Free things to do in Tokyo this week

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government No 1 Building in Shinjuku serves as the backdrop for a jaw-dropping and record-breaking projection mapping show. Covering an area of a whopping 13,905sqm, the after-dark spectacle has been certified by Guinness World Records as the largest permanent display of its kind in the world. The nightly showcase features a range of visual wonders created by a mix of local and international artists. Some shows are inspired by Tokyo’s rich history, while others draw on themes like the lunar cycle.  Currently, on weeknights, you can catch striking visuals synchronised to ‘800’ and 'Zankyosanka' by hit Japanese pop singer and lyricist Aimer as well as ‘Pac-Man eats Tokyo’, ‘Lunar Cycle’, ‘Synergy’, ‘Tokyo Resonance’ and ‘Evolution’. On weekends, you can look forward to the aforementioned ‘Zankyosanka (Aimer)’, as well as ‘Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo’ and ‘TYO337’, a display featuring motifs of traditional Japanese performing arts such as Kabuki paired with electronic beats.  From March 20, Pokémon Trading Card Game ‘Tokyo Luminous Night’, a brand-new projection-mapping show featuring Pokémon cards on a massive scale, has been running on weekends and holidays from 6.30pm, 7.30pm and 9pm. Be sure to check the event website for more details. Shows take place every night at fifteen-minute intervals from 6pm (Mar from 6.30pm, 7pm from Apr, 7.30pm from May to Aug) to 9.45pm. For more details and to check the full programme of daily projection mapping shows,...

Enjoy the cooler autumn evenings at the Tokyo Night Market near Shibuya Crossing. Here you can expect a variety of street food alongside live performances and art exhibitions, with DJs on deck to set the mood all day till 10pm. Held at Yoyogi Park’s main events square and the adjacent Keyaki Namiki Avenue for five consecutive nights from October 21 to October 25, the triannual event is expected to be livelier than ever with over 50 food stalls. As for music, you can look forward to an impressive lineup of mainstream and indie acts. While details regarding October's stage performance are still under wraps, previous iterations have featured pop band Friends, piano and cajón duo Pia-no-jac, chorus idol group Machida Girls' Choir and improvisational percussion group La Señas, among many others. Keep tabs on the event's Instagram for the latest updates. Tokyo Night Market runs from 4pm to 10pm Wednesday through Friday, and from 2pm to 10pm on weekends.

One of Japan’s largest urban photography festivals has returned to Tokyo. Now in its eighth year, it runs from October 3 to October 26 across multiple venues in Yaesu, Nihonbashi, Kyobashi and Ginza. This year’s edition features prints by South African visual activist and 2026 Hasselblad International Photography Award winner Zanele Muholi at the brand-new Tofrom Yaesu Tower, as well as photographs by internationally acclaimed contemporary photographer Lucas Foglia documenting the great migration of butterflies from Africa to Europe, displayed as public artworks at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu. Meanwhile, be sure to visit Sarah van Rij's ‘L'épaisseur du temps’, exhibited across the Tokyo Tatemono Nihonbashi Building and Sanei Building. Photographs taken while walking through Paris, New York and Seoul will be installed on the exterior wall of the Sanei Building and within the Tokyo Tatemono Nihonbashi Building (accessible on weekdays and hols only), transforming the neighbourhood itself into a new stage for the work. If you’re looking to take a quick break in the area, stop by Gallery & Bakery Tokyo 8min inside the Toda Building. The City Bakery is hosting ‘Trace and Vision: Nozomi Suzuki & Sayaka Uehara with the Higashikawa Award Collection’, a two-person exhibition exploring memory embedded in the landscape. Through photography, the artists reconnect past and present, place and lived experience. Some exhibits are closed on weekends. More information can be found on the official...

The UNU farmers’ market is one of Tokyo’s longest running and best-attended markets. Taking place every weekend in front of the university’s Aoyama headquarters, this one always attracts a knowledgeable crowd. Organic and local fare is readily available every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, with the farmers themselves happy to provide details about their wares. Plus, there's always a few food trucks on hand if you wish to enjoy a quick meal.

Although summer is usually the season for fireworks in Japan, this Shonan festival breaks away from tradition with a captivating fireworks show in October. The 30-minute fireworks show is scheduled for 6pm on Saturday October 17. You can expect approximately 1,000 rockets of colourful bursts, launched against the dark silhouette of the nearby Enoshima Island. The nighttime seascape makes for the perfect backdrop for this explosive showcase. To catch the show, park yourself at the Katase Nishihama beach on the mainland. The event may be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. 

Step into a world of vibrant chrysanthemums this spring at this free collaborative exhibition between teamLab and Galaxy. Now in its fifth year, the interactive, immersive space at Galaxy Harajuku uses cutting-edge projection mapping to depict flowers caught in an endless cycle of birth and death. Reach out to touch them and they’ll wither; stand still beside them and they’ll bloom more quickly. Look down and you’ll see flowing currents of gold beneath your feet – traces shaped by your very presence. The movements of others create their own currents, which intertwine and form swirling vortices. The result is a constantly shifting environment where no two moments are ever the same. The Galaxy store also invites visitors to capture these fleeting scenes using the foldable smartphones available at the venue.

Pull on your costume, bring the kids and stroll around Yokohama's Western historic quarter this October as seven of the dozen or so Western mansions in Yokohama's Yamate district are decorated in elaborate Halloween decorations.  If you're feeling active, pick up a stamp card at any of the designated spots to participate in a stamp rally adventure on Sunday, October 25 – the first 1,500 people collecting eight stamps or more will receive a prize at the end. The five must-visit venues to claim your prize are America Yama Park, the Osaragi Jiro Memorial Museum, Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature, the Yokohama Doll Museum and the Yokohama Yamate Museum of Tennis (YITC). You can also fill up on festival food and take pictures at designated photo spots. Present your stamp rally card at the Home of a Diplomat, Ehrismann Residence or the British House to claim your toy prize. Check the official website and pamphlet for a detailed map and full event information.

Feel the spirit of Edo at this curious festival taking place around the tiny Takarada Ebisu Shrine in Nihonbashi. 500-odd stalls are set up to sell everything from spices to yakisoba, but the main attraction is bettara-zuke, the daikon radish pickles known as a local speciality. The festival also features mikoshi parades and floats manned by kids from the neighbourhood on October 19, a Bon Odori dance festival on October 20 and a magical atmosphere at night on both days, when the street in front of the shrine is lit up with lanterns. Join the locals and transport yourself back in time in the cool autumn air.

Japan’s largest Hungarian culture festival is happening at Odaiba’s Symbol Promenade Park Central Square. While held only for one day on October 17, the event is a chance to immerse yourself in Hungarian culture. There will be outdoor music performances, stalls selling Hungarian delicacies, and a fashion show. Expect to see a captivating stage performance by jazz duo Renáta Damu and Kónyai Tibor, a piano recital by Hungarian pianist Alexandra Balog, and a folk music performance by the Bajkó band at the outdoor stage. Don’t miss the food stalls selling Hungarian delicacies such as hearty Goulash soup, savoury Lángos flatbread and crumbly Kürtőskalács chimney cake. In the event of inclement weather, the festival will be postponed to October 18.