Things to Do in Japan: October 2026
Things to do in Japan this October: English rakugo, Noh and Kyogen theater, tea tastings, sake festivals, and craft classes. Japan events on Peatix.
October brings autumn to Japan, with boat rides to view the fall colors, seasonal dishes, and events that run into Halloween. This month's list includes English rakugo, Noh and Kyogen theater, tea tastings, and hands-on craft and cooking classes. October shows Japan keeping old traditions in daily use while opening them to visitors.
Last checked October 2, 2026. Ticket availability and prices change, so check each event page before you book.
🗼 Tokyo · ⛩️ Kyoto · 🏯 Osaka · 🗾 Beyond
🗼 TOKYO
Chopstick Making Experience in Omotesando
Ginza Natsuno Chopstick Craft Experience, Omotesando | ¥2,640 per person
Craft your own chopsticks with a traditional hand plane (kanna). You select your wood, shape it, smooth it with sandpaper, and finish it with oil, then take your chopsticks home the same day. First-time hand plane users are welcome, and English-speaking staff are available.
Homemade Vegan Sushi Class at TATAMI Kitchen (Private)
Mindful Bites Wellness Studio, Kamikitazawa | ¥9,800 private class, ¥4,000 for children ages 4 to 12
Cook seven plant-based Japanese dishes in a hands-on private class, including hand-roll sushi, teriyaki eggplant, and fried tofu with dengaku miso. A recipe developer guides you in English, and you eat the meal together on tatami mats. The class suits beginners, and non-vegans are welcome.
The 21st English Rakugo Wonderland
Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, 6F | ¥1,000
Listen to seven rakugo stories performed in English, including "Another Cup of Sake," "Zorozoro," and "Chiritotechin." Children under 6 are not allowed.
SUMO: The Sacred Soul, Zoia Skoropadenko Exhibition
PASONA SQUARE, Minami-Aoyama | Free admission
See how artist Zoia Skoropadenko captures the power, stillness, tension, and beauty of sumo. The organizer describes a special exhibition where tradition and contemporary art intersect.
Kamakura Old Road and Satoyama Walking Tour from Machida
Machida Station JR Ticket Office | ¥2,000
Follow a guided walk along the Kamakura Old Road, a medieval road once traveled by samurai. The route starts near Machida Station and passes historic temples and shrines and quiet old streets on the way to Yakushiike Park, one of Japan's "100 Historic Parks." The walk covers about 5 to 6 km and takes 2.5 to 3 hours.
My Japan Story SLAM! Vol. 4
Baird Beer Nakameguro Taproom | ¥3,750 early bird, ¥4,750 general admission, both include a drink ticket
Hear 6 to 8 storytellers tell true 5 to 6 minute stories live, with no slides, phones, props, or notes. The theme is "Trick or Treat," with spooky, bite-sized stories of fears, pranks, and wicked indulgence, and guest storyteller Kona Morris is on the bill. The event is held in English. The organizer notes that live storytelling may contain adult language and sensitive topics not suitable for children.
Star River Ikebana
Asakusa | ¥12,000
Learn the history and fundamental principles of ikebana, then create your own arrangement with seasonal flowers and natural materials. Groups are small, with up to 4 participants ages 12 and up, and you need to book at least 24 hours in advance.
alter. 2026, Tokyo
Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall | ¥2,000 1-day pass, ¥3,000 4-day pass, free for students
See product design projects by 55 creators, with an exhibition, a program where visitors can buy prototypes, a lounge where you touch and use products, and an award chosen by committee members. The organizer offers free admission with a valid student ID and for elementary school age and younger, and students still need to register for a ticket. The event page includes English text.
🗼 Tokyo · ⛩️ Kyoto · 🏯 Osaka · 🗾 Beyond
⛩️ KYOTO
TSUCHI Fes in Kameoka
Kyoto Kameoka Hozugawa Park | Free entry, tasting tickets ¥1,000 (2 menus), ¥2,000 (5 menus), ¥3,000 (8 menus)
Taste plant-based dishes that chefs from overseas, including Italy, Poland, and Chile, create with Kyoto Tanba cooks using Kyoto Tanba ingredients. You buy a tasting ticket, sample the menus of the chefs you are curious about, and meet chefs and producers. The park has more than 30 artworks made with bamboo and rice straw, and the event runs rain or shine except in severe weather. The event page is in Japanese.
IMAGINE NOH: Legends and Laughter on Stage
Kyoto Kanze Kaikan Noh Theater | Adults (26 and up) ¥23,000, ages 18 to 25 ¥5,000
Watch a shortened Noh and Kyogen program of about 90 minutes, with the Noh play Kokaji and the Kyogen play Kaki Yamabushi. An MC explains the history, spirit, and highlights, with explanation in English, and a question-and-answer session with the performers follows. Children under 5 cannot enter. Ages 6 to 17 attend free with an adult ticket and a booked seat.
An Intimate Kyoto Maiko Lunch in Gion
Umenoya, Gion | ¥16,800 per person
Share a seasonal lunch with a Kyoto maiko in a group of up to 8 guests, with conversation, two traditional dances performed a few steps away, a matcha demonstration where you prepare your own bowl, and photographs. The event is hosted primarily in English, with Japanese and Mandarin Chinese support. Cancellations made by October 10 receive a full refund.
Boat Outing with the Sound of the Shinobue, Autumn 2026
Arashiyama Tsusen North Boarding Area | ¥7,000 per person for either session
Ride a yakatabune (covered pleasure boat) to view the autumn colors while shinobue player Kazuya Sato performs. The boat travels upstream for about 20 minutes, stops at a performance spot for about 20 minutes, then returns downstream for about 20 minutes. The organizer names the morning session "quiet" and the afternoon session "lively," and the event page is in Japanese.
🗼 Tokyo · ⛩️ Kyoto · 🏯 Osaka · 🗾 Beyond
🏯 OSAKA
KAGAMI NIGHT MUSEUM: BLUE Special Experience
VS., Grand Green Osaka, Umekita Park North Park | ¥2,500
Wear a transparent headset and see Ryuichi Sakamoto appear in the same space, as if he plays the piano nearby, in the mixed reality work KAGAMI by Sakamoto and Tin Drum. The BLUE program condenses KAGAMI into about 30 minutes, and the space is standing only with no seats. Visitors 12 and under cannot enter, and visitors under 16 need a guardian. The event page is in Japanese.
Evening Tea Play: Chakabuki Experience
TO TAMAGAWA, 1F te. Japanese Tea, Fukushima Ward | ¥4,400 including tea sweets
Compare five teas from different regions and types, and guess which tea is which by sight, aroma, and taste, over three rounds. The organizer describes chakabuki as a Japanese tea-tasting game. You drink 15 small cups in total, so the organizer asks people who are sensitive to caffeine to take care. No knowledge of Japanese tea is needed, and the winner receives a prize. The event page is in Japanese.
Osaka Ranma Wood Carving Experience, Beginner Course
Takahashi Shoten, Matsubara | ¥5,000, or ¥6,500 with the ranma tour
Carve a simple pattern in soft wood at the workshop of Osaka Ranma craftsman Komei Takahashi, and learn the basic use of carving knives. The beginner course welcomes first-timers, and the craftsman stays beside you to help. The class holds 3 people, and booking closes 7 days before the date. The event page is in Japanese.
Circus Cabaret Nostalgia 2026
Sekaikan, Minato-ku, Osaka | October 23: ¥10,000 S seat, ¥6,000 regular adult, ¥3,000 regular elementary school age and under. October 24: ¥11,000 S seat, ¥7,500 regular adult, ¥3,500 regular child, each with 1 drink
Watch a circus show in a format popular mainly in Europe, customized for Japan. You can also meet clowns and greeting cast members at the venue outside the stage show. S seats sit closer to the cast, and each child needs one accompanying guardian. The event page is in Japanese.
15th WASHU FES at Osaka Bay Tower
Osaka Bay Tower, 2F Atrium Plaza, Minato-ku | ¥3,600 per session, includes an original ochoko (sake cup)
Taste from more than 160 kinds of Japanese sake from 31 breweries, freely, within a 2 hour 10 minute session. You can hear directly from the brewers, and buy sake you like at the venue. The organizer says tickets sell out every year before the event. Visitors under 20 cannot enter, and children and strollers are not allowed. Ticket changes and refunds are not available, and the event page is in Japanese.
BARTHE OSAKA 2026: Sauna & Music Festival
Creative Center Osaka | Advance tickets ¥7,000 regular, ¥15,000 VIP
Spend a day at a festival with sauna, aufguss, live music, food, a market, and fireworks over the night sky. The food and market areas are free to enter, and the event runs rain or shine with entry and exit allowed during the day. The regular ticket covers the paid areas, a Juraku Onsen bath ticket, and a ¥500 discount coupon for Osaka Sauna DESSE. Children in elementary school and under enter the paid areas free. November 1 VIP tickets are sold out, and the event page is in Japanese.
