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Oyama Tofu Festival (Mar 17-18): A tofu-centric festival sounds about right for Japan, doesn’t it? Just under 1.5 hours from central Tokyo is the Oyama Tofu Festival in Isehara where you’ll find a speed-eating contest, a giant tofu-making machine, and various stalls selling—you guessed it—tofu.
LGBTQIA+ Youth: A Village of Support (Mar 17): TELL‘s March Exceptional Parenting Program will feature a panel discussion on supports for LGBTQIA+ youth—with comments from panelists and time for Q&A from the audience. This event is free and open to the public; donations of 1,000 yen are appreciated with all proceeds to support mental health in Japan. RSVP to outreach@telljp.com.
Golden Dragon Dance (Mar 18): Asakusa commemorates the founding of Tokyo’s most famous temple—Sensoji—with a golden dragon dance every March. As the story goes, the night the temple was founded back in 628, a golden dragon swooped down from the skies and created a forest of one thousand pine trees—a symbol of prosperity, longevity and abundance.This legend is celebrated with the impressive dance of a 60-foot dragon marionette wielded by 8 dancers.
“I Love Ireland” Festival & St.Patrick’s Day Parade (Mar 18-19): St.Paddy’s Day is underway this weekend in the Harajuku-Omotesando area. Yoyogi Park will host a themed festival where the food and drink of Ireland will be on offer. At 1pm on Sunday, the annual St.Patrick’s Day Parade will take place along Omotesando Street. The streets are already donning Irish and Japanese flags in anticipation for the weekend’s celebrations.
Nihonbashi Sakura Festival (Mar 16-Apr 15): As sakura season gears up, so the cherry blossom events begin. This festival, in Nihonbashi, is for those looking for an eclectic sakura experience. Trade in the real thing for the astonishing variety of cherry blossom-themed installations. Major local landmarks like the Mitsui Building and Coredo Muromachi are illuminated at night, while the street leading to Fukutoku Shrine features an audio-visual digital cherry avenue. There are also food stalls featuring gourmet snacks of all kinds, art exhibitions, and music.
