Japan in Switzerland: Your Ultimate Guide to Events, Festivals & more
Japan captivates with its rich culture, diverse cuisine and an exciting blend of tradition and modernity. Did you know that you can experience some of it in Switzerland too? From anime conventions and Summer Festivals to Japanese Shops and Cafés, there are many ways to discover a little piece of Japan right where you are!
As a Japanese-Swiss Hafu, I always love finding events, stores or concerts in Switzerland that remind me of my Japanese roots. That is why I have put together this personal overview – for everyone who appreciates Japanese culture as much as I do. Whether you are looking for traditional festivals, unique experiences or hidden gems in your city, you will find them here!
Help make this list even better! If you know of an event that is missing, let me know in the comments.
Last edit: 26.07.2026
EVENTS
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| Japan Izakaya Cruise | zsg.ch | Zurich | Jan – April 2026 |
| Japan Manga Wave | japanmangawave.com | Quimper, Mulhouse etc. | Jan – April 2026 |
| Geek Out – Sammler & Verkaufsbörse | retrogamelevel1-1.ch | Solothurn | 01.02.2026 |
| Hanami Kirschblütenfest | hanami-noohn.ch | Basel | 26.03.2026 |
| Konomi Festival | konomi.ch | Basel | 26.04. – 02.05.2026 |
| Japan Food Fest | japanfoodfest.ch | Zurich Oerlikon | 03. – 05.04.2026 |
| Cinema Day (Ghibli Howl’s Moving Castle) | eventfrog.ch | Basel (@Blaupause Cocktailbar) | 26.04.2026 |
| Japan Basar Zug | instagram.com | Zug, St. Johannes Kirche | 02.05.2026 |
| Kino am See (Cinema) Spirited Away | 3fach.ch | Volière, Luzern (free entry) | 14.05.2026 |
| Asian Street Food | asianstreetfood.ch | Bern Thunplatz Bern Europaplatz | 29. – 31.05.2026 11. – 13.09.2026 |
| Tanabata Festival | komichi.ch | Geneva, Park & Museum Ariana | 05.07.2026 |
| Hikari Japan Festival | halle622.ch | Zurich, Halle 662 | 15.08.2026 |
| Kiyo Festival | kiyofestival.ch | Gland | 21. – 23.08.2026 |
| OOKI Summer Festival | pavillon.ooki.tokyo | Zurich | 22. – 23.08.2026 |
| Sushi on the Aare (Cruise) | solothurn-city.ch | Schiffländte BSG (Solothurn) | 26.08. & 09.09.2026 |
| Japanese Brunch | myswitzerland.com metropol-restaurant.ch | Zurich (Metropol) | August ~ December 2026 |
| Wiler Japan Fest | worldfoto.ch | Wil, SG | 06.09.2026 |
| Japan Fest Bern Nihon Matsuri | bhm.ch | Bern | 12. – 13.09.2026 |
| Japan Tram (Food Tram) | eventlinie.vbz.ch | Zurich | 12.09. – 31.10.2026 |
| Luzern Japan Fest | luzernjapanfest.com | Lucerne | 19.09.2026 |
| Japan Fest Basel | nihonjinkai-basel.com | Basel | 20.09.2026 |
| Japan Matsuri | japanmatsuri.org | Bellinzona | 19. – 20.09.2026 |
| Animatou – Geneva Animation Film Festival | animatou.com | Geneva | 01. – 10.10.2026 |
| Japan Food Fest | japanfoodfest.ch | Zug, Seepromenade | 03. – 04.10.2026 |
| Asian Food and Culture Festival | asianfestival.seedamm-plaza.ch | Pfäffikon SZ | 04. – 29.11.2026 |
| Nihon Matsuri Brig | culturevalais.ch | Brig | 10. – 11.10.2026 |
