Tickets for almost all advertised concerts can be bought at 'Playguides' around town, though it is sometimes difficult to get a good seat. The best way is to go directly to the ticket office at the theater or hall. Quite often, just a telephone call will secure your seat.

Playguides
Play guides can be found all over Tokyo You can call them up and reserve tickets
by phone and pick them up at the nearest playguide. Lines are usually busy so keep
pressing that re-dial button!

Ticket Pia and Ticket Saison
As with the Playguides, you can find stores all over Tokyo. With these however, most of the time you can also find stores in department stores, some major supermarkets and convenience stores. Again, as with the Playguides, you can call and order and reserve tickets by phone.

Here are just a few of the stores, there are lots more so check out your nearest one.

Ginza Kyukyodo Ticket Service	3571-0401	Ginza 4-chome
Shinjuku Playguide	3352-4080	Shinjuku Isetan Dept. 7F
Tickets also available at department stores.
Ticket Pia	5237-9999	http://www.pia.co.jp/
Ticket Saison	3341-1824
	(in English)	http://www.saison.co.jp/ticket/

Information for shows and events
*Tokyo Journal *Tokyo Weekender *Newspapers *Pia *City Road (in Japanese)

Kabuki
It is the most well-known of the traditional Japanese dramatic art forms. All roles are played by men. It is difficult to make a classification for Kabuki as there are so many kinds of plays. One program is staged for 20 - 25 days, with a matinee at 11 a.m. and an afternoon performance at 4 or 5 p.m. About four kinds of drama and dance are staged. For 1,000 yen you can stand and watch one act (called "tachimiseki" in Japanese) so this is a good way to get a glimpse of what Kabuki is about.

Kabuki-za	3541-3131	Ginza
Shinbashi Embujo	3541-2600	Shinbashi
National Theater	3265-7411	Hanzomon http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/index2.html

Noh, Kyogen
Japan's oldest theater form. A subtle lyrical drama with little physical movement performed to chanting and musical accompaniment. Hard to understand but the masks and costumes give it a special beauty.
The National Theater Noh Hall gives the most performances and they also have a display of Noh masks and costumes that can be seen free of charge. Kyogen is a comedy between Noh performances and is staged many times a year. If you have the opportunity to see a performance outdoors on the grounds of a shrine or temple by torchlight, it should not be missed.
There is now what is called Modern Kyogen which is performed by itself. Aimed at younger people it sometimes incorporates things such as jazz, and can be seen performed at jazz clubs as well.

National Theater Noh Hall	3423-1331	Sendagaya http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/index2.html
Kanze Noh Theater	3469-5241	Shibuya, Shoto
Ginza Noh Theater	3571-0197	Ginza 6-chome
Tessenkai Nogaku Genshujo	3401-2285	Minami Aoyama

Bunraku
Puppet theater, also known as ningyo joruri. Large puppets are manipulated by hand to the accompaniment of shamisen music and chanting. The plays often deal with the feelings of the common people. Staged in the National Theater's Small Hall in Tokyo.

Sumo
As the national sport of Japan, Sumo enjoys great popularity. Six annual tournaments are held, each lasting 15 days. Three of these are held in Tokyo, in January, May and September, at the Kokugikan Sumo Arena in Ryogoku. The bouts can be seen on television, but to enjoy that special atmosphere you must go to the Kokugikan. Tickets are available at Playguides, and go on sale about three hours before the start of the day's bouts, but to ensure a good seat it is best to go to the ticket office at the Kokugikan. There is a choice of an ordinary seat or box seat, though box seats may be hard to get.

For information:

Nihon Sumo Kyokai	3623-5111	http://www.sumo.or.jp//index_e.html
Ryogoku Kokugikan	3623-5111
Kokugikan Ticket Office	3622-1100	Telephone booking possible

Specialist Museums

National Science Museum	3822-0111	Ueno Park http://www.kahaku.go.jp/welcome.htm
Science Museum	3441-7176	Kitanomaru Park
The Ancient Orient Museum	3989-3491	Ikebukuro Sunshine Bldg.
Japan Folk Craft Museum	3467-4527	Komaba
Folk crafts, furniture
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum of Art	3443-0201	Shirogane http://www.tokyo-teleport.co.jp/teien/index.html
Art-decor building. Special exhibits
Edo-Tokyo Museum	3626-9974	Ryogoku
As you go up on the escalator inside the futuristic building and catch a glimpse of the history of Tokyo since the Edo period, you will feel like you have entered a time-capsule. Reproductions of primary school text books from around the WWII period are popular gifts. Near the Sumo Ryogoku National Sports Hall, in the summer you can also watch sumo wrestling.
Fukagawa Edo Shiryoukan	3630-8625	Fukagawa

The best way to get an understanding of Japanese culture, though there is a limit to the number of places offering courses in English.

