The best things to do in Tokyo this weekend

Though the cherry blossom season is almost coming to an end, Kamakura is gearing up for another surge in visitors this month for the annual spring festival at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. The springtime Kamakura Matsuri happens on the second and third Sundays of April: head there on April 12 to watch a parade along the avenue running up to the shrine (10am start from Geba intersection), followed in the afternoon by a dance performance of Shizuka no Mai, a reenactment of a well-known event from 12th century Japan (from 3pm).

On April 18 and April 19, make your way to either Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine or Kenchoji Temple on April 18 or the Kamakura Daibutsuden Kotokuin grounds on April 19 to enjoy an outdoor Nodate tea ceremony, taking place from 10am to 3pm. Known also as the Nogake or Fusube tea ceremony, this is an ancient practice usually held in spring or summer, emphasising hospitality in pleasant weather. The day also features a programme of outdoor performances, so you'll have something to watch as you sip on freshly whisked matcha.

One of Tokyo’s largest koinobori festivals takes place at the foot of Tokyo Skytree, with 1,000 carp streamers fluttering in the air. The traditional koinobori carp streamers are put up to celebrate Children’s Day, which happens every May 5 during Golden Week. 

If you visit the fifth-floor Block 12 event space near Space 634, children can participate in a fun workshop to colour their own koinobori with guidance from carp streamer artisans for ¥500 (April 11-12). Additionally, other activities will also be taking place at venues around Tokyo Skytree Town, including a Taiwanese food festival, a workshop to make full-length embroidered carp streamers at Kyototo, and a carp streamer candy sculpting workshop at the Asakusa Amezaiku Ameshin store.

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 May 31 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), sheng jian bao (pan-fried soup dumplings) 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 and Tainan-style vibrant lanterns to give it a Taiwanese night market feel.

The 7,800sqm azalea garden at Jindai Botanical Garden has around 12,000 flowers that reach peak bloom from mid-April through to the beginning of May. You can see around 270 kinds of azalea that cover the entire field in shades of pink, red and white. There’s also a viewing platform from where you can get a 360-degree view of the azalea garden.

Celebrate spring's arrival at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi, where the annual highlight is the illumination of the 200m avenue lined with cherry blossoms in the Garden Area. This spot is especially scenic between 5pm and 11pm during the spring festival when all of the trees are lit up. Before the cherry blossoms bloom, they're bathed in bright pink light. Once in full bloom, the lights shine a bright white, letting you admire the blossoms in all their splendour.

For an extra leisurely experience, grab a seat at the Roku Midtown Blossom Lounge (12pm-8pm) in Midtown Garden, where you’ll find exclusive spring-inspired cocktails and dishes prepared by chefs from the nearby Ritz-Carlton hotel.

Check the lounge menu here. 

The Takanawa Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in an expansive Japanese garden with around 210 cherry trees across 17 varieties. Starting with the early-blooming kawazu sakura in February, the garden offers a succession of blossoms to enjoy for nearly three months.

The cherry blossoms here are illuminated nightly from 4.30pm to midnight until April 19. During the festival, the garden paths are also lined with more than 400 ornate bamboo lanterns inspired by Takanawa Nijurokuya, an Edo-period moon-waiting ritual (1603–1868). It’s an especially scenic spot for capturing memorable sakura photos. Kimono rentals are also available.

While you're there, don't miss the exciting workshops at the Japanese garden, such as the cherry blossom bonsai crafting experience, Kyoto-style sweets-making class, outdoor morning yoga, and more. Special cherry blossom-viewing rooms and al-fresco breakfast sessions are also available for booking.

For more information on workshops and stay packages, check the event website.

Japan’s mountainous regions are renowned for their beautiful cloud formations known as unkai (‘sea of clouds’), which appear in the morning hours of spring and autumn. Now you can experience this scenic view at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, where the garden features its own misty sea of clouds against a backdrop of beautiful cherry blossoms. While entry to the garden is free, it's only open to guests who are shopping, dining or staying at the hotel.

This spring, the garden and its 20 species of cherry blossoms – 100 trees in total – will be illuminated with brilliant lights in the evening. Expect to see a special light show with unkai clouds every hour from 6.40pm, 7.40pm, 8.40pm and 9.40pm daily.

