June 2019 events in Tokyo
Plan your June in Tokyo with our events calendar of the best things to do, including early-summer festivals, food events and rainy season fun
June in Tokyo is best described as damp, as this is usually when the dreaded rainy season rolls along. Although you'll have to wait a little longer until the city's summer festivals really kick into gear, all is not lost: June is usually packed with interesting exhibitions, gigs and openings, plus seasonal favourites like Tanabata, hydrangea and rose festivals, as well as firefly-viewing events all over the city. Grab an umbrella and make sure you don't miss out with our guide to all the best events going on in Tokyo this June.
RECOMMENDED: Get your tickets to events and gigs here
Our June highlights
Mount Takao Beer Festival
On a clear night, you can gaze out across Tokyo and as far as Yokohama. Mt Takao's beer garden is located 500m above sea level, and does a good job of keeping hikers well satiated throughout the summer. The price includes an all-you-can-eat buffet of Japanese, Chinese and Western food, plus two hours of free-flowing beer, wine and cocktails...
Rainbow Sushi
Time Out in association with 80percent simple Inc. This summer, international sushi chef Jiro Onoda will be hosting a series of classes focused on making rainbow sushi. Don’t worry, you don’t need any cooking experience to join. The classes are open to anyone interested to learn how to make sushi using traditional Edo-style techniques. The vibrant rolls are inspired by colours of the rainbow, and Onoda only uses all-natural ingredients to create the many-hued assortments...
Tokyo Sky Resort Wild Beach Shinjuku
Summer is just around the corner but the ocean is far away from central Tokyo. For those wanting to experience the beach life without leaving the conveniences of the big city, Lumine Est is once again turning a part of Shinjuku into a beach-themed beer garden this year...
Shinjuku Beer Garden Land Meat Centre
What’s better than having a frosty pint at the biggest rooftop watering hole in Shinjuku? Having freshly grilled meat to go with the icy cold pint, of course. Located on top of the Lumine department store, Shinjuku Beer Garden is hosting an outdoor barbecue in a lush green space that feels removed from its concrete jungle surroundings...
Here, Another Night Comes From Trillions of Light Years Away: Eternal infinity
Shortly after Yayoi Kusama moved to New York in 1957, she began painting her series of ‘Infinity Nets’, which quickly led her to be one of the most talked about avant-garde figures in the art world. This exhibition focuses on some of her earliest ‘Infinity Nets’ as well as one of her most recent series titled ‘My Eternal Soul’...
Tokyo Bay Noryosen
The capital's very own booze cruise departs from Takeshiba Terminal at 7.15pm every night between June 28 and September 23 (weather permitting), and does a lap of the bay (all the way to Haneda Airport) while serving up all-you-can-drink beer, wine and cocktails...
Pool Wai
The much-loved waterpark at Yomiuriland amusement park is making a comeback this summer. Five pools plus three slides will be available for splashers of all sizes, including a huge ‘thriller’ slide, a shallow pool for children and a wave-pool resembling a beach...
Garden Pool #MummBeachClub
Bask in the balmy weather at ANA InterContinental Hotel’s outdoor pool, which is getting a bubbly makeover this summer in collaboration with Maison Mumm. Expect the pool area to be decked out with gigantic Mumm balloons and sun loungers, plus servings of the new fruity Mumm Grand Cordon Rose pink champagne...
The Science Behind Pixar
With blockbuster hits like ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Monsters Inc.’, Pixar Studios has consistently created films and characters that have become household names. You can now learn about the animation in a behind-the-scenes tour of the technology that made Pixar so successful...
Samurai Cruises Tokyo Bay: Bon Odori on the Ship
Bon Odori is a traditional dance performed during the Buddhist festival of Obon. After the beloved dance flourished for five centuries on land, it is now moving to a stage on the sea. And the Anzaimaru, a giant ship from the Edo era, makes for a fitting stage. For a limited half-year period from April 26, you can partake in the Bon Odori festival, complete with food and drinks provided by the company behind some of Tokyo’s most popular beer gardens...
City Light Fantasia by Naked – New World
City Light Fantasia is a popular annual event at the top of Landmark Tower in Yokohama. Produced by the multimedia creators at Naked Inc, the event combines Yokohama nightscapes with digital projections to give those views a whole new perspective. The 6th edition of the event this year will see the Yokohama skyline set against a projection of a future city to create a ‘New World’...