Tokyo events for Monday, January 20 to Sunday, January 26, 2025.

Browse the food stalls at the annual ekiben tournament or Winter and Sake Festival, get your cat fix, or experience Kawagoe on a tour.

You can also see if there are any tickets left for the GMO Sonic music festival — featuring big names like Skrillex and Rosé.

Kawagoe Traditional Experience Tour

This Kawagoe tour features one-of-a-kind, interactive experiences. 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.

Suggested Activity
Sumo Morning Practice Tour at Stable in Tokyo
Try this insider’s experience at a sumo wrestler morning practice session. Enjoy exclusive access to a sumo stable, watching as these massive athletes put themselves through their daily training regimen and go head-to-head.

Ekiben Tournament

There’s no train in sight at this ekiben tournament near Shinagawa, but there will be 40 kinds of ekiben set up on Nakanobu Slip Road. Sales start from 11 a.m. and it is sure to get crowded, but if you are into regional bentō or ekiben, this is the place to be.

Usokae Bullfinch Exchange

The ritual centers around a bullfinch, a type of bird associated with bringing luck. Wooden bullfinch figurines acquired last year are exchanged for new ones, which will renew blessings of luck, happiness, and prosperity for the upcoming year.

Winter and Sake Festival

Like most events in Yoyogi Park Events Square, this festival is predominantly about eating delicious food. But, the main event is the live tuna carving every day. Be warned, there will be a very long line, but there will be other stalls with sake tasting and camping food to try.

GMO Sonic

If you’re all about the big names at music festivals, head to GMO Sonic. With a lineup of all-star musicians at the Saitama Super Arena, things don’t get much bigger. Held over the weekend, GMO Sonic promises two days of dance and electro music from titans of the genre.

Cat Holiday Exhibition Winter

Did you know that Cat Day in Japan is celebrated on February 22? So why not honour the cute fur balls with this joint photo exhibition featuring Instagram stars, craft stalls, and more. The stalls include shops with feline pottery, miniature displays, postcards, and stickers.

Black Jack Exhibition

Come and see the stunning work of Tezuka Osamu and how he made a medical drama into a beloved manga for all ages. With 243 chapters, Black Jack is a prolific but deeply meaningful manga with a dedicated cult audience.

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