Fri 17 Feb - Yokohama Theatre Group is bringing a double bill of amazing-sounding Canadian theatre to the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki: I'm Doing This for You is a one-woman show blending storytelling, live-art and improvisation. Edinburgh Spotlight called it "funny, quirky and ultimately heartbreaking". Then Space Hippo is an adventure-comedy science-fiction show with a hint of social satire. It uses over 200 intricately cut shadow puppets projected onto a large screen to create the feeling of watching a live animated movie. The double bill is on tonight at 7pm. Then, from Canada to the UK... Richard III opens tonight - filmed at the Almeida Theatre in London, screened all week at Toho Nihonbashi. Finally, if theatre's not for you, you catch the old movie All I Desire (11, 2:20. 5:40 and 9) at Cinemavera, or else go see comedy at Asagaya.

Sat 18 Feb - I'm Doing This for You and Space Hippo shows are on today at 2pm and 7pm at the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki. Or over at the Koenji Engei festival, there's an English-language rakugo show (Japanese-style storytelling) at 2pm by Rakugo Without Borders. If you want your afternoon more literary, head to the University of Tokyo at Komaba for lectures on 'reading novels: misunderstandings over an English Style' and 'Novel Hats' followed by a reception. On the other hand, if you're in the mood for an English-language-rom-coms-featuring-dying-people movie theme, starting tonight and for the next two weeks , Ginrei Hall has a double bill of Me Before You and Miss You Already. Finally tonight there's a free Vega comedy show at Vega Wine Bar in Ebisu.

Sun 19 Feb - At 12 noon you can see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. I'm Doing This for You and Space Hippo are on today at both 1pm and 5pm at the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki. In the evening, there's even more English-language rakugo. Or why not go to bilingual improv with Pirates of Tokyo Bay in Ebisu, or of course the brilliant Comedy Sumo Slam in Roppongi (a gameshow type comedy night based on current affairs/news).

Mon 20 Feb - It's a comedy open mic night by Stand Up Tokyo in Otsuka.

Tue 21 Feb - Not much on tonight. So maybe a good time to go see London's Richard III - a play filmed at the Almeida Theatre and screened at Toho Nihonbashi?

Wed 22 Feb - Free this afternoon? Go to a lecture on 'Imagining a Ghost: On Elizabeth Bowen and The Back Drawing' at Gakushuin University. Tonight US comedian Steve Hofstetter from the Late Late Show and VH1 is coming to Tokyo from one night only. His YouTube videos have 100 million views. Sounds like he's going to be fab - don't miss it. Or if you are looking for interesting, arty talks in English and Japanese by Tokyo's creative community, tonight is Pecha Kucha and they are celebrating their 14th birthday!

Thu 23 Feb - Tonight Tokyo International Players launch their new play about couples and the complexities of relationships, Speaking in Tongues. It's at Pocket Square Nakano. Also tonight, you can hear a talk at Temple University about racial profiling or one at Tokyo University Hongo on 'Dressing for Success: Costume in the Nineteenth Century Novel' by Clair Hughes who wrote Dressed in Fiction.

Fri 24 Feb - How did the last Friday of the month come upon us so quickly? As ever, so many great options. Will it be the amazingly good improv show Improvazilla? Or the monthly poetry slam Drunk Poets See God at Bar Gari Gari? (This month's theme is doors, and anyone can stand up and perform their poetry.) Or Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School, a monthly event for people who like to draw burlesque performers. Also tonight, Balls to the Wall comedy show in Roppongi, and Fruits in Suits, an LGBT networking night; the guest speaker is chair of the LGBT Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association. And of course, there's Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues in Nakano.

Sat 25 Feb - Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues is at 1pm and 7pm. At 5:30 see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. Eddie Izzard is bringing his comedy show Force Majeure to Tokyo for one night only! It's going to be tricky to track down tickets at this stage... don't say I didn't warn you! Starting today, you can see a A Winter's Tale, a British National Theatre Live theatrical production starring Judy Dench, filmed in London and screened at Yebisu Garden Cinema. Or the fabulous War Horse, also filmed in London, and just thinking about it brings a tear to my eye. On til Friday. And Rendez-vous, the magazine promoting African and Caribbean culture in Asia, has an event tonight where comedian Evans Musoka is performing (I find him very funny).

