This Golden Week, treat yourself to some soothing classical music, with a total of 87 musical performances in the Marunouchi area.
In 2005, La Folle Journée – which started in Nantes, France, in 1995 – came to Tokyo (and various other parts of the world), and since then, it has been enlivening the Tokyo International Forum and the Marunouchi vicinity each Golden Week, providing sweet sounds to those who decided to stay in the city.
Concerts are as accessible, organisers hope, to the non-trained ear as to experts and with each being around 45 minutes long – and some being free! – we reckon dipping your toes in will be more than worth it.
This year’s theme is L’heure exquise (the exquisite hour), taken from a 19th century poem, and the concerts will offer what the event’s website says is an “Exquisite hour for artists”.
This time around, Marunouchi will also host a special performance by the Tokyo City Ballet (May 3), a flamenco dance performance by world renowned Spanish dancers including Soraya Clavijo (May 4), and a speaking event with Japanese figure skater Shizuka Arakawa (May 5).
La Folle Journée au Japon (click for more info)
When: May 3-5, 11:00-19:00
Where: Various venues around Marunouchi
How much: Various, some free – see website (in English) for details of a one-day passport.
(main image: La Folle Journée au Japon)
