Otemachi Place (大手町プレイス), the office complex directly linked to Otemachi Station, is running a free festival through October. Each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday gets its own themed day, built around a Japanese calendar day such as Coffee Day or Reading Day. Some days bring in bakeries and sweet shops, others offer body care or a used book fair. Anyone can drop in, not just people who work in the building.
| Dates | Oct 1 (Thu) to Oct 29 (Thu) Events on Tue, Wed and Thu only |
|---|---|
| Hours | Different each day (mostly from 11:30; see the schedule) |
| Venue | Otemachi Place, Otemachi 2-3-1 to 2-3-2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo |
| Entry | Free, no advance registration (some food and goods are sold) |
| Access | Tokyo Metro Otemachi Station, Exit A5 (direct connection) |
What is Otemachi Big Hand Fes?
This is the second edition. The first one ran at Otemachi Place in October 2024, and the name is a pun: Otemachi contains the Japanese word for hand (te), so the building leans into a giant-hand motif.
The hand-shaped chairs made for vol.1 are back inside the building this year. You can sit on them or take photos. Beyond that, the format is simple: one theme per day, with a pop-up shop, a hands-on activity or a display that matches it.
Entry is free and you can come as often as you like, alone or with friends or coworkers. Food and some goods are paid for, but prices were not included in the announcement.
Full schedule: all 13 days
The location changes every day, so check the floor before you head over. Times marked * end early once stock runs out.
| Date | Theme | Where / hours | What’s on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 (Thu) | Coffee Day | 3F office entrance 11:30–15:00* | Yoshida Pan bakery. Buy bread, get a Tully’s Coffee discount ticket |
| Oct 6 (Tue) | Make Your Dreams Come True Day | 1F, indoors by the Green Promenade 11:30–19:00 | Reading corner of classic boys’ and girls’ manga |
| Oct 7 (Wed) | Grown-up Diet Day | 1F, indoors by the Green Promenade 11:30–19:00 | Display of diet tips on food, exercise and daily habits |
| Oct 8 (Thu) | Bone and Joint Day | 1F Green Promenade 11:30–15:00 | Care session by Mobility Care Salon, a shop inside the building |
| Oct 13 (Tue) | Sweet Potato Day | 3F office entrance 11:30–15:00* | Sweet potato desserts on sale |
| Oct 14 (Wed) | Sweets Day | 1F Green Promenade 11:30–15:00* | Craft coconut milk shop and a donut shop |
| Oct 15 (Thu) | Global Handwashing Day | 3F office entrance 11:30–15:00* | Take home a festival-exclusive soap |
| Oct 20 (Tue) | Hair Day | 1F Green Promenade 11:30–15:30 | Head and body care by Magic Hands Works |
| Oct 21 (Wed) | Light Day | 3F office entrance 11:30–15:00* | Prize draw with a 1-in-100 chance of winning |
| Oct 22 (Thu) | Drip Coffee Day | 3F office entrance 11:30–15:00* | Yoshida Pan again, with Tully’s discount tickets |
| Oct 27 (Tue) | Reading Day | 3F office entrance 11:30–19:00 | Used book fair |
| Oct 28 (Wed) | Dashi Day | 1F Green Promenade 11:30–15:00* | Takeaway soups made with Japanese dashi stock |
| Oct 29 (Thu) | Food Loss Reduction Day | 3F office entrance 17:00–20:00* | Night bakery selling unsold bread from other bakeries |
The official Food Loss Reduction Day is October 30, so the night bakery is held a day early on the 29th.
Days worth planning around
Bread and Tully’s coffee tickets (Oct 22)
Yoshida Pan (吉田パン), a popular bakery from Kameari, drew long queues when it set up at an Otemachi Place event last year. It appears twice this month. The October 1 session has already happened, so the next and last chance is Thursday, October 22, on the 3F office entrance level from 11:30.
If you buy bread, you get a discount ticket for Tully’s Coffee (タリーズコーヒー). The size of the discount was not announced, and both sessions run only while stock lasts.
