The Best Things To Do in Tokyo This Month: May 2025
List of Contents:
Exhibitions and Art Shows
Festivals and Outdoor Events
Live Music and Night Life Events
Anime and Manga Events
Food and Drink Events
Game Events
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Tokyo Exhibitions and Art Shows in May
Daido Moriyama and Sayre Gomez: "Hellooooo" Exhibition
Daido Moriyama's Tokyo street photography meets the sharp grit of Sayre Gomez's photorealistic Los Angeles paintings in this exhibition.
Date & Time
Apr 12-May 31・11:00-19:00
Price
Free
Location
Taka Ishii Gallery Kyobashi
More Info
Closed Sunday, Monday, Holidays
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Hokusai: Another Story in Tokyo Immersive Exhibit
Hokusai's masterpiece ukiyo-e come to life in a way never experienced before. This immersive experience presents the beauty of Hokusai's art with modern technology for an interactive exhibit.
Date & Time
Feb 01-Jun 01・11:00-20:00・Last admission at 19:10
Price
¥4200
Location
Tokyu Plaza Shibuya
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Machine Love: Video Game, AI and Contemporary Art
"Machine Love: Video Game, AI and Contemporary Art" at the Mori Art Museum spotlights contemporary artists that utilize game engines, generative AI and virtual reality technologies as tools for their visualization.
Date & Time
Feb 13-Jun 08・10:00-22:00・10:00-17:00 on Tuesdays, Admission until 30 minutes before closing
Price
¥2000 for adults, ¥1700 for seniors, ¥1400 for university/high school students, free for children
Location
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Hilma af Klint: The Beyond
Go and see the new exhibition of pineoreeing abstract artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1994) coming to the National Museum of Modern Art in March.
Date & Time
Mar 04-Jun 15・10:00-17:00・Closed on Mondays/Fridays and Saturdays open until 8 pm
Price
¥2300
Location
National Museum of Modern Art
More Info
¥1,200 for University Students/¥700 for Highschool Students
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Godzilla the Art 70th Anniversary Exhibition
Godzilla is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Godzilla the Art Exhibition at Mori Arts Center Gallery showcases 29 artists and their interpretation of the giant monster.
Date & Time
Apr 26-Jun 29・10:00-19:00・Until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, last admission 30 minutes before closing
Price
General and university students: ¥2500, high school students: ¥1600, elementary school and under: ¥600
Location
Mori Arts Center Gallery
More Info
Weekday tickets are discounted
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Joan Miró Exhibition
From March 1 to July 6, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum will host a retrospective dedicated to Joan Miró, one of the 20th century's most celebrated artists.
Date & Time
Mar 01-Jul 06・09:30-17:30・Fridays open until 8:00 p.m. / Last entry 30 minutes before closing / Closed: Mondays (except April 28 and May 5) and May 7
Price
¥2,300 / ¥1,300 for University Students / ¥1,600 for people over 65 years old
Location
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
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Kenjiro Okazaki Exhibition at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Kenjiro Okazaki's first major Tokyo retrospective highlights groundbreaking works, exploring the transformative power of form across media.
Date & Time
Apr 29-Jul 21・10:00-18:00
Price
Location
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo 1F/3F
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Exhibition: World Fair in Japan 1970-2005
Architecture fans will delight in this deep dive into Japan's Expo designs, from Osaka in the '70's to Aichi 2005's eco-conscious pavilions.
Date & Time
Mar 08-Aug 31・10:00-16:30
Price
Free
Location
National Archives of Modern Architecture
More Info
Closed on Mondays, except public holidays (closed the following day instead)
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Tokyo Festivals and Outdoor Events in May
Spiral Independent Creators Festival 2025
The Spiral Independent Creators Festival is back for its 26th edition, offering an exciting showcase of Japan's art and design scenes.
Date & Time
May 02-07・11:00-19:00
Price
Exhibition tickets are ¥1000. The market is free.
Location
Spiral
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Keisei Rose Garden 'The Queen of Heart's Tree Castle'
Experience the Keisei Rose Garden's spring festival, "The Queen of Heart's Tree Castle," where the garden turns into a rose-filled theme park. Throughout the festival period, guests can enjoy tea in the small castle inside the garden, and ride a merry-go-round or the self-driving car to explore the garden premises.
