Off-base festivities
Events are as accurate as possible at press time. Since times or event schedules can change, please verify events before attending.
Japan
TSURUGAOKA HACHIMANGU FESTIVAL (Kanagawa prefecture): Sept. 14-16; annual festival at Kamakura’s landmark Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine includes 1 p.m. demonstration on Sept. 16 of yabusame, or mounted archery; 10-minute walk from JR Kamakura Station; 0467-22-0315; www.tsurugaoka-hachimangu.jp.
AUTUMN BEER FESTIVAL (Saitama prefecture): Sept. 14, 4-9 p.m., Sept. 15-16, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. & Sept. 17, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; taste more than 55 varieties of beer at 49 booths at Saitama Super Arena, Saitama Shin Toshin Station on JR Keihin Tohoku Line; free; 048-601-1122.
SAITAMA YOSAKOI FESTIVAL (Saitama prefecture): Sept. 16, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; dancers in costume parade through Community Arena at Saitama Super Arena; Saitama Shin Toshin Station on JR Keihin Tohoku Line; 048-830-2879.
MUSICAL “CHICAGO” (Tokyo): Through Sept. 16; subtitled in Japanese; Akasaka Act Theater, Akasaka Station on Chiyoda-Line or Akasaka Mitsuke Station on Marunouchi and Ginza lines; 9,500-12,500 yen; Kyodo Tokyo 0570-064-708; www.chicagothemusical.jp.
RESPECT-FOR-THE-AGED DAY: Sept. 17; on this national holiday called Keiro no hi, Japanese people show respect to longtime contributors to society and celebrate their longevity and pray for their health.
KOBE COLLECTION 2012 AUTUMN/WINTER TOKYO RUNWAY (Tokyo): Sept. 17, four stages at 12:30, 2:30, 4:30 & 6:30 p.m.; fashion shows at National Yoyogi Stadium No. 1 Gymnasium, JR Shinagawa Station; 3,000 yen for one stage, 7,000 yen for two stages (stage 1 & 2 or stage 3 & 4); Tokyo Runway 03-3408-8999.
BROADWAY MUSICAL “MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET” (Tokyo): Through Sept. 17; at Tokyo Theatre Orb, 11th floor at Shibuya Hikarie; JR Shibuya Station; 7,500-9,000 yen; 03-3477-3244.
FUJIYOSHIDA HORSEBACK ARCHERY (Yamanashi prefecture): Sept. 18-19; eight yabusame performances, starting 1 p.m. Sept. 19 at Shimo Yoshida Oomuro Sengen Shrine, Shimo Yoshida Station on Fuji Kyuko Line, 0555-21-1000.
YONEX OPEN JAPAN 2012 BADMINTON THE OSIM WORLD SUPER SERIES (Tokyo): Sept. 18-23; 230 singles and teams from around the world compete for $200,000 in prizes at Yoyogi National Stadium No. 1 Gymnasium. JR Harajuku Station & Meiji Jingu-mae Station on Metro Chiyoda Line; 500 yen Sept. 18, 2,000-3,500 yen Sept. 19-21, 3,500-6,000 yen on Sept. 22-23; 03-3481-2382; http://yonexopenjp.com/2012.
34TH PIA FILM FESTIVAL (Tokyo): Sept. 18-28; National Film Center, Kyobashi Station on the metro Ginza-Line; 1,200 yen; 03-3265-1425; http://pff.jp.
FLOWER ARRANGEMENT DISPLAYS IN JINDAI BOTANICAL GARDEN (Tokyo): Sept. 19-23, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mon.; more than 40 arrangements at Shokubutsu Kaikan Exhibition Hall, 5-31-10 Jindaiji Motomachi, Chofu City, Tokyo, bus from Mitaka Station, JR Chuo Line, or Chofu Station, Keio Line, Jindaiji Shokubutsu Koen Mae bus stop; 500 yen; 0424-83-2300; http://tinyurl.com/8vftdwp.
SAMUKAWA SHRINE FESTIVAL (Kanagawa prefecture): Sept. 19, 1 p.m. & Sept. 20, 10 a.m.; annual festival to wish for peace and prosperity and yabusame at 2 p.m. Sept. 19; Miyayama Station, JR Sagami Line; 0467-75-0004.
