The best things to do in Tokyo this weekend

The annual Setsubun holiday is widely celebrated as a time for banishing the evils of the previous year by chucking ‘lucky beans’ at lurking demons. But over in Shimokitazawa, the Sotoshu Daiyuzan Shinryuji temple also takes this opportunity to honour the evil spirits or demons (known in Japanese as ‘tengu’) that guard the temple (from bigger, more evil spirits, we assume).

Leading up to the main event, on the night of January 31, a tengu and his entourage will pay a visit to the neighbourhood restaurants while blowing conch shells and playing drums. This marks the start of the Setsubun Eve Tengu Ceremony at 8pm. Then, on February 1 at 2pm, local shop owners, priests and other temple folks will pay respects to their tengu with a stroll through the streets (yes, while throwing beans) in a festival called ‘Journey to the Heavenly Tengu’.

On February 2, you can take part in a stamp rally by shopping at participating stores, starting from 1pm. You can use the stamps to play a game, where you have to pour the exact amount of soybeans into a bag to win a prize.

Don’t feel discouraged if you haven’t been sticking to your 2025 resolutions. According to the lunar calendar, we still have a few more days before we officially enter the 2025 new year, which begins on January 29. If you want to celebrate the year of the snake in Japan, there are few better places to visit than Yokohama Chinatown, which has observed Chinese Spring Festival traditions since 1986.

This year’s programme will kick off on the evening of January 28 with a midnight countdown at Yamashitacho Park. The festivities run through February 12, featuring a host of performances, food pop-ups and lantern displays. Here are the highlights to look forward to.

February 1 (Sat), 2 (Sun), 1pm-5pm: a showcase of acrobatics, lion and dragon dances and other spectacles will take to the stage at Yamashitacho Park. Everyone is welcome to catch the performances for free, but you should purchase tickets online in advance for the best seats.

February 8 (Sat), 9 (Sun), times unrevealed: for the first time this year, a street entertainment show will be held in an undisclosed location within Yokohama Chinatown. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a spontaneous lion dance show. 

February 11 (Tue), 4.30pm: the Shukumai-yuko procession will begin at Yamashitacho Park, where a dazzling ensemble of lion dancers, rickshaws carrying people dressed as famous Chinese emperors, and other performing artists parade through Kanteibyo Street, Fukken Road, Nishimon Street and Minami-mon Silk Road. The procession will finish back at Yamashitacho Park.

February 12 (Wed), 5.30pm-7pm: more lion dances will take place during a lantern festival at Masobyo Temple. Get there early if you want to score a free paper lantern (while supplies last) from the ChinaTown80 information centre, and write your New Year wish on it.

See the event’s official website to see the full programme.

Head over to Ueno Park’s Fountain Square this Chinese New Year’s for spicy lamb skewers, piping hot xiaolongbao and giant gyoza to warm up the weekend. Along with food stalls serving authentic Chinese festival grub, expect to see a wide range of lively performances on stage, from idol shows to folk dancing. 

A must-see attraction at the festival is the photo exhibition showcasing the adorable panda family from Ueno Zoo: cub Xiang Xiang and her mother and father, Shin Shin and Li Li. Though the pandas have since been relocated back to China, the memories of their time in Ueno live on through vibrant photographs captured by Takashi Takahiro, creator of the popular ‘Everyday Panda’ blog.

Tokyo Tower has been celebrating the coming of spring with a special Setsubun ceremony every year since the tower's opening in 1958. This year’s edition, the 65th, will be held on the second floor of the Main Deck from 10:45am to 11am, when monks from nearby Zojoji Temple will perform their rites. After that you can join the tower's official mascot, Noppon in the ritual throwing of beans and candies.

The event is free, but you’ll need to purchase a ticket to enter Tokyo Tower.

