10 Things to Do in Tokyo in May

May is the ideal month to see and do a lot of things in Tokyo, as the spring weather makes it possible to go out in the parks, see the flowers and walk the streets. The days are usually sunny and cool, so you'll always feel like going for a walk. Every day you will find some traditional activity to see.

Tokyo is home to numerous Shinto temples where important festivals are held. Each one is a great opportunity to learn more about the culture of Japan. From medrugada parades to festivals put on by the Japanese mafia, are you ready to discover what this month has in store for you?

If you want to see geisha performances then May is the ideal month to visit Tokyo. You can go to Tokyo' s Shimbashi district to see the May Azuma Odori dances performed by the geisha. This is a type of dance that takes place during the spring.

You can also see the traditional Kamogawa Odori dance performances if you visit the streets of Kyoto to see Geisha, more specifically in the Pontocho Ward.

These spring dances usually take place until the first half of May. So, if you don't have time to see them, there are always other occasions. For example, you can go to other Tokyo neighbourhoods such as Mukojima or book a tour of Asakusa. There you will find different restaurants and temples where the geisha work.

Practical information

• Location: Shimbashi, Pontocho, Mukojima or Asakusa.
• When to go: any time of the year.
• Price: free admission. If you book a guided tour the price is €67.

May is a spring month in Japan, so if you go to Tokyo during this month, I recommend you to visit the natural parks of the capital. Thanks to the good weather this season, you will be able to admire the beautiful flowers on the trees. Take advantage of the moment to take the best selfies and go on a photo tour in Tokyo.

On your list of parks to visit you should add Ueno Park, a very nice place with beautiful Sakura or cherry blossom trees to admire. You can also visit Yoyogi Park where cultural performances are sometimes held. It is also full of Sakura trees, perfect to see in spring. If you ever visit Tokyo in autumn, one of the things you should do is to visit this park, as it also has Ginkgo Biloba trees which are most beautiful at that time of the year.

Other parks I would like to recommend are the Komozawa Olympic Park, one of the largest in the capital. You can also go to Kinuta Park which also has a baseball park, a bird sanctuary and an art museum. Admission to these parks is free.

Practical Information

• Location: Ueno Park, Yoyogi Park, Komozawa Olympic Park, Kinuta Park.
• When to go: all May.
• Price: free admission.

If you're looking for something to do at night in Tokyo, you might be interested in the Kurayami Matsuri or Festival of Darkness. This is a Shinto celebration held at Ōkunitama Shrine from April 30 to May 6. During this celebration you can admire the nature of the site and see the Shinto traditions. You will also see the Ōkunitama Shrine, one of the oldest shrines in Tokyo.

If you like to visit the city at night, you can also take a night photo tour and enjoy the colourful lights that are so representative of Tokyo.

On the 3rd of May there is also a big plant fair. This event is attended by gardeners from different areas in and around Tokyo. You can see their stalls inside the shrine and take some plants with you. On May 4th, due to Children's Day, there is a special parade for children.

Practical information

• Location: Okunitama Shrine, 3 Chome-１ Miyamachi, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-0023.
• When to go: 30 April to 6 May.
• Price: free admission.
• Hours: Activities take place during the day, with the exception of May 6 when the night parade takes place.

During the month of May, sumo tournaments are held from the 13th to the 27th of May. This traditional Japanese sport is not only very popular worldwide, but also in Japan. For this reason tickets are sold online by the Japan Sumo Association one month in advance.

In Tokyo these tournaments are held at the National Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium. When it comes to buying tickets for the sumo tournament you can choose the cheapest ones, which usually cost around €30, and are a bit far away from the dohyo, where the bouts take place. While for the masu-seki seats, in the grandstand, they cost an average of €200.

Before you go to a tournament of the Land of the Rising Sun's favourite sport, I recommend reading about the origins of sumo to learn a little more about the sport.

Practical information

• Location: Ryogoku Kokugikan National Stadium. 1 Chome-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0015.

• When to go: Held in May, but also in January and September.

• Price: between €30 and €200.

• Times: exact times are published on the Japan Sumo Association's website.

During May 5th, Children's Day or Kodomo No Hi is celebrated all over Japan. On this date it is a tradition to hang tent-shaped flags known as koinobori outside houses, on rivers and in the countryside. In addition to seeing these beautiful decorations, you can celebrate this day with traditional activities and also by visiting various sites that children will love.

If you are travelling to Tokyo with children, one of the things you can do to celebrate this day is to plan a tour of the streets and see the koinobori that adorn the different streets. I recommend you to go to Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Skytree Solamachi shopping centre area, or even to visit the communications tower that gives its name to the shopping centre, Tokyo Skytree, the tallest in Japan for which you can buy your tickets online.

You can also go to Yomiuri Land, a fun amusement park for the whole family to visit. Another good option is to visit the Akihabara neighbourhood, an ideal place for video game and technology lovers.

Practical information

• Location: Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree Solamachi shopping centre.
• When to go: 5 May.
• Price: free admission.
• Time: Activities take place during the day.

The Hanazono Shrine Festival is the main celebration at Hanazono Shrine and takes place on the weekend closest to May 28th. You can attend any day from Saturday to Monday, as different ceremonies are held on each day. Sometimes the celebrations start as early as Friday.

During the festival a carefully decorated float carries the portable shrine Honsha and Raiden. These sacred objects weigh about 1.5 tons and are about 1 metre wide and 3 metres high. To see the parade carrying these shrines, go to the shrine entrance or to Yasukuni-dori, Shinjuku-dori or Meiji-dori streets.

