When Is Black Friday 2026 in Japan? Amazon, Rakuten and Qoo10 Sale Patterns

The short answer: as of August 2026, none of Amazon Japan, Rakuten Ichiba or Qoo10 has announced dates for its 2026 Black Friday (or equivalent late-November sale). Official announcements typically come just before the sale starts - for the 2025 edition, Rakuten issued its official press release on November 12, and entry registration for Amazon's point-up campaign opened on November 14. Any site claiming to know the exact 2026 schedule today is publishing a guess, not an official fact.

That said, the timing trend is easy to read from past records. Black Friday is anchored to the day after the US Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday of November), which falls on Friday, November 27 in 2026. All three Japanese platforms have concentrated their big sales in late November through early December around that date. This article organizes the actual 2024-2025 dates and each platform's sale pattern based on official announcements, plus what you can prepare while waiting. Search "ブラックフライデー" on Amazon

Start with the big picture. The table below shows the 2025 records confirmed in each company's official announcements.

Platform	2025 sale period (actual)	Sale pattern
Amazon	Early-access sale Nov 21 (Fri) 0:00 - Nov 23 (Sun); main sale Nov 24 (Mon) 0:00 - Dec 1 (Mon) 23:59	Discounts + entry-based point-up campaign
Rakuten Ichiba	Nov 20 (Thu) 20:00 - Nov 27 (Thu) 1:59 (entry opened Nov 12, 10:00)	Shop-hopping point multiplier + coupons
Qoo10	Winter Mega Sale Nov 21 (Fri) 17:00 - Dec 3 (Wed) 23:59	20% coupons distributed in split periods

All three started around November 20-21, with Amazon and Qoo10 running into early December. For reference, Rakuten's 2024 edition ran from November 21 (Thu) 20:00 to November 27 (Wed) 1:59 - almost the same window two years in a row. Remember the rhythm: information comes out in mid-November, and the sales begin just after November 20.

Note that the sale periods and campaign details in this article are official records as of their respective dates; they do not guarantee the 2026 content.

Amazon Japan's Black Friday has settled into a two-stage format: an early-access sale followed by the main sale. In 2025, a 3-day early-access sale preceded the 8-day main sale, with some featured items discounted from the early-access period.

The second pillar alongside the discounts is the entry-based point-up campaign. The 2025 conditions required entering the campaign and spending a combined 10,000 yen (tax included) or more during the eligible period, with rewards stacking by status: +1.5% for Prime members, up to +3% with an Amazon Mastercard, and so on (official Amazon announcement). The key point: if you forget to enter, you only get the discounts. Complete the entry on the campaign page before the sale starts, and plan purchases with the 10,000 yen threshold in mind.

The rewards are granted as limited-term points, so plan to use them up. For a critical look at headline discount rates, see The Truth About Black Friday - combining that mindset with price-tracking tools is the smart way to shop.

Rakuten's Black Friday is less about markdowns and more about the shop-hopping ("kaimawari") point multiplier. According to Rakuten Group's official release, in the 2025 edition the point reward rate rose with the number of shops you bought from, reaching up to 47x the normal rate (46.5x in 2024). Purchases of 1,000 yen (tax included) or more per shop counted toward the multiplier.

Two steps are non-negotiable in the Rakuten pattern. First, entry: in 2025, entry registration opened on November 12, before the sale began, and without it the multiplier never rises no matter how much you buy. Second, spreading purchases across shops with the 1,000 yen line in mind: the same 10,000 yen earns more when split into 1,000 yen+ purchases at multiple shops than when spent at one. Building a list that distributes everyday items across shops is the heart of the preparation.

The bonus points are limited-term points and carry caps. In 2025, coupon campaigns ran in parallel - including discount coupons for home appliances worth up to 7,500 yen and 2-hour limited coupons. For how stacking different discount types works, see the glossary entry on coupon stacking.

Qoo10 does not brand its event "Black Friday"; instead, the winter edition of its quarterly "Mega Sale" (Mega-wari) overlaps this season. According to eBay Japan's official release, the 2025 winter Mega Sale ran from November 21 (Fri) 17:00 to December 3 (Wed) 23:59.

The star of the Mega Sale is the 20% discount coupon. Per the official announcement for the second 2026 edition (May-June), coupons were distributed in three batches across the period, each worth up to 10,000 yen in discounts and usable on purchases of 100 yen or more. The basic move in the Qoo10 pattern is to grab the coupons at the start of each batch and use them up batch by batch. The platform has also officially introduced promotions where the 20% coupon stacks with shop cart coupons for combined discounts of 30% or more - platform coupons and shop coupons stacking by design is Qoo10's distinctive feature.

Coupon distribution schedules change with each edition, so check the coupon page for distribution periods and quantities as soon as the sale opens.

Most of the preparation can be done before any dates are announced.

1. Make a shopping list. The principle is "buy planned items at the sale," not "buy because it is a sale." List appliances due for replacement, consumables running low, and winter gear during August-October.

2. Record baseline prices. Note the current prices of listed items or register them in a price tracker (such as Keepa). Without a baseline you cannot judge whether a sale price is genuinely low - the best defense against raise-then-slash pricing.

3. Sort out memberships and payment methods. Amazon's point-up rates vary by Prime membership and eligible cards, while Rakuten's baseline multiplier depends on your SPU service usage. Review these calmly now rather than scrambling right before the sale.

4. Build the habit of checking announcements. In mid-November, check each platform's official campaign page and the opening of entry registration. In Rakuten's 2025 edition, entry opened 8 days before the sale - missing it puts you at a multiplier disadvantage. For the year-round sale cycle, see the rules of sale timing.