Don't miss: Highlights from the Sumida River Sumi-Yume Art Project

Where: Sumida Riverside Hall

When: August 9, 2pm-3.45pm 

What: Some historians believe that sumo wrestling originated with the Tanabata Festival, as the earliest records of sumo describe the ancient practice taking place on Tanabata, July 7, in the year 23 BCE. Dive deep into the history of sumo wrestling with this two-part event that will begin with a talk by composer Makoto Nomura and former sumo wrestler Tetsuhiro Matsuda. The duo will discuss sumo and the legendary Takasago Uragoro, a famous sumo wrestler of the Meiji era (1868-1912). The second part will feature a musical composition inspired by Uragoro and composed by Nomura. The shamisen component of the show will be performed by Etsuko Takezawa and recorded for streaming online. 

Where: Sumida Riverside Hall

When: August 9, 3.45pm-5pm 

What: In the Edo period, sugar was thought of as medicine and some speculate that the secret behind Hokusai’s longevity – the artist lived to the age of 88 – was in his diet. This event features a lecture on what food meant to the people of Edo and the relationship between art and produce. A special appearance will be made by contemporary artist Eat & Art Taro, whose work is often themed around food. Participants can enter a lottery for the chance to win one of ten boxes of vegetable preserves made with produce from Sumida. 

Where: Sumida Riverside Hall  

When: September 6, 3pm-4.30pm 

What: The Hokusai Band, formed in 2010 by Makoto Nomura, was inspired by the Hokusai Manga. This 15-volume work was published between 1848 to 1878 and comprises roughly 4,000 drawings. The band, featuring musicians Hiroshi Obiki, Yusuke Kataoka, Etsuko Takezawa and Taku Motonaga, aims to expand on the artworks through music played on traditional Japanese instruments such as the koto and the shakuhachi.

Where: Sumida River

When: October 31-November 8, 12noon to 2pm daily

What: This curious vessel that quite literally zips across water is the brainchild of artist Yasuhiro Suzuki, who got the idea to build it after observing the way ships created wakes in the water as his plane flew over Tokyo Bay one day. Suzuki noted how ships and fasteners are alike in that they have the ability to connect things together, as well as open them up to the world. The ship first appeared at the Setouchi Triennale in 2010 and quickly became a hit among attendees for its curious shape and the way it 'unzipped' the water. This year, the Zip-Fastener Ship will travel between the bridges of Azumabashi and Sakurabashi on the Sumida River.

Where: AZ1 Hall, YKK 60 Bldg. and various town halls across the city 

When: January 23-24, 30-31 2021; February 7 2021, 1.30pm-5pm 

What: This ‘paper sumo’ event is sure to delight the kids. Hosted by art collective KOSUGE1-16, it’s an engaging workshop that allows participants to design and create their own cardboard sumo wrestler. Once completed, the wrestlers can be entered for matches in a sumo ring (it's the same size as the real thing), where each player will slap either side of the platform with their hands until one of the cardboard wrestlers gets knocked over or shuffled outside the ring. A final showdown of champions will take place on February 7 2021 at the YKK 60 Building.