TOKYO NOW – The Latest News From Tokyo To You
News & Topics
・The TOKYO REAL UNDERGROUND dance festival
・The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has launched the Tokyo 2020 Portal Site
・Up for a trip back in time to Ginza?
・Do you enjoy saunas and art?
・Tokyo nightlife just got a lot more sensational
・MOT: the creative collective known as “rhizomatiks” has been making works
Get inquisitive by Kyoto Higashi
・Asakusa today: New vitality in a historical town
From Editor
TOKYO NOW has gone through some small changes this May. Last year, as a member of the editorial department, I shared some comments at the end of each issue. From now, I, Kyoko, will deliver the latest information and news about Tokyo as your Navigator. Thank you for your continued support, and please don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe to our newsletter! – Kyoko Higashi / TOKYO NOW Editorial staff
News & Topics
“Butoh” is a form of dance performance that began in Japan in the 1960s and then spread to the rest of the world. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, performance inspired Butoh will be available online as a part of the TOKYO REAL UNDERGROUND dance festival. This festival is one of “Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13” projects sponsored by Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Arts Council Tokyo. (a series of events being held to celebrate culture and arts in Tokyo in culmination with the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020). Experimental performances will be performed by a diverse mix of veteran and new artists.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has launched the Tokyo 2020 Portal Site as a way for people to stay up to date on all news related to the Tokyo 2020 Games. The site has information on the Tokyo 2020 Games, places to visit in Tokyo during the events, the torch relay, ways to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and information for people overseas who cannot attend the events. Make sure to check the portal site for real-time information on the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Up for a trip back in time to one of Tokyo’s most well-known commercial districts? Using revolutionary virtual technology, you can visit the Ginza 4 Chome intersection during the Edo Era (1850s), the Meiji Era (1910s), and the Showa Era (1940s). The area during these time periods has been amazingly recreated in a virtual space that seems so real that you’ll swear you’re actually there. Experience how Ginza changed through the years with the online “Tokyo Time Machine Project – Ginza VR.”
Do you enjoy saunas and art? The art collective teamLab has created an exhibition in Roppongi, the likes of which the world has never been seen before. This new exhibition gives you a nuanced experience as you view artwork in saunas. You’ll be able to enjoy several works, including a new group of pieces based on teamLab’s latest project “Supernature Phenomenon.” The exhibition runs until August 31. Tokyo is always the best place to enjoy the latest creations of teamLab. Needless to say, teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets, both of these are must-visit museums in Tokyo!
Tokyo nightlife just got a lot more sensational. On April 1, Japan’s premier magic theater, MAHOU Dining Bar OSMAND ~The Gate of Iaract~, reopened in Roppongi. A new LED monitor installed on the stage. You can see the various landscapes and images on the large LED monitor. OSMAND delivers a more fantastic and powerful magic show than ever. MAHOU is able to get many of the world-renowned magicians to put on shows. For the first time in Japan, you’ll be able to enjoy a combination of in-person and online magic shows.
Over the past 15 years, the creative collective known as “rhizomatiks” has been making works that transcend the realm of media art. From now, until June 20, you can enjoy their old and new works throughout their archive at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) ’s special large-scale exhibition entitled rhizomatiks_multiplex. Kiyosumi Shirakawa, the area where the MOT is located, also saw an increase on residency of international artists. A new project also allows you to view these works online.
Asakusa today. New vitality in a historical town
The COVID-19 pandemic has left Tokyo almost devoid of overseas tourists. The city never rests, however, and has been busy making preparations for the day when we can all travel freely over national borders. Tokyo carries on with the traditional, while always in the process of recreating itself. Read more here.
Pick up Movies
Monozukuri Video Series: See Shinjuku artisans at work in the video “There’s much to be learned from the past ~Onko-chishin~”.
For the first time ever, models strut across Shibuya Scramble Crossing in the latest fashion in the Shibuya Fashion Week Spring 2021 runway show.
Azalea garden in Shiofune Kannon Temple
Walking in Tokyo – Todoroki Valley & Temple
Tokyo Event Calendar
Check out these annual festivals and events held in Tokyo. You can see the list of all major festivals, fireworks, parades, religious events, and other events in Greater Tokyo. *Depending on the situation, festivals and events scheduled in 2021 may be canceled. Please check the official website for the latest information.
