During September in Japan, summer vibes still linger in the air, and although still hot at the start of the month, temperatures are generally a bit cooler towards the end of the month, hovering around 80-85°F (26-30°C).
During early September, there are still plenty of clear skies and sunny days. You can still climb Mount Fuji, and beer gardens remain open. Later in the month, many local festivals are themed around viewings of the autumn moon, known as tsukimi in Japanese.
While the weather in September is generally quite pleasant, some regions of Japan can experience patches of bad weather, and typhoons are still fairly common in September, so it would be a good idea to keep your plans a bit flexible. Let’s take a look at some of the late-summer and early-autumn events that take place across Japan in September.
Planning a trip to Japan this year? Check out my 5 Day Tokyo Itinerary article for ideas on what to see and do in Japan’s capital!
Japan in September – 15 Things to See and Do in 2025!
1. Chofu City Fireworks, Tokyo
The autumn fireworks in Chofu City in the west of Tokyo sees around 10,000 fireworks released over the Tamagawa River. The first event was held in 1933 and has been held periodically ever since, with the 2023 festival being the 38th event. You’ll find the festival setup around a 10-minute walk from Tamagawa Station. Whilst in the area, take advantage of dining at one of the city’s many soba restaurants.
- WHERE & WHEN: Fuda venue, Keio Tamagawa venue, and Dentsu Grand Grand venue in the Tamagawa area of Chofu City are the best places for viewing. 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM, Saturday, September 20, 2025.
- MORE INFORMATION: Hanabi.jp (Japanese)
2. The 53rd Kichijoji Autumn Festival, Tokyo
This annual event in the vibrant Kichijoji area includes a procession of mikoshi (portable shrines) through the streets to the Musashino Hachimangu shrine. Over two days, watch residents carry the large portable shrines along the festival routes in the city, then enjoy the rest of the festivities, including dance performances, and food and drink stalls serving local specialties. While in the area, explore Inokashira Park and the tiny eateries, bars, and food stalls of Harmonica Alley, where there are fewer crowds.
- WHERE & WHEN: The event begins at Musashino Hachiman-gu 1-1-23 Kichijoji-Higashi-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo. Saturday, September 13 to Sunday, September 14, 2025.
- MORE INFORMATION: Musashino-kanko.com (Japanese)
3. Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament
Few things encapsulate Japanese culture more than sumo wrestling, and what could be more memorable than catching a sumo wrestling match during your trip? Official sumo tournaments, known as basho, take place in Japan six times a year. You can catch the final tournament of the year in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall at the end of September. Tickets for the tournaments go on sale a month in advance and can be purchased online at Viator.
- WHERE & WHEN: Sumo tournaments are held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena in Sumida City, which is walkable from Ryogoku station on the Chūō-Sōbu line. The September tournament takes place between Sunday, September 14 and 28, 2025.
- MORE INFORMATION: Sumo.or.jp
4. Ultra Japan, Tokyo
The largest annual EDM festival in Japan is held in the Odaiba area of Tokyo across three days and features the world’s best DJs across several stages. The global event, organized by ULTRA Worldwide, draws tens of thousands of EDM fans to the 3-day festival that features huge electronic light and pyrotechnic displays across the festival’s three stages. Tickets are available to purchase via the Ultra Japan website but usually sell out fast.
- WHERE & WHEN: Tokyo Odaiba ULTRA Park. September 13 & 14, 2025.
- MORE INFORMATION: Ultrajapan.com
5. Cosmos Flower Festival, Tokyo
From late September until early October, the Showa Kinen Park is filled with fields of pink cosmos flowers, becoming one of the largest flower displays in Japan, and a great place for an Instagram backdrop. Thousands of colorful Cosmos flowers brighten up the park as visitors roam the three fields. Other activities in the park include rental bicycles, the natural beauty of the nearby bonsai garden, and a boating lake. There are also a lot of chic restaurants and cafes near the park to discover.
- WHERE & WHEN: Showa Kinen Park, Tokyo, late September to mid-October, 9:30 PM to 5:00 PM.
- MORE INFORMATION: Showakinen-koen.jp
6. Red Spider Lily Festival, Saitama
In late September, you can enjoy the natural beauty of tens of thousands of red spider lily flowers make for an impressive sight at this flower festival in Hidaka city in Saitama prefecture, earning it a spot on the 30 Most Beautiful Places in Japan. The festival lasts around two to three weeks and features live music performances and food stalls. The journey time from Tokyo is around one hour by train, and the event is also close to the town of Hanno, home to Metsä Village, a Nordic-themed entertainment complex that includes the Moomin Valley theme park.
