15 amazing reasons you should visit Tokyo now

Aside from the spring cherry blossom season, autumn is another good time to visit Tokyo for the gorgeous seasonal foliage. This year’s forecast predicts that the leaves will reach peak colour around November 27, so plan accordingly.

Even before the trees have all shed their autumn leaves, Tokyo is already lighting up with a host of winter illuminations. From tree-lined city streets to parks filled with glowing displays, there’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit.

With travel finally resuming, so are music festivals and concerts. This year, we’ve already seen some big names perform in Tokyo, including Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish. And there’s still more to come. Mark your calendars for Bruno Mars (October 26-27), Justin Bieber (November 16-17), and even indie rock ‘n rollers Franz Ferdinand (November 28). To know who’s playing in Tokyo until March 2023, check our list here.

Making a trip to Tokyo just for the food makes total sense. Our city has welcomed several new destination restaurants just within the last year or so, including the dynamic French restaurant Sézanne helmed by distinguished British chef Daniel Calvert as well as Massimo Bottura’s Gucci Osteria inside the Gucci flagship store in Ginza.

Tokyo’s very own Sailor Moon Museum opened earlier this year and it’s quite the experience for fans of the iconic Sailor Guardians. The museum is just one of the many events being held in celebration of the 30th anniversary since the release of the first Sailor Moon manga by Naoko Takeuchi. Be quick though, as the museum is only around until December 30.

We bid farewell to teamLab Borderless at the end of August, but not all is lost. Thankfully teamLab Planets has extended its stay and will now be around until the end of 2023. At Planets, teamLab's immersive digital art installations are bigger, set in spacious rooms for a more immersive experience. Plus, it’s got a brand new garden area as well as a jaw-dropping vegan ramen restaurant that’s just out of this world.

Tokyo is gearing up to host its inaugural Tonal Tokyo music festival at Ariake Arena on October 29. So far, the festival has confirmed some stellar artists including Charli XCX, Jamie xx, Lany, Rhye, Years & Years and Tempalay. Tickets are now on sale. More details here.

Good news for Gundam fans: the Gundam Factory Yokohama, home to the massive 18-metre-tall moving Gundam, will be sticking around until the end of March next year. And yes, you read that right: the colossal robot really does move.

While the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were a bit of a let down for those hoping to come watch the Games in person, you can now relive the experience at where it all happened. The Japan National Stadium designed by starchitect Kengo Kuma is now open to the public for an unguided tour, where you get to explore the space at your leisure. Go stand at the bleachers and take it all in.

Shibuya Sky rooftop observation deck was one of the hottest new openings in 2019, but enjoyment was short-lived as the pandemic hit shortly after. Since 2020, the skyscraper’s jaw-dropping rooftop – Shibuya’s highest – has opened a limited-time outdoor bar known as The Roof. There’s still time to enjoy the views with a drink in hand as the rooftop bar is open until January 9 2023.

In the last couple of years, Tokyo’s busiest hubs have introduced some fancy new 3D digital billboards. In Shibuya, you’ll find a giant 3D Akita inu appearing across several digital screens at the top of every hour. In Shinjuku, there’s a super realistic (and also giant) 3D cat staring at the crowds below.

You don’t have to travel all the way to Italy to get great Neapolitan pizza. Four Tokyo pizzerias are ranked in this year’s 100 best pizza list: The Pizza Bar on 38th at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Pizzeria Peppe – Napoli Sta’ Ca”, Pizza Strada and Pizzeria e Braceria L’Insieme.

Tokyo’s Stranger Things pop-up café has become so popular that it’s extended to stay until the end of December. The menu features 13 decent dishes inspired by the Netflix series, but it’s the photo ops including the Byers house’s living room that are drawing in the die-hard fans. Reservations are a must.

Since Tokyo’s self-insolation from the rest of the world in the last two years, there have been quite a few new additions to the city. One of the major new openings is Miyashita Park in Shibuya, which features a spacious rooftop park with a Doraemon installation – it even has a yokocho restaurant alley serving food from different regions in Japan. The indie ’hood Shimokitazawa also welcomed a handful of new shopping and dining complexes including Reload, Bonus Track and Mikan Shimokita.

Disney fans might want to make a beeline for Tokyo Disneyland. Since 2020, a couple of new attractions have opened up including the new Beauty and the Beast village and Baymax ride. Unfortunately, prices have also increased and ticketing isn’t as simple as it used to be. Read all about it here.

If you’ve been keeping up with our news, you’d recall that Tokyo was ranked as one of the best cities in the world this year. There’s more: we’re also home to one of the world’s coolest streets and trendiest neighbourhoods (we’re looking at you Shimokita).