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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Special Exhibition Featuring Creatures of the Night and Darkness
This special exhibition focuses on animals that are active in the middle of the night or in complete darkness. Around 20 species that thrive in dark environments are introduced under three categories: Nocturnal, Cave-dwelling, and Bioluminescent. The exhibition space is dimly lit, creating the atmosphere of exploring a nighttime forest or the depths of the ocean. Visitors can observe the behavior of nocturnal animals—usually asleep during the day—as well as creatures that glow in the dark. One highlight is a “peephole” where visitors can view the luminous splendid flashlight fish (Anomalops katoptron) using its light organ in darkness. Original merchandise featuring the animals in the exhibit will also be available for purchase. https://sunshinecity.jp/file/aquarium/mayonaka/
Tokyo Tower Highball Garden 2025
Enjoy top-quality highballs and delicious food that pairs perfectly with them at this gourmet event held at two outdoor areas beneath Tokyo Tower. In front of the Main Entrance on the 1st floor, the “TOKYO TOWER HIGHBALL GARDEN ‘CHO-TEN’” offers a chic, Japanese-modern atmosphere with lantern decorations. Guests can casually enjoy a wide variety of food and Suntory-certified “CHO-TEN” highballs. On the rooftop of FootTown, the “TOKYO TOWER HIGHBALL GARDEN ‘ROOF TOP’” features all-you-can-drink highballs and all-you-can-eat Genghis Khan BBQ from Mother Farm. https://www.tokyotower.co.jp/event/highballgarden2025/
Special Exhibition: ICE AGE – Discover the World 40,000 Years in the Past
About 40,000 years ago, during an ice age much colder than today, humans lived alongside enormous animals such as mammoths. Some of these species went extinct, while others survived. This exhibition explores the humans and animals of that era and delves into the mysteries of the ice age that determined their fate. https://hyogakiten.jp/english.html
Tokyo Festival 2025
With the aim to make Tokyo an international hub for performing arts, "Tokyo Festival 2025" is held over 64 days from September 1 to November 3 offering diverse programs. “Autumn Meteorite”, which is mainly held in Ikebukuro features international and domestic works. There are also 3 programs: "Open Call Programs", "Performing Arts Base 2025", and "Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Festival Network". For more information, pleased check the link below. Details:https://tokyofestival.jp/en (English)https://tokyofestival.jp/ (Japanese)
Special Exhibition Expressing Prayer, Capturing Form Buddhist Sculptures by Unkei from the Northern Round Hall of Kohfukuji Temple
This special exhibition recreates in Tokyo the interior of the North Octagonal Hall (Hokuendō) of Kōfukuji Temple in Nara, a space usually closed to the public, as it appeared when rebuilt in the Kamakura period. On display are seven Buddhist statues designated as National Treasures: the late masterpiece Seated Maitreya by the renowned Kamakura-period sculptor Unkei, the standing images of the bodhisattvas Mujaku (Asaṅga) and Seshin (Vasubandhu), as well as the Four Heavenly Kings, which are believed to have once been enshrined in the North Hall. The Seated Maitreya will be shown outside the temple precincts for the first time in about 60 years, and this marks its first public exhibition since restoration. https://tsumugu.yomiuri.co.jp/unkei2025/english.html
Van Gogh’s Home: The Van Gogh Museum - Tokyo
How have Vincent van Gogh’s works (1853–1890) been passed down to the present day? This exhibition focuses on the family collection that has been preserved by the van Gogh family. Vincent’s artistic career was supported by his brother Theo, who also safeguarded the majority of his works. After Theo’s death, his wife Johanna dedicated her life to managing the vast collection and bringing her brother-in-law’s art to the public. To prevent the collection from being dispersed, Theo and Johanna’s son, Vincent Willem, established the Van Gogh Foundation and devoted himself to opening a museum. The painter, who longed for his works to heal people’s hearts, hoped that people would still be able to see his paintings a hundred years later. Through numerous works, that dream has been carried forward to the present day. This exhibition continues that legacy, sharing both the artist’s works and the dreams preserved by his family with future generations. https://gogh2025-26.jp/
Maurice Utrillo
This exhibition showcases the works of Maurice Utrillo, a landscape painter known for depicting the streets of early 20th-century Paris. In collaboration with the Musée National d’Art Moderne (Centre Pompidou), the exhibition features around 70 works, including Roofs of Montmagny and Le Lapin Agile, along with materials provided by the Utrillo Association, which manages documents related to his works. The exhibition explores Utrillo’s complete career, from the "Montmagny Period," when he took up painting as part of treatment for alcoholism, to the "White Period," where he captured the poetic beauty of white walls using various materials, and the "Color Period," featuring works with vivid, striking colors. Through these displays, visitors can experience Utrillo’s unique artistic style and the poetic landscapes he cherished. https://www.sompo-museum.org/en/
Koishikawa Korakuen Long Autumn Nights
At Koishikawa Korakuen, the special evening opening “Autumn Nights at Koishikawa Korakuen 2025” will be held again this year. Now in its third edition, the event will feature the popular illuminations of Hōraijima and Hitotsumatsu, along with a new, enchanting illumination of the Engetsukyo Bridge. https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/special/koishikawa_lightingup/index.html
Impressionist Interiors: Intimacy, Decoration, Modernity
This exhibition brings together around 100 works, centered on 68 masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris—revered as a temple of Impressionism—along with important works from Japan. It is the first time in about a decade that the Musée d’Orsay’s Impressionist collection will be shown in Japan on such a scale, featuring celebrated works by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, and others. The exhibition focuses on the interiors depicted by Impressionist painters, tracing both their fascination with indoor spaces and the artistic challenges they undertook in portraying them. https://www.orsay2025.jp/en/
Tenku Momiji Festival
The Tenku Momiji Festival at Mount Mitake offers beautiful autumn colors earlier than the city. Visitors can enjoy nature, traditional performances, music, and local culture on the mountain. https://momiji.tenku-geisha.com/
JTES Boarding School Fair ~ Outdoor Edition 2025
This school fair, hosted by The Japan Times, presents an excellent opportunity to explore boarding and outdoor education offered at renowned preparatory schools from Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Japan. There will be seminars, school booths, and more. For details, please check the website below.https://www.jtes.jp/ (English)https://www.jtes.jp/ja (Japanese)
Tokyo Halloween Festival 2025
Featuring a lineup of world-class international and Japanese artists, this one-night-only Halloween festival will welcome a crowd of about 3,000 guests at its venue - Zepp Haneda, located in Haneda Innovation City. There will also be a costume contest, with a prize of 1,000,000 yen. For more details, please visit the website below. Details:https://metropolisjapan.com/halloween-festival-2025/ (English)https://metropolisjapan.com/halloween-festival-2025-jp/ (Japanese)
Tokyo Christmas Market 2025 at Jingu Gaien
Japan’s Largest Christmas Market!Last year, over 500,000 visitors attended the Tokyo Christmas Market, and this year it will be held at two locations: Jingu Gaien and Shiba Park! Each venue offers a Christmas market with a unique theme. At Jingu Gaien, you can enjoy food, crafts, and stage performances inspired by European fairy tales, especially the stories of the Brothers Grimm. Explore the largest venue area in Japan and experience the festive atmosphere! https://tokyochristmas.net/
