Dussehra 2026 in Japan, City by City: Why Japan Celebrates on 21 October, Vijay Muhurat and Hindu Temples

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 in Japan is on Wednesday 21 October 2026 in every city, one day after India. The Vijay Muhurat, calculated by the Drik Panchang method, is 1:17 PM – 2:01 PM in Tokyo and Yokohama, 1:28 PM – 2:12 PM in Nagoya, 1:34 PM – 2:18 PM in Osaka and 1:35 PM – 2:19 PM in Kobe (Japan Standard Time, UTC+9). Navratri runs from Sunday 11 to Monday 19 October 2026.

Editor's note (5 October 2026): The local times on this page were calculated for each city from the Drik Panchang tithi (Dashami from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October 2026), converted to Japan Standard Time, which has no daylight saving. A city's Vijayadashami is the day on which Dashami covers the Aparahna (afternoon period). The Vijay Muhurat is the 11th of the 15 daytime muhurtas, calculated by the Drik Panchang method. We do not list 2026 event schedules, because temples and associations announce their own programmes; please check with them directly.

Japan's Hindu community is small but varied, and it is concentrated in a few metropolitan areas. The oldest strand is in Kobe, where Sindhi, Gujarati and other Indian merchant families, many in the pearl, textile and diamond trades, have lived since the late nineteenth century; the India Club there dates from 1904. Since the 2000s the much larger growth has been in Greater Tokyo, where tens of thousands of Indian IT engineers, finance professionals, researchers and students now live. Nishi-Kasai in Edogawa ward is known as Tokyo's "Little India". Smaller communities live around Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya, the latter linked to the automotive industry, and Nepali Hindus form another large group, especially in Tokyo. Together they bring Bengali Durga Puja, Gujarati garba, Tamil Golu, Telugu Bathukamma, Nepali Dashain and North Indian Ramlila traditions to Japan.

Dussehra 2026 in Japan: dates and Vijay Muhurat by city

The whole of Japan is on Japan Standard Time (UTC+0900) all year. The Dashami tithi begins and ends at the same moment everywhere, so only the sun-based windows differ from city to city. Tokyo and Yokohama, in the east, have the earliest Vijay Muhurat; Osaka and Kobe are about 17 or 18 minutes later.

The Aparahna (afternoon period) on Wednesday 21 October is the traditional window for Aparajita and Shami puja, and sunset marks the time for any evening aarti or symbolic Ravan Dahan:

Why Japan celebrates on 21 October

In India, Dashami begins at 12:50 PM IST on Tuesday 20 October, early enough to cover that afternoon, so India celebrates on the 20th. In Japan the same moment is 4:20 PM on Tuesday 20 October, after the Aparahna and close to sunset. Dashami then continues through the whole of Wednesday afternoon, ending at 5:41 PM on 21 October, so the Aparahna of Wednesday 21 October is fully within Dashami by more than two hours in every city. Most calendars set for Japan therefore show Vijayadashami on Wednesday 21 October. If your family follows an Indian printed calendar, you may see 20 October; follow your temple, and remember that the muhurat times above are for the 21st.

Key Navratri and Dussehra dates 2026

Ashtami and Navami share Monday 19 October in India's calendar this year, so families who do Kanya pujan on either day will usually hold it then, or on the weekend before. Usefully, Japan's Vijayadashami and the Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami fall on the same Wednesday this year.

Hindu temples in Japan for Navratri & Dussehra

These temples and associations have been confirmed to exist in or near each city. We list name and area only; check their own websites or social pages for opening hours and festival plans. Temples and community groups usually announce Navratri garba, Durga Puja, Ramlila and Ravan Dahan programmes a few weeks ahead — check their websites/social pages.

Tokyo

Tokyo's Vijay Muhurat on Wednesday 21 October is 1:17 PM – 2:01 PM, with the Aparahna from 12:32 PM – 2:45 PM and sunset at 4:59 PM. Greater Tokyo has by far Japan's largest Indian and Nepali communities, with clusters around Nishi-Kasai and Funabori in Edogawa, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro.

