Japan Kominka Rescue · Fundraising calendar
Thirteen months of Japan
The 2027 Calendar
A large wall calendar of Japan through the seasons — from the hot spring towns of Nagano in December to the vermilion bridges of the following winter — with the festivals that mark the year noted on the dates they fall. Every calendar sold supports Japan Kominka Rescue's work saving abandoned farmhouses and putting them back into the hands of the communities that built them.
- Pages
- 14
- Covers
- December 2026 – December 2027
- Size
- 17 × 24.5 in
- Price
- $25
Every page
See it before you buy it.
Every page as it prints — thirteen months of Japan through the seasons, the festivals that mark each one, and a reference map of the country.
Page 1 of 14
December 2026
Yudanaka–Shibu Onsen, Nagano Prefecture
Nestled in the mountains of northern Nagano, the historic hot spring towns of Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen offer a glimpse of traditional Japan. Nearby, the famous snow monkeys of Jigokudani soak in natural hot springs amid the mountain landscape.
Noted this month
- CHICHIBU NIGHT FESTIVAL
- One of Japan’s great float festivals, known for 10-ton illuminated floats, music, winter fireworks, and night atmosphere.
- KASUGA WAKAMIYA ONMATSURI
- A major Nara winter festival dating back to the 12th century, with period costumes and rare traditional performing arts.
- ŌMISOKA / JOYA NO KANE
- Japan’s New Year’s Eve temple-bell tradition, when bells are rung 108 times to close the year and welcome the next.
January 2027
Takabocchi Highland, Nagano Prefecture
From this scenic highland overlook, travelers are rewarded with a breathtaking morning view of snow-covered larch forests stretching toward the distant Kiso Mountains. Crisp alpine air, quiet winter scenery, and sweeping mountain horizons make this a memorable destination for those seeking Japan’s peaceful natural landscapes beyond the city.
Noted this month
- SHŌGATSU / HATSUMŌDE
- Japan’s most important New Year tradition, when families visit shrines and temples for first prayers of the year.
- TŌKA EBISU
- A lively Osaka/Kansai business-prosperity festival centered around Ebisu, the god of good fortune and commerce.
- NOZAWA ONSEN DŌSOJIN FIRE FESTIVAL
- One of Japan’s great fire festivals, known for its dramatic torch battle and winter village atmosphere.
- WAKAKUSA YAMAYAKI
- Nara’s mountain-burning spectacle is held on the fourth Saturday of January.
February 2027
Plum Blossoms Emerging
Delicate pink plum blossoms emerge beneath a blanket of fresh snow, creating one of Japan’s most beautiful seasonal contrasts. Blooming from late winter into early spring, these resilient flowers are among the first signs of the changing season, bringing color and quiet beauty to gardens, parks, and temple grounds across Japan.
Noted this month
- SETSUBUN
- A widely recognized seasonal ritual marking the transition toward spring, with bean-throwing ceremonies at temples and shrines.
- YOKOTE KAMAKURA SNOW FESTIVAL
- A 450-year-old Akita snow festival where glowing kamakura snow huts create one of Japan’s most atmospheric winter scenes.
- SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL
- Japan’s most famous winter event, featuring giant snow and ice sculptures in central Sapporo.
- NAGASAKI LANTERN FESTIVAL
- A major Chinese New Year celebration that fills Nagasaki with lanterns, parades, and performances
March 2027
Cherry Blossoms in March
March brings the first blush of cherry blossom season to Japan, as soft pink blooms begin to frame parks, ponds, and quiet garden paths. Reflected on still water, the blossoms signal spring’s arrival and the start of one of Japan’s most beloved seasonal traditions.
Noted this month
- OMIZUTORI / SHUNI-E
- One of Japan’s oldest Buddhist rituals, held at Tōdai-ji in Nara with dramatic nightly fire ceremonies.
- HINA MATSURI
- The Doll Festival is a beloved cultural observance celebrating girls, families, and seasonal renewal.
April 2027
Cherry Blossoms in April
April is the heart of cherry blossom season across much of Japan, when tree-lined paths bloom into soft pink tunnels of spring. As petals drift onto walkways and gardens glow with fresh green, the fleeting beauty of sakura becomes a beloved symbol of renewal.
Noted this month
- INUYAMA FESTIVAL
- A major float festival with ornate yama floats and karakuri puppets.
- HIROSAKI CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL (LATE APRIL - EARLY MAY)
- One of Japan’s top hanami destinations, famous for castle, moat, and cherry blossom scenery in northern Japan.
- TAKAYAMA SPRING FESTIVAL
- One of Japan’s most beautiful and famous float festivals.
