April 2020 events in Tokyo
Plan your April in Tokyo with our events calendar of the best things to do, including spring festivals, Golden Week fun, concerts and art exhibits
Unless you have serious cedar pollen allergy, April is one of the nicest months in Tokyo: the weather is usually very agreeable, tasty festivals and other outdoor events abound, and there may even be a few cherry blossoms left on the trees here and there. April is also the time for highlights like Tokyo Rainbow Week, Earth Day and Zushi's Beach Film Festival, all centred around the first half of the Golden Week holiday at the end of the month. Make sure you don't miss out with our guide to the top events going on in Tokyo this April.
Our April highlights
Blade Runner in Concert
Revisit Ridley Scott’s cult classic with the accompaniment of a live music ensemble in this special screening of 'Blade Runner'. The original film, starring Harrison Ford, was released in 1982 but set in the imagined future of 2019...
Oedo Fukagawa Sakura Matsuri
Fukagawa’s annual sakura matsuri takes place along the Ooyokogawa river, with a seemingly neverending trail of cherry blossoms in full bloom. Out of all the sakura festivals Tokyo has to offer, this is the only place you can admire the beautiful scenery from below while cruising in Japanese-style boats. A pair of shamisen players will also be travelling onboard while performing ‘Shinnai-nagashi’, a traditional Japanese tune that will transport you back to the Edo period (1603-1868)...
Sagamiko Illumillion
The risquely named Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest will be again be pulling out all the stops for its winter illumination show: the Illumillion supposedly uses the largest amount of lights in the entire Kanto region (around six million LEDs). The production has once again been renewed and features a wide range of colours, accompanying music, and light constructions that take advantage of the fountains and lush greenery of the park...
Rikugien Cherry Blossom Illumination
Rikugien is often considered one of Tokyo’s most gorgeous landscape gardens, featuring a traditional Edo period (1603- 1868) aesthetic. Its huge cherry trees, especially the majestic weeping variety, along with the rest of the Japanese garden will be lit up in the evening for this annual spring special, which also sees the park staying open later than usual...
Kuro Deko at Commune
This isn't your regular live show: the Tokyo-based new wave band Kuro Deko are using lighting choreography, visuals and stage design alongside their post-punk music to create a feast for the eyes and ears. The show is also a launch party for their first EP 'Strobe', which adds two new songs, 'Runaway' and the synth-filled 'Skies Apart'...
Kotatsu Terrace
Warm up with a simple yose nabe (basic Japanese hot pot) while sitting at a cosy kotatsu, a low table covered with a futon blanket embedded with an electric heater. For a limited time, Ride is offering a kotatsu dining experience with a view of the Tennozu canals, featuring a special yose nabe dish which includes duck and chicken tsukune (meatball), pork slices, crab and a variety of veggies...
007 ‘Skyfall’ in Concert
Think of the word ‘Skyfall’ and you can almost hear the impassioned sound of violins in Thomas Newman’s Academy Award-winning score in this thrilling installment of the James Bond franchise. Lose yourself in the soundtrack played live by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra as you watch the action on the big screen at Tokyo International Forum...
Yomiuri Land Jewellumination
Yomiuri Land's annual winter illumination show tends to bedazzle even the most ardent illumination-fiend. As the name might give away, jewels are the focus here: literally millions of colourful LEDs are set up throughout the vast area, which is split into 12 areas, while visitors can also expect to be treated to a 25-metre tall dazzling mountain inspired by the Matterhorn and lit-up roller coasters...
Peter Doig exhibition
Contemporary Scottish figurative painter Peter Doig is having his maiden exhibition in Japan at the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, where you can see a range of his works, from his earliest to some of his most recent. His style draws on artists like Paul Gaugin, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse and Edvard Munch while incorporating imagery inspired by movie scenes and advertisements to create art with a romantic yet mysterious feel...
Washoku: Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine
Traditional Japanese cuisine, also known as ‘washoku’, has proved itself to be an important element of cultural heritage ever since the ancient Jomon period. This large- scale exhibition at the National Museum of Nature and Science introduces you to how washoku has evolved, and the cooking techniques and preparations that have been in use throughout the years...