September is when Tokyo begins its gradual transition from summer to autumn. While the weather can still be hot and humid, seasonal flowers begin to appear, neighborhood festivals bring local communities together, and the city continues to offer some of its most exciting cultural experiences. This year is especially interesting for travelers because several major events fall during the month, including the September Grand Sumo Tournament, a spectacular fireworks festival along the Tama River, and plenty of traditional shrine festivals. It is also a good time to experience the changing seasons through flowers, food, and the Japanese tradition of moon viewing.
Here are some of the best events and seasonal experiences to add to your Tokyo itinerary in September 2026.
Shiba Daijingu Shrine – Photo Credit: Tang Yan Song
Daradara Matsuri
For a more traditional neighborhood experience, visit Shiba Daijingu Shrine during the Daradara Matsuri. This festival is one of Tokyo’s longer-running September shrine festivals, taking place over an extended period rather than being limited to a single day. The 2026 festival is scheduled for September 11 through September 21. The matsuri is held at Shiba Daijingu Shrine in Minato City, a historic shrine with connections to Tokyo’s religious and local community traditions.
One of the festival’s distinctive features is the sale of ginger, which has become closely associated with the event. This allows visitors to experience a local tradition quite different from the city’s large, tourist-oriented festivals. Because the festival lasts for many days, it can be a lot easier to fit this into a September itinerary than a one-day event.
Date: September 11 – 21
Admission: Free
Location: Shiba Daijingu Shrine
Website: https://www.shibadaijingu.com/matsuri/
Chofu Fireworks Festival – Photo Credit: Makoto_Honda
Chofu Fireworks Festival
If you thought Tokyo’s fireworks season ended with summer, think again. The Chofu Fireworks Festival will take place on Saturday, September 12, 2026, along the Tama River in Chofu, western Tokyo. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., followed by the fireworks from approximately 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Around 10,000 fireworks are planned for the event.
The festival is known for using the wide Tama River landscape to create expansive views of the fireworks. Food stalls and viewing areas add to the traditional summer-festival atmosphere, even though the calendar has already turned to September. The event is also known as Chofu Hanabi (調布花火, Chofu Fireworks), and it has become a popular annual event for residents of western Tokyo. Because large crowds are expected, plan your transportation carefully and arrive early. Several train stations provide access to different viewing areas, including Fuda and Keio-Tamagawa.
Date: September 12
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm (Fireworks start at 6:15 pm)
Admission: Free (Paid seating is available, click here for more information)
Location: Tamagawa Ryokuchi Park
Website: https://hanabi.csa.gr.jp/
Cosmos Festival at Showa Kinen Park – Photo Credit: Geraldy_14
Cosmos Festival at Showa Kinen Park
September may be too early for Tokyo’s famous autumn foliage, but that does not mean you have to wait for seasonal scenery. Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa hosts its annual Cosmos Festival from September into October, when millions of cosmos flowers bloom across the park. The official Tokyo tourism guide highlights the festival as one of the city’s major September seasonal attractions. Cosmos flowers are associated with autumn in Japan, making this a beautiful way to experience the changing season before the leaves start to begin turning red and gold.
The park itself is enormous, with gardens, open lawns, cycling paths, and recreational areas. Give yourself several hours rather than treating the flower fields as a quick stop. It is also a good option for photographers. The large fields of flowers create a very different atmosphere from central Tokyo’s skyscrapers, neon signs, and crowded pedestrian crossings. They even have a special photography opportunity where they release bubbles across the flowers, allowing for absolutely breathtaking pictures. Please make sure to check their website for the exact bubble photography dates, as there’s always a chance for cancellation if the weather does not permit.
Date: September 12 – October 25
Admission: ¥450 for adults at the door
Location: Showa Kinen Park
Website: https://www.showakinen-koen.jp/event/56303/
Sumo wrestlers preparing for the September Grand Sumo Tournament – Photo Credit: J. Henning Buchholz
September Grand Sumo Tournament
For travelers interested in traditional Japanese culture, the September Grand Sumo Tournament is one of the month’s biggest attractions. The tournament will take place at Ryogoku Kokugikan from September 13 through September 27, 2026. The Japan Sumo Association has confirmed the dates, and tickets went on sale August 8. For the country, sumo is not simply a sporting competition. The matches are surrounded by centuries-old rituals and customs, from the purification of the ring to the elaborate movements performed by wrestlers before each bout.
The tournament also offers a fascinating glimpse into Ryogoku, the Tokyo neighborhood most closely associated with sumo. Before or after a match, explore the surrounding streets and discover restaurants specializing in chanko-nabe (ちゃんこ鍋, sumo wrestlers’ hot pot), museums, temples, and other attractions. The tournament is particularly convenient to include in a September itinerary because it runs for two full weeks, giving visitors considerable flexibility.
Date: September 13 – 27
Admission: ¥3,500 – ¥40,000 (exact ticket prices and purchasing can be made here)
Location: Ryogoku Kokugikan
Website: https://www.sumo.or.jp/En/
Tip: Purchase tickets in advance, especially if you want to attend on a weekend or holiday, as tickets tend to sell out fast.
