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While the chilly temperature and common sense may suggest otherwise, February 2 traditionally marks the start of spring in Japan. Known as Setsubun (literally ‘seasonal division’), the day is marked with a spiritual kind of spring cleaning. Its most famous ritual is mamemaki, in which people drive evil spirits from their homes by throwing soybeans out the door (or at a family member dressed as a demon) and shouting Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! (Demons out! Good luck in!).
The ritual is repeated on a larger scale at many temples and shrines around town, usually with a sizeable celebrity contingent on hand to scatter that soy. It’s then customary to eat a fat roll of makizushi while facing in the year’s lucky direction – hence the dish’s name, eho-maki (‘lucky direction roll’). These rolls are sold at pretty much every supermarket and convenience store out there. Interested? Here’s where you can throw some beans.
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Nestled on the second floor of a trendy corner in Harajuku, Pauline Studio is a select shop that carries stylish jewellery and a well-curated range of natural wines. Founded by Kyoka Kato and a wine connoisseur, this Tokyo gem is filled with one-of-a-kind treasures. We recently stopped by, and here are three reasons why you should visit Pauline Studio, too.
Want to make your weekend an exciting one? We've compiled a list of the best events, festivals, art exhibitions and places to check out in Tokyo for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Looking to get out of the city? Try a day trip to one of these artsy destinations or check out these outlet malls slightly outside of Tokyo. It's also the season for winter illuminations, so check them out while you're exploring the city.
If that wasn't enough, you can also stop by one of Tokyo's regular markets, like the weekly UNU Farmer's Market near Shibuya.
Read on to find more great things to do in Tokyo this weekend.
Note: Do check the event and venue websites for the latest updates.
タイムアウト東京 > Things to do > 東京、冬の桜を楽しめる名所9選
日本の有名な桜を見るなら春だが、東京近郊の公園や庭園、神社などでは、2月上旬からでも美しい桜が楽しめる。
最もよく見かける寒桜はカワヅザクラ(河津桜)。静岡県原産のパステルピンクの桜である。春の桜が1週間ほどしか咲かないのに対し、カワヅザクラは1カ月ほど長持ちする。もう一つはカンヒザクラ(寒緋桜)で。より鮮やかなピンク色で、高さ10メートルほどの大きな木に咲く。
にぎやかな花見シーズンが到来する前に、一足早く桜を楽しめる市内各地のベストスポットを紹介しよう。寒くて家から出たくない人も多いかもしれないが、ここで紹介するのは全て近場なので、気軽に春を先取りしてほしい。
関連記事『関東近郊、美しい早咲き桜の名所6選』
タイムアウト東京 > Things to do > 関東近郊、美しい冬桜の名所6選
日本の春の代名詞「桜」。あの華やかな季節が今から待ち遠しい人。しかし、ソメイヨシノを待たずして、日本各地では早ければ1〜3月にかけて美しい冬の桜が咲く。ここでは、そんな早咲きの桜の名所を関東近郊に絞って紹介する。
中でも静岡県を中心に自生する河津桜は、最も一般的な品種の一つ。2月から3月にはピンク色のかわいらしい花が楽しめる。春に咲く桜よりも寿命が長く、通常1カ月ほど咲き続ける。このほか、鮮やかなピンク色のカンヒザクラや、熱海の海岸沿いで見られるあたみ桜なども有名だ。印象的な桜の写真を撮って楽しもう。
関連記事『東京は3月23日、2024年の桜開花予測が発表』
Tickets are now available via out affiliate partner Klook.
Watch out for ‘flying’ penguins! Located on top of the Sunshine City complex, this partially open-air oasis opened its remodelled penguin area last year. Take a stroll under a giant water tank and spot penguins overhead with Tokyo’s cityscape as the backdrop – a breathtaking view you won’t find anywhere else. Another new feature is the skywalk, housing pelicans which are especially fun to check out during feeding time.
Other popular spots include the deep blue Jellyfish Tunnel and the Sunshine Lagoon, a huge tank with a wide variety of fish. When it comes to snack time, you’ll love the light blue-coloured sea salt soft serve ice cream, made from Okinawa’s ‘snow salt’.
Otome Road ('Maiden Road') runs for 200m along the west side of the Sunshine 60 building and is packed with shops including K-Books, Mandarake and a Butler Café that attracts the kind of lady who's fascinated by manga or Japan's subcultures.
Cookie Time was founded in Christchurch, New Zealand way back in 1983 by two brothers who are passionate about the all-popular treat. Since then, the cookie specialist has been selling cookies across the country and opened its first and only international outpost in the colourful fashion district of Harajuku in Tokyo. This store offers fresh-off-the-oven cookies, with creative and decadent flavours such as salted caramel, triple chocolate, banoffee, lemon white chocolate and more.