- WHERE & WHEN: Kinchakuda, 125-2 Komahongo, Hidaka, Saitama. The second half of September.
- MORE INFORMATION: Kinchakuda.com
7. Tsukimi Moon Viewing Festival
Tsukimi is the popular Japanese custom of moon viewing in the autumn. On the fifteenth night of every month of the old calendar, a full moon appeared, and the eighth month (September in the modern calendar) was believed to be the best time of year for viewing. Moon viewing spots, such as balconies or garden areas, are commonly decorated with branches of susuki (silvery pampas grass) that represent a healthy bounty of harvested rice, and offerings of tsukimi-dango (rice dumplings) that represent the full moon and are believed to bring health and happiness. A variety of other seasonal foods and drinks such as sake (Japanese rice wine), soy beans, sweet potato, and kabocha (pumpkin/winter squash) are also often displayed.
Tsukimi dates vary each year, but moon-viewing festivals are always held in September or October. You can find events across the country, but some highlights include the nighttime illumination of the Tokyo Tower, the festival at Himeji Castle, and musical performances at the Sankeien Garden in Yokohama.
8. Kishiwada Danjiri Festival, Osaka
The small coastal town of Kishiwada in Osaka prefecture is home to one of the biggest Danjiri festivals in Japan, which sees traditional wooden floats weighing up to four tons hauled at speed through the streets using heavy ropes. Teams of runners representing their respective neighborhoods pull their huge floats through the streets of Kishiwada at impressive speeds. Visitors can enjoy the food stalls that line the streets from Kishiwada Castle, where you can pick up classic Kansai street food, including takoyaki and okonomiyaki.
- WHERE & WHEN: Kishiwada Castle, 9-1 Kishikicho, Kishiwada, Osaka. September 13 & 14, 2025.
- MORE INFORMATION: City.kishiwada.osaka.jp
9. Blue Note Jazz Festival, Tokyo
Launched in 2011, the Blue Note Jazz Festival has become a summer tradition, held at venues across New York and California. In 2015, it expanded to Japan with its first event at the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama, and has since grown into the country’s largest jazz festival, featuring top artists from around the world. This year, Norah Jones will open the two-day event at Ariake Arena in Kōtō, Tokyo. Tickets can be purchased on the festival’s website, where the 2025 event schedule is also available.
- WHERE & WHEN: Ariake Arena, Kōtō, Tokyo. Saturday, September 28 to Sunday, September 29, 2025.
- MORE INFORMATION: Bluenotejazzfestival.jp
10. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Reitaisai Festival, Kamakura
Every year in early September, the three-day festival of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, a Shinto shrine in Kamakura, takes place as an offering to the Shinto deity enshrined there. The event dates back more than 800 years to 1187 when horseback archery events were held on the grounds of the shrine.
The event begins with a procession of the kami in a portable shrine, attended by the shrine workers, towards the nearby Ninotorii Gate, where the shrines are placed and a dance performance takes place. On the final day of the festival, the ancient Japanese horseback archery ritual takes place, where skilled archers shoot arrows at targets while moving through the temple grounds on horseback. It is a rare and truly impressive sight to see.
- WHERE & WHEN: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura, Kanagawa. September 14th to 16th.
- MORE INFORMATION: Hachimangu.or.jp
11. Karasuzumo ‘Crow’ Wrestling and Choyo Ritual, Kyoto
September 9th is known as Choyo, the last of five traditional festivals at Kamigamo shrine that mark the changing of the seasons. At 10 AM, priests from the shrine present offerings of chrysanthemum flowers to the shrine’s deity Kamo Wakeikazuchi no Okami at the main sanctuary
Following the chrysanthemum ritual, the crow-mimicking ritual is held outside the main hall to purify the sumo ring. Two Shinto priests in white gowns and black caps imitate crows to honor the shrine’s ancient connection to crows, which are believed to have served as a guide to Emperor Jinmu, the first emperor of Japan. After the ritual, the karasuzumo wrestling begins. Young boys from the neighborhood are split into two teams and compete in a sumo tournament to honor the shrine’s deity.
