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Photo by Norio NAKAYAMA used under CC

Firework festivals

If you didn’t catch the massive Sumida fireworks event last weekend, you have four more to choose from this weekend:

The first two are fairly big productions (over 10,000 “fire flowers”—as translated from Japanese), with Ome and Akishima being smaller affairs with just 4,001 and 1,800 displays respectively. They run for about for 30 mins to 1.5 hours.

Suggested Activity
Shibuya Bar Hopping Night Tour in Tokyo
Taste all kinds of Japanese drinks and dishes in the lively nightlife district of Tokyo. Offered by MagicalTrip, a top tour operator in Japan with 5000 TripAdvisor reviews.

Kanda Otemachi Night Market

A rare sighting in Tokyo: a night market with street food, produce stalls and live music.

Photo by Zengame used under CC

Fussa Tanabata Festival

Tanabata is a popular summer festival where you write down a wish on a piece of colorful paper and hang it from bamboo trees. Accompanying that tradition are various parades including a folk dance parade, character shows and other events and 100 local-run stalls that line the street.

Asagaya Tanabata Festival

The Asagaya district is celebrating its version of the Tanabata festival. The festival is known for its large and colorful paper-mâché recreations of cartoon characters, which are hung from the ceiling in the Asagaya Pearl Center. The will also be traditional Japanese games and a plethora of food stalls.

Design Festa

One of the largest art and design events in all of Asia. The summer edition of Design Festa is back with works from 10,000 international artists, designers, musicians, actors. See our video for a taste of what to expect at Design Festa.

Nogi Shrine Summer Festival

A trditional summer festival at Nogi Shrine with street food and drinks, games, performances and a flea market.

Tsukiji Honganji Bon Dance Festival

A Bon dance festival that takes things up a notch. There’s taiko drumming, traditional dancing and the focal yagura tower is strewn with beautiful lanterns. The festival is also known for the delicious street food on offer, so go hungry.

Chill Out Evening at Kyu Yasuda Teien

For a bit of peace and quiet, Kyu Yasuda Teien (a serene garden in the Ryogoku area close to the Sumida River) is having a “chill out evening” that includes lit-up gardens, tea ceremonies and traditional koto playing.

Sri Lanka Festival

A culture festival in Yoyogi Park showcasing Sri Lankan cuisine, arts and crafts, and traditional performances.

For more top Tokyo events happening this month, see our August recommendations.

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