November in Yokohama: Lanterns, Lights and Late-Autumn Colour
By mid-November the evenings come early in Yokohama, and the city answers with light. Along the waterfront at Minatomirai, the Yokohama Milight illumination is already running — it opens in early November and stays lit into early February 2027 — while the Yokohama Night Flowers displays glow through the early-to-late November evenings. Around Sankeien, the garden's autumn foliage promenade opens to the public from 20 November through 13 December, when the maples and ginkgo turn. Labor Thanksgiving Day itself falls on 23 November, and the days on either side of it are some of the busiest on the city's late-autumn calendar.
Markets and Street Festivals in the Days Around 23 November
The national holiday lands in the middle of a run of markets and street events. Head to the waterfront and the old port districts and you can fill a long weekend without leaving the bay.
- Red Brick Warehouse Christmas Market — the Yokohama landmark's seasonal market runs from late November through late December, with the historic red-brick warehouses as the backdrop.
- Konpira Otori Shrine Tori-no-ichi Festival — held on 7 and 19 November, this is the city's traditional rooster-day market, one of the oldest recurring events on the November calendar.
- Yokohama Canal Challenge — a late-November fixture along the canal district.
- Bashamichi Festival — if you arrive in the first days of the month, this street festival in the Bashamichi area runs from late October into early November.
- Yokohama Chinatown Chinese New Year Lanterns Lighting Ceremony — an early-November lighting ceremony that begins Chinatown's long run of winter illuminations.
Autumn Colour and Garden Strolls
Late November is peak foliage season in Yokohama's traditional gardens, and the city's garden calendar is built around it.
- Sankeien Autumn Foliage Promenade — open to the public from 20 November to 13 December. Sankeien is the city's great historic garden, and this is the window when its trees are at their best.
- Yokohama English Garden Christmas Display — from late November through late December, the garden switches to its winter display.
- Yokohama Milight — the citywide illumination season, running from early November into early February 2027, so the lights are on throughout your visit.
Performances and Culture Through Late November
The holiday weekend overlaps with the opening of Yokohama's winter performance season, so you can pair a daytime walk with an evening show.
- Yokohama Dance Collection 2026 — the contemporary dance festival runs from late November into mid-December.
- Shinyokohama Performance — an early-November event in the Shinyokohama district, worth catching if your trip starts at the beginning of the month.
- National Hometown Fair 2026 — an early-November fair that brings regional food and products from across Japan into the city.
What to Eat While You're Here
Late November is when Yokohama's food calendar turns toward winter. The Red Brick Warehouse's Christmas Market is the obvious place to eat and drink outdoors in the cold, and it is running right through your visit. In Chinatown, the early-November lantern lighting marks the start of the district's winter season, and the streets around it stay busy with food stalls and restaurants. If you are travelling with a dog, the YOKOHAMA GOGO DOG FES 2026 Autumn takes place in early November.
Beyond the Holiday Itself
If you can stretch your trip, the weeks after Labor Thanksgiving Day lead straight into Yokohama's Christmas season: Motomachi Twinkle Christmas and the Yamate Western-style Houses' "Christmas Around the World" both run from early to late December, alongside the Yorunoyo illumination events and a separate December run of Yokohama Night Flowers. Note that the November Night Flowers displays end in late November, and the calendar lists no January Night Flowers dates before the series resumes in February, so plan the stretch between the two runs around the other winter events.
Start with the 23rd and work outward: book your accommodation near Minatomirai or Kannai so the waterfront lights, the Red Brick Warehouse market and the Sankeien foliage are all within easy reach, then check the Yokohama Visitors Guide at yokohamajapan.com before you travel, since event schedules are subject to change.