Lucas is a student from San Diego, California. He is working and living in Tokyo for an internship program, aiming to learn more about Japan’s work culture and to have a better understanding of the Japanese way of life. After the internship, he will ultimately travel back home to complete his Bachelor’s Degree, but hopes to travel more in he future to have more experiences abroad.
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Asakusa is a wonderful place to visit in Tokyo if you want to experience a traditional atmosphere. As a popular tourist destination and home to the famous Senso-ji Temple, it’s a great location to experience regardless of the time of year. Additionally, there are a large number of events and festivals taking place year-round. If you find yourself in Asakusa soon, we definitely recommend checking out these festivals and adding them to your travel plans. These are great ways to experience Japanese culture and will be moments that we promise you won’t forget.
- 1. Asakusa Awa Odori
- 2. Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival 2024
- 3. Asakusa Toro Nagashi Lantern Floating
- 4. Kappabashi Kitchenware Festival
- 5. Asakusa Tori-no-ichi Fair
- 6. Torigoe Shrine Tondoyaki Bonfire
- 7. Bean Throwing and Dance of the 7 Lucky Gods
- 8. Senso-ji Golden Dragon Dance
- 9. Sanja Matsuri
- 10. Torigoe Matsuri
- Other Articles You May Find Interesting
1. Asakusa Awa Odori
Taking place in early July, the Asakusa Awa Odori is a festival celebrating a popular traditional summer dance. The festival has its origins as a summer Obon festival. There is a variety of styles of dress for men and women and they typically dance separately or together in large choreographed groups. Many of the female dancers wear distinctive hats which are made from tatami. There is a schedule in which about 10 groups of dancers will perform with their own choreography.
Early July, TBD
Website: https://asakusarokku.jp
2. Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival 2024
Likely one of the largest fireworks festivals in Japan, The Sumida River Fireworks show kicks off at 7 p.m. and runs for about 90 minutes. This festival definitely gets crowded so getting there early is usually a good idea. There are also locations that are less crowded but still have a good view like Shiori Park or the north part of Oyokogawa Water Park near Tokyo Skytree.
July 27th
19:00 – 20:30
Website: https://www.sumidagawa-hanabi.com
3. Asakusa Toro Nagashi Lantern Floating
This is a traditional festival in which lanterns illuminated with candles are floated down the river to guide the spirits of the ancestors back to the other side. During Obon, it is believed that ancestors’ spirits can visit the living world, and this festival signifies guiding them back to the afterlife. 2,500 lanterns with hand written messages are glided down a slope into the waters on the east side of the Sumida River (the Asakusa Station side — not the Skytree side) between Azuma-bashi bridge and Kototoi-bashi bridge. If you have never seen a collection of illuminated lanterns like this before, it’s quite the spectacle.
August 10th
18:45 – 20:00
Website: https://e-asakusa.jp/culture-experience/99406
4. Kappabashi Kitchenware Festival
If you’ve ever heard of Kappabashi, then you’re probably familiar with the fact that this neighborhood is famous for it’s high quality and plentiful kitchenware goods like Japanese knives, cutlery, chopsticks, and more. In early October, this neighborhood comes to live by celebrating the goods that they specialize in. During the week-long event, the street is closed down to allow pedestrians to stroll freely and explore the wide array of products along with food, sweets, and sometimes even parades that take place here as well.
Early October, TBD
Website: https://www.kappabashi.or.jp
5. Asakusa Tori-no-ichi Fair
This festival has been held in Asakusa ever since the Edo period at Ōtori Shrine and Chōkokuji Temple. The festivity occurs from midnight to midnight with lively vendors in the shrine and temple compound. You can make your wish for good luck while enjoying the atmosphere of Tokyo’s old downtown. The most popular item being sold is the kumade, a decorative bamboo rake that’s said to rake in good luck. If this isn’t your style however, there’s still plenty of food and classic sweets to sink your teeth into. There are three days total for the festiva, taking place on November 5th, 17th, and 29th respectively.
November 5th, 17th, and 29th
23:00 – 23:00
Website: https://otorisama.or.jp/kotoshi.html
6. Torigoe Shrine Tondoyaki Bonfire
Bring your new years decorations to this ceremonial burning, and let the smoke wash over you and give you good health in the new year. Many locals go to the temple in the morning to pile up their old decorations, shimenawa rope, and hamaya arrows. On the day, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. there will be a massive bonfire to burn them. You can even roast mochi over the bonfire and enjoy a sweet treat alongside the new years celebration.
January 8th
13:00 – 14:30
Website:https://www.facebook.com/torikoej
7. Bean Throwing and Dance of the 7 Lucky Gods
Taking a break from the larger festivals, this smaller event is the ultimate in warding off ill fortune for the year and takes place at Asakusa’s Sensōji Temple. Local celebrities will gather and throw beans off the stage of the temple. Additionally, around noon there will be a “Dance of the Lucky Gods” which will highlight one of the 3 major dancing styles of Senso-ji temple.
February 3rd
10:00 – 14:00
Website: https://www.senso-ji.jp/annual_event/05.html
8. Senso-ji Golden Dragon Dance
At the famous Senso-ji temple, watch as a grand performance takes place where around 8 performers operate a giant golden dragon puppet in a ceremonial dance. This performance takes place several times throughout the day: 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. The story behind this event goes that in 628, two fishermen fished a Buddha statue out of Sumida river that turned out to be the Bodhisattva Kannon, who takes the form of a golden dragon when descending from heaven, thus the reason behind the date and the performance. We definitely advise arriving early to get a good spot since this event does get crowded.
March 18th
11:30 – 15:00
Website: https://www.senso-ji.jp
9. Sanja Matsuri
At the famous Senso-ji temple, watch as a grand performance takes place where around 8 performers operate a giant golden dragon puppet in a ceremonial dance. This performance takes place several times throughout the day: 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. The story behind this event goes that in 628, two fishermen fished a Buddha statue out of Sumida river that turned out to be the Bodhisattva Kannon, who takes the form of a golden dragon when descending from heaven, thus the reason behind the date and the performance. We definitely advise arriving early to get a good spot since this event does get crowded.
Mid May TBD
Website: https://www.asakusajinja.jp/en/sanjamatsuri/schedule
10. Torigoe Matsuri
Taking place at Torikoe shrine, this is a big event if only for the main feature: the procession of Torigoe Shrine’s mikoshi. The streets surrounding the shrine are filled with yatai stalls selling the usual matsuri fare such as chocolate dipped bananas, yakisoba, takoyaki, grilled fish, and a fair amount of beer and other alcohol. The festival is multiple days, but the main procession takes place on the final day.
Early June TBD
Website: https://www.city.taito.lg.jp/index.html
We’ve taken a look at all sorts of festivals taking place in Asakusa all year long, but were there any that stood out to you? We would love it if you visited one of these festivals in order to enjoy some perfect examples of Japanese culture. From performances to food to shopping, there’s always something happening in Asakusa and we hope that you find one that interests you!
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Happy traveling!
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