Things to do in Tokyo this week

Held in its grandest form only once every three years, the Tsukiji Shishi Matsuri, or Lion Dance Festival, takes place over three days around Namiyoke Inari Shrine at the edge of Tsukiji Outer Market. This year, the festival returns in its largest and most spectacular scale.

On Thursday June 11 at 11am, you can join in a ritual to ward off bad luck and infectious diseases, while on Saturday June 13, you can watch Edo no Sato Kagura, a sacred Shinto music and dance performance from the Edo period. 

The festival’s main event happens on Sunday June 14, when a series of mikoshi parade through the streets with the eponymous lion dance. The procession starts at 8.30am at Namiyoke Inari Shrine and ends when the mikoshi make their return to the shrine at 3.40pm.

If you can’t make it to the shrine in the morning, download this map (in Japanese only), as it shows the parade's route and the arrival time at each checkpoint.

Make sure to fuel up on some tasty festival grub at the food stalls that will be there on Saturday and Sunday.

See a huge four-tonne mikoshi (portable shrine) being shuttled through the streets near Torigoe Shrine in Asakusabashi at this traditional festival known for the intense fights that invariably break out over who gets to carry the monster mikoshi.

The main event is on Sunday June 7 from 6.50am to 9pm, when the mikoshi is carried through the streets. If you want to catch the best of the action with beautifully lit lanterns, be here at around 8.30pm to see the mikoshi make its way back to the shrine.

Meanwhile on Saturday June 6, local neighbourhood associations parade their own, much smaller portable shrines around the area. Also don’t miss the food stalls that are set up along the streets during the festival.

For more details, check the event Facebook page.

Celebrated since the early 17th century and recognised as one of the three great festivals of Edo (along with the Kanda and Fukagawa festivals), the Sanno Matsuri marks the start of Tokyo's summer festival season.

The highlight of the 10-day festival is the Jinkosai Grand Procession, a biennial event that will take place for the first time in two years on Friday June 12. The procession features around 500 participants dressed in imperial court attire, who will march approximately 23km through Tokyo, passing landmarks including the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station and the Ginza Crossing. This year, the main mikoshi float will feature Ebisu, the god of fortune, riding atop a giant shrimp.

Meanwhile, a series of smaller-scale events will still take place at the festival’s main site, Hie Shrine. Events include a lantern display of children's drawings within the shrine grounds from Sunday June 7 and the chigo-gyoretsu parade (Sunday June 14 at 12noon and 2.30pm), where children dress up in orange, green and purple to wish for health and growth. Another highlight is the Sanno Kasho Festival on Tuesday June 16 at 1pm – a Heian period ritual where wagashi (Japanese sweets) artisans present their creations to the gods, praying for protection against epidemics. Check out the schedule (in Japanese only) for all the details.

Coinciding with the festivities at Hie Shrine, the public square at Sanno Park Tower will host the Sanno Ondo Bon Odori Festival. Taking place daily from 6pm between Saturday June 13 and Monday June 15, the event invites visitors to enjoy the summer evening breeze while joining in communal bon odori dances accompanied by the rhythmic beats of taiko drums. There will also be plenty of food stalls, making this a quintessential summertime matsuri experience.

Twenty-seven popular burger shops from across Japan are gathering at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse to compete in the third Japan Burger Championship from June 12 to 14. Each venue will be cooking up its best hamburgers, which will be judged based on the taste and skill of the chefs. The winner of the competition will compete in the World Food Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana this coming October.

Several burger joints in Tokyo's burger scene are taking part, including Brisk Stand and Chronic Burger, alongside restaurants from across Japan and overseas. Participating vendors include burger specialists from Nagano, Kagoshima, Miyagi and Gunma, as well as former world champions from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

Pair your burgers with a side of fries from a selection of vendors specialising in the crispy spuds. New for 2026, burgers can be cut into halves or quarters for a small fee, making it easier to sample a wider variety of burgers or share them with friends and family.

June and rainy season also means it’s the season for the grey month’s most iconic flower: ajisai, the Japanese hydrangea. To see the blue beauties in bloom right here in Tokyo, head for Hakusan Shrine and its popular Ajisai Matsuri, which features up to 3,000 flowers spread out over an area reaching from the shrine toward nearby Hakusan Park. A number of performances will also be taking place at the shrine including taiko drum performances, hula dancing and a jazz performance by a local school band. 

