Things to do this week in Tokyo

Monday 20

Uplink Film & Beer: Laurence Anyways
Uplink's Film & Beer nights continue with Xavier Dolan's Laurence Anyways (2012), an award-winning love story chronicling the relationship of Laurence and Fred. Why not stop by for an after-work brew and flick? Read more

Tuesday 21

The Heavy
The Heavy's sweaty blend of blues, voodoo funk, classic rock and soul has been very well received in Japan, and their performance at this year's Fuji Rock further padded their fame. Catch the furious foursome tonight. Read more

Wednesday 22

Tokyo Olympics and the Bullet Train
Commemorating half a century since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the associated start of shinkansen service, this special exhibition displays around 400 items from those heady days of rapid economic growth. Read more

DJ Hello Kitty
Taking place as part of the Shibukaru festival, this double gig sees up-and-coming pop princess Seiko Omori join forces with everyone's favourite cat idol. You better work up some kawaii tolerance before this one. Read more

Thursday 23

Tove Jansson: Living with the Moomins
Take a day trip to Yokohama to learn all about the life and work of Tove Jansson, creator of the loveable Moomin characters. This exhibition portrays the multi-talented storyteller through more than 400 pieces. Read more

John Butler Trio
They represent the very best of Aussie roots, with a sound that mixes blues, reggae, folk, hip-hop and more into an organic, funky concoction. They're also supremely energetic on stage, so this one should be a cracker. Read more

Friday 24

Tokyo Ramen Show
The greatest ramen makers from all over Japan gather in Komazawa Olympic Park from today for every noodle-lover's dream event. Make sure to try the soup combinations created specifically for this occasion. Read more

Tokyo International Film Festival
The competition section opens with four screenings today at Tokyo's top cinematic extravaganza, while the animation-heavy general program is also in full swing. Get your tickets in advance and prepare for a film feast. Read more

Asagaya Jazz Streets
School gymnasiums, churches, office lobbies, coffee shops and shrines are all considered fair game for a spot of music during Asagaya Jazz Streets, the swinging two-day celebration that kicks off in earnest today. Read more

Daikanyama Design Department
The concept at this design fair opening today is ‘See, touch, buy’, and that’s exactly what you can do while browsing pop-up shops like Asian Creative and Hay. Should make for a nice opportunity to style up your home. Read more

One-Day Zombie Café
Learn how to transform into a staggering, brain-hunting, mindless corpse at this fun workshop organised by 'zombie performance unit' Zombiena. Anyone still looking for a Halloween costume will do well to attend. Read more

RBMA Presents No Requests
Shibuya's Womb plays host to this massive party taking over the entire club with cutting-edge tunes courtesy of Special Request aka Paul Woolford, drum and bass veteran dBridge and enigmatic disco duo Tiger & Woods. Read more

Saturday 25

Earth Garden Autumn Craft Fair
This environmentally-minded fest sees market vendors selling a range of eco goods and handicrafts, stalls serving up organic food, and fair traders touting their wares and activities. The music's pretty good, too. Read more

Kanda Furuhon Matsuri
Vendors all over Tokyo's bookseller district, Jinbocho, take to the streets to show off their stuff at this annual festival that's been going on since 1960 and is a true can't-miss – even though most of the tomes are in Japanese. Read more

The Art Fairs: Plus-Ultra
For the latest in Japanese contemporary art, look no further than this two-part exhibition presenting both exciting new work by artists from a variety of genres and pieces selected by a group of emerging gallery directors. Read more

Halloween Brunch Buffet
The brasserie at Roppongi's Grand Hyatt puts on a brunch feast for the weekend, serving all-you-can-eat pumpkin casseroles, soups, salads, desserts and much more at a slightly friendlier price than usual. Read more

Sitges Film Festival: Fantastic Selection
Held in the Catalonian town of Sitges, this film festival dedicated to fantasy and horror is one of the top underground movie shows in Europe. A selection of the best films from this year's edition are now screened in Tokyo. Read more

Sunday 26

Halloween parades
If you'd like to show off your costume to as many people as possible, there's no better time than today: at least six large-scale Halloween parades are taking place in Tokyo, although some of them are only meant for kids. Read more

Tokyo Designers Week
Japan's biggest design trade show again unfurls at a custom-built venue in Meiji Jingu Gaien, with a range of tie-up events at shops, cafés and galleries in the surrounding area. Make sure to check out the robot show. Read more

Giorgio de Chirico Exhibition
Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978) and his 'metaphysical art' greatly influenced renowned surrealists like Salvador Dalí and Max Ernst. Take a look back at his innovative work at the Shiodome Museum from today. Read more

Chris Coekin: Chewing the Cud
Look back at British photographer Chris Coekin's 20-year career and methodology at this exhibition that sees his photos displayed alongside newspapers from the days when the pictures were taken. Read more