April 2021 events in Tokyo

Head up to Ibaraki's Hitachi Seaside Park from mid-April to early May and see a whopping 5.3 million 'baby blue eyes' – also known as nemophila – flowers in full bloom. The hilly grounds span 3.5 hectares and are almost completely covered with the little blue blossoms, making for a pretty spectacular sight. The current flowering forecast predicts that the blooms will be at their best between April 16 and 24, but they are still a magnificent sight if you catch them a bit earlier or even right after peak bloom...

Chiba’s annual Sakura Tulip Festa in Sakura city was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and city officials even went as far as cutting down hundreds of thousands of flowers to stop people flocking to the grounds for photos. This year, however, the event is celebrating a splendid comeback. The tulips have fully recovered and will be in full bloom when the festival kicks off on April 3. You can look forward to 800,000 flowers of 100 different tulip varieties, complete with a Dutch-style windmill for that perfect shot, and street organ performances...

While several flower festivals around Japan have been cancelled due to coronavirus, the annual Fuji Shibazakura Festival is still scheduled to run from April 17 to May 30 this year.

With its seemingly endless fields of shibazakura (pink moss) and views of majestic Mt Fuji on the horizon, it's no wonder that this annual spring festival out at Lake Motosu in Yamanashi typically attracts hordes of Tokyoites over Golden Week. In addition to strolling around the expansive flower fields, you can try themed foods like a Mt Fuji-shaped hanpen (fish cake), sakura jelly cider and a plethora of sweets made by a hotel patissiere...

This year, Tokyo’s largest koinobori festival will take place at the foot of Tokyo Skytree with 1,000 carp streamers swaying in the air. The traditional carp-shaped streamers are hung in celebration of Children’s Day, which takes place annually on May 5 during Golden Week.

Along with the koinobori display, there will be a number of free family-friendly events including Picnic Park, a children's flea market and a bread festival, which will all take place around the Skytree under the colourful streamers...

Visit indoor amusement park Joypolis Odaiba to experience the iconic scene of Godzilla attacking Tokyo right before your eyes. This temporary attraction allows you to watch a 3D projection of Godzilla overlayed on a physical 1/150-scale diorama of Tokyo. With the XR Magic Leap 1 headset, you’ll be able to see  Godzilla make his way through the city as he destroys each building...

Self-proclaimed ‘art aquarium producer’ Hidetomo Kimura deploys a range of lighting tricks alongside traditional Japanese sculpture-like tanks filled with thousands of live kingyo goldfish at Art Aquarium in Nihonbashi. The entire exhibition will be lit up in pink and will include special spring-related goldfish, such as sakura nishiki, sakura ryukin, sakura higashinishiki and sakura daruma ryukin...

See Tokyo Midtown Hibiya transformed into a floral paradise for three weeks at this free springtime event. The Hibiya Step Square will be equipped with an elaborate flower garden so you can enjoy blooms of every colour. The stairs will be illuminated in champagne gold lights in the evening, featuring a special light show every ten minutes...

Celebrate the arrival of spring at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi. The centrepiece of this annual event is the 200m cherry blossom-lined avenue through the Garden Area of Tokyo Midtown and it’s especially magical after 5pm when it’s all lit up.

To get the most out of the flowers, you’ll want to make a beeline for the Midtown Blossom Lounge. Sit down and enjoy views of the cherry blossoms along with other spring blooms, such as marguerites, windflowers and lavender...

Celebrate the coming of spring with some delectable strawberry desserts at Ikea. The lineup of sweet treats includes a classic strawberry shortcake in a glass cup (¥499), strawberry custard pudding (¥399), pancakes topped with a tower of whipped cream and strawberries (¥699), vegan strawberry milk (¥249), strawberry tart (¥399), a strawberry doughnut (¥149) and a strawberry danish (¥199), all of which are available at the second-floor restaurant and café...

Travelling may not be on the cards any time soon, but you can transport yourself to Miyagi prefecture in northern Japan with this special event at the tea house inside Riviera Tokyo. From March 1 to April 30, you can fill up on a multicourse meal with ingredients sourced from the prefecture known as the ‘kingdom of ingredients’ for its ample seasonal produce...