AUTUMNAL EQUINOX DAY: Sept. 22; the start of fall, and a Japanese national holiday to pay respects to deceased ancestors. Japanese people visit temples and cemeteries and offer incense for the repose of the deceased.
38TH MARCHING BAND & BATON TWIRLING CHAMPIONSHIPS (Saitama prefecture): Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; students and adults compete at Saitama Super Arena, Saitama Shin Toshin Station on JR Keihin Tohoku Line; 2,000 yen; 048-600-3193.
TABI FAIR 2012 (Tokyo): Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sept. 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; featuring Japan travel attractions; Tokyo Big Sight Exhibition Halls East 1-3; 1,200 yen adults, 600 yen students, free for kids and students accompanied by a parent; 03-6222-2540.
HUIS TEN BOSCH INTERNATIONAL FIREWORKS COMPETITION (Nagasaki prefecture): Sept. 22, 8-9 p.m.; fireworks experts compete; 3,000 yen adults; 0956-27-0001; English.huistenbosch.co.jp.
TOKYO GAME SHOW 2012 (Chiba prefecture): Sept. 22-23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; one of the biggest game shows globally, introducing advanced games, software and cellphone content; at Makuhari Messe, Kaihin Makuhari Station on JR Keiyo-Line; 1,200 yen; 03-5696-1111.
GRAND SUMO SEPTEMBER TOURNAMENT (Tokyo): Through Sept. 23; Ryogoku Kokugikan, Ryogoku Station, JR Sobu Line; 2,100-3,600-4,900-8,200 yen; 0570-02-9111; http://tinyurl.com/ykevqek.
DINO KINGDOM 2012 (Chiba prefecture): Through Sept. 23, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; exhibition of 50 full-scale skeletons and 150 fossils of tyrannosaurus, triceratops, allosaurus, stegosaurus and diplodocus at Makuhari Messe Exhibition Halls No. 10, 11, five-minute walk from Kaihin Makuhari Station on JR Keiyo-Line; 2,500 yen adults, 1,200 yen ages 6-15; 03-70-064-708.
TOKYO BAY CRUISE: Through Sept. 23, 7:15 p.m.; includes dinner; leaves Takehashi Pier Terminal, seven-minute walk from JR Hamamatsucho Station (north exit); 2,500 yen adults, 1,000 yen senior and junior high school students, 500 yen elementary school students; 03-3437-6119.
OHARA NAKED FESTIVAL (Chiba prefecture): Sept. 23-24; in Ohara district of Isumi City on the Pacific coast, crowds carry mikoshi (portable shrines) to the Ohara fishing harbor to be blessed by a Shinto priest and ask the gods for bountiful crops and nets full of fish, they carry the mikoshi into the sea in an event known as Shiofumi (tide stepping); 047-062-1111.
TORAY PAN PACIFIC OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT 2012 (Tokyo): Sept. 23-26, 10:30 a.m., Sept. 27, 11 a.m., Sept. 28-29, 1 p.m.; top-ranked women’s tennis pros compete for $2 million in prizes at Ariake Colosseum, eight-minute walk from Ariake Station on Yurikamome Line (monorail); www.toray-ppo.co.jp/en/tournament.
AUTUMN BONSAI DISPLAY IN JINDAI BOTANICAL GARDEN (Tokyo): Sept. 25-30, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mon; more than 50 bonsai — potted dwarf trees — at Shokubutsu Kaikan Exhibition Hall, Jindai Botanical Garden, 5-31-10 Jindaiji Motomachi, Chofu City, Tokyo, bus from Mitaka Station, JR Chuo Line, or Chofu Station, Keio Line, Jindaiji Shokubutsu Koen Mae bus stop; 500 yen for garden entrance; 0424-83-2300; www.tokyo-park.or.jp/english.
OKTOBERFEST (Yokohama): Sept. 28-Oct. 14; annual event at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, you can taste more than 80 varieties of beer, four from Munich and 45 from other regions of Germany and local breweries in Kanagawa prefecture, along with sausages and live music; 15-minute walk from JR Kan-nai Station; 045-227-2002.
