Events for the November 21–23 holiday weekend
- Free events include Arita, Okawachiyama, the Yamaga Distillery festival, and the Fukuoka City Science Museum exhibition.
- Applications for the Mikawachi kiln tour (¥3,000) close at 10:00 on November 19.
- Chidoribashi JCT on the Fukuoka Urban Expressway is closed all day from 0:00 on November 21 to 24:00 on November 30.
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This page lists events and autumn leaf spots you can visit in Fukuoka and Kyushu over the three-day weekend, Saturday, November 21 to Monday, November 23 (a national holiday), in date order. There are 15 items, from one-day events such as a pottery fair and a distillery festival to autumn leaves that last for weeks. Where there is a longer article, the name in the table links to it. Those articles are in Japanese.
In short
- Free to enter: Arita, Okawachiyama, the Yamaga Distillery festival, and the Fukuoka City Science Museum exhibition.
- Tickets needed: Hakataza, the Uchimura Cultural Festival at Canal City Craftia Theater, paid seats at Kokura Keirin, and Grand Sumo Kyushu Basho (sold out).
- Autumn leaves: Mifuneyama Rakuen is the one with night lighting (¥900 for day and night). Kunenan opens November 14–29, and Nomiyama Kannonji’s festival ends on the 23rd.
- Part of the Fukuoka Urban Expressway loop is closed from November 21 to 30.
Checked with official pages on October 26, 2026 (Japan time). Events can change.
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1. 12 events for the holiday weekend (dates, places, prices)
The free events are Arita, Okawachiyama, the Yamaga Distillery Festival and the Fukuoka City Science Museum exhibition. You need a ticket for Hakataza, the Uchimura Cultural Festival at Canal City Craftia Theater, the paid seats at Kokura Keirin, and Grand Sumo Kyushu Basho (sold out).
| Event | Dates | Place | Price and booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Arita Ceramics Fair (Japanese) | Nov 19–23 | Arita Town, Saga | Temporary car parks and free shuttle bus are free. Wood-fired kilns open Nov 20–22 |
| Mikawachi Pottery Fair and Nabeshima Clan Kiln Autumn Festival (Japanese) | Mikawachi Nov 20–23, Okawachiyama Nov 20–24 | Sasebo, Nagasaki and Imari, Saga | Okawachiyama: free entry, parking ¥1,000 per car. Mikawachi kiln tour ¥3,000 (apply by Nov 19, 10:00) |
| Taketa Chikuraku bamboo lights (Japanese) | Nov 20–22 (16:00–21:30, to 21:00 on the 22nd) | Taketa City, Oita | Shuttle bus between the dedicated car park and JR Bungo-Taketa Station: ¥500 for high school and older, ¥200 for elementary and junior high |
| Kitakyushu Grand Market (Japanese) | Nov 20–23 | Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu | 10:00–16:00 (Katsuyama Park to the Murasaki River area) |
| Yamaga Distillery Festival (Japanese) | Nov 21, 10:00–15:00 | Yamaga City, Kumamoto | Free entry. Shuttle bus by advance reservation per one-way trip (¥200–¥600) |
| Uchimura Cultural Festival ’26 (Japanese) | Nov 21 and 22 (3 shows) | Canal City Craftia Theater, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka | All seats reserved, ¥9,500 (tax included) |
| Tamana Great Rice Bale Festival (Japanese) | Nov 23, 7:00 to about 17:30 | Around Tamana City Hall, Kumamoto | Entry fee only for teams in the bale-rolling contest (large bale ¥2,000, small bale ¥1,000) |
| Hakataza “SPY x FAMILY” (Japanese) | Until Nov 22 | Hakataza, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka | Weekends: A seat ¥17,000, B seat ¥12,000, C seat ¥6,000 (tax included) |
| Grand Sumo Kyushu Basho (Japanese) | Until Nov 22 (final day) | Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka | Tickets sold out. Look for official resale at face value through the Japan Sumo Association |
| Kokura Keirin Keirin Festival (Japanese) | Nov 18–23 | Kitakyushu Media Dome, Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu | Paid seats per day: reserved seat ¥2,000 to Super Royal seat ¥5,000 (Super Royal box seat: ¥20,000 for one group of up to 4) |
| Fukuoka City Science Museum “neo Jomon” (Japanese) | Until Nov 23, 9:30–18:00 | Rokuhonmatsu, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka | Free (5th-floor Open Lab) |
| Fukuoka Expressway, Chidoribashi JCT (Japanese) | Nov 21, 0:00 to Nov 30, 24:00 | Fukuoka Urban Expressway loop (inner), Fukuoka City | Closed all day. Transfer service and detour information available |
2. 3 autumn leaf spots open over the holiday weekend (dates, entry fees)
Of the 3 autumn leaf spots, only Mifuneyama Rakuen has night lighting, at ¥900 for day and night combined. Kunenan’s autumn opening is 16 days from November 14 to 29, and Nomiyama Kannonji’s autumn leaves festival ends on the 23rd.
