This Week: At Home And Around Tokyo For Jan. 30 – Feb. 5

We're a few weeks away from spring.
This month it's all about celebrating Setsubun for luck, Valentines for love and plum blossoms for new beginnings. Here are our top event picks for this week(end). Enjoy!

© Photo by www.tokyotower.co.jp

City of Stars

Tokyo Tower City Lights Fantasia

Spend a romantic evening overlooking the city lights at Tokyo Tower. Running well through the holiday season up to a few days shy of Valentine's Day, have an unforgettable evening at this light up event.

Date

NOW THROUGH SUN, FEB. 12, 2023

Time

FROM 6 P.M.

Location

4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato City, Tokyo - Map

Fee

FROM ¥1,200 (MAIN DECK)

Info

RECOMMENDED FOR: FRIENDS, FAMILIES, COUPLES

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Welcome Good Luck

Setsubun Festival At Zojoji Temple

Join celebrities, politicians and sumo wrestlers at the annual bean-throwing “Setsubun” festival at Zojoji Temple, one of the largest such events in Tokyo. Setsubun, meaning the day before the first day of spring, is one of the most unique Japanese traditions and is celebrated across the country when people throw away beans toward demons to scare them away and bring good luck. Thousands of people join the Zozoji event and the battle for bean catch is fierce, so come well-armed.

Date

FRI, FEB. 3, 2023

Time

FROM 10:20 A.M. (BEAN THROWING FROM 12:20 P.M.)

Location

ZOJOJI TEMPLE, TOKYO, 4-7-35 SHIBAKOEN, MINATO, TOKYO - Map

Fee

FREE!

Info

RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, FRIENDS, SOLO OUTINGS, JAPANESE CULTURE FANS

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Catch Your Good Luck

Naritasan Setsubun Festival

Another major Setsubun event, the bean-throwing day at Naritasan Temple attracts around 40 thousand visitors every year. Many celebrities and athletes participate in the ceremony, which sets fire to an intense competition over the bean packages. This year, sumo wrestlers including the new Yokozuna Kisenosato and actors from NHK's drama Segodon will be participating — don't miss it.

Date

FRI, FEB. 3, 2023

Time

11 A.M. (FIRST BEAN-THROWING SESSION), 1:30 P.M. (SECOND SESSION), 4 P.M. (THIRD SESSION)

Location

NARITASAN SHINSHOJI TEMPLE, 1 NARITA, NARITA-shi, CHIBA - Map

Fee

FREE

Info

RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, FRIENDS, SOLO OUTINGS, JAPANESE CULTURE FANS

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Taste Of Spring

Yokohama Strawberry Festival

Getting sick of the cold and can’t wait for spring to arrive? Then come on down to Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse to get a head start to spring at a major festival full of strawberry tasting opportunities. There will be around 20 booths, each offering their most Instagrammable and delicious treats. Enjoy the differences!

Date

FRI, FEB. 2-MON, FEB. 26, 2023

Time

11 A.M.-6 P.M.

Location

YOKOHAMA RED BRICK WAREHOUSE, 1-1 SHINKO, NAKA-KU, YOKOHAMA, KANAGAWA - Map

Fee

¥300

Info

RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, FRIENDS, SOLO OUTINGS, STRAWBERRY LOVERS

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Dolphin Dance

Bright Crystal Night Performance

Spend a heartwarming time at Maxell Aqua Park’s night-only performance, where dolphins beautifully dance in a venue surrounded by stars and ornaments drawn up by projection mapping. There are five types of seasonal, limited menu items at the Coral Cafe Bar, where you can enjoy a drink while looking out at the aquarium. A starry night sky will color the exhibition area where illuminations and jellyfish unique to this season light up and dance along with the music.

Date

NOW THROUGH TUE, FEB. 28, 2023

Time

5:30 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.

Location

Maxell Aqua Park, 4−10−30 Takanawa, Minato City, Tokyo - Map

Fee

¥2,300 (GENERAL)

Info

RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES WITH KIDS, COUPLES, FRIENDS

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Slide Your Way

Ice Skating at Tokyo Midtown

The outdoor ice skating rink at Tokyo Midtown is one of the largest in the city, with a capacity of 210 people. It’s perfect for beginners and advanced skaters alike, and children are welcome, making this a great family outing right in the center of the city. For a fun, romantic date option head to the rink after 5 p.m., when the lights on the surrounding trees are switched on.

Date

NOW THROUGH SUN, FEB 26, 2023

Time

11 A.M.-9 P.M.

Location

TOKYO MIDTOWN (GRASS SQUARE), 9-7-1 AKASAKA, MINATO, TOKYO - Map

Fee

WEEKDAY: ¥2,100 (ADULT), ¥1,600 (CHILD) WEEKEND: ¥2,500 (ADULT), ¥2,000 (CHILD)

Info

RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES WITH KIDS, COUPLES, FRIENDS

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Sell, Recycle or Donate

Organise Your Clothes And Closet

Until relatively recently, used clothes in Japan have had one fate: burnable garbage. If you’re from a country with a collection bin and a few secondhand shops in every neighborhood, this just feels wrong. Some people take suitcases full of cast-offs back home rather than throw them out. Happily, the Japanese concept of mottainai (avoiding wastefulness) is catching on and leading to more options.

Date

WHENEVER YOU WANT

Time

ANY TIME

Location

HOME

Fee

FREE!

Info

RECOMMENDED FOR: PEOPLE WITH LOTS OF CLOTHES

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© Photo by Jakub Danilewicz

Looking Into Modern And Contemporary Art

Tokyo Art Scene: Challenging The World Today

This week we introduce you to three on-going exhibitions featuring modern design and contemporary artists, each raising questions about the state of the world we live in.

Date

VARIOUS

Time

VARIOUS

Location

VARIOUS

Fee

VARIOUS

Info

RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, FRIENDS, ART LOVERS AND COUPLES

More Info

What are your plans for the weekend? If you’re organizing a fun or interesting online event, or you know someone who is, contact us to get it listed!

Attending any of these events? Send us photos through Facebook or Instagram for a chance to be published on the site. #SavvyTokyo