From Israeli cuisine to Italian rock to the tea ceremony, there’s something for everyone across Japan this week. If you’re doing something cool, leave us a comment or send us an email to have your event listed.
Monday: Kobe jazz storm
Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe & Led Bib
Kansai jazz fans are in for a treat as pianist Satoko Fujii leads her orchestra in a face-off with English outfit Led Bib. Fujii is a febrile composer whose cubist musical creations take form in duos, trios and larger incarnations. Led Bib is a modern jazz group from London, England. Its fourth album, "Sensible Shoes," was shortlisted for the 2009 Mercury Prize, while their new album is "Umbrella Weather."
When & Where
- April 17
- 7:30 p.m.
- Big Apple, Kobe - Map
- ¥3,500
Tuesday: Israeli cuisine invasion
Brut Wine Bar Pop-Up
“Japanese ingredients, Israeli chefs, great wine, great company,” is the way Israeli restaurant Brut Wine Bar bills its weeklong pop-up in Harajuku. Chefs Jemma Naveh, Yair Yosefi, Omer Ben-Gal and Team Brut will apply Italian and French techniques with Israeli élan to the “terroir” food materials of the Japanese archipelago.
When & Where
- April 18
- 5–11 p.m.
- 2F 5-25-1 Jingumae, Cat Street, Shibuya-ku - Map
- Various
Wednesday: Tea ceremony teardown
Chanoyu: The Arts of Tea Ceremony, The Essence of Japan
The tea drinking practices of the Song Dynasty were learned by Japanese Zen monks studying in China in the 12th century and then spread among Zen temples, samurai families and members of Japanese high society. This major exhibition focuses on how the arts of the tea ceremony evolved from the Muromachi period to modernity and is the largest exhibition of its kind since Arts of the Tea Ceremony held at Tokyo National Museum in 1980.
When & Where
- April 19-June 4
- 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Heiseikan, Tokyo National Museum - Map
- ¥1,600
Thursday: Images of love
Photo: Kyoto GraphieKyotographie International Photography Festival
Held annually over four weeks during the height of the spring tourist season in Kyoto, the Kyotographie International Photography Festival spreads across the city, staged creatively in traditional and contemporary settings, attracting 250,000 visitors from within Japan and overseas since 2013. For its fifth edition, Kyotographie celebrates "Love," through which “we connect with other people, with society, with nature, with art and with ourselves.”
When & Where
- April 20-May 14
- Various
- Various spots in Kyoto - Map
- Free
Friday: Kansai beats
Paul van Dyk Vonyc Sessions Tour
Grammy-nominated artist, globally acclaimed DJ and onetime East German refugee Paul van Dyk continues to dominate the electronic music charts around the globe. PvD, as his fans call him, has been ranked the World´s No. 1 DJ by DJ Magazine's "Top 100 DJs Poll" twice, something less than a handful of DJs have ever achieved. Domestic trance stalwart Yoji Biomehanika provides back up on the wheels of steel.
When & Where
- April 21
- 9 p.m.
- Club Joule, Osaka - Map
- ¥4,500
Saturday: Italian rock rave
Royal Bravada
A photographer from Rolling Stone Italy will be along for the ride to document the Japan tour of Italy’s Bravada. Strongly influenced by Britpop and indie rock music of the 2000s, Royal Bravada’s project was born in 2012. In 2016, a new EP, "War," marked a radical, rough and heavy change for the band, which supported Sigur Rós and Stereophonics in Italy.
When & Where
- April 22
- 6 p.m.
- Various venues across Tokyo - Map
- Call for details
Sunday: Blossom fantasy
Flower Dream in Tokyo 2017
Japan’s rich tradition of flower culture is on show at the nation’s largest blossom festival. Flower fans will revel in an Edo-era horticulture exhibition, while a Japan Cup competition will select the nation’s top florist. Some of the proceeds from the event at the vast Tokyo Big Sight space will go to organizations supporting Tohoku's recovery from the 3.11 disaster.
When & Where
- April 23
- 10 a.m. -6 p.m.
- Tokyo Big Sight - Map
- ¥1,500
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