Off-base events
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Representatives of Guiness Japan marched through the streets of Omotesando on Sunday during the 17th annual Tokyo St. Patrick's Day Parade. Thousands of spectators packed the streets. This year the parade is March 17 and more than 1,500 people are expected to parade.
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Events are as accurate as possible at press time. Since times or event schedules can change, please verify events before attending.
Japan
OEDO ANTIQUE FAIR: March 17, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; More than 150 licensed antique dealers will participate; Tokyo International Forum, 3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, JR Yurakucho Station; free; 03-5805-1093; http://antique-market.jp/eng/index.shtml.
YOMIURI RELAY MARATHON: March 16, 9:45 a.m.; 42.195 km relay marathon at Tokyo Summerland; 4,800-6,300 yen per runner, includes free admissions to Tokyo Summerland and indoor swimming pool; 03-3642-4320.
JAPAN TEDDY BEAR FESTIVAL 2013 (Tokyo): March 16, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., March 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; various teddy bear items including fabric, parts and original products are on sale at Yebisu Garden Hall, 10-minute walk from JR Ebisu Station; 500 yen adults, kids free; 075-712-6311.
SAITAMA STADIUM BIG FLEA MARKET (Saitama prefecture): March 16, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; more than 450 amateur and licensed antique dealers participate at Saitama Stadium; 15-minute walk from Urawa-misono Station on Saitama Kosoku Tetsudo; free; 0180-99-3355.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE YOKOHAMA MOTOMACHI (Kanagawa prefecture): March 16; featuring bagpiper band, Irish dance teams and more at 2 p.m. on Motomachi Dori Street, followed by Irish dance party at 3:30 p.m. and after parade party at 5 p.m.; JR Ishikawacho Station or Motomachi Chukagai Station on Minato Mirai-Line; http://inj-yokohama.com/?page_id=22.
NORDIC SKI & WALK 2013 (Gunma prefecture): March 16-17, Nordic 5K & 10K walk/nordic ski 5, 10 & 20 km courses and nordic hiking at Kusatsu Onsen; 3,000 yen adults, 2,000 yen kids; 28-minute bus ride from JR Naganohara Kusatsu-guchi Station; 03-6910-2509.
65TH TOKYO OPEN TABLE TENNIS 2013: Through March 17; annual Tokyo table tennis championships at Ota-ku Sogo Gymnasium; 1,000 yen adults, 500 yen senior and junior high school students, kids free; five-minute walk from JR Kabata Station (East Exit); 03-5480-6688.
TOKYO SUMMERLAND FLEA MARKET: March 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; one of the largest flea markets in the area held monthly; about 300 booths will be lined up; Akiruno-city; 042-558-0441; www.summerland.co.jp.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE TOKYO: March 17, 2-4 p.m; More than 1,500 people wearing green with sub theme “Kizuna” (the bonds between people contributed to the recovery from 3/11 2011disaster)are to parade along Omotesanto Street; five-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station on Yamanote-Line or Omote-sando Station on Chiyoda-Line; http://www.irish-network-japan.com/en/tokyo-parade.
TAURA PLUM BLOSSOMS FESTIVAL (Kanagawa prefecture): ends March 17; about 27,000 trees in bloom at Taura Plum Village, Yokosuka, 20-minute walk from JR Taura Station; free; 046-861-4181.
PLUM BLOSSOMS FESTIVAL AT MOGUSAEN (Tokyo): ends March 17; about 500 plum trees in bloom at Keio Mogusaen, Hino city, 10 minute walk from Keio Mogusaen-mae Station; 300 yen adults, 100 yen kids; 042-591-3478.
KOMAZAWA OLYMPIC PARK POTTERY FESTIVAL (Tokyo): Through March 20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; potteries produced throughout Japan, such as Saga, Arita, Imari, Karatsu, Bizen, Hagi, Shimizu and more are on sale at discounted prices; Komazawa Olympic Park Chuo Square, 15-minute walk from Komazawa University Station on Tokyu Den-en Toshi Line; free; 090-3198-2164.
