Kanagawa packs an unusual variety into one prefecture: the harbour glamour of Yokohama, the temples and beaches of Kamakura and Shonan, and the mountain onsen of Hakone. Its 2026 event calendar is just as varied — near-monthly fireworks over Yokohama’s port, one of the Kanto region’s three great Tanabata festivals, a feudal-lord procession through Hakone, and horseback archery at Kamakura’s great shrine. This guide gathers the events worth planning a 2026 trip around, with a month-by-month calendar at the end.
A note on dates: Confirmed 2026 dates are given where announced. Firework and festival dates can shift for weather or organiser decisions, and ticketed events sell out — always confirm on the official website before building a day around one.
Fireworks (Hanabi) — 2026 Dates
Yokohama is unusual in launching fireworks over its harbour on many nights through the warmer months, alongside the big set-piece displays elsewhere in the prefecture.
| Fireworks display | 2026 date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yokohama Port monthly fireworks | Jun 13; Jul 4, 7, 18; Aug 9; Sep 5, 20 | Short displays over the harbour on select nights, with the Minato Mirai skyline behind |
| Minato Mirai Smart Festival (music fireworks) | August 24 (Mon), 18:00–20:00 | A large music-synchronised display across the Minato Mirai 21 waterfront |
| Ayase City Fireworks | August 22 (Sat) | ~2,500 shells |
| Shonan Hiratsuka Fireworks | August 28 (Fri) | ~3,000 shells on the Shonan coast |
| Sagamihara Noryo Fireworks | September 5 (Sat) | ~8,000 shells, one of the prefecture’s biggest |
| Enoshima Autumn Fireworks | October 17 (Sat) | Autumn display over Katase Kaigan West Beach, with Enoshima as backdrop |
Tips: For the Minato Mirai Smart Festival, paid seating is the reliable way to secure a harbour view; free spots along the waterfront fill early. The Enoshima autumn display pairs beautifully with a sunset walk on the island.
Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival (湘南ひらつか七夕まつり) — July 3–5, 2026
One of the Kanto region’s three great Tanabata (star festival) celebrations, and famous for the largest character-themed streamer decorations in eastern Japan. The streets around Hiratsuka Station fill with enormous, elaborate bamboo-and-paper decorations — many featuring the year’s popular characters — plus hundreds of food stalls. 2026 dates are July 3–5 (roughly 09:30–20:30, earlier close on the final day). Easily reached from Yokohama or Tokyo on the JR Tokaido Line.
Kamakura Festivals
Kamakura, the medieval samurai capital, centres its festival life on Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine.
Kamakura Matsuri (鎌倉まつり) — mid-April 2026
Held over the second and third Sundays of April at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. The highlight is yabusame — mounted archers in samurai dress galloping down a track loosing arrows at targets — along with the graceful Shizuka-no-mai dance. Confirm exact 2026 dates on the shrine’s site.
Reitaisai & Yabusame (例大祭) — mid-September 2026
The shrine’s most important annual festival (traditionally September 14–16) also features a yabusame ritual, in a more solemn setting than the spring festival.
Hakone Feudal Lord Procession (箱根大名行列) — November 3, 2026
On November 3 (Culture Day) each year, around 170 people in full Edo-period costume re-enact a daimyo gyoretsu — a feudal lord’s formal procession — parading roughly 6km through Hakone-Yumoto to cries of “shitanii, shitanii.” Samurai, princesses, and attendants in historic dress make this one of the Kanto region’s most photogenic autumn events, set against Hakone’s foliage. Reached via the Hakone-Tozan line; combine with an onsen stay.
Pop Culture & Seasonal Events
Yokohama’s character & culture events
Yokohama’s Minato Mirai district hosts a rotating roster of large events through the year — including summer character takeovers (such as the Pokémon “Pikachu Outbreak” style events that have run in the Minato Mirai area), the Yokohama Oktoberfest at Akarenga (Red Brick Warehouse), and seasonal fairs at the Red Brick Warehouse (ice rink in winter, flower and food events in spring). Dates vary year to year — check the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau for what coincides with your trip.
teamLab & museum exhibitions
The prefecture’s museums and the ever-changing exhibitions at the Yokohama Museum of Art and the Sogo/other galleries rotate through 2026 — check current shows for your window.
