[2025 Edition] Tokyo vs Yokohama Christmas Markets – Full Comparison of Jingu Gaien, Shiba Park & Yokohama Red Brick with Mug Perks

Hello from Minato & Mirai♪
Are you wondering, “Should I go to the Tokyo Christmas Markets or the Yokohama Christmas Market?” You’re definitely not alone!

In 2025 especially, both the Tokyo Christmas Market 2025 in Jingu Gaien & Shiba Park and the Christmas Market in Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse are in full swing.
Because all of them are so attractive, it’s only natural to think, “If I can only choose one, which should it be?”

So in this article, based on the official information and visitor reviews, we’ll compare the venues by “what kind of experience you want” and recommend which market fits which type of visitor.

First, a quick look at the basics｜2025 dates & overview at a glance

Let’s start by going over the basic information such as the dates and locations for the 2025 season.

Venue	Location	Dates (2025)	Key Features
Tokyo Christmas Market 2025 in Jingu Gaien	Meiji Jingu Gaien (in front of Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and surrounding area)	Fri, November 21 – Thu, December 25	One of the largest Christmas markets in Japan, with a festive atmosphere themed around European fairy tales such as the Brothers Grimm.
Tokyo Christmas Market 2025 in Shiba Park	Tokyo Metropolitan Shiba Park No. 4 Area (Onarimon Station Front Plaza)	Fri, December 5 – Thu, December 25	Symbolized by a 14 m-tall Christmas pyramid and its collaboration view with Tokyo Tower. A more mature, sophisticated vibe.
Christmas Market in Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse 2025	Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse Event Plaza & Red Brick Park	Fri, November 21 – Thu, December 25	One of Japan’s most popular markets with an unbeatable combination of the sea, red brick buildings, a giant Christmas tree, and the Minato Mirai nightscape.

All three venues run from late November to December 25, so it’s relatively easy to fit them into your schedule.

Choosing by atmosphere & theme｜The “personality” of each venue

Tokyo Christmas Market in Jingu Gaien｜Lively & flashy “classic event” vibes

The Jingu Gaien venue is all about its huge scale and lively energy. Food stalls, craft stands, and stage performances pack the site,
so you can soak up that “this is THE Christmas market!” feeling with your whole body.

The decorations are inspired by European stories such as Grimm’s fairy tales, so the entire venue feels like a fantasy world.
It’s the perfect choice for friend groups who want to have fun together, or anyone visiting a Christmas market for the very first time.

Tokyo Christmas Market in Shiba Park｜A “grown-up” market with strong German flair

The Shiba Park venue has a more traditional German-style atmosphere, bringing together crafts and foods from various regions of Germany.
The 14 m-tall Christmas pyramid stands in the center of the venue, with Tokyo Tower glowing in the background – the photo opportunities are fantastic.

Compared with Jingu Gaien, the atmosphere is slightly calmer, and dropping by at night gives the impression of a “grown-up winter date.”
If you want a quieter setting to slowly enjoy hot wine together, this is an ideal venue for couples.

Christmas Market in Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse｜A “romance-focused” venue with sea & night views

The Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse Christmas Market is famous above all for its unbeatable location.
Illuminated red brick buildings, a sparkling giant Christmas tree, the Ferris wheel and skyscrapers of Minato Mirai, and the ocean breeze… Every angle is photogenic.

The market itself has been powered up year by year, offering not only classic German dishes but also Yokohama-style sweets and limited-time menus.
If you’re planning a special Christmas date or a girls’ trip focused on Instagrammable spots, this is definitely a top contender.

Crowd levels & “best time to go”

All three are extremely popular events, so “when you go” greatly affects how comfortable your experience will be.
Here’s a rough image of the crowd levels, based on official information and visitor reviews.

Crowd image at Jingu Gaien

• Weekday daytime to late afternoon: relatively relaxed. Good for photo-focused visits and families with children.
• Weekday evenings & weekend late afternoon to night: crowds surge with office workers and tourists; walking can feel cramped.
• Weekends just before Christmas, 18:00–21:00: peak crowd levels, with long lines and very dense foot traffic.

Crowd image at Shiba Park

• Because the period is slightly shorter (Dec 5–25), weekend evenings can get quite crowded.
• From Tokyo Tower’s lights-on time through the 19:00 hour, people tend to cluster around photo spots.
• If you want a calmer walk-through, aim for weekdays or earlier in the afternoon on weekends.

Crowd image at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse

• On holidays from around 16:00, it gets very crowded with visitors targeting the lights and tree.
• From morning until around 14:00, it’s relatively easy to move around, and still manageable for strollers and families.
• If you want to enjoy the romantic night atmosphere, priority entry tickets are worth considering due to the crowd levels.

Comparing tickets & original mugs

For 2025, both Tokyo and Yokohama offer tickets that come with original mugs.
If you’re going to buy tickets anyway, you might as well choose a plan that feels a bit special and leaves you with a tangible memory.

Tokyo (Jingu Gaien & Shiba Park)｜KKday tickets with original mugs

For Tokyo Christmas Market 2025, KKday offers special plans that include an original mug. The design changes every year, so many repeat visitors come back saying, “I want this year’s mug too!”

