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Looking for a fun way to spend the last weekend of August? Tokyo has plenty of festivals on the calendar, with traditional dancing, live music, colourful parades, food stalls and more taking place across the city between August 28 and 30. If you need some help narrowing down the options, here are five of our top summer festival picks worth checking out.
Koenji Awa Odori
August 29-30
One of the most popular street dance festivals in Tokyo, Koenji's Awa Odori is returning in full swing. This year, the celebration will feature over 150 Awa Odori dance groups parading around Koenji Station’s Pal shopping arcade, Koenji Junjo Shotengai shopping street and Konan Street.
The tradition of Awa Odori can be traced back to Tokushima, in the Shikoku region. Legend has it that the local daimyo plied his citizens with booze to celebrate the completion of the local castle in 1586, leading to a citywide outbreak of dancing in the streets. Whatever the accuracy of that tale, the enthusiasm was contagious, and Koenji has been holding a street dance fest of its own since 1957.
While the action starts at 5pm on both days, you'll need to arrive much earlier if you want to snag one of the best viewing spots along the three streets mentioned above.
Super Yosakoi
August 29-30
Late August is always a good time for dancing in the streets, with many major festivals happening around this time of year. The Yosakoi dance originated in Kochi prefecture in 1954, where it was created to help revitalise the struggling post-war economy. Tokyo's very own Super Yosakoi festival, however, while relatively new, has been going on for over two decades now.
This massive event sees about 110 teams of brightly attired dancers from across Japan and around the world, trying to outdo each other as they strut their stuff to the rhythm of the naruko – a type of clapper that the people of Kochi originally used to scare birds away from the fields.
The dance performances take place at various locations within the Harajuku/Shibuya area. But if you only see one thing, make sure it’s the massive parade along the tree-lined Omotesando avenue on Sunday August 30 from 11.10am to 4.15pm.
Stage performances and a yatai food fair serving up Kochi prefecture delicacies will also be held at Yoyogi Park Event Square on Saturday and Sunday from 10am. What's more, the tree-lined boulevard between the NHK Hall and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium is hosting a smaller Yosakoi dance procession, around the same time. At the Yoyogi Park Be Stage venue, you can enjoy Yosakoi performances from 11.30am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday.
Tokyo Otsuka Awa Odori
August 28-29
The annual Otsuka Awa Odori festival has been running since 1972, bringing together more than 1,000 dancers every year. The pre-event festivities will take place at the station-front plaza on August 28, featuring a ceremony followed by mini Awa Odori performances.
The main festival, however, falls on Saturday from 4pm, with around a dozen groups of dancers parading along Minamiotsuka-dori street in front of JR Otsuka Station’s East exit. This year, the festival is celebrating its 52nd year with a line-up of venerable local Awa Odori dance troupes, including Shinsuiren and the Toriren Awa Odori Club from Ikebukuro's Toshimagaoka Joshigakuen High School, which is one of only four such high school clubs in all of Japan.
Asakusa Samba Carnival
August 29
Around 15 teams of elaborately attired dancers flood the streets of Asakusa for Japan's largest samba carnival. Now in its 41st year, the festival features exuberant dance teams largely from the Greater Tokyo region, who will be shaking their tail feathers to the Brazilian beat as they parade along Umamichi-dori in front of Tobu Asakusa Station and Kaminarimon-dori in front of Sensoji Temple's iconic red lantern.
First held in 1981 in an attempt to revitalise the neighbourhood, the Asakusa Samba Carnival is now one of Tokyo's more popular late-summer events. It attracts half a million spectators every year.
The carnival begins at 1pm, with the parade starting near Sensoji's Nitenmon Gate. Do note that selfie sticks, chairs and tripods are not allowed in the spectator areas along the side of the road. You can check out the detailed map for the parade route here and read up on the participating teams here.
Nakameguro Bon Odori
August 29-30
Following a successful inaugural festival in 2025, Nakameguro’s very own Bon Odori dance bash returns this summer to the riverside Meguro River Park on August 29 and 30. This late-season Bon Odori festival has been beefed up for 2026, with food trucks serving up familiar festival grub like yakisoba, apple candy and kebabs from 1pm. The children’s festival stall area is also back this year (from 4pm), with yo-yo fishing and shateki shooting games available for ¥200. Bon odori dance sessions, featuring live singing from the yagura turret stage, will run on both days from 5.30pm to 9pm.
If you’re feeling rusty, public practice sessions are offered, so even first-timers can join the dance circle on the day of the event. The last session will take place on August 26 at Shokakuji Jisso Kaikan from 7pm.
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