Date & Time
Apr 19-Jun 15・09:00-18:00
Price
¥1,800
Location
Keisei Rose Garden
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My Melody & Kuromi Anniversary Party at Sanrio Puroland and Harmonyland
To celebrate My Melody's 50th anniversary and Kuromi's 20th anniversary, Sanrio Puroland and Harmonyland theme parks will have new attractions, entertainment, photo spots, merchandise and food.
Date & Time
Jan 17-Dec 31・・Specific event and attraction dates may vary
Price
Location
Sanrio Puroland
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Tokyo Live Music and Night Life Events in May
Angura Presents: 'Pop Peach Planet'
Angura's next event features four exciting and creative pop acts in Japanese indie like Puff and Wang Dang Doodle, and some top-class DJs.
Date & Time
May 14, 2025・19:00~・Doors open 18:30
Price
¥3,200 (inc 1D
Location
Shinjuku Marz
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Boyz II Men Japan
Boyz II Men touch down in Japan for a three-date arena tour, taking in Osaka and Nagoya before moving onto Tokyo for a final date.
Date & Time
May 16, 2025・19:00~・Doors open 18:00
Price
from ¥15,000
Location
Tokyo Garden Theater
More Details
Kamasi Washington Live in Tokyo 2025
Kamasi Washington, aka one of the coolest saxophonists in the business, comes back to Japan for four solo dates across the country.
Date & Time
May 23-28・17:30~・Playing four times across two days. 1st OPEN 16:30 / START 17:30 | 2nd OPEN 19:30 / START 20:30
Price
from ¥16,500
Location
Billboard Live Tokyo
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The Beach 2025: A New Beach Festival Dedicated to Dance Music
The Beach 2025 — a brand-new beach festival in Japan that's dedicated to dance music — makes its debut on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Date & Time
May 31, 2025・12:00-21:00・Doors open at 11:00
Price
General admission: ¥15,000 | At the gate: ¥18,000
Location
Makuhari Seaside Park (Chiba)
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Hibiya Music Festival 2025
A 'free and borderless' music event, the Hibiya Music Festival returns this May, bringing live performances by top artists to Hibiya Park.
Date & Time
May 31-Jun 01・10:30-20:30
Price
Free
Location
Hibiya Park
More Info
Some venues may require entry fee. See website for details
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Tokyo Anime and Manga Events in May
Ghibli 3D Sculpture Exhibition
In 2003, Tokyo was blessed with the Ghilbli 3D sculpture exhibition. Now, 22 years later, it is back and bigger than ever. Dive into the worlds of My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Pom Poko with full-scale sculptures from the films. You can even see the Savoia S-21 flying boat from Porco Rosso.
Date & Time
May 27-Sep 23・09:30-20:00・Last Entry at 19:00
Price
¥1,900
Location
Warehouse TERRADA B&C HALL
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Tokyo Food and Drink Events in May
The Tavern Secret Kitchen Is Back
The Tavern Secret Kitchen is secretly back with two unforgettable evenings on Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17, 2025.
Date & Time
May 16-17・19:00~・Welcome drink from 18:30
Price
¥24,200
Location
The Tavern - Grill & Lounge
More Info
¥9,900 for wine pairing
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Italia, Amore Mio! 2025: Life is Beautiful
Italia, Amore Mio! 2025 is back at Roppongi Hills Arena on May 24–25, featuring live entertainment, Italian brands and authentic Italian food and wine.
Date & Time
May 24-25・
Price
Free
Location
Roppongi Hills Arena
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Chinaroom Hosts Renowned Cantonese Chef Jacob Huang
For one week only this February, Chinaroom is welcoming acclaimed Michelin-Starred Chef Jacob Huang to Tokyo.
Date & Time
Feb 25-May 31・11:30-14:30・Dinner: 17:30-20:30
Price
Dinner: ¥17,600, Lunch: ¥8,800
Location
Chinaroom
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Jade Garden Special Chef Collaboration Event
For around two months, Chef Kent Jin Qiang is presenting a special menu at Jade Garden, Hyatt Regency Tokyo.
Date & Time
Mar 20-May 31・11:30-22:00・Lunch: 11:30-15:00, Dinner: 17:30-22:00
Price
¥10,120-¥22,770
Location
Jade Garden
More Info
All prices include 15% service charge and tax
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The Oak Door Bar's Sakurao Cocktails
With hanami season approaching, Grand Hyatt Tokyo is exploring the complex flavors of Sakurao Gin through a range of cocktails.
