Venue: Chidorigafuchi

When: Jul 29th - Jul 30th 2022

There are a myriad of great summer festivals to enjoy in Tokyo, and one of the prettiest has to be the Chidorigafuchi Moat Lantern Festival.

With a history dating back to 1958, the event sees around 2000 gentle lantern lights decorate the water's surface, and there are several ways for visitors to take part in the event. The most budget-friendly option is simply enjoying a stroll around the moat and appreciating the lanterns from a distance, which won't cost you a single yen. Alternatively, you can write your own wishes or prayers on a lantern to be released on the water (¥ 1000 per lantern).

There's also the opportunity for a select number of people to enjoy the lanterns from a unique vantage point–by rowboat on the moat. The selection process for this is done via a lottery system, and is limited to 80 groups per day and a maximum of three people per group. The lottery applications will go live on the official website from June 20th – don't fret if you get a 404 Page Not Found before that date!

Getting there

Chidorigafuchi Moat is located under 10 minutes on foot from Kudanshita Station, which is served by the Tokyo Metro's Hanzomon Line and Tozai Line, plus the Toei Subway's Shinjuku Line.