SHINRIN KOEN SATOYAMA SPRING FESTIVAL (Saitama prefecture): Ends March 20; 600 plum blossom trees in bloom until mid-March; seven-minute bus ride from Shinrin Koen Station on Tobu-Line; 400 yen adults, 80 yen kids; 0493-57-2111.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY MAKUHARI PARADE (Chiba prefecture): March 20; Second St. Patrick’s Day parade is 2 p.m. between Kaihin Makuhari Koen and Kaihin Makuhari Station on Kokusai Dori Street; 29-minute ride on Keiyo Line from Tokyo Station; http://irish-network-japan.com/en/chiba.
VERNAL EQUINOX DAY AND HIGAN: March 20; “Shunbun no hi,” or Vernal Equinox Day, a day when the sun crosses the equator, making night and day equal in length, is a national holiday in Japan. It’s a day to commune with nature and to show affection for all living things. Visits are made to family graves, to clean them and offer flowers and incense to console ancestral spirits.
TOKYO INTERNATIONAL ANIME FAIR 2013: March 21-24, 10 a.m.; one of the largest general animation events in the world, the fair will focus on younger creators and the announcement of 2013 Anime Award winners; Tokyo Big Sight East No. 1-3 Halls; 1,000 yen adults, 500 yen ages 12-16, free for seniors 65 and older and ages up to 11; 03-5777-8600; www.tokyoanime.jp/en/.
JAPAN FISHING FESTIVAL 2013 (Yokohama): March 22,10 a.m.-6 p.m., March 23, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. & March 24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall, three-minute walk from Minato Mirai Station on Tokyu Toyoko Line; 1,200 yen; 03-3453-0558.
HEIWAJIMA ANTIQUES FAIR (Tokyo): March 22-24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; pottery, furniture, textiles, glass, lacquer, prints, dolls, armor, jewelry and more on sale; Heiwajima Ryutsu Center, Tokyo, take Tokyo Monorail from JR Yamanote Line Hamamatsucho Station to Ryutsu Center, one-minute walk, free; 03-3822-5918.
THE 40TH TOKYO MOTORCYCLE SHOW (Tokyo): March 22-24, 1-6 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.; 140 booths featuring more than 550 new models and equipmentor take a test ride (need to have a Japanese license and can understand Japanese) at Tokyo Big Sight West No. 1 & 2; 1,500 yen adults, 1,000 yen senior high school students, free for ages 15 and younger, 500 yen for test rides; Kyodo Tokyo 03-3498-9999; www.motorcycleshow.org/english/index.shtml.
JAPAN FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW 2013 (Chiba prefecture): March 22-24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., until 4 p.m. Sun); featuring a variety of flowers and gardening gear along with flower arrangement demonstrations; Makuhari Messe, 15-minute walk from Kaihin Makuhari Station on JR Keio Line; 700 yen adults, kids free; 03-3249-0681.
ART FAIR TOKYO 2013: March 22-23, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., March 24, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; the fair will display a selection of 3,000 works of 180 galleries from 13 cities around the world, featuring antiques to contemporary art, along with discussion sessions and more; Tokyo International Forum Hall Exhibition Hall; 3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, one-minute walk from JR Yurakucho Station; 2,000 yen for one-day pass, 3,500 yen for three-day pass; 03-5808-1451; www.artfairtokyo.com/en/.
USA NATIONALS COLLEGE & CLUB TEAM COMPETITIONS 2013 (Chiba): March 23-26, 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; cheerleading & dance competitions at Makuhari Messe, five-minute walk from Kaihin Makuhari Station on JR Keiyo-Line; 2,800 yen/ticket, 2,500 yen/advance ticket; 03-5216-5545.
NISSAN STADIUM FLEA MARKET (Kanagawa prefecture): March 24 & 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.;more than 300 dealers participate in flea marketat Yokohama Stadium, five-minute walk from JR Kozukue Station on Yokohama-Line or a 15-minute walk from JR Shin Yokohama Station; 03-3226-6800.
