Huis Ten Bosch Christmas 2026 & Fukuoka Markets

Short answer: Huis Ten Bosch Christmas 2026 runs from 6 November to 25 December in Sasebo, Nagasaki, with the new Starlight Million illumination on until 25 February 2027. Pair it with Fukuoka’s free Christmas markets at Hakata (7 Nov–25 Dec) and Tenjin (14 Nov–26 Dec), about 1 hour 45 minutes away by limited express.

Huis Ten Bosch Christmas 2026 runs from Friday 6 November to Friday 25 December 2026 in Sasebo, Nagasaki, with a brand-new illumination, The Starlight Million, that stays on until 25 February 2027. This year the park has teamed up with Fukuoka’s Christmas Advent for the first time, so the Hakata and Tenjin Christmas markets and Huis Ten Bosch now share a campaign, a ¥200 mug coupon and a reason to do both on one trip.

Last checked: 1 November 2026

This guide puts every dated Kyushu Christmas market and light show for 2026 in one table, does the ticket and train maths, and gives a two-day Fukuoka-to-Huis Ten Bosch plan. Everything was checked on 1 November 2026 against Huis Ten Bosch, Christmas Advent and JR Kyushu. Anything the organisers have not yet published, such as the light-up switch-on time, is marked “not yet announced”.

Kyushu Christmas markets 2026: every date in one table

All dates are 2026 unless noted. Hours are the official ones; where a time is missing, the organiser has not published it yet.

Event	Where	Dates	Hours	Entry / mug
European Holy Christmas (ヨーロピアン・ホーリー・クリスマス)	Huis Ten Bosch, Sasebo	Fri 6 Nov – Fri 25 Dec	Park hours; light-up time not yet announced	Park ticket needed; mug + drink ¥1,600
The Starlight Million illumination	Huis Ten Bosch, whole park	Fri 6 Nov – Thu 25 Feb 2027	From dusk (exact time not yet announced)	Included in park ticket
Kyushu’s biggest fireworks (九州一 大花火まつり, 13th)	Huis Ten Bosch	Sat 14 Nov	Start time not yet confirmed by us	1DAY ¥8,200 that day; paid seats
Christmas Market in Hikari no Machi Hakata	JR Hakata Station front plaza	Sat 7 Nov – Fri 25 Dec	Weekdays 16:00–23:00; weekends, holidays and 24–25 Dec 12:00–23:00	Free; green mug, price not yet announced
Tenjin Christmas Advent	Fukuoka City Hall west Fureai Square, Tenjin	Sat 14 Nov – Sat 26 Dec (closed 28–29 Nov)	Weekdays 17:00–23:00; weekends, holidays and 24–25 Dec 12:00–23:00	Free; Miffy mug + drink ¥2,000 from 20 Nov
Hikari no Forest (光のフォレスト)	Tenjin Central Park	Thu 12 Nov – Fri 25 Dec	REVERIE show 18:15 and 20:15 on set days	Free
Kumamoto Station Christmas market	Amu Hiroba, JR Kumamoto Station	Expected late Nov – 25 Dec	2026 not yet announced	Free in past years
Glover Garden Christmas candles	Glover Garden, Nagasaki	Expected 24–25 Dec	2026 not yet announced	Garden admission

Fukuoka’s Christmas Advent has 11 venues in 2026, from Nakasu to Kokura; the Hakata and Tenjin markets are the two big food-and-drink ones. The full list is on the Christmas Advent site.

What is new at Huis Ten Bosch Christmas 2026?

Three things. First, the illumination has been rebuilt for the first time in 16 years, according to Huis Ten Bosch’s July press release. The Starlight Million fills Amsterdam City with more than 100 star displays, a 500 m canal-side route and a light “waterfall” about 66 m wide.

Second, the joint campaign with Fukuoka, called Kyushu Twin Stars Christmas, runs 6 November to 25 December. It brings a special Christmas version of the 3D projection mapping in Amsterdam Square, Christmas Advent mugs and German clay candle holders to the park’s market, and an Instagram photo contest using #クリスマスアドベント and #ハウステンボス (Travel Watch). Projection mapping show times are not yet announced.

Third, Miffy gets a Christmas of her own: the first Miffy & Friends Christmas Festival, with Miffy, Melanie, Boris and Grandy in winter outfits, plus Christmas tarts and milk tea at Miffy Wonder Square (iko-yo).

