Tokushima events in December and January
- Events in 2026 start with the Naruto German House Christmas Market on December 5 and 6, featuring free entry.
- Hesokko Lumiere runs until January 10, 2027, and the Awa Jibie Festival continues until January 31.
- The Takegashima night cruise runs December 24 to 27 at ¥3,000 for adults, departing at 18:00 and 19:00.
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This page lists events to visit in Tokushima in December and January in two groups: 7 events with confirmed dates, and 5 illuminations for which only 2025 dates are available. The events with dates set for 2026 include the Christmas market at the Naruto German House on December 5 and 6 (free entry), the Christmas night cruise at Takegashima from December 24 to 27, and Hesokko Lumiere, which runs until January 10, 2027. For 5 illuminations such as Asutamu Land, the 2026 dates are not yet on Awa Navi, so the 2025 periods are given.
In short
- Free to enter: the German House Christmas market (December 5 and 6), Hesokko Lumiere, and Yumenarie Jonai Memorial (2025 dates).
- At night: Hesokko Lumiere (17:00 to 23:00) and the Takegashima night cruise (departures at 18:00 and 19:00).
- To combine with the Naruto whirlpools: Whirlpool Yoga (December 5 and January 9, 8:00 in the morning). Uzu-no-Michi is closed from December 14 to 16.
- For eating around: the Awa Jibie Festival (until January 31) and the Tokushima Ramen stamp rally (until December 31).
Checked with official pages on November 3, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours may change.
Read next3 pages, swipe sideways
December 2026 Events in Shikoku: Reoma, Mannou Park and 8 More, with Dates and PricesPlay
4 Ways to See the Naruto Whirlpools: Sightseeing Boats at ¥2,000 and Uzu-no-Michi at ¥510, with Prices and Times (2026)Play
One Day in Iya and Oboke by Car: Boat ¥1,800, Vine Bridge ¥550 and the Winter ClosuresPlay
1. The 7 events with 2026 dates (in date order)
The events are in order of start date. Tap a name to jump to its section.
| Event | Dates | Place | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokushima Ramen stamp rally | Until Dec 31 | Certified shops in the prefecture | Price of the ramen |
| Hesokko Lumiere | Until Jan 10, 2027 | Ikeda, Miyoshi | — |
| Awa Jibie Festival | Nov 15 to Jan 31 | Participating shops in the prefecture | Price of the menu |
| Otsuka Museum of Art puzzle event | Nov 21 to Mar 31 | Naruto | Museum admission only |
| German House Christmas market | Dec 5 and 6 | Naruto | Free entry |
| Whirlpool Yoga | Dec 5 and Jan 9 | Uzu-no-Michi, Naruto | Free to join, admission ¥510 |
| Christmas night cruise | Dec 24 to 27 | Kaiyo | Adults ¥3,000 |
Sources: the Tokushima Prefecture tourism information site Awa Navi event page and each organizer’s page (checked on November 3, 2026). A “—” in the table means Awa Navi gives no price.
Tokushima Ramen Certified Shops Digital Stamp Rally
From August 1 to December 31, you eat ramen at a certified shop, scan the QR code in the shop with your smartphone and collect stamps. After you have collected them, a digital prize draw gives a chance to win VISA gift cards worth ¥300,000 in total. It is organized by the Tokushima Prefecture Ramen Industry Cooperative.
| Name | Tokushima Ramen Certified Shops Digital Stamp Rally |
|---|---|
| Address | Certified shops in Tokushima Prefecture |
| Hours / Closed | August 1 – December 31 |
| Phone | 090-8694-6244 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Hesokko Lumiere Yume-akari Illumination
Around Ikeda Hesokko Park in Ikeda, Miyoshi, the lights are on from October 10 to January 10, 2027, from 17:00 to 23:00. It is a 1-minute walk from JR Awa-Ikeda Station and 5 minutes by car from Ikawa-Ikeda IC on the Tokushima Expressway.