An annual occurrence at Zojoji Temple, this bean-throwing festival marks the coming of spring and sees a group of celebrities born in the year of the current Chinese zodiac fling soy beans at the assembled masses. Head over to ensure good health and fortune for the year to come, and take the opportunity to pick up a new omamori charm at the temple stalls. This year, you're able to 'reserve' your potential fortune, with two types of special boxes which include lucky beans and omamori (¥2,000, or ¥1,000 for a smaller box) available as a limited offer before the event. 

Held around February 2 each year, Setsubun celebrates the coming of spring with a bean throwing ritual to ward off evil spirits and bring in good fortune. Those who are born under the Japanese zodiac sign of the current year, snake, are invited to throw beans from the Main Hall at Yakuo-in Temple towards the crowd, alongside sumo wrestlers, actors and singers from 7.30am to 2.30pm. A goma fire ritual is held before the main event to purify those throwing the beans and rid them of evil spirits.

Kameido's charming Tenjin Shrine hosts this annual early spring festival in celebration of the 300 plum trees – 50 koubai red blossoms and 150 hakubai white plum trees – on the premises. The goken-no-ume tree is particularly special as it has both red and white plums blooming on one tree.

The flowers usually reach full bloom between the middle of February and early March, while a variety of events will take place throughout the festival period – mainly on the weekends.

Celebrate the 60th anniversary of Yomiuri Land with a spectacular display of pyrotechnics, water jets and lasers at the wave pool area. Held every Saturday from January 18 to February 15, the dynamic program sees 1,200 fireworks set off each day, synchronised with 238 fountains, lasers and flames.

While this event is free to watch, you'll need to pay the entrance fee for the amusement park to get to the venue.

Illustrator and graphic designer Yuri Yokomizo is launching a cute onigiri pop-up shop at Miyashita Park’s Miyashita+ event space, where the pop-up will run from January 18 until February 16. Anthropomorphised smiling rice balls will be sold in sets of two for ¥990, with different toppings placed on their heads. Choose one onigiri from group A (plain, tuna mayo, bonito flake, soft-boiled egg, plum) and another from group B (salmon, grilled cod roe, tempura shrimp, pork with egg, or salmon roe).

While a bit pricier than your average onigiri, these cute treats are sure to sell like hot cakes – not least because Norionigiri is a member of the popular character merch line Nandemo Ikimono. While you're there, don't forget to grab some cute original norionigiri yasan merch.

Glide around at the foot of Tokyo Skytree on this rink from January 4 until February 28. The view will make it a striking place at any time, but head here after dark, when the surrounding illuminations are switched on, for a particularly atmospheric skating experience.

Skate rental is included in the admission fee (¥2,200, junior high school students and younger children ¥1,200) and if you forget your gloves, which are a necessity to use the rink, you can buy a pair on site for ¥300. Drop by from 11am on January 4 for the rink’s opening ceremony to catch a stunning performance by Japanese figure skater and three-time national champion Miki Ando.

The rink is open from 11am-8pm between Mon-Thu, and until 9pm between Fri-Sun and holidays.

The massive Unicorn Gundam statue in front of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Odaiba is getting lit up with special winter lights. Until February 16, you can see the robot illuminated in blue, red and yellow to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Mobile Suit Gundam animated series, which first premiered in 1979. 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 show featuring a short screening of the animation, held every 30 minutes.

Enoshima’s annual illumination is widely touted as one of the three biggest and most impressive light-up events in Japan, 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 rainbow-coloured lights. Keep an eye out for the Shonan Chandelier tunnel, all decked out with luxurious crystal beads and LED lights.

Most attractions are open from 5pm to 8pm (until 9pm on weekends and holidays). You can see most of the light-ups on Enoshima for free, but you will need a ticket (¥500, children ¥250) to enter the Samuel Cocking Garden.

If you're on the island early during daylight hours, head over to Enoshima Iwaya (¥500, children ¥250), as the island's famous cave, created by decades of wave erosion, is bedecked with sparkling lights from 9am to 5pm.

