Here are free things to do happening across Tokyo for the month of August. Check out exhibitions, festivals, events and more!
Exhibitions and Art Shows in August
courtesy of Kosaku Kanechika
'Strata in Gestation' Exhibition Curated by Yoshitomo Nara
Yoshitomo Nara steps into the role of guest curator at Kosaku Kanechika for “Strata in Gestation,” an exhibition that bypasses traditional craft boundaries to explore the primitive, sculptural possibilities of ceramics. Here, Nara brings together roughly 30 works by four stylistically distinct Japanese artists — Eiji Uematsu, Takuro Kuwata, Chinoko Sakamoto and Masaomi Yasunaga — whose physical, tactile creations deliberately reject technical perfection.
| Date & Time | Jun 27-Aug 8・11 a.m.–6 p.m.・Closed on Sun, Mon and National Holidays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Kosaku Kanechika, Terrada Art Complex I 5F |
Richard Mwizerwa, "Midday" (2024). Courtesy of Space Un
Richard Mwizerwa: ‘We Don’t Recall a Horizon’
Richard Mwizerwa, a visual artist based in Kigali, Rwanda, builds his paintings around the tiny, easily missed details of the earth — patterns in tree bark, the changing light or the way soil looks under morning fog. His debut solo exhibition in Tokyo gathers a collection of abstract, heavily textured pieces inspired by these subtle transformations in nature.
| Date & Time | Jun 27-Aug 9・12–7 p.m.・Closed Mondays and Tuesdays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Space Un Tokyo |
Rina Banerjee, "A woman must keep moving…" (2022). Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.
Rina Banerjee: "You made me leave home…
This exhibition, which marks the 20th anniversary of Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo and a decade of the Fondation’s international “Hors-les-murs” program, features 19 works that explore the fluid nature of identity. A highlight of the show is a monumental installation inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days, featuring a massive dome from which a cascade of objects is suspended.
| Date & Time | Mar 19-Sep 13・12–8 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo |
Festivals and Outdoor Events in August
Yukata de Ginbura - Ginza Summer Festival 2026
The Ginza "Yukata de Ginbura" summer festival will welcome guests to enjoy the summer environment while exploring the local area.
| Date & Time | Aug 1, 2026・4–8 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Chuo-dori 1-Chome to 8-Chome |
2026 Edogawa Fireworks Festival
The 51st Edogawa Fireworks Festival will feature roughly 14,000 fireworks synchronized to music along the Edogawa riverbank.
| Date & Time | Aug 1, 2026・7:15–8:20 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Edogawa River (in front of Metropolitan Shinozaki Park) |
| More Info | Reserved seating starts at ¥2000 |
67th Itabashi Fireworks Display
The Itabashi Fireworks Display will host one of Tokyo's largest shows, featuring 15,000 fireworks and 700-meter "Grand Niagara Falls" bursts.
| Date & Time | Aug 1, 2026・7–8:30 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Along Arakawa River |
| More Info | Premium paid seating is available |
Image: Visit Kanagawa
Ikegami Honmonji Mitama Festival & Bon Odori
This deeply spiritual celebration takes place at one of Tokyo’s most historic Buddhist temples, which dates back to the 13th century. The event begins on the evening of August 4th with a solemn Mitama Festival memorial service inside the main hall to honor ancestral spirits. Shortly after, the atmosphere transforms as a central wooden tower built in the open courtyard lights up with lanterns. Musicians play traditional flutes and pound taiko drums, creating a rhythmic heartbeat that guides a massive, swelling circle of dancers dressed in colorful yukata. The temple grounds and nearby shopping streets fill with traditional food stalls, offering a beautiful blend of neighborhood vitality and historic reverence.
| Date & Time | Aug 4-5・7–9 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Ikegami Honmonji Temple |
Image via Sumiyoshi Jinja
Tsukuda Sumiyoshi Shrine Festival
Because this full-scale festival only happens once every three years, the 2026 return is a big deal. The neighborhood itself is an old island area built by Edo-period fishermen, so everything here is tied to maritime history. The standout moment is a wild ritual where locals carry a massive mikoshi (portable shrine) right into the river water. Bearers trudge through the river while shouting and hoisting the heavy shrine, and crowds on the banks throw buckets of water at them for good luck. It is a rare look at Tokyo’s old waterfront culture.
| Date & Time | Aug 6-10・Check Website for Schedule of Events |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Sumiyoshi Shrine |
Asagaya Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival)
Running since 1954, this festival turns a 750-meter-long covered shopping street into a massive, colorful gallery. Local shop owners and school kids spend weeks making giant papier-mache ornaments that hang from the arcade ceiling. You will see everything from traditional folk figures to massive anime characters. Because the entire thing is under a roof, it is easily the best daytime festival for escaping the brutal August heat. You can stroll through the breeze, check out the wild art and grab shaved ice or grilled skewers from neighborhood vendors.
| Date & Time | Aug 7-11 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Asagaya Pearl Center Shopping Arcade |
hachioji matsuri 2026
Hachioji Matsuri
If you want to see massive festival floats, head about 40 minutes west of central Tokyo. Over three days, nearly 20 towering, hand-carved wooden floats parade down the main drag. The best part happens when floats from different neighborhoods meet at intersections for a musical battle called buttsuke. Bands on each float try to play their traditional flutes and drums loud enough to throw the other team off rhythm. There is also a colossal three-ton portable shrine pushed and pulled by over a thousand people through the packed streets.
