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Fukagawa Festival
Known as one of the the three great Shinto festivals in Tokyo, this festival takes place at the Tomioka Hachiman-gu Shrine and features a procession of 120 mikoshi (portable shrines). The featured act, however, is when spectators (approximately half a million of them) splash water on the shrine bearers to keep ’em cool. Boiled down, you can treat this festival as a well-deserved and super-fun water fight to ward off August’s heat and humidity. The main parade is on August 12th.
Tokyo Cheapo Downtown Drinks #29
Join the TC gang and fellow cheapos for a drink (or few) and casual mingling at Commune 2nd. This is our 29th casual meet-up and all are welcome—from readers to travelers to mysterious strangers.
Jingugaien Fireworks Festival
A display of 10,000 fireworks over Meiji Jingu Stadium, the most urban venue of Tokyo’s fireworks festivals. To avoid paying for a seat at the stadium, you can just set yourself up anywhere within a 1-kilometer radius for free and you’ll still get a great view.
Okutama Nohryo Fireworks Festival
There will be a small fireworks festival (a modest 1,000 illuminations) in west Tokyo’s Tama area. The event lasts for 30 minutes starting at 7:45pm.
Asakusa Toro Nagashi
For a sense of old Japan, hit up the Asakusa Toro Nagashi event. Starting at 6:30pm at Sumida Park (in the bit between Azumabashi and Kototoibashi bridges), lanterns will be lit and and sent floating down the river.
Shimokitazawa Bon Dance Festival
The trendy neighbohood of Shimokitazawa throws its own traditional summer festival, complete with a yagura (festival tower), kimono-clad bon dancers circling around the tower, plus summer festival games and live music.
Summer Comiket
The summer edition of Comiket is one of Tokyo’s biggest pop culture events. Comiket is a comics festival, with a focus on independently created and published manga (or dojinsha). You can buy merch, meet the creators and even cosplay at the festival (just be sure to arrive/leave the venue in “normal” clothes).
Dancing Pikachus
One of Tokyo’s newer events, the Dancing Pikachu Horde is back by popular demand. Catch (and join) 1,000 electric mice shimmying and shaking around Yokohama’s Minatomirai area.
For more top Tokyo events happening this month, see our August recommendations.
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