| Name | Hesokko Lumiere Yume-akari Illumination |
|---|---|
| Address | Around Ikeda Hesokko Park, Ikeda-cho, Miyoshi City, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | Until January 10, 2027, 17:00–23:00 |
| Phone | 0883-72-0143 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Awa Jibie Festival
This is a prefectural campaign in which you try Tokushima’s game meat, “Awa jibie”, made from deer and wild boar, on the menus of participating shops. It runs from November 15 to January 31, and the participating shops are listed on the Awa Jibie Festival website.
| Name | Awa Jibie Festival |
|---|---|
| Address | Participating shops in Tokushima Prefecture |
| Hours / Closed | November 15 – January 31, 2027 |
| Phone | 088-621-2378 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Otsuka Museum of Art puzzle event “Case Files in Blue”
From November 21 to March 31, 2027, this is a puzzle-solving event you play as you walk through the museum. It is free to take part, but you need to pay the admission. The museum is closed on Mondays in December and from January 12 to 22 (Otsuka Museum of Art admission and closing days (Japanese)).
| Name | Otsuka Museum of Art (puzzle event "Case Files in Blue") |
|---|---|
| Address | 65-1 Fukuike, Tosadomari-ura, Naruto-cho, Naruto City, Tokushima (inside Naruto Park) |
| Hours / Closed | November 21 – March 31, 2027. Museum: 9:30–17:00 (closed Mondays in December, January 12–22) |
| Phone | 088-687-3737 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Naruto German House Christmas Market
The market sells stollen, mulled wine and Christmas goods, and is held on Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6, from 10:00 to 16:00. Entry is free, and the car park is free with 100 spaces. There are mini live shows on the stage in the hall, and a children’s train runs in the square in front of the building. It is about a 20-minute walk from JR Bando Station and about 10 minutes by car from Itano IC.
| Name | Naruto German House (Christmas Market) |
|---|---|
| Address | 55-2 Higashiyamada, Hinoki, Oasa-cho, Naruto City, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | December 5 and 6, 10:00–16:00 |
| Phone | 088-689-0009 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Whirlpool Yoga (Uzu-no-Michi, Onaruto Bridge walkway)
This is yoga on a glass-floored walkway above the Naruto Strait, on Saturday, December 5 and Saturday, January 9, 2027, from 8:00 to 8:45. Taking part in Whirlpool Yoga is free, but the Uzu-no-Michi admission of ¥510 for adults applies. Uzu-no-Michi is closed from Monday, December 14 to Wednesday, December 16.
| Name | Uzu-no-Michi, Onaruto Bridge walkway (Whirlpool Yoga) |
|---|---|
| Address | 65 Fukuike, Tosadomari-ura, Naruto-cho, Naruto City, Tokushima (inside Naruto Park) |
| Hours / Closed | December 5 and January 9, 2027, 8:00–8:45 |
| Phone | 088-684-1157 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Christmas Night Cruise (Takegashima)
From December 24 to 27, at Takegashima Marine Park in Kaiyo, you see lit-up coral at night from the viewing room in the bottom of the boat Blue Marine. The first sailing meets at 17:30 and departs at 18:00, and the second meets at 18:30 and departs at 19:00. It costs ¥3,000 for adults and ¥1,500 for elementary school children, and preschoolers are free. The meeting place is the Marine Jam marine nature museum.
| Name | Marine Jam marine nature museum (Christmas Night Cruise) |
|---|---|
| Address | 28-45 Takegashima, Shishikui-ura, Shishikui, Kaiyo-cho, Kaifu-gun, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | December 24–27: 1st sailing departs 18:00, 2nd sailing departs 19:00 |
| Phone | 0884-76-3100 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
2. The 5 illuminations with 2025 results
For the next 5 events, the 2026 dates are not yet on Awa Navi. The periods and times given are those of 2025, and the 2026 dates may not be the same.
| Illumination | 2025 period | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asutamu Land Happy Xmas | Nov 29 to Dec 28 | Itano | 9:30 to 21:00 |
| Ishii Winter Illumination | Nov 30 to Jan 3 | Ishii | 17:00 to 22:00 |
| Yumenarie Jonai Memorial | Dec 1 to Jan 15 | Tokushima City | 17:00 to 22:00 |
| Kenchopia light-up | Dec 7 to Dec 25 | Tokushima City | Sunset to late night |
| Matsushigate light-up | Dec 19 to Dec 25 | Matsushige | 17:30 to 20:00 |
Asutamu Land Tokushima: Happy Xmas
In 2025, from November 29 to December 28, the park was open with a 420,000-bulb illumination, with hours extended to 9 p.m. The Children’s Science Museum was also open in the evening. Parking is free, and the first car park holds 1,072 standard cars.