Cookie Time is dedicated to serving the best ‘pairing’ for its cookies, offering fresh milk on tap, as well as creating cookie-inspired desserts including milkshakes, cookie dough, ice cream and s’mores. The OTT Freak Shakes are a crowd-pleaser: these indulgently rich milkshakes are topped with whipped cream, candy bars, caramel sauce or melted chocolate, sprinkles and, of course, a cookie or two.
International sushi chef Jiro Onoda is hosting a series of classes focused on making rainbow sushi. Don’t worry, you don’t need any cooking experience to join. The classes are open to anyone interested to learn how to make sushi using traditional Edo-style techniques.
The vibrant rolls are inspired by colours of the rainbow, and Onoda only uses all-natural ingredients to create the many-hued assortments. Classes are roughly two hours long: you’ll be taught customary slicing techniques before preparing seven different maki rolls and six different nigiri. There will also be a tutorial on how to make the quintessential dashimaki tamago (Japanese-style omlette).
At the end of the lesson, you can enjoy eating what you’ve made with the rest of the class. The venue is located accross from the main street of Kappabashi, famous for its traditional kitchenware, so you may be inspired to look for some Japanese cooking utensils for your own kitchen after the lesson. Having worked at restaurants in Shanghai and Vancouver as well as Tokyo, Onoda is fluent in English and Mandarin. As the class will primarily be in English, you won’t have a hard time following along if you’re visiting Tokyo from overseas.
Click here to make a reservation. You can pay on the day with either cash or credit.
Though it doesn't have its own heartwarming tale like Shibuya's Hachiko, this owl statue inside Ikebukuro Station is still a popular meeting spot. The name, Ikefukuro, is a play on Ikebukuro and fukuro (owl in Japanese).
Located a few minutes from the station, this hotel boasts eight restaurants offering a variety of dining options including kaiseki (traditional Japanese multicourse dinner), teppanyaki and European cuisines. They offer free wi-fi and a direct limousine bus service from Haneda and Narita airports.
If you're on a budget or a diet but love pizza, then stop here for a quick meal. The lunch sets start from ¥650 and include a (large) pizza slice with organic salad and a drink.
If you come out of the west exit of Ebisu Station and stay off the main road, you’ll discover a network of backstreets offering an array of restaurants serving different cuisines. It can be a difficult choice if you’re not sure what you’re in the mood for. But should a craving for Thai food hit you, you’re in luck. Gapao Shokudo, which also has branches in Shibuya and Omotesando, beckons from the first floor on one street corner with its bright red signage and colourful window lights. Inside, it’s just as festive, with white-washed tabletops, tropical looking plants dotted around, and friendly staff ready to seat you. We visited on a week night and it was busy enough to feel vibey but we didn’t have to queue to get a counter spot. If you prefer a table, you might need to reserve.
The menu features a wealth of Thai dishes and you can choose the spice level. For those who prefer no chilli at all, we’d recommend the Gana Massaman Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk (¥980, pictured above), ordered with a side of rice. The flavouring was actually on the sweet side (delicious!) and although the portion size looks small, it was packed with filling chicken, potato and veggies and we ended up struggling to finish it. For those who love the burn, go for the Gang Ped Gung Red Curry Prawn with Coconut (¥1.080). This is probably not the best Thai food you'll have in Tokyo, but the prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is fun and casual, and it'll still hit the spot.
カルチャーの新たな発信基地となるテントシアター「渋谷 ドリカム シアター(SHIBUYA DREAMS COME TRUE THEATER)supported by Page30」が、2025年4月11日(金)から6月1日(日)の期間限定でオープンする。2024年で35周年を迎えたDREAMS COME TRUEの全面協力を得て、幅広い世代が楽しめるスポットを提供する。
DREAMS COME TRUEは「渋谷クアトロ(SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO)」でデビューし、その後も「渋谷公会堂」「NHKホール」「国立競技場代々木第一体育館」など、渋谷の各所でライブを行ってきた。その渋谷との縁の深さから、この企画は始まった。
イベントタイトルの由来はバンド名だけでなく、テントシアターで多くの人の願いがかなう場にしたいという思いが込められている。今後、夢を持つ人たちが表現できる場として機能することを予定している。
SHIBUYA DREAMS COME TRUE THEATER supported by Page30
テントシアターでは、DREAMS COME TRUEの中村正人がエグゼクティブプロデューサーを務める映画『Page30』をはじめ、映画、音楽、演劇、ダンス、ファッションなどさまざまなジャンルのエンターテインメントを用意。多彩なコンテンツが混じり合うことによって、渋谷に新たな1ページを刻むようなカルチャーを生み出す。
場所は渋谷区某所の予定で、フードエリアも設けられる。イベント内容や場所などの詳細は後日発表となるので、公式ホームページなどで確認してみてほしい。
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