Japan’s biggest festival of the year kicks off as it always does, deep in the forests of Niigata. Over 200 Japanese and international artists make this music haven their home for three days. This year’s highlights include Kendrick Lamar, Bob Dylan, N.E.R.D., Post Malone, and Vampire Weekend.

Arguably Tokyo’s most famous firework event, Sumidagawa was one of the first places to host fireworks spectacles back in the day and is still the largest of its kind in Tokyo. For lesser crowds, but great summer festival atmospheres, head to the Hachioji Fireworks Festival or the Tachikawa Showa Kinen Park Fireworks Festival.

Head north to the home of one of Japan’s most feared demon-like deities, the Namahage. Inspired by these fierce creatures, and perhaps to appease them, the Oga Namahage Rock Festival features some of the heaviest bands Japan has to offer.

Kagurazaka is widely known as being an old geisha town, and its annual matsuri is a blend of Japanese Buddhist culture and modern surroundings that allows participants to enjoy mouthwatering gourmet food together with traditional events.

This Okinawan summer festival takes place in the streets and on various stages near Shinjuku station, in the heart of Tokyo. Originally part of a ritual performed at the end of the old Bon season, dancers and drummers fill the streets with music and cheer as they honor the spirits of their ancestors and wish for good fortune.

The Japan Honey Meister Association’s annual festival is three-day extravaganza inviting visitors to shop, taste and discover. Find out the best ways to taste, make and use honey from the experts, discover the fascinating facts about this much loved and versatile sweet treat and learn more about important environmental issues like the global honey bee crisis.

Join 100,000 visitors at a lively weekend celebration of all things Taiwanese at Yoyogi Park. Enjoy authentic Taiwanese cuisine at countless food stalls serving up dumplings, beef noodles, mango kakigori and more. Headlining the performances is Aiku Maikawa, a Japanese pop idol of Taiwanese heritage, and Marika, a Japanese actress living in Taipei.

Odaiba’s giant water battle party is held over two days and combines a super-sized water fight with live music and and DJs. Unlimited water balloons, guns and buckets will be ready for the attack in addition to a pool, water slide area for children and an art area where you can paint on a graffiti wall.

Celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Japan with a two-day festival at Hibiya Park. Besides stalls and food trucks selling favorite Indonesian dishes like nasi goreng, rendang and sate, stage performances include Balinese traditional dances, Japanese performing artists and famous Indonesian musicians.

Held annually at the New National Theatre Tokyo’s Opera House, this ballet gala invites Japanese dancers who are currently working and performing abroad to return home and present their talents to a local audience.