• Shiva Shakti Mandir — Okubo, Shinjuku. A Hindu temple serving Indian and Nepali devotees, holding regular pujas and the major festivals.
• ISKCON New Gaya (Hare Krishna temple) — Funabori, Edogawa. A three-storey temple with Sri Sri Radha Govinda, a Vedic culture centre and a vegetarian restaurant, close to Nishi-Kasai's Little India.
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Tokyo — Tokyo. Its murtis were consecrated in 2018, with devotees from Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto taking part.
• Bengali Association of Tokyo, Japan (BATJ) — Tokyo. Organises Tokyo's long-running Durga Puja and publishes the multilingual magazine Anjali for the festival.
• Indian Community Activities Tokyo (ICAT) — Kanto region. An association of Indians in the Kanto area that shares information on festivals and community activities.
• Edogawa Indian Association — Nishi-Kasai, Edogawa. The community association of Tokyo's Little India.

During Navratri, Tokyo temples typically hold Devi pujas, aarti and bhajans, and Gujarati and wider Indian groups book community halls for garba and dandiya nights, usually on weekends. The Bengali Durga Puja brings dhak drumming, pushpanjali, bhog and a cultural programme.

Kanagawa: Yokohama

Yokohama shares Tokyo's Vijay Muhurat of 1:17 PM – 2:01 PM, with the Aparahna from 12:32 PM – 2:46 PM and sunset at 4:59 PM. Yokohama has a long-established Indian trading community and hosts Diwali in Yokohama, one of Japan's largest India-themed festivals, held around Diwali each autumn. Many Yokohama families also attend temples in Tokyo, which is under an hour away by train.

• Vedanta Society of Japan (Nippon Vedanta Kyokai) — Zushi, Kanagawa. A centre of the Ramakrishna Order offering worship, meditation and talks based on the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda.

Kansai: Kobe and Osaka

Kobe's Vijay Muhurat is 1:35 PM – 2:19 PM (Aparahna 12:50 PM – 3:04 PM, sunset 5:18 PM) and Osaka's is 1:34 PM – 2:18 PM (Aparahna 12:49 PM – 3:03 PM, sunset 5:17 PM). Kobe is home to Japan's oldest Indian community, many of them Sindhi and Gujarati families settled for three or four generations, while Osaka has a younger community of IT professionals, researchers and students.

• Hindu mandir of the Indian Social Society — Chuo-ku, Kobe. The community Hindu temple for Kobe's long-settled Indian families.
• The India Club — Kitano, Kobe. Founded in 1904, it is the traditional venue for many of Kobe's Indian cultural events and festivals.
• Kobe Jain Temple (Jain Sangh of Kobe) — Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe. Opened in 1985; not a Hindu temple, but part of the same close-knit Indian business community.
• Osaka University Indian Association (OIA) — Suita, Osaka. A student association that marks Indian festivals such as Holi and Diwali.

We could not confirm a dedicated Hindu temple in Osaka itself through reliable listings. Osaka families usually celebrate at home, through student and professional groups, or by travelling to Kobe, about half an hour away by train. In Kobe, Navratri is typically marked with Devi puja, bhajans and community gatherings.

Aichi: Nagoya

Nagoya's Vijay Muhurat is 1:28 PM – 2:12 PM, with the Aparahna from 12:43 PM – 2:57 PM and sunset at 5:10 PM. Nagoya's Indian community is centred on the automotive and engineering industries of Aichi and on the city's universities. We could not confirm a Hindu temple in Nagoya through reliable listings. Families usually mark Navratri at home and with informal community and student groups, and some travel to Osaka, Kobe or Tokyo by shinkansen for larger temple celebrations.

How Japan celebrates Navratri and Dussehra

Because 11–21 October are ordinary working days, most community celebration in Japan moves to the weekends around Navratri. Garba and dandiya nights in rented halls bring chaniya choli, kediyu, a central Mataji image and aarti at the start. Bengali families gather for Durga Puja with an idol, pushpanjali, bhog and cultural evenings, ending with Bijoya greetings and, for married women, Sindoor Khela. Tamil and other South Indian families set up Golu (Bommai Kolu) displays at home, often with small Japanese dolls added alongside the traditional figures, and hold Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja. Telugu families may celebrate Bathukamma with flower stacks and circle songs, and Nepali families observe Dashain, with tika and jamara given by elders on Vijaya Dashami.

Large open-air Ravan Dahan as seen in India is very rare in Japan. Open fires, effigy burning and fireworks are regulated by local authorities and fire departments, and parks and halls rarely allow them. Where groups mark Ravan Dahan, it is usually as a children's Ramayana play or a story session.

