The best things to do in Tokyo this weekend

Chofu is hosting its annual hanabi (fireworks) festival by the banks of the Tama River with massive fireworks (including starmines) synchronised to music. It sees around 10,000 rockets launched over the course of an hour starting at 6.15pm, with some fireworks being choreographed to pop songs using computer-controlled audio and launch systems.

Reserved seating is still available at the Dentsu University Field, Fuda, and Keio Tamagawa locations, with prices starting at ¥6,000 for seats at Keio Tamagawa and ¥4,000 for floor seating at Dentsu University Field. Tickets can be purchased at Seven-Eleven multicopy machines or online via Seven Ticket, with pick-up at a convenience store required after purchase. If this all seems like a hassle, don’t worry, there are free non-reserved seating near Keio Tamagawa Station and next to Tamagawa Citizen Square. Just make sure to arrive a few hours early, as space is limited. 

For the venue map and transport information, check the event page.

Nezu Shrine is not only famous for its 3,000 blooming azalea in spring, the sacred grounds also host the annual Grand Festival, considered as one of Edo’s (as Tokyo used to be known) top celebrations.

The festival, formerly named ‘Tenkasai’, started in 1714 under the sixth shogun Tokugawa Ienobu and saw large floats carried through the streets. Nowadays, you can enjoy Sanza-no-mai and Urayasu-no-mai dance performances – both intangible cultural assets of Bunkyo ward – plus a variety of street food stalls.

The shrine's main mikoshi (portable shrines) will not be carried out this year, but expect drumming performances by local taiko troupes Nezukoren and Gongen Taiko on September 20 from 11am and 12noon respectively.

Sanza-no-mai performances will be held on September 21 from 2pm, and the Urayasu-no-mai performance will be held from 7pm on September 20.

The covered Nakanobu Skip Road shopping arcade in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Nakanobu lights up to life – literally – once every two years for the Nakanobu Nebuta Matsuri, Shingawa’s own mini-version of Aomori’s famous illuminated float festival. In years when the festival isn’t held, such as this one, the lanterns switch spots with dancers for an eclectic Yosakoi performance. From 4.50pm on September 20, nine teams of brightly costumed dancers will take the stage, each vying to outshine the others to the rhythm of naruko drums.

From noon to 4pm, food stalls will serve up traditional festival grub and drinks, alongside live performances ranging from shamisen and local school brass bands to belly dancing.

This September, Shimokitazawa welcomes the return of its annual lunar art festival that will coincide with the upcoming autumn moon. Back for its fourth edition, Moon Art Night Shimokita will span several venues in the neighbourhood, including the Shimokita Senrogai Open Space in front of Shimokitazawa Station’s east exit, the rooftop of Higashi-Kitazawa Station, and the Bonus Track complex.

Exhibits include an outdoor moon installation by UK artist Luke Jerram, whose giant floating model features striking details of the moon’s surface as captured by Nasa. This particular installation – titled ‘Museum of the Moon’ – is set to be on show every day at the vacant lot of the Shimokita Senrogai complex. 

The festival is also hosting London-based artist Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, whose luminous blue cat inflatables will be on display at the Bonus Track complex. Inspired by the paradoxical Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment, which explores how a cat can be both alive and dead at once, the artist created the cats as a way to spark imagination and explore our relationship with the universe.

A new addition this year, Japanese visual artist Takayuki Mori is participating with a three-dimensional installation titled ‘Uranometria’. The work depicts constellation motifs across a celestial dome using ultraviolet-responsive threads, which illuminate the invisible lines that connect the stars in glowing neon colours. His work, which invites viewers to reflect on how humanity has always sought meaning among the stars through astrology, will be on display at the paid Higashi-Kitazawa Station rooftop venue.

Aside from the art exhibitions, the festival will feature several immersive theatre performances, live music, video installations and pop-ups. Several shops around Shimokitazawa Station will also offer full moon-inspired food and beverages and limited-edition products during the festival.

Tickets to access paid venues and performances are on sale via Eplus.

Grab a free piece of Norwegian salmon sushi and some fresh charcoal-grilled mackerel this September – before all 5,000 servings run out – at Tokyo Solamachi’s rooftop Sky Arena.

