Free things to do in Tokyo this week

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...

Continuing Tokyo’s trend of dazzling nighttime projection-mapping events, digital creative company Hitohata is bringing back its Asakusa Culture & Lights show to Sensoji Temple. This projection mapping showcase celebrates the history and culture of the iconic temple in the heart of Asakusa. The nightly shows feature high-resolution digital animations created using cutting-edge technology and displayed at two locations within the temple grounds: the south side of Hozomon Gate facing Kaminarimon Gate, as well as Sensoji Temple's main hall. These light-ups are free to view, happening daily from October 30 to November 3 between 6pm and 9.30pm.  Alongside the brilliant light-ups, the temple is also offering paid daytime and nighttime viewings of the Denboin Garden; the daytime session includes exclusive access to the Ema Hall, home to Edo-era votive plaques by the likes of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hasegawa Settan and Henmi Isshin. Be sure to book tickets in advance to attend these viewings.

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.

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,...

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.

Roppongi Art Night returns in full force from October 31 to November 1 2026, again transforming one of Tokyo’s most vibrant districts into an all-night celebration of contemporary creativity. Launched in 2009, the festival has become a cornerstone of the city’s cultural calendar, inviting visitors to explore art installations, performances and multimedia projects from dusk until dawn. Spanning key venues including Roppongi Hills, the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Midtown and the National Art Center, Tokyo, the event extends into public spaces and streets, creating a dynamic urban circuit where art and city life intersect. This year marks the festival’s 15th edition and a return to its original all-night format, restoring the immersive, nocturnal atmosphere that defines its appeal. The 2026 edition places a special focus on France, drawing inspiration from Nuit Blanche, the Parisian event that originally inspired Roppongi Art Night. Curated by José-Manuel Gonçalvès, the programme highlights a diverse selection of French artists through installations, video works and performances. Alongside this international spotlight, the Open Call Project once again invites public participation, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to accessibility and experimentation. For one night only, Roppongi becomes a sleepless stage where Tokyo’s urban landscape is reimagined through art.

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.

Mt Takao is one of the most picturesque destinations in Tokyo to see autumn leaves. And one of the best ways to do that is by taking the scenic cable car ride, which brings you closer to the mountain’s Yakuoin temple. Here you can sample shojin ryori, a traditional Japanese Buddhist vegetarian meal. To secure a lunchtime seat, be sure to book a reservation for two or more people at least two days in advance via phone. The best time to see the autumn leaves for 2026 is mid-November to early December, when the foliage around the cable car tracks turns deep orange and red. Throughout the duration of the festival, you can also look forward to a host of free events at Kiyotaki Station, the cable car stop at the base of Mt Takao, including musical and dance performances by local university students. While details are yet to be announced for 2026, check the event's English website for the latest updates. As is the case every year, the base of Mt Takao will be crowded in autumn, so it’s best to arrive via public transport.

Partake in a new style of Bon Odori at Sumida Park’s Soyokaze Square, where the Sumi-Yume Bon Dance Festival takes place on October 25 from 2pm to 8pm. Inspired by local artisan Hokusai’s ukiyo-e prints evoking playful dances from the Edo period (1603–1868), this ultra-casual festival is open for anyone to join, regardless of age, dance skill or whether you come alone or not. In the case of rain, the venue will be moved indoors to Ryogoku Junior High School Gymnasium. Check the event website for more details.

Futako Tamagawa shopping centre Rise is celebrating Halloween over the October 24-25 weekend with a host of family-friendly activities. While there's no parade, you’ll find a disco dance floor for children to dance in spooky costumes, a room full of photo booths and craft workshops, and plenty of stalls offering spooky treats. While details of the 2026 event are still under wraps, one of the highlights is a mysterious stamp rally taking participants across Futako Tamagawa Rise Shopping Centre, Tamagawa Rise Dogwood Plaza and Tamagawa Takashimaya Shopping Centre. Familiar favourites, including the popular double-decker trolley bus and Halloween-themed bouncy castle, are expected to return too.