Jasmina Mitrovic

Harajuku’s Frame Gallery hosts the first curated exhibition from BoTT (Birth of the Teenager), one of Tokyo’s most influential youth-driven streetwear labels. Titled ‘I Need You More Than Ever’, the show features artists Sergio and Elliott, both of whom have been central figures in BoTT campaigns as models, collaborators, and part of the brand’s extended family. Alongside their artwork, the exhibition introduces collaborative tees and a limited blanket designed between the three. It’s a move that shows BoTT shifting from pure fashion into cultural curation, anchoring itself not just in clothing, but in the art and people that shape the youth scene around it.

Founded in Beijing in 2016, A.A. Spectrum has built a following for its sculptural outerwear and oversized silhouettes that pull equally from streetwear and technical design. The brand’s pieces often read more like engineered objects than simple garments, which is part of why it’s found fans across subcultural and fashion circles in both Asia and Europe. For FW25, Spectrum shows its collection A Thousand Pagodas in Tokyo, a line inspired by the symmetry and balance of East Asian architecture. Alongside the main collection, the pop-up also debuts Project A—a capsule with Chinese rapper Gali’s label Uncertain Factor

Tokyo’s nightlife might be lacking in legal warehouse-style venues, but Ohjo Building is one of the rare exceptions. A repurposed kissa-turned-brothel-turned-karaoke bar in the heart of Kabukicho, it’s one of the few spaces that nails that industrial rave atmosphere without risking a police shutdown.
 It’s also the setting for the final party from it-girl DJ duo 666, a Tokyo-based act that spin a mix of hyperpop, noise and ambient blends through their sets. If this is your first time hearing of them, it’s a bittersweet introduction – they’ve become a staple in the city’s underground scene, and this will be their last
hurrah in Tokyo. The line-up features an assortment of amazing DJs and a screening by z0, with a set design and audiovisual environment built to deliver more than just a party.

Rave Racers is less a crew than a world. Their parties borrow from Y2K rave aesthetics: flashes of neon, racing iconography, and a love for trance and techno that feels lifted out of a lost PS2 game. Their Womb takeover brings out techno legend Takkyu Ishino alongside a roster of DJs locked into the same maximalist energy. With live performances scattered through the night, the Grand Prix is a stage set for a full-body experience of nostalgia.

Lit is a party from Fukuoka built around hip hop and dance music, with past line-ups that’ve brought in acts like Punpee, Stuts, tofubeats and Daichi Yamamoto alongside younger names from the local scene. This Tokyo edition takes over Enter in Shibuya with KM, Samo, BiBiYUA and uin on the decks, plus the full team of resident DJs coming up from Fukuoka. Two secret live acts are also slated, the same names who tore up Lit’s 4th anniversary in April.

Starkids move like a band but sound like the internet on overdrive – six members channeling Eurobeat, trap and anime-level chaos into something that feels equal parts live show and meme feed. Sharing the stage with them is Lilbesh Ramko, a SoundCloud-raised hyperpop artist whose warped vocals and otaku-coded references have made him a cult icon in Tokyo’s digicore scene. Together they’re bringing hyperpop in its rawest, glitchiest form to one of Shibuya’s biggest venues. O-East is more used to festival-circuit names, but on this night it’s getting handed over to the kids reshaping what pop sounds like.

Asics takes over Standby Gallery on Harajuku’s Cat Street with a one-day event that ties into their ‘Sound Mind, Sound Body’ philosophy. Running from 11am to 9pm, the programme is a mix of music and culture with sets from Licaxxx, ShioriyBradshaw and Tokyo Vitamin’s Vick, alongside other local acts. It’s less a club night and more of a pop-up you can drop into throughout the day. Catch a set, walk the space, and slide back out before your evening plans.

Japan may have been late to the internet radio scene, but it's catching up fast, with new platforms emerging that reflect the sound and subcultures shaping Tokyo right now. One of the newest to tune into is !!!.fm, also known as Plain FM, which officially launched on July 21.
 The station is run by a cross-cultural team of DJs, PR folks and curators from Tokyo and beyond. Their approach leans genre-fluidity and is community-focused, spotlighting local talent alongside visiting deck-slingers from abroad. On September 13, Plain FM bring their world offline for the first time, hosting their debut IRL party at Sasazuka Bowl – a local favourite with just the right amount of early-2000s nostalgia. Between groovy sets and drinks, you might even find yourself throwing a few gutterballs.

