2026 Autumn & Winter Highlights

Katsugimono is a float carried on the shoulders — no wheels.
Ja Odori (dragon dance): A long dragon, manipulated on poles by about ten performers, chases a golden ball representing the moon to the beat of gong and trumpet.
Kokkodesho: A heavy 1,000 kg float carrying child drummers, tossed into the air and caught with one hand by its bearers. 

Hikimono is a huge float weigh about 3 tons on wheels, pulled by a team of people. Each time they change direction, the ground screeches!
Kawafune (River boat): Don't miss a little boatman, casting his fishing net.
Tosen Matsuri (Chinese ship): Reenactment of Nagasaki's old Chinese trade.
Takarabune: A treasure ship paired with a dance of the Seven Lucky Gods.

Honodori, a type of Odori, is a classic, elegant Japanese dance. Dancers wear traditional makeup and hairstyles. This year's dancers will perform in kimono with woven flower baskets, honoring their basket-weaving heritage. For the encore, performing groups dance to "Burabura Bushi," a folk song about seasonal traditions and life in the Maruyama entertainment district.

From Chobo-no-Oka, a sprawling 4.7-hectare grassy hilltop, you can take in a sweeping panorama of the Kujukushima Islands. The name Kujukushima means "99 Islands," yet around 208 forested, mostly uninhabited islets actually stretch along the coast. By day, marvel at the stunning scenery of the islands, and at dusk, watch the sun sink into the sea. ©SASEBO

Nagasaki Bio Park is a 300,000-square-meter nature park where animals such as llamas, hippos, capybaras, wallabies, and squirrel monkeys live in natural surroundings. Visitors can interact with them directly and feed them. Every winter, the park's capybaras enjoy an open-air hot spring, and you can watch them soak blissfully in the warm water with dreamy, contented expressions. 

The Sasebo–Saikai area grew up around its naval port. One striking example of that past stands near the Saikai Bridge: three concrete towers of unusual presence. Completed in 1922, the Hario Radio Towers are the oldest free-standing radio towers in Japan. Each rises about 136 meters, and the three are arranged in an equilateral triangle 300 meters on each side. 

The Sasebo Burger traces dates back to around 1950, when locals learned the recipe firsthand from U.S. Navy personnel stationed in the city.

Made with fresh-caught horse mackerel, this aji fry is thick, plump, and fluffy on the inside with a crispy coating—juicy, never fishy.

A traditional sweet made by dipping castella sponge cake in egg yolk, deep-frying it in syrup, and coating it in sugar. Crisp on the outside, chewy within.