OKINAWA THE LIFE ORGANIC UFC FIGHT NIGHT JAPAN

OKINAWADive into an Island

Adventure

THE LIFE ORGANICAll-Natural Products for

Health and Beauty

UFC FIGHT NIGHT JAPANCelebrities, Adrenaline

and Entertainment

Japan’s number one English language magazine

ALSO: Nagoya-Style Grilled Eels in Ginza, Outdoor Sports in Akita, People, Parties, and Places, Agenda, and More...

SEPTEMBER 2014

SEPTEMBER 2014 www.tokyoweekender.com

www.tokyoweekender.com SEPTEMBER 2014

SEPTEMBER 2014 CONTENTS

8 Apps Around TownSix smartphone apps that will put Tokyo into the palm of your hand

16 Kate TokyoEyes are on this bold makeup brand as it steps onto the global market

20 Hitsumabushi BinchoAuthentic Nagoya soul food prepared to perfection in the heart of Ginza

26 Akita’s Outdoor SportsHeading to northern lands for athletic pursuits on land, sea, and air

28 Still Under Construction Does taking up the Olympic torch put Tohoku recovery on the back burner?

29 Airborne in Hida-TakayamaAn air rescue organization teams up with this “Little Kyoto” of the Japan Alps

30 People, Parties, PlacesSuper Fourth with Caroline Kennedy and Toranomon Tower’s new luxury hotel

38 MoviesMarvel guards the galaxy, smart apes with a sequel, and Muppets in high demand

40 AgendaSome of the final festas of the season, jazz hits the city, and 1.5 weeks of Belgian beer

MARTY FRIEDMANOn Japanese music, media, and life in one

of heavy metal’s biggest bands

TOKYO ORGANICProducts and services to help you live a

more sustainable life in the big city

OKINAWASubmerge yourself into the watery heart

of Japan’s subtropics

UFC FIGHT NIGHT JAPANA look ahead at an evening of pure mixed

martial arts entertainment

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OKINAWADive into an Island

Adventure

THE LIFE ORGANICAll-Natural Products for

Health and Beauty

UFC FIGHT NIGHT JAPANCelebrities, Adrenaline

and Entertainment

Japan’s number one English language magazine

ALSO: Nagoya-Style Grilled Eels in Ginza, Outdoor Sports in Akita, People, Parties, and Places, Agenda, and More...

SEPTEMBER 2014

SEPTEMBER 2014

PublisherChairman

Executive Producer

EditorArt Director

Media DirectorAccount Executives

Media ConsultantMarketing

Editorial Consultant

Society

Editorial Associates

Film

IT ManagerDevelopment Manager

Finance & AdminDBA

BC Media Group Ray Pedersen

Asi Rinestine

Alec JordanLiam Ramshaw

Kotaro TodaNobu (Nick) NakazawaOhad Elbaz

Mary Rudow Ingrid DubreuilSami Kawahara

Bill Hersey

Vivian MorelliMatthew HernonMona Neuhauss

Christopher O’Keeffe

Nick AdamsStephane BoudouxKeiko Suzuki Iryna Sundutova

EST. Corky Alexander, 1970

Published monthly at the Regency Shinsaka Building, 5th floor

8-5-8 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052(03) 6666-4924 / (03) 6432-9229 (fax)

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Published by BC Media Group

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Editor

he cicadas’ metallic shimmer that is part of the soundtrack of summer is starting to give way

to quiet evenings of crickets, and though there’s plenty of heat left in the season, some early cold is giving us a taste of the autumn to come. It’s been a busy month here at the Weekender, and we manage to cover almost the entire length of the country between the covers of this issue. But we start with a question: what would inspire the guitarist of one of the biggest bands in heavy metal to step away from the world-touring limelight and begin a new life in Japan? As we sit down with Marty Friedman, he lets us know why

he chose to move on from Megadeth, and what his career in Japanese music and media has taught him. He’s a keen observer of the music scene—both here on these shores and in the States—and he had plenty to say that surprised us. After that, we hit the road, as we give you two options: if you’re looking to keep chasing the endless summer, head south to Okinawa, where we dive into the island life and check out some of the best scuba spots, and choicest hotels, around the prefecture. Or, if you’d rather keep it cool and work up a sweat at the same time, travel north with us on a trip up to Akita, where the multifaceted terrain makes for a wide variety of athletic opportunities throughout the year. The athletes coming to town for UFC’s Fight Night, however, are here for one night only, and as the days tick off to MMA action in Saitama’s Super Arena, we give you a taste of the adrenaline and excitement coming your way September 20. See you in October, and thanks for reading.

Due to an editorial oversight in our August issue, we failed to credit the photographer, Kanae Miyazu, who supplied the images for our feature on the poet Shuntaro Tanikawa, and modified a photograph without her consent. We apologize for the error.

