Held every year for more than half a century along the Edogawa River, Katsushika's popular fireworks festival, taking place on July 28, is known for the unusually short distance between the launch site and the spectator area. This allows visitors to watch, hear and feel the impact of the around 20,000 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, take a stroll along the picturesque street leading from Taishakuten Temple for a glimpse of what summer in Edo – the former name of Tokyo – might have felt like.