You can visit the garden day or night and see the sakura flowers for free. But for an extra indulgence, the hotel is offering numerous food and drink plans that can be enjoyed while looking out at the sea of clouds, including a Sakura Afternoon Tea at its third-floor restaurant, Le Jardin. The afternoon tea includes their original blend tea 'Le Jardin,' a pink cherry blossom cake, an assortment of scones and savoury hors d'oeuvre. It costs ¥7,500 per person (exclusive of a 15 percent service charge) and must be booked in advance via Tablecheck.

Catch the sight of cherry blossoms before anywhere else at the 60th floor observatory of Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City this spring. From February 26 to May 10, the relaxing indoor park with artificial turf will be decorated with colourful cherry blossom decorations, including branches from real Somei Yoshino cherry trees nearby. These will be set up mainly around the Tembo no Oka (‘observatory hill’) area.

Since the observatory’s whole hanami experience can be enjoyed indoors, there’s no need to worry about the weather or any irritating pollen flying around. During the event period, the Tembo Park Cafe will be offering a special hanami menu featuring treats such as the Sakura Peach Soda Float and the Haruno-otozure (coming of spring) parfait. You can borrow a picnic blanket at the venue and sit down on the turf with your refreshments. 

If you’re visiting after nightfall, don’t miss the chance to try the glowing Yozakura Soda, which is inspired by illuminated cherry blossoms in the night sky. It’s the perfect complement to the beautifully lit cherry blossom ornaments and eye-catching views of Tokyo. Handheld lanterns are also available to borrow after dusk, further enhancing the atmosphere.

Here’s your chance to welcome the sakura season before the blossoms even come out this spring – at one of Tokyo’s tallest observatories to boot. Tokyo Skytree’s lower observation decks (at 340 and 350 metres above ground level) are getting a full cherry blossom makeover from February 26 to April 14, with plenty of photo spots and opportunities to take in the city’s breathtaking views framed by sakura.

As dusk falls, the flower decorations on floor 350 are accompanied by a majestic projection-mapping show using the observatory windows as a canvas. Each screening lasts three minutes and takes place at 7pm, 7.45pm and 8.30pm (7.10pm, 7.50pm and 8.35pm Mar 1-8; 7pm, 7.15pm, 7.50pm and 8.35pm Mar 9-31; and 7.30pm, 7.45pm, 8.20pm and 9pm from Apr 1 onwards).

If you’re looking for something to satiate your appetite, make a beeline to Skytree Cafe for their exclusive sweets and drinks menu. Along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that are appropriately pink and sakura-flavoured, the café is offering plant-based vegan and gluten-free doughnuts. The matcha-coloured Sakura Mochi doughnut and sky-blue Sakura Sky Vanilla doughnut make a perfect pairing with the cherry-themed drinks. 

After your visit, don’t miss the special cherry blossom light-up which lights up the tower in vibrant pink and blue almost daily from February 26 to April 14.

Tickets can be purchased through the official website.

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, visit here.

This expansive exhibition is the largest in the Doraemon franchise’s 56-year history, bringing together manga panels, animation, sculptures, limited-edition merch and a themed food menu all starring the world’s favourite blue robot cat and his friends. It launched in Hong Kong in July 2024, attracting over five million visitors during its month-long run. Since then, it has continued to captivate fans across Asia, making its way through several cities including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Bangkok, and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

The exhibition space contains over 100 distinct Doraemon figures, each with its own expression and costume. In addition to showcasing the content from the previous cities, the Tokyo exhibition also features Japan-exclusive works. Here you can see Doraemon transformed into a shiba inu, a sumo wrestler and a few other forms inspired by Japanese culture, as well as view two original animations not seen elsewhere.

‘100% Doraemon & Friends’ runs until September 30 and is open from 10am to 6pm daily (last entry 5.30pm). Tickets start from ¥2,400 for adults, ¥1,800 for primary and secondary school students and ¥1,600 for children four years old and below – purchase yours here. As an added bonus, upon arrival exhibition visitors receive one of nine Doraemon-themed acrylic pins and one of four promotional cards (both chosen at random).

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.

Internationally recognised photographer and film director Mika Ninagawa is hosting a solo exhibition at the homey and intimate DDDArt art gallery in Shimokitazawa this spring. Much smaller in scale than the likes of her recent projects in Kyoto, at Expo 2025 and Tokyo Node, the exhibition takes a step back to revisit Ninagawa’s body of work, from her early career to her latest creations.

