October 2026 events and festivals in Tokyo

The annual Odaiba Lantern Festival returns this October to Odaiba Seaside Park with a spectacular lantern festival across two days.

Catch live entertainment daily from noon to 8pm, with performances ranging from hula dancing to DJ sets and beyond. Come dusk at 5pm on both days, 12,000 colourful lanterns will be placed on the beach, creating a myriad of beautiful shapes and patterns. This year’s designs draw inspiration from sea creatures, featuring motifs like crabs, whales, jellyfish and fish.

Dougu Matsuri is an annual festival held in October in Kappabashi, the wholesale district between Ueno and Asakusa that specialises in tools and kitchen supplies for the restaurant industry. Known affectionately as Tokyo's Kitchen Town, many shops here also welcome home cooks and the general public as you can also purchase items individually.

Over 100 stores will be participating in the event, where you’ll find great deals on cooking utensils, tableware, food samples and more. While the festival officially runs for a week, most of the festivities will be held on October 12. Highlights include a local elementary school marching band parade (11am), wadaiko drumming performances by local junior and senior high school students (1pm and 3.30pm), kung-fu and taiko stage shows (10.30am in front of Taito Ward Life-long Learning Center and 2.30pm in front of Keisei Coop Apartments), cheerleading performances (2pm) and food trucks serving regional dishes from across Japan (Oct 11 & 12).

Check the event website and performance schedule for more details.

One of the last hanabi of the season, the Tamagawa Fireworks Festival keeps things fresh each year by introducing a new theme. The theme for 2026 is 'Soaring', capturing the powerful soaring of fireworks into the night sky and offering hope for tomorrow. Regardless of the concept, you can always expect a colourful and artistic hour-long display synchronised to music on Saturday October 3.

While the fireworks show only starts at 6pm, you can come as early as 3pm to enjoy stage performances and food stalls. At the time of writing, only single-seat tickets (¥6,500) are left at the paid viewing area, but there are free viewing areas open to the public as well. However, you’ll need to arrive early to secure the best vantage points. 

The event is held at Futako-Tamagawa Sports Ground by the river near Futako-Tamagawa Station.

Check the event flyer for more details. 

The fireworks festival may be cancelled due to inclement weather, though it will go ahead in light rain. Check the festival's official X account for the latest updates before visiting.

The second instalment of the two-part Fukuro Matsuri will see over 100 teams of yosakoi dancers from across Japan parading through the streets of Ikebukuro.

Taking over the neighbourhood on October 10 and 11, the performers will show off their well-choreographed dances in modern neon reinterpretations of happi coats and yukata for an elaborate show. The yosakoi dance itself originated in Kochi prefecture in 1954, where it was invented to help revitalise the struggling post-war economy.

This massive event will take place across six venues on the west side of Ikebukuro Station, including the main stage in front of the Tobu Department Store, the rooftop of the department store and the Global Ring Theatre (Ikebukuro West Gate Park). If you only have time for a quick look, head to Azalea Street, the main boulevard leading in the direction of the station. There you’ll be able to see non-stop performances with few obstructions to ruin your view.

Check the event website for event schedules and more.

Compared to the massive Super Yosakoi festival in Omotesando, western Tokyo suburb Chofu’s Yosakoi celebration may be smaller in scale but it’s no less energetic. Bringing together 12 local yosakoi teams and more than a dozen dance troupes from a variety of genres, the Chofu Saisaisai (formerly known as the Chofu Yosakoi Festival) will have stage performances across various locations around Chofu City Hall and the adjacent Chofu City Cultural Hall Tazukuri.

Reborn as an inclusive, community-led festival, it brings together people of different ages, nationalities and abilities, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the performances and join the parade, which takes place near Cultural Hall Tazukuri at 11.21am and 1.15pm. On-site reservations are required to take part in this free event, where you can show off your choreography and dancing skills with a tenugui towel.

