The WEEKENDER

Eat, Shop, Go

The Prince Experience at the Museum of Science’s Charles Hayden Planetarium gives visitors a chance to stargaze while listening to a soundtrack of hits by Prince. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Science

The semester’s quickly wrapping up, and yes, deadlines are looming. But everybody needs to take a break from the books, papers, and presentations. Happily, there’s a lot going on in Boston this weekend. Need to catch your breath? Stop by a tranquil Japanese café in nearby Coolidge Corner or treat yourself to some new spring clothing at bargain prices at a local thrift store. And anime fans will want to head to Hynes Convention Center for the annual Anime convention. We’ve got all that and more in “The Weekender,” our weekly guide to goings-on about town. If you have suggestions for events or places we should feature, leave them in the Comment section below.

Gen Sou En Tea House

Whether you’re looking for a tranquil place to read while enjoying a cup of tea or seeking some delicious casual Japanese cuisine, you’ll find it at Gen Sou En Tea House in Coolidge Corner. This unique venue offers a café, bar, and restaurant service in a relaxed atmosphere, reminiscent of Japanese tea houses in the land of the rising sun. Studying? Choose from one of a half dozen green teas. Take off your shoes, and stretch out on a tatami mat. On a date? Reserve a table for two and share a teishoku meal set, accompanied with rice, pickles, and miso soup, or stop by in the evening for a sake cocktail. Cramming for a final while craving a late-night snack? Grab a small plate of edamame. (Café and restaurant menu prices vary.) You can even attend a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Gen Sou En Tea House, 299 Harvard St., Brookline, is open Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 am to 11 pm, Thursday and Friday, 10 am to 10 pm, Saturday, 9 am to 10 pm, and Sunday, 9 am to 9 pm. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Coolidge Corner.

Gen Sou En Tea House in Coolidge Corner offers a variety of quality green teas as well as a Japanese-inspired menu, including matcha-dusted salmon. Catch up on reading in this tranquil setting. Photo courtesy of Gen Sou En Tea House

Buffalo Exchange Allston

Looking to add something new to your spring wardrobe, or perhaps trying to purge a few of last year’s purchases? Whatever the case, Buffalo Exchange in Allston has you covered. Just a stone’s throw from BU, this thrift shop specializes in men’s and women’s fashion, offering both new and recycled clothing. Here’s a chance to clean out your closet and see what those jeans, T-shirts, dresses, and skirts you bought on a whim and no longer wear can sell for (so long as they’re in excellent condition). Maybe that vintage jacket you’ve been eyeballing could be covered with what you make back. Sellers receive 30 percent of the selling price in cash, or 50 percent in store credit, on the spot. Don’t see anything you want to buy at the Allston store? You can use your credit at the Buffalo Exchange in  Somerville or at any of the chain’s 48 other spots across the country.

Buffalo Exchange Allston, 180 Harvard Ave., Allston, is open Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 8 pm, and Sunday, noon to 7 pm. Sellers are required to bring a driver’s license, passport, or valid government-issued ID. Take an MBTA Green Line B trolley to Harvard Ave.

Buffalo Exchange offers trendy used clothes at affordable prices plus cash or credit on the spot when you sell your own clothing.

The Prince Experience: Planetarium Show at the Museum of Science

Purple Rain. You’ve heard it. You’ve seen it. But have you sat beneath it? The Museum of Science Charles Hayden Planetarium continues its popular Music Under the Dome series this weekend with a tribute to Prince, the legendary Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who died in 2016. April 27 is your last chance to engage in the museum’s “sensory journey full of innovation, artistry, and imagination set to the pulsating soundtrack of one of music’s greatest icons.” The show employs the planetarium’s technologies to the fullest, fusing eye-popping visuals with the rhythms and vocals of the Prince of Funk in a 40-minute spectacle.

The Prince Experience plays at the Museum of Science Charles Hayden Planetarium, One Science Park, Boston, Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, at 7:30 pm. Purchase tickets ($20) here. The event is 18+ and doors close promptly at 7:30 pm. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Science Park/West End.

Anime Boston 2019 at the Hynes Convention Center

You don’t have to be a weeb or an otaku to appreciate Boston’s annual anime convention (and you don’t have to know what either of those are to have a good time). The cosplay, and passion for all things Japanese pop culture, is a sight to behold. Samurai dominate the 2019 lineup. But there’s more to take in than presentations of Japan’s feudal history. Celebrations of J-pop, J-rock, and other contemporary Japanese phenomena will feature striking and colorful fashion. There are  video games, an AMV (anime music video) contest, live gaming, karaoke, a game show, a swap meet, formal and semiformal balls, and more.

Anime Boston runs at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St., Boston, from Friday, April 19, through Sunday, April 21. Admission is $65 to $80. Hours vary, depending upon the event. Find a complete schedule here. Take an MBTA Green Line B, C, or D trolley to Hynes Convention Center.

Anime Boston’s annual convention is at the Hynes Convention Center from April 19 to 21. Photo courtesy of Amy Young/Anime Boston

Dirty Disney at Laugh Boston

In a year that seems to be overstuffed with live-action Disney remakes (Dumbo, currently on the big screen, and the soon-to-be released new spins on Aladdin and The Lion King—not to mention Maleficent 2), Catalyst Comedy’s musical Dirty Disney is the antidote. This wickedly funny send-up of animated favorites from your childhood promises to be hilariously irreverent. And you thought Jafar’s beard at the end of Aladdin was “so twisted.”

Catalyst Comedy’s Dirty Disney plays at Laugh Boston, Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, first floor, 425 Summer St., Boston, Friday, April 19, at 9:45 pm. Purchase tickets ($20) here. Take an MBTA Green Line trolley to Park Street, and switch to a Red Line inbound train to Broadway. The Westin is about a 15-minute walk from the T stop.

Graduate student Geoffrey Line (COM) can be reached at gline@bu.edu.