Volume 04, Number 22
Things To Do
Saturday, Nov 17
Kick off the weekend by viewing the work of thousands of emerging artists at Design Festa 2007. At Tokyo Big Sight. www.designfesta.com
Sunday, Nov 18
Spend the evening with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra as they perform with French soprano Natalie Dessay. Tel. 03-5237-7711.
Monday, Nov 19
Take in the opening night of play How to Succeed through Nov. 30. Tickets: ¥9,000–¥11,000. Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. Tel. 03-3498-9999.
Tuesday, Nov 20
Enjoy the jazz stylings of The Simon Cosgrove Quintet at the Café Cotton Club in Takadanobaba at 8pm. www.intro.co.jp/cotton/livesch.php
Wednesday, Nov 21
Help superstar Elton John celebrate his 60th birthday concert tonight and tomorrow at Nippon Budokan. 7pm, ¥10,000–¥12,000. Tel. 03- 3402-5999.
Thursday, Nov 22
Give thanks at Fujimama's turkey and all the trimmings thanksgiving dinner at 6pm and 8:30pm tonight and tomorrow. Reserve at info@fujimamas.com.
Friday, Nov 23
Spend the afternoon listening to Japanese cello and piano duet Nobuo Furukawa and Yoko Kikuchi at 2pm in Katsudoki. ¥4,500. Tel. 03-3261-9933.
Saturday, Nov 24
Discover artist Ai Kitahara's view on How We Divide the World at the Shisedo Gallery in Ginza through Dec. 23. http://tinyurl.com/35nwtd.
Sunday, Nov 25
End the weekend with the opening of French opera Carmen, on through Dec. 9 at the New National Theatre. ¥4,200–¥23,100. Tel. 03-5352-9999.
Monday, Nov 26
Treat your ears to popular five-piece band from Ireland, Celtic Woman, at Bunkamura Orchard Hall. ¥8,000– ¥12,000. Tel. 03-3475-9999.
Tuesday, Nov 27
Take the kids to the Canadian Embassy for a free book reading, Canadian First Nations, at 4:30pm. Reservations required. Email: tokyo.lib-bib@international.gc.ca
Wednesday, Nov 28
Twenty artists show twenty slides for twenty seconds each at Pecha Kucha Night in Super-Deluxe. ¥1,000 with one drink. From 7pm. www.super-deluxe.com
Thursday, Nov 29
Spend the afternoon at Meiji Gakuin University in Shirokane as you watch Atom Egoyan's Ararat at 3pm. Free, http://tinyurl.com/32bdko.
Friday, Nov 30
Be dazzled by The Jewels of Tiffany: 1837–2007 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum through Dec. 16. ¥600–¥1,200. www.teien-artmuseum.ne.jp
Saturday, Dec 1
View works by Japanese potter Ogata Kenzan at the Idemitsu Museum of Arts in Chiyoda-ku through Dec. 16. ¥700–¥1,000. http://tinyurl.com/25ae4u
Sunday, Dec 2
Head to Hamamatsucho to see Lottie and Lisa, a musical about reunited twins who were separated at birth. Through Dec. 15, ¥3,150–¥6,300. Tel. 0120-48-9444.
Monday, Dec 3
Explore the colorful paintings and objects that make up the Tokyobased artist Gaston Petit's exhibition, Display 2007 at the Prince Takamado Gallery in the Canadian Embassy through Jan. 4.
Tuesday, Dec 4
Visit the Cotton Club in Marunouchi for hip-hop and R&B duo Marsha Ambrosius and Emily King at 7pm and 9:30pm. ¥7,875. Tel. 03- 3215-1555.
Wednesday, Dec 5
Learn about Showa: Photography 1945– 1989. Part. 4. 'From the Oil Shock to the Bubble Era' (1975–) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography through Dec. 9. http://www.syabi.com/index_eng.shtml
Thursday, Dec 6
Treat yourself to a night at the Billboard Live Club in Midtown featuring American jazz singer/songwriter Bobby Caldwell. Also Dec. 7 at 6pm and 9pm, tel. 03-3405-1133.
Friday, Dec 7
Head over to the Dubliners to kick off your festive socializing, and while you are there, pick up the new issue of Weekender, out today.
Light Up the Life of a Refugee Child with Refugees International Japan
Support the work of Refugees International Japan (RIJ) while kicking off the holiday season by visiting the Marunouchi Oazo Building from December 4–10. This free event features the lighting of a thirty-foot festive tree and many musicians and singers will be performing. Performances are free, but all donations go to support RIJ's valuable work in helping refugee children around the world.
Refugees International Japan was founded in 1979 and has spent the past 28 years raising funds and awareness for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work to help refugees around the world. RIJ has raised over $6,000,000 and provides grants of up to $25,000 to organizations while constantly ensuring that over 95 percent of the money they receive goes to actively help refugees.
In the words of RIJ president Jane Best, “Refugees International Japan funds projects around the world that assist and empower displaced communities through the provision of shelter, food and education. Refugees International Japan targets funds towards longer-term sustainable programs that help families regain their self-respect and prepare for the return home. In times of crisis we can also send urgently needed funds for emergency relief.”
To help keep costs so low, RIJ relies heavily on volunteers, and to that end, there are several ways in which you can get involved. RIJ has volunteering opportunities for those interested in sales and marketing, writing and editing, events organization and staffing, and publicity and PR. Anyone interested in contributing their time to this valuable organization should email: rij1979@kbf.biglobe.ne.jp or tel. 03-5500-3093.
Similarly, anyone who is interested in contributing financially to this organization, especially in conjunction with the Light Up the Life of a Refugee Child event can do so by contacting the Chair of Festive Tree, Keiko Koshino, at rij1979@kbf.biglobe.ne.jp