Performing arts festivals offer a broad choice of playwrights and dance performances throughout the year. They sometime offer plays in foreign languages or featuring subtitles. The World Theatre Festival Shizuoka is definitely a reference, and the closest to such a festival as Avignon, happening on a limited period and defined spaces.
Tokyo Performing Arts Festival, aka TominFes, late January to late March.
It gathers a number of spectacles and locations, from traditional and folk Japanese dance to theatre, including opera, kabuki, and classical music. Tokyo inhabitants can join until the first week of December a lottery, a number of places being available for free. A lot of events include English subtitles or support.
https://tomin-fes.com/index.html
Meet up for Edo-Tokyo Traditional Performing Arts, mid-January to late March. This new festival, launched in 2025 and really starting in January 2026, focuses on such traditions as noh, buyou traditionnal dance, traditional music such as gagaku court music, rakugo vaudeville and folkloric dance and entertainment. Spread in the city, it takes place in the various noh theaters of Tokyo and other halls. Targeting both Japanese and foreigners, it has a good English website and most performances have some support for non Japanese speakers, be it subtitles, hearing support or summaries.
https://edotokyo-dentogeinosai.jp/en/
World Theatre Festival Shizuoka, last week of April to first week of May.
Always feature troupes from abroad, as well as plays in Japanese with subtitles, and contemporary dance. At least every other year, there is a French speaking troupe/play, for instance in 2022, 2023, and again in 2025 (2 plays, from a French and a Swiss troupe). In 2024 the Berlin Schaubuehne was performing in German. Satoshi Miyagi, head of the festival and of the SPAC, always presents one of his plays in Japanese with English subtitles.
Held over the Golden Week, it includes a free fringe festival around Grampus castle. Official program usually announced from mid February, booking from March. Check 2025 program here.
https://festival-shizuoka.jp/en/
Ikebukuro Theater Festival, September.
Toshima-ku is a major district as regards theatre in Tokyo. With many venues, from small, basement floor spaces to major auditoriums, both private and public, it plays an important role in Tokyo theatre scene. The Ikebukuro Engekisai is a competition with many prices. Although many theatre groups are fringe companies, it gives very valuable opportunities to peak at many different performances. Inhabitants from Toshima-ku and Tokyo can apply to be members of the jury, with the duty to see 4 plays (for free) and report on them. Japanese language only, so far.
https://ikebukuroengekisai.jp/event/37th/
SCOT Summer Season, end August to early September.
The Scot festival has been the first international theater festival in Japan, set up by Tadashi Suzuki. It became the Toga Theatre Olympics, before Covid put a halt on this 2 weeks festival in the Japanese Alps. It partially resumed, as the Scot Summer Season. Featuring several works from Tadashi Suzuki, as well as invited director guests, and sometimes contemporary dance works. Set up in a remote place, it is an adventure in itself, and an experience also close to a remote, secluded and exclusive Avignon experience. English subtitles are usually available, so it is accessible to non Japanese speakers. Starts on August 22nd in 2025. Check 2025 program in the blog.
https://www.instagram.com/scot_toga/ , https://www.scot-suzukicompany.com/en/toga.php
Autumn Meteorite Festival Tokyo, October.
Organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Theater, with the support of Toshima-ku, it replaced in 2025 the Tokyo Festival. It features plays with English subtitles, or foreign plays, like Toshiki Okada latest work in 2024 (still Tokyo Festival), or a play featuring Isabelle Huppert in 2025.
https://autumnmeteorite.jp/en/2025/program,
https://tokyo-festival.jp/en/
Kyoto Experiment, October.
It offers plays surtitled in English, and sometimes invites comedians from abroad. There are regularly contemporary dancers from overseas (in 2024, Christian Rizzo, Mathilde Monnier or La Horde).
https://kyoto-ex.jp/en/
Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting, late November to mid December.
YPAM proposes some theatre plays in English or other languages, some plays with subtitles, and various performances. Official program is announced early October. https://ypam.jp/2025/
Former 2024 program for reference : https://ypam.jp/program/
Within the framework of YPAM, Yokohama Dance Collection features a variety of contemporary dance performances where dancers/companies compete. Official program announced end September.
Aichi Triennale, September-November (2025, 2028, …)
Visual and performing arts from Nagoya to Seto, presenting Japan and world premiere, including commissioned works. Some plays/performance are in English or are subtitled. 2025 is particularly rich and thrilling.
https://aichitriennale.jp/en/archive/index.html
Tokyo stages and live arts, theatre and biodiversity 