This week’s hottest events and exhibitions happening around the capital
Note: Due to Covid-19, events in the city are limited. Stay informed with the latest updates here.
When you're spending time in a city as big as Tokyo, it's never too early to start planning for the week ahead. From art exhibitions and foodie events to seasonal festivities and outdoor happenings, you can pack a lot into seven days in the capital.
Wondering where to start? We've sorted through the many events and venues in Tokyo that are still open and running during this time, plus we're keeping an eye on hottest new openings around the capital.
Throughout October, Sumida Aquarium’s kaleidoscope-like jellyfish tunnel transforms into a spooky Halloween spectacle. The 50m-long space features about 5,000 mirrors attached to walls and the ceiling, complete with eight aquariums embedded into the walls.
Each tank will be outfitted with background panels, showing motifs of bats, witches and pumpkins, while ghost-like jellyfish float in front of them...
Currently on show at Tokyo City View in Roppongi, the largest exhibition in Sanrio's history explores the 60-year history of more than 400 characters. It also examines the roots of Sanrio as a symbol of Japan's kawaii culture through more than 800 exhibits.
The showcase starts with 'Unforgettable Tower’, a 6-meter-tall symbolic art piece by Sebastian Masuda. Through original drawings and rough sketches, you’ll learn about the birth of Sanrio’s iconic characters including Hello Kitty, My Melody and Pompompurin...
Want to know what it takes to become a Paralympian? At this hands-on exhibition at Ginza’s Tokyu Plaza, you can learn about the different disciplines in the competition and even try a few for yourself through digital simulations that are free for everyone to experience.
Through digital minigames like wheelchair basketball, you’ll be challenged to test your abilities by only using one or two limbs at once. At the end of the virtual tournaments, you’ll be given a diagnostic of your greatest strengths – you might even find you have a hidden talent that you didn’t know about...
Head over to Restaurant Aurora at Hotel Tokyo Garden Palace in Yushima to feast on an all-you-can-eat steak meal. You’ll be able to fill up on unlimited Australian sirloin steak for 90 minutes, served with a side of soup, salad and rice for just ¥4,500 (children ¥2,500).
For an additional ¥1,100 (children ¥5,00) you can also get unlimited refills of soft drinks, or even add a nomihoudai (all-you-can-drink alcohol) deal for ¥1,500...
Calling all manga fans: the immersive new exhibition The Promised Neverland: Escaping GF lets you join in the adventures of Emma and her friends from the hit manga and anime series ‘The Promised Neverland’.
The exhibition includes a life-size replica of Grace Field House, allowing you to experience some of the most memorable scenes from the manga’s first seven volumes. The first room depicts everyday life at the orphanage with a happy breakfast scene...
This semi-permanent exhibition at Odaiba’s Miraikan is dedicated to the sensational soundtrack of the 1988 anime ‘Akira’. The futuristic film, set in post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, is regarded as a masterpiece for its captivating plot and mesmerising animations, but it’s the film’s groundbreaking score by artist and biologist Shoji Yamashiro (real name Tsutomu Ohashi) that helped garner its cult following...
Suspended in the atrium of Ginza Six is the department store’s latest public art installation by Kyoto-based artist Kohei Nawa. The installation features a sculpture of a deer floating above clouds, a creature that has appeared at the centre of many of Nawa’s coveted works for its symbolic ties to Shintoism and ancient Japanese history.
There is more to the installation than meets the eye, with a corresponding app you can download to see the work come to life through your smartphone...
Before the Edo-Tokyo Museum closes temporarily for renovation in April 2022, make sure to drop by this special exhibition focussed on Tokyo’s long history, dating back over 30,000 years.
There are ancient tools on display, all made of stone, wood and soil between the Paleolithic period and the Kofun period (300-538 AD). You’ll learn about the development of Edo (the city now known as Tokyo) and see how it became a modern-day capital...
The old English tradition of afternoon tea is alive and well in Tokyo, where city hotels are constantly trying to outdo each other with ever more luxurious servings. What's more, these indulgent tea sets often come with a Japanese twist, so you can expect an extensive selection with creative cakes, scones, small sandwiches and the like featuring the ingredient of the season.
Go ahead, reserve an afternoon all to yourself and choose from these seasonal afternoon tea options at some of Tokyo's top hotel lounges, cafés and restaurants...
Suspended in the atrium of Ginza Six is the department store’s latest public art installation by Kyoto-based artist Kohei Nawa. The installation features a sculpture of a deer floating above clouds, a creature that has appeared at the centre of many of Nawa’s coveted works for its symbolic ties to Shintoism and ancient Japanese history. There is more to the installation than meets the eye, with a corresponding app you can download to see the work come to life through your smartphone. In addition to the ‘Metamorphosis Garden’ installation, a handful of other works by Nawa will be available to experience through the use of AR technology. This includes the artist’s 2013 project ‘Foam’, which was presented at Aichi Triennale 2013 as well as his 2016 collaborative performance art piece with Belgium choreographer Damien Jalet, ‘Vessel’.
Want to know what it takes to become a Paralympian? At this hands-on exhibition at Ginza’s Tokyu Plaza, you can learn about the different disciplines in the competition and even try a few for yourself through digital simulations that are free for everyone to experience. Through digital minigames like wheelchair basketball, you’ll be challenged to test your abilities by only using one or two limbs at once. At the end of the virtual tournaments, you’ll be given a diagnostic of your greatest strengths – you might even find you have a hidden talent that you didn’t know about. One floor above the interactive game area, you’ll find a display of medals won by active Paralympians and read about the athletes they belong to as well as their stories. Because this exhibition is sponsored by Mitsubishi – an official partner of the Games – a section will also be dedicated to the innovative ways the company is working to build a more barrier-free world.
Grand Hyatt Tokyo has transformed a corner of its lobby into an art space, with sustainable wooden panels put together by traditional Japanese craftsmen. This pop-up gallery is part of the hotel’s Hyatt Loves Local initiative, which seeks to collaborate with local businesses and inject some vibrancy back into the local community. For its maiden project, the art space is exhibiting works by New York City-based Spanish-American contemporary artist Domingo Zapata. Due to the pandemic, the gallery which used to exhibit his art went out of business – this showcase marks his return to the Tokyo scene since his last exhibition in 2019. Known for his Neo-Expressionist paintings as well as sculptures, Zapata’s work often explores themes of sexuality, opulence and vitality, where he layers fantasy onto reality, fact onto fiction to create art that exposes his poetic imagination. He draws inspiration from his native Spanish culture, his experience as a songwriter, American pop culture as well as current practices in contemporary art. His most recent claim to fame was a jaw-dropping 15-storey vinyl mural on the One Times Square skyscraper, making it the largest vinyl mural in New York City to date.