This September, Shimokitazawa welcomes the return of its annual lunar art festival that will coincide with the upcoming autumn moon. Back for its fifth edition, Moon Art Night Shimokita will span several venues in the neighbourhood, including the open plaza in front of the station, Shimokita Senrogai Open Space near Shimokitazawa police box, the rooftop of Higashi-Kitazawa Station, and the Bonus Track complex.

Exhibits include an outdoor moon installation by UK artist Luke Jerram, whose giant floating model features striking details of the moon’s surface as captured by Nasa. This particular installation – titled ‘Museum of the Moon’ – is set to be on show every day at the vacant lot of the Shimokita Senrogai complex. Nearby at Shimokitazawa Station Square, you’ll find an installation of phosphorescent cubes that absorb sunlight during the day and release it as a soft glow by nightfall. Produced by Midori Kawano, the installation, titled 'Afterglow', draws on the idea that moonlight is a reflection of the moon as it was 1.3 seconds earlier, offering a literal glimpse into the past.

The festival is also hosting Tokyo-based contemporary artist Shoei Matsuda, whose giant eight-metre-tall inflatable recreates the iconic 'tears of joy' emoji at the Bonus Track complex. Inspired by the evolution of emoji from a feature of Japanese mobile phone culture into a universal visual language, the interactive installation explores the relationship between the digital and physical worlds. Visitors can also use an AR filter to transform their own faces into the 'tears of joy' emoji and share the results on Instagram, blurring the boundaries between online expression and real-world experience.

Moreover, Japanese sculptor and artist Teppei Kaneuji is participating with an interactive installation titled ‘A Thousand Faces of the Moon’ at the paid Higashi-Kitazawa Station rooftop venue. Inspired by the idea that while there is only one moon, its appearance and meaning can vary depending on where you are and your own perspective, the work invites visitors to throw, roll and photograph a collection of moon-shaped sculptures. Kaneuji will also host a silkscreen printing workshop, where participants can create and take home their own moon-themed artwork.

Aside from the art exhibitions, the festival will feature several immersive theatre performances, live music, video installations and pop-ups. Several shops around Shimokitazawa Station will also offer full moon-inspired food and beverages and limited-edition products during the festival.

Tickets to access paid venues and performances are on sale via the official website.

Western Australian indie rock outfit Spacey Jane are making their way to Japanese shores for the first time this October. Achieving breakout success during the pandemic, the quartet has since gone on to bash out successful tours of Europe and North America, and make appearances at international festivals like Governors Ball, Lollapalooza and Osheaga. Their latest EP, Exit Wounds, was recorded during the same session as their 2025 album If That Makes Sense and features three previously unreleased tracks. The upcoming Japan show comes amongst performances in South Korea and Singapore.

British jazz quintet Ezra Collective are bringing their latest album to Tokyo this October. The release, entitled Here Because of Hope, debuted at number 1 on the UK’s album charts. Divided into three parts, the 17-track work traces the lineage of Black music through generations across Africa, the Caribbean and Britain, featuring collaborations with musicians from the worlds of rap, reggae and Afro-soul. This is the band’s first show in Japan since headlining the Field of Heaven Stage at Fuji Rock last year, and their first headline club appearance since playing Liquidroom in 2023.

Dust off your skanking shoes because Less Than Jake are heading to Japan. The ska-punk five-piece are playing shows in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, and bringing California’s Voodoo Glow Skulls and Osaka’s Dizzy Sunfist along for the ride. The tour follows the June release of the split EP Unity with Osaka ska-punk band Hey-Smith and the new single ‘Another Hostage Situation’, a previously unreleased B-side from their 2024 effort Uncharted. This will be the first Japan performances from the Pez-loving Floridians since their 2017 appearances at Punk Spring – and their first with new drummer Matt Yonker.

Roppongi Art Night returns in full force from October 31 to November 1 2026, again transforming one of Tokyo’s most vibrant districts into an all-night celebration of contemporary creativity. Launched in 2009, the festival has become a cornerstone of the city’s cultural calendar, inviting visitors to explore art installations, performances and multimedia projects from dusk until dawn.

