Best 10 “must see events” guide in Tokyo for May 2018 (w/Photos)
Tokyo is a very popular city also among foreign tourists. You see the newest fashion, and culture. Tokyo is a city the world paying attention to. Many events from shopping, arts to cultural festivals are every day being held. Let’s join the events along with sightseeing. This time we’ll show you about events held in May in Tokyo.
Event with kids
１.Tokyo Tower 333 of “Koinobori (carp streamer )” and a big “sanmanobori (mackerel pike streamer)”April.7 – May.6.2018
source: travel
Tokyo Tower. One of the most popular sightseeing spots in Tokyo. Inside the tower, there is an observatory where you can see a wonderful cityscape view of Tokyo. The height of the tower is 333m. So that 333 of Koinobori (carp streamer) are decorated in front of the first floor entrance of this tower. Related other popular autumn gourmet event since 2009 “ Sanriku Ōfunato Tokyo tower sanma (mackerel) pike )festival”, special “sanmanobori(mackerel pike streamer)” of about 6m and fisherman's flags from Ōfunato are displayed to wish recovery from the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. At night, Koinobori are illuminated with LED lights. Photogenic moment of koinobori. You must see.
Schedule
April.7 – May.6.2018
Koinobori – displayed all day
Illumination 17:00 - 23:00
Access & address
・Place
Tokyo Tower : In front of the first floor entrance
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Akabanebashi Station 5-minute walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station about 20 minutes by train & walk
・Address 4-2-8 Shiba-koen, Minato, Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Free of charge
No reservation required
Official website
2.Real Escape game ×SEKAI NO OWARI
Night amusement park tour in Japan
Escape from the night of the dragon at Yomiuriland
On Friday & Saturday & Sunday from May 11. to June 3.2018
source: tumblr
Yomiuriland is an amusement park. There are many attractions in this park. In summer,
You can enjoy the swimming pools and during winter you can enjoy illumination. This park is for children and adults both can enjoy all year round. The popular event real escape game is coming to this park! Real escape game is the trapped participants try to unravel the mysteries and escape from a room. This time the game is made in collaboration with Japanese popular musicians SEKAI NO OWARI. This event started in autumn 2017 and is so popular that the ticket is often sold out. This game starts at night. Let’s enjoy fantastic atmosphere of night amusement park and unique world view of SEKAI NO OWARI.
Schedule
April. 20. 2018 – April. 22. 2018
Friday & Saturday & Sunday of May 11 – June 3rd
June 9 & 10.2018
【Friday】Open /18:00 Start / 18:45
【Saturday & Sunday】Open / 17:45 Start / 18:30
Access & address
・Place
Yomiuriland
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
From Keiō-yomiuri-land Station 5 minutes by gondola
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station about 1hour 10 minutes by train & walk
・Address 4015-1 Yanokuchi, Tama-ku, Inagi, Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Admission
Doors 3900 yen
Advance ticket Adults 3400yen / Students 3000yen
※ If advance tickets are sold out, no tickets of the day
No reservation required
Official website
http://realdgame.jp/ryunoyoru/
Food event
3. Nikufes(meat festival) TOKYO 2018 April. 27.2018 – May .6 .2018
source：seasonal-events
Odaiba is getting popular among foreign tourists. At this waterfront area, you can enjoy
shopping, dishes, entertainment with your family or friends all day. There are nice places to enjoy the sunset or spectacular night view. Besides you can enjoy take a walk or jogging in the park, beach. Nikufes (meat festival) is held in this Odaiba. More than 5 million people visit this biggest event in Japan. In 2018, the theme of this event is “Niku no ōkoku NIKUFES (MEAT FESTIVAL) KINGDOM”. You can taste famous brand beef or special meat from all over Japan. You also can enjoy live music or sports events, kid’s area during this festival. So you can enjoy all day.
Schedule
April. 27.2018 – May .6 .2018
10:00 - 21:00
Access & address
・Place
Odaiba Tokusetsu kaijō (Events venue / Odaiba Aomi P area)
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Yurikamome , Daiba Station 5-minute walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station about 30 minutes by train & Yurikamome
・Address 2-1-3 Aomi, Kōtō, Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Entry free
Food voucher 700yen for one voucher
No reservation required
Official website
4. Odaiba Oktoberfest 2018～SPRING～ April.27 – May. 6. 2018
source: flickr
Odaiba. One of the popular sightseeing spots in Tokyo. There are many facilities you can enjoy shopping, dishes, entertainments. It located at waterfront. So that you can enjoy
take a walk or jogging at evening or sunny days during feel wind. The world famous beer festival of Munich in Germany “Oktoberfest”. That Japanese version is held in this Odaiba. You can taste real German beer, sausages and other German dishes. Besides you can enjoy live music from Germany. Let’s enjoy atmosphere of Germany with German beer.
