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Tokyo Events This Week: Art Books, Antiques, and Shouting Into the Void

What's a Cheapo to do this week?

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Tokyo Cheapo
December 15, 2025

Tokyo events for Monday, December 15, to Sunday, December 21, 2025.

Despite the dropping temperatures, Tokyo continues to give us plenty of reasons to rug up and head out this week. There are festivals and fairs covering everything from anime and art books to antiques and swearing. Odaiba hosts fireworks and a psychedelic light walk, and Christmas markets continue around the city.

Dec 15th - 16th

Boroichi is an enormous flea market at which more than 700 vendors sell a variety of used goods, antiques, handicrafts, and food to approximately 200,000 visitors.

Dec 18th

Head to Akasaka for an evening of bamboo flute music — no tickets required. Once played by wandering monks as a form of meditation, it’s now used in both classical and modern music.

Dec 18th

A string quartet will take you through some of the season’s most iconic music from The Nutcracker to Jingle Bells. Take in the beautiful performance and let yourself be swept away by nostalgia.

Dec 17th - 19th

The festival dates back to Edo times. The hagoita paddles are usually decorated with kabuki actors, but you may also find them decorated with TV personalities, sports stars, or even cartoon characters.

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Dec 21st

Adachi Ward’s Nishiarai Daishi temple will hold its Osame No Daishi end-of-year “closing” festival to sell lucky items and food.

Dec 11th - 21st

This is the biggest fair of its kind in Asia, attracting over 300 exhibitors from around the world. There will also be workshops, presentations, film screenings, and live music.

Dec 16th - 21st

This multidisciplinary exhibition will display a vibrant mix of photography (predominantly street and portrait), visual art, and DJs.

Dec 18th - 21st

For all things stationery, head to the biggest festival in Japan: the Bungu Joshi Haku. There will be all your regular favorites as well as smaller brands and limited-edition items with plenty of new designs to discover. Whether you’re after new pens, organizers, or washi tape, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

Dec 21st

The market is held twice a year by Sunset, one of Japan’s most well-known vintage toy stores. It specializes in miniature cars, with collectors and dealers from across Japan coming to buy and sell classic models.

Dec 21st

This centuries-old tradition combines spiritual offerings with, well, a lot of shouting. Here, shouting rude words and grabbing sacred offerings are part of the ritual to invoke good health and prosperity in the coming year.

Dec 20th - 21st

The event introduces new manga, anime, films, games, and merchandise relating to titles and characters (think One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Slam Dunk, Bleach, and many more) that are featured in the line of Jump magazines.

Dec 1st - 22nd

A weekly night of comedy in Roppongi that transcends language and culture. Don’t expect extended monologues, though — the comedy at Yoshimoto is largely driven by non-verbal physical humor, skits, prop comedy, and feats of sheer amazement.

Dec 6th - 27th

This out-of-season fireworks display takes place every Saturday in December. Around 1,300 fireworks are shot into the sky between Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge — so there are some awesome photo opportunities.

Dec 4th - 27th

Light Walk Odaiba is an illumination trail that stretches across the two-kilometer path of Odaiba’s Yume-no-Ōhashi Bridge in Symbol Promenade Park. While many illuminations feature seasonal themes — think snowflakes and cute woodland creatures — Light Walk Odaiba leans into fantasy.

Dec 6th - 31st

Hanayashiki rolls out a cozy, slightly kitsch Christmas lineup with dance performances from the in-house Hana Hana Troupe, roaming Santas, hands-on winter craft workshops, and a gemstone hunt in the carnival game corner.

Nov 6th - Dec 25th

Shibuya Scramble Square lights up with the theme “all kinds of love sparkle”. At the top of the building, Shibuya Sky hosts Sparkling View, a light-and-sound installation featuring LED lights and drifting soap bubbles. Inside the Sky Gallery, hundreds of mirrored balloons scatter light across the glass corridors.

Dec 4th - 25th

This year’s display will feature around 500,000 LED lights (guess what color) stretching between Shibuya Koen Dori and Yoyogi Park (just south of Yoyogi Park Events Square).

Nov 4th - Dec 25th

Each year, the 400 meters of Keyakizaka Street behind Roppongi Hills become one of the most popular spots for couples to stroll.

Nov 13th - Dec 25th

Don’t let the name confuse you — this is actually a Christmas market, and it stretches across Nakadori Avenue and Gyoko-dori Avenue.

Nov 19th - Dec 25th

One of Japan’s most beloved Christmas events is coming to Tokyo. Like many Christmas markets, this one, too, is going for a European vibe. Expect an outdoor market atmosphere with lights, food stalls, and seasonal art installations.

Looking for more winter illuminations and Christmas markets? Check out our dedicated guides.