July 2025 events in Tokyo

Based on traditional folklore, Tanabata (Star Festival) is celebrated across Japan each summer between July and August, the actual day of which varies according to region. Marking the earliest possible day of Tanabata (July 7), the shopping arcades of Hiratsuka city near Tokyo are adorned with around 100 giant colourful streamers, which are hung from giant ornamental balls called the kusudama.

The Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival is regarded as one of the top three of such events in the Kanto region, drawing almost 2 million visitors over the three days. Aside from the impressive street decorations, you can expect parades, live performances, vendors selling local products and plenty of technicolour-fuelled buzz over the July 4-6 weekend.

Heralding the arrival of the summer farming season, the Narita Gion Festival has been a key celebration of Naritasan Shinsho-ji Temple in Chiba prefecture's Narita City for over 300 years. Taking place near the Narita International Airport, this event is held annually to pray for prosperity and good harvest while seeking the blessing of the temple’s main deity, Fudo Myoo. 

On all three days, ten beautifully carved and decorated floats plus one mikoshi (portable shrine) will be taken on a vibrant parade on the city streets, including the area surrounding JR Narita Station and the main road leading to Naritasan Shinsho-ji temple. The festivities begin on Friday July 4 with an opening dance ritual at Naritasan Main Hall at 1.30pm to pray for the safe proceedings of the festival. From there, the floats will begin their procession around town, with each having its own designated route. 

The festival highlights include a large-scale traditional dance performance involving all the floats, set to happen in front of the JR Narita Station on Saturday July 5 at 9am. This event effectively kicks off the festival’s second-day festivities. 

Be sure to stay until the evening on the last day, Sunday July 6, as the festival will reach its climax with floats reconvening on Omotesando road for an energetic race up the town’s main thoroughfare towards Naritasan Shinsho-ji. For this night procession, the floats will be illuminated with lanterns, giving them an even more awe-inspiring and mystical appearance amidst the frenzy.

For the full festival programme, see the event website.

Despite being 80km away from central Tokyo, the Narita Gion Festival is easily accessible as the events are held just minutes away from Keisei-Narita station. To get there, just hop on the limited-express Keisei Line from Ueno or Nippori Station. The journey will take roughly an hour and ten minutes. The trek from Narita Airport is far more convenient, as there is a direct train service running every 15 minutes.

They’re taking a cue from the leader of the free world in calling this the biggest, most tremendous comedy weekend Tokyo has ever seen, with only the best people and the best jokes – and we’re honestly too in awe not to agree. Tokyo Comedy Bar’s three-day celebration of the Stars and Stripes encompasses a whopping six shows, kicking off with two on Thursday evening, including an extravaganza featuring an all-American line-up of comedians performing entirely in Japanese.

Many of Thursday’s stars will be returning to the Shibuya club for the first half of Friday’s double-header, the Stand-Up Comedy Showcase at 7.30pm. This will be followed at 9pm by what’s arguably the highlight of the weekend: a no-holds-barred roast battle in which Team USA takes on the rest of the world. Expect heated contests on the relative merits of, for instance, Tokyo vs Los Angeles, Salaryman vs Florida Man, and Japanese AV contra American porn – with that last position defended by none other than award-winning adult actress Alexis Fawx.

Things conclude on Saturday with another double bill: the first part is headlined by Tokyo’s most eligible American-adjacent comedian bachelor Ryo Hayashi, while the latter promises ample quantities of ‘chaotic patriotism, anti-patriotism, and freedom-fueled laughter’. And yeah – there’ll be plenty of beer and hot dogs too.

Asakusa's Kappabashi – the famed mecca for Tokyo chefs and homecooks looking to kit out their kitchens – is festooned with vibrantly coloured streamers and decorations during this annual summer festival. Though it runs from July 4 to 8, the best time to visit the Shitamachi Tanabata Matsuri is over the July 5-6 weekend, when local businesses put out stalls and hold parades and street performances.

The street parade on July 5 will begin at 1.15pm near the Ueno Gakuen Junior and Senior High School, and slowly make its way through Kappabashi Main Street towards Asakusa. Expect to see police and primary school marching bands plus a special appearance by the Metropolitan Police's all-female motorcycle brigade.