Spanning key venues including Roppongi Hills, the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Midtown and the National Art Center, Tokyo, the event extends into public spaces and streets, creating a dynamic urban circuit where art and city life intersect. This year marks the festival’s 15th edition and a return to its original all-night format, restoring the immersive, nocturnal atmosphere that defines its appeal.

The 2026 edition places a special focus on France, drawing inspiration from Nuit Blanche, the Parisian event that originally inspired Roppongi Art Night. Curated by José-Manuel Gonçalvès, the programme highlights a diverse selection of French artists through installations, video works and performances.

Alongside this international spotlight, the Open Call Project once again invites public participation, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to accessibility and experimentation. For one night only, Roppongi becomes a sleepless stage where Tokyo’s urban landscape is reimagined through art.

First held in 2015, this multinational celebration returns this October to welcome the arrival of autumn at Ueno Park's Fountain Square, where you can enjoy food, drinks, music and entertainment, plus all the salsa dancing you can possibly take over a single weekend.

Grab a spicy taco and wash it down with beer, caipirinha or a tropical cocktail before moving on to the vast selection of rum and tequila. In between meals and dancing, go check out the stalls selling handicrafts and other fun accessories.

This annual design event, which this year explores the theme of ‘gazing’, sees the vast grass square adjacent to Tokyo Midtown host installations by an international cast of 19 artists and creators. Helmed by creative director and designer Taku Sato, the event also features a diverse programme of family-friendly events intended to help visitors rediscover the charm and value of design hidden in everyday life.

The main highlight is the aforementioned open-air ‘Design Live Exhibition’ on the Midtown lawn, featuring works such as ‘Sea Hammock’ by architect Yuko Nagayama, which makes its return to the event after four years. Elsewhere, catch some grooves at ‘Design Live Music’, where design and music intersect, or browse a selection of books and stationery at ‘Design Live Market’.

Continuing Tokyo’s trend of dazzling nighttime projection-mapping events, digital creative company Hitohata is bringing back its Asakusa Culture & Lights show to Sensoji Temple. This projection mapping showcase celebrates the history and culture of the iconic temple in the heart of Asakusa.

The nightly shows feature high-resolution digital animations created using cutting-edge technology and displayed at two locations within the temple grounds: the south side of Hozomon Gate facing Kaminarimon Gate, as well as Sensoji Temple's main hall. These light-ups are free to view, happening daily from October 30 to November 3 between 6pm and 9.30pm. 

Alongside the brilliant light-ups, the temple is also offering paid daytime and nighttime viewings of the Denboin Garden; the daytime session includes exclusive access to the Ema Hall, home to Edo-era votive plaques by the likes of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hasegawa Settan and Henmi Isshin. Be sure to book tickets in advance to attend these viewings.

Always wanted to learn more about the Japanese tea ceremony but never found a suitable opportunity? Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony is a large-scale tea ceremony where even those who aren’t familiar with the custom are welcome to participate.

The event will be held at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum on Saturday October 24 and Sunday October 25, and then a week later at the Hamarikyu Gardens on October 31 and November 1.

Seven to eight tea ceremony sessions happen daily between 10.30am and 4.15pm, and sessions cost ¥800 per person (¥500 for children's sessions, accompanied by an adult on Oct 24 & 25). Check the schedule of each venue here: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum and Hama-rikyu.

Aside from the tea ceremonies, you’ll find plenty of other cultural programmes including live performances of daikagura (traditional Shinto acrobatic dance), kodan (narrative storytelling), ikebana (Flower arrangement), kabuki (on Oct 31 at Hama-rikyu) and more across both venues.

Check the website to see what’s on at each venue. Entrance to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is free during the event.

Try out some of the best soul-warming curries from Tokyo’s curry neighbourhoods of Kanda and Jimbocho this autumn. There are over 400 curry shops in the area and this long-running event brings together most of them to do battle for the Grand Prix title.

