The most delightful summer festival in all of Japan
You might remember from a previous Japanagram that one traditional way of beating the Japanese summer heat is to gaze at goldfish swimming in their cool, watery world. Goldfish are so synonymous with summer in Japan that you’ll see them gracing everything from kimonos to fans from June through August. But where do people get all these goldfish? At a summertime goldfish festival, of course! And these festivals are about so much more than pet acquisition. Read on, as we venture outside the Yamanote Line, and stroll through the biggest and best goldfish festivals in the capital!
The quarry
What’s going on at the end of the long line snaking all around the Edogawa central park’s swimming pool? It’s the catch-your-own-goldfish tent!
We finally reach the entrance, pay our ¥100 admission, and receive…
Our very own goldfish catching net!
This is such a summertime ritual, it attracts all ages of goldfish hunters, who do it for the kind of nostalgic hit we might get from wandering through a state fair and trying our hand at the shooting gallery
It’s a childhood rite of passage to be passed secret tips and tricks for catching the goldfish of your dreams by your most renowned goldfish-catching relative
And the reason you might be willing to accept tutoring from your otherwise arch-enemy sibling is that the first time you try to catch a goldfish with your little paper net, you experience this universally understood Japanese meme for failing at something that looks simple. Back to the end of the line, pay another ¥100, try again.
When you get the hang of the swift scoop, you can catch up to two fish for your ¥100, and the goldfish wrangler will slip them into a plastic bag for you to tote home
And if you STILL fail (NOT THAT I KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT) the nice attendant will take pity on you and hand you one of the bags of consolation prize fishies hanging on the line behind him
Everybody goes home a winner!
But catching your own isn’t the only way to get a goldfish. There are plenty for sale, too
And what a selection! Colors and shapes and varieties I’d never seen before
And some are selling for far more than I ever imagined a goldfish could fetch, even a fancy one. These are $35.00 (USD) each!
Wups, spoke too soon. Hold my beer, these are $200.00 each!
And these? Yikes! A whopping $500.00 per fancy-finned fish
You don’t have to spend hundreds to go home with a souvenir. No festival would be complete without you-can-only-get-it-here swag!
Naturally, there are stands selling homes for your new goldfish, like these old-fashioned Japanese fish bowls that deliver the ultimate in summer cooling vibes
The sheer variety of balloons-within-balloons made this worth the trip
These were my favorite fancy fish inflatables
And a summer festival wouldn’t be complete without that must summery tchochke of all, the goldfish-themed wind chime
Naturally, there’s a goldfish festival mascot, for all your selfie needs
And because goldfish festivals are one of the most popular events everyone wears their coolest summer kimono for, it’s a great place to spot little kids…
…and big girls wearing yukata
We can’t go home without a stop at the shave ice truck, where you can make your own combo
…although I stuck with the classic: ichigo miruku (strawberry with condensed milk YUM)
Visiting information:
When: It’s usually scheduled for two days, on a weekend in mid-July. Check online for this year’s dates by searching Edogawa Goldfish Festival
Where: 3-2-1 Kitakasai, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Free
I used the Japan Navigation phone app to get to Edogawa, and you can easily use it to get there from where you’re staying, with your actual date and preferred arrival time. Here’s where to get the app and how to use it.
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