The big set pieces

• Grand Chandelier Tree — a free-standing, chandelier-shaped tree with about 9,000 crystals, back for 2026.
• Melody of Christmas — a live-sung Christmas show during which the tree lights up.
• Santa greetings — photos with Santa in the decorated streets.
• Christmas market — Christmas chicken, soup, European imports and the two Huis Ten Bosch mugs (Miffy, and the Grand Chandelier Tree design), each ¥1,600 with a drink. The Miffy mug comes with a soft drink only.
• Recovery tree — a symbol tree and donation box for the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake recovery, at both Huis Ten Bosch and Tenjin.

Show times for all of these appear on the park’s daily show schedule; for 2026 they are not yet announced.

Huis Ten Bosch Christmas 2026 tickets: which pass makes sense?

Huis Ten Bosch uses date-based pricing, so the official ticket page shows “from” prices. Here is what an adult pays.

Ticket	Adult price	Entry	Best for
1DAY Passport	From ¥7,600	All day	Shows, Miffy, rides and the lights
After 3 Passport	From ¥5,900 (¥6,200 on peak dates, e.g. 21–22 Nov)	From 15:00 to closing	The illumination plus the market
1.5DAY Passport (on-site only)	From ¥11,200	15:00 day one, all of day two	Staying overnight
1DAY on fireworks day (14 Nov)	¥8,200	All day	The 22,000-shell show

There is no separate lights-only night ticket on the official ticket page as of 30 October 2026; the After 3 Passport is the evening option. Travel-agency 1DAY vouchers cannot be used on special-price days such as the fireworks and the New Year countdown.

The maths

• Light switch-on: not yet announced. Sunset in Nagasaki is 17:26 on 6 November, 17:17 on 21 November and 17:20 on 25 December (NAOJ), so expect the lights to come on in the 17:00 hour.
• After 3 vs 1DAY: entering at 15:00 gives you about two hours of daylight, then the full illumination, for ¥1,700 less than a 1DAY ticket. If you only care about lights and the market, take it.
• 1DAY is worth it if you want the Miffy shows, the daytime streets or the fireworks on 14 November.
• Peak dates: on the JTB listing, the After 3 is excluded or priced higher on most November and December weekends and from 24 December to 3 January. Weekdays are cheaper and calmer.

Update, 2 November 2026: 50% off Huis Ten Bosch hotels in December

Nagasaki’s Kyushu Fukko Oenwari (九州ふっこう応援割), the travel discount set up after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, reopened on Rakuten Travel and Jalan at 10:00 JST today. It takes 50% off stays from 1 December (check-in) to 26 December 2026 (check-out), capped at ¥20,000 per person per trip, not per night. Sales close on 25 December or when the budget runs out.

Huis Ten Bosch lists all five of its official hotels as covered: Hotel Europe, Hotel Amsterdam, Hotel Den Haag, Hotel Rotterdam and Forest Villa.

Visiting from abroad? The official pages set no nationality or residence rule, but you must book in Japanese. Rakuten Travel excludes its English (inbound) site: log in and claim the Nagasaki coupon before booking. On Jalan, log in with a Recruit ID and check the coupon box is ticked at payment. Hotels may check ID at check-in.

Hakata to Huis Ten Bosch: train time, fare and the winter deal

The direct Limited Express Huis Ten Bosch takes about 1 hour 45 minutes from Hakata; JR Kyushu’s sample timetable shows 8:07 from Hakata, arriving 9:51 (JR Kyushu). Huis Ten Bosch Station is a 7-minute walk from the entrance. Other services mean a change at Haiki.

Option	One way (adult)	Return	Notes
Limited express, unreserved	¥4,220 (fare ¥2,420 + ¥1,800)	¥8,440	Ekitan fare check, Oct 2026
Limited express, reserved	Unreserved fare + seat fee (varies by season)	—	Check JR Kyushu when booking
Winter Enjoy! Huis Ten Bosch Ticket (冬トク☆エンジョイ！ハウステンボスきっぷ)	—	¥12,000 incl. 1DAY Passport	From Fukuoka city, reserved seats, 4 days valid

Do the sums: an unreserved return plus a 1DAY Passport is about ¥16,040; JR Kyushu puts the reserved-seat version at ¥17,100. The winter ticket costs ¥12,000 for both, saving ¥4,000–5,100. It is on sale until 11 January 2027 for travel from 6 November 2026 to 14 January 2027, works on the 14 November fireworks day, and comes with a ¥200 coupon for a Christmas Advent mug if you collect it by 25 December (Travel Watch). Buy it on JR Kyushu’s online train reservation or at reserved-seat machines at Hakata and other Fukuoka stations.