Date & Time
Mar 20-May 31・11:30-23:30・Until 0:30 on Fridays and Saturdays
Price
¥2,300-¥2,500
Location
The OakDoor
More Details
Tokyo DisneySea Food & Wine Festival
The Food & Wine Festival returns for a second year at Tokyo DisneySea. Guests can sample a variety of dishes and exclusive seasonal beverages.
Date & Time
Apr 08-Jun 30・・Specific menu and merchandise sale dates may vary
Price
Location
Tokyo DisneySea
More Details
Le Petit Chef
ANA InterContinental Tokyo recently announced the opening of Le Petit Chef, a cinema dining restaurant with projection mapping.
Date & Time
Feb 07-Jul 31・12:00-22:00・Three Seatings
Price
¥14,000-¥21,000
Location
ANA InerContinental Tokyo
More Details
Sapporo Beer The Perfect Black Label Wagon Event
Sapporo's Perfect Black Label Wagon is touring at 13 stops celebrating their flagship draft beer around the country. Guests can enjoy Sapporo beer and other exclusive goods at the event.
Date & Time
Apr 09-Aug 24・・Please check event details for each venue
Price
Experience passes: ¥1200 (Tokyo), ¥1000 (other locations)
Location
Roppongi Hills Arena
More Details
Mori no Beer Garden's 40th Edition
Mori no Beer Garden is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat barbecue and an all-you-can-eat drinks menu.
Date & Time
Apr 15-Sep 23・16:30-22:00・Weekends and Holidays: 12:00-22:00. From July 19 to August 31: 14:00-22:30, Weekends and Holidays: 12:00-22:30
Price
¥6,000-¥7,000 for adults
Location
Niko Niko Park, Meiji Jingu Gaien
More Details
(c)Kristin Perers
Bills Spring-Summer 2025 Menu
The all-day dining restaurant Bills (stylized as bills) starts its spring-summer 2025 menu at all eight locations in Japan from April 22.
Date & Time
Apr 22-Oct 15・
Price
Breakfast-Brunch ¥3,000-¥3,999
Location
bills Ginza
More Info
Dinner ¥5,000-¥5,999
More Details
Tokyo Game Events in May
More events coming soon.
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Japan Times
5 days ago
- Japan Times
Artist Chiharu Shiota weaves a hidden marvel on Teshima
Step off the ferry at Teshima's Ieura port, 25 minutes from the nearest mainland city of Tamano, Okayama Prefecture, and life goes quiet. The odd car passes by; occasionally, a town bus. On the far side of the island, tucked away in a dilapidated house southeast of the port and southwest of the island's titular art museum, Chiharu Shiota's 'Memory of Lines' waits for visitors. The installation opened this spring on Teshima as part of the Setouchi Triennale, and will reopen Aug. 1 for the summer edition. Remote and hard to access, even by the standards of the lesser known far-flung art island in the Seto Inland Sea, the work risks being seen only by scant numbers of people. That doesn't bother the acclaimed Osaka-born, Berlin-based artist Shiota, whose highly photogenic signature red-string sculptures have become globally recognizable. 'I don't think it's so important that many people see the work. Sometimes, when a place is hard to reach, the experience becomes more personal and meaningful for the people that do see it,' writes Shiota by email. 'I believe art doesn't have to be seen by many people to have value. It can live quietly and still touch people in powerful ways.' When creating 'Memory of Lines,' artist Chiharu Shiota asked the local villagers on Teshima which disused old objects hold a lot of memories and a woman suggested a machine for making sōmen noodles. | Photo by Shintaro Miyawaki © JASPAR, Tokyo, 2025 and Chiharu Shiota The work spans several rooms in an abandoned Japanese-style house in the seaside area of Ko. Thick webs of red string burst forth as if spun by a zealous spider, anchored to three old sōmen noodle machines. From beyond the house come the sounds of ocean waves and the swish of overgrown trees. On the day I visit, barn swallows have taken over the entrance to the property and are fastidiously building a nest. Shiota's web is thick and wild, suggesting that, like the trees and roost, it grows even in the absence of humans. Shiota uses white as well as black threads in her work, evoking purity and the universe, respectively — but it's her red strings, symbolizing bodies, familial relationships and connection, that appear most readily in art feeds. When she affixes them to used objects, the energy of the red yarn seems to release from the items like blood spurting. A sense of anxiety pervades the artist's work, and indeed her whole world, as she says. 'When I create, I put all of my energy into the work — my feelings, my fears, everything,' says Shiota. 'Depending on how I feel, you can see it in the thread.' The lines themselves can appear tangled or calm. Shiota uses white as well as black threads in her work, but it's her red strings that appear most readily in art feeds. | Thu-Huong Ha When Shiota conceived of 'Memory of Lines,' she posed a question to local inhabitants: 'What objects do you no longer need, but still hold a lot of memories, something you wouldn't throw away, but also don't use anymore?' A local woman showed her an old machine she used for making the fine white wheat-based sōmen noodles, an object that Shiota says had been well known in the community. 