Written by Patrick Balfe
Tokyo events for Monday, July 21 to Sunday, July 27, 2025.
You don’t need to go far to bump into a festival in Tokyo this week.
Fireworks festivals are in full swing with the annual favourite Sumidagawa fireworks taking center stage. On top of that, traditional summer festivals will pop up in some of our favorite locations around the city, including Kagurazaka and Ebisu, where you can expect street food, cold drinks, and no shortage of dancing.
If that’s not enough, Taiwan Festa offers even more options for foodies in the form of a balmy Taiwanese night market escape.
Traditional Japanese Music at Wagakki Theatre
For the first time, the venue’s Kobikicho Hall will be entirely dedicated to presenting wagakki, traditional Japanese instruments. The performances are entirely instrumental, so no language skills are required to appreciate the stagecraft and musicality.
| Advance sales: ¥7,700 | At the door: ¥7,700 | |
| Advance sales: ¥3,850 | At the door: ¥3,850 | |
Vket (Virtual Market) Real Summer
VketReal 2025 Summer is a cutting-edge XR (Extended Reality) event that blends the virtual and real worlds, organized by the creators of the world-renowned Virtual Market (Vket). The event is divided into a free area and a paid area. The first-floor Free Zone features experiential corporate exhibitions, immersive XR experiences, merchandise, virtual message boards, and an event space.
Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival
This is the big daddy of summer fireworks festivals in Tokyo. As the biggest fireworks festival in Tokyo, everything at the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival is, well, bigger.
Katsushika Fireworks Festival
The annual Katsushika Noryo Fireworks Festival sees an impressive 15,000 fireworks go off and almost 800,000 spectators set to watch them. The fireworks will take place at the Shibamata Baseball Ground near the Edogawa River — just 10 minutes from Keisei Shibamata Station.
Enoshima Summer Fireworks Festival
See a short fireworks show as part of the Miami Beach Show Summer Fireworks in Enoshima. A bonus if you’re already on a day trip from Tokyo.
Shimbashi Koichi Bon Dance Festival
Intended to celebrate both summer and Shinbashi Ward, this festival is run by local merchants. You can try your hand at wearing yukata, joining the Bon Odori dances, and eating as much street food as you can handle.
Hachiōji Fireworks Festival
Approximately 4,000 fireworks are launched at Hachiōji Shimin Kyūjō Ballpark, Fujimori Park. While the show is quite a small one, you can expect a good variety of explosions.
Showa Kinen Park Fireworks Festival
The Tachikawa Showa Kinen Park Fireworks Festival will see 5,000 fireworks launched, making it a medium-sized festival by Tokyo standards. This year, entrance to the park is entirely free all day.
Shinjuku Eisa Festival
Late July sees the annual Shinjuku Eisa Festival. The traditional costumes, dancing, and drumming are quite different from what you’re likely to see in other festivals in Japan.
Kagurazaka Festival
This is the biggest summer matsuri (festival) of the year in the trendy neighborhood of Kagurazaka. The first two days of the festival consist of a Hozugi Market (the seeds of the winter cherry are sold for ceremonial purposes at this time of year for Obon).
Ebisu Bon Odori Festival
One of central Tokyo’s biggest but least-known ‘Bon’ dance festivals. Festivities on both days begin at 5:30 p.m., when the sun has descended behind the station and the air starts to cool.
Manazuru Kibune Festival
The Manazuru Kibune Festival is a major annual event held at the Kibune Shrine at Manazuru Port in Kanagawa. The festival involves the procession of a large portable shrine through the town, which is then placed into the ocean and guided out to sea by several elaborately decorated boats.
Marunouchi Summer Festival
A Bon Odori dance and a splash of water define this matsuri (Japanese festival) right in front of Tokyo Station. The main things to see are the big Bon Odori dance and Uchimizu, where water is thrown onto the sidewalks using traditional buckets to cool down the street.
