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As we enter autumn and the weather gets cooler, now’s the perfect time to get out and explore Tokyo again. The best day to do so is this Thursday October 1, as it’s Tokyo Citizens Day.
Though not a public holiday – i.e. you don’t get the day off work – this special day was established in 1952 to commemorate Tokyo’s transition into a proper city with its own mayor in 1898. Every year on this day, a host of attractions run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government across the city, including museums, art galleries, zoos and aquariums, will open to the public for free.
Here’s the full list of attractions that offer free admission on October 1.
Museums and art galleries
Edo-Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (applicable only for these two exhibitions: Duet: Asian Contemporary, and Assembling Anew: Memories, Materials, Context, Technology – Contemporary Japanese Photography vol. 23)
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (only applicable for the MOT Collection exhibition: Past Light, Present Sight)
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (only applicable for the Views of This Place－Ueno, Omuta, and Buenos Aires exhibition)
Edo-Tokyo Museum (only applicable for the Permanent Exhibition)
Gardens
The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum garden
Zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens
Inokashira Nature & Culture Park
Yumenoshima Park Tropical Greenhouse Dome
Note that some venues may restrict admission when it gets too crowded. More information here (in Japanese only).
This article was originally published on September 27 2022 and updated on September 30 2026.
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