Tokyo events for Monday, October 14 to Sunday, October 20, 2024.
The influx of autumn festivities is approaching. Thousands will flood the streets of Kawagoe to see the towering traditional floats, crowds will gather in Enoshima for their modest fireworks show, and teams will run the length of the Yamanote Line.
More Halloween events are popping up, with family-friendly illuminations in Saitama and a party for the adults in Shinjuku.
Fujisawa Enoshima Fireworks Festival
The Fujisawa Enoshima Fireworks Festival sees a 30-minute fireworks display on October 19. Despite not being the large event of past years — there will only be 1,800 fireworks — plenty of onlookers will still be packed onto the beachfront of Katase Enoshima.
Kawagoe Festival
Held over a weekend in mid-October, the Kawagoe Festival is renowned as Koedo-Kawagoe’s liveliest event of the year. The festival features spectacular floats carrying exquisitely crafted dolls which are pulled around the center of Koedo-Kawagoe’s landmark Kurazukuri (traditional warehouse architecture) Zone.
Indonesia–Japan Friendship Festival
The Indonesia–Japan Citizens Friendship Festival takes place at the Yoyogi Park Events Square and offers a whole host of traditional food, performances, and more. The main stage will provide all the best entertainment, from mesmerizing Indonesian and Balinese dances to music.
Tokyo Yamathon
The Yamathon is a fundraising challenge where teams of two to four people compete to walk or run through Tokyo, visiting all 30 stations of the famous JR Yamanote train line. Teams can also choose to do a half-Yamathon, finishing at Mejiro Station.
Halloween Night in the Forest
For 6 days in October, Shinrin Park in Saitama Prefecture will hold a light-up and illumination event called “Halloween Night in the Forest”. Walk through the park at night enjoying the Halloween-themed artworks and installations, which include projection mapping, recycled art, lantern art, and more.
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Koto Ward Citizens Festival
This festival offers a glimpse of some of this heritage with the opportunity to see ‘Kaku Nori’ — a form of entertainment developed during the Edo era in which performers balance on floating semi-milled logs. While similar to log rolling, there is a lot more emphasis on balance and tricks — including balancing on top of ladders and boxes placed on the logs.
Nihonbashi Ebisu-ko Bettara Pickles Market
Held around Takarada Ebisu Shrine, this fair is a popular seasonal event in the community. The fair is known for a number of vendors selling the local specialty called bettara-zuke (sweet and salty daikon radish pickles). The Odenma-chō area is filled with between 400 and 500 street stalls that stay busy until late in the evening.
Ikebukuro Egg Festival
Not everyone loves raw eggs on top of rice, but for those who can’t get enough, this festival was designed for you. It’s a popular event with no advanced reservations, so make sure to arrive early to get your chance at sampling the 60,000 eggs collected from around the country.
CEATEC
CEATEC is a giant consumer electronics show that takes place in October each year. It’s the Japan equivalent of mega trade shows like CES in the US and IFA in Europe.
Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony
Taking place on successive weekends at the Edo Tokyo Outdoor Architecture Museum (October 19-20) and Hamarikyū Gardens (October 26-27), this event is a showcase of one of Japan’s unique cultural assets — the tea ceremony. There are both indoor tea ceremonies (in the famed teahouse in the middle of a saltwater pond) and outdoor ceremonies.
Back From The Grave: Halloween Ball
Back From The Grave’s yearly Halloween Bash is back for 2024 with around 50 bands from around Japan to fill two days with drinks, tunes, costumes, and rock ‘n roll debauchery galore! The party will be happening at Shinjuku’s LOFT in Kabukichō and will start from 12 p.m. till dawn on Saturday — that means an all-nighter for sure — and 12 p.m. till 10 p.m. on Sunday.
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