| Name | Asutamu Land Tokushima (Happy Xmas 2025) |
|---|---|
| Address | 45-22 Kibigatani, Nato, Itano-cho, Itano-gun, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | 2025 record: November 29 – December 28, 9:30–21:00 |
| Phone | 088-672-7111 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
Ishii Winter Illumination
In 2025, from November 30 to January 3, 300,000 LEDs decorated the area around OK Ishii Park (Iogawa Park).
| Name | Ishii Winter Illumination (2025) |
|---|---|
| Address | OK Ishii Park (Iogawa Park), Ishii-cho, Myozai-gun, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | 2025 record: November 30 – January 3, 2026, 17:00–22:00 |
| Phone | 088-674-1292 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
Yumenarie Jonai Memorial
In 2025, from December 1 to January 15, about 50,000 LEDs decorated the area in front of Tokugin Tomo Arena (Tokushima City Gymnasium), and the lights stayed on until 24:00 on December 24 and 25. It is about a 5-minute walk from JR Tokushima Station, and the car park holds 116 standard cars.
| Name | Yumenarie Jonai Memorial (2025) |
|---|---|
| Address | 6 Jonai, Tokushima-cho, Tokushima City, Tokushima (in front of Tokugin Tomo Arena) |
| Hours / Closed | 2025 record: December 1 – January 15, 2026, 17:00–22:00 (until 24:00 on December 24 and 25) |
| Phone | 088-654-5188 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
Kenchopia light-up
This is an event in which illuminations decorate the yachts moored at the yacht harbor in front of the Tokushima Prefectural Office. In 2025, the lights were on from December 7 to 25, from sunset to late at night.
| Name | Kenchopia light-up (2025) |
|---|---|
| Address | Kenchopia in front of the Tokushima Prefectural Office, Tokushima City, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | 2025 record: December 7 – December 25, sunset to late at night |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
Matsushigate light-up
In 2025, from December 19 to 25, LEDs lit the large roof of Matsushigate in Matsushige Town, and projection mapping was shown on the lawn square.
| Name | Matsushigate light-up (2025) |
|---|---|
| Address | Matsushigate, Matsushige-cho, Itano-gun, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | 2025 record: December 19 – December 25, 17:30–20:00 |
| Phone | 088-699-5030 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
3. Things to know when choosing winter events in Tokushima
- The events are scattered across the prefecture: Hesokko Lumiere is in Miyoshi (west), the German House and Uzu-no-Michi are in Naruto, Asutamu Land is in Itano, and the night cruise is in Kaiyo, about 120 minutes by car from Tokushima City.
- On December 5, the Christmas market at the German House and Whirlpool Yoga fall on the same day in the same city, Naruto.
- Over the New Year, the closures of facilities overlap: Asutamu Land’s period ends on December 28, and the Awa Odori Hall is closed from December 28 to January 1.
For places to go on rainy days, see 12 rainy-day and winter indoor spots in Tokushima (Japanese).
Sources
14 pages we checked
- Awa Navi: Hesokko Lumiere Yume-akari Illumination
- Awa Navi: German House Christmas Market 2026
- Awa Navi: Whirlpool Yoga (Uzu-no-Michi, Onaruto Bridge walkway)
- Awa Navi: Christmas Night Cruise
- Awa Navi: Awa Jibie Festival
- Awa Navi: Tokushima Ramen Certified Shops Digital Stamp Rally
- Otsuka Museum of Art: puzzle event Case Files in Blue
- Uzu-no-Michi: closing notice
- Awa Navi: Asutamu Land Happy Xmas 2025
- Awa Navi: Ishii Winter Illumination
- Awa Navi: Yumenarie Jonai Memorial
- Awa Navi: Kenchopia light-up
- Awa Navi: Matsushigate light-up
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on November 3, 2026 (Japan time).
