5 best places to see fireflies in and around Tokyo

Explore Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo's garden and you’ll find yourself surrounded by hundreds of twinkling fireflies. Cross the garden’s vermillion Benkei Bridge and listen to the soothing sound of the waterfall and the garden’s singing cicadas – a classic Japanese summer soundscape.

The breathtaking mix of the garden’s artificial ‘sea of clouds’ and the magical glowing fireflies will make you forget you’re in the heart of Tokyo. There are about 600 fireflies fluttering about from mid-May to the end of June, including Genji and Heike species.

The garden is free to visit, but it's only open to hotel guests, who can roam around the premises at their leisure. If you're not staying the night, just dine at any of the hotel restaurants. This year, there's also the Firefly Evening Dinner Buffet in one of the hotel's banquet halls, which is available until June 30.

It's not quite a Japanese summer without fireflies. Come see them at Setagaya's very own Firefly Festival which attracts a respectable 25,000 visitors every year. At the heart of the festival is the spectacle of approximately 3,000 fireflies released in a dome tent at the Setagaya Daikanyashiki parking lot. As dusk falls, watch these curious bugs illuminate the evening with their gentle glow.