The month of March kicks off with Hina Matsuri, a festival held on March 3rd which wishes good health for girls as they grow up. The celebrations in Tokyo include traditional events such as Edo Nagashi-bina in which dolls entrusted with the owner’s wishes are sent floating down the Sumida River. However, the real fun of this ritual is decorating the dolls which are made with care by skilled artisans. In Asakusabashi, there are many stores that create beautiful hina dolls using traditional techniques, earning the area a glowing reputation as a doll town. Wouldn’t it be fun to go and compare the faces and shapes of these unique dolls between different stores?
Kyoko Higashi / TOKYO NOW Editorial staff
For one month, starting Saturday, February 5, until Saturday, March 5, 2022, the Tokyo Marathon Foundation will hold Virtual Tokyo Marathon 2022. This virtual event will be open to participants from all over the world via a running app.
Since the Tokyo Marathon 2021 was postponed to March 2022 due to the spread of COVID-19, the 2022 virtual event will be held over a digital platform. The entry period for the event closed on January 30. Although COVID-19 continues to cause hardships, we hope that together with runners from around the world, the Virtual Tokyo Marathon 2022 will help lift people’s spirits up and be seen as a sign of hope as Tokyo continues to adapt and move forward during these unprecedented times.
In March 2022, the Tokyo National Museum will welcome its 150th anniversary. To celebrate, many commemorative exhibitions and events will be held over the year starting from April. The main attraction is the special exhibition “National Treasures - The Complete Tokyo National Museum(TBC),” which will be held from October 18 to December 11, 2022. This is the first time in the 150-year history of the Tokyo National Museum that all 89 of its national treasures, from the prolific painter Eitoku Kano to haniwa clay figurines from ancient Japan, will be on display (with rotating exhibits)! You should keep your eyes on this year's Expo if you are keen on learning about Japanese History and Culture in lieu of your next future visit.
The winter marks the 40th Winter Botan Festival at the Ueno Toshogu Shrine. The shrine is dedicated to shoguns of the Tokugawa clan, and every winter it’s colorfully decorated by a garden of gorgeous Winter Peonies. During the festival, you can see forty varieties of more than 160 peonies against the backdrop of authentic Edo architecture, like the shrine pavilions and five-story pagoda. The peony trees are traditionally covered with straw to protect the plants from frost and snow while they bloom. This gardening practice passed down for generations in Japan is called “warabocchi.” The garden is currently open from January 1 until February 23, 2022.
The Sen-Oku Hakukokan Museum will reopen on Saturday, March 19, 2022, under the new name the Sen-Oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo. The museum stores and exhibits art collected by the Sumitomo Family since the Edo period (1603-1868). Its name, “Sen-Oku” (also read as Izumiya), was the trade name of the Sumitomo family during that same time. The museum collection includes modern Japanese and Western paintings, modern ceramics, tea ceremony utensils, Noh masks, and Noh costumes. The opening commemorative exhibition will feature works by Japanese painters who had been active in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Although the museum is located in the heart of Roppongi-Kamiyacho area, it also has a quiet garden and a café, making it a peaceful place where you can relax and appreciate the beauty of Japan.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), the shichifukujin-meguri or “Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage” was a very popular pilgrimage that combined the faith of everyday people with leisure activities. While it’s still popular today, thanks to COVID-19 it’s become a more high-tech affair. Those who embark on the Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage are blessed with good fortune after visiting temples with seven unique deities. The temples of these famous deities are all over Tokyo, including Yanaka, Nihonbashi, and Shibamata. On this New Year’s Day, in Shinagawa, there were two temples from the pilgrimage that held digital (contact-free) Seven Lucky Gods stamp rallies. Temples, ancient gods, you name it; Tokyo is a city that continues to fuse traditional events with the newest technology and hottest trends that you simply must see to believe.
Chinya, a 141-year-old restaurant that was forced to close last August, is back in action at a new location! One of the most popular meat dishes in Japanese food culture is sukiyaki, and it’s a dish that you absolutely have to try when in Tokyo. Chinya was the oldest sukiyaki restaurant in Asakusa, but now it has opened in a new location overlooking the Sumida River, a short distance from where it was founded.
TOKYO NOW Original VideoI bet you’ve never thought of Tokyo as a hub for cruise ports, but with the 2020 opening of a new terminal at the Tokyo Port that can accommodate the world’s largest ships, you might want to think again. The Tokyo Port offers world-class comfort and convenience for sightseeing, getting around the city, and reaching Tokyo’s airports. Back when Tokyo was known as Edo, it developed as a gateway to the sea for both people and goods. Visiting Tokyo’s harbor can bring you closer to understanding the true nature of Tokyo.
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Monozukuri Series
“Hand Craftsmanship ~WAZA~ Vol. 11 Tokyo Uchihamono (Hand-Forged Blades)”
In this Edo Tokyo edition of the Monozukuri video series, see how master artisan Yoichiro Ishizuka handcrafts shears and blades at the Shojiro Hasamai Hamono Kogei studio.
Scenic Scroll ”Tokyo Camellia”
[4K]Tokyo Flower Scenery in early spring, February; Plum blossoms, Kawazu-sakura
Check out these annual festivals and events held in Tokyo. You can see the list of all major festivals, fireworks, parades, religious events, and other events in Greater Tokyo.
*Depending on the situation, festivals and events scheduled in 2021 may be canceled. Please check the official website for the latest information.
Please click on the links below to download the photos, press releases and new opening accommodation list
Issue by: Tokyo Convention & Visitor Bureau
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