July in Tokyo is hot, humid, and full of festivals. The Sumida River Fireworks Festival draws close to a million people. Tanabata decorations fill the streets.
If you can handle the heat, July offers some of Tokyo’s most distinctly Japanese summer experiences.
Quick answer: The best things to do in Tokyo in July are the Sumida River Fireworks Festival (late July, 20,000 fireworks over Asakusa), Tanabata Matsuri (July 7), the Hozuki-ichi lantern plant fair at Senso-ji (July 9 to 10), and Kagurazaka Matsuri. Beat the heat by visiting temples early in the morning or by staying in air-conditioned depachika food halls and museums during the midday hours.
Tokyo Weather in July
July is one of Tokyo’s hottest and most humid months. Average temperature is around 28 to 29 degrees Celsius, but highs regularly reach 35 to 37 degrees Celsius. The rainy season (tsuyu) typically ends in early July, after which the heat intensifies without cloud cover. UV radiation is strong. Lightweight breathable clothing, a UV-blocking umbrella that doubles as rain protection, and sunscreen are essential. Expect to sweat. Every building, train, and shopping mall is heavily air-conditioned, which helps but creates a jarring transition between inside and outside.
Sumida River Fireworks Festival (Late July)
This is Tokyo’s most famous fireworks event and one of the largest in Japan. Close to 20,000 fireworks are launched above the Sumida River in the Asakusa area over two launch sites, drawing roughly 950,000 spectators. The festival traditionally takes place on the last Saturday of July, starting from around 7pm.
Viewing spots fill by late afternoon. The paid reserved seating areas near the river sell out months in advance. Free viewing areas in Sumida Park and along both riverbanks are extremely crowded but free. For a more relaxed view, several rooftop bars and restaurants with Sumida River views take reservations specifically for Fireworks Night. The Asakusa skyline, with fireworks overhead, is one of Tokyo’s most spectacular sights.
Tanabata Matsuri – July 7
Tanabata (Star Festival) celebrates the annual meeting of two star-crossed lovers from Japanese mythology: Orihime and Hikoboshi, separated by the Milky Way and reunited only on this one night each year. The tradition involves writing wishes on strips of paper (tanzaku) and hanging them on bamboo branches.
In Tokyo, Tanabata events take place at multiple locations. The Shitamachi Tanabata Matsuri in the Koenji area is one of the larger outdoor celebrations with decorated shopping streets. Tokyo Daijingu Shrine near Iidabashi is a traditional venue where people pray for romantic wishes. Department stores and shopping streets across the city hang bamboo decorations for the week around July 7.
Hozuki-ichi Lantern Plant Fair at Senso-ji – July 9 and 10
One of Tokyo’s most unusual summer events. Hozuki are Japanese lantern plants, the orange paper-lantern-shaped seedpods recognizable from traditional illustrations. They are said to guide ancestral spirits home for the Obon summer festival. Stalls selling hozuki plants in pots line the grounds of Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa on July 9 and 10. About 30 to 40 hozuki vendors join the fair, along with around 100 other market stalls. According to tradition, visiting Senso-ji on these two days is equivalent to 46,000 ordinary visits in accumulated merit.
Kagurazaka Matsuri
Kagurazaka, a neighbourhood that retains a distinctly old-Tokyo geisha district character, hosts one of the city’s most atmospheric summer festivals. The event runs over several days in mid-July. It combines a Hozuki (lantern plant) market with Awa-Odori dance performances, the famous group folk dance from Tokushima, which is notable at Kagurazaka for taking place on the neighbourhood’s steep hill road. Street food stalls line the old stone-paved lanes around Bishamonten Zenkokuji Temple.
Iriya Morning Glory Festival
A smaller but charming festival in the Iriya neighbourhood of Taito ward, held in the first week of July. Around 30 stalls specializing in morning glory plants (asagao) are set up alongside 100 general market stalls. Morning glories are a quintessential symbol of Japanese summer, and this festival traces its tradition back centuries, when local gardeners cultivated over 1,000 varieties through cross-pollination.
Tachikawa Showa Kinen Park Fireworks
A less crowded alternative to the Sumida River festival for fireworks. Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa (about 40 minutes west of Shinjuku by the Chuo Line) has wide-open spaces that offer unobstructed views, the highlight being the shakudama fireworks, which explode into circular patterns roughly 400 metres in diameter. An entry fee to the park (approximately 450 yen) is required for the fireworks viewing area. Much easier to reach and enjoy than central Tokyo fireworks events.
Summer in Tokyo: Practical Notes
Beat the heat: Visit outdoor sights before 9am or after 5pm. The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno, the department store food halls, and the teamLab digital art installations are ideal refuges from the midday heat.
What to wear: Lightweight, quick-dry fabrics. Japanese convenience stores sell portable fans and cooling towels. Many locals carry a small folding umbrella specifically for UV protection rather than rain.
Yukata: July is prime yukata season. Traditional cotton summer kimonos are widely worn at festivals and fireworks events. Rental and dressing services are available near Asakusa and in major hotels for tourists who want the experience.
