10 Things to Do in Tokyo in Summer

With all there is to see and do in Tokyo, you're sure not to get bored. While summer is a hot and somewhat humid time to visit Japan's capital, the city has so many great things to do, both indoors and out, that you won't have a bad time.

With its fireworks festivals, Obon celebrations, parks and green spaces, and the chance to climb to the top of Mount Fuji, visiting Tokyo in summer is an adventure, full of colour and beauty. Here are the best activities to add to your itinerary.

In the summer months in Tokyo, humidity and fog often prevent you from seeing the mighty Mount Fuji, but it is a great time to hike to the top of the mountain. A trip to Mount Fuji is an adventure you'll never forget. You'll get to see charming Japanese landscapes and enjoy amazing views from the top. If you make it to the top, you can even see the clouds from above.

Fuji is undoubtedly one of the most classic symbols of Japan and its silhouette has been depicted countless times. At 3,776 metres, it is the highest peak in Japan. It has been considered sacred since ancient times, and for many years women were not allowed to reach its summit. The best time to go mountaineering on Mount Fuji is during the month of August, so I recommend booking your tour in advance.

Useful information:

• Where: west of Tokyo, about 2 hours from Tokyo.
• When to visit: all year round
• Price: an all-inclusive tour (transfers, guide, lunch, cable car...) costs about 100 €.

If you happen to be in Tokyo in August, don't miss the summer festival held at Okachimachi Station in the heart of the city centre.

At this celebration you can enjoy traditional Japanese food, taste different types of sake, see and hear the ritual taiko drumming, watch live musical performances and experience the charm of the Bon Odori dance. Bon Odori itself starts in the afternoon, but the festivities begin even before noon, where the little ones can paint little dolls.

You can listen to classic Bon Odori songs as well as Japanese anime classics or J-pop tunes. As you can see, this is an event to enjoy with the family, see kimonos and traditional costumes, learn a little more about one of Japan's most traditional dances and beat the heat with some exotic flavoured ice cream, such as cucumber, soy sauce or even... Wasabi! If you are attracted to exotic flavours and oriental cuisine, I recommend that, beyond ice cream, you book a gastronomic tour of Tokyo. I assure you that you will live a unique experience.

Useful information:

• Where: Okachimachi Station 3-26 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo.
• When it takes place: August 20th and 21st
• Price: free of charge

Another summer must-do in Tokyo is a picnic in one of Tokyo's parks. Find a shady spot under a gingko or sakura tree and spread out a blanket, as summer is always picnic season.

• One of the best parks to spend the day is Ueno Park. Located right in the centre of Tokyo, it is one of the most popular parks among Tokyoites. In spring, its cherry blossom trees are a spectacle, but in summer, its green leaves allow you to take shelter from the sun and enjoy the snacks you've brought with you.
• Another park for picnics is Yoyogi Park. You will always find events and festivals in this beautiful park. It is located next to the Meiji Shrine in Shibuya and is also very popular with Tokyo locals.

In summer it is not recommended to include sushi in your picnic, due to the high temperatures, but you can bring all kinds of fruits, cool drinks and whatever else you can think of. A tip: take the opportunity to try flavours you can't find at home. It is very common to see Japanese people eating bentō, a miniature variety of different types of food. You can also take the opportunity to book a bike tour and enjoy the experience to the fullest.

Summer in Tokyo can be a bit intense with its high temperatures and humidity, especially during August. That's why the best way to enjoy the city at this time of year is with some of its seasonal foods.

• Among the typical Japanese summer savoury dishes that you must try at all costs are Soba noodles (蕎麦). These noodles, in the hottest months of the year, are enjoyed cold, accompanied by some fresh ingredients, such as herbs and raw vegetables.
• Another type of Japanese summer noodle is Somen (そうめん). Quite similar in appearance to noodles, they are eaten with tsuyu sauce and are usually seasoned with fresh ginger.
• Another variant of these noodles is nahashi somen (流しそうめん). In restaurants there is a long bamboo pole stretching from one end of the restaurant to the other, filled with cold water. The noodles are placed on it, which you have to catch with chopsticks to put them on your plate and mix with tsuyu sauce.
• Undoubtedly the most traditional of all Japanese summer meals is Kakigori, an ice-cream dessert with different fruit flavours. If there is such a thing as a traditional Japanese ice cream, this is it.
• Continuing with sweets, Warabimochi (わらび餅) is a kind of starch and soy flour jelly, called kinako, a texture and flavour that has no equivalent in the world of Western gastronomy. You have to try it!

Join a real party of colour in the heart of Tokyo. The Japanese summer has one of the most eagerly awaited festivals, just as in April the cherry blossoms get all the applause, in summer the stars are the fireworks (hanabi, 花火). During the warmer months, various fireworks competitions (hanabi taikai, 花火大会) are held in Tokyo. So every year at this time the sky is filled with magic.

Experience the Sumida River fireworks competition (Sumidagawa Hanabi Taikai, 隅田񝷝花火大会), one of the most popular and which, every year, attracts up to a million spectators who come to the banks of the river to watch the show and have an incredible time, full of emotion and colour.

If you ask me, this is, without a doubt, one of the best things to do with children in Tokyo. Besides the show, you can also have something to eat and drink at the many stalls organised for this important event.

