Things to do this week in Tokyo

Thursday 2

Shibuya Beer Terminal
The former Shibuya Tokyu station is getting transformed into a beer hall this week, where you can enjoy ¥500 glasses of Super Dry and Stella, plus more interesting offerings from the likes of Minoh and Fujizakura. Read more

Black Opera Ver.0.0: The Gambler’s Fallacy
Underground beatmakers, rappers, dancers and noise musicians team up to stage their own ‘opera’ at WWW, in what promises to be one of the more bizarre gigs taking place in Tokyo during Golden Week. Read more

Time Trap feat Radio Slave
With a new Balance mix on the way later this month, Matt 'Radio Slave' Edwards brings his defiantly uncommercial techno to Air for an extended four-hour set, with support from regular foil DJ Sodeyama. Read more

Back to Chill –GW Special–
While Goth-Trad's monthly dubstep parties normally attract a small but devoted crowd, you can expect things to be rather busier at this holiday edition, which boasts guest appearances by Murochin and Quarta330. Read more

e.nu.e
UK dance scene veteran Steve Bicknell – organiser of the long-running (and hugely respected) Lost parties – is guest of honour at this visually enhanced techno party, where he's joined by fellow Brit producer OCH. Read more

Danny Krivit
It won't be the most glamorous party you see during Golden Week, but it might be one of the best: NYC house godfather Danny Krivit, spinning from start till close in the intimate confines of Aoyama's Fai. Read more

Kompakt Japan 04
Melodic techno man Sascha Funke tops the bill at this 20th anniversary party for Germany's Kompakt label, playing a guest DJ set as well as doing a live turn as Saschienne, his duo with wife Julienne Dessagne. Read more

The Yes
Andrea 'Bot' Fratangelo ditched bass duo Crookers at the end of last year to pursue 'unorthodox club rhythms' as a solo artist. Find out how he's been getting on when he guests alongside Shinichi Osawa at Womb. Read more

AgePa!
There's free entry on the door for all the ladies at Ageha tonight, and you get what you pay for. J-pop veteran Marc Panther tops the bill, offering a diet of chart pop, hip hop, EDM and whatever else gets the crowd going. Read more

Friday 3

Boom Boom Satellites
Electro rockers Boom Boom Satellites put their touring on hold at the end of 2012, when frontman Michiyuki Kawashima was diagnosed with a brain tumour, but they're returning for a show at the Budokan today. Read more

Cinco de Mayo Festival 2013
And you thought that Tokyo's Oktoberfests were the only ones that got their dates wrong: the Cinco de Mayo Festival heads here for the first time this month – though it's arriving a couple of days ahead of schedule. Read more

Doki Doki Flea Market
There are flea markets, and then there's the eye-popping spectacle that unfolds at Makuhari Messe every Golden Week. Japan's largest bric-a-brac fair – drawing around 1,300 vendors each day – starts today. Read more

Haisai Festa 2013
While Tokyo hosts events dedicated to countries ranging from Mexico to Mongolia, Kawasaki's La Cittadella is taking a trip to Okinawa, with four days of food, music and dance from Japan's southernmost prefecture. Read more

Keiji Haino
Some come bearing cake; most just bring a pair of earplugs. Join psychedelic voyager, underground noise icon and incorrigible sweet lover Keiji Haino as he celebrates his birthday with a marathon solo show in Koenji. Read more

Ex-Ex-Ponight!
Artists young and old gather for two days of live collaborations and chin-wagging at O-Nest, which today includes noise-meets-Vocaloid unit Hatsune Kaidan and a duo between Naruyoshi Kikuchi and Moe and Ghosts. Read more

Trilluminati x Raid System Radio
Homegrown and expat producers hunker down for a night of highly evolved hip hop and electronica at Heavy Sick Zero, with live sets from the likes of Submerse, Daisuke Tanabe, Fitz Ambro$e and Broken Haze. Read more

Creative Departures
There should be plenty of underground hip hop heads in attendance when Five Deez producer Fat Jon plays his first Tokyo gig in three years at Air, accompanied by rapper Shing02 and DJs Kiyo and Sarasa. Read more

DJ Alfredo x The Heritage Project
Legendary Ibiza spinner DJ Alfredo teams up with son Aime Fiorito for an evening bash in Aoyama that surveys the past, present and future of Balearic Beat – the movement that he himself started in the 1980s. Read more

Lilith
Oh, the hilarity: New York's Three is guesting at Eleven on – wait for it – the third of the month. Ignore the potential for lame puns and enjoy an extended set from a techno master, with DJ Tsuyoshi and So in support. Read more

Alien Radio Vol. 10 feat. Timo Maas
DJ Hell may have had to pull out of tonight's party at Sound Museum Vision, but they've managed an impressive substitution in the form of Timo Maas, who'll be swooping in to deliver a four-hour set. Read more

