46 best Golden Week 2025 events in Tokyo

This open-air observation deck on the rooftop of Shibuya Scramble Square boasts 360-degree views of the city and you can see all of Tokyo’s major landmarks including Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree and even Mt Fuji on a clear day. What's more, the observation deck boasts a stunning rooftop bar that's gearing up to reopen just in time for Golden Week on April 28.

You can order snacks and drinks such as beer, wine, cocktails and mocktails at the bar, which will be open from 4pm until 10pm every evening, giving guests a chance to catch the sunset as well as Tokyo’s stunning skyline at night.

If you’re craving some Taiwanese food this spring, then drop by Tokyo Skytree Town for its Taiwan Festival. Head over to the fourth floor of Sky Arena until June 1 to feast on Taiwanese food throughout the day. Several stalls are offering popular Taiwanese festival cuisine such as lu rou fan (braised pork over rice), cong you bing (scallion pancake) and da ji pai fried chicken.

You can also shop for Taiwanese goods and even enjoy massages and fortune telling. The dining area is decorated with red lanterns to give it a Taiwanese night market feel.

Taking over the expansive outdoor lawn within the children’s play area at Meiji Shrine’s Outer Gardens, the Forest Beer Garden distinguishes itself from other boozy events in town with its lush green surrounds and bubbling waterfall.

The popular two-hour all-you-can-eat (¥6,000) option includes everything from barbecue beef, pork and lamb to veggies, yakisoba noodles, grilled onigiri and even ice pops. It includes an all-you-can-drink selection of seven kinds of beers including Kirin and Heineken, in addition to whisky, sours, wine and soft drinks.

To mark its 40th anniversary, the beer garden is offering a special menu option (¥7,000) this year, with all-you-can-drink craft beer from Spring Valley Brewery and an all-you-can-eat seafood platter. Despite being one of the largest beer gardens in Tokyo with a capacity for around 1,000 people, the event can get extremely busy at weekends, so advance bookings are recommended via the website.

Popular German craft beer brand Schmatz takes over the Lumine Ikebukuro rooftop with its annual beer garden serving modern German cuisine. The premium all-you-can drink plan features three original craft beers, plus a range of beer cocktails including shandy gaff, cassis beer, mango beer and even a peach weizen. Additionally, there are regular cocktails, highballs, wines and soft drinks to choose from as well. 

The standard barbecue plan with the premium all-you-can-drink option will set you back ¥6,500, and includes spare ribs, beef shoulder loin, specialty sausages, chicken, corn and an array of veggies to grill. If you're looking to save, the standard all-you-can-drink lager beer plan at ¥6,000 is worth considering too.

The rooftop of Lumine Shinjuku has transformed into a Japanese matsuri-themed beer garden with a BBQ menu inspired by various cities and local cuisines of Japan. You can choose from Tokyo, Kyoto or Sapporo barbecue courses, all offered in light (from ¥5,940), standard (from ¥6,490) and premium (from ¥7,590) versions. The Around Japan BBQ Premium Plan offers a taste of all the cuisines in one go, for ¥8,690.

The Tokyo course comes with wagyu beef brisket in egg sauce, pork marinated in Edo-style miso, chicken marinated in salt-fermented rice koji, and sausages, accompanied by an assortment of veggies and sauces such as teriyaki, yuzu-shio and regular BBQ sauce. The Kyoto course features a beef short rib, pork marinated in Kyoto-style miso, chicken marinated in sake lees and an assortment of veggies. The Sapporo course comes with beef short-rib, Tokachi-grown glazed pork, Hokkaido-style deep-fried chicken, seafood options like scallops and shrimp, and special jingisukan BBQ sauce. All three sets include 90-minute all-you-can-drink deals where you get to choose from a list of 160 cocktails and soft drinks.

With sun, sea, sand and excellent movies, it’s no wonder that the Zushi Beach Film Festival is a popular fixture on the Golden Week calendar. This open-air cinema in Kanagawa prefecture is organised by Cinema Caravan, a group of artists and creatives who plan community events around the world. Every year it brings this event to Zushi, with movie screenings on the beach plus food stalls, a bazaar and live entertainment.

