One of the most entertaining things you can do in Tokyo is wander around town after the sun goes down!
The wizards of stagecraft have worked their magic all over Tokyo, and all kinds of interesting stuff lights up after dark, in dramatic and technologically inventive ways. Everyone can enjoy ogling everything from traditional temples to giant robots because even if you’re a woman, Tokyo is one of the safest cities in the world. Best of all, these gorgeous sights are free!
Asakusa
Let’s start in the most traditional neighborhood of all! At night the crowds desert the most-visited temple in Asakusa, and Senso-ji is lit up like a diva on stage. The theatrical color-changing stage lighting brings the fierce temple guardians to life.
And as spectacular as the temple is, the surrounding streets are worth wandering after dark too. You never know what you might see.
Maybe a geisha hurrying along a side street, on the way to her evening appointment on a rainy night…
or a street festooned with lanterns that takes you back to a less-hectic time?
And if you stroll down the nice pedestrian walking paths that line the Sumida River between Asakusa and Odaiba, you can enjoy the many bridges spanning the Sumida River lit up in lovely ways, as brightly-lit pleasure boats chunter up and down.
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Akihabara
The busy backstreets of Akihabara give off a different vibe, with gaming and maid cafes lighting up the night
And if you don’t have anywhere special to go, follow the Blue Lines as they chart a path up the stairs, through the fountains, and between the skyscrapers
But just because Akihabara is home to the latest and greatest electronics doesn’t mean it’s short on traditional wow. This fabulous red and gold shrine is Kanda Myojin, sacred to anime and manga artists by day, but by night it’s the darling of photographers. You can see why!
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Shinjuku
Shinjuku has its own lit-up shrine that’s open all night long to cater to the Kabuki-cho entertainers whose day starts at sundown and doesn’t end until dawn
You may need sunglasses at midnight to stroll here. The neon alleys of Kabuki-chō—Shinjuku’s adult entertainment district—are beautiful, even in the rain.
Odaiba
If you walk across the Rainbow Bridge from Tamachi Station to Odaiba at sunset, you can feast your eyes on this ever-changing light show of a view as you gaze toward Odaiba Kaihin-koen Station.
Of you can choose the opposite side of the Rainbow Bridge, with the city skyline and our old friend Tokyo Tower
Once you’ve made it to the Odaiba side, you can look back at the bridge from the DECKS mall and watch the pleasure boats take off for their evening cruises, one by one.
No nighttime amble in Odaiba is complete without stopping to appreciate the five-story Unicorn Gundam robot outside the DiverCity mall by Tokyo Teleport Station. It lights up at night and transforms from Unicorn to Destroy mode in a light and sound show that happens every 30 minutes from 19:30 – 21:30
And I can’t let you go back to your hotel to start working on your sleep score until I’ve mentioned the two biggest things that light up the Tokyo night!
The biggest one is
Skytree
Tokyo’s latest tall thing photobombs pretty much every snapshot you take, especially at night, when it lights up and changes colors with the seasons.
You can’ see’t miss it while gazing at the riverboats in Asakusa…
or ignore it horning in on the purple action during wisteria season at Kameido Tenjin shrine.
Here’s the Skytree light-up calendar
As you can probably tell, I’m much more partial to
Tokyo Tower
The beloved copy of the Eiffel Tower (only it’s orange, and slightly taller) can also be seen from all over Tokyo…
but in a good way!
As if it’s orangeness wasn’t cheery enough, on Friday and Saturday nights from 20:00-24:00 it’s lit up in all kinds of other colors. You can find out what special light-ups are scheduled on this handy Tokyo Tower light-up calendar
It pairs with Zojo-ji, one of Tokyo’s most venerable temples, for a classic ancient-and-modern-side-by-side image…
or waves from behind the cherry blossoms in Roppongi’s Mohri Garden during Pinkness Season.
Speaking of seasons, there are special light-up events that happen only once a year, but if you’re in Tokyo for these, they’re a really good reason to stay up late!
SEASONAL DELIGHTS & EVENTS
February
Before any other flowers bloom in the spring, the plums burst forth from mid-Feb to mid-March. Yushima Tenjin shrine lights theirs up at night, and they’re well worth seeing, because the shrine itself is so gorgeous
March
Not to be outdone, here are the best places to see cherry blossoms lit up at night…
Plus, there are cherry blossom-themed light-ups that happen all over town at the same time.
April
At the end of April, the wisteria flowers burst into incredible lavender profusion, and you can get a twofer at the Kameido Tenjin shrine, with the vines all lit up and a purple Skytree photobombing in the background
The best wisteria light-up of all, though is at the Ashikaga Flower Park, which doesn’t just light up the flowers…
they double the glory with reflecting pools!
July
At mid-summer, flickering lanterns are launched in Asakusa’s Shinobazu Pond for the toro nagashi ceremony, but if you’re not there on that exact day, there are other places to see this lovely summertime event in Tokyo too.
July & August
In Japan, fireworks aren’t just for Fourth of July, Bastille Day or New Year’s! There’s a whole summer season, and the displays will knock your socks off.
October
Ikegami Honmon-ji temple hosts the Oeshiki Ikegami in mid-October, a fabulous Parade of 10,000 Lanterns. Meticulously-crafted golden models of every Nichren temple’s pagodas are paraded through the streets at night, festooned with flowers
Not to be outdone, the autumn leaves get their turn lit up at night at several gardens around Tokyo
Nice way to spend an evening, don’t you think?
December
Artists transform Yokohama’s entire waterfront for the Yoru-no-yu light-up art extravaganza that starts at the beginning of December.
And the winter illuminations all over Tokyo are one of the best free attractions all year! Here’s where & when to see the best winter illuminations in Tokyo.
Roppongi Art Night is an all-night light-up and performance event featuring international artists who specialize in pieces that light up the night. The dates move around, so do a search for the year you’ll be in Tokyo!
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And if you know someone who’s planning a Japan trip, here are all the places I take my friends when they come to town…
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Only In Japan 
Very nice pictures! I love night photos of Tokyo as it becomes a completely different place. Your picture of Yushima Tenjin with its plum blossoms is my favourite 🙂
Thank you for such kind words about the night photos! And yeah, those plum blossoms at night at Yushima Tenjin – don’t you think that shrine is the most gorgeous shrine in Tokyo? And it’s never crowded with busloads of foreign tourists, because there’s no parking and it’s not near anything else of guidebook-ish interest. I think this plum light-up will be a choice sight for years to come!
Great Post. Tokyo is one of those cities that was built for night time.
Soooo true! It sounds like you’ve enjoyed these yourownyourself! I love how safe it is to walk around Tokyo at night, and how so many neighborhoods look spectacular, even without seasonal decorations. Hope you get to explore a lot more!