Chinese New Year festivities are drawing to a close this weekend, but definitely not without a splash. Yokohama’s Chinatown will host a florid parade with traditional lion and dragon dances on Saturday, while the following day will see the addition of musical and artistic performances (including acrobatics). Finally, on Monday, the 2000-year-old Lantern Festival will light up the skies, and thus ring out the New Year.
If you’d rather not stray away from Tokyo and fancy a bit of shopping, why not check out the Oedo Antique Market near Yurakucho Station where you can pick up souvenirs, housewares and assorted bric-a-brac. For those 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 and veg to fair trade products to handmade crafts.
And if you haven’t yet, definitely make sure you catch a nice vista of plum blossoms before they succumb to nature’s will and whither away. Why? They’re beautiful and a great alternative for those who won’t be around for Japan’s cherry blossom season.
Happy Weekend!