This large ice skating rink in Tokyo Midtown’s garden area is surrounded by greenery, but if you go skating in the evening, you'll also get the added scenery of pretty illuminations and a view of the lit-up Tokyo Tower. Wearing gloves is mandatory, so if you want to avoid paying extra for a pair (¥300) sold on site, make sure to bring your own.

The admission ticket includes skate rental, plus a free helmet rental this year. The ice rink will close if temperatures are too warm, so make sure to check the website before heading over.

The ice rink is open daily from 11am-9pm, and the last entry is 8pm (closed on Jan 1).

Head over to Minami-Machida for this adorable Snoopy-themed ice skating rink at outlet mall Grandberry Park. The rink is part of the shopping centre’s Christmas event and can be found at the Oasis Plaza. There are plenty of illustrations depicting Snoopy and his friends, while the rink is also illuminated in seven different colours in the evening.

Gloves are mandatory when skating here and can be purchased at the venue for ¥300. Beginners can either join a ten-minute ice skating lesson daily for ¥1,000, or a 60-minute lesson from 9.30am on December 22, 27, 29, 31 and January 3, 5, 11, 13, 19 and 26. It’s ¥3,500 per person (skate rental included) and reservations have to be made in advance online (form opens December 7) or by phone.

Skate rental is included in the admission fee of ¥2,000 (high school, junior high and primary school students ¥1,700, preschoolers ¥1,200). Visitors who drop by from 6pm will get a discount and pay only ¥1,500 (high school, junior high and primary school students ¥1,200, preschoolers ¥700).

The rink is open from 1pm to 8pm on weekdays and from 11am to 8pm on weekends and holidays; until 6pm on Dec 31. Note that the rink is closed on Jan 1 and Feb 18.

If you’re looking for the most OTT illumination in Tokyo, this is it. Yomiuri Land's annual winter light show will bedazzle even the most jaded illumination-fiend. As the name suggests, jewels are the focus here: literally millions of colourful LEDs are set up throughout the vast theme park evoking sparkling gems. The park is split into ten areas where you will be treated to beautifully lit attractions. 

In addition to the 180-metre-long, rainbow-lit Celebration Promenade and Crystal Passage, you’ll spot two gigantic sparkly Ferris wheels to mark the amusement park's 60th anniversary. The highlight, however, is the fountain show, with water illuminated in different colours and sprayed into the air to create stunning shapes. There are three kinds of show happening every 15 minutes from 5pm daily. Also look out for the fountain’s flames and lasers, which are synchronised to music.

Located next to Tokyo amusement park Yomiuri Land, the Hana Biyori garden is lighting up with a spectacular illumination display until April 6 2025. Follow the path lined with 500 takeakari bamboo lanterns and takemari (ball-like ornaments made from bamboo) and you’ll come to a historical gate that was transplanted from the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

Once inside, you’ll find a wall of illuminated Japanese umbrellas that look like colourful lanterns, leading you further into the garden. Awaiting here are more takeakari and takemari, in addition to a glowing chozuya (basin with purified water) decked out with flowers.

A new addition this year are the kiri-e (paper cutout) lanterns, which are placed around the garden’s east waterfall, as well as an illuminated bamboo wall featuring cutout images of flowers, wind and water.

To complement your experience, you can rent a Japanese umbrella and lantern to walk around and take photos for just ¥200.

Sagamiko Resort Mori Mori has gone all out for its winter illuminations, featuring over six million dazzling LEDs. This year, there's an entire area dedicated to Japan's beloved laid-back bear, Rilakkuma, along with his sidekick Korilakkuma and other San-X friends like Sumikkogurashi.

You can hop on the park’s Rainbow Chairlift and sail over colourful stripes before reaching the top of a hill, where you'll find a series of illumination art walls showcasing Rilakkuma and his friends. Walk further in to discover a massive Tarepanda inflatable and a bear-shaped igloo with Sumikkogurashi characters glowing in colourful lights.