2013 MARCH GRAND SUMO TOURNAMENT (Osaka): Through March 24; great battle between Harumafuji and Hakuho (both Grand Champion) expected at Osaka Municipal Gymnasium; 06-6645-9999; www.sumo.or.jp.
OSHIMA TSUBAKI FESTIVAL: Through March 24; Oshima Island is famous for camellia flowers and camellia oil products and this annual festival is held when the plants are in full bloom; ferry available from Kurihama (Yokosuka) Port to the island.
RINKO PARK FLEA MARKET (Kanagawa prefecture): March 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.;100 dealers;three-minute walk from Minato Mirai Station on Minato Mirai-Line; 03-3226-6800.
MITO KAIRAKUEN PLUM BLOSSOMS FESTIVAL (Ibaraki prefecture): Through March 31, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; With its 3,000 trees, this site built by Nariaki Tokugawa in 1842, is among the most popular gardens in Japan to appreciate the bloom; JR Mito station on Jyoban-Line (JR Kairakuen Station on Jyoban-Line, only local or rapid trans stop during the festival) or a 20-minute ride from Mito I.C. on Jyoban Express; free; 029-244-5454; http://tinyurl.com/anywzsr.
YOSHINO-BAIGO PLUM BLOSSOM FESTIVAL (Tokyo): Through March 31, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; about 1,200 trees in bloom; 15-minute walk from JR Ome Line, Hinatawada Station, along Yoshino Kaido Street, Ome city; 200 yen adults, kids free; 0428-20-0011.
COUNTRY FARM GERMAN VILLAGE WINTER ILLUMINATION (Chiba prefecture): Through March 31, 4-8 p.m.; One of the biggest illuminations in Japan, using 2 million LEDs; five-minute drive from Anesaki Sodegaura I.C. on Tateyama Express or an eight-minute drive from Kisarazu Higashi I.C. on Ken-oh Express; 500 yen for walk-ins; 0438-60-5511.
FUJI-Q HIGHLAND ICE SKATING: Through March 31; has three ice skating rinks and free skating lessons daily for the first 20 people at 10 a.m., as well as illuminations sunset-7 p.m.; 5-6-1, Nishihara, Fuji-Yoshida, Yamanashi prefecture; 1,300 yen adults, 700 yen kids; 1,000 yen shoe rental; 0555-23-2111; www.fujiq.jp/en.
NAGASAKI HUIS TEN BOSCH TULIP FESTIVAL (Nagasaki prefecture): Through April 7; a million tulips are in full bloom at Nagasaki Huis Ten Bosch, a Dutch-style theme park; 0956-27-0001; http://english.huistenbosch.co.jp/event/flower01.html.
SAGAMIKO ILLUMINATION (Kanagawa prefecture): Through April 14; 5-9:30 p.m.; 4 million lights at Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest, 10-minute bus ride from JR Sagamiko Station on Chuo-Line and Hashimoto Station on JR and Keio-Lines; 500 yen adults, 300 yen children; 042-685-1111.
WHALE SHARK VIEWING: open-ended run; see 4.9 and 5.4-meter whale sharks at feedings and performances; Hakkeijima Sea Paradise; Seaside Line, Hakkeijima Station; 4,200 yen adults, 3,000 yen children; 045-788-8888; www.seaparadise.co.jp/english/.
FANTASMIC (Chiba prefecture): open-ended run; night-time show, featuring 27 animated characters such as Mickey Mouse and Cinderella, filled with special effects using water and fire on Mediterranean Harbor; Tokyo DisneySea, three-minute ride from Resort Gate Station/Maihama Station, JR Keiyo Line; one-day passport 6,200 yen adults, discount passport after 3 p.m. 4,900 yen adults; 0570-00-8632; www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp.
