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Where to machine wash your dog in Tokyo

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:55:01 +0000

International media has gone barking mad over a dog washing machine located in suburban Joyful Honda 'home centers.' Here's some help in actually visiting one

Thank you, production crew, for not showing a pet owner throw their cat in this contraption. (Video by YouTube user AssociatedPress)

This week, nearly every single international news outlet reported on an automatic dog washing machine in Japan, all using the exact same footage. For comparison's sake, here is the BBC version (classy British overdubbed narration), the AP version (above, with that bizarre American news announcer intonation) and the Telegraph UK (completely silent). Big year-end bonuses for whatever production company supplied that video.

After seeing that poor pooch desperately scratching at the dog washing machine window, you'll no doubt be raring to throw your own dirty mutt in the warm wash cycle. The good news is that Japan Probe points us to the actual location of these machines: the Joyful Honda chain of 'home center' superstores. The bad news is that they are all out in the middle of nowhere.

On Joyful Honda's list of locations, the most reasonable stores were very, very sadly Yachiyo in Chiba (52 mins from Ueno on a train stop called Murakami) or Mizuho in Nishi-Tama-gun (West Tokyo but requires a car). Canine rights activists should rest assured that only suburban dogs will be subjected to such hygiene-based torture.

There was a rival brand of dog washing machines called Lavakan (developed in Spain, by the way), which did something Joyful Honda's machine could not: wash big dogs. The main machine was located at the relatively close location of Komazawa in a dog cafe called Biscotti. But alas, the cafe seems to have gone out of business. Perhaps washing dogs is not something that actually requires the use of a machine.

Tags: Joyful Honda, dog washing machine, dog wash Tokyo

Proposed bluefin tuna ban rejected, crushed and thwarted

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:30:20 +0000

The UN wildlife body soundly cut down the proposed bluefin tuna ban after heavy lobbying by Japan and China

The proposal to ban trade in bluefin tuna has been rejected. The proposed cross-border commerce in Atlantic bluefin tuna ban was soundly beaten at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha with the voting 68 against, 20 for, and 30 abstentions. Two-thirds was needed to win.

Seen in the picture above is Patrick van Klaveren, head of the Monaco delegation, who appears pretty happy and friendly towards Masanori Miyahara of Japan.

While Klaveren may appear outwardly friendly towards Miyahara, he was quoted in the AFP article as saying Nature will smite those guilty bluefin fishing parties, "It will not be CITES that is the ruin of professional (fisheries), it will be nature that lays down the sanction, and it will be beyond appeal."

With a single bluefin tuna having been known to go for US$160,000 at auction, the result is hardly a surprise. Japanese fisheries are happy, while conservationists and environmentalists are down but not out. They surely will not give up the bluefin battle, but may turn attention to other causes for the time being.

The Channel News Asia AFP article stated, "The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warned that another expensive delicacy, caviar, had pushed sturgeon into the most threatened creature on the planet."

So while PETA's ploy to have us all thinking of fish as cute little "sea kittens" may seem absurd, the act of eating bluefin could for some people continue to fuel a guilty conscious as long as it remains a legal dish (as opposed to some of the ones listed on this list.)

Main source: Channelnewsasia.com

Tags: Tokyo sushi, sushi, bluefin tuna

iPress Cafe brings the impossible: Free WiFi in Shibuya

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

The word 'café' may be a stretch, but pull up a chair, buy yourself a ¥120 can of coffee and abuse someone else's IP for a change

In the age of deflation, free is the new premium price level. (Video from YouTube user ken3net)

In Tokyo you have an equal chance of finding a café with free WiFi as you do stumbling upon the location of secret samurai treasure. Epiport may have massively increased our odds, however, by introducing us to iPress Cafe -- a free space in Tokyo that offers a WiFi signal for iPhone and iPod users.

'Café' may be a stretch. The space is just a 'chillout spot' with vending machines. But hey, if you are too cheap to buy one of those city-wide WiFi passes, you are also likely going to prefer a ¥120 can of Georgia coffee over a ¥650 hot cafe latte down the street at Udagawacho Cafe.

