With life slowly transitioning back to a somewhat recognizable day to day we must still keep some of those lessons from the coronavirus pandemic in mind. So, as we all try our best to be social while social distancing TW is once again here to enhance your weekend with these museum and gallery exhibitions and online events.
1. From Japan To the World
For this June 13 online music festival, eight acts (from jazz musicians to city pop princes) come together – on YouTube. The four-hour show has a lineup catering to just about anyone’s tastes: composer Kan Sano, rapper-activist Akkogorrilla, trap artist Yayoi Daimon and more will take the virtual stage, striving to bring the world together through music.
3. Drag Queens Online Show vol.2
Enter a glittering new world of good times and glamour with an online Japanese drag show on June 13. In the month of international PRIDE celebrations, join MC Edamame Junko for a night of fun with divine drag queens Lil’GrandBitch, Babie-no-Bitch and Nikuyo performing social distancing safely from the Aisotope Lounge in the heart of Nichome.
4. Andrea Terceros in Studio
UltraSuperNew Gallery presents its second installation of In Studio – an entirely virtual glimpse into the creative process of a resident artist. This June, Bolivian painter Andrea Terceros makes the studio her home.
5. Ryan Sullivan x THE CLUB
American artist Ryan Sullivan launches his first solo exhibition in Japan at THE CLUB gallery at Ginza Six. This exhibition is available by appointment only, and home viewers can visit the gallery website for a virtual tour.
7. Enjoy a Green Tea Online with an Expert
Arigato Japan launched this virtual experience to help the foreign community discover Japanese green tea through an online video chat with an expert. Held Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (times vary), this one-hour sessions offers great conversation and the opportunity to learn the secrets of making a good cup of green tea.
8. Perfect Liars Club Alumni Special Show
Behind the Suspects Stories – a Perfect Liars Club Alumni Special Show on June 13 takes a slightly different interrogation route to interview some of its best-loved comedy suspects. Advance reservation and Zoom app are required to view the show.
“Wise,” Jad Fair
9. Jad Fair Solo Show: ‘Animal Friends’
This rescheduled solo exhibition showcases the paper cuttings by artist and musician Jad Fair, best known as the co-founder of alternative rock band Half Japanese. Based on the theme of animal, every piece on display was created for this exhibition, which is Fair’s fifth solo exhibition at Hiromart Gallery in Sekiguchi.
10. Learn Zazen Meditation Online
Zazen meditation comes from Zen Buddhism; it’s said to reveal insights into the nature of existence by focusing on the present moment. Streamed from the Taizo-in Zen Buddhist Temple in Kyoto, these meditation techniques can now be practiced from the comfort of your own home with this handy video guide.
11. Peter Doig
Scottish painter Peter Doig is known for his romantic, abstract landscapes and is considered one of the most important artists of his generation. This exhibition at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo is his first solo show in Japan and covers the artist’s career from his early work to his latest offerings.
12. Yasumasa Morimura: Ego Obscura, Tokyo 2020
For this exhibition at Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, which reopened on June 9 after temporary closure, Morimura appears as Emperor Hirohito, General Douglas MacArthur, Marilyn Monroe and Yukio Mishima – iconic figures deeply etched into the collective memory of the Japanese people.
13. Video Service ‘Amusement’ – Live Streaming
Produced by newly opened (and now unfortunately temporarily closed) live music venue SPREAD in Shimokitazawa, along with party organizer and record label Flattop, Video Service Amusement is delivering daily doses of sound and vision to support live artists and audiences affected by COVID-19.
14. NAMA!HO!SHOW!
S**t Kingz, also known as ST Kingz, is a world-renowned dance group who got their start on the US contest “Body Rock” in 2010. With their plans to tour in 2020 interrupted, they are delivering free dance lessons per stay-at-home orders – and now, an hour-long show on June 13 – through YouTube livestream.
Saya Okubo, They, 2020, Oil and acrylic on corrugated plastic sheeting, 182 x 150 cm ©︎ Saya OKUBO, courtesy of the artist and WAITINGROOM
15. Saya Okubo: They
Artist Saya Okubo will hold her second solo exhibition, They, in the span of two years at WAITINGROOM gallery this June. Okubo describes her work as an “act of exploring the existence of objects and people in two-dimensional space.”
16. Tokyo Online: Virtual Experience in Shibuya and Shinjuku with a Local Expert
Arigato Japan is hosting virtual experiences from Japan to share with the world online. Get to know their lineup of local experts and dive into Shibuya and Shinjuku through images, stories and more. Learn about ramen, yakitori and about the neighborhood’s famous mascots through a thorough explanation of Tokyo’s history.
