6 artsy things to do in Tokyo after dark

Inspired by Switzerland’s Basel Social Club, a community-driven nonprofit art fair that takes over a different liminal location every year, Tokyo Jazz Club unfolds across all eight floors of a former capsule hotel near Jimbocho from November 1 to 8. In addition to an exhibition featuring works by Arthur Jafa, Barbara Kruger and Shinro Ohtake, the venue hosts performances, listening sessions and a bar.

The 1970s New York club scene as viewed through a Shibuya lens is the concept justifying the maximalist design choices at this unfussy listening bar adorned with the stylised likenesses of NYC scene legends. DJs spin house and disco while you sip on a carefully crafted cocktail and wonder how on earth one should dress for this occasion.

Helmed by bartender Soran Nomura, Quarter Room serves up a unique fusion of art and cocktails. Drawing inspiration from renowned pieces by masters around the world and translating specific works into experimental cocktails, Nomura crafts drinks highlighting everything from painting to architecture – our favourites in the latter category include the Sagrada Familia and Kiyomizu Temple concoctions.

As MES, artists Takeru Arai and Kanae Tanikawa explore the intersection of technology and social change through means like laser-drawn messages projected onto buildings and thermography-based installations that illustrate the heat we all emit into the world. Here, they play on the many meanings of the word ‘ray’ in both English and Japanese to reexamine the history of Shibuya. Their exhibition is on view until November 16 at the Parco Museum.

Being one of the most visited museums in the world, the Tokyo National Museum may not feel particularly meditative on your average day. But the Ueno institution has a Zen side to it, too – one that’s best experienced at this after-hours illumination event in the museum garden, featuring a programme designed to soothe the senses with evocative scenery, calming soundscapes and something called ‘Brainwave Zen’ meditation.

Six Tokyo-run museums and cultural institutions are reducing their fees and extending their hours for those long and dark November nights, staying open until 8pm on Fridays. Discounts for general admission apply after 5pm, while students get into some venues for free. This is your chance to start the weekend with an acclaimed show like ‘Marimekko: Art of Printmaking – Beauty, Dream, Love’ at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum or the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo’s ‘Tada Minami: Still, shimmering light’.