Free things to do in Tokyo this weekend

The 400m-long Keyakizaka Street next to the Roppongi Hills shopping centre is lighting up with 930,000 sparkling white and blue LEDs until Christmas Day. From the pedestrian bridge near the Roppongi Hills Arena, you'll get a stunning view of the trees covered in shimmering lights, with Tokyo Tower in the background, from 5pm to 11pm daily. 

Enjoy the perfectly shaped, sunset-yellow ginkgo trees that form a 300m-long boulevard between Gaienmae and Aoyama-Itchome stations. This is Tokyo’s quintessential autumn scenery, which has graced countless Instagram accounts. The best time to visit is in late November (dates unannounced for 2026), when the yellow leaves are lit up in the evening. The light up takes place daily between 4.30pm and 7.30pm.

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 1.2-kilometre-long Marunouchi Naka-dori street, always one of the most popular Tokyo illumination spots, will have around 250 trees lit up with about 775,000 low-energy, champagne-coloured LEDs this year, making for an environmentally friendly and stylish display. If you’d rather stay cosy while admiring the lights, visit the renovated Marunouchi House, where the seventh-floor terrace will feature festive illuminations for a limited time. The terrace has plenty of seats surrounded by outdoor heaters. Closer to Christmas, Gyoko-dori between the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station will have more illuminations between November 27 and December 25, bringing the total to around 810,000 LEDs.

This is one of the most popular spots in the whole of Tokyo for autumn leaves. Stretching for 4km from Hachioji's Oiwakecho to the foot of Mt Takao (near north exit of Takao Station), this road is flanked by over 700 ginkgo trees (known as icho in Japanese), and they look stunningly yellow around this time of year. The autumn colours provide the perfect backdrop for a range of activities at the annual Hachioji Ginkgo Festival on November 21 and 22. There will be a marching band parade to celebrate the ginkgo boulevard's centennial anniversary on November 21 from 1pm, and a classic car parade on November 22 from 12noon to 1pm. At the main stage area, expect to also see yosakoi dance and wadaiko drum performances, a stamp rally and more on both days. The abundance of kid-friendly attractions makes it a good option if you're looking for something to do with the family, and naturally there will be plenty of food stalls to keep everybody well sated. The festival starts at 9am and ends at 4.30pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday.

The annual Shinjuku Minamillumi light-up is back this winter, taking place from November 11 to February 14. Six venues in the area will be participating in this illumination special, namely the JR Minami Shinjuku Building, JR Shinjuku Miraina Tower, Suica Penguin Plaza, Takashimaya Times Square, Shinjuku Maynds Tower, and Shinjuku Southern Terrace. Suica Penguin Plaza, located in front of Shinjuku Station’s New South exit between the promenade and Takashimaya Times Square, is bathed in gold lights. The plaza features a pink illuminated ‘flower gate’ made to celebrate the penguin's graduation, complete with two adorable penguin statues. Trees along the 46-metre-long promenade at Southern Terrace are also decorated with golden lights that pulsate in a 'relay of light'. Venture further and you’ll come across a glistening Christmas tree adorned with warm golden lanterns (until December 25) set up on the second floor of Takashimaya Times Square, plus even more lights that illuminate the entire terrace. The illuminations take place daily from 5pm to 12midnight until the end of November, and from 4.30pm between December and February.

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.

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.

The kiku (chrysanthemum) is not only the ‘royal flower’ of Japan, symbolising the imperial family, but it’s also one of the symbolic flowers of autumn. Among other kiku matsuri going on at the moment is this one at Yushima Shrine, where hundreds of chrysanthemum plants of various types are on display in grand configurations. The unique draw here is the kiku-ningyo display mannequins representing historical figures that are dressed in garments made from chrysanthemums. Unfortunately, there is no evening display available, so be sure to get there before the ever-earlier sunset to enjoy the flowers.

Tokyo’s western suburb of Tachikawa is lighting up with a dazzling display of champagne-gold illuminations along the pedestrianised street stretching north from Tachikawa Station. Running from November 1 to January 17, the display sees the 550-metre-long Sun Sun Road, lined with zelkova trees, bathed in the warm glow of around 600,000 LED bulbs. Make a day of it by timing your visit with the lively winter market taking place along the boulevard from December 18 to 20 and 24 to 25. Conveniently located near the Green Springs shopping and entertainment complex, Ikea Tachikawa and Showa Kinen Park’s Akebono Gate, these illuminations offer a great alternative to the more congested displays in the city centre.