MEIJI JINGU ICE SKATING (Tokyo): year-round, noon-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends; adults 1,300 yen/day, children 900 yen/day and after 3 p.m., adults 1,000 yen and children 700 yen and 500 yen for shoe rental; Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku-ku, one-minute walk from Kokuritsu Kyogijyo on subway Oedo Line or five-minute walk from JR Shinanomachi Station on Sobu Line; 03-3403-3458, www.meijijingugaien.jp/english/ice-skating.html.
Okinawa
MAESATO BEACH OPENING 2013: March 20, 1-3 p.m.; Beach opens and features marching band performance by local children, family picnic near ocean, seashell hunting and more at ANA International Ishigaki Resort, Ishigaki islands; 20-minute ride from New Ishigaki Airport; 0980-88-7111.
5TH OKINAWA INTERNATIONAL MOVIE FESTIVAL 2013: March 23-31; more than 50 movies with the theme of “Laugh & Peace,” including films “Flicker,” “Mental,” “Pomi Moni,” and “I am the King,” “Death Match” and others; Okinawa Convention Hall and others, 40-minute drive from Naha Airport; 1,000 yen adults, 800 yen kids and seniors; 098-921-7711; www.oimf.jp/en/.
OKINAWA CHILDREN’S KINGDOM FLOWER FESTIVAL 2013: Through March 24, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Showcasing various flowers of Okinawa and classes; 500 yen adults, 200 yen senior and junior high school students, 100 yen kids, under 3 free; 098-933-4190.
ZAMAMI VILLAGE WHALE WATCHING FESTIVAL 2013: ends April 5, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Zamami Village, 50-minute express boat from Naha Port; 5,250 yen adults, 2,625 yen kids; 098-896-4141; http://tinyurl.com/c9o7n2e.
OKINAWA FLOWER CARNIVAL 2013: Through May 6; Showcasing various flowers from Okinawa; Shuri Castle Park, Okinawa Commemorative Government Park, Okinawa Kenritsu Budokan, Nakijin Castle Park and Yaedake Cherry Park; Okinawa Sightseeing Convention Bureau 098-859-6129.
South Korea
MUSICAL “MAMMA MIA”: Through March 17; Seongnam Arts Center, Opera House, Gyeonggi; 40,000-60,000-80,000-100,000-120,000 won; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
SWAN LAKE, UNIVERSAL BALLET: March 29, 7:30 p.m., & March 30, 5 p.m.; Gyeonggi Arts Center, Grand Performance Hall, Suwon; 20,000-40,000-50,000-60,000 won;
MUSICAL, “REBECCA”: Through March 31; LG Arts Center, Seoul; 50,000-80,000-110,000-130,000 won; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
MUSICAL, “JOSEPH AMAZING AND THE TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT”: Through April 11; Seoul, Charlotte Theater, 70,000-90,000-110,000-130,000 won; http://ticket.interpark.com.
MUSICAL, “THE THREE MUSKETEERS”: Through April 21; Seoul, Chungmu Art Grand Theater, 50,000-80,000-110,000-130,000 won; http://ticket.interpark.com.
MUSICAL, “ARSENE LUPIN”: Through May 5; Seoul, Blue Square, 60,000-80,000-100,000 won; http://ticket.interpark.com.
MUSICAL “MAMA, DON’T CRY”: Through May 26; Seoul, Chungmu Art Hall, Middle Theatre Black, 50,000 won; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
MUSICAL, “EUROPE BLOG”: Through May 31, Seoul, Dae Hak No, Theater Group Eda, Hall One, 40,000-60,000 won; http://ticket.interpark.com.
MUSICAL, “WORLD BEAT VINARI” (Seoul): Through July 31; Cine Core Theater 2; 40,000-50,000-60,000 won; http://tinyurl.com/3e6rwhe.
MUSICAL, “GREASE” (Seoul): open-ended run, 8 p.m., Mon., Wed.-Fri., 3 & 7 p.m., Sat., 2 & 6 p.m., Sun. & holidays, Dongsoong Art Center; 40,000-60,000 won; 1588-5212.
To see your listings here, email SSPEDTlibrary@stripes.com.
