14 Things To Do in Tokyo This Week: September 18-24

Community and Live Events

1.
Tokyo Game Show 2023

To see the latest trends and players in the gaming world, there’s no better place than the Tokyo Game Show (TGS). For the first time in four years, TGS is taking over Makuhari Messe to show the world what is happening in the game industry.

2.
New National Theatre Tokyo Streams Keep Walking

The New National Theatre, Tokyo is pleased to announce that its new play Keep Walking is available to stream for free on Shinkoku Digital Theater, available for one month beginning September 1, 2023. The play tells the story of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a real-life French priest and palaeontologist, who rejected the theory of evolution and was involved in the discovery of the Peking Man.

Note: this online performance is in Japanese and doesn’t provide subtitles.

3.
Shibuya Parco Art Week 2023

Shibuya Parco‘s annual art festival is back. This year’s 10-day event is all about experiencing the art of the moment and appreciating the preciousness of the present. Artists, including Akira Takayama, Yosuke Amamiya, Ikumi Yang and Daniel Nuñez, are presenting works in a variety of mediums including performing arts, mixed media and more.

Also check out special exhibitions at Shibuya Parco galleries and exhibition spaces.

Art Exhibitions

4.
Jesse Freeman Exhibition: I Am I Be at UltraSuperNew

This is a multi-media exhibition exploring the existential ramifications of one’s place within the confines of society and the realization of one’s identity in it.

According to the artist, “I Am I Be” came together over the last couple of months. “It began with an idea to do a quilt with the Socrates quote, ‘I ask to be no other than the one that I am’ coded into it as a philosophical start point that incidentally became the exhibition’s concluding sentiment… The week of accepting this show, I lost my job and with it my next visa, had a relationship I began to become emotionally invested in abruptly end, and just continual problems from back home that served to create this stasis of ‘I Am I Be.’”

5.
Tokyo Extraction – Erica Ward & Perfumer Ko Collaboration Exhibition and Book Release

“Tokyo Extraction – Tokyo as Art and Fragrance” is a collaborative exhibition of illustrations by artist Erica Ward and corresponding fragrances inspired by eight areas of Tokyo created by Perfumer Ko. The two collaborators have combined eight artworks and eight scents that can also be enjoyed in the unique “Tokyo Extraction” artbook that is being released at the exhibition.

Location: Gallery Klyuch (inside The Little Things)

6.
Pleasure in the Pathless Woods: Exhibition by Joseph Lee at Diesel Art Gallery

People have probably come across the artist and actor Joseph Lee recently in the popular Netflix show Beef. The talented Lee plays an artist in the show, but he’s also a successful painter in real life. He mainly paints portraits that implicitly hide the faces of his subjects with colorful and abstract strokes. Lee explores and expresses the emotions of the human figure through brushwork, color choices and volume.

“Pleasure in the Pathless Wood” is his debut exhibition in Japan, taking place at Diesel Art Gallery from September 23 to November 16.

7.
Reylia Slaby Photography Exhibition at The Gallery

American Reylia Slaby was born and raised in Japan. She currently lives in Ikoma, Nara, where she creates her artworks drawing inspiration from the fantastical narratives and scenes found in Japanese culture. Her images, almost theatrical in nature, are highly regarded as fine art, inviting observers into a different realm that transcends time and space.

In this exhibition, at Nikon Plaza Tokyo, visitors have the opportunity to view a carefully selected collection of 12 pieces presented as large prints in frames.

8.
Hundred Bowls, Hundred Ways – An Exhibition of Shinji Terauchi

In its fifth edition this year, this exhibition showcases one-of-a-kind porcelain pieces created by Shinji Terauchi, the head of the Arita ware manufacturer Riso Porcelain. Drawing from his knowledge of the ancient Imari tradition, Terauchi not only shapes clay but decorates his pieces with a paintbrush, all while spearheading his business. The highlight of the exhibition is a diverse collection of over 100 rice bowls created with the theme of everyday utensils.

9.
Mikihiko Kyobashi Photo Exhibition at Fireking Cafe

Known for his breathtaking photographs of the underwater ocean, Mikihiko Kyobashi is exhibiting at Fireking Cafe for the 19th year. Kyobashi has had an immense love for the ocean since childhood. He now swims in the deep waters with fins, goggles and a camera. Fireking Cafe is decked out with new photographs of Kamakura and Izu Oshima, which have never been seen before.

10.
Immersive Museum: Post-Impressionism at Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall

Explore the art world through iconic post-impressionist artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat and Paul Cézanne at the Immersive Museum Tokyo 2023 “Post-Impressionism” exhibition held at Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall. Experience art like never before thanks to cutting-edge project-mapping technology.

It’s recommended to book your tickets in advance.

11.
Milky Way Illumination at Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower‘s Main Deck brightens up with 21,000 lights this summer, inspired by the love story behind Tanabata. As the sun sets, the lights reflected in the windows give the illusion of the Milky Way appearing in the Tokyo evening sky.

This event usually only takes place during the first week of July, but this year it runs until the end of September.

12.
Hotel Gajoen Tokyo: Hyakki Yagyo Illumination

Under the theme of “Colorful Night Parade of a Hundred Demons,” Hotel Gajoen Tokyo presents a space filled with light art creating a story-like atmosphere. In this luxurious cultural heritage site, the combination of light, original music and fragrance created specifically for this exhibition transports visitors from the real world to a fantastical realm.

Afternoon Tea and Limited Edition Menus

13.
Halloween Treats and Happy Hour Highballs at the Tavern Grill & Lounge

14.
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 is served in the Atrium Lounge with a two-hour seating limit.

More Things To Do in Tokyo

See what other activities Tokyo has to offer:

• The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter Finally Opens
• 13 Unique Vending Machines in Tokyo
• 7 Places for Authentic Japanese Tea Ceremony in Tokyo
• Shoutenguide: Tokyo’s Best Shopping Streets
• 35 Must-visit Museums and Galleries in Tokyo