Okinawa Events, October 2026 – March 2027, Month by Month
The big festivals, races and light-ups worth planning an Okinawa trip around from October 2026 to March 2027, with dates checked on each organizer's official page and links so you can plan a weekend.
- Dates checked on official pages
- Oct 11, 2026
- Big ones
- Shuri Castle (Nov), NAHA Marathon (Dec 6), cherry blossoms (late Jan)
- "Usually"
- 2027 dates not announced yet
- Best time
- Oct–Mar is warm, dry and almost free of typhoons from December on
It's the afternoon of Sunday, November 1, and Kokusai-dori, Naha's main street, has turned into a royal-court procession for the Shuri Castle Reconstruction Festival. Over the following months the calendar keeps filling. In early November cyclists race through Nago and Yanbaru, in December you can cheer runners through the streets of Naha, and at the end of January you can walk under the early cherry trees of Nago Castle Park.
This guide lists the big festivals, races and light-ups across Okinawa from October 2026 to March 2027, month by month, for visitors and US military families.
- Visitors planning a fall or winter trip
- US military families looking for weekend plans
- Runners and festival fans
- Nov 23The rebuilt Shuri Castle main hall opens to the public
- 30,000Runners the NAHA Marathon has room for on December 6
- 0.3Typhoons that come near Okinawa in an average November (about 1.1 in October)
- 25°C (77°F)Naha's average daily high in November
As of October 2026, official sites and Japan Meteorological Agency
How to read this list
- Only the big ones. We list events worth planning a trip around: ones that draw people from off the island, or that close roads or add extra buses. Small local fairs and markets are left out.
- "Usually …; 2027 dates not announced yet" means the event happens every year at about that time, but the organizer hasn't posted this season's dates. Don't book travel around those until the official page confirms.
-
Each entry links to the organizer's page. Most are in Japanese only; your browser's translate button works well enough for dates and places. Areas follow the usual split of the islands:
-
Naha & the south
- Central: Okinawa City, Chatan, Yomitan and Uruma
- North: Nago and Yanbaru
- Other islands near the main island
- Miyako
- Yaeyama: Ishigaki, Taketomi, Iriomote and Kohama
Three events are big enough for their own guides:
- Shuri Castle Reconstruction Festival and the reopening of the rebuilt main hall
- NAHA Marathon
- Cherry blossom festivals
All season: the Ryukyu Golden Kings, Okinawa's pro basketball team, play home games from October to May. See our Kings guide for the schedule and tickets.
October 2026
- Oct 17 (past)Miyako Island Rock Festival 2026, Miyako. A paid outdoor rock festival by the sea with major Japanese bands, at the Headland special venue in the Tourib area of Miyakojima. Tickets and shuttle buses are on the festival site. MIYAKO ISLAND ROCK FESTIVAL (Japanese)
- Oct 24 – May 23, 2027Okinawa Tropical Illumination, central. The Southeast Botanical Gardens in Okinawa City are lit up at night through winter and spring. Opening night was pushed back one day, from October 23 to October 24, because a typhoon was approaching (as of October 2026, official site). The lights are on 5–10 pm (last entry 9:30 pm), and evening admission is ¥2,500 for adults and ¥900 for children 4–14 (as of October 2026, official site). Some Christmas and New Year dates have a separate, event-day price. Tickets are sold online from the gardens' page. Southeast Botanical Gardens: illumination
- Oct 31Halloween in Mihama, Chatan, central. No single organizer runs Halloween night around American Village. The area's official site has posted a notice of traffic restrictions for October 31 but hasn't listed the roads or hours. Expect heavy traffic. Mihama American Village (news items in Japanese)
As of October 2026, organizers' official sites
Already over: the Naha Great Tug-of-War (Naha Otsunahiki) ran October 10–12, 2026. It's usually held in October; 2027 dates not announced yet.