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Expect only the unexpected, as one of the purest forms of entertainment comes to the Super Arena

FC Fight Night is back in Japan, for the seventh time since its debut on these shores in 1993, and will be taking over the Saita-

ma Super Arena on September 20, with a line-up of some of the biggest names in the MMA fighting world. Even if you’re new to fighting sports, it won’t take you long to see that this is one of the purest forms of enter-tainment out there, and the no-holds-barred battles will have your adrenaline levels up and set your heart pumping. This action draws fans from all walks of life, and is usually a popular draw for the celebrity set as well: at past UFC events around the world, we’ve seen the likes of such stars as Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and his family, Mike Tyson, Janet Jackson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many more. And even if you’re not ringside (or Octagon-side) yourself, you can feel a rush that is hard to disassociate with. Whether you’re at the stadium, right at the heart of action and hearing the roar of the crowds, or catching up on your favorite fighter’s recent bouts the passion and dedication of

UOur sport is scary

because someone can be hurt, but people love to watch the unex-pected as long as it not happening to them.

SOUND LIKE A PRO

Before attending the event, make sure you familiarize yourself with some MMA lingo. You might even be able to surprise people with your in-depth knowledge.

Ankle Pick—Not as cute as you would imagine someone picking at your ankles would be. It is a variation of the single leg takedown. In order to perform an an-kle pick, the attacker grabs and elevates their opponent’s ankles off the mat, before either lifting or driving through.

Haymaker—A wild, fight-changing power punch. (see Nelson, Roy)

Cauliflower Ear—Defined as “the calcification of the ear from repeated contact during grappling,” it is a type of deformation of the ear, common in MMA fighters. We don’t recommend searching for images before eating cauliflower for dinner.

No Contest—The outcome of a fight that prematurely ends due to unfore-seen circumstances, with no winner at the end.

Turtle—The act of balling up on elbows and knees in a grounded position, similar to a, you guessed it, turtle. This is to prevent an opponent’s strike and makes you feel safe in your own little world—that is, until they slowly pick you apart and defeat you.

these well trained fighters will hit you. It is human nature to be engulfed in a danger-ous and aggressive spectacle where every moment is unpredictable. We spoke to headline fighter Roy “Big Country” Nelson, who will fight against heavyweight rival Mark Hunt. He explained why some may be anxious about watching the competitions. “Anything people don’t understand can be scary. Our sport is scary because someone can be hurt, but people love to watch the unexpected as long as it not happening to them.”

ou know, we are not these barbaric creatures that just want to go out and hurt people—a lot of us have college degrees and are very nice.

Walking down the street, you wouldn’t know that we are fighters,” the 28-year-old brunette says calmly. Knowing what we do about mixed martial arts fighting, many of us have our ste-reotypes of what a fighter might be like away from the ring, but Miesha Tate is an example that defies them all. Taking up the sport at the age of 19, she didn’t always have the full support of the peo-ple around her. “I was a freshman in college. My family was like, ‘Are you crazy? Why are we spending all this money for your college and you’re going off to get yourself punched in the face?’ They didn’t really like it, safe to say,” she smirks. But this disapproval never discouraged her: “I believe that I can build my own support system if it’s around something I enjoy. I’m very strong-minded in that sense, so it didn’t bother me that my parents didn’t support me. If anything, it motivated me.” The upcoming UFC Fight Night held in

The event is to be held at the Saitama Super Arena on Saturday, September 20. Tickets can now be purchased at ufc.tokyoweekender.com

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW!

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A lot of us have col-lege degrees and are very nice, and walking down the street you wouldn’t know that we are fighters.

Saitama Super Arena will see 12 fights, but only one of them is fe-male vs. female. Miesha Tate is the only woman in history to have won two UFC Fight of the Night awards, and says that her ultimate goal would be to win the UFC World title, to become the champion. Apart from that, she also wants to leave her mark in the industry as of the most en-tertaining female fighters—as someone who has the balance between fighting and being a woman, “I want to prove to the world that a lot of people think that you have to mean or angry when you fight, and for me it’s nothing of that sort. It’s just a sport, no different to tennis or football. You don’t have to be angry to compete, and that’s all it is. It’s just a competition.” Although there is a strong following and fan base for Women’s MMA, for those that don’t know much about the industry and the sport, a stigma still exists. Tate feels that the UFC in Japan in September is a huge mile marker for not only the UFC, but also for Women’s MMA, being the first high-profile women’s fight that is going to be on the main cards. “It’s going to be an exciting moment in history.” “I think that women have an inner warrior inside of us. Throughout history

it’s been shown - women will fight tooth and nail to save their children. It’s just been stereotyped in society that we are not supposed to fight. But I think women’s MMA has flourished so well because of the

toughness we display inside the octagon, as well as the enthusiasm that we put in

