Created for expats living in Japan

What's On & Upcoming Events in Japan

Check out the most up-to-date listings of what's going on in Japan right now or in the near future, including fun activities, art exhibitions, festivals, parties, food markets, flea markets, sporting events, fairs, concerts, and more.

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Sunshine Aquarium Special Exhibition of Poisonous Creatures "Modokuten"

Sunshine Aquarium Special Exhibition of Poisonous Creatures "Modokuten"

Mar 15 - Nov 24, 2024
Sunshine Aquarium

Poison is a chemical substance that is harmful to life or health. Some living things have acquired poisons through various survival strategies. Why not learn about the diversity of creatures thatcoexist with humans on this earth from the theme of “poison”? This invites you to the world of poison.   https://sunshinecity.jp/file/aquarium/modoku_kiwami/  

Collection Exhibition: From Summer to Autumn

Collection Exhibition: From Summer to Autumn

Jul 5 - Nov 24, 2024
YAMAZAKI MAZAK MUSEUM OF ART

This exhibition brings together a collection of paintings by French artists who were active from the 18th to the 20th century, including works by Rococo masters such as Watteau, Boucher, and Fragonard, as well as pieces by Neoclassical artist Ingres, Romanticism's Delacroix, Realists, Impressionists, and members of the École de Paris. In addition, the exhibition features numerous high-quality glass works by Émile Gallé from his late period. Visitors can appreciate approximately 180 major works from the Yamazaki Mazak Museum of Art's collection. https://www.mazak-art.com/english/    

Fragrances in Different Guises : The Trail of Perfume Bottles

Fragrances in Different Guises : The Trail of Perfume Bottles

Jul 19, 2024 - Jan 13, 2025
Hakone Venetian Glass Museum

Tracing the footsteps of humans and fragrances over more than 3,000 years. This journey introduces the world of various perfume bottles, including those crafted from crystal and agate, bottles adorned with allegories of mythology and love, and perfume bottles designed with fragrance imagery as fashion from the late 19th century onward, accompanied by the scents loved by three notable ladies of their time. https://www.hakone-garasunomori.jp/en/

Tourist Sailboat Operations 2024

Tourist Sailboat Operations 2024

Jul 21 - Nov 24, 2024
Kasumigaurashi Koryu Center

The fishing method using sailboats, which is a symbol of Lake Kasumigaura, was devised in 1880 by Ryohei Orimoto from Kasumigaura City (formerly Saga Village). This method is an extremely important cultural heritage for understanding the history of fishing in Lake Kasumigaura. The sailboats were revived as tourist attractions on Lake Kasumigaura for the first time in 1971. These sailboats have been selected as one of the 100 Scenery Heritages of Japan to be preserved into the 21st century and have been awarded for their contribution to regional revitalization. Let's admire the majestic sight of the white sails on the lake. https://www.kasumigaura-kankou.jp/page/page000859.html  

Clean River Tour

Clean River Tour

Jul 21 - Nov 3, 2024
Japan City SUP Association

Hearing "picking up trash floating on the river while riding a boat" might sound a bit formal, but the reality is quite different. Coordinating with the staff to scoop up trash with a net can be an exhilarating experience, akin to scoring points in a game, making it a thrilling activity for both adults and children. It's an eco-friendly event that combines fun with environmental awareness. Another highlight is the opportunity to pass through sluice gates, which is a unique experience not commonly available. https://www.citysup.jp/clean/

Giorgio De Chirico: Metaphysical Journey in Kobe

Giorgio De Chirico: Metaphysical Journey in Kobe

Sep 14 - Dec 8, 2024
Kobe City Museum

Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978)—one of the great masters of the 20th century. The "metaphysical paintings" (works expressing a surreal world through enigmatic landscapes and still lifes) that de Chirico began to produce around 1910 exercised a profound influence on the artists and international art movements.Dividing de Chirico’s roughly 70-year painting career in some themes—such as “Piazza d'Italia (Italian Piazza),” “Metaphysical Interior” and “Mannequin”—this exhibition will cover the entire range of his artistic output, from early to late-period works. It will be the first large-scale exhibition to be held in Japan in a decade, in which the world that de Chirico created is fully explored.   https://dechirico.exhibit.jp/  

Yokai Festival

Yokai Festival

Sep 14 - Dec 8, 2024
TOEI KYOTO STUDIO

A Japanese Halloween event will be held at Toei Kyoto Studio Park, where traditional yokai (supernatural creatures) meet modern pop culture. Highlights include the "Uzumasa Hyakki Yagyō," a parade featuring around 100 yokai marching through the park, and the "Kaikai YOKAI Art Exhibition," showcasing art pieces themed around yokai by up-and-coming creators and artists. Additionally, there will be collaborations with companies, including the "Yokai Henge Rally," an interactive event featuring GIF animations by animator misato. This fusion of traditional yokai culture with contemporary elements promises an exciting and unique experience. https://www.toei-eigamura.com/yokai/  