If you are feeling guilty about stealing all that Internet time without giving back to iPress, feel free to purchase some iPhone accessories on the first floor.

iPRESS CAFE Shibuya: 3F and 4F, Udagawa-cho 25-6, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 5456 6034, 12pm-8pm, www.ipressmedia.com

Tags: wifi in Tokyo, Tokyo wifi, Shibuya cafes, cafes with wifi

Tokyo's 5 best hotel high tea experiences

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:56:10 +0000

The best way to while away the pre-evening hours is over tea and treats in an elegant hotel lobby

Just as the aristocratic ladies of 19th century England gathered in the drawing rooms of stately homes to gossip and share society news over cups of milky tea, cucumber sandwiches (sans crusts) and sweets, modern women meet at friends' apartments, the office cafeteria and the local cafés to banter and reconnect.

However, taking afternoon tea at Tokyo's smartest hotels raises this crucial ritual to an aesthetic indulgence. There are moist and fluffy scones, delectable selections of finger sandwiches, sinfully indulgent cakes and an endless choice of tea -- not to mention the attentive staff, live music and luxurious and glamorous surroundings.

So which Tokyo hotels are best for a gossip with the girls?

The Ritz-Carlton: Heavenly 'Heavenly Tea'

The 'highest' place in the city to have afternoon tea is The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo. Heavenly Tea (¥4,300) is offered in the sleek and modern Lobby Lounge located on the 45th floor of the tallest building in Tokyo. The only thing better than the cachet of taking tea at the Ritz is the incredible view of the city.

Kazuhiro Izumi, manager of Lobby Lounge and Bar, recommends the rooibos tea scented with berries, apricots and honey. The tea makes a good counterpoint to the citron scone with lashings of clotted cream and Wilkin & Sons preserves. And all choices can be enjoyed against a pleasant background of live piano. As Izumi says, "Afternoon tea is a nice experience to give yourself, and we certainly provide this for the ladies."

Peninsula: A global tradition

The Peninsula chain, meanwhile, is famous as a tea destination the world over, due to the iconic reputation of The Peninsula Hong Kong's afternoon tea. "The Lobby Classic Afternoon Tea Set" (¥3,600) at Peninsula Tokyo is rooted in British custom and as authentic as it comes. "This is why it is appreciated and loved by all," states Mark Kobayashi, The Peninsula Tokyo's director of public relations. Tea is served in cups of eggshell-thin bone china, accompanied by dainty sweets, like the fromage mousse and chocolate and pistachio pound cake. Since The Peninsula is a freestanding hotel, the chic lobby has a thriving pulse and makes for the perfect place to people watch.

The Shangri-La: Generous servings

Afternoon tea (¥3,900) at The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo is served in the classic 'three plate' style with extremely generous servings (three different types of scones compared to the usual two). The hotel further strengthens the tea experience with a welcome sweet and a selection of final mignardises. The warm tones and understated elegance of the 28th floor Lobby Lounge ensures that guests feel ensconced in their own private bubble. Oliver Weber, executive chef, describes the lounge as a sanctuary within Tokyo: "Our flower displays, artwork and extensive chandeliers all contribute to create a guest experience which is unique."

The Four Seasons Tokyo at Chinzan-so: Escape Tokyo for a few hours, in Tokyo

Miki Takemura from the Communications department of The Four Seasons Tokyo at Chinzan-so says their afternoon tea (¥3,000) is the ideal place to relax and enjoy nature. The hotel sits on a 66,000 square meter site, and the Japanese-style garden has one of the oldest three-storied pagodas still remaining in Tokyo. "In summer, people come and admire the fireflies and in autumn, the changing leaves. The garden is to be admired with each passing season."

Located thirty minutes from the city, guests at Chinzan-so have the impression they're in the countryside rather than in the middle of the world's largest megalopolis. The seasonal tea menu, with specialties such as green rooibos with strawberry cream, further enhances the experience of escape by tuning into the rhythm of the garden.

Mandarin Oriental: No cucumber, only originals

The Legendary Afternoon Tea (¥3,800) at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo retains some traditional elements but with an Asian twist. As Naoya Sugino, the Oriental Lounge manager explains, "The seasonal sweets collection is served in an Oriental style small display shelf, not in a typical English-style three-tiered stand. The sandwiches are served with seasonal ingredients like foie gras paste and pear puree or egg, olive and dried tomato tart. Not the typical ones with cucumber. Each item is new or unique and not in a typical style."

