Winter Holidays in Tokyo

Hello, travelers! This is Kumi. Welcome to the Picturesque Japan Blog, where we’ll share insights about the Year-End and New Year in Tokyo.

For the Japanese, welcoming the New Year is a special occasion. Many public facilities close from December 29 or 30 through January 3 or 4, and many shops are closed on January 1. Temples and shrines become extremely crowded, and a popular tradition is to catch the first sunrise of the year.

Here’s some information about popular spots during the 2024/2025 festive season.

--- Popular Sites ---

Hamarikyu Gardens: closed Dec 29 - Jan 1

Imperial Palace East Gardens: closed Dec 27 -Jan 3

Tokyo National Museum: closed Dec 23 to Jan 1

Tokyo Tower: Sunrise special tickets are required from 6am to 8:30am on Jan 1 Regular entry is 9am - 11pm every day
*No countdown event. The lights will be off at 11pm on New Year's Eve and will turn on at 4am.

Tokyo Sky Tree: open 9am - 10pm from Dec 28 to 31
open 8am - 10pm on Jan 1 to 3
*Happy New Year lights will be shown on January 1 from the midnight to 6am and 5:45pm to midnight.

Tokyo Government Building: closed on Dec 29, 30, 31, Jan 2, and 3
open 7:30am - 5:30pm on Jan 1
*Special sunrise admission tickets are no longer available.

Tsukiji Market: The official market will be closed from Dec 31 to Jan 5, but newer shops targeting tourists may be open

Meiji Shrine: More than 3 million people visit during the first three days of the year

Senso-ji Temple: Approx 2.8 million people visit during the first three days of the year

--- Life Admin ---

Post Office (in general) : closed Dec 31 -Jan 3 *Some special offices may open
*closed on Jan 4 (Sat) and 5 (Sun) as well 

Bank (in general): closed Dec 31 -Jan 3
*closed on Jan 4 (Sat) and 5 (Sun) as well

Hospital and clinic (in general): closed Dec 29 -Jan 3

Convenience Store: mostly open unless it is located in a mall or business districts

--- Department Stores ---

Shibuya 109: closed on Jan 1

Seibu Shibuya: closed on Jan 1

Shibuya PARCO: on Jan 1 and 2 

Isetan Shinjuku: closed on Jan 1

Shinjuku Takashimaya: closed on Jan 1 and 2

Daimaru Tokyo: closed on Jan 1 and 2

Nihombashi Mitsukoshi: closed on Jan 1

Ginza Mitsukoshi: closed on Jan 1

GINZA SIX: closed on Jan 1

Matsuya Ginza: closed on Jan 1 and 2

--- Restaurants ---

Franchised restaurants are generally open, though some may have shorter business hours. Meanwhile, many renowned sushi restaurants close for about a week.

Some hotels offer Japanese traditional New Year osechi meal boxes.
https://anaintercontinental-tokyo.jp/en/offer/unkai-newyear/
https://www.peninsula.com/en/tokyo/special-offers/festive/osechi

If you stay in Tokyo for several days, you could pre-order osechi at Seven Eleven and pick it up from the same shop.
https://www.sej.co.jp/products/osechi.html
*The website is in Japanese.

These people are talking about osechi in detail on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61fOHkA0IjY

----------------------------------------------

So, what can you do on New Year's Day when most places are either closed or overcrowded? A peaceful walk around the moat of the Imperial Palace, capturing the serene beauty in photos, could be the perfect way to start the year.

The nearest station is Sakuradamon Station, but you can also walk from either Kasumigaseki Station or Hibiya Station.

P.S. If I come up with some more ideas, I'll update this article or post a new article. :)

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