This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to Tokyo
The world’s biggest city is crammed with exciting things to do, see and enjoy — and 2024 in Tokyo looks particularly thrilling. Below are some highlights from the city’s congested calendar — the events in the Japanese capital that the FT Globetrotter team are most excited about this year.
February
Art
‘Frontiers of Impressionism: Paintings from the Worcester Art Museum’, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
An ode to the first Impressionism exhibition in Paris, 150 years ago, highlighting the advent of the movement and its impact. Monet and Renoir are among the artists in a show featuring works from the collection of Boston’s Worcester Art Museum, many never previously seen in Japan. Until April 7; further information and tickets here
‘The 900th Anniversary of the Golden Hall of Chūson-ji Temple’, Tokyo National Museum
A celebration of the 900th anniversary of the unveiling of the Golden Hall of Chūson-ji Temple. Its 11 Buddhist statues are on display, as well as other ornaments and objects. The showstopper is an 8K, full-scale digital recreation of the hall, where visitors can immerse themselves in its spiritual atmosphere. Until April 14; further information here
‘Henri Matisse: Forms in Freedom’, National Art Center, Tokyo
Around 150 works spanning paintings, sculptures, prints and textiles from the Musée Matisse in Nice. The artist’s cut-outs are a central pillar of the exhibition, as well as aspects of the Vence Chapel, which Matisse designed in his later years and considered his greatest achievement. February 14 to May 27; further information and tickets here
Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
The theme for this year’s festival dedicated to the moving image is 30 Ways to Go to the Moon, setting out to explore lunar travel through an artistic lens, with screenings, performances and photography. February 2 to 18; further information and tickets here
Performance
‘Don Pasquale’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
Director Stefano Vizioli’s production of Donizetti’s delightful opera buffa, with Italian bass Michele Pertusi as Don Pasquale. February 4, 8 and 10; further information and tickets here
Mahler: Symphony No 10, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
The Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra will be performing the Cooke version of Mahler’s unfinished 10th. February 22 and 23; further information and tickets here
‘Macbeth’, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
The Egiwa theatre company’s Japanese-language take on the Scottish Play is a “more approachable” production crafted to appeal to younger theatregoers. February 17 to 25; further information and tickets here
Event
Setsubun
The day marking the start of spring in the old Japanese calendar, Setsubun is a festival where people undergo a spiritual cleanse by decorating their homes with foliage, and scattering roast beans at home, shrines and temples to ward off evil spirits and attract prosperity. Find the traditional festival food — eho-maki sushi rolls — around the city; make sure you eat without speaking while facing the “lucky direction” for good fortune. February 3; further information here
March
Art
Art Fair Tokyo, Tokyo International Forum
Japan’s biggest event of its kind, with local and international galleries showcasing everything from antiques to ultra-contemporary works. Be sure to visit the Crossing section, which brings together modern and traditional art. March 8 to 10; further information and tickets here
‘Universal/Remote’, National Art Center, Tokyo
An examination of our world in which “capital and data flow freely on a global scale”. Eleven artists have created a range of hi-tech pieces tackling the themes of “Constant Growth at a Pan-Global Scale” and the “Remote Individual”. March 6 to June 3; further information and tickets here
Performance
‘Tristan und Isolde’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
Director David McVicar and conductor Ono Kazushi revive their 2010-11 NNTT staging of Wagner’s epic. German heldentenor Torsten Kerl sings Tristan; Latvian soprano Liene Kinča is Isolde. March 14 to 29; further information and tickets here
Chris Botti, Blue Note Tokyo
Following his end-of-year residency at Blue Note New York, Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Chris Botti will grace the stage at the jazz club’s Tokyo outpost for a short run. February 29 to March 4; further information and tickets here
Sport
Tokyo Marathon
Cheer on the 38,000 runners taking part in this major marathon, which winds around the Japanese megalopolis and takes in some of its major sites. March 3; further information here
Events and festivals
Sakura season
Tokyo’s cherry blossom are forecast to bloom earlier than usual this year, between March 23 and 30. The Rikugien Gardens and Ueno Park are popular spots to take in the flowers, or head to the annual festival in hipster Nakameguro, where hundreds of sakura trees hang over the river, casting a cherry-pink shadow — with food stalls for those taking in the view. March to April; further information here soon
Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo
The autumn/winter 2024 season takes over Tokyo, with runway shows ranging from ready-to-wear to avant-garde, alongside parties aplenty. March 11 to 16; further information here
Showa Kinen Park Flower Festival
The annual spring floral festival in Tokyo’s largest park, with family-friendly activities, workshops and exhibitions. Expect to see plenty of cherry blossoms, tulips and poppies. March to May; further information here soon
Hachijojima Freesia Festival
It may be a ferry journey or one-hour flight from the city, but Hachijohima is still technically part of Tokyo. And in March, 350,000 freesias come into bloom on the balmy island. This annual floral festival includes freesia-picking, drumming and craft sales. March 20 to April 5; further information here
April
Art Exhibitions
Tokyo Contemporary Art Award 2022–24, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
The work of Japanese artists Saeborg and Tsuda Michiko, the winners of the fourth edition of this annual prize aimed at supporting mid-career artists, will be exhibited under the titles I Was Made for Loving You and Life is Delaying respectively. March 30 to July 7; further information and tickets here
‘Ho Tzu Nyen: A for Agents’, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Geopolitics and art collide at this solo exhibition dedicated to Singapore’s Ho Tzu Nyen. The multimedia show seeks to “traverse historical events, political ideologies, subjectivities, and cultural identities of south-east Asia” through Ho’s video installations and performances. April 6 to July 7; further information and tickets here
Performance
‘La Bayadère’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
Maki Asami’s staging of Marius Petipa’s ballet premiered at the NNTT in 2000 and returns this year. The story charts a doomed love affair between an Indian temple dancer and a warrior. April 27 to May 5; further information and tickets here
‘Dekalog: 1–4’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
The first instalment of a theatrical adaptation of the late Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Dekalog, based on the Ten Commandments and made up of 10 one-hour episodes. Here, directors Eriko Ogawa and Satoshi Kamimura stage the first four stories, with later chapters to follow in May and June. April 13 to May 6; further information and tickets here
Sport
Asakusa Yabusame at Sumida Park
See the traditional martial art of horseback archery in Asakusa’s Sumida Park. Competitors shoot targets in a ceremony dating back to the 17th century. Date to be announced; further information here soon
May
Performance
‘La traviata’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
Verdi’s three-act opera, a romantic drama set in 19th-century Parisian high society, will be directed by Vincent Boussard. Eri Nakamura will reprise her role as courtesan Violetta opposite Riccardo Della Sciucca as Alfredo. May 16 to 29; further information and tickets here
‘Così fan tutte’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
Damiano Michieletto’s production of Mozart’s opera premiered in 2011 and has delighted audiences around the world with its campsite staging. Serena Gamberoni, Daniela Pini and Joel Prieto headline. May 30 to June 4; further information and tickets here
Festivals
Sanja Matsuri
One of Tokyo’s largest festivals, held over three days typically on the third weekend in May, drawing 2mn people to the Asakusa area. Crowds gather as 100 mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried from the Asakusa Shrine to Sensoji Temple to be blessed on the Saturday. May 17 to 19; Find information here
Children’s Day
Koinobori, the traditional Japanese windsocks in the form of colourful carp, are hoisted across the city to celebrate this annual holiday. May 5; further information here
June
Performance
‘Aladdin’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
Aladdin and the flying carpet return to Tokyo in this revival of choreographer David Bintley’s production for the National Ballet of Japan. The late Carl Davis’s score will be performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. June 14 to 23; further information and tickets here
‘Moriyama Kaiji: Ninja’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
The second in choreographer Moriyama Kaiji’s series of family-friendly dance projects sees ninjas break into a castle and metamorphose into lizards, snakes and toads, in an exciting tale involving origami-inspired throwing stars, a mountaintop fire and the moon. June 28 to 30; further information and tickets here
July
Performance
‘Tosca’, New National Theatre, Tokyo
Director Antonello Madau-Diaz’s famed version of the Puccini classic, a political thriller and tragic love story set in 19th-century Rome, returns to the Edokko company this year, with soprano Joyce El-Khoury singing the title role. July 6 to 21; further information and tickets here
Festival
Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival
