Things to Do in Kanto, Japan

Tokyo and its surroundings, from neon districts to the temples of Nikko and the coast of Kamakura.

216 destinations across 7 prefectures

Festivals in Kanto

Tori no Ichi at Otori Shrine, Asakusa

7 November 2026

Tokyo · Festival

Tsuchiura Fireworks

7 November 2026

Ibaraki · Fireworks festival

Koedo Kawagoe Fireworks

21 November 2026

Saitama · Fireworks festival

Chichibu Yomatsuri

2 to 3 December 2026

Saitama · Float procession

Photo: Comiket Co., Ltd. / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Comiket

29 to 31 December 2026

Tokyo · Festival

Kanda Matsuri

13 to 18 May 2027

Tokyo · Float procession

Sanja Matsuri

14 to 16 May 2027

Tokyo · Float procession

Sumida River Fireworks

31 July 2027

Tokyo · Fireworks festival

Joso Kinugawa Fireworks

Expected September 2027

Ibaraki · Fireworks festival

Kounosu Fireworks

Expected October 2027

Saitama · Fireworks festival

Mito Plum Festival

Expected February 2027

Ibaraki · Festival

Suggested Itineraries

Narita Airport to Shinjuku and Central Tokyo by Train and Bus (2026)

Narita is a long way out. The airport sits about 60 kilometres east of central Tokyo, in Chiba, and whichever way you go you will spend roughly an hour getting in. The good news is that there are a...

Haneda Airport to Shinjuku and Central Tokyo by Train and Bus (2026)

Haneda is close to the city. From the international terminal you can be on the platform at Shinagawa in 11 minutes, and almost nowhere in central Tokyo is more than 40 minutes away by train. The ha...

New Year in Japan 2026-2027: What Is Closed, What Is Open, and Hatsumode

New Year in Japan 2026-2027: What Is Closed, What Is Open, and Hatsumode Shogatsu, the New Year holiday, is the one time of year when Japan really stops. Offices close, banks close, family resta...

Japan Winter Illuminations 2026-2027: Dates, Hours and Prices

Japan Winter Illuminations 2026-2027: Dates, Hours and Prices From late October to spring, Japanese parks, shopping districts and main streets string up lights, and some of them stay lit for six...

Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)

Kyoto and Kamakura Autumn Leaves 2026: Peak Dates and Light-Ups

Kyoto and Kamakura Autumn Leaves 2026: Peak Dates and Light-Ups The maples in Kyoto turn red in the second half of November, and Kamakura's a week or two later, often into December. This guide c...

Japan's Famous Day-Trip Onsen: Historic Public Bathhouses You Can Just Walk Into

Japan's Famous Day-Trip Onsen: Historic Public Bathhouses You Can Just Walk Into You do not need a ryokan booking to bathe in Japan's best-known hot spring water. Most onsen towns keep public ba...

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Hitō: Japan's Hidden Hot Springs at the End of the Road

Hitō: Japan's Hidden Hot Springs at the End of the Road Hitō (秘湯) means "hidden hot spring". It is the onsen you reach only after a long mountain road, a forest trail or a boat, and very often i...

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Hikyo: Japan's Secluded, Hard-to-Reach Places and How to Get There

Hikyo: Japan's Secluded, Hard-to-Reach Places and How to Get There Hikyo (秘境) is the Japanese word for a remote, secluded place. The two characters mean something like "hidden region", and in Ja...