Free: All time Located in the center of Roppongi – Tokyo’s club jungle – OATH offers top of the line underground DJ dance parties all nights. The DJs are most relatively well-known local DJs. There’s no cover charge to join the parties. Check OATH’s website for schedule and featured DJs. Address: Aoyama BLD. 1F, 4-5-9...

Free: First Mondays of the month at 8pm For those with creative inclination or perhaps just those wanting to meet local creatives, consider joining PauseTalk. PauseTalk is a regular series of events serving as a forum for Tokyo-based creatives (or anyone passing through) to get together and discuss their own projects. The events take place...

Free: On your birthday If you happen to be in Tokyo on your birthday, there are two places where you can milk the day: Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Joypolis. At Tokyo Joypolis in Odaiba, the SEGA’s arcade emporium, you’ll be granted free entry as well as a ticket for unlimited rides. Also, you’ll get free...

Free: All time SCAI the Bathhouse is a contemporary art gallery known for introducing Japan’s avant-garde artists to the world as well as for foreign artists to establish presence in Japan. The gallery is housed in a 200-year-old public bathhouse. Located on a really narrow street in Yanaka district, SCAI the Bathhouse lies in the...

Free: Mondays to Thursdays & Sundays Self-proclaimed crown jewel of Shibuya’s nightlife, the Ruby Room indeeds has become a favourite for both Tokyoites and expats alike. The small venue only holds approximately 150 people, but has featured impromptu shows from the likes of Basement Jaxx and Belle & Sebastian. Events happen at most nights and...

Free: All time The Japanese Imperial Diet was first convened in 1889 as a result of adopting the Meiji Constitution. Today, the Diet is housed in a landmark pyramid-domed building. Visitors can tour the House of Councilors on weekdays when no governmental meeting is in session. A Diet guard escorts visitors to the Public Gallery,...

Free: All time The Panasonic Center Tokyo in Odaiba shows off the latest and greatest of Panasonic’s gadgets. The multi-storey building is admission-free. Many of the products in display have not even hit the market. Visitors are welcome to test some of the products. There’s also a science museum within the center called RiSuPia (charges...

Free: All time If you ever find yourself all Japan-out and need to have a change of atmosphere, drop in Venus Fort. It’s a shopping mall in Odaiba built to mimic the 18th century medieval European Village. Experience a world within itself where the ceiling of the mall is painted to simulate the sky. It...

Free: All time Toei Animation is probably best known for its anime hits “Dragon Ball” and “Sailor Moon.” For over 50 years, this leading anime production company has been churning out popular works, starting with “Hakujya-den” – the first full-length color animation in Japan. In Toei’s Oizumi Studio, you can visit a gallery displaying the...

Free: All time The neighbourhood of Sumida is one of the areas that suffered the most lost during both the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II. As a result of the 1923 quake, more than 70% of the city was destroyed and more than 50,000 people were burnt to death. Again, during WWII air...

Free: All time The Museum of Maritime Science is located in the man-made island of Odaiba. The museum is currently undergoing renovation and the main building in closed for entry. However, for the time being, a mini museum has been set up with some of the museum collection on display. Two ships are also permanently...

Free: All time Walking down the nondescript resident street in Daikanyama, you’ll find yourself taken aback by the Aoyama Technical School’s building structure. It looks like Optimus Prime in the mid of transformation. The giant building seems to be caught in the motion of attacking the wooden house below. According to its creator, architect Makoto...