Home > Tokyo > Events > January

Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Brigade Parade (Dezome-shiki) - Tokyo Hotels .com

Head to Odaiba-Ariake, Koto-ku in Tokyo for Dezome-shiki

The New Year is the most important holiday in Japan, so if you happen to be in Tokyo for the first week of January you're in for a lot of fun and festivities! Be sure to head to Odaiba-Ariake, Koto-ku in Tokyo for Dezome-shiki, the big Fire Brigade Parade. Put on by Tokyo's metropolitan fire department every year, the event's purpose is to pray for a safe year and highlight fire safety.

However, the biggest draw is the showy display of breathtaking acrobatics. Performers, dressed in the traditional fireman's uniforms from Japan's Edo period, flip and twirl on towering bamboo ladders that are balanced by men below. The parade also features over 100 fire engines, helicopters flying overhead, and large-scale emergency drills. For more New Year festivities, you can also take part in Shogatsu Hatsumode (Japanese New Year) or the Ippan Sanga (New Year Congratulatory Visit) at the Imperial Palace.