21 Things To Do in Tokyo This Week: June 19–25

Community Events

1.
Omotenashi Selection Awardees at Shishokuya

Shishokuya is a new specialty shop where you can sample food and drink items from all over Japan for free before purchasing. It’s a rare experience and it can be exciting to get to know the unique products by actually tasting them.

Live Events

2.
Sayonara Nakano Sunplaza Music Festival

Since opening in 1973, Nakano Sun Plaza has hosted numerous concerts by artists of all genres. Celebrating the venue’s 50th anniversary, the Sayonara Nakano Sunplaza Music Festival is gathering many musicians with ties to the beloved place for a special concert.

3.
Feel-Good Family Band The Joy Project Comes To Tokyo

The Joy Project is a band aimed at lifting spirits all around the world. Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco, The Joy Project is a close-knit family consisting of a talented set of multi-instrumentalists creating upbeat songs touching on styles from folk to rock to Motown, anchored by catchy hooks and bright melodies. The quartet brings their sound to Japan for a tour of the country.

Exhibitions

4.
A Year of Forgetting the Pines: A Solo Exhibition by Jes Kalled

5.
James Bingham Exhibition: “Proximity and Distance”

6.
Origin: Photography Exhibition by Stephanie Zhao

Chinese-American photographer Stephanie Zhao is having her first solo photography exhibition, “Origin,” at Bonta Italia in Daikanyama. The exhibition is about Zhao’s search for her own cultural background in China, featuring daily life scenes, local cuisines and art in her photos.

Prints displayed are also available for sale during the exhibition.

7.
Mari Katayama Exhibition: “Cavern”

8.
Nobuyuki Kimura Exhibition: “The Scenery of Celadon and Tenmoku”

Born and raised in a pottery family in Gojozaka, Kyoto, Kimura explored the expression of celadon even before embarking on his independent artistic journey. Driven by a deep admiration for the masterpieces of the Northern Song dynasty, his pursuit of celadon has unfolded in a diverse variety of colors, such as toka (peach blossom), moegi (vibrant yellow), and suishoku (jade green).

In recent years, Kimura has also dedicated his efforts to studying tenmoku, a type of glaze inspired by Chinese ware from the Song dynasty (1127–1279). He describes tenmoku as having a unique sense of familiarity and admiration within his family. It evokes the imagery of twinkling stars in the night sky. Combining refined glaze techniques honed over the years with the inherent elegance of Kyoto, experience the harmonious blend of the craft skills and sophistication in Kimura’s creations.

9.
You Can Be Anything: The Barbie Exhibition

Barbie, the world’s most famous fashion doll, is celebrating her 65th anniversary in 2024. In this exhibition, Barbie is the symbol of potential, of all the things one can be, as the doll has had many professions and expressions through the years. Since debuting in 1959, Barbie has mirrored the changing environment surrounding women. In this exhibition, children can imagine the future without restrictions. Adults can also look at the world in a new light, without being bound by social expectations.

10.
Ryutaro Takahashi Contemporary Japanese Art Collection Exhibition

WHAT Museum is a contemporary art collector’s museum operated by Terrada Warehouse. For its reopening, the museum is showing Ryutaro Takahashi’s Contemporary Japanese Art Collection Exhibition. The collection was established in 1997 by psychiatrist Ryutaro Takahashi, one of Japan’s foremost art collectors. It currently consists of more than 3,000 works of art, which offer a comprehensive view of the diversity of the Japanese contemporary art scene.

Kusama in the exhibited hexagonal mirror room at “Kusamaʼs Peep Show” or “Endless Love Show,” a solo exhibition at Richard Castellane Gallery, New York. 1966 © YAYOI KUSAMA

11.
Yayoi Kusama’s Self-Obliteration/Psychedelic World Exhibition

Seasonal Events

12.
Grand Hyatt’s Soirée Blanche Summer Events

This stylish summer event with an all-white dress code is inspired by the French Riviera. Soirée Blanche takes place on Saturdays at The French Kitchen (2F) in Grand Hyatt, for a total of nine events throughout this summer. At the event, you can enjoy free flow Moët & Chandon champagne and other drinks, as well as an all-you-can-eat buffet containing everything from light appetizers to barbeque dishes and desserts.

13.
The Wonder Movie Cafe

This cinema-themed concept café celebrates Disney’s 100th anniversary. The concept of the café changes three times. Each phase is based on a different process of movie production. The menu, merchandise and store decorations change with each phase as well.

14.
Popup Ramen: A Relay Event of Popular Ramen Restaurants

“Popup Ramen” is the first Tokyo branch of “Ramen Walking,” a relay event store of popular ramen restaurants from all over Japan. The menu changes regularly, so make sure not to miss out on the exclusive limited-time-only ramen.

15.
Pikachu Afternoon Tea at The Strings Omotesando

The Strings Omotesando is collaborating with Pokémon for the first time ever, resulting in a cute yellow afternoon tea that stands out. The menu features a variety of playful items, including mini burgers inspired by Pikachu’s bright yellow color, muffins with the Pikachu silhouette, macarons designed with Pikachu’s back pattern and other unique menu items.

16.
Detective Conan Cafe

Detective Conan is one of the longest-running manga and anime characters in Japan. This spring and summer, you can enjoy a limited, luxurious hotel lounge-themed café based on the popular character. Other characters from the show are dressed up in violet and black, and all drinks and dishes have matching color schemes.

17.
Matcha Afternoon Tea at ANA InterContinental Tokyo

This hotel offers an elegant afternoon tea featuring 12 types of petit gâteaux combining summer fruits and fragrant matcha, as well as five beautifully presented savory dishes, all made with matcha tea. Enjoy a cool afternoon with a wide variety of beverages, including Ronnefeldt tea. The set will be served in the Atrium Lounge with a two-hour seating limit.

18.
Summer BBQ Terrace at Grand Hyatt Tokyo

Making the best out of the summer season, the Grand Hyatt Tokyo has a seasonal summer terrace offering American barbecue and free flowing drinks. Oak Door Summer Terrace “BBQ Road Trip” is an indulgent spread of five types of meat including Japanese beef and pork ribs, as well as grilled shrimp and scallops. There’s also a plan for a free flow of tropical fruit, sweet and sour cocktails and ice-cold beer. The theme revolves around traversing the Mid-Southern United States on “Route 66.”

19.
Mediterranean Beer Terrace at Pullman Tokyo Tamachi

Open-air beer terraces are a hallmark of Tokyo’s sweltering summer. Pullman Tokyo Tamachi has themed its beer terrace this year around Mediterranean cuisines. Alongside beer, it offers sparkling wine, whiskey, plum wine, lemon sour and soft drinks. You can enjoy Greek souvlaki-inspired quesadillas, sausages, grilled vegetables and more. Unlike evening-only spots, this beer terrace is open both for lunch and dinner and pets are allowed too.

20.
The Steakhouse Chef’s Brunch at ANA InterContinental Tokyo

The hotel’s international team of chefs came up with a menu that would suit the diversified lifestyles of the ever-evolving cosmopolitan city of Tokyo. Based on the concepts of “the city that never sleeps,” “any person can eat anytime,” and “always brunch time,” The Steakhouse Chef’s Brunch features a lineup of international dishes suitable for a brunch that is not restricted by time.

An eye-catching seven-course of snacks is served on a three-tiered stand in the style of afternoon tea. Snacks include a mini croissant with grilled bacon, deviled eggs, hummus and more. This is followed by a fixed-style menu with a choice of appetizers, main dishes and desserts.

21.
Il Lupino Prime Mango & Tropical Fruits Afternoon Tea