Free things to do in Tokyo this week

This September, Shimokitazawa welcomes the return of its annual lunar art festival that will coincide with the upcoming autumn moon. Back for its fifth edition, Moon Art Night Shimokita will span several venues in the neighbourhood, including the open plaza in front of the station, Shimokita Senrogai Open Space near Shimokitazawa police box, the rooftop of Higashi-Kitazawa Station, and the Bonus Track complex. Exhibits include an outdoor moon installation by UK artist Luke Jerram, whose giant floating model features striking details of the moon’s surface as captured by Nasa. This particular installation – titled ‘Museum of the Moon’ – is set to be on show every day at the vacant lot of the Shimokita Senrogai complex. Nearby at Shimokitazawa Station Square, you’ll find an installation of phosphorescent cubes that absorb sunlight during the day and release it as a soft glow by nightfall. Produced by Midori Kawano, the installation, titled 'Afterglow', draws on the idea that moonlight is a reflection of the moon as it was 1.3 seconds earlier, offering a literal glimpse into the past. The festival is also hosting Tokyo-based contemporary artist Shoei Matsuda, whose giant eight-metre-tall inflatable recreates the iconic 'tears of joy' emoji at the Bonus Track complex. Inspired by the evolution of emoji from a feature of Japanese mobile phone culture into a universal visual language, the interactive installation explores the relationship between the digital and physical...

This September, step into the world of Monsoni!, a music-focused spin-off of the popular Monster Strike mobile video game. Running from September 18 to September 27, this Omotesando pop-up features a purple-coloured menu made with the recently trending ube, or purple yam. Expect ube drinks and ube madeleines, as well as a giant cat paw where you can sit and take photos. The pop-up is mainly themed around Infinity X, a cat DJ and leader of a music group in the game, hence the cat theme. For the unacquainted, ‘Mugen no Nikukyu’ is a popular shop in the Monsoni! universe. Expect a photo-friendly space decked out in Monsoni!-themed details, plus a selection of original T-shirts and manekineko beckoning cat lucky charms to take home. It’s a perfect photo spot worth stopping by on your Omotesando endeavours.

Open-air mobile cinema company Kino Iglu is bringing its outdoor film expertise to Azabudai Hills this September for six days, setting up on the spacious lawn at Azabudai Hills Central Plaza. Curated with the theme 'Mystery of Love' for 2026, they’ll be showing one film per day from September 18 to 23 from 6.30pm (6pm on 18th). The screening on Friday September 18 will be the romantic comedy film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), a sequel and a prequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia! On the following evening, the multiple BAFTA award-winning 2000 film Billy Elliot will be screened. The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) will be shown on Sunday, followed by Notting Hill (1999) on Monday. For the remaining public holidays on Tuesday and Wednesday, expect to see Cinema Paradiso (1989) and Call Me by Your Name (2017), respectively. Before the show starts, stop by the food trucks offering one-hand gourmet dishes such as Cuban sandwiches, hot dogs and wood-fired pizzas.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government No 1 Building in Shinjuku serves as the backdrop for a jaw-dropping and record-breaking projection mapping show. Covering an area of a whopping 13,905sqm, the after-dark spectacle has been certified by Guinness World Records as the largest permanent display of its kind in the world. The nightly showcase features a range of visual wonders created by a mix of local and international artists. Some shows are inspired by Tokyo’s rich history, while others draw on themes like the lunar cycle.  Currently, on weeknights, you can catch striking visuals synchronised to ‘800’ and 'Zankyosanka' by hit Japanese pop singer and lyricist Aimer as well as ‘Pac-Man eats Tokyo’, ‘Lunar Cycle’, ‘Synergy’, ‘Tokyo Resonance’ and ‘Evolution’. On weekends, you can look forward to the aforementioned ‘Zankyosanka (Aimer)’, as well as ‘Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo’ and ‘TYO337’, a display featuring motifs of traditional Japanese performing arts such as Kabuki paired with electronic beats.  From March 20, Pokémon Trading Card Game ‘Tokyo Luminous Night’, a brand-new projection-mapping show featuring Pokémon cards on a massive scale, has been running on weekends and holidays from 6.30pm, 7.30pm and 9pm. Be sure to check the event website for more details. Shows take place every night at fifteen-minute intervals from 6pm (Mar from 6.30pm, 7pm from Apr, 7.30pm from May to Aug) to 9.45pm. For more details and to check the full programme of daily projection mapping shows,...

The UNU farmers’ market is one of Tokyo’s longest running and best-attended markets. Taking place every weekend in front of the university’s Aoyama headquarters, this one always attracts a knowledgeable crowd. Organic and local fare is readily available every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, with the farmers themselves happy to provide details about their wares. Plus, there's always a few food trucks on hand if you wish to enjoy a quick meal.

Step into a world of vibrant chrysanthemums this spring at this free collaborative exhibition between teamLab and Galaxy. Now in its fifth year, the interactive, immersive space at Galaxy Harajuku uses cutting-edge projection mapping to depict flowers caught in an endless cycle of birth and death. Reach out to touch them and they’ll wither; stand still beside them and they’ll bloom more quickly. Look down and you’ll see flowing currents of gold beneath your feet – traces shaped by your very presence. The movements of others create their own currents, which intertwine and form swirling vortices. The result is a constantly shifting environment where no two moments are ever the same. The Galaxy store also invites visitors to capture these fleeting scenes using the foldable smartphones available at the venue.