Things to do this week in Tokyo

Monday 29

Kizuna
Contemplating the cultural bond between Taiwan and Japan, this display sees Taipei-based fashion and lifestyle magazine M.Mag show off both the latest in Taiwanese design and traditional folk crafts, while visitors can also admire Taiwanese stationery, books and decorative knickknacks. Read more

D Design Travel: Kyoto
Hikarie's D47 Museum holds up the venerable Kyoto with this exhibition combining design, travel and edible goodies. Admire the latest from local creatives, shop for 'designer souvenirs' at the pop-up shop and head to the museum restaurant for 'Kyoto-style Chinese' cuisine. Read more

Tuesday 30

Yuichi Yokoyama: Fashion and Closed Room
'Fashion and Closed Room' celebrates painter-turned-'neo-manga' artist Yuichi Yokoyama and his newly released collection of drawings. A wide range of Yokoyama's work and personal belongings are also on display and sale at participating shops. Read more

Wednesday 1

Summer Jelly at Origami
Start July the sweet way at Tokyu's Capitol Hotel, where the Origami pastry shop sells a special six-piece selection of fruit jelly, with flavours including peach, mix berry and watermelon-coconut – all great treats for the sweaty season. Read more

Kakigori for Adults
Those looking for an alcohol-powered dessert option will want to visit the 26th floor of the Strings by Intercontinental Hotel in Shinagawa, where special 'cocktail kakigori' will be served from 5pm today. How about the tequila-based Coffee and Green Tea? Read more

Thursday 2

Tokyo Bay Noryosen
The capital's very own booze cruise is back – head to Takeshiba Terminal at 7.15pm tonight for a boat trip fuelled by all-you-can-drink beer, wine and cocktails. Wear your yukata for a considerable discount, and make sure to book in advance to ensure your spot. Read more

Tyondai Braxton
The former frontman of experimental rock band Battles, Tyondai Braxton has been carving an innovative solo path over the past few years, combining music with influences from architecture and design. He now brings his latest project, Hive, to Ebisu's Liquidroom. Read more

Friday 3

Ultra Plant Exhibition
Altogether on a different level from the flowers and herbs in your balcony garden, the 50-some plants on display at this Ginza exhibit are some of the rarest ones out there, assembled from all over the world by self-proclaimed 'plant hunter' Seijun Nishihata. Read more

Tachikawa Oktoberfest
It's barely July and we've already lost count of how many Oktoberfests Tokyo has been blessed with this year, but there are plenty more to come. Next stop for the caravan of sausages, oom-pah music and quality German (and Japanese) beer is Tachikawa. Read more

Wa no Akari x Hyakudan Kaidan
Who says illumination shows are only for winter? The Hyakudan Kaidan pavilion at Meguro's Gajoen puts on a real light extravaganza over the warm months, with installations depicting some of Japan most famous summer festivals projected onto the ceilings and walls. Read more

Aoyama Tunnel 4th Anniversary
Celebrating its fourth birthday with a packed lineup of Tokyo scene heavy-hitters, this small but spiffy basement DJ bar welcomes the likes of Chida, 5ive and Max Essa tonight. Head over from 10pm and help them mark the big occasion. Read more

Saturday 4

Shitamachi Tanabata Matsuri
Asakusa's Kappabashi – the famed Mecca for Tokyo chefs looking to kit out their kitchens – is festooned with vibrantly coloured streamers and decorations during this summer festival, which also features parades and street performances. Read more

Aoyama Craft Beer Market
The UNU farmers' market is getting some beery enhancement for the weekend, as domestic breweries including Brimmer, Sankt Gallen, Cocono Hop and Kiuchi, plus a number of craft-focused shops and businesses set up stalls on the plaza. Read more

Amanogawa Hotaru Matsuri
The Shirokane Plaza shopping complex's firefly festival is much more than just that: a 9m 'canal' will be built for kids to fish bouncy balls and yo-yos out of, while adults can snack on tasty grub from the food trucks and multifarious stalls set up around the area. Read more

Art Nouveau Glass
Visiting from Düsseldorf’s Museum Kunstpalast, this exhibit at the Shiodome Museum opens today and features the Art Nouveau glass collection of Gerda Koepff, assembled over three decades and including some of the finest work produced around the turn of the century. Read more

Terminus
Kicking things off tonight, this brand-new party aims to promote both international artists and the best of Tokyo's underground scene, and their inaugural edition certainly looks the part: Amsterdam-based DJ Sandrien is joined by local hero DJ Nobu. Read more

The Orb
Seminal ambient dance duo Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann will be spinning through the night at Unit's anniversary bash, firing away both high-flying new tunes and genre classics. Don your tinfoil hat and climb on board – it's gonna be a wild ride. Read more

Sunday 5

Asobiba Aqua Toyosu
Grab some friends and head to the seaside for an intense water gun fight – this Toyosu battleground combines drench warfare with barbecue opportunities, allowing tired fighters to step away from the fray to grill their grub of choice. Read more

Okinawa: The Afterburn
With the debate over US bases in Okinawa raging on, now's the perfect time to catch this new documentary by John Junkerman. It's a sweeping, in-depth look at the wartime and postwar history of Okinawa and the massive American military presence on the island. Read more

The Lovers of Nouvelle Vague
Another summer of love is upon us, and Bunkamura's Le Cinema is putting on a very suitable programme for the season: 21 French New Wave films, from classics by the likes of Truffaut and Godard to far more obscure fare, will be screened over the coming weeks. Read more

Helene Schjerfbeck: Reflections
You might not have heard of her, but Finnish master Helene Schjerfbeck was a diverse painter who mastered styles from pure realism to expressionism in the El Greco mold. This exhibit leads visitors through the various phases of her illustrious career. Read more