Summer is a great time to be in Tokyo, with an array of festivals and fireworks displays taking place across the city. But there are also more traditional events happening, like the Toro Nagashi (floating lantern) nighttime festival at Chidorigafuchi Moat along the fringe of the Imperial Palace grounds. This popular light-up spectacle will take place again in 2024 on July 24 and 25 after sundown.
Over the course of two evenings, you can witness 2,000 beautiful paper lanterns floating on the water. The festival was first held in 1958 to comfort people after World War II.
You can just turn up and enjoy the sight for free. Or you could contribute to the spectacle by releasing your own lantern to the water. You can use the lantern to write down your hopes, dreams or prayers.
One way to immerse yourself in the event is to hop on a rowboat and send your lantern out onto the water while being surrounded by thousands of glowing lanterns. However, participation is based on a lottery system and the registration is now closed.
On the bright side, you can still design a lantern on the day of the event even without a boat. As lantern supplies are limited, be sure to make a reservation for a lantern in advance online, which costs ¥2,000. You can pick up the lantern on the day, by showing the staff a QR code at the lantern pick-up point near Chidorigafuchi Boat Pier.
If you can’t make it to the festival in person, you can purchase a pre-designed lantern online, and a member of the tourist association will release it on your behalf. Personalised messages are printed in English or Japanese, and should be filled out using the online reservation form when purchasing the lantern online. Pre-designed lanterns are available until July 16 (while supplies last).
The floating lantern festival at Chidorigafuchi Moat runs from 7pm to 8pm on July 24 and 25. Note that the event will be cancelled in case of heavy rain and stormy weather.
For more information, check the event website.
This article was originally published on June 17 2022 and updated on July 9 2024.
More from Time Out Tokyo
The Boyfriend on Netflix is Japan’s first same-sex dating reality show
Enoshima island is hosting a free projection mapping event this summer
Check these websites daily for heatstroke warnings in Tokyo
Hakone is hosting a week-long fireworks festival this summer
Yokohama is getting a Dragon Quest carnival featuring Slime this summer
Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.