Savvy Tokyo’s Weekend Guide to a Perfect End to Golden Week

The Golden Week may be officially over, but don't let that get you down—there are plenty of great events to attend this Saturday and Sunday. For this weekend, Savvy Tokyo has picked up the best of our recent recommendations just in case you missed them earlier. So here they are and we hope you find the perfect end to this year's Golden Week!

Open the Park Midpark Yoga

Tokyo Midtown is once again bringing the best in the city with its annual Open The Park Golden Week event, including an open-air koi nobori () exhibition, an outdoor library that allows you to enjoy a good book as you lay down on the grass and an outdoor café for you to relax, highball in hand, beneath the bright sunshine. The highlight of the event, however, is the park yoga, which draws hundreds of participants every year. Choose between morning and evening sessions and enjoy getting healthy—maybe even making some new friends!

When: Now through Sun, May 29, 2016. Morning yoga: 9:30–11 a.m. (reception from 9 a.m.); Evening yoga: 7:30–8:30 p.m. (reception from 7 p.m.)

Where: Tokyo Midtown, Grass Square, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

How much: Free!

Mika Ninagawa: Fashion Exclusive Photo Exhibition 

Known for her bold use of vibrant colors and photographs of flowers and landscapes, Mika Ninagawa has been on the frontline of Japan’s fashion, photography and design scenes for years. Her projects vary from shinkansen (bullet train) decorations to photo collections of famous Japanese stars and even film directing. This spring she has decorated Omotesando Hills’ walls with some of her newest image collections for a colorful exhibition that is sure to excite fashion and photography lovers. Stop by if you happen to be near Harajuku or Omotesando—it’s definitely worth it! 

When: Now through Sun, May 8, 2016, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. 

Where: Space O, B3F Omotesando Hills, 4-12-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

How much: Free!

Premium Malt’s Beer Festival 

Though we still have to wait a few more months for the heat of summer, beer festivals are gradually taking over the Tokyo scene, starting from Suntory Beer’s annual Premium Malt’s Festival. Here you’ll find various kinds of the brand’s trademark brews, including limited options for ¥100 beer stands, and even a posh indoor bar just in case it rains! 

When: Now through Sun, May 8, 2016, 5–10 p.m. on weekdays, 1–10 p.m. on weekends and holidays

Where: Roppongi Hills, 6-11-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 

How much: Free! (drinks and food charged separately)

Ryan McGinley: Body Loud!

Sometimes we need to strip everything away and just let it all go, as a way to liberate our mind and emotions. This is what American photographer Ryan McGinley’s art is really all about–liberation, natural beauty and complete control of our lives. “Body Loud” consists of over 20, large-format photographs of non-professional nude models in a variety of natural settings. The images are powerful, surprising and uplifting for men and women alike.

When: Now through Sun, July 10, 2016, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (closed Mondays)

Where: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, 3-20-2 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

How much: ¥1,200 for adults, ¥800 for university and high school students

One Piece Live Attraction 2

Hugely popular with fans, though easily enjoyable for newbies as well, Tokyo Tower’s newly revamped version of its famous One Piece live show attraction is a powerful stage performance featuring dancing, singing and acting by live actors playing the roles of the famous manga crew with the characters’ real voices. It’s a 20-minute-long roller coaster of entertainment for both kids and adults. The new version is more powerful than the first, featuring new stage effects, projection mapping, magic, ghosts and even some new faces.

When: Daily, various times. For more information, see here. 

Where: 5F Tokyo Tower, 4-2-9 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo

How much: ¥3,200 (day tickets); ¥3,000 if purchased in advance at Seven-Eleven convenience stores or online.

Solamachi World Gourmet Fair

This is one of the rare occasions in Tokyo when you can have French smoked salmon paté as an appetizer, Japanese yakisoba for lunch, German sausages or a Czech cutlet for a quick snack and a Belgian waffle for dessert—all while watching some jaw-dropping acrobatic stage performances. All this, plus a great variety of the world’s best beer and wine. This is a wonderful event for the whole family to enjoy!

When: Now through Sun, May 8, 2016, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

Where: Tokyo Skytree Town, 4F Sky Arena, 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo

How much: Free!

