Tokyo Jazz Festival 2015

Japan's biggest jazz festival always features a highly diverse (although sometimes uneven) lineup of both artists and venues, with main concerts at the Tokyo International Forum's main hall complemented by more intimate shows across the road at the Cotton Club plus free gigs held in TIF's open-air plaza. This year's international guests include the likes of Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Lee Ritenour and Pharoah Sanders, while up-and-coming star Esperanza Spalding has to be our top pick of the bunch. Tokyo Jazz also makes for a tasty intro to Japanese genre greats – check out the recently formed Kyoto Jazz Sextet, saxophonist Naruyoshi Kikuchi and pianist Chihiro Yamanaka for proof. Tickets go on general sale from July 3.