- HANA MATSURI
- A colorful “Flower Festival” honoring the birth of Buddha with flowers and sweet tea.
May 2027
Fresh Green Countryside
May brings a vivid change to Japan’s rural landscapes, as mountain villages fill with new leaves, blooming wildflowers, and freshly planted fields. Beneath clear blue skies, traditional thatched-roof farmhouses offer a peaceful glimpse of country life as spring begins to warm into early summer.
Noted this month
- GOLDEN WEEK
- Japan’s major spring holiday period, spanning Shōwa Day (April 29) And Constitution, Greenery and Children’s Days (May 3–5).
- HAMAMATSU FESTIVAL
- A distinctive kite-battle at the Nakatajima Sand Dunes and night-float festival, held May 3–5 and centered around children’s growth and community celebration.
- SANJA MATSURI
- One of Tokyo’s most energetic shrine festivals, held during the third full weekend in May at Asakusa.
- HAKATA DONTAKU
- A major two-day Fukuoka street festival with parades, dancing, flower- decorated vehicles and 30+ stages attracting over 2 million visitors during Golden Week.
- AOI MATSURI
- One of Kyoto’s three major festivals, known for its elegant Heian-period procession from the Imperial Palace to the Kamo shrines. Constitution Memorial Day Greenery Day Children's Day
June 2027
Early Summer in Hokkaido
June is an ideal time to explore Hokkaido, with mild temperatures, long daylight hours, and countryside landscapes coming alive with early summer color. Travelers can enjoy scenic drives through rolling farmland, visit flower gardens as their seasonal displays begin, and experience the island before the peak summer travel season.
Noted this month
- ATSUTA FESTIVAL
- Nagoya’s major early-summer shrine festival, with rituals, lanterns, and evening atmosphere at Atsuta Jingū.
- CHAGU CHAGU UMAKKO
- A colorful horse procession in Iwate, held on the second Saturday of June.
- OTAUE RICE-PLANTING FESTIVAL
- A traditional Osaka rice- planting ritual at Sumiyoshi Taisha, connecting summer, agriculture, music, and shrine ceremony.
July 2027
Summer Green in the Mountain Villages
July fills Japan’s mountain countryside with deep green forests, bright rice fields, and the quiet rhythm of rural life. Traditional thatched-roof farmhouses sit among terraced gardens and winding paths, offering a peaceful summer view of Japan’s historic village landscapes.
Noted this month
- NACHI FIRE FESTIVAL
- A dramatic Wakayama fire festival featuring blazing portable shrines, is one of Japan’s most notable fire festivals.
- HAKATA GION YAMAKASA
- A major Fukuoka festival famous for racing floats through the city, held annually.
- TANABATA
- The Star Festival is one of Japan’s most recognizable summer customs, with wishes written on paper strips and tied to bamboo.
- TENJIN MATSURI
- Osaka’s great summer festival, known for river processions, boats, fireworks, and Tenmangū shrine traditions.
August 2027
Summer Nights at Lake Suwa
August is the height of Japan’s summer festival season, when warm evenings are celebrated with fireworks lighting up the night sky. Lake Suwa in Nagano is especially famous for its spectacular displays over the water, drawing visitors to the lakeshore for one of the region’s most memorable summer traditions.
Noted this month
- YAMAGATA HANAGASA FESTIVAL NAGAOKA FIREWORKS FESTIVAL
- AOMORI NEBUTA FESTIVAL
- One of Japan’s most famous summer festivals, with enormous illuminated warrior floats and energetic dancers.
- YAMAGATA HANAGASA FESTIVAL
- A colorful parade festival with dancers carrying flower-adorned hats, part of Tōhoku’s summer festival circuit.
- NAGAOKA FIREWORKS FESTIVAL
- One of Japan’s most emotional and spectacular fireworks festivals, held annually Aug. 2–3 along the Shinano River.
- AWA ODORI
- Tokushima’s world-famous dance festival, with over 400 years of history and massive summer crowds.
September 2027
Early Autumn in Shirakawa-GO
September offers a quieter time to explore this historic mountain village, with pleasant days, cooler evenings, and the rice harvest marking the change of seasons. Visitors can wander among centuries-old gassho-zukuri farmhouses and enjoy the rural landscape before autumn’s peak foliage and larger crowds arrive.
Noted this month
- OWARA KAZE NO BON
- A hauntingly beautiful Toyama dance festival known for straw hats, quiet streets, shamisen, and late-summer atmosphere.
- KISHIWADA DANJIRI FESTIVAL
- Osaka’s famous high-speed float-pulling festival, one of Japan’s most intense and visually exciting street festivals.
