The summertime usually means honoring deceased spirits in Japan - particularly the Obon Festival. One such festival that revolves around this idea is the Mitama Festival. Every year, in mid-July, thousands of people gather at the Yaskuni Shrine for Tokyo’s biggest Obon festival. The highlight of this festival are the 30,000 lanterns that light the way to the shrine every night for the span of 4 days that it holds the festival. This festival also features mikoshi (portable shrine), dancing, music and many food/drink stalls.

Entrance fee: Free

Photo credit: SagasWhat

Location: 3-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8246, Yaskuni Shrine

Dates: Mid July

Website: https://www.yasukuni.or.jp/english/

How to get there: A 5 minute walk from Kudanshita Station, Exit 1 on the Tokyo Metro Tozai, Hanzomon, and Toei Shinjuku lines. A 10 minute walk on the Iidabashi or Ichigaya Station on the JR Sobu and Chuo Lines.

 

The Ueno Summer Festival is an annual event that takes place in Ueno Park and spans for 5 weeks with different events, activities and performances throughout this period. It starts in July and continues into August. In the past there has been floating lantern festivals, ice sculptures and antique markets. One of the highlights is a variety parade that features many different dance groups doing different dance styles a long a 500 meter stretch on Chuo Dori. The date for this depends on the year.

Entrance fee: Free

Photo credit: Japan All Over

Location: Ikenohata 3-8, Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0007, Ueno Park

Dates: July-August

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 2 minute walk from Ueno Station on the JR Lines, Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya Lines.

 

This is the Rolls Royce of the fireworks festival in Tokyo. Held on the last Saturday of July, over 20,000 fireworks go off over the span of 90 minutes. This fireworks are launched from two different spots - one near Sensoji Temple and one near the SkyTree.

This festival actually dates back almost 400 years. In 1732, there was a terrible famine that wreaked havoc in Tokyo leading to the starvation and death of thousands. The following year, the Shogun held the Ryogoku Fireworks Festival to comfort the spirits of the deceased and pray that those living would not experience famine and death in the future. This is considered to be the origin of the Sumida Fireworks.

This festival attracts many spectators. The regular venue to spectate is on the river bank by Sumida River between Kototoi Bridge and Sakura Bridge. If you want to avoid crowds and enjoy the fireworks try heading to Shiori Park.

*Cancelled in 2020, dates TBA for 2021

Entrance fee: Free

Photo credit: Matcha JP

Location: Near Sensoji Temple and Skytree. Regular spectating spot by Sumida River bank. Recommended place: 8 Chome-13-1 Minamisenju, Arakawa City, Tokyo 116-0003, Shiori Park

Dates: Last Saturday of July

Website: N/A

How to get there: Regular venue is a 15 minute walk from Asakusa Station. Shiori Park is a 15 minute walk from Minami-Senju Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. Shiori Park is pinned on the map below.

 

The Fukagawa Hachiman Festival is one of the three big Shinto Festivals of Tokyo along with the Kanda and Sanno Festival. It’s hosted by the Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine and takes place around August 15th, but the schedule changes every year. This festival, unlike the Kanda and Sanno Festival is held every year, but on a small scale. The main, full scaled version of the festival is carried out every three years and is very big and wild (2017, 2020, 2023 and so on).

This festival is nicknamed the mizu-kake festival which literally means the water throwing festival. People can throw water on the mikoshi, or the portable shrine. The mikoshi is too heavy it is usually not paraded around. It’s actually the heaviest mikoshi in the region weighing about 4.5 tons and decorated with diamonds, sapphires and rubies and is rumored to be more than 1 billion yen (10 million USD). If you’re not scared of huge crowds then definitely come out for the food stalls, games, music, dancing and their main mikoshi parade on the Sunday of the week long event.

Entrance fee: Free

Photo credit: Tokyo Cheapo

Location: 1 Chome-20-3 Tomioka, Koto City, Tokyo 135-0047, Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine.

Dates: Around August 15

Website: N/A

How to get there: A short walk from Monzen-Nakacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Oedo and Tozai Lines.

