Tokyo Events July 2025: 8 Top Picks

July marks the start of the summer festival season in Japan, and that means fireworks, traditional matsuri (festivals), and plenty of delicious yakisoba.

Yoyogi Park is busy with large-scale events every weekend, and the Tanabata holiday paints the town of Asakusa in technicolor. Don’t miss out on the dancing, merriment, and summer atmosphere taking center stage this month.

For the top events in Tokyo throughout the year, check out our complete guide — organized by month.

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1. Tokyo fireworks festivals

Throughout July

All over and around Tokyo

Put on a yukata and experience a true Tokyo summer

summer fireworks in Tokyo — Photo by iStock.com/Torsakarin

Tokyo fireworks are back with a bang, and this July and August there is a colorful assortment of displays to be seen. There’s the massive Sumida River Fireworks taking place on July 26, as well as a few other mid-sized and smaller events on the same day. Take your pick of what style of party suits you. Here are a few:

July 2: Tokyo Racecourse Fireworks
July 18: Kamakura Fireworks Festival
July 22: Katsushika Fireworks Festival
July 26: Sumida River Fireworks Festival
July 26: Showa Kinen Park Fireworks Festival
July 26: Hachiōji Fireworks Festival

2. Tanabata festivals

Around July 7

All over and around Tokyo

Make a wish and tie it to bamboo

The Asagaya Tanabata Festival is actually in August. | Photo by iStock.com/winhorse

These festivals are known for their colorful decorations and events that mark the annual tanabata celebration on July 7. The legend speaks of two star-crossed lovers, only able to meet on the Milky Way once every year.

For us common folk, it is a time to write a wish on a strip of paper and tie it to some bamboo. There will be events all around Tokyo, with the main ones in Asakusa and Shonan, but there will be more moving into August.

Check them out:

July 4–6: Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival
July 5–6: Shitamachi Tanabata

3. Yoyogi Park festivals

Throughout July

Yoyogi Park Events Square

Something on every weekend at Yoyogi Park

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Taiwan festival in yoyogi — Photo by TERRACE Co., Ltd.

A host of international and interesting festivals will fill the Yoyogi Park Events Square this July. The Star and Sun Market and Earth Garden join forces for a winning combination of eco-friendly products and late-night food stalls. The Brazil Festival and Taiwan Festa will offer trucks of delicious regional dishes, as well as musical performances and plenty of dancing.

Check these out:

July 4–6: Earth Garden Summer Festival and Star and Sun Market (July 2–6)
July 10–13: Inspire Tokyo
July 19–20: Brazil Festival
July 25–27: Taiwan Festa

4. Shinjuku Eisa Festival

July 26

Shinjuku

Watch traditional Okinawan dances

Also expect traditional music. | Photo by Alex Ziminski

This is your chance to see eisa, Okinawa’s traditional dance, without having to travel to Okinawa. Featuring brightly clad performers dancing, singing, and chanting to the accompaniment of drums and the sanshin (a three-stringed instrument that originated in Okinawa), eisa is an upbeat, colorful, energetic spectacle.

The Shinjuku Eisa Festival offers a different feel and sound from many other Japanese matsuri, and the diverse teams performing will surely not disappoint. This is one of Tokyo’s more popular summer festivals, so expect crowds to gather to watch the performances.

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Shinjuku Eisa Festival 2025

Dates:Jul 26, 2025

Entry:Free

5. Mitama Matsuri

July 13–16

Yasukuni Shrine, Kudanshita

Lanterns, lanterns, everywhere

Held at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Kudanshita, this festival is famous for the 30,000 bright yellow lanterns that line the main approach. Although the path is quite wide, the festival attracts huge crowds, so it is sure to be packed with locals who have dusted off their yukata and jinbei for a summer outing.

Mitama Matsuri

Dates:Jul 13–Jul 16, 2025

Entry:Free

Venue:

Yasukuni Shrine

6. Chidorigafuchi Moat Lantern Floating Festival

July 30–31

Chidorigafuchi Moat, Chiyoda

Glittering lights

Photo by Chiyoda City Tourism Association

Speaking of lanterns, at the Chidorigafuchi Moat Lantern Floating Festival, around 2,000 lanterns are set off down the river close to the Imperial Palace. You must enter a lottery to ride a boat and float the lanterns (¥10,000 per boat), but you can also purchase a lantern in advance and write on it at the venue for a more reasonable ¥2,000 — you won’t personally get to float the lantern this way, though.

Chidorigafuchi Moat Lantern Floating Festival

Dates:Jul 30–Jul 31, 2025

Entry:Free

Venue:

Chidorigafuchi Park

7. Narita Gion Festival

July 4–6

Narita

300-year-old festival with elaborate floats

This centuries-old festival takes place near Narita Airport and lasts for three days. The Narita Gion Festival features portable shrines and towering floats pulled and clambered on by locals. In the evenings, the floats will be lit up.

Narita Gion Festival

Dates:Jul 4–Jul 6, 2025

Entry:Free

Venue:

Narita-san Shinshō-ji Temple

8. Enoshima Tenno Festival

July 13

Enoshima

A portable shrine gets a bath

Watch as a portable shrine, called a mikoshi, is paraded around the tiny streets of Enoshima. On the way to another shrine, the procession takes a side trip into the sea for around 30 minutes. There will be blessings, purifications, and music. The festival symbolizes the enshrined god’s return to the sea.