Tokyo events for Monday, October 9 to Sunday, October 15, 2023.
Monday is a holiday (Sports Day), so many events from last week will continue till then. But if you are looking ahead to the weekend, you’ll also discover a treasure trove of things to see and do.
Get active and join in supernatural cat parades, salsa dancing, and cultural festivals. Or take it easy with cinema festivals, candlelight concerts, and art shows.
Toyama Park Yabusame
Also known as Takadanobaba Yabusame, this is a chance to watch yabusame, the impressive Japanese martial art of horse-mounted archery (it’s quite difficult to hit a target from a moving horse) in Toyama Park.
Koto Ward Citizens Festival
This festival offers a glimpse of some of this heritage with the opportunity to see ‘Kaku Nori’ — a form of entertainment developed during the Edo era in which performers balance on floating semi-milled logs. The log rolling will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Downtown Drinks #41: Return of the Pints
Join us, Tokyo Cheapo, for our 41st Downtown Drinks and get to networking, meeting new people, and enjoying a few hard-earned drinks. This event is meant for everyone — from readers to travelers to mysterious strangers. Whether you’re looking to network, meet new people, or just get outside into the open air.
Candlelight Concert: Best of Joe Hisaishi
A string quartet will take you on a journey through Studio Ghibli hits such as Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, and Princess Mononoke. Take in the dreamy performances while being surrounded by candles.
| Advance sales: ¥5,400 | ||
Oeshiki Festival at Ikegami Honmonji Temple
The highlight of the festival is the mando (10,000 light) rite in which about 3,000 people carry sacred lanterns decorated with cherry blossoms along the approximately two-kilometer route from Ikegami Station to the temple. The mando ceremony happens on October 12 (from around 6:30 p.m. to midnight).
Indonesia–Japan Friendship Festival
The main stage will provide all the best entertainment, from mesmerizing Indonesian and Balinese dances to music. Tokyo’s best Indonesian restaurants also open up stalls to tempt you with regional and diverse dishes.
Bake Neko (Supernatural Cat) Festival
Taking place on the main street of Kagurazaka, this is a Halloween parade with a difference — you must be dressed as a cat. This coincides with the Kagurazaka Town Jump Festa, which also sees a garçon (waiters’) race on the same day.
Africa Festival in Japan
Experience the very best from the African continent. Sip on coffee, take in dance performances, listen to the sound of echoing drums, visit the hairdresser corner, and watch a fashion show. Oh, and don’t forget about the rows of food stalls. All are welcome.
Hibiya Cinema Festival
Hibiya Cinema Festival runs for just over a week and will offer free viewings of movies to the public in Tokyo Midtown Hibiya Step Square. There with be a plethora of award-winning films and shorts to see. All viewings will be available for free but reservations are required for the “relaxing zone”.
Autumn Rose Festival
The Autumn Rose Festival at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens is a wonderful place to chill out and smell the.. roses. It takes place between October and November every year. If you miss this, there’s also a rose festival in spring.
| At the door: ¥150 | ||
| At the door: ¥70 | ||
Diwali in Yokohama
There will be food, music and plenty of entertainment. Along with delicious curries and breads, there will be bollywood-style dancing, yoga, and lots and lots of candles.
Kawagoe Festival
Held over a weekend in mid-October, the Kawagoe Festival is renowned as Koedo-Kawagoe’s liveliest event of the year. The festival features spectacular festival floats carrying exquisitely crafted dolls which are pulled around the center of Koedo-Kawagoe’s landmark Kurazukuri (traditional warehouse architecture) Zone.
Salsa Street Festival
Try your luck at some salsa dancing — don’t worry if you’re not a pro, the event will be so packed no one is focusing on your moves, so let loose! Once you’re all tuckered out from all that boogieing, refuel at the Latin American food and drink stalls.
Design Touch
Design Touch is an innovative art event happening in and around Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi. This year’s theme is “Izanau Design — Draw the Future”, but the overall theme is based on exploring art and ideas through the five senses.
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