Exciting things to do on New Year’s Day 2025 in Tokyo – January 1-5

One of Japan’s prized New Year’s traditions is waking up at dawn on New Year’s Day to ‘greet the new light’. It even has its own word in Japanese: geikosai, literally meaning ‘festival to welcome the light’. There’s probably no better place to do this in Tokyo than at the summit of Mt Takao, just 50 minutes by train from Shinjuku Station.

Starting at midnight, the head priest of Yakuoin Temple will perform several goma fire rituals, culminating in a great screech of conches from 6.30am as the sunrise ignites the mountain summit at around 6.50am.

Looking for something to do over the New Year’s holidays? Head to Tokyo Skytree Town to catch a 20-minute Shishimai lion dance performance on January 1. The show takes place on Tokyo Skytree’s observation deck floor 350 at 8.30am, 10am, 11.30am, 12.30pm and 2pm and at the Solamachi Square at 10am, 11am and 12noon. Afterwards at 1pm, Japanese owarai comedians will be performing and handing out free sake to visitors until supplies last.

If lion dance performances or owarai comedy isn't your thing, head to the Skytree lower observation deck on January 1 and January 2 to experience sumo firsthand. Local sumo wrestlers from the Kise Stable are invited to the observation deck for a special event where visitors can compare their strengths with the wrestlers – and take memorable photos.

Another popular New Year tradition in Japan is the kakizome, the act of writing the first calligraphy of the new year. You can see it done live on January 2 and January 3 at 1pm at Solamachi Hiroba plaza, conducted by calligrapher Mohri Suzuki.

Stick around the East Yard on the third floor to participate in a free 20-minute calligraphy workshop led by Mohri Suzuki himself. It's held at 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm, 5pm, 5.30pm and 6pm on January 2 and January 3.

A fantastic yearly event, the highlight of which involves a falconry display on January 3 from 11am and 2pm. Lion dance performances will also be held at 11am and 2pm on January 2 at Uchibori Square. If birds and lions aren't your bag, of course, the hearty New Year food ought to tempt you – we've already got our order in for some charcoal grilled dango mochi and hot amazake.

The park is closed on January 1.

Tokyo Midtown’s annual New Year’s celebration features a number of fun events to start 2024. The first 800 visitors who drop by on January 2 between 10.45am and 12noon will get a free cup of sake from Tokyo Midtown’s Canopy Square.

What’s more, a regular feature of the occasion is the lion dance, a special performance with flute and drum accompaniment to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune. The dancers are scheduled to parade through Midtown Galleria on January 2 and January 3 at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 4.30pm. 

When you’re already there, make sure to line up at 11am on January 2 and January 3 for a beautiful handwritten New Year’s card. Calligraphy artists Shingi Ban and Meiho Ishikawa will decorate each card with up to two Japanese kanji characters of your choice, so make sure to browse the dictionary before heading over. The event takes place on the second floor of Tokyo Midtown’s Galleria and only the first 500 people will be able to get their hands on a free card. 

Visiting with kids in tow? Head straight to the workshop area at Tokyo Midtown’s Galleria basement Atrium between 11am and 5pm on January 2 and January 3. The little ones can paint daruma tumbling dolls (¥1,000; Reservations required via Peatix), craft small kites (¥1,000) and play target shooting games (¥300).

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.

Roppongi Hills is starting the year with a big bash that includes lively taiko drumming, koto performances, plus the classic New Year’s lion dance. Japanese taiko drum performances will be held on January 2 from 12.30pm, 1.30pm and 2.30pm and the following day (January 3) from 11am, 1.40pm and 3.30pm at the Roppongi Hills Arena.

Koto performances will also be held on January 3 from 11.30am, 12.30pm and 2.10pm. Between the stage performances, try your hand at playing the koto at the Koto experience corner.

There will be booths set up in the arena on January 3 where you can dabble in traditional Japanese New Year games like kendama, top spinning and otedama juggling.

Free sake is handed out to the first 200 people on January 2 from 1pm, while free rice cakes are handed out on January 3 from 12.30pm for the first 150 people. (Numbered tickets required) Make sure to also take home a pack of Wakayama’s premium umeboshi (pickled plum) which are handed to all attendees while supplies last.

