Tokyo in summer (May, June, July, August) is a treasure trove of events that transform the city at night into a colorful, otherworldly space. From summer-only light-ups at Tokyo Tower and TOKYO SKYTREE®, to projection mapping at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, there are plenty of must-see events to enjoy at seaside locations, Japanese gardens, and throughout the city.
This time, as the season shifts from early to midsummer, we introduce events and spots that make the nights special with lights, fireworks, and refreshing displays. Enjoy Tokyo at night, when the heat of the day has eased.
Tokyo Tower Light-up and Summer Illuminations
Tokyo Tower Light-up | Summer Only (July–September)!
Tokyo Tower is lit up every day from sunset until 8:00 p.m. The classic "Landmark Light" illumination, which changes color between summer and winter, features a cool, white-based light that illuminates the summer night sky. In addition, every Monday and Thursday from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the "Infinity Diamond Veil" lights up in a color designated for each month. From June to August, refreshing blue and green hues illuminate the tower.
Tokyo Tower Summer Illuminations
Every summer, the "Milky Way Illumination" is held on the main deck of Tokyo Tower. Overhead, countless stars made of LED bulbs and a fantastical Milky Way with flowing motion shine above. Occasionally, shooting stars appear, creating a magical summer night sky. The sight of these stars reflected in the large windows of the main deck makes it look as if the Milky Way is flowing across the Tokyo sky. You can witness a truly breathtakingly beautiful scene. In addition, the "starry sky" on the ceiling slowly changes color every 15 minutes, turning into seven different hues. You can also enjoy a colorful Milky Way.
Tokyo Tower Milky Way Illumination
- Address: 4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Access:
- About 5 minutes on foot from Akabanebashi Station
- About 7 minutes on foot from Kamiyacho Station
- Typical event period: Mid-June to mid-September (For 2025: June 12 to September 23)
TOKYO SKYTREE® Light-up | Summer Only (July–September)!
Every year at TOKYO SKYTREE®, various special summer lightings are showcased, such as "Fireworks" and "Phoenix," inspired by four types of fireworks. In 2025, in addition to "Fireworks," the tower will be lit up with "Himawari," which expresses the growth of a sunflower blooming through the movement of light, and "Kingyo Yuuei (Swimming Goldfish)," where four goldfish swim in a blue aquarium. The sunflower's vibrant colors and the refreshing aquarium hues are part of the special lighting's appeal.
TOKYO SKYTREE Special Light-up
- Address: 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
- Access: Right next to Tokyo Skytree Station / Oshiage Station
- Typical event period: July to August (For 2025, held irregularly)
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building "TOKYO LIGHTS 2026"
The light festival "TOKYO LIGHTS," which began in 2021, will be held again in 2026. The main event is one of the world's largest international projection mapping competitions, which started in 2012. Works by creators from around the globe will be projected onto the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 as a canvas. Furthermore, in 2026, the "Light Art Park," where light, art, and technology merge, will be held mainly at Shinjuku Central Park. You can experience a creative space illuminated by artistic lights.
TOKYO LIGHTS 2026
- Address:
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1, Citizens' Plaza (2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
- Shinjuku Central Park (2-11 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo)
- Access:
- 1-minute walk from Tochomae Station
- About a 5-minute walk from Nishi-Shinjuku Station
- About a 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station
- Event Period (International Projection Mapping Competition)
- Screenings: May 23 (Sat) – May 24 (Sun), 2026
- Screenings / Award Ceremony: May 30 (Sat), 2026
- Screenings: May 31 (Sun), 2026
- Event Period (Light Art Park)
- May 23 (Sat) – May 31 (Sun), 2026
Odaiba Marine Park "STAR ISLAND 2026"
"STAR ISLAND" is an event that fuses music and technology with fireworks. Based on a 90-minute script, the show features 12,000 fireworks, 800 drones painting images across the night sky, and live concert-level sound and lasers, creating a performance rich in storytelling.
In 2026, in addition to previous elements, new features will include a floating screen on the sea, live ensemble performances, and fire performances on a stage set over the water. You can enjoy an immersive entertainment experience while feeling the sea breeze.
STAR ISLAND 2026
- Address: Odaiba Marine Park (1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
- Access:
- About a 3-minute walk from Daiba Station
- About a 10-minute walk from Tokyo Teleport Station
- Date: May 23 (Sat), 2026
Konica Minolta Planetaria TOKYO "Starry Sky Summer Festival"
The "Starry Sky Summer Festival" at Konica Minolta Planetaria TOKYO offers a cool and comfortable way to spend the hot summer.
Inside the planetarium dome, a sky full of stars shines, and under this starry sky, alternating screenings of fireworks and summer festival-themed visuals are shown. Admission is free and you can come and go as you please. Photography is also allowed inside the dome, so you can take photos with the stars and fireworks as your backdrop. In addition to the dome screenings, there are also other events to enhance the festival atmosphere.
