Japan Night Tours – Top 11 Things to Do at Night

Tokyo Tower

What is the Japan night tour like? It would offer an imposing experience to enjoy nightlife full of variety as well as the magnificent night scenes in the country, especially in the capital city Tokyo. Here is a must-do list of the best things to do in Japan.

1. Marvel at Night Views on Tokyo Tower & Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo night scenes are truly unmissable as it becomes a great calling card of this metropolis. It’s dazzling when the neon lights on as the sun sets, making the city a gorgeous place that never sleeps. While on skyscrapers, it will be a magnificent picture that the starry sky echoes with the lights sprinkled all over the city and stretched curves of traffic flows. Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree are the best spots in the city to enjoy the spectacular view on your Japan night tours. On Tokyo Tower, you could also try a thrilling experience to go for the Skywalk Window with glass floor. The higher Tokyo Skytree allows you to enjoy the 360 degree view from 450 meters (1,476 feet) above the ground. It would be an unforgettable experience to look forward to!

2. Enjoy the Tokyo Nightlife in Shinjuku

Tokyo is the unparalleled city for nightlife during a Japan night tour, while Shinjuku, in the city center, is the most deserving area. Wandering on vibrant Kabukicho Ichibangai Street with countless restaurants, bars, izakayas, shopping malls, etc., you can take the most flourishing night of Japan into a glance. It has been a symbol of Japan’s nightlife. Besides, Golden Gai is also popular around Shinjuku. With many izakayas in an old style of the last century on both sides of the alley, you can enjoy hopping thoroughly there.

Shinjuku at Night

3. Take a Sip of Japanese Wines in an Izakaya

As having come to Japan, how can you miss the experience in an izakaya? In the traditional Japanese bars, wines are served with snacks or dishes that go with. People often go there to release their stress after work, so the night is the busiest time period of a day. In the alley of Potocho in Kyoto, Omoide Yokocho in Tokyo, Ura Namba and Shinsekai in Osaka..., you can find these small bars easily. Although they are small, the authentic Japanese wines and delicious food are provided. Otooshi, an appetizer, is given as long as you order wines, more dishes such as fish, vegetables, and deep-fried snacks are available. You can sip the wine and taste the local food to your heart’s content.

4. Visit Brightly-Lit Dotonbori in Osaka

Known as the "kitchen of Japan", Osaka has its busiest shopping paradise Dotonbori. It’s a landmark food hub as well as business zone for visitors to find yummy food and enjoy night shopping on the Japan night tours. Ramen, takoyaki, teppanyaki, yakitori – Japanese grilled chicken, sushi, gyoza, various desserts, and more can satisfy your stomach certainly, while cosmeceuticals, souvenirs, clothes, etc. can also be obtained. What’s more, the sightseeing boat gives a chance to see the night scenes on riverbanks, which is great to experience a special local flavor.

Dotonbori Night Foraging & Shopping

5. Cruise around Tokyo Bay

Night cruise around Tokyo Bay can give a special angle of view to enjoy the night scenes of Tokyo, together with the Pacific Ocean. Regardless of the sunset cruise or dinner cruise later, you can sit in the commodious onboard canteen, enjoy your food and drinks leisurely while looking at the scenery. The cruise will go under the famous Rainbow Bridge, and onboard you will see Tokyo Tower, the Statue of Liberty at Odaiba Marine Park, seafowls flying over the sea, the interesting architecture of Fuji TV station, and planes taking off and landing at Haneda Airport. In addition, it’s also a pleasant thing to enjoy sea breezes on the deck.

Tokyo Bay Cruise

6. Watch Geisha Dance in Gion, Kyoto

If you may be curious about geisha in Japan, the dance and sing performance by them is a must to watch. Gion is the most famous gathering district of geishas in the ancient capital Kyoto, where you can phrase a ticket for the special show together with tea ceremony at the theater. This is relatively ceremonial, but you can also find geishas at the traditional ryōtei restaurants. By Kamo River, the night scenery is beautiful. There is often a stage for geishas’ performance, and you may get the opportunity to learn tea ceremony or Japanese games, and take a photo with them. Moreover, please be polite and respectful.

A Gion Street After Nightfall

7. Relax in Traditional Onsen

As Japan is a nation of plentiful hot springs, the Japanese onsen bathing has been popular throughout the country, menawhile onsen becomes a feature of Japan. It is highly relaxing, and it’s said that it’s useful for cure of diseases. Especially before sleep, it’s enjoyable to sweep fatigue in the day away and give you a good sleep. Apart from the best-known onsen resort places like Noboribetsu, Kusatsu and Beppu, there are many ryokans with hot springs nearby across the land. You can stay in a ryokan for one night, and enjoy the onsen bathing to the full. Near Tokyo, Nikko to its north and Hakone under Mt. Fuji are the most sought-after towns for onsen.

8. Osaka Night View on Abeno Harukas Observatory

It is very distinctive to experience the sunset and night scenes on Abeno Harukas Observatory. First of all, the lift well is decorated with many linear lights, making the elevator like an aircraft to the sky when it’s running. In the evening, you can look the sun setting over the city. As it’s getting darker, the neon lights are turned on gradually, while Osaka becomes romantic for the wonderful night views. Sometimes, there is a light show outsides. You would feel the sky and the ground merge into one with more imposing night city, firework, and countless stars. Otherwise, Osaka is like an enchanted underwater world, with marine life swimming around the observatory. How fantastic it is!

9. Dreamy Float Parade of Tokyo Disneyland

The float parade, called Electrical Parade Dreamlights, is the must-see of Tokyo Disneyland, especially for the Japan night tour of a family with kids. In the long parade at night, the floats are decorated with multicolored lights, and you can see the Disney stars closely and personally. Mickey, Minnie and their pals, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Tangled, Cinderella, Queen Elsa, characters from Aladdin and Toy Story, etc. would wave to you. It seems that you fall into the incredible cartoon world of Disney. Come and have a look!

10. Appreciation of Night Sakura

During the cherry blossom season in spring, it’s the best thing to enjoy the beauty of sakura, cherry blossoms, on your Japan night tours. The full-blown cherry blossoms are incomparably charming during the day, while the night sakura under lamps is also the protagonist to attract endless visitors. Alternated with old-style lamps, it’s totally dreamlike as the cherry blossoms seem shinning under the night sky. Meguro River with a number of cherry blossom trees on banks is the most-visited spot to admire night sakura in Tokyo, which is so glamorous that many Japanese TV series were filmed here. Rikugi-en Garden, Ueno Park and Chidorigafuchi Park in Tokyo, Osaka Castle, Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Maruyama Park in Kyoto, etc. are all the top places for night sakura.

People to See Sakura at Night

11. Join in a Summer Matsuri with Fireworks Show

The fireworks festival has become a featured event across Japan in summer. Held on different days in different places, it may go with the local summer matsuri. It can’t be taken as summer without a fireworks show in Japan. Thus, if you’d like to travel to Japan in July and August, you can include a fireworks show into your plan. You could enjoy the most gorgeous fireworks in the country and even the world, which is really alluring! Do as the locals do, you can get to the venue early with picnic mat and food, or hang out at the fair and try the local food before the show starts.

Omagari Fireworks Festival in Akita, usually in late August, and Nagaoka Fireworks Display over Shinano River in Niigata in early August are the grandest ones. Besides, you can also enjoy the show in cities, Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival is the most visited one by Sumida River in urban Tokyo, taken place in late July.