Tokyo events for Monday, December 26, 2022 to Sunday, January 1, 2023.
It’s a new year in Japan and that means visiting shrines, eating osechi, and taking part in a whole host of traditions.
But if tradition isn’t your thing, ring in the new year with one of these countdown events or go completely left field and attend one of Japan’s top pop culture events.
Winter Comiket
The winter edition of Comiket (there’s another in the summer) is normally one of Japan’s biggest comic-related events, held each year at Tokyo Big Sight. The focus of the event is doujinshi — independently created and published manga. So given the thousands of amateur and professional manga artists in Japan, there is always an incredibly wide range of genres and styles on display.
Evans Musoka Presents RAW COMEDY
Tokyo-based Kenyan comedian Evans Musoka has built up quite the name for himself — so much so that Tokyo Comedy Bar is giving him his own monthly residency. Every last Saturday it will be Evans and his favorite comedian doing their thing. It will be late, hilarious, and RAW.
| Advance sales: ¥2,500 | At the door: ¥2,500 | |
Countdown Japan 22/23
A four-day mega-party of Japanese rock ‘n’ roll, this is either your countdown dream or a New Year’s nightmare. If it’s the latter, then check out these alternatives. Back for the first time in three years, this one is bound to be a big.
New Year Countdown to 2023 at Womb
Ring in the New Year in Shibuya with one of the biggest clubs in Tokyo. Expect lasers, strobe lighting, and a massive LED screen to clearly see the countdown into 2023. The headliners on the main stage are Craig Richards, beloved resident DJ of the famous London nightclub Fabric; and dj masda, head of the world-renowned Japanese label Cabaret Recordings.
| Advance sales: ¥6,500 | At the door: ¥8,000 | |
TKNC Countdown Week
TK Nightclub in Shibuya has a reputation for playing hit EDM music and having an expensive vibe without the price tag. Drinks aren’t over-inflated and it is dangerously cheap during the weekdays. This year, they are holding a week-long New Year event that will keep you on the dance floor till the early hours.
Geikosai New Year’s Festival
One of the three annual festivals at Yakuoin Temple on Mount Takao, this is a memorable way to see in the New Year. Beginning at midnight and continuing until 5pm that day, multiple goma fire rituals are performed to cleanse and purify for the new year in front of the statue of Izuna Daigongen—the image on display in the main hall.
Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage
From January 1st until the 10th, you can set off on a Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage—a tradition dating back to Tokyo’s Edo period to pray for blessings and wealth for the upcoming year at various temples and shrines.
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