Travel Spots

Nighttime Summer Festival to Be Held at Tokyo Museum; 6 Nights of Traditional Fun Include Access to Museum

Courtesy of the Tokyo National Museum
A night view of the Tokyo National Museum’s Heiseikan, where the “Jingoji: The Dawn of Shingon Buddhism” exhibition is being held.

By Kenneth Valencich / The Japan News

16:16 JST, August 24, 2024

A traditional Japanese summer will be on offer at the upcoming Night Festival at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo’s Taito Ward, with such attractions as live stage performances, games and crafts.

The event will take place from Aug. 27 to Sept. 1. Each of the six days will feature different performances from across the country, including dances and drummers, as well as a special Bon Odori from Akita.

The craft-making will focus on Japanese traditions, like painting daruma dolls from Fukushima or wind chimes that are a staple of summer. Games will include a ring toss for prizes and scooping bouncy balls out of water, a common sight at Japanese summer festivals.

Ticketholders will also have access to the museum’s exhibitions in the main building and the “Jingoji: The Dawn of Shingon Buddhism” special exhibition in its Heiseikan building. They will also get three vouchers for participating in festival games and one for culture workshops.

For anyone looking for a treat, there will be food trucks, cotton candy and shaved ice.

The event will be held at the Tokyo National Museum from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night. On Aug. 30 and 31, the festival will stay open until 10 p.m.

For details, visit https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/opera/

Note: Due to the developing Typhoon No.10, the event schedule may be impacted including the possibility of cancelation of the event.