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Updated: August 17, 2023

Is September a good time to visit Tokyo?

This is the month when Tokyo glides from summer to autumn. You can enjoy the best of both worlds with quintessential summer activities, such as fireworks displays, and festivals celebrating the arrival of autumnal plants and foods.

What is the weather like in Tokyo in September?

In early September, the city is still experiencing high heat and humidity. But later in the month the heat relents, and the weather is often very pleasant. The average temperature is 23.3℃ (74℉), with highs of 27.5℃ (81℉) and lows of 20.3℃ (69℉). Partly because typhoons may pass by at this time of year, September is one of Tokyo's wetter months, so bring a waterproof jacket or umbrella. Keep an eye on the news for the latest typhoon information.

Best events, festivals, and other things to do in September

Asakusa Samba Carnival

The Asakusa Samba Carnival is Japan's largest samba carnival, and a perfect match for the summer months. Authentic samba teams in gorgeous costumes gather from all over Japan to dance in a parade formation alongside unique floats. This is a wonderful opportunity to see Japan's top samba talents showcase their skills in this fun cross-cultural event.
Note: The 2023 festival will be held on a smaller scale.

Asakusa Samba Carnival Executive Committee

Chofu's Autumn Fireworks

This famous Kanto region fireworks festival has been around for over 30 years. Since the 1920s, Chofu City has been home to numerous companies connected to film and video production. The city even earned the nickname "Hollywood of the East" in the 1950s. Many movies, television dramas, commercials and more continue to be filmed in the city to this day. This annual event combines music from the movies and fireworks in a special display known as "hanabillusion." The display features around 10,000 fireworks exploding in the night sky above the Tama River.
Chofu's Autumn Fireworks 2023 (38th Chofu City Fireworks Festival)

 

Cosmos Festival

Around 4.4 million cosmos flowers come into bloom across three meadows in Showa Kinen Park, covering some 20,000 square meters. In addition, you can enjoy various events involving arts, culture, and sports, with innumerable cool places to take photos.
Cosmos Festival

 

Nezu-jinja Shrine Annual Grand Festival

This festival is said to have originated in 1714, when it was founded by the shogun. One of the biggest events in the country back then, it remains a lively affair with many stalls and traditional dance performances. Nezu-jinja Shrine's 18th-century buildings deepen a sense of history.
Nezu-jinja Shrine Annual Grand Festival

 

Shinagawa Shukuba-matsuri Festival

Shinagawa was once the first stop on the road connecting Tokyo (then called Edo) and Kyoto. Each September, people celebrate that heritage by dressing up in period costume. You can see Edo-style vendors, newsboys, and fire-walking. This energetic event also features food stalls and a traffic safety parade, etc.
Shinagawa Shukuba-matsuri Festival

 

Kita City Fireworks Festival

2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Kita City fireworks festival. This riverside show sets a dramatic firework display to music. Enjoy the concert-level acoustics and the sight of fireworks being launched right before your eyes. Close to 10,000 fireworks will be fired off into the night sky.
You can see videos of the fireworks on the official festival homepage.
Kita City Fireworks Festival

 

Hagi (bush clover) tunnel

Hagi (bush clover) is another flower associated with autumn. One of the best places to see these delicate blooms is Mukojima-Hyakkaen Garden, a beautiful flower garden with over 200 years of history. Every September, hagi grown over a 30-meter-long bamboo frame to create a floral tunnel is in bloom.
Hagi Matsuri (Bush Clover Festival)

 

Fukuro Matsuri (Ikebukuro Festival)

Fukuro Matsuri is held on the west side of Ikebukuro Station. The festival was first held in 1968, when it was centered on a local shopping street. Fukuro Matsuri now attracts tens of thousands of people, with a mikoshi (portable shrine) parade as well as energetic music and dance performances.

 

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden Open-air Noh Performances (Mori no Takigi Noh)

Shinjuku Gyoen hosts the annual Mori no Takigi Noh event sometime between September and October. This event features traditional performances of Noh drama and kyogen (Japanese comedy) in a spectacular garden setting. Flaming torches light the stage. The garden is kept open late for this event, allowing you a rare nighttime glimpse of Shinjuku Gyoen.

Event on This Month

 

Calendar

January January in Tokyo speaks of traditions. Start the New Year in good spirits and head to a temple or shrine for Hatsumode on January 1 and pray like the locals do for peace and good health. Some begin their sojourn the night before on New Year's Eve to hear temple bells chime 108 times as the new year dawns, but Hatsumode is drawn out and takes place over 2-3 days.
February Tokyo's festival and event card is varied in February. Visit Tokyo at this time of year and you'll be witness to festivals and events that honor ume (plum blossoms), banish devils, celebrate the efforts of runners and see an unusual take on Valentine's Day—only men are supposed to receive chocolate.
March Temperatures and moods begin to thaw in March, the month heralding the start of spring. While cherry blossoms or sakura appear at month's end and are eagerly awaited, the rest of March offers much to see and do.
April April in Tokyo is blooming marvelous. Many of spring's events have a floral focus, with the highly anticipated Sakura or cherry blossom season reigning supreme. Join in the hanami or flower viewing parties all over the city.
May May festivals and events begin with the latter half of cluster of Golden Week holidays. Greenery or Arbor Day (May 4) sees entry fees waived in many of the cities parks and gardens, while Children's Day (May 5) heralds the arrival of brightly colored carp or koi streamers festooned around the city.
June Visit Tokyo in June, and the weather begins to get steamy. Rainy season arrives, but not all days are marked by wet weather. Embrace the increasing humidity with the official opening of Tokyo's many beer gardens and imbibe in a glass of your favorite ale. From the lofty heights of the beer garden atop Mt. Takao to the elegant surrounds of Meiji Kinenkan, you'll find a beer garden for every occasion.
July From the booming sound of fireworks lighting up the night sky to the soothing sounds of fuurin wind chimes tinkling in the breeze, July in Tokyo is a sensory experience. Festivals and events ranging from spectacular fireworks shows and ancestral bon odori rites to the sonic wizardry of summer music festivals that attract the best of domestic and international artists.
August August sees Tokyo at it’s hottest, but a continuing cascade of fireworks, traditional obon dances, multicolored tanabata lantern events, and the height of official water park and beach season all provide welcome distractions.
September September means sayonara, or goodbye, to the soaring heat of summer. Nights begin to cool and temperatures become more bearable, but these changes also see the occasional typhoon. Many of the city’s beer gardens remain open, however, a reminder that there’s still fun to be had outdoors yet.
October October, the height of autumn, is one of the best times of year to visit Tokyo. From ongoing traditional festivals to art and cultural soirees to culinary-focused events celebrating the bounty of the season—the city's event card is full.
November Visit November in Tokyo and shade yourself in hues of yellow, orange, red and golden brown. With seasonal foliage at its finest, the month sees the arrival of Koyo, or changing autumn leaves. Bask in the rich-jeweled tones of the season at Rikugien Gardens—at night the grounds are illuminated—or delight in the vibrant yellows of the city's numerous ginko trees.
December Tokyo is dazzling in December–literally–when the city lights up with illuminations. The dark nights are an ideal canvas for intricate and elaborate light displays and the illuminations are a signature winter sight.

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