This Week in Tokyo – 6 April 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: Daibutsu and Sakura; Hachiko and Sakura; Tokyo Midtown Spring; teamLab Digitized Kairakuen and Kanpai Planet on Shochu’sday.

As we come to the end of Sakura season in Tokyo, we kick off this edition of ‘This Week in Tokyo’ with photos of a couple of Greater Tokyo icons enjoying the Cherry Blossoms – some true ‘Peak Japan’ photography!

Featured image – Daibutsu and Sakura: The Giant Buddha of Kamakura lives at Kotoku-in Temple. The statue, built in 1252, has become a symbol of Japan. There is only one Cherry Blossom tree in the main part of the temple grounds, but it is wonderfully positioned to allow you to take photos like the one above!

Hachiko and Sakura: The world’s most famous dog also gets to enjoy Cherry Blossom season with some trees in front of and behind his statue at Hachiko Square in Shibuya.

Tokyo Midtown Spring: Spring is in full swing in Tokyo, and that guarantees one thing: Corporate tie-ins! At Tokyo Midtown they are holding the 2021 edition of their Midtown Blossom event, incorporating some outstanding displays from this year’s ‘Flower Art Award.’

teamLab Digitized Kairakuen: Kairakuen Garden in Mito, Ibaraki, was created in 1842. It is considered to be one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan alongside Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa and Korakuen Garden in Okayama. Kairakuen Garden is home to 3,000 plum trees of around 100 varieties.

teamLab’s art project Digitized Nature explores how nature can become art. The concept of the project is that non-material digital technology can turn nature into art without harming it. With this philosophy guiding them, teamLab transformed the majestic landscape of Kairakuen into an unforgettable, interactive experience. It ran from 1 March to 4 April and I was one of the lucky ones who got to enjoy it. In the photo, I’m at one with Autonomous Resonating Life and the Resonating Giant Cedar Forest!

Kanpai Planet on Shochu’sday: I was honoured to be a guest on Japan Distilled’s Shochu’sday on 31 March, where I discussed the origins and evolution of our new sister platform, Kanpai Planet, which focuses on the world of Japanese drinks! If you missed it, the live stream is archived for all eternity here.

By the way, if you haven’t watched any of the content and/or subscribed to the Kanpai Planet YouTube channel, now is the time! I have huge plans for the channel. I suggest getting in on the ground floor!

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.