Taking place at different locations along Sumida River, this music and art festival is part of the Tokyo Tokyo Festival Special 13 and boasts a range of installations and performances by some of Japan’s best-known artists. The festival runs until September 5 and is divided into three events.
Between August 13 and 19, you can enjoy a sound installation at Sumida Park (on the Sumida ward side of the river) by musician and filmmaker Masakatsu Takagi, who bases the main melody of his piano around the theme of nature.
The installation ‘Water State 1’ by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and artist Shiro Takatani, on the other hand, expresses the changing state of water. The mirror-like surface of a pool of jet-black water is covered with ripples created by water droplets, which are accompanied by a precise and detailed sound. The installation is on display in Higashi-Mukojima between August 22 and September 5 (12noon-8pm, Sat & Sun 10am-8pm; advance reservation required).
The final event of Sumida River Storm and Urge is an online concert starting at midnight on September 4 and running until 5am on September 5. You can look forward to performances by musicians Kom_i and Goma, live painting artist Akiko Nakayama, and others. The entire show will be live-streamed from the observation deck of Tokyo Skytree.