Japan in 2024: New and Upcoming Attractions
Discover the nation’s new and updated highlights.
Cover photo: Samurai Restaurant Time performance at show bar Gira Gira Girls, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan (2023). Photo by Danny With Love.
Intro
With foreign tourists to Japan returning to pre-pandemic levels, 2024 is a year of reintroduction. Previously closed attractions are back in new forms and facilities, like Robot Restaurant’s successor Samurai Restaurant Time and the second edition of photogenic digital art museum teamLab Borderless.
This year marks the long-awaited extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) to Fukui Prefecture, which offers seafood, beaches, and one of the largest dinosaur museums in the world! 2024 will also see the reopening of landmark Kobe Port Tower, with rotating observation deck.
Notable trends include new mixed-use commercial developments such as Azabudai Hills — featuring Japan’s tallest building — and the renewed Chuinichi Building in Nagoya, a resurgence in bathhouses, and expansions at theme parks DisneySea, Ghibli Park, and Universal Studios Japan.
See below for a full list of attractions in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Tokyo (東京)
Animate Ikebukuro Flagship renovation (merch store) NOW OPEN
Azabudai Hills (commercial complex) FULLY OPEN BY SPRING
Coffee Zingaro (cafe by artist Takashi Murakami) NOW OPEN
Hanamichi Tokyo Kabukicho (cultural complex) NOW OPEN
Harry Potter Studio Tour (guided experience) NOW OPEN
Immersive Fort Tokyo (mystery theme park) OPENING SPRING
Gentle Monster (Korean sunglasses) OPENING MARCH
Godiva Bakery (Belgian chocolate) NOW OPEN
Granbell Square (commercial complex with sauna and spa) NOW OPEN
Kabukicho Tower (commercial complex with event space) NOW OPEN
PokéPark Kanto at Yomiuriland (Pokémon theme park) UNANNOUNCED
TeamLab Borderless (digital art museum) NOW OPEN
Tokyo Anime Center (gallery) NOW OPEN
Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs (park expansion) OPENING JUNE
Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado (shopping complex) OPENING SPRING
Toranamon Hills Station Tower (commercial complex) NOW OPEN
Toraya Ginza renovation (traditional Japanese sweets) OPENING APRIL
Totopa Meiji Park (relaxation complex) OPENING MARCH
Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai (shopping complex with bathhouse) NOW OPEN
Salon 91 (commercial complex with sauna) FULLY OPEN FEBRUARY
Samurai Ninja Museum (immersive experience) NOW OPEN
Samurai Restaurant Time (meal show) NOW OPEN
Shibuya Sakura Stage (commercial complex) FULLY OPEN BY SUMMER
Shibuya Tsutaya renovation (iconic bookstore) OPENING SPRING
Snoopy Museum renovation (Peanuts comic) NOW OPEN
Ueshima Museum of Art (contemporary gallery) OPENING JUNE
Universal Music Store (merch shop) NOW OPEN
Nagoya (名古屋)
Colors.366 (commercial complex with event space) NOW OPEN
Chunichi Building (central commercial complex) OPENING APRIL
Ghibli Park expansions (movie theme park) FULLY OPEN IN MARCH
Jingumae Station West Block (shops and food trucks) OPENING FALL
Sense Sauna (modern sauna) NOW OPEN
Kyoto (京都)
Gion Kagai Art Museum (geisha culture) NOW OPEN
Kyoto Porta renovation (commercial complex) FULLY OPEN SPRING
Kyoto Sake Brewery Annex (brewery in historic hall) NOW OPEN
Matcha Cafe Uji Kyu (green tea desserts) NOW OPEN
Nintendo Museum in Uji (company history) OPENING FALL
Rumor Plaza renovation (men’s sauna with rooftop terrace) NOW OPEN
Takashimaya SC T8 (department store expansion) NOW OPEN
Technics Cafe Kyoto (vinyl-listening space) NOW OPEN
Osaka (大阪)
AR Art Cruise at Nakanoshima (augmented reality boat tour) NOW OPEN
Grand Green Osaka / Umekita Park (urban park) OPENING SEPTEMBER
JP Tower Osaka / KITTE Osaka (shopping complex) OPENING JULY
Nubian Flagship (streetwear store) OPENING SPRING
Suntory Yamazaki Distillery renovation (whiskey tours) NOW OPEN
Uniqlo Flagship in Shinsaibashi (clothing store) NOW OPEN
Universal Studios Donkey Kong (amusement ride) OPENING SPRING
