16 best summer festivals in Tokyo 2025: fireworks, Bon Odori, tanabata and more

One of the most popular street dance festivals in Tokyo, Koenji's Awa Odori is returning this summer in full swing. This year, the celebration will feature over 150 Awa Odori dance groups parading around Koenji Station’s North-South shotengai shopping arcade and Konan-dori street over the August 23-24 weekend.

The tradition of Awa Odori can be traced back to Tokushima, in the Shikoku region. Legend has it that the local daimyo plied his citizens with booze to celebrate the completion of the local castle in 1586, leading to a citywide outbreak of dancing in the streets. Whatever the accuracy of that tale, the enthusiasm was contagious, and Koenji has been holding a street dance fest of its own since 1957.

While the action starts at 5pm for both days, you'll need to arrive much earlier if you want to snag one of the best viewing spots along the two streets mentioned above.

Check the official website for more details.

One of Tokyo's favourite traditional festivals, the annual Azabu-Juban Noryo Matsuri (‘noryo’ translates as 'cool of the evening') has been going on for over 50 years now. The festival is returning this year on August 23 and 24 at Patio Juban Square, the nearby Amishiro Park and along the streets of the fashionable Azabu-Juban shopping district. 

There will be plenty of dancing, performances and live music, along with food and game stalls, some of which are set up by local businesses. Additionally, the nearby Juban Inari-jinja shrine will host an ohayashi festival music performance, accompanied by Ise Ondo folk dancing. Dust off your yukata and prepare to mingle among the crowds. 

Visit the website for the festival map and programme.

Be sure to stay till sundown during your next beach trip to Kamakura, as you wouldn’t want to miss the fireworks happening by the coast this summer. Taking place around Katase Nishihama Beach, the Enoshima Miami Beach Show promises to light up the night sky and nearby Enoshima Island with free pyrotechnic shows.

Leading up to the 30-minute long Fujisawa Enoshima Fireworks festival in October, there will be five five-minute fireworks displays scheduled at 7.40pm to celebrate the official beach-opening season. For more details on beach events and rules, check the event website.

Fireworks are held on July 25 and 31, August 9 and 19, as well as September 6.

This lively Roppongi Hills festival features traditional Bon Odori dance by yukata-clad performers in the shopping centre’s event arena.

Traditional Japanese lanterns add to the festive atmosphere while the surrounding food stalls cater to hungry crowds. You can expect a varied gourmet selection prepared by popular restaurants in the area, including Roppongi Barbacoa, Diya, Rigoletto Bar and Grill, Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Gelateria Raffinato, and more. There will also be plenty of activities like yo-yo fishing, ring tossing, and a face mask stall for children and adults to enjoy.

While there's no Bon Odori dancing on Friday, you’ll get to watch a modern interpretation of Gigaku (masked drama performance) and Dengaku (traditional Japanese dance) instead. The show is put on by Roppongi Raku, the venue’s performing arts group that consists of about 150 people, starting at 7pm. 

Bon Odori dancing takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 5pm to 8pm.

The annual Otsuka Awa Odori dance festival has been running since 1972, and it involves over 1,000 dancers every year. The pre-event festivities are held at the station-front plaza on August 22. There will be a ceremony, followed by mini Awa Odori dance performances.

The main festival however, falls on Saturday August 23 from 4pm, with around a dozen groups of dancers parading along Minamiotsuka-dori street in front of JR Otsuka Station’s East exit. This year, the festival is celebrating its 51st year with a line-up of venerable local awa-odori dance troupes, including Shinsuiren and the Toriren Awa Odori Club from Toshimagaoka Joshigakuen High School, which is one of only four such high school clubs in all of Japan.

Head over to Hamacho Park for some communal dancing at the Chuo Ward Oedo Bon Odori festival. Held on August 22 and 23, this annual event marks the end of summer and honours the spirits of ancestors with a unique song and dance called the Chuo City Ondo – you can learn the steps here. 