Alice in Science World 

A century and a half after it was created, Alice in Wonderland’s story is being taken to a whole new level with this unique Tokyo Tower event, launched just in time for Golden Week. Watch the White Rabbit jump from the screen right in front of you in a 3D theater, enjoy some 3D art, have some delicious snacks and enjoy many more cool surprises. An event promising to teach kids that science can be fun and that Alice and her crew are still as popular as they were among previous generations.

When: Now through Sun, May 8, 2016, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. 

Where: Tokyo Tower Hall, B1F Foot Town, 4-2-9 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 

How much: ¥900 (adults); ¥500 (children older than age three); free for toddlers under age three 

Showa Kinen Park Flower Festival

Located just 30 minutes from central Tokyo, Tachikawa’s Showa Memorial Park is a haven for family outings,  offering as it does a wide array of activities to choose from—including flower viewing, picnicking, playing sports, barbecuing, water play or just enjoying a walk amid the park’s gorgeous scenery. Currently, the park is hosting its annual Flower Festival, which includes hundreds of hectares of beautiful tulips and other spring flowers of all colors and kinds. A perfect venue to get away from the crowds of Tokyo and enjoy a day in the park! 

When: Now through Sun, May 22, 2016, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Where: 3173 Midori-cho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo (closest station: Nishi Tachikawa) 

How much: ¥410 (adults), ¥80 (elementary and junior high school students)

POP Circus

While not as dynamic as Cirque du Soleil, this Osaka-born Japanese circus (the name stands for Pursuit of Pleasure) is a classic, at-home-style entertainment that will certainly bring some of us back to our early childhood days when everything was much simpler. The stage will host acrobatic performances, clowns, juggling, aerial ballet, a dog show, flying trapeze and other acts.

When: Now through Sun, June 26, 2016. Times vary; see here (Japanese only).

Where: Ario Ichihara Big Top, 4-3-2 Sarashina, Ichihara, Chiba (6-min bus ride from Goi station on the JR Uchibo Line)

How much: Non-reserved seats: ¥2,800 for adults, ¥1,500 for children; Reserved seats: additional ¥800 to ¥5,000, depending on the seat.

Tickets: At the door, at 7-Eleven or Lawson, or online.

Peter Rabbit’s Happy Garden

If you’re tired of just reading Peter Rabbit’s tales to your kids before bedtime, here’s a great opportunity to bring the story alive for them to explore it in every detail. Starting this week and running for a little over a month, the area around Ebisu Garden Place’s famous clock will be transformed into the world of Peter Rabbit just as Beatrix Potter depicted it in her time, including a flower garden, a café, a pop-up store with cute stationery and goods and even a visit by Peter Rabbit himself. If you get tired of all the fun, though, the adults can always make a quick stop at the Yebisu Beer Museum’s café for a cold one.

When: Now through Wed, May 31, 2016, 12–7 p.m.

Where: Ebisu Garden Place, 4-20 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

How much: Free!

Seiki Kuroda, Master of Modern Japanese Painting

Seiki Kuroda was one of the first modernizers of Japanese art, traveling to France to learn European techniques under the tutelage of masters like Raphaël Collin. Held to mark the 150th anniversary of Kuroda’s birth, this show looks at Kuroda’s artistic achievements through masterpieces including “Portrait of a Woman (Kitchen),” which were painted while he was studying abroad, as well as those from after his return to Japan, such as “Maiko Girl.”

When: Now through Sun, May 15, 2016, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed Mondays except for Mar. 28, Apr. 4 and May 2)

Where: Heiseikan, Tokyo National Museum, 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo

How much: ¥1,600 for adults, ¥1,200 for university students, ¥900 for high school students, free for junior high school students and below

Pixar: 30 Years of Animation

If you have a child who grew up watching Toy Story, Cars and Finding Nemo, or if you’re a fan of the animated movies yourself, you’ll enjoy this special exhibition. The event introduces 30 years of Pixar’s creativity through early sketches, paintings, storyboards, maquettes and much more. 

When: Now through Sun, May 29, 2016, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (closed Mondays except Mar. 21, May 2 and May 23; closed Mar. 22)

Where: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 

How much: ¥1,500 for adults; ¥500 for elementary and junior high school students; free for children preschool aged and under