Celebrating 40 years since Norway introduced edible raw salmon to Japan and popularised Norwegian ‘salmon sushi’, the Norway Seafood Festival returns with an even bigger show this year. Running for three days from September 19 to 21, the event brings together ten restaurants serving inventive seafood dishes made with premium ingredients from the Nordic nation.

A highlight of this year’s festival is ‘Saba Nouveau’, ultra-fresh Norwegian mackerel imported directly by air without ever being frozen. Now in its fifth year, this import project – led by the Norwegian Embassy, Japan Airlines and Jalux – takes centre stage with creative mackerel dishes. Look out for Saba Nouveau shio soba from Menba Voyage, Norwegian mackerel paella from El Tragón, and a fragrant mackerel cutlet burger by Wakahiro.

If you’re more inclined to savour dishes using Norway’s rich fatty salmon, try out the salmon tacos by Øl bar’s La Cabina, traditional Nordic hot-smoked salmon open sandwiches by Lilla Dalarna and much more. Wash down your mackerel and salmon feast with a crisp pint from Oslo Brewing to complete the Nordic culinary experience.

 Nebula is one of those hard techno parties you hear about from a friend of a friend, always staged in the same ‘secret’ spot in Nishi-Azabu. The crowd is a mix of models, DJs and alt baddies who show up for music that feels less like a night out and more like a shock to the system.

This time they’re linking with Chronos, a creative collective that threads together DJs, tattoo artists and designers under the banner of heavy techno. The pairing promises a night of distortion, sweat and the kind of sound that rattles through your bones long after it’s over.

Legendary French haute couture designer Jean Paul Gaultier is bringing his unapologetically extravagant and sensual theatrical production to Tokyo this September, showcasing Gaultier’s outrageous creativity and energy. Part revue, part fashion show, the spectacle roughly follows the timeline of Gaultier’s career, depicting the cultural and political contexts that shaped the life of French couture’s enfant terrible.

Expect flamboyant dancers in extravagant costumes set to iconic tracks by Madonna, David Bowie, Nile Rodgers and more – spanning disco, funk, rock and punk, all of which inspired Gaultier – while his signature designs, including Madonna’s infamous cone bra, take centre stage in an exuberant high-fashion spectacle.

Check the event website for more details. 

Tickets are available for purchase in English via Kyodo Tokyo, Zaiko and Ticketbook. 

Gear up for 11 days of LOL as the Tokyo International Comedy Festival returns this September with a whopping 60 shows across eight venues. The programme includes stand-up by an international, star-studded cast of comedians, international roast battles, a stand-up contest, bilingual improv and much more. With shows available in both English and Japanese, this comedy extravaganza is for everyone in Tokyo.

The festival takes place across venues including Tokyo Comedy Bar, Mame Romantic, DecaBar Super, The Millennials Shibuya and Baird Beer’s taprooms in Nakameguro and Bashamichi. You can look forward to a diverse line-up of comedians from Japan and around the globe, including household names like Sammy Obeid, known for his 1,001-day comedy streak, appearances on Conan, and Netflix’s 100 Humans, and Emily Catalano, who was named on the New York Times’ ‘Best Comedy of 2024’ list. Bringing the local heat will be talents such as Yurie Collins, Shota Saimu, BJ Fox and Jay Yamaki.

A definite highlight on the programme is RoastFest 2025 – Asia’s biggest roast battle – which features Comedy Central champions Mike Lawrence and Frank Castillo coming out of retirement, plus a special recording of ‘Your Hood’s a Joke’ with battles like Tokyo vs NYC and Japan vs India. 

Individual tickets are available for all shows, but if you’re looking to catch more than one, make sure to get the Festival Pass for ¥5,000. This includes entry to one show of your choice, plus the right to buy tickets to any other show for a paltry ¥500.

To see the full schedule, visit the website.

Tachikawa's Showa Kinen Park has the most impressive fields of cosmos flowers in Tokyo and this is the ideal time to see them all in full bloom. The hilly grasslands of the park are usually draped in colour from mid-September with various types of cosmos flowers, and the multicoloured scenery can be enjoyed well into mid-October.

There are three main gardens: The Lemon Bright field, which is covered in vivid yellow sulfur cosmos; Autumn Bouquet Garden, which has a mixture of 20 different cosmos; and the Cosmos Sensation filled with lilac blooms.

