Cheapo Weekend for January 25/26: Sales Galore, Diamond Fuji and more

This may be a hump weekend – a lull in events before February’s flurry of festivals – but there’s still plenty to do.

Grab your wallet, roll up your (multiple layers of) sleeves and head to Harajuku for Tokyo Grand Shopping Week. From January 23^rd until February 5^th, a bunch of shops in Harajuku and Omotesando will be knocking 10-90% off their prices – potentially some real bargains for cheapos! Restaurant Week runs at the same time, meaning discounts when you refuel. If that doesn’t satisfy your shopping needs, you can check out the Tokyo Midtown More Sale too – it runs until January 31^st.

If you’re chilly, drop by the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival (yes, really) at Tokyo Dome and browse a selection of quilts from different countries. Consider staying until it gets dark to catch the Dome’s Winter Illumination, which is still on.

More exciting than sales and even quilts is “Diamond Fuji” – a phenomenon where the sunset aligns with Mount Fuji, to rather spectacular effect. It only happens twice a year, so make sure you get to Sunshine City’s 60^th-floor observatory to catch it. It will be visible from this weekend, peaking on January 27^th and then visible for a couple of days afterwards.