Where is a good place in Tokyo to celebrate New Years?

Watch the fireworks at Ikebukuro Sunshine City. People gather here at this tallest observatory in Tokyo watch fireworks and countdown to the New Year on New Years Eve. The next day the observatory opens at 5:30 a.m. should you so desire to make your first wish for the new year be one with an inspirational vista of Tokyo as your backdrop.

Shinto Shrines, the annual "hatsumode" pilgrimage begins at midnight. Millions flock to Meiji Shrine at Harajuku, but better is Hie Jinja at Akasaka. More local and low key, no huge crowds.

Tokyu Silvester Concert 2009-2010

TV Tokyo's annual live broadcast of this concert to homes nationwide has made it Japan’s most famous classical music Silvester concert. Each year’s performance employs new and imaginative surprises to make the show original. Celebrating the concert’s 15th year and 2009 as the International Year of Space, Holst’s ‘Jupiter’ has been chosen as this year’s countdown performance and will finish at the exact time New Year begins— a testing task for all but the very best conductors. This year’s performance sees Naoto Otomo’s debut as the concert’s conductor, marks Hiroko Nakamura’s fiftieth year as a pianist and includes a host of world-class soloists.

Location: Bunkamura Orchard Hall

Date: Thur Dec 31

Airtime: 10pm /Part 1 (10pm–11pm) /Part 2 (11pm–12:45am)

live broadcast by TV Tokyo, BS Japan and 6 other networks

Program: Holst: The Planets from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, etc.

Conductor: Naoto Otomo

Performed by: Tokyo Philharmonic

Featuring: Hiroko Nakamura (p), Ken Nishikiori (t), Kyoko Takezawa (vn), Hiroko Kouda (s)

Admission: ¥7,000- ¥9,000, now on sale

Information: (03)3477 3244

Us3

2009 marks Blue Note Record’s 70th anniversary. Celebrating this special event is an impressive performance by Us3— a group that fuses jazz with hip-hop to create some refreshing and original club music. The group is coming to Japan for this single performance in Yokohama. Formed in London in 1991, Us3 is a jazz-rap group headed by London based producer Geoff Wilkinson. To enjoy this group’s talent on stage, up close and personal, head to Motion Blue Yokohama this New Year’s Eve.

Venue: Motion Blue Yokohama

Address: Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse 2 Gokan 3F, 1-1-2 Shinko, Naka, Yokohama

Date: Thur Dec 31

Show times: 1st show 7pm (doors open at 5:30pm), 2nd show 11pm (doors open at 9:30pm – countdown party)

Featuring: Geoff Wilkinson (beats), Bryan Corbett (tp), Sean Freeman (sax), Sean Hargreaves (key), Chris Dodd (b), DJ First Rate (Turntables), Akil Dasan (rap), Brook Yung (rap)

Admission: 1st show ¥8,400, 2nd show ¥9,450

Information: Motion Blue Yokohama (045)226 1919

Website: www.motionblue.co.jp/

A special party for the Grand Year-End of 2009 & welcoming in a Happy New Year 2010 with Incognito

Lead by the multi-talented guitarist and producer Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick, Incognito is a popular jazz-funk group celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, and are scheduled to give a lively performance at Blue Note Tokyo that will have you dancing before you know it. Special discount tickets are on sale for those wishing to attend both this event and also Us3’s live performance at Motion Blue Yokohama— an opportunity to have one very cool musical New Year’s Eve indeed. The price of tickets to the second show includes a glass of champagne.

Venue: Blue Note Tokyo

Date: Thur Dec 31

Show times: 1st show 7:30pm (doors open at 6pm), 2nd show 11pm (doors open at 9:30pm – countdown party)

Featuring: Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick (g, vo), Vanessa Haynes (vo), Joy Rose (vo), Tony Momrelle (vo), etc.

Admission: 1st show ¥9,450, 2nd show ¥11,760

Information: Blue Note Tokyo (03)5485 0088

Riding into Year 2010 with Leon Ware

King of mellow soul music, Leon Ware, has recorded music with Quincy Jones and provided music for all time greats such as Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye. In the nineteen seventies he went solo and, influenced by both Brazilian music and 'Audio-orientated Rock', went on to produced a number of popular records. For a soulful wrap-up to 2009 with this musical magician, head to the Tokyo’s Cotton Club this New Year’s Eve.

Venue: Cotton Club

Date: Thur Dec 31

Show times: 1st show 7:30pm (doors open at 6pm), 2nd show 10:45pm (doors open at 10pm – countdown party)

Featuring: Leon Ware (vo), Wayne Linsey (key), Rob Bacon (g), Smitty Smith (b), Donel Spencer (dr), Niki Grier (back vo)

Admission: ¥10,500–¥13,500 per person

Information: Cotton Club (03)3215 1555

Safe travels!

Travel Team | The Empirical Company |(206) 338-1901 Direct | (206) 426-0299 Fax | (206) 414-8361 Mobile|(44)7005-803235 UK Direct | (44)7005-803237 UK Fax | info@empiricalcompany.com | www.empiricalcompany.com | www.twitter.com/empiricalco

Tokyo Disney Land, but it is not in Tokyo actually.