The shrine itself is known for its power to heal dental ailments, so you may witness a traditional tooth-prayer ceremony or the like during the event period.

Yebisu Garden Place’s annual outdoor cinema returns this summer to the roofed Center Plaza, offering 15 free screenings on astroturf with food trucks on site. Held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until July 5, Picnic Cinema combines film, food and fitness into one ultimate urban picnic experience.

Open-air mobile theatre company Kino Iglu is organising and curating this year’s film selection, offering something for just about every kind of moviegoer. Expect everything from coming-of-age stories like 'Lady Bird' (2017) and nostalgic classics such as 'Melody' (1971), to acclaimed dramas including 'Past Lives' (2023) and 'Still Walking' (2008). There are also crowd-pleasing picks like 'The Truman Show' (1998) and 'Galaxy Quest' (1999), plus action-packed Hong Kong newcomer 'Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In' (2024). While shows start at 7.30pm, we recommend arriving early to secure a good spot to lay down your mat. Check the event website for the full list of films.

Popular restaurants from the Ebisu area – all winners of the local ‘Best Dish to Pair with Yebisu Beer’ gourmet contest – including Japanese comfort food favourite Taishu Kissa Tsubaki, will be setting up stalls at Clock Square for the ‘Foodies’ Picnic’ held alongside the outdoor cinema. Grab a bite and unwind with great food and drinks on the spacious artificial grass lawn at the central plaza. Food trucks serving smaller, easy-to-eat snacks will also be on-site.

For fitness-minded folk, morning and evening yoga sessions are also held on the aforementioned lawn. Slots are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Check the event website for details.

Billboard Japan and Spotify are teaming up to spotlight women artists this June with a mixed bill featuring some very big names. Billed in alphabetical order, the line-up features J-pop foursome Atarashii Gakko!, Okinawan rapper Awich, alternative rock duo Hitsujibungaku and hip-hop artist Lana, all of whom have been at the forefront of their respective scenes for the past several years.

Awich will be performing off the back of a November album release entitled Okinawan Wuman, executive-produced by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and featuring guest appearances from some familiar names, including RZA, ASAP Ferg and Joey Badass. 

The other artists on the bill have been keeping busy, too. Hitsujibungaku released a new single this May and have performances slated for Liquidroom’s 22nd anniversary and Summer Sonic in the coming months. Lana is currently in the midst of a national tour with 11 shows sold out on the current leg, and two final performances recently announced for Yoyogi National Gymnasium in August. 

Atarashii Gakko! are not to be outdone with a recent single release and 18 shows currently booked for the rest of the year, including appearances at Lollapalooza in Berlin, an 11th anniversary show in London, Bumbershoot in Seattle and Primavera Sound in Brazil. 

Needless to say, tickets won’t last long for this one. General advance sales start on May 23 on Ticket Pia, Eplus and Lawson Ticket. 

Aimed at queer teenagers and young adults, Youth Pride acts as a place to network and meet other LGBTQ individuals in a welcoming and safe space. The two-day event features several goings-on from panel discussions to a fashion show, all aimed at encouraging LGBTQ youth and proving opportunities for connection and growth.

This year’s Youth Pride takes place at With Harajuku Hall June 13 from 12noon to 5pm and June 14 from 10am to 5pm. Entry is free with no pre-registration required.

This free, monthlong exhibition happening from June 3 to 28 features artworks created by queer artists, offering viewers a chance to peruse LGBTQ+ art and show their support by purchasing their favourite artists’ works.

Speaking of favourite artists, a tip box will be set up so that you can vote for your faves; the winning artist receives ¥100,000. To get in on the action and catch some queer culture, drop by the newly opened Queer Space Tokyo, a community space in Minato completed only in January of this year.

From now until June 14, you can catch hydrangeas blooming in one of Tokyo’s most picturesque Japanese gardens. Rikugien Gardens is currently celebrating the onset of summer with around 1,000 hydrangeas spanning 15 varieties. 

The highlight of the event is arguably the mountain hydrangeas, an elegant variety of that has bloomed on the Japanese archipelago since ancient times. These flowers may not have the conventional appearance of a common hydrangea, but they are still beautiful in their own right while being of modest colour and size. At the garden you’ll also find the vibrant pink Satsuki azaleas, which are also native to the mountains of Japan.