Haneda Summer Festival
This lively festival happens on the last weekend of July and attracts around 30,000 spectators each year. As well as this, local students perform Yosakoi (a Japanese dance), and flight attendants from ANA and Japan Airlines distribute drinks and fans, adding a sense of community to the festival.
Taiwan Festa
Get lost in a Taiwanese night market in the middle of Tokyo and experience Taiwan’s entertainment, culture, and gastronomy. The superstar of the event will be the gastronomy portion with an array of food stalls mimicking a Taiwanese night market — which is an excellent way to spend a warm, Tokyo summertime evening in Yoyogi Park.
Summer Wonder Festival
Figure collectors, this is the event for you! Known as the world’s biggest festival for figures (also known as “garage kits”), Wonder Festival Tokyo is a twice-yearly event held at Halls 1-8 of Chiba’s Makuhari Messe. At this event, figure manufacturers unveil the latest and upcoming additions to their product lines, to the excitement of collectors.
Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock is the biggest music festival in Japan, with up to 150,000 people attending. For the enthusiastic early comers, there’s also a free welcome party on Thursday night.
Nogi Shrine Summer Festival
A traditional summer shrine festival at Nogi Shrine — one of the most serene shrines in central Tokyo. Expect all the summer festival standards — yatai (food trucks), games, entertainment, and lots of yukata-clad locals.
Honey Festival
Everyone loves honey — including Japan. They even have a whole festival for it: The Honey Festival. Highlights include pairing honey with cheeses like blue and white varieties, making masala chai sweetened with honey, and sampling mead guided by the Japan Mead Association.
Sake Festival Nakameguro
Sweet, sparkling, or scorching hot — however you like your sake, the Sake Festival Nakameguro provides. Don’t worry about drinking on an empty stomach. To complete the festival mood, there will be stalls with traditional drinking snacks, meals, and even live performances.
| Advance sales: ¥3,400 | ||
Gacha Gacha 60th Anniversary Exhibition
2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the invention of gachapon (capsule toys) in Japan. 16 creators are confirmed to showcase at the event. Each creator will have their own exhibition, highlighting their history and unique contributions to the gacha industry as a whole.
Snoopy Thinks Again Today: Peanuts 75th Anniversary Exhibition
This exhibition highlights the humor and unexpected wisdom of Peanuts, reinterpreted through the eyes of ten creators. There will also be plenty of limited merch available for purchase, ranging from t-shirts to tote bags, plates, and sticker sets.
| Advance sales: ¥1,300 | At the door: ¥1,500 | |
| Advance sales: ¥800 | At the door: ¥1,000 | |
Get our Tokyo Cheapo Hacks direct to your inbox
-
16 Tokyo Flea Markets for Bargain Hunting
You'll want to bookmark this one.
-
Tokyo Events This Week: Kamakura Fireworks, Fireflies in Setagaya, and the Brazil Festival
Tokyo events for Monday, Monday, July 14 to Sunday, July 20, 2025.
-
Tokyo Flower Mega Guide: Blooms To See Every Month of the Year
It's almost sunflower season.
-
The Ultimate Tokyo to Kawaguchiko Day Trip
Explore the most popular of the Fuji Five Lakes.
-
101 Fun and Interesting Things To Do in Tokyo
This should keep you busy for a while.
-
Ultimate Tokyo Fireworks Guide: 2025 Edition
Get your yukata and picnic basket ready—here's a round-up of festivals both big and small.
-
July 2025: 8 Tokyo Events Not To Miss
Get your yukata on and get out there.
-
International Musicians Touring Japan in 2025 and 2026
Updated with a raft of big names—including Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga.
-
Tokyo’s Best Apartment-Style Hotels, by Area -
Highway to Hot Springs: Tokyo to Kusatsu Onsen by Bus -
The Best Pocket Wi-Fi for Visiting Japan — Compared -
Go-Karting in Tokyo: Everything You Need To Know -
Morning Sumo Practice in Tokyo—Everything You Need To Know -
First-Time Harajuku Itinerary: Fashion, Street Food, and More
