Ginza in May 2025: Highlights, Events & Festivals
The reason for updating the article is the growing interest in tours that allow visitors to enjoy Japanese food culture and delicious dishes. As these tours gain popularity, Magical Trip's tour, which ranked #1 among all tours on Tripadvisor, has been receiving numerous applications.
For those interested in traditional Japanese cuisine, join the "Wagyu Beef & Sake Paring Foodie Tour in Ginza," where a knowledgeable local guide will take you to their highly recommended Japanese restaurants. While enjoying Wagyu and sake, your local guide will teach you proper dining etiquette and the best ways to savor each dish.
If you want to enjoy exceptional Japanese cuisine in Tokyo, consider joining one of these tours. With expert guides who know Tokyo inside and out showing you their recommended restaurants, you'll have an unforgettable Japanese dining experience.
・Tokyo Bar Hopping Night Tour in Shinjuku（ranked #1 among all tours on Tripadvisor）
・Finest Quality Sushi & Tempura Dining Experience in Ginza
We hope you'll have a wonderful time experiencing everything Ueno has to offer by joining a Magical Trip tour!
Introduction
In May, Tokyo experiences warm and refreshing weather, sometimes even warm enough to break a sweat. With comfortable temperatures from morning to night, it's the perfect time to enjoy outdoor sightseeing.
Ginza is a bustling district filled with luxury brand shops and gourmet spots, always crowded with shoppers and diners. The streets are lined with new shopping buildings and long-established department stores sharing the same space.
Right next to modern buildings, you'll find traditional facilities like the Kabukiza and Enbujo theaters, making it a district where tradition and innovation blend seamlessly.
In this article, we've compiled events where you can experience traditional Japanese culture. We'll introduce each event's features, highlights, schedule, and access information.
2025 Year-round Event calendar in Ginza↓
・Ginza: List of Events & Festivals for 2025
sena kanda
Special Experiences Only in Ginza May 2025
May Grand Kabuki
Source:Official website
The Kabukiza Theatre will host the "May Program at the Kabukiza Theatre" from May 2nd to 27th, 2025. The featured performance is "Two Maidens at Dōjōji Temple." The story begins when a woman, wishing to worship the large bell hung at Dōjōji Temple, receives permission to visit on the condition that she performs a dance.
During the performance, male actors playing female roles, dressed in brilliant kimonos, showcase smooth dance movements. Pay attention to the shamisen performance and traditional songs playing behind the actors. You'll be overwhelmed by the spectacular stage created by the rhythmic music and the performers.
<Information>
Date: May 2-27, 2025
Address: 4-12-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Access: Direct access from Exit 3 of Higashi-Ginza Station on Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line/Toei Asakusa Line
5-minute walk from Exit A7 of Ginza Station on Tokyo Metro Ginza Line/Marunouchi Line/Hibiya Line
Admission: TBD (Tickets on sale from April 14)
Website: https://www.kabuki-bito.jp/theaters/kabukiza/play/890
Azuma-odori
Source:Tokyo Ginza Official
Azuma-odori began in 1925 to commemorate the opening of Shinbashi Enbujo. Visitors can watch women in kimonos with white makeup dancing to shamisen music.
In Japan, ryotei restaurants where you can enjoy geisha dancing while dining are considered exclusive establishments. Usually, first-time customers are turned away, making it difficult to enter casually. Some establishments even require introductions from regular customers.
Azuma-odori is a precious annual event where anyone can enjoy geisha performances while dining. The theater is designed to resemble a grand ryotei, where you can savor premium Japanese cuisine while watching the dances.
If you're interested in traditional Japanese performing arts, don't miss this opportunity!
<Information>
Date: May 2025 (Exact dates TBD)
Address: Shinbashi Enbujo, 6-18-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Access: Directly accessible from Exits A1-14 of Ginza Station on Tokyo Metro Ginza Line/Marunouchi Line/Hibiya Line
Admission: TBD (Last year's prices: ¥2,000-¥10,000)
Website: https://azuma-odori.net/
LA FOLLE JOURNÉE TOKYO
Source:Official website
LA FOLLE JOURNÉE TOKYO is a music festival that everyone can enjoy, from babies to adults. The event features various classical music pieces created in Venice, London, Vienna, Paris, and New York under the theme "Time-space travel of music."
The festival will include a wide range of content, from powerful performances by professional musicians to orchestra concerts suitable for children from 0 years old. About 90 paid performances are scheduled, along with lectures and workshops by various guest artists.
With well-equipped gourmet and shopping areas, it's an event you can enjoy throughout the day. Spend an elegant time surrounded by delightful music.
<Information>
- Dates: May 3-5, 2025
- Address: Tokyo International Forum, 3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Access: 1-minute walk from Yurakucho Station, 5-minute walk from Tokyo Station
- Admission: TBA (Tickets on sale from mid-February)
- Website: https://www.lfj.jp/lfj_2025/teaser/
Recommended for Ginza Visitors in May! Tokyo's Largest Events and Festivals Around Ginza
In May, Tokyo hosts several of its most representative festivals, including the Kanda Matsuri and Sanja Matsuri. The Kanda Matsuri takes place at Kanda Myojin, a 5-minute walk from Ochanomizu Station. The Sanja Matsuri is held at Sensoji Temple in the popular tourist area of Asakusa.
These two festivals are among the largest annual events in Tokyo. From Ginza Station, it takes about 10 minutes by train to Ochanomizu Station and about 20 minutes to Asakusa Station. If you're visiting Tokyo in May, we recommend making Ginza your base for exploring the surrounding areas.