 

Obon Odori is a traditional dance done during the Obon Festival. Obon is a Buddhist custom in August to honor the spirits of your ancestors. This dance is done to welcome back the spirits of your ancestors. The Marunouchi Ondo Obon Odori Festival is held annually in Hibiya Park in mid-August with over 40,000 participants making it one of the most easy accessible and biggest Obon Odori Festival. Participants range from workers around the Marunouchi area, local residents and even tourists who dance in circles around the central fountain to the song Marunouchi Ondo - the most popular Obon Odori Song.

Entrance fee: Free

Photo credit: Go Tokyo

Location: 1 Hibiyakoen, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0012, Hibiya Park

Hours: Evening

Dates: mid to late August

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 1 minute walk from Kasumigaseki Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line or a 10 minute walk from Tokyo Station.

 

Awa Odori is a traditional dance which grew out of the other well known dance - obon odori. The Koenji Awa Odori Festival is a 2 day festival with a shed load of dancing. To avoid the scorching heat of the summer, the festival typically begins at 5pm and continues until about 8pm with about 10,000 dancers/musicians and over 1 million people spectating and joining for the two day period. You can also enjoy typical festival activities such as carnival games, food and a lively atmosphere.

Entrance fee: Free

Photo credit: Timeout Tokyo

Location: Area surrounding the JR Koenji Station

Hours: Evening

Dates: mid-August

Website: N/A

How to get there: The JR Koenji Station is about a 20 minute train ride from Tokyo Station on the JR Chuo Line.

 

On the first Sunday of August, one of the biggest and top fireworks show goes off above the banks of Edogawa. With people wearing traditional yukatas and enjoying festival activities before the show nearby at Sensoji Temple, it’s one of the top summertime events. Over 14,000 fireworks will be launched in the span of 75 minutes features 8 different themes popping to the beat of music. To reserve seats you should get there early to make sure you have a seat. You can even participate in festival activities few hours before the show and enjoy your night.

Entrance fee: Depends on option

Photo credit: Timeout Tokyo

Location: River bank by Edo River next to Shinozaki Park.

Hours: 7:15pm 8:30pm

Dates: First Saturday in August

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 15 minute walk from Shinozaki Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line

 

One of the largest fireworks display in Tokyo, the Itabashi fireworks festival will light up 12,000 fireworks over the Arakawa River. The show features a giant 700 meter long Niagra Falls fireworks as their specialty. It’s about an hour and a half with reserved seating for the best seats. If you don’t want to pay for the reserve seating, you can watch nearby standing or simply sitting on the ground.

*The fireworks display is usually held in early August but was cancelled due to the corona virus in 2020 and moved to May in 2021 for the Tokyo Olympics. It is unsure on whether it will be in August moving forward.

Entrance fee: Depends on option

Photo credit: Tokyo Weekender

Location: Near Nishidai Station on the Toei Mita Line

Hours: 7:00pm 8:30pm

Dates: Early August (May in 2021 due to Tokyo Olympics)

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 20-30 minute train ride from Tokyo Station.

 

A medium scaled, community festival hosted by the Hikawa Shrine, the Hikawa Festival is a fun, energetic festival for the local neighborhood in mid-September. It’s held over three days from Friday - Sunday and features traditional carnival games, food stalls, dancing and music. The main attraction comes on the last day - Sunday - when they parade around a traditional wheeled float that can be raised to about 5 meters tall.

Entrance fee: Depends on option

Photo credit: Sagaswhat Tokyo

Location: 6 Chome-10-12 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Hikawa Shrine

Dates: Mid-September

Website: N/A

How to get there: A 10 minute walk from Roppongi Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line.

 

The city of Chofu is known as movie town due to the number of film production companies in the scene. So, naturally, their fireworks festival is set to music from movie scores and popular songs. The festival takes place on the grassy banks by Tama River every early September. It’s a lesser known fireworks festival, but the organizers don’t skip a beat on it’s scale. Over 10,000 fireworks will go up in front of 35,000 spectators along the river. It starts at 6pm and lasts until 7:30 pm. There are paid seating options for the best seats in the house, but free seating is available just along the banks of the river as well.

*Fireworks will be cancelled if there is a storm

Entrance fee: Depends on option

Photo credit: Go Tokyo

Location: Tama River, closest station is the Keio Tamagawa Station

Dates: Early September

Website: N/A

How to get there: The Keio Tamagawa Station is on the Keio Sagamihara Line. It’s about a 45 minute train ride from Tokyo Station.