'I believe we are always connected by invisible lines,' says the artist. 'My intention was to link not only the machine and its owner, but also the history of the village and the memories held within this house.' Though Shiota's work is seen by masses all over the world (her large-scale 2019 Mori Art Museum exhibition was shown at Paris' Grand Palais last year and will go to Turin, Italy this fall), that hasn't stopped her from seeking quieter places to tie her knots. In 2009, the artist went to Teshima for the first time to work on a commission for the inaugural Setouchi Triennale. She gathered 400 doors, windows and fusuma (sliding screens) from seven Seto Inland Sea islands and created 'Further Memory.' Though the piece wasn't intended to be permanent, the locals wanted it to stay, and the work became a place of communal gathering on the island for the population of about 900, including a wedding in 2016. "Further Memory" was Chiharu Shiota's first installation on Teshima, part of the inaugural Setouchi Treinnale. It became unstable after a decade and it had to be dismantled. | Sunhi Mang After a decade, the tunnel of interconnected panels became unstable and had to be dismantled. For this year's Setouchi Triennale, Shiota intended to construct something larger and entirely new, but after finding water in the soil, which made it a challenge to build, she decided to repurpose an existing space. (At time of writing, official plans for 'Memory of Lines' after the triennial closes in November have yet to be decided.) 'These site-specific installations allow me to connect directly to the architecture, the light, the history and the feeling of the space,' Shiota says. 'I see my works almost like drawings in air; they stretch, connect and interact with the environment around them. That connection is essential.' The summer session of the Setouchi Triennale runs for the duration of August. The festival will reopen for the fall on Oct. 9. For more information, visit
Yomiuri Shimbun
28-07-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
‘Secrets of the Kimono' Showcased in Kyoto; Museum Exhibit Features Early Modern Pieces, Related Items
KYOTO — An exhibition featuring about 260 kimono and related materials recently opened at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, in the city's Sakyo Ward. Titled 'Secrets of the Kimono: The Advent of Yuzen Dyeing,' the exhibition focuses on the beauty of the traditional Japanese garb. Kimono masterpieces from the early modern period onward will be showcased through Sept. 15, featuring pieces from the collection of Chiso Holdings Co., a renowned kimono firm known for its Kyo-yuzen, a Kyoto-style dyeing technique. Chiso is providing special support to the exhibition, which is organized in part by The Yomiuri Shimbun. Visitors can observe masterpieces such as elegant kosode short-sleeved kimono patterned all over the cloth and 'Yuzen Kimono, 'Glorious Blossoms'' (1985) by Kako Moriguchi, housed in the museum. Moriguchi is a Yuzen-dyeing artist designated as a living national treasure. Also on display are kimono pattern books, believed to have set past kimono trends, dyeing and weaving designs as well as various scraps of Yuzen-dyed fabric, highlighting the creativity of the artisans. The exhibited items are periodically replaced. 'I was amazed at how much time and energy went into making a single kimono. It's truly art,' said a 77-year-old woman from Kawasaki. Admission is ¥2,000 for adults, ¥1,300 for university students and ¥600 for high school students.
Japan Times
18-07-2025
- Japan Times
The self as a muse: Leonard Foujita's world in paintings and photos
There's reality and then there's the packaging of reality, a fact proven repeatedly by the life and work of Tsuguharu 'Leonard' Foujita (1886-1968). The Japanese-turned-French artist spent his career traveling the globe, creating works that would endear him to the School of Paris at one extreme and brand him a warmonger at the other. He produced paintings — most famously of white women and tabby cats — while cycling through wives, national allegiances and artistic styles as tax collectors and geopolitical events nipped at his heels. Amid the upheaval, Foujita tirelessly pursued the art of self-invention and reinvention. How did he manage to brand his captivating self image? The exhibition 'Foujita: Painting and Photography' reveals that he had one of modernity's most useful tools at his disposal: the camera. In what's being billed as the first exploration of the artist as a photographer, the show — a decade in the making — presents hundreds of Foujita's paintings and photographs on loan from more than 40 museums and collections.