The 12-day festival is screening a variety of Japanese and international films; a few of them are in English with Japanese subtitles. Every day is a different movie and the show starts at a different time. You'll find the film schedule here, but note that tickets are no longer available for 'Florida Project' on Saturday April 26, 'The Legend of 1900' on Saturday May 3 and 'Lost in Translation' on Monday May 5.

While you’ll find an abundance of vintage and thrift stores in Shimokitazawa, the trendy neighbourhood also hosts a regular flea market at the Shimokita Senrogai open space, just a few minutes’ walk from the station, beside the Shimokitazawa Police Box. 

Expect to find all sorts of treasures and bargains including handmade crafts, jewellery and of course, secondhand and vintage clothing. If you're feeling peckish, the market also features a café as well as a lineup of food trucks selling snacks and refreshments.

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.

Do note that the market will be cancelled in the case of rain.

Pottery lovers, rejoice. 21_21 Design Sight is holding an exhibition of dozens of donburi (ramen bowls) from now until June 15. Most of them hail from the Tono region of Gifu prefecture, which accounts for a whopping 90% of Japan's ramen bowls.

The exhibition features the wares of ramen bowl collector Yasuyuki Kaga, as well as an 'Artist Ramen Bowls' exhibit: a colourful mix of 40 unique bowls designed by 40 different artists, designers, food experts and more. Each artist's bowl includes a bilingual synopsis from the creator themselves, detailling the thoughts and intentions behind their design.

Those interested in sustainability can learn more about the bowl-making process and efforts to recycle unwanted pottery into raw materials. If you're feeling artsy, hit up the 'Donburi Pride' workshop, where you can draw your own bowl design to take home or submit to the exhibition. Selected drawings will be temporarily displayed.

The exhibit is open every day except Tuesday, and runs from 10am to 7pm (entry until 6.30pm). Tickets are ¥1,600 for adults, ¥800 for university students and ¥500 for high school students. Junior high students and younger enter free of charge. You can purchase tickets here.

Step into the masterful world of Japan’s most celebrated woodblock print artist this spring at ‘Hokusai: Another Story’, held at Shibuya’s Tokyu Plaza. Utilising the latest in high-definition imaging, spatial audio and Sony’s state-of-the-art sensory technology, the exhibition promises to bring Hokusai’s iconic works to life.

The main highlight of the exhibition is the vivid scenery of Hokusai's ‘Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji’, with ultra-high-definition visuals and Sony's Crystal LED displays recreating the intricate details of the work. Visualise, hear and feel the sensation of jumping on puddles or walking on dry sand, thanks in part to haptic floor technology developed by Sony PCL. Then, follow a path illuminated by bamboo lights to reach a room where you can browse master replicas of iconic ukiyo-e prints. Each replica is crafted using DTIP (3D Texture Image Processing) technology that scans every fibre of the traditional washi-paper originals to preserve the works digitally. This multisensory experience allows visitors to not only see, but truly feel, the world Hokusai depicted.

Tickets must be purchased in advance through the event website.

As his nickname ‘God of Manga’ suggests, the Osaka-born Osamu Tezuka (1928–1989) revolutionised Japanese manga and animation, shaping the industry into what it is today. His immense creativity and pioneering storytelling introduced the world to classics such as Astro Boy, Black Jack and Kimba the White Lion. The artist himself, however, considered Phoenix (Hinotori) his magnum opus. A profound and ambitious saga exploring the nature of life, death and reincarnation, the Phoenix narrative follows humanity’s relentless pursuit of immortality through the mythical bird whose blood grants eternal life, alternating between the distant past and far future. 

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of this landmark work, the first large-scale Phoenix exhibition will take place from March 7 to May 25 at Tokyo City View in Roppongi Hills. Featuring over 800 pieces spanning the manga’s twelve main arcs, the exhibition will not only showcase original artworks and manuscripts; it’ll also invite visitors to explore Tezuka's conclusion, left unfinished following the artist’s untimely death in 1989.

