There are many Matsuri (Festivals) in Japan which bring in visitors from all over. Whether religious festivals or harvest festivals - you’ll find the local community fully celebrates them. Some celebrations are supported by local shrines or temples. To preprare for these festivals’ carefully designed costumes, floats, portable shrines and ceremonies are all planned weeks before. Incredible parades with traditional music and historic dances are a few examples of what can be seen in many towns across Japan.
More information can be found HERE.
Calendar of Festivals in Greater Tokyo Area
https://www.japanistry.com/events-festivals-tokyo/
A MISTI intern listed the following for 2019, and most will be relevant for 2020
[listed in somewhat-chronological order]
- June 9 [Sunday]: Hanazono Shrine Antique Market
- June 9 [Sunday]: Nogi Shrine Antique Market
- June 9 [Sunday]: Shinagawa Intercity Flea Market
- June 8-23: Firefly Nights (Hotaru no Yube)
- June 8,9: Torigoe Matsuri- (big mikoshi carried around)
- June 8,9: Gin Festival
- June 8,9: Vietnam Festival
- June 15 [Saturday]: Fussa Firefly Festival (destination is ~1 hour away)
- until June 16: Traveling on the Edo Highway
- May 27 - June 16: Katsushika Iris Festival (9am-5pm every day)
- May 29 - June 16: Short Shorts Film Festival
- April 9 - June 16: Moomin Exhibition (Moomin is a cute Finland cartoon)
- June 15 - Oct 15: Mt Takao Beer Mount (tall mountain + beer)
- June 16 [Sunday]: Kawaii Flea Market
- June 21 [Friday]: Yoga Matsuri
- June 21 - March 11, 2020: Tokyo Opera City Lunchtime Concerts
- June 20-23: Africa Hibiya Festival
- June 20-23: Taiwan Festival Tokyo 2019
- June 22,23: Salsa Street Festival
- June 20 - October 27: Shiota Chiharu Exhibit, “The Soul Trembles,” at Mori Art Museum
- June 26 [Wednesday]: Sake Tasting Event (needs ¥6,000 advance sales)
- June 29 - Sept 16: Pool Wai @ Yomiuri Land (waterpark not directly in Tokyo)
- June 29,30: Zipang Music Festival (in neighboring Chiba)
- June 30 [Sunday]: Kawaii Flea Market
- May 21 - Sept 23: Forest Beer Garden (can reserve with money)
- until June 30: One Piece 20th Anniversary Exhibition
- until June 30: Female Uniforms become Pop Culture
- until July 7: Flower Aquarium
- until July 15: Unko Museum (poop museum)
- July 10 [Wed]: Kamakura Fireworks Festival
- July 13,14 [Sat/Sun]: Yokohama Sparkling Twilight (fireworks)
- July 14 [Sun]: Enoshima Tenno Festival
- July 15 [Mon]: Marine Day Lantern Festival in Odaiba
- July 17-21 [Wed-Sun]: Kawasaki Daishi Fuurin-Ichi (festival of wind chimes)
- July 20 [Sat]: Adachi Fireworks Festival
- July 20 [Sat]: Ueno Summer Festival
- July 21 [Sun]: Improv Comedy in English and Japanese
- July 24-27 [Wed-Sat]: Kagurazaka Matsuri
- July 25-26 [Thu/Fri]: Shimbashi Koichi Festival
- July 27 [Sat]: Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival ("big daddy" of fireworks festival)
- July 26-28 [Fri-Sun]: Fuji Rock Festival (largest outdoor music event in Japan, not free btw)
- July 26,27 [Fri/Sat]: Ebisu Bon Odori Festival
- July 27 [Sat]: Shinjuku Eisa Festival
- July 27 [Sat]: Hachioji Fireworks Festival
- July 27 [Sat]: Showa Kinen Park Fireworks Festival
- July 28 [Sun]: Wonder Festival
- July 27,28 [Sat,Sun]: Taiwan Festa
- July 31 - Aug 3 [Wed-Sat]: Tsukiji Honganji Bon Dance Festival
- until August 31: City Light Fantasia (in Yokohama)