Things to do in Tokyo this weekend

This massive summer festival takes place at Okachimachi Station over two days in August. The festivities start with free kid-friendly activities from 11am, where primary school students and younger children can paint little tumbler dolls and observe (or touch, if they dare) rhinoceros beetles. Numbered tickets for both events will be handed out at the venue at 10.30am.

Throughout the day, you can fuel up on local specialities from Fukushima prefecture, including namie yakisoba, Fukushima beef sirloin skewers, grilled seafood, grilled horse meat (a delicacy from Aizu) and more. There’s also a sake tasting corner.

The Bon Odori dance sessions, which are accompanied by taiko drums, start at 4.30pm. Songs range from classic Bon Odori music to anime opening tracks and J-pop hits. We recommend you practise the steps to Dai Tokyo Ondo and Otoppe Ondo before visiting. There’s also a special Bon Odori session for kids, who will be allowed to dance on the yagura turret (Aug 20 5.35pm, Aug 21 5.25pm).

Don’t miss the live performances by Japanese singers Leon Niihama (Aug 20 7.20pm) and Ren Monzai (Aug 20 2.20pm, 6.10pm; Aug 21 3.35pm, 6.50pm) as well as dancer Akane Kikaku (Aug 20 3pm, 6pm; Aug 21 3pm, 6.40pm).

The event takes place from 11am to 8.30pm on both days.

Explore the inside of the majestic Japan National Stadium designed by famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma with this summer-only nighttime tour between 5.30pm and 9pm. You’ll be able to enjoy views of the stadium from the north-side bleachers on the fourth floor.

It’s not strictly a tour per se, as you can move around freely and take photos in designated areas. Drop by the beer terrace on the fourth floor, where you can enjoy draft beer, sours and highballs, plus a variety of snacks such as edamame and sausages.

Tickets are only ¥500 and can be purchased here.

Yukata-clad spectators crowd the streets of Harajuku and Aoyama during the mesmerising Jingu Gaien Fireworks, a display that ranks as one of Tokyo's top summer festivals. Now in its 41st year, the event will boast 12,000 fireworks.

The cluster of sports stadiums to the south of Sendagaya Station offer the best vantage points, albeit at a significant premium. Expect to pay between ¥4,000 and ¥9,000 for a seat, with the priciest ones at the main stage of the event: Meiji Jingu Stadium.

Tickets include a programme of J-pop performances in the run-up to the fireworks themselves – one of the acts is hip hop band Funky Monkey Baby’s. Alternatively, just wander around the surrounding area until you find somewhere you can see the action for free.

Tickets go on sale on July 1 at 10am. In case of stormy weather, the festival will be postponed to August 21. 

Every Saturday, Sunday and holiday at 7.45pm, you can enjoy spectacular fireworks at Seibuen Amusement Park. The hanabi (fireworks) is part of the park’s Daihi Matsuri, a daily summer event with dance performances by staff dressed in Japanese attire.

The celebration takes place in Leoland, an area in Seibuen inspired by characters from the anime ‘Astro Boy’ and ‘Kimba the White Lion’. To avoid being sandwiched in the crowd, you can reserve a table from ¥6,000 per group of six.

(You might be able to catch the fireworks outside the theme park. So keep an eye out if you’re in the area.)

Roppongi Hills has gone into complete Doraemon mode for its Summer Station 2022 festival. You’ll find plenty of photo opportunities featuring the beloved blue cat-robot around the shopping centre, including at Roppongi Hills Roku Roku Plaza and outside of the TV Asahi building. You can’t miss the massive group of Doraemon at Roppongi Hills Roku Roku Plaza, with 22 Doraemon statues in different poses. Take a walk around Roppongi Hills and you’ll find even more Doraemon figures scattered about.

Tokyo Skytree is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year with special light-ups on weekdays between August 16 and 31. Along with its three regular light-ups, the iconic tower has put on many special light shows since opening in 2012, themed on the different seasons, characters, movies and more.

Out of the 150 versions, Tokyo Skytree will reintroduce 23 of them in August. Don’t miss the light-ups inspired by ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (2015) on August 17 and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018) on August 18 as well as the one commemorating Barbie’s 60th anniversary in 2019 on August 22.

There’s also a bright yellow Pikachu light-up on August 24, and five different Evangelion-themed light-shows alternating throughout the evening of August 29. See the full schedule here (in Japanese only).

The special light-ups run from 7.15pm to 12 midnight, Monday to Friday. 

Known as a 'love shrine', Kawagoe Hikawa in Saitama prefecture attracts plenty of hopeful singles seeking help in finding the partner of their dreams. This relatively new summer festival is another chance to do just that, as the hot summer night atmosphere and pretty light-ups (6.30pm-8pm) ensure that love is in the air.

About 1,500 colourful fuurin (wind chimes) adorn the shrine grounds. There are also stalls selling food and drinks. Of note is the shrine café, where you’ll find wind chime-inspired ice cream (¥400).