At the Mandarin Oriental, twenty different kinds of fine tea are served by the cup. Guests can order as many as they like while admiring the views of Mt Fuji from the 38th floor. Many ladies wittle away their time here until the sun sets and changes the color of the night sky.

(Note: All prices below do not include the additional 10% service charge)

Tags: Peninsula Tokyo, Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, afternoon tea in Tokyo, afternoon tea

Cyber cute: Marc by Marc Jacobs launches their S/S 2010 live over the web

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

American brand taps Japanese celebrities MEGUMI and Mao Inoue to model their latest styles -- live, in front of the entire internet

Fashion voyeurism just got a little sweeter. At last night's Marc by Marc Jacobs S/S 2010 preview party held at the Harajuku store (Jingumae 4-25-18, Shibuya-ku), video cameras nearly outnumbered guests as the brand encouraged both established media and cyberspace reporters to beam images of the flirty clothes as well as the invited celebrities directly to their respective websites.

Computers and Sony's new handheld Bloggie camera were on hand so guests could blog at their whim, and popular street snap site Dropsnap streamed video live during the entire party.

"Utilizing these tools has been done in other instances before so it's not completely innovative, but I think we are the first to do it in Japan," said Martin Webb, marketing & communications director for Marc Jacobs Japan, who is a blogger himself.

Of course, the idea only works if people have something to blog about, and that fodder was provided by a trio of "it"-girl models who kicked off the preview by parading a few key looks for the season. "ViVi" model Kiko Mizuhara, TV personality MEGUMI, and "Hana Yori Dango" star Mao Inoue held the rapt attention of all -- until the champagne kicked in. And if any subsequent dirt went down, it will have been recorded at #marc2010 faster than one could say #donteventhinkaboutwitteringthat.

More pictures from the event can be seen at Mai Sassy Girl and Ena's Glam Blog.

Tags: Megumi, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Japanese fashion, Inoue Mao

An adult matter for comics: Manga sales down

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:10:47 +0000

NHK reports on a 9.4% drop in manga magazine sales over the last year, blaming manga cafes and consumer disinterest

NHK reports that Japan's manga comic market has seen a 6.6% drop over the last year to ¥418.7 billion -- the largest recorded decline in history.

According to The Research Institute for Publications, manga magazines in particular were down 9.4% from the previous year to ¥191.3 billion -- the first time since 1991 that this market peaked under ¥200 billion. Analysts blame the lack of hit titles, general anemic consumption stemming from the recession and the proliferation of manga fans reading titles at manga cafes rather than purchasing magazines and books at stores.

While the decline of the manga market is bad enough for publishers and comic authors, these circumstances may also have a profound impact on the total entertainment industry. Manga has traditionally been the initial creative source for anime, live action TV shows and feature films. So with fans' sales as the only way to measure popularity, producers may not know which new comic series to adapt to another medium. Hence we can expect lots and lots of remakes of old manga in coming years. Hey, it worked for 2009 box office smash "Rookies"!

Tags: otaku culture, NHK, manga, Japanese manga

Electro-pop prince: An interview with Yasutaka Nakata of Capsule

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:00:18 +0000

Hit producer of idol group Perfume is back with a new album "Player" from his main outfit capsule. He talks about manipulating vocals, the ease of producing for others and the energy of Harajuku

Emerging out of the tail end of the Shibuya-kei scene with the group capsule in 2001, Yasutaka Nakata has gone on to become one of Japan's most influential pop producers. His energetic electro-pop style has graced many film and TV soundtracks, and now thanks to his work with idol phenomenon Perfume, has penetrated the world of mainstream J-Pop.

Influenced more by the style culture of Tokyo's premier fashion district Harajuku than by the vinyl-hunting sensibility of forebearers like Pizzicato Five or Fantastic Plastic Machine, Nakata and capsule have maintained a connection with the shopping area. The group's forthcoming show at the Harajuku Collection fashion event on March 21 (ironically held all the way out in Ariake) coincides with the group's recently-released collection of postmodern electro-pop, "Player."

For samples of Nakata's work, listen to a preview of the new capsule track "Stay with You" and the Perfume classic "Polyrhythm" on YouTube.

CNNGo: Your recent work seems to focus less on (regular capsule singer) Toshiko Koshijima, and more on other, rather mysterious vocalists.

