Things to do in Tokyo today

Curated by Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group, Benten Art Night returns to Kabukicho for its second edition under the theme ‘Rewilding the City’. The three-day event spreads across the Ohjo Building, Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Stage, Decameron, Whitehouse and Tokyo Desert, spanning the corners of Kabukicho from refined stages to red-light alleys. Every space becomes part of a larger performance, merging art with the unruly energy that defines the district. Kabukicho has always existed on the edge – once a postwar black-market hub, now an entertainment labyrinth where chaos and capital constantly collide. ‘Rewilding the City’ asks how art can recover its primal instinct in a landscape shaped by control, surveillance and redevelopment. The result is a city-scale experiment where installations, projections and live works dissolve the boundaries between exhibition and nightlife. This year’s program includes Miwa Yanagi’s new show ‘Mneme’ and her stage performance ‘Yomizumi Hirasaka – Exhaustion and Yugaku’ (November 3 only), alongside projects like Karearetari Shinjuku, Dommune Kabukicho and a limited revival of Geijutsu Kominkan. Together, they capture what makes Kabukicho one of Tokyo’s most alive and unpredictable districts. Advance tickets start at ¥3,000 via ArtSticker, with discounts for those under 18 and free entry for junior high students and younger. Three nights of noise, movement and art that, like Kabukicho, refuses to be tamed. Check out the full program on the official...

Showa Kinen Park is the most beautiful in autumn, with the maple and ginkgo trees blushing in fiery red and yellow respectively. The ginkgo trees are the first to turn and you can see two boulevards of the golden yellow trees as soon as you enter the park’s Tachikawa gate. These trees are expected to turn full yellow in mid-November. The momiji and kaede trees, however, present their signature vermillion hues a bit later towards the end of November. During this season, the park stays open after dark, with special light-ups taking place at the Gingko Tree Avenue (near the futsal and basketball courts) and the traditional Japanese Garden from 4.30pm until 8.30pm. While you can enjoy the light-ups at Gingko Tree Avenue with just the park's regular admission fee (¥450, free for junior high school students and younger), you need an extra ticket to enter the Japanese Garden (advance ticket online ¥1,200, primary and junior high school students ¥600; same-day tickets sold at Komorebi House close to the Japanese Garden ¥1,300, ¥700). Tickets to enter the Japanese Garden are now available for purchase online, including park admission and Japanese Garden bundle pass for a discounted price of ¥1,600 (¥600). Admission into the Japanese Garden is waived on October 30 and 31.

Commemorating its founding and connection with Emperor Meiji (1867–1912), Meiji Shrine in Harajuku is set to host its annual autumn festival with three consecutive days of sacred rituals and performing arts. Taking place from Saturday November 1 to the November 3 public holiday, the festival features rituals to commemorate the enshrinement of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken as Shinto deities at the shrine. These festivities include the ‘Tokoshie no Mai’ kagura dance on Nov 1. If you’re looking to watch something more casual, check out the stage performances such as bugaku court dances (11.45am on November 2), Noh and Kyogen theatricals (12noon on November 1), Aikido martial arts and kyudo archery demonstrations (9am on November 3), biwa performances (3pm on November 3) and much more. But if you only have time to watch one performance, make it the yabusame horseback archery by the Japan Equestrian Archery Association, taking place on November 3 from 1pm at the Nishisando lawn area. While the show itself is free to watch, be sure to grab a spot early, as space is limited and admission may be restricted after the venue reaches capacity.

Yosakoi (or as this festival spells it, 'yosacoy') Odori may not have the most alluring origin story – it was first devised in the 1950s as an effort to revive the post-war economy – yet festivals celebrating the dance demonstrate its extraordinary popularity in Japan. Expect to see around 50 teams of performers combine traditional Japanese movements with contemporary music at this two-day festival, the biggest of its kind in Tokyo. It will feature around 5,000 performers, each carrying a pair of naruko (wooden clappers) to accentuate the dance with rhythms.  The festivities take place in two areas, but if you want to catch the free performances, make a beeline for Tokyo Station's Marunouchi side on Monday November 3 from 9.30am to 1pm. Additional performances are held around Odaiba over the weekend, but these require a paid ticket. However, there are also designated areas where you can watch for free. You can check the schedule here. 