By merging art, philosophy and science, ‘Osamu Tezuka’s Phoenix Exhibition’ offers a fresh perspective on one of manga’s greatest masterpieces, conveying Tezuka’s visionary legacy to new generations.

Swedish-born artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) was a pioneer of abstract painting, whose work prefigured that of such revered figures as Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky. Yet, for decades, her work was known only to a handful of people. The 21st century, however, has seen Klint receive some long overdue global recognition. A 2018 retrospective at New York's Guggenheim Museum attracted the largest visitor numbers in that venue's history, and now the prestigious National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo presents her first career overview to be held in Asia.

The exhibition centres upon selections from "The Paintings for the Temple", a series which Klint, who was involved in the then-booming spiritualist movement, produced between 1906 and 1915 after believing the project to have been 'commissioned' from another dimension during a seance. The artist perceived these works which combine abstract and figurative elements, and organic and geometric forms, to have been created 'through' her by some external spiritual force.

Advance tickets are sold until March 3. This exhibition is closed on Mondays (except March 31 and May 5) as well as May 7.

Cutting-edge technologies such as AI and the merging of virtual and real worlds are reshaping our planet at an ever-faster pace. A wider look back at human history, meanwhile, reveals that art and technology have always progressed in parallel: computer art, where the two spheres become truly enmeshed with each other, is the latest example of this. This boldly future-facing exhibition presents a selection of contemporary art whose creators have utilised AI, VR and game engines, as well as works produced entirely by generative AI. Together, these diverse exhibits explore radical new aesthetics, and revolutionary approaches to image-making.

Among works that alternate between digital and real space, highlights include enchanting video works by Japan's Asako Fujikura, in which she uses 3D graphic rendering to create virtual cities where industrial materials move around as if alive. Beeple, meanwhile, an alias of US artist, designer and animator Mike Winkelmann, presents 'Human one' (2021). This kinetic video sculpture is intended to represent the first 'human' born within the metaverse, as they travel through a changing digital landscape.

This exhibition is open until 10pm on April 29 and May 6.

Yebisu Brewery Tokyo is holding a collaborative art exhibit between Yebisu Beer and manga artist Hirohiko Araki, creator of the bestselling series Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Widely known for his unique artistic style and poses, Araki was invited to collaborate with Yebisu Beer to draw bijin-ga portraits inspired by advertisements produced by the brewery in the early 1900s. Bijin-ga is a term used for portraits of beautiful women in Japanese art, and the style was often applied to beer advertisements back in the day. 

The exhibit will display Araki’s two three-metre tall modern interpretations of bijin-ga, drawn in his signature vivid style: ‘Western’ and ‘Peach Patrol.’ Don’t forget to get the limited-edition Araki-designed Ebisu Beer cans and merch on your way out, as they’re being released in limited quantities.

Finnish designer and sculptor Tapio Wirkkala (1915–1985) was a major figure in post-war design. Influenced by his stays in Lapland, the northern part of Finland, his work encompasses a wide range of fields, including product design, sculpture, graphic design and architecture. The breadth of his talent is reflected in the diversity of materials he used, especially glass, which made him known internationally.

Wirkkala’s most famous creations include the design for Finlandia vodka and the Ultima Thule kitchen glass collection for Iittala. Both glass creations required thousands of hours of work to develop a glassblowing technique capable of producing the appearance of dripping ice cubes.

The artistry involved in these masterpieces can be studied at the artist’s first major solo exhibition in Japan, being held at the Tokyo Station Gallery from April 5 to June 15. The retrospective celebrates the 110th anniversary of Wirkkala’s birth and focuses on his creative process and the environments that inspired him. The exhibition brings together approximately 300 works, including rarely exhibited plywood sculptures, design objects, and prototypes.

Soundwalk Collective, led by Stephan Crasneanscki and Simone Merli, is a Berlin-based sonic arts platform known for its experimental, interdisciplinary approach to sound. The group has collaborated with artists such as Jean-Luc Godard, Nan Goldin and Charlotte Gainsbourg, creating narratives that explore themes including time, memory and loss.

