Roppongi Hills Bon Odori & Azabu-Juban Summer Festival Guide
Tokyo Mate
The real charm of a Tokyo summer starts with the festivals that unfold at night. The Roppongi Hills Bon Odori, where you dance against the backdrop of the Tokyo Tower night view, and the Azabu-Juban Noryo Festival, full of tradition and an eerie summer mood, are held side by side, so you can enjoy both festivals in a single day.
📌 This post is part of the “Roppongi Things to Do” series. If you’re curious about the full course, check the post below first.
👉 Roppongi Things to Do: Observatory, Museums, Shopping & Restaurants A to Z
| 2025 | Roppongi Hills Bon Odori | Azabu-Juban Noryo Festival |
|---|---|---|
| Period | Aug 22 (Fri) - Aug 24 (Sun) | Aug 23 (Sat) - Aug 24 (Sun) |
| Location | Roppongi Hills Arena, Keyakizaka Street | Azabu-Juban shopping street |
| Program | Bon Odori dance, traditional performances, dragon parade, food market | Summer matsuri, yatai food, noryo performances, traditional games |
| Fee | Free | Free |
Roppongi Hills Bon Odori
A stage is set up in the center of the Roppongi Hills Arena, and citizens and tourists circle around it to enjoy the Bon Odori dance together. The limited-menu food trucks joined by Roppongi Hills restaurants, and the global food market on Keyakizaka Street, are also not to be missed.
✅ What Bon Odori Means (ぼんおどり)
- Bon (盆): short for Obon, the period in Japan each July-August for welcoming and consoling ancestors' spirits
- Odori (踊り): means dance. It's a ceremonial dance enjoyed together with ancestors' spirits, and a regional-festival dance.
✅ The Bon Odori Dance
A wooden tower called a yagura (櫓) is set up in the center, and people dance in a circle around it. Bon Odori music is Japanese traditional folk song, and the dance form and music differ by region (for example, Tokyo’s “Tokyo Ondo” and Toyama Prefecture’s “Owara-style Bon Odori”). The hand movements and steps are simple, so even beginners can follow along right away.
✅ Roppongi Hills Bon Odori Main Schedule
Location: Roppongi Hills Arena
| Date | Time / Event |
|---|---|
| Aug 22 (Fri) | Eve "Summer Festival Eve" 17:00-21:00 food stalls 19:00-20:00 rock play "Roppongi Rock" ※ No Bon Odori |
| Aug 23 (Sat) | 15:00-21:00 food stalls 16:30, 18:30 Kanazawa traditional performance 17:00-20:00 Bon Odori |
| Aug 24 (Sun) | 15:00-21:00 food stalls 16:30, 18:30 Noto Peninsula Hanura traditional performance 17:00-20:00 Bon Odori |
✅ Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka Gourmet Street
At the food market on Keyakizaka Street, you can taste cuisines from around the world, including Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese.
Location: Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka
| Date | Time / Event |
|---|---|
| Aug 22 (Fri) | No event |
| Aug 23 (Sat) | 15:00-21:00 food market 16:00-19:30 ocean-theme kids program |
| Aug 24 (Sun) | 15:00-15:30 Doraemon parade 16:00-19:30 ocean-theme kids program 17:00-21:00 food market |
Azabu-Juban Noryo Festival
“Noryo” (納涼) is a traditional Japanese custom of forgetting the summer heat, and the entire Azabu-Juban shopping street comes alive with about 100 stalls and a noryo parade. It’s packed with everything from Azabu-Juban restaurants to regional specialties from across Japan and cute character goods, and with people in yukata it becomes a great photo spot.
✅ Azabu-Juban Noryo Festival Operating Info
- Dates: Aug 23 (Sat) - 24 (Sun), 2025
- Hours: 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- Payment: some booths don't take cards (cash required)
📍 Azabu-Juban Noryo Festival official map (PDF) · View on Google Maps
✅ Recommended Food Zones
- Zone A (fruit & summer snacks): Yamanashi syrup shaved ice (Southern Alps fruit); Miyazaki yuzu-sesame charcoal-grilled chicken + craft beer
- Zone B (traditional desserts & tea): Shizuoka matcha melon bread, unagi pie
- Zone D (fresh vegetables): Aomori safe-and-secure Tohoku vegetables
- Zone E (potato & butter): Hokkaido potato with truffle butter / salt butter, grilled
- Zone G (noodle dishes & local liquor): Yamagata summer grilled squid and sauce yakisoba; Hokkaido distilled whisky highball; Nagano soba and craft beer; Niigata sake and yakitori; Okayama Hiruzen yakisoba
Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka connects to the Azabu-Juban shopping street, so it’s a schedule where you can enjoy the Roppongi Hills night view, the Bon Odori dance, and the Azabu-Juban Noryo Festival all in a single day.
Sample One-Day Itinerary
- 3:00 p.m. Roppongi Hills Observatory (take in the Tokyo Tower view)
- 5:00 p.m. Roppongi Hills Bon Odori (try the traditional dance)
- 6:00 p.m. Keyakizaka Street (a tour of world foods)
- 7:00 p.m. Azabu-Juban Noryo Festival (stalls & parade)
👉 How to Get to Roppongi Hills: Coin Locker Locations & Roppongi Station Luggage Storage
🧡 Roppongi Travel Guides to Read Together
👉 Roppongi Things to Do: Observatory, Festivals, Museums & Restaurants A to Z
👉 Roppongi Hills Summer Festival: Off to Meet Doraemon!
👉 How to Get to Roppongi Hills: Coin Locker Locations & Roppongi Station Luggage Storage