Sun 26 Feb - You're probably too late if you didn't take my advice and grab a free ticket for the amazing, free, all-day Nobel Dialogue event today, bringing together Nobel laureates and other leading scientists to discuss 'the future of intelligence'. Looks like it may be sold out now, but keep an eye on the website/ seduce someone for a place. Not feeling science-y, or poor seduction technique? At noon you can see English-language rakugo at Oedo Ryogokutei. And at 3pm, it's your last chance to see Tokyo International Players' play Speaking in Tongues.

Mon 27 Feb - Happen to be available at 9am? Toho Roppongi is screening the Academy Awards! If you want to go, looks like you need to apply through the Toho app. This evening, enjoy another amazing visiting international comedian for one night only: it's Jimmy Carr at Yamano Hall in Yoyogi.

Tue 28 Feb - There's a talk at Temple University tonight about Liberalism and Chinese Economic Development. Or head to the Foreign Correspondents' Club for an author event, cocktail party and dinner with Hiromi T. Rogers, who will be discussing her book Anjin - The Life & Times of Samurai William Adams, 1564-1620, As Seen Through Japanese Eyes (sign up by 23rd Feb. It's 3500 yen for non-members).

Wed 1 March - It's Good Heavens Comedy Club tonight in Shimokitazawa. Enjoy.

Thu 2 March - Nothing much on tonight, so it could be a good evening to go to Yebisu Garden Cinema and check out A Winter's Tale or War Horse.

Fri 3 March - Tonight Apocrypha brings another evening of edgy and emotional storytelling to the stage at Bar Gari Gari. The theme tonight: Dear Younger Me. Or Gamuso comedy show is in Asagaya.

Planning ahead - things you should book in advance

10 March - There's going to be a screening of the 25th anniversary show of Miss Saigon on Broadway. I think it's a one-day-only special screening, though I might be misinterpreting. Either way, you'd better get over to Toho Nihonbashi and grab some tickets. If you spot a way to buy them online, tell me!

13 March - CITA (the International Center for Theatre Arts) is putting on a show called Earthbound, inspired by the 1950s collaboration to pioneer rocket development in Japan. One night only - reserve your tickets asap. We hear they are going fast.

16 March - The next Perfect Liars Club is going to be fabulous, and more than half of the tickets are already sold at time of typing this. So make sure you've reserved yours here.

Great things on in Tokyo in the coming week

Fri 10 Feb - If you're out of work in time, kick off the weekend with the lovely Hitchcock film Suspicion at Cinemavera at 1:20 or 5:30 - I saw it last weekend and it was fab. Then tonight it's Nerd Nite - hear talks about earthquakes, astrophysics, and non-profits in Japan while drinking your beer. Also tonight, Balls to the Wall comedy in Roppongi. Or go up to Waseda Shochiku cinema for a double bill of Song of the Sea (6:35) and Red Turtle (8:20). Yebizo, the International Festival for Art and Alternative Visions kicks off today in Ebisu. Last month's Perfect Liar, Donna, is singing jazz. Oh, and are you an aspiring actor? Tokyo International Players have their auditions for the Diary of Anne Frank this weekend.

Sat 11 Feb - Today the Tokyo Northern Lights Film Festival kicks off and runs all week: a range of great Scandinavian movies, eight of which have English subtitles. It's at lovely Eurospace in Shibuya. Have a fantastic Scandinavian film week! (side note: when I was in Estonia for work last year, events for this festival were happening at the same venue as my conference and I desperately wanted to switch rooms!). Upstairs in the same venue, catch the fabulous double bill of All I Desire (11, 2:30, 6) and Imitation of Life (12:30, 4, 7:30). One ticket lets you into both! Or save that for Valentine's Day... If you want something non-filmy, there's a lovely-sounding art exhibition of urban landscape and typography by Mariya Suzuki. If you go today 1-4, the artist might draw your face onto a mug. And there's a talk about the Skagen artists in English at the National Museum of Western Art at 2.

Sun 12 Feb - If you like drawing, then my favourite drawing event in Tokyo, PauseDraw, is today at 4pm in Shibuya. It's fully bilingual (English-Japanese), for adults, and is full of fun drawing games and exercises. And it's free. Then head back to the Tokyo Northern Lights Film Festival.

Mon 13 Feb - At 4pm there's a talk at the University of Tokyo on The process and factors for the domestic production of animation in Japan after World War II - free and no registration required.

