{"id":677,"date":"2025-02-18T12:17:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T04:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/tokyo-in-autumn-the-best-things-to-do-and-see\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:08","slug":"tokyo-in-autumn-the-best-things-to-do-and-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=677","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo in autumn: the best things to do and see"},"content":{"rendered":"
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From seasonal sights and arts events to traditional festivals and tech expos, there is a lot happening in Tokyo from late September through to December \u2013 making the autumn months a great time to visit.<\/p>\n

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Enjoy Tokyo’s fiery autumn colours at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden \u00a9 Claire Takacs \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

See the leaves change<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tokyo\u2019s parks and gardens are a treat any time of year but especially when the maple trees turn from green to torii<\/em> (a traditional Japanese gate) red in late November. Rikugi-en, Koshikawa K\u014drakuen and Hama-riky\u016b Onshi-teien are some prime spots to lose yourself in a kaleidoscope of colours; Rikugi-en stays open a few hours past dark, turning on flood lights for the occasion.<\/p>\n

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You can also head to the hills to immerse yourself in the autumn phenomenon: Takao-san and Oku-Tama are two popular getaways, an hour and two hours respectively, by train from Tokyo (though fair warning, they can get very crowded).<\/p>\n

While the maples are definitely showstoppers, don\u2019t miss Tokyo\u2019s signature tree \u2013 the gingko \u2013 whose leaves go gold in early December. Admire them from the terrace at Royal Garden Caf\u00e9 on the appropriately-named Ich\u014d Namiki-d\u014dri (meaning, Gingko Street).<\/p>\n

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Ich\u014d Namiki-d\u014dri is flanked by sanguine golden leaves during the fall months \u00a9 Rebecca Milner \/ Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rake in some luck<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tori-no-ichi<\/em> (Rooster Fairs) have been a Tokyo tradition for centuries, held at shrines in November (the month of the rooster according to the Chinese zodiac).<\/p>\n

Vendors sell kumade<\/em> (bamboo rakes), that have been so lavishly decorated with symbols for wealth (like the god Ebisu), longevity (pine boughs and cranes) and happiness (owls) as to totally obscure their use \u2013 except metaphorically.<\/p>\n

Hanazono-jinja in Shinjuku and Ch\u014dkoku-ji in Asakusa both celebrate Tori-no-ichi. They take place two or three times during the month, on \u2018rooster days\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Roppongi nightlife gets ghostly in October \u2013 join in or go just to appreciate the commitment to costume \u00a9 vichie81 \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Go wild for Halloween<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For decades Tokyo no more than raised an eyebrow at the spectre of Halloween; but now the city champions the American import. Thousands descend on Shibuya Crossing in costume for one big open-air party \u2013 you can elect to arrive in style, in a go kart and dressed as a cartoon or video game character, courtesy of Maricar.<\/p>\n

Other popular gathering spots include Tokyo\u2019s gay district, Shinjuku Nich\u014dme \u2013 start the evening at Aiiro Caf\u00e9 \u2013 and the rowdy bars and clubs of nightlife district Roppongi.<\/p>\n

The city of Kawasaki (in between Tokyo and Yokohama) hosts a massively popular, other-worldly parade over the weekend closest to Halloween. For parts of September and the whole of October, Tokyo Disney Resort has Halloween-themed parades and decorations.<\/p>\n

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Tsukimi Dango<\/em> are traditional Japanese sweets eaten during tsukimi <\/em>\u00a9 Caycebilly \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Have a moon-viewing party<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You already know hanami<\/em> (cherry blossom viewing), now meet its autumnal cousin tsukimi<\/em> (moon viewing). Full moons in Japan from September to December are big and golden, just like a senbei<\/em> (toasted rice cracker) hanging in the sky. The traditional day for tsukimi<\/em> is the fifteenth day of the eighth month, on the old lunar calendar.<\/p>\n

Every year, the garden Mukojima Hyakkaen stays open until 9pm for three days on and around the full moon for a lantern-lit celebration with live koto<\/em> (zither) music. Yokohama garden Sankei-en hosts a similar event with music and dance staged at one of the garden\u2019s antique pavilions.<\/p>\n

And if you can\u2019t make it to an event, all month you\u2019ll see restaurants offering seasonal moon-themed treats, like tsukimi-dango<\/em> (rice dumplings). Don\u2019t despair if you\u2019re visiting out of season though, you can get tsukimi-udon<\/em>, noodles topped with a bright yellow egg yolk year-round.<\/p>\n

Catch a show<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Over the last week of October, Roppongi Hills rolls out the red carpet for the Tokyo International Film Festival, which includes a mix of Hollywood blockbusters, the latest installments from Japanese veterans and new flicks from up-and-coming directors around Asia. In November, there\u2019s Tokyo Filmex, another film festival, but with a less commercial focus. Both are open to the public; most films are screened with English subtitles (but it\u2019s best to double check).<\/p>\n

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Festival\/Tokyo, Japan\u2019s biggest performing arts festival, runs throughout October and into November, with shows taking place in theatres \u2013 and on streets \u2013 around the city. Some are screened with English subtitles (or don\u2019t use spoken language at all); check the website for details.<\/p>\n

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Yaki-imo<\/em> will warm you up both inside and out \u00a9 JKDECODE \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tokyo’s autumn foods<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After a summer of beer, edamame and kakig\u014dri<\/em> (shaved ice), Tokyoites look forward to more earthy delights. King among them is the prized matsutake mushroom, which can cost hundreds of dollars per kilo. Look for them on sale at Tsukiji Outer Market. Saba<\/em> (pacific saury) and sanma<\/em> (mackerel) are the fish of autumn; both are delicious as sushi or grilled (yaki-zakana<\/em>) at an izakaya (Japanese gastropub) like Okaj\u014dki.<\/p>\n

Other foods to look out for include: kuri<\/em> (chestnuts), usually steamed with rice or sweetened and used in desserts; kaki<\/em> (persimmon); and kabocha<\/em> (Japanese pumpkin). It\u2019s about this time of year that the yaki-imo<\/em> (roasted sweet potato) trucks start making the rounds of Tokyo neighbourhoods, selling potatoes hot off the coals (that double as hand warmers).<\/p>\n

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The Tokyo Game Show at Makuhari Messe is gamer heaven \u00a9 Junko Kimura \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Geek out<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Head to Tokyo Game Show in September, to try out the latest video games, mingle with fans or pay homage to your favourite character \u2013 TGS is known for its cosplay gatherings. CEATEC Japan takes place in early October and is Japan\u2019s biggest electronics trade show; the place to see the latest gadgets and gizmos before they hit the shelves.<\/p>\n

The last of the big three autumn tech expos, in either November or December (and on odd years only), is the International Robot Exhibition. This is where you can meet and greet the creations from leading international robotics enterprises \u2013 that we are likely to be seeing more of in the future.<\/p>\n

Updated Aug. 2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From seasonal sights and <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tokyo-travel-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=677"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1061,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677\/revisions\/1061"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}