This spring, they’re bringing an auditory spectacle to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in the form of a collab with none other than Patti Smith. A musician, poet and visual artist, the inimitable Chicago native has shaped cultural history through her fusion of literature, music and activism, inspiring generations since her groundbreaking 1975 album Horses.

Fusing sound, poetry and film, ‘Correspondences’ takes over the MOT from April 26 to June 29. Through eight films, lightboxes, and sound installations, the exhibition explores themes such as environmental destruction and human resilience. Sonic memories collected from landscapes in Chernobyl and fire-ravaged forests are interwoven with Smith’s poetry and archival visuals, which feature cinema greats such as Pasolini and Godard. 

Presented for the first time in Japan, the exhibition marks the launch of MOT Plus, a platform for experimental art. A special artist talk with Smith and Crasneanscki will be held on April 26.

Few figures in Edo-period (1603–1867) Japan left as indelible a mark on the world of publishing and art as Tsutaya Juzaburo (1750–1797). A masterful entrepreneur with a keen eye for talent, Tsutaya revolutionised the ukiyo-e industry by transforming woodblock prints from ephemeral entertainment into recognised works of art. His collaborations with the leading artists of the day set new standards for craftsmanship and aesthetic refinement, while his publishing ventures produced literature – especially satire – that captivated the urban population of Edo. 

With ‘Tsutaya Juzaburo: Creative Visionary of Edo’, the Tokyo National Museum pays tribute to this pioneering man of letters, showcasing a sweeping selection of prints, books and rare documents that illustrate Tsutaya’s profound influence on Japanese culture.

The exhibition explores Tsutaya’s early ventures in the red-light district of Yoshiwara, his ground-breaking work in multicolour nishiki-e printing, and his role in elevating the status of ukiyo-e as a respected art form. Visitors can step into the bustling streets of Edo, experiencing the artistic innovation and cultural vibrancy that defined Tsutaya Juzaburo’s legacy.

Japanese printmaking, with its rich history and refined aesthetics, has long been a cornerstone of the nation’s visual culture. Originating as a tool for religious devotion and later blossoming into an expressive art form, Japanese prints have transcended the boundaries of time and geography. From the delicate lines of ukiyo-e to the bold experiments of sosaku-hanga, the country’s printmaking reflects a distinctive interplay of tradition, innovation and global dialogue.

On at the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts until June 15, ‘1,200 Years of Japanese Prints’ is an ambitious exhibition that traces the evolution of Japanese printmaking from the 8th century to the present. Featuring approximately 240 works from the museum’s extensive collection, the show explores how Japanese prints have absorbed and transformed influences from East Asia and the West across centuries of cultural exchange.

Highlights include Buddhist prints from the Nara period (710–794), Edo-period (1603–1867) ukiyo-e, and postwar avant-garde works. Each section reveals how printmaking has served not only as an artistic practice but also as a medium of connection, bridging geographies, ideologies and generations. The exhibition invites visitors to discover how a print can become a portal to 1,200 years of creative interaction and cultural resonance.

Since the release of Sally the Witch back in 1966, the ‘magical girl’ (maho shojo) has become one of the most popular types of Japanese anime. Featuring different variations of heroines wielding magic powers and often leading double lives, the genre has come a long way over its 60-year history – enough so that the Yokohama Doll Museum is dedicating an entire exhibition to exploring its imagery and social impact.

Recapping the evolution of the ‘magical girl’ over the decades, the show zooms in on aspects such as magic, transformation and heroism while displaying around 100 dolls, toys and other items related to various girls’ anime series. You’ll also be able to admire art such as original illustrations by manga artist Akemi Takada, whose characters have appeared in series including Creamy Mami and Urusei Yatsura.

On your way out, make sure to stop by the gift shop to browse a selection of exclusive Doll Museum and Creamy Mami merchandise.

