This Week’s Top Picks in Japan: February 23 to February 28 2026
February closes with craft traditions, community gatherings, and pop culture events across Japan. This week features kintsugi pottery repair, furoshiki wrapping, matcha workshops, cosplay festivals, and digital media art exhibitions. February shows Japan balancing centuries-old craft practices with forward-looking creative communities.
📍 TOKYO
6th Furoshiki Wrapping Festival 2026
February 23, 2026 | Morning session: 10:00–12:00 / Afternoon session: 14:00–16:00
Adults: ¥3,500 | High school students and younger: ¥2,500 with souvenir, ¥1,000 without souvenir
Join furoshiki culture researcher Junko Tsutsumi and a team of specialists at Senshinan tea room in Asakusa for a full day of furoshiki wrapping talks and workshops, tenugui dyeing demonstrations by Keisuke Tanaka of specialty shop Nijiyura, and a tea ceremony with thin tea and dried sweets. Each session holds 20 people (5 per tea ceremony slot), and the participation fee includes tea, dried sweets, and a small furoshiki souvenir. An optional compact mirror-making workshop using Nijiyura tenugui fabric is available for an additional ¥1,000.
🎌 Traditional Craft | Reserve seat →
Urth: Tokyo Photo Walk with Ulysses Aoki & Luuvu Hoang
February 23, 2026 | 15:00–17:00
Free
Walk through Yurakucho, Ginza, and Nihonbashi with photographers Ulysses Aoki and Luuvu Hoang in a community photo walk open to all skill levels. There are no lectures or formal instruction. Bring your own camera, meet at Yurakucho Station Square (outside OIOI) at 15:00, and explore Tokyo streets at your own pace. An Urth product giveaway takes place at the end. Spaces are limited and advance RSVP is required.
📷 Photography & Community | Get tickets →
Matcha Workshop for Beginners
February 28, 2026 | Sessions at 13:00, 15:00, and 17:00
¥3,500 per person
Learn to whisk matcha by hand and make a matcha latte using recipes from popular Tokyo matcha cafes at ATELIER MATCHA in Ginza. The 90-minute program covers how matcha is made, how to distinguish between types, hands-on whisking, and latte preparation, with a Q&A at the end. Seasonal Japanese fresh sweets from Ginza Seigetsudo are included.
🍵 Food Culture | Book spot →
Kintsugi Workshop at MIDORI.so Kichijoji
February 28 (Sat) | 11:00–13:00 | Also available March 28
¥5,000 per session (cash only, paid on-site)
Repair chipped or broken pottery using traditional Japanese kintsugi technique at MIDORI.so Kichijoji, located on the 8th floor of Kichijoji PARCO. Instructor Kazue Ito guides participants through either Shin-urushi (synthetic lacquer, one-day completion) or Hon-urushi (authentic natural lacquer, may require multiple sessions). Bring a chipped vessel, an apron, and a box slightly larger than the piece for transport. If you don’t have a broken piece, one can be provided for an additional fee. Reserve at least 3 days in advance.
⚱️ Traditional Craft | Learn tradition →
🏮 OSAKA
HOMEWORKS 2025 10th Anniversary
February 28–March 1, 2026 | 11:00–18:30
Advance: ¥1,400/day | At door: ¥1,500/day | Students: ¥500/day | High school and younger: Free (student ID required)
Instabu, a Kansai-based community of digital media and installation artists, presents its 10th anniversary exhibition at Creative Center Osaka, located at the former Namura Shipyard site in Kitakagaya. Over 40 artists show interactive, digital, and media art installations.
🎨 Digital Art & Media | Get tickets →
🗾 BEYOND TOKYO & OSAKA
Awaji Island COSPLAY ~AWACOS~ Powered by World Cosplay Summit
February 28, 2026 | 10:00–19:00 (Changing rooms open from 9:30)
Cosplay participation (with changing room access): ¥4,000 | General/camera: ¥3,500
Produced by World Cosplay Summit, AWACOS is a location-based cosplay event held at Nijigen no Mori anime theme park on Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture. Cosplayers and photographers from Japan and abroad are welcome. The park features attraction zones themed around Naruto, Dragon Quest, Godzilla, Crayon Shin-chan, Monster Hunter, and Attack on Titan. Note that only characters from each title’s series are permitted within that specific attraction zone.
🎭 Pop Culture & Cosplay | Get tickets →
2026 Photo and Video Equipment Outlet Sale in Yokohama
February 27–28, 2026 | Feb 27: 12:00–18:00 / Feb 28: 10:00–18:00
Free admission
Twelve camera and photography equipment companies offer discounted new products at Pacifico Yokohama Conference Center, Room 502 (5th floor), near Minatomirai Station. Products include lenses, tripods, camera bags, filters, strobes, and video accessories. The Japan Camera Museum presents a special traveling exhibition on the history of photography and film. Priority entry tickets are available in advance by time slot via Peatix. Walk-in registration opens at 13:00 on Friday and 11:00 on Saturday.
📸 Photography Gear | Reserve seat →
Bingata Dyeing Experience & Pendant Making
February 23 and 28, 2026 | 15:00 start | 1–1.5 hours
¥3,500 (tax included, materials included)
At dying atelier Ricca in Naha, Okinawa, learn bingata, a traditional dyeing technique from the Ryukyu Kingdom era. Choose from about 15 stencil patterns, apply base color and kumadori shading with a brush, then iron-set the fabric and soak it to remove the dye-resistant paste. Tea and sweets are served during the 15–20 minute wait. Once dry, the finished fabric is combined with a wooden pendant top and chain. Groups are kept small, and all ages are welcome.
🧵 Okinawan Craft | Book spot →
Visiting Japan in February? Peatix connects you to traditional craft workshops, community photo walks, digital art exhibitions, and cosplay festivals that locals and visitors attend. February’s final week reflects the depth of Japanese craft culture, from kintsugi and bingata to furoshiki and matcha, alongside thriving contemporary art and pop culture events.
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