This annual summer fireworks display over the Sumida river harks back to the 18th century, when it started as a prayer to end famine. With no official seating areas, the Asakusa neighbourhood is a solid bet for good views. July 27; further information here
Event
Mount Fuji climbing season
July marks the start of the somewhat narrow window when you can head up the active volcano. Two to three hours by train from the city centre, the hike is considered a pilgrimage, and trails are typically packed to the hilt. July to September; further information here
August
Art
‘A Personal View of Japanese Contemporary Art: Takahashi Ryutaro Collection’, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
One of the most important and extensive collections of Japanese contemporary art, with more than 3,000 works. Yayoi Kusama, Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara are among the artists in the show, which also examines Takahashi’s approach to collecting. August 3 to November 10; further information and tickets here
Festivals
Summer Sonic
A multi-genre weekend festival where acts swap between Osaka and Tokyo (Osaka’s Saturday line-up will be Tokyo’s on Sunday and vice versa). Previous headliners include Kendrick Lamar, Blur, Liam Gallagher and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Tokyo leg will take place at ZOZO Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe, both in Chiba. August 17 and 18; further information and tickets here
Bon Odori dance festivals
These celebrations, which pay homage to the spirits of ancestors, are dotted in different neighbourhoods across the city throughout August. The traditional bon-odori choreography is danced to the beat of taiko drums in a festival atmosphere. Various dates; further information here
Tokyo Koenji Awa Odori
This vibrant dance festival began in 1957 as an initiative to revitalise the small shopping streets throughout the town. Over the years the festival has grown – it now welcomes more than 10,000 dancers and 1mn spectators dand has come to symbolise the charm of Tokyo in summer. End of August; further information here
September
Sport
Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament, Ryogoku Kokugikan
The last sumo event of the year to be held in Tokyo, and the penultimate in the six-part honbasho tournament series. Get box seating to watch Japan’s national sport — a four-person reserved floor section with cushions to sit and kneel on. September 8 to 22; further information and tickets here
Festivals
Ark Hills Music Week
A festival of free music and interactive events in and around the major office complex and “green city”, Ark Hills, and the Minato neighbourhood. Dates to be announced; further information here soon
Tokyo Game Show
The show where all the world’s video games come together. The four-day annual event is held inside the massive Makuhari Messe convention centre, located just outside of Tokyo. Late September; further information here
Hokkaido Fair, Yoyogi Park
A multi-day celebration of the northern prefecture’s cuisine, which includes specialities such as ishikari nabe (miso-based hotpot), jingisukan (“Genghis Khan” barbecue) and, of course, its signature soup curry. Dates to be announced; further information here
October
Festivals
Meguro Citizens’ Festival
An entire celebration dedicated to a fish. Thousands of barbecued Pacific saury served with kabosu (a Japanese citrus fruit) are offered out for free on the banks of the Meguro river. Date to be announced; further information here
Sumida Street Jazz Festival
Sumida will be host to hordes of jazz lovers as musicians perform in venues across the neighbourhood. The festival’s hub is Kinshi Park, where you can enjoy alfresco performances with a beer in hand. Dates to be announced; further information here
Tokyo International Film Festival
One of the biggest film festivals in Asia. It was created in 1985 and has been held on October every year. Dates TBC; Find information here.
November
Festival
Asakusa Tori-no-ichi festival
Traditional tori-no-ichi celebrations are held nationwide every November on the days of the rooster (tori), of which there are two or three, depending on the calendar. People join festivities to wish for prosperity in the coming year, buying kumade (a decorated bamboo rake) for good luck. It is believed to have originated at the Otori Shrine and adjacent Chokokuji Temple in the historic Asakusa district, where you’ll find Tokyo’s biggest tori-no-ichi fair — hundreds of stalls selling kumade, souvenirs and food to up to 700,000 visitors. Early to late November; further information here soon
December
Event
Setagaya Boroichi flea market
An enormous, sprawling flea market dating back 400 years in hipster Setagaya. The market runs once in January, and once in December, and with more than 700 stalls, there are collectibles and antiques aplenty. December 15 and 16; further information here
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Please tell us in the comments about any other Tokyo highlights this year that FT readers might like to know about
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