December 2025 events in Tokyo

Continuing Tokyo’s trend of dazzling nighttime projection mapping events, digital creative company Hitohata is bringing its Asakusa Culture & Lights show to Sensoji Temple for the very first time. This projection mapping showcase celebrates the history and culture of the iconic temple in the heart of Asakusa.

The nightly shows feature high-resolution digital animations created using cutting-edge technology and displayed at three locations within the temple grounds: the south side of Hozomon Gate facing Kaminarimon Gate, Sensoji’s signature five-storey pagoda, and the smaller Nitenmon Gate by the temple’s east entrance. These light-ups are free to view, happening daily from December 3 to December 7 between 5.30pm and 9.30pm. 

Alongside the brilliant light-ups, the temple is also offering paid daytime and nighttime viewings of the Denboin Garden; the daytime session includes exclusive access to the Ema Hall, home to Edo-era votive plaques. Be sure to book tickets in advance to attend these viewings.

Get your wigs and catsuits ready! Tokyo Comic Con is returning to Tokyo for three days from December 5 to 7 this winter. While the full schedule for celebrity autographs and photo sessions remains under wraps, the event organisers have already unveiled some of the illustrious names set to grace the occasion. The roster has fans buzzing, boasting appearances from cinematic icons like Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci from 'Wednesday', Christopher Lloyd of 'Back to the Future', Elijah Wood from the 'Lord of the Rings' franchise, and Sebastian Stan from Marvel hit 'Thunderbolts'.

Adding to the excitement is actor Koji Yamamoto, who stars in Netflix's 2019 drama series 'What Did You Eat Yesterday?', and is one of the ambassadors for this year's Comic Con. 2016 worldwide sensation Pikotaro and DJ Hello Kitty will also be making a guest appearance to perform on stage on December 6 at 1.50pm.

General admission is ¥5,500 per day for adults (¥1,000 for high school students, ¥500 for middle school students). Three-day passes are also available at ¥9,900 and are limited, so it’s best to get them in advance. (Update: Sold out) Note that celebrity meet-and-greets will require a separate ticket.

The fried chicken franchise that sparked the venerated Japanese tradition of eating fried chicken for Christmas is opening a limited-time Christmas-themed restaurant in Roppongi this December. You heard that right: KFC is launching a pop-up ‘restaurant’ for the first time, featuring a mouth-watering arrangement of ‘classic Christmas staples’ such as truffle sauce fries and vanilla ice biscuit sandwiches (yum).

The pop-up will also serve hearty restaurant dishes such as five herb roast chicken and mashed potatoes (¥1,900), barbecue chicken with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables (¥1,900) and various chicken pasta dishes. You can pair your meal with sides such as smoked salmon coleslaw salad (¥500) and chicken tenders (¥1,500).

What truly sets this pop-up apart as KFC’s first ‘full-fledged restaurant’, as they claim, is its extensive wine selection curated by distributor Enoteca. The menu even highlights recommended pairings for each dish, with glasses starting from ¥1,000.

Since reservations aren’t accepted, arrive early or be prepared to queue.

Fireworks may be a summer tradition in Japan, but you can still find them occasionally towards the end of the year, such as this special event in Odaiba that promises a series of mini fireworks throughout December.

The five-minute pyrotechnic display can be viewed from anywhere in the Marine Park area, as the fireworks will be launched off the coast of the Statue of Liberty, between Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge.

The fireworks take place every Saturday in December at 7pm (December 6, 13, 20 and 27). This year, a special show will also be held on Christmas Eve (Wednesday, December 24) for a total of five shows.

Around 700 stalls line the street during the annual Setagaya Boroichi, a venerable flea market that's been going on for more than 430 years now. Held twice a year – on December 15-16 and again on January 15-16 – the event attracts tens of thousands of visitors, making it one of the highlights on Setagaya's yearly calendar.

The main area of the market is along Boroichi-dori, a street which centres around the Setagaya Daikan Yashiki, the old, thatched-roof local magistrate’s residence. We’d recommend hopping off the train at Setagaya Station on the Setagaya Line, walking along Boroichi-dori, and then leaving from Kamimachi Station. And if you don't mind the long lines, it's worth sampling one of the market's popular daikan mochi rice cakes – Boroichi's de facto official snack.

The Setagaya Line is a light railway, and tickets are available as you get on the train or at the platform. You’ll have a smoother trip if you have the fare ready beforehand (¥160 for adults, ¥80 for children). 

Rikugien is one of the best gardens in Tokyo to immerse yourself in beautiful Japanese landscapes. There’s no bad time to see the garden, but we do admit it’s especially picturesque in autumn, when the leaves take on vibrant shades of red and yellow.

From November 28 to December 9, Rikugien stays open until 8.30pm for its annual light-up. The trees in the garden are bathed in golden lights so that the brilliant colours of the changing leaves stand out even more, providing stunning views.

Aside from admiring the autumn foliage, don’t forget to drop by the garden’s dozo (storehouse). Its earthen walls serve as the canvas for a beautiful daily projection show between 6pm and 8.30pm. 

We recommend purchasing illumination tickets online in advance, as they’re limited and available at a discounted price of ¥1,000. The online ticket portal will open in late October. Otherwise, tickets can be purchased at the door for ¥1,200.

The park will close temporarily at 5pm, and reopen at 6pm for the night opening.

Otaguro Park in Suginami's residential district of Minami-Ogikubo is a popular spot for admiring colourful autumn leaves, especially after sunset. At night, the main path leading to the Japanese garden – lined with century-old ginkgo trees – glows in vibrant yellow, while the garden’s fiery red maples are illuminated and mirrored on the still pond, creating picture-perfect photo ops.

