What's New in Japan 2026

1Uzumasa Kyoto Village (Mar 2026)

Kyoto's film studio, where samurai dramas are shot, has reopened as a walk-through Edo town. Wander streets of merchant houses, rent a kimono or samurai costume, and catch live shows like the ninja battle.

Open until 9 PM, with a cheaper night ticket from 5 PM, five minutes' walk from Uzumasa-Koryuji Station on the Arashiyama tram. This is only phase one: a pleasure quarter and more shops come in spring 2027, a playhouse in spring 2028, then a bathhouse.

Use code HIROKOJAPAN at checkout for a discount.
It also supports this site.

2DRUM TAO Theater Kyoto (Apr 2026)

The touring taiko troupe DRUM TAO now has a permanent theatre on the Hachijo side of Kyoto Station. Drums meet digital art in a show with no dialogue, so you need no Japanese to enjoy it.

Two shows a night, at 7 PM and 9 PM, each about 40 minutes with one drink included. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you think Kyoto has nothing to do after dark, start here.

hiroko_japan.travel12 Sep 2026

Nobody talks about this🤫. Spending your Kyoto nights at the hotel is a waste.

One minute on foot from Kyoto Station, a theater built just for a world class taiko drum show opened this April. The group has played to 10 million people in 31 countries, and sold out every show off Broadway in New York. Five months after opening, it already has over 1,500 Google reviews with a 4.9 rating.

I posted a reel from my visit too, and...

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hiroko_japan.travelAuthor

This is DRUM TAO THEATER KYOTO. Two shows every day, 7 PM and 9 PM, about 40 minutes each. One minute on foot from Kyoto Station, so the access is as good as it gets. It's indoors, which makes it a safe plan for a rainy day. Booking is easiest on Klook (use my coupon code HIROKOJAPAN 😉)

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Use code HIROKOJAPAN at checkout for a discount.
It also supports this site.

3AZUMA FARM Koiwai (Apr 2026)

A farm-stay resort by Adrian Zecha, the man behind the Aman luxury hotels. Its 24 villas, built from local red pine and cedar, are scattered across the pastures of Koiwai Farm, which has worked this land for 130 years.

Meals and on-site activities are included, with a shuttle from Morioka Station. Morioka is about 2 hours 20 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train. Snowfields in winter, green pasture in summer: two different places.

4GRAN Tenku (Apr 2026)

Nankai's new sightseeing train runs from Namba straight to Gokurakubashi, at the foot of Koyasan, in 1 hour 30 minutes. Inside the deep-red cars are four seat types, a lounge car and the line's first dining car in a century.

Two round trips a day, leaving Namba at 9:00 AM and 12:45 PM. Seats must be reserved and can be booked online. It turns the ride to Koyasan into part of the trip.

5FAMIMA PARK AZABUDAI (Jul 2026)

FamilyMart's first flagship convenience store, directed by NIGO. A forest on the roof, and inside an urban deli, limited-edition goods, a clothing section with fitting rooms, and a coffee stand developed with a champion barista.

Right by Kamiyacho Station and open until 1 AM. Its first-day sales were the highest in FamilyMart's history. If Japanese convenience stores already fascinate you, this is the one to visit.

6Mishima Skywalk (Jul 2026)

A 400-metre footbridge facing Mount Fuji, renewed for its tenth year. New this summer: an X-shaped viewing deck before the bridge, a grated-floor deck that steps out into the sky beyond it, and a glass-walled cafe looking at Fuji and Suruga Bay.

About 20 minutes by bus from Mishima Station, a bullet-train stop, so it works as a day trip from Tokyo. Fuji shows most clearly in the morning.

Use code HIROKOJAPAN at checkout for a discount.
It also supports this site.

7Kai Miyajima (Jul 2026)

Hoshino Resorts runs Japan's best-known hotel brands, and KAI is its line of modern hot-spring inns. This one, its first in Hiroshima, sits across the water from Miyajima. The top-floor open-air bath is built to merge with the sea and looks toward Itsukushima Shrine.

54 rooms, plus a revived stone steam bath, an old Seto Inland Sea tradition. Four minutes by car from Miyajimaguchi Station, about 30 minutes by train from Hiroshima. The Miyajima ferry leaves nearby, so you can cross early, before the crowds.