Don't miss the picturesque soap bubble event, where you can see countless small bubbles floating over the flower gardens. This special spectacle happens twice a day from 10.30am and 12noon on September 13 at the Lemon Bright field, September 28 at the Autumn Bouquet Garden, and October 4 at the Cosmos Sensation flower garden.

Entrance fees are waived on October 5 and 19, 2025.

Nine months into the year and we've already lost track of how many Oktoberfests Tokyo has seen so far. But no matter, the next seasonally inaccurate festival of German beer happens at Shiba Park from September 12 to 23, where you can take in a view of Tokyo Tower while enjoying hefty glasses of beer. 

You can start small and order yourself a regular pint, or go straight to a gigantic three-litre glass. The food offerings include pub grub favourites like schnitzels, sausages, jerk chicken, cheese fondue and lobster pasta. Everything is served with a side of jazzed-up oompah music to keep you in the mood.

Entry is just ¥500, and you pay as you go. It includes an exclusive reusable cup which you can take home with you. Purchase your tickets here.

One of Tokyo's three German beer fest spin-offs this autumn (including Shiba Park and Jingu-Gaien), Munich Oktoberfest kicks off on September 19 at Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu. This beer extravaganza at least manages to fall within a few weeks of the original German beer-fuelled festival it's copying, running from September 19 until October 13.

As with all the other Oktoberfests in town, you can enjoy pints of German beer served in glasses that can fill up to a litre, alongside bratwurst and sauerkraut. There will be oompah bands to sweeten the mood.

Entry is free and you can pay as you go. Do note that the event is cashless; you can only pay via credit card, PayPay, IC card, QuicPay, ID and other forms of electronic payment.

Studio Ghibli’s immersive sculpture exhibition is returning to Tokyo to captivate a new generation of fans. Featuring 3D recreations of iconic scenes from hit animated films such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and Porco Rosso, the show is a new and improved version of Studio Ghibli’s first ever art exhibition, held in Tokyo back in 2003. 

Running from May 27 to September 23 at Warehouse Terrada’s B&C and E halls in Tennozu, the exhibition will feature mock-ups of scenes such as Chihiro’s first crossing over the bridge into the bathhouse in Spirited Away, and the thrilling scene from Ponyo where the titular character rides the waves to catch up to Sosuke in the storm. The main highlight, however, is arguably the true-to-size mock up of Porco’s Savoia S-21 seaplane from Porco Rosso.

When hunger strikes, head over to T-Lotus M, a waterfront event space adjacent to the exhibition venue, for some ham ramen inspired by a similar dish in Ponyo. Tickets can be purchased in combination with the Ghibli Museum or in conjunction with hotel accommodation plans.

For more details and ticketing information, check the event website. (Japanese only)

Enjoy a late night stroll under an artificial Milky Way at Tokyo Tower’s main deck. As an alternative experience for astronomy enthusiasts, Tokyo Tower has recreated the Milky Way using 29,000 LED lights, so you can gaze up at the (artificial) stars in the middle of the city.

Every 15 minutes, the blue LED lights that represent the starry sky turn pink and gold, while the Milky Way changes from white to a rainbow of seven colours. This special effect makes the Tokyo skyline look even more mesmerising, as if our beloved city is under a magical starry night.

The event takes place from 9.00am until 11pm.

Marking 100 years since the dawn of the Showa era and 80 years since the end of World War II, the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo looks back with ‘Opening Documents, Weaving Memories’, an exhibition that reflects on Japan’s turbulent mid-20th century. With 280 works on view, the display explores how art has served both as a record of history and as a medium for reconstructing memory across generations.

Spanning the 1930s to the 1970s, the exhibition unfolds across eight sections that probe the role of painting, photography and film during wartime and its aftermath. Visitors encounter powerful ‘War Record Paintings’, commissioned by the Imperial Japanese army and navy to document battles, alongside intimate portrayals of life on the home front. Works such as Ai-Mitsu’s Self-Portrait (1944) and Ken’Ichi Nakamura’s Kota Bharu (1942) highlight the complex intersections of personal expression and state narrative. Later sections trace the shifting visual language of memory, from depictions of wounded bodies in the 1950s to dialogues prompted by Vietnam War imagery in the 1970s.