November 2026
- Oct 31 – Nov 3Shuri Castle Reconstruction Festival, Naha. At Shuri Castle Park and on Kokusai-dori, and nearly everything is free. A royal-court procession along Kokusai-dori on November 1, 12:30–3 pm; a reenactment of the Ryukyu king and queen's appearance at the castle on November 2 at 10, 11 and noon; and a traditional procession through the castle and down Ryutan-dori on November 3, 12:45–4 pm, with roads closed around Shuri that afternoon. Shuri Castle Park page (Japanese) · our full guide
- Nov 7–8Tour de Okinawa 2026, north. A long-running cycling event in Nago and Yanbaru: rides of many lengths on November 7 and international road races on November 8. Entries are closed; if you're driving in the north that weekend, check the race's road-closure page. Tour de Okinawa outline (Japanese)
- Nov 23Rebuilt Shuri Castle main hall (Seiden) opens to the public, Naha. The main hall burned in 2019. The park is closed all day on November 22 for the completion ceremony, and on November 23 it opens late: the free area inside the castle walls from 11:15, the paid area and the main hall from noon. Seeing inside the main hall needs a timed online reservation; the park announced the system on July 31, and tickets for November 23 – December 31 went on sale from September 1. Shuri Castle Park: reservations (Japanese) · closures on Nov 22–23 (Japanese) · our full guide
As of October 2026, organizers' official sites
Also in November, dates not set yet:
- Okinawa International Carnival — Koza, Okinawa City. Usually in November (unconfirmed); we couldn't find a current official page, and the 2026 dates and program have not been announced. Check the Okinawa City official site (Japanese).
- Mihama American Village winter illumination — Chatan. Usually mid-November to mid-February; the 2026 season isn't announced yet. Mihama American Village
December 2026
- Dec 6NAHA Marathon, Naha and southern Okinawa. The 40th edition, with room for up to 30,000 runners. General entry is closed with no waitlist, but the crowds along the course make it a festival day, and road closures affect much of the south. NAHA Marathon (Japanese) · our full guide
- Dec 19–20Grand Sumo Uruma tour, central. December 19 from noon and December 20 from 9 am at Ishikawa Multipurpose Dome, Uruma: a winter touring show by professional sumo wrestlers, and a rare chance to see sumo in Okinawa. Paid tickets; the city says ticket questions go to the event office, not to City Hall. Uruma City page (Japanese)
As of October 2026, organizers' official sites
Also in December, dates not set yet:
- Ryukyu Lantern Festival — Murasaki Mura, Yomitan. Usually December 1 to the end of March (the 2025–26 season ran December 1 – March 31); 2026–27 dates not announced yet. An evening walk among lanterns; paid entry. Murasaki Mura (Japanese, with an English summary)
January 2027
- Jan 1–3New Year at Naminoue Shrine (hatsumode), Naha. The first shrine visit of the year is a big Japanese custom, and Naminoue, on a cliff above a beach, is one of Okinawa's busiest. The shrine lists the New Year rite on the morning of January 1 and another on January 3 at 10 am. Expect long lines. Naminoue Shrine annual rites (Japanese)
- Jan 17Ishigaki Island Marathon, Yaeyama. Start and finish at Ishigaki Central Sports Park; full, half and 10 km. Online entry closes October 31, 2026. Race outline (Japanese)
- Jan 30–31Nago Cherry Blossom Festival, north. A town festival under the early cherry trees at Nago Castle Park and central Nago, with a parade and food stalls. The page also has an entry from the previous year's layout, so recheck the parade details closer to the date. Nago City Tourism Association (Japanese)
As of October 2026, organizers' official sites
Also in January, dates not set yet:
- New Year at Shuri Castle Park — Naha. The park usually holds New Year performances; the 2027 program isn't announced yet. See our Shuri Castle guide.
- Yaese Cherry Blossom Festival — Yaese Park, Yaese, close to Naha. Usually late January to early February (2026: January 29 – February 8); 2027 dates not announced yet. Yaese tourism association page (2026 edition, Japanese)
- Motobu Yaedake and Nakijin Castle cherry festivals — Motobu and Nakijin. Usually late January to early February; 2027 dates not announced yet. See our cherry blossom guide.
