Korean Job Discussion Forums

cazador83 · Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

I'll be in Tokyo for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, but it's my first time in Japan.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to be and what to do in Tokyo? I've heard of some temple celebrations and supposedly there's a countdown at Disneyland.

Any help appreciated!

cazador83 · Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

bump!

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

Yokohama harbour will have fireworks.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

I don't know where you want to be for New Years...

But generally, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuka, Ebisu, Rappongi, etc. are the main places in Tokyo that foreigners visit.

Yokohama's Chinatown and nearby riverfront area is kinda cool too...if there are fireworks there, that would be a cool spot to be.

I think there is something akin to a Times Square ball drop somewhere...or I've been lead to believe that...but not sure where exactly that would be. Tokyo is fairly large. Shinjuku seems to be where most things happen, if I were to choose a spot randomly.

Donghae · Joined: 24 Dec 2003 Location: Fukuoka, Japan

New Year isn't really the most exciting time of the year to be in Japan, to be honest. Lots of places are closed Jan 1st - 3rd and it's really a stay home with the family time for a lot of Japanese.

Dunno what the midnight fireworks arrangements are for Tokyo as I'm at the other end of the country. The advice above sounds alright to me.

Something else you might be interested in (hangover permitting Laughing

) that lots of younger Japanese do in the Tokyo area is going to the beach to see the first New Year sunrise. The place to go is Enoshima Beach in Fujisawa, just under an hour outside of Tokyo. You can go there direct on the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku.

As well as that, that area has quite a lot worth seeing anyway. Enoshima Island is nice, as is the coast along to Kamakura, which has the big buddha and lots of other temple bits n pieces.