Universal Studios Japan (USJ) holiday program is all about keeping cool this summer. Under the theme ‘Discover U!!!’, the park shifts its core seasonal events into the cooler evening hours to combat the intense summer heat.

When night falls, the park turns into an evening matsuri, complete with live DJs, street choreography, and characters like Hello Kitty in limited-edition, glowing neon yukatas. Anime enthusiasts can also catch the ‘One Piece Premier Show 2026’ at the WaterWorld arena — a thrilling live-action battle with real pyrotechnics, special effects, and water blasts.

HARRY POTTER and all related characters and elements (C) & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights (C) J.K. Rowling. / MINIONS TM & (C) 2025 Universal Studios. / (C) Nintendo / TM & © Universal Studios & Amblin Entertainment / 書・紫舟 / 原作／青山剛昌｢名探偵コナン｣(小学館｢週刊少年サンデー｣連載中) / (C) 2026 青山剛昌／名探偵コナン製作委員会 / (C) SCRAP All Rights Reserved. / Universal elements and all related indicia TM & (C) 2025 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.

Nijigen no Mori is turning up the volume on its summer season with a park-wide, high-energy splash festival designed to beat the heat. Visitors are invited to dive into interactive water-soaked challenges throughout the park.

Over at the Naruto and Boruto section, its signature Hokage Rock becomes the backdrop for a cooling ninja action game, with winners blessed with a blast of roughly 50 liters of water. The Crayon Shin-chan Adventure Park will push its activities to the maximum difficulty level, by deploying massive giant water cannons, staff spray downs, and mist zones. Participants at Dragon Quest Island can embark on an ice-magic training quest: collect stamps and cast an ice spell to unlock a refreshing finale.

Former <@Toei Kyoto Studio Park|a=article:lj0009937@> Uzumasa Kyoto Village has completely upgraded its summer experience. This year, extended opening times take advantage of the cooler nighttimes. The park’s signature attraction is 360° Real-Time Drama, which turns the entire village into a living theater. Stroll past traditional townhouses in rented kimonos, past actors playing samurai, ninjas, and townsfolk who spontaneously enact dramatic live-action plots and breathless sword fights.
Once the sun sets, the park unveils its adult-only evening program (limited to visitors 18 and older). Guests can enter an authentic Edo-period gambling den to participate in a high-stakes game of traditional dice gambling and more.

This July, Mie’s sunny Shima Spain Village brings the energy and fervor of a classic Spanish carnival to the Ise-Shima coastline.

During the summer period, visitors can enjoy the Spanish riviera vibe from day through night, with attractions including a night parade, España Carnival ‘Buen Viaje,’ followed by sparkling fireworks. Also on offer are seasonal menus including giant paella, and a new, immersive VR attraction ‘The Sunset of Mars,’ which lets guests tour the surface of the red planet.

One of Japan’s ‘Three Great Festivals,’ the Gion Matsuri dominates Kyoto for the entire month of July. The festival dates back to 869 and was started to ward off plagues. Don’t miss the yamahoko (giant float) parade on July 17 and July 24, when ornate multi-ton wooden floats are pulled through downtown streets by hand.
On the three nights leading up to the main parades, the area is abuzz with festive spirit. The streets close to cars, locals get out their food carts, paper lanterns line the roads, and crowds fill the lanes, eating, drinking and being merry. Several luxury hotels have special Gion Matsuri packages for overnight stays such as ROKU KYOTO, LXR Hotels & Resorts. For accommodation recommendations, check out Live Japan's dedicated Gion Matsuri hotel guide article.

Although Osaka’s premier summer festival is hosted by Tenmangu Shrine, it’s held across the city, and is one of the other Big Three Japanese festivals (Gion, above, is another). The Tenjin Matsuri festival is an explosive, two-day celebration culminating on July 25, and is famously known as the ‘festival of fire and water.’

Once the colorful rikutogyo procession of 3,000 costumed participants has wound through the city, the festival transitions to the Okawa River for its water part, funatogyo. On the river, a parade of over 100 lantern-lit boats carrying portable shrines and traditional drummers floats along, accompanied by impressive fireworks.