Yasutaka Nakata: I've been doing this for a while now, so I don't think that the percentage on this album is different. I just sampled those singers, so I just picked them up and don't actually know who they are (laughs). In some cases I've changed the voice so much that it doesn't even matter who they are.

CNNGo: On "Player" there seem to be an awful lot of British accents.

Nakata: Coincidence!

CNNGo: You recently completed the soundtrack to the new "Liar Game" movie as well as a new capsule album. Which did you find easier?

Nakata: It's more difficult to do capsule's music. With something like a soundtrack or producing music for other artists (such as Perfume, MEG, etc.) I'm working with a particular theme. So there's obviously less freedom, but it's easier to do. If the music I make works with the scene, then it's been effective, and we can say it's good music. With capsule I have 100% freedom, which is much more difficult. I have to make that judgement by myself, with no external criteria to measure it against.

CNNGo: You're credited with "music, lyrics, production, mixing and mastering," as well as being listed as "art director, designer and stylist." It seems like you enjoy making your life difficult.

Nakata: Yeah (laughs.) There are times where I've worked differently on different projects, but in the case of capsule, I feel the group should be involved in all aspects of the production. I do like collaborating with other artists, and I enjoy remixing, but with capsule it's not the right time now. It's just a matter of time. In the future I might want to bring in some other people.

CNNGo: Do you feel there's a difference between playing in a club environment and doing shows at fashion events?

Nakata: It's interesting, because we played an afternoon gig at LaForet the other week, so there was a whole audience there who are too young to come and see us at a club. What we've got to hope is that we'll be able to see these same kids at our club shows after they turn 20.

CNNGo: It seems that the fashion scene in Tokyo has much less of the sort of "invitation only" elitism of the West.

Nakata: Being in fashion is more like being in a band. In Harajuku there are lots of students who just get together and start putting on fashion events. It's not professional but it's really accessible for everyone -- just like being in a band. That's what gives Harajuku its energy: the fact that there are so many people who are so passionate about it, and its not based on commercialism. There are a lot of brands in Harajuku who can just about pay for the cost of living but they're not really making money. But even so, they're still really cutting-edge, cool brands.

CNNGo: Nevertheless, your show at Harajuku Collection is a pretty big deal with some very big name sponsors.

Nakata: Perhaps what attracts such kinds of sponsors to an event like this is that the people involved are so young and have this particular kind of energy. At least, that's how I feel about the show, so it's my guess that other people might feel the same way. The other interesting thing about the Harajuku Collection is that the models aren't really 'supermodels.' They're the kind of people where you might say, "Oh, they're really cool," but there's not the same distance. It's like, "If I try really hard, I could be like him or her."

CNNGo: I'd have thought the main reason is that the sponsors think they can make money out of it, so there also must be a sense that this kind of less elitist approach has a lot of commercial value too.

Nakata: With normal fashion shows, the brand comes first. In Tokyo it's a bit different in that people will come along to see a particular model, and then maybe in two or three years time, those people might be able to become a model themselves just by really immersing themselves in the culture. So yeah, perhaps this is an emerging trend in Tokyo.

FIFT's 'wipe shirt': Clean your iPhone in style

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

A Japanese husband and wife design team come up with a 21st century functional take on the white button-up shirt

Japanese husband and wife design team FIFT have offered a new product called the "wipe shirt" -- a crisp white button-up long-sleeve shirt with a small patch of black microfiber material on the shirttail or cuff for cleaning glasses and gadget screens. Never again will you have to stuff a separate wiping cloth in your pockets for dirty phone emergencies.

Katsunari and Ami Igarashi founded FIFT in 2008 and got in the news last year for their minimalist eninal wall-hanging tissue box (¥18,900) and wall-hanging magnet TRAY (¥18,900). From the looks of their website, the wipe shirt is their third product to date and first foray into fashion.

Currently on sale at e-commerce site Novelax, the wipe shirt comes in two varieties: the shirttail model (¥13,650) and the cuff model (¥13,650). Each comes in sizes S, M, L and XL, although the XL are almost gone on the shirttail version (we suspect overseas buyers!). The S size, by the way, works as a slightly loose ladies size.

Knowing small Japanese design companies, supplies of this shirt are surely limited, so if you want to pick up a wipe shirt, our advice is to order ASAP. And it's really win-win -- no more wearing that boxy dress shirt from Seiyu, no more fingerprint-covered device screens.