Schedule
April.27 – May. 6. 2018
Weekday /16:00 - 22:00
Saturday & Sunday & Holiday / 11:00 - 22:00（ last order 21:30 ）
Access & address
Symbol Promenade Park
Central Square
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Yurikamome , Daiba Station 5-minute walk
Fune-no-kagakukan Station 5-minuts walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station about 30 minutes by train & Yurikamome
・Address 1. Aomi, Kōtō, Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Entry free（Food and beverage are charged）
No reservation required
Official website
Event for enjoy nature
5. Bunkyō Azalea Festival (Tsutsuji Matsuri) April 7 - May. 6.2018
source: travel.jp
Nezu shrine is located in Nezu Bunkyo-ku Tokyo. There is a “ tsutsuji en” ( Azalea garden) every year you see about 100 sorts 3000 in total azalea. During the period of azalea festival, there are plants market, amazake( traditional sweet, low- or non-alcohol drink)shop, stalls and on Saturday & Sunday & Holidays you can watch the traditional entertainments. Though from mid-April to late April are the best season for azalea, you can enjoy long period because of differences of the blooming depending on the sorts. You see rear sorts of azalea such as “Fuji tsutsuji “with small flowers, “Hanaguruma” with petal like a windmill,”karafune” named kuro tsutsuji. You also can visit other popular sightseeing area Yanesen( Yanaka / Nezu / Sendagi ) near this shrine. So you can enjoy atmosphere of the shitamachi (old downtown area).
Schedule
April 7 - May. 6.2018
Tsutsuji en ( Azalea garden) 9:00 - 17:30
Access & address
・Place
Nezu Shrine
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Nezu Station 5-mints walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station about 20 minutes by train
・Address 1-28-9 Nezu, Bunkyō, Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Tsutsuji en (Azalea garden) 200yen
No reservation required
Official website
http://www.nedujinja.or.jp/tutuji/t.html
6. Kameido Tenjin Shrine Wisteria Festival April.15.2018 – May .6.2018
source: travel.jp
Kameido Tenjin Shrine is located in Koto-ku, Tokyo. One of the popular sightseeing spots in Tokyo. Especially we recommend you to visit there in spring. This shrine is known as the best place in Tokyo to view wisterias. It is a wonderful when you see more than 100 of wisterias are blooming. In late April, Wisteria Festival is held. During this festival, you also can enjoy dishes of food stalls. The illuminated wisterias make a spectacular scenery! There is a pond in this shrine. We recommend you to see the unique scenery of purple flowers reflected on the surface of the water with the background of bright arched bridge. Besides you can see TOKYO SKYTREE from this shrine. So it also nice to see the contrast of TOKYO SKYTREE and wisterias. These wisterias are also well-known as one of famous Ukiyoe (color prints), “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” by Hiroshige Utagawa. Let’s visit this shrine with your camera.
Schedule
April.15.2018 – May .6.2018
Illumination / Evening – 21:00
Access & address
・Place
Kameido Tenjin Shrine
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Kameido Station 15-minute walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station about 30 minutes by train& walk
・Address 3-6-1 Kameido , Koto-ku ,Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Free of charge
No reservation required
Official website
http://www.kameidotenjin.or.jp/
7.Flower festival 2018 March. 24. 2018 - May .27. 2018（Planed）
source: travel.biglobe
Shōwa Kinen Kōen (Showa Memorial Park) is a park in the city of Tachikawa and Akishima in Tokyo. A Japanese national government park which is about 40 times the size of Tokyo Dome. At this huge park, you can enjoy seasonal flowers, join the events. Especially Flower festival is an event begin with Sakura (cherry blossoms) on late March, then rapes, tulips, shirley poppies and so on, you can enjoy blooming flowers till end of May. During this festival, there are also experience events for children & adults or photo
exhibitions about spring flowers. During period of cherry blossoms, you can enjoy events such as exhibition, experience, Segway guide tour which related to the cherry blossoms.
During period of shirley poppies, you can enjoy flower picking experience. Let’s feel the change of the season in the huge park.
