It’s officially autumn here in Tokyo, so grab a spiced pumpkin latte and get out and about. This weekend is the perfect chance to enjoy the cool weather and some exciting events.
First up – food. Sate your autumn appetite with a stop-off at the 26th Hokkaido Fair in Yoyogi Park (the website says all is well, but it’s probably best to bring some bug spray just in case). On from Friday through Sunday, the event showcases tasty grub and drinks from Japan’s northern region. There will be a range of 250 yen dishes – so you don’t have to worry about blowing too much cash.
On Saturday evening, you can catch a few flicks at the UN-sponsored UNCHR Refugee Film Festival, which is on at the Italian Cultural Institute. The films are free. There will be more screenings later in October, so check back for more details.
Sunday sees Shinjuku Art Heaven happening around Shinjuku Station, with street fashion, dance performances and music adding to the area’s usual craziness. If you’re after a different kind of cultural experience, drop by Hikawa Shrine in Nakano or Aoi Shrine in Inagi (at 2pm) to see shishimai – traditional lion dance performances.
Arty cheapos might be interested in the free exhibitions happening around Tokyo: a display of Alexander Gronsky’s landscape photography at the Yuka Tsuruno Gallery; the Type from London Letterpress Art Exhibition at the Paul Smith Space, Yoichi Nagano’s “Delicious Portraits” (which will definitely make you hungry) at the NADiff a/p/a/r/t Window Gallery, and fashion man Mark Borthwick’s “Abandom Reverie” solo exhibition at the Taka Ishii Gallery.
And if you’re just looking for something chilled to do, why not have a tipple on a nice terrace?
