WHAT’S HAPPENING IN TOKYO FEBRUARY & MARCH 2025
FEBRUARY 2025 What: Setsubun is an 800-year-old tradition in which roasted soybeans are flung into the air to symbolise the removal of evil spirits and the arrival of health and prosperity. When: 3rd of February 2025 Where: At Sensō-Ji Temple (Asakusa), you can join cheering crowds all trying to catch roasted soybeans tossed by priests […]
FEBRUARY 2025
What: Setsubun is an 800-year-old tradition in which roasted soybeans are flung into the air to symbolise the removal of evil spirits and the arrival of health and prosperity.
When: 3rd of February 2025
Where: At Sensō-Ji Temple (Asakusa), you can join cheering crowds all trying to catch roasted soybeans tossed by priests and Japanese celebrities, and watch masked dancers perform the famous ‘Dance of the Seven Lucky Gods’.
What: The Samurai Festival is a four day event held in Ueno Park with sword fighting demonstrations and Japanese street food and sake stalls.
When: 21st to 24th February 2025
Where: Takenodai Square, Ueno Park
What: Ume Matsuri (plum blossom festival). Don’t despair If you’re not in Tokyo for cherry blossom season (late March to early April) as many public parks and shrines also celebrate the blooming of ume (plum) trees.
We think that the best place to see the fluffy pink and white blossoms is at Yushima Tenjin Shrine (just near Ueno Park) which has over 300 ume trees.
The month long celebration includes tea ceremonies, traditional drum and music performances, street food stalls and plum wine tasting events
When: First week of February to the first week of March 2025
Where: Yushima Tenjin Shrine
MARCH 2025
What: Art Fair Tokyo, one of the country’s largest art fairs, brings together international and Japanese art galleries to exhibit contemporary art, antiques, crafts and Japanese-style paintings.
When: 7th to 9th March 2025
Where: Tokyo International Forum
What: The Golden Dragon Dance is a traditional festival held at Sensō-Ji Temple, where an 18-metre-long, 88-kilogram dragon puppet, carried by eight men, seems to dance through the air, appearing to chase after a lotus-shaped golden ball.
The dragon’s dance (accompanied by singers and musicians) commemorates a legendary, golden scaled dragon appearing in the sky the moment the Kannon statue (the goddess of mercy) was pulled out of the Sumida River in 628 CE.
When: 18th of March 2025
Where: Sensō-Ji Temple (Asakusa)
What: Anime Japan 2025, the largest anime convention in Japan is where industry heavies like Aniplex, Toei Animation and Tatsunoko exhibit their newly finished and upcoming anime projects. Expect over 100 booths selling toys, games, software and cosplay merchandise as well as workshops, seminars and live shows.
When: 22nd to 23rd March 2025
Where: Tokyo Big Sight (Odaiba)
What: Meguro River Cherry Blossom Festival 2025. Every spring, over 830 cherry trees on both sides of the Meguro River come into full bloom, forming a 10-kilometer-long cherry blossom avenue.
There are illuminations, picnic spots and boat rides available, and on the weekends the promenades are lined with cherry-themed food stalls.
When: Late March to Mid April 2025