| Date & Time | Aug 7-9・Check Website for Schedule of Events |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Koshu Kaido |
Azabudai Hills Summer Festival 2026
Azabudai Hills will host a summer festival with games and food stalls, in conjunction with the neighboring Nishikubo Hachiman Shrine.
| Date & Time | Aug 8-11・5–8:30 p.m.・Some activities are on select dates |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Azabudai Hills Central Plaza |
Fukagawa Hachiman Festival
The annual Fukagawa Hachiman Festival is considered one of the "three great festivals of Edo" with splashing purifying water on mikoshi.
| Date & Time | Aug 14-16・Procession times vary each festival day |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Tomioka Hachiman Shrine |
Azabu Juban Summer Festival
More of a food and drink market than a traditional festival, this matsuri takes place in Azabu Juban, an international neighborhood sandwiched between Roppongi and Tokyo Tower. Alongside classic Japanese street bites like yakitori, you will find embassy-run stalls serving up regional dishes, wines and craft beers from all over the world. It draws a trendy, cosmopolitan crowd dressed in summer yukata, giving the whole weekend a cool, multicultural block party vibe.
| Date & Time | Aug 22-23・3–9 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Azabu Juban Shopping District |
Yokohama Green Expo Minato Mirai Fireworks Festival
Building momentum for the Yokohama Green Expo in 2027, the Minato Mirai Festival's musical fireworks will illuminate Yokohama's night sky.
| Date & Time | Aug 24, 2026・6:30–8 p.m.・Gates open at 4:30 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Various venues across Minato Mirai |
| More Info | Premium paid seating is available |
Kameido Tenjin Shrine Summer Festival
Dedicated to the Shinto god of learning, this festival takes place in a shrine famous for its bright red arched bridges and scenic ponds. It’s an amazing backdrop for the local mikoshi parades and sacred dances. The highlight happens at dusk during the Kento-myo ritual, when staff light over a thousand paper lanterns across the grounds. The warm glow reflecting off the water creates a remarkably quiet, peaceful escape from the city.
| Date & Time | Aug 25, 2026 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Kameido Tenjin Shrine |
Tokyo Sea of Clouds 2026
Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo's famous Tokyo Sea of Clouds will return in July, with a breathtaking cloudscape and roughly 1,000 lights.
| Date & Time | Jul 1-Aug 31・7:10–10:40 p.m.・No definite end date |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo |
Sea Paradise Fireworks Symphony
Yokohama Sea Paradise's nightly summer fireworks show with music and various areas to enjoy the show with food and drinks.
| Date & Time | May 30, 2026-Mar 21, 2027・Until September: show starts at 8:30 p.m. | From October onwards: show starts at 8:00 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise |
| More Info | Premium paid seating is available |
Live Music and Night Life Events in August
More events coming soon.
Anime and Manga Events in August
© Gege Akutami/Shueisha, Jujutsu Kaisen Production Committee
Jujutsu Kaisen x Haneda Airport Collaboration Event
Jujutsu Kaisen is celebrating its 5th anniversary with a collaboration at Haneda Airport, with an exclusive pop-up store and food truck.
| Date & Time | Jul 3-Aug 2・10 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Haneda Airport Garden Grand Foyer |
Chiikawa Parco Summer Collaboration Event
In celebration of Chiikawa's first-ever film adaptation, 15 Parco department stores across Japan will have special campaigns.
| Date & Time | Jul 17-Aug 2・times may vary per location |
| Price | Free |
| Location | various parco department stores |
Community and Performative Events in August
Koenji Awa-Odori Dance Festival
Koenji Awa-Odori is one of Tokyo’s biggest end-of-summer events, packing over a million people into a retro neighborhood for the weekend. The festival showcases a centuries-old folk dance that originated in Tokushima on Shikoku island, featuring more than 10,000 synchronized dancers in traditional straw hats and bright robes who skip, stamp and chant through narrow shopping streets.The music is loud and fast, driven by a wall of sound from shamisen lutes, cymbals and thunderous taiko drums. The collective energy is completely intoxicating, turning the entire area into a giant, sweaty outdoor party fueled by hundreds of local food and beer stalls.
| Date & Time | Aug 29-30・5–8 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Streets around JR Koenji Station |
Harajuku Omotesando Super Yosakoi
Sharing the final weekend of August with Koenji Awa-Odori, this massive event brings energetic folk dancing right into Tokyo’s youth culture capital. Around a hundred massive dance teams from across Japan perform synchronized choreography that blends traditional festival steps with hip-hop, rock and jazz. The dancers keep time with wooden hand clappers called naruko. One of the festival’s iconic moments is when the tree-lined Omotesando Avenue is shut down so the troupes can dance their way down the main boulevard in a giant wave of color.
| Date & Time | Aug 29-30・10 a.m.–7:30 p.m.・until 17:30 on Sunday, August 30 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Harajuku and Yoyogi Park |
Food and Drink Events in August
More events coming soon.
Film, Gaming and Pop Culture Events in August
Spider-Man Brand New Spot Shibuya Tsutaya Pop-Up
To celebrate the release of the new movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a pop-up shop, cafe and museum will be held at Shibuya Tsutaya.
| Date & Time | Jul 18-Aug 2・10 a.m.–9 p.m.・Museum and pop-up shop times vary |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Shibuya Tsutaya |
| More Info | Museum and cafe have separate admission |
