London

Flick through the latest magazines at the Japan Centre

Enjoy Japanese goodies
Whether you’re homesick or simply curious about all things Japanese, this place has it all. The main draw is the deli and food shop, Yoshino, which is stacked to the rafters with goodies from Japan and Korea (as well as America). Fantastically fresh sushi and sashimi are to be had: the organic sushi rice is even milled on-site. Dried goods include snacks, fluorescently packaged confectionery, plus there’s seaweed, freshly baked bread and bento boxes too. Food aside, there’s a comprehensive selection of reading matter: women’s magazines, syle magazines, ‘soccer’ and manga. Music is also popular and you’ll find traditional tunes as well as the nostalgic enka genre.
The Japan Centre, 212 Piccadilly, W1 (020 7255 8255/www.japancentre.com) Piccadilly Circus tube. Open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10.30am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm. Feature continues

Sample samba in Sadler’s Wells
Sadler’s Wells spills onto Islington’s streets with its first ever Brazilian carnival on July 22. The free event starts at 2pm outside the theatre and features a Brazilian crafts and food market, a samba class and performances of martial art capoeira in the park. A carnival procession – which marks the beginning of the Sadler’s Wells Brasil Brasileiro summer show – begins at 4pm and will include giant puppets, floats, live bateria drumming and 400 samba dancers in full carnival costume. The procession will culminate in a street party and performance outside the theatre from 5.30-6.30pm.
Brazilian Carnival, Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1 (0870 737 7737/www.sadlerswells.com) Angel tube. Carnival July 22 2-6.30pm. Free.

Be a sitar star
Learning to play the sitar is difficult: the three octave range is achieved by sliding the index finger of the left hand up and down a single melody string, while the mezrab (finger plectrum) strikes the string. Some degree of technical mastery is needed to play even the simplest of melodies, and beginners can expect callouses. But don’t let that put you off, with patience and study you can master this 700-year-old instrument. The eight-day Sound of India Summer School gives you the opportunity to learn directly from Indian masters in the spirit of the traditional guru-shisya parampara (teacher pupil relationship) – think of what Happened when George Harrison met Ravi Shankar. Different teachers specialise in different genres and you get to pick your guru for the week. Anyone looking for a more instant skill to impress their mates with should try the percussive Tibetan Singing Bowl course at SOAS, where you can learn how to play Tibetan singing bowls or the Balinese Gamelan drum.
The Asian Music Circuit, Sounds of Asia Summer School, The Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Rd, NW1 (020 7873 7373) Baker St tube. School runs July 29- Aug 5.
World Music Summer Schools, SOAS University of London, Thornhaugh St, WC1 (020 7898 4915/www.soas.ac.uk) Russell Square tube. Courses throughout June, July and Aug.

Bikinis Brazil-style at Favela Shop

Buy Brazilian bikinis
There’s a corner of Hoxton Square that is forever Brazil. Favela showcases the best of Brazilian designers – check out colourful new collections by Alexandre Herchcovitch, plus a few souvenir-style goodies like brightly coloured Brazilian flag knickers and Virgin Mary motif necklaces. Much of the shop is given over to rails of rainbow-hued bikinis all of which prove that for beachwear, Brasilia wins hands down. Jeans are also a strong suit; many of the names behind the sexy summery styles, such as Crissol and Refino, you won’t find anywhere else.
Favela Shop, 12-18 Hoxton St, N1 (020 3222 0042) Old St tube/rail. Open Mon-Fri 10.30am-6.30pm, Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12noon-5pm.

Fill your home with objets d’Asia
A highlight of any Sunday trip to Columbia Road market is a dip into this inspired boutique. Small but perfectly formed, the shop has a carefully edited selection of homeware and furniture from Indonesia, Thailand and India. Bigger pieces like the north Indian dowry box chest of drawers (£175) and the Keralan boat prow (£360) define a room, while smaller pieces like the Perspex Buddha statues and
polished coconut wood bowls inlaid with mother of pearl (£12) all complement any interior style.
Far, 124 Columbia Rd, E2 (07931 151 663) Old St tube/rail or 26, 48, 55 bus. Open Sun 8.30am-4pm.

Master the nimble art of origami
Cultivate your delicate side by getting to grips with this ancient art. It’s not just about making fancy place settings; origami claims to improve your motor cordination skills and can, if practised regularly, stave off arthritis, or at least give you something new to do on the bus to work. A good teacher will also enlighten you on its august history. The exact dates are unclear, but paper-folding was introduced into Japan from China some time around the seventh century. A nimble-fingered elite took it up with gusto, cultivating stylised and abstract forms that were passed down the generations. New folding techniques and improved paper have lead to contemporary creations that would have astounded the ancients.
Larry Hart (07866 744264/jazzagami@blueyonder.co.uk). From £10 per hour, inc all materials. For more info, visit www.britishorigami.info

Feast your eyes on flamenco’s finest
A club for flamenco enthusiasts, Peña Flamenca de Londres meets one Sunday evening a month at the St Aloysius Social Club. In addition to performances by both international and London-based dancers, singers and musicians there’s a tapas bar. If you want to keep up to date with what’s going on in flamenco, this is a must. Drop-in visitors welcome, but membership gets you dancing at a discount.
Peña Flamenca de Londres, St Aloysius Social Club, 20 Phoenix Rd, NW1 (020 7388 4026/www.flamenco-london.org.uk).

Inner-city cricket, Gujarati-style
Cricket in east London has little to do with village greens, cucumber sandwiches and beer in the pub afterwards. Many of those who turn out for teams in the Gujarati Muslim Cricket League play for established clubs on Saturdays, but on Sundays they keep the company of fellow Muslims in this well-run and heavily sponsored competition. The standard of play is high, though facilities in places like Hainault Rec, Clayhall Park and West Ham Park are not the best. However, the league may benefit from a plan to create two cricket pitches on nearby Wanstead Flats.
Gujarati Muslim Cricket League (07958 574878/www.gmcl.play-cricket.com).

The Ladbroke Grove branch of seminal dub vendor, erm, Dub Vendor

Buy the rudest sounds
Established by reggae obsessives John MacGillivray and Chris Lane in 1977, Dub Vendor is still the best source of Jamaican music in Europe. It started as a Saturday-only Clapham Junction market stall and has since expanded to two branches and a mail-order store that carry the best reggae and dancehall on vinyl and CD, plus a large selection of US soul, funk and rap. Both stores have been central to the development of reggae in London, a crucial networking centre for Jamaican musicians and also a breeding ground for the likes of Mad Professor, Smiley Culture and Dee Sharp.
Dub Vendor, 274 Lavender Hill, SW11(020 7223 3757) Clapham Junction rail. Open Mon-Thur 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-7.30pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11.30am-5.30pm. Dub Vendor Record Shack, 150 Ladbroke Grove, W10 (020 8969 3375) Ladbroke Grove tube. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm.