Events in Tokyo
Cherry blossom festival
It is not just the dream of all tourists, it is a real miracle. Families picnic under the blossoming cherry trees – and nothing prevents tourists from joining them. Ueno Park in Tokyo is one of the most popular places to admire a sea of cherry blossoms from late March to early April. You should definitely have a drink there with friends and enjoy the view of the festive atmosphere of the lanterns hung in the trees.
Date: March 23, 2020 – April 12, 2020
(not yet determined)
Place: Parks throughout the city, but especially Ueno Park and Chidorigafuchi Park.
Entry: Without admission fee.
Kanda Matsuri (Kanda Festival)
In order to see an elaborate display of shrines and moving cars, one has to attend the three-day festival in honor of the deities of the Kanda Myōjin shrine. The worshipers of the deities carry gold-colored Mikoshi (portable shrines) through the streets during the parade. It is one of the three largest festivals in Japan. Enjoy the temperament of the Edokko, who are known to know how to celebrate. However, the festival is kept smaller in even years than in odd years when the main festivals take place.
Date: May 15, 2020 – May 15, 2020
(not yet determined)
Place: Kanda Myōjin Shrine.
Website: http://www.kandamyoujin.or.jp/kandamatsuri/
Admission: Without admission fee.
Asakusa Sanja Matsuri (Sanja Festival)
In May, one of Japan’s largest festivals takes place at one of the largest shrines in Tokyo. Thousands of people come to see the Mikoshi (portable shrines) swaying through the streets on the shoulders of men, women and children. Don’t be surprised if the swaying suddenly looks like an intentional jerk! Such a jerk is said to increase the power of the gods.
Date: May 16, 2020 – May 17, 2020
(not yet determined)
Place: Asakusa Shrine
Website: http://www.asakusajinja.jp/english/
Admission: Without admission fee.
Sanno Matsuri (Sanno Festival)
The Sanno Festival is also a big festival with parades, where portable shrines sway through the streets. The festival differs from the other major festivals in that a phoenix can be seen at this festival as well as mythical creatures called Tengu and representing monsters. These creatures, with their red faces and long noses, have supernatural powers, but they obviously have nothing to do with Pinocchio. Flower arrangements and Japanese tea also play a major role in this festival.
Date: June 15, 2020 – June 15, 2020
(not yet determined)
Place: Hie Shrine, Nagata-Cho.
Website: http://www.hiejinja.net/en
Entry: Without admission fee.
Sumida Hanabi (Sumida Fireworks Festival)
The largest and most spectacular firework show in Tokyo takes place over the Sumida River to commemorate those who died during the great famine in the Edo period. For an hour, countless rockets are launched into the Tokyo sky from the banks of the river, making for the most spectacular fireworks in Japan. Stalls and kiosks offer hot sake and Japanese specialties and contribute to the lively party atmosphere.
Date: July 11, 2020 – July 11, 2020
Location: At two locations on the Sumida River
Admission: Without admission fee.
The Oeshiki festival
Up to 350,000 people gather to attend a Buddhist parade consisting of 3,000 participants carrying lanterns and large paper decorations to the Honmon-ji temple. The Oeshiki Festival is celebrated all over Japan to commemorate the great 13th century Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222-1282). The Oeshiki festival at the Honmon-ji temple is the most representative because the tomb of Nichiren is in this temple.
Date: October 11, 2020 – October 13, 2020
(not yet determined)
Place: Honmonji Temple.
Entry: Without admission fee.
Tokyo Auto Show
Tokyo’s major auto show introduces next-generation automobiles and the social systems they interact with. In the midst of countless cars, expect a lot of information about solar energy and low CO² emissions.
Date: October 24, 2020 – November 04, 2020
(not yet determined)
Location: Tokyo Big Sight.
Website: http://www.tokyo-motorshow.com/en
Admission: With admission fee.
Tokyo International Film Festival
This extraordinary spectacle, which takes place annually in Japan, is held in the metropolis in Ikebukuro. Expect an international show that you won’t forget for a long time.
Date: October 28, 2020 – November 5, 2020
(not yet determined)
Location: Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
Website: http://www.tiff-jp.net/en
Admission: With admission fee.
Akogishi festival
The Akogishi Festival honors the 47 loyal followers from Ako. They are the main actors in a drama that dates back to a real event in 1703 in which 47 samurai avenged their master’s death by killing his enemy. Since then, this event has repeatedly been brought on stage in Kabuki as well as shown in movies and TV dramas in the form of a ‘joruri’ (a sung narration). This is one of the most popular legends in Japan.
Date: December 14, 2020 – December 14, 2020
Place: Sengaku-ji Temple.
Entry: Without admission fee.
Hagoita-Ichi (Battledore Fair)
The Hagoita-Ichi (Battledore Fair) is a fair that takes place annually in the Sensō-ji temple in Asakusa. On the stands you can buy all sizes and shapes of Hagoitas – beautifully decorated wooden bats – which serve as a lucky charm. They used to be used for a game variant of the badminton. They have always been decorated with colorful portraits of Kabuki actors, but nowadays pop stars or manga figures are also emblazoned at Hagoitas.
Date: December 17, 2020 – December 19, 2020
(not yet determined)
Place: Sensō-ji Temple.
Website: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spot/festival/hagoitaichi.html
Admission: Without admission fee.
Shogatsu (New Year)
After the Bōnenkai parties, which serve to forget the old year and start the new year with a fresh start, New Year is an important holiday in Japan. Unlike in the west, it is more important in Japan to see the sunrise than to watch the clock hand jump from 11:59 p.m. to 00:00 a.m. Decorations made of pine wood and bamboo are common. And the traditional visit to a shrine is also part of it.
Date: January 01, 2021 – January 01, 2021.
Place: Shrines throughout the city, but especially the Asakusa-jinja and Meiji Shrine.
Website: https://www.japan.travel/en/things-to-do/festivals-and-events/
Admission: Without admission fee.
Dezome-shiki (New Year’s Firefighters’ Parade)
Firefighters in Edo-era costumes show circus-like tricks on the top of bamboo ladders to remind the entire city of the importance of fire prevention. It is an unusual mix of acrobatics and the topics of health and safety. However, there are good reasons for this. The Tokyo Fire Brigade Association was founded in 1557 when a huge fire in old Tokyo, mostly made of wood, did immense damage and killed over 100,000 people. The fire brigade parade starts in front of the Ueno Toshogu shrine.
Date: January 01, 2021 – January 01, 2021
Location: Tokyo Big Sight, Ueno Park.
Website: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spot/festival/dezomeshiki.html
Admission: Without admission fee.