Cherry Blossom Season (Spring 2026)
Kanagawa’s blossoms peak in late March to early April, a touch after central Tokyo in the hills.
- Odawara Castle — cherry trees framing the reconstructed keep
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu & Dankazura (Kamakura) — the raised cherry-lined approach
- Sankeien Garden (Yokohama) — a classic strolling garden with pagoda and blossoms
- Miharashi / Hakone — later mountain blossom into mid-April
Autumn Leaves (Nov 2026)
Hakone and the western hills lead Kanagawa’s autumn, peaking in mid-to-late November.
- Hakone — the Gora area, Lake Ashi, and the Hakone Museum of Art moss-and-maple garden
- Sankeien Garden (Yokohama) — maples around the historic buildings
- Kamakura temples — Hokokuji and the Engakuji/Kenchoji grounds
Winter Illuminations (2025–2026 season, and again from late 2026)
- Enoshima “Shonan no Hoseki” (Jewel of Shonan) — the Sea Candle lighthouse and Samuel Cocking Garden illumination, one of the Kanto region’s finest, running through the winter
- Yokohama Minato Mirai — waterfront and Red Brick Warehouse displays, plus the Art Rink outdoor skating
- Sagamiko Illumillion (Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest) — a huge theme-park light display
New Year in Kanagawa (Late Dec – Early Jan)
- Hatsumode at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (Kamakura) and Kawasaki Daishi — among Japan’s busiest, with millions of visitors
- First sunrise over Sagami Bay from Shonan and Enoshima
- New Year countdowns along the Yokohama waterfront
Month-by-Month Calendar (2026)
| Month | Key events |
|---|---|
| January | Hatsumode at Kawasaki Daishi & Tsurugaoka Hachimangu; Enoshima winter illumination |
| February | Setsubun at major shrines; plum blossoms at Odawara & Soga |
| March | Cherry blossoms begin late month; spring at Sankeien |
| April | Kamakura Matsuri (mid-April, yabusame); cherry peak |
| May | Fresh-green season; Yokohama port events |
| June | Yokohama Port fireworks (Jun 13); hydrangeas at Meigetsuin & Hakone |
| July | Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Jul 3–5; Yokohama Port fireworks (Jul 4, 7, 18) |
| August | Yokohama Port fireworks (Aug 9); Ayase Aug 22; Minato Mirai Smart Festival Aug 24; Shonan Hiratsuka Fireworks Aug 28 |
| September | Sagamihara Fireworks Sep 5; Yokohama Port fireworks (Sep 5, 20); Tsurugaoka Reitaisai & yabusame |
| October | Enoshima Autumn Fireworks Oct 17; Yokohama Oktoberfest; autumn begins |
| November | Hakone Feudal Lord Procession Nov 3; autumn leaves peak (Hakone, Sankeien) |
| December | Enoshima & Minato Mirai illuminations; year-end markets; New Year’s Eve |
Practical Tips
- Book early for summer fireworks and Hakone in autumn. Yokohama hotels around the Smart Festival (late Aug) and Hakone ryokan around the Nov 3 procession fill months ahead.
- Confirm every date on the official site. Firework and festival dates move for weather; paid seating and ticketed events sell out.
- Combine areas smartly. Yokohama, Kamakura/Shonan, and Hakone are distinct day-trip zones — the Enoshima–Kamakura coast and the Hakone mountains each deserve their own day.
- Summer heat. July–August events are hot and humid; water, a hat, and a fan are essentials, especially at the Tanabata festival and fireworks.
- Trains beat cars. The JR Tokaido, Enoden, and Hakone-Tozan lines connect the sights far more easily than driving on festival days.
