Jazz Festivals in Eastern Japan [2026] JAZZ Street List
As the name suggests, a jazz fest refers to a music festival dedicated to jazz.
Sometimes it’s held at a single venue, but quite often it takes place across multiple spots—like live houses, shops around town, or local landmarks.
In those cases, it’s also called a circuit event or a “Jazz Street,” turning the whole city into a wonderful day filled with jazz.
In this article, we’ll introduce jazz festivals held in eastern Japan.
Along with famous festivals in Tokyo and Yokohama, we’ll also feature events set in the great outdoors, so we hope you find a wonderful event and give it a try!
- List of Jazz Festivals in the Kanto Region [2026]
- List of Jazz Festivals and Jazz Streets Across Japan [2026]
- Tokyo Jazz Festival | Music Festival & Events
- List of Free-Admission Festivals in the Kanto Region [2026]
- Tokyo Music Festivals [2026]: Outdoor Festivals and Events Summary
- List of Jazz Festivals in Hokkaido and Tohoku [2026]
- Miyagi Music Festivals [2026] Outdoor Festivals and Events Roundup
- Saitama Festival Calendar [2026]: A roundup of music festivals and outdoor events
- Tokai Jazz Festival List [2026]
- Chiba Festival Calendar [2026]: A Roundup of Music Festivals and Outdoor Events
- Yamanashi Festival Calendar [2026]: Music Festivals and Outdoor Events Summary
- Complete Guide to Spring Festivals in the Kanto Region! Introducing Featured Artists and Venue Information [2026]
- Kansai Jazz Festival List [2026]
Hokkaido
NISEKO JAZZ FESTIVALHokkaido, Fri 7/17–Sun 7/19
The Niseko Jazz Festival is a jazz fest held in Niseko Hirafu, Kutchan, Hokkaido, in collaboration with Blue Note Tokyo. Under the theme “FEEL THE RHYTHM,” the festival brings together the “now” and the “legends” of Japanese jazz in a picture-perfect mountain resort. The event features two parts: a day session at Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU and a night session on a special stage at Setsu Niseko, with artists including TOKU New Scope and Orquesta de la Luz. Scheduled for July 2026.
| Schedule | Fri, Jul 17–Sun, Jul 19, 2026 |
| place | Hokkaido, Abuta District, Kutchan Town, Niseko Hirafu 1-jo 2-chome (SETSU NISEKO Courtyard / Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU NEST813) |
| Appearance | [7/17] [NIGHT SESSION] Toshiki Soejima / TOKU New Scope: A Tribute To Miles & Coltrane / Takehiro Honda Tribute Band NATIVE SON [7/18] [DAY SESSION] Shiho with special friends [NIGHT SESSION] Shigeru Shiraki Quartet / Ittetsu Takemura Special Quartet / Takeshi Ohbayashi Trio Renaissance Special Guest Tomoaki Baba / Orquesta de la Luz [7/19] [DAY SESSION] MIHOKO QUARTET [NIGHT SESSION] Yucco Miller / RS5pb / Cañizares × Andrés Barrios × Hajime Ogiime [7/20] [DAY SESSION] Charito with her Friends |
| Website | https://nisekojazzfes.com |
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Hokkaido JAZZ in Otaru JAZZHokkaido, Sat 8/8 – Tue 8/11
| Schedule | Sat, Aug 8, 2026 – Tue, Aug 11, 2026 |
| place | Otaru Canal Asakusabashi Special Stage, 5 Minatomachi, Otaru City, Hokkaido |
| Website | https://otaru.gr.jp/event/jazz-in-jazz-2026 |
Aomori Prefecture
Nangō Summer Jazz FestivalSaturday, 7/25, Aomori Prefecture
| Schedule | Saturday, July 25, 2026 |
| place | Kakko-no-Mori Echo Land Outdoor Stage, 11-10 Kurosaka, Ichinozawa, Nangō, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture |
| Website | https://www.city.hachinohe.aomori.jp/soshikikarasagasu/nangojimusho/matsuri_event/2/25347.html |
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Miyagi Prefecture
Jozenji Street Jazz FestivalSat 9/12–Sun 9/13, Miyagi Prefecture
| Schedule | Sat–Sun, Sep 12–13, 2026 |
| place | Various locations in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture |
| Website | https://www.j-streetjazz.com |
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Toyama Prefecture
UO!JAZZSat, 8/8, Toyama Prefecture
| Schedule | Saturday, August 8, 2026 |
| place | Uozu Mirage Station by the Sea, Toyama Prefecture |
| Website | https://uo-jazz.jp/ |
Ishikawa Prefecture
Gargantua Music FestivalIshikawa Prefecture, Tue 4/28–Tue 5/5
The Gargantua Music Festival is a celebration that fills all of Kanazawa with classical music during Golden Week. Centered on the Ishikawa Ongakudo (Ishikawa Prefectural Music Hall), performances unfold across a variety of venues from concert halls to open squares, featuring collaborations with traditional performing arts and initiatives for citizen participation. In addition to full-scale performances by top orchestras and soloists, the festival offers entertainment-rich programs that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. In 2026, under the theme “The Top 10 Composers You Choose: A Decade of Musical Journeys in Hokuriku–Kanazawa,” it will be held from April through May.
