Although it certainly doesn’t feel like it, this weekend is the official start of Autumn. If you venture to your favourite beach this weekend you’ll find it spookily restored to its natural state with all the beachside bars and facilities gone or being disassembled. Which means for the first few weeks of September you can enjoy the beach without all the crowds – stinging jellyfish allegedly become many times more ferocious at the stroke of midnight on August 31st – so watch out!
Talking of beaches, if you head to the Rainbow Bridge side of Odaiba this weekend, you’ll be able to see the 2012 IWWF Cable Wakeboard World Cup Tokyo. This is the 34th stop on the world cup tour and will be the first event ever to use a cableway system that will be rigged up near the base of the bridge. Practices and heats run from 9am until 6pm on Saturday while there will be practice and finals on Sunday from 9am culminating in the winners awards at 2:15pm. Entrance to the venue is free and it’s a 3 minute walk from either Odaiba station or Odaiba Kaihinkoen station on the Yurikamome Line. The Yurikamome (a light rail line connecting Shimbashi to Toyosu via a curcuit of Odaiba) itself is a cheapo treat with amazing views of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge.
If you’re in need of a dose of culture after all the summer hedonism, check out 14 Evenings (link in Japanese). 14 Evenings is a free performance series featuring composers, musicians, installation artists and others at the Museum of Modern Art Tokyo . This Friday, Saturday and Sunday sees nights 6, 7 and 8 respectively. On Friday will be Shinichi Takashima with a show called “Half of Us” from 8pm. Saturday sees Takehisa Kosugi of the Fluxus movement with a show called “Circuits” also starting at 8pm, Yoshihide Otomo One Day Ensembles plays on Sunday from the earlier 5pm with a show entitled INVISIBLE BORDERS. Entrance to the shows is free and does not require a booking. There will be a bar with beer and other refreshments available. Closest station is Takebashi Station on the Tozai Line. Check the location map on arrival.
If you haven’t made it down to Yokohama this summer, you might consider heading south for the Philippines Barrio Fiesta. The festival will be held at the harbour side Yamashita Park on both Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 5pm. There will be a variety of entertainment from traditional and contemporary along with lots of food. The closest station is Motomachi Chukagai which connects directly from Shibuya via the Tokyu Toyoko Line in 40 minutes or less by express train.
We’ve already mentioned it a few times – but only because it is one of the cooler free shows in Tokyo. This weekend is your last chance to see the Water Fireworks at Tokyo Midtown. There will be a show at 8pm on Friday, with shows at 7:40 and 8:30 on both Saturday and Sunday.
