Japan for Eid: A Holiday Plan for Gulf Families

On this page

1. What Japan offers at each Eid
2. Plans for every length of holiday
3. Eid prayer in Japan
4. Celebrating Eid in Japan
5. When to book
6. Plan your Eid holiday in Japan

Here is how to plan a family trip to Japan around the Eid holidays.

What Japan offers at each Eid

#	Experience	Season	In one line
1	Strawberry picking	Late winter to early spring	Pick and eat sweet Japanese strawberries straight from the plant
2	Strawberry dessert buffets	Late winter to early spring	Tokyo hotels fill their tables with strawberry sweets, perfect for an Eid treat
3	Snow in Hokkaido	Late winter to early spring	The ski season is still on, and snow is something many Gulf children have never seen
4	Snow-capped Mount Fuji	Late winter to early spring	Mount Fuji is still white, and the cold, dry air often gives clear views
5	Pink moss phlox below Mount Fuji	Spring	Fields of pink flowers with Mount Fuji behind them
6	The Kanda Festival in Tokyo	Spring	One of Tokyo’s biggest festivals, with portable shrines carried through the streets

If Eid falls in late winter to early spring (February to March)

The cherry blossoms are still a few weeks away, but late winter has its own treats, many of them perfect for children.

1. Strawberry picking

• What: at a strawberry farm, you pay an entry fee and pick and eat as many strawberries as you like for a set time, usually 30 minutes
• Why it is popular: Japanese strawberries are large and very sweet, and picking them is a favourite for children
• When: the season runs from about January to May, and February and March are among the best months
• Tip: the farms grow strawberries in greenhouses, so you can go on a rainy or cold day
• Where: farms in Chiba, Saitama and Shizuoka, about 1 to 1.5 hours from Tokyo. There are also indoor strawberry farms in Yokohama
• We can arrange a strawberry farm on your way to Mount Fuji, with a private car

2. Strawberry dessert buffets

• What: from winter to spring, many Tokyo hotels hold dessert buffets with cakes, parfaits and sweets made with strawberries
• Why it is popular: it is a sweet and beautiful way to celebrate Eid with the family
• When: usually from January to May. Each hotel announces its dates and menus
• Tip: popular buffets are fully booked weeks ahead. Many sweets use gelatine or alcohol, so we check the ingredients with the hotel
• Where: hotels in central Tokyo
• We can arrange the booking and check the ingredients for you in Japanese

3. Snow in Hokkaido

• What: skiing, snow play and snowmobiles in Niseko or Sapporo
• Why it is popular: many children from the Gulf see snow for the first time, and Hokkaido has some of the best powder snow in the world
• When: the ski season usually runs until the end of March
• Tip: with a short Eid holiday, choose Hokkaido or Tokyo. Doing both needs at least six nights
• Where: about 1.5 hours by plane from Tokyo to Sapporo, then about 2 hours by car to Niseko
• We can arrange a chalet, ski lessons for the children and a private car. See Japan in winter

4. Snow-capped Mount Fuji

• What: Mount Fuji, still covered in snow, seen from Lake Kawaguchi or the Chureito Pagoda
• Why it is popular: the white peak is the picture of Japan many people imagine
• When: Mount Fuji keeps its snow until spring. The cold, dry air of winter and early spring often gives clear views
• Tip: Mount Fuji is clearest in the early morning. Clouds often cover it later in the day
• Where: about 2 hours from Tokyo by car
• We can arrange an early start by private car so you see Mount Fuji before the clouds

If your holiday allows, move the trip one or two weeks later to see the cherry blossoms. See our cherry blossom guide.

If Eid falls in spring (April to May)

Spring is one of the most comfortable times in Japan. When Eid falls in mid-May, it is after Japan’s Golden Week holidays (late April to early May), so it is quieter, too. When Eid falls in Golden Week, book early, because Japan is at its busiest.

5. Pink moss phlox below Mount Fuji

• What: the Fuji Shibazakura Festival, with fields of pink moss phlox and Mount Fuji behind them
• Why it is popular: pink flowers and blue Mount Fuji in one view
• When: the festival usually runs from mid-April to late May. The flowers are at their best from late April to early May, so by mid-May some may be past their best
• Tip: go in the morning, when Mount Fuji is clearer and the crowds are smaller
• Where: near Lake Motosu, about 2 to 2.5 hours from Tokyo by car
• We can arrange a day trip by private car, with Lake Kawaguchi on the same day

6. The Kanda Festival in Tokyo

• What: one of Tokyo’s biggest festivals, with portable shrines carried through the streets of central Tokyo
• Why it is popular: the energy of the crowds and the chanting is something you remember
• When: held in odd-numbered years, around the weekend before 15 May. 2027 is a festival year. The shrine announces the exact dates
• Tip: the streets become very crowded. With small children, watch from the edge of the route
• Where: around Kanda Myojin Shrine, near Akihabara
• We can arrange a good place to watch and a quieter route for families

For more on the seasons, see the best time to visit Japan.

Plans for every length of holiday

The Eid holiday in the UAE is usually about four days. Direct flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Tokyo take about 10 hours, often overnight, so plan your nights around your flights.

Eid holiday only: 4 nights

• Tokyo, 3 nights: Senso-ji in Asakusa, the city view from Shibuya, and a day at Tokyo Disney or a teamLab museum with the children
• Mount Fuji, a day trip: Lake Kawaguchi and the Chureito Pagoda by private car, back to Tokyo in the evening
• See our Tokyo guide

Add one or two days of leave: 5 to 6 nights

• Tokyo, 3 to 4 nights: as above, at a slower pace
• Mount Fuji or Hakone, 1 night: a ryokan with a private open-air bath, just for your family. See our private onsen guide

Add more leave: 7 to 9 nights

• Tokyo and Mount Fuji: as above
• Kyoto, 2 to 3 nights: temples, gardens and the deer of Nara on a day trip. You can add Osaka too
• See our 7- and 10-night Japan itinerary and how many days you need in Japan

Eid prayer in Japan

• Tokyo Camii in Shibuya, the largest mosque in Japan, holds Eid prayers. There are also mosques in Osaka, Kyoto and other cities
• Prayer times and the number of sessions change every year, and the mosques announce them shortly before Eid. Check their website or social media a few days before
• On Eid morning, the mosques are very busy. Leave early, and we can arrange a car so you do not have to find a taxi

Read more in is Japan Muslim-friendly?

Celebrating Eid in Japan

• An Eid dinner of halal wagyu: a private room at a halal wagyu restaurant, for the whole family. Popular restaurants fill up at Eid, so book early. See our guide to halal food in Tokyo
• Eid gifts for the children: Japanese toys, stationery and sweets make Eid gifts they will remember
• A family photo in kimono: a photo shoot in kimono in Tokyo or Kyoto. Some studios can style a kimono with a hijab

When to book

• Flights: flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi fill up quickly at Eid. Book two to three months ahead
• Hotels and ryokan: family rooms and ryokan with private baths are limited. Book at the same time as your flights
• Restaurants: book an Eid dinner at a halal restaurant two to four weeks ahead

Plan your Eid holiday in Japan

We can arrange your whole Eid trip: flights timed to the holiday, family rooms, a car on Eid morning for the prayer, a halal Eid dinner and a kimono photo shoot. Tell us your dates and the ages of your children, and we will propose a plan for your family. See our private Japan tours or start on WhatsApp.