🗼 Tokyo · ⛩️ Kyoto · 🏯 Osaka · 🗾 Beyond
🗾 BEYOND TOKYO, KYOTO & OSAKA
Nishimonai Odori Night, Part 2: Dance Through the Night
Nishimonai Bon Odori Hall, Ugo, Akita | ¥2,500 for Part 2, limited to 100 people
Dance the Nishimonai Bon Odori and Gujo Odori, two of Japan's three great bon dances, at an event where the organizer notes the Nishimonai Bon Odori is registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Wear everyday clothes or a yukata, and beginners are welcome with practice available. The workshop and Part 1 are free and need no ticket, and the event page is in Japanese.
Ryukyuan Performing Arts, Courtyard Night Stage, Night 4
Okinawa Prefectural University of the Arts, Naha | Free, ticket required
Watch Ryukyuan dance and the kumiodori play "Nido Tekiuchi" by the Women's Kumiodori Research Group Mebana, with women performing the vocal and instrumental accompaniment. A talk introducing kumiodori comes before the play. The event is part of a project marking the completion of Shuri Castle's main hall, and the organizer notes that performers and pieces may change. The event page is in Japanese.
5th Sanyutei Kouseinen English Rakugo Show in Yokohama Nigiwai-za
Yokohama Nigiwai-za, Small Hall | ¥3,000, students ¥1,500 with a student ID
Watch classically trained, Swedish-born rakugo performer Sanyutei Kouseinen perform rakugo stories translated into English. The organizer describes rakugo as a one-man comedic theatre art with a history of over 300 years, dating back to the Edo period. The program includes the stories "Gonsuke Zakana" and "Cha no Yu," and the organizer provides explanation in Japanese.
Original Musical Drama "Kojo no Tsuki: Rakujitsu no Fu" (International Visitor A-seat Tickets)
Kawaguchi General Cultural Center LILIA | ¥4,000
See an original musical drama that depicts half of the life of Rentaro Taki, a composer who represents Japan, and is built on the melody of "Kojo no Tsuki" with scenes of the moon and an old castle. The show is performed in Japanese. The organizer reserved A-seats for visitors from overseas and offers a digital guide, and you choose your seat at the reception on the day.
Yokomizo Yashiki, Lunch & Traditional Japanese Sweets: October Monthly Tour
Former Yokomizo Residence, Tsurumi, Yokohama | ¥500 participation fee, bus fare and lunch not included
Visit Yokomizo Yashiki, an old Japanese house built around 130 years ago, with an English-speaking Japanese local guide. You take a bus from JR Tsurumi Station, about 15 minutes. Lunch together after the tour is optional, with seats for the first 10 people, and the group visits a traditional Japanese sweets shop after lunch. Advance reservation is required.
Japanese Home Cooking and Traditional Life Style at the Former Yamauchi Residence
Former Yamauchi Residence, Kusatsu, Shiga | ¥15,000
Cook rice over a traditional okudosan (wood-fired stove), make dashi from scratch, and prepare seasonal dishes with fresh, locally sourced ingredients from Shiga Prefecture. After the meal, you have matcha and a seasonal Japanese sweet in the historic residence. The class is for international travelers visiting Japan, runs primarily in Japanese with English support, and is limited to 6 participants. Registration closes October 15.
JUNMAI SAKE WEEK NAGOYA 2026: PRIDE of JAPAN
Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER, Nagoya | ¥2,800 for 10 sake tickets (early bird, on sale through October 30), ¥3,500 on the day
Compare junmai sake from across Japan and meet the brewers, with food, music, DJs, and talk shows. AK-69 and DJ SWAY are among the stage performers. The 2026 theme is "PRIDE of JAPAN." One sake ticket can be used alone, the number of tickets per cup depends on the brand, and the organizer welcomes people who do not usually drink. The organizer does not serve alcohol to anyone under 20, and the event page is in Japanese.
Kissako Tokorozawa Tea Fes 2026
Tokorozawa Sakura Town, Saitama | Free entry, tasting rally ticket ¥1,100 for 1 day, ¥2,000 for 2 days, ¥2,500 for all days
Visit a tea festival with tea farms, specialty tea shops, and importers from across Japan, and taste teas from Sayama, Shizuoka, Ibaraki, Kagoshima, China, Taiwan, and India. Entry to the venue is free, and you need a ticket for the tasting rally. Each tasting is a small pour of about 20 ml, and tickets cannot be canceled or refunded. The event page is in Japanese.
🗼 Tokyo · ⛩️ Kyoto · 🏯 Osaka · 🗾 Beyond
Visiting Japan? Peatix connects you to English Rakugo, hands-on craft workshops, bilingual comedy nights, and traditional culture experiences that locals attend all over the country.
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