| Sushi & Momo Boat Tour | myswitzerland.com | Zurich | 22.10.2026 |
| Zurich Charity Baazar | team104.ch | Zurich | tbd |
CULTURE
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| Veranstaltungen | ch.emb-japan.go.jp | Bern | 2026 tbd |
| Yayoi Kusama @ Fondation Beyeler | fondationbeyeler.ch | Basel | until 25.01.2026 |
| Open House @ Kumon Leysin Academy | myswitzerland.com | Leysin | 14.02.2026 |
| Impressions of Japan @ Musee Jenisch | museejenisch.ch | Vevey | until 29.03.2026 |
| Japan entdecken by Junko Fredenhagen-Murakami | vhsbb.ch | Basel | 25.04. & 09.05.2026 |
| Isao Takahata Exhibition (Studio Ghibli) | mudac.ch | Lasuanne (Mudac) | 24.04. – 27.09.2026 |
| The Soul of Sumi-e Exhibition | myswitzerland.com | Bern (JICC) | 06.05. – 23.06.2026 |
| GINMAKU Japanese Film Festival | gjff.ch | Zurich | 26. – 31.05.2026 |
| Ikebana Congress & Expo “Kado” | ikebana.ch | Interlaken | 05. – 07.06.2026 |
| Exhibition: Akiko Sato & Netsuke | kunstsammlung-ruegg.ch | Zurich | 07.05. – 11.07.2026 |
| Exhibition: Miwa Komatsu | musec.ch | Lugano (Musec) | 23.07. – 25.10.2026 |
| Exhibition: Gyotaku Fish Prints | luganoregion.com | Caslano (Museo della Pesca) | 19.07. – 08.11.2026 |
| Ikigai Workshop | www.ffs-schwyz.ch | Schwyz | 31.10. – 14.11.2026 |
| Kodai Exhibition (Antiquity in Japanese Pop Culture) | lausannemusees.ch | Musée romain de Lausanne-Vidy | 29.05.26 – 24.01.2027 |
| The Art of Surimono Prints @ Museum Rietberg | rietberg.ch | Zurich | until 12.06.2026 |
| Origami, Tea Workshop | homu.ch/events | Basel | Jan 2026 ~ |
| Japan History Nights Japan Saga by Dreamlight | dreamlight-labs.com/ | Dietikon Basel Luzern | 09.07.2026 25.07.2026 10.10.2026 |
| SBSA 2026 Bonsai & Suiseki Exhibition | bonsai-vsb.ch | Bern | 12. – 13.09.2026 |
| Chado Tea Cermemony | loreto-zug.ch | Zug | 01.11.2026 |
| Swiss – Japanese Society | schweiz-japan.ch | ||
| Japanische Botschaft Bern | ch.emb-japan.go.jp | ||
| Office Japan | officejapan.ch | ||
| Little Akiba | littleakiba.ch |
CONVENTIONS
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| Japan Impact | japan-impact.ch | Lausanne | 14. – 15.02.2026 |
| Polymanga | polymanga.com | Lausanne | 03. – 06.04.2026 |
| LuCon | lu-con.ch | Lucerne | 24. – 26.04.2026 |
| Retromania | retromania.ch/ | Payerne | 25.04.2026 |
| KitsuCon | kitsucon.ch | Thayngen | 2027 |
| Fantasy Basel | fantasybasel.ch | Basel | 14. – 16.05.2026 |
| Maker Faire | makerfaire.ch | Solothurn | 20. – 21.06.2026 |
| Chibi Con | chibicon.ch | Winterthur | 15. – 16.08.2026 |
| Zurich Pop Con | zurichpopcon.ch | Zurich | 26. – 27.09.2026 |
| HeroFest | herofest.ch | Bern | 02. – 04.10.2026 |
| SoloCon | solocon.ch | Solothurn | 31.10. – 01.11.2026 |
| Cosplay Ball | www.cosplayball.ch | tbd | tbd |
| Nerdy Flohmarkt | nerdyflohmarkt.ch | tbd | tbd |
| UniCon | unicon.events | Bodensee | tbd |
| Alle Conventions | alle-conventions.ch |
CONCERTS
