19 best summer festivals in Tokyo 2025: fireworks, Bon Odori, tanabata and more

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.

Hatonomori Hachiman Shrine is celebrating a Bon Odori festival on the evening of July 18-19. You can expect food stalls set up by local businesses in the area, as well as games and activities for children. Plus, of course, the requisite communal dancing.

Come at 4pm to learn the choreography, and you can join in one of the Bon Odori dances happening at 5.30pm, 7pm or 7.50pm (5.30pm, 6.45pm and 8pm on Saturday).

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.

Get ready to get your groove on this summer at Daibon on July 19, a modern rendition of the traditional Bon Odori festival held at Hachiman Shrine in Yamatocho. Here, the traditional Bon Odori festivities are fused with a line-up of DJs and contemporary artists, merging the timeless customs with the energetic pulse of new-wave beats.

Watch as the festival comes alive with live DJ sets, which have in the past featured eclectic talents like Chinbantei Goraku Shisho and the invigorating performances of Korean percussionists. Daibon takes the typical Bon Odori experience a step further, creating a fusion of sounds that strikes a chord with revellers of all ages.

The event will be postponed to July 20 in the case of rain.

The public square in front of Jiyugaoka Station is hosting a massive bon odori festival 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 for 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.

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.

While it’s usually one of Tokyo’s more peaceful neighbourhoods, Kagurazaka gets a little frenetic each July, as hordes of yukata wearers and Awa Odori dancers flood the streets for four days of traditional festivities. Last year marked the ceremonial 50th anniversary, and this year, organisers promise to bring back the same vibrant energy for the festival’s 51st edition.

The festival will kick off on Wednesday July 23, and the food stalls will be open from 5pm until 9pm on July 24. Children can partake in traditional festival games, like fishing for colourful water balloon yo-yos, while adults can register for a guided tour of Kagurazaka’s back alleys (¥1,000) in their yukata, or pick up a Chinese lantern plant at the market at Bishamonten (Zenkokuji) Temple.

The main festivities will take place over the weekend, with a two-hour Awa Odori procession scheduled at 7pm on both Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, there will also be a children’s Awa Odori procession from 6pm to 7pm on the main street.

Head to Shinbashi, the salaryman capital of the city, for an authentic summer matsuri experience between July 24 and 25. Shimbashi Station's SL Square and nearby Sakurada Park will be hosting plenty of food stalls, live performance area and a bon odori yagura stage over the two-day event. Soak in the lively atmosphere and dance alongside local residents and office workers as the festival offers a joyful escape from the pressures of the workweek.

The highlight of the festival is the yukata (lightweight kimono) beauty contest, where participants are judged on their dressing skills, poise under public interview, and overall style. With a ¥100,000 prize up for grabs, the competition is fierce. Entries are now closed, and the grand finale takes place on July 25 at 6.30pm.

Throughout the festival, enjoy bon odori dancing open to all, lively flamenco performances, local bands, and traditional Japanese dances. But let’s be honest – the biggest draw is the food, with plenty of classic festival snacks (mostly on sticks) to feast on. Stuff yourself silly.

Bon odori dances take place daily from 5.30pm and 7pm (8pm on July 25).

Join in and dance to the infectious rhythm of taiko drums at the Ebisu Bon Odori Festival on July 25 and 26. This summer tradition, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025, will surely attract large crowds, as the event is held right in front of Ebisu Station, occupying a fairly spacious area outside the West gate.

For two days, a towering yagura stage will take over the taxi and bus drop-off zone while the entire area is closed off to traffic, allowing the public to move and dance around freely. Food stalls are making a welcome return this year, joined by a new kids' arcade and a kakigori shaved ice stand. Expect all the classic summer matsuri treats, from crispy fried dumplings and cucumber on a stick to refreshing shaved ice desserts.

While it may be tempting to just stay indoors to avoid Tokyo’s sweltering summer heat, the Marunouchi Summer Matsuri is giving us many reasons to be out and about instead, with a host of events taking over the picturesque Gyoko Street opposite Tokyo Station.

Held for two days on July 25 and 26, this fun-filled event revolves around a Bon Odori yagura stage equipped with a cooling mist fan. Everyone is welcome to join the communal Bon Odori dance against the striking backdrop of Tokyo Station, and the cold mist will surely feel like a treat. Moreover, on both days from 7.40pm (7pm on Saturday), DJ Duke Tomono will be spinning city pop and disco tracks from the yagura, transforming the bustling plaza into a party zone.

At the festival site, expect to see food trucks selling street grub from around the world, such as Vietnamese banh mi, American hot dogs and Korean sotteok sotteok skewers. Plus, there will be two shaved ice vendors serving up cooling treats to help you beat the heat.

Don’t miss the opening ceremony on July 25 (5pm-7pm) – there will be a demonstration of a traditional water sprinkling ritual known as uchimizu.

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.

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.

Summer in Tokyo is defined by festivals and one of the most spectacular is the Bon Odori dance, which takes place in several neighbourhoods across the city. Originally a way to honour the spirits of the dead, Bon Odori is now a fun, engaging family-friendly affair.

The celebration at Tsukiji Hongwanji from July 30 to August 2 is one of Tokyo’s most popular Bon Odori festivals. So don a yukata and join in the dancing crowd circling the yagura stage from 7pm to 9pm (6pm to 8.30pm on Saturday).

Not to worry if you don’t know the steps – just mimic the dance moves of the locals next to you. The festival is also famous for its delectable food selection from nearby Tsukiji Market, so go early and dance up an appetite for a feast.

Kawachi Ondo is a folk song that originates in what is now the Osaka region and later spread all over the country. The lyrics can be modified to touch on anything from epic tales to current events, and the best singers are able to improvise freely.

The Sumida Kinshicho Kawachi Ondo Bon Odori on July 30 and 31 is where you can experience a comprehensive introduction to the art of Kawachi Ondo. This Kinshicho festival is now in its 43rd year.