By juxtaposing propaganda, personal visions and post-war reinterpretations, the exhibition invites audiences to consider how museums can act as repositories of collective memory. In doing so, it opens documents of the past while weaving them into living dialogues with the present and future.

Traditional Japanese erotic art – shunga – flourished during the Edo period (1603–1867), along with the rise of ukiyo-e woodblock printing. Some of the greatest artists of the time, including Kitagawa Utamaro and Katsushika Hokusai, employed ukiyo-e to depict Edo’s hedonistic ‘floating world’ of geisha, kabuki, sumo – and sex. Shunga was in great demand and widely available, despite an official ban, and developed into a highly sophisticated genre in which artists incorporated refrences to waka poetry and the Chinese classics while tiptoeing around taboos and government censorship.

But once Japan opened itself up to the Western world after centuries of isolation, Shunga was deemed ‘obscene’ and purged from the culture – for nearly 150 years, it turned out. Only after several critically acclaimed exhibitions had been held overseas did the first major display of Shunga open on these shores – at the Eisei Bunko Museum in 2013. That landmark show slowly cleared the way for similar exhibitions, and now Tokyo’s getting perhaps the most rousing (sorry) Shunga show to date.

From July 26 to September 30, visitors to the Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Stage can rest their eyes on around 100 pieces by the likes of Hokusai, Utamaro and Hishikawa Moronobu. Curated from the collection of Mitsuru Uragami, one of Japan’s foremost Shunga connoisseurs, the exhibition extends throughout the distinctive venue – from the Noh stage itself to the auditorium and dressing rooms. Yasutaka Hayashi from artist collective Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group will be serving as art director, bringing a hefty serving of Kabukicho flair to what’s already looking like a show perfect for Tokyo’s most stimulating entertainment district.

Early-bird tickets are available for ¥1,900 (vs ¥2,200 on the door) via ArtSticker until July 25.

Note that the exhibition is off limits to visitors under the age of 18.

Creator of the iconic Great Wave off Kanagawa – and more than 30,000 other works across a remarkable 90-year life – Katsushika Hokusai was known for his restless spirit (he moved 93 times) and ever-evolving identity (he used more than 30 artist names). And by the way, the ukiyo-e impresario’s prolific genius also laid the foundation for what we now recognise as manga and anime.

This autumn, ‘Hokusai’ at Creative Museum Tokyo offers an immersive journey into the artist’s seemingly boundless world. With over 300 pieces on display, including the complete Hokusai Manga (from the world-famous Uragami Collection), all three volumes of One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji, and a set of 16 newly discovered hand-painted works from his final years, the show promises unprecedented depth.

And as we’ve come to expect from this venue, the artworks on display will be accompanied by some certifiably contemporary exhibits. These include animated adaptations of Hokusai prints by top Japanese animators, highlighting how the visual storytelling of Edo’s greatest artist continues to resonate. Be sure to exit through the gift shop for a look at some 150 pieces of exclusive merch, including collaborations with Peanuts, Chums and Swiss Army knife maker Victorinox.

The sleek designer toilets that took Tokyo by storm in 2020 – and later even inspired the film Perfect Days – will host a unique photography exhibit this summer, showcasing works by world-famous B&W photographer Daido Moriyama from July 19 to September 23.

The main exhibition space, where Moriyama’s photographs of the designer toilets are displayed, will be the Hatagaya Public Toilet. Miles Pennington, a professor at the University of Tokyo’s DLX Design Lab, designed this toilet specifically with multifunctionality in mind. Envisioned to be used as an exhibition space or a pop-up kiosk – in addition to its primary function, of course – the toilet will now play the role of a photo gallery.

Moreover, don’t miss this opportunity to check out the 10 other designer toilets in Shibuya ward, which for the duration of the event will all feature toilet paper adorned with imprints of Daido Moriyama’s photographs.

Held in the Tokyo Node creative complex on the upper floors of the Toranomon Station Tower, the Design Ah! exhibition by national broadcaster NHK transforms its acclaimed educational TV programme (of the same name) into a vivid hands-on experience. Suitable for visitors of all ages, the exhibition reimagines everyday actions like walking or eating through a design lens, fostering curiosity, creative thinking, and a sharper awareness of the world around us. While you’re there, don’t miss the chance to try out the interactive gesture screen, where visitors are invited to use gestures to interact with subjects in a video in an immersive and responsive way.

With immersive 360-degree audiovisual installations, visual puzzles and interactive zones, the show offers a playful yet thought-provoking way to explore how design influences daily life.

Daido Moriyama has spent over six decades redefining the possibilities of photography. Born in 1938, he emerged in the 1960s with raw, high-contrast images that challenged conventional aesthetics and captured the restless energy of post-war Japan. His international recognition, as seen in exhibitions from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to London’s Tate Modern, established the Osaka native as a global icon. Honoured with the Hasselblad Award in 2019, Moriyama continues to shape the visual language of photography with unmatched vitality.

Until October 27, GR Space Tokyo presents ‘Daido Moriyama: In Tokyo’, an exhibition marking the Harajuku venue’s first anniversary. Divided into two phases and featuring around 60 new works shot with the Ricoh GR series, the display captures the shifting landscapes and fleeting human presences of the city in 2025.

Free to enter, the exhibition invites visitors to experience the immediacy and intensity of a metropolis in constant flux, distilled through the lens of one of Japan’s greatest living photographers.

Few artists have touched the soul of modern art as profoundly as Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890). In a mere decade, the Dutchman produced an astonishing body of work, including vivid landscapes, tormented portraits and expressive still lifes, that continues to resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.

Yet Van Gogh’s posthumous fame owes much to those closest to him: his brother Theo, Theo’s wife Johanna, and their son Vincent Willem. Together, they ensured that the painter’s vision and legacy would endure for generations.

The first exhibition in Japan to focus on the Van Gogh family and their collection, ‘Van Gogh’s Home’ at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum features over 30 of its protagonist’s works, from early drawings to late masterpieces, as well as four letters shown on these shores for the first time. The display traces the journey of the collection from the artist’s death to the present day, with highlights including immersive digital experiences and rarely seen works by Van Gogh’s contemporaries.

In the news for his role as the designer of the Expo 2025 site, Sou Fujimoto is an architect whose work explores the relationship between nature and architecture. Born in Hokkaido, he is inspired by the natural landscapes of his childhood and seeks to integrate organic forms into the built environment through an approach he calls ‘primitive future’.

This philosophy translates into an exploration of the limits between indoors and outdoors and the natural and the artificial, creating spaces that invite a new experience of inhabiting it. Fujimoto’s residential projects in Japan, such as House N, House O and House T, as well as international projects such as the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London, illustrate this desire to blur spatial boundaries. His work is characterised by the use of simple materials, often only one per project, implemented in innovative ways to create complex and intriguing shapes. The balance between a defined program and the freedom of appropriation by the occupants is at the heart of his approach.

Fujimoto’s first major Tokyo retrospective takes over the Mori Art Museum from July 2 to November 9. The exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of the architect’s journey over the past quarter century, showcasing his achievements. Models, plans and documentary photographs sit alongside life-size models and installations, providing an immersive visual and spatial experience of the essence of his work. The exhibition highlights projects such as the Musashino Art University Museum & Library, the Arbre Blanc in Montpellier, France, the House of Music in Budapest, and – yes – the Expo site on Osaka’s Yumeshima.

Kanagawa-born, NYC-based Aki Sasamoto’s decompartmentalised artistic practice explores performance, sculpture, dance, and any other medium conducive to the expression of her ideas. At the intersection of visual and performing arts, her work involves collaborating with musicians, choreographers, scientists and academics, and she often takes on multiple roles: performer and sculptor, but also professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Sculpture at Yale University.

In her work, Sasamoto constantly reflects on the design and configuration of sculptures and devices that she uses as scores during improvised performances within immersive installations. As she describes it, her creative process is akin to fishing: she ‘casts a net and waits for a perfect alignment of events’, letting several elements float before grasping the connections by relating them to seemingly foreign references.

On from August 23 to November 24, ‘Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo explores the interplay between sculptural creation and performance that has characterised the artist’s work for two decades. From landmark early works to more recent creations that emphasise kinetic elements, the exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of Sasamoto’s journey and unique approach, where the boundaries between artistic disciplines blur in favour of captivating hybrid expression.