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Tokyo Events and Festival Calendar
Tokyo is packed wlth seasonal events. A festival
is going on somewhere in Tokyo every day of the year. Here are some
selected highlights.
 Jan
1 Hatsumode
People in traditional kimono pray for good fortune at shrines.
Jan 2 Kokyo Ippan Sanga
The lmperial family appears on a palace balcony to greet visitors.
Jan 6 Dezomeshiki
At Tokyo Big Sight. Grand parade and acrobatic stunts by firefighters
wearing traditional outfits.
Feb 3 Setsubun
Bean-throwing ceremony to drive away evil and welcome good fortune.
Late Feb to Mid March Plum-blossom Festival
At Yushima Tenjin Shrine March 3 Hina Matsuri Girl's day is cerebrated
at home with a display of hina dolls and special treats
March 3 Daruma-ichi
Good-luck daruma dolls are sold at some temples in Tokyo, the largest
of which is Jindaji
March 18 Kinryu-no-mai (Golden Dragon
Dance)
At Sensoji Temple, Asakusa
Late March to Early April Cherry-Blossom
Viewing
Ohanami flower viewing parties are found wherever cherry trees are
in bloom
April 17 Grand Festival of Ueno Toshogo
Shrine
Dedicated to the first Tokugawa shogun
May 5 Kodomo-no-hi
Childrens' Day offically but customarily Boys' Day. Marked by the
flying of carp streamers outside each home with a boy in the family.
Families eat sweet rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves.
May 5 Grand Festival of Suitengu Shrine
Mid May Kanda Matsuri
At Kanda Myojin Shrine. One of Tokyo's three largest festivals.
Features 70 portable shrines (or omikoshi in Japanese) and a dance
performance by geishas.
Mid May Sanja Matsuri
At Asakusa Shrine. One of Tokyo's three largest festivals. Portable
shrines galore.
 June
Torigoe Shirine Festival Nighttime procession of portable shrines.
For the mikoshi freak...
June 10-16 Sanno Matsuri (Mountain King
Festival)
At Hie Shrine. One of Tokyo's three largest festivals. Portable
shrines orgy!
July 1 Suijyo Matsuri
A traditional float past on the Sumida River.
 July
7 Tanabata Matsuri
Bamboo branches are decorated wth strips of paper on which wishes
are written. Many festivals in Tokyo and around Japan. Notables
are Sayama-shi festival near Tokyo and Tanabata Matsuri in Sendai.
 End
of July Sumida River Fireworks Display
The largest firework display in Tokyo. About a dozen big firework
displays are held in Tokyo from late July to midAugust. These events
are good for people watching and observing Japanese style revelry.
August Sumiyoshi Shrine Festival
Dragon dance + portable shrines = a rowdy and enjoyable afternoon
August Fukugawa Festival of Tomioka Hachimangu
Shrine
One hundred portable shrines. Pew...
August Kugurazaka Awa Odori
Traditional street dance festival
Sep 21 Nezu Gongen Matsuri
Festival dating from the Edo Period at Nezu Shrine.
Early October Kiba no Kakunori
Acrobatic stunts on floating timbers.
Oct 11-13 Oeshiki At lkegami Hommonji
Temple.
Nighttime procession with lanterns and huge paper decorations.
Mid Oct to Late Nov Chrysanthemum Festivals
At some shrines, temples and parks.
November Tori no Ichi
Some shrines are festooned wth stalls selling kumade, a decorated
good-luck rake.
Nov 15 Shichi Go San
Widely observed shrine ceremony for three five and seven years old
children, many in traditional outfits.
Dec 14 Gishi-sai
At Sengakuji Temple. Memorial service for the 47 loyal retainers.
Dec 17-19 Hagoita-ichi
At Sensoji Temple, Asakusa. Traditional Japanese battledore fair.
Dec 31 Joya no Kane
At midnight, temple bells are struck 108 times to dispell the 108
earthly desires that, according to Buddhist thought, plague us all.
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