Coinciding with the launch of her latest photo book with the same name, the exhibition brings the artist’s worldview to life in a physical space. As if the vibrant pages of the book were superimposed onto reality, the tatami-floored kominka folk house is reborn with shimmering crystal strands, red and pink paint splatters and super-saturated photo prints.

Running until May 31, the exhibit is only a short stroll away from Shimokitazawa, where Ninagawa herself spent over a decade in her formative years. Why not take a detour towards Sangenjaya for a creative journey on your next visit to the area?

Prepare your ponchos and panniers, as Harajuku J-fashion icon Sebastian Masuda has opened his first large-scale solo exhibition in years in Hyper Museum Hanno. The exhibition, running from March 14 to August 30, is packed with psychedelic candy-coloured installation rooms, art pieces and sculptures by Masuda himself, created over the years and brought to Japan for the event.

The exhibition unfolds across six themed spaces presented in a loose chronology, tracing Masuda’s formative experiences and how he arrived at his own understanding of kawaii after navigating personal conflicts.

While it’s taking place a bit outside central Tokyo, the exhibition offers an approachable but deep dive into Harajuku kawaii while prompting a look at where the culture is headed next. Be sure to visit the museum pop-up shop, which stocks exclusive T-shirts, stickers, omamori amulets and more.

Tickets are now on sale via Asoview, Artsticker, Lawson Ticket and Seven Ticket.

Brace yourselves – things are about to get intensely kawaii. From April 9 to June 21, the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Roppongi hosts the final and most expansive edition of a pink-hued exhibition that has toured Japan since 2021. Marking more than 60 years since the founding of cute character empire Sanrio, the show returns to Tokyo in an enriched version that looks back not only at the company’s history, but also at the birth and global rise of kawaii as a cultural language.

Before Hello Kitty’s debut in 1974 (!), Sanrio was already exploring new forms of visual softness, warmth and emotional connection. The exhibition traces this formative period, revealing how kawaii emerged as a distinct value through early designs, products and ideas. Subsequent sections delve into the creation of the company’s multifarious characters, the enduring appeal of Kitty-chan and Sanrio’s unique philosophy of growing characters together with their fans. Central to this story is Ichigo Shinbun, the fan mag that fostered a participatory culture long before the age of social media.

The exhibition culminates in a spectacular gathering of characters: over 200 appear on display, the largest number in Sanrio exhibition history, alongside a vast array of nostalgic merchandise. More than a celebration of cuteness, ‘The Beginning of Kawaii’ offers a thoughtful portrait of how Sanrio shaped, and continues to shape, a global cultural phenomenon.

When at the exhibition, be sure to also check out the collab café right next to the museum.

Ueno’s University Art Museum plays host to this landmark celebration of one of Japan’s most enduring art-focused TV programmes. Since its debut in 1976, NHK Sunday Museum (Nichiyo Bijutsukan) has aired more than 2,500 episodes, introducing audiences to masterpieces from across eras and cultures while elevating the voices of cast members, thinkers and performers who reflect on the meaning of beauty. The exhibition, on view from March 28 to June 21, revisits this half-century history through roughly 120 works presented across five thematic chapters.

Visitors will encounter iconic pieces that shaped the programme’s narrative, from prehistoric Jomon pottery and Edo-period (1603–1868) screens to Paul Cézanne’s Bathers, Alberto Giacometti’s Yanaihara I, Taro Okamoto’s Encounter and the haunting visions of Tetsuya Ishida. Archival footage and carefully selected quotes from past broadcasts, including reflections by literary giants, dancers and contemporary creators, illuminate how the show has continued to discover beauty across generations. High-definition projections, including a life-size rendering of Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, further expand the experience.

Touching on themes such as rediscovered Japanese aesthetics, the evolution of craft, the relationship between art and disaster and the intimate space of the artist’s studio, the exhibition offers a sweeping meditation on creativity. This anniversary celebration stands as a vivid tribute to a programme that has long served as a bridge between the public and beauty.

