Culture
Places and Events for looking back at the history and culture of Minato-ku.
The 22nd Minato City Tourism Photo Contest 2024—Special Feature! Minato City, A Tale of Then and Now
Oct 31, 2024
The Minato City Travel & Tourism Association is currently accepting submissions for the 22nd Minato City Tourism Photo Contest 2024, seeking exceptional photos capturing landmarks and natural scenes within Minato City. Minato City was established in 1947 when the former Shiba, Azabu, and Akasaka dis...
Transfixed by Minato-ku’s Night Spots! Video Contest “Minato, Ugoku (Minato, Moving) Open for Entry
Oct 17, 2024
Location: The Prince Park Tower Tokyo / Shinmei “Minato, Ugoku,” a video contest looking for Minato-ku’s most “Instaworthy” nighttime spots, was opened to applicants on October 15, 2024 and welcomes submissions from entrants both within Japan and from overseas. The contest organizers are looking for...
Whole Host of Events to Celebrate 60th Anniversary! History of Tokyo Monorail; a Line Connecting Minato-ku to Haneda Airport
Oct 9, 2024
In September 2024, the Tokyo Monorail Line, which connects Monorail Hamamatsucho Station to Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station, celebrated its 60th anniversary. Tokyo Monorail, which first began its passenger service on September 17, 1964, just prior the hosting of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games...
Getting to Know the Minato City Waterfront! Early-Riser Activities with an 8:00 a.m. Morning Cruisees with a morning cruise at 8 a.m.
Oct 2, 2024
Minato City is engaged in a variety of initiatives that seek to leverage the diverse tourism opportunities presented by its waterfront area, including the Shibaura Canal and Tokyo Bay. As part of these initiatives, 8:00 a.m. morning cruises along the Shibaura Canal and around other areas of the wate...
Welcome to "Model Swamp"! The excitement at Tamiya's new base never stops
Aug 7, 2024
Tamiya, a comprehensive model manufacturer that sells a wide variety of models, from plastic models, R/C cars to Mini 4WDs, has opened a corporate-owned fracility "TAMIYA PLAMODEL FACTORY TOKYO" in the Shinbashi/Toranomon area. The facility stocks approximately 6,000 Tamiya products, and also has a ...
Learn Proper Temple Etiquette with Detailed Explanations from a Buddhist Monk!
Jul 5, 2024
Minato-ku is home to a variety of temples, including Zojoji Temple, known as the family temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu. There are approximately 280 temples in the area. Recently, due to the influence of inbound tourism, many people from both inside and outside Japan have been visiting these temples. Ther...
Discover the World of Japanese Tea Culture! A Visit to the ITO EN Museum
Jun 28, 2024
Tea has long been an integral part of people's lives in Japan. Now, a museum dedicated to the charm and culture of tea has opened in Shimbashi. The Ocha Culture Creation Museum and Oi Ocha Museum, a unique combined museum, opened on May 1, 2024. This unique facility was created in the historic Shimb...
Experience a "Merging World" at teamLab Borderless in Azabudai Hills
Jun 15, 2024
On February 9th, 2024, the world-famous "MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless" moved from Tokyo's Odaiba to Azabudai Hills. The revamped teamLab Borderless now features more than 70 works, including the world premiere of the new work "Bubble Universe." With the relocation, appr...
History and Tradition of the Shiba Centennial Society: Reforms by Long-Established Shops in Shibadaimon and Shimbashi
May 31, 2024
In 2016, businesses in the Shiba district of Minato-ku with more than a century of history came together to form the "Shiba Centennial Society." Amid ongoing redevelopment and a changing urban landscape, these time-honored businesses have woven their history and traditions into the local fabric. Wha...
Experience “Dialogue in the Dark”! Shrouded in Darkness, the KiHa 40 Train Departs
May 11, 2024
Dialogue in the Dark (DID) is entertainment in complete darkness” in which visually impaired guides lead participants through an adventure in the dark. To date, DID has been held in more than 47 countries around the globe, at which more than 9 million participants have partaken in the experience. Th...
From Minato-ku to the Entire Nation! The Fascination and Future of the New Olympic Discipline Lacrosse
May 9, 2024
Lacrosse is a sport in which players use sticks called "crosse" with a net attached to one end to try and shoot a ball with a diameter of about 6 cm into the goal of the other team. As a ball game that fascinates with its high level of strategy and dynamic game development, the number of players in ...
Dinosaurs hijacking Fuji TV! We got overrun by the "Odaiba Dinosaur Expo 2024!"
Apr 3, 2024
Fuji Television, located in Daiba, Minato-ku, is hosting the "Odaiba Dinosaur Expo - THEY are coming from Fukui by Shinkansen!" until May 6, 2024! Fukui is one of the spots that have been attracting attention, as access from the Tokyo metropolitan area has improved with the opening of the Hokuriku S...
