August 2023 Events in Tokyo

Nogi Shrine Summer Festival

A traditional summer shrine festival at one of the most serene shrines in central Tokyo. Thankfully, the festival takes place during the relative cool of the late afternoon and early evening. …

Chill Out Evening at Kyu Yasuda Teien

Officially ‘Noryo no Yube’ (translates to something like refreshing evening), this event at the Kyuu Yasuda Teien garden features a light up of the gardens as well as haiku …

Akishima Citizen Whale Festival Yume Hanabi

The Akishima Citizen Whale Festival will take place on the first weekend at the Showa Park (athletics stadium). The nearest station is the Higashi-Nakagami Station on JR Ome Line. Hihglights …

Fussa Tanabata Festival

Tanabata is celebrated in most places during July – but other places (like Fussa) celebrate it at a time closer to the timing on the traditional calendar. This particular event was started …

Hakone Ashinoko Summer Festival

Update: For 2022, many of the events for the festival have been canceled or discouraged (please see below for details). However, the Hakone Daimonji-yaki (burning kanji on the mountainside) will …

Ome City Nohryo Fireworks Festival

The 74th Ome City Nohryo Fireworks Festival would typically feature more than 4,000 fireworks hurled into the night sky over Nagayama Park in Ome City in the evening of the first Saturday in …

Tsukiji Honganji Bon Dance Festival

Update: This year, you’ll need to have a ticket to enter the venue. Dance to the beat of the taiko drums — or just watch — at this annual Bon dance festival at Tsukiji Honganji …

Hanazono Shrine Antique Market

A relatively small but regular antique fair, this event has around 25–30 stalls and is on almost every Sunday (aside from those with festivals or bad weather). Roughly translated as Hanazono …

Nakano Bon Dance Festival

The bon-odori festival held annually at Nakano Central Park (except for 2020 and 2021) typically attracts huge numbers of revellers. Luckily, the park is big, so there should be plenty of space …

Sri Lanka Festival 2023

An array of of 35 vendors will be offering spicy Sri Lankan food including rice and curry, string hoppers, hoppers, egg hoppers, kotturotti, cutlets, rotti and vaddai. Also on offer will be Sri …

Kawasaki Daishi Fuurin-Ichi

It requires a little adventure beyond Tokyo to get to this annual festival of Japanese wind chimes (furin). Craftsmen from all over Japan gather to display and sell thousands of these chimes, …

Asagaya Tanabata Festival

The Asagaya Tanabata Festival takes place every year in the Asagaya Pearl Center. The festival is tradition in East Asian culture taking names such as Qixi Festival in China and Chilseok in South …

Nakameguro Summer Festival

Returning for the 57th time and for the first time in 3 years, the Nakameguro Summer Festival takes over this fashionable neighborhood for two nights of outdoor dance performances. Saturday …

Shimokitazawa Bon Dance Festival

Shimokitazawa is a tight but very welcoming community, so this festival (formerly known as the Shimokitazawa summer festival) draws in the locals as well as the many fans of the trendy …

Okutama Nohryo Fireworks Festival

The annual Okutama Fireworks will take place right in front of Okutama Station. It’s a tiny fireworks show by Tokyo standards – you can expect just 1,000 fireworks – but in a …

Summer Comiket

Comic Market, better known as Comiket, is one of Japan’s biggest annual pop culture events. It’s held twice per year, in summer and winter, at Tokyo Big Sight. The focus of the event is …

Asakusa Toro Nagashi

An evening event in which candle-lit lanterns are floated down the Sumida River. Toro nagashi is a tradition in which lanterns illuminated with candles are set afloat on rivers to guide the …

Minato Mirai Bon Dance Festival

Update: The Bon Odori has been canceled on the 13th due to the approaching typhoon. Back for the first time since 2019, join the yukata-clad masses in the annual bon dance tradition at Rinko …

Hanazono Shrine Antique Market

A relatively small but regular antique fair, this event has around 25–30 stalls and is on almost every Sunday (aside from those with festivals or bad weather). Roughly translated as Hanazono …

Okutama Nohryo Fireworks Festival

The annual Okutama Fireworks will take place right in front of Okutama Station. It’s a tiny fireworks show by Tokyo standards – you can expect just 1,000 fireworks – but in a …

Fukagawa Festival

For 2022, the mikoshi parade on August 14 has been cancelled. They will transport the portable shrine via vehicle and no water throwing will happen. Local neighborhood festivities are still set …

Hakone Daimonji-yaki

On Mt. Myojogatake, viewed from Goran Onsen in Hakone, 205 bamboo stalks will be lit one by one to reveal an enormous burning 大 (dai, meaning big or great). Fireworks and food stalls are expected …

Shimokitazawa Awa Odori Festival

Shimokitazawa’s Ichibancho shopping district comes to life in mid-August as the local Awa Odori festival parades through the streets. Awa Odori is a traditional dance festival made up of …

Hanazono Shrine Antique Market

A relatively small but regular antique fair, this event has around 25–30 stalls and is on almost every Sunday (aside from those with festivals or bad weather). Roughly translated as Hanazono …