Tokyo events for Monday, April 24 to Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Food — and relaxation — is on everyone’s mind a few days before Golden Week, so make use of that jovial anticipation and see what Tokyo is cooking up.
If you’re into games, anime, and cosplay, you might want to head to Nico Nico Chokaigi. But there’s also gyoza, meat, and plenty of beer at the many outdoor festivals that are continuing into next week.
Edo Firemen’s Annual Memorial
Watch as local construction workers perform acrobatics on bamboo ladders. As the spiritual descendants of the firemen of Edo (aka hikeshi) they perform as a memorial to the 120 firefighters (including those in the metropolitan police) who died in the Edo to Showa period.
The Pirates of Tokyo Bay Bilingual Improv Show
The Pirates of Tokyo Bay is a short-form improv comedy group in Tokyo. A similar style to “Whose Line is it Anyway?”, this show will be in both English and Japanese, so there’s something for everyone.
| Advance sales: ¥2,000 | At the door: ¥2,000 | |
Nico Nico Chokaigi Game Party
Nico Nico Chokaigi is a mega gaming party taking place at the Makuhari Messe convention center. It also has events and performances — some of which blend tradition with the latest technology. There’s also a choreographed dance party, a parody Nobel prize award (for silly inventions), a collectors’ fair, a creators’ market, tons of original goods for purchase, and, of course, cosplay.
Kon-Kon Kutsu Ichi (“Shoe Festival”)
Every year, local shoemakers gather at Tamahime Inari Shrine for the Kon-Kon Kutsu Ichi (“Shoe Festival”). In a gesture of customer appreciation, these companies sell their goods (men’s shoes, women’s shoes, sneakers, sandals, bags, belts, leather accessories and material, etc.) for between 60 and 90 percent off their retail value.
Akabane Baka Festival
Originally conceived in 1956 as an April Fool’s festival (“Baka” is the Japanese word for fool or idiot) the festival now happens closer to May 1 and isn’t all monkey business. This year will only be held for two hours, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
VTuber Fes Japan 2023
Take this opportunity to meet your favorite V-Tubers, whether in real life or online. There will be live performances, dancing, music, and talks starting at noon. VTuber Fes Japan in the same venue as Nico Nico Chokaigi Game Party, so you’ll also need a ticket for that event too.
Odaiba Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest in April? Sure, why not? From the same people who put on the popular Hibiya Oktoberfest (held in May), this is another excuse to drink outdoors while sampling German-style eats and lively music.
| Advance sales: ¥500 | ||
Craft Gyoza Fes 2023
Who doesn’t love Gyoza? Meaty, juicy parcels of goodness. Sample from the very best of Japan’s dumplings — be they steamed, fried, boiled, or grilled — at this year’s Craft Gyoza Festival in Komazawa Olympic Park. There will be a range of gyoza on offer from several stalls. Entry is free, but everything else is ¥700.
Niku Fes
Choose from aged wagyu beef in a rich egg-yolk sauce to tender spare ribs or even Korean-style hot chicken with cheese fondue. There will be craft beers to wash your dinner down with as well as a bubble tea area for an unusual palate cleanser. While you relax with your dumplings/burger/fried sirloin beef (or all three), you can enjoy the live music, yoga and dance performances on stage.
Spring Rose Festival
The Spring Rose Festival at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens takes place between the end of April to the end of June each year. An Autumn Rose Festival is also held later on in the year. The gardens are famous for an early 20th-century Western-style garden (including an extensive rose collection), a Japanese garden, and a large Western-style mansion.
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