{"id":3502,"date":"2019-04-15T13:27:12","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T04:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/tokyo-during-golden-week\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:34:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:34:51","slug":"tokyo-during-golden-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/tokyo-during-golden-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do in Tokyo For Golden Week 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Golden week<\/a> is the longest public holiday period in Japan, and many residents make a trip abroad, or to a tourist area like Kyoto over the break. \u00a0Trains and airports can be crowded, and the traffic into any area worth a visit is going to be heavy at best, standstill at worst. \u00a0Need a hotel? \u00a0If you have not booked well in advance you are probably not going to get one during Golden Week.<\/p>\n

To sum up, it seems like everyone goes somewhere over Golden Week,\u00a0but if you are not interested or able to leave Tokyo, there are still a wide variety of activities to keep yourself entertained during the Golden Week Holiday period.<\/p>\n

Check out the Carp Streamers at Tokyo Tower<\/h2>\n

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Back in the day, Children\u2019s Day was called Boy\u2019s Day and the virtues that parents wanted to be entitled in their sons (power, success, wisdom) were celebrated on this day. (Remember, Hina Matsuri Day on March 3rd is really Girl\u2019s Day, so the Japanese do keep it equal with the genders having their own holiday!) Traditionally, the custom is for parents to fly a kite in the shape of a carp (koinobori) outside their homes for every boy under their care.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, there\u2019s no real rule saying you can\u2019t fly one for the girls living there too, and since a large number of families live in apartment blocks, they may fly none. Not to worry though, Tokyo Tower has a carp streamer display every year that tops pretty much anything anyone can legally fly outside their home! 333 kites are flown symbolizing the 333 meter height of Tokyo Tower.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.tokyotower.co.jp\/event\/attraction-event\/koinobori2019\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Tokyo Tower<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shibak\u014den 4-2-8, Minato-ku, T\u014dky\u014d-to 105-0011
\nMap: https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/s9zcgethPnP2<\/a><\/p>\n

Okunitama Shrine\u2019s Kurayami Matsuri<\/h2>\n

Out in the western suburbs of Tokyo\u2019s Tama region, Okunitama shrine in Fuchu will hold<\/p>\n

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their annual founding day celebration and festival complete with samurai archers on horseback, large Omikoshi floats and taiko drumming. Held between April 30 and May 6, the two best days this year will be May 4 & 5 when the biggest processions will be shown. Okunitama Shrine is about a 10 minute walk from Fuchu station on the Keio line.<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.ookunitamajinja.or.jp\/matsuri\/5-kurayami.php<\/a><\/p>\n

Okunitama Shrine<\/strong><\/p>\n

Japan, 183-0023 T\u014dky\u014d-to, Fuch\u016b-shi, Miyamachi 3-3-1\u00a0 (map link<\/a>)
\n81 42-362-2130<\/p>\n

Movies<\/h2>\n

\"movie_theater\"It may come as something of a surprise, but there is nothing more traditional to do during Golden Week than to visit the cinema. In fact, the holiday\u2019s nomenclature is directly linked to the silver screen, having been coined in 1951 by the managing director of Daiei Film Co ltd to reflect the ticket sales boom during this period following the holiday\u2019s introduction in 1948.<\/p>\n

Most theaters are open for business, and Japan’s usually back-of-the-pack release schedule usually is suspended at this time (hello summer blockbusters!) so pick something and go<\/a>!<\/p>\n

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Spring Grand Festival<\/h2>\n

\"Meiji-Jingu-Shrine\"Many of us, having just escaped the office, will want to get out and about and enjoy the spring sunshine outdoors! \u00a0For them, Showa Day marks the beginning of the Spring Grand Festival at Meiji Shrine. \u00a0The annual festival runs from April 29 until May 3, and it is a lovely opportunity to wander the gorgeous gardens of azaleas, oleaceae, and yamabuki that embellish the shrine.<\/p>\n

In addition to enjoying “nature,” you can take in many of the festival’s events, including various Japanese traditional performing arts, such as:<\/p>\n

Bugaku (ancient imperial court music)
\nHogaku and Hobu (classical Japanese dance)
\nNoh and Kyogen(classical Japanese theatre)
\nSankyoku(traditional Japanese music)
\nSatsuma biwa(Japanese lute)<\/p>\n

All performed in honor of the deities in front of the main shrine.<\/p>\n

Meiji Spring Grand Festival Schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n

