Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2013

As the temperature slides and people emerge from their air-con cocoons, Tokyo undergoes an autumnal awakening, accompanied by Tokyo Creative Weeks. Part of the Tokyo Culture Creation Project, it offers five intensive weeks packed with more than 50 high-quality art, music and performance programs. These events are designed for residents as much as tourists, Japanese as much as foreigners, art experts as much as cultural newbies.

The Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony 2013 offers a tranquil, interactive tea-culture experience among the luscious grounds of the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum out west, or in a landscaped garden immersed in downtown Tokyo. Audiophiles shouldn’t miss Music Weeks In Tokyo 2013, which showcases the TCW ethos of blending old and new in various treats of musical juiciness at several Tokyo venues. And Art Access Adachi: Downtown Senju—Connecting through Sound Art is a free public platform for some happening young artists to ply their trade.

Other events include Sound Live Tokyo, a radical live performance using sound and music in edgy expressive ways, the last chance to see a striking exhibition by Japanese luminary Tadashi Kawamata and an international conference on economy through the lens of art. See the website for more details.

http://tcw2013.jp

Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony 2013

Choose from the stunning grounds of a unique museum or the landscaped splendor of the Hamarikyu Gardens, where an English ceremony gives you precious insight into the ritual’s profound beauty.

Sep 28-29, 10am-5pm, Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. Nearest stn: Musashi-Koganei. Oct 12-13, 9:30am-4:30pm. Hamarikyu Gardens. Nearest stn: Shiodome.

Music Weeks In Tokyo 2013

A series of unique events promoting the joy of music. In Jazz meets Classic, Legendary Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone and Grammy-winning teams up with sax clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera to serve up classical concertos by Mozart and Rachmaninoff, followed by a session of serious jazz. The Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra provides a fitting backdrop.
Oct 26, 3pm, ¥5,000. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno.
Oct 27, 3pm, ¥5,000. Parthenon Tama. Nearest stn: Tama Center.

Art Access Adachi: Downtown Senju—Connecting through Sound Art

Immerse yourself in an unforgettable world of light and soap bubbles with Memorial Rebirth. The “Shabon Odori”—soap-bubble dance—fuses Shinji Ohmaki’s performance-art creation with the traditional Japanese summer dance of Bon Odori.
Memorial Rebirth Senju 2013 Joto: Oct 19, 4-4:30pm & 7-7:30pm, free. Senju Joto elementary school yard. Nearest stn: Kita-Senju.