Tokyo events for Monday, October 21 to Sunday, October 27, 2024.
The weekend before Halloween, parties, cosplay, and parades take center stage.
On the less spooky side of town, autumn arrives with food festivals and tea ceremonies. For something completely different, consider a market for cat lovers or candlelight at Tokyo Tower.
Tokyo Night Market Autumn
Wander under the boughs of Yoyogi Park while experiencing some of Tokyo’s charm and culture at the Tokyo Night Market. This week-long event has live performances, art exhibitions, and stalls offering local crafts for sale.
Taste of Tokyo
Taste of Tokyo is a mega food-focused festival taking place in Tokyo to kick off fall. The event is organized by Tokyo Grown with the aim to share the cuisine and products of Tokyo’s agricultural, forestry, and marine industries — plus cuisine and drinks from the rest of Japan and around the world.
Nihonbashi-Kyōbashi Festival
Nihonbashi-Kyōbashi Festival, also known as the Nihonbashi-Kyōbashi Matsuri, celebrates the Nihonbashi Highway. The main part of this festival is the parade that takes place along Chūō Dōri — one of Tokyo’s busiest thoroughfares. The display will feature 3,000 dancers and performers.
Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony
Taking place on successive weekends at the Edo Tokyo Outdoor Architecture Museum (October 19-20) and Hamarikyū Gardens (October 26-27), this event is a showcase of one of Japan’s unique cultural assets — the tea ceremony.
Omotesandō Halloween Pumpkin Parade
The Omotesandō/Harajuku Hello Halloween Pumpkin Parade is targeted at kids and is a cute alternative to an adult Halloween parade. In addition to costumed kids and trick or treating at the stores in the area, there will almost certainly be a major celebrity or two taking part.
| Advance sales: ¥1,000 | ||
Kōenji Festival
If you are in the vicinity of JR Kōenji Station on the last weekend of October, you will be able to watch and take part in the Kōenji Festival. Unlike the mammoth Awa Odori Festival in summer, the “Kōenji Fes” is quite community focused with lots of food, music, and activities for the kids.
Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival
As a major center for Japan’s anime culture, Ikebukuro has gone for a slightly more Japanese approach to this imported annual festival. Expect to see more people dressed up as their favorite manga or anime character rather than the more gruesome costumes that you’ll see elsewhere.
Nyan Fes 20
In Japanese, nyan is the sound a cat makes, but this festival (for cat lovers, by cat lovers) will get plenty of humans purring, too. There will be 400 booths filled with cat-inspired products: posters, paintings, mugs, mittens with kittens — you name it.
| Advance sales: ¥600 | At the door: ¥500 | |
Tokyo Streets Photography Exhibition
This free art exhibition showcases the captivating work of more than 30 talented street photographers. Explore each photographer’s unique viewpoint and gain insights into their creative processes in person at Gallery Conceal in Shibuya.
Tokyo Tower Candle Days
Appreciate Japan’s candle craft at the base of one of Tokyo’s most famous landmarks. The lights of Tokyo Tower will be made all the brighter by hundreds of candles at its base. Tokyo Tower Candle Days will have everything from traditional performing arts to celebrity panels.
Showa Retro Market
At the Showa Retro Market, Japan’s retro game is on full display, with toys, clothing, and home furniture on sale from the Showa era. You’ll find stalls selling everything from retro music to posters and home appliances.
| At the door: ¥500 | ||
Tokyo Decadance Deluxe Halloween
One of the biggest Halloween nights of the year is back with a bang. Tokyo Decadence Halloween has DJs, dancers, demons, burlesque, drag acts, and magic — plenty to keep you busy!
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