STUDIO TORIUMI / GUIDE日本語

A schedule for going out and
seeing science around Tokyo.

Around Tokyo there are plenty of events where you can hear researchers speak in person — and most of them are free. The confirmed dates come first, followed by a calendar of what happens around the same time every year. Lists go stale fast, so the page ends with how to find new information yourself.

01 / SOONWhat has fixed dates

Researched as of August 30, 2026. Always check the official site before you go.

9/12SAT

Science Agora 2026

Telecom Center Building and other venues / Odaiba, Tokyo — Sat, Sep 12 – Sun, Sep 13

Japan's largest forum for connecting science and society. Exhibitors come from universities, research institutes, and companies. The 2026 theme is "Science and Daily Life: Talking Together, Weaving the Future."

This year's lineup includes neurotech, ultrasound-based manipulation, advanced materials, and AI. There are also programs on bigger themes such as space observation, typhoon control, and artificial photosynthesis. Miraikan (the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) is running related events as well.

If the mind and the brain interest you, the neurotech exhibits are the first thing you should see.

Free admission2 daysOdaibaMany exhibitors
9/25FRI

Newton Fes

Hikarie Hall, 9F Shibuya Hikarie / Shibuya, Tokyo — Fri, Sep 25, 13:00–20:00; Sat, Sep 26, 10:00–18:00

The first-ever event from the science magazine Newton, built as a place where everyone from high school students to researchers and companies can meet.

Speakers include astronaut Soichi Noguchi, Takumi of the Yobinori science channel, and physicist Yasunori Nomura (professor at UC Berkeley), along with the editor-in-chief of Newton. The main themes are semiconductors, AI, robotics, space, advanced materials, and energy.

Admission is free, but you must register in advance. Only the day-one social (open to working adults) costs money.

Free admissionAdvance registration requiredShibuyaFirst time
11/7SAT

JAXA Sagamihara Campus Open House

JAXA Sagamihara Campus / Sagamihara, Kanagawa — Sat, Nov 7 on site; Sun, Nov 8 online

The once-a-year open day of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). The people who actually build the spacecraft explain it to you in person. For talking directly with researchers, this is among the richest opportunities around Tokyo.

The on-site and online days are separate, so you can catch both.

FreeOn site + onlineSagamiharaOnce a year

This section goes stale on its own. Dates, venues, and registration requirements change, and finished events sometimes linger here. Open the official site and confirm before you head out. The calendar below and the searching tips should hold up much longer.

02 / FEEDScience headlines, collected automatically

Pulled automatically from public feeds. These are science news stories, not event listings. They're here because event announcements do slip in. Last fetched:

Where this comes from. The official RSS from Science Portal (JST) and the public Atom feed from connpass. Peatix has neither a public feed nor an API, so nothing is pulled from there. The policy is not to collect in ways that violate their terms. connpass supports much finer-grained search, but that requires applying to them for an API key.

03 / CALENDARWhat happens around the same time every year

The dates shift from year to year, but the seasons barely move. Keep this in mind and you can start finding events on your own.

APR–MAYResearch institutes begin their public open days. Along with the university's new school year, calls for public-lecture applications go out too
MAYThe University of Tokyo May Festival. A student festival, but it includes programs where labs put their own research on display — one of the few days you can get inside
SPRING / FALLUniversity of Tokyo public lectures. Running since 1953, now held twice a year at Yasuda Auditorium
JUL–AUGSummer-break programs for kids multiply. The content is the same for adults — the explanations are actually more careful
SEPScience Agora. The timing moves year to year (autumn has been the norm for a while now)
OCT–NOVThe season when institute open days cluster. The JAXA Sagamihara open house lands around here too
NOVThe University of Tokyo Komaba Festival. Like the May Festival, research labs sometimes take part
YEAR-ROUNDAcademic societies' public lectures. Big societies always run talks open to the general public alongside their conferences. If your field is set, watching that society's schedule is the fastest route

04 / ALWAYSWhat's always there, whenever you go

If you can't time a visit to an event, go to the permanent places. Not one of them can be covered in a day.

ODAIBAMiraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Science communicators are on the floor and will answer your questions. Talking with them is sometimes worth more than the exhibits
UENOThe National Museum of Nature and Science. The permanent exhibits alone take over half a day. Lectures and observation events run through the year as well
SAGAMIHARAJAXA's space exploration visitor center. Open even when it isn't open-house day
AROUND TOWNUniversity museums. The University Museum at the University of Tokyo and others — free to enter, and some take their content seriously

05 / HOWFinding events yourself

This is the longest-lasting part of the page. Knowing the sources beats waiting for someone else's list.

Science Agora (JST) A big annual forum. The exhibitor list goes public, so you can pick out the labs you're interested in ahead of time Science Portal events section (JST) Where Japan's science events gather. Checking here first is the fastest way, in my view University of Tokyo public lectures and talks The spring and fall lecture series, plus department-level talks you can follow from here JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science open house The Sagamihara open day. Once the dates are set, they appear here Fan! Fan! JAXA! — open houses and special exhibitions Open days across all of JAXA, not just Sagamihara, gathered in one place Newton Fes (Newton Hub) This year is the first. If it continues, it should appear here in future years too Peatix event search Searching “science” or “workshop” also surfaces small events run by individuals and circles Connpass search Tech-leaning study groups and experiment meetups; the feed in section 02 comes from here DoorKeeper Fewer science events, but measurement, biology and robotics meetups appear from time to time

Search tips

  • Search for the terms 一般公開 (open house), 公開講座 (public lecture), or 市民公開講座 (citizens' public lecture). Research institutions use one of these three phrases
  • Search by the name of the lab you want to visit. Compared with a big event, a small talk a lab puts on by itself is often easier to strike up a conversation at
  • Check academic societies' schedules. If your field is set, this is the most reliable route
  • Things that need registration fill up early. Popular sessions can go to a lottery. Apply the same day you find one

When you go, ask questions. Researchers are usually delighted to be asked about their own work. Open with "I'm an amateur, so this may be off target," and you'll rarely be brushed off. A few minutes of conversation on site can be worth a year of reading.

06 / SOURCESSources

Last verified: August 30, 2026. Dates, venues, costs, and registration requirements all change at the organizers' discretion. Don't head out on this page's word alone. Always confirm with the official sites before you move.