Free things to do in Tokyo this week

This September, Shimokitazawa welcomes the return of its annual lunar art festival that will coincide with the upcoming autumn moon. Back for its fourth edition, Moon Art Night Shimokita will span several venues in the neighbourhood, including the Shimokita Senrogai Open Space in front of Shimokitazawa Station’s east exit, the rooftop of Higashi-Kitazawa Station, and the Bonus Track complex. Exhibits include an outdoor moon installation by UK artist Luke Jerram, whose giant floating model features striking details of the moon’s surface as captured by Nasa. This particular installation – titled ‘Museum of the Moon’ – is set to be on show every day at the vacant lot of the Shimokita Senrogai complex.  The festival is also hosting London-based artist Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, whose luminous blue cat inflatables will be on display at the Bonus Track complex. Inspired by the paradoxical Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment, which explores how a cat can be both alive and dead at once, the artist created the cats as a way to spark imagination and explore our relationship with the universe. A new addition this year, Japanese visual artist Takayuki Mori is participating with a three-dimensional installation titled ‘Uranometria’. The work depicts constellation motifs across a celestial dome using ultraviolet-responsive threads, which illuminate the invisible lines that connect the stars in glowing neon colours. His work, which invites viewers to reflect on how humanity has...

The UNU farmers’ market is one of Tokyo’s longest running and best-attended markets. Taking place every weekend in front of the university’s Aoyama headquarters, this one always attracts a knowledgeable crowd. Organic and local fare is readily available every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, with the farmers themselves happy to provide details about their wares. Plus, there's always a few food trucks on hand if you wish to enjoy a quick meal.

Northern Tokyo’s hanabi kicks off the autumn season with around 10,000 shells of fireworks. Since the hour-long pyrotechnic display takes place behind the old Iwabuchi watergate, get your cameras ready for a magnificent shot, where the vibrant explosions in the sky bring out the bright red hues of the antique dam. While most of the reserved seats have sold out, you can still purchase tickets for the ‘fan zone’ at ¥3,300 per person via Ticket Pia. There won’t be any chairs, so bring a picnic mat or a small stool that’s no taller than 30cm. Tickets for paid seats on the Kawaguchi side of the river are still available at ¥5,500 per person. This year, KKday is also offering a package for foreign tourists, which includes transportation to the venue, paid seating from the Saitama side, and a souvenir set to take home as a memento of the experience.

Explore how post-war black markets shaped the evolution of Tokyo’s urban fabric at this intriguing exhibition, held at Takashimaya Archives Tokyo on the fourth floor of the Nihombashi Takashimaya department store. On show until February 23 2026, the display marks 80 years since the end of World War II and focuses on the makeshift marketplaces that emerged amid the ruins of Tokyo. During the war, large-scale demolitions, intended to prevent the spread of fires caused by air raids, created vacant lots across the city. In the chaotic years that followed, these empty spaces, together with bombsites and even roadside corners, were transformed into black markets. Known as yami-ichi, they supplied goods and sustenance in a time of scarcity while seeding new social and commercial hubs. Particular attention is given to Shinjuku, where some of the black markets grew into vibrant entertainment districts that remain central to Tokyo’s identity today. And while most of the markets eventually vanished, their traces endure in the city’s streetscapes and neighbourhoods. Curated by Tokukazu Ishigure of Kwansei Gakuin University, the exhibition reframes black markets as more than unlawful encroachments, highlighting their role as catalysts of urban renewal – spaces where disorder gave rise to energy, resilience and reinvention.

Long before it became the first stop on the south-bound shinkansen from Tokyo Station (and, for many of the city's foreign residents, a key juncture on the dreaded schlep to the immigration office), Shinagawa was known as the first rest stop along the Tokaido Highway from Edo to Kyoto. Started in 1990, this annual festival tries to educate the younger generation in the area's history. It features taiko drumming and parades of people in traditional costumes alongside the less era-specific flea markets and marching bands. There's even a fire-walking rite by monks at Honsenji Temple (September 28, time to be confirmed). While the oiran dochu (courtesan procession) takes place on Saturday afternoon (2025 times unannounced), most of the action is centred on Sunday.For more details, check the event's Facebook page.

The nation’s biggest festival of Indian culture returns to Yoyogi Park this September with traditional music and dance performances. You can slip into a traditional sari for photos against a Taj Mahal backdrop, discover Indian crafts like Mithila and Warli painting, browse wines, clothing and yoga goods from India, and sample dishes from food stalls run by some of Tokyo’s top Indian restaurants. Namaste is always a fun way to spend a weekend afternoon.