Sterne
The ever-grinning DJ and producer behind CLR Recordings, Chris Liebing has seen his hard-edged style of techno come back into vogue in a big way recently. Catch him alongside Takkyu Ishino at Womb tonight. Read more

Cole Haan produces Popbar in Harajuku
New York's kings of customisable popsicles make their blink-and-you'll-miss-it Tokyo debut this week. Head to Laforet Harajuku for a chance to sample one of Popbar's tasty 'gelato on a stick', as they like to call them. Read more

Evil Dead
Blood, piss and vomit flow copiously; bodies get hacked with electric slicers and chainsaws: if it's a full-on horror onslaught that you're looking for, this remake of Sam Raimi's cult classic just about delivers the goods. Out today. Read more

Saturday 4

Mongolian Spring Festival 2013
Nothing says Golden Week like a nice bit of Mongolian wrestling, eh? The Hawarinbayaru heads to Hikarigaoka Park, with attractions ranging from Monoglian music and dance to fashion, food – and, yes, wrestling. Read more

Sweet Love Shower 2013
Music channel Space Shower TV has assembled a rock-solid lineup – including festival faves Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra and Group_inou – for this gig marking the 90th anniversary of Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall. Read more

Tokyo Tower 55th Anniversary
If the Oktoberfest doesn't appeal, you can sip German beers and munch sausages and sauerkraut under the shadow of Tokyo Tower instead, as part of the iconic tourist trap's 55th anniversary celebrations. Read more

Japan Jam 2013
Rock in Japan organisers Rockin' On push the envelope a bit more emphatically with this festival of one-off collaborations, which today pairs Stones-style garage rockers Okamoto's with Ulfuls' Tortoise Matsumoto. Read more

Live at Ennoji: 0 + Sylvain Chauveau
You may not find a lovelier gig during Golden Week than this afternoon of 'nonobstructive and interpenetrating' ambient sounds at Omori's Ennoji temple, starring French minimalist Sylvain Chauveau and his 0 ensemble. Read more

Classics
Gone are the days when DJ Krush was synonymous with downtempo and razor-sharp turntable tricks, but he'll be dialling it back to his Mo' Wax days at this '90s hip hop party at Sound Museum Vision. Read more

06S 12th anniversary
Womb's monthly drum 'n' bass party can always be relied on to pull out the big guns for its birthday party, and this one's no exception: say hello to RAM Records boss Andy C, back in town after a four-year absence. Read more

New 10am Film Festival
It's worth getting up early for this morning movie session at Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills, though you might struggle to get a seat: this week's film is that perennial chick-flick favourite, Pretty Woman. Read more

Sunday

Rainbow Disco Club 2013
Cancelled two years running, this plucky dance fest will be proving that the third time's the charm. Spend the day with Dixon, DJ Nature and pals at Harumi Port Terminal, then keep partying until dawn at Womb and Seco. Read more

Children's Festival
The annual children's fest at Meiji Shrine offers a great chance for families and culture vultures alike, with fun and games, carp streamers and the chance to see Tokyo's younger generation in its kimono finery. Read more

Asobinite!!!
As Golden Week draws to a close, even the club nights are starting to thin out – but if you're looking to give one last hurrah to the holiday season, electro-loving pop overlord Yasutaka Nakata has got you covered. Read more

Collaboration Breakdown Sessions Vol. 3
Brace yourself for some noisy, possibly chaotic action at this freewheeling session at Club Goodman, featuring 15 representatives from the local indie and improv scenes, ranging from Kazuo Imai to DJ Memai. Read more

Foundland (Rachael Dadd & Ichi)
Alt. folk icon (and regular Japan visitor) Rachael Dadd returns to Tokyo with steel pan-playing husband Ichi to mark the release of In Our Hands We've Got Light, a 10" recorded either side of the birth of their son. Read more

Rub N Tug
Notorious Stateside party-starters Thomas Bullock and Eric Duncan, aka Rub N Tug, reach the penultimate date of their nationwide Golden Week tour with an all-night party at Oppa-la, the cosy bar and diner in Enoshima. Read more

Tokyo M.A.P.S. Anniversary Edition
Roppongi Hills and J-Wave celebrate their 10th and 25th anniversaries, respectively, at this two-day outdoor gig. Today's acts include jazz-rock eccentrics Ego-Wrappin' and pop duo Moumoon – and it's completely free. Read more

Odaiba Oktoberfest 2013
While the Munich Oktoberfest doesn't kick off until September, Tokyo's beer lovers started their libations early with this bacchanal of Bavarian brews, sausages and sauerkraut in Odaiba. Finishes tomorrow. Read more