July 2025 events in Tokyo

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.

Tokyo's biggest fireworks display is returning this summer on Saturday July 26. The Sumida River Fireworks Festival is also Japan's oldest fireworks event, dating back to 1733, when it was staged as part of a ceremony to pray for victims of a severe famine the previous year. It turned into an annual event in 1978 and attracts close to a million people every year.

This year, the Sumida River Fireworks Festival starts at 7pm and will run for around 90 minutes, with a staggering 20,000 shells of fireworks. The fireworks are launched from two sites on the Sumida River around Asakusa Station: one near Umaya Bridge and the other near Sakurabashi Bridge. You can check out the locations on the festival website.

No trip to Tokyo or Japan is complete without a shopping spree at the iconic Don Quijote. But if browsing the aisles isn’t enough to satisfy your Donki cravings, you’ll want to book a table for this playful Don Quijote-themed afternoon tea at Hotel Indigo Tokyo Shibuya.

Available at the hotel’s 11th-floor all-day dining restaurant, Gallery 11, this fun afternoon tea spread is inspired by Don Quijote’s beloved mascots, Donpen and Donko, with an array of colourful sweets and fun surprises. 

Desserts include unique creations like the passion fruit chocolate and pink pepper marshmallow, honeycomb red velvet cupcake and candy apple filled with a rich caramel – all served on a mini skateboard. You can also enjoy a tastebud-tingling cake made with popping candy featuring images of Donpen and Donko, alongside a savoury herb roast chicken served with lemon and caper sauce.

Enjoy a late night stroll under an artificial Milky Way at Tokyo Tower’s main deck. As an alternative experience for astronomy enthusiasts, Tokyo Tower has recreated the Milky Way using 29,000 LED lights, so you can gaze up at the (artificial) stars in the middle of the city.

Every 15 minutes, the blue LED lights that represent the starry sky turn pink and gold, while the Milky Way changes from white to a rainbow of seven colours. This special effect makes the Tokyo skyline look even more mesmerising, as if our beloved city is under a magical starry night.

The event takes place from 9.00am until 11pm.

Studio Ghibli’s immersive sculpture exhibition is returning to Tokyo to captivate a new generation of fans. Featuring 3D recreations of iconic scenes from hit animated films such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and Porco Rosso, the show is a new and improved version of Studio Ghibli’s first ever art exhibition, held in Tokyo back in 2003. 

Running from May 27 to September 23 at Warehouse Terrada’s B&C and E halls in Tennozu, the exhibition will feature mock-ups of scenes such as Chihiro’s first crossing over the bridge into the bathhouse in Spirited Away, and the thrilling scene from Ponyo where the titular character rides the waves to catch up to Sosuke in the storm. The main highlight, however, is arguably the true-to-size mock up of Porco’s Savoia S-21 seaplane from Porco Rosso.

When hunger strikes, head over to T-Lotus M, a waterfront event space adjacent to the exhibition venue, for some ham ramen inspired by a similar dish in Ponyo. Tickets can be purchased in combination with the Ghibli Museum or in conjunction with hotel accommodation plans.

For more details and ticketing information, check the event website. (Japanese only)

This spring and summer, Japan’s ancient aesthetic heritage meets the cutting edge of animation. On at the Tokyo National Museum from March 25 to August 3, ‘Immersive Theater on Neo-Japonism: From Ancient Art to Anime’ is an ambitious 24-minute visual experience that journeys through 10,000 years of Japanese creativity.

Projected across four massive walls fitted with towering 7-metre screens, the ultra-HD installation explores the evolution of Japanese artistic expression from the clay figures of the prehistoric Jomon period to the ink paintings of the Edo period (1603–1867), culminating in the vibrant dynamism of contemporary anime. Brought to life by the innovative minds at digital art outfits Panoramatiks and Cekai, the experience highlights how Japan’s animist worldview and refined sense of space continue to influence global pop culture.

The exhibition draws poignant connections between ancient scrolls, classical motifs, and works by anime legends like Osamu Tezuka, Isao Takahata and Mamoru Hosoda, serving up a distinctive blend of history, art and imagination.

Space cats have landed in Saitama. From now until August 31, Hyper Museum Hanno presents 'Ship's Cat Island', a new exhibition from contemporary artist Kenji Yanobe. The exhibit consists of 80 of Yanobe's works, namely sculptures and drawings of cats decked out in space gear. For a family-friendly affair, check out the 'Hyper Kids Program', an experiential workshop for parents and kids to enjoy together.

Tickets can be purchased through various channels found on the Hyper Museum Hanno website here (info in Japanese).

Ukiyo-e superstar Katsushika Hokusai’s legacy continues to ripple through and beyond the art world even today, centuries after his death – the meme-ification of Under the Wave off Kanagawa being only the most obvious example. But what makes Hokusai a standout among the many Edo-period (1603–1867) masters who captured the lives, dreams and landscapes of the city?

This summer, the Sumida Hokusai Museum invites visitors to explore answers to that very question through an interactive exhibition highlighting the craftsmanship of Hokusai and his disciples. ‘Wow, Hokusai!’ encourages close observation, helping viewers notice shared motifs, subtle differences and clever compositional techniques across the artist’s oeuvre.

The show zooms in on key elements in Hokusai’s work – from thunderous skies to bustling riverbanks, from swirling waves to architectural wonders – to provoke moments of discovery. As such, it offers a vivid introduction to ukiyo-e and an intimate look into Hokusai’s genius.

Few would argue against the late Leiji Matsumoto as one of Japan’s most visionary manga artists. Born in 1938, Matsumoto grew up fascinated by the night sky, a passion that would later shape his iconic stories such as Galaxy Express 999 and Space Pirate Captain Harlock. His work blends space-faring adventure with profound philosophical themes, exploring concepts of life, mortality and human perseverance, and has inspired creatives worldwide, even shaping the dreams of future astronauts.

From June 20 to September 7, Tokyo City View at Roppongi Hills will host ‘Leiji Matsumoto: A Creative Journey’, the first major exhibition dedicated to the prolific career of an artist who left an indelible mark on the world of sci-fi with his rich storytelling and strikingly detailed art. Marking the beginning of a series of events celebrating the upcoming 50th anniversary of Galaxy Express 999, this exhibition will immerse visitors in Matsumoto’s imaginative universe. Featuring over 300 original drawings, including early works, rare materials and never-before-seen sketches, the display offers an opportunity to dig deep into the Fukuoka native’s creative process and experience the timeless magic of his work.