Hot, sticky, and sweltering - August is peak summer for most of Japan. But that just means fireworks and energetic dancing galore during the warmest month of the year. Put on your best yukata and head out to any of Tokyo’s numerous festivals this month for a rollicking good time in town.
Awa Odori dancers © Nanami Miyashiro
28 June-15 September 2025
Event: Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Wind Chime Festival
Location: Hikawa Shrine, Saitama
Time: 9:00am-8:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
If your online dating adventures are proving to be an endless slog of unfulfilling matches, perhaps it’s time to enlist a little divine help. Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine in Saitama is one of Japan’s many ‘love shrines,’ and it’s especially popular with single folks seeking the partner of their dreams – or at least someone they can get along with for a few years! This summer, head to the shrine for a charming festival at the shrine, which for this occasion is decorated with around 2000 colourful wind chimes making beautiful music in the breeze. Who knows – maybe you’ll run into someone nice there. At the very least, it’s a great day trip out of the city.
2 July-9 November 2025
Event: Sou Fujimoto
Location: Mori Art Museum
Time: 10:00am-10:00pm (until 5:00pm on Tuesdays)
Admission: From ¥2300 for adults (Concessions available)
Website: Official website (English)
Sou Fujimoto is one of Japan’s most notable architects, with a bevy of iconic buildings under his belt over the course of his international career. From the Musashino Art University Museum & Library to the White Tree housing complex in Montpellier, France, this first major retrospective of Fujimoto’s work offers a birds-eye view of his architectural journey over the last quarter-century. If you love contemporary Japanese architecture, this exhibition at the Mori Art Museum is a must-go.
2 August 2025
Event: Edogawa Fireworks Festival
Location: Edogawa River Bank
Time: 7:15pm-8:20pm (Will be cancelled in case of poor weather)
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
Even among the hundreds of fireworks festivals held in Tokyo each year, the Edogawa Fireworks Festival continues to draw some of the biggest crowds annually. Around 1.3 million or more spectators are projected to gather at Toritsu Shinozaki Park this year for a fabulous light show.
This year, the festival will see some 14,000 fireworks being launched over the course of 75 minutes, spanning 8 ‘acts’ accompanied by background music - almost like a fireworks concert. The venue is a 25-minute walk from JR Koiwa Station, or a 15-minute walk from Shinozaki Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line.
Fireworks in summer © Marufish
2 August 2025
Event: Itabashi Fireworks Festival
Location: Arakawa River banks
Time: 7:00pm-8:30pm (Will be cancelled in case of poor weather)
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
With around 12,000 fireworks set to go off this year, it’s no surprise that the annual Itabashi Fireworks Festival is a favourite with many Tokyoites. Crowd favorites include the ‘Niagara Falls,’ a chain of brilliant explosions resembling a waterfall of light around 700 metres long; and huge ‘star mines’ that look like a series of exploding stars.
The event takes place all along the banks of the Arakawa River, and the nearest stations are Nishidai, Hasune, and Takashima Daira - all on the Toei Mita Line. Each one is a roughly 20-minute walk away from the river bank. Both reserved seats and general seating areas at the venue are available. Arriving early to secure spots is a good idea.
2-3 August 2025
Event: Sri Lanka Festival 2025
Location: Yoyogi Park Events Square
Time: 9:00am-8:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (English)
Everybody loves a good curry. Unsurprisingly, the main draw at the Sri Lanka Festival in Yoyogi Park is always the food. Think of all the spicy Sri Lankan favorites: curries, hoppers (thin crispy griddled pancakes), cutlets, roti and vadai, all to be washed down with - what else? - Sri Lankan beer. Or tea, if that’s your style.
Besides the food, there’s other aspects of Sri Lankan culture to explore and enjoy at the festival. You’ll be able to listen to some music and watch traditional Channa Upuli dance performances, check out the stalls selling traditional garments, jewelry, and handicrafts, or pamper yourself with a little Ayurvedic treatment. There’ll even be astrological services for those inclined towards a little fortune-telling.
3 August 2025
Event: Hanazono Shrine Antique Market
Location: Hanazono Shrine
Time: 6:30am-4:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
Here’s another fun reason to visit Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku: there’s a small but regular antique fair happening there almost every Sunday. The Hanazono Shrine Blue Sky Antique Fair - which is the full name in Japanese, roughly translated - is not exactly endless sprawl and shopping, since there are only 25~30 stalls maximum at any given time. Smaller items are the focus here, rather than large furniture or statement pieces.
