19 Things To Do in Tokyo This Week: June 26–July 2

This week is your last chance to catch spring-inspired afternoon tea campaigns and special exhibitions. On the weekend, kick off the month of July with live music events organized by More Than Music. This and more things to do in Tokyo this week, all listed below.

Community Events

1.
Omotenashi Selection Awardees at Shishokuya

Shishokuya is a new specialty shop where you can sample food and drink items from all over Japan for free before purchasing. It’s a rare experience and it can be exciting to get to know the unique products by actually tasting them.

Live Events

2.
MTM Presents: Till Death Do Us Part vol.2

A live music event organized by More Than Music for all rock lovers, the special guest this time is Yeti Valhalla, who headlined the annual Burapa Bike Week in Pattaya, Thailand, the biggest motorcycle rally in Asia.

3.
Summer Breeze: Live Music Event by the Zushi Beach

More Than Music hits the beach this summer. Join the special event at Surfers, where you can wine and dine, walk on the private beach and enjoy the sunset, all while listening to incredible live music to set the mood.

4.
Sayonara Nakano Sunplaza Music Festival

Since opening in 1973, Nakano Sun Plaza has hosted numerous concerts by artists of all genres. Celebrating the venue’s 50th anniversary, the Sayonara Nakano Sunplaza Music Festival is gathering many musicians with ties to the beloved place for a special concert.

Exhibitions

5.
Street Photography Showcase Vol. 2

Gallery Conceal is proud to put on its second Street Photography Showcase of 2023. The goal of this event is to highlight the different sides of street photography through the eyes of a diverse group of international and Japanese photographers. Each photographer has their own take on the genre and brings their unique point of view, using both film and digital cameras to realize their vision. Come and explore the streets of Tokyo and gain an insight into their creative processes.

6.
You Can Be Anything: The Barbie Exhibition

Barbie, the world’s most famous fashion doll, is celebrating her 65th anniversary in 2024. In this exhibition, Barbie is the symbol of potential, of all the things one can be, as the doll has had many professions and expressions through the years. Since debuting in 1959, Barbie has mirrored the changing environment surrounding women. In this exhibition, children can imagine the future without restrictions. Adults can also look at the world in a new light, without being bound by social expectations.

7.
Nerhol Exhibition: “Affect”

Art duo Nerhol have won acclaim for their ambitious and unique practices that transcend divisions between various concepts and disciplines. Beginning with the two artists’ dialogue, Nerhol sources narratives from the people and places the duo encounter in their lives.

Held concurrently at Dai-ichi Life Gallery and M5 Gallery, “Affect” is based on the room used by General Douglas MacArthur during the Allied Occupation of Japan, which still exists in the Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company’s building in Tokyo.

8.
Ryutaro Takahashi Contemporary Japanese Art Collection Exhibition

WHAT Museum is a contemporary art collector’s museum operated by Terrada Warehouse. For its reopening, the museum is showing Ryutaro Takahashi’s Contemporary Japanese Art Collection Exhibition. The collection was established in 1997 by psychiatrist Ryutaro Takahashi, one of Japan’s foremost art collectors. It currently consists of more than 3,000 works of art, which offer a comprehensive view of the diversity of the Japanese contemporary art scene.

9.
Yayoi Kusama’s Self-Obliteration/Psychedelic World Exhibition

Seasonal Events

10.
Popup Ramen: A Relay Event of Popular Ramen Restaurants

“Popup Ramen” is the first Tokyo branch of “Ramen Walking,” a relay event store of popular ramen restaurants from all over Japan. The menu changes regularly, so make sure you don’t miss out on the exclusive limited-time-only ramen.

11.
Tanabata Afternoon Tea at Hotel Gajoen Tokyo

Celebrating the Tanabata festival of star-crossed lovers, this limited-time afternoon tea menu incorporates ingredients that are said to bring good luck when eaten on Tanabata. These are also ingredients that are good for your body in summer. This includes chocolate made with amazake, as well as fresh fruit desserts such as white peach compote and ripe mango tart. On top of all that, there are savory dishes such as chilled somen noodles in a Western-style gazpacho-style soup.

