Things to Do in Tokyo in July 2026

July marks the end of Tokyo’s rainy season and the start of midsummer’s thick heat. This month’s events roundup runs are river fireworks, lanterns drifting across moats, poolside parties and seaside festivals. Water is doing a lot of the work cooling down the city this summer. Spectacle or something quieter, here are our top picks for things to do in Tokyo this July.

Ocean Peoples Festival

July 4 – 5

Ocean Peoples is a pool and beach festival built around the theme “Save The Beach, Save The Ocean” — equal parts music event and coastal lifestyle celebration. The lineup spans Japanese hip-hop, R&B, reggae, and alternative, with talented artists including Rickie-G, Novel Core, Los Retros, OZworld, JP The Wavy, and GADORO. Performances take place just steps from the beach, so expect to be dancing and cooling off in the water rather than at a typical seated venue. A beach market running alongside the stages features fashion brands, accessories, lifestyle shops, and food trucks.

When: 11am – 9pm
Where: Sunset Beach Park Inage
Address: 7-2 Takahama, Mihama Ward, Chiba-ku
Price: 1 day ticket ¥9,800 | 2 day ticket ¥16,000
Website: Oceanpeoples.com

Iriya Asagao Festival

July 6 – 8

Wander through Japan’s largest morning glory market at the Iriya Asagao Matsuri, held annually around Shingenji Temple, known locally as Iriya Kishimojin. Roughly 120 specialist growers set up before dawn, since the blooms close up once the day heats up, so an early start is the only way to see them at their best. More than 90 food stalls line the streets alongside the flower vendors, selling festival staples from yakitori to shaved ice. The tradition dates to the late Edo period, when cultivating morning glories became popular among gardeners and samurai; it lapsed in the early 20th century before locals revived it in 1948, and now draws around 400,000 visitors over the three days.

When: July 6 – 8, 5am – 9pm
Where: Kototoi-dori road and Iriya Kishimojin Temple
Address: 1-12-16 Shitaya, Taito-ku
Price: Free
Website: asagao-maturi.com

Taiwan Festival

July 9 – 12

Taiwan Festival TOKYO 2026 takes over Ueno Park’s fountain plaza for four days, with this year’s theme — 囍 (double happiness) — built around Taiwanese wedding traditions, from festive foods to customs and performances tied to marriage and good fortune.
Food carries the event, as it tends to at anything modeled on Taiwan’s night market culture: xiao long bao (soup dumplings), fried chicken, noodles, bubble tea and fruit desserts, served in a setting built to feel like a stroll through Taipei rather than a row of festival booths.
Beyond the food, expect traditional performances and cultural presentations on Taiwanese customs.

When: July 9 – 12 | 10am – 9pm
Where: Ueno Park Fountain Square
Address: 5-20 Uenokoen, Taito-ku
Price: Free
Website: taiwanfes.org

Mizudome-no-mai

July 12

Witness a 700-year-old ritual believed to stop the rain at Mizudome-no-mai, held at Gonshoji Temple in Ota Ward. The festival opens with a procession in which two men, encased in straw-wrapped barrels representing dragon gods, are hauled toward the temple while bystanders drench them with buckets of water and they blow on conch shells. At the temple, dancers in lion masks perform on stage to flute music and chanting, offering a prayer for the rain to cease.

When: July 12, 1pm – 3pm
Where: Gonsho-ji Temple
Address: 3-7-27 Omori-higashi, Ota-ku
Price: Free
Website: mizudome.com

Enoshima Tenno Festival

July 12

The Enoshima Tenno Festival is one of Kanagawa Prefecture’s most cherished summer traditions, rooted in prayers for protection, good health and safety at sea. The centerpiece is the mikoshi (portable shrine), carried through the streets by local residents to the sound of drums, bells and chanting before being brought to the coast and dunked into the sea. The ritual reflects the island’s deep ties to fishing and ocean worship. On the mainland, this mikoshi meets the one from Koyurugi Shrine, and the two parade together before the Yasaka mikoshi returns to Enoshima around 6pm. Participants in happi (festival coats) fill the streets alongside food stalls and crowds.

