Six Things to Do in Summer in Japan

It's summer in Japan, and with the summer you get heat and humidity like almost nowhere else, but with it there's also a ton of stuff to do.

So without further ado, I would like to present my list of things to do in summer while you're in Japan.

The List:

1. Go to a festival.

Summer time in Japan means festival after festival. You have tons of local matsuri (like the Ten'nosai I posted about recently) where you can watch a variety of floats, parades and dances. If you're in the Tokyo area there are a ton of international festas going on as well.

For a list of events I recommend checking out what's going on in Chiyoda-Ku (home of Hibiya Park - a center for festival life). Or check out what Tokyo Cheapo has on their events list.

2. Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks!

I shot the video at the top of this post in Matsudo City this Saturday. One thing Japan does probably better than anywhere is fireworks (hanabi - 花火 in Japanese). The shows here are long - often over an hour - and have some really cool explosions in all kinds of colors and shapes. Most fireworks displays in Japan in the summer aren't the kind of massive bursts of destruction you'll see at New Year's around the world, but they have a style and beauty that I don't think you'll find anywhere else.

Also, as with the festivals, a fireworks display is always considered by Japanese people to be a good excuse to wear yukata (浴衣 - lightweight summer kimono) or other summer attire. So that means it's also a good excuse for you to buy one and wear it out, or just do some people watching to take your mind off the heat.

3. Go to the beach.

Yes, Japan is an island, and yes it has beaches all over. The key, however, is knowing where to go. It depends of course on what you're into but my first two picks are either Choshi (銚子) on the east side of Chiba Prefecture, or Enoshima (江ノ島) to the southwest of Tokyo.

Choshi is an odd little town, and since it's kind of out of the way it's usually not so crowded. You can swim, go for a hike, surf, or have some fantastic seafood. For more on Choshi, check out my blog post about the area (Choshi - Trains, the Ocean and the Lighthouse). If you don't have a car the train ride there is long, but it's worth a visit.



My other choice is Enoshima. Just west of Kamakura, it's another old port town, but there's something about it that makes it just feel different. The island itself attracts tons of tourists, but despite that it has a unique old timey charm that makes it worth a visit even on a hot crowded day.

You can hike on the island (and into the creepy caves there) or around the city on the mainland. And make sure to take a ride on the Enoden Train Line - riding the tracks through rows of old wooden buildings lets you see scenery that looks like its out of a different century.



There's of course beaches nearby for surfing, swimming or playing beach volleyball, you can go for a boat ride, or watch the streams of motorcycle riders that flock to the city every year.

And make sure to stay into the evening - sunsets in Enoshima are some of the most beautiful in Japan.

4. Head to the boats.

Tokyo is a city of rivers but if you only travel by train or car it's easy to forget this. Getting on a boat gives you a different view of the city, and also in my opinion will give you a different feel for how various parts of the city fit together.




There are a lot of different cruises, but I think the best is the Odaiba to Asakusa route. You start in Odaiba (お台場), an ultra-modern shopping and entertainment area where you can ride roller coasters or shop for about any brand you can think of. There are decent restaurants there as well, and in the summer they have tons of events and concerts. The boat goes on a route that takes you under the Rainbow Bridge, up the Sumida River and then you end up in the very old city of Asakusa. Time it so you arrive in the evening so you can then head to one of a million little bars in the area.

For info on routes and pricing, head over to japan-guide.com.

And last but not least:

5. Relax and stay cool.

Remember, summer in Japan is just crazy hot. But there are a lot of ways to get out of the heat. You can go to a movie or shop in one of the billions of stores in Japan, or IMO a better choice is to check out one of the many great museums, especially in Tokyo.

Museums in Tokyo are usually pretty expensive, but if you pay ¥2,000 for a Grutt Pass (I am GRUTT?), then you can for the most part get into any of the major museums and see their permanent exhibits for no extra charge for a year. For more info hop on over to JapanVisitor.com's Grutt Pass Museums and Attractions.

6. Have a beer, or better yet a lot of beer

And if you're going to have a beer, you have to do it in style. Yes, there are now a lot of nice craft beer pubs all over (and I'm a big fan - I'll write more on my favorites later), but to get the real Tokyo drinking experience you have to do the beer garden.

And what, you may ask, is a beer garden? Well, Japan has a ton of shopping malls and department stores, and they of course all have roofs. So in the summer a big number of the shopping centers convert their roof into an open-air beer hall. For usually not very much money you can go up to the roof, get endless refills of beer (and sometimes other drinks), and drink yourself stupid.

Since you're on the roof it's always a bit cooler than down on the street, and despite how obviously awesome the idea is they often aren't so crowded, you seating isn't much of a problem. Just be aware that at the sight of lightening they will often shut down, so I would wait to go till the weather's nice. And of course nothing makes beer taste that much better than hot weather.

OK, that's all for now. I hope my little list can help get you through the heat.

And for your viewing pleasure I will close up with another video, one I took at the festival in Shin-Matsudo last summer. Yes, it's kind of strange, but I love the costumes (and expressions on their faces).