Tokyo events for Monday, November 18 to Sunday, November 24, 2019

This week in Tokyo is the Asakusa Tori-no-ichi Fair, an all-day event where you can pick up a traditional kumade rake for a boost of prosperity. Or take your pick from a good selection of art events, food festivals and seasonal illuminations.

Tori-no-ichi Fair | Photo by Grigoris Miliaresis

Artist Talks: Autumn Edition

Artist Talks is an informal gathering of artists to discuss art and ideas. Artists give short talks followed by a few questions from the audience.

Suggested Activity
Get a Ubigi eSIM for Japan (in advance!)
Access to affordable, high-speed mobile data while in Japan is a must. Ubigi has popular packages in the 10GB--25GB range, as well as unlimited data plans for power users. TIP: Use code TOKYOCHEAPO for 10% off.

Asakusa Tori-no-ichi Fair II

Taking place in Asakusa, this traditional Edo-period festival celebrates luck in health and business. Take some good luck home with you by buying a kumade—a rake decorated with gold and silver sold by lively vendors around the shrine.

Tokyo Love Hotels Vol.12 #friends&family

Tokyo LoveHotels is an arts organization that gathers local and international talents to share a night of art, music, experiences and love.

National Museum of Western Art – Free Admission Day

Check out the extensive permanent collection at the Museum of Western Art in Ueno Park for free. Works include paintings from the late Medieval period through to the 20th century and modern French sculpture.

Japanese Tea Party with Koto Performance

A chance to see a live performace of the koto—a traditional stringed Japanese instrument. Takes place in the perfect venue too: a four-decade-old green tea shop and cafe.

Tokyo Comic Con 2019

Get ready for Tokyo’s fourth Comic Con! Affiliated with Silicon Valley Comic Con, this event at Makuhari Messe will have cosplayers, an artists’ alley, and exhibits with props and costumes from notable films.

Nabe Festival

Nabe is a Japanese hot pot dish with meat and veggies. Get your fill of the stuff at Hibiya Park at this three-day festival featuring different variations from across the country.

97th Gaigosai Festival

Do some “traveling” this weekend at the 97th Gaigosai Festival at Tokyo Foreign Studies University. The festival features international food stalls, exhibitions, performances and even theater shows performed by students in the foreign languages they’re majoring in.

Fiesta de España 2019

This two-day event will give you a chance to sample Spanish food, wine, art and entertainment at Yoyogi Park’s event square. The festival celebrates over 400 years of exchange between Japan and Spain.

Iga Ueno Ninja Festival in Ueno Park

A ninja-themed family festival with various performances, including singing, dancing, magic shows, and shuriken throwing-star competitions.

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.

Midtown Christmas 2019

A classic Christmas-season staple in the city (yes, Tokyo’s already celebrating—and we love it). Come and see the mesmerizing twinkle of 290,000 digitally controlled LEDs.

Meet Me Here: Risograph Show

Meet Me Here is a two-part Risograph exhibition showing work from artists who have met through comics and other printed media in Japan. Every November, artists from Japan and around the world gather for comic art events, bringing a vibrant and talented group of storytellers together in Tokyo.

k.yasu’s “Red Period”

Illustrator Yasushi Kondo, known by his nickname k.yasu—whose works are so popular in the town that many of them are seen on restaurants walls, wine bottles and beyond—will be exhibiting his “Red Period” collection in honor of his 60th birthday, a milestone traditionally celebrated with something red in Japan.

Autumn Evening Illumination at Rikugien Gardens

The famously beautiful Edo-period gardens of Rikugien will be illuminated until December 12th from sunset to 9 pm daily. The gardens are known as one of the best spots for autumn foliage viewing, so it’s a perfect for an evening stroll.

Red Brick Warehouse Christmas Market

Just south of the city is a famous Christmas market in Yokohama. Against a backdrop of the area’s beautiful red-brick warehouses, the market features an ice skating rink, stalls and an impressive tree display.

Suggested Activity
Get Tickets To the Samurai Restaurant in Shinjuku (Up to 30% Off)
Experience one of the craziest, most colorful places in Tokyo — the all-new Samurai Restaurant, from the creators of the Robot Restaurant. Get your tickets and sit back for a wild show of lasers, lights, samurai, dancers and other uniquely Japanese weirdness.

Jingugaien Itcho Festival

With colorful autumn leaves ablaze, you’ll want to head to Icho Namiki Avenue where the numerous and intensely yellow gingko trees are star. Plus, tons of food stalls will be set up for your grazing pleasure. For more favorite fall spots, check out our guide to autumn leaves in Tokyo.

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Filed under: Events | Things to do in Tokyo
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