The catch: the 1DAY voucher is swapped for a pass at the park window, and it is a full-day ticket, so it only beats the After 3 if you arrive before lunch.

Fukuoka Christmas market 2026: Hakata or Tenjin?

Both are free to enter, cashless only (credit cards and e-money including SUGOCA, nimoca, QUICPay, au PAY, d払い and Rakuten Pay), open until 23:00 and ban outside food and drink. Mugs are sold with a drink, not on their own, and are yours to keep; neither page mentions a deposit-and-return system.

Hakata Christmas market at JR Hakata Station

Christmas Market in Hikari no Machi Hakata fills the station front plaza from Saturday 7 November to Friday 25 December, with white huts and a green-themed mug sold only here. Hours are 16:00–23:00 on weekdays and 12:00–23:00 on weekends, holidays and 24–25 December; last orders 22:45 (official page). It is right outside the Hakata Exit, so it is the easiest pre-train or post-dinner stop. Toilets are in the station and on B1 of AMU Plaza Hakata.

Tenjin Christmas market 2026 at City Hall Fureai Square

Tenjin Christmas Advent runs Saturday 14 November to Saturday 26 December, a day longer than Hakata. Weekdays open at 17:00, weekends and holidays at 12:00, and it closes 23:00. Watch three dates: 14–15 November are shared with another event, it is closed 28–29 November, and on 21 November it shuts at 21:30 (official page).

This is the collaboration venue: from 20 November it sells a Miffy mug, Miffy in a scarf and clogs, at ¥2,000 with a drink, in limited numbers by lottery (press release). It is 4 minutes on foot from Tenjin Station and 3 from Tenjin-Minami. Tenjin Central Park’s Hikari no Forest, with a free light performance at 18:15 and 20:15 on set days from 17 November, is a short walk away.

Pick Hakata if you are travelling on by train. Pick Tenjin for the Miffy mug, a later finish to the season and a walk to the lights in the park.

A two-day Fukuoka to Huis Ten Bosch winter plan

This works best midweek between 20 November and 22 December, when both Fukuoka markets and the Miffy mug are on and prices are lower.

Day 1: Fukuoka markets, castle lights and yatai

• From 17:00: Tenjin Christmas Advent on a weekday (12:00 at weekends). Get the Miffy mug early.
• 19:00: teamLab at Fukuoka Castle ruins, nightly to 11 January 2027 from 18:15, adults from ¥2,300 on weekdays. Akasaka Station is 7 minutes from Hakata. Prices and slots are in our teamLab Fukuoka Castle 2026 tickets guide.
• 21:00: dinner at a yatai stall in Nakasu or Tenjin. Our Fukuoka food guide covers which ones are worth the queue.
• 22:00: if you still have room, Hakata market is open until 23:00, right by your morning train.

Day 2: Huis Ten Bosch Christmas, day into night

• Morning: Limited Express Huis Ten Bosch from Hakata, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Use the ¥12,000 winter ticket if you want the full day.
• Afternoon: Miffy Wonder Square, the Christmas market and the Grand Chandelier Tree in daylight.
• From about 17:00: The Starlight Million, the projection mapping in Amsterdam Square and the Melody of Christmas show (times on the day’s show schedule).
• Evening: check the last limited express back to Hakata before you leave the station in the morning, or stay at a park hotel and use a 1.5DAY Passport.

Short on time? Swap day 2 for an After 3 Passport and the unreserved limited express: about ¥14,340 for transport and entry, and you still see every light.

Nagasaki and Kumamoto Christmas in brief

• Nagasaki city: Glover Garden held a Christmas heart-candle event on 24–25 December 2025 (17:00–19:30); 2026 not yet announced.
• Kumamoto: the Amu Hiroba Christmas market in front of JR Kumamoto Station has run to 25 December in past years; 2026 dates not yet announced.
• Elsewhere in Japan: Tokyo’s markets are in our Tokyo Christmas market 2026 guide and Kobe and Osaka in Kansai Christmas markets 2026.

Huis Ten Bosch Christmas 2026 FAQ

Sources and how we checked

All facts were last checked on 1 November 2026 against Huis Ten Bosch Christmas, its illumination page and ticket prices; the Kyushu Twin Stars Christmas release and Travel Watch; the Hakata and Tenjin Christmas Advent pages; JR Kyushu’s limited express notice and winter ticket report; and Ekitan for fares. Sunset times are from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Items marked “not yet announced” will be updated once published.