into every single fight.” Her Japanese opponent Rin Nakai, who

has recently been signed by the UFC and is undefeated to date, gets a lot

of attention due to her pro-vocative nature and risqué photos and videos away from fighting. Rumors have it that she will wear a prom dress as she enters the ring on the night of September 20, as men-tioned by UFC’s President, Dana White. But despite

her opponent’s flamboyant image, Tate believes that Nakai is a worthy opponent, and she’s looking forward to facing her, and she appreciates the opportunity to be a part of UFC’s landmark Japanese event: “I definitely feel like a lot of love and support from Japan. It’s a huge honor to come over here and fight, because of [Japan’s} history with MMA and the Pride [Fighting Champi-onships].” But we still had one question: does a fierce, determined fighter like Tate ever get scared before a fight? “Fear is definitely a real emotion that goes into fighting, when you realize you are going in to hand to hand combat. I get the butterflies in my

stomach—it’s half excitement, half nerves. It’s not much about the fight, it’s about putting so much into some-thing and having it not go the way you want it to. That’s the fear.”

Miesha TateBreaking the Mold


GOODNITE TOKYO SOOSHITOKYO ONSEN MAP

eveloped by an Onsen-lover for Onsen-lovers, this app locates your nearest bathing spot in Tokyo in three seconds. It’s also the only

Onsen app that allows you to mark those that you’ve already visited, taken from personal experience of using a traditional Onsen pil-grimage stamp book.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FROM THE IDEA UP UNTIL THE LAUNCH?The idea existed from 2010, as soon as the iPhone came out. I taught myself how to program and make apps, and began working on it in 2012. However, as soon as I started collecting data and other initial information, another app company released an Onsen app. It was quite a shock for me, and I stopped working on it altogether until the beginning of this year. You could say that overall it took a four long years to release the app.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE APP IN 3 WORDS?A “collaboration” of “tradition” and “new-technology.”

escribed as an app that “provides every option for nightlife in Tokyo”, it is the only app with such an extensive amount of options that

suggests places based upon your GPS. Share your location with your friends to make sure the night goes smoothly as planned.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT?I noticed a pattern in going out with friends and family in Tokyo. Bar, club, karaoke: it doesn’t really matter what order you do all these things in. It’s a simple fact that, in most cases, this is what people do that night in Tokyo.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES IN THE

JAPANESE APP MARKET? Language, simply. Foreigners want English only and Japanese people want it in their native language. The challenge is that some of the information provided from the clubs, bars, and karaoke are all in Japanese. Our app has both, which makes everyone happy.

ot your standard cooking recipe app: highly aesthetic, the app is put together with 100% hand-drawn photorealistic illustrations

of food and cooking utensils to teach you everything from the basics to the making of. Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of working on a skill over and over to perfection, the team of German developers wanted to provide sushi-newbies and passionate experts a look into this highly interesting topic.

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THIS APP?We wanted to clearly distinguish ourselves from other sushi apps, and do justice to the art behind the theme sushi itself. We looked beyond the plate and really worked with the topic. Step away from the fancy “California Rolls” and you see that the art of brilliant su-shi also lies in its simplicity. This doesn’t mean that the making of it is simple, but more that the result is excellent in what it’s meant to be: a valuable product.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE APP IN 3 WORDS?All about (classic) sushi.

D D N


APP SPECIAL | TECHNOLOGY | 9

TOKYO ART BEAT

QUCHY

here is always something going on nearby: you just don’t

hear about it all. Tokyo Art Beat shows you all sorts of exhibitions and galleries around you. With the ability to sort by popularity, media and dates, you can be as vague or as specific as you like when searching. Use it for a cultured day to stroll

ake your favorite restaurants and bars a part of you by creating

your personal social card full of recommendations to share with your friends. Categorize them by type, rank them by ratings and dis-cover even more places that like-minded people endorse and frequent. Social media

ver walk down the street in To-kyo and wonder what a particular

word on a billboard says in Japanese? Without knowing how to write it down or look it up in the dictionary, there isn’t much that you can do - unless, you use Waygo. Just point your phone camera at

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WAYGO

E

around town, or a quick lunch time inspiration, to appreciate the various forms of arts on show.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRA-

TION BEHIND THE APP?10 years ago, it was really hard to find information in English and Japanese on what events were going on in Tokyo. We decided to build the ultimate source of information for everyone to enjoy.

meets restaurant guide.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRA-

TION BEHIND THE APP?A lot of sites and apps try to be directories where they catalog everything, and I don’t think that is necessary anymore. People want to find the place that matches their lifestyle. So I figured we could match those shops and places with the people that like them. Where we like to

the text and it will translate it for you!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FEATURE ABOUT THIS

APP?The ability to point at something and learn not only what it means, but how to pronounce it. This comes in handy for learning in the real world.

