Tokyo & Around: Weather & What to Wear Guide

Hakone Ekiden (Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race)

Tokyo & Around ・ Hakone

Every year on January 2 (outbound) and January 3 (return)

103rd race: Jan 2, 2027 (Sat) outbound, Jan 3 (Sun) return

Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Izu

Usually early February to early March (about one month). Peak bloom is usually mid- to late February

Atami Fireworks Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Izu

Usually held a dozen or more times a year in spring (April–May), summer (July–August), autumn (September–November), and winter (December–February). Each show runs around 20:20–20:40 (from 20:15 in July and August)

Next show: Oct 25, 2026 (Sun), followed by Nov 8, Nov 23, Dec 6, Dec 25, and Feb 21, 2027 (all 20:20–20:40)

Tokyo Marathon

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Usually a Sunday in early March

2027: Mar 7 (Sun)

Fuji Shibazakura Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Fuji Five Lakes

Usually mid-April to late May (April 11 – May 24 in 2026; may vary with bloom conditions)

Bunkyo Azalea Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Usually around April 1–30 (the 55th festival was held April 1–30, 2026). Peak bloom is usually mid- to late April

Sanja Matsuri

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Usually mid-May, on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday around the third Saturday of May (May 15–17 in 2026, with the ceremony to install the deities in the mikoshi on the Thursday evening before)

Nikko Toshogu Shrine Grand Spring Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Nikko

Every year on May 17 and 18 (fixed dates as a Shinto ritual)

2027: May 17 (Mon) – May 18 (Tue)

Shimoda Hydrangea Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Izu

Usually June 1–30 (peak bloom mid- to late June)

Sumida River Fireworks Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Usually the last Saturday of July (19:00–20:30)

Shiman-rokusen-nichi / Hoozuki Market

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Every year on July 9 and 10

Every year on July 9 and 10 (same dates in 2027)

Tokyo Koenji Awa-Odori

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Usually the last Saturday and Sunday of August (around 17:00–20:00)

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Annual Grand Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Kamakura & Enoshima

Every year September 14–16 (yabusame on the 16th)

Every year September 14–16 (same dates in 2027)

Fujikawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival

Tokyo & Around ・ Fuji Five Lakes

Usually early to late November (about 3–4 weeks). The leaves are usually at their best in early to mid-November

2026: Nov 7 (Sat) – Nov 29 (Sun)

Tori-no-Ichi

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Usually on the Days of the Rooster in November (2–3 days, 12 days apart). At Otori Shrine in Asakusa, it runs from midnight to midnight (0:00–24:00) on each Rooster Day

2026: two days, Ichi-no-Tori on Nov 7 (Sat) and Ni-no-Tori on Nov 19 (Thu) (no market on the days in between)

Marunouchi Illumination

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Usually mid-November to mid-February of the following year (about 3 months)

2026: Nov 12 (Thu) – Feb 14, 2027 (Sun)

Hagoita-ichi (Battledore Market)

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Every year December 17–19 (Senso-ji explicitly states "the three days from December 17 to 19")

2026: Dec 17 (Thu) – Dec 19 (Sat)

Kegon Falls Frozen Waterfall

Tokyo & Around ・ Nikko

❄ Best season: Early Jan – Late Feb

Misotsuchi Icicles

Tokyo & Around ・ Chichibu, Saitama

❄ Best season: Mid Jan – Mid Feb

Ashigakubo Icicles

Tokyo & Around ・ Yokoze, Saitama

❄ Best season: Mid Jan – Late Feb

Yunishigawa Onsen Kamakura & Snow Scenery

Tokyo & Around ・ Nikko

❄ Best season: Late Jan – Late Feb

Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland / Tokyo DisneySea)

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

Located in Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, this resort centers on two theme parks: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. It’s about 20 minutes from Tokyo Station on the JR Keiyo Line, close enough for a day trip from central Tokyo. Park tickets are date-specific with variable pricing and must be bought in advance on the official website or official app.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter

Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo

This indoor walk-through attraction takes you behind the scenes of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series. It opened in June 2023 on the former site of Toshimaen. There are no rides; instead, you explore sets, props, and costumes on foot at your own pace.

Sanrio Puroland

Tokyo & Around ・ Tokyo / Tama

A fully indoor theme park where you can meet Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, and other Sanrio characters. Parades, musical shows, rides, and character greetings are packed into a four-story building, so you can enjoy a full day regardless of the weather.

teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM

Tokyo & Around ・ Tokyo / Toyosu

An immersive museum by the art collective teamLab where you walk barefoot into the artworks. It's a series of vast spaces, including works you wade through water to experience, where your whole body becomes one with the art. It's scheduled to run until the end of 2027.