Be sure to catch the spectacular illumination show at the San-X character stage, where Korilakkuma, Afro-dog and Ebifurai No Shippo perform live with synchronised laser lights for four minutes each. Nearby, a massive Rilakkuma is perched a set of swings, providing the perfect setup for a special photo.

While you’re there, indulge in Rilakkuma and Sumikkogurashi-themed meals and snacks. Enjoy a hearty Sumikkogurashi Bon Pasta or the Meat Doria Plate with San-X characters. Prefer something sweet? Then check out the colorful popcorn sundae or the Rilakkuma pudding in a cup.

Fans of Hotel New Otani’s sweet buffet can rejoice because it’s back this year with a selection of all-you-can-eat strawberry desserts using the highest quality amaou strawberries. There’s unlimited Super Amaou Shortcake, the hotel’s signature dessert, which is usually sold for ¥1,404 a slice. You’ll get a total of 90 minutes to fill up on puddings, cakes, tarts and more for only ¥7,000 on weekdays and ¥8,200 on weekends (¥4,200 for children). If you need a break from all the sugar, don’t worry, there are plenty of savoury foods like roast beef and tamago sandwiches on offer, too.

Reservations are essential and must be made online in advance.

All prices are subject to VAT and a separate 15% service charge.

Among the illustrated characters that emerged in Japan across the second half of the 20th century, and continue to capture hearts both at home and across the globe, none represents the phenomenon better than Hello Kitty. With a half-century now having passed since the cartoon feline was introduced by the Sanrio company, this major exhibition looks at how Kitty-chan’s design has evolved over decades of cultural change: without ever losing that innate charm that has endeared her to generation after generation.

The largest collection of Hello Kitty goods ever amassed in one place, as well as video content and other media, gradually reveals the secrets to this character’s appeal: how besides keeping pace with the times while simultaneously transcending them, Hello Kitty can mirror the day-to-day moods of each and every fan. Highlights include collaboration pieces created with well-known artists and designers, and a series of immersive photo spots featuring not only Kitty-chan but also other faces from the Sanrio stable, including My Melody and Cinnamoroll.

Experience traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints in motion at Warehouse Terrada this winter, as digital creative company Hitohata returns to Tokyo with a dazzling exhibition of works by many of Japan’s most prized artists, including Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.

The exhibition is set to open on December 21 and will go on until March 31. Expect to see vibrant artworks come to life with surging waves, falling sakura petals and moving flowers and trees.

In addition to the digital exhibits, the museum will display a selection of famous ukiyo-e from the Edo period (1603–1867), making for a perfect chance to learn more about the art form’s history and culture.

Tickets are currently on sale online, with early-bird ticket discounts available from kkday, eplus and Lawson Ticket until Dec 20. 

An embodiment of modern Japanese pop culture meets the traditional crafts in this unabashedly fun exhibition. In roughly 80 works, all created for this event, of 20 artisans imagine what might result from an encounter between the creatures of the Pokémon universe, and the time-honoured craft that they have chosen to master. Following a highly popular run at the National Crafts Museum in Ishikawa, and a tour of the USA, the exhibition finally arrives in Tokyo, with a few bonus works courtesy of Azabudai Hills Gallery.

Standout creations include a sculpture of Jolteon, a quadrupedal with spiny yellow fur, stunningly rendered in copper plated with gold and silver by Taiichiro Yoshida. Large, amphibian-like Pokémon Venusaur, meanwhile, is given form as a painted ceramic by Sadamasa Imai. A whole host of limited-edition merchandise based on the exhibits will be on sale for collectors and souvenir-hunters alike.

The exhibition is closed on December 31.

Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away in 2023 aged 71, was one of Japan's most globally influential musicians and composers. He also had a talent for creating multimedia art and became a prominent social activist, concerned with pacifism and environmental issues.

