Mito Hydrangea Festival

June 8 – 30

Tokyo’s rainy season can become a little frustrating sometimes, you might need an extra dose of nature and sunlight. But where to go except for the few parks in Tokyo? In Howaen Garden in Mito, enjoy beautiful views of hydrangea flowers (ajisai), an icon of Japan’s rainy season. Every June people cherish the thousands of flowers that cover Mito Park in a variety of shapes and colors and give the environment a refreshing floral scent. If you’re planning a day trip, stroll through the surrounding Mito Romance District, which holds cultural events like tea ceremonies and haiku readings throughout the year. Or you can visit Hitachi Seaside Park, which has a variety of flowers for every season.

All day
Free Admission
Howaen Garden 
13-19 Matsumoto-cho, Mito
nearbytokyo.com

Sri Lanka Festival 2024

June 15 – June 16

With the support of the Embassy of Sri Lanka, Shibuya will become a hotspot for Sri Lankan food, performances and rituals. Sri Lankan astrology believes that our zodiac signs reflect instances of karma from previous lives. To maintain a balance of mind and body, they embrace holistic methods like meditation and Ayurvedic massage to improve health which may be reflected in the next life. This massage is also a popular method to relieve physical and emotional stress by targeting pressure points in the body. On top of that, Sri Lanka prides itself on “soul food” such as fish ambul thiyal (sour fish curry) and kottu roti (crispy, flat bread) made with a combination of spices uncommon in Japan. Spend your weekend afternoon treating your mind and body.

9 am – 8 pm
Free Admission
Yoyogi Park
2-1 Yoyogi-kamizonocho, Shibuya-ku
srilankafestival.jp/en/

Yokohama Port Festival

June 1 – June 2

Celebrate the birthday of Yokohama Port with various performances on the first weekend of June. The festival takes place in the popular Minato Mirai 21 area, offering a visual treat day and night. You can enjoy the view of Tokyo Bay and the Yokohama skyline or take a break at Rinko Park. Festival activities include test-riding ships, various live music concerts and performances such as dance showcases on stage. In the evening, the festivities come to an exciting end with a spectacular fireworks display that, lights up the lively port area of Yokohama.

From 11 am
Free Admission
Minato Mirai 21, Rinko Park
1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama
yokohamajapan.com/events/

Sanno Matsuri Festival

June 7 – June 17

The Sanno Festival is one of the three most famous festivals in Tokyo. Events around the festival take place for about a week with the highlight being a parade that starts and ends at Hie Shrine. The parade movies throughout central Tokyo, passing Nihonbashi and Ginza. The festival commemorates the Edo period and Tokyo’s origin with portable shrines, decorative floats, and traditional attire accompanied by thousands of people. Citizens and tourists alike can experience traditional Japanese culture and pray for safety and peace before Tokyo’s guardian deity enshrined at Hie Shrine. The parade is only held in even-numbered years.

10 am – 5 pm
Free Admission
Hie-jinja Shrine
2-10-5 Nagatacho, Chiyoda

Tokyo DisneySea’s Grand Opening of “Fantasy Springs”

June 6

The heavily anticipated Fantasy Springs area of Tokyo DisneySea has finally had its grand opening.  Featuring the “Frozen Kingdom,” Rapunzel’s Forest” and “Peter Pan’s Never Land”, this event is guaranteed to take you on a nostalgic trip with your favorite childhood heroes. There are plentiful restaurants, shops, and entertainment for families and friends to enjoy. What better time to visit the Tokyo Disney Resort than for this grand opening?

Accessible with a free Standby Pass, Park Ticket necessary
Tokyo DisneySea
1-13 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba
tokyodisneyresort.jp

Fussa Firefly Festival

June 9

After a five-year break, the 59th Fussa Firefly Festival is returning to the west of Tokyo. Dive into a stream of playful fireflies (genji-botaru) raised by local residents, lighting up Hotaru Park and the surrounding Tamagawa River in the evening hours. The festival will stretch into the town around Seseragi Street, offering festival food stalls and entertaining dance and music performances. Since finding a parking spot can be difficult, we recommend taking the train and strolling around the area in the evening.

3 pm – 9:30 pm
Hotaru Park
3-9-1 Minamidenen, Fussa
Free Admission
city.fussa.tokyo.jp

Tokyo River Cleanup

June 2 – June 29

You don’t mind your hands getting dirty? Gather around Tokyo rivers on a nice afternoon and help the community clean the bankside. It’s best to bring old clothes, a hat and enough water to avoid heatstroke. Also, don’t worry, the event is more than just cleaning up the riverbanks. On top of keeping our environment clean, you can connect with like-minded participants and go for a picnic or a meal after the event. The event will take place several times this month at the Arakawa and Edogawa Rivers, see more details on their website.

June 2, 8, 15, 16, 22, 29
Varying times for each day
Arakawa Funabori Station and Edogawa Myoden Station
Free Admission
See more at tokyoriverfriends.org

Kagaya Starry Skyworld Exhibition

May 1 – July 1

Journey into the breathtaking work of sky photographer and planetarium video creator Kagaya. In his new exhibition at the Sogo Museum of Art, he hopes to popularize astronomy and shine a new light on our world. Some of his most popular works as well as new additions will be on display. As a highlight of the show, there will be an astonishing 16-meter screen broadcasting videos made for this exhibition. Tickets at the door are ¥1,400 for adults or discounted for students. Gain an insightful perspective on our world and night sky at this enlightening exhibition.

¥1,400 adults
¥1,200 university and high school students
Free Admission for junior high school students and younger
Every day from 10 am – 8 pm
Sogo Museum of Art
2-18-1 Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama
sogo-seibu.jp

If you’re looking for more ideas, find out about this month’s pop-up stores here: Pop-Up Stores in Tokyo June 2024