- WHERE & WHEN: Kamigamo Shrine, 339 Kamigamo Motoyama, Kita Ward, Kyoto. 10 AM, September 9, 2025.
- MORE INFORMATION: Kamigamojinja.jp
12. Owara Kaze no Bon (Dancing Festival)
For three nights a year, paper lanterns light up the cobblestone streets of towns throughout Toyama Prefecture as visitors from miles around gather to watch the beautiful dance performances of Owara kaze no Bon, a 300-year-old dance festival that shows gratitude for the year’s good harvest and celebrates good health and fortune.
There is no stage. Instead, dancers appear spontaneously in the streets, dressed in intricately decorated robes and gowns and large ceremonial headdresses, performing slow, graceful dances among the crowds. Locals sit outside their homes, and visitors gather in the streets, eating and drinking and laughing as they watch and enjoy the nighttime festivities around them. The atmosphere is magical, otherworldly, and reminiscent of old Japan.
- WHERE & WHEN: The festival takes place throughout the 11 ‘old towns’ of Toyama Prefecture, which can be found at the link below. This year it will take place from Monday, September 1 to Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
- MORE INFORMATION: Owara-kazenobon.com
13. Ghibli 3D Sculpture Exhibition, Tokyo
Until September 23 2025, there is a special 3D Studio Ghibli sculpture exhibition taking place at Warehouse Terrada’s B&C Hall, in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The exhibition features life-size sculptures of famous characters and iconic moments from some of the most popular Studio Ghibli movies, including My Neighbor Totoro, Porko Rosso, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle.
In addition to the sculptures, there will also be a screening of the short Ghibli film ‘Fantasy Flying Machines’, created by Hayao Miyazaki for an earlier exhibition. Entry to the exhibition requires a reservation for a specific date and time, and a ticket, which can be purchased on the website.
- WHERE & WHEN: Terada Warehouse B&C Hall, E Hall, Shinagawa, Tokyo. Running until Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 09:30 AM to 8:00 PM.
- MORE INFORMATION: Rittai-ghibli.com
14. Moon Art Night, Tokyo
Returning for its fourth year, the Lunar Art Festival is an annual festival in Shimokitazawa that celebrates the beauty of the moon through art, culture, and technology. It is inspired by the traditional moon viewing festival, Tsukimi, held on October 6, which gives thanks to the bountiful Autumn harvest moon.
The event transforms several public spaces around Shimokotazawa into open-air art galleries where visitors can enjoy the lunar beauty through several interactive lunar art installations. One featured exhibition is the Museum of the Moon, a 7-meter-wide moon sculpture created from NASA imagery of the lunar surface.
- WHERE & WHEN: Shimokita Railway Street Vacant Lot, Shimo-Kitazawa Station, Kitazawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo. September 19 to October 5, 2025
- MORE INFORMATION: Moonartnightfes.com
15. Yokai Festival, Kyoto
From mid-September to late November, Toei Kyoto Studio Park transforms into a mystical Yokai Village, where the supernatural beings of Japanese folklore come alive against the backdrop of an Edo-period town. Throughout its 11-week run, the festival offers a variety of cultural and historical experiences, the most famous being the Uzumasa Hyakki Yagyō, or ‘Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.’
This illuminated evening procession of yōkai through the village streets is inspired by tales dating back to the Heian period. Visitors can also enjoy yōkai-themed food, take part in photo sessions, and join a special guided bus tour for a deeper dive into the world of these mythical creatures.
- WHERE & WHEN: Toei Kyoto Studio Park, 10 Uzumasa Higashihachiokacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto. 9 AM to 5 PM on Weekdays, 9 AM to 7 PM on Weekends. September 13 to November 30, 2025
- MORE INFORMATION: Toei-eigamura.com/yokai
Dates to Avoid: National Holidays
Respect for the Aged Day & Autumn Equinox
Respect for the Aged Day & Autumn Equinox – There are two public holidays in September, Respect for the Aged Day is held on the third Monday of the month, while Autumn Equinox Day this year is September 23. As usual, avoid traveling during those dates and book accommodation and transport well in advance to secure the best prices and seats.
- WHEN: Respect for the Aged Day, September 15, & Autumn Equinox September 23, 2025.
If you’re planning a trip to Japan this year, don’t forget to take a look at Tokyo Bucket List article for ideas of not to miss experiences. Or, check out my article about Best Hotels with a view of Tokyo Tower for ideas on where to stay!
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