Having spent over four decades redefining the relationship between art, technology and desire, Hajime Sorayama is one of Japan’s most celebrated contemporary artists. Noted for his iconic Sexy Robot series and his pioneering fusion of human sensuality and mechanical precision, Sorayama’s work has influenced generations of creators across art, design and popular culture – from RoboCop to Dior. His visionary approach, uniting the sensual with the synthetic, has earned him international acclaim and a lasting place in the subcultural art canon.

Opening this spring at the Creative Museum Tokyo, ‘Sorayama: Light, Reflection, Transparency -Tokyo-’ marks the artist’s largest retrospective in Japan to date, following its acclaimed debut in Shanghai. The exhibition traces Sorayama’s artistic evolution from his first robot painting in 1978 to his latest digital and sculptural works. Visitors will encounter highlights such as the original Aibo robot design for Sony, the artwork for Aerosmith’s Just Push Play album, and an immersive installation that embodies Sorayama’s lifelong pursuit of capturing light, air and reflections.

By blending futuristic imagination with classical mastery, Sorayama invites viewers to contemplate a world where human emotion and machine form merge in radiant harmony.

The National Museum of Western Art’s ‘Artists by Artists in Western Prints’ explores how artists have portrayed themselves (and one another) through the medium of printmaking from the Renaissance to the modern era.

Featuring nearly 50 works drawn primarily from the museum’s collection, the exhibition traces the historical evolution of the artist’s image in Western art. During the Middle Ages, creators were largely regarded as anonymous craftsmen, and their likenesses rarely appeared in the works they produced. From the 16th century onward, however, artists began to assert a new identity, aligning artistic creation with intellectual inquiry and positioning themselves as practitioners of the liberal arts. As their social status rose, so too did interest in the individual artist, giving rise to the flourishing tradition of the self-portrait.

The exhibition includes prints by major figures such as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Francisco Goya and Pablo Picasso. Alongside self-portraits, you’ll encounter images of artists at work and idealised representations of the creative figure.

Together, these diverse images offer a compelling reflection on how the notion of the artist has evolved, from skilled artisan to solitary, introspective creator, while inviting viewers to reconsider the enduring relationship between identity, creativity and self-expression.

Picking out some special treats from its plentiful permanent collection to celebrate the onset of spring, the National Museum of Modern Art displays sakura-themed art from March 13 to April 12. You’ll get to see Kawai Gyokudo’s folding-screen masterpiece Parting Spring and classics such as Hobun Kikuchi’s Fine Rain on Mt Yoshino at this seasonal exhibition. A visit here is best combined with cherry blossom-viewing at the nearby Imperial Palace, the Chidorigafuchi promenade and Kitanomaru Park. Make sure to stop by the museum shop on the first floor to pick up some seasonal trinkets decorated with floral motifs.

Special tours in English are also offered for free on March 19, 25-26, April 1-2 and 9, showcasing several spring-themed works. Reservations are not required.

The exhibition is closed on Mondays (except March 30).

Roe Ethridge is one of the most influential photographers of his generation, celebrated for a practice that fluidly moves between fine art and commercial imagery. Born in Miami in 1969 and based in New York, Ethridge has developed a distinctive visual language by repurposing techniques from fashion and advertising photography into the realm of contemporary art. His photographs, often still lifes or seemingly mundane subjects, create subtle tensions between reality and fiction, familiarity and estrangement. Collected by major institutions including MoMA, Tate Modern and the Guggenheim, his work consistently reveals how images construct meaning in both personal and cultural contexts.

‘Chanel History Collection by Roe Ethridge’ is an exhibition unveiling a body of work commissioned for Chanel Arts & Culture Magazine, launched in 2025. For this project, Ethridge was granted rare access to the House of Chanel’s Patrimoine archives and to Gabrielle Chanel’s preserved apartment at 31 rue Cambon in Paris. There he photographed objects that shaped Chanel’s artistic universe: a sculpted bust by Jacques Lipchitz, manuscripts by Pierre Reverdy, works linked to Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso, and even an ancient Egyptian funerary mask.

Reimagined through Ethridge’s lens and combined with contemporary props in his Paris studio, these images breathe new life into Chanel’s legacy as a visionary designer and patron of the avant-garde. The exhibition encourages dialogue between past and present, extending Chanel’s century-long commitment to artistic creation through the eyes of a photographer who thrives on reinvention.