Ikebana (Flower Arrangement)
There are various styles of flower arrangement and they each have their own schools.

Sogetsu School	3408-1126	Akasaka Sogetsu Kaikan http://www.tni.co.jp/sogetsu/sogetsu-e.html
Ikenobo Gakuen	3292-3071	Kanda, Surugadai http://www.ikenobo-c.ac.jp/ocha/
Ohara School of Ikebana	3499-1200	Minami Aoyama, Ohara Kaikan http://www.ohararyu.or.jp/english/index.html
Ikebana International	3293-8188	Ochanomizu Square B-kan http://www1a.mesh.ne.jp/ikebana/index.htm#home
Ikebana	3477-6277	Shibuya Tokyu Plaza, Tokyu Be http://www.tokyu.co.jp/be/

Tea Ceremony

Dai Nihon Chado Gakkai	5379-0753	Yotsuya
Sado Kaikan Hall	3361-2446	Takadanobaba

Sumi-e (Ink-Brush Pointing)

Sumi-e & Other

3477-6277

Tokyu Be http://www.tokyu.co.jp/be/

Ceramics (Togei)

Nihon Togei Club	3402-3634	Harajuku, in the Togo shrine
Kurita Craft	3402-8732	Kita Aoyama

Cooking

Le Cordon Bleu	5489-0141	Daikanyama
Egami Cooking School	3269-0281	Ichigaya http://www.foods.co.jp/EGAMI/

Za-Zen (Zen meditation)

Taiso-ji	3917-4477	Komagome
Eiheiji-Betsuin (in Japanese)	3400-5232	Nishi Azabu
Seijozan-Kounji (in Japanese)	3416-1735	Seijo-gakuen

Calligraphy

Japan Calligraphy Museum

3965-2611

Itabashi

Main Culture Schools
Tokyo's cultural schools offer courses in everything from the above to painting, music and technical skills. Learn some Japanese and try your hand at something.

NHK Bunka Center	3475-1151	Aoyama
Asahi Culture Center	3344-1941	Shinjuku http://iij.asahi.com/information/acc.html
Tokyu Seminar 'Be'	3477-6277	Shibuya http://www.tokyu.co.jp/be/

Public Baths (Sento)
It is a well known (relatively) that the Japanese have a serious love affair with their baths. From back in the Edo period when Japanese houses didn't have bathtubs built into them, the public bath or sento was the place to wash and bathe. Not only did you scrub yourself clean and relax in the (very) hot water, the sento acted as a kind of community center where neighbors came together to chat and communicate.
These days, the majority of people who see an apartment without a bath or toilet (these apartments still exist) would think twice about moving in. Since bathing at home is now the norm, the sentos began to lose popularity. But leave it up to the sento owners to come up with some pretty nifty ideas to get people going again. You have your Jacuzzis, saunas, massages, even lemon baths (don't ask, don't know!). Missing that zip in your life lately? How about a bath that has electricity running through it? Talk about feeling refreshed!
Feel like going yet? Well if you do, just remember these little pointers. Wash yourself BEFORE you get in the bath. No bathing suits (it is a bath after all), and remember to bring your own towels and soap.

Onsen
Japan is also a land filled with hot springs or onsen. Usually they're found somewhere other than Tokyo, but hey, Tokyo has everything else, why not an onsen? This must be your lucky day. Although you won't be able to get in the rotenburo, which is a large outdoor bathtub, and enjoy the scenery, there are onsens in Tokyo as well.

So, bust out your towels and soap and head for your local sento or onsen! Here are just a tiny fraction of sentos and onsens out there, but there's sure to be one nearby!

Azabu Juban Onsen - 3404-2610 (Azabu Juban)
Tsubame Yu - 3831-7305 (Taito-ku, Ueno)
Bain Douch - 3263-4944 (Chiyoda-ku)
Soshigaya Onsen 21 - 3483-2611 (Soshigaya Okura Odakyu line. Bath, Sauna and pool.)