One of the best things about Tokyo is there’s always something new. You’ll need to deal with the fear of missing out, but it goes hand in hand with the joy of constant novelty and discovery. Speaking of which, here’s our discovery of what’s new in Tokyo this month.
Asakusa Yokocho Food Hall
This establishment on the fourth floor of the Tokyo Rakutenchi Asakusa Building in Asakusa aims to encapsulate the spirit of matsuri (traditional summer festivals) and food stalls. There are seven different eateries serving a variety of popular izakaya dishes such as skewers, as well as sushi and even modern Korean bites and drinks. There is a kimono rental shop so you can also look the part.
The July 1 opening will start strong with yosakoi dancers, samba carnival and more. That’s just the start, as Asakusa Yokocho plans to regularly host traditional matsuri performances.
Staycation Discount for Tokyoites
The Motto Tokyo campaign started in June and is valid until the end of July (including checkout on August 1). The next best thing after Go To Travel, it encourages Tokyoites to book a staycation in the metropolis, covering part of the bill. You need to either be triple vaccinated or show a negative Covid-19 certificate.
The generous campaign covers up to ¥5,000 per night per person of a hotel fee that must be ¥6,000 minimum. You can do this for up to a five-night stay, but you can book more stays in the time period.
More details and participating travel agencies are on the official website (in Japanese).
TikTok Creative Festival Tokyo
The application that launched a thousand dance moves is now launching big gatherings of TikTok creators in five major Japanese cities. It all kicks off in Tokyo on July 16, on the Miyashita Park rooftop. After that, the festival will take place in Fukuoka (August), Osaka (September), Sapporo (October) and Nagoya (November).
The festival will feature talks with creators, performances, screening of videos, interaction with fans, exhibition booths, food stalls and so on. You must have the TikTok app downloaded on your phone to enter.
This is not the first collaboration between Miyashita Park and TikTok. In June 2022, the TikTok Community Base opened next to Shibuya Yokocho. It’s free and there is a welcome space for walk-ins to shoot videos, meet and network with other TikTokers. It’s open to all TikTok creators from 11am to 9pm every day until the end of 2022.
Boozy Nighttime Picnic at Hotel Chinzanso
This is possibly the most carefree relaxing picnic experience in Tokyo ever. The picnic starts in the evening (from 7pm to 9pm), when the hot summer days cool down. Overlooking the famed Hotel Chinzanso garden and its sea of clouds, the delicious bites are served in a classic picnic basket. There are also ingredients for a fun DIY sandwich, and best of all — free flow of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
The picnic experience costs ¥8,000 and is on offer from July 10 to September 30.
Note that it’s not available every day, only certain dates. More details at the hotel’s website.
Sailor Moon 30th Anniversary
An iconic manga and anime, Sailor Moon is a childhood treasure for many people in and out of Japan. This year it celebrates its 30th anniversary.
To mark the occasion, companies such as Uniqlo and Vans have already released special edition Sailor Moon merchandise. Opening on July 1, “Sailor Moon Museum” is an exhibition taking place at Roppongi Museum. Roppongi is where the heroine, Usagi, lives and the setting of most of the anime, so it’s a well-chosen location.
The exhibition will be the largest ever of its kind, including new original sketches by Naoko Takeuchi, the original author. It’s divided into three phases: Volumes 1-3. All color original sketches will be replaced each round.
There will also be a Sailor Moon-themed café serving both sweet and savory dishes decorated with the colors of the Sailor Scouts. Latte art with famous quotes from Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi Moon will also be available.
Bandai Mega Store in Yokohama
Technically not Tokyo, but Tokyoites know that Yokohama is no further than most outer Tokyo neighborhoods. So, from July 7 you can hop on public transport and go to the Bandai Namco Cross Store Yokohama, a giant mall-like shopping extravaganza for Japanese pop culture and subculture merchandise.
Famous for the giant Gundam robots, Bandai is also behind most of the beloved gacha capsule toys and various anime figurines from series such as Ultraman and One Piece. This mega store has dozens of different stores, a Namco arcade, a gacha capsule toy hall and an event space with VR activities and various pop-ups.