When: 9:30am – 6pm  
Where: Enoshima Shrine Hetsumiya
Address: 2-3-8 Enoshima, Fujisawa-ku
Price: Free 
Website: enoshimajinja.or.jp

Fun Aloha Festival

July 17 – 20

The Fun Aloha Festival takes over Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse’s event plaza from July 17 to 20, bringing island culture to the waterfront for four days. Expect hula performances, ukulele sets and Hawaiian music across rotating live stages, along with booths selling tropical food, island-inspired fashion and handmade crafts. Admission is free, with food, drinks and shopping available throughout the venue.

When: Friday 3pm – 9pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am – 9pm
Monday 11am – 6pm
Where: Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
Address: 1-1 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama
Price: Free entrance. Food, drinks, and merchandise are available to purchase.
Website: fun-aloha.com

Festival Brasil & Latino 2025

July 19 – 20

Festival Brasil & Latino 2025 returns to Yoyogi Park brings vibrant rhythms, flavors and the spirit of Brazil and Latin America to Tokyo. This year’s edition celebrates 130 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Brazil and the rich cultural ties between the two nations. Samba and Latin music performances, capoeira demonstrations and authentic cuisine make for a lively scene, along with of traditional crafts and cultural exhibits.

Head to the Festival Brasil & Latino 2025 website for a full program (available in Japanese and Portuguese).

Free Admission
Yoyogi Park Events Square
2-3 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku
festivalbrasil.jp

World Water Festival (Online Event)

July 26

In late July, the fourth World Water Festival streams live from the picturesque Tamagawa Seseragi Hall in Setagaya’s Todoroki Valley—Tokyo’s only valley within the 23 wards—uniting a global audience from Hawaii to London. This half‑day program (1 pm–5.20 pm) weaves together science, environmental innovations, prayer ceremonies, art, and indigenous performances, creating a rich tapestry that honors our shared reverence for water as the fundamental source of life. A truly cross‑cultural celebration of gratitude, consciousness, and global harmony.

1pm – 5:20pm
Free Admission
Online (stream on World Water Festival’s YouTube channel)
worldwaterfestival.net

Sumida River Fireworks Festival

July 26

Tokyo’s most iconic summer event lights up the skies over the Sumida River with around 20,000 fireworks launched near Asakusa and Ryogoku. Dating back to 1733, the festival features rival pyrotechnic teams showcasing creative designs—from classic chrysanthemums to hearts and cartoon characters. Crowds cheer “Tamaya!” and “Kagiya!” in tribute to historic fireworks guilds. Prime viewing spots fill up fast, with yukata-clad spectators arriving early. For a more relaxed experience, quieter vantage points can be found around Ueno, such as Shinobazu Pond.

7 – 8:30pm
Free Admission
Various locations. Maps are available on the festival website (Japanese only)
Kishimojin Temple (also known as Shingenji Temple)
sumidagawa-hanabi.com

Lantern Festival at Chidorigafuchi 2025

July 30 – 31

Tokyo’s summer is full of festivals, and one of the most enchanting is the Chidorigafuchi Moat Lantern Festival. Since 1958, around 2,000 lanterns have lit up the water each year. Write your wishes on lanterns (¥2,000 each) and release them over the moat. Please note that you must purchase lanterns in advance, and you can’t get them on the day of the event.

Both days 7pm – 8pm
Free Admission (lanterns are available for a fee–advance purchase is required)
Chidorigafuchi
1-1 Kōjimachi, Chiyoda-ku
visit-chiyoda.tokyo/en/floating.lantern

Takahata Isao Exhibition: The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation at Azabudai Hills Gallery

All through July

In 2025, we commemorate two milestones: 80 years since the Pacific War ended and 90 years since the birth of legendary animator Isao Takahata (1935–2018). Azabudai Hills Gallery presents a major retrospective exhibition honoring Takahata’s legacy. Organized with Studio Ghibli, the exhibition explores his artistic journey—from early works like Anne of Green Gables  to Ghibli masterpieces like Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Visit the website for details on special tours.

The exhibition is open every day through July from 10 am-8 pm. Please note, that in the period from June 27 to July 18, Tuesdays and Sundays are 10 am-5 pm.

Visit the website for opening hours
Cost: ¥2,000 (adults), ¥1,700 (university and high school students), ¥1,400 (age 4–junior high students)
Azabudai Hills Gallery
Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A MBF 5-8-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku
azabudai-hills.com