Written by TC Team
Tokyo events for Monday, January 27 to Sunday, February 2, 2025.
Setsubun — the traditional holiday that beckons in spring and features all manner of demons — is on February 2 for 2025. So, get your roasted soybeans ready and hop over to any of the many events we have this week.
You can also head to Yokohama, where the Chinese Spring Festival kicks off with lion dancing and performances.
Kawagoe Traditional Experience Tour
This tour is a chance to get intimate with the town by delving into its history and participating in activities unique to the area and festival. Join in o-hayashi (music and dance performances) on a float, see performers in lion costumes and intricate masks (and try them on yourself), attend a book-binding workshop, and dine on a delicious kaiseki meal while trying local sake pairings from Kawagoe’s only brewery.
| Advance sales: ¥52,800 | ||
| Advance sales: ¥26,400 | ||
Manpukuji Hibushi Fire-Walking Festival
Head to Manpukuji Temple at noon for a Japanese festival where tradition is set ablaze — sort of. As part of a cleansing ritual for the new year, monks rush through flames to purify their minds at this annual festival. The Lion Dance is typically performed by two dancers inside a stylized lion costume who dance the way a lion supposedly moves. Apparently, the movements are linked to the Wushu style of the martial art Kung Fu and it is often performed by members of a Kung Fu club. This year’s hot pot festival is themed around the Showa era — as 2025 is the 100th anniversary of the period. Expect plenty of retro trappings, from swathes of red lanterns to classic Japanese pop songs. The highlights of the festival include an enormous tengu mask parading the streets, food stalls, and a soybean stamp rally. Residents scatter roasted soybeans and chant “Fuku wa uchi!” (“Fortune in!”) three times. The event features dazzling entertainment performances, called goraku hyōen, where you can enjoy traditional lion dances, martial arts displays, and more. There’s also the hongbao kuji, a raffle that combines the luck of the Chinese red envelopes, traditionally filled with money, with the fun of a lottery. Experience a spectacular display of fashion alongside breathtaking skyline views at this unique event at Roppongi Hills. In addition, photographs of the dresses by renowned photographer Mika Ninagawa will also be showcased. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the works of manga creators Mori Kaoru and Irie Aki, from their early self-published pieces to their acclaimed storytelling, at the exhibition The World of Intricate Paintings Created with Pen. Visitors can also explore creative notes, personal desks, and interviews, uncovering the process behind their beautifully hand-drawn worlds. Party hard in Shibuya for a cause, and Help Lee FIGHT CANCER! This fundraising event and party gives you a chance to vibe while helping an icon in Tokyo’s music and art scene. Held at the Yakuo-in Temple, beans are thrown into the crowd by men and women born under the same calendrical cycle as this one. Prominent singers, sumo wrestlers, and actors also join in and crowds will jostle to catch beans as if you eat them it is believed you will be free of illness and misfortune in the coming year. The classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty comes to life in this dazzling ballet. The stage will be a bright display of glow-in-the-dark costumes and light, as dancers twirl and sway through the pages of Sleeping Beauty. This event is the ultimate in warding off ill fortune for the year and takes place at Asakusa’s Sensōji Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo. Beans will be thrown — usually by local celebrities — from a stage just in front of the iconic temple at noon and there will be a “Dance of the Seven Lucky Gods”. Mamemaki (soya bean throwing) is a ceremony held as part of Setsubun (the end of winter and the start of spring according to the old lunar calendar) in order to ward off disasters and accidents, ensure good health, and to bring good fortune. This February, the 55th edition of the Odawara Plum Festival will take place. Mainly happening around Sōga Bessho Bairin — a grove of about 35,000 plum trees — this famous festival gives visitors the chance to see the plum blossoms in full bloom. The shrine enshrines the ancient poet Sugawara no Michizane, who was known for his love of the blooming flower. While the Koubai Festival will last the whole of February, a special ceremony will happen on the third Sunday of the month from 1:30 p.m. Welcome spring with cherry-blossom festivals, fire-walking rituals, anime events, and more. Tokyo events for Monday, February 24 to Sunday, March 2, 2025. Upcoming names include Oasis, Cyndi Lauper, Linkin Park, and more. Enjoy Setsubun, early cherry blossoms, Lunar New Year — and more. Start the new year with some festive fun—and ward off the winter blues. 
Chinatown Lion Dance
Yokohama Showa Nabe Festival
Shimokitazawa Tengu Festival
Chinese Traditional Performances
Dressed in the Sky Fashion Exhibition: Tokyo City View x Yuima Nakazato
Advance sales: ¥2,000 At the door: ¥2,200 Advance sales: ¥700 At the door: ¥800 Advance sales: ¥1,400 At the door: ¥1,500 Advance sales: ¥1,700 At the door: ¥1,900 Manga Artists Mori Kaoru and Irie Aki Exhibition
Help Lee Fight Cancer: Fundraising Event & Party
At the door: ¥4,000 Mt. Takao Setsubun
Ballet by Fever
Bean Throwing and Dance of the 7 Lucky Gods
Setsubun Mamemaki (Bean Throwing) Festival
Odawara Plum Blossom Festival
Koubai Red Plum Blossom Festival
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