Timetable · Annual Schedule
埼玉県 · Calendar 2026
Seasonal windows and dated events, month by month. Entry pages are in Traditional Chinese; event names appear in their original Japanese.
January
1 itemsJanuary is Saitama's quiet month: the costume exhibition at the Iwatsuki Doll Museum is about the only fixed draw. Treat it as a cold-weather day trip from Tokyo and keep the plan indoors.
February
1 itemsFebruary stays quiet — the Iwatsuki Doll Museum's costume exhibition is still running, and little else is. The upside is low crowds: one indoor-led day from Tokyo is enough, and there's no case for basing yourself here.
March
3 itemsMarch is the turning point: the Chichibu Railway's SL Paleo Express starts its running season, which finally gives the mountain line something worth the trip. The Iwatsuki costume exhibition is in its last stretch — pair them as one day.
April
5 itemsApril is Saitama's flower peak: the Hitsujiyama shibazakura hill, peonies at the Higashimatsuyama Botan Garden, and the Chichibu steam train all overlap. The cost is crowding — weekends funnel everyone onto one line, so go midweek if you can.
May
5 itemsEarly May still catches the tail of the shibazakura, but it collides with Golden Week and Chichibu is at its most crowded. After the holidays the Higashimatsuyama peonies carry the month, with the steam train still running and more room to move.
June
3 itemsJune is the rainy season: flowers are done and outdoor plans get risky. Sweetfish (ayu) from the Arakawa in Chichibu opens its season, and the steam train is still running — keep the day indoors or on rails.
July
5 itemsFireworks month: the Koshigaya festival and the Saitama city display at Owada Park are both close enough for a round trip from Tokyo. Daytime heat is brutal, so Chichibu's ayu and the steam train make the calmer alternative.
August
4 itemsAugust is the hottest stretch and walking-heavy plans don't pay off. Come for the food instead: Chichibu shine muscat and grapes arrive, and Arakawa ayu is still in season. The steam train runs, but waiting in the sun is punishing.
September
5 itemsSeptember stacks seasons: the end of Arakawa ayu, peak Chichibu grapes, and the start of Kawagoe sweet potato. It cools down, but it's still typhoon season, so keep a backup for anything on the mountain line.
October
5 itemsOctober's draw is the Kounosu fireworks — a major autumn display, and far easier to sit through than a summer one. Pair it with Kawagoe sweet potato and the last Chichibu grapes. Autumn colour here is still a month off.
November
5 itemsNovember is foliage month: Ranzan Gorge turns, Kawagoe sweet potato is in season, and the steam train is still running. The Chichibu Yomatsuri window opens at the very end — if you're travelling late, save Chichibu for last.
December
6 itemsDecember peaks early: Chichibu Yomatsuri and its winter fireworks — one of the few chances to see a major display in cold weather. Lodging in Chichibu tightens fast, so book ahead. Ranzan Gorge's last foliage and Kawagoe sweet potato fill the days around it.