May 2\u00a0<\/strong>10 am Spring Grand Festival morning ceremony,\u00a02 pm Spring Grand Festival afternoon ceremony<\/p>\n

May 3\u00a0<\/strong>10 am Spring Grand Festival morning ceremony<\/p>\n

May 5\u00a0<\/strong>10 am Children’s Festival<\/p>\n

Spring Grand Festival<\/a><\/p>\n

Meiji Jingu<\/strong><\/p>\n

1-1 Yoyogikamizonoch\u014d, Shibuya-ku, T\u014dky\u014d-to 151-8557 (map link<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Tour the\u00a0National Diet Building<\/h2>\n

\"Japanese_diet\"Constitution Memorial Day is an excellent\u00a0day to reflect upon democracy and the continually evolving state of Japanese politics, and what better way to do this than a tour around the National Diet Building?\u00a0 Built in\u00a01920, the Diet Building is a striking representation of early 20th<\/sup> century European and traditional Japanese fusion design.<\/p>\n

The building\u00a0houses both wings of the Japanese political diet: the House of Representatives in the left wing and the House of Councillors in the right. Throughout the year it is possible to enjoy a guided tour of the latter, but entry to the House of Representatives is\u00a0restricted. Constitutional Memorial Day is the one day of the year that the general public can wander both wings.<\/p>\n

Tour the Diet<\/a><\/p>\n

Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome<\/h2>\n

\"\"As well as being a reference to the late Emperor Hirohito\u2019s love of flowers, Greenery Day is a time to reflect on Japan\u2019s outstanding natural beauty, which makes it a\u00a0great day to visit the Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome. Constructed in the 1950s on a manmade island of reclaimed land, the greenhouse uses the heat produced by a nearby garbage disposal plant to warm the \u00a0As well as strolling through the botanical gardens, there are many activities to enjoy such as hula dance stages and flower bouquet making, and entry is free on Greenery Day.<\/p>\n

www.yumenoshima.jp<\/a><\/p>\n

Ueno Zoo<\/h2>\n

\"\"Another great Greenery Day experience is the world famous Ueno Zoo, with over 460 species including Sumatran tigers and western lowland gorillas all within a short walk from the park exit of Ueno Station in Tait\u014d-ku, Tokyo. \u00a0The zoo was Japan’s first, dating from 1882, and in another first contains the Ueno Zoo Monorail, the first monorail in the country. \u00a0Ueno Zoo is located in Ueno Park, a large open space home to museums, an amusement park, and more.<\/p>\n

An outing to Ueno Soo is always an excellent day out for the family, and FREE ADMISSION on\u00a0Greenery Day can only improve the experience!<\/p>\n

Ueno Zoo\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Disney<\/h2>\n

\"Tokyo_Disneyland\"Speaking of families, Children\u2019s Day is the best time to treat the little ones, and there are plenty of things you can do in Tokyo, but if you really want to get in your kid\u2019s good books, why not take them for a day at Disney? Now, you may be thinking of those long queues that you often encounter waiting for Mickey\u2019s magic, but as many families will be away traveling, this is perhaps the ideal time to visit Walt\u2019s wonderland.<\/p>\n

If you are still wary, you can always check out the Disney calendar\u00a0<\/a>to see how busy it is likely to be before you make any plans.<\/p>\n

Hiking Mt. Takao<\/h2>\n

\"\"At 600 meters, Mount Takao stands just west of Tokyo in Hachioji. \u00a0It is among the top 100 best landscapes of Japan, and the Michelin Guide has rated it as a 3 star destination<\/a>. \u00a0Despite its famous natural beauty, Mt. Takao is easily reached by public transportation from Tokyo, making it a nearly ideal for a quick mountain getaway. \u00a0There are a number of good hiking trails to keep you occupied, and I imagine most of them end at twelve hundred-year-old\u00a0Head Temple Takao-san Yakuo-in<\/strong>, a Buddhist temple. \u00a0You can hike to the top, or ride the cable car up to enjoy some great views of Mount Fuji.<\/p>\n

Takao San and the\u00a0Meiji Memorial Forest Takao Park<\/strong> are the extreme\u00a0eastern start of the Tokai Nature Trail connecting Mt. Takao with the Mino Quasi-national Park all the way down in Osaka, and is home to over 1200 varieties of wildlife.<\/p>\n

More information\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n