October 2027
Autumn in Tokyo
October brings cooler, comfortable weather to the city, making it an ideal time for exploring gardens, temples, and historic neighborhoods on foot. As autumn deepens, seasonal colors begin to emerge, offering travelers a quieter preview of the brilliant foliage that peaks later in the season.
Noted this month
- NAGASAKI KUNCHI
- Nagasaki’s major autumn festival, blending Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese influences; held annually Oct. 7–9.
- JIDAI MATSURI
- Kyoto’s Festival of the Ages features a historical procession representing over 1,000 years of Kyoto history.
- TAKAYAMA AUTUMN FESTIVAL
- The autumn counterpart to Takayama’s spring festival, with ornate floats and lantern-lit evening scenes.
- KURAMA FIRE FESTIVAL
- A powerful Kyoto fire festival with giant torches carried through the mountain village of Kurama.
November 2027
Autumn at Lake Kawaguchi
November is one of the most rewarding times to visit the Fuji Five Lakes region, when crisp air and brilliant autumn foliage create spectacular views of Mount Fuji. Travelers can explore lakeside walking paths, enjoy nearby hot springs, and experience the seasonal colors at their peak before winter settles into the region.
Noted this month
- KARATSU KUNCHI
- A major Saga festival with massive hikiyama floats, held every Nov. 2–4 and drawing large crowds.
- SHICHI-GO-SAN
- Traditional celebration for children ages 3, 5, and 7, often marked by shrine visits.
- MOMIJIGARI
- (Autumn Leaf Viewing) — Japan’s beloved tradition of seeking out brilliant red and gold maple leaves, with peak colors often lighting up temples, gardens, mountains, and river valleys throughout November.
December 2027
Winter Bridge
December brings a quiet stillness to Japan, as snow settles over riverside towns, traditional rooftops, and bright vermilion bridges. The season’s crisp air and soft white scenery create a peaceful close to the year, inviting reflection, warmth, and the beauty of winter travel.
Noted this month
- CHICHIBU NIGHT FESTIVAL
- One of Japan’s great float festivals, known for 10-ton illuminated floats, music, winter fireworks, and night atmosphere.
- KASUGA WAKAMIYA ONMATSURI
- A major Nara winter festival dating back to the 12th century, with period costumes and rare traditional performing arts.
- ŌMISOKA / JOYA NO KANE
- Japan’s New Year’s Eve temple-bell tradition, when bells are rung 108 times to close the year and welcome the next.
Japan reference map
Japan
A reference map of Japan, with a numbered legend of airports, castles, shrines, beaches and hot springs.
Festival, event and seasonal dates may vary or change; travellers are encouraged to confirm current schedules and details when planning a visit. — printed on every page of the calendar
Impact
What your calendar supports
The calendar does two jobs at once: it raises funds, and it puts Japan in front of people who might never otherwise hear about a farmhouse in Niigata. Purchases support Japan Kominka Rescue's mission across the areas below.
Traditional building restoration
Saving abandoned farmhouses — kominka — from neglect, deterioration and demolition, and repairing them properly: frame, roof, walls and floors.
Community spaces
Turning repaired buildings back into rooms a village can use: somewhere to gather, meet, eat and work.
Rural revitalization
Supporting a working village in Niigata rather than a preserved façade — the wider aim behind every house the project takes on.
Local food and agriculture
Connecting the buildings to the growers around them, so a restored house joins the local economy instead of sitting beside it.
Cultural preservation
Recording and passing on how these houses were built, and the knowledge held by the people who kept them standing.
Community programming
Planned use of the buildings, including a community centre and a regular dinner for children in the village.
Japan Kominka Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Calendar sales support the mission as a whole; no portion of the price is assigned to a single outcome.
Order
Japan Kominka Rescue
The 2027 Calendar
$25 per calendar
Bring a piece of Japan home while helping build what comes next.
- Sold by Japan Kominka Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
- Questions about an order, or a bulk or festival order? Use the support form — it reaches JKR's admin desk and we reply by email within one business day, Hawaii time.
The object
- Format
- Large wall calendarfrom the print file
- Pages
- 14 — thirteen month pages plus a Japan reference mapfrom the print file
- Months covered
- December 2026 through December 2027from the print file
- Trim size
- 17 × 24.5 in (432 × 622 mm)from the print file
- Week starts
- Sundayfrom the print file
- Collection
- Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant — King Street, Niu Valley and Pearl City, during opening hours
- Shipping
- By state within the US, shown before you pay. Collection is free
- Payment
- Card, through Stripe's secure checkout