From cutting-edge comedy to kawaii culture, there’s something for everyone this week in Japan. If you’re planning or organizing something cool, send us an email to have your event listed here.
Monday: Cutting-edge comedy (Tokyo)
Doug Stanhope
Acclaimed U.S. comedian Doug Stanhope comes to Tokyo with his debut tour of Asia this March in an intimate room where you can be upfront and personal with a living comedy legend. He will be dishing out his incomparable brand of acerbic social commentary for local audiences in cities all over Asia such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai and Tokyo.
When & Where
- March 19
- 8 p.m.
- A-Life, Tokyo - Map
- ¥8,500
Tuesday: Rites of spring (Mie)
Inabe Plum Blossom Festival
By the time you read this, the Inabe Agriculture Park’s 4,500 plum trees should in full bloom. For those who can’t wait for cherry blossoms, ume (plum) trees offer an early and equally vivid sensation of spring. Inabe has one of the nation’s biggest assemblages of ume varietals, drawing people from far and wide. Visitors can enjoy the magnificent white, pink and fuchsia blossoms against a backdrop of the Suzuka mountain range, and sample a variety of plum-based jams and other products.
When & Where
- March 20-31
- 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Inabe agriculture park, Mie - Map
- ¥500
Wednesday: Four decades of art (Osaka)
Photo: © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation 提供：NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC]A View of Prints: The Trajectory of the Gendai Hanga Center
The National Museum of Art, Osaka, which opened in 1977, celebrates four decades with a special exhibition. The show aims to shed light on various aspects of our society by examining objects that have been imbued with time, history and memory from a wide range of views. The works of more than 40 Japanese and foreign artists are presented in a show that also aims to consider the future potential of the museum.
When & Where
- March 21-May 6
- 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- The National Museum of Art, Osaka - Map
- ¥1,200
Thursday: Sonic freakout (Tokyo)
Photo: (C)Jun Ishikawa（F/T09秋）Psychedelic sounds in Shinjuku
Chile-based “cosmic music band” Föllakzoid top up a night of psychedelic sounds in Shinjuku. Occupying a worldwide musical space pioneered by Krautrockers like Can, they’ve recently teamed up with legendary Jason Pierce a.k.a. J. Spaceman (Spacemen 3, Spiritualized) for new live renditions of “Electric” and “Earth” from their album III. They’ll be backed by Taiwanese duo Scattered Purgatory, who describe their music as “Psychedelic / Drone / Doom / Free Folk / Ambient / Noise / Experimental” and Japan’s own art rockers Qujaku.
When & Where
- March 22
- 7 p.m.
- Motion, Tokyo - Map
- ¥3,300 (adv)
Friday: Boss beats (Tokyo)
DJ Cookie
In an industry where females are largely looked at as simply fuel for a market built upon masculinity, Cookie is a polished DJ and producer. Cookie was, in fact, one of the first female DJs in Taiwan over a decade ago when record shops on the isle of Formosa were nearly non-existent. Now, she regularly opens up for DJs like Armin Van Buuren and Diplo and spends her weekend’s jet setting around Asia.
When & Where
- March 23
- 10 p.m.~
- Ele Tokyo - Map
- ¥3,000 (men), free (women)
Saturday: Kawaii me beautiful (Tokyo)
Moshi Moshi Nippon Festiva 2018
Japan’s annual kawaii culture showcase moves from the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to the Shibuya and Harajuku area. Music, fashion, food and more are on offer over two days at a range of locations centering on Laforet Museum Harajuku. Talents range from leading lights Kyari Pamyu Pamyu and Zebra to fresh new faces on the scene. There will also be a Kawaii Market and a traditional performing arts section featuring the likes of Takafuji Japanese Dance Show and Bon Odori.
When & Where
- March 24-25
- 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Various venues include Shibuya & Harjauku area (Tokyo) with main Locations: Laforet Museum Harajuku / Shibuya CAST. / MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center / Onden Shrine / Tower Records Shibuya - Map
- Free with required registration
Sunday: Avant-garde dance (Fukuoka)
Photo: (C)Jun Ishikawa（F/T09秋Sankai Juku
Founded by Amagatsu Ushio in 1975, Sankai Juku is far and away the most famous representative company of Japan’s avant-garde dance form butoh. Now, the troupe visits Fukuoka to stage “The Egg Stands out of Curiosity – Unetsu,” one of its iconic works. First performed in Paris in 1986, it has since toured more than 140 cities across 33 countries. The upcoming performance sees a youthful cast recreate the piece’s mysterious atmosphere at the Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center.
When & Where
- March 25
- 2 p.m.
- Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center, Fukuoka - Map
- ¥4,500
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