On Sunday July 6, Kappabashi will be hosting street performances of all sorts throughout the day, ranging from Sado-Okesa dances from Niigata to Awa-Odori dances from Tokushima.

The public square in front of Jiyugaoka Station is hosting a massive bon odori festival this summer between July 19 and 21. Expect lively dancing to begin at 6.30pm each night (7pm on July 19) to the tune of bon odori classics such as ‘Tokyo Ondo’ as well as a more modern line-up of music featuring remixes of contemporary J-pop songs such as RPG from Sekai no Owari and Takaneno Hanakosan from Back Number.

New from 2025 is a special kids’ dance session beginning at 5.30pm (6.10pm on July 19), making it a fun and family-friendly night out.

Yasukuni Shrine’s annual Mitama Matsuri is one of Tokyo’s largest Obon festivals. First held in 1947, the festival is best known for its 30,000 lanterns: 10,000 large lanterns light the approach to the shrine while 20,000 smaller ones are set up at the inner shrine grounds. This year, the lanterns will be illuminated daily from dusk until 9.30pm between the days of July 13 and July 16.

During this four-day festival, Yasukuni Shrine’s outer gardens will host a series of daily events, such as a noryo summer folk dancing festival around the bronze statue of Masujiro Omura, and a beautiful display of Sendai Tanabata ornaments. Plus, you’ll also find a congregation of food trucks selling street food throughout the festival period.

Don't miss the giant Nebuta float processions and Awa Odori dance performances happening on Monday July 14 from 6.30pm and 7.30pm respectively. They are, arguably, the highlight of the festivities. Additionally, there are portable shrine processions taking place at 6.30pm on July 13 and 15. 

The event takes place from 5pm to 9.30pm daily.

Celebrate Tanabata (Star Festival) by launching sky lanterns at Todoroki Green Space Sports Ground on the Kawasaki side of the Tama River. 

Tanabata is a traditional Japanese festival, where people write wishes on strips of paper and hang them on bamboo branches. This seven-day event, however, is doing things differently. Here, modern sky lanterns are lit with LEDs instead of candles, making them safer and super kid-friendly. At 8.30pm, the lanterns are released into the night sky, but unlike typical floating lanterns, these are flown like kites with strings attached, making them easy to control and retrieve afterwards.

On the entertainment front, you can expect music performances each day by artists such as Chris Hart and Chay, as well as festival favourites such as shateki shooting games and food stalls serving traditional matsuri grub. While you’re there, don’t miss the chance to write and hang your wish on a tansaku paper slip. 

Tickets are available for purchase on the official website.

Held every year for more than half a century along the Edogawa River, Katsushika's popular fireworks festival is known for the short distance between where the around 15,000 rockets are shot up and where onlookers are allowed to sit, allowing spectators to watch, listen and feel the fireworks up close.

It also features the spectacular 'Niagara Falls' and 'Digital Star Mine' crackers, both supposedly representing the latest in firework technology. On your way to the river, walk along the picturesque street reaching from Shibamata's Taishakuten temple and you'll get a taste of what Edo must have been like in summer.

It may not be the biggest of Tokyo's many fireworks events, but Tachikawa's hanabi is certainly one of the more comfortable ones. Held at the spacious Showa Kinen Park, the festival always draws massive crowds, so make sure to arrive early to secure the best viewing spot.

This year’s event will see around 5,000 shells of fireworks launched during the hour-long show from 7.15pm to 8.15pm. Paid seating with the best views will be sold online on a first come first served basis. (2025 reservation details have not been released.) 

On the day of the fireworks display, the park will open to the public free of charge.

This fireworks festival at Fujimori Park in Hachioji is returning this year on July 26 from 7pm. It’s a relatively small affair compared to other similar festivals in Tokyo, with around 4,000 rockets expected to be launched. However, what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for with an interesting array of explosions. The hour-long pyrotechnic show is free and you can watch the fireworks from several areas in the park – more details on the website.