The new Reiwa era starts on May 1, when Emperor Akihito abdicates the throne and Crown Prince Naruhito takes over as the 126th Emperor of Japan. In celebration of this rare and momentous occasion, this year’s Golden Week becomes an extended 10-day holiday.
To help you make the most of the holiday, we’ve curated a Golden Week special feature filled with plenty of things to do. If you’re in town with kids in tow, don’t worry; aside from checking out the city’s best family-friendly museums, here are six fun and wholesome events, which you can enjoy with your whole family.
So go meet a few cute characters, including Hello Kitty and the Moomintrolls, sample about 100 different ice cream flavours, and marvel at the hundreds of koinobori dangling around the iconic Tokyo Tower – these events will make sure you and your kids have a good time over the long holiday.
45th Anniversary of Hello Kitty Collection
Everyone’s favourite cat-girl is celebrating her 45th birthday with a special event at Seibu Ikebukuro department store. Collectors will enjoy discovering Kitty’s favourite accessories, the very first Kitty dolls and the first-ever display of the Hello Kitty House.
Ice Cream Expo Aipaku Tokyo at Ginza Mitsukoshi
The Ice Cream Expo Aipaku is the largest ice cream event in Japan with over 2 million cumulative visitors since its inception in 2015. This year, the event in Ginza Mitsukoshi brings together over 100 flavours from vendors across the country.
The Science Behind Pixar
With blockbuster hits like ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Monsters Inc’, Pixar Studios has consistently created films and characters that have become household names. You can now learn about the story-telling and animation process in this behind-the-scenes exhibition.
Koinobori at Tokyo Tower
Now an annual sight at Tokyo Tower, the colourful Children's Day carp streamers have been set up in front of the main entrance since end of March. In addition to 333 koinobori, which of course signify the height of our beloved Eiffel Tower replica, the decorations include a 6m sanma-nobori.
Photo: Moomin Characters TM
Moomin Exhibition
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Japan and Finland, Mori Arts Centre Gallery in Roppongi is hosting the ‘Moomin Exhibition: the Art and the Story’. The history of this iconic Finnish character will be explored through 500-plus pieces of Moomin-related artworks, many of which are showing in Japan for the very first time.
Sun and Stars Circus and Futako-Tamagawa Rise Play Festival 2019
The shopping mall Futako-Tamagawa Rise will turn into a giant festival for ten days during the Golden Week. Besides plenty of live music, crafts workshops and fashion markets, this year’s event is headlined by the Sun and Stars Circus and features the mini-steam engine-powered Starry Railroad.
Midtown Open The Park
Popular shopping mall Tokyo Midtown is hosting a series of activities fit for the entire family. Everyone can enjoy activities such as outdoor yoga in the mall’s grassy central plaza, a tree and bird watching tour in its leafy vicinity, and paper craft workshops. Moreover, kids can walk through a colourful 25-meter-long tunnel.
For more things to do in Tokyo during Golden Week, click here.