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Home / Festivals / November

Festivals in November

37 festivals in this month

November brings peak autumn colors to central and southern Japan, creating breathtaking settings for momijigari (leaf viewing) festivals. The Shichi-Go-San ceremony celebrates children aged 3, 5, and 7. Early winter illumination events begin, and the Tori no Ichi fair in Tokyo's Asakusa features lucky rake decorations for the coming year.

Top picks this month

Tori no Ichi

The best late-autumn Tokyo market anchor if you want lucky-rake stalls, shrine energy, and an easy evening plan.

Shichi-Go-San

A cultural November window for shrine visits, family kimono scenes, and daytime planning without heavy parade logistics.

Enoshima Illumination

A practical Tokyo-area bridge from autumn leaves into winter lights, especially for Yokohama or Kamakura side trips.

How to use this month

  • November works best as a late-autumn base trip: choose Tokyo / Yokohama, Kyoto, or Kansai, then add one evening light event after foliage viewing.
  • For family or culture-first travelers, Shichi-Go-San and Tori no Ichi are easier than distant rural festivals because timing, transport, and weather risk are simpler.

Related guides

Autumn festivals guide

Compare November against the stronger September and October anchors before choosing a late-autumn route.

Hana Matsuri (Toei) - Performing Arts
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Hana Matsuri (Toei)

Performing Arts

Ancient masked dance ritual in Toei, Aichi, designated as Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

ChubuUsually in NovemberLow crowd
Free
No image available

Hita Tenryo Festival

Parade

Costumed processions recall Hita's history as a town under direct shogunate rule.

KyushuDate unconfirmed
No image available

Hofu Tenmangu Hadakabo Festival

Religious

White-clad participants escort portable shrines from Hofu Tenmangu to its ceremonial resting place.

ChugokuDate unconfirmed
Yokohama & Kamakura guide

Best companion for Enoshima lights, Kamakura foliage, and no-hotel-move day trips from Tokyo.

Winter illuminations guide

Use this when your November trip leans more toward night lights than traditional matsuri.

No image available

Honjo Festival

Matsuri

Floats topped with decorative figures parade along Honjo's historic Nakasendo streets.

KantoDate unconfirmed
Izumo Grand Shrine Kamiari-sai - Religious
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Izumo Grand Shrine Kamiari-sai

Religious

Festival when all 8 million gods gather at Izumo Grand Shrine.

ChugokuUsually in NovemberCrowded
Free
No image available

Kagoshima Ohara Festival

Dance

Mass dance processions to Ohara folk music fill Kagoshima's Tenmonkan district.

KyushuDate unconfirmed
Kobe Beef Festival - Food Festival
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Kobe Beef Festival

Food Festival

Festival celebrating world-famous Kobe beef in Kobe city.

KansaiUsually in NovemberModerate crowd
Meiji Shrine Grand Festival - Religious
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Meiji Shrine Grand Festival

Religious

Annual grand festival at Meiji Shrine with traditional performances.

KantoUsually in NovemberCrowded
Free
No image available

Onomichi Betcha Festival

Matsuri

Three masked deities and a lion lead a shrine procession through Onomichi in prayers for good health.

ChugokuDate unconfirmed
No image available

Saito Ancient Burial Mounds Festival

Matsuri

Torch processions and performances evoke Hyuga mythology at the Saitobaru burial mounds.

KyushuDate unconfirmed
No image available

Sukagawa Taimatsu Akashi

Matsuri

Giant torches burn on Gorozan, lighting up a late-autumn night in Sukagawa.

TohokuDate unconfirmed
No image available

Takachiho Yokagura

Performing Arts

Communities welcome their deities with all-night kagura performances during the autumn and winter season.

KyushuDate unconfirmed
Takao Momiji Matsuri - Religious
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Takao Momiji Matsuri

Religious

Autumn leaf festival at Jingoji Temple in Kyoto with illuminated maple trees.

KansaiUsually in NovemberModerate crowd
Free
No image available

Taketa Chikuraku

Lantern Festival

Bamboo lanterns illuminate Taketa's temples and historic lanes on autumn evenings.

KyushuDate unconfirmed
Tokyo Jidai Matsuri - Parade
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Tokyo Jidai Matsuri

Parade

Historical costume parade through the streets of Asakusa.

KantoUsually in NovemberModerate crowd
Free
Udon County Festival - Food Festival
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Udon County Festival

Food Festival

Udon noodle festival in Kagawa, the self-proclaimed 'Udon Prefecture'.

ShikokuUsually in NovemberModerate crowd
Free
No image available

Yatsushiro Myoken Festival

Matsuri

A shrine procession featuring decorated floats and a turtle-serpent figure celebrates autumn in Yatsushiro.

KyushuCancelled
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