Naruto birthday festival returning to Awaji Island in October 2026

Nijigen No Mori’s NARUTO & BORUTO Shinobi-Zato will mark Naruto Uzumaki’s birthday with a three-day festival on Awaji Island from Oct. 10-12, 2026. The event includes a character greeting, a group photo forming the Hidden Leaf Symbol and a rock-paper-scissors tournament for visitors with standard park admission.

Why it matters: - The event gives Naruto fans a limited-time birthday celebration at one of Japan’s best-known anime attractions. - The program adds live character interaction and photo opportunities to a standard park visit. - The three-day holiday timing could draw weekend and national-holiday traffic to Awaji Island near Kobe and Osaka.

What happened: - NARUTO & BORUTO Shinobi-Zato at Nijigen No Mori on Awaji Island will host “Shinobi-Zato Naruto Uzumaki Birthday Festival 2026.” - The first volume, “Naruto Uzumaki Birthday Party – Let’s Make the Hidden-Leaf Symbol Together –,” runs Saturday, Oct. 10 through Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. - The festival begins on Naruto Uzumaki’s birthday, Oct. 10. - The event takes place in front of Hokage Rock inside NARUTO & BORUTO Shinobi-Zato.

The details: - Naruto Uzumaki will appear for character greeting events during the three-day festival. - On Oct. 10, participants will gather with Naruto to form a giant Hidden Leaf Symbol for a commemorative group photo. - A noon birthday greeting and photo session is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. - Private photo sessions are limited to 15 groups per day. - A numbered ticket is required for the private photo session. - Tickets are distributed first come, first served at reception when the park opens each day. - A rock-paper-scissors tournament with Naruto is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. - The tournament offers exclusive grand prizes. - Admission to the event is included with standard entry to NARUTO & BORUTO Shinobi-Zato. - Greeting events may be canceled without notice if it rains. - Direct express buses run frequently from JR Osaka Station and Kobe Sannomiya Station to Nijigen No Mori, with travel time of about 1 to 1.5 hours. - More information is available in the company announcement.

Between the lines: - The format mixes fan service with low-friction participation, which should help the park convert franchise interest into on-site attendance. - The use of standard admission for most activities keeps the event accessible while preserving scarcity around the private photo sessions. - The rain cancellation note suggests the most visible parts of the program are weather-sensitive, which could affect turnout and schedules.

What's next: - Visitors planning to attend will need to arrive early if they want a numbered ticket for the private photo session. - The park is likely to manage crowd flow around the Oct. 10 birthday photo moment and the afternoon tournament. - Additional festival volumes may follow under the broader “Shinobi-Zato Naruto Uzumaki Birthday Festival 2026” banner.

The bottom line: - Naruto’s birthday is becoming a timed draw for Nijigen No Mori, with a short-run event designed to pull fans to Awaji Island over the holiday weekend.