This Week(End): Tokyo Area Events For August 17-18
Music, Art, Dance And More Summer Festivals
The Obon break is now officially over and most people are back to work—which, for many, may trigger the need for a fun night out and late-night drink. Worry not, we've got you covered! Here are our top picks of events to brighten up your weekend and remind you that summer isn't even close to being over yet.
Summer Beats
Minato Mirai Bon Odori
The largest summer festival in the Minato Mirai area, this bon odori stage attracts nearly 20,000 visitors every year. Feel the ocean breeze and have a glass of cold beer as you listen to the sound of taiko drums and bon dance tunes. A great way to end a pleasant date in Yokohama!
- Date
- FRI, AUG 16 - SAT, AUG 17, 2019
- Time
- 4:30 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.
- Location
- RINKO PARK, 1-1-1 MINATOMIRAI, NISHI-KU, YOKOHAMA, KANAGAWA
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, COUPLES, FRIENDS, DANCERS
Jazzy Days
Sumida Street Jazz Festival
Aiming to promote Sumida as Tokyo's No. 1 music city, this annual festival gathers 400 bands performing jazz and other music genres at around 40 indoor and outdoor stages. The highlight is a special performance by veteran saxophonist Malta and Japanese Jazz legend Isao Suzuki. On the agenda are also dance performances, various events for the kids, and more.
- Date
- SAT, AUG 17 - SUN, AUG 18, 2019
- Time
- VARIOUS. SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS
- Location
- KIRA KIRA HALL, 3-52-8 KYOJIMA, SUMIDA CITY, TOKYO
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR: JAZZ FANS, MUSICIANS, COUPLES, FRIENDS, FAMILY
For Sunny Days
Kiyose Sunflower Festival
Approximately 100,000 flowers will be in full bloom at the annual Sunflower Festival starting this Saturday. A perfect opportunity to look out at a spectacular sea of yellow waves. Sunflower products such as seeds and butter, as well as vegetables from local farms, will also be sold throughout the festival area.
- Date
- SAT, AUG. 17 - SAT, AUG, 24, 2019
- Time
- 9 A.M. - 4 P.M.
- Location
- 3-CHOME SHIMOKIYOTO FARMLAND, KIYOSE-SHI, TOKYO
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, COUPLES, FRIENDS, PHOTOGRAPHERS
Weekend In The Park
Shibuya Summer Festival
Join the city's hottest neighborhood for a fun weekend festival featuring everything from live music shows, performances, food, traditional snack stalls (expect lots of kakigori), kids playgrounds, and more!
- Date
- SUN, AUG 18, 2019
- Time
- 4:30 P.M. - 8 P.M.
- Location
- NHK ENTRANCE ROAD, KEYAKI NAMIKI, 1-5-11 JINNAN, SHIBUYA-KU, TOKYO
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, KIDS, COUPLES, FRIENDS
Art In Harajuku
Exhibition: We Cool?
Harajuku’s UltraSuperNew Gallery is hosting artists from around the world who have responded to the question proposed by Paul Wig, “We Cool?” This collaborative group show is the collective response in the form of mixed media. From oil paint to nail art and fine jewelry, the eclecticness of the art speaks to the diversity that can exist in the ecosystems of friendships.
- Date
- FRI, AUG 16 - SUN, AUG 21, 2019
- Time
- 10 A.M. - 7 P.M.
- Location
- ULTRASUPERNEW GALLERY, 1-1-3 JINGUMAE, SHIBUYA-KU, TOKYO
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR ARTISTS, FRIENDS, COUPLES
Open-Air Summer Time Slip
Shimokitazawa Ichibangai Awa-Odori
The local Awa Odori festival is coming to life this weekend around the trendy streets of Shimokitazawa. Time for more singing, dancing, and chanting until late into the night.
- Date
- SAT, AUG. 17 - SUN, AUG, 18, 2019
- Time
- 6 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.
- Location
- SHIMOKITAZAWA ICHIBANCHO, 2-37-18 KITAZAWA, SETAGAYA-KU, TOKYO
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, COUPLES, FRIENDS
Park Fiesta
Colombia Festival
Another summer fiesta from sunny Latin America to mark on your calendar! Feel the heat this summer at the Colombia festival with plenty of delicious South American food, hot Colombian music, and traditional folkloric dance performances.
- Date
- SAT, AUG. 17 - SUN, AUG, 18, 2019
- Time
- 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
- Location
- YOYOGI PARK, KEYAKI NAMIKI, 1-5-11 JINNAN, SHIBUYA-KU, TOKYO
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, FRIENDS, COUPLES
Bust A Move
Break Park
The B Boys of the Harajuku Pedestrian Crossing in 1983 wrote the beginning of the hip-hop revolution in the history of the city. Since then, 20 years on B Boys and Girls celebrate break dance culture through Break Park, a summer break dance events and contests within the Shibuya area for dancers, young and old.
- Date
- FRI, AUG. 16 - SUN, AUG, 18, 2019
- Time
- 12 P.M. - 8 P.M.
- Location
- YOYOGI PARK, EVENTS SQUARE, 2-3 JINNAN, SHIBUYA-KU, TOKYO
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR: FAMILIES, FRIENDS, DANCERS
Neighborhood Adventures
Tama Center Summer Festival
Another local summer festival featuring four days of a great variety of fun events for the whole family. On the agenda are traditional Japanese performances and other shows, including taiko drums, dances, parades, a mini jazz festival, and more.
- Date
- WED, AUG 14 - SUN, AUG 18, 2019
- Time
- 11 A.M. - 6 P.M.
- Location
- AROUND TAMA CENTER STATION
- Fee
- FREE!
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, COUPLES
Tokyo Broadway
Chicago The Musical
This weekend is the last chance to catch this show. Chicago tells the story of two rivals who have been locked up in Cook County Jail; Velma, a nightclub star, serving time for killing her husband and sister after discovering their affair, and Roxie, a driven chorus girl who killed the lover she’s been cheating on her husband with. Starring Japanese actress, Ryoko Yonekura as Roxie Hart, and South African stage actress, Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly, alongside an American chorus, the show will be performed in English with Japanese subtitles.
- Date
- NOW THROUGH AUG 18, 2019
- Time
- 12:30 P.M., 1:30 P.M., 6:00 P.M., 7 P.M.
- Location
- THEATRE ORB, SHIBUYA HIKARIE 11F, 2-21-1 SHIBUYA, SHIBUYA-KU, TOKYO
- Fee
- ¥9,000-¥14,000
- Info
- RECOMMENDED FOR: MUSICAL LOVERS, FRIENDS, COUPLES
Attending any of these events? Send us photos through Facebook or Instagram for a chance to be published on the site. #SavvyTokyo
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