Harry Potter isn’t the only franchise to open a pop-up café in Tokyo this summer. To celebrate four seasons of ‘Stranger Things’, Il Pronto Bar at Shibuya Fukuras is launching a special pop-up café in collaboration with Netflix, which will open from July 6 through September 4. The menu for the collab café, called Stranger Pronto, will be modelled on classic American diner dishes that have appeared in the series. There are 13 limited-time dishes, including El’s very first hamburger (¥1,650) and an ice cream sundae (¥1,100) inspired by Dustin’s love of chocolate.

What this music festival lacks in terms of a picturesque setting, it more than makes up for in convenience. While other festivals boast views of rolling hills or stunning lakes, Summer Sonic has easy access from the city, an abundance of clean toilets and a cracking lineup – sometimes that’s all you need.

After cancelling the 2020 due to the pandemic, and holding a smaller scale sister festival, Supersonic, in 2021, the full Summer Sonic is finally returning this year with an impressive lineup of international and local artists. This two-day summer fest has announced that American rapper Post Malone and English rock band The 1975 will be headlining the show. Alongside them will be a range of artists including pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen (celebrating ten years since her breakout hit ‘Call Me Maybe’), K-pop girl group 2NE1, hip hop hitmaker Megan Thee Stallion, punk band The Offspring, Japanese rock band One Ok Rock and much more. More artists will be announced over the next few months in the lead up to the festival on August 20 and 21.

While the schedule hasn’t been released yet, pre-sale tickets exclusively for Creativeman members will go on sale from February 18 via the membership website. So there’s still time to sign up as a member to get access to the pre-sale. Details on ticket sales for the general public will be announced soon. 

Tickets are sold out, but you can still purchase tickets from Summer Sonic's offical ticket reselling websites Tixplus Trade and Tiketore until 11.59am on August 16.

Held as a warm-up for Summer Sonic each year, the all-night Sonicmania party caters to dance kids who aren't as well served by the main festival itself. After a four-year hiatus, this year's edition is back at Makuhari Messe featuring both international and local artists. You’ll get to see appearances by UK rock bands including Kasabian and Primal Scream, synth-pop band The Human League, Japan's very own '90s dance warhorses Denki Groove and DJs like Madeon and Boys Noize with their electronic house tunes.

The line-up is expected to expand with more artists in the following weeks, so check the website to keep up with the latest information.

Music festivals are making a comeback this summer with a host of international artists. J-Pop and K-Pop fans are not left out, too, with the Super Music Festival happening in Odaiba on August 20 and 21.

On the lineup are over 70 artists including famous K-pop idols like Everglow, Wei, Momoland and MustB. Representing Japan are pop artists Che Nelle and Keiji Kawasima as well as anime singers such as Yurika and Rica Matsumoto. 

The music festival will incorporate all aspects of Japanese pop culture from anime and cosplay to Awa Odori dances. There’s even a supercar exhibition featuring around ten exotic vehicles you can take photos with. The festival venue is divided into eight areas, with plenty of activity booths and food trucks to keep you entertained in between performances. 

Tickets are on sale now through Ticket Pia.

This stellar a cappella performance at Tokyu Theatre Orb in Shibuya’s Hikarie shopping mall presents a series of Disney’s biggest hits. The six-member group don’t only sing but also produce melodies and sounds of different instruments using only their vocal cords.

The stage is set up with three large screens to show scenes from popular Disney movies to match each of the 31 songs. With performances in English and Japanese, the show features Coco’s ‘The World Es Mi Familia’, Frozen’s ‘Let it Go’ and ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman?’, Lion King’s ‘Circle of Life’, Encanto’s ‘We Don't Talk About Bruno’, and many more.

The a capella group even sing medleys of songs from Disneyland theme park’s most beloved rides – think Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and the Haunted Mansion.

Tickets start at ¥5,800 and can be purchased here.

The Disney on Ice musical is touring Japan with several shows being held across the country. This year’s performance marks the 35th anniversary of the wholesome, family-friendly show since its debut in Japan in 1986.

Disney on Ice sees a number of the franchise’s most popular characters in skates, singing and dancing on the ice rink. The story begins with Tinker Bell’s capture by pirates. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy then embark on a journey to rescue her by travelling through different Disney stories such as Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, Moana and Coco, as well as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and Frozen.

Unlike your usual theatre shows, here you are encouraged to take photos and videos throughout the performance and share them on social media. The next shows in Greater Tokyo are scheduled for August 18 to 22 in Yokohama, September 17 to 19 in Saitama, and September 23 to 25 in Makuhari.

From the highly-anticipated Ghibli Park in Aichi to the Toshio Suzuki and Ghibli Exhibition currently running in Tokyo, the world of Ghibli is on everyone’s mind. Now you can even add elements from the Ghibli universe into your wardrobe as Hot Topic has teamed up with Studio Ghibli for a special pop-up shop in Harajuku.

The American retailer doesn’t have any physical presence in Japan, so this limited-time pop-up store will surely be a hit. Here you’ll find a range of limited-edition Ghibli merchandise including T-shirts, souvenir jackets, eco bags, jewellery and more. There are over 50 items available, including a selection of Japan-exclusive merchandise.