Sweets and snacks (Oct 13, 14 and 28)
On October 13, Imoko no Yakiimo Asamiya (いも子のやきいも阿佐美や) sells sweet potato desserts. October 14 brings two shops to the Green Promenade: Bifutanen (びふたねん), a craft coconut milk shop, and the donut shop Donutsuya Gaburi (憧懐屋(どーなつや) がぶり). On October 28, TapTap (TapTap～あなたを応援するスープ屋さん～) sells takeaway dashi soups, with several varieties planned.
Body care sessions (Oct 8 and 20)
Mobility Care Salon (モビリティケア®サロン), which has a shop inside Otemachi Place, returns from vol.1 on October 8 with care from head to legs, focused on whatever bothers you most. On October 20, Magic Hands Works (マジックハンズWorks) offers care for the head and for the stiffness that builds up from desk work. Neither listing mentions a fee, but the announcement does say some items are paid, so ask at the booth.
A 1-in-100 luck test (Oct 21)
October 21 marks the day in 1879 when Thomas Edison is said to have completed a practical light bulb. Riffing on his line about genius being 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, the organisers run a prize draw with a 1-in-100 chance of winning. The prize is kept secret until the day.
Used book fair and night bakery (Oct 27 and 29)
Two booksellers, Claris Books (クラリスブックス) and Tokyo Kurikarado (東京くりから堂), set up a used book fair on October 27, open until 19:00, so you can browse on the way home. On October 29, the Night Bakery (夜のパン屋さん) runs from 17:00 to 20:00. It sells bread that is perfectly good but did not sell during the day at other bakeries and might otherwise be thrown away.
Getting there and finding the right floor
- Tokyo Metro Otemachi Station: Exit A5 connects directly to the building
- JR Tokyo Station: about 7 minutes on foot from the Marunouchi North Exit
- JR Kanda Station: about 10 minutes on foot
Events use three spots, and the schedule table tells you which one applies:
- 3F office entrance: the bakeries, sweet potato day, soap, luck test and book fair
- 1F, indoors beside the Green Promenade: the manga corner and the diet display
- 1F Green Promenade: body care, Sweets Day and Dashi Day
Tips before you go
- Arrive near 11:30 for anything marked *. Bread, sweets, soap and the luck test all stop when stock runs out, and lunch break is when the office crowd comes down.
- After-work options exist. The manga corner (Oct 6), diet display (Oct 7) and book fair (Oct 27) run until 19:00, and the night bakery (Oct 29) is open 17:00 to 20:00.
- Nothing on Mondays or Fridays. Events only run Tuesday to Thursday, and there are no weekend sessions.
- Bring a little cash, or check which payment methods the stall accepts. Payment methods for each shop were not announced.
- Plans can change without notice. Check the official announcement before making a special trip.
If you are hunting for more cheap things to do around Tokyo, the half-price sento coupon that works at 383 bathhouses pairs well with a long day at the office. For the weekend, our Setagaya Tamagawa Fireworks guide covers where to watch and how to get home. And if you just want a cheap lunch on a non-event day, see the 7-Eleven ¥100 and ¥150 onigiri sale or the Starbucks Japan × Pokémon drinks and merch.
FAQ
- Q. Do I need a ticket or reservation for Otemachi Big Hand Fes?
- No. Entry is free and no advance registration is needed. Some food and goods are sold on the day.
- Q. Which days is something happening?
- Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from October 1 to October 29, 13 days in total. Each day has its own theme, place and hours.
- Q. How much is the Tully’s Coffee discount ticket worth?
- The announcement does not give the discount amount or bread prices. The ticket comes with a bread purchase from Yoshida Pan on October 22, while stock lasts.
- Q. What happens if it rains?
- Sessions on the 1F Green Promenade go ahead in light rain. In heavier rain they are planned to move inside the building on 1F.
Source: official press release for OTEMACHI BIG HAND FES vol.2 (published October 1, 2026). Organised by the Otemachi Place Management Association (大手町プレイス管理組合); run by the Otemachi Place event office and Hakuten Corporation (株式会社博展).