Entrance to Rikugien costs ¥300 (free for primary students and younger). Posters explaining the different varieties of hydrangeas will feature descriptions in both Japanese and English.

Go on a floral outing this summer to enjoy the sight of over 20,000 hydrangeas at the 25th annual Hakkeijima Hydrangea Festival. Held from June 6 to June 28, this free event lets you explore the island of Hakkeijima (about 30 minutes by train from Yokohama) and its eight hydrangea spots.

Highlights include the indigenous Hakkei-blue hydrangea, a variety created to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise theme park. The island features eight hydrangea viewing spots in total, some of which also double as stamp rally checkpoints. Collect stamps from five participating locations and you’ll receive discounts at selected restaurants and shops around the island.

Whenever you need to rest your feet and recharge, restaurants across the island are serving special flower-themed drinks and desserts. The most eye-catching of them all is the hydrangea lemon tea (¥520) sold at Cable Car Coffee.

The stamp rally is held daily from 10am-4pm.

Looking for a weekend getaway to see hydrangeas in nature without leaving Tokyo proper? Check out the hydrangea festival at Wonderful Nature Village next to Tokyo Summerland, taking place from June 6 to July 5. Here, you’ll find a sea of white hydrangeas blooming across the hillsides. This section of the sprawling park alone is home to more than 15,000 hydrangeas, which are expected to reach peak bloom from mid to late June.

Aside from the white Anabelle hydrangea, the park also cultivates beautiful blue hydrangeas Kurohime and Ezohoshino that are indigenous to Japan. These varieties will likely reach peak bloom between early to mid June.

While you’re there for these summer blooms, why not beat the heat with a refreshing splash at nearby Tokyo Summerland? This super popular water park on the fringes of Tokyo boasts a large indoor pool for all weather conditions as well as a 650m-long outdoor pool with flowing water (advance tickets are required for Tokyo Summerland).

To get there, take the Keio Line from Shinjuku to Keio Hachioji Station. From there, hop on a local bus and you'll reach Wonderful Nature Village in about 35 minutes. For more details, including other bus connections from Keio Hachioji and Akigawa stations, see the venue website (in Japanese only).

The hydrangea festival takes place daily from 9am to 5pm.

Yomiuri Land amusement park has been breeding and raising fireflies to help conserve the species since 2009. This summer, you can watch genji botaru fireflies in June and heike botaru fireflies in July illuminate the beautiful Hana Biyori garden after dark, with the display running until July 1.

Hana Biyori is open from 10am, but the fireflies viewing time is from 7.40pm until 9pm (8.30pm on weekdays). 

A Hana Biyori ticket (¥800) and a separate Hotaru Biyori ticket (¥400) are required for admission.

Kyu Furukawa Gardens in Tokyo’s Kita Ward is known for its colourful roses that start to bloom in May, and this festival is your best chance to enjoy them all. The Western-style garden on the upper grounds is adorned with 200 roses of 100 different varieties. In addition to your vivid red and pink blossoms, you’ll get to see pastel-coloured ones including Kinda Blue, Cinderella, Manyo and New Dawn roses, too.

There will also be musical performances held on the lawn on May 23 and June 21 from 12noon and at 3pm.  Expect to also see a market in the garden selling potted roses, rose-inspired gelato and gardening goods from 10am to 4.30pm.

Check the garden's Twitter account for the most up-to-date flowering status.

Tokyo Tower’s alternative to the usual summer beer gardens kicks off the outdoor drinking season with a double dose of whisky highball festivals. Head to the terrace at the base of the tower for a wide selection of highballs alongside snacks like karaage and grilled bacon.

There’s also a meatier option on the roof of the Tokyo Tower Foot Town, where the Tokyo Tower Rooftop Highball Garden serves all-you-can-eat jingisukan, the Hokkaido-born lamb barbecue named after Mongol warlord Genghis Khan.

Two hours of all-you-can-drink alcohol and limitless jingisukan costs ¥6,300 (teens aged 13-19 ¥4,300, primary school students ¥3,300, children aged 4-6 ¥2,300, all with non-alcoholic drinks, of course).

The Tokyo Tower Ultimate Kaku Highball Garden at the base of the tower is open until October 12, from 4pm-10pm on weekdays and 12noon-10pm on Sat, Sun & holidays.