As with similar festivals across Japan, you’ll find food stalls serving crowd-pleasing street eats. Programme-wise, watch out for a traditional performing arts presentation at 4pm on Saturday. And make sure you catch the special taiko drum performances on Friday at 5.30pm and Saturday at 8.50pm – they mark the beginning and end of the Bon Odori festivities respectively. 

If you’re looking to partake in the Bon Odori dance, the session starts at 5.40pm on Friday and 5.50pm on Saturday.

Late August is always a good time for dancing in the streets, with many major festivals happening around this time of year. The Yosakoi dance originated in Kochi prefecture in 1954, where it was created to help revitalise the struggling post-war economy. Tokyo's very own Super Yosakoi festival, however, while relatively new, has been going on for over two decades now.

This massive event sees about 110 teams of brightly attired dancers trying to outdo each other as they strut their stuff to the rhythm of the naruko – a type of clapper that the people of Kochi originally used to scare birds away from the fields.

The dance performances take place at various locations within the Harajuku/Shibuya area. But if you only see one thing, make sure it’s the massive parade along the tree-lined Omotesando avenue on Sunday from 11.10am to 4.15pm.

Stage performances will be held at Yoyogi Park from 10am to 7pm on Saturday and until 5pm on Sunday. There are also smaller parades at the Yoyogi Park Event Square, along the road between the NHK Hall and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, around the same time.

At the Yoyogi no Mori Bon-Odori venue (5-68-1 Yoyogi, Shibuya), you can enjoy Yosakoi performances from 11.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday and from 11.00am to 4pm on Sunday.

For more information, check the event website.

Sangenjaya, known affectionately as Sancha among the locals, holds its annual Latin Festival with several performances throughout these two days. Enjoy some traditional festival food while taking in the live shows, amazing costumes and celebratory atmosphere.

Of course, the highlight of the festival is the spectacular samba parade, which takes place on the second day (August 24) from 1.30pm to 4pm on Chazawa Street. Additionally, you'll find stage performances and outdoor food stalls over at Sangenjaya Fureai Square.

Head straight to Rinko Park in Yokohama’s Minatomirai area for this annual Bon Odori festival by the sea. Festivities begin at 4.30pm on Friday and 4pm on Saturday, with special stage performances scheduled for both days.

If you're feeling peckish, you’ll also find food trucks selling all kinds of festival grub from the area. The food area is further expanded for 2025, with a food court area where visitors can take a break from bon odori dancing and enjoy matsuri cuisine.

The program is yet to be announced. Check the event website for more details.

Yokohama’s southernmost ward of Kanazawa is hosting its 51st annual fireworks festival this year at the beachfront Marine Park (Yokohama Umi no Koen). A total of 3,500 shells of fireworks will be launched from the nearby Hakkeijima island. Watch out for special pyrotechnic effects such as the crowd-pleasing giant starmines and a colourful explosion shaped like Kanazawa ward’s mascot, Botan-chan. If you're feeling hungry, head to the numerous food stalls selling traditional matsuri grub from 12noon to 8pm.

Check the event website for more details.

Feel the breeze of 1,500 windmills at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya’s annual outdoor summer fest. This picturesque event features a large dome adorned with over a thousand colourful windmills made from unused clear files from the shopping centre’s tenants. Come evening, the dome as well as the staircase at the plaza are lit up with blue and white lights, while cooling mist envelopes the area to create a mesmerising sight. 

What’s more, the summer festival is hosting several family-friendly activities for everyone to enjoy on August 16 and 17, such as booths for traditional Japanese matsuri games such as rubber ball scooping, shateki shooting, ring toss and a workshop to paint your very own wind chime. The booths will be set up at the main atrium of Tokyo Midtown Hibiya.

If you’re looking for a child-friendly event in the cool indoors, head to the underground plaza on August 9 and 10 for a workshop where participants can craft their very own pinwheels using unused clear files.