New banknotes are coming! Visit places connected to the people on them: Shibusawa Eiichi, Tsuda Umeko, and Kitasato Shibasaburo
Mar 22, 2024
New banknotes featuring new designs are coming out on July 3, 2024. These are the first new banknotes in 20 years since the ones issued in 2004, and will portray industrialist and “the father of modern Japanese economics,” Shibusawa Eiichi, on the 10,000 yen bill, the educator and founder of Tsuda U...
Minato-ku Tourism Ambassador Kaoru Yumi shares her 'beauty secrets' and the 'appeal of Minato-ku'
Mar 10, 2024
Making her debut in the entertainment industry in 1966, Kaoru Yumi has appeared in numerous dramas, movies, and television programs. In the historical drama 'Mito Komon,' she gained popularity in households nationwide for her roles as Kagero Ogin and Shippu no Oen. Since April 2023, she has served a...
Newly opened in Toranomon Hills! Exploring the potential of the information dissemination base “TOKYO NODE”
Feb 27, 2024
On October 6th, 2023, Toranomon Hills Station Tower, which has 49 floors above ground and is approximately 266 meters tall, opened in Toranomon Hills. Located at the top of this skyscraper directly connected to Toranomon Hills Station on the Hibiya Line is TOKYO NODE, an information dissemination ba...
Experience Japanese tea ceremony and hand-rolled sushi. A special moment to interact with "Japanese culture" at Happo-en.
Jan 25, 2024
Happo-en, with its vast Japanese garden of about 33,000 square meters, celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2023. The Japanese garden, dating back to the Edo period, is open to everyone to explore and enjoy the changing scenery throughout the seasons. Continuing its tradition of conveying Japanese bea...
Both elementary school students and adults can experience and be absorbed by the world of manufacturing at the X TECH Museum!
Jan 13, 2024
The X TECH Museum is a hands-on showroom of MinebeaMitsumi, a comprehensive precision parts manufacturer, located at the Shiodome Sio-site. The museum opened its doors on September 27th, 2023, with the hope of inspiring children to develop an interest in manufacturing, which is one of Japan’s streng...
Olafur Eliasson Inaugural Exhibition Now On! Exploring Art at Azabudai Hills
Dec 19, 2023
Azabudai Hills, which opened on November 24, 2023, is an cutting-edge compact city that brings together offices, residences, hotels, commercial facilities, an international school, preventive healthcare center, and cultural facilities all on one site. Harmoniously nestled in nature, the site is dott...
Special Feature: 2023 illuminations in Minato-ku, Tokyo Including secret spots!
Dec 6, 2023
The number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2023 exceeded the number of visitors before the coronavirus pandemic. Spots with illuminations in Minato-ku, which illuminate the city with fantastic lights, are also bustling with domestic and foreign tourists this year. In particular, Tokyo Midtown and Ke...
Brush up your lifestyle at the Sangetsu Shinagawa Showroom!
Nov 16, 2023
Sangetsu, which trades in a wide range of interior décor materials such as wallpaper, flooring, curtains, and upholstery fabrics, has eight showrooms located throughout Japan. One of thse showrooms, the Sangetsu Shinagawa Showroom, is one of the largest showrooms in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and ...
A special article linked with the "21st Minato-ku Sightseeing Photo Contest" and "Minato-ku 'Photogenic' Spot Photo Rally": Introducing the locations where the award-winning photos have been taken!
Oct 30, 2023
The MINATO Travel & Tourism Association is now accepting entries for "the 21st Minato-ku Sightseeing Photo Contest 2023." This photo contest, which aims to rediscover the charm of Minato-ku through photography, invites entrants for photographs taken in Minato-ku, ranging from landmarks and historic ...
“TOKYO TOWER CANDLE DAYS 2023" to light candles during Halloween season
Oct 12, 2023
Candles have long been indispensable items for illuminating the darkness, but now they are also loved as tools that soothe people's hearts and bring peace of mind. “TOKYO TOWER CANDLE DAYS 2023” will be held at Tokyo Tower during the Halloween season to widely spread the appeal of candles. Organized...
"The 21st Minato City Tourism Photo Contest 2023" Notice of Acceptance of Submissions
Sep 28, 2023
The Minato City Tourism Photo Contest is held every year with the aim of rediscovering the charm of Minato City through photography, from famous places and old sites in Minato Ward to seasonal traditions and hidden spots. From November 1, 2023, we will start accepting entries for the "21st Minato Ci...
[Video Article] 100 Years Since the Great Kanto Earthquake! Preparing for the Next Disaster at the Rotating Exhibit "Onko Bishin" (Preparing for a Disaster Using Knowledge of the Past) of the Japanese
Sep 14, 2023
This year marks 100 years since the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. It was recorded as a magnitude 7.9 earthquake of unprecedented nature that also brought about fires, a tsunami, and mudslides. Approximately 105,000 people were either killed or went missing. Events looking back at the disaster an...