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 |
Hernan BAS, "All you ever wanted to know about 5B" (2026). Photographer : ©2026 Silvia Ros Images. Courtesy of Perrotin.
Hernan Bas: ‘Time To Shine! (The Salesmen)’
In “Time To Shine! (The Salesmen)” at Perrotin Tokyo, Bas places his youthful figures behind tables at front-lawn yard sales, flower stalls and beachside souvenir stands.
| Date & Time | Sep 9-Nov 11・11 a.m.–7 p.m.・Closed Sundays & Mondays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Perrotin 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 |
2k540, HIBIYA OKUROJI, EDO NOREN
Art Arcade Tokyo
Art Arcade Tokyo is an autumn public art event running from September 26 to November 30, across three distinct commercial venues in Tokyo: Hibiya Okuroji, Edo Noren and 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan.
| Date & Time | Sep 26-Nov 30 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Hibiya Okuroji, Edo Noren, 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan |
Kour Pour, To Be Titled (2025), courtesy of Kotaro Nukaga
Kour Pour: ‘Points Of Entry’
Los Angeles-based artist Kour Pour draws on his upbringing in Exeter, England — where he grew up around his Iranian father’s carpet shop — to explore how art and images travel across borders.
| Date & Time | Sep 26-Nov 8・11:30 a.m.–6 p.m.・Closed Sundays & Mondays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Kotaro Nukaga Roppongi |
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 |
Tokyo Tower City Light Fantasia Halloween Party 2026
Tokyo Tower will transform with Halloween colors and projection mapping, mixing ghosts and witches with a stunning cityscape view.
| Date & Time | Sep 11-Oct 31・5:30–10:50 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Tokyo Tower |
| More Info | Observation deck fee of ¥1500 |
Loft Autumn Stationery Festival
The "Stationery Festival 2026 Autumn" is bringing a huge collection of new and exclusive autumn stationery to Loft stores nationwide.
| Date & Time | Aug 29-Oct 16 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Loft stores nationwide |
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 |
Heritage Auctions Japan's Pop Culture Auction Exhibition
Showcasing over 500 iconic items valued at more than $15 million, the event features the largest public display of Star Wars lightsabers ever staged — headlined by Darth Vader’s original screen-used hilt from The Empire Strikes Back. Visitors can also view authentic The Walking Dead costumes, ultra-rare Pokémon cards (including a PSA 10 "Shining Mew"), sealed retro video games and sports memorabilia.
| Date & Time | Sep 18-Oct 27・11 a.m.–6:30 p.m.・Closed on Mondays and National Holidays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Heritage Auctions Pop-Up Exhibit |
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 |
