Japan Winter Illuminations 2026–27: Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and Sapporo from Christmas to Lunar New Year, with a Luggage Plan
Japan's winter illuminations last well beyond Christmas: Osaka's Midosuji Illumination runs from November 3 to December 31, 2026, the Ekimae-dori site of the Sapporo White Illumination stays lit until February 11, 2027, and the Kobe Luminarie runs from January 29 to February 7, 2027, overlapping the Lunar New Year holidays. The hardest part of a winter trip across Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo is hauling heavy bags between hotels, so send them ahead to the next hotel each time you change city and go out with just a day bag.
Key takeaways
- Midosuji Illumination 2026: November 3 to December 31, lit from about 17:00 to 01:00; the main OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance event in Nakanoshima runs December 11–25 (Osaka Prefecture).
- Sapporo White Illumination 2026–27 runs November 20 to March 14 overall, with end dates varying by site: Odori site November 20 to December 25, Ekimae-dori site November 20 to February 11, Minami 1-jo and other sites until March 14 (Hokkaido Tourism Organization).
- 32nd Kobe Luminarie: January 29 to February 7, 2027, with a paid section at the Meriken Park site (City of Kobe).
- Tokyo's Marunouchi Illumination runs November 12 to December 25, 2026, so it is over by Lunar New Year; check the official site before you go.
- Winter bags are heavy: LuggAgent's same-day hotel-to-hotel delivery lets you change city with just a carry-on. LuggAgent operates as normal over the New Year period and Lunar New Year; bookable dates and time slots are shown on the booking page.
Japan winter illuminations 2026–27: dates at a glance
The table lists the illuminations in this guide, with dates from the organisers or local governments.
| City | Illumination | 2026–27 dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Marunouchi Illumination (Marunouchi Naka-dori) | Nov 12 – Dec 25, 2026 | Announced |
| Osaka | Midosuji Illumination | Nov 3 – Dec 31, 2026 | Announced |
| Osaka | OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance (Nakanoshima) | Dec 11 – Dec 25, 2026 | Announced |
| Kobe | 32nd Kobe Luminarie | Jan 29 – Feb 7, 2027 | Announced |
| Sapporo | White Illumination (festival overall) | Nov 20, 2026 – Mar 14, 2027 | Announced |
| Sapporo | White Illumination, Odori site | Nov 20 – Dec 25, 2026 | Announced |
| Sapporo | White Illumination, Ekimae-dori site | Nov 20, 2026 – Feb 11, 2027 | Announced |
| Sapporo | White Illumination, Minami 1-jo, Kita 3-jo Plaza and others | Nov 20, 2026 – Mar 14, 2027 | Announced |
Osaka dates come from the Osaka Prefecture press release, Kobe from the City of Kobe announcement and Sapporo from the Hokkaido Tourism Organization. Lighting hours change from year to year, so check the official sites again before you go.
Which Japan illuminations can you still see after Christmas?
Plenty. After December 25, Osaka's Midosuji Illumination stays on until December 31; from January, Sapporo's Ekimae-dori and Minami 1-jo sites are still lit, and late January adds the Kobe Luminarie and early February the Sapporo Snow Festival.
| When you travel | What you can see | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Early December to Dec 25 | Almost everything: Marunouchi, Midosuji, Nakanoshima, Sapporo Odori | Christmas holidays, year-end leave |
| Dec 26–31 | Midosuji, Sapporo Ekimae-dori | Travelling around New Year |
| January | Sapporo Ekimae-dori and Minami 1-jo | Australian summer holidays, avoiding Christmas crowds |
| Jan 29 – Feb 11 | Kobe Luminarie (to Feb 7), Sapporo Ekimae-dori (to Feb 11), Sapporo Snow Festival (Feb 4–11) | Lunar New Year holidays |
Lunar New Year 2027 falls on February 6. Taiwan's holiday runs February 4–10, Hong Kong's and Korea's February 6–9, so flights and hotels in Japan, especially in Sapporo, are harder to book than usual that week.
Tokyo: how to see the Marunouchi Illumination
The Marunouchi Illumination lines Marunouchi Naka-dori, the tree-lined street a few minutes' walk from the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station, with the trees wrapped in champagne-gold lights. In 2025–26 it ran from November 13 to February 15, lit 16:00–23:00 (until midnight in December), and was free (GO TOKYO).
The Marunouchi Illumination runs November 12 to December 25, 2026, shorter than last season, so it is over after Christmas. You can catch it around Christmas but not at Lunar New Year; check the Marunouchi official site before you go.
Winter lights on Marunouchi Naka-dori. Photo: Wpcpey / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0
Osaka and Kobe: Midosuji Illumination and the Kobe Luminarie
Osaka's winter lights are concentrated from November to the end of December, while the Kobe Luminarie runs from late January into February, so the two don't overlap. Kobe is under 30 minutes from Osaka by train, so you can see it on an evening trip from an Osaka hotel.
