World City Guide

Special Events

O-Shogatsu (New Year), families visit temples and shrines to offer prayers for the coming year, 1–3 Jan, at temples and Shinto shrines across the city
Special Opening of the Imperial Palace Grounds, crowds flock to the public appearance of the Emperor and Empress, 2 Jan, Imperial Palace Grounds
Dezomeshiki (New Year’s Parade of Firemen), Tokyo’s firemen perform traditional acrobatic stunts and display the latest equipment, early Jan, Odaiba
Setsubun, ceremony to drive away demons, 3 or 4 Feb, Sensoji Temple, Asakusa, and major temples across the city
Hana Matsuri (The Birth of Buddha), ceremonies are held at Buddhist temples, 8 Apr, throughout the city
Golden Week, a major holiday incorporating several national holidays, during which many offices close and huge numbers of locals take a holiday (a crowded time to travel), 29 Apr–5 May, throughout the city
Cherry Blossom Viewing, picnics and merrymaking beneath the city’s thousands of cherry trees, Apr, throughout the city
Kanda Matsuri (Kanda Festival), a major street festival with parades of portable shrines and traditional floats, a weekend in mid May (odd-numbered years only), Kanda Myojin Shrine
Sanja Matsuri (Sanja Festival), Tokyo’s biggest and most famous festival features enormous parades of portable shrines carried by men and women in traditional costume, third weekend in May, Asakusa
Sanno Matsuri (Sanno festival), historic street festival featuring parades of portable shrines and a procession of 500 people in traditional court dress, a weekend in mid Jun (even-numbered years only), Hie Shrine
Sumida Hanabi (Sumida Fireworks Festival), spectacular fireworks display on Tokyo’s Sumida River, late Jul or early Aug, Asakusa
Asakusa Samba Carnival, a riot of colour and sound organised by Brazilian-Japanese returnees, late Aug, Asakusa
Bon-odori dances, dancing takes place beneath colourful lanterns to commemorate the spirits of the ancestors, Aug, various venues
Tokyo International Film Festival, Japan’s annual film extravaganza (website: www.tiff-jp.net/e_index.html), 28 Oct–5 Nov, Bunkamura, Shibuya
Tokyo Motor Show, passenger cars and motorcycles featured on odd-numbered years, commercial vehicles featured on even-numbered years (website: www.tokyo-motorshow.com/eng/), late Oct–early Nov, Makuhari Messe, Chiba
Shichi-go-san (Seven, Five, Three Festival), children of these ages are dressed in their best clothes and taken to Shinto shrines to pray for their future. 15 Nov (or closest weekend), Meiji Shrine, Asakusa Shrine, Hie Shrine and others across the city
Tori-no-Ichi (Rake Fair), extraordinarily decorated rakes, believed to bring good fortune, are sold at a great shrine fair, mid Nov, Otori Shrine, Asakusa
Hagoita-Ichi (Battledore Fair), lavishly decorated battledore paddles of all sizes are sold at a large and popular temple fair in the hope of an auspicious start to the New Year, 17–19 Dec, Sensoji Temple, Asakusa
Omisoka (New Year’s Eve), temple bells ring out 108 times and people flock to temples and shrines to see in the New Year, 31 Dec, Meiji Shrine and temples and shrines across the city