★THE TRIP HYPE✦Japan’s now, delivered pop★MODERN VOYAGE & TECH✦Food · Shopping · Places · Know-How · Culture★THE TRIP HYPE✦Japan’s now, delivered pop★MODERN VOYAGE & TECH✦Food · Shopping · Places · Know-How · Culture

★THE TRIP HYPE✦Japan’s now, delivered pop★MODERN VOYAGE & TECH✦Food · Shopping · Places · Know-How · Culture★THE TRIP HYPE✦Japan’s now, delivered pop★MODERN VOYAGE & TECH✦Food · Shopping · Places · Know-How · Culture

Tag · Season

#Summer

June's rainy season through the end of August. This is when the big Tohoku festivals land, Akita Kanto (August 3-6) and Sendai Tanabata (August 6-8) among them, along with fireworks almost everywhere else. Expect coverage of the humidity and how to avoid heatstroke, kakigori (shaved ice) and summer-only menus, and what to wear if you're going out in a yukata.

71 articles

A summer night festival, rows of glowing paper lanterns lighting the path as crowds stroll beneath them

Mitama Matsuri 2026: 30,000 Lanterns at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine (July 13–16)

Potted morning glories trained on round trellises lined up at a morning glory fair, with pink and blue-purple blooms and paper charm tags reading "Iriya Asagao-ichi" hanging from the pots.

Iriya Morning Glory Fair 2026: Tokyo's Early-July Flower Market (Dates, Access & Tips)

Food stalls and a lively nighttime crowd at a Japanese summer festival

A Guide to Japanese Summer Festivals (Matsuri) in 2026: Food Stalls, Yukata, Etiquette, and Where to Go

Two people in an indigo yukata and a blue striped kimono stand on a stone-paved lane, lined with traditional wooden buildings, each holding a handbag.

How to Wear a Yukata in Tokyo (2026): Rent in Asakusa, the One Collar Rule, and Fireworks Dates

Red and green fireworks burst over a river at a Japanese summer festival, with lantern-decorated boats along the bank and illuminated trees and city lights reflected in the water.

Tenjin Matsuri 2026: The Complete Guide to Osaka's Boat Procession and Fireworks (July 24-25)

7-Eleven Day in Japan 2026: Half-Price Coffee, a ¥711 Receipt Lottery & Free Stickers (July 1–11)

Gion Matsuri yoiyama in Kyoto, with the Minami Kannon Yama float lit by rows of paper lanterns — white lanterns bearing tomoe crests and red lanterns reading "Minami Kannon Yama" — glowing at dusk.

Gion Matsuri 2026: A First-Timer's Guide to Kyoto's Float Processions (July 17 & 24), Yoiyama Nights & Seats

Snow-capped Mt. Fuji mirrored on the calm surface of Lake Kawaguchi under a clear blue sky, with the lakeside town in the foreground

Climbing Mount Fuji in 2026: Season Dates, the ¥4,000 Toll, Permits, and What to Pack

7-Eleven Japan promotional banner for its ¥50-off eligible cold noodle sale, with example photos of hiyashi chuka, zaru soba, and chilled shrimp-and-tomato pasta

7-Eleven Japan's Cold Noodle Sale: ¥50 Off Hiyashi Chuka, Zaru Soba & Chilled Pasta (June 25–28, 2026)

A promotional banner for FamilyMart's "buy one, get one free" campaign, with fireworks on a blue-and-green background and illustrations of eligible items such as green tea, sports drinks, potato chips, chocolate, and cup noodles.

FamilyMart's "Buy One, Get One Free" Is Back for Summer 2026 — How to Actually Claim Your Free Drink (Through July 13)

Krispy Kreme Japan's three summer donuts — a red watermelon donut dotted with chocolate-chip "seeds," a pink peach donut with a green leaf, and a yellow pineapple donut cut open to reveal its cream filling — set against backgrounds of cut watermelon, peach, and pineapple.

Krispy Kreme Japan’s Summer Donuts 2026: Watermelon, Peach & Pineapple Drop June 24 (from ¥356)

Three Starbucks Japan peach summer drinks — Chillax Soda Peach, the whipped-cream Peach & Peach Milk Frappuccino, and Craft Juicy Peach Tea — with fresh white peaches behind.

Starbucks Japan’s Peach Frappuccino Returns June 24, 2026: 3 Summer Peach Drinks from ¥579, Plus Early Access for Members

Tokyo Skytree lit up in green beside a burst of pink fireworks over the Sumida River, with an illuminated arched bridge and light reflections on the water at night (Sumida River Fireworks Festival)

Sumida River Fireworks 2026 (July 25): Where to Watch Tokyo's 20,000-Firework Show for Free, Plus Access & Crowd Tips

Collage of six major Tokyo summer fireworks shows lighting up the sky over rivers, bridges, city skylines, and Tokyo Skytree.

Tokyo Fireworks Festivals 2026: 6 Major Hanabi Shows to See This Summer (Dates, Access & Tips)

GU storefront in Japan with mannequins and clothing displays, useful for travelers looking to buy the GU × Evangelion T-shirt collection

GU × Evangelion Vintage Tees Drop June 22, 2026: 4 Designs at ¥1,990 — Where to Buy & How Tourists Shop Tax-Free

Colorful Tanabata streamers and Shitamachi Tanabata Festival lanterns line Kappabashi Hondori at night, with Tokyo Skytree lit blue in the distance

Shitamachi Tanabata Festival 2026: Asakusa's 1.2km Street of Wishes (July 3-7)

A Hōzuki-ichi market sign reading "Asakusa Hōzuki-ichi" and "Shimanrokusennichi," illustrated with red hōzuki (ground cherries), with Edo glass wind bells and paper strips in front.

Asakusa Hōzuki-ichi 2026: Sensō-ji's Ground-Cherry Market on July 9–10 (and the 46,000-Day Blessing)

Insect repellent being sprayed from a pump bottle onto a person's bare forearm outdoors in a sunny park

Where to Buy Mosquito Repellent in Japan (2026): A Traveler's Guide to DEET vs. Icaridin

Promotional image for McDonald's Japan's "VIVA! World Mac," showing three new FIFA World Cup 2026 burgers: Chunky Potato & Thick Beef Garlic Pepper, Mexican Taco Cheese Chicken, and Avocado Mayo Cheese Shrimp

McDonald's Japan's World Cup Menu: A Traveler's Guide to the 8 “VIVA! World Mac” Items and Collectible Cups (June 2026)

Night view of the garden at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, with the illuminated three-storied pagoda (Entsukaku) rising above the trees and Tokyo Unkai mist drifting in the foreground

Fireflies at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo 2026: See Genji Fireflies in the City (Dates, Times & Prices)

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Summer · Glos Travel