Mt Takao is one of the most picturesque destinations in Tokyo to see autumn leaves. And one of the best ways to do that is by taking the scenic cable car ride, which brings you closer to the mountain’s Yakuoin temple. Here you can sample shojin ryori, a traditional Japanese Buddhist vegetarian meal. To secure a lunchtime seat, be sure to book a reservation for two or more people at least two days in advance via phone.

The best time to see the autumn leaves for 2025 is mid to late November, when the foliage around the cable car tracks turns deep orange and red.

Throughout the duration of the festival, you can also look forward to a host of free events at Kiyotaki Station, the cable car stop at the base of Mt Takao, including musical and dance performances by local university students. While details are yet to be announced for 2025, check the event's English website for the latest updates.

As is the case every year, the base of Mt Takao will be crowded in autumn, so it’s best to arrive via public transport.

Dubbed Ao no Dokutsu, meaning blue cavern, this breathtaking illumination was a huge hit when it made its debut along the Meguro River back in 2014. The now annual event made a comeback in Shibuya in 2016, where it will again bathe the tree-lined walkway leading to Yoyogi Park in a fantastical blue glow this holiday season until Christmas Day.

Stretched out for 900 metres along Koen-dori and Yoyogi Park Events Square, the fantastical display is made up of around 500,000 blue LEDs. The lights are also reflected off the ground to create an immersive experience. At the end of the tunnel, you’ll find a gigantic inflatable snowman illuminated with festive projection mapping this year, inspired by ‘Christmas and Shibuya’.

The illuminations take place daily between 5pm and 10pm.

The 400m-long Keyakizaka Street next to the Roppongi Hills shopping centre is lighting up with 930,000 sparkling white and blue LEDs until Christmas Day. From the pedestrian bridge near the Roppongi Hills Arena, you'll get a stunning view of the trees covered in shimmering lights, with Tokyo Tower in the background, from 5pm to 11pm daily. 

Marunouchi Street Park, which comprises the areas along Marunouchi Naka-dori and Gyoko-dori streets, is illuminated with festive lights in the evening. Coinciding with the illuminations, there will be a Christmas market serving baked goods and hot beverages on both streets until December 25, as well as stalls offering Western antiques. In front of the Marunouchi Nichome Building, you’ll find plenty of benches to rest on while enjoying live music (times are yet to be announced).

Also, don’t miss the brilliantly lit Christmas trees along Gyoko-dori – making their debut in 2025. This picturesque street offers a stunning view of the iconic Tokyo Station building, plus ten festive food stalls dishing out hearty winter favourites like homemade pizza, hot dogs and stew.

The illuminations take place daily from 11am to 10pm. Gyoko-dori markets begin on November 28.

Until January 31, the district surrounding Tokyo Skytree Town and Asakusa is lighting up with ornate takeakari bamboo lanterns created by Chikaken, a company specialising in these unique traditional lanterns. Many of their takeakari bamboo light creations have been featured at some of Japan’s popular illuminations including Hana Akari at Yomiuri Land and even at selected Tokyo’s hotels.

The Sumida River Walk bridge connecting Tokyo Mizumachi and Sumida Park is especially pretty, as it features a special installation with Tokyo SkyTree in the background. There’s another installation at the Kitajukken riverside terrace running alongside Tokyo Mizumachi, where you'll find beautifully handcrafted takemari bamboo ornaments lining the 400-metre walkway from Makura Bridge to Koume Bridge.

Ushijima Shrine in Sumida Park is also lit up daily from 5pm to 10pm with bamboo lights as well as colourful takemari that are beautifully hung in the air.

If you're visiting the Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter this holiday season, you’re in for a treat. Tokyo’s hottest Harry Potter attraction has gone all out for its third Christmas celebration with a stunning six-metre-tall Christmas tree, a 1:24 scaled reproduction of Hogwarts Castle covered in snow, plenty of sparkling illuminations and a special food menu, all inspired by the first Christmas scene from ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'. 

Themed 'Hogwarts in the Snow', the Warner Bros. Studio Tour's holiday extravaganza has painstakingly recreated the Hogwarts Christmas scene from the first film with a breathtaking festive makeover of its Great Hall. New for 2025, the studio’s Christmas tree–decked Great Hall will feature a dazzling display of 400 floating candles – just like in the film – casting a warm, magical glow. You'll also find a stunning Christmas tree in the lobby while illuminations are spread out across the premises including around the entrance lobby. The light-ups come on in the evening until 30 minutes after closing time.

As for the holiday menu, each of the Studio Tour's three food outlets is serving Christmas specials. For instance, you'll find a Christmas afternoon tea set and a buche de Noël Christmas cake at Backlot Cafe, a s'more dessert pizza at the Food Hall, and Christmas tree ice cream cones at the Frog Cafe.

In Germany and many other parts of Europe, Christmas markets transform central city squares into charming, romantic destinations with decorations, festive lights, hot spiced wine, sweets and stalls selling local crafts.

The Tokyo Christmas Market brings this same spirit to Japan, with a festive selection of food, drinks and European-style ornaments. There’s even a 14-metre-high Christmas pyramid installation brought over from a German village (the Christmas pyramid may be unfamiliar, but it actually has a history as old as the Christmas tree). Returning for the 10th time this holiday season, the Tokyo Christmas Market has become a familiar highlight of the city’s festive season calendar.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online, which comes with a free mug. (Adult tickets only)