In addition to watching the spectacular parade, you can enter the shr ine and delight in all the traditional food stalls displaying their dishes. You can buy whatever you want and take as many pictures as you can. If you like food, after seeing this festival you can book a food tour in Tokyo and taste the best dishes of Japanese cuisine.

Practical information

• Location: 5 Chome-17-3 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022.
• When to go: Weekend closest to 28 May.
• Price: Free admission.
• Hours: Activities take place during the day.

Every year on May 23rd, Japan celebrates Kissing Day or Kisu No Hi. It is a celebration that started after the Second World War when the population was trying to recover and there was still a lot of taboo around a simple kiss. Nowadays many couples take advantage of this day to show their love in different parts of the country.

It all started in 1946 when the film Hatachi no Seishun or 20 Year Old Youth, by director Yasushi Sasaki, was released. This film was the first to show a kiss in Japanese cinema, which marked the entire population.

If you travel to Tokyo on this date you can celebrate with your partner by having dinner at the Tokyo Skytree, and take advantage and buy your tickets to climb the highest tower in the world. I also recommend you to visit the Hama-Rikyu Garden, a beautiful natural site in the middle of a busy city. There you can enjoy a good matcha tea with your partner.

Practical information

• Location: Tokyo Skytree or Hama-Rikyu Garden
• When to go: 23 May
• Price: The Skytree Tower is approximately €15 and the garden is free to visit.
• Hours: Activities take place during the day.

The annual Teppozu Inari Shrine Festival is held from May 2nd to 5th. During this celebration there are processions and kabuki plays performed by children inside the shrine. You can come during these days and see all the customs of this tradition, admire the decorations and take some photos.

On the first day of the festival there is a procession in which followers carry a Mikoshi from the shrine to the Ginza area and back. This is a portable shrine that Shinto followers believe functions as a vehicle for their deities. Sometimes the geisha also participate with their spring dance Azuma Odori which they perform at the shrine.

On the following days, ceremonies such as pest extermination or Shinko, as well as Reisai Hohei ceremonies are held. The last day is Children's Day in Japan, so there is a special parade called Shintomiza Children's Kabuki. This show is performed by high school students. Anyone can enter the shrine to watch the show.

Practical information

• Location: 1 Chome-6-7 Minato, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0043.
• When to go: 2 to 5 May.
• Price: free admission.
• Hours: Activities take place during the day from 9am.

The Kanda Matsuri festival is held at Kanda Myojin Shrine, located in the Chiyoda district of Tokyo. The festival is usually held on the weekend closest to May 15th.

The festival features the Houren Mikoshi Senzasai ceremony, in which the god of Kanda Myojin is transported in a Mikoshi. It also features the Reitaisai, a dance performed by the miko priestesses. Normally this ceremony is held on Saturday.

I recommend you prepare to take pictures of the parade on Sunday as you will see around 500 people dressed in traditional Heian period costumes in a procession such as Shinkosai. It departs from Kanda Myojin Shrine carrying the regional gods Ichinomiya Houren, Ninomiya Mikoshi and Sannomiya Mikoshi on Mikoshis to purify the villages. The celebration is held to pray for prosperity and wealth and the shrine is ideal for these purposes.

Practical information

• Location: 2 Chome-16-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0021.
• When to go: the weekend closest to 15 May.
• Price: Free admission.
• Hours: Activities take place during the day.

Sanja Matsuri is a festival organised by the Yakuza or Japanese mafia during the third weekend of May in Tokyo's Asakusa district. As strange as it may sound, this festival is eagerly awaited by Tokyo residents and even tourists. It is the only time the country's dreaded mafia makes its presence felt in a celebration filled with lots of noise and alcohol.

The name of the festival means festival of the three shrines and during it three Mikoshis are moved to the Sensō-ji temple. Each Mikoshi is supposed to represent the founders of the temple. To venerate them thousands of people come to the neighbourhood and celebrate with dancing to music made from the deafening sounds of taiko or Japanese drums, whistles, people shouting, flutes and whistles.

One of the most striking things about the celebration is that the members of the mafia clans take off their attire until they are dressed only in a fundoshi, the garment worn by sumo wrestlers.

Practical information

• Location: 2 Chome-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032.
• When to go: Third weekend in May.
• Price: Free admission.
• Hours: Activities take place during the day.

May is one of the best months to visit Tokyo. If you decide to travel in this month, be prepared to see a lot of tourists on the streets of the capital. However, it is not the peak season, so don't panic.

Prices are neither too low nor too high. For example, a hotel room can cost an average of 120 €. It is also a month when walking will be much more pleasant because of the temperature, so you could save some money on public transport or taxis.

If you haven't yet decided on a month to travel to Tokyo, I recommend that you do it in May. During this month you can enjoy spring-like weather and sunny days. The average temperature is 18°C in the capital, so there are many outdoor festivals and celebrations.

Although the weather is usually very pleasant, it can rain on some days, so be prepared. On the other hand, the days are longer with more than 13 hours of sunshine, more time to enjoy the city!

As I said before, May is a spring month when the weather is perfect for sightseeing. That's why I recommend that you pack comfortable and light clothing that will allow you to walk around the parks and streets of Tokyo. You can take a light jumper, long-sleeved shirts and perhaps a mackintosh as it can sometimes rain a little.

If you will be doing activities during the night, it is best to bring a warm jumper that you can wear. Comfortable and ergonomic shoes should never be missing in your suitcase. Remember that the best way to get to know a city is on foot.