10 Best Things to Do in Tokyo in Winter
Top things to do in Tokyo during Wintertime
Winter. It is the most eventful and festive time of the year: Christmas, holidays, new years eve, new years day, and maybe even more. Even if you are not a Christian, people love Christmas and enjoy it as a fun annual event. Japanese do too.
The holiday season is also the time of the year when many people would gather and spend some time with their loved ones.
We have listed the 10 best things to do in Tokyo in winter. The city offers many activities and events for you to enjoy the holidays together with your friends, family members, and basically, anyone who is special to you! I hope this article helps you to coordinate the best winter of your life in Japan.
Check out the best things to do in Tokyo in each month in winter: December / January / February
1. Get lost in a winter wonderland at amusement parks
There are many amusement parks in Tokyo such as Tokyo Disneyland (東京ディズニーランド), Tokyo DisneySea (東京ディズニシー), Sanrio Puroland (サンリオピューロランド), and many more.
They all celebrate and do special events for many occasions and Christmas is one of them. They decorate the park with seasonal decorations and the staff and the characters dress up in seasonal costumes and even have a special and exclusive parade or shows just for Christmas or new years season.
Also in their gift shops, there will be many limited things that you can only get that year, because every year, they come up with new ones.
2. Get festive items and food in Christmas markets
Maybe Christmas markets are common for you if you’re from a country with a more Christian culture like Europe or the US. Even though there are less than 2% of the Japanese population claim they are Christian, and most Japanese are not devoted to any religion, in particular, Japanese love to celebrate Christmas so much. You may find it very strange to see many Japanese come to enjoy the festive atmosphere at Christmas markets.
There will be at least eight Christmas markets being held in Tokyo. The biggest and most famous one is at Hibiya park (日比谷公園). There will be many cute little Christmas shops and some food stands where you can enjoy festive food and drinks.
Check out more about Christmas Markets in Tokyo in the following article!
Best Christmas Markets in Tokyo
3. Go to Hatsumode and wish for a good year at shrines & temples
Hatsumode (初詣) is a very old Japanese traditional practice where you visit shrines and temples for the new year. The term itself means “the first visit to shrines and temples of the year”. People appreciate the last year’s health and happiness and wish the coming year to be good, happy, healthy, wealthy, and whatever else you wish for that year to become.
Many shrines and temples organize Hatsumode festivities during the first few days of the year, especially on January 1st.
As I was saying, even though many Japanese don’t believe in a particular religion, more than 90% of them will go to Hatsumode so it is going to be SO crowded. Some popular shrines or temples even have food stands. It will definitely be an interesting experience for people from another culture to feel the festivity. Famous spots are Meiji shrine (明治神宮) in Shibuya and Sensoji temple (浅草寺) in Asakusa.
Check out more about Hatsumode in the following article!
Hatsumode: Receiving the New Year in Japan
4. Have a romantic night at winter illuminations
The English word “Christmas lights” is pretty much what “illumination” means in Japan. However, for Japanese, the word “illuminations” is a synonym for “winter” and not just Christmas.
Many public spaces like shopping malls, streets, gardens, and fields put up their lights with the help of professional illumination designers.
Something about those twinkling shining warm lights grabs our hearts and attention in the cold winter season. It is popular for couples to go and see the lights and they tell their feeling toward each other whether they are or are not in a relationship and some even propose to get married. It is considered a romantic place. Many places put the light up after Christmas and New Year so there’s plenty of time to enjoy them.
