This Week in Tokyo – 28 May 2019

The latest edition of This Week in Tokyo – a review of the Maction Planet week that was and a look ahead to what’s coming up in and beyond the city. 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’s edition, rounding out a fully-booked month for Maction Planet, is hosted by Mac, our Founder and Lead Guide. This week: Hiyonoyama and Makkumaru REMATCH!; Choi Jeong Hwa’s Fruit Tree; Wild Wisteria in Nikko; Baseball for all and Lily lets it go! 

Featured image – Hiyonoyama and Makkumaru REMATCH!: It has been a pleasure sharing my love of Sumo with our guests over the last two weeks at the 2019 May Grand Tournament. On 24 May I attend with the Fallow family and I couldn’t resist snapping another shot with Sumo mascot Hiyonoyama. During the last tournament in Tokyo Hiyonoyama’s assistant gave me my Sumo name “MakkuMaru”.

Congratulations to Asanoyama on his first Sumo Championship victory from all at Maction Planet. He is the first maegashira-ranked wrestler to secure a title since 1961!

Choi Jeong Hwa’s Fruit Tree: This was the centrepiece of 2019 Roppongi Art Night, filling the Roppongi Hills Arena with colour and transforming the space into a magical garden. Choi Jeong Hwa was born 1961 in Seoul, South Korea. He represented South Korea at the Venice Biennale in 2005 and has participated in art festivals worldwide. You may recognise some of Choi Jeong Hwa’s recent work as he was art director for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeong Chang.

Wild Wisteria in Nikko: Heading off-the-beaten-track in Nikko will lead to witnessing incredible views like these! All part of a Greater Nikko Day Tour with Maction Planet for the Fallows, who I personally hosted for 3 days in Tokyo as well as planning their Pan-Japan Tour including several days of guiding from Maction Planet guides in Kyoto and Hiroshima!

Baseball for all: Fun for all the family at Meiji Jingu Stadium… especially when the Tokyo Yakult Swallows score back-to-back-to-back home runs for the second time this season! Sadly that wasn’t enough to prevent us from losing this game to the Chunichi Dragons 10-8. It was however more than enough to bring joy to the hearts of the fans and much singing of the Tokyo Ondo, with all my guests joining in! Thank you for choosing Maction Planet!

Lily lets it go: One of the funnest Maction Planet Karaoke sessions of all time took place prior to the aforementioned baseball. Highlight was Lily leading a rousing rendition of ‘Let it Go’ – from the Disney film ‘Frozen’… but I’m sure you already knew that!

Maction Planet runs bespoke Private Tours and Experiences in Tokyo, and beyond. To book yours, contact us at info@mactionplanet.com

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