Ueno Zoological Gardens

Tokyo & Around ・ Tokyo / Ueno

Japan's oldest zoo, located inside Ueno Park. With affordable admission, it's a central Tokyo zoo that's easy to combine with Ueno's art galleries and museums.

Sumida Aquarium

Tokyo & Around ・ Oshiage / Tokyo Skytree Town

An urban aquarium on the 5th and 6th floors of Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi. It's entirely indoors and directly connected to the station, so you can drop by whatever the weather. It stays open into the evening, making it easy to pair with the Skytree observation decks or sightseeing in Asakusa.

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun

Tokyo & Around ・ Hakone / Kowakidani

A hot spring theme park in Kowakidani, Hakone. It has two areas: "Yunessun," a hot spring and spa area where you wear swimsuits, and "Mori no Yu," a day-use hot spring where you bathe without clothes. Families and groups can enjoy Hakone's hot springs regardless of the weather.

Fuji-Q Highland

Tokyo & Around ・ Fuji Five Lakes

A free-admission amusement park at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Known for its record-breaking thrill coasters, it's one of Japan's top thrill parks and draws visitors from Japan and abroad. There are also areas for small children, such as Thomas Land.

EDO WONDERLAND Nikko Edomura

Tokyo & Around ・ Nikko / Kinugawa

A cultural theme park that recreates an Edo-period townscape. Stroll through a town where staff dressed as villagers go about their lives, watch plays and ninja shows, and experience Edo culture firsthand. Popular with international visitors, it's a place to both watch and join in.

Kusatsu Tropical Wonderland

Tokyo & Around ・ Kusatsu Onsen

This privately run zoo in the Kusatsu Onsen hot spring town is known as the highest-altitude zoo in Japan. Inside a 15 m-tall dome heated by hot spring water, a subtropical climate lets you see tropical plants and animals even in chilly Kusatsu.

Izu Shaboten Zoo

Tokyo & Around ・ Ito / Izu Kogen

This zoo in Izu Kogen lets you enjoy animals alongside cacti and succulents. Ring-tailed lemurs and peacocks roam freely, so you can get unusually close to the animals.

Kamogawa Sea World

Tokyo & Around ・ Kamogawa, Chiba

An aquarium on the Pacific coast of the Boso Peninsula where you can see performances by four species: orcas, belugas, dolphins, and sea lions. Admission includes all performances. It's about 2 hours from Tokyo Station by the Limited Express Wakashio or the direct Akushi-go highway bus (アクシー号), so it works as a day trip.

Yomiuriland

Tokyo & Around ・ Inagi

An amusement park in Inagi, Tokyo, with something to enjoy year-round: pools in summer and illuminations in winter. Inside the park is PokéPark KANTO, an area where more than 600 Pokémon live. It's about 10 minutes from Keio-yomiuri-land Station by the Sky Shuttle gondola.

Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise

Tokyo & Around ・ Yokohama

A marine leisure complex on Hakkeijima, an artificial island in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, with aquariums, an amusement park, a shopping mall, restaurants, a hotel, and a marina. Entry to the island is free, and you buy passes to enjoy the four aquariums and the rides. You can choose tickets to suit what you want to do.

Enoshima Aquarium

Tokyo & Around ・ Kamakura & Enoshima

An aquarium on Katase Beach in Shonan. Centered on zones introducing the creatures of Sagami Bay, it features jellyfish, deep-sea creatures, dolphin shows, and more. It's just a 3-minute walk from Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu Line, making it easy to combine with sightseeing in Enoshima and Kamakura.

TOBU WORLD SQUARE

Tokyo & Around ・ Kinugawa

A miniature theme park in Kinugawa Onsen that recreates famous buildings and World Heritage Sites at 1/25 scale. With 102 structures from 22 countries and regions, you can feel like you're traveling around the world in about half a day. Dogs are also welcome.

Sunshine Aquarium

Tokyo & Around ・ Ikebukuro

An urban aquarium on the roof of the World Import Mart Building in Ikebukuro's Sunshine City. Themed as an oasis in the sky, it consists of indoor exhibits on two floors and the outdoor Marine Garden. It's within walking distance of Ikebukuro and Higashi-Ikebukuro stations, making it easy to drop by between other Tokyo sightseeing.