What Is Tokyo’s Samurai Festival?

^{_{Images Courtesy of the Samurai Festival}}

Samurai warriors ruled Japan for hundreds of years, leaving a lasting mark on the culture, and leaving people around the world in awe of the legends left behind. If you’ve ever dreamed of suiting up with the armor and the sword to be a samurai for a day, then we recommend a visit to the Samurai Festival in Tokyo, also known as the Sengoku Busho Expo (戦国武将EXPO).

This yearly samurai-themed festival in Tokyo is committed to sparking the city’s samurai spirit, while simultaneously sharing an important portion of Japanese history and culture with a broader audience. The four-day event held in Ueno Park has a schedule packed with samurai-themed performances and other spectacles, activity booths offering visitors a taste of the samurai experience, and stalls selling all kinds of samurai-themed goods and tasty Japanese eats. (Plus some ninjas, too!) If you’re planning a trip to Tokyo in February 2025, we think you won’t want to miss this uniquely Japanese event, offering a full day of samurai fun. Check out the highlights below.

Samurai Festival 2025 (戦国武将EXPO2025)
Ueno Park Fountain Square, Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo
Dates: February 21 ~ 24, 2025
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (event starts at 12:00 on Feb. 21)
Admission: free (individual activities may vary)
Official Website (jp)

Try Tokyo Samurai Experiences

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Feel the samurai spirit and try the samurai lifestyle on for size – literally. Visitors young and old can enjoy the festival’s selection of immersive samurai experiences, including a samurai armory booth where you can try on the armor and helmets worn by Japan’s historic warriors. Once you’re feeling like a real samurai, you can check out the swordplay area, too. Katana experts can teach you Japanese sword etiquette and basic techniques, before you get a chance to take a swing at a straw post, to see how smooth your skills have become! (If you’re really more of a ninja person, you’ll also want to visit the shuriken throwing booth, where you can test your accuracy by aiming the ninja stars at a big bullseye.)

Marvel at the Sengoku Stage

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Prepare to be wowed watching the Sengoku Stage, a name inspired by Japan’s warring states period from the 14th to the 16th century, when many of Japan’s most iconic samurai battles took place. The performance lineup is heavy with swordplay demonstrations, mock duels, historical reenactments, and even samurai-inspired music and dance numbers, which you can catch spread across the four days of the event. Demonstrations from calligraphy experts, traditional Japanese dances, and even pop idol performances have found their way onto the stage in previous years, as well. Check the Samurai Festival schedule on the website (or at the park) to see exactly what’s planned for 2025!

Eat, Drink, & Shop – Samurai Style

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The Samurai Festival is an opportunity for samurai lovers to gather from all over Japan (and the world), and that includes all kinds of sellers and food trucks. If you’re looking for souvenirs, you’ll find goods inspired by samurai, castles, ninjas, and other icons of Japanese history, perfect for Japanese culture lovers back home. In past years, booths have offered everything from t-shirts and Japanese hair pins to ninja stars and even pet goods, just in case you’re looking for a Halloween costume for your miniature poodle with the heart of a warrior.

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When you’re getting hungry you can head to the rows of food stalls, where the selection includes classic festival fare like takoyaki and grilled squid, along with some more lavish treats like wagyu beef skewers. Dine like the daimyo, and treat yourself!

Adults can also indulge in a variety of alcoholic beverages, like Japanese craft beer, regional sake, and samurai-themed cocktails. Just make sure you do all your sword-wielding before you drink, so you don’t go accidentally chopping off any heads.

Samurai Festival 2025: Coming to Ueno Park Next February!

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Whether spending a day as a samurai is a life-long dream, or you’re just excited to learn more about Japanese history and culture during your trip to Tokyo, the Samurai Festival is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the samurai experience next February. The convenient location just outside Ueno Station makes it easy to stop in and take a look, but the wealth of samurai-themed activities, performances, shopping, food, and drinks at the Samurai Festival will keep you living the samurai dream all day!

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