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois

Sep 25, 2024 - Jan 19, 2025
Mori Art Museum

Louise Bourgeois (born 1911 in Paris; died 2010 in New York) is one of the most important artists of the last century. During a career that spanned 70 years, and in a wide variety of media – including installation, sculpture, drawing, and painting – she explored the tensions within binary oppositions through unrivaled formal invention. Polarities such as male and female, passive and active, figuration and abstraction, conscious and unconscious, and others, often coexist within the same work. Bourgeois’s art was inspired in part by the complex and at times traumatic events of her early childhood. The act of restaging her memories and emotions allowed her to sublimate them into universal motifs and to express contradictory emotional and psychological states: hope and fear, anxiety and calm, guilt and reparation, tension and release. Performances and sculptures that foreground sexuality, gender, and the lived body were highly acclaimed particularly within a feminist context. Bourgeois’s art has had a profound influence on many artists and continues to be exhibited at major museums around the world. This exhibition, Bourgeois’s first in Japan in 27 years and her largest solo exhibition in the country to date, will showcase more than 100 works across three chapters that offer a comprehensive overview of her practice. The subtitle of the exhibition,I have been to hell and back. And let me tell you, it was wonderful.is taken from a late fabric work in which Bourgeois embroidered these words on a handkerchief. It alludes to the fluctuations and ambivalent character of her emotions, and hints at her black sense of humor. Bourgeois saw herself as a survivor. Her work expresses her strong will to live and the promise of overcoming the sometimes “hellish” suffering of mankind, which is all too often exacerbated by war, natural disaster, and disease.   https://www.mori.art.museum/en/exhibitions/bourgeois/index.html  

Monet: The Late Waterscapes

Monet: The Late Waterscapes

Oct 5, 2024 - Feb 11, 2025
The National Museum of Western Art

An exhibition focusing on the culmination of the later works of Claude Monet, a leading Impressionist painter known as the "Painter of Light," will showcase approximately 50 pieces, including seven being displayed for the first time in Japan. These works have arrived from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris. In addition, the exhibition will feature works from various collections across Japan, highlighting the pinnacle of Monet's late artistic achievements. Notably, over 20 of Monet's most significant late-period works on the theme of "Water Lilies" will be on display, making this the largest exhibition of "Water Lilies" ever held in Japan. https://www.ntv.co.jp/monet2024/english/  

Special Exhibition WASHOKU: Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine in Nagano

Special Exhibition WASHOKU: Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine in Nagano

Oct 5 - Dec 8, 2024
Matsumoto City Museum

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Washoku's inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the National Museum of Nature and Science will present the special exhibition of Washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine). This exhibition aims to introduce Washoku, which is attracting increasing attention around the world, from various perspectives including science and history, through a diverse range of specimens and exhibits. https://washoku2023.exhibit.jp/en.html    

Paris and La Belle Epoque – The Center of Avant-Garde Artists

Paris and La Belle Epoque – The Center of Avant-Garde Artists

Oct 5 - Dec 15, 2024
Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art

From around 1890 to 1914, Paris experienced its most artistically vibrant period, known as the "Belle Époque." This exhibition presents a multifaceted introduction to the culture that blossomed during this era and into the 1930s, spanning a variety of genres including art, crafts, theater, music, literature, fashion, and science and technology. Featuring works from the Wiseman & Michael Collection of France, this exhibition brings paintings and graphic works depicting the lively scenes and people of Paris to Japan for the first time. Additionally, paintings, crafts, fashion pieces, and rare books from domestic collections will also be on display. https://panasonic.co.jp/ew/museum/en/    

Impressionism: From Monet to America - Works from the Worcester Art Museum Collection

Impressionism: From Monet to America - Works from the Worcester Art Museum Collection

Oct 12, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025
ABENO HARUKAS ART MUSEUM

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition, a special exhibition tracing the impact and influence of Impressionism on Europe and America will be held. Masterpieces from the Worcester Art Museum, located near Boston in the United States, which has actively collected Impressionist works, will be on display. Centered around the museum's Impressionist collection, most of which will be shown in Japan for the first time, the exhibition will also highlight the lesser-known charm of American Impressionism, which has rarely been introduced in Japan. https://www.ytv.co.jp/moneame/  

Paul McCartney Photographs 1963- 64 Eyes of the Storm

Paul McCartney Photographs 1963- 64 Eyes of the Storm

Oct 12, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025
Knowledge Capital EVENT Lab.

