Your guide to Japan Week 2025: 11 days of food, culture, and crafts in Montreal

From ramen and wagashi to kimono parades and tea markets, here’s how to make the most of Japan Week 2025 in Montreal.

The Main

April 17, 2025- Read time: 5 min

For 11 days this May, Japan takes over Montreal—not with fanfare or fireworks, but through ramen steam, saké pours, and kimono silk: Japan Week 2025 runs from May 1 to 11 and has been shaped up to be so much more than a celebration. It’s a city-wide invitation to discover how Japanese culture has woven itself into Montreal’s restaurants, shops, and everyday rituals.

Now in its fifth edition—and stretching from 7 to 11 days for the first time—the event pulls together over 40 participating businesses, from izakayas and manga lounges to matcha bars and craft shops. Add in cultural workshops, a Chibi Japanese Market, and the city’s biggest Shiba and Akita dog gathering, and you’ve got a festival that feels intimate but expansive, rooted in community but open to all.

Here’s where to eat, drink, browse, and celebrate during Japan Week 2025 in Montreal.

Where to eat: 21 restaurants serving up Japan Week specials

Montreal’s Japanese food scene is deeper than people think. It’s not just sushi and ramen (though there’s plenty of that too)—it’s izakaya-style snacks, donburi bowls done right, and chefs quietly pushing flavour boundaries in unassuming neighbourhood spots. Japan Week is your excuse to make a whole itinerary out of it.

From slurpable broths and late-night izakayas to high-end sushi counters and donburi joints doing comfort food with precision, Japan Week 2025 brings together 21 of Montreal’s best Japanese restaurants. Some are household names, others are worth discovering—but all are offering something special for the occasion.

Whether you’re chasing the perfect tonkotsu, sipping saké with snacks, or diving into Nikkei fusion, there’s no shortage of reasons to build your week around meals.

Read our full dining guide:

Where To Shop, Sip, and Discover: 20 Businesses Getting in the Spirit

Japan Week isn’t just about what’s on your plate—it’s about the details. The scent of matcha being whisked behind the counter. The precision of a hand-forged knife. A wall of manga, untouched by algorithm. It’s the quiet obsession with craft that defines so many of the businesses participating this year.

You’ll find 20 cafés, boutiques, bakeries, galleries, and cultural spaces across the city taking part, each offering a different entry point into Japanese culture—whether through taste, texture, or tradition.

Some spots are offering limited-time items or in-store events—others are just places you should already know. Either way, it’s the perfect excuse to plan a slow afternoon around a matcha latte, a few shelves of manga, and maybe a slice of cheesecake on the way out.

Find the full guide to Japan Week 2025 boutiques here:

What to see and do: Pop-ups, performances, and one very good dog parade 🐕

Japan Week isn’t just for diners and design-heads—it’s also for the curious, the collectors, and anyone who’s ever wondered how to properly sip saké or tie a yukata. This year’s schedule mixes one-off events with recurring cultural touchpoints, creating a lineup that’s both fun and genuinely enriching.

CHIBI Japanese Market

📍 Osmo x Marusan | 🗓 May 3–4, 12 PM to 6 PM

A mini market with major energy. Hosted on the Osmo x Marusan terrasse, CHIBI brings together artisans, food vendors, florists, and kimono specialists for two days of open-air shopping and socializing. It’s like a slice of Tokyo street culture, right off Sherbrooke.

Handmade accessories by Atelier Tsubaki
Traditional sweets from KotoAn Wagashi
Rare teas via Sakao and Tokusen
Fresh bouquets from Kyoto Fleurs
And a saké booth run by Koji Soupe

Workshops and Performances

🎵 MTL Shamisen Project: A live concert from the city’s only traditional shamisen collective.
🍶 Saké 101 with Madame Saké: Kuniko Fujita (aka Mme. Saké au Québec) demystifies rice wine with an intro session for newcomers.
🍵 Nihoncha Canada Spring Festival: A celebration of Japanese tea, complete with tastings and educational moments.

The Grand Shiba, Akita, Kimono, and Yukata Gathering

🗓 May 10 at 2 PM (rain date May 11) | 📍 Location: Placette Côte-des-Neiges

The name says it all. Montreal’s fluffiest celebration returns for its sixth edition—with a twist. This year, a kimono and yukata parade joins the dog meetup, turning it into a full-on cultural crossover. Whether you have a Shiba, wear a yukata, or just want to be around people who love both, this event’s free and open to all.

How To Join In—and What’s Coming Next

You don’t need a passport or plane ticket to experience Japan this spring—just a good pair of shoes and a little curiosity. Remember that as Japan Week 2025 runs from May 1 to 11, the best way to stay in the loop is to follow the official accounts and sign up for updates.

👉 Join the mailing list here

👉 Follow on Instagram

👉 Explore the full list of participating businesses

And if you’re already planning ahead, pencil in YATAI MTL—the open-air Japanese street food market returning to Hangar 1825 in Griffintown, June 5 to 8. (Think of it as Japan Week’s louder, greasier cousin.)

Japan Week is what happens when restaurants, shops, artists, and neighbours decide to celebrate a culture together—not as an import, but as something that’s already rooted here. The result is something quiet and joyful, surprising and delicious. A love letter to the small details that make Japanese culture endlessly worth revisiting—one bowl, book, or blossom at a time.