17. Online Happy Hour & Cocktail Connection in Japan
Always wanted to learn more about Japanese food? In addition to a great conversation with other participants and an AMA, you’ll learn two cocktail recipes using ingredients that can be purchased at the convenience store (if you don’t have them at home already) as well as learning a few bar basics.
18. 10th Anniversary Exhibition: Dreamed Childhoods – Bonnard, the Nabis and Childhood
Explore 19th century Paris through the works of the Nabis, a group of painters who carried the transition from impressionism to symbolism, at Mitsubishi Ichogokan Museum, which reopened June 9.
Future and the Arts 3D Walkthrough, Photo courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
19. Stay Home, Stay Creative: MAM @ HOME
Though the museum’s doors have been closed for some time in order to help stop the spread of coronavirus, Mori Art Museum launched a new online initiative to allow visitors to enjoy, play and learn more about contemporary art while at home in quarantine.
20. Take A Trip To The Unko Museum Online
AR effects, crazy backgrounds for your devices and all the wakey installments you expect from the Unko Museum are all available at their online museum. The museum will stay online for the foreseeable future, plus you can always watch our in-depth coverage of the museum right here.
Rattle Around, 2019, Embroidery, oil stick on mounted paper, canvas, 20″ x 18″
21. Amanda Valdez: Rattle Around
In Amanda Valdez’s second solo exhibition in Japan, Rattle Around, Valdez showcases seven new paintings at Koki Arts gallery. The paintings are the first body of work Valdez has created since giving birth and thus the shapes and materials continually intersect images of nestling, vibrate and have a glow within themselves. This collection can also be viewed here from the comfort of your own home.
22. Escape From A Werewolf Village
The good people at SCRAP have created an escape room one can play online. Through onsite staff and video chat, you can make your way through the werewolf village, picking up clues and solving puzzles. The game can be accessed from anywhere in the world and is limited to 6 players a room.
23. Experience the Luxury of Andaz Tokyo
The good people at Andaz Tokyo have injected a little fun into the stay-at-home lifestyle by releasing some of their chefs’ recipes online with a specially created BGM playlist. Now we can all enjoy a little luxury from the comfort of our homes.
Watch the step-by-step directions for both recipes here and here.
24. Yomiuri Land Online Theme Park
Closed for the foreseeable future, Yomiuri Land created an online theme park for kids stuck at home. This virtual theme park consists of 17 different attractions including cute animal parks, roller coasters and more. Get together and enjoy the thrill of a theme park without having to wait in a single line.
25. Taiso Exercises
The Japan Gymnastics Association released a YouTube video of Taiso exercises performed by retired artistic gymnast Rie Tanaka and her brother, gymnast Yoshihisa Kobayashi. The home exercises are designed for all ages, including those with disabilities. For a complete workout, check out these 5 exercises you can do in a Tokyo apartment.
Nobuo Sekine and his Phase of Nothingness, (1969/1970) installed at the Japan Pavilion, 35th Venice Biennale, 1970, photo: Yoriko Kushigemachi
26. Blum & Poe Broadcasts
Blum & Poe uploaded a vast range of content online to make your weekends indoors that much more cultural. Most recently, Blum & Poe Broadcasts presents a tribute to the late Nobuo Sekine, one of the central figures of the Mono-ha movement in Japan. This month marks a year since his passing, the exhibition can be viewed here.
27. Enjoy An Orchestra Performance
In the midst of this global quarantine, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra is attempting to shine some light into our homes by releasing some of their live performances on their home page. Enjoy such performances as Music from Dragon Quest & Studio Ghibli, and more.
28. Frolic With Pandas
What better way to lighten the mood this weekend than with some adorable panda videos. The good people at Ueno zoo have updated their YouTube channel with videos of their newest panda Shan Shan, an energetic panda with a curious nature. These videos are exactly what’s needed to bring a smile to your face this weekend.
29. Tuttle Publishing Virtual Projects
The publisher of Asian-inspired books, gifts and craft kits is offering free online projects that are educational and fun. Three new online projects, including this calm-inducing video and coloring activities, are intended to help mothers entertain babies and young children.
30. Take a Virtual Tour of Japan With This New 360-Degree VR Video
Released on YouTube early 2018, the video is called “Japan – Where Tradition Meets the Future (VR)” and was created as part of JNTO’s tourism promotion campaign, “Visit Japan.” The digital tour is just that, an interesting virtual tour of the heights and peaks of Tokyo tower, the side streets of Kyoto and the bustling shopping districts of Osaka. The virtual tour makes traveling Japan possible from the comfort of your own home.
31. Virtually Visit A Japanese Museum
As museums were the first to be hit by the corona pandemic, it’s no surprise that they’d be some of the first to create their own digital events. Now from the comfort of your own home, you can visit a range of Japanese museums and galleries.
