Japan Hobby Show to celebrate its 50th anniversary at Tokyo Big Sight, May 8–10, 2026 — In collaboration with The Asahi Shimbun Company, attendance is expected to reach 120,000 at one of Japan’s largest handmade festivals

The Japan Hobby Association has announced that “The 50th Japan Hobby Show 2026,” one of the largest festivals for the hobby and handmade market, will be held over three days from May 8, 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight. Since its first edition in 1976, the event has been supported as a place for makers to connect and share their work, and it now marks its 50th anniversary. For this commemorative edition, the Japan Hobby Association is teaming up with The Asahi Shimbun Company under the theme “Create, Continue, Connect,” aiming to drive the handmade industry forward into the future.

Event overview

Name: The 50th Japan Hobby Show 2026
Dates: Friday–Sunday, May 8–10, 2026, 10:00–17:00
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall 7
Organizer: The Japan Hobby Association
Operations & planning partner: The Asahi Shimbun Company
Concurrent event: The 19th Hobby Cooking Fair 2026
Official website https://2026.hobbyshow.jp/

The milestone 50th Japan Hobby Show will run for three days from Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00 each day, at Tokyo Big Sight East Hall 7. The event is organized by The Japan Hobby Association, with The Asahi Shimbun Company participating in operations and planning. The 19th Hobby Cooking Fair 2026 will be held concurrently at the venue.

Projected attendance of 120,000—expectations for overwhelming draw

At this 50th-anniversary milestone, the partnership between the Japan Hobby Association and The Asahi Shimbun Company is expected to drive significant advances toward the future of the hobby industry. The Asahi Shimbun Company has long organized high-quality events across diverse fields—culture, lifestyle, environment, education, sports—and its strength lies in overwhelming drawing power leveraging its media network. Based on past event results, attendance this time is projected at 120,000. Events involving The Asahi Shimbun Company consistently achieve high turnout and are said to deliver substantial benefits for companies and organizations, including enhanced brand recognition and new customer touchpoints. (At the 2025 edition, a total of 100,315 visitors attended over three days.)

50th-anniversary theme

The theme for the 50th edition is “Create, Continue, Connect.” The phrase reflects a desire to weave the 50-year trajectory of people who love handmade and have kept creating into the future. While valuing the joy and potential of making and the half-century journey of the Japan Hobby Show, the event aspires to continue expanding the circle of hobbies and handmade, serving as a place that connects people, ideas, passion, and techniques.

A full lineup of special programs for the 50th anniversary

To mark this milestone, more special programs than usual are being prepared.

Ceremonies and stage programs featuring top runners

In addition to leaders from the hobby and craft industry, the commemorative ceremony plans to invite notable guests and popular craft artists from other fields such as art, fashion, and interior design. On the special stage, cross-genre and cross-generational talk sessions and programmed events will be presented, sharing cutting-edge developments in making and hints for the future.

Participant-engaged events

Networking programs that facilitate exchanges between exhibitors and guests will also be enhanced, creating opportunities for new encounters and collaborations. Moreover, as hands-on events in which visitors can participate directly, numerous programs are planned—such as “50 Workshops” and “50 Giveaway Campaigns” in honor of the 50th anniversary. These will not only allow attendees to experience the joy of making, but also create a special three-day period in which exhibitors, guests, and visitors come together to build the future of the hobby world.