| Schedule | Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Tuesday, May 5, 2026 |
| place | Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa City, 20-1 Showa-machi, Ishikawa Prefectural Music Hall and Kanazawa City Art Hall, around Kanazawa Station |
| Appearance | Yuko Amanuma / Arist Sham / Anke Schwabe / Shinichiro Ikebe / Kumi Ishikawa / Yuka Ishimaru / Kento Ito / Akio Ueki / Chie Ehara / Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa / Naoto Otomo / Yuka Ohno / Yasuji Ohagi / Kanna Ogawa / Mino Kabasawa / Giedrė Dirvanauskaitė / Erika Kiko / Naoki Kitajima / Karen Kitamura / Gidon Kremer / Yoshihisa Kihara / Ayako Kimura / Eiko Kumagai / Toshiki Kurihara / Megumi Kurose / K BALLET STUDIO / Georgijs Osokins / Eiko Koizumi / Cocomi / Hayato Kodama / Chosei Komatsu / Kornilios Mihalidis / Yohei Kondo / Masamasaru Sakaguchi / Tomoki Sakata / Taiku Mito / Shunpei Shirakawa / Manashi Shiratama / Sing Gospel Unity Choir / Dairo Suga / Jurika Takeda / Rikino Takeda / Mutsuko Tajima / Min Tanaka / Hirokazu Taniguchi / Mutsumi Taniguchi / Shogo Tsukada / Mai Tsugumi / Rieko Tsuno / DiVa / Naoko Terai / Takuma Terashima / Miyu Teramatsu / Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra / Mai Tosya / Sho Tomita / Akiko Tomihira / Takashi Niigaki / Niu Niu / Ryusuke Numajiri / Mona Hattori / Haruki / Yoshiko Hannya / Kana Hirano / Junichi Hirokami / Keita Matsui / Matija Meic / Michael Balke / Akira Miyagawa / Naoki Miyazato / Dai Miyata / Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz Orchestra (Munich) / Yukari Yamada / Yukiko Yamamoto / Abigail Young / Lucian Kraznets / Réka Kristóf / LEO / Emi Wakui |
| Website | https://www.gargan.jp/ |
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Niigata Prefecture
Yahiko Jazz FestaSun, 9/27 Niigata Prefecture
| Schedule | Sunday, September 27, 2026 |
| place | Niigata Prefecture, Nishikanbara District, Yahiko Village, Yahiko Onsen town (multiple venues) |
| Appearance | SWAMP GYPSY CARAVAN / Niigata Jazz Study Group / LIQUID PARKS / Natalie Ishida & Kumiko Enomoto with FRIENDS / Shegansa / Yuko Tamura Wa-Jazz Band / Tango Echigorian / JAZZ TONE / Joni Masa + Dr. Oguro / Jumpei Yamane Trio / Yuichi Sato Trio & Naomi Yoshikawa / Mayumi Gondo & JAZZ DIGGERS / Howan’s / Minagawa Yamagishi / Mutsumi Yoshida & Jun Inoue feat. Yasuhiko Abe / Bossa Cordeon / LALALA BLESSING NIIGATA / Daisy / JUST FINE DAY! / Natalie Ishida with FRIENDS / Harmonia / sweet swing / Naoko Watanabe & Kimiko Ebi DUO / CHIAKI KLEIN / HANANO TRIO / Gakuchan (Manabu Ota) / Yahiko Junior High School Brass Band / Kanade Ikegaya / YAHIKO “Usagi” Jazz Band / Hanatsuzumi (hanako) / Nakanokuchi Jr. Brass with OAP’s / GRIP |
| Website | https://yahikojazz.jp/ |
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