From August 1 to December 20, a stamp rally will be held in the area, where over 150 participating curry purveyors will have a stamp on hand to stamp your stamp card, which you can print yourself in A3 size. Visit ten curry restaurants to get a ‘Curry Buddy’ certificate featuring Rilakkuma, or 36 shops or more to become a ‘Kanda Curry Meister’. Check the curry restaurant map and list before making a visit. Get your ‘Curry Buddy’ reward by visiting the Chiyoda Tourism Office, or fill out the form to receive the more prestigious ‘Curry Meister’ award.

Additionally, on October 31 and November 1, there will be booths selling a range of curries from around the world at Ogawa Square for the Grand Prix finale, including Thai, Indian, Japanese and more – so come hungry.

Spend a day sampling some of Japan’s best gyoza, as the festival will have around 30 stalls offering many different styles of the quintessential Japanese dumpling. Enjoy a mentaiko (cod roe) and cheese gyoza from Fukuoka’s Hakata Hachisuke, ground pork and Korean seaweed dumplings from Sangenjaya's Gyoza Shack, beef tongue gyoza from Hokkaido’s Kawa To Ann, and many more unique fillings that you wouldn’t find elsewhere.

The festival vendors only accept cashless payments.

Held in Nagoya and Tokyo, this fully vegan festival is a welcome celebration in meat-mad Japan. The Tokyo event, which is held both in spring and autumn, is Japan's biggest plant-based festival. Expect a strong line-up of 76 stalls at Kiba Park, selling everything vegan including veggie burgers, curries, burritos, doughnuts, ice cream, gelato and plenty more.

Every food stall will list the ingredients used (in Japanese), so you can be 100 percent sure that no animal was harmed or involved in the process of making your meal.

Whenever winter arrives, Tokyoites look forward to snacking on warm yakiimo (roasted sweet potato). Dedicated yakiimo trucks are a common sight on the streets during the cold season, and this year, there will also be a festival dedicated to this comforting snack at the Yakiimo Fes at Nakano's Shiki no Mori Park from October 30 to November 8.

This tummy-warming food fest will be serving up 30 kinds of sweet potato dessert from 14 vendors, including roasted sweet potato drizzled with white chocolate and dried strawberries, sweet potato parfaits, sweet potato salted butter brûlée and even a sweet potato crepe. If you're looking for something more savoury, try the sweet potato tacos, sweet potato cheese pizza or even a sweet and spicy Korean-style jjigae stew topped with cuts of roasted sweet potato. Entry is free, but don’t forget to bring your credit card or Suica, as the event is completely cashless.

Ticket bundles, including eight meal tickets worth ¥5,000, can be purchased online via KKday. The bundle also gets you two 'fast lane' tickets to purchase items with using the priority lane.

Set against the backdrop of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge, this is arguably the most picturesque fireworks festival in the capital – and it’s coming back for the first time in 11 years.

Taking place on October 24 from 5.30pm, the pyrotechnics show is set to launch 12,000 fireworks over the course of 90 minutes. The local governments of Chuo and Minato wards decided to bring back this seasonal tradition to commemorate 80 years since the founding of both wards.

Many of the official viewing spots, including Harumi Pier Park, Hinode Pier, Toyosu Gururi Park and Odaiba Marine Park, offer priority access to local ward residents. General admission tickets for these areas are now on sale, but availability is limited and prices start from ¥5,000, so be sure to grab yours quick while supplies last. For a cheaper and hassle-free way to enjoy the fireworks, head slightly farther away and take in the show from above, with Tokyo Tower and Roppongi Hills offering distant but impressive views. Or, for a more luxurious experience, book a yakatabune houseboat, with packages starting from ¥70,000 per person.

The fireworks display is subject to cancellation in the event of severe weather.

Although summer is usually the season for fireworks in Japan, this Shonan festival breaks away from tradition with a captivating fireworks show in October. The 30-minute fireworks show is scheduled for 6pm on Saturday October 17.

