The cicada sounds are definitely a sign that August is here. Considered one of the busiest travel months in Japan, there are undoubtedly many events and places to go to in August. Come hang with us on August 6 at our Tokyo Weekender issue party at Stump Base Annex for a night of live music and art exhibitions. Check out the other live performances, festivals and exhibitions that will have you excited for the whole week.
1. TW & MTM July-August 2022 Issue Party and Exhibition
Held all day at the stylish Stump Base Annex venue, the TW July-August 2022 issue party offers three different floors of entertainment plus a rooftop lounge space to relax, chat and make new friends. It’s like a mini-festival of art and music, with copies of the new TW issue to boot.
The event brings together six amazing performers. DJ Natsuki and DJ Niche are well-known in the Tokyo music scene. Tama Tsuboi is the charming lead of the Shamanz, whose chilled music gives off great summer vibes. Ar Syura is a dark jazz duo who play gorgeous music, while Elliot Cormack is an MTM favorite. J’nique is a phenomenal singer and, even if you haven’t heard her name before, you might have heard her voice. She sang the song “Weight of the World” on the cult classic video game NieR: Automata.
There will also be five amazing artists and photographers exhibiting their work throughout the venue. You can look forward to TW’s own collaborators and creatives: Ken Frog‘s paintings, Simon Kalajdjiev‘s glitch art, Solène Ballesta‘s interactive art installation, Lisa Knight’s dreamy photos and one of TW’s favorite cover photographers Allan Abbani’s photos.
An entry ticket also gets you free hors d’oeuvres and a free welcome drink. Other drinks will be available for a small fee, from craft beer to original cocktails.
There are three different ticket options and different prices. Choose between an all-day ticket, an afternoon ticket or an evening ticket.
Come hang out with us at one of the most amazing music and art events that this city has on offer right now.
Note: TW readers get a 10% discount on the event ticket by entering the code: TKYWD.
When: Aug 6 | More Info
2. Fresh Meat Drag Show
Eclectic drag house Haus von Schwarz is hosting “Fresh Meat,” a fundraising drag show to support the medical expenses of Filipina trans woman and former immigration bureau detainee Miwa-chan. Miwa-chan was detained in solitary confinement in the Shinagawa detention center from July 2019 to October 2020. She experienced transphobic, racist and xenophobic treatment by the officers.
Visitors can expect the usual talented performances by this alternative, goth drag haus with the added benefit of supporting a noble cause.
Doors will open at 7pm, show start at 7:30pm.
When: Aug 5 | More Info
3. Asagaya Balinese Dance Festival
Visitors can enjoy performances by Japanese and Balinese dancers and performers in the 21st annual Asagaya Balinese Dance Festival. It’s the first time in three years that the festival is taking place. Visitors can enjoy both the lively performances and at the same time admire the brightly-colored paper decorations of the Asagaya Tanabata Festival. Performances include both classical Balinese dances and modern Balinese dances, as well as rare local performing arts. There will also be stalls selling Indonesian beer, drinks and snacks.
When: Aug 6-7 | More Info
4. Haus of Gaishoku Beauty Blenda Performance
Haus of Gaishoku will perform their monthly Beauty Blenda event, which features a cabaret of talented performers from around the world. The show will feature everything from contortionists and pole dancers to voguers and electro dancers along with drag queens and kings. From the humor of the drag queen MCs to the beauty of the diverse performances, it’s a show that everyone will love.
Doors open at 4pm but the show starts at 5pm.
When: Aug 6 | More Info
5. Ai Yazawa Exhibition
“All Time Best,” a long-awaited exhibition by the popular manga artist Ai Yazawa, will be held at Shinjuku Takashimaya before departing to other cities in Japan. Yazawa has produced many popular works, including Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai, a milestone in romance manga, Neighborhood Story, Kagen no Tsuki, Paradise Kiss, and the iconic Nana, a manga (and a subsequent anime) from the 1990s.
The exhibition will feature more than 100 original drawings and illustrations by Yazawa, as well as carefully selected items from related materials that have never been shown to the public before. Original merchandise will be available for purchase too.
When: Until Aug 8 | More Info
6. Blast Cult Sonic Religion Party
The Blast Cult team will be visiting Japan at the beginning of August and they have many surprises in store. They will be launching new products and hosting fantastic events, the first of which will be a party on August 4 at Cross, a new venue in Chofu.
RSVP to [email protected] for a night of your favorite Sonic Religion.
When: Aug 4 | More Info
Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli
7. Leslie Hewitt Exhibition: “Index Array”
American artist Leslie Hewitt presents a series of photographs composed of diptychs that capture the sunrise and her sensory experience of 20th century sculptor Dan Flavin’s light installation, “untitled” (Marfa Project), 1996. Her pieces are the result of research from her residency at the Chinati Foundation in West Texas. Set in wooden box frames, Hewitt’s pieces create three-dimensional qualities that allow viewers to experience the art from different angles and question the optics of each piece.
When: Until Aug 20 | More Info
