Day Before NYE
Party and Make Friends With More Than Music
The New Year festivities in Tokyo often start days (even weeks) in advance. To warm up a day before the big countdown, check out this free-of-charge More Than Music event. Anybody is welcome to join and it is free for all, but make sure to reserve your spot as the door closes as soon as it hits the maximum capacity at the venue. As for who will play the year-end event, it’s still kept as a surprise, but we know that it’ll be good since we have collaborated with MTM for TW’s 2022 magazine release parties. And we also know you’re sure to make a new friend if you attend.
| Date & Time | Dec 30, 2023・18:00-23:00 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Mame Romantic (Haretara Sora ni Mame Maite) |
Courtesy of Tokyo Comedy Bar
A More Laid Back New Year’s Eve
Laugh the Year Away at Tokyo Comedy Bar
Start the countdown early with comedian BJ Fox at the Tokyo Comedy Bar. There are two performances on offer and a free glass of bubbly included in the ticket, so you can laugh and kanpai together. It’s a perfect vibe for those looking for relaxed laid back fun. Since the club is right next to Shibuya Station, you can always go for more drinks afterwards.
| Date & Time | Dec 31, 2023・19:30-・Second performance begins at 21:00 |
| Price | ¥2,500 |
| Location | Tokyo Comedy Bar (TCB) |
| More Info | Second performance tickets also ¥2,500 |
Delicious Dinner at The Blue Room, The Tokyo Edition
Foodies might prefer celebrating the New Year in gourmet style, indulging in some exquisite cuisine. One recommendation is to book the five-course sharing menu at The Blue Room at The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon. With dishes including smoked Aomori chicken, Hokkaido king crab gratin and pan-seared longtooth grouper, you’re sure to eat like royalty and enter 2024 blissfully satiated.
| Date & Time | Dec 31, 2023・17:30-22:30 |
| Price | ¥28,000 for 5-courses and a glass of champagne |
| Location | The Blue Room |
| More Info | ¥40,000 for 5-courses and 4 glasses of wine |
Countdown and Views at Park Hyatt Tokyo
Greet the new year at the iconic Park Hyatt Tokyo, used as an unforgettable location in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. The party takes place in the Peak Lounge & Bar with free-flowing champagne and cocktails and a live kitchen with chefs serving a variety of specialties. A band of 15 musicians of different nationalities and generations will perform for one night only, put together for this occasion.
The event will be standing style where you can enjoy the energetic sound and party atmosphere, with a strictly limited number of VIP tables for a more comfortable evening. All with the glittering nightscape of Tokyo behind you.
Dress code: Smart casual
| Date & Time | Dec 31, 2023・22:00-01:00・Reception at 9:30PM at the 2nd floor entrance |
| Price | Starting from ¥29,700 per person |
| Location | The Peak Lounge |
| More Info | The price goes up after Nov 30 | VIP tables cost more |
New Year’s Eve for the Party People
Countdown at Or, Miyashita Park With Three Parties in One
With three floors of different music genres, Or puts on three parties into one you can cycle through and party into 2024 The first floor will be a hip-hop haven, with more than 10 DJs. The second floor is a treat for pop culture vultures, dedicated to anime songs and J-pop. The third floor is the techno and house room, with special guests Drunken Kong and Masanori Morita joined by five other DJs. There will also be an MC, a VJ and more.
| Date & Time | Dec 31, 2023・18:00-05:00・2F and 3F open from 21:00 |
| Price | ¥2,500 Adv | ¥3,000 Door |
| Location | or MIYASHITA PARK |
Party All Night At Midnight East
Midnight East, the collaborative night venue by Spotify O-EAST and DJ bar Azumaya, will present its first ever countdown party called MNENYE (Midnight East New Year’s Eve).
The duo of psychoactive militancy hip hop queen MC Yallah & Berlin-based Japanese experimental producer Scotch Rolex from Africa’s hottest collective Nyege Nyege are the headliners. Nabihah Iqbal, who released her latest album Dreamer on Ninja Tune back in March, will also headline the night with a DJ set.
| Date & Time | Dec 31, 2023・22:00- |
| Price | Door ¥5,000 | Advance ¥4,000 | Under 23 ¥3,000 |
| Location | MIDNIGHT EAST |
Countdown Celebration at The Mint Ginza
Celebrate the countdown with a lineup of incredible DJs and a luxurious rooftop ambiance at The Mint Ginza this year. With genres ranging from afrobeat, house and hip hop, to top 100’s, there’s something for everyone.
| Date & Time | Dec 31, 2023・21:00- |
| Price | ¥3,000 |
| Location | The Mint Ginza | Rooftop Cafe & Bar |
Clubasia Countdown
End the year with a bang at Clubasia’s countdown party starring Minami Nakamura who performed at Fuji Rock this year. Other artists on the lineup include world-famous producer Banvox and Jubee of Creative Drug Store and Rave Racers fame.
| Date & Time | Dec 31, 2023・21:00- |
| Price | Adv ¥3,000 | Door ¥3,500 - Before 24:00 ¥3,000 |
| Location | club asia |
Post New Year’s Eve Fun
New Year’s festivities in Tokyo continue for days after the big night. Take part in local customs and traditions that can only be experienced in the first couple of days of the new year.
Photo by peerapong bovornlohachai via Shutterstock
Watch the First Sunrise of 2024
Hatsuhinode is the Japanese custom of watching the first sunrise of the new year. Many stay up all night and get to a vantage point like a rooftop to watch the sun come up. This can be done from anywhere, but if you are lucky enough to snag tickets, observatories such as Shibuya Sky will host a hatsuhinode event for a limited number of people.
Go to a Temple for a Hatsumode
Hatsumode is the first shrine or temple visit of the year to pray for good fortune and ward off bad omens for the year ahead. As the clock strikes midnight, you hear the the joya no kane, the New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony that happens in temples. There will already be quiet lines in front of major temples at midnight and hatsumode takes place until January 3.
Photo by kuremo via Shutterstock
Traditional Dance and Music at Popular Landmarks
After the New Year’s Eve parties in Tokyo, it’s time for traditional dance and music to take the spotlight. In Tokyo, major landmarks host New Year’s events between January 1 and 3 featuring a shishimai lion dance and taiko drumming, among other activities.
There will be a lineup of such events at Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Midtown, Hotel New Otani and more.