You can expect approximately 1,000 rockets of colourful bursts, launched against the dark silhouette of the nearby Enoshima Island. The nighttime seascape makes for the perfect backdrop for this explosive showcase.

To catch the show, park yourself at the Katase Nishihama beach on the mainland.

The event may be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. 

School gymnasiums, churches, office lobbies, guitar shops and shrines are all considered fair game for a spot of music during Asagaya Jazz Streets, a two-day festival in which concerts are held at dozens of locations scattered across the neighbourhood.

The event has steadily grown in stature since its launch in 1995. As has become customary, veteran piano innovator Yosuke Yamashita will still be part of the festival this year, though in a different role. After announcing in January that he would take a break to focus on his health and recovery, Yamashita is instead curating a special session featuring three artists who carry on his legacy: Sugadairo, Benisuke Sakai and Tamaya Honda, performing at Shinmeiguu Shrine.

Meanwhile, performances by internationally acclaimed alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo and her quartet, the Eiji Taniguchi Quartet + Eiji Hanaoka, and the tropical 16-member big band Tawoyame Orquesta are expected to be among the festival’s standout attractions.

Note that while the open-air gigs are free, you'll need a paid wristband to get into most of the participating venues, while a drink or food order is required at many of the shows held in cafés and restaurants.

Check the event website for performance schedules and ticketing information.

Among the many Japanese incarnations (perhaps 'interpretations' would be more accurate) of Munich's world-famous beer festival, the Yokohama Oktoberfest has traditionally stuck closest to the schedule of its Teutonic forebear.

Yokohama Oktoberfest is Japan's largest beer festival, and you can expect over a dozen stalls offering both German and local brews. On top of the standard pints, some will be offering glasses of wine, highball and cocktails, too. Pair your drinks with platters of sausages and goulash, among other hearty meals. As always, a separate tent will be set up to host live performances and other forms of entertainment.

Entry costs ¥500 at the door, and starting this year, there is an extensive 'one coin menu' with each glass costing you only ¥500. Your first beer will include the cost of a beer glass, which you’ll need to use throughout the day. Once you’re ready to leave, you can return the beer glass to get your deposit back. 

One of Tokyo's three German beer fest spin-offs this autumn (including Shiba Park and Tachikawa), Munich Oktoberfest kicks off on September 18 at Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu. This beer extravaganza at least manages to fall within a few weeks of the original German beer-fuelled festival it's copying, running from September 18 until October 12.

As with all the other Oktoberfests in town, you can enjoy pints of German beer served in glasses that can fill up to a litre, alongside bratwurst and sauerkraut. There will be oompah bands to sweeten the mood.

Entry is free and you can pay as you go. Do note that the event is mostly cashless; you can pay via credit card, PayPay, IC card, QuicPay, ID and other forms of electronic payment.

The force behind smash-hit titles including Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen, Japanese animation studio Mappa is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. To mark the milestone, the company is hosting its largest-ever exhibition from September 16, bringing together work from 23 titles at the newly opened Yurakucho Museum.

The exhibition features original drawings, large-scale sets and video projections that immerse visitors in the worlds of Mappa shows and films such as Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, Attack on Titan: Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen and more.

At the Chainsaw Man exhibition area, you can feast your eyes on exclusive production materials, including drawings that follow the story of The Movie: Reze Arc, from Denji and Reze’s first encounter and the explosive battle between Chainsaw Man and Bomb to the conclusion of their story. Don’t miss the illuminated life-size figure of Bomb, which is being unveiled for the first time.

The Attack on Titan: Final Season zone features original drawings for key scenes, displays explaining the production process, and original hand-drawn watercolour artwork of the symbolic hill from the story’s ending.

The Jujutsu Kaisen area revisits some of the series’ most iconic battle scenes and memorable moments. Production materials are exhibited in the first half of this zone, including original drawings from Season 1 and Jujutsu Kaisen 0, while the second half features materials from Season 2, Hidden Inventory / Premature Death, Shibuya Incident and Season 3, The Culling Game Part 1.

