The Best Events and Things to Do in Tokyo Over the Holidays: December 25 – January 7

Community Events

1.
Nujabes Metaphorical Ensemble Come to Tokyo

Celebrating the 50th year of the late Nujabes, aka Seba Jun, the Nujabes Metrophorical Ensemble will perform in Ebisu, Tokyo at the end of December.

They will be joined by Joe Claussell, a spiritual dance music performer, who brought the Nujabes 12-inch track “Child’s Attraction” to life in 2016. From the minds at Hydeout Productions, this promises to be an evening of beautiful, fragile and yet powerful music, and is not one to miss.

2.
Matt Koff and Dina Hashem Double Headliner Show at Tokyo Comedy Bar

This December, Tokyo Comedy Bar is thrilled to welcome two amazing comedians, Matt Koff (The Daily Show) and Dina Hashem (Conan), all the way from New York.

The pair will perform a dedicated double-headliner show at Tokyo Comedy Bar.

3.
Yuriko Kotani Stand-up Show at Good Heavens

Catch the award-winning Yuriko Kotani perform her new show at Good Heavens bar this January. A British-based Japanese comedian, Kotani makes fun of the cultural differences between London and Japan and her observations have made her a rising star and regular fixture of the UK stand-up circuit and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

4.
Tokyo Winter Comiket 2023

The winter edition of Comiket returns to Tokyo this December, with a focus on independently created and published manga. Head down to Tokyo Big Sight to discover your new favorite manga, from the thousands displayed at the event by amateur and professional artists alike.

Art Exhibitions

5.
Invisibles in the Neo City

An exhibition of Tokyo through technology and new media art, “Invisibles in the Neo City” explores the way we capture the memories, attachments, and feelings that people have about cities. With interactive digital, VR, and AI artworks, this group show will appeal to fans of architecture and design. Highlights include a digitized and holographic Nakagin Capsule Tower, and an opportunity to stand on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic podium.

6.
Tohaku Chakan at the Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum is hosting Tohaku Chakan (teahouse) in its Okyokan, a traditional Japanese house on the museum premises until January 28. A variety of food, beverages and activities have been prepared for visitors to enjoy Japanese culture. Visitors can also appreciate the 270-year-old house and the reproduced fusuma paintings by Maruyama Okyo, one of the master painters during the Edo period (1603-1868). Participate in activities such as a Kyoto kimono dressing experience, Zen Kokyu breathing method and a bonsai workshop. Enjoy traditional Japanese meals, Japanese sake Aramasa and Japanese whisky made with local ingredients at Okyokan.

7.
Hello Again: Christmas at Ginza Six

This year, Ginza Six returns to celebrate the Christmas period with “Hello Again,” in collaboration with creative studio YAR. The exhibition pays homage to the Nakagin Capsule Tower Building, a portion of which has been rebuilt in Ginza as an art installation for viewers to enjoy.

There is also a skating rink available for use on the rooftop garden.

Yayoi Kusama Soul Burning Flashes (A.B.Q), 1988, Tower, 1998 Installation view at the Yayoi Kusama Museum, 2023 © YAYOI KUSAMA

8.
Yayoi Kusama Museum: Visionary Colors Exhibition

“Visionary Colors” is the latest exhibition at the Yayoi Kusama Museum and includes a host of new artworks. As you enter, on the first floor, the exhibition introduces Kusama’s distinctive color expression with her three-dimensional work and large-scale painting from the 1980s and 90s. In the quadriptych “Soul Burning Flashes (A.B.Q),” visitors can absorb the striking motifs that emerged from her childhood hallucinations.

On the second-floor gallery, there’s an overview of Kusama’s color expression from the early stages of her career. In the 1949 painting “Lingering Dream,” viewers can observe dark yet surreal colors.

9.
Accidentally Wes Anderson Returns to Tokyo

Following the huge success of the “Accidentally Wes Anderson” exhibition in spring, it is returning to Tokyo to share over 300 photos from all over the world, as well as a brand-new section dedicated to a recent Antarctic adventure.

The exhibition features landscape photographs that embody the aesthetic world and spirit of film director Wes Anderson, led by the eponymous Instagram community, that now has over 1.88 million followers.

A beloved holiday tradition, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King returns this winter. There will be 17 performances from December 22 to January 8 as a special Christmas and New Year treat. This production features splendid, fast-paced choreography with a sense of humor by Wayne Eagling, while the rich colors of the sets and costumes create an atmosphere somewhere between dream and reality.

20.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Lunch & Dinner Program

Starting from October 4 at the French restaurant “Chef’s Theater” on the 16th floor of the luxury hotel MESM Tokyo, diners can enjoy a sumptuous lunch and dinner program based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Featuring an abundance of seasonal ingredients, these course meals faithfully recreate the first half of the story for lunch and the second half during dinner. When combined, they form a cohesive narrative.

The cuisine, marked by ingenious twists that incorporate Japanese elements, in conjunction with captivating presentations, promises not only delectable flavors but also delightful surprises that engage all five senses. This immersive journey appeals not only to devoted fans of Oz but also to newcomers.

More Things To Do in Tokyo

See what other activities Tokyo has to offer:

• Tokyo Robots and Where to Find Them
• The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter Finally Opens
• Visiting Real Life Locations From Haruki Murakami Novels in Tokyo
• 13 Unique Vending Machines in Tokyo
• 7 Places for Authentic Japanese Tea Ceremony in Tokyo
• Shoutenguide: Tokyo’s Best Shopping Streets
• 35 Must-visit Museums and Galleries in Tokyo