Not so long ago, we found out that Tokyo’s Akihabara Station has a bank of vending machines stocked with a huge array of delicious milk-based drinks, with all sorts of fruit, tea, and coffee flavorings to tempt you. But while those are great for quenching your thirst or satisfying your sweet tooth, what about when you’re feeling hungry?

With a rich network of sound-obsessed cafés, bars and small clubs, Aaron Coultate explains why Tokyo might be the best place in the world to listen to music.

Saw my first live kabuki performance today in Tokyo and absolutely loved it.

As Japan sizzles under its hottest summer since record-keeping began in 1880, event organisers around the country are having to come up with creative solutions to entice people outdoors and away from the comfort of their air-conditioned homes this year.

One event which might be able to do just that is Tokyo’s new Bathtub Cinema, the first of its kind in Japan, which is set to pop up at MAG’s Park on the rooftop of the revamped MAGNET by SHIBUYA109 building that overlooks the world-famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing.

Japan has long been famed for its unique capsule hotel accommodation, but generally speaking these tiny rooms have been for practical purposes only (read: you wouldn’t really have wanted to stay in them while on vacation, other than for novelty reasons). But over the last few years, Tokyo has dramatically upped its tiny hotel game, and new hip – sometimes even “luxurious” – capsule hotels are popping up all over the city. Here are four of our favorites…

The 19.7-meter, 49-ton statue of a mobile robot from the popular Gundam series has been standing in the Diver City Tokyo commercial plaza since Sept. 24.

It replaced a previous model as part of the Tokyo Gundam Project 2017, in which the statue represents the future of Tokyo and helps invigorate the bay area. The statue undergoes its one-minute transformation at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. At night, a special short movie runs every 30 minutes from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

“Japan’s population continues to be concentrated in Tokyo,” Ishiba said. “This concentration in the nation’s capital of people, products and wealth is likely the world’s most dangerous situation.”

Taking the stage at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Sendagaya are stars like pop princess Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Yasutaka Nakata's Capsule and slick choreography kings World Order, while fashion shows and the like will also take place. A wide assortment of promotional booths will be set up, allowing you to participate in a variety of fun workshops. Furthermore, the area around the venue will feature DJ performances, a temporary food court serving juicy meat and festival grub like yakisoba and takoyaki, and opportunities for trying traditional matsuri activities like cork gun shooting and wanage (quoits).

Just like last year, all non-Japanese citizens can get in for free: register on the festival's official website, bring your ticket along with a passport or residence card, and display these at the gate.

Kushiage, also known as kushikatsu, is a cuisine comprising skewers of vegetables (all right, and meat too) that are breaded and deep-fried, and served with a thin dip based on Worcestershire sauce. The establishments that serve it tend to be charmingly rustic and boisterous places, and I’m no stranger to them, especially in the summer months.

Who needs a bar with a view when you’ve got a bar with a diorama? At Ginza Panorama, you can sip cocktails while gazing at an N scale model train wending its way around a miniature Shibuya, complete with 109 department store.