Tokyo Events This Week: Dragon Dance and Cherry Buds

This Tokyo events weekly round-up is out of date! The latest one is here.

Tokyo events for Monday, March 13 to Sunday, March 19, 2023.

The weather is warming up and that means cherry blossom season is nearly here with the first bloom predicted for March 16 this week.

Check out our latest sakura forecast for the dates. You’ll soon find out from our events that a lot of this year’s festivals are announcing their dates to coincide.

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.

Click here for details

Shibuya–Omotesandō Women’s Run 2023

For only one day a year, Meiji Jingu Shrine opens its doors for an important 10 km race: the Shibuya–Omotesandō Women’s Run. Whether you’ve come to cheer or to participate, there will be an inspiring atmosphere. The route is quite hilly and starts at the Yoyogi Park Amphitheater at 9 a.m. before hitting important Shibuya landmarks, such as Omotesandō Avenue, Meiji Shrine, and Yoyogi Park.

Shibuya–Omotesandō Women’s Run 2025

Dates:

Late

Mar

2025

Entry:Free

Venues:

Meiji Jingū Shrine, Yoyogi Park, Omotesando Avenue

Cherry Blossoms at teamLab Planets Tokyo

While most of the usual exhibitions will remain the same, for a limited time only, you can sit under raining sakura in “Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers” and wade through cherry blossom petals in “Infinity”.

Cherry Blossoms at teamLab Planets Tokyo

Dates:

Early

Mar

Late

Apr

2025

Entry:

¥3,800 – ¥4,300

Venue:

teamLab Planets Tokyo

Oyama Tofu Festival

The Oyama Tofu Festival’s highlights include a Wanko Tofu speed eating contest and a giant pot, 4 meters in diameter, where you can see (and eat, obviously) the tofu made inside – note this tends to happen quite early. There will also be plenty of tofu discounts around, so keep your eyes peeled.

Oyama Tofu Festival

Dates:

Mid

Mar

Entry:Free

Venue:

Oyama Tofu Festival Venue

Golden Dragon Dance

Many Japanese and tourists alike visit Sensoji Temple every year. But the Kinryu no Mai (golden dragon dance) is a special performance to enjoy if you can make it there on March 18th. On March 18 in the year 628, two fisherman brothers casually fished a Buddhist statue out of the Sumida River. The village chief used this statue, which turned out to be one of the Bodhisattva Kannon, to found Sensoji Temple. Why the dragon? Because Kannon took the form of a golden dragon when descending from Heaven.