2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival Runs 17 Days from February 5; Emperor’s Parade on the 13th and 20th

Nagasaki City’s winter festival, the “2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival,” is scheduled to be held for 17 days, from Friday, February 5 to Sunday, February 21, 2027. About 15,000 Chinese lanterns are hung in central areas of the city, such as Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown, Hamamachi and Kanko-dori, and the largest installations stand about 10 meters tall. The dates were announced on the official Nagasaki City tourism website on May 21, 2026, and the site also lists the dates of the Emperor’s Parade and the Mazu Procession.

From Shinchi Chinatown’s “Spring Festival” to a winter tradition of Nagasaki

According to the official Nagasaki City tourism website, the festival began as the “Spring Festival” held by the people of Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown to promote their neighborhood. A celebration of the Chinese New Year, it was expanded in 1994 to become the “Nagasaki Lantern Festival,” and the site describes it as now one of the great seasonal traditions of winter in Nagasaki.

The lanterns come in colors specific to each venue. The area along the Dozagawa River at the Shinchi Chinatown venue is decorated with pink lanterns. On Bernard Kanko-dori, red-thread amulets (100 yen) associated with Yuexia Laoren, the Chinese god of matchmaking, are available. Around Chinatown, kakuni manju (braised pork buns), Chinese sweets and more are also on offer.

Dates of the Emperor’s Parade and the Mazu Procession

The Emperor’s Parade takes place on Saturday, February 13 and Saturday, February 20, 2027. Evoking the emperor and empress going out into town together at New Year during the Qing dynasty, it features about 150 people in Chinese costume parading around the palanquins of the emperor and empress.

On Sunday, February 7 and Sunday, February 14, the Mazu Procession is held. A re-creation of a procession actually performed in the Edo period by the crews of Chinese ships that entered the port of Nagasaki, it follows Mazu, the goddess of safe voyages, as she is carried to the Mazu hall of a Chinese temple. The dragon dance, in which performers manipulate a dragon about 20 meters long, is performed every day during the festival and is said to have begun as a rain-making ritual to pray for abundant harvests. Face-changing shows, in which masks change in an instant, and erhu performances are also among the events.

New Year worship at the Nagasaki Confucius Shrine

During the festival, visitors to the Nagasaki Confucius Shrine can stroll through the decorated grounds and offer New Year prayers at the Taisei-den, the main hall. The shrine was built in 1893 by the Qing government and overseas Chinese. Admission is charged (adults 880 yen, high school students 550 yen, elementary and junior high school students 440 yen), and the shrine is open 9:30–18:00 (last admission 17:30).

Lighting hours and access

As of October 19, lighting hours and the times of events at each venue had not been posted on the official Nagasaki City tourism website. According to the site, Shinchi Chinatown is about 7 minutes by streetcar (bound for Sofukuji) from Nagasaki Station. Inquiries are handled by the Nagasaki City Call Center “Ajisai Call” (095-822-8888).

Editor’s perspective

In the 2027 schedule, the Emperor’s Parade falls on Saturdays and the Mazu Procession on Sundays, so visitors on the weekend of Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14 can see both processions back to back. On the other hand, information needed to plan a visit, such as lighting hours, had not yet appeared on the official tourism website as of October 19. It is best to arrange accommodation and transport while checking for updates.

Other winter light events are introduced in [2026–2027] Winter Illuminations and Light Festivals Across Japan. In Kyushu, the teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival runs until January 11, 2027.

Overview

Name: 2027 Nagasaki Lantern Festival
Dates: Friday, February 5 – Sunday, February 21, 2027 (planned)
Lighting hours: Not posted (as of October 19)
Venues: Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown, Kanko-dori Arcade, Central Park and other locations in central Nagasaki
Main events: Mazu Procession on Sunday, February 7 and Sunday, February 14; Emperor’s Parade on Saturday, February 13 and Saturday, February 20; dragon dance every day during the festival
Admission: The Nagasaki Confucius Shrine charges admission (adults 880 yen, high school students 550 yen, elementary and junior high school students 440 yen)
Inquiries: Nagasaki City Call Center “Ajisai Call” (095-822-8888)
Official website: https://www.at-nagasaki.jp/lantern-festival
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

Winter light events in Kyushu and Okinawa are organized in our roundup of illuminations and light events in Kyushu and Okinawa.

*Top image: Nagasaki Lantern Festival, February 2019 (photo: Balon Greyjoy, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on a notice on the official Nagasaki City tourism website (May 21, 2026) and information posted on the site.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team