Home › Shirakawa-go light-up
When do Shirakawa-go light-up parking spaces go on sale?
Tickets go on sale on fixed dates set by the organiser for each event.
Shirakawa-go, a village in Gifu Prefecture, holds its winter light-up on four days in January 2027. Parking for those days is sold in advance, online only, in rounds. Round 1 is sold out, and round 2 goes on sale on December 1, 2026.
- Where
- Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture
- Book ahead
- About six weeks: round 2 opens December 1, 2026, for light-up days in January 2027
Confirmed on the official site Last checked Oct 17, 2026, 12:00 JST
How hard to get: Usually sells out within days or weeks. Why we say this
Tickets go on sale
For visits 2027-01-11 (Light-up day, January 11, 2027)
Later sale dates
- Dec 1, 2026, 13:00 JST: for 2027-01-17 (Light-up day, January 17, 2027)
- Dec 1, 2026, 13:00 JST: for 2027-01-24 (Light-up day, January 24, 2027)
- Dec 1, 2026, 13:00 JST: for 2027-01-31 (Light-up day, January 31, 2027)
How to book, step by step
- Check the light-up dates on the Shirakawa-go Tourist Association website: January 11, 17, 24 and 31, 2027.
- Parking is sold online only, on the Tourist Association's website, and paid by credit card.
- Round 2 goes on sale at 13:00 Japan time on December 1, 2026. Have the page open before then.
- Expect the site to be slow at release. The Tourist Association warns that pages may be hard to open.
- Choose your light-up day and pay by credit card to confirm your parking space.
Good to know for overseas visitors
- Round 1 sold out, so expect round 2 to go fast.
- Lodging in the village on light-up days is allocated by lottery, not first come, first served.
- A news report says group bus parking in the village will also need advance booking from December 1, 2026. This is not from an official page.
- Bus tours and observation deck tours have their own sale dates, which we have not been able to confirm.
Where it is
Sold out? Other ways in
- Watch the Tourist Association website for news of any further sales
- Shirakawa-go tours on Klook (Klook)
FAQ
When does Shirakawa-go light-up parking go on sale?
Round 2 goes on sale at 13:00 Japan time on December 1, 2026, online only on the Tourist Association's website. It covers the light-up days on January 11, 17, 24 and 31, 2027.
Can I stay in Shirakawa-go on a light-up day?
Lodging on light-up days is allocated by lottery, not first come, first served. Check the Tourist Association's website for details.
Sources
- shirakawa-go.gr.jp: “2027年 1/11（月・祝）・1/17（日）・1/24（日）・1/31（日）の4日間” (checked 2026-10-17)
- shirakawa-go.gr.jp: “2026年12月1日(火)の13:00から販売を開始します” (checked 2026-10-17)
- shirakawa-go.gr.jp: “白川郷観光協会のHP内にてネット販売(クレジット決済)のみとなります” (checked 2026-10-17)
- shirakawa-go.gr.jp: “アクセスが大変込み合い、ページが開きにくくなる可能性があります” (checked 2026-10-17)
The light-up dates and the round 2 sale date and time are from the Shirakawa-go Tourist Association's official parking page. Its event overview and lodging pages could not be read, and bus tour dates are not confirmed.
How hard to get (“Usually sells out within days or weeks”): Official parking page: round 1, on sale from September 10, is sold out. The page doesn't say how fast it went, so this is an estimate.
Rule changes
- 2026-10-18: Added. Parking round 2 goes on sale December 1, 2026 at 13:00 JST, for the four light-up days in January 2027 (official page).