Deep within the mystical mountains of Wakayama, this sacred, dramatic fire ritual is one of the most visually arresting spectacles in Japan. The most photogenic part of the ritual involves white-robed priests carrying heavy, roaring pine torches weighing up to 50 kilograms up and down the stone steps of the shrine.

This is followed by a procession of twelve 6-meter-tall portable shrines decorated with fans and mirrors to represent the twelve deities of Kumano and the nearby Nachi Falls. The procession makes its way up the path that the priests have create with their torches.

Two of the finest teams in Japanese baseball face off at the legendary Hanshin Koshien Stadium as the hometown Hanshin Tigers face Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants. Fans of the game — or even those just curious — can enjoy the energetic spectacle, which includes a Lucky Seven Jet Balloon Performance.

Held at the legendary Koshien Stadium, in Kansai which is known for the warmth and humor of its residents, the matches are well worth attending to experience warm, rowdy Japanese spirits.

Held for nearly half a decade under various names, the Suzuka 8 Hours is a mid-summer test of pure grit, speed, and mechanical survival. This extreme motorcycle endurance race features world-class factory teams from Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki pushing super-bikes through eight grueling hours under the scorching July sun.

Watching each team see how many times they can race their bikes around the circuit over eight hours leads to an unbeatably festive atmosphere. Watchers and players alike are hyped up, with audience members enjoying food, drinks and even a pool in the Suzuka Circuit park.

Popular anime Ghost in the Shell celebrates its 37th anniversary with this exhibition, coming to Kansai for the very first time.

Shown in Tokyo until April 5, the exhibition saw visitors entering the world of Ghost in the Shell through various means, including VR, projections and interactive exhibits. The most popular exhibits from the exhibition's previous iteration will be included in the Kansai leg, alongside brand new works.

Until July 5, visitors can catch Kyoto's historic Tofukuji Temple’s Zen Night. The experience uses ancient Zen philosophy with modern neuroscience to help visitors calm and cool down.

Guests can explore the temple grounds enhanced by shifting mists, intricate lighting, and scientifically crafted "neuro music,” designed for laser-sharp concentration. Highlights include taking in the vibrant green maples from Tsutenkyo Bridge, viewing a mist-filled sea of clouds in the Hojo Garden, and admiring the breathtaking Azure Dragon ceiling inside the Hatto Hall.

Enjoy stage performances and hands-on workshops while taking in views of the illuminated Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, one of Hyogo’s most iconic landmarks. It’s the perfect way to spend a summer evening in Kansai.

Event Details
・Location: Kobe Harborland
・Dates: September 13–15, 2025 (held rain or shine)
・Time: 3 PM to 9 PM
・Admission: Free

Japanese summer only gets hotter every year, which makes going out during the daytime hours swelteringly sweaty, requiring several outfit changes at least. This makes nighttime even more attractive. From May through October, dozens of restaurants along the Kamo River build temporary elevated wooden platforms out over the water, for guests to dine upon in the evening.

Restaurants galore, from kaiseki through Italian, take part, opening up their riverside space for all diners for a summer evening as cool — or as romantic — as they get.

Enjoy summer nights with fireworks and a night market at Kobe Port. The people at Kobe Port love to put on free events — and we love to attend them! This July, the nighttime fireworks coincide with a night market held in the Motomachi area.

Grab a drink and some local food — be it seafood or Kansai’s okonomiyaki — and settle down to watch the short display. Standing in viewpoint of the waterside means that any fireworks will be reflected back, making for double the impact.

Across the first weekend in July, Sennan Long Park near Tarui Southern Beach in Osaka launches 2,500 lanterns into the sky, turning its ceiling canopy into a blaze of light. Activities throughout the day include sand castles and water guns, making the most of its seaside location for the whole family.

This year, the orange lanterns are joined by blue and red, to celebrate the upcoming world expo. Visitors can join and watch the event for free, or buy their own lantern to launch into the air on the summer night.