Starry Sky Summer Festival
- Address: Yurakucho Marion 9F, 2-5-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Access:
- About a 1-minute walk from Ginza Station
- About a 3-minute walk from Yurakucho Station
- Period: Mid-July to late September every year (For 2025: July 18 – September 23)
Tokyo Station "Yoimichi Lanterns"
"Yoimichi Lanterns" is held at the Granroof Garden at the Yaesu Exit of Tokyo Station. In 2025, the event was themed "Yaesu Fireworks." The main highlight of this event is the dynamic fireworks projection mapping displayed on the 40-meter-long grand roof. The area is transformed into a magical atmosphere with vividly colored fireworks blooming one after another and 100 lanterns decorated with fireworks patterns. On weekends, food stalls also appear, allowing visitors to fully enjoy the festive mood while watching the fireworks projection mapping.
Yoimichi Lanterns
- Address: 1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Access: Right next to JR Tokyo Station
- Typical Event Period: Weekends from late August to early September (For 2025: August 29–31, September 5–7)
ECO EDO Nihonbashi
"ECO EDO Nihonbashi" is an event where you can experience traditional ways to stay cool during the Edo-period summer. Its symbolic spot is the "Forest Wind Chime Path." About 250 Edo-style glass wind chimes are arranged in a tunnel along the path from Fukutoku Shrine to Fukutoku no Mori, creating a refreshing sound. At night, the area is illuminated, and the combination of light and swaying wind chimes creates a magical atmosphere. The event was very popular as a summer tradition in Nihonbashi in 2025, and it is expected to be held again in 2026.
ECO EDO Nihonbashi
- Address: 3-2-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
- Access:
- Directly connected to Tokyo Metro Mitsukoshimae Station
- Directly connected to JR Shin-Nihonbashi Station
- Period: Usually mid-July to mid-August (For 2025: July 11–August 11)
Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo "Tokyo Unkai Garden Illumination"
"Tokyo Unkai" is one of the largest mist garden installations in Japan, held at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. At its peak, about three-quarters of the vast garden is enveloped in mist, allowing guests to enjoy the magical scenery from anywhere on the hotel grounds.
Another attraction of "Tokyo Unkai" is that you can actually experience the sea of clouds up close in the garden. In 2025, a collaboration with L'Occitane added a refreshing fragrance to the mist. At night, the illumination changes color with the seasons, turning turquoise blue in summer. This production, which allows you to experience a sense of coolness with all five senses, became a hot topic.
Summer Limited Tokyo Unkai
- Address: 2-10-8 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
- Access: About 10 minutes on foot from Edogawabashi Station
- Period: Early July to mid-September (For 2025: July 1–September 15)
Shinagawa Prince Hotel "Time-Travel Evening Cool Breeze"
Every summer, the three Prince Hotels located in the Shinagawa and Takanawa areas host the “Time-Travel Evening Cool Breeze” event. This event offers a modern twist on the traditional Edo-period custom of “moon viewing” (Tsukimachi), where people would gather to wait for and admire the rising moon. Set in the world of “Takanawa Nijurokuya,” the event allows guests to enjoy the cool evening air. Over 400 bamboo lanterns illuminate the vast Japanese garden at the venue, creating a magical atmosphere reminiscent of Edo culture. The garden also features historic landmarks, further enhancing the feeling of a time-travel experience.
Time-Travel Evening Cool Breeze
- Address: 3-13-1 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Access:
- About a 5-minute walk from Shinagawa Station
- About a 3-minute walk from Takanawadai Station
- Period: Mid-July to early September (For 2025: July 18 – September 10)
Enoshima Lantern Festival 2026
The “Enoshima Lantern Festival” is a light-up event that brings to life the founding myth of Enoshima Shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture through illuminations. In the first phase, light-cut illustrations are projected onto the Zuishinmon Gate of Enoshima Shrine, creating a vibrant scene accompanied by the summer evening moon and soothing sounds. In the second phase, in addition to the illumination of Zuishinmon Gate, the Hetsunomiya area is also lit up. Ukiyo-e artworks featuring Enoshima are projected onto fluttering fabrics, and the sound of wind chimes adds to the enchanting atmosphere. In 2025, the illuminated world will also extended to the Samuel Cocking Garden at the top of Enoshima.
Enoshima Lantern Festival
- Address: 2-3-8 Enoshima, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa
- Access: About a 15-minute walk from Katase-Enoshima Station
- Typical event period: Mid-July to the end of August (For 2025: July 19 – August 31)
Fireworks Festivals in Tokyo in July & August
In Tokyo, many fireworks festivals are held in summer, ranging from famous ones like the “Sumida River Fireworks Festival” and the “Edogawa Fireworks Festival” to lesser-known hidden gems. Having comprehensive information on fireworks festivals held in Tokyo is helpful when choosing which event to attend. Additionally, knowing a few tips for enjoying fireworks will help you make the most of these festivals.
For more details, please check out this article!
🎆List of Fireworks Festivals in Tokyo: Not only in July and August, but also in autumn and winter!
Check Out Events in Tokyo in June, July, and August
In Tokyo during summer, in addition to traditional festivals and fireworks displays, there are also many events where you can experience Japanese pop culture, such as manga and anime. To fully enjoy these events, it’s important to know not only the event details but also information about the location, access, the weather, and appropriate clothing. Plan ahead and make the most of Tokyo’s summer events!
For more details, please check out this article!
✨Events in Tokyo in June, July, and August! Recommended Events to Experience Japanese Culture
Comments