(Image courtesy of Hilton Tokyo, Photo by Sam Maddicott)
As the summer sun climbs high, Tokyo overflows with summer events. In this edition of About Town, we invite you to step into the future and embrace the cutting-edge creativity sprawling across the city. Whether dining amidst a fusion of digital art and haute cuisine or delving into avant-garde exhibitions that redefine traditional aesthetics, this summer promises a bounty of experiences that dazzle and inspire.
TREE by NAKED, Throughout 2024
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(Image Courtesy of TREE by NAKED)
(Image Courtesy of TREE by NAKED)
Never has a meal been quite as immersive as that of TREE by NAKED in Yoyogi Park. The newly reopened restaurant spans three floors and serves a taberu ato taiken (edible art experience). The entire space, including the tables, is engulfed in digital artwork featuring VR technology, projection mapping, lighting, and music. The elaborate dishes, too, are works of art and interact with the digital art as they are placed before you. Indulge your senses for an eight-course meal featuring dishes like squid ink gnocchi and steak with truffle, or simply visit for a snack and a coffee on the bright and spacious upper floors.
TREE by NAKED
Yoyogi Park
1-10-2 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku
Calder: Un effet du Japonais, Until Sep 6
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(Image Courtesy of The Calder Foundation)
In the towering Azabudai Hills that opened just last year, the Azabudai Hills Gallery has made its debut with an exhibition of the modern art of Alexander Calder, an American creative known for his innovative mobiles and sculptures such as the 14-foot wide Black Beast. The exhibit, titled “Calder: Un effet du Japonais,” explores the lasting effect that Japanese traditions and aesthetics have had on his work from the 1930s to 1970s. Take in the unique designs ranging from mobiles to oil paintings, such as his abstract structure Un effet du Japonais made with sheet metal and wire rods.
Azabudai Hills Gallery Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A MBF
5-8-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku
Intelligent Cocktails at M Bar, Until Aug 31
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(Image Courtesy of The Sheraton Miyako Hotel)
Test your Japanese skills in a new type of drinking game at the Sheraton Miyako Hotel’s M Bar. While sipping on your welcome drink, solve the bartender’s riddles and collect the keywords. Suppose you can work out the final keyword. In that case, the bartenders will deem you worthy of the “intelligent cocktail,” rumored to be a different concoction depending on how your intelligence is perceived. The price includes a welcome drink, snacks, the main cocktail, and the clue- cracking experience. Or, simply visit for an elegant cocktail at the bar.
M Bar at The Sheraton Miyako Hotel
1-1-50 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku
The Sodeisha Group: An Era Born Out of Avant-garde Ceramics, Until Sep 1
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(Image courtesy of The Sodeisha Group, Artwork by YAGI Kazuo, “White Box, OPEN OPEN” 1971, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, w23.0ｘd23.0ｘh29.0cm)
In the second part of a two-part exhibition, the Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum is showcasing the unique ceramic stylings of the Sodeisha Group. The group was formed in 1948 by Kyoto-based artists, and they went on to lead the postwar ceramic art scene in Japan. This second installment, beginning in July, focuses on their later work centered around figurative expression such as in Yasuo Hayashi’s “Hotcake” and Osamu Suzuki’s “Horse.” These are not your typical delicate teacups and plates, but creative forms of expression and imagined scenes brought to life.
Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial Tomo Museum
4-1-35 Toranomon, Minato-ku
Performances at the New LaLa Arena Tokyo Bay, Throughout 2024
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(Image courtesy of Mitsui Fudosan)
After opening in April this year, the new LaLa Arena is welcoming various performing artists to its spacious halls throughout the summer. Performances include the musical stylings of Ryuji Imaichi and Aimyon, along with family-friendly shows like Disney on Ice’s “Find Your Gift.” The spacious arena was designed with the basketball home team of the Chiba Jets in mind. Its dynamic design is reminiscent of a jet and its jet stream. It is around 40 minutes by train from Tokyo Station and will hold music, entertainment and sports events alike.
LaLa Arena Tokyo Bay
2-5-15 Hamacho, Funabashi, Chiba
Summer Beer Garden at the Hilton Tokyo, Until mid-September
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(Image courtesy of Hilton Tokyo, Photo by Sam Maddicott)
Dine on Spanish cuisine over the sparkling skyscrapers of Shinjuku as you sip on a beer or a glass of wine. This summer-exclusive rooftop beer garden is inspired by Spanish food culture, featuring eight tapas-style dishes alongside 90 minutes of bottomless beer, wine, and cocktails curated for Spanish gin. Eat and drink the night away in the open evening air, tasting the flavors of Spain while looking over the Japanese city lights.
7F Rooftop Terrace at the Hilton Tokyo
6-6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Did this one make you thirsty for some drinks on top of the Tokyo skyline? Find out about more places with this article: A Guide to Tokyo’s Best Rooftop Bars
Trio: Modern Art Collections from Paris, Tokyo and Osaka, Until August 25
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Image Courtesy of Sodeisha Group, Artwork by André Bauchant, The Fruit Stall, 1950, Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka (from Trio, theme “The Imaginary Garden”)
The three cities of Paris, Tokyo and Osaka, each with unique cultures and creativity, have come together for a summer exhibition in the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Each city will display works from their respective modern art museums in a new experimental collection made up of 34 trios of artwork from each museum. The trios are selected from each museum based on a common thread, whether that is the subject matter, motif, color palette, or something else entirely. The exhibition hopes to introduce a new way of looking at modern art and encourage fresh perspectives on the works of the 110 artists in the collection, including the likes of Henri Matisse and Yorozu Tetsugoro.
The National Museum of Modern Art
3-1 Kitanomarukoen, Chiyoda-ku
