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While it’s hard to believe it’s already September, there’s still a handful of late-summer festivities taking place across the capital. To make the most of the last stretch of the season, add these three festivals happening across Tokyo this September 5-6 weekend to your plans. From traditional Bon Odori and lively shrine celebrations to food, music and cultural festivities, there’s plenty to enjoy as the season winds down.
Yaesu Night Market
Until September 6
Tokyo Midtown Yaesu is hosting a summer soirée at its first-floor outdoor plaza in front of Tokyo Station, featuring matsuri-themed festivities and free live performances. The line-up spans a wide range of genres, including acts by veteran music producer and DJ Shinichi Osawa, producer and founding member of Pizzicato Five Yasuharu Konishi, hip-hop trio Donuts Disco Deluxe, contemporary singer-songwriter Moka Sato, six-piece instrumental dub-rock and synth band Neco Nemuru and many more. The 2026 stage line-up also features two DJ sessions every day.
Head to Tokyo Midtown Yaesu’s lantern-lit first-floor Galleria Plaza for summer bites and drinks – think fresh watermelon, apple and orange fruit cocktails made using Daiyame shochu, Taiwanese mazesoba noodles, chilli hot dogs and piping-hot Hokkaido fries.
On weekend evenings, the atrium next to the Galleria Plaza transforms into Yaesu Yomise, a night market with sundries, accessory-making workshops and mini games.
You can also take part in the Yaesu Lantern Walk, where visitors can stroll around Tokyo Station’s Yaesu Exit with a lantern in hand. Visit all five checkpoints across Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, Gransta Yaesu, GranRoof and Yaechika Shopping Mall to collect different colours that will transform your lantern. Once you’ve collected them all, you’ll be entered into a raffle to win gift cards.
Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine Festival
September 5-6
The annual Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine Festival falls on the first weekend of September. This year, the festival returns with a parade of over 20 mikoshi portable shrines.
While the festival is spread out over two days, the main event occurs on Sunday September 6, when two dozen or so mikoshi are carried through the Shimokitazawa neighbourhood. The first portable shrines, carried by children, will reach the shrine precincts at noon, followed by adult-carried floats at around 1pm. Once all floats have arrived, a ceremonial ritual will be held at 2.30pm.
On both days, there will also be matsuri food stalls serving festival grub, as well as an array of live performances, including taiko drumming performances and an ohayashi festival music performance.
Kaminarimon Bon Odori
September 5
Kaminarimon Gate at the entrance of Sensoji Temple in Asakusa is set to come alive with a Bon Odori festival on Saturday September 5. Expect crowds in yukata dancing around a yagura turret decorated with paper lanterns. The festivities will take place from 5.30pm to 8pm along a closed-off section of Namiki Dori avenue leading up to the Kaminarimon, so feel free to join in the dancing.
Bon Odori dancing will be held in three thirty-minute sessions, from 5.30pm, 6.30pm and 7.30pm. On Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 8pm, Kaminarimon Ichinomiya Street will be lined with colourful Edouro lanterns featuring paintings of ladies in yukata.
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