What’s more, the colors are different between the Jingu Gaien and Shiba Park venues!

• Eligible tickets: mainly advance adult tickets via KKday
• Design: Tokyo market original design (limited to that year)
• Use: often can be used for hot wine or other drinks at the venue

Note that some same-day tickets do not include a mug, so
if you’re thinking “I absolutely want the mug!”, we recommend carefully checking the ticket details for advance reservations.

Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse｜Asoview-only priority entry with premium mug

At the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, Asoview! offers a “priority entry ticket with premium mug”.
The golden mug is a collaboration with global tableware brand Noritake, and the design feels very special and high-end.

• Sold via: Asoview! (advance reservation, date-specific)
• Includes: priority entry + one golden premium mug
• Benefits: you can cut down waiting time and get an exclusive mug at the same time

There are also regular priority entry tickets and standard admission tickets,
but if you’re thinking, “If I’m going anyway, I want the special mug and a smoother entry,” then the premium mug plan is perfect.

Quick comparison of mugs & tickets

Item	Tokyo Christmas Markets (Jingu Gaien & Shiba Park)	Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse
Example ticket sites	Official site, KKday, etc.	Asoview!
Mug-included plans	Advance adult tickets with mug options	Priority entry tickets including premium mug
Mug characteristics	Tokyo market original designs; patterns change every year for collectors	Gold mug in collaboration with Noritake; focused on a premium feel
Effect as a crowd-control tool	Being an advance timed entry makes getting in smoother overall (depending on time slot)	Priority entry significantly reduces waiting during peak hours
Fun for mug collectors	Triggers the urge to “collect the full Tokyo series” over multiple years	A special keepsake that represents “one perfect cup” from your Yokohama night

If you love mugs, you can also “collect both Tokyo & Yokohama mugs this year.”
Lining the two mugs up at home will bring back memories of the time spent at each market.

Which Christmas market suits you best?｜Recommendations by travel style

Based on everything so far, here’s a quick guide to which market fits which type of visitor.

First-time Christmas market visitors → Jingu Gaien

• Huge scale lets you experience the “classic Christmas market” atmosphere in one go.
• Plenty of food, goods, and stage shows – hard to go wrong for a first visit.
• On weekday afternoons to early evenings, the vibe is more relaxed and easier to enjoy.
• Perfect if you want an advance ticket with a mug you can keep as a souvenir.

Grown-up dates & night views → Shiba Park or Yokohama Red Brick

• Shiba Park: romantic combo of Tokyo Tower and the Christmas pyramid; ideal as the finale to a Tokyo city date.
• Yokohama Red Brick: the sea, red brick, and Minato Mirai night skyline – a romance-focused venue for a full day in Yokohama.
• Both shine at night, but if you want to avoid the biggest crowds, try going right after the lights come on.

Small kids & strollers, with minimal stress → Weekday Jingu Gaien or morning Red Brick

• Jingu Gaien: weekdays from daytime to late afternoon are relatively calm and family-friendly.
• Yokohama Red Brick: from morning until around 14:00, it’s still manageable with strollers.
• At all venues, weekend afternoons after 16:00 are best treated as “crowded evening events for adults” rather than family time.

After-work drinks with colleagues → Jingu Gaien or Shiba Park

• Easy access from central Tokyo, so it’s convenient for everyone to meet after work.
• Great for saying “cheers!” with hot wine, beer, and hearty meat dishes.
• For a quick visit before the last train, the Tokyo venues are the most realistic choice.

Want to satisfy your “collector soul” with mugs as well → Tokyo + Yokohama

• In Tokyo, get the venue-specific mug via advance tickets.
• In Yokohama, pick up the golden Noritake collaboration mug with the priority entry ticket.
• We highly recommend enjoying Tokyo and Yokohama on separate days with the goal of “collecting both mugs this year.”

Summary｜Rather than “which is better,” think “what kind of Christmas do I want?”

Both the Tokyo and Yokohama Christmas markets are serious, high-quality events, so it’s honestly hard to say that one is “better” than the other.

What really matters is the question, “What kind of Christmas do I want to spend this year?”
Do you want a lively, festive night, a quiet evening enjoying the lights, a day making family memories, or a year of collecting mugs?
If you choose your venue based on your own “ideal Christmas style,” you’re much more likely to have a satisfying experience.

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One last tip… To make sure you get in smoothly, advance tickets are a must!

Here’s one thing we really want to stress! From our experience visiting both the Tokyo and Yokohama Christmas markets many times, we can say this with confidence: buying tickets in advance is absolutely worth it!

If you wait to buy tickets on-site, you’ll often face extremely long lines and waiting times.
By arranging tickets online beforehand, you’ll usually get in more quickly than same-day purchasers, even if there’s still a bit of a line.
Prices are generally the same, and when you factor in the reward points from the booking sites, it can actually be a better deal.

So we strongly recommend getting your tickets in advance and heading to the Christmas markets fully prepared!
If you like, you can also use the buttons below for easy booking.

Online tickets for Christmas markets