Your Guide to Japan Week 2026: Ten Days of Food, Culture, and Craft in Montreal

Japan Week is back. The sixth edition runs May 1 to 10, 2026 across more than 30 Montreal restaurants, shops, and cultural spaces. It's a city-wide trail, which means you build your own itinerary: a bowl of ramen here, a matcha somewhere else, a detour into a manga café you've been meaning to try.

Organized by ASIASIE—the non-profit behind YATAI MTL, Ramen Ramen Fes, POCHA MTL and other events dedicated to Asian culture in Quebec—Japan Week has become a reliable fixture among the best things to do in Montreal in May. It's free to explore, rooted in real businesses doing real things, and a little different every year.

Here's what's on for 2026.

Restaurants and Shops

The full participant map drops April 27 at asiasie.com, but the lineup is shaping up to include familiar faces alongside some newer spots worth checking out.

On the food side, expect ramen bars, izakayas, sushi counters, and donburi joints—plus Japanese-inflected bakeries and dessert spots for anyone with a sweet tooth and no real agenda. The shopping end covers everything from Japanese knife specialists and sake boutiques to flower studios and manga cafés.

A few returning names worth keeping on your radar: Tsukuyomi Ramen (with locations in Mile-End, Bishop, and Bois-Franc), Kinoya Bistro, Umami Ramen & Izakaya, Ramen Nakamichi, Yakitori Hibahihi, Madame Saké, Kyoto Fleurs, Kaizen Manga Cafe, and Uncle Tetsu Cheesecake. New this year: Shushuto Bar à Ramen + Tapas, and YEN Cuisine Japonaise.

Check asiasie.com closer to May 1 for confirmed hours, special menus, and anything requiring a reservation.

What's Happening: Markets, Tea, and a Lot of Dogs