The "Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm", originally held to celebrate the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery in London in 2023, is coming to Tokyo and Osaka. The Beatles, who debuted in 1962, rapidly rose to become the world's top musicians. This exhibition showcases photographs taken by Paul McCartney himself, capturing the three-month period from December 1963 to February 1964. During this time, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr became a global sensation, culminating in their iconic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in America. The exhibition features approximately 250 photographs, offering an intimate glimpse into this transformative era in music history.   https://www.ktv.jp/event/eyesofthestorm/  

Haniwa Tomb Sculptures of Japan - TOKYO

Haniwa Tomb Sculptures of Japan - TOKYO

Oct 16 - Dec 8, 2024
Tokyo National Museum

"Haniwa" refers to unglazed clay figurines arranged in ancient tombs known as kofun, which were the graves of kings. Their origins date back approximately 1750 years ago. Over the 350 years of the Kofun period, diverse haniwa were crafted, each reflecting the era and region, offering insights into the people surrounding the kings and the lifestyle of the time. Among them, the national treasure "Haniwa: Armored Warrior" is considered a masterpiece. To commemorate the 50th anniversary since its designation as a national treasure, a special exhibition will showcase around 120 selected treasures from across the country, marking an unprecedented gathering. From simple and "relaxed" figures to charming animals, and from elaborate armor to household items, the exhibition is packed with the allure of haniwa. Please look forward to the haniwa exhibition held at the Tokyo National Museum, the first in about half a century. https://haniwa820.exhibit.jp/    

Expat Expo Tokyo 2024

Expat Expo Tokyo 2024

Nov 8 - Nov 9, 2024
Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-kan

EXPAT EXPO TOKYO 2024 is the only expo dedicated to foreign residents in Japan. It will be held at Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-kan on November 8-9, 2024. At this expo, you can discover various life support services, purchase Japanese products at a special price, enjoy food and drink tasting, attend seminars and workshops, and more. For more information on this event, please check the official website below.https://expat-expo.jp

2nd International Student School Fair 2024

2nd International Student School Fair 2024

Nov 8 - Nov 9, 2024
Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-kan

This event is an international student school fair that will be held over 2 days on November 8-9 in Tokyo. This is a great opportunity to meet universities and professional schools. There will also be consultation area where you can discuss further education, employment, and more. For more information, please check the link below.https://www.expat-expo.jp/shingaku/

4th International Job Fair Tokyo 2024

4th International Job Fair Tokyo 2024

Nov 8 - Nov 9, 2024
Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-kan

The event is an international job fair in Tokyo, held on November 8-9, 2024. It is a great opportunity to meet companies interested in recruiting foreign nationals, attend seminars, etc. If you are interested in finding employment, do not forget to bring your CV with you. For more information on this event, please check the link below.https://inter-jobfair.jp/

50th Anniversary Gala Concert "GENKYO"

50th Anniversary Gala Concert "GENKYO"

Nov 17, 2024
Nakano ZERO

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Geinō Yama Shirogumi, which will challenge the transformation of the Earth’s future, currently in crisis, through the creation of an unprecedented sonic experience that evolves the sound expression of “light trance”—a state of ecstasy that has long been pursued without losing awareness. https://www.yamashirogumi.jp/events/events-1.html  

Le Corbusier: Synthesis of the Arts 1930-1965

Le Corbusier: Synthesis of the Arts 1930-1965

Jan 11 - Mar 23, 2025
Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art

The architect Le Corbusier (1887–1965) referred to his later attempts to connect painting and sculpture under the direction of architecture as "the synthesis of the arts." More than just a concept, "the synthesis of the arts" served as a slogan that reflected his overall artistic vision, guided by idealism in unity, harmony, and universal principles. While Le Corbusier is globally renowned as a master of modern architecture, he also brought innovation to various fields of visual arts. This exhibition features his paintings, sculptures, drawings, and tapestries from the 1930s onward, shedding light on his artistic pursuit of new uses of technology. Additionally, by showcasing his late architectural works, the exhibition reveals Le Corbusier's mature artistic vision, far beyond traditional frameworks. These optimistic and joyful works challenge the functionalist image often associated with his famous phrase, "a house is a machine for living." By juxtaposing his works with those of contemporaneous avant-garde artists such as Léger, Arp, and Kandinsky, the exhibition also highlights Le Corbusier’s place within the artistic movements of his time.   https://panasonic.co.jp/ew/museum/exhibition/25/250111/en.html      

Special Exhibition WASHOKU: Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine in Aichi

Special Exhibition WASHOKU: Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine in Aichi

Jan 18 - Apr 6, 2025
Toyota City Museum

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Washoku's inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the National Museum of Nature and Science will present the special exhibition of Washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine). This exhibition aims to introduce Washoku, which is attracting increasing attention around the world, from various perspectives including science and history, through a diverse range of specimens and exhibits. https://washoku2023.exhibit.jp/en.html    

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