Midosuji Illumination and OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance
The overall "Festival of the Lights in Osaka 2026" runs from November 3, 2026 to January 31, 2027, but only some area programmes continue after January 1. The core Midosuji Illumination runs from the Hanshin-mae crossing to the Namba-nishiguchi crossing, November 3 to December 31, lit from about 17:00 to 01:00. OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance in Nakanoshima runs December 11–25, and the street illuminations around it stay on from November 3 to December 31 (Osaka Prefecture press release).
The illuminated avenue in Nakanoshima, Osaka. Photo: Mc681 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Kobe Luminarie (January 29 – February 7)
The 32nd Kobe Luminarie runs for 10 days, January 29 to February 7, 2027, at Meriken Park, Higashi-Yuenchi Park and the former Foreign Settlement. Part of the Meriken Park site is a paid area with advance tickets; the artwork and lighting hours are announced separately (City of Kobe). Weekends and the Lunar New Year holidays are the busiest; weekday evenings are easier.
A light arch at the 30th Kobe Luminarie. Photo: Yoyogimura / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Sapporo: White Illumination and the Snow Festival
The Sapporo White Illumination 2026–27 runs from November 20 to March 14 overall, and each site ends on a different date; for other sites such as around Susukino, check the official announcement. The Odori site closes on December 25, but the Ekimae-dori site stays lit until February 11, and Minami 1-jo, Kita 3-jo Plaza (Akapla) and the Sapporo Station South Exit plaza until March 14; Nakajima Park is a new site planned for early to late January (Hokkaido Tourism Organization, Sapporo Tourism Association).
The 77th Sapporo Snow Festival runs February 4–11, 2027, at the Odori, Susukino and Tsudome sites (Sapporo Snow Festival). On a Lunar New Year trip you can see the snow sculptures and the Ekimae-dori lights in the same evening. Sapporo hotels fill up fast during the festival, so book early.
Sapporo White Illumination. Photo: Sorah Fukumori / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
Christmas or Lunar New Year: two three-city routes
Illuminations happen at night, so the lighter your travel days, the more energy you have for the evenings. In both sample routes below, your bags go ahead on every transfer day and you travel with a day bag.
| Trip | Sample dates | Route | Where the bags go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas (8 nights) | Mid to late December | Fly into Haneda → Tokyo 3 nights → Osaka 3 nights → Sapporo 2 nights → fly out of New Chitose | Haneda → Tokyo hotel, Tokyo → Osaka, Osaka → Sapporo, Sapporo → New Chitose |
| Lunar New Year (8 nights) | Around Feb 2–10 | Fly into Kansai → Osaka 3 nights (evening trip to Kobe) → Sapporo 3 nights → Tokyo 2 nights → fly out of Haneda | Kansai → Osaka hotel, Osaka → Sapporo, Sapporo → Tokyo, Tokyo → Haneda |
Osaka to Sapporo and Sapporo to Tokyo are domestic flights: board with just a carry-on and let LuggAgent take your big suitcases to the next hotel. From New Chitose Airport into Sapporo, the JR Rapid Airport train takes about 33–43 minutes; see Tokyo or Osaka to Sapporo and Otaru with luggage for details.
Changing hotels in winter: what to do with your luggage
Winter luggage is heavier than summer luggage: down jackets, snow boots and hand warmers, plus Christmas shopping and souvenirs, often add up to two big suitcases per person. Dragging them onto the Shinkansen, through a domestic check-in queue or along a snowy Sapporo pavement is exhausting, and large coin lockers are few.
LuggAgent delivers hotel to hotel and airport to hotel the same day. When booking, choose a pickup time between 09:00 and 11:00, leave your bags at the front desk before then and send a photo to customer support, with no need to wait for the driver. Same-day delivery arrives by 21:00, or by 18:00 with priority delivery, and bags are photographed at pickup and delivery. Long-distance routes such as Tokyo → Osaka and Osaka → Sapporo take longer, and the available times are shown on the booking page. LuggAgent operates as normal over the Japanese New Year period (December 29 to January 3) and Lunar New Year; bookable dates and time slots are shown on the booking page.
On the Christmas route, land at Haneda, hand over your bags at the airport and head straight to Marunouchi:
Moving from Tokyo to Osaka, your bags go from one hotel to the next:
Flying from Osaka to Sapporo, you don't have to check in your big suitcases:
On the day you leave Sapporo on an international flight, your bags go from the hotel to New Chitose Airport (international terminal); we recommend choosing a delivery time at least 2 hours before your flight departs:
On the Lunar New Year route, land at Kansai Airport and send your bags to your Osaka hotel:
Prefer to stay in Kobe for the Luminarie? Moving from Osaka works the same way:
Areas and time slots for each city are on the Sapporo, Osaka and Tokyo luggage delivery pages.
