Santa Claus at Gate City this year

The Gate City Plaza Santa event is one of the longer running Santa meet and greet events in the Tokyo area. It is also one of only a handful of places were Santa appears on stage before the meet and greets.

Santa will be at the Atrium of Gate City on Sunday December 21st in 2025.  The events themselves don’t start until the afternoon, but they start giving out tickets to meet Santa Claus at 9 am on the morning of the event. They don’t specify what the limit is, but they do say there is a finite number. First come, first served.

This year Santa Claus will also be walking around the mall, so for those who don't secure a ticket to meet with him, you still have a chance to see him. He will be walking around between 11.20 am and 12 pm and again from 4.30 pm to 5 pm. He will be on stage at 1 pm. He will then meet and greet those with a ticket. The times of the meet and greets / photo are 1.30 pm and again at 3.30 pm.

Gate City Osaki is located close to JR Osaki Station on the Yamanote, Shonan-Shinjuku and Saikyo lines. Official event page.