December events in Saitama Ken 2023

The round up of events on in the month of December 2023 in Saitama Prefecture. Christmas events, illumination events, fireworks, traditional festivals, Santa Claus visits, religious events, exhibitions, markets and many other festive and / or seasonal events. As always, I add new events daily, as they are confirmed.

Saitama Prefecture Event Information December 2023 埼玉県の12月のイベント情報

Please note a lot of events are dependent on the weather. Also, it is not unusual for an event to be cancelled last minute. Please check the official website, which is linked within each event post, for the most up-to-date information. A ⇗ indicates a link to an external website, generally, but not always, the official website.

Daily Events

Events that are on every day, that an attraction is open, in December. A lot of municipal facilities close at least one day a week, often a Monday.

  1. Saitama Shintoshin Illumination (Saitama City)
  2. Cocoon City Illumination (Saitama City)
  3. Colorful display (Saitama City)
  4. ⇗Konan planetarium (Saitama City)
  5. Ageo Illumination (Ageo)
  6. Snow Afternoon / High Tea (Kawagoe)
  7. Seibuen Illumination (Tokorozawa)
  8. Fly me to Saitama exhibition (Tokorozawa)
  9. Skiing / Snowboarding (Tokorozawa)
  10. Illuminating Fantasy (Tokorozawa)
  11. Sakura Town Winter Light Up (Tokorozawa)
  12. Sayama Illumination (Sayama)
  13. Monkey / Capybara Onsen (Sayama)
  14. Winter Wonderland (Hanno) until January 8th
  15. ⇗Tonarie Illumination (Fujimino)
  16. Kaparu Illumination (Shiki)
  17. Niodori Illumination (Misato)
  18. Ushiroya Park Toda Illumi (Toda)
  19. Tobu Zoo Illumination (Miyashiro)
  20. Sun City illumination (Koshigaya)
  21. Tonko House exhibition (Kawaguchi) until January 8th
  22. Fantasy Lights (Kawaguchi)
  23. Swan’s winter habitat (Kawajima)
  24. Capybara Onsen (Higashimatsuyama)
  25. Land of Dreams illumination (Higashimatsuyama)
  26. Seien Park Illumination (Fukaya)
  27. Premium outlets illumination and Mario ‘Get the item’ (Fukaya)
  28. Fukaya and Okabe stations and Fukaya Terrace Park illumination (Fukaya)
  29. Marigold Hill (Honjo) until January 28th
  30. ⇗Shell World – Unraveling the strings from shellfish (Nagatoro)
  31. Chichibu Illuminate (Chichibu)

Weekend events in December

Hereafter, events on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Typically, I only include weekday events if they are public holidays, with the occasional exception, such as Christmas Day which is a regular working day. But anything in the daily list is available on weekdays, if the venue is open. However, this year Christmas falls on a Monday which is the most common day museums and the likes take a day off. An event written entirely in bold with a ★ is an event worth your while going out of your way to see.

Sunday December 10th

Events on today include all events listed in the ‘daily’ section (all things equal) at the top of the post, plus…

  1. Tokamachi (Saitama City)
  2. Last night of Omiya Bonsai Art Museum Light Up (Saitama City)
  3. Red Festive Afternoon Tea (Saitama City)
  4. ⇗Last day of Art Saitama 2023 (Saitama City)
  5. ★Art Grace Christmas Festival with Santa (Saitama City)
  6. Frog art exhibition (Kawagoe)
  7. Flea Market (Kawagoe)
  8. Handmade Market (Kawagoe)
  9. Christmas Lights (Kawagoe)
  10. Last day of Kazumi Nakamura exhibition (Kawagoe)
    • another week left of the Atsushi Kaneoya exhibition
  11. Strawberry Picking (Sayama)
  12. Teamlab Acorn Forest (Tokorozawa)
  13. Tatsuo Takayama: The Universe in the Palm of a Hand (Tokorozawa)
  14. Food Truck Weekend (Tokorozawa)
  15. ⇗Lalaport Fujimi Christmas Festival (Fujimi)
  16. Metsa Village Christmas (Hanno)
  17. Satoyama Winter Night (Ogose)
  18. Kitamoto Illumination (Kitamoto)
  19. Senpukuji’s Giant Gingko (Okegawa)
  20. Yoshimi Illumination (Yoshimi)
  21. Starlight Illumination (Namegawa)
  22. Joylife! Art and Organic (Higashimatsuyama)
  23. Light up of Shoboji’s gingko tree (Higashimatsuyama)
  24. ⇗Winter Market (Ageo)
  25. Hanachozu Week (Gyoda)
  26. Kodai Hasu no Sato Illumination (Gyoda)
  27. ⇗Soka Illumination (Soka)
  28. ⇗(Y)ours Campus Market – formerly Artisan’s Market (Kawaguchi)
  29. Laketown Christmas with Christmas craft (Koshigaya)
  30. ⇗Kasukabe station illumination (Kasukabe)
  31. Funsui Park and start of Toda station illumination (Toda)
  32. Misato Illumination (Misato)
  33. White Christmas Market with Santa Claus (Misato)
  34. Asaka Winter Light Terrace (Asaka)
  35. ⇗Yagihashi Christmas Market (Kumagaya)
  36. Christmas workshop (Honjo)
  37. ★Gun Festival (Ogano)
  38. Japan’s largest water mill light up (Yorii)
  39. Illumination (Kamikawa)
  40. Strawberry picking #8 Tomita Farm on the list (Chichibu)
  41. Christmas lights (Various)

