Overtourism At Odaiba Lantern Festival 2026

Odaiba Lantern Festival WAS ENJOYABLE

July in Tokyo used to mean fireworks and glowing lantern festivals, and Odaiba was one of the best places to go. I remember going there a couple of times back in the 2010s before so many tourists started coming. It was really fun and chill back then, and you could actually enjoy the view without it being super crowded. Am not saying that it is not fun anymore, but yes the crowds have certainly grown over the years. Note that before you head out. The below snap is around 2016 and that was the time when I had taken this blue hour shot.

The Experience moved to October, but so did the crowds

The festival used to be held in July for Marine Day, but they moved it to October because summer in Japan is just too hot and humid now. Ten years ago, it was a quiet local event where people peacefully set up paper lanterns along the beach. Back then I had volunteered to light the candles, these days even the volunteer slots fill up FAST! The below is what you can expect to experience :)

Location, Directions and things for the Odaiba Lantern Festival

To reach the festival at Odaiba Marine Park Click to open side panel for more information , you can take the Yurikamome Line to either Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station or Daiba Station, both of which are just a 3-minute walk from the beach, or ride the Rinkai Line to Tokyo Teleport Station and walk about 10 minutes. The evening lantern display typically begins setting up in the early afternoon, with lantern lighting and distribution starting around 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, leading up to the main launch or countdown event around 6:45 PM to 7:30 PM as sunset settles over the bay. The event takes place along Odaiba Beach at map coordinates 35.6296° N, 139.7750° E.

COVID Disruption and Post-COVID comeback

The Odaiba Lantern Festival faced a major pause starting in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other complications. As restrictions slowly loosened in 2022, organizers hosted a small, scaled-back version to bring the lights back to the bay. By 2023, as life returned to normal, the festival fully reopened with the theme “Enjoying the Four Seasons of Japan.”

Other Details of the Odaiba Lantern Event

Walk along the sandy beach to see thousands of glowing paper lanterns lined up across the shore, their warm light flickering with the gentle ocean breeze. The stunning backdrop of Tokyo Bay and the city skyline makes the night feel truly magical.

Schedule Details:

• 1:00 PM: Volunteers and staff begin setting up paper lanterns on the sand to build large-scale ground artwork.

• 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM: Visitors join in lighting roughly 10,000 to 12,000 paper lanterns across the beach.

• 5:20 PM Onward (After Sunset): The entire beach lights up with glowing art patterns, which you can enjoy into the evening.

• See below in videos. This is 2023, still a lot better than in 2026