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Tokyo events for Monday, December 31, 2018 to Sunday, January 6, 2019
End-of-year celebrations are underway this week. Below are some of our top picks, but read our full guides to celebrating New Year’s the Japanese way and Tokyo’s best countdown parties.
Winter Comiket
Make your way to Tokyo Big Sight for the winter edition of one of Tokyo’s biggest pop culture events. Comiket is a comics festival, with a focus on independently created and published manga (or dojinsha). Cosplaying is welcome.
Tokyo Fight Club – New Year’s Eve Countdown Special
Ring in 2019 with a Vegas-style party at the new fight sport bar in Shibuya, featuring three x three-round fights, go-go dancers, a live DJ and flutes of champagne at the stroke of midnight. Click below for more info and tickets.
Oji Inari Fox Parade
Legend has it that foxes gather on the eve of the the New Year in human guise. To pay homage to the legend, locals wear fox masks and visit Oji Inari Shrine—among other celebrations. A unique way to ring in 2019 to say the least! Tokyo’s biggest club is throwing its usual New Year’s Eve countdown party (a rarity in Japan as the holiday is considered a quieter affair here). There are still tickets left to scoop up if you want to bust a move into 2019. From January 1st until the 10th, you can set off on a Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage—a tradition dating back to Tokyo’s Edo period to pray for blessings and wealth for the upcoming year at various temples and shrines. Another unique way to celebrate New Year—visit Yakouin Temple on Mount Takao for ceremonial fires and sutra recitals. Participate in all the Japanese New Year traditions under one roof! Try your hand at mochi making, or savor some ozoni soup (a traditional dish). There will also be a crafts corners and stage performances. The MOMAT houses mainly Japanese works of the 20th century including a number deemed ‘Important Cultural Properties’ or masterpieces—see it all for free this Sunday. When you’re all partied out, it’s also a good time of year to find deals across Japan. We’ve provided a list of shops and department stores offering winter sales and fukubukuro (“lucky bags”). Tokyo events for Monday, December 16 to Sunday, December 22, 2024. Drop, turn, open — these capsules are full of surprises. We break down the daily data needs for a 7-day visit—with a bonus travel itinerary. Finish the year with a healthy dose of fun and festivity. If you like your holiday season with a bit of European flair. Join our lovely presenter Patricia as she explores Kōenji, a retro paradise and hipster haven. Take a little break from the city. The best parks, gardens, and day trips this fall. 
AgeHa Countdown to 2019
7 Lucky Gods Pilgrimage
Geikosai New Year’s Festival
J-Culture Fest: New Year’s Theme Park
Museum of Modern Art – Free Admission Day
End-of-year winter sales
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