- Okinawa International Orchid Show — Ocean Expo Park, Motobu. Usually late January to early February (2026: January 24 – February 1); 2027 dates not announced yet. Orchid show site
- Whale watching off Zamami — Zamami, Kerama Islands. Humpback whales spend the winter here; the Zamami whale-watching association's 2026 season ran January 8 – March 25. 2027 season dates not announced yet. Book with each boat directly. Zamami Whale Watching Association (Japanese)
February 2027
- Feb 21Okinawa Marathon, central. Start and finish at Okinawa Prefectural Sports Park, Okinawa City. Entries are open until December 13, 2026, or until full. Okinawa Marathon outline (Japanese)
As of October 2026, organizers' official sites
Also in February, dates not set yet:
- Pro baseball spring camps — around the main island. Several Japanese pro teams train in Okinawa every February, and fans can watch practice; 2027 camp schedules not announced yet. NPB (Japanese)
March 2027
- Daikin Orchid Ladies golf tournament — Ryukyu Golf Club, Nanjo. A women's pro golf tournament, usually in early March (2026: March 5–8); 2027 dates not announced yet. Tournament outline (Japanese)
Still running in March:
- Whale watching off Zamami
- The Ryukyu Lantern Festival in Yomitan
- The Southeast Botanical Gardens illumination
- Golden Kings home games
Season notes
October to March is Okinawa's mild season. In Naha, the average daily high is about 28°C (82°F) in October, 25°C (77°F) in November and about 20–22°C (68–71°F) from December to February, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals. Typhoons still come near Okinawa in October (about 1.1 a year on average) and occasionally in November (0.3), but almost never from December to March. The box jellyfish advisory runs June 1 – September 30 (2026), so it's over for this season. If you want to swim, pick a managed beach during its swimming season, which each beach sets every year: that's when lifeguards are on duty and jellyfish nets are up. Many beaches have no lifeguards or nets at all, so look at the beach's official page before you swim.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high | 68°20°C | 68°20°C | 71°22°C | 76°24°C | 81°27°C | 86°30°C | 89°32°C | 89°32°C | 87°31°C | 83°28°C | 77°25°C | 71°22°C |
| Avg low | 59°15°C | 59°15°C | 62°17°C | 66°19°C | 72°22°C | 77°25°C | 81°27°C | 80°27°C | 78°26°C | 74°24°C | 69°20°C | 62°17°C |
| Rain | 4.0"102mm | 4.5"114mm | 5.6"143mm | 6.3"161mm | 9.7"245mm | 11.2"284mm | 7.4"188mm | 9.4"240mm | 10.8"275mm | 7.1"179mm | 4.7"119mm | 4.3"110mm |
| Typhoons | – | – | – | – | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.3 | – |
| Rainy season | ● | ● | ||||||||||
| Box jellyfish | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||||||
| Golden Kings | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
- Typhoons: about 7.7 a year come near Okinawa, most in August and September. Flights and ferries can stop for a day or two — keep your plans flexible in late summer.
- Rainy season: around May 10 to around June 21 in a typical year.
- Swimming: Swim at managed beaches during their swimming season, when lifeguards keep watch and nets are set against box jellyfish. Many beaches have neither. Check the beach's official page before you go.
- Box jellyfish: advisory June 1 – September 30 (2026); most stings in July and August; swim inside the nets and cover your legs.
- Basketball: B.LEAGUE season runs fall to spring, with playoffs in May.
- The nonstop: United's SFO–Naha nonstop starts March 27, 2027, three times a week. Some reports say it is seasonal; that is not confirmed yet.
Climate: Japan Meteorological Agency, Naha climate normals 1991–2020. Typhoons: JMA normals. Jellyfish: Okinawa Prefecture, box jellyfish advisory. Checked 2026-10-10.
For a typhoon on the way, follow the Japan Meteorological Agency, not social media.
We update this list as organizers announce their dates. For the bigger picture of when to visit, see Okinawa 101.
Sources
- Shuri Castle Park — Shuri Castle Reconstruction Festival 2026 (Japanese)
- Shuri Castle Park — Seiden opening (Japanese)
- Shuri Castle Park — fee revision and advance reservations, July 31, 2026 (Japanese)
- Shuri Castle Park — closures on Nov 22 and morning of Nov 23 (Japanese)
- NAHA Marathon official site (Japanese)
- Tour de Okinawa — outline (Japanese)
- Uruma City — Grand Sumo Uruma tour (Japanese)
- Nago City Tourism Association — Nago Cherry Blossom Festival (Japanese)
- Okinawa Marathon — outline (Japanese)
- Japan Meteorological Agency — Naha climate normals (Japanese)
- Japan Meteorological Agency — typhoon normals (Japanese)
Corrections and updates
- 2026-10-23 — Okinawa Tropical Illumination: the gardens moved the start to October 24 because of a typhoon
- 2026-10-19 — Southeast Botanical Gardens illumination: we said this season's hours and prices weren't posted yet
- they are on the gardens' English page, so we added them and linked that page. Links to Mihama American Village and the orchid show now go to their English pages
- 2026-10-19 — Season notes: we implied every beach has lifeguards and jellyfish nets during its swimming season
- only managed beaches do, and many beaches have neither