The pop-up shop also features a large Totoro photo spot complete with colourful mushrooms and acorns.

Can’t make it to Harajuku? You can also shop the collection online starting Wednesday August 10.

Summer time is festival time, as such Shibuya Yokocho food alley at Miyashita Park is offering all kinds of matsuri (festival) games and activities throughout July and August. You can enjoy goldfish and yoyo scooping, draw an omikuji fortune slip, fuel up on cotton candy, and more. So come dress up in a yukata and join in the festivities for free. (Note: goldfish scooping is only available from July 16 to 18).

Between July 11 and 24, the restaurants here will offer otoko-ume sour, a popular alcoholic beverage made from umeboshi (dried plums). And then from August 22, Kochi prefecture’s sake brewery Suigei Shuzo will be introducing a new way of enjoying nihonshu by adding squeezed lemon, orange or grapefruit to its signature rice wine.

The eateries are open from 11am to 5am from Monday to Saturday and the day before holidays, and from 11am to 11pm on Sundays and holidays.

Hotel Gajoen, known for its halls adorned with marvellous Japanese art, is hosting an art illumination exhibition at its famed Hyakudan Kaidan (100-step staircase), which is a registered tangible cultural property of Tokyo. 

The theme ‘Light and Shadow: One Hundred Stories’ is inspired by the tradition of telling ghost stories in the summer to send a chill down your spin. The installations at each room use light and shadow to illustrate the stories, which progress as you walk further into the maze.

You’ll see lanterns carved with ornate patterns and figures of ghosts, as well as illustrations of yokai (Japanese demons) in hidden places. Legend says that real ghosts will appear to greet you after you finish all 100 stories.

Spooky tales aside, there’s no shortage of photo opportunities here, including the goldfish paper lanterns and bamboo lanterns by Akarinowa that adorn the entrance to the Hyakudan Kaidan Staircase. Entry costs ¥1,500 (students ¥800) per person, which you can purchase at the door, or get an early bird ticket online by July 1 for ¥1,200 (students ¥800).

The D’Festa K-pop festival is finally touching down in Tokyo with an exhibition featuring all your favourite Korean idols. Held in South Korea since April this year, the showcase is organised by Korean entertainment agency Dispatch, known for its exclusive content and special photo shoots with some of the country’s most popular stars.

With the D’Festa Tokyo, you can expect lots of content from nine K-pop groups including Enhypen, TXT, Stray Kids, NCT Dream, NCT 127, Twice, Seventeen, Nu'est and the worldwide sensation BTS. One of the highlights is the extended reality performances in The Movie zone, where you can watch groups perform as if they were right in front of you. In The Exhibition area you'll find photographs taken by Dispatch over the last ten years as well as displays autographed by some of the aforementioned K-pop idols. 

Don't leave without taking a picture at the photo booth, where your snapshot will show up next to your idol of choice. Of course, there'll be tons of original merchandise on sale, from eco bags to postcards and stickers featuring nine K-pop groups.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the ‘Sailor Moon’ franchise and the city is pulling out all the stops to celebrate these iconic ‘90s superheroes. The exclusive events include this vast exhibition that’s set to run through the end of the year at the Roppongi Museum, boasting over 600 pieces of ‘Sailor Moon’ costumes, storyboards and memorabilia. 

Beginning with the original manga drawings of series creator Naoko Takeuchi and leading up to an immersive room complete with special effect images and coloured lasers, this dazzling showcase is so extensive that it may as well be its own museum, hence the exhibition title.

Fitted with 360-degree digital dome theatres, Konica Minolta Planetaria is an excellent place to go if you wanted a break from Tokyo's brightly lit nighttime skyline and gaze up at a star-filled galaxy. Constellations, however, aren’t the only thing that get projected onto these immersive dome ceilings.

This summer, the planetarium in Yurakucho is putting on a special tribute to legendary rock band Queen. The programme, which begins in July and runs through late November, features 80 minutes of the British band’s greatest hits, concert footage and commentary from Queen’s legendary lead guitarist Brian May.

The 360-degree experience is one that a number of planetariums around the world have hosted following its 2001 debut in Germany, but it’s taken a while for the immersive spectacle to reach Japan. In honour of the band and its legacy, the planetarium's cafe will be serving an exclusive beverage created for the event called 'Delilah', made with the Twinings Earl Grey tea that Freddie Mercury liked to drink at Garden Lodge. 

Tickets can be purchased up to three days before a screening. Screening dates for August onwards will be announced at a later time.

From China to Dubai, this travelling showcase has been touring the world and it’s finally landing in Tokyo this summer. The special exhibition, held at Roppongi Midtown's open lawn, is here to celebrate the luxury fashion house’s 160-year-long history. 

Expect to browse through Louis Vuitton's historical archives from the La Maison Heritage Collection as well as some of the latest ready-to-wear creations via an immersive digital experience. You’ll also be able to examine a selection of the brand's most iconic bags including the Speedy, Steamer and Twist styles. There's even a dedicated room for you to learn more about Louis Vuitton's iconic monogram. 

Advance reservations are required – book your spot via Line.