Autumn is here, sort of. And while we wait for the leaves to turn their beautiful shades of yellow and red – which will probably happen in a month’s time according to the official forecast – Tokyo continues to host a barrage of events to make sure we are having the best time here in one of the world’s best cities.
If you plan on staying in Tokyo this weekend, you can join a grand tea ceremony in the city’s most atmospheric outdoor museum, or sip on craft gin from Japan and around the world by the canal. Otherwise, take a short day trip to Kawagoe for a spectacular float parade, or to Enoshima for a mesmerising fireworks display.
Kawagoe Festival, Saitama
October 19-20
One of Greater Tokyo's most spectacular traditional matsuri, the annual Kawagoe Festival has been going on for more than 370 years. The matsuri is famous for its huge floats parading along the city’s kurazukuri (old architecture) streets. Make sure you stay until the evening when the floats are lit up and the festivities reach their peak in a cacophony of drums, bells, flutes, moving floats and dancing, for a spirited ritual known as hikkawase.
The festival float parade is held in front of city hall on Sunday (around 1.30pm-4pm) while the festival float light-up takes place on Saturday (around 6pm-7pm). If you're only coming for the main event, hikkawase is held throughout the evening on both Saturday and Sunday.
You'll also find fringe events on both days, including a traditional acrobatic ladder performance (around 6.20pm) and a mikoshi (portable shrine) parade (from 1pm) on Saturday.
Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony
October 19-20
A large-scale tea ceremony where even those who aren’t familiar with the custom are welcome to participate. The event will be held at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum on Saturday October 19 and Sunday October 20, and the weekend after at the Hamarikyu Gardens on October 26 and 27.
There are different tea ceremonies held between 10am and 4.15pm, and sessions cost ¥800 per person (¥500 for the children’s session). While the indoor tea ceremony in Japanese is already booked out, the English sessions can be booked at the venue on the day itself.
Aside from the tea ceremonies, you’ll find plenty of other cultural programmes including live performances of daikagura (ceremonial dance), kendama, gagaku (Japanese classical music), and more at the Hamarikyu Gardens venue.
Check the website to see what’s on at each venue. Entrance to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is free during the event.
Gin Festival Tokyo
October 19-20
Calling all gin fans: you’d want to make a beeline for Tokyo’s biggest gin festival happening on the third weekend in October. With a picturesque canal-side location along Tennozu Isle, this spirited festival at Warehouse Terrada offers tastings of over 100 brands and 250 types of gin from Japan and abroad.
Here you'll also find a cocktail bar, merchandise (check out the event’s exclusive T-shirt, ‘We're all connected by Juniper’), and plenty of food to balance out the drinking. Tastings come in 5ml to 10ml pours, and if you find a gin that you fancy, you can purchase it at the onsite bottleshop.
For this festival, you'll need to first purchase the starter pack for ¥2,200, which comes with five tasting tickets, one gin and tonic as well as the admission pass. Additional tasting tickets are available in sets of 10 at ¥1,100 while gin and tonic is priced at ¥770 per cup.
Fujisawa-Enoshima Fireworks Festival, Kanagawa
October 19
Although summer is usually the season for fireworks in Japan, this Shonan festival breaks away from tradition with a captivating fireworks show in October. The 30-minute fireworks show is scheduled for 6pm on Saturday October 19.
You can expect approximately 1,800 rockets of colourful bursts, launched against the dark silhouette of the nearby Enoshima Island. The nighttime seascape makes for the perfect backdrop for this explosive showcase.
To catch the show, park yourself at the Katase Nishihama beach on the mainland.
For more things to do, see our curated list of Tokyo weekend events.
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