The Tokyo Tower Rooftop Highball Garden is open until October 18, from 5pm-10pm daily. Make your reservations here.

Shinjuku welcomes a brand new Korean pub-style beer garden, located on the rooftop of the Lumine Est shopping complex in the heart of the city. You can choose from four meal plans: the Pocha course (¥3,500), which includes yangnyeom chicken and bulgogi kimbap; the Korean Chicken BBQ course (from ¥4,000), offering chicken marinated in sweet and spicy miso sauce as well as salted green onion sauce; the samgyeopsal and beef galbi course (¥5,000), featuring makgeolli-aged samgyeopsal and seafood pancake; and the premium BBQ course (from ¥6,000), which builds on the samgyeopsal set with the addition of wagyu steak. All four courses come with a two-hour all-you-can-drink plan, with the options including fruit-flavoured soju, makgeolli, highballs, and both Korean and Japanese beers, along with unlimited banchan (Korean mini side dishes), French fries and curry.

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.

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.

What began as a picture book has grown into a global phenomenon. After stops in Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong and Paris, ‘The Monsters 10th Anniversary Exhibition’ is finally coming to Tokyo, bringing with it a host of special experiences for Labubu fans.

Held at Azabudai Hills Gallery, the exhibition celebrates creator Kasing Lung’s monster universe and traces Labubu’s journey from storybook character to worldwide sensation. Highlights include the Painting and Sculpture Zone, showcasing Lung’s original paintings and 3D works, the immersive Mirror Room, and the adorable Plush House packed with Labubu plush toys.

Visitors can also experience the world premiere of ‘The Story of Puca’, which brings part of The Monsters Trilogy to life through projection mapping and 3D surround sound.

Naturally, there will be plenty of exclusive merchandise, including 10th anniversary figure sets (available via lottery), as well as tote bags, accessories and other collectibles. Round off your visit at the themed café, where you’ll find food and drinks inspired by characters including Labubu, Zimomo and Mokoko.

Ron Mueck has long been celebrated for redefining figurative sculpture through extraordinary craftsmanship and emotional acuity. After early work in film and advertising, the Australian-born, UK-based artist emerged on the contemporary art scene in the mid-1990s, gaining international attention with Pinocchio (1996) and Dead Dad (1996-97), the latter exhibited in the landmark ‘Sensation’ show at London’s Royal Academy in 1997.

Over the decades, his meticulously crafted human figures, rendered at startlingly altered scales, have probed themes of vulnerability, solitude, resilience and the fragile complexity of existence. With a rare and limited oeuvre of about fifty works, each sculpture distills months or even years of observation and reflection, resulting in pieces that feel at once hyper-real and quietly enigmatic.

From April 29 to September 23, the Mori Art Museum hosts the artist’s first solo exhibition in Japan in eighteen years. Organised in collaboration with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, the exhibition gathers eleven works tracing Mueck’s evolution, including six making their Japanese debut. Its monumental centrepiece is the Japan premiere of Mass (2016-17), an immersive installation of 100 giant skulls reconfigured to reflect the museum’s architecture. Other highlights include Angel (1997), Woman with Shopping (2013) and the iconic In Bed (2005), each inviting viewers into a deeply intimate emotional space.

Complementing the sculptures, photographs and films by Gautier Deblonde offer a glimpse into Mueck’s studio practice, revealing the quiet rigour behind some of contemporary art’s most affecting works.

Window manufacturer YKK AP teams up with a number of prestigious Spanish institutions to highlight a small but crucial detail of Antoni Gaudí’s wide-ranging oeuvre. Zooming in on the role apertures played in the Catalan visionary’s singular architectural language, which was defined by organic forms, intricate ornament and a profound understanding of structure and light, ‘Windows on the Future’ forms part of a wider research initiative examining Gaudí’s creative methods.

Organised to mark the centenary of Gaudí’s death, the exhibition at 21_21 Design Sight shares its concept with a more extensive presentation at Barcelona’s Palau Güell, a UNESCO World Heritage site, adapting it to the design-focused environment of Gallery 3. Through models, research materials and visual documentation, visitors are invited to explore Gaudí’s enduring ideas and consider how his inventive thinking may inspire the windows, and architecture, of the future.

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).

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.

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.