Welcome to what is shaping up to be a rather light week of fun things to do in Tokyo. It starts with a bang, with the usual riches of the last-Friday-of-the-month leaving us all spoilt for choice. So Friday will be fantastic, no matter your event tastes. But then it's like tumbleweed... But never fear, there are some cool films, plus of course you need to hone your skills for Perfect Liars Club on 9th Feb.

Fri 27 Jan - Tonight enjoy one of our favourite shows of the month: Improvazilla. This is a super and professional-feeling improv show at a cool Shibuya venue. Drinks and food are available while you watch a show that delivers sketches and games in the first half, and a full improvised musical in the second half. Other well-established last-Friday-of-the-month shows are Drunk Poets See God, an open-mic slam poetry night, and Dr Sketchy's burlesque art class. Also tonight is Nerd Nite with talks on citizen science and space gravity, cognitive behavioural therapy, and urban exploration in Japan. Plus, there's a totally charming-sounding gramophone concert. Finally, there's a talk at UN University about the Arab Spring. Decisions will have to be made.

Sat 28 Jan - There's a craft beer festival in Yokohama which could be fun. Then in the evening, if you're in Yokohama anyway, there's a really inexplicable location-based show involving music, dance, flowers and food. You may need Google Translate to figure this one out, but it sounds quirky and intriguing.

Sun 29 Jan - The craft beer festival in Yokohama is still on. Back in Tokyo tonight, there's a bilingual improv comedy show from Pirates of Tokyo Bay in Ebisu.

Tue 31 Jan - There's an academic-style talk about literary translation at Sophia University tonight which is open to the public: it will explore transnational ideologies: the meanings behind which texts are translated into which languages.

Wed 1 Feb - During the day there's a talk about international security. And in the evening it's the hilarious Good Heavens Comedy Club in Shimokitazawa - enjoy!

​Fri 3 Feb - Gamuso comedy show in Asagaya is on tonight.

FILM THIS WEEK: 
From today til February 10th you can see Your Name with English subtitles and the songs in English. I saw this film at the Tokyo Film Festival and I think I might just have to go again as it was so good... It's on at Toho Shinjuku and Roppongi, plus Cinema Rosa Ikebukuro. The critically acclaimed indie film Tangerine is on at Shibuya Image Forum. Rotten Tomatoes gives it 97% and describes it as "A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart." Another award-winning film is the Japanese family drama/thriller Harmonium (aka Stand on the Edge) and it's screening with English subtitles on Monday and Tuesday only at the Uplink Shibuya.

MORNING FILMS: 

• Hitchcock/Truffaut is at 10:45am every day at the Uplink.
• To Kill a Mockingbird is on at 10am every day at Toho Shinjuku
• The Miracle Worker is on at 10am every day at Toho Nihonbashi.

​We are going to be really sad when the Toho 10am films finish next month.

And remember, get your tickets for the most amazing comedy story interrogation show in the world, Perfect Liars Club on 9th February.

It's another fine week in Tokyo. After a rather quiet week, event-wise, this week has quite a lot of random interesting things to do. Check out the cool article about Perfect Liars Club in the British Chamber of Commerce magazine Acumen. And scroll to the bottom for things you'd better book in advance!

Fri 20 Jan - Ready for a quirky way to spend your Friday night? Why not go to a lecture: The Royal Academy of Science in Paris and the Taboo of ‘Economic Issues’ in the Late Eighteenth Century. It's in English and is at 6:30pm in Seminar Room 3, Level 2, Kojima Hall, Hongo Campus, University of Tokyo. I recognise that this might be quite a niche date night activity... Or if you're American and a Democrat, it's inauguration day in the US and you might like to join this event in Hibiya Park. Haven't seen any Republican-themed events.

Sat 21 Jan - Fancy an art talk at the Museum of Modern Art? It's at 2pm and the title is: During the post-museum era, how does transformation of the media change the art world? It's in English, despite the website being not in English. Also, today's the final day to get over to the Hikarie in Shibuya to see Tokyo Art City - I thought this cool light projection installation was really great. It closes at 8pm I believe. And this is the final weekend to see an art exhibition of British automata which sounds completely intriguing, though it's way out in Hachioji. Here's the museum info for that.

