June 2023 events in Tokyo

Hydrangeas, also known as ajisai in Japanese, are commonly associated with the onset of the rainy season – just like cherry blossoms are with spring. Their vivid blue, purple, pink, or even snow-white colours make them instantly identifiable and enliven those dreary, wet days of the rainy season, which usually hits Tokyo from June to July.

Every year, you can spot these charming flowers throughout Tokyo, with bushes blooming in some of the city's best parks such as Ueno Park and temples like Takahata Fudoson. So grab your umbrella and head to these spots to see the most beautiful hydrangeas in Tokyo.

As the weather warms up, bars, hotels and even department stores in Tokyo are opening their roofs and terraces to the public – and with this, the beer garden season officially begins. As we say every year, it just wouldn't be summer without an evening spent idly sipping frosty pints or cool cocktails out in the open air.

After a hugely successful launch in North America at the end of 2022, Lighthouse Immersive's Disney Animation exhibition has now arrived at Mori Arts Center Gallery in Roppongi. This 2023 event coincides with Disney's 100th anniversary and invites fans of all ages to celebrate the momentous milestone by revisiting the animation studio's most popular films from the past few decades.

With 360-degree projections in each gallery space, you'll be able to step inside iconic movie scenes from 'The Lion King', 'Moana', 'Frozen' and 'Tangled', with the accompaniment of Disney's hit soundtracks. Just be sure to book your tickets early, as no one takes Disney more seriously than Tokyoites.

Step into the fantastical world of Yayoi Kusama at her latest exhibition at the Yayoi Kusama Museum in Shinjuku. Kusama's art, famous for its obsessive repetition of a single motif, blurs the line between self and other - a concept she calls 'self-obliteration'. This signature theme of hers is born from her childhood hallucinations and can draw viewers into a dreamlike state.

This exhibition provides a unique exploration into Kusama's artistry across different periods, with a focus on the psychedelic aspects – a tribute to America's 1960s psychedelic movement. Installations include a new hexagonal Mirror Room, from a series which she first introduced in a solo exhibition in New York in the late 1960s. 

Visitors can also expect to see Kusama's early drawings, where she graphically depicted her innermost images. Works from her later years after her return to Japan are also displayed, including vivid acrylic paintings, large-scale 3D works, and an installation using a black light. A visual feast that captures Kusama's journey of self-obliteration, visitors are invited to immerse themselves in her entrancing world.

Henri Matisse’s (1869–1954) final years were full of turmoil. Following a separation from his wife and the outbreak of World War II, the French artist was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, which caused him to be bedridden for months at a time. And yet, Matisse never surrendered his art to the distressing circumstances at hand. 

When given the opportunity to flee from France to Brazil amid the Nazi invasion, Matisse ultimately refused to abandon his studio in Nice. When surgery to treat his cancer left him too weak to paint on canvases, he directed his assistants as they blended pigments by his bedside and ‘painted’ with paper-cut outs instead. All the while, Matisse continued to lead the Fauvism movement with his use of striking colours in his still lifes and portraits of female figures that depicted a world far more vibrant than the one around him. 

Needless to say, Matisse is regarded as one of the most important artists of the 20th century and a handful of his works are often found at exhibitions in Tokyo every year. This showcase at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, however, is a particularly momentous event as it is the first large-scale Matisse retrospective Japan has seen in almost 20 years. 

The majority of the works are borrowed from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which boasts one of the world’s biggest Matisse collections. The roughly 150 works on display range from early oil paintings to sculptures and cut-outs that defined the artist’s self-proclaimed ‘second life’. 

From the 1904 painting ‘Luxe, Calm et Volupté’, which is recognised as Matisse’s official foray into Fauvism, to the drafts used to build The Rosary Chapel, his final masterpiece, this showcase is an exhilarating celebration of the artist's extraordinary spirit and passion for colour.

Psychiatrist Ryutaro Takahashi is one of Japan’s most prominent contemporary art collectors, with over 3,000 pieces in his collection. You can explore his collection during this exhibition at Warehouse Terrada's What Museum, which features a diverse range of contemporary art from the likes of Keizaburo Okamura, Tomoko Konoike, Kishio Suga, Akira Yamaguchi and many more.

Look out for large-scale installations by Hiroshi Sugimoto and artworks from the influential Mono-ha Japanese and Korean movement of the late 1960s and ‘70s, including pieces by Lee Ufan and Nobuo Sekine. About 20 of the artworks will also be exhibited for the very first time, such as a video by Japanese artist Tabaimo and sculptures by Motohiko Odan.

Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills is celebrating its 20th anniversary by inviting us all to go back to school. But this exhibition is sure to be more interesting than your old school classes as the teachers will be some of the world's most influential contemporary artists.

Just as the name suggests, this exhibition uses school subjects as a gateway to discovering contemporary art. There are eight different sections themed on school subjects such as mathematics, science and music. You’ll be able to see 150 artworks, half of which are drawn from the Mori Art Museum Collection. The exhibition also includes newly-commissioned works from 54 artists.

Some highlights include works by Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, American conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth and Japanese sculptor Tatsuo Miyajima. One of the most fitting pieces, however, is the blackboard written on by German artist Joseph Beuys during a lecture he gave at Tokyo University of the Arts in 1984.

The scale and depth of this exhibition is extensive, so we recommend checking the website to see the full list of artists and artworks. You can buy tickets here.

Fujiko F. Fujio is known for his famous manga series like Doraemon and Kiteretsu Daijyakka, but at this exhibit you can dive into his short stories known as ‘sukoshi fushigi’ (meaning ‘a little mysterious’ in Japanese). The drawings are similar to his usual animation, but feature an eerie plot that’s geared more towards adults. 

There are rare drawings and manga from stories including ‘Minotaurus’ Plate’ from 1969, which is about a man who tries to save a girl from ‘cow-men’. Another exhibit highlights 1978's ‘Ryuketsuki’, a story about a town with a widespread virus that turns people into vampires. There's also ‘Mimitaro’ from 1976, which features a boy with psychic powers. 

Take a break at the café on the first floor to try dishes inspired by Fujio's stories, including a rabbit-themed cheesecake (¥1,200) from Hyonhyoro or a bright red cassis-flavoured Ryuketsuki drink (¥680). The museum shop on the first floor has a range of exclusive merchandise including tableware, T-shirts, stationery and even a skateboard.