Tue 14 Feb - There are lots of articles about things to do on Valentine's Day, such as TokyoCheapo, Tokyo Weekender, and Time Out. But whether you are celebrating together or by yourself, we think they all missed the best thing to do... well, if you're an old movie fan. It's Cinemavera's double bill of lovely old movies: Imitation of Life at 6, and All I Desire at 8. One ticket lets you into both. The most romantic option in town? I say yes!

Wed 15 Feb - Go to the Good Heavens Comedy Club for a night of stand up comedy tonight. The Stand Up Tokyo people have started up a fortnightly Monday show for people to try their new stuff, so Wednesdays are set to become of even higher quality.

Thu 16 Feb - The fabulous Tokyo Space Cafe is back, with a talk about black holes by Professor Chris Done, in Good Heavens - drink beer and learn about space in what's shaping up to be one of Tokyo's top events for people with an enthusiasm for science-type things. There's also comedy tonight at Double Tall Cafe in Shibuya.

Fri 17 Feb - Yokohama Theatre Group is bringing a double bill of amazing-sounding Canadian theatre to the World Peace Theatre in Kawasaki: I'm Doing This for You and Space Hippo. I'm Doing This for You is a one-woman show blending storytelling, live-art and improvisation. Edinburgh Spotlight called it "funny, quirky and ultimately heartbreaking". Then Space Hippo is an adventure-comedy science-fiction show with a hint of social satire. It uses over 200 intricately cut shadow puppets projected onto a large screen to create the feeling of watching a live animated movie. The double bill is on tonight at 7pm (also on over the weekend). From Canada to the UK... If you want UK theatre on the big screen, Richard III opens tonight at Toho Nihonbashi - filmed from London. Finally, if theatre's not for you, there's also another chance to catch All I Desire (11, 2:20. 5:40 and 9) at Cinemavera, or else go see comedy at Asagaya.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's the week you've been waiting for all month: Perfect Liars Club is on February 9th. Make sure you reserve your tickets here. And in the meantime, here are other great things to do in Tokyo this week. Oh, and don't forget to see Your Name which is screening around town with English subtitles and music til 10th February only. I thought it was fabulous.

Friday 3 Feb - The  Gamuso comedy show in Asagaya is on tonight.

Sat 4 Feb - Comedy Sumo Slam is one of my favourite comedy events in Tokyo and it's tonight in Roppongi. This show is a Mock the Week style show where two teams of comedians say funny things about current events - one of your best chances to see new, topical comedy in Tokyo. Even more exciting, your trusty Perfect Liars MC (yes, me) is one of the contestants! This will be fab.

Sun 5 Feb - I am beyond thrilled that someone from Twitter introduced me to Cinemavera in Shibuya which periodically shows old Hollywood films. Hooray! Today you can see an Ingrid Bergman movie double bill: Hitchcock's Suspicion (12:55, 4:50, 8:45) AND Gaslight (2:45 and 6:40pm... find out why this film's name has been used in US politics discussions recently). What a treat! It's repeated on Wednesday if you can't make it.

Mon 6 Feb - A new open-mic stand-up comedy night is starting in Otsuka (on the Yamanote line). It's called Get on the Mic! so if you feel like giving comedy a try, this may be the perfect venue for you. 

Tue 7 Feb - If you're a book lover, you may have heard of the Ginza shop Morioka Shoten that sells only one title per week, and fills that week with themed art and events. And if you're a weak Japanese reader like me, you are also filled with frustration that you can't appreciate that book and experience. Word on the street is that this week it's a ceramics book that is very pictorial, and it opens today.

Wed 8 Feb - Go to the Good Heavens Comedy Club for a night of stand up comedy. Suspicion (11, 2:55, 6:50pm) and Gaslight (12:50, 4:45, 8:40pm) are on again at Cinemavera in Shibuya. Or head to Hardware Massive at the Meguro Impact Hub to hear from people designing wearable tech: 'products that can touch and sense your body'.

Thu 9 Feb - It's Perfect Liars Club! The amazing story interrogation show that fills Good Heavens in Shimokitazawa every month. Four people tell a story but only three are true. Listen, laugh, interrogate... then vote. Can you spot the liar? (Perfect Liars Club are the people who bring you this listings guide. AND it's my birthday. Just saying.)
​
Fri 10 Feb - Tonight it's Nerd Nite - hear talks about earthquakes, astrophysics, and non-profits in Japan while drinking your beer. Also tonight, Balls to the Wall comedy in Roppongi. Alas I can't make any of them... I'm off to my first Sapporo Snow Festival! Exciting.