Dussehra puja at home

If you cannot reach a temple on a Wednesday, a short puja at home in the afternoon of 21 October is entirely traditional. Ideally do it during your city's Vijay Muhurat, or at least within the Aparahna:

• Aparajita puja: draw an eight-petalled lotus with kumkum or rice flour, place a lamp, and worship Devi Aparajita, the goddess of victory, with flowers, akshat and a simple prayer for success over obstacles.
• Shami puja: Shami trees are hard to find in Japan, so offer any leaves you have, or a picture of the Shami tree, to the Devi and pray for victory. Exchanging leaves as "gold" is a Maharashtrian and Karnataka custom.
• Ayudha Puja / Shastra puja: clean and decorate tools, books, laptops, bicycles and the car, apply kumkum and offer flowers, thanking them for their service.
• Vidyarambham: Vijayadashami is the traditional day for small children to begin learning — writing "Om" or the first letters of the alphabet in rice.

A simple order: bathe, light a lamp, pray to Ganesha, do the Aparajita and Shami puja, then Ayudha puja, offer naivedya (sweets, fruit), do aarti and share prasad. For full step-by-step vidhi and the stories behind the festival, see our Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 pillar guide.

Practical tips for Dussehra in Japan

• Check the date: relatives in India will celebrate on Tuesday 20 October, but in Japan the Vijayadashami afternoon is Wednesday 21 October. Plan your puja for the 21st.
• Working day: Wednesday 21 October is a normal working and school day. The Vijay Muhurat falls in the early afternoon, so a lunch-hour puja at home or a short break works well, or do the puja later within the Aparahna.
• Fire and fireworks: rules on open fires, effigy burning and fireworks are set by your city and local fire department. Do not burn effigies or use fireworks without permission, and check the rules of any hall or apartment building before lighting lamps or incense.
• Getting to temples: trains are the easiest way to reach temples in Tokyo, Yokohama and Kobe; parking is very limited. Check last-train times if you are going to an evening programme.
• Early sunset: sunset is between 4:59 PM and 5:18 PM depending on the city, so evening aarti starts early. Late October evenings are cool, so bring a layer.
• Puja items: Indian grocers in Nishi-Kasai, Okachimachi, Kobe and Osaka stock flowers, kumkum and sweets, but buy a few days early as stock runs short before Navratri weekends.
• Muhurat: use your own city's times from the table above; never convert India's times into Japanese time.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Japan?

Wednesday 21 October 2026 in every Japanese city. In Japan the Dashami tithi begins at 4:20 PM on Tuesday 20 October, after that afternoon's Aparahna has ended, and lasts until 5:41 PM on Wednesday 21 October. So the afternoon of the 21st is the Vijayadashami afternoon in Japan, one day later than in India.

Why is Dussehra a day later in Japan than in India?

The tithi begins at the same moment worldwide (12:50 PM IST on 20 October), but Japan is three and a half hours ahead of India. By the time Dashami starts in Japan it is already late afternoon, past the Aparahna. Vijayadashami is observed on the day when Dashami covers the Aparahna, which in Japan is Wednesday 21 October.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Tokyo and Osaka?

Calculated by the Drik Panchang method for each city on Wednesday 21 October 2026: Tokyo and Yokohama 1:17 PM – 2:01 PM, Osaka 1:34 PM – 2:18 PM, Kobe 1:35 PM – 2:19 PM and Nagoya 1:28 PM – 2:12 PM, all in Japan Standard Time.

Can I convert India's Dussehra muhurat into Japanese time?

No. The Vijay Muhurat depends on local sunrise and sunset, so it has to be calculated for your own city. Use the Japanese times on this page or your temple's calendar, not India's times shifted by the time difference.

When is Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela for Bengali families in Japan?

In India, Bengal-tradition Bijoya Dashami and Sindoor Khela fall on Wednesday 21 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, Kolkata). The Durga Puja organised by the Bengali Association of Tokyo, Japan follows its own committee's schedule, which is often a weekend, so check their announcements.

Is Dussehra a holiday in Japan?

No. Wednesday 21 October 2026 is a normal working and school day in Japan, so many families do the afternoon puja at home or at work during a break, and join temple or community celebrations in the evening or on the following weekend.

Related guides

• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026: complete guide
• Navratri 2026: complete guide for NRI families
• Dussehra 2026 in Hong Kong
• Dussehra 2026 Singapore, area by area
• Dussehra 2026 Malaysia, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 in Thailand, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in Indonesia, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 Australia, city by city
• Dashain 2026 in Nepal
• October 2026 Hindu festival calendar