Head over to the Saitama suburb of Kawagoe for the annual Daruma Market on January 3. Symbolising perseverance, daruma dolls are sold in temples across Japan during New Year’s and are a tangible way to remind yourself of your New Year’s resolution. 

After purchasing a daruma with blank eyes, draw in a pupil on one of the eyes while making a promise to yourself. Once you fulfil the resolution, paint in the other eye. People visit Kawagoe Kitain every year to have their old daruma burned and to purchase new ones at the many stalls selling dolls of all colours and sizes, so be sure to arrive early while supplies last.

Expect to see large crowds, as this is one of the largest daruma fairs in the Kanto region with plenty of stalls selling festival grub to go with the daruma stands. Organisers recommend that you take the train; all major stations in Kawagoe are within 25 minutes on foot from the temple.

Occasionally mentioned among the most beautiful gardens in Tokyo, Hamamatsucho's Kyu Shiba Rikyu welcomes the new year with free guided tours of the park, a commemorative photo-spot for children, kendama and hanetsuki (an Edo-era version of badminton) games and more. Should be a fun couple of days for the entire family.

The park is closed on January 1.

Shibuya Scramble Square is celebrating the 2025 new year with limited servings of mini Osechi at 11am on January 2 and January 3 at its 12th-floor event space, Scene 12. The traditional New Year's meal (¥1,200) is paired with a complimentary bottle of sake. This is followed by a live DJ performance by Cyber Okan. There will also be a pop-up Omikuji market with booths offering fortune-telling, New Year's souvenirs, portrait drawings and more.

The celebration continues over the weekend on January 11 and January 12, with free music events held at Scene 12. The Scramble Music Show’s New Year party will feature local DJs including Hiroshi Nagai, FNCY, DJ Koco aka Shimokita and AAAMYYY, who will be spinning dance tunes from 2pm to 7pm. 

And if you’re looking to shop, about 40 stores in Shibuya Scramble Square are offering special winter deals during this time.

The New Year Sale ends on January 13, 2025.

The 1.2-kilometre-long Marunouchi Naka-dori street, always one of the most popular Tokyo illumination spots, will have around 280 trees lit up with about 820 thousand 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 newly 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.

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).

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.

Located at the Red Brick Warehouse’s event plaza, this popular and spacious ice skating rink is back for its 20th edition this year. The theme this season is called ‘Born from Conversations’, with the area designed by graphic designer Ikki Kobayashi, who has created minimalistic yet colourful art made by rhythmically arranging paper cut-outs of various colours and shapes.

A ticket to the rink including skates is ¥1,500 (high school students and children aged 3 and older ¥1,000). Make sure to drop by the adjoining Christmas market for some mulled wine and typical German winter food.

January opening hours: 11am to 7pm on Jan 1; until 8pm on Jan 2-3.

Rest of January and February: 1pm to 8pm on weekdays; 11am to 8pm on weekends and holidays.

The annual Shinjuku Minamillumi light-up is back this year for the 10th time, happening from November 15 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 crystal blue 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. 

Trees along the 46-metre-long promenade at Southern Terrace are also decorated with golden lights, and the path is even equipped with motion sensors that activate a special light show.

The illuminations take place daily from 5pm to 12midnight until the end of November, and from 4.30pm between December and February.

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.

French-born artist Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) has long loomed large over Roppongi Hills: her outdoor sculpture of a gigantic spider, named ‘Maman’, is a local landmark. The sprawling development’s Mori Art Museum, then, is a fitting venue for this major retrospective of one of the most important artists of the past century. As explored by Bourgeois’ first large-scale Japanese solo exhibition in over 25 years, fear was an ongoing motivation over her seven-decade career.

This fear, however, was not the arachnophobia that one might suppose, given the formidable ‘Maman’. Rather, Bourgeois’ work was driven in part by fear of abandonment; something rooted in her complex and sometimes traumatic childhood. Through her famed oversized sculptures, installations, drawings, paintings and other mediums, she confronted painful personal memories while simultaneously channelling them into work that expresses universal emotions and psychological states.