For much of the past two decades, Sakamoto focused upon three-dimensional sound installations, and these comprise the bulk of this show. A series of these immersive large-scale works unfolds around the MOT's vast exhibition spaces to mesmerising effect. The outdoor 'Sunken Terrace', for example, plays host to a literal 'fog sculpture' titled 'Life-Well Tokyo', produced in collaboration with artists Shiro Takatani, of Dumb Type and Fujiko Nakaya. Inside several works draw upon the music that Sakamoto created for his 2017 album 'async', a recording that pursued asynchronicity in a bid to create entirely 'untraditional' music. Indoor and out, together these pieces form a poignant tribute to a much-missed member of the creative community. 

Master painter Claude Monet (1840-1926) is best known for Impressionist works that captured on canvas the ceaseless transitions of nature. As explored by this major exhibition, however, in the later years of his career, this French artist pursued a more abstract approach, with inspiration coming from both personal and wider realities such as bereavement, his own eye disease and the First World War.

The natural world remained Monet’s ostensible subject matter, such as his signature water lily ponds and their surrounding trees and skies, but his depictions of such scenes were then additionally coloured by internal distress.

For this show, around 50 pieces from Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris have been brought over to Japan, with many being shown in the country for the very first time. These are augmented by works held in collections across Japan, to form an expansive look at Monet’s later career.

The highlight here is a large screen of water lilies, which stands over two metres tall and makes for a truly immersive experience.

The exhibition is closed on Mondays (except November 4, January 13, February 10 and February 11) as well as November 5, December 28-January 1, and January 14.

The work of Kei Imazu, a Japanese-born artist now based in Indonesia, explores how technological innovations have the power to influence human perception. Now, with Imazu increasingly gaining global attention, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery presents her first major solo exhibition.

Tactile, 'traditional' artistic tools and materials meet digital imaging tech in Imazu's experimental approaches. Images sourced from a diversity of media are digitally sampled and processed, before being combined on canvas with oil painting. Elements from history and mythology, including those of her adopted Indonesia, join present-day concerns such as environmental issues and ecofeminism to form large-scale, analogue-digital collages that are truly of their time.

This exhibition is closed on Mondays (except January 13 and February 24) as well as January 14, February 9 and February 25.

What Museum, in Tokyo waterfront district Tennozu, presents an ‘inadvertent’ collection of contemporary art belonging to renowned tech and AI entrepreneur, Takafumi Takahashi. The ‘T2 Collection’, which takes its name from owner’s initials, has been amassed over the past six years as Takahashi gradually dived deeper into the world of modern art. Along the way he picked up works which captivated him in some way, by notable Japanese and international artists including Kohei Nawa, Barry McGee and Tatsuo Miyajima. What was never consciously acquired with a ‘collection’ in mind is now on public display for the first – and possibly only – time.

Across the 35 diverse works featured here, a common thread is Takahashi’s recognition of a connection between art and entrepreneurship, in that the leading players in both spheres challenge the world with unique and unprecedented concepts and visions. One exhibition room, dedicated to the medium of photography, explores how contemporary artists have developed their photographic expression amid a rapid rate of change in both technology and the role of images in society.

Get ready to have your senses awakened at What Museum’s latest exhibit, Synesthesia. This captivating showcase explores the work of an artist who uses air, water, and light to craft mesmerizing sculptures that blur the lines between perception and reality. 

Exhibiting artist Akihito Okunaka, with a background in sociology and art education, was influenced by the late philosopher Bruno Latour to explore the connections between nature and society through our five senses. This exhibition invites visitors to touch, enter and lie down in a balloon-like installation piece, and truly feel a connection with our surroundings through a multi-sensory journey.

The centrepiece of the show is sure to be the 12-meter diameter balloon sculpture. Weighed down by a water pillow and bathed in different light frequencies, this mesmerizing creation promises a visual and tactile experience that blurs the lines between sight and touch. Imagine light refracting through multiple layers of translucent plastic film, creating a kaleidoscope of colours that dance across the surface, all while the gentle sway of the balloon invites exploration.

This exhibition is closed on Mondays (except October 14, November 4, January 13, February 3 and 24) and New Year’s holidays