Event

Chasing Sparks in the Tokyo Sky

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival is Tokyo's biggest summer night: around 20,000 shells over the river near Asakusa, on the last Saturday of July, watched by close to a million people. A practical guide to the history, the two launch sites, where to stand, and how to get home afterwards.

Tokyo's Summer Festival Season: Fireworks and Yukata

Once the rains break, Tokyo's neighborhoods spill into the streets in yukata for drum processions, riverside fireworks, and stalls selling shaved ice until midnight. A guide to matsuri season and the heat you'll need to plan around.