crowds, so organizers recommend arriving in plenty of time.

The Nikko Toshogu Shrine Autumn Festival is one of the biggest events of the year. The two-day spectacular honors Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, with a program of traditional shrine activities.

On the opening day, participants can enjoy Yabusame, a horseback archery demonstration along the main shrine approach. The second day sees Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu (Procession of 1,000 Warriors), featuring over 1,000 participants outfitted in authentic samurai armor escorting portable shrines.

Kawagoe, a small town in Saitama Prefecture, is known for its gorgeously preserved shopfronts and buildings dating back to the Edo Period (1603–1868). It’s also the setting for the annual Kawagoe Festival, a two-day spectacle that sees thousands descend upon its streets to enjoy festivities centered around ornate festival floats.

The nearly 400-year-old festival — a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property — includes various traditional activities, including an impressive musical battle, “Hikawase” between the festival floats come nightfall. Visitors to the festival may also enjoy food stalls serving traditional Japanese festival fare, like yakisoba and takoyaki, and even a haunted house.

Tokyo Yosakoi Contest is one part of the local festival, “Fukuro Matsuri.” The Yosakoi began in 2000 as an addition to the Fukuro festival, which had been running since 1967, and has since become one of the most well-known parts of the event. The Fukuro Matsuri takes place approximately one month before the Yosakoi Contest.

Yosakoi is a dance contest that originates in Kochi Prefecture, and is held in Sapporo, as well as Tokyo. This year, 107 teams, (approximately 5000 dancers in total) come from across Japan, including Kochi Prefecture, Toyama, and even Hokkaido, to take to the (street) stage. The types of teams vary greatly, from children to professionals, university students and local clubs. The Yosakoi is an imitable Tokyo event, as the streets around Ikebukuro come alive with costumed performers strutting their stuff.

In 2026, Hidenoumi, a top division wrestler, will retire at his ceremony on October 3, which will include a bout with his brother, Tobizaru.

Each retirement ceremony is different, but there are certain rituals performed at every one. The most famous is the topknot-cutting ritual. Hundreds of people will gather behind the rikishi, who is seated inside the ring. Each takes it in turn to step up and cut off a single strand of hair from the rikishi’s topknot. The final cut is made by the stablemaster, before the wrestler bows to everyone present, and heads off to a barber, for his first “normal” haircut. Other activities preceding this can include children’s sumo wrestling and demonstrations of topknot styles.

The biggest tennis tournament in Asia sees stars take to the courts for a week-long tournament of hitting balls toward their opponents. An ATP 500 event, the men’s edition has been held since 1972 and is known as one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the region.

Last year it was won by Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 1 and 2025 Japan Open champion, who is returning for 2026. Ben Shelton (US) will also play again this year, alongside heavy hitters such as Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz. 2026 will also mark the tour’s final appearance of Kei Nishikori.

Experience the ancient secrets of Egypt after dark as Yokohama’s Tutankhamen Museum’s popular night event has been extended through October. Supervised by Egyptian archaeologist Fuminori Kawae, this immersive exhibition lets visitors explore illuminated full-scale replicas of Tutankhamun’s royal tomb and treasures in atmospheric, dimmed galleries.

Guests embark on a nighttime riddle-solving challenge across the museum to crack seven mysteries of the young pharaoh, earning a special event eco-bag upon completion. Combining interactive storytelling, ambient lighting, and music by composer Kenji Kawai, it offers a thrilling evening outing for couples, friends, and families.

Roppongi’s big night out returns for the first time in three years, with a program set up to light up the area from dusk till dawn. The event invites artists and performers to play around the iconic Roppongi city area, amongst skyscrapers and upon garden terraces.

Both domestic and international artists including Charles Pétillon, known for his large white balloon installations, will join performers such as Aoi Yamada and France’s Leïla Ka; across a range of venues throughout Roppongi. Artists will perform installations in the streets, and museums in the area, including 21_21 Design Sight will have extended opening hours.

For the first time ever, guests can be scared and spooked as the Dark Arts takes over Tokyo’s ever-popular Warner Bros. Studio Tour. Nothing is as it seems, as Voldemort’s dark magic has invaded Hogwarts Castle. Cast members will turn into deatheaters, performing spooky demonstrations of their dark powers, battling their way through the set.

The Great Hall will be transformed with over 100 jack’o’lanterns floating in the air, and a special halloween feast will be on display. Elsewhere, deatheaters will appear in Diagon Alley and pop up in the Forbidden Forest. There will also be special menus in the restaurant and limited-edition merchandise.

One of the biggest movie events of the year is back. The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is now in its 39th year, showcasing the best movies from the past 12 months and beyond, with a particular focus on Asia. Japan’s most famed movie stars walk its red carpet, and accolades include names like the Akira Kurosawa Award, which honors those who’ve made splashes in the cinema world.

The festival screens hundreds of movies across its 10 days, alongside talks, workshops and, of course, its award ceremony. Workshops and talks bring fans and industry titans together to talk all things big screen, with many actors and directors appearing at the screenings.

Each year, Ikebukuro hosts one of the biggest cosplay events in Tokyo, when hundreds of cosplayers convene as one of their favorite anime or manga characters. Expect less blood and more spiky hair, as this is considerably less scary than a traditional Halloween event.

Since Shibuya Halloween was effectively cancelled, Ikebukuro has taken up a new baton and is fully embracing those who want to dress up, charging a small premium for the privilege. Even camera people need to pay for the opportunity to get up close to the cosplayers. On the Friday is an adults-only, nighttime cosplay party in a basement car park, to up the spooky factor.

Ramen shops from around Japan converge at Ramen Festa, the largest ramen gathering in Japan, across a five-day ramen bonanza. The festa, now in its fourth year, is linked to other similar ramen events across Japan, and uses its network to stretch to the far-flung reaches to find the best local ramen. Last year’s edition saw Michelin-guide-rated ramen from Okayama Prefecture, new wave ramen from Fukuoka Prefecture and miso ramen from Hokkaido.

The event aims to promote ramen as a cultural asset, so the event naturally has its own mascot, Naruto-chan, a character based on naruto-maki, the small fishcake that is found atop bowls of noodles. Naruto-chan promotes Ramen Festa’s goods and is around on all event days, taking part in talks and shows.