We’re on summer’s doorstep right now, so we’ve rounded up outdoor events to enjoy the pleasant season before summer arrives, along with indoor exhibitions that are safe during the rainy season. Here are the best things to do in Tokyo in June 2024!
1. Attend the opening of the UESHIMA MUSEUM in Shibuya
On June 1, a new museum will open on the grounds of Shibuya Junior & Senior High School. With the theme of “contemporariness,” visitors will be able to view up close and personal works selected from more than 650 pieces of contemporary artworks from the UESHIMA COLLECTION, a collection of contemporary artworks by a wide range of artists from Japan and abroad. The exhibition will be organised around various themes, and is currently scheduled to be open until the end of December.
Ueshima Tower, Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen, 1-21-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
2. Be amazed by the STAR ISLAND fireworks display at Odaiba Seaside Park (June 1 & 2)
STAR ISLAND is a “futuristic pyrotechnic entertainment” from Japan that has been held in countries around the world since 2017, attracting a total of more than 15 million people. This year, the first time in five years that the event will be held in Japan, it will be held in Fukuoka in May and in Tokyo in June. Why not enjoy the first fireworks of the year before summer arrives?
Neon Brush has been well received in major cities around the world, including Paris, Singapore, Melbourne, and Dubai, and you’ll find it in Tokyo too. The workshop is a series of art workshops where you paint with fluorescent paints in the dark. The venue has everything you need to let your creativity flow: a variety of paints, including fluorescent colours, unique decorations, and uplifting music. You can bring your own drinks, including alcoholic beverages, to the venue, so even those who like to drink will be able to enjoy themselves.
Harajuku Space B1F (1-9-12 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
4. Join the FOODIES’ PICNIC at Yebisu Garden Place (from June 7)
The event includes outdoor cinema screenings, outdoor yoga, and food from popular restaurants in Yebisu Garden Place. During the event, PICNIC CINEMA will set up a 300㎡ artificial grass area and a 280-inch (3.6m long x 6.3m wide) screen for screening in the centre plaza, and will screen 19 films, mainly those with impressive “food scenes”. In addition, a special food terrace will be set up in the Clock Square, where restaurants in Yebisu Garden Place will open weekly. It will run until July 15.
4-20 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
5. See wisteria and hydrangeas bloom at Ginza’s Art Aquarium Museum (until June 24)
Early summer at the Art Aquarium Museum is sees the space filled with wisteria blooming in spring and hydrangea beautifully blooming in the rainy season. The interior of the museum is tinted in purple and deep blue, giving the impression of nobility and modesty, and goldfish swim gracefully through the colours, creating a beautiful fantasy. The museum is open until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays during the exhibition’s run (with some exceptions), making it a great place to visit after work or before dinner in Ginza.
9F, Ginza Mitsukoshi Shinkan, 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
6. Experience a magical Candlelight Concert at Mitsukoshi Theater (June 29)
The Instagram-famous Candlelight Concerts have attracted more than 3 million people in cities around the world, including Madrid, New York, London, Paris, and Barcelona. The latest concert in Tokyo is dedicated to Ed Sheeran’s music, and will feature live quartet performances of popular songs such as “Shape of You” and “Thinking Out Loud,” which are well-known to fans.
Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Bldg. 6F, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
7. Drink up at the Shitamachi Highball Fest 2024 (June 27-30)
In 2024, the “Shitamachi Highball Fest“, which had a great response when held in 2023, returns to Ueno Park. In addition to a full lineup of sake and gourmet booths, this year’s event will also feature a stage where visitors can enjoy various performances, including the Yosakoi Festival.
Takenodai Plaza (Fountain Plaza), Onshi Ueno Park, Todai-ku, Tokyo
8. Feast at the Firefly Evening Dinner Buffet at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo (until June 30)
Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the “Hotaru no Yuubi” (Firefly Evening), the buffet features an array of sumptuous delicacies, from popular dishes such as sirloin roast beef to traditional hotel delicacies such as rice eggplant cooked in Asahi and cold boiled vegetables, and seasonal items inspired by the light of fireflies in the garden. After the meal, enjoy the fantastic sight of fireflies buzzing around the Tokyo Sea of Clouds in the garden.
2-10-8 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
9. Watch music and astronomy collide at a Planetarium Concert
This June, enjoy an extraordinary planetarium concert at Planetaria Tokyo featuring the starry skies of the four seasons and live classical music. The four seasons’ starry skies will be accompanied by the most famous pieces such as Holst’s “Jupiter”, Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers”, and Debussy’s “Moonlight”, which everyone has heard at least once. Performances are taking place until July 15.
9F Yurakucho Marion, 2-5-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
10. Step into Yayoi Kusama’s world at the ‘Painting Figurative Art’ exhibition
Held at the Yayoi Kusama Museum of Art, this exhibition will include a symbolic pumpkin, a work that will be exhibited for the first time in the world, and mysterious paintings freely painted on canvas. This will be an opportunity to experience the changes in Yayoi Kusama’s figurative expression from the beginning of her career to the present. It runs until Sunday, September 1
107 Benten-cho, Shinjuku-ku
See more about the Yayoi Kusama Museum of Art