Schedule
March. 24. 2018 - May .27. 2018（Planed）
Access & address
・Place
Showa Memorial Park
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Nishi-Tachikawa Station 2-minute walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station about 1 hour by train & walk
・Address 3173 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Admission fee
Adult (over 15 years old) / 410 yen
Elementary and Junior High Student / 80yen
Adult over 65 years old / 210yen
※After April 1st
Adult (over 15 years old) / 450 yen
Elementary and Junior High Student / Free
Adult over 65 years old / 210yen
No reservation required
Official website
Traditional festival
8. Ōkunitama Shrine Kurayami (darkness) Festival April.30.2018 - May 6.2018
source: GANREF
Okunitama Shrine is one of the oldest (1900 years) of historical shrine in Tokyo that is located in Fuchu City. Six different shrines in Musashi province were consolidated and their gods enshrined here. Many people visit this shrine to wish to get good luck or to drive off bad luck. The festival in spring is called Kurayami (darkness) Festival. Because
Mikoshi (portable shrines) parade is held on May 5th at night in the darkness. This festival starts with “Shinagawa kaijo misogi harai shiki (Ceremony which cleanse themselves in seawater)” on April 30. “Dashi no Kyoen “ (Cheer up with Dashi- festival cars）, “Keibashiki “(traditional horse racing ) on May 3rd,”Mando-taikai “(lantern competition) ,”Taiko no kyoen” Cheer up with taiko( Japanese drum) , “Dashigyoretsu” - Dashi(festival car) parade on May 4th. Especially on 5th of May, Mikoshi (portable shrines ) parade which you should not miss it. On May 3rd – 5th you see many stalls and plants market. So this shrine will be bustled with people.
Schedule
April. 30. 2018 ― May. 6
May. 3 Komakurabe (traditional horse racing) / 20:00
Cheer up with Dashi（festival cars）/18:00～20:00
May. 4 Lantern competition /12:30 – 14:00
Cheer up with taiko ( Japanese drum) /17:00 - 18:00
Dashi(festival car) parade /18:00 - 21:00 others
May.5 Main ceremony /10:00～
Mikoshi (portable shrines ) parade
It called ”oide” main event during this festival / 18:00 – around 21:00
others
May.6 Mikoshi (portable shrines ) returns
It called “okaeri” 4:00 – around 8:00
Access & address
・Place
Ōkunitama Shrine
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Fuchūhommachi Station 5-minute walk
Fuchū Station 5-minute walk
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station , about 1 hour by train Chūō Main Line & Musashino Line
・Address 3-1 Miyamachi , Fuchū ,Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Visit free
No reservation required
Official website
http://www.ookunitamajinja.or.jp/
Event for traditional cultural experience and learn history
9.Spring festival in Asakusa March. 15. 2018 – May. 6. 2018
source: asakusa_kanko_renmei
Spring festival is held during period sakura (cherry blossoms) are blooming. You can visit
Sensō-ji (temple) for “Kinryu no mai “ ( golden dragon dance ) on March 18 , for “Shirasagi-no Mai” (White heron dance) on April 8. Or “Hanamatsuri (Floral Festival)” “Jusan mairi “(13 years old boy/girl visit temple / shrine for wish his/her good luck)
“Ōgi kuyo”( memorial service for Ōgi - folding fan) and others at many places. Asakusa is a popular place to enjoy sakura.(cherry blossoms) Let’s enjoy cherry blossoms and a traditional Geisha dance show “Ozashiki Odori.” There are many sightseeing spots near Sensoji temple. Historical buildings such as temples, shrines or izakaya (Japanese gastropub) for bar hopping, or Tokyo Skytree for enjoy nice view of Tokyo.
Schedule
March. 15. 2018 – May. 6. 2018
Access & address
・Place
Sensō-ji (temple) others
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Asakusa Station nearby
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station about 20 minutes by train
・Address 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku, Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Visit free
No reservation required
Official website
Contemporary art events
10. Kengo Kuma: a LAB for materials
March 3 - May 6, 2018
source: japandesign
The exhibition about works of world-class architect Kengo Kuma is held at Tokyo Station gallery. This exhibition is a major overview of his projects from the past 30 years, projects underpinned by Kuma's intimate knowledge of Eastern and Western thought, both past and present, and his own innovative concepts, which include his ideas on “makeru kenchiku (defeated architecture)” and “shizen na kenchiku (natural architecture). The exhibition focuses in particular on materials, which Kuma has dialoged with extensively through his work, and is organized by category of primary material, including bamboo, wood, paper, stone and earth. It attempts to provide an overview of Kuma's work from the standpoint of “things.” The liberation of “things,” it is proposed, creates the possibility of an architecture that mediates between human sensibility and awareness and the larger environment.
Schedule
March 3 - May 6, 2018
10:00 -18:00、Friday - 20:00（Last admission 30 minutes before closing）
※Closed on Mondays (except April 30)
Access & address
・Place
Tokyo Station Gallery
・Nearest station and travel time from the station
Tokyo Station’s Marunouchi North Exit nearby
・Travel time from the terminal station of the city
From Tokyo Station nearby
・Address 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
・Map
Admission & reservation
Adults 1,100yen / High school and university students 900yen
No reservation required
Official website
http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/gallery/
If this got you interested in experiencing deep local culture first hand, we, MagicalTrip provide unique night tours with a friendly local guide in Japan. You’ll get to go to local Izakaya bars to enjoy authentic food and drinks, why don’t you give MagicalTrip’s Bar Hopping Food Tours.