Nezu Shrine – Photo Credit: cowardlion
Nezu Shrine Annual Grand Festival
Tokyo’s neighborhood festivals offer an opportunity to see a side of the city that can be difficult to encounter at major tourist attractions. The Nezu Shrine Annual Grand Festival is one of the city’s most notable September festivals. Nezu Shrine dates back more than 1,900 years according to shrine tradition, while its present buildings date to the early 18th century.
The festival itself features traditional performances, food stalls, and other activities around the shrine grounds. It is particularly appealing because the surrounding Nezu and Yanaka neighborhoods retain much of the atmosphere of older Tokyo, making it perfect for those looking to discover the more retro side of the city. Rather than simply attending the festival and leaving, consider spending several hours exploring the neighborhood. Walk through the older streets of Yanaka, stop at a small cafe, visit local temples, and then return to Nezu Shrine for the festival atmosphere.
Date: September 26 – 27
Admission: Free
Location: Nezu Jinja Shrine
Website: https://nedujinja.or.jp/saiten/
Tsukimi – Photo Credit: manbo-photo
Experience Tsukimi, Japan’s Autumn Moon-Viewing Tradition
September also offers a quieter cultural experience that does not require a major festival or ticket. Tsukimi (月見, moon viewing) is the traditional Japanese practice of appreciating the autumn moon. The custom has roots in the Heian period and later became associated with seasonal offerings, including rice dumplings and autumn produce. In 2026, the traditional Mid-Autumn Moon falls on September 25. The actual astronomical full moon occurs on September 27, creating an interesting overlap with the final day of the September Grand Sumo Tournament.
If you want to participate, we suggest looking for seasonal tsukimi menus and sweets at restaurants, department stores, and Japanese confectionery shops around this time of year. You can also make your own moon-viewing evening by finding a quiet garden, riverside location, or elevated viewpoint and watching Tokyo’s skyline as the moon rises. It is a simple experience, but it captures something important about Japanese seasonal culture: appreciating a particular moment of the year rather than simply checking another attraction off your itinerary.
Grilled Pacific saury – Photo Credit: kazoka
Seasonal Things to Enjoy in Tokyo in September
Beyond the major events, September is an excellent month to experience Tokyo’s transition into autumn, with plenty of ways that you can discover just what makes the seasonal change in Japan so special.
Look for Early Autumn Foods
Japanese restaurants and shops begin introducing seasonal ingredients such as chestnuts, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, grapes, pumpkin, and Pacific saury throughout the month. Seasonality is an important part of Japanese food culture, so September menus can give you an early taste of autumn before the cooler weather fully arrives.
Explore Tokyo’s Gardens
September is too early for Tokyo’s peak autumn foliage, but the city’s gardens remain beautiful. Look for seasonal flowers such as cosmos and hagi (萩, bush clover), which are strongly associated with autumn. Mukojima-Hyakkaen Garden is particularly notable for its hagi tunnel, while Showa Kinen Park, as we’ve mentioned earlier, offers enormous fields of cosmos.
Explore Neighborhoods Between Events
One of the best ways to experience September in Tokyo is to build your itinerary around a specific event and then explore the surrounding neighborhood. For example:
- Chofu Fireworks Festival: Explore western Tokyo before heading to the Tama River.
- September Grand Sumo Tournament: Spend time exploring Ryogoku.
- Daradara Matsuri: Combine Shiba Daijingu Shrine with nearby Tokyo Tower and Shimbashi.
- Nezu Shrine Festival: Explore Nezu and Yanaka.
- Cosmos Festival: Make a full day of Showa Kinen Park and Tachikawa.
This approach gives you a more immersive experience than simply moving from one major attraction to another.
Towering Tokyo Tower in September – Photo Credit: Wichakorn Kitrungrot
What Is the Weather Like in Tokyo in September?
September can still feel like summer in Tokyo. Daytime temperatures frequently exceed 86°F (30°C), and humidity can remain high. The average September temperature is around 79.9°F (26.6°C), although temperatures can vary considerably. Typhoons are also possible during this time of year.
Pack lightweight clothing, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and a compact umbrella. A light jacket is also useful because temperatures can drop quickly during rain. If you are attending an outdoor event, check the weather forecast shortly before heading out. Fireworks festivals and shrine events can be affected by severe weather.
Traveling in Japan – Photo Credit: kitzcorner
September is not quite summer and not quite autumn, and that is exactly what makes it so interesting. You can watch 10,000 fireworks along the Tama River, experience a major sumo tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan, walk through fields of cosmos flowers, visit traditional shrine festivals, and participate in the centuries-old tradition of appreciating the autumn moon. Rather than trying to pack every possible attraction into your trip, choose one or two events that match your interests and build the rest of your itinerary around them. Whether you are drawn to Japanese food, traditional culture, seasonal scenery, or simply want to experience Tokyo beyond its most famous landmarks, September 2026 offers plenty of reasons to explore the city.
Featured Photo Credit: f11photo