(Hat tip Spoon & Tamago.)

Tags: wipe shirt, Japanese fashion, iphone, husband and wife design team

Snack Nation: Nozaki's Corned Beef Mayo corn snacks

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

The Japanese nation is undecided about corned beef, but Frito Lay may have delivered a snack that will change hearts and minds

Corned beef -- known as "corn beef" in Japan -- has managed to attain a culinary presence in Japan but not a particularly auspicious one. NYC deli-style corned beef sandwiches are a rarity, and the brine-cured beef is best known in its can form -- basically like Japanese spam.

A favorite way to enjoy corned beef in Japan is to rip its dehydrated sinews out of the can and breath in some life with mayonaise. This gives the salty rich flavor a compliment of fatty tang. Could this also possibly be an ideal combination for a potato chip or other bagged snack?

American company Frito Lay has made good on such lofty dreams by teaming up with Nozaki's Corned Beef -- holders of the coveted web address cornedbeef.jp -- for a new convenience store favorite Nozaki's Corned Beef corn snacks. Frito Lay takes Nozaki's cured meat-in-a-can flavor and drapes it on top of an incredibly crispy cylinder-shaped corn snack.

The result is very good, and the corn snacks get bonus points for sticking in the teeth just like Frito Lay's large-size Cheetos puffs. The only downside is that the snacks taste like a fully-realized sandwich, making them too powerful to have as a side. But as a party snack or afternoon treat, we highly recommend them.

Nozaki's Corned Beef corn snacks, ¥120.

Tags: snack nation, Nozaki's Corned Beef

A guide to Tokyo's top theater districts

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:50:56 +0000

There may be no Broadway or West End in Tokyo but there is plenty of theater happening in the city from world-famous musicals to avant-garde experimental plays

First things first. Don't be under any delusions: There is no Broadway or West End in Tokyo. That being said, there's plenty of theater -- both fringe and commercial -- but it's definitely not located in a single part of town. Even when 'theater districts' have emerged, it's not consumer-friendly places like Shibuya or Roppongi, but rather run-down or out-of-the way areas.

Surveying at a glance all the theatres in the city -- from the large blockbuster venues to the tiny karaoke room-space studios -- is an impossible task, and you'd be better off just looking at listings. We should also add that there are a multitude of big commercial theatres like Gekidan Shiki and Akasaka ACT Theater with musicals and shows meant for mass audiences.

But by digging a bit deeper we find some key locations in the city filled with performers and playwrights who are pushing traditional theatrical boundaries, and offer more than just entertainment.

Shimokitazawa: Tokyo's underground theater mecca

We have to begin here, west Tokyo's Shimokitazawa, with its winding streets and overlapping railway lines, crammed with cafés, clothing shops and alternagirls. Nestled among them is the city's best and probably most concentrated collection of fringe theaters. Though many are tiny, many of the country's top companies bring their work here.

The relatively large Honda Gekijou (Kitazawa 2-10-15, Setagaya-ku, tel. 03 3468 0030, www.honda-geki.com/honda.html) is always at the top of the city's theater rankings. Productions here come from established and successful writer-directors and usually sell out.

The other venues, though smaller (and often tiny), have a lot of rapport in their intimacy, and tickets are cheaper, often between ¥2,000 and ¥3,000.

Even if not attending a show, it can be fun to walk around and watch the crowds milling near the theaters before and after performances. In a city of ever-changing facades and buildings, here is one of the few examples of an urban theater community in Japan.

Train station: Shimo-Kitazawa, Komaba-Toudaimae

Theaters:
Ekimae Gekijou (Taro Biru 3F Kitazawa 2-11-8, Setagaya-ku, tel. 03 3414 0019, www.honda-geki.com/ekimae.html)
Off Off Theater (Taro Biru 3F Kitazawa 2-11-8, Setagaya-ku, tel. 03 3424 3755, www.honda-geki.com/offoff.html)
Geki (Kitazawa 2-6-6, Setagaya-ku, tel. 03 3466 0020, www.honda-geki.com/gekisyogekijo.html)
Suzunari (Kitazawa 1-45-15, Setagaya-ku, tel. 03 3468 0080, www.honda-geki.com/suzunari.html)
Rakuen (B1F Kitazawa 2-10-18, Setagaya-ku, tel. 03 3466 0903, www.honda-geki.com/rakuen.html)
Theatre 711 (Kitazawa 1-45-15, Setagaya-ku, tel. 03 3469 9711, www.honda-geki.com/711.html)
Komaba Agora Gekijou (Komaba 1-11-13, Meguro-ku, tel. 03 3467 2743, www.komaba-agora.com)