Kanda Matsuri
Source:PR TIMES
The Kanda Matsuri is one of Japan's three major festivals, alongside Kyoto's "Gion Matsuri" and Osaka's "Tenjin Matsuri." It is held to pray for the safety and prosperity of the Kanda Myojin area. The festival attracts over 300,000 participants and creates an atmosphere filled with excitement and energy.
The Kanda Matsuri features various events over several days. Famous highlights include processions of people dressed in Heian period (794-1185) costumes walking through Kanda, Nihonbashi, Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Akihabara, as well as participants carrying various designed portable shrines (mikoshi) toward Kanda Myojin.
The sight of people wearing happi coats (traditional Japanese workwear from the Edo period) carrying mikoshi while chanting is truly spectacular. Join in the festivities by chanting along with the crowd!
Many food stalls line the shrine area, perfect for trying various Japanese festival foods. This is my recommended event for fully experiencing the atmosphere of a Japanese festival.
<Information>
- Dates: May 8-11 & 14-15, 2025
- Access: 5-minute walk from Ochanomizu Station (Hijibashi Exit) on JR Chuo/Sobu Line, or 7-minute walk from Akihabara Station (Electric Town Exit) on JR Keihin-Tohoku/Yamanote Line
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://kandamatsuri.com/
Sanja Matsuri
Source:Official website
Sanja Matsuri is a festival held at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa over four days from May 15th to 18th. This traditional event has continued since the Edo period, more than 157 years ago, and is conducted to pray for health and abundant harvests. Similar to the upcoming luxury brand exhibition in Ginza Event May 2025, it draws massive crowds.
On the festival days, many tourists and mikoshi (portable shrine) carriers gather, with approximately 2 million visitors attending. It's known as Asakusa's most vibrant days, creating an atmosphere as exciting as the anticipated Ginza Event May 2025.
The sight of 100 mikoshi being carried toward the shrine in succession is spectacular. The carriers lift the mikoshi while chanting rhythmically, elevating the festival's energy. Many people crowd around to get a closer look at the mikoshi, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement.
The area around Sensoji Temple is already a popular tourist destination with many restaurants and souvenir shops. During the festival, you can enjoy sightseeing in an even more lively atmosphere.
<Information>
Date: May 15-18, 2025
Address: 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Access: 5-minute walk from Asakusa Station (Tobu Skytree Line) / 5-minute walk from Asakusa Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line)
Admission: Free
Website: https://www.senso-ji.jp/
Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament in May
The Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament in May will be held at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Sumida, Tokyo, from May 11th to 25th.
At the May Tournament, large sumo wrestlers compete in strength matches in the sumo ring installed at the center of the venue. The seating is arranged to surround the sumo ring. The "Tamari seats" next to the sumo ring allow you to watch the powerful matches up close.
Except for the Tamari seats, food and drinks are allowed. Ryogoku Kokugikan offers plenty of sumo-related cuisine. I recommend enjoying sumo while eating and drinking purchased beverages, bento boxes, and desserts at your seat.
There are also many sumo-related goods available for purchase as souvenirs.
<Information>
Date: May 11-25, 2025
Address: 1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Access: 2-minute walk from JR Ryogoku Station (West Exit) / 5-minute walk from Ryogoku Station (Toei Oedo Line, Exit A3)
Admission: TBD (Advance tickets on sale after April 5th)
Website: https://www.sumo.or.jp/
It's recommended to join a tour before the event to learn about the highlights!
Let me introduce two Magical Trip tours where you can enjoy top-class Japanese cuisine in Ginza, which will perfectly complement the upcoming Ginza Event in May 2025.
Ginza is a spot where numerous high-end restaurants line the streets. Various specialized Japanese restaurants are scattered throughout, offering tempura, sushi, teppanyaki, and kaiseki cuisine (traditional Japanese course meals). Let's savor dishes prepared by first-class chefs in the glamorous Ginza district.
The tours are accompanied by guides who know Tokyo inside and out. While enjoying the tour, you can ask the guides about the highlights of events happening in Tokyo, including the special Ginza Event coming in May 2025. They might share exclusive local spots that only residents know about.
Finest Quality Sushi & Tempura Dining Experience in Ginza
This tour visits Japanese restaurants in Ginza that have earned Michelin stars and awards from "Tabelog," a famous Japanese gourmet website. You can enjoy sushi and tempura made with the finest ingredients in elegant restaurant settings.
On this tour, you'll be seated at counter seats where you can watch the chefs prepare dishes right before your eyes. The chefs' movements are smooth and precise. While observing the live cooking scene, savor dishes that bring out the best in each ingredient. You'll be amazed by cuisine more delicious than anything you've ever tasted before.
Ginza is an area in Tokyo where high-end restaurants congregate. The guide will explain proper etiquette for fine dining establishments, making this tour accessible even for first-time visitors.
Wagyu Beef & Sake Pairing Foodie Tour in Ginza
This is a luxurious tour where you can enjoy sake and wagyu beef. After meeting your guide at Shinbashi Station, you'll first head to a shop from Nara Prefecture, the birthplace of sake. There's a casual bar where you can compare more than 20 different types of sake.
You can taste various sake ranging from dry to sweet, including those with fruity notes. If you're not fond of sake, you can switch to other alcoholic beverages. Feel free to let your guide know.
Afterward, you'll dine at a restaurant that serves only A5-ranked wagyu beef, the highest grade available. Carefully grilled wagyu beef will be served on your plate one after another from the teppanyaki grill right in front of you. Enjoy a full-course meal along with soup and garlic rice.
Finally, relax with cake and coffee at a café.