For the past six years, Fullhouse has built a reputation as one of Japan’s strongest DJ collectives. Their members have taken Boiler Room slots, booked tours overseas, and built their following on clean mixes and tightly curated sets. Their sixth anniversary takes over Circus Tokyo with a line-up that hits across the spectrum of  music. It’s the kind of party that doesn’t need hype – the collective’s name alone guarantees the floor will stay moving until morning.

 Nebula is one of those hard techno parties you hear about from a friend of a friend, always staged in the same ‘secret’ spot in Nishi-Azabu. The crowd is a mix of models, DJs and alt baddies who show up for music that feels less like a night out and more like a shock to the system. This time they’re linking with Chronos, a creative collective that threads together DJs, tattoo artists and designers under the banner of heavy techno. The pairing promises a night of distortion, sweat and the kind of sound that rattles through your bones long after it’s over.

Japan doesn’t half-ass its hobbies. Whether it’s bosozoku bike mods or vintage denim hunting, when people go in, they go all the way. The car scene is no different. If anything, the obsession hits a different gear (pun intended).
  Conceived in Tokyo but quickly going international since launching in 2022, Clutch Kickback has become a name to know in underground motorsport, blending grip and drift racing with fashion, music and street culture. They’ve become a fully formed network that stretches from Japan to Europe and North America, gathering all who find common ground in horsepower.
  On September 9, they head to Tsukuba Circuit’s TC2000 course for one of their biggest events yet. Expect a full-day throwdown straight from the morning, with Time Attack sprints, drift sessions, joy rides, and show cars lined up and shining.  

 The Clutch Kickback team frequently teams up with other Tokyo-based groups like Car Service, select shop H4LO, as well as collaborations with musicians, DJs and brands that intersect speed and style. Together, they help make Clutch Kickback feel less like a car meet, and more like a movement.
  There’s no late-night drop pin or warehouse guesswork here. From 8am, it will be screeching tires and basslines echoing across Ibaraki. Tsukuba Circuit isn’t the easiest spot to reach, but it’s worth the trek. From Shibuya or Shinjuku, expect a 2.5-hour journey by train. The closest station is Sodo on the Kanto Railway’s Kantetsu-Joso line, and from there it’s

If you’re looking to trade in concrete and dancefloors for grass fields and moonlight, then Yurufuwa Gang’s Pure Rave will be worth hopping on the train for. Put on by the local rap duo Icons, Nene and Ryugo Ishida, Yurufuwa Camp returns for its first rave in two years. Stacked over three days, the line-up boasts some seriously seasoned names across Japan’s music scene. Expect maximalist fits, lunar-eclipse timing, and chaos under the stars more fitting of a pilgrimage than a party. The event is described as taking place ‘Somewhere in Kanto’ – you’ll have to grab yourself a ticket to find out the exact location. 

Navigating Tokyo’s nightlife scene can feel like stepping into a circus. One look around reveals endless options for revelry that can take you well on into the early morning – but the act of actually walking into a new space, especially one you’ve never set foot in before, can be daunting. So, to spare you another night posted up in front of your go-to convenience store, we’ve curated a list of events happening around the city this weekend that are guaranteed to be worth the effort. With Tokyo Fashion Week in full swing, this weekend’s line-up promises a wave of stylish people, move-inducing beats, and a whole lot of fun. Photo:Yagi Exhibition. x Kangol Presents: Rabbit Museum Yagi Exhibition x Kangol Presents: Rabbit Museum at Domicile Tokyo Sep 5-12Reiji Okamoto is a man of many musical titles, but above all, he's a connector of Tokyo’s underground – This time he's teaming up with renowned British brand Kangol for the fourth round of their cult collaboration. The Rabbit Beanie returns, updated with a few design changes, and a multitude of colours. Alongside the garment’s official release will be an exhibition of one-off custom versions created by 21 iconic local artists at Tokyo’s fashion and cultural syndicate, Domicile Tokyo. The exhibition launches Friday with an opening reception and will remain on view through September 12. The collab celebrations will spill over into Monday with a Rabbit Party being held at Shibuya’s Music Bar Lion. Expect live sets, seasoned DJs an