Tokyo Lantern Festival 2025: A Guide to Chidorigafuchi’s Floating Lights

In the middle of a Tokyo summer, it can be hard to find a moment that feels truly still. But for two nights this July, the Chidorigafuchi Moat, just beside the Imperial Palace, becomes a place where time seems to slow down.

The Chidorigafuchi Lantern Floating Festival will return on 30 and 31 July 2025, offering a rare chance to witness thousands of glowing lanterns drifting gently across the water. Each one represents a personal wish. For peace, for hope, for someone remembered or missed. It is a simple but powerful act that transforms this corner of the city into something quietly luminous.

The event has been held in various forms since 1958. While it has changed over the decades, its essence has stayed the same. The lanterns are floated to honour memories and express gratitude, but also to reach for something more universal. A shared desire for peace, carried by water and light.

You do not need a ticket to attend. Just come in the evening, sometime between 7.00 and 8.00 p.m., and take a slow walk along the Chidori-ga-fuchi Greenway. The atmosphere is hushed. You will hear the water lapping at the edges of the moat and the low conversations of others who have come to watch. The lanterns shimmer softly, as if the moat is holding a mirror to the sky.

Ways to take part

If you would like to go beyond watching, you can reserve a lantern in advance for ¥2,000 (~S$17.72). You will pick it up at the venue between 4.30 and 7.00 p.m., write a personal message or wish on it, and hand it back to the staff. The lanterns are then placed on the water by the organisers during the evening.

There are no same-day sales, and lantern numbers are limited. It is best to reserve early. Reservations are open from 5 June to 28 July.

Another way to experience the event is from the water itself. A limited number of rowboats are available through a lottery system. For ¥10,000 (~S$88.62), up to three people can float three lanterns together directly from the boat. Boarding begins at 6.00 p.m., with the event running from 7.00 to 8.00 p.m. The boats are limited to 60 groups per night, and infants count as one person.

Applications for the boat lottery run from 5 to 17 June, with results released around 25 June. Successful applicants will receive payment instructions by email and must pay via credit card between 25 June and 9 July. There are no refunds and no same-day registration.

A portion of the proceeds from both the lanterns and boat experiences will go towards conserving the Chidorigafuchi Moat, which is recognised as one of Chiyoda City’s most important cultural and tourism landmarks.

A few things to note

There is no parking at the venue. Visitors are encouraged to arrive via public transport.

The closest stations are Kudanshita Station (Exit 2) or Hanzomon Station (Exit 5). From there, it is a 10-minute walk to the main pier area.
Tripods and drones are not allowed to ensure a safe and respectful experience for all.

There is also a special accommodation package for those who want a more comfortable evening. The “Light Boat Plan” from Hotel New Otani Tokyo includes transportation to the event and a guaranteed boat ride, along with a choice of room types. It is available only on 30 July and may sell out early.

A moment to return to

Tokyo has no shortage of summer festivals, but this one is different. There is no stage, no loud music, and no rows of food stalls. What it offers instead is a sense of quiet connection. To yourself, to those around you, and perhaps to something larger.

The lanterns that drift across the water carry wishes, memories, and the silent hope that in this shared stillness, something good will reach the surface.