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| Hayato Sumino (Piano) | kkl-luzern.ch bandsintown.com lucernefestival.ch classicascona.ch | Lucerne Zurich Bern Geneva Lucerne (Lucerne Festival) Ascona (Classic Ascona) | 04.01.2026 28.04.2026 29.04.2026 30.04.2026 01.09.2026 04.10.2026 |
| Die Träume von Hayao Miyazaki | eventfrog.ch | Zurich | 24.01.2026 |
| Candlelight: Best of Joe Hisaishi | candlelightjoehisaishi.com | Switzerland | 03.01. – 12.06.2026 |
| KIKUO Concert | ticketcorner.ch | Zurich | 04.03.2026 |
| Kodo @ KKL | kkl-luzern.ch | Lucerne | 10. – 11.03.2026 |
| Ichiko Aoba Concert | ticketcorner.ch | Lausanne (Théâtre de Beaulieu) | 25.03.2026 |
| Final Fantasy in Concert (Limmat Quartet) | limmatquartet.ch | Zurich | 27.03.2026 |
| Spirited Away (Re:play Ensemble) | ticketcorner.ch | Lucerne (Markuskirche) | 25.04.2026 |
| Ghibli / Miyazaki Concert (Ensemble Sinfonietta Bern) | ticketcorner.ch | Bern (Yehudi Menuhin Forum) Zurich (St. Peter’s Church) Biel (Pasquart-Kirche) | 25.04.2026 28.05.2026 09.05.2026 |
| Maywa Denki Concert | plaza-zurich.ch | Zurich (Plaza) | 31.05.2026 |
| Man with a Mission Concert | seetickets.com/ch | Aarau (Kiff) Monthey (Pont Rouge) | 25.06.2026 28.06.2026 |
| Anime Dreamlight Concert | dreamlight-labs.com | Zurich | 11.07.2026 |
| Hana Kobayashi & Yuto Ishiguchi / Piano Concert | myswitzerland.com | Grindelwald | 08.08.2026 |
| Yuki Hirano (Violin) | Chizu Miyamoto (Piano) | lucernefestival.ch | Lucerne (Lukaskirche) | 25.08.2026 |
| My Hero Academia in Concert | www.ticketcorner.ch | Basel | 28.09.2026 |
| Minyo Crusaders | moods.ch | Zurich (Moods im Schiffbau) | 13.11.2026 |
| Joe Hisaishi’s World Dream Tour @ KKL | www.kkl-luzern.ch | Lucerne | 26.11.2026 |
| Yumi Ito Concert | yumiito.com/concerts | Switzerland | multiple dates |
| Umui Performance | umui-tour.com | Switzerland | multiple dates (Sept, Oct 26) |
| Tokyo Noizu | tokyonoizu.com | World Tour Calendar |
SHOPS
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| Yumihana | yumihana.ch | Basel, Bern, Zurich | Food |
| Wakra Aarau | wakara.ch | Aarau | Food |
| Uchitomi | uchitomishop.ch | Geneva | Food |
| Nishi Japan | nishijapan.com | Zurich | Food |
| Hello Asia | helloasia.ch | Oron-le-Châtel | Food |
| WA SHOP | washop.ch | Online Store | Food |
| Tsugi | tsugi.ch | Zurich | Bakery |
| Atelier Okashi | atelierokashi.ch | Rüschlikon | Bakery / Pick Up |
| Hiro Takahashi | hirotakahashi.com | Adliswil | Bakery |
| Osio | patisserie-osio.com | Prilly | Bakery |
| Jeeg | jeeg.ch | Zurich | Merchandise |
| Co-Mix Remix | www.co-mix.ch | Lucerne | Merchandise |
| Freakatorium | freakatoriumsshop.ch | Lucerne | Merchandise |
| Mix-Image | mix-image.ch | Lausanne | Merchandise & Gacha |
| Tanigami | tanigami.ch | Geneva/Lausanne | Books |
CUTE CAFES
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| Teehaus Umami | teehaus-umami.ch | Cham |
| Miyuko | miyuko.ch | Zurich |
| Cat Cafe CASA DEL GATO | casa-del-gato.ch | Zurich |
| Hikari | hikari.ch | Zurich |
| Maru | maru.ch | Zurich |
I won’t list restaurants since there are so many!
Impressions
Miho's Happy Life 