Myanmar New Year Festival in Tokyo

Apr 15, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The Myanmar community in Tokyo gathered in Koto Ward on Sunday to celebrate the Myanmar New Year, marked annually on April 17th. The festival, known as "Thingyan," attracted around 10,000 participants this year, including both the local Myanmar population and Japanese guests.

Women dressed in vibrant traditional attire performed customary dances that are a staple during the New Year celebrations in Myanmar. The festival also offered an array of homemade dishes, allowing attendees to savor the flavors of Myanmar.

One of the visitors commented, "It's a lot of fun. It feels like I've returned to Myanmar. It would be even more enjoyable with the water-throwing tradition, but even here, you can really feel the spirit of Myanmar."

In Myanmar, the Thingyan festival also took place on April 14th, where the throwing of water is a central element. This act symbolizes washing away the misfortunes and dirt of the past year to welcome the new one.

The organizers expressed their hopes to deepen cultural understanding through the festival's continued celebration in Japan, bringing together traditions and people in a vibrant and meaningful exchange.

Source: ANN

Touch-Free Ticket Gates Coming to Tokyo's Yamanote Line

East Japan Railway (JR East) announced on November 10th that it will introduce touch-free ticket gates at 40 stations, including every station on Tokyo's Yamanote Line, from spring 2028, allowing passengers using Mobile Suica to pass through without taking their smartphones out of their pockets or bags.

Japan Unveils Guidelines for Children's Internet Use

Japan's Children and Families Agency unveiled its first national guidelines on November 10th for parental involvement in children's internet use, dividing those aged 0 to 18 into six developmental stages as the government considers tighter regulations on social media platforms to protect young people from online bullying, exploitation, and other growing risks.

Typhoon No. 32 Moves Away From Japan Islands

As of 3 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, Typhoon No. 32 was moving east-northeast over waters east of Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands, gradually heading away from the Japanese archipelago after passing near the island between late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

Odakyu Unveils New Romancecar With Giant Circular Windows

Odakyu Electric Railway unveiled images of its next-generation Romancecar limited express train on November 10, revealing a striking blue-green design featuring enormous circular windows that will allow passengers to enjoy panoramic views from ceiling to floor when the new trains enter service in March 2029.

270-Kilogram Bear Killed in Hokkaido After Repeated Farm Attacks

A male bear weighing approximately 270 kilograms was killed by hunters in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, on November 8th after being caught in a box trap, with local hunters suspecting it was responsible for a series of attacks on a nearby poultry farm that left more than 100 chickens and ducks dead since August.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Autumn Leaves Hit Peak Color Across Japan

Japan's autumn foliage season is entering one of its most colorful periods, with spectacular displays of red and golden leaves attracting visitors to lakes, mountain valleys and historic temples across the country, while the latest forecasts suggest that Tokyo, Kyoto and other major cities will see some of their best autumn scenery later than usual this year.

Hokkaido Travel Disruptions Ease as Snowfall Subsides

Travel conditions across Hokkaido were showing signs of improvement on Wednesday morning, November 11, following heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures that disrupted rail services and prompted warnings for air travelers and motorists, with railway information updated at 4:23 a.m. showing no major delays or cancellations across the prefecture's principal routes.

Odakyu Unveils New Romancecar With Giant Circular Windows

Heavy Snow Blankets Northern Japan

A powerful cold air mass brought the lowest temperatures of the season to much of Japan on Tuesday, November 10, with Hokkaido recording a nationwide seasonal low of minus 11.8 degrees Celsius, heavy snowfall covering northern communities, and Tokyo experiencing midwinter conditions as temperatures fell sharply across the country.

Why a Suica Balance Won’t Cover Every Train

The card worked on the subway, paid for a convenience-store coffee and still has plenty of yen left. Then the Shinkansen gate refuses to open. Another top-up seems the obvious fix, especially with a departure time creeping closer. But the balance may be perfectly healthy.

Young Japanese Turning Away From Cars

Japan's younger generation is increasingly turning away from driving and car ownership, with the number of driver's license holders aged 24 and under falling by approximately 590,000 over the past decade to around 5.15 million in 2025, reflecting changing attitudes toward transportation, spending and the traditional appeal of owning a car.

TeamLab Illuminates 20,000 Cosmos Flowers at Osaka's Nagai Botanical Garden

A field of approximately 20,000 cosmos flowers has reached peak bloom at Nagai Botanical Garden in Osaka's Higashisumiyoshi Ward, where a limited-time installation by art collective teamLab is transforming the autumn landscape into a glowing display of light and sound after dark.

Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake Shakes Central Japan

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck central Japan early on November 8th, registering an upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in Aichi Prefecture and injuring at least 21 people, while damaging buildings and disrupting Shinkansen and conventional railway services across the region.

< 2 3 4 5 >