This Week in Tokyo – 13 July 2021

Welcome to ‘This Week in Tokyo’, a review of the Maction Planet week that was and a look ahead to what’s coming up in the city. Hosted by Mac, our Founder and Lead Guide, you can check out photos from our tours and read insights into our explorations as we get under the skin of the World’s Greatest Metropolis, and beyond! This week: Light of Jingu; Yamatane Masterpiece Wagashi; Chichibu x Komagatake; Tokiwabashi Koi Slide and Looney Tunes at Itakura Shokuryou Hinten.

Light of Jingu: Last weekend, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows played their last games at Meiji Jingu Stadium before a summer of home fixtures at the Tokyo Dome during the Olympics and Paralympics. This is a function of Jingu’s proximity to the Olympic Stadium, making it an ideal site for storage during the period the games are running [pun intended]. I snapped this shot on Friday 9 July during the Swallow’s 4-3 vistory over the Toyo Hiroshima Carp. A beautiful night capped by a beautiful result. We continue…

Yamatane Masterpiece Wagashi: I was honoured to be invited to the Press Preview for the Yamatane Museum of Art’s latest exhibition: Selected Masterpieces of Ukiyo-e and Edo-Period Paintings from the Yamatane Collection ― from Sharaku and Hokusai to Rimpa School

This special exhibition commemoraties the 55th Anniversary of the Yamatane Museum of Art. The museum’s ukiyo-e print collection includes a large number of works by the six giants of ukiyo-e: Suzuki Harunobu, Torii Kiyonaga, Kitagawa Utamaro, Tōshūsai Sharaku, Katsushika Hokusai, and Utagawa Hiroshige I. This exhibition includes three of Sharaku’s highly individual bust-length actor portraits, Hokusai’s famous Red Fuji (Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji: Fine Wind, Clear Morning), the Hoeidō edition of Hiroshige’s Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road, and other treasures.

The Edo-period painting collection includes a comprehensive group of Rimpa School paintings, since it was the encounter of the museum’s founder, Yamazaki Taneji, back when he was a young man working at a rice shop, with the work of Sakai Hōitsu, an Edo Rimpa artist, that inspired him to collect art. The exhibition offers an opportunity to view highly distinctive masterpieces by artists of the major schools.

One major highlight of any exhibition at the Yamatane is the collaboration sweets. The museum Cafe Tsubaki, located on the first floor, sells wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) inspired by some of the pieces on display. The wagashi are made by the Kikuya confectionary, a shop in Aoyama established in 1935, and are a unique way to ‘taste’ the art and indulge in a full sensory experience of Japanese culture.

Chichibu x Komagatake: Kanpai Planet is proud to present one of the world’s first reviews of Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries Chichibu x Komagatake 2021 and Mars Whisky Malt Duo Komagatake x Chichibu 2021. We’re giving you a chance to get in on the ground floor of one of Japanese Whisky’s most exciting new developments, the first official stock swaps among two of Japan Whisky’s big 5 – the Chichibu Distillery and the Mars Shinshu Distillery. As per the usual, expect lots of historic tidbits and other edutainment in true Kanpai Planet fashion. It’s a whisky review like no other!

Tokiwabashi Koi Slide: This a slide, in the shape of the koi, just outside the Tokiwabashi Tower, one of Tokyo’s newest skyscrapers. Do I need to say any more?

Looney Tunes at Itakura Shokuryou Hinten: Itakura Shokuryou Hinten is one of my favourite local spots to shop for fruit and veg. I prefer it when they are open, but I don’t mind it when they close as I get to enjoy the Looney Tunes mural on the shutters, whether it’s rabbit season or duck season.

Maction Planet runs bespoke Private Tours and Experiences in Tokyo, and beyond. To book yours, or to purchase a gift card, contact us at info@mactionplanet.com

You can subscribe to the Maction Planet newsletter below, and follow all our adventures on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Mixcloud and YouTube.