Reopened in February 2025 after a comprehensive renovation, the Yokohama Museum of Art is making a triumphant return with this exhibition highlighting local art and history through the perspective of diversity. Shining a light on various people who lived in Yokohama prior to the city’s opening to foreign trade in 1859, the show seeks to offer new viewpoints on familiar artworks while imparting insight on lesser-known periods and episodes in the city’s past.

In addition, the exhibition serves as a ‘greatest hits’ display showcasing highlights from the museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, René Magritte and Yoshitomo Nara. If you’re visiting with children in tow, make sure to check out the kids’ section, where artworks are hung low on the walls for easy viewing.

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 blooms are usually at their best from mid- to late April, but they are still a magnificent sight if you catch them a bit earlier or even right after peak bloom. According to this year's forecast, the flowers will be in their full glory between April 20 to 27.

Along with the flowers, the park has gone all-out with blue food and drink for you to enjoy during your visit. Sample blue ramune-soda-flavoured soft cream served with nemophila-shaped cookies, pretty blue lemonade, lattes and even a blue-tinged curry ramen. While you're at it, pick up a few souvenirs to take home with you including nemophila macarons, cookies and jewellery featuring the flower of the season. 

The park is home to various other spring flowers, too, including daffodils and tulips, which also bloom between April and May.

The annual Fuji Shibazakura Festival is returning this spring with a staggering 500,000 pink, purple and white blooms from April 12 to May 25. With its seemingly endless fields of shibazakura (pink moss) and view 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 the eight kinds of shibazakura, you’ll get to see other colourful blooms like cherry blossoms, grape hyacinth, poppy anemone and forsythia. While you’re here, it’s also worth checking out the adjacent Peter Rabbit-themed English Garden, decorated with around 300 kinds of plants as well as figurines of the characters from the storybook. 

One of the best ways to get here is by highway bus. A round-trip ticket including festival entry fee starts from ¥8,800, with the bus departing from Ueno Station Park Exit, in front of Tokyu Plaza Ginza and in front of Kogakuin University near Shinjuku Station West exit. It takes you directly to the Fuji Shibazakura Festival in around two and a half hours. We recommend making reservations in advance because seats can fill up quickly during spring.

Otherwise, you can opt for the two-hour-long Limited Express Fuji Excursion train from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station, and hop on the Fuji Shibazakura liner shuttle bus for another 50 minutes to get to the venue.

For one of the best shows of wisteria in this region, you'll have a make a day trip to Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi prefecture. The annual, ever popular Fujinohana Monogatari Ofuji Festival runs from April 12 to May 18, with the evening light-up set for April 19 to May 18. 

The park is one of Japan’s top destinations for wisteria, boasting 350 trees that bloom from mid-April to mid-May. The stunning flowers, which dangle from wooden trellises, come in a riot of colours including violet, blue, pink, white and yellow blossoms. Each colour tends to bloom at different times: pink first, followed by purple, white and then yellow wisteria.

Spring is here, the flowers are blooming and many of us are excited to spend more time outdoors without bundling up. Cherry blossoms may get all the love and attention this season, but there are still a host of other flowers blooming all across Greater Tokyo. And you can see all of them for free at the two-month-long Garden Necklace event in Yokohama.

This year’s Garden Necklace takes place from March 19 to June 15 and highlights some of Yokohama’s most impressive flower gardens and parks. You’ll find beautiful spring flowers like cherry blossoms, tulips, roses and lilies. 

Space cats have landed in Saitama. From now until August 31, Hyper Museum Hanno presents 'Ship's Cat Island', a new exhibition from contemporary artist Kenji Yanobe. The exhibit consists of 80 of Yanobe's works, namely sculptures and drawings of cats decked out in space gear. For a family-friendly affair, check out the 'Hyper Kids Program', an experiential workshop for parents and kids to enjoy together.

Tickets can be purchased through various channels found on the Hyper Museum Hanno website here (info in Japanese).

These destinations for art and museum lovers are less than two hours from Tokyo, with art by Yayoi Kusama, Rothko, Picasso and more

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