New Year holidays: Things to do in Tokyo

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Tokyo has shut-up shop and left town for the holidays. Trains are all but empty, izakayas have 'closed for shougatsu' signs in their windows; the city is all but empty. But get off your usual beaten track and there's still plenty going on. Here's what Time Out Tokyo has planned for the coming week.

ART & CULTURE

Involve yourself in some quality geekery
The Keikyu Railway Fair promises to be a kind of dream-come-true for Tokyo's trainspotter fraternity, with various 'famous people who like the railroad' invited to appear, including economist Takurou Morinaga. Curiouser and curiouser. This wonderful little curate's egg also includes talks on railway bridges, past and present, a comedy act, plenty of goofy shopping and an 'iron-shot' workshop. Who'd be without it?
See location and price information

Get rabbiting
A variety of family events are on offer at the annual Hatsumode event at Tokyo's National Museum, most of these inevitably centered around long-eared tasty creatures (2011 being the Year of the Rabbit). Shishimai and taiko performances make this one for the traditionalists, though a calming stroll through a museum on a quiet holiday is surely tough to beat in anyone's book.
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Watch the birdies
A fantastic outdoorsy event held annually in Hamarikyu Gardens, the highlight of which involves a falconry display. If birds aren't your bag, of course, the hearty New Year food ought to tempt you - we've already got our order in for a steaming bowl of tonjiru.
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HEALTH AND FITNESS

Skate away...
The Omotesando Skating Theatre runs until January 10. Operating a wax floor, this skating extravaganza is touted as a kind of sport-cum-light show-cum-family-cum-nightclub affair; it’s warm enough to mean Tokyo’s youth get to wear their skimpy fashionable best, while cosy enough to mean that folks of all ages will get something out of the film projections, music and slippery surfaces.
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Let the others do the hard work!
It's Hakone Ekiden time again. The two-day relay marathon pitches all-male collegiate teams against one another in a particularly frigid race between Tokyo's Otemachi and Hakone (and back again). The marathon falls into ten stages over the two days; should you want to join the crowds lining the route, the key relay change-overs take place at Tsurumi (Yokohama), Totsuka (Yokohama), Hiratsuka (Kanagawa), Odawara (Kanagawa) and Lake Ashi (Hakone), both coming and going. An easier option, and the one chosen by the majority of the nation, is to watch updates on Nippon Television. See the Hakone Ekiden TV schedule here, in Japanese only

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Get your goat
One for the kids in particular, with the alpacas, goats, owls and gorillas (not to mention the zoo's director and deputy director) all gearing up for big appearances. Gifts are guaranteed, though we're particularly looking forward to the 'lion dances' - let's hope a mauling isn't in the offing.
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FILM

It's the perfect time to catch up on your movie watching, and the following are still doing good business at Tokyo's cinemas.

Tron: Legacy
When Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) goes mysteriously missing, control of his company passes to a board of faceless corporate drones. His son, Sam, a rebellious 27-year-old played by blandly handsome mediocrity Garrett Hedlund, decides to go digging into the past and soon finds himself zapped into the computer and thrust onto the infamous Game Grid.
Read the full Time Out review here

Burlesque
Burlesque stars the singer Christina Aguilera as a plucky Midwesterner making it big in a Los Angeles burlesque club, and Cher (or is that a life-sized Cher mannequin?) as her mentor. The movie has three potential audiences. None will leave empty-handed. None will be truly sated...
Read the full Time Out review here

Shrek
Shrek ends up in a parallel universe after tiring of the monotony of both fatherhood and local celebrity. In his current life, no one is scared of him, and busloads of tourists peer at the swamp home he shares with wife Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and their cute green babies. So Shrek goes awol and bumps into a wandering little guy called Rumpelstiltstkin.
Read the full Time Out review here

BOOK AHEAD

The following gigs, fairs and other events have popped up on our radar this week. Get down to the nearest convenience store to secure your ticket as soon as you can.

Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae's latest release, The Sea, is - remarkably - only her second release. In conjunction with debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae, the woman some call (unfairly, we believe) the new Norah Jones has amassed worldwide sales of around 4 million, and her shows are regular sellouts. Her visit to Tokyo this March comes hot on the heels of a popular showing at Fuji Rock last summer. Well worth the price on the ticket.
See gig location and prices here

Gruff Rhys
The Super Furry Animal and occasional Neon Neon participant is now on his third album, Hotel Shampoo, which gets an advance Japan release on February 2 (the rest of the world has it scheduled for February 14). The album is apparently named after the singer's penchant for thieving complimentary hotel cleaning products, so Japanese properties will want to glue everything down ahead of his upcoming tour.
See gig location and prices here

Mr Big
Ah, Mr. Big. What would our hairy teenage years have been without you? More importantly, what would the Japanese music scene have looked like had you not arrived twenty years ago looking like all of Glay's wet dreams come at once? That Japan was a key part of last year's reunion celebrations shows just how much Paul Gilbert and the boys mean to this country, and they return, no doubt feeling justifiably triumphant, to Tokyo Budokan towards the end of April, bringing their latest album What If... along for anyone who actually cares.
See gig location and prices here

Sense of Wonder Art Fair, 2011
Highly recommended
Founded in 2007, the original Sense of Wonder venue brought with it difficulties (cold weather, difficult access). However, following a successful relocation last year, the art fair is back, and it seems to be growing in size and popularity. The added camping option will give the event more of a community spirit, not to mention a healthy spoonful of kudos (what self-respecting festival lacks camping facilities, after all?). Tickets go on sale on January 1.
See gig location and prices here

NEXT WEEK IN TIME OUT TOKYO

Drop by Time Out Tokyo next week and take a look at our recommended events for 2011, including gigs, films, and plenty more. Plus, we've been chatting with some of Japan's greatest songwriters, and they've listed up the top 100 Japanese songs you ought to hear before you die!
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