Here are free things to do happening across Tokyo for the month of September. Check out exhibitions, festivals, events and more!
Exhibitions and Art Shows in September
courtesy of Galerie Taménaga
Takanori Oguiss and Maurice Utrillo: ‘Captivating Cityscapes’
Gathering 25 oil paintings, this exhibit traces how the Oguiss and Utrillo spent their careers capturing the unvarnished beauty and character of streets across Europe — the windswept lanes of Montmartre, the shifting light of Venetian canals and beyond.
| Date & Time | Sep 5-27・11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Galerie Taménaga Tokyo |
Ann Veronica Janssens, "Untitled (Blue Glitter), Open Sculpture #1" (2015-2026). Photo: Julie Joubert, courtesy of Kamel Mennour
Ann Veronica Janssens: ‘5 Chome 4-1 Ginza, Tokyo’
Brussels-based artist Ann Veronica Janssens brings her first Japan solo exhibition to the iconic Ginza Maison Hermès Le Forum, transforming the glass-walled space through light, air and subtle disorientation.
| Date & Time | Sep 11-Jan 11・11 a.m.–7 p.m.・Closed Wednesdays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Ginza Maison Hermès Le Forum |
Rina Banerjee, "A woman must keep moving…" (2022). Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.
Rina Banerjee: "You made me leave home…
This exhibition, which marks the 20th anniversary of Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo and a decade of the Fondation’s international “Hors-les-murs” program, features 19 works that explore the fluid nature of identity. A highlight of the show is a monumental installation inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days, featuring a massive dome from which a cascade of objects is suspended.
| Date & Time | Mar 19-Sep 13・12–8 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo |
Rampage by Danilo Kato Exhibition
UltraSuperNew Kura gallery will host an exhibition by artist Danilo Kato, featuring the personification of thoughts and memories.
| Date & Time | Aug 28-Sep 25・Tuesday–Friday by appointment only, Saturday open to all from 11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Closed on Sunday and Monday |
| Price | Free |
| Location | UltraSuperNew KURA |
Zigsen Liu, "The Rising Stars" (2026), courtesy of Nanzuka
Zigsen Liu: ‘Stellar Axis’
Chinese artist Zigsen Liu uses his practice to question how technological acceleration is rewiring human perception. Drawing on a background in both sculpture and painting, Liu brings nine new large-scale works to Harajuku that feel part Cubist, part Expressionist and part psychedelic.
| Date & Time | Aug 29-Sep 26・11 a.m.–7 p.m.・Closed Sun & Mon |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Nanzuka Underground |
Man Ray, Giant Chess Set, 1961. Installation view, c. 1961. Photo by Jacqueline Hyde.
Take Ninagawa: Man Ray
Take Ninagawa highlights this multidimensional practice with a solo exhibition that centers on one of Man Ray’s most enduring obsessions: the game of chess. Building on recent global retrospectives like the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2025–26 showcase, this exhibition explores how chess served not just as a thematic subject, but as a dynamic structural framework for his art — a site where logic, strategy, chance and desire collide.
| Date & Time | Aug 1-Oct 3・11 a.m.–7 p.m.・Closed Sun, Mon and Holidays; Summer holiday closure August 9–17 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Take Ninagawa |
Ufan Lee, Untitled, 1979. Photo by Nobutada Omote
Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture
Scai The Bathhouse is hosting Lee’s first solo gallery show in Tokyo in four years. Bringing together drawings and sculptures from the 1970s through recent years, this show offers a clear entry point into his quiet, contemplative practice across paper and three-dimensional media. You’ll see charcoal and watercolor works on paper, along with pieces from his celebrated Relatum Sculpture series, which place natural river stones beside industrial iron plates.
| Date & Time | Aug 4-Oct 10・12–6 p.m.・Closed Sun, Mon and Holidays, and August 8–17 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Scai The Bathhouse |
Nigel Cooke, The Island, 2026 © Nigel Cooke
Nigel Cooke: ‘Night Ruins’
Known for his evocative blend of figuration and elemental abstraction, British painter Nigel Cooke brings a series of nocturnal Venetian landscapes to Tokyo for his first solo exhibition in Japan.
| Date & Time | Aug 28-Oct 10・11 a.m.–7 p.m.・Closed Mondays, Open until 6 p.m. Sundays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Pace Gallery Tokyo |
Festivals and Outdoor Events in September
Asakusa Hanayashiki Kimono Festival
Asakusa Hanayashiki, Japan's oldest amusement park, will be offering free admission for guests wearing kimono.
| Date & Time | Sep 2-Oct 31・10 a.m.–6 p.m.・Last entry at 5:30 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Asakusa Hanayashiki |
Sea Paradise Fireworks Symphony
Yokohama Sea Paradise's nightly summer fireworks show with music and various areas to enjoy the show with food and drinks.
| Date & Time | May 30, 2026-Mar 21, 2027・Until September: show starts at 8:30 p.m. | From October onwards: show starts at 8:00 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise |
| More Info | Premium paid seating is available |
Live Music and Night Life Events in September
More events coming soon.
Anime and Manga Events in September
More events coming soon.
Community and Performative Events in September
More events coming soon.
Food and Drink Events in September
More events coming soon.
Film, Gaming and Pop Culture Events in September
Ultraman Tiga Pop-Up Store
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Ultraman Tiga, a pop-up shop will offer goods inspired by Ultraman, the Guts team and iconic monsters.
| Date & Time | Sep 1-26・10 a.m.–9 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Hands Omiya |
Disney Sparklink Stars Pop-Up Shop
Disney's upcoming mobile game Starlink Stars will have its merchandise debut, with exclusive products featuring the Disney-inspired bands.
| Date & Time | Aug 28-Sep 13 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Coly More! and various shops in Tokyo and Osaka |
