Written by Patrick Balfe
Tokyo events for Monday, April 27, to Sunday, May 3, 2026.
Golden Week kicks off with some of our favorite events on the annual festival calendar. Big ones to check out this week include the Meiji Shrine Spring Grand Festival, the Ōme Grand Festival, and the Kasukabe Giant Kite Festival. There’s also plenty of food and cultural celebrations, music, and flower fests to keep you busy over the break.
Ginza Sumo Show with Dinner
Located in Ginza, Sumo Live Restaurant Hirakuza is a two-hour dinner show combining live sumo, sake, and Japanese cuisine. Lucky audience members may be selected to participate in a sumo challenge.
Ōme Grand Festival
This traditional festival features twelve giant wheeled floats known as dashi, each representing one of the neighborhoods of the city of Ōme in far western Tokyo. The festival has a history of more than 100 years and draws 130,000 visitors each year.
Meiji Shrine Spring Grand Festival
The festival takes place on May 2 and 3 each year and features an impressive lineup of traditional performing arts presentations, led by masters in the field. The festival will set up a stage in front of the main shrine.
Kazo Citizens’ Peace Festival
A large koinobori carp-shaped wind sock will be hoisted twice, with stage shows in between and after. There will be drums, music, stage shows, a ceremony, and speeches from the mayor.
Odawara Hōjō Godai Festival
The Odawara Hōjō Godai celebrates the legacy of the Hōjō clan, a prominent samurai family that ruled over the region in the 15th century. Almost 2,000 people will parade through the streets of Odawara, emulating the Hōjō lords of the past.
Yokohama Night Flowers
A fireworks display that lasts for around 5 minutes will set off from Osanbashi Pier or/and Shinko Pier, depending on the date. A great viewing spot is Yamashita Park.
Edo Firemen’s Annual Memorial
Watch as local construction workers perform acrobatics on bamboo ladders. As the spiritual descendants of the firemen of Edo, they perform as a memorial to the 120 firefighters (including those in the metropolitan police) who died between the Edo and Showa periods.
Kasukabe Giant Kite Festival
The Kasukabe Giant Kite Festival, held every year on May 3 and 5, is a beloved tradition where local residents and kite enthusiasts gather to witness giant kites take to the sky.
Cambodia Festival
See singers and dancers take over the stage at Yoyogi Events Square, chow down on delicious Cambodian delicacies like Num Banhchok at the food stalls, and don’t forget to have a good time.
Craft Sake Week
Over 100 sake breweries from across Japan will be serving original sake, some of which are limited edition. There will also be several restaurants, including some that are rather difficult to reserve, bringing signature dishes for you to enjoy alongside your sake.
Tokyo River Clean-Up
Tokyo River Friends organizes regular litter-picking events on the banks of the Arakawa and Edogawa rivers. No reservation required — just show up at the appointed meeting spot.
Japan Jam
One of the country’s most relaxed multi-day music festival experiences, Japan Jam has been held at Soga Sports Park in Chiba since 2017. Major artists on this year’s lineup include Creepy Nuts, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, M!LK, and Paledusk.
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Haisai Okinawa Festival
This annual event celebrates many aspects of Okinawan culture — including local cuisine, live music, Okinawan traditional art performances, and souvenirs. Usually, around 200,000 visitors attend over the four-day period. This year, there will be a record of more than 100 mouthwatering food and beverage stalls gathered around La Cittadella.
Craft Gyoza Fes
Who doesn’t love gyoza? Meaty, juicy parcels of goodness. Sample from the very best of Japan’s dumplings — be they steamed, fried, boiled, or grilled — at this year’s Craft Gyoza Festival in Komazawa Olympic Park Central Square.
Kameido Tenjin Wisteria Festival
During the annual Kameido Tenjin Wisteria Festival, the wisteria is illuminated after dusk (during the height of the season). Although the festival dates are fixed, the wisteria doesn’t always play along.
Nezu Shrine Azalea Festival
The best time to see the flowers is around mid-April, and you can keep up to date with the flowering status on Nezu Shrine’s Instagram. There are food and drink stalls, a market, and performances.
Yokohama Flower and Garden Festival
This Yokohama Flower and Garden Festival showcases a stunning array of floral displays and innovative gardening techniques. There will be dreamy rose displays — including trending Yokohama varieties and French favorites — and even Japan’s top cut rose competition.
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