Machida Ramen Festival (April 22-24): For all you ramen lovers out there, this is the festival’s last weekend—so clear your schedule if you haven’t gone yet. All bowls are 800 yen a pop and you can taste various regional flavors hailing from all over the country.
Earth Day Market (April 23-24): If you’re in the Harajuku/Shibuya area, pop by Yoyogi Park for the Earth Day Market—earth-friendly goods can be found for sale, from organic fruit/veg to fair trade products to handmade crafts.
The Oedo Antique Market (April 24): The Oedo Antique Market—the biggest outdoor market in Japan—remains a cheapo staple in our books. It’s a great spot for finding unique souvenirs, decorating your apartment on a shoestring, practicing your Japanese, and strolling about in the spring weather doesn’t hurt either.
Tokyo Cheapo Downtown Drinks #7 (April 25): Beat the Monday blues by coming to our TC meetup for a night of drinking and socializing for readers, writers, cheapos, vagrants and everyone in between. For the 7th edition of the meetup, we’ve moved to Kaisu, a cool cafe/hostel in Akasaka.
Azalea Festival at Nezu Shrine (ongoing until May 5): Nezu Shrine’s 300-year-old garden is at it again this spring with its colorful azalea bushes, of which there are 3000. In addition to that, there is a plant fair, an antique fair, and many festive stalls.
Wisteria Festival at Kameido Tenjin Shrine (ongoing until May 5): Once the cherry blossom craze has passed, wisteria mania sets in, and where better to indulge then at Kameido Tenjin Shrine, made famous by wisteria-laden trellises.
Yaezakura – Late-blooming cherry blossoms (mid to late April): It’s not too late to see cherry blossoms! While the iconic five-petaled Somei Yoshino are gone, there are plenty other varieties that are just as beautiful and blossoming all around Tokyo. Or if you had your fill during hanami season, check out these flower festivals including wisteria and tulips, among others.
Pixar: 30 Years of Animation Exhibition (on until end of May): Take a stroll down nostalgia lane by visiting the temporary Pixar exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition has been on a world tour as part of the animation company’s 30th anniversary celebrations, and has finally made its way to Japan for a two-month stint. On display will be hand-drawn sketches, original storyboards, paintings, color scripts and character models—see how your favorite Pixar peeps made their way to the big screen!
Why Are Videogames So Interesting? Exhibition (on until end of May): Try out up to 120 games at this video games exhibition at the Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. We highly recommend trying out the London Heist virtual reality game—our minds were blown!