Hatsudai: High drama

A trip to the edge of Shinjuku finds Tokyo's equivalent of the Centre Pompidou. Opera City has a gallery and a concert hall, while the neighboring New National Theater (Honmachi 1-1-1, Shibuya-ku, tel. 03 5351 3011, www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english) is Japan's premier public-funded drama institution. Almost all of its productions are in-house: Everything from Shakespeare to ballet to contemporary foreign drama in translation. Its choice of obscure plays (to Japanese audiences, at least) and ambitious classical revivals, however, has led to weak box office -- and even calls from peers for its dismantlement.

Train station: Hatsudai

Ikebukuro: Serious theater in a gritty hood

In stark contrast to the laidback hip of Shimokitazawa, Ikebukuro is an area with a rather dowdy reputation. Toshima-ku is aware of this fact and taking steps to change it, not least helping to organize Japan's main international theater festival F/T (Festival Tokyo).

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space (Nishi-ikebukuro 1-8-1, Toshima-ku, tel. 03 5391 2111, www.geigeki.jp/english) is a short walk from the Metropolian Exit of Ikebukuro station and sits like a glass space ship rising from the concrete. In front is a small park usually populated by delinquents and the homeless. Wandering through the cavernous arches you see a stairway to heaven -- a bizarre, dangerous-looking escalator taking visitors to the top floors. Below is a pit containing two studio theaters often hosting outside productions of straight dramas. The largest hall upstairs normally shows concerts but the West End playhouse-feeling middle hall stages musicals, larger plays and sometimes even Butoh dance.

Those in the know check what is on at Theater Green (Minami-Ikebukuro 2-20-4, Toshima-ku, www.theater-green.com/), one of the many fringe venues in Ikebukuro. Also, Owlspot (Minami Ikebukuro 4-5-2, Toshima-ku, tel. 03 5391 0751, www.owlspot.jp) often has dance and strong revivals that belie its office-building atmosphere.

Train stations: Ikebukuro, Higashi Ikebukuro, Nishi Sugamo

West Tokyo: Subcultural innovation

As Tokyo's western districts like Koenji provide a strong influence on the city's culture, so too the theater subculture thrives here.

Za Koenji (Koenji Kita 2-1-2, Suginami-ku, tel. 03 3223 7500, za-koenji.jp), opened in 2009, is a spacious, hall-like theater flexible enough to show a wide spectrum of performance. Its two spaces host musicals, dance and also seminars. Continuing along the Chuo Line, Mitaka City Arts Center (Kamiren Jaku 6-12-14, Mitaka-shi, tel. 04 22 47 5122, mitaka.jpn.org/geibun) is far from the station but worth a look sometimes, while Nakano has recently seen four small fringe theaters -- The Pocket, Momo Gekijou, Gekijou HOPE and Theater Bonbon (Nakano 3-22-8, Nakano-ku, tel. 03 3381 8422, www.pocketsquare.jp) -- open in the same complex tucked into a backstreet.

Train stations: Koenji, Mitaka, Nakano

Sangenjaya: Big ambition in a tall carrot

Keeping with the west-centric theme of the other districts, Setagaya-ku's Carrot Tower might have an odd name but inside is the huge -- in space and ambition -- Setagaya Public Theater, one of the best in Tokyo (Taishiodo 4-1-1, Setagaya-ku, tel. 03 5432 1526, setagaya-pt.jp/en). Here you can catch the occasional musical, classical revivals and two-hander plays. Overseas directors like Simon McBurney and Romeo Castellucci have brought their work to Sangenjaya.

Despite the scale of its stage, the seating rake is tall, making things more intimate than you would expect. And even minimal productions have played here with success.

Across the Carrot Tower complex is the Theatre Tram, a relatively small auditorium hosting dance and plays.

Train station: Sangenjaya

Tags: Tokyo theaters, Tokyo theater districts, Shimokitazawa theaters