| Spot | Dates | Entry (adult) | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mifuneyama Rakuen, Takeo (Japanese) | Nov 6–Dec 6 | Day or night ¥600, day and night ¥900 | Day 8:00–17:30, night 17:30–22:00 |
| Kunenan, Kanzaki (Japanese) | Nov 14–29 | ¥1,000 (high school and older) | 8:00–16:00 (last entry) |
| Nomiyama Kannonji, Sasaguri (Japanese) | Oct 28–Nov 23 | Special viewing ¥500 (free for junior high and younger) | 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:00) |
3. Arita, Okawachiyama, Mifuneyama Rakuen and Kunenan are all in Saga
The Autumn Arita Ceramics Fair (Nov 19–23), the Nabeshima Clan Kiln Autumn Festival (Nov 20–24), Mifuneyama Rakuen and Kunenan are all in Saga Prefecture. Many people move by car from Arita to Okawachiyama, and Mifuneyama Rakuen is open until 22:00, so you could combine a pottery fair by day with autumn leaves at night. For an overnight stay, you can compare inns in Saga on Rakuten Travel: find inns in Saga on Rakuten Travel (ad, Japanese site).
In Arita, a free shuttle bus runs from Arita Ekimae-dori (in front of the Arita Town Lifelong Learning Center). The official page recommends parking in a temporary car park and walking around from there. Times are on the Arita Tourist Association page for the Autumn Arita Ceramics Fair (Japanese).
4. Part of the Fukuoka Urban Expressway is closed from the 21st to the 30th
The Fukuoka Urban Expressway loop (inner), Chidoribashi JCT (from the Dazaifu direction toward Kashii), is closed all day from 0:00 on November 21 to 24:00 on November 30. It starts on the first day of the holiday weekend, so allow extra time if you drive into Hakata or Tenjin. The closed direction and the detours are in our article on the Fukuoka Expressway closure (Japanese).
5. Choosing by place and purpose
To spend little, Arita (free temporary car parks and shuttle bus) or Okawachiyama (free entry, ¥1,000 parking) suit you.
The one-day events are the Yamaga Distillery Festival on the 21st and the Tamana Great Rice Bale Festival on the 23rd. Both are in Kumamoto Prefecture, and the Yamaga Distillery has no parking at the site, so you go by shuttle bus.
Grand Sumo Kyushu Basho tickets are sold out. Look for official resale at face value through the Japan Sumo Association.
For all of Kyushu’s November events, see 59 November events in Fukuoka and Kyushu (Japanese). For bamboo lantern events, see Taketa Chikuraku (Japanese), and for pottery fairs, see Mikawachi Pottery Fair and Nabeshima Clan Kiln Autumn Festival (Japanese).
Official information checked on October 26, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours for each event were checked on the official pages on the date given in each article, and can change.
Sources
- Arita Tourist Association page for the Autumn Arita Ceramics Fair (Japanese)
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on October 26, 2026 (Japan time).
