Tokyo events for Monday, October 23 to Sunday, October 29, 2023.
Get your costumes ready — the weekend before Halloween means wholesome, spooky events, as well as wild, otherworldy parties.
But apart from Halloween-themed things to do, there are casual meetups, as well as community, book, and food festivals to explore.
Note: Shibuya’s mayor has strongly discouraged people from coming to Shibuya this Halloween, citing serious safety concerns. Attendance is basically banned.
Free Japanese Language Meetup in Akihabara
Come hang out in a café in Akihabara and boost your Japanese skills. The WeLearn Community makes learning a new language fun and inexpensive. Japanese teachers for different levels play card and board games with you in English and Japanese.
Kōenji Festival 2023
Unlike the mammoth Awa Odori Festival in summer, the “Kōenji Fes” is quite community focused with lots of food, music, and activities for the kids. It bills itself as one of “THE BIG 4″ festivals in Kōenji — surely reason enough to check it out.
Nihonbashi-Kyōbashi Festival
Nihonbashi-Kyōbashi Festival, also known as the Nihonbashi-Kyōbashi Matsuri, celebrates the Nihonbashi Highway. It might sound boring, but we promise it’s anything but. The main part of this festival is the parade that takes place along Chūō Dōri — one of Tokyo’s busiest thoroughfares.
Candlelight Concert: A Tribute to Taylor Swift
Even if you might miss Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in February, you can still chill out, cuddle up, and enjoy candlelight with your favorite songs from the global superstar this October. Tickets start at ¥3,800.
Setagaya Bread Festival
This festival, also known as the “Setagaya Pan Matsuri” (subtitled La Fête Du Pain Setagaya) is a celebration of this Western staple to which Japan has taken a liking. There is a bread market, bread university, musical entertainment, and even a stamp rally.
Nyan Fes
In Japanese, nyan is the sound a cat makes, but this festival (for cat lovers, by cat lovers) will get plenty of humans purring, too. There will be 250 booths filled with cat-inspired products: posters, paintings, mugs, mittens with kittens — you name it.
| Advance sales: ¥600 | At the door: ¥500 | |
Taste of Tokyo
Taste of Tokyo is a mega food-focused festival taking place in Tokyo to kick off fall. The event is organized by Tokyo Grown with the aim to share the cuisine and products of Tokyo’s agricultural, forestry, and marine industries — plus cuisine and drinks from the rest of Japan and around the world.
Tokyo International Film Festival
Back for the 36th time, the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) will be celebrating the work of one of Japan’s most famous directors, Ozu Yasujiro. Don’t let the “film festival” in the name intimidate you — you don’t have to be a connoisseur of art-house films to enjoy the festival.
Tokyo Ramen Festa
Formerly known as Tokyo Ramen Show, this food festival is still exactly what it says on the bowl — lots and lots of ramen. If you’ve ever wondered about all the different styles from around Japan, this is your chance to try them out.
Halloween Cosplay Japanese Language Meetup
Come dressed as a ghoul, ghost, or gargoyle to this casual language meetup in Akihabara. There will be friendly Japanese attendees who will boost your confidence in speaking — no matter your level. Chill, chat, play games, and take plenty of photos to immortalize the spooky night.
Kanda Used Book Festival
The Kanda Used Book Festival is one of the largest annual events in the Jinbōchō district of Kanda — renowned as a town of used and antique books. For the festival, bookshelves are placed on the sidewalks of the area’s main street (Yasukuni Dōri), creating a long corridor of books that faces the local bookstores.
Kameido Tenjin Chrysanthemum Festival
The flowers at the Kameido Tenjin Chrysanthemum Festival are organized in carefully constructed displays and take a closer level of attention for appreciation. There are some fun examples where characters are recreated as well as Bonsai versions too.
Tokyo Motor Show
The biennial Tokyo Motor Show is one of the world’s premier auto shows. The opening day for the public is the 28th. You can either buy a preview ticket for access between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. or opt for general access from 10 p.m. to 6 (on Sun.) or 7 p.m. (on Sat. and Mon.).
| Advance sales: ¥2,700 | At the door: ¥3,000 | |
Yomiuriland Jewellumination
Back for 2023, the illuminations at Yomiuriland are impressive (and incredibly long). Millions of LEDs (no exaggeration) will cover the amusement park — including rides, rollercoasters, and a Ferris wheel. You can also expect impressive fountain shows.
Tokyo Halloween Weekend 2023
There are plenty of things to do on the weekend before Halloween — make sure to check out our full guide and our list of top parties. Here are a few highlights:
- Halloween Night in the Forest (Oct. 20–29)
- Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival (Oct. 28–29)
- Omotesandō Halloween Pumpkin Parade (Oct. 29)
- Ragtag: Heaven & Hell (Oct. 28)
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