Japanese summer festivals are a staple of the countries beautiful culture, filled with exciting tradition, celebration and activities. But, in contrast to the lively celebrations, what if we told you find a more personal and visually vibrant experience at night? Here are a few summer festivals that you can stop by in 2024 after the sun has set!
Mitama Matsuri
July 13th to 16th 2024
5PM - 9PM
The Mitama Matsuri is an Obon festival where 30,000 paper lanterns decorate the walk up to the Mikoshi Shrine. The festival itself is typically held for four days and feature traditional performances and activities to honor ones ancestors, as is typically done for Obon.
Location:
Yasukuni Shrine
3-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo
Candle Night at Zojoji 2024
June 21st 2024
12:00PM - 10:00PM
This night at Zojoji Temple encourages visitors to disconnect from the modern world and switch off their lights to enjoy a plethora of 1690 candles decorating the grounds. In addition to the beautiful display there is also a market from 3PM to 7:30PM where you can purchase traditional and seasonal items!
Location:
4 Chome-7-35 Shibakoen, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0011, Japan
Lantern Festival at Chidorigafuchi 2024
July 26th and 27th
7:00PM - 8:00PM
This lantern festival just be one of Tokyo's most beautiful. With over 2000 lanterns decorating the water this festival is truly a sight to behold. Viewers can walk and view the display free of charge but can also create their own paper lantern for 1000 yen in which they can write their wishes or prayers to be released on the water. However, if you want to fully immerse yourself in the experience you can also take a rowboat onto the water! This is a very popular experience so if you plan to do so you must sign up on the official website from June 20th. Keep in mind tickets are based on a lottery system and are limited to 80 groups per day with a maximum of three people per group.
Location:
1 Kitanomarukoen, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 102-0091, Japan
Asakusa Toro Nagashi 2024
Time and Date TBD: Estimated to be around mid-August
This festival was originally held to honor those that have passed during the Obon holiday but has now evolved into a community event where attendees can release paper lanterns in Sumida Park. This display features more lanterns than the last with numbers exceeding 2,500 with messages written.
Location:
1-2-5 Mukoujima, Sumida Ward, Tokyo 〒131-0033
Firefly Nights (Hotaru no Yube)
June 8th - 23rd 2024
6:00 PM - 8:45PM
While this event isn't a festival we thought it was too good to leave out of this article. Yuyake Koyake Fureai no Sato is a recreational facility that holds "Firefly Nights" during the summer where attendees can watch fireflies dance across the greenery and waterways. The facility also offers a variety of other nature activities during the day!
Location:
Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0156