WHAT ARE THE CHAL-LENGES IN THE JAPANESE

APP MARKET?The challenge is the same as other markets: visibility. We had the advantage of already having a big art community when we launched the app, so it was easy to promote it to a wide number of people when it was released.

go already is just as much part of our identity as what we want to find out next.

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT

THE APP? People talk about the “hippest places” around, but that isn’t key. It’s about whether it fits you and your interests. The app is trying to personalize locations and the real world around you.

WHAT KIND OF APP/USER TRENDS DO YOU FORECAST IN THE NEAR

FUTURE?Increased competition for attention. It is already a fairly crowded market and will continue to be so. One challenge is to build a truly useful app, but also build ways for the user to remember to use it if it isn’t used very often.

M


ou can get a decent view of an island from above as you fly in. You can glance at its sites from the ground as you drive along its highways. But

it’s the massive expanse of this great, awesome, ever-moving ocean that truly makes an island. Yes, there’s some good stuff on land too; dancing, singing, eating good food, that kind of frivolity… but islanders live off the sea, and island culture is shaped by the ocean’s humbling presence—the smaller the island, the more ever-present are its briny surroundings. And Okinawa is pretty darn small. So if you want to know about this barely visible dot on a map, into that ocean you must go. You could just dip your toes in from a pristine sandy beach, but it’s much better to put on a mask, fins, and a tank of air, and get right in there and see what is really going on. In Okinawa, Japan’s sub-tropical gateway, you have one of the best places for diving in East Asia, but it is often overlooked, and many of us hastily head to South East Asia for a scuba diving and cultur-

al experience. This is regrettable, because in Thailand or one of its neighbors, you’re more likely to bump into fellow divers at every coral corner than a turtle, ray or sea snake. Even on Okinawa’s “busy” main island you have a chance to see all of this sea life and much more. And if you haven’t dived before, Okinawa is a great place to get your diving certification—PADI or other. Not only are you assured of Japan’s safety regulations (strict), but outside of the peak season—June to September—you may also end up with your own personal diving tutor taking you through the steps of becoming a part-time fish, while the weather is still superb and the water warm. At night you have nightclubs, great restaurants and izekaya, and live venues where traditional Okinawa music has them dancing between the tables. Getting started with your diving adventure in Okinawa is straightforward enough. Your hotel will be able to help you, of course, but you may want to plan things for yourself. There are dozens of dive shops across the island – from big,

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DIVING IN OKINAWA

Exploring the Depths of Island Life

By Andy Gayler

When you calmly re-surface from your visit into the deep you will realize island life is not just about the ground we walk on; so much more is happening just below your fins


well-staffed centers by the coast, to smaller, more personal outfits oper-ating from people’s homes. But most of these shops are run by Japanese, often mainlanders who moved down for an alternative lifestyle, and Eng-lish is spoken there at differing levels of proficiency. So if Japanese is not your forte just yet, there are a couple of foreign-run diving outfits you can hook up with (see panel below) who will take you along paths less trodden, to seas less dived as well as to popular tourist sites and, perhaps, give you a unique insight into Okinawa life during your surface chats. There are many good dive sites where the diving companies can take you, much depending on the temperament of the sea on the day and what you want to see, but you’re most likely to start at one of two “soft” dive sites, especially if you’re new to the pastime: either Sunabe Sea Wall, near Chatan, where you have what is possibly the centre of Okinawa’s div-ing industry with its large gathering of dive shops, or the picturesque Cape Maeda, in Onna Village, with its or-ganized car park, showers and snack store. The “Wall” at Sunabe refers to the reinforced coastal promenade that borders this trendy enclave, but it could just as easily refer to the diving itself. Maeda is a gentle reef wall that can be reached by a small swim and is often used for training divers. The site, reached either by boat or down some steep steps, is dominated by towering cliffs and offers another great reef wall with corals and friendly fish, as well as the famous Blue Cave. From top to bottom of the main is-land, between the northern tip’s Cape Hedo and the south’s Itoman, with

their strong currents worthy of only the more confident diver, you will find something interesting – caves, dive-through rock formations, reef walls, coral beds and more. And a short boat journey will even take you to much smaller, less-inhabited neigh-bouring islands, such as the Keramas, where the diving is truly special and where underwater visibility up to 40 meters (130 feet) and passing turtles are not unusual. And then there are the history dives. Ignoring an occasional gun shell casing, or a now rare, unexplod-ed item, that can be found by the keen eye, there’s one sub-aquatic memento mori in particular that lingers on from the devastating days of the Battle of Okinawa. The USS Emmons fell victim to the infamous Japanese kamikaze attack squads and now lies 45 meters (147 feet) down, just off the coast of tiny Kouri Island, connected

by bridge to the north of Okinawa Honto. Be aware, it takes experience to see this decaying battleship and only an advanced diver with more than 50 dives will want to hop