With the start of the new Reiwa imperial era, Tokyo Now is expanding its coverage of Tokyo happenings for 2019 and beyond. New additions include “Attention Hub” and “Travel Tips & Key Information” sections, both featuring a wealth of material that tourists and travel agents alike will find invaluable. The expanded Tokyo Now will also include news and updates from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and features about special events, such as festivals and B2B trade shows. We hope all of our readers will find these new resources informative and useful. Tokyo Now has received great reviews for its original videos last year and this year we have added a new corner" Pick-up Area" showcasing "The Unknown Faces of Tokyo" focusing on related areas and facilities (like stadium or athletes village) of international sports events in 2019-2020. Please check it out!

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April is a significant month in Japan, since it marks the beginning of a new school semester and the corporate fiscal year. From April 1, Tokyo’s streets are brimming with students and new company recruits moving along clumsily in their brand-new school uniforms and dark-colored business suits.

This year promises to be especially memorable in Japan because, on May 1, Emperor Akihito will break with long-standing tradition and abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne in favor of his son, Crown Prince Naruhito. No Japanese emperor has stepped down since 1817. On April 1, the government announced the name of the new imperial era,令和 (Reiwa: beautiful harmony) stirring up some commotion between people who agreed and disagreed with the name choice. The Reiwa kanji,令和, is being displayed already in many places in and around Tokyo.

Another thing that has people talking is Japan’s hosting the Rugby World Cup 2019, the opening ceremony and match of which is on September 20 at Ajinomoto Stadium (Tokyo Stadium) in the Nishimachi district of Chofu, Tokyo. With such a massive international sporting event in Tokyo this year, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games the following year, the energy and anticipation surging throughout the capital is almost palpable. This fall, the Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward is undergoing what planners are calling a “once in a lifetime” large-scale renovation in preparation for 2020’s events, and Tokyoites are curious to see just how the area will be transformed.

From April 2019, all year round, the Alternative Theater in Yurakucho will be hosting the “Revolutionary New Drumming Entertainment” event known as Mangekyo and its spring performance starts from April 10. Combining traditional and experimental sounds of taiko drums with a light show and projection mapping, the show promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience that you won’t soon forget.

Already in its third year, Mangekyo is a collaborative effort between JTB Communication Design and DRUM TAO, a taiko drum group that has performed in over five hundred cities across twenty six different countries in front of millions of fans. By combining their music with the latest sound and light technology (courtesy of teamLab) to produce Mangekyo, the group has created one of the greatest and most vivid forms of non-verbal entertainment not just in Japan, but possibly the world. That said, Mangekyo is ultimately about more than just drums and colorful lights.

It’s a complex concerto of creativity and cooperation between artists from many different fields. Rather than a drum show, it more resembles an elaborate, avant-garde opera. This is largely thanks to the show’s imaginative sets and breathtaking costumes, the latter of which are the work of famed fashion designer Junko Koshino. With so much talent behind it, it’s no wonder that Mangekyo has won acclaim all over the world.

Tickets are still available at ¥8,500, but they are likely to go fast so reserve yours today.

Contact: Naoko INOUE mangekyo-tokyo@jtbcom.co.jp
https://mangekyo-tokyo.com/en/