The Kanda Furuhon (Used Book) Festival in Tokyo's booktown Jimbocho has been held annually since 1960, traditionally timing it to coincide with the Culture Day national holiday on November 3. In addition to offering a vast array of used books, the festival also encompasses a number of other book-related offers and events, including an outdoor book market, the sale of a number of specially selected rare books, and a charity used-book auction. Though the majority of the tomes on display are in Japanese, it's still easy to lose a few hours in idle browsing.

This winter, the Sagamihara City Museum invites visitors on an interstellar adventure where science meets imagination, plus more cuddly Pokémon than you can shake a stick at. ‘Pokémon Observatory’ is organised in collaboration with the Pokémon Company, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and JAXA, transforming the mysteries of the universe into a playful, educational journey guided by the beloved creatures of the Pokémon world. From the familiar glow of the Moon and Sun to distant galaxies, the exhibition employs the world of Pokémon to explain celestial phenomena in engaging, accessible ways. Visitors of all ages will get to explore how the fantastical ecologies of Pokémon mirror the diversity and wonder of the cosmos. And yes, of course – there’ll be limited-edition merch available. Among the highlights is the debut of Starry Sky Pikachu, a plush mascot sold exclusively at the venue. With interactive displays and imaginative storytelling, ‘Pokémon Observatory’ captures the spirit of discovery, and invites young and old to gaze upward and ask new questions about the universe.

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.

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 ‘Idol’ and 'Butai ni tatte' by hit Japanese pop duo Yoasobi as well as ‘Pac-Man eats Tokyo’, ‘Lunar Cycle’, ‘Synergy’, ‘Poetic Structures’ and ‘Golden Fortune’. On weekends, you can look forward to a showcase featuring 'Godzilla: Attack on Tokyo!', the aforementioned ‘Butai ni tatte (Yoasobi)’ as well as ‘Tokyo Concerto’ and ‘TYO337’, a display featuring motifs of traditional Japanese performing arts such as Kabuki paired with electronic beats.  From April 26, ‘Tokyo Gundam in the Future’, a brand new projection mapping show featuring a Gundam with a newly reimagined Mobile Suit colour scheme, will begin on weekends and holidays every hour from 7pm (7.30pm from May 10). Be sure to check the event website for more details. Shows take place every night at half-hour intervals from 7.30pm (Sep from 7.30pm, Oct from 6pm, Nov & Dec from 5.30pm) to 9.45pm. For more details and to check the...

Get a glimpse of daily German life at the annual Deutschland Festival, held at Aoyama Park this year. Co-sponsored by the German Embassy, the event features a variety of live music performances, traditional German craft workshops, market stalls, and of course, food and drink. Try local delicacies such as German beer, wine, pretzels, sauerkraut and sausages. For 2025, you can also look forward to thrilling cage football matches on November 1 and 2 as part of a mini Bundesliga Cup tournament—a fast-paced version of football played with fewer players on a compact 7-by-9-metre enclosed court.

Komazawa Olympic Park is hosting a ramen festival with over a dozen booths serving Japanese noodles from different prefectures. You can go for a simple shoyu (soy sauce) or shio (salt) ramen, or a bowl with rich tonkotsu pork broth, or one topped generously with beef. Be warned though: some stalls are expected to have up to two hours wait time, as they are exclusive to the festival or have won the Ramen Grand Prix in recent years. The event is split into three parts, each with a different set of vendors. The ramen restaurants that are participating in the first part (October 23 to 26) include Katsuryu from Ibaraki prefecture with its rich paitan (cloudy white chicken broth) ramen topped with uni, and Kumamoto Ramen Kokutei from Kumamoto prefecture, whose signature tonkotsu ramen is a voluminous bowl topped with seared pork belly. The second part (October 27 to 30) features Hokkaido prefecture's Maruesu Shokudo with its Hokkaido-style miso-based bowl made with chicken and pork broth, and Hakushin from Gifu prefecture with its umami-rich miso broth made from dried shrimp. Lastly, the third part (October 31 to 3) features Oita prefecture's Hakuryu with its rich tonkotsu (pork-based) soup, as well as Honda Shoten from Fukuoka Prefecture, serving up authentic Kurume-style tonkotsu ramen – said to be the original birthplace of the dish. In short, you’ll find every kind of ramen that your heart desires at Tokyo Ramen Festa. Admission is free while a bowl of noodles costs ¥1,100....