Tokyo’s rainy season, called “tsuyu,” arrives at the beginning of summer. During this time, sparkling hydrangea flowers appear all over the city in between the season’s rainfall. Also, the postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be held soon. The city has been eagerly preparing to welcome you from abroad for several years now. However, it has unfortunately been decided that spectators from overseas could not be safely invited at this time. On the bright side, there are many new services and convenient facilities designed for foreign tourists ready to welcome you when the day comes. I will definitely do my part along with everyone in Japan to convey the “heart of Tokyo hospitality” to not only the participating athletes but also all the people of the world.
Kyoko Higashi / TOKYO NOW Editorial staff
“Wa” Captivates The World Again With an Online Event In Tokyo! The “wassai” song and dance event is one of the official Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival cultural programs be held in culmination with the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. At Japanese festivals, it’s a tradition for people to form a wa (circle) and dance together. During the “wassai” online event, people from all over the world can join in the circle to sing and dance to the unique rhythm of Japanese instruments in the virtual Olympic Stadium. This exciting event lets you take part in the games just like the Olympic and Paralympic athletes!
“Tokyo Grand Mural” Transforms Tokyo Sta. Area into The World’s Largest Mural on July 17! The “Tokyo Grand Mural” is part of the Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13, a series of events that shall promote culture and the arts in celebration of Tokyo hosting the Tokyo 2020 Games, but details of the project had been kept as a secret until now. The theme of the massive mural will be “SPACE COSMO POWER” and will be created on a 150-meter tall, 25-meter wide glass wall that spreads across the Marunouchi Building and New Marunouchi Building. The artists working on the project are Tadanori Yokoo, a member of the design team for the 1961 Tokyo Olympics, and his daughter Mimi Yokoo.
Tokyo Anime Center in DNP PLAZA SHIBUYA Give Anime Even Greater International Appeal. The relocated and renovated center opened on April 16 and features an attraction which seamlessly fuses the real and the virtual. A spot wherein it provides a point of merit through culminating animes in a new light. Think Akihabara and Ikebukuro are still the centers of anime and manga in Tokyo? Well, think again. The latest anime, manga, and game-related shops and attractions have been popping up all over Tokyo. Make sure to be up to date with all these by tuning on their latest stories!
UNIQLO Opens a New Concept Store with “Senjafuda-Themed” Key Visual in Asakusa on June 4. The store entrance while donning a huge lantern on display, also features a unique visual aesthetic, “Senjafuda (stickers or slips of paper that are commonly posted on the gates of shrines and Buddhist temples),” and is committed to promoting local businesses and livening up Asakusa with its “Our Neighborhood!” concept. One such example is the store’s collaboration with Asakusa rickshaw drivers that runs alongside an open event. UNIQLO plans to supply rickshaw drivers with happi (traditional Japanese coats) that have the UNIQLO Asakusa logo to wear as they run the streets of Asakusa. The store also plans to work with local stores to create original sweets. With these and more fun things planned, you’ll have so much to look forward to on your visit.
With Interior and Exterior Renovations, The Roppongi Hills Observation Deck Is Now Even Better for Enjoying the Tokyo Skyline at Night. The 11-meter-high Tokyo City View indoor observation deck on the floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Building has been fully refurbished with antibacterial and antiviral wood flooring. The Sky Deck is the tallest outdoor observation deck in Tokyo and will be lit up after sunset as it follows with the phases of the moon. Since ancient times in Japan, there has been a tradition of enjoying the beauty of the different shapes of the moon. One where you can enjoy Tokyo's night views and starry skies vis-a-vis the “Roppongi Tenmon (Astronomy) Club” is through their tentative "Moonrise Viewing Party."
The TOKYO MET SaLaD MUSIC FESTIVAL 2021 Offers A Fresh Program for 2021. TOKYO MET SaLaD MUSIC FESTIVAL was born in 2018. Toshima City aims to become an international center of music and theater. This year, it’s collaborating with The Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space in Ikebukuro to present an array of diverse programs from August to October. The origin of the festival’s name “SaLaD,” comes from the words “Sing, Listen and Dance.” Even though there are still restrictions due to the COVID-19, Tokyo still finds ways to spread the joy of music.
The Tokyo shopping district of Ginza might be synonymous today with high-end boutiques, luxury brands, and gourmet restaurants, but in reality, these facets are just a part of what this brilliant jewel in the crown of Japan’s capital has to offer. There is more to learn about this district. A further look into Ginza historically reveals that it was originally a place to mint silver coinage. More importantly, though, it was primarily a place for the arts. The Kano school of painting was born here, and prominent Noh actors of various styles resided in homes given to them by the Shogun. These artists shared the area, not only with bureaucrats, but also with artisans who made everything, from kimonos to bamboo wares. And while the plush and luxurious Tokyo may often be portrayed by Ginza, the place does boast rich history and tradition. Traditional culture and arts, of course, are still very much present. As you might have expected, the Kabukiza Theater is also located here―Ginza is still a mecca for Japanese classical performing arts.
But while we remember Ginza’s past, I hope you’ll keep in mind—despite the covid-19 pandemic—its equally multifaceted present and future. There is the Seiko Museum Ginza, dedicated to Kintaro Hattori, the founder of Seiko, a renowned manufacturer of timepieces. Here, is an excellent place to reflect about the past and the future. Past its museum opening in 1981, and relocation to Ginza, the birthplace of Seiko, in 2020 in celebration of the 160th anniversary of the birth of the founder. The museum not only exhibits Seiko’s products, but also a wide scope of the history of timepieces in general, from sundials to “wadokei” traditional Japanese clocks.
Ginza is home to unique galleries of all kinds. Shiseido, the global beauty company which has been renowned the world over, also hails from Ginza. It had its Shiseido Gallery open in 1919 and exists as the oldest gallery in operation in Japan. It boasts a large, well-appointed space dedicated to art, especially contemporary ones. I hope that, in the future, you will be able to make the trip here to see it all.
To give themselves time to see it all, many people stay at the accommodations in Ginza. Newly opened hotels are one of a good option. One of these is the b ginza, adorned with sophisticated Ginza art; a facet representative of the multi-layered nature of the district itself.
Ginza’s official website, GINZA OFFICIAL.https://www.ginza.jp/en/
The Seiko Museum Ginzahttps://museum.seiko.co.jp/en/about/
Shiseido Galleryhttps://gallery.shiseido.com/en/
the b ginzahttps://www.theb-hotels.com/lp/ginza-open2021/en.html
Pick up MoviesThe “Tokyo Tama Oku-Tama in fresh green (Aerial Drone shots)” video features the most stunning overhead views of the Oku-tama area.
“Tokyo crafts Vol.3: Japanese traditional wind chimes made in Tokyo ~Finding your sound~ Discover the beauty of Edo-style wind chimes in the third installment.
“ART IN THE PARK by SHUN SUDO” gives you a behind-the-scenes look at artist Shun Sudo as he brings to life a large mural for the Ginza Sony Park Project.
Enjoy quiet sections of the city at night with “Night At Tokyo Station 2020.”
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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