Things to do in Tokyo today

[UPDATE: Oct 11] Due to Tyhoon Hagibis, expected to bring strong wind and heavy rain throughout Tokyo the weekend of October 12-13, the Saturday October 12 event has been cancelled.  On a clear night, you can gaze out across Tokyo and as far as Yokohama. Mt Takao's beer garden is located 500m above sea level, and does a good job of keeping hikers well satiated throughout the summer. The price includes an all-you-can-eat buffet of Japanese, Chinese and Western food, plus two hours of free-flowing beer, wine and cocktails. To say that this place gets crowded at weekends would be a gross understatement. The garden is open from mid-June to mid-October, and one word of warning: the last cable car departs at 9.15pm sharp.

The annual Oeshiki festival originated in the Zoshigaya neighbourhood during the Edo period (1603-1868). Known as ‘Kishimojin Oeshiki’, thousands of local residents gather and parade through the streets with large, paper flower-clad lanterns and taiko drums, filling the whole neighbourhood with lively, vibrant festivities. The Oeshiki Project takes place around Ikebukuro Station and features a stunning touring performance called ‘BEAT’. Directed by dramatist Natsuki Ishigami, the show features music and sounds by artists of various nationalities and cultures, including Xiao Ke and Zi Han from China, who are showing off their skills during this lively spectacle.

[UPDATE: Oct 11] Due to Typhoon Higibis, expected to bring strong wind and heavy rain to Tokyo the weekend of October 12-13, the event has been changed for Saturday October 12. Please check their official website for more details.  'Making Shimokitazawa the holy ground of curry' is the motto of this spicy two-week festival, which invites you to get a free map at the station (or print one out here), follow the curry trail and stuff yourself at the 142 participating restaurants. This year, they've been so kind as to open an outdoor area where you can compare and contrast your curries if you've gone for takeaway. There's plenty of related fun going on, too – look out for DJ gigs, art exhibitions and comedy shows, and take part in the 'stamp rally' by downloading the 'I Love Shimokitazawa' app, for the chance to win a Curry Festival T-shirt, a pack of instant curry roux, spiced snacks and more.

[UPDATE: Oct 10] Due to Typhoon Hagibis, expected to bring strong wind and heavy rain to Tokyo the weekend of Oct 12-13, the event will be cancelled Saturday Oct 12 and Sunday Oct 13.  * Among the many Japanese incarnations (perhaps 'interpretations' would be more accurate) of Munich's world-famous beer festival, the Yokohama Oktoberfest has traditionally stuck closest to the schedule of its Teutonic forebear. The Yokohama Oktoberfest is Japan's largest beer festival, and you can expect over 100 types of beer on offer, including German brews that have never been seen before in Japan. On top of the standard pints, each stall will be offering its own mini beer sets, where you can get a side snack to go with your small beer and try as many brews as you can manage. The venue will also have several stalls selling full-size platters of sausages and goulash, among other hearty meals. As always, a separate tent will be set up to host live performances and other entertainment.

Ichiro Yamaguchi, a member of the Hokkaido-based rock band Sakanaction, has created a visual and sound installation ‘NF’ on the rooftop garden of Ginza Six. This green space features six monuments, each resembling a small orchestra and is surrounded by several light pillars. Touch the panels in front of the installations and this will emit songs playing in sync with the light sequences of the pillars. Each zone can produce a total of 36 different light and sound combinations, thus turning your visit into an interactive experience.

Time Out in association with 80percent simple Inc. International sushi chef Jiro Onoda is hosting a series of classes focused on making rainbow sushi. Don’t worry, you don’t need any cooking experience to join. The classes are open to anyone interested to learn how to make sushi using traditional Edo-style techniques. The vibrant rolls are inspired by colours of the rainbow, and Onoda only uses all-natural ingredients to create the many-hued assortments. Classes are roughly two hours long: you’ll be taught customary slicing techniques before preparing seven different maki rolls and six different nigiri. There will also be a tutorial on how to make the quintessential dashimaki tamago (Japanese-style omlette). At the end of the lesson, you can enjoy eating what you’ve made with the rest of the class. The venue is located accross from the main street of Kappabashi, famous for its traditional kitchenware, so you may be inspired to look for some Japanese cooking utensils for your own kitchen after the lesson. Having worked at restaurants in Shanghai and Vancouver as well as Tokyo, Onoda is fluent in English and Mandarin. As the class will primarily be in English, you won’t have a hard time following along if you’re visiting Tokyo from overseas.  Click here to make a reservation. You can pay on the day with either cash or credit. 

Get into the Halloween spirit at Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome’s annual pumpkin exhibition, where over 100 pumpkins from Ibaraki prefecture will be on display all over the garden. These pumpkins are much larger than the average Japanese kabocha, and can weigh up to 100 kilograms each. Feel free to sit on them, take pictures and roll them around as you please. Don’t miss fun activities like the pumpkin rolling race and pumpkin seed spitting contest – they will be happening regularly throughout the event.

Ichiro Yamaguchi, a member of the Hokkaido-based rock band Sakanaction, has created a visual and sound installation ‘NF’ on the rooftop garden of Ginza Six. This green space features six monuments, each resembling a small orchestra and is surrounded by several light pillars. Touch the panels in front of the installations and this will emit songs playing in sync with the light sequences of the pillars. Each zone can produce a total of 36 different light and sound combinations, thus turning your visit into an interactive experience.

Get into the Halloween spirit at Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome’s annual pumpkin exhibition, where over 100 pumpkins from Ibaraki prefecture will be on display all over the garden. These pumpkins are much larger than the average Japanese kabocha, and can weigh up to 100 kilograms each. Feel free to sit on them, take pictures and roll them around as you please. Don’t miss fun activities like the pumpkin rolling race and pumpkin seed spitting contest – they will be happening regularly throughout the event.