Events in Tokyo this week – 28th October to 3rd November
This weeks’ round up of events in Tokyo sees the start of new flower exhibitions, a festival of seafood and a number of cultural exhibitions, as well as seeing the end of ongoing Halloween themed events.
The highlight of the week is a cultural festival set to take place at one of Tokyo’s most popular destinations, Meiji Jingu Shrine.
New Events in Tokyo this week
Meiji Jingu Kikkaten will start on the 31st of October and run until the 30th of November, with the area around Meiji Jingu Shrine featuring a variety of displays of chrysanthemum, one of the national flowers of Japan.
Three other chrysanthemum exhibitions will open in Tokyo this week on the 1st of November – the Yushima Tenjin Chrysanthemum Festival, Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Chrysanthemum Exhibition and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden Chrysanthemum Exhibition.
Aoyama Festival 2024 will run from the 1st to 3rd of November, with the event set to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of Aoyama Gakuin University.
Three festivals highlighting foreign culture will also run this week, with the American Craft Beer Experience and Deutschland Festival both set to start on the 1st of November and end on the 3rd and 4th of November respectively.
The third festival, Malaysia Fair Tokyo, will run from the 2nd to 3rd November and looks to bring Malaysian culture to a Japanese audience.
Celebrating national culture, the Japan Fisherman’s Festival takes place from the 1st to 4th of November on Odaiba.
Set to be host to over 70 vendors selling the best seafood Japan has to offer, this is one of the highlights of this weeks events.
Staying with the theme of food, the Setagaya Bread Festival celebrates all things bread from the 2nd to 3rd November.
85 varieties of special breads will be made by vendors just for the festival – so if you love bread you’ll need to head down to Setagaya Park this coming weekend.
Traditional Japanese dance will be on display at Dream Yosakoi Festival which will take place at multiple venues across Odaiba on the 2nd and 3rd of November.
The event will see teams of dancers from across Japan perform traditional Yosakoi Naruko dance, with over 5,000 participants expected.
Winter illuminations are set to start across Japan this November, with Tokyo Mega Illumination due to be one of the first to start in Tokyo.
Taking place at Ohi Racecourse, this is an event for all ages with plenty of spectacular lights on display and even mini ponies taking part in the festivities.
The event will also collaborate with popular anime Uma Musume, with the series “horse girls” set to appear on banners around the event as well as on special collaboration merchandise only available at Tokyo Mega Illumination.
The highlight of this weeks events is the Meiji Shrine Autumn Grand Festival, which will take place from 1st November to the 3rd of November.
Set to celebrate the enshrinement of Emperor Meiji on the 1st of November, the event will then see traditional performing arts and martial arts displays, as well as a horseback archery display, known as Yabusame, take place over the remaining days.
Ongoing Events in Tokyo
Both Tokyo Disney Resort and Sanrio Puroland continue their Halloween events, with visitors to the parks expected to peak on the 31st of October.
Themed foods, shows and merchandise will be amongst some of the attractions on offer for visitors to both theme parks.
The annual rose festival at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens will be ongoing until the 8th of November, with visitors being invited to view over 100 variety of autumnal roses.
Design Touch 2024 at Tokyo Midtown is set to showcase art installations from prominent designers from across the globe until the 4th of November, with a range of outdoor exhibitions and talks/workshops for those interested in art and design.
Kagurazaka Machi Tobi Festa celebrates the traditional culture of the Kagurazaka area of Tokyo, with a number of different events held over a two week period from 12th October until the 3rd of November.
The Kameido Tenjin Chrysanthemum Festival celebrates Japan’s national flower with a number of floral displays around the Kameido Tenjin Shrine and can be viewed up until 23rd November.
Horticultural enthusiasts can also take in two other ongoing chrysanthemum festivals – the first at the Takahata Fudoson Temple and the second at Jindai Botanical Gardens, both of which run until 17th November.
Anime fans won’t want to miss two ongoing exhibitions based on the popular manga/anime series Tokyo Ghoul and ONE PIECE.
The Tokyo Ghoul EX Exhibition, taking place at the Terada Warehouse G1 Building in Shinagawa, features replicas of locations seen in the anime series, as well as interactive exhibits and an immersive cinema experience.
The ONE PIECE ONLY EXHIBITION, taking place at the PLAY! Museum, is set to offer a unique behind the scenes look at the creation of one of its most important chapters and is a must see for any fan of the series.
Ramen lovers can experience Japan’s largest ramen food festival at Komazawa Olympic Park with Tokyo Ramen Festa 2024, which will be running until the 4th of November.
Yomiuriland, a popular theme park in Inagi, continues its annual Jewellumination event.
Set to run until April 2025, “Jewellumination” sees the park lit up with thousands of lights over the winter season.
The Kanda Used Book Festival transforms the area around Jinbocho Station into a book lovers paradise, with local stores setting up stalls to create a street long book market from the 25th of October until the 4th of November.
If you’re looking for a more adventurous experience the Mount Takao Autumn Leaves Festival, which runs until December 8th, offers hikers and visitors to Mount Takao the opportunity to celebrate the autumnal foliage around the mountain.