Bunkasai Japan

The school festivals from anime are real. You can go.

Every autumn, Tokyo's universities open their campuses for bunkasai: food stalls run by clubs, bands on the lawn, open research labs and a cheer squad dancing with radishes. Free, no reservation, no Japanese needed.

βœ… Open to everyone🚢 No reservationπŸ’΄ Bring cashπŸ“… Late Oct - late Nov
Read the beginner's guideSee the 2026 calendar
Food stalls and crowds under golden ginkgo trees at Komabasai, the University of Tokyo
Photo: XIIIfromTOKYO / CC BY-SA 3.0 / source

Coming up in Tokyo

Universities only: most high school festivals are closed to the public.

Sat, Oct 10 – Sun, Oct 11

Koudaisai ε·₯倧η₯­

Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Tech) Β· Ookayama Campus
Ookayama Station (Tokyu Oimachi & Meguro lines), right by the gate
βœ… Open to everyone🚢 No reservationπŸ’΄ Bring cash

The first big university festival of Tokyo's autumn season.

Festival guide β†’
University Hall and its lawn at International Christian University in Mitaka
Sun, Oct 11 – Mon, Oct 12

ICU Festival ICUη₯­

International Christian University (ICU) Β· Mitaka Campus
Bus from Musashi-Sakai or Mitaka Station (JR Chuo Line), about 15 min
βœ… Open to everyone🚢 No reservationπŸ’΄ Bring cashπŸ—£ English info⚠ Dates unconfirmed

Japan's bilingual university: classes run in both Japanese and English, and about one in three full-time faculty come from outside Japan.

Festival guide β†’
The decorated festival gate at Musashino Art University's art festival, with a Ferris-wheel arch and coloured banners
Fri, Oct 23 – Sun, Oct 25

Musashino Art University Festival θŠΈθ‘“η₯­

Musashino Art University Β· Takanodai Campus
Takanodai Station (Seibu Kokubunji Line), about 18 min / bus from Kokubunji
βœ… Open to everyone🚢 No reservationπŸ’΄ Bring cash

An art school festival: student work on show in every building, and stalls decorated like installations.

Festival guide β†’
Fri, Oct 30 – Sun, Nov 1

Meidaisai 明倧η₯­

Meiji University Β· Izumi Campus
Meidaimae Station (Keio & Keio Inokashira lines), about 5 min
βœ… Open to everyone🚢 No reservationπŸ’΄ Bring cash

Meiji University's main autumn festival, in its 142nd year.

Festival guide β†’
Aoyama Gakuin University Aoyama campus
Fri, Oct 30 – Sun, Nov 1

Aoyama Festival 青山η₯­

Aoyama Gakuin University Β· Aoyama Campus
Omotesando Station (Ginza, Chiyoda, Hanzomon lines), 5 min / Shibuya 10 min
βœ… Open to everyone🚢 No reservationπŸ’΄ Bring cash

A big festival between Shibuya and Omotesando.

Festival guide β†’
Tokyo University of Agriculture Setagaya campus
Fri, Oct 30 – Sun, Nov 1

Harvest Festival 収穫η₯­

Tokyo University of Agriculture Β· Setagaya Campus
Kyodo Station (Odakyu Line), about 15 min walk
βœ… Open to everyone🚢 No reservationπŸ’΄ Bring cash

Tokyo's agricultural university throws a harvest festival.

Festival guide β†’

All festivals on the calendar β†’

What is actually there?

We counted the 2025 programs of 18 of the biggest festivals. Food stalls and stages at every one; open research labs at about half; the haunted classroom from anime at almost none. Plus a radish dance, plays in 26 languages and wild boar sausages at the University of Tokyo.

See what happens at a bunkasai β†’

If you can only go to one: Gaigosai, Nov 19-23First-years cook the food of about 30 countries and regions; second-years perform full plays in 26 languages. The official site can be read in English and Korean. See Gaigosai β†’

Pick a campus with a story

A film location, a famous novelist, or a piece of your own country's history. Most campuses can be visited on normal days too.

Rikkyo University's ivy-covered red-brick main building

Rikkyo University πŸ‡°πŸ‡· πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

Ikebukuro

The red-brick campus from Tokyo Ghoul, a Korean poet's memorial, and a giant Christmas tree.

Read more β†’
The zelkova avenue and main gate of Seikei University

Seikei University πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡Ό πŸ‡°πŸ‡· 🌏

Kichijoji (Musashino)

The zelkova avenue from Hana Yori Dango, the story remade across Asia.

Read more β†’
Okuma Auditorium clock tower at Waseda University

Waseda University 🌍 πŸ‡°πŸ‡·

Waseda (Shinjuku)

Haruki Murakami's alma mater and home of Japan's biggest university festival.

Read more β†’
Yasuda Auditorium at the University of Tokyo Hongo campus

The University of Tokyo πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ πŸ‡°πŸ‡·πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡Ό

Hongo (Bunkyo) & Komaba (Meguro)

The Red Gate, Yasuda Auditorium and the pond named after a Soseki novel.

Read more β†’
Liberty Tower at Meiji University's Surugadai campus

Meiji University πŸ‡°πŸ‡· πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡Ό

Surugadai (Ochanomizu) & Izumi (Meidaimae)

A 410,000-volume manga library and a free museum of Edo-period crime and punishment.

Read more β†’
Hosei University Ichigaya campus buildings

Hosei University πŸ‡«πŸ‡·

Ichigaya (Chiyoda)

The campus behind the anime Golden Time, on a moat lined with cherry trees.

Read more β†’
The red-brick Gothic Old Library at Keio University Mita campus

Keio University πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡«πŸ‡· πŸ‡°πŸ‡·

Mita (Minato)

Japan's oldest private university, founded by the man on the old 10,000-yen note.

Read more β†’

About this site

Bunkasai Japan is made in Tokyo and is not connected to any university. Every date on the calendar is checked against the festival's official site, and we say so when it isn't confirmed yet. Film-location claims that come from fans rather than the school are marked "fan-reported". Some hotel and tour links earn us a small commission; it never changes what we recommend.