Tokyo is inhaling just before next weekend’s start to Golden Week, and it shows. We’ve got a few repeat events happening here, but that doesn’t mean the city is lacking things to do.
Take a peek at an enormous list of activities just around the corner at our Events tab, and look to the galleries for more low key and strictly indoors-y events.
Catch some live acts, or hit the streets late on Saturday night to find a place to dance and enjoy some clubbing vibes. This weekend is a little more low key than usual, but we are all eagerly anticipating our well-deserved holidays coming up … Weekenders, what do you have planned for your weekend holiday? We want in! Send up your tips, photos, events you will be hitting up! Give us an invite or a heads-up, and you may just see us there.
Without further ado, here is our run-down for this weekend’s version of the Weekend(er):
Tokyo Scramble: EDM vs. Bass
Finally, an event tailored to EDM (okay, and bass) music lovers! If you’ve been disappointed in past club outings by the lack of your favorite music beats to dance too, there’s no need to shed a tear here. Free drinks throughout the night, multiple floors at popular Trump Room, and tons of familiar faces behind the DJ booth await the one who misses their last train home.
Bilingual Improv Comedy Night
The weekend will be topped off with an evening of laughter spurred by the Pirates of Tokyo Bay comedy group. What the Dickens is hosting the improv comedy night; support your favorite local comedians, and watch a “Whose Line is it Anyway” style of show, in both Japanese and English. There’s no reason to miss this one!
Jelly Belly Jewelry at GR8 LaForet
Thailand-born designer O Thongthai has a new lineup of accessories that look good enough to eat … she’s collaborated with the Jelly Belly candy brand to create a toothsome collection of rings, necklaces, earrings, and more. Check them out for yourself at GR8’s LaForet.
Kashima’s Art BISAI
Looking for a new piece to hang in the bedroom or dining room? Kashima Arts is opening their gallery doors to buyers interested in owning minimalistic and traditional pieces of Japanese art. Browse the spring-themed pieces, and maybe take one home for yourself…
Ryan McGinley: Body Loud!
GQ considers him to be currently the “most important photographer in America” – see if you agree when you check out his gallery of provocative, vulnerable, and captivating photographs. This models include his range of famous, and typically nude, friends in interesting or open spaces. Most pieces are pulled from his series titled “Yearbook,” focusing on portraits.
Saikyo Ramen Fes
Yes, you still have a chance to slurp up a bowl of the good stuff! Open through the month of April, the Saikyo Ramen Fes out in Machida is giving foodies a chance to sample types of ramen from all over Japan in a single place. Even give ramen-making a go yourself at one of the workshops!
Hanako Murakami: “Anticamera”
Modern artist and photographer Murakami, based in Paris, created her pieces using one hundred year-old film plates and techniques, bringing back the autochrome photography color process in her own right and way. Take a look at the process and unusual pieces this weekend for something different and unlike your typical exhibition.
Roppongi Crossing: My Body, Your Voice
If you’re looking to get into the spirit of Rainbow Pride awaiting us from April 29th, get a head-start and check out some predominantly LGBT art, short films, and presentations over at Mori Art Museum. The exhibit is focused on how media portrays members of the community, and how they are taking their voices back, and owning their bodies.
The World is a Beautiful Place (We’re Not Here For Long)
Here’s some modern art we can get behind: German artist Friedrich Kunath is hosting his second solo exhibit in Tokyo for a couple of weeks, showcasing a wide variety of works rooted in fine art and layered with irony. Stir up some interesting conversation and commentary over at Kaikai Kiki Gallery.
Pixar: 30 Years of Animation
Share the magic of Pixar’s classic animations with the whole family at the gallery focusing on the entire creative process. Some of their films, famously Finding Nemo, took nearly a decade of sketching, animating, voicing, rendering, and bringing to life. Admire the early ideas for Toy Story, and take a look at behind-the-scenes of how they developed Wall-E. For being only three decades old, Pixar already has given plenty to the world when it comes to animated films; take a closer look here.
Michael Dweck’s “Paradise Lost”
This is the last weekend to catch this photographer’s Tokyo exhibit! See timeless photos capturing youth, romance, and the Hamptons-type elite, all photographed in recent decades at a beach on the East Coast. If you have the means, you can even drop about ¥3,000,000 and own a piece of his art – a gold-plated book of his best black and white snaps.
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