Sun 22 Jan - There's not much specific on today. So this might be the moment to check out the Tokyo-themed photography exhibition at the TOP Museum which I really want to see. Or head out to Hachioji for that art exhibition of British automata. Also, this week I wrote an article this week about Studio Ghibli-themed sightseeing in Tokyo so feel free to take inspiration.

Mon 23 Jan - Tonight attend a free public lecture in English at Sophia University about street food in the 21st century city (with a focus on Shanghai). 

Tue 24 Jan - There's literally nothing cool on tonight. Well, there must be something but I can't find it. But instead of watching Netflix, why not stream a Broadway musical into your home? 

Wed 25 Jan - International comedy headliners Phil Nichol (Canada) and Yuriko Kotani (Japan) come over from the UK for two nights only. They were great last year, so don't miss them at Good Heavens in Shimokitazawa! Also tonight, the first Pechakucha night of 2017 - arty talks in English and Japanese, this show gets one of the buzziest audiences in Tokyo.

Thu 26 Jan - If you missed them last night, go see Phil Nichol (Canada) and Yuriko Kotani (Japan) being funny at Good Heavens. Also tonight is F*ck-up Nights at Hub Tokyo in Meguro (a venue that now sports an intensely hipster coffeeshop) - go and hear from people who tried to do something in their business and, well, failed. Or if you are feeling quite a lot more serious, go to a talk at UN University on Asia's Economic Rise. You need to register, but it's free.

Fri 27 Jan - The usual riches of the last-Friday-of-the-month await you - and more. First, it's one of our favourite shows of the month: Improvazilla. This is a super and professional-feeling improv show at a cool Shibuya venue. Drinks and food are available while you watch a show that delivers sketches and games in the first half, and a full improvised musical in the second half. Other well-established last-Friday-of-the-month shows are Drunk Poets See God, an open-mic slam poetry night, and Dr Sketchy's burlesque art class. Also tonight is Nerd Nite with talks on citizen science and space gravity, cognitive behavioural therapy, and urban exploration in Japan. We begged: 'Not the last Friday! Don't do it on the same night as all these other shows!' But they did. Sorry. Also, there's a totally charming-sounding gramophone concert. Finally, there's a talk at UN University about the Arab Spring. Decisions will have to be made.

Things you're going to want to book in advance: hurry up!

9 Feb - It's Perfect Liars Club. Four people tell a story but only three are true. Can you spot the liar?

25 Feb - I told you to reserve your tickets for Eddie Izzard so it's not my fault the now show's sold out. But you can add your name to a waiting list here. And if you go to Tokyo Comedy Store shows Improvazilla or Gamuso, you can put your business card (or piece of paper with name and email scribbled on it) into a pot and be entered into the draw for free ticket.

26 Feb - The first thousand people to register can enjoy a full, glorious Sunday of science talks by Nobel prizewinners and other top researchers. And what's more, it's free entry! Just be sure to register in time.

27 Feb - Make sure you get your tickets for another famous British comedian, Jimmy Carr.

Finally: this week we set up a little Facebook group specifically for people interested in attending book events. The plan is that (a) people who like book events will hear about them, and (b) authors, bookshops and publishers will use the group to advertise their events to book event enthusiasts. And feel free to do (c) put on a book event and advertise it. So if you're interested, join here. (and if you're someone who knows how to make a cool Facebook banner for the group and have a few spare moments to do so, please do!).

2017 is now in full swing and we are having much fun. This week we went to a talk about mining the moon, a rakugo storytelling show, and of course it was Perfect Liars Club which was totally hilarious. Read all about it and see pics here. Then dash to our ticket page to reserve your tickets for our next show on February 9th. They go on sale at 1pm and remember: reserve in advance, get in for less money! But in the meantime, what's on this week, you ask... Well it's a bit quieter than last week but there's plenty to entertain you!

Fri 13 Jan - Ready for some English-language immersive theatre? Wide Eyed Theatre Companie presents A Faerie Tale. It's a promenade show in Nakano, it's not for children despite the name, and it looks really intriguing. It's on all weekend in Nakano, so reserve tickets now. Also tonight is This 'n' That Cafe: music and live art at Superdeluxe. Also in Roppongi tonight is Balls to the Wall Comedy at Tokyo Sports Cafe. And Trumbo and The Program are still screening as a double bill at lovely Ginrei Hall til the 20th.