For seasonal drinks, you can enjoy the Tanabata blended tea, which is a blend of Japanese black tea and bamboo leaves with a sweet scent of white peach. Plus, there’s the Star Night herbal tea, which is inspired by the night sky where Orihime and Hikoboshi meet again.

12.
Pikachu Afternoon Tea at The Strings Omotesando

The Strings Omotesando is collaborating with Pokémon for the first time ever, resulting in a cute yellow afternoon tea that stands out. The menu features a variety of playful items, including mini burgers inspired by Pikachu’s bright yellow color, muffins with the Pikachu silhouette, macarons designed with Pikachu’s back pattern and other unique menu items.

13.
Tokyo Marriott Hotel Presents: Peach Pink Afternoon Tea

For the months of July and August, the Tokyo Marriott Hotel’s Afternoon Tea will be peachy pink. The hotel’s sweet and savory dishes use an abundance of peaches, the fruit that represents the summer season with its bright sweetness. The pastry chef’s passion for peaches is expressed in his desire for customers to enjoy them in their best conditions. The lineup also includes nine other cute sweets, such as bonbon chocolates and cream puffs, all designed to resemble the essence of the peach. Four savory dishes, including a pasta dish accented with cool basil and lovely pink sandwiches, are also being served.

14.
Detective Conan Cafe

Detective Conan is one of the longest-running manga and anime characters in Japan. This spring and summer, you can enjoy a limited, luxurious hotel lounge-themed café based on the popular character. Other characters from the show are dressed up in violet and black, and all drinks and dishes have matching color schemes.

15.
Il Lupino Prime Mango & Tropical Fruits Afternoon Tea

Il Lupino Prime in Tokyo, a German-owned Italian restaurant established in Hawaii, is offering a new Mango & Tropical Fruits Afternoon Tea course beginning on June 15. It features six different savory dishes, including USDA prime beef mini hamburgers, lemon and caviar capellini and fresh vegetable sticks.

16.
Summer BBQ Terrace at Grand Hyatt Tokyo

Making the best out of the summer season, the Grand Hyatt Tokyo has a seasonal summer terrace offering American barbecue and free flowing drinks. Oak Door Summer Terrace “BBQ Road Trip” is an indulgent spread of five types of meat including Japanese beef and pork ribs, as well as grilled shrimp and scallops. There’s also a plan for a free flow of tropical fruit, sweet and sour cocktails and ice-cold beer. The theme revolves around traversing the Mid-Southern United States on “Route 66.”

17.
Matcha Afternoon Tea at ANA InterContinental Tokyo

This hotel offers an elegant afternoon tea featuring 12 types of petit gâteaux combining summer fruits and fragrant matcha, as well as five beautifully presented savory dishes, all made with matcha tea. Enjoy a cool afternoon with a wide variety of beverages, including Ronnefeldt tea. The set is served in the Atrium Lounge with a two-hour seating limit.

18.
Mediterranean Beer Terrace at Pullman Tokyo Tamachi

Open-air beer terraces are a hallmark of Tokyo’s warm summer. Pullman Tokyo Tamachi has themed its beer terrace this year around Mediterranean cuisines. Alongside beer, it offers sparkling wine, whiskey, plum wine, lemon sour and soft drinks. You can enjoy Greek souvlaki-inspired quesadillas, sausages, grilled vegetables and more. Unlike evening-only spots, this beer terrace is open both for lunch and dinner and pets are allowed too.

19.
The Steakhouse Chef’s Brunch at ANA InterContinental Tokyo

The hotel’s international team of chefs came up with a menu that would suit the diversified lifestyles of the ever-evolving cosmopolitan city of Tokyo. Based on the concepts of “the city that never sleeps,” “any person can eat anytime,” and “always brunch time,” The Steakhouse Chef’s Brunch features a lineup of international dishes suitable for a brunch that is not restricted by time.

An eye-catching seven-course of snacks is served on a three-tiered stand in the style of afternoon tea. Snacks include a mini croissant with grilled bacon, deviled eggs, hummus and more. This is followed by a fixed-style menu with a choice of appetizers, main dishes and desserts.

More Things To Do in Tokyo

See what other activities Tokyo has to offer: