Written by Patrick Balfe
Tokyo events for Monday, September 7, to Sunday, September 13, 2026.
The chirr of cicadas has softened and the summer heat is (mostly) behind us, but there’s still plenty to see and do around the city. Big ones this week are Kichijōji Fall Festival and Asakusa Street Beat Festival. For art and music lovers, there’s Komusō Shakuhachi Zen Night, Dub Sessions, and Tokyo Gendai.
Ogikubo Hachiman Grand Festival
All of the trimmings of a traditional Japanese festival will be scattered around the shrine. You can take a break for festival food, drinks, and regular live events.
Asakusa Kokusai Street Beat Festival
The Asakusa Kokusai Street Beat Festival celebrates Eisa, a folk dance from Okinawa. Several volunteer groups will parade the street, dancing and banging on drums.
Akasaka Hikawa Festival
The festival features restored dashi, which are traditional wheeled floats. One of the floats features a not-very-traditional but impressive hydraulic lift that raises it to about 5 meters.
Kichijōji Fall Festival
Over two days, mikoshi (portable shrines) from the various neighborhoods of Kichijōji will be jiggled and jostled around the streets. The festival will also feature a variety of stalls featuring food and games.
Ark Hills Autumn Festival
Enjoy traditional performing arts, comedy and jazz, catch a shrine procession, or dance along with the Bon Odori dancers in the evenings.
Sakaki Festival
One of the longest continually running festivals in the Kantō region. As part of the ceremony, a large sakaki tree portable shrine is tied with strips of paper, then carried and shaken rather vigorously on its way through the town to the shrine.
Komusō Shakuhachi Zen Night Vol 3.
Komusō are Zen monks in Japan who practice meditation by playing the bamboo flute. This concert features koten honkyoku solo pieces originally played by Komusō monks during the Edo period as a form of Zen practice aimed at spiritual liberation.
| At the door: ¥1,500 | ||
Adrian Sherwood Presents Dub Sessions 2026 Feat. Nightmares on Wax
Adrian Sherwood is back again with another edition of Dub Sessions — this time featuring inimitable DJ and producer Nightmares on Wax.
| Advance sales: ¥8,000 | ||
Tokyo Gendai
Tokyo Gendai convenes leading galleries, artists, and collectors from Japan and abroad. The fair is as much a marketplace as it is a forum, with curated booths, ambitious installations, and a program of talks that examine today’s art world.
| Advance sales: ¥4,000 | At the door: ¥5,000 | |
| Advance sales: ¥0 | At the door: ¥0 | |
| Advance sales: ¥1,500 | ||
Chōfu City Fireworks Festival
Chōfu City Fireworks Festival happens on the grassy banks of the Tama River where 10,000 individual fireworks will go up in flames in front of an estimated audience of 350,000 people.
Candlelight Concert: Magical Movie Soundtracks
A string quartet will take you on a journey through Disney hits such as Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid.
Tokyo River Clean-Up
Tokyo River Friends organizes regular litter-picking events on the banks of the Arakawa, Edogawa, and Tamagawa rivers. No reservation required — just show up at the appointed meeting spot.
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