Sat 14 Jan - Go see A Faerie Tale. Then there's stand up comedy at Vega Wine Bar in Ebisu tonight.

Sun 15 Jan - It's the last day of A Faerie Tale. And tonight in Asagaya, enjoy the Gamuso comedy show.

Mon 16 Jan - Here's something different: Harvard Glee Club is performing tonight.

Tue 17 Jan - Not much on today, it seems. I guess it's a cinema day. 

Wed 18 Jan - The usual best place to be on a Wednesday: Good Heavens Comedy Club!

Thu 19 Jan - Tonight's comedy show is at Double Tall in Shibuya. Or if you're feeling scholarly, why not head to a public talk at a university - in English? Go to Sophia University to hear a talk on 'The insentient companion: some thoughts on dolls, robots, and significant otherness' which sounds intriguing, about techno-animism and the Japanese folklore concept of "tsukumogami", or spirits living in tools. Another interesting lecture tonight is at Hitotsubashi University and is called 'Rethinking Japanese Cinema' which is about the golden age of Japanese cinema and sounds really interesting. Both are free to attend. Enjoy!

It's been a lovely sunny first week of the year. We celebrated the new year at two different parties, clung onto our seats in suspense at a screening of Eye in the Sky, wept at the British play The Entertainer being beamed from London to Ikebukuro, laughed at an outstanding first-of-the-year Good Heavens comedy night... and having had an excellent beginning to 2017, now it's time to see what's on next week.

Fri 6 Jan - It's your last chance to see an evening show of The Entertainer by John Osborne, starring Kenneth Branagh, filmed in London's West End and screened in Ikebukuro's Cine Libre. 7:10 today.

Sat 7 Jan - The Entertainer by John Osborne is also on today for the last time at Cine Libre at 4pm. Then tonight for a week, the same venue will start screening the play of Romeo and Juliet in English, filmed from London's West End. Also starting today and running for a while, a film festival of movies previously unreleased in Tokyo.

Sun 8 and Mon 9 Jan - Not much on today. Maybe some cinema? Ginrei Hall's double bill of films are unusually BOTH in English, which means you can buy one ticket and see both: The Program (About Lance Armstrong) and Trumbo (about communist Hollywood writers). The films run daily til the 20th. If this weather stays nice, you could combine with lunch/ice cream at the Canal Cafe in Iidabashi.

Tue 10 Jan - The second edition of Space Cafe Tokyo is at Good Heavens in Shimokitazawa tonight at 8pm. Hear from the only Japanese Team in the Google Lunar XPRPIZE, and about plans to 'mine the moon'. The first edition in December was fantastic, so we are excited about this.

Wed 11 Jan - Tonight there's a fairly rare performance of English language rakugo (Japanese stories) at Uchisaiwai Hall (near Hibiya). Doors at 6:30, starts at 7. Pay on the door. Note, I found this out by reading a poster on a local street. We NEED a central English language rakugo advertising resource! I feel like I'm always in danger of missing these, and I'm a big fan! Or of course, you could alternatively head over to comedy at Good Heavens.

Thu 12 Jan - Hooray! The moment you have all been waiting for is here: it's Perfect Liars Club! The event of the month, nay, the century. Four people perform a story but only three are true. Listen, Laugh, Interrogate, Vote... Can you spot the liar? Remember, we have a new pricing system: 1500 yen if you reserve in advance, 2000 yen on the door (both include a free drink). So what are you waiting for? Reserve now. Or just turn up. Your call! It starts at 8 sharp.

Fri 13 Jan - Ready for some English-language immersive theatre? Wide Eyed Theatre Companie presents A Faerie Tale. It's a promenade show, it's not for children despite the name, and it looks really intriguing. It's on til the 15th in Nakano. Also tonight is This 'n' That Cafe: music and live art at Superdeluxe.

Here's a random treat for you: a while back I wrote a piece for Tokyo Cheapo about social art events in Tokyo and it was published today. Enjoy, and get arting.

Oh, and don't forget: reserve tickets for Perfect Liars Club on Thursday HERE.