The exhibition will be held in two parts: the first from September 16 to October 25, and the second from October 28 to December 7. Some exhibits will be changed between the two parts, giving you a reason to plan multiple visits.

Tickets are available for specific dates and time slots. You can currently purchase tickets for the first half of the exhibition via Lawson Ticket, and place applications for advance lottery tickets for the second half (from Aug 22).

Sound, visual art and site-specific elements blend together in innovative and challenging ways at Ambient Kyoto, a multisensory, immersive exhibition that now makes its first foray into Tokyo, landing at Azabudai Hills Gallery. The display centres on the installation ‘async – immersion’, envisioned by the much-missed Ryuichi Sakamoto and Shiro Takatani of Dumb Type and first presented in Kyoto in 2023.

Inspired by Sakamoto’s 2017 album async, ‘async – immersion’ features visuals by Takatani and spatial audio design by sound engineer ZAK, whose fingerprints are all over many of Sakamoto’s late-career projects. At Azabudai Hills, the work has been reconstructed exclusively for the venue, with the setup including a 26-metre-wide screen for displaying the video elements of the installation.

True to the title of the work, the aural and visual components are aligned but not fully synchronised; their constantly shifting relationship rewards attentive viewing and encourages visitors to approach the work on their own terms.

The erotic art of old Edo returns to modern Tokyo’s most seductive ’hood with ‘Kunisada & Kuniyoshi: Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition – WA’. The fourth instalment in a series of exhibitions focused on Shunga, or traditional Japanese erotica, and organised by the Kabukicho-based Smappa! Group, the display showcases original ukiyo-e prints by two of the greatest masters of the form: Utagawa Kunisada and Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

Kunisada (1786-1864) is particularly renowned for depicting kabuki actors (yakusha-e) and beautiful women (bijin-ga). What’s more, his pieces are famed for their detailed portrayals of daily life in Edo, and have proved invaluable for historians researching the folksier aspects of the late feudal period.

Kuniyoshi (1798-1861), meanwhile, was dubbed ‘Edo’s ultimate graphic designer’. He illustrated the trending topics of his day – from political scandals and sexual fashions to mythical monsters – with a wit and humour that endeared him to the capital’s masses.

Curated from the collection of Mitsuru Uragami, one of Japan’s foremost ukiyo-e authorities and Shunga connoisseurs, the exhibition extends throughout the Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Stage, incorporating bijin-ga, yakusha-e, musha-e (pictures of warriors) and illustrated books in addition to the erotica. Yasutaka Hayashi from artist collective Chim↑Pom from Smappa! Group returns as art director, bringing a hefty serving of Kabukicho flair to the table.

Advance tickets are available now via TimeOutShop. For a ¥200 discount on same-day tickets, use our Time Out Coupons offer.

One of Tokyo’s premier contemporary art galleries, Nanzuka has opened its brand-new flagship space in Shibuya Axsh, marking the gallery’s return to Shibuya after a 20-year absence. The inaugural exhibition celebrates contemporary artist Keiichi Tanaami with his solo show ‘Do Not Bomb’. Spanning works from the 1960s to unreleased pieces made before the artist’s death in 2024, the exhibition explores Tanaami’s memories of war through around 60 works, including silkscreens, collages, paintings, animations, sculptures and videos.

The work closest to the entrance is ‘Do Not Bomb’, created while Tanaami was preparing for a large-scale solo exhibition in 2024. Made against the backdrop of ongoing wars around the world, the piece features a goldfish at its centre, flying towards the viewer like a cannonball.

The exhibition also features Tanaami’s ‘No More War’ series, which connects to ‘Do Not Bomb’. Created in 1967, the series was submitted to an anti-war poster contest hosted by American magazine Avant Garde in 1968, where it was selected as an outstanding work. Influenced by pop art, the silkscreen prints reflect Tanaami’s early interest in reaching a wider audience through reproduced imagery.

The exhibition runs until October 17. Check the gallery website for more details.