Usually closed at night, Shinjuku Gyoen flaunts its after-dark potential with this five-day celebration of food, cherry blossoms and traditional arts. Chefs from popular restaurants around the country cram into food trucks to serve their delicacies, while dancers, magicians, calligraphers and other performers show off their skills on stage. Working the crowd will be the drag queens from Alamas Café, an institution in nearby Shinjuku-Nichome, Tokyo’s biggest LGBT neighbourhood.
As for specific performances, make sure to catch globetrotting ‘robot dancer’ Kenichi Ebina (April 16 & 17 from 8.45pm), the futuristic Wonder Wall Hologram Show (every evening), and ‘violin ninja’ Yuhei (April 18 from 8.15pm). When you start feeling peckish, grab a hearty meal at one of the many food stalls, and pair it with an English-style mocktail.