August is hot and humid in most of Japan. The Good news – Tokyo is in a Festive Mood. Many local festivals and fireworks are held in August.
August is a peak travel season due to the summer school holidays but is especially intensive during the traditional Obon week in mid-August.
If you can handle the hot weather, August can be a great time to visit Tokyo. There always seems to be something happening, and stepping out into the cooler evening to visit a festival or event is a great way to experience the city.
Here are some things to do in Tokyo in August:
Obon Festival In Japan (mid-August)
Obon Festival In Japan, also known as the Festival of Souls, Bon Festival, or the Festival of Ancestors, is one of the happiest Japanese celebrations. It’s a truly traditional Japanese Festival, with dancing and drinking all night long, Japanese drums, and the magical dim lights of the floating lanterns.
The Bon Odon is one of Tokyo’s signature summer events. You will find more than 200 Odon festivals held just in Tokyo.
3 Things to Do during Obon Festival In Japan:
- Watch or participate in the candle lighting, where floating lanterns are placed in the river
- Watch a Bon Odori dance performance – you can even participate. Everyone’s welcome. Don’t be too self-conscious…
- Listen to Japanese Taiko drums.
In Tokyo, locals mostly celebrate it on dates on or near the 15th of August, but some Obon celebrations are in July.
The ‘real’ date is August 15th, and the weekends before and after are the heaviest travel times. Everyone travels during Obon to the countryside to visit their ancestors and families.
See More: What Is The Obon Festival In Japan And How Watch It?
Asakusa Samba Carnival
Date& Time: Late August
Price: Free of Charge
The streets of Asakusa, Tokyo’s most traditional neighborhood, fill with Brazilian dancers. The Sensoji Temple and Tawaramachi Station parade will be flooded with dancers wearing colorful, gorgeous costumes, dancing to the Brazilian beat.
The event attracts authentic samba dance teams from across Japan.
Tokyo Disneyland Summer Festival
Tokyo Disney Sea has started a New Summer show in 2018 – the “Tokyo Disney Summer Festival”.
The event captures the theme of a tropical party with Minnie Daisy and Clarice in Lost River Delta, DisneySea.
During the Tropical party, the characters Minnie, Daisy, and Clarice create a typical tropical storm, with lots of water being sprayed onto the audience. Tip: get your valuables covered in a plastic bag in advance. Everyone gets wet!
Summer in Japan is so hot and humid that getting wet is a treat.
If you’re planning to visit Tokyo Disneyland or Disney Sea during August, note that the Japanese school holiday starts around July 20th. This means more crowds than usual at the resort, so come early and use a Fastpass!
