66 things to do this spring: 41-50

41. Row yer boat
Tokyo’s first boathouse opened in 1918, funds coming (in part) from Mayor Kiyoshi Furukawa’s own pocket. Rent yourself a vessel and get an eyeful of the blossoms lining Sotobori Dori and the ruins of Edo Castle’s outer moat. Drop by the Canal Café, located on the dock itself, and grab a hanami snack before you board. Canal Café and rowing boat hire, 500 yen for 30 minutes. 11.30am-4pm. 1-9 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (03 3260 8068)

42. Make like it’s China, join a Tai Chi club
Think Tai Chi, think posses of elderly Chinese folk delicately going through flowing motions in the parks of Beijing and Shanghai. If a relaxing morning doing the same in Tokyo sounds appealing, then Guan Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan Japan is for you. Now into its seventeenth year, the class congregates four mornings per week in Yoyogi Park (Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 7.30am-9.30am; Sundays, 9am-11am) under the guidance of group leader, Mr D. D. Harrington. Prices are discussed individually (03 3485 4160).

43. Enjoy a quality ice
One of Tokyo’s many food booms at the moment is gelato, the craze for which has seen an abundance of shops pop up around the capital. For a genuinely delicious and fairly central hit, you’ll usually find the Time Out crew propping up the counter at Pariya Gelato Shibuya (daily, 10am-9pm; B1F, Tokyu Department Store, 2-24-1 Shibuya; 03 3477 4828), where the queues are long but the flavours intense. If you prefer your ices a little more creamy, Japanese Ice Ouca, located in Ebisu, is also well worth a diversion (daily, 11am-11.30pm; 1F, Uchida Building, 1-6-6 Ebisu; 03 5449 0037).

44. Pick a punnet or two
There are plenty of strawberry picking options out in the fields of Chiba and Kanagawa, but closer to the centre of the big city, they’re hard to come by. That said, there are a few places offering the chance to get your fingers red and juicy, notably Shibasaki Engei (until mid-May, daily, 10am-3pm; 100 grams, 200 yen; 070 5023 3738, transport: Manganji Station, Tama Toshi Monorail line), which is more greenhouse than open field, but thoroughly pleasant nonetheless. Further afield, Kawatsura Farm remains open until May 10 and has plenty of experience with foreign pickers, though the distance (Transport: Matsuo Station, Sobu line) may not justify the expense (adults, 1,000 yen, kids, 700 yen; book ahead via the English-language website).

45. Go fly a kite
All you need is a wide open space, a bit of wind, and an absence of electrical cables, right? Easier said than done in Tokyo, but it is possible, and Kasai Rinkai Park comes highly recommended. With a pair of sandy beaches taking fresh puff from Tokyo Bay, there are few strips better placed for a guaranteed lift off. If you’re in need of a kite to fly, Kite World Online, in Japanese but reasonably easy to navigate for non-Japanese speakers, ought to see you right. Kasai Rinkai Park, Edogawa-ku (03 5696 1331). Transport: Kasai Rinkai Koen (Keiyo line)

46. Drink in the view
There are plenty of high rise drinking establishments in Tokyo, but few of them do alfresco at a greater altitude than Il Terrazza, smack bang in the middle of twinkling Ginza. Sitting on one of the plush leather sofas, it’s a pleasant feeling indeed to be looking down on the neighbouring eateries, even if it’s only a physical rather than metaphorical height, and the twinkling city lights will add to any star quality you already had (blackouts permitting). Diners beware, however: the food at the Bvlgari restaurant complex is expensive for what it is. Best to visit for a couple of Italian beers, a few olives, then make your way back down to the real world before your wallet suffers an attack of vertigo. La Terrazza re-opens on April 2, then opens daily, midday-midnight. 11F Bvlgari Building, 2-7-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (03 6362 0555)

47. Catch a show at an outdoor theatre
Used since 1942, the Hibiya Open-Air Stage, an outdoor theatre in Hibiya Park, puts enjoyment at the mercy of the weather. Umbrellas are not allowed, but turn up on a nice day and you can enjoy one of Tokyo’s few open-air venues. Unfortunately, it is an ode to concrete, including the seats, but with a decent band onstage it’s easy to forget such hardships. If you’re in the area on May 3, we recommend dropping in to see Fishmans, an oddly named but highly influential dub band that will be performing with guests including UA and Cornelius. A big gig indeed. Hibiya Koen, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Transport: Kasumigaseki Station (Chiyoda, Hibiya, Marunouchi lines)

48. Love thy horse
Baji Park is a well loved part of town, especially for those with equine leanings. Run by the JRA, the park stages two major horse shows each year, in spring and autumn. Taking place between May 3-5, at the height of Golden Week, the spring show is set to include various jumping events, a ‘light cavalry’ display, plus more hands-on activities like horse and carriage tours and pony rides for the kids. At the time of writing, no official time schedule had been released, though plans are still in place for the event to go ahead. Baji Park, 2-1-1, Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Transport: Sakura-Shinmachi station (Tokyu Denentoshi line)

49. Follow a baseball team from the beginning of the season
In the weeks following the horrific March 11 tragedy, both the Pacific and Central leagues came to the decision to postpone their opening games. Yu Darvish of the Nippon Ham Fighters summed things up for the players in general when he told the Bangkok Post, ‘I am a baseball player and a human being as well. I cannot think about baseball alone, as I usually do.’ With the capital doing its best to preserve electricity, the Yomiruri Giants are not scheduled to return to the energy-guzzling Tokyo Dome until May 3, when they take on the Hanshin Tigers (tickets go on sale via their website, April 9). Likewise, the Yakult Swallows make their first official Central league appearance at the grand old Jingu Stadium on May 3, against the Chunichi Dragons (tickets available now via their website, in Japanese only).

50. Get on your bikes and ride
While the capital is most prominently a train-lover’s paradise, it’s also a great city for exploring by bicycle. Indeed, your biggest problem may be deciding where to start. For Neil Garscadden, director of Tokyo Rent a Bike and Tokyo Bike Tours, spring is a great season to get peddling. ‘I think the river rides are a good idea,’ he told us, ‘though during the cherry blossom times, the Meguro river side paths are crammed with people, so biking would be near impossible. If it is outside cherry blossom time, one can ride along the Meguro River all the way from Nakameguro to Tennoz Island, with Haneda Airport just another 20 minutes further.’ For a shorter trip, he recommends a ride around the Imperial Palace, one of several tour options offered on his website.