Free things to do in Tokyo this weekend

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 28 and December 25, bringing the total to around 810,000 LEDs.

Enoshima’s annual illumination is widely touted as one of the three biggest and most impressive light-up events in Greater Tokyo, alongside the ones at Ashikaga Flower Park and Sagamiko. There are about 10 illumination spots scattered across the hilly island – including the Enoshima Shrine, Ryuren Bell of Love on Lover's Hill and Nakatsumiya Square – so put on some comfortable shoes as you’ll be trekking a lot. Don’t miss the main attraction located at the island’s iconic Enoshima Sea Candle lighthouse, which is decked out in 70m-long strings of lights stretching from the tip of the tower to the ground, creating a formation similar to the silhouette of Mt Fuji. The Samuel Cocking Garden, where the Sea Candle is located, is transformed into the dreamy Hoseki (bejewelled) Forest, where everything from the ground and the grass to the trees are covered in purple lights. Keep an eye out for the Shonan Chandelier tunnel, all decked out with luxurious crystal beads and LED lights. New for 2025, the Samuel Cocking Garden will also feature a dazzling sea urchin-inspired installation created by MirrorBowler. Most attractions are open from 5pm to 8pm (until 9pm on weekends and holidays). You can see some of the light-ups on Enoshima for free, but you will need a ticket (¥500, children ¥250) to enter the Samuel Cocking Garden, which hosts the largest illuminations. If you're on the island early during daylight hours, head over to Enoshima Iwaya (¥500, children ¥200), as the island's...

The massive Unicorn Gundam statue in front of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Odaiba is getting lit up with special winter lights. Until March 6, you can see the robot illuminated in pale green, inspired by the upcoming Gundam Hathaway trilogy release 'Mobile Suit Gundam: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe', which is premiering on January 30. While you can see this exclusive light-up from 5pm to 11pm daily, we recommend visiting between 7pm and 9.30pm to also see a special nighttime show featuring a short screening of the animation, held every 30 minutes.

The annual Shinjuku Minamillumi light-up is back this winter, happening from November 12 to February 15. 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 an illuminated ‘welcome gate’, complete with two adorable penguin statues. You may recognise the penguin character from JR East’s Suica IC cards, which recently announced its bittersweet retirement. Trees along the 46-metre-long promenade at Southern Terrace are also decorated with golden lights, and the plaza near Shake Shack even features a massive 3D illumination of Champagne glasses to mark the festive spirit. Venture further and you’ll come across a glistening green Christmas tree (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.

Explore how post-war black markets shaped the evolution of Tokyo’s urban fabric at this intriguing exhibition, held at Takashimaya Archives Tokyo on the fourth floor of the Nihombashi Takashimaya department store. On show until February 23 2026, the display marks 80 years since the end of World War II and focuses on the makeshift marketplaces that emerged amid the ruins of Tokyo. During the war, large-scale demolitions, intended to prevent the spread of fires caused by air raids, created vacant lots across the city. In the chaotic years that followed, these empty spaces, together with bombsites and even roadside corners, were transformed into black markets. Known as yami-ichi, they supplied goods and sustenance in a time of scarcity while seeding new social and commercial hubs. Particular attention is given to Shinjuku, where some of the black markets grew into vibrant entertainment districts that remain central to Tokyo’s identity today. And while most of the markets eventually vanished, their traces endure in the city’s streetscapes and neighbourhoods. Curated by Tokukazu Ishigure of Kwansei Gakuin University, the exhibition reframes black markets as more than unlawful encroachments, highlighting their role as catalysts of urban renewal – spaces where disorder gave rise to energy, resilience and reinvention.

Osaki's annual Meguro River Minna no Illumi event has found a novel solution to the issue of massive energy consumption during Japan’s winter illuminations season. Resembling winter cherry blossoms, the pink LED used in the light-up are all powered by biodiesel electricity generated using waste oil collected from local homes and restaurants. The eco-friendly lights illuminate a stretch of the 2.2km-long Meguro River near Osaki and Gotanda stations. You can catch this beautiful sight from 5pm to 10.30pm every day from December 5 2025 until January 31 2026.Check the event website for the event map and more details.

This annual wintertime display at Yebisu Garden Place incorporates a Baccarat chandelier that's 5m tall and 3m wide, making it one of the largest in the world. Made of 250 light bulbs and 8,500 crystals, the chandelier emits a warm and elegant light. That’s not all, though. There are smaller illumination displays in the Entrance Pavilion, Clock Plaza, Promenade and Chateau Square. In total, the event uses roughly 100,000 champagne-coloured light bulbs.  While you're there, check out the European-inspired Christmas Marche at Chateau Square and Clock Plaza. Here you'll find holiday trinkets and hearty soups as well as mulled wine and hot chocolate to warm you up on a cold evening. The Christmas Marche is held daily from 5pm to 8pm (12noon-8pm on weekends and hols) until December 25. Christmas Marche at Chateau Square opens on November 28.

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.

Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Omokado celebrates the festive season with a beautiful Christmas illumination at its rooftop garden from November 18 to January 12. For 2025, art collective Naked enhances the display with projection mapping and around 20,000 lights that transform the space into a starry forest complete with shooting stars. You’ll also find Christmas trees decorated with animal ornaments. Wear your warm jacket, grab a bento and enjoy a winter picnic under the pretty LEDs. The illuminations take place daily from 5pm to 10pm.

Get a comprehensive introduction to Tokyo’s artisanal legacy at this annual fair, which showcases the capital’s more than 40 traditional crafts, their history and production process. You’ll get to examine the items up close, see how over 30 of them are made, and – of course – purchase some if you’d like. In addition to local arts such as Edo Kiriko cut glassware, Tokyo Tokogei rattan craft and Honba Kihachijo silk fabrics from the remote island of Hachijojima, the line-up will include a booth featuring Wajima-nuri lacquerware from the Noto Peninsula. This year’s crafts highlight especially the traditional kikko (hexagonal tortoise shell) pattern, long appreciated in the capital for its dignified appearance and auspicious connotations of longevity. Free guided tours in English are available by reservation – don’t miss out on these if you want to interact with the artisans and learn more about their crafts. Moreover, there are workshops where you can try your hand at the various crafts featured at the fair. These range from making chopsticks using traditional Edo Sashimono wood joinery techniques to crafting your very own woodblock-printed postcards. The workshops require a fee and advance registration at the information counter is required. The venue is on the 11th floor of the Takashimaya department store in Shinjuku.