January 2024 events in Tokyo

Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest has pulled out all the stops for its winter illumination show with a display featuring over six million LEDs. What’s more, this year there’s an entire area dedicated to Japan's beloved robot-cat, Doraemon.

You can hop on the park’s Rainbow Chairlift and sail over colourful stripes before arriving at the top of a hill to see a series of illumination art walls with the blue character and his friends. Walk further inside and you’ll come across a massive dome of Doraemon’s head, as well as a dome with other characters illuminated in colourful lights. Don’t miss the epic 360-degree illumination show where Doraemon-motif and laser lights synchronise to music for four minutes.

There are also plenty of Doraemon-themed meals and snacks you can munch on while you’re here. Order the Melody Hamburg Curry or the Doraemon Orchestra Plate for a proper meal, or a churro or cup of oshiruko (red bean porridge) for something sweet.

Winter's no excuse to stay inside. In fact, when the cold starts to creep through the wafer-thin walls and shoddy window frames of Tokyo houses and apartments, rather than trying to hide under a mountain of blankets, you might actually be better off engaging in some outdoor activities. Ice skating is obviously something best experienced out in the open, and quality rinks are popping up all around the city.

Here's our quick guide to the best skating spots out there, including both winter-only rinks and year-round, indoor facilities that are also great places for serious figure skating or ice hockey training. First-timer or seasoned veteran – everyone's welcome, and gear rental is available at most of these places as well.

Marking the release of director Hayao Miyazaki’s new film 'The Boy and the Heron' (also known as 'How do You Live?' in Japanese), the museum dedicated to anime powerhouse Studio Ghibli presents a behind-the-scenes look at the hand-drawn animation that contributes so much to the movie’s charm.

In the production process of 'The Boy and the Heron', virtually all of the drawings used were pencil-drawn onto paper, while backgrounds were hand-painted with poster colours. The result is a production in which the presence of Miyazaki and his team of artists and animators is tangible. At this point in the 21st century, the reality is that even most 'hand-drawn' anime productions involve extensive use of digital tools, making ‘The Boy and the Heron’ something of a rarity.

This special exhibition presents the original drawings used in the film’s production process, revealing that in the form of still frames too, Ghibli’s creations possess expressive power. This showcase is divided into three parts, and will tentatively run through to May 2025: check the Ghibli Museum website for details.

Note: Ghibli Museum tickets are not available at the door. See this feature to learn how to get your tickets in advance.

Text by Darren Gore