Run by Toppan Printing Company, this medium-size museum explores "printing culture," showing off interesting examples of both printed word and image. You can admire beautifully illustrated books from the 18th and 19th centuries, and see the differences between various artistic techniques such as wood cuts, engravings, etchings, dry point and lithographs. Antique printing presses from various... [Continue reading]

This intimate jazz club has been an important part of Tokyo's jazz scene since 1974, moving to Shibuya from their previous Omotesando location in October 2021. There's a full calendar of live music with shows every night - mostly local artists, but with a fair number of international artists represented as well. Generally you can stay for both evening sets, and there's a menu of light food as well as... [Continue reading]

Open since June 2019, PARCEL showcases up-and-coming Japanese and international artists, typically in month-long shows. The main exhibition area is a two-level space just to the left of the entrance to the DDD Hotel, but they have an exhibit area in the hotel lobby as well. There's also a sister branch called "parcel" (all lower-case) just around the corner at Nihonbashi-Bakurocho 2-2-14... [Continue reading]

If you can't get enough of Pepper, the odd-looking humanoid robot often found lurking in SoftBank shops, now you can visit a cafe staffed by an army of Peppers. There's a crew at the cafe's reception desk to greet you, and individual Peppers at most tables to take your order and make you feel at home, assuming your home happens to be filled with resident humanoid robots. As the cafe's website... [Continue reading]

Fifty years after his manga debut, the time-traveling robotic cat now has his first official shop, fashioned vaguely after a 20th-century European department store. As you'd expect, it's jam-packed with Doraemon character goods, many of them exclusive to this location. There are plush toys and figurines, coffee mugs and bento boxes, piggy banks and stationery supplies, plus a whole wall of DVD... [Continue reading]

Do you love looking at architectural models, but simply can't spare enough time during the day? If so, then this late-night architecture-model cafe might be just the place for you. Wander around the spacious interior and draw inspiration from miniatures of iconic works like Le Corbusier's "Villa Savoye," Mario Botta's "House in Ligornetto," OMA's "Maison Bordeaux," and Philip Johnson's "Glass... [Continue reading]

Designed by architect Tadao Ando and completed in 2007, the low-slung museum building is designed to fit harmoniously with its surroundings, with 80% of its very limited floor space placed underground. Inspired by Issey Miyake's clothing design, the building uses a single, 54-meter sheet of folded steel plate as its roof. The museum's temporary exhibitions are not limited to the visual arts,... [Continue reading]

Taro Nasu first opened his namesake contemporary art gallery in 1988, moving it in 2019 to its current location alongside several other galleries in the very arty Piramide Building in Roppongi. The gallery represents two dozen well-established Japanese and international artists, many of them leaning toward the conceptual-art end of the spectrum, and there are six to eight shows each year. [Continue reading]

Put together your own Tokyo architecture walking tour with this index of notable Tokyo buildings by architect... [Continue reading]

Visiting Starbucks Reserve Roastery is a far more interactive and immersive experience than simply going to a coffee shop - it feels more like a trip to a coffee-themed amusement park, with different attractions on each of the building's four levels. This huge 3000-square-meter retail space is the largest Starbucks branch in... [Continue reading]

The Cubar Lounge on the fourth floor of Tokyo Dome's bowling facility is a dimly lit and somewhat more relaxed setting than your usual bowling alley, with a full-service bar, comfortable sofas and original artwork by artist Taro Okamoto on the wall. Drinks include beer, wine, cocktails, several types of whiskey, tequila shots... [Continue reading]

BankArt Station, spread out over 1,500 square meters inside Shin-Takashima Station, is the largest of several Yokohama galleries run by the government-supported BankArt 1929 arts program, and it's probably the best venue for contemporary art in Yokohama. In addition to two large exhibition areas there's also a museum shop, a... [Continue reading]