Interesting information

• Where: On the banks of the Sumida River, Tokyo.
• When: 30 July.
• Price: free of charge.

Participate in the Nagoshi No Harae Festival (夏越の祓), which celebrates the arrival of summer. The ritual is held at numerous Shinto shrines in Japan. It is a purification festival where the sins of the first half of the year are eliminated and health and fortune are requested for the remainder of the year.

You can enjoy participating in one of the oldest Shinto rites, as well as one of the most popular. The purification ceremony involves walking through a suganuki or chinowa, a kind of portal made of a grass called chigaya.

You'll see Shinto monks and a large crowd of people, some in traditional costume, welcome the summer solstice at this colourful ceremony held every year in late June, and you can take home one of the traditional paper amulets called katashiro.

Useful information:

• Where it's held: at various Shinto shrines in Tokyo.
• When: 30 June.
• Price: free of charge.

Beat the heat by taking a refreshing dip in one of Tokyo's water parks. With the high temperatures in the city, spending the day in a pool or enjoying the many water slides, artificial rivers, roller coasters and a host of other rides is definitely a great option.

In Tokyo, some of the most popular water parks are:

• Tokyo Summerland, which located in the Tama area has artificial waterfalls, colourful slides and a river.
• Showa Kinen Park, with slides and a large number of pools.
• Kawagoe Aquatic Park, with a huge boat and artificial waves up to two metres high.
• Yomiuriland, with artificial beaches and an infinite number of water games.

A wide range of possibilities to keep you entertained. Visiting some of these parks will make you forget the heat of the city for a few hours. You can spend the day with the family and feel like a real Tokyoite. However, bear in mind that tattoos are forbidden in all water parks...

If you are a lover of the films of the great Hayao Miyazaki, an excellent way to spend some time in the company of Totoro, Kiki, Chihiro or Princess Mononoke, and at the same time escape the heat, is to visit the beautiful Ghibli Museum.

Located in Mitaka's Inokashira Park, this museum, designed by Miyazaki himself with his son Goro, offers a wealth of original drawings and sketches from some of the Japanese director's most famous films. A wonderful journey through the colourful worlds of the great Miyazaki. You'll find yourself in a dreamlike space that you won't want to miss.

In addition to the permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Ghibli Museum has a small cinema with a capacity for 80 people, where unpublished short films made especially by Miyazaki himself for the museum are shown, which you will not be able to see anywhere else. Children can play inside a reproduction cat-bus or have their picture taken with the big robot from The Wandering Castle.

Information of interest:

• Where: 1 Chome-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo.
• Opening hours: daily, 10am-6pm.
• Price: Admission costs approximately 7 euros for adults, and between 2 and 5 euros for children. Children under the age of 3 are free.

Experience travelling at full speed on one of the fastest trains in the world. Visit the city of Kyoto in less than 3 hours from Tokyo on the shinkansen bullet train.

Travelling in the summer months allows you to enjoy the ride without the crowds. Plus, you can escape the concrete and heat of Tokyo and tour the monasteries and temples of beautiful Kyoto, where traditional Japan is preserved. An ideal day trip.

You can take the bullet train from Tokyo Central Station or Shinagawa, and reach Kyoto Central Station in half the time of a conventional train. Travelling on the bullet train is quite an adventure, as it can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph). But don't worry, thanks to its high technology you won't feel a thing, its suspension system absorbs the swaying of the carriages, plus it's much quieter than previous bullet train models.

Useful information:

• Timetable: bullet trains depart every 15 minutes from Tokyo Central Station and Shinagawa Station, both in the city centre.
• Price: from about 113 euros per person.

If you want to experience something totally fascinating in the summer in Tokyo, I recommend that you set aside one of the nights of your trip to go firefly watching. Traditionally, on the hottest nights of the Japanese summer, you can see fields full of fireflies, but you'll have to go a few kilometres out of the city, as this phenomenon is only seen in calm, damp and quiet areas.

In ancient times, it was believed that each firefly was the soul of a samurai warrior killed in battle. Fewer fireflies are seen today than in the past, so it is recommended not to hunt them. It is also important not to use luminescent devices such as torches or mobile phones.

You can enjoy this natural spectacle:

• Kugayama Festival, which is held every year on the first weekend of June on the banks of the Kanda River and Tamagawa Josui River.
• Mount Takao, located about 50 kilometres from central Tokyo. You can take the semi-express train to Takaosanguchi Station from Keio Shinjuku for less than 3 euros approximately.

It's true that summer can be hot and humid, but that shouldn't stop you from seeing and doing all that Tokyo has to offer, so if you're planning to travel during this time, make sure you're comfortable, don't overpack and don't take extra clothes.

Due to the intense heat, summer tends to be less crowded, so if you don't mind the heat, you may be able to get good value accommodation options and you'll find that there are far fewer queues at the city's attractions.

While Japan itself is not a cheap country, Tokyo, being so cosmopolitan, has affordable options for all budgets. Both accommodation and food are plentiful without compromising on comfort and proximity. Accommodation in Tokyo ranges from 20 euros per night (hostels), 80 euros (hotels) to luxury options or ryokan, which are traditional Japanese lodgings.

Japanese summer temperatures are quite sweltering, so I recommend that you pack no more than you need. Shorts, a hat to protect you from the sun and a swimming costume, because you're sure to want to take a refreshing dip.