2012 WORLD RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS CLUB TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (TOKYO): Sept. 28-30; at National Yoyogi Gymnasium No. 1, JR Harajuku Station and Meiji Jingu-Mae Station on Metro Chiyoda Line; 1,800-5,400 yen Sept. 28, 1,800-3,600-9,000-13,500 yen Sept. 29-30; 03-5770-5711.
HUIS TEN BOSCH GARDENING WORLD CUP SHOW (Nagasaki prefecture): Sept. 29-Oct. 8; gardens designed by the world’s top-ranked gardeners at Huis Ten Bosch; 0956-27-0001; www.gardeningworldcup.com.
CORMORANT FISHING (Gifu prefecture): Through Oct. 15; more than 40 sightseeing ships are set on Nagara at 6:15, 6:45 & 7:15 p.m.; fare is 3,000-3,300 yen/person; Nagara River Cormorant Fishing Boat Reservations 058-262-0104; http://tinyurl.com/9s87eqd. Other places to observe cormorant fishing are Uji River in Kyoto, 0774-23-3334; Katsura River in Kyoto, 075-861-0302; Kiso River in Inuyama city, Aichi prefecture, 0568-61-0057; Hiji River in Oozu, Ehime prefecture, 0893-24-2664; and Nishiki River in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi prefecture, 0827-41-0470 or www.ukai-iwakuni.com/content/en.html.
Okinawa
GINOWAN YOUTH EISA FESTIVAL: Sept. 15-16; youth groups from Ginowan city perform Eisa at Ginowan Citizen Square (Shimin Hiroba), 20-minute ride from Kitanakagusuku IC or Nishihawa IC on Okinawa Express; 098-893-4431.
23RD NAGO EISA FESTIVAL: Sept. 16, 5:30 p.m.; Eisa is a traditional Okinawan dance with taiko drums during Obon, a Buddhist holiday to honor the spirits of ancestors and Eisa groups from Nago and neighboring cities parade at the 21st Century Forest Park outdoor stage, Nago city, a 20-minute drive from Naha Airport; 0980-53-5429.
KITANAKAGUSUKU VILLAGE EISA FESTIVAL: Sept. 16, 3-9 p.m.; groups perform traditional Eisa at Kitanagagusuka Joseki (site of the castle), a 50-minute ride from Naha Airport; 098-935-2233.
ITOMAN TUG-OF-WAR: Sept. 30, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; giant tug of war in which local citizens pull a 180-meter giant rope on Route 331 at 5 p.m.; 30-minute ride from Naha Airport or 20-minute ride from Tomigusuku I.C.; 098-840-8135.
South Korea
“SSANGHWA BYEOLGOK,” THE MUSICAL: Through Sept. 30; Universal Art Center, Seoul; 50,000-70,000-90,000-110,000 won; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
MUSICAL “THE CELESTIAL CLOCK”: Through Oct. 1; Gyeonghuigung Palace, Sungjeongjeon, Seoul; 44,000-55,000 won; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
SEOUL DRUM FESTIVAL: Oct. 2-3; professional and amateur percussionists from around the world to gather to perform with different types of instruments at Seoul Plaza, Seoul-si Jung-gu Sogong-don, City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), exit 5 or 6; www.seouldrum.go.kr.
MUSICAL “INTO THE MOONLIGHT”: Through Oct. 7; Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, M Theater, Seoul; 10,000-20,000 won; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
BUSAN INTERNATIONAL FIREWORKS FESTIVAL: Oct. 22, 6-27, 8-9:30 p.m.; teams from U.S., Poland, Japan and China compete in a 15-minute fireworks show at Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Bridge area; and Oct. 29, 8-9 p.m., flying high-themed fireworks at Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Bridge area; www.bff.or.kr/ENG.
“JEKYLL AND HYDE”: Nov. 3, 3 & 7:30 p.m., Nov. 4, 2 & 6:30 p.m.; Seongnam Arts Center, Opera House; Incheon, Nov. 9-11, Incheon Culture & Arts Center Grand Theater; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
MUSICAL, “SHERLOCK HOLMES” (Seoul): Through Nov. 4, Doosan Art Center, Yongkang Hall, Fanta-Stick Theatre, 40,000-60,000 won; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
To see your listings here, e-mail: PSSEDTLibrary@mail.pstripes.osd.mil.
