Festivals in Tokyo


Tokyo holds many festivals throughout the year. Major Shinto shrine festivals include the Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine, and the Sanja Festival at Asakusa Shrine. The Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo is held every two years in May. The festival features a parade with elaborately decorated floats and thousands of people.
More secular and seasonal festivals include cherry blossom, or sakura, viewing parties in the spring where thousands gather in parks such as Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, and the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden for picnics under the cherry trees. In the summer annual firework and dance festivals such as the Sumida River fireworks festival on the last Saturday of July, and the Kōenji Awa Odori dance festival on the last weekend in August attract millions of viewers.
Festival nameLocationDescriptionTime
Bunkyo Tsutsuji MatsuriBunkyō Azalea festivalApril to May
Fuji MatsuriKōtō Wisteria festivalApril to May
Hinode MatsuriŌme Sunrise festivalMay 8
Kachiya FestivalKōtō This festival commemorates Fujiwara Hidesato's prayer for victory before suppressing Taira no Masakado's revolt. The festival dates to Hidesato's offering of his bow and arrow to the shrine after his victory in battle. During the modern festival, there is a dedication of a kachiya and a traditional warrior parade.May 5
Kanda MatsuriChiyoda Kanda Matsuri is one of Tokyo's three major festivals that dates back to the Edo period. The festival's climax occurs when volunteer Kandakko carry 200 portable shrines in a vigorous parade toward the Kanda Myojin Shrine.May
Tenno MatsuriShinagawa Includes Kappa Matsuri ritual.Early June
Kifune MatsuriŌta Spring
Kurayami MatsuriFuchu Black night festivalSpring
Meiji Shrine Spring FestivalShibuya Spring
Osunafumi TaisaiSetagaya Walking-on-sand ritualSpring
Sanja MatsuriTaitō A festival honoring the three men that found a statue of Kannon which led to the founding of Sensō-ji in the Asakusa district. Its notable for its extravagant parade of mikoshi, musicians and dancers.Third weekend in May
Shishi MatsuriToshima Lion dance festivalSpring
Takigi NohMinato Open-air torchlight Noh performanceSpring
Yayoi MatsuriTaitō ceremony by the Edo Shobo Kinen-kai Spring
Sanno MatsuriChiyoda June
Asakusa Samba MatsuriSummer
Sumidagawa Fireworks FestivalSumida RiverSummer
Tokyo Bay FireworksTokyo BaySummer
Jingu FireworksSummer
Fukagawa MatsuriKōtō It is one of the three major Shinto festivals in Tokyo.Summer
Kōenji Awa OdoriKōenji SuginamiLargest Awa Dance Festival outside Tokushima Prefecture, with an average of 188 groups composed of 12,000 dancers.Summer
Harajuku, Omotesandō, Yoyogi Park, Meiji ShrineYosakoi dance festival, with an average of 100 groups.Summer
Reisai MatsuriBunkyō September 21
Tokyo Jidai MatsuriAsakusaThis festival celebrates the history of Tokyo and was first held in 1999. November 3
OeshikiIkegami HonmonjiOctober 11-13
HatsumodeMeiji Shrine, Sensoji, and other major shrines and templesNew Year's PrayersWinter
Dezome-shikiTokyo Big SightFireman's ParadeWinter
SetsubunSensō-ji and other major templesWinter