Tokyo festivities

A spellbinding fusion of romance and tradition, celebrate Christmas and New Year in Tokyo.

08 December 2024

There’s something otherworldly about Tokyo during the holiday season. The city wears winter like a tailored coat, every seam stitched with light and magic.

Here, Christmas shimmers with romance, while the New Year hums with tradition, the old and the new threading together in an intricate dance of culture and celebration.

Christmas in Tokyo

In Tokyo, Christmas is not the cosy, familial affair of the West. It’s a celebration of wonder and whimsy, a time for couples to walk beneath canopies of twinkling lights, their breath mingling in the crisp air. And Christmas Eve is a moment carved out for love – a candlelit dinner, a stolen kiss beneath the glow of a Christmas tree.

The streets around Tokyo Skytower festooned with lights.

An amazing array of illuminations decorates the streets and parks of Tokyo.

The Christmas lights and markets glisten at Tokyo Skytree.

For those wandering Tokyo during the holidays, the city’s Christmas markets are like stepping into a snow globe.

The Jingugaien Christmas Market (November 19 to December 25) is a symphony of warm lights and handmade treasures.

Meanwhile, Roppongi Hills Christmas Market (November 23 to December 25) offers a touch of elegance, its stalls brimming with gourmet treats and artisanal crafts. At the Solamachi Christmas Market, nestled in the shadow of the iconic Tokyo Skytree, the season feels both timeless and modern.

Tokyo’s Starlit Canvas

As night falls, Tokyo transforms into a city of light. Illuminations paint the skyline with millions of LED stars. Wander through the Shibuya Blue Cave, where an electric river of blue swirls through the heart of the city, or bask in the synchronised light-and-music display of Caretta Shiodome. Every corner glitters, every street glows, as if the city itself is alive with holiday cheer.

Gliding through Tokyo’s winter dreams

Underneath Tokyo’s glittering skyline, ice rinks sparkle like frozen lakes. The Tokyo Midtown Ice Skating Rink (November 22–February 24) invites skaters to glide beneath the stars, while the GINZA SIX Rooftop Star Skating Rink offers a surreal view of the city lights stretching to the horizon. For a more ethereal experience, head to Tokyo Skytree Town, where skating and starlight blur into a dream.

The bells that banish the past

On New Year’s Eve, as the clock inches towards midnight, Tokyo resonates with the deep, reverent toll of temple bells. The tradition of Joya no Kane rings out 108 times, each chime cleansing a worldly desire. At Zojoji Temple, the bells sing against the backdrop of Tokyo Tower’s glow, a reminder of beginnings yet to come.

Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines become havens for reflection and renewal.

First step into a new year

When dawn breaks on New Year’s Day, the city shifts. The thrill of revelry gives way to quiet reverence. The tradition of Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, draws both locals and visitors to sacred spaces.

Meiji Jingu, cradled in a forested sanctuary, becomes a haven for reflection and renewal.

At Yakuoin Temple, perched on Mount Takao, nature itself seems to bow to the solemnity of the occasion.

Where past and present coexist

Tokyo in winter is a paradox – modern yet steeped in history, romantic yet reverent. It invites you to lose yourself in its dazzling markets, glide across its icy rinks, and welcome a new year beneath its ringing bells. For those seeking magic, Tokyo doesn’t just deliver; it enchants.

Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau

Since 1997, the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau has been weaving Tokyo’s story for the world, ensuring travellers experience its wonders. Whether you’re seeking the sparkle of its lights or the quiet of its traditions, Tokyo awaits.

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