Friday December 15th

Saturday December 16th

Even more December events coming soon.

Sunday December 17th

Wednesday December 20th

A special entry for this incredible, not to miss exhibition that is starting today:

Japan’s first hands on Salvador Dali exhibition at Kadcul

Even more December events coming soon.

Friday 22nd

Saturday 23rd

Sunday December 24th

Even more December events coming soon.

Monday December 25th

Christmas day is a regular working day in Japan, when it falls on a weekday. But this year most of the kids start their winter break from the end of school on Friday December 22nd. Here’s whats on on Christmas day in Saitama in 2023:

Friday December 29th

Saturday December 30th

Sunday December 31st

Photos in the featured image at the top of the post, clockwise from top left:

Finished events

Friday December 1st

Today is Kawagoe Citizen’s Day, hence the list of places with free entry in Kawagoe. They are free for non-residents too. Events on today include all events listed in the ‘daily’ section (all things equal) at the top of the post, plus…

Saturday December 2nd

Sunday December 3rd

Events on today include all events listed in the ‘daily’ section (all things equal) at the top of the post, plus…

👉FIVE MUSEUMS IN KAWAGOE WITH FREE ENTRY TODAY, DECEMBER 3RD 2023

Friday December 8th

Saturday December 9th

  1. Daitosai (Saitama City)
  2. Omiya Bonsai Art Museum Light Up (Saitama City)
  3. Red Festive Afternoon Tea (Saitama City)
  4. ⇗Art Saitama 2023 (Saitama City)
  5. Frog art exhibition (Kawagoe)
  6. Tea Festival (Kawagoe)
  7. Flea Market (Kawagoe)
  8. Handmade Market (Kawagoe)
  9. Kazumi Nakamura and Atsushi Kaneoya exhibitions (Kawagoe)
  10. Christmas Lights (Kawagoe)
  11. ⇗Tsurugashima Market (Tsurugashima)
  12. Strawberry Picking (Sayama)
  13. Find Santa! (Tokorozawa)
  14. Teamlab Acorn Forest (Tokorozawa)
  15. Tatsuo Takayama: The Universe in the Palm of a Hand (Tokorozawa)
  16. Food Truck Weekend (Tokorozawa)
  17. ⇗Lalaport Fujimi Christmas Festival (Fujimi)
  18. Metsa Village Christmas (Hanno)
  19. Satoyama Winter Night (Ogose)
  20. Kitamoto Illumination (Kitamoto)
  21. Senpukuji’s giant gingko (Okegawa)
  22. Yoshimi Illumination (Yoshimi)
  23. ★Starlight Illumination (Namegawa)
  24. Joylife! Art and Organic (Higashimatsuyama)
  25. Light up of Shoboji’s gingko tree (Higashimatsuyama)
  26. ⇗Hoshikawa Night Bazaar (Kumagaya)
  27. ⇗Winter Market (Ageo)
  28. Hanachozu Week (Gyoda)
  29. Kodai Hasu no Sato Illumination (Gyoda)
  30. ⇗Soka Illumination (Soka)
  31. Laketown Christmas (Koshigaya)
  32. ⇗Kasukabe station illumination (Kasukabe)
  33. Funsui Park Toda Illumi (Toda)
  34. ⇗Disaster Prevention Fair (Warabi)
  35. Misato Illumination (Misato)
  36. White Christmas Market (Misato)
  37. Asaka Winter Light Terrace (Asaka)
  38. Japan’s largest water mill light up (Yorii)
  39. Gun Festival (Ogano)
  40. Kirakira Festival (Kamikawa)
  41. Strawberry picking #8 Tomita Farm on the list (Chichibu)
  42. Christmas lights (Various)

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