Meeting LuggAgent at Haneda, Kansai or New Chitose Airport
There is no LuggAgent counter at the airport. After baggage claim, go to the meeting point in your confirmation email, where an agent holds a LuggAgent sign; if you can't find them, message customer service on LINE or WhatsApp straight away.
| Airport | Meeting point (as published on the site; your confirmation shows the exact point) |
|---|---|
| Haneda (shared by Terminals 1, 2 and 3) | Terminal 3, 1F departures, outer private-car drop-off lane after leaving through Exit D |
| Narita Terminal 1 | 4F departures, car drop-off point S1 |
| Narita Terminals 2 and 3 | Terminal 2, 3F departures, drop-off lane opposite the Central Exit |
| Kansai (shared by Terminals 1 and 2) | Terminal 1, 4F international departures, outer general drop-off lane opposite Exit A |
| New Chitose (international) | International terminal, 2F arrivals hall, near the Lawson convenience store |
- Arriving: we recommend choosing a pickup time about 1 hour after your flight lands, so you have time for immigration and baggage claim. Airport handovers run 09:00–18:00.
- Running late: you get 30 minutes of free waiting from the booked time, then a waiting fee applies; flight delays of up to 1 hour are adjusted to your actual arrival.
- Departing: we recommend choosing a delivery time at least 2 hours before your flight departs; delivery between 15:00 and 21:00 has no time surcharge.
Airport details: Haneda, Narita, Kansai, New Chitose.
How to use LuggAgent (3 steps)
- Book your route: choose the airport or hotels, the date and the number of bags. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance; the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page. If you're picked up at an Airbnb or homestay, meet the driver in person at the pickup time you chose (09:00–11:00) with your bags; if your bags are delivered to one (you don't need to be there), send the full address and entry information (door code, key box or building access) by 13:00 local time on the service day.
- Hand over your bags: at the airport, to the agent at the meeting point in your confirmation (09:00–18:00); at a hotel, leave them at the front desk before your pickup time and send a photo to customer support. Every bag is photographed.
- Go see the lights hands-free: travel light by day and collect your bags at the hotel front desk in the evening. Each bag can be up to 180 cm and 32 kg; see the luggage rules, and if it's your first time, the step-by-step guide.
Practical tips for illumination nights in winter
Most illuminations are outdoors, evenings are cold, and Sapporo's pavements freeze. A few tips make the nights easier:
- Wear grippy shoes in Sapporo: icy pavements are common, so soles need non-slip tread; suitcase wheels barely move in snow.
- Avoid the busiest nights: Christmas Eve, weekends and Lunar New Year evenings are the most crowded; go early on a weekday for photos.
- Mind the Japanese New Year: from December 29 to January 3 many shops and sights close and transport and hotels are full, so check opening days first.
- Hokkaido flights and weather: heavy snow can delay or cancel domestic flights, so leave slack around travel days and watch airline and airport notices.
FAQ
When do the Christmas illuminations start in Japan?
Most switch on in mid to late November: in 2026 the Midosuji Illumination starts on November 3, the Sapporo White Illumination on November 20 (March 14 overall), and Tokyo's Marunouchi Illumination starts on November 12. Christmas sites such as Odori, Nakanoshima and Marunouchi close around December 25, but Midosuji stays lit until December 31 and Sapporo's Ekimae-dori until February 11, 2027.
Can I still see illuminations in Japan at Lunar New Year?
Yes. Around Lunar New Year 2027, the Kobe Luminarie runs January 29 to February 7, Sapporo's Ekimae-dori lights stay on until February 11, and the Sapporo Snow Festival runs February 4–11. Tokyo's Marunouchi Illumination ends on December 25 this season, so it won't be lit at Lunar New Year.
Do you need a ticket for the Kobe Luminarie 2027?
Most of the event is free, but the City of Kobe says part of the Meriken Park site is a paid area, with advance tickets available. Prices and lighting hours can change, so check the latest notice from the City of Kobe or the Luminarie official site before you go.
Can I send my luggage ahead between Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo?
Yes. LuggAgent delivers hotel to hotel and airport to hotel: choose a 09:00–11:00 pickup time when booking, leave your bags at the front desk before then and send a photo to customer support, and same-day delivery arrives by 21:00. Long-distance routes such as Tokyo → Osaka and Osaka → Sapporo take longer, with available times shown on the booking page; most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance.
Can I send luggage over the Japanese New Year or Lunar New Year?
Yes. The Japanese New Year period runs from December 29 to January 3, and LuggAgent operates as normal then and over Lunar New Year; bookable dates and time slots are shown on the booking page. Transport and hotels are especially busy on those days, so book hotels and luggage delivery early.
Cover photo: Yoyogimura / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
This article offers general travel tips for reference only. For actual services and conditions, please rely on the booking page and the latest official announcements.
Travelling light starts here.
Send your bags at the airport, your hotel or your homestay — we deliver them to your next destination.