Kyoto’s appeal is unstoppable.

Cover photo: Digital rendering of Edo period theme park Uzumasa Studio Park (former Toei Kyoto Studio Park), Kyoto, Japan (2025). Via PR Times (cropped).

Intro

2026 is almost here! It marks 100 years since the start of Japan’s Showa era. The nation has certainly changed a lot in the last century, transforming into one of the world’s largest economies and cultural superpowers.

Foreign tourist numbers continue to set records, prompting changes in the industry, such as increased taxes and fees. Several attractions are introducing dual-pricing strategies, charging higher prices for inbound tourists. Japan’s easy tax-free shopping system will also change to a refund model from November 1st. Nevertheless, Japan remains a vibrant and magnetic destination.

Toshikazu Yamaguchi (left), The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings President, and Tsunekazu Ishihara (right), The Pokémon Company Representative Director and CEO, pose with a life-size sculpture of Pokémon character Charizard at PokéPark Kanto, Yomiuriland, Tokyo, Japan (2025). Via Japan News (cropped).

Japan 2026 Highlights

This year’s most exciting new attraction is PokéPark Kanto, the world’s first permanent Pokémon theme park, opening in Tokyo this February. Located at Yomiuriland, the park will include amusement rides, life-size sculptures, parades, and stage shows.

In other theme park news, both Universal Studios Japan (USJ) and Tokyo DisneySea will celebrate 25 years of operation with special events and performances. Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki will introduce an Evangelion attraction and Fuji-Q Highland will develop a new area dedicated to San-X characters including Rilakkuma.

New accommodations continue to open, suitable for a variety of budgets and interests, from capsule hotels, to boutique inns and resort villas. Most notably, Hoshino Resorts is expanding rapidly, including a much-anticipated project that will reopen the historic Nara Prison as a luxury hotel and museum.

Major reconstruction projects at Hirosaki Castle in Aomori and Shuri Castle in Okinawa are set to finish this year as well. Other highlights include MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, park complex Kirishima Greenship Icoia by Starbucks and local shochu distillery Kirishima Shuzo, and seafood tourist facility Crab Factory Kouragumi in Tsuruga, Fukui.

Promotional image for teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, Japan (2025). Via teamLab (cropped).

Kyoto in 2026

This year’s standout destination is Kyoto. Despite overtourism concerns, the city’s appeal shows no signs of slowing. Kyoto — long celebrated as the heart of traditional Japan — has quickly expanded its contemporary culture scene, rivalling that of nearby Osaka and capital Tokyo.

The artist collective TeamLab just opened their largest facility in the country last October — TeamLab Biovortex. Other new attractions such as immersive tearoom NIWA by NAKED, ENTERTAINMENT HUB KYOTO, and kawaii-themed restaurant FUTURE TRAIN aim to draw visitors beyond the usual hotspots, helping to ease crowd congestion around the city.

This spring, theme park Toei Kyoto Studio Park will be reborn as Uzumasa Studio Park, transforming into an immersive experience better appealing to adult visitors. Both luxury hotels Capella Kyoto and Imperial Hotel Kyoto will also open, with Hyatt premiering standalone restaurant Kappo Atona in fall.

Mampei Hotel (built 1894) was a favorite lodging of Beatles member John Lennon, Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan (undated, accessed 2025). Via Trip Karuizawa.

Japan 2026 Recommendations

This year, my top recommendations are Mito (Ibaraki), Karuizawa (Nagano), and Okinawa. All three locations offer a satisfying variety of activities, with many recently-opened and upcoming attractions to enjoy.

Mito — less than two hours from Tokyo — is home to one of Japan’s three great gardens, Kairakuen. New attractions include cultural complex Tetsu Art Plaza, with Quelle Art Museum (opening February), and a lakeside development at Senba Park (spring). The site is set to include sports facilities, eateries, and a sauna. TeamLab’s immersive installation Hidden Traces of Rice Terraces is also accessible from Mito Station. Visit in mid-February for plum blossoms or late March for cherry blossoms!

Famous as a summer retreat, Karuizawa offers the perfect mix of nature, luxury, and gourmet cuisine. Two historic hotels, the Former Mikasa Hotel and Mampei Hotel, have recently undergone renovation, and there are many new hotels in the area as well. The shopping complex Karuizawa T-Site will open this spring. Don’t forget a stop to onsen facility Tombo-no-yu!

Lastly, the subtropical paradise of Okinawa is gaining new attention with the recent opening of theme park Junglia. Popular tourist spot Makishi Public Market has been renewed and the reconstruction of Shuri Castle is approaching completion in the fall. It served as royal residence to the Ryukyu Kingdom for over four hundred years. October is a good month to visit!

Japan 2026 New Attractions Nationwide List

For attractions sorted by prefecture, please refer to the list below. These are places I find noteworthy, not a comprehensive list. Please refer to my article from last year for more attractions.