The market runs from sunrise to sunset, though visiting in the morning is best since many stalls tend to close around 3pm. (Come around then for the best bargains.) Check the calendar above before you go. If it rains, expect it not to run.
One of the many vintage clothes shops in Shimokitazawa © Tosh Chiang
9-10 August 2025
Event: Shimokitazawa Bon Odori 2025
Location: Shimokitazawa Azuma Street Shotengai, Shimokitazawa Patio
Time: 1:00pm-8:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
Who doesn’t love a good neighborhood festival? Shimokitazawa’s local community events are usually great fun, and their annual summer festival is no different. With live music and summer games aplenty, expect many local families and attendees from wider Tokyo at this raucous, musical gathering.
At some point, everyone will be dancing around the yagura (festival tower), and all you have to do is grab a beer and join in the fun. Luckily, there’ll be plenty of refreshment stands for food and drink on hand. If you need something more substantial after all the festivities, just take your pick from the hundreds of tasty izakaya restaurants in the area.
11 August 2025
Event: Koto Fireworks Festival
Location: Arakawa Sunamachi Riverside Park
Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm
Admission: Free (Paid tickets available)
Website: Official website (Japanese)
Kick off your August with the annual Koto-ku Fireworks Festival in Sunamachi Riverside Park. With around 4000 fireworks launched from a barge on the river, it promises to be a fun and colorful spectacle on a Monday night. It’ll happen rain or shine, unless there’s a typhoon coming into town. In this case, they’ll postpone it by a day or two.
Held on a weekday, the event is relatively less crowded than other popular fireworks festivals in town which typically draw spectators in the millions. The Koto-ku festival is projected to attract just 350,000 or so people.
16 August 2025
Event: Asakusa Toro Nagashi 2025
Location: Sumida Park (near Azumabashi Bridge)
Time: 6:30pm-8:15pm
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
There’s something incredibly magical about glowing lanterns floating along a river. There are variations of this festival all over the world, but you can see it for yourself in Tokyo at the Asakusa Toro Nagashi this August. During this O-bon festival, lanterns are lit with candles, and set afloat on rivers to help guide the ancestral spirits back to the other side.
The Toro Nagashi lantern light-up is held in Sumida Park between Azumabashi and Kototoibashi. Each lantern - totaling around 2500 of them - floating down the river is inscribed with a handwritten message to the deceased. You can light your own for ¥2000. Otherwise, enjoying the view is completely free.
Cosplayers at Comiket © Dick Thomas Johnson
16-17 August 2025
Event: Summer Comiket
Location: Tokyo Big Sight
Time: 10:30am-4:00pm
Admission: From ¥1210 (To be confirmed. Tickets will go on sale in July)
Website: Official website (English)
Comic Market, or Comiket as it’s better known, is held twice a year and is one of Japan’s biggest comic events. The focus here is on dojinshi, or fan-drawn, independently-published manga. Genres and styles vary widely, as does the quality of the goods on sale. Of course, the event also attracts plenty of cosplayers, photographers, and people looking for market merchandise. As this event has become incredibly popular and over-subscribed in recent years, the organisers have released a detailed guide to purchasing tickets, both in advance and on-site. Make sure you read and prepare accordingly to avoid disappointment. Tickets will go on sale in July.
Unlike shops like Mandarake, Comiket is not really for casual browsing or window shopping. The crowds numbering in the millions mean that you’ll need to know exactly which artist’s booth you’re looking for and where to find it. It also means that you should be vigilant about staying hydrated amidst the hot weather and crowds inside. Bring plenty of water and enough cash for your purchases.
23-24 August 2025 (To be confirmed)
Event: Sancha Latin Fest
Location: Sangenjaya Station
Time: 11:00am-7:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
While not as huge or well-attended as the Asakusa Samba Festival, the Sancha Latin Festival in Sangenjaya is fabulously energetic and atmospheric in its own right. Think two days of Latin music, a Sunday Samba parade, and a dance competition featuring some of the city’s sexiest shakers. It’s a good opportunity to get out and explore the charming neighborhood of Sangenjaya, too.
Yosakoi dancers at the Super Yosakoi event © elmimmo
23-24 August 2025
Event: Harajuku Omotesando Super Yosakoi 2025
Location: Yoyogi Park Events Square
Time: 10:00am-8:00pm (Sat), 10:00am-5:30pm (Sun)
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
The Harajuku and Omotesando areas are typically always full of people, but the last weekend of August will see crowds swell along with the Super Yosakoi dance contest. It’s a massive festival, with around 6000 performers in total showing everyone a good time during the parade that lasts pretty much all day.
There’ll also be a stage at the Yoyogi Park Event Square and near Harajuku Station, so if following along with the parade isn’t your thing, head to the park instead.
23-24 August 2025
Event: Koenji Awa Odori Festival
Location: Koenji Station area
Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
August is O-bon month, during which the spirits of the dead reputedly visit the living. Bon dances or Bon odori are usually held to welcome the spirits to this world, and they’ve taken on various forms depending on the region of Japan you’re in. One particularly famous and beloved version is Tokushima prefecture’s Awa Odori, characterized by its colorful costumes and energetic movements.
The most famous Awa Odori festival is held annually in Koenji, and it’s been going strong for more than 60 years now. The festival starts at 5:00pm, which is a cooler (temperature-wise) and more sensible time to begin some sweaty festivities. The downside is that for 3 hours, you’ll be crammed up against some 1 million other spectators here to watch the parade. On the bright side, there are 10,000 dancers and musicians performing, so you’re sure to catch at least some of the action. Regardless, go early to secure your spots!
24 August 2025
Event: Nogi Shrine Antique Market
Location: Nogi Shrine
Time: 9:00am until it gets dark
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
This small-scale, local, and charming antique market takes place along the shrine’s main approach every 4th Sunday. Visit to chat and haggle with sellers over items of all kinds: from secondhand clothing to kokeshi dolls to wooden furniture to stamps from several decades ago, you might find anything and everything here. If it rains, though, consider the event cancelled.
At the Asakusa Samba Carnival © Shih-Chi Chiang
30 August 2025
Event: Asakusa Samba Carnival
Location: Kaminarimon
Time: 1:00pm-6:00pm
Admission: Free
Website: Official website (Japanese)
Tokyo’s highly-anticipated annual samba festival is back in Asakusa! Now in its 37th year, it attracts crowds of half a million or more, all crammed into around 5 or 6 blocks worth of street space. With 18 ‘teams’ of samba floats, drummers, and ultra-talented dancers in tiny costumes, it’s an unforgettable summer festival guaranteed to get you dancing along with them in the streets of Asakusa.
The focal point of the samba parade is in front of Kaminarimon, which predictably has the highest concentration of amateur and professional photographers gathered around. Arrive early to stake out your spot there; but note that that no selfie sticks or drones are permitted at this festival. It’s also a 5-6 hour event, so make sure you have food and water to keep you going in the summer heat.
30-31 August 2025
Event: International Tokyo Toy Show
Location: Tokyo Big Sight, Odaiba
Time: 9:00am-5:00pm (Until 4:00pm on Sunday)
Admission: ¥2000
Website: Official website (English)
Despite Toys R’ Us’s recent demise, toys still play a huge role in the world - not least because playing with toys shouldn’t be limited to kids alone. Children and adults who love their pop culture, animations, and games should make a beeline for the Tokyo Toy Show in Odaiba. It’s the biggest show for the toy trade, and they open up to members of the general public on the weekend. With workshops, photo opportunities, demonstrations, and games galore, it’s great for kids, families, adults - anyone really!
Tokyo Vacation Checklist
- ESSENTIALS – For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Tokyo guide
- HOTELS – Check Tokyo accommodation availability and pricing on Booking.com and Agoda.com - often you can book with no upfront payment and free cancellation
- WHERE TO STAY – Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Tokyo
- BULLET TRAIN – You can buy shinkansen (bullet train) tickets online from Klook - popular routes include Tokyo to Kyoto, Tokyo to Osaka and Tokyo to Hiroshima
- SIM CARDS – You can buy an eSim to activate in Japan or buy a Japan SIM card online for collection on arrival at Tokyo Narita or Haneda airports. Or rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
- PACKING LIST – See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
- FLIGHTS – Compare airline flight prices and timings for the best Japan flight deals. Check my guides to arriving at Narita Airport and at Haneda Airport.
- JAPAN RAIL PASS – If you're visiting more than one city, you might save money with a Japan Rail Pass – see if it's worth it for you
- TRAVEL INSURANCE – World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world
- WANT HELP? – Do you want help planning your trip? Chris Rowthorn and his team of Japan experts at Japan Travel Consulting can help
