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
“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.
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. Let me introduce some of these updates. Let’s start with Asakusa, a perennial favorite. Sensoji Temple with its row of Nakamise shops used to be crowded with tourists. Recently, a new sightseeing route has been added to make Asakusa more spacious and appealing in the post-covid era.
In June, 2020, Tokyo Mizumachi opened along the pathway linking Asakusa to TOKYO SKYTREE. The walkway starts at Asakusa Station, takes you over the Sumida River and along Kitajikken River to TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN. Visitors can shorten the distance between Asakusa and the TOKYO SKYTREE and avoid road traffic while enjoying the Tokyo shitamachi ambience. There are shops that embody the Tokyo brand concept “the Old meets New”, leisure facility and casual eateries, a convenience store and a sporting facility, not to mention WISE OWL HOSTELS RIVER TOKYO, comfortable and affordable community-style accommodations to welcome guests from all over the world.
Let’s take a look at a few that offer more than just a bed to sleep in. Asakusa is home to many other hotels offering so much more than a bed to sleep in. Asakusa Kokono Club is a theater, dining and entertainment club, as well as a hotel. The 27 guest rooms on the upper floors run the gamut, from snug singles to accommodations for six, to an elegant penthouse and terraced suites. The Dining & Entertainment Club on the first floor is all about traditional foods. Resol Poshtel Tokyo Asakusa has low-priced but tastefully appointed cabins featuring Japanese art.
One more thing, sushi is one of my favorite foods, and I’d like to introduce a great new spot to enjoy it in Asakusa: a best conveyor belt sushi with special attractions. Kura Sushi in Asakusa ROX aims to promote Japanese culture; one of the Edo-era style flagship of the Kura sushi chain. It also has traditional carnival games for the whole family. This is one of the best places to go these days.
SUMIDA RIVER WALK Map
https://www.tokyo-mizumachi.jp/cms-pdf/event/ec742faf877860e258eefc9df9b27be947073820201607.pdf
A New & Attractive Hotels in Asakusa
WISE OWL HOSTELS RIVER TOKYOhttps://wiseowlhostels.com/rivertokyo/
Asakusa Kokono Clubhttps://asakusakokonoclub.com/eng/
Hotel Asakusa KANNONURAhttps://asakusakokonoclub.com/eng/
Resol Poshtel Tokyo Asakusahttps://www.resol-poshtel.com/en/
Hotel MONday Asakusahttps://hotel-monday.com/asakusa/ (Japanese)
HOTEL TAVINOS Asakusa https://hoteltavinos.com/en/asakusa/
ASAKUSA VIEW HOTEL ANNEX ROKKUhttps://www.viewhotels.jp/asakusa-annex/
Asakusa Tobu Hotelhttps://www.tobuhotel.co.jp/asakusa/en/index.html
Pick up MoviesMonozukuri 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
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.
Please click on the links below to download the photos, press releases and new opening accommodation list
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