Labour Thanksgiving Day is observed this Friday so we have a three day weekend ahead of us. However, if you don’t like Christmas illuminations there’s not a hell of a lot on at the moment in the way of major events. Here are a few suggestions – including a Christmas illumination with a difference.
The seasonal illuminations continue to be switched on around Tokyo as Christmas approaches. A cheapo reader has kindly pointed us to one of the more interesting light-ups. Caretta (link in Japanese but easy to work out) in Shiodome has a ‘3D projection mapping and illumination collaboration’ running until the 25th of December. If you’re wondering what that is, you might have seen the recent 3D projection mapping on the newly opened Tokyo Station. The illumination is switched on at 5pm every day and switched off at 10:30pm – except for the 5 days prior to the 25th when they will be switched off at 11pm. The ‘show’ runs every 20 minutes and lasts approximately 6 minutes. Closest stations are Shiodome Station on the Toei Oedo Line and the Yurikamome Line and Shimbashi Station serving JR Lines.
The Tokyo Foreign Studies University (Tokyo Gaigo Daigaku) in Fuchu has their 90th ‘Gaigosai’ festival (web site is ironically in Japanese only) on from today until Sunday the 25th. The student organisers promise ‘a tour around the world without the need for a passport’. Although if you would like to drink alcohol, they’re issuing an ‘alcohol passport’ – definitely sounds like more fun than a trip to immigration in Shinagawa. Closest station is Tama Station on the Seibu Tamagawa Line.
If you’d like to support people doing things sustainably, you should head down to Yoyogi Park this Sunday the 25th for another Earth Day Market (they’re on quite regularly). 52 stalls will line the ‘Keyaki Namiki’ stretch between Shibuya and the main part of the park. On sale will be everything from organically grown fruit and vegetables through to fair trade goods and hand made crafts. The market runs from 10am until 4pm. Closest stations are Harajuku/Meijijingumae on the JR, Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines and Yoyogi Koen on the Chiyoda Line.
