Things to do in Tokyo today

Deploying a range of lighting tricks, projection mapping and traditional Japanese motifs, not to mention thousands of live goldfish, self-proclaimed ‘art aquarium producer' Hidetomo Kimura’s annual exhibition is back again with an eclectic combo of stylised Edo culture and modern-day technology. Go after 7pm for a hot atmosphere, cocktails and DJ tunes courtesy of local stars including Ken Ishii, Kuniyuki Takahashi and Rina (gigs only on weekends). Finally, you'll need to keep in mind that this is usually one of Tokyo's most popular summer happenings – there will be queues.

The capital's very own booze cruise departs from Takeshiba Terminal at 7.15pm every night between June 29 and September 24 (weather permitting), and does a lap of the bay (all the way to Haneda Airport) while serving up all-you-can-drink beer, wine and cocktails. The tackiness of the setting is compounded by touches like the yukata dance performance, but the silver lining is you can get ¥1,000 off the price from Monday to Friday if you go in a yukata yourself.

Providing a more eco-conscious alternative to the average Tokyo mall, Yoyogi Village is bringing back its annual beer garden for summer. Again taking over the faux beach at the complex, this one's themed 'Orangery Garden', so think of a heavenly food menu made from plenty of fruits and herbs provided in the Container Zone and an all-you-can-drink beer and sangria plan in the Village Zone. 

The very classy Marunouchi Hotel moves into the beer garden business for summer, but as you'd expect from this over 90-year-old veteran, it's a somewhat more stylish affair than the boozers found on department store rooftops across town: ¥6,500 will get you an appetiser platter packed with veg, charcuterie, cheese and other small dishes, plus drinks from the more than 30-strong selection that includes beer, beer-based cocktails, sparkling wine, highballs and more. If your wallet doesn't stretch that far, there's also an ¥5,500 plan, which is similar to the above, but with two drinks included. You'll be sitting on the eighth-floor terrace, which is decorated in blue and white and boasts fantastic views over the train tracks of neighbouring Tokyo Station.

Restaurant Jinnanken opens up its rooftop terrace for the summer and this beer garden. Located just a short walk from Shibuya Station, this is a worthy spot for admiring the night-time city while feasting on barbecued food like prime ribs and thickly cut veg. The standard plan includes appetisers, three kinds of meats and all-you-can-drink beer, wine and cocktails.

An expansive outdoor spot located within the children’s play area inside Meiji Shrine’s Outer Gardens, the Forest Beer Garden is separated from its boozy cousins by its tranquil, tree-lined surrounds and bubbling waterfall. The popular all-you-can-eat-and-drink option includes everything from barbecued beef and pork to flavoured rum cocktails, wine and three kinds of draft beer. Despite being one of the largest beer gardens in Tokyo, with a capacity of around 1,000, at weekends and during the holidays it gets extremely busy, so advance bookings are recommended.

Tokyoites just can't get enough of Hawaii, but with a limited amount of yearly paid holidays, this Hawaiian beer garden on Ikebukuro Parco's rooftop serves as a decent alternative right here in the capital. The decor tries to channel a posh resort in the tropics, while the barbecue-heavy set menu comes with unlimited french fries, edamame and shaved ice. Hawaiian beers and tropical cocktails will of course make an appearance as well, and for a bit of added entertainment, you can look forward to hula dancing and performances of Hawaiian music.

Building on the success of similar events over the past few years, Ueno's National Museum sets up a huge screen in front of the main museum building for these autumn night movie screenings. This time around, the feature film will be Mamoru Hosoda’s anime Summer Wars (2009), which shows a young student's effort to fix a problem he accidentally caused in OZ, a digital world. Food and drink stalls complement the main attraction. Even better, the film can be enjoyed at no extra cost as long as you pay the museum's entrance fee.

In celebration of Time Out Tokyo’s 20th issue, we have collaborated with Seibu Shibuya to put together the interactive exhibition 'Tokyo Creative x Time Out Tokyo: Discover Tokyo with Seibu Shibuya', featuring all 20 of our quarterly magazine covers. Take a close look at our inaugural issue, which was published back in November 2013, and make your way through five years’ worth of covers, right up to our latest issue for Autumn (Oct-Dec) 2018. Aside from the inaugural issue, all of Time Out Tokyo’s impactful covers are born of a successful collaboration between our international editorial team and the reputable art director Steve Nakamura. Steve is widely known as the creative mind behind 15-plus CD jackets of world-famous Japanese pop icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Walk through the engaging construction site-inspired exhibition space featuring safety cones, signposts, barricades and LED lights directing you to the different zones. Within this unique setting, the exhibition adopts a hands-on approach as you’re able to recreate your own Time Out Tokyo magazine cover using quirky props. Also, find out how it feels like to crawl onto a bed in a capsule hotel, sample fine sake, and uncover more great Tokyo experiences. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of our latest map ‘30 ways to uncover Tokyo with Seibu Shibuya’, which will bring you to some of the city’s top experiences. Before you leave the exhibition (on the seventh floor of Seibu Shibuya Bldg A), make sure to pass by the large wind

Konica Minolta Planetarium will take the audience on a journey into outer space while jamming to music by the Underworld, including their top hits like “Born Slippy Nuxx” and “If Rah.” An optical projector,” “Infinium Σ,” will project stars onto the walls and floors of the planetarium, creating a magical atmosphere.

In celebration of Time Out Tokyo’s 20th issue, we have collaborated with Seibu Shibuya to put together the interactive exhibition 'Tokyo Creative x Time Out Tokyo: Discover Tokyo with Seibu Shibuya', featuring all 20 of our quarterly magazine covers. Take a close look at our inaugural issue, which was published back in November 2013, and make your way through five years’ worth of covers, right up to our latest issue for Autumn (Oct-Dec) 2018. Aside from the inaugural issue, all of Time Out Tokyo’s impactful covers are born of a successful collaboration between our international editorial team and the reputable art director Steve Nakamura. Steve is widely known as the creative mind behind 15-plus CD jackets of world-famous Japanese pop icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Walk through the engaging construction site-inspired exhibition space featuring safety cones, signposts, barricades and LED lights directing you to the different zones. Within this unique setting, the exhibition adopts a hands-on approach as you’re able to recreate your own Time Out Tokyo magazine cover using quirky props. Also, find out how it feels like to crawl onto a bed in a capsule hotel, sample fine sake, and uncover more great Tokyo experiences. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of our latest map ‘30 ways to uncover Tokyo with Seibu Shibuya’, which will bring you to some of the city’s top experiences. Before you leave the exhibition (on the seventh floor of Seibu Shibuya Bldg A), make sure to pass by the large wind