Tokyo events for Monday, May 8 to Sunday, May 14, 2023.
The excitement of Golden Week has come to a close, but that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of things to do for the next seven days.
Festival season kicks off in Akihabara with the Kanda Matsuri and the first day of the sumo tournament starts on Sunday. If that’s not enough, there are also exhibitions, art, and music galore.
Kanda Matsuri
Back for the first time since the pandemic, One of Tokyo’s three major festivals — Kanda Matsuri — takes place over a period of 8 days in mid-May. The festival only takes place on odd numbered years, so after the festival in 2023, you won’t see it again till 2025.
Accidentally Wes Anderson Exhibition
Accidentally Wes Anderson (@accidentallywesanderson) on Instagram is a community with over 1.8 million followers (and growing). The account started with a dream of visiting places around the world that resemble spots, objects, and buildings in movies directed by Wes Anderson. For its first public exhibition in Japan, 300 photographs demonstrating the AWA aesthetic are on show.
| Advance sales: ¥2,000 | At the door: ¥2,000 | |
May Grand Sumo Tournament
Held every May, this is the third of Japan’s six annual Sumo Tournaments, known as honbasho. With sumo rankings released a few weeks before, it’s a chance to see the traditional sport up close and personal. While the fights are broadcast on NHK, nothing beats the atmosphere of the tense final matches of the day, complete with cushion-throwing and cheers.
More Tokyo Music: Aragehonzi, TOW, and More
In their weekly collaboration with Moon Romantic, More Than Music brings you the cream of the crop of the Tokyo live music scene. Every Wednesday you can find More Than Music posted under the bright moon of Aoyama. So if you are a live music lover, you simply can’t miss out on these shows.
| Advance sales: ¥2,800 | At the door: ¥3,500 | |
Weekend 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 together with you in English and Japanese.
Mt. Fuji & Cherry Blossoms Art Exhibition — last chance!
This season, the Yamatane Museum of Art is hosting a special exhibit with famous works depicting two icons of Japan: Mt. Fuji and the cherry blossoms. The Yamatane specializes in nihonga, or Japanese-style painting. It’s one of Tokyo’s best small art museums, with well-curated, seasonal exhibitions throughout the year.
| Advance sales: ¥1,300 | ||
| Advance sales: ¥500 | ||
Sichuan Festa
A festival dedicated to the weirdly addictive and mouth-numbing spice from China’s Sichuan district. Chefs from Japan and China will be serving up tempting plates to showcase the spice, with a wide range of styles and dishes available.
Tokyo Art Tank Vol. 9: The Spring Exhibition
Head on over to Gallery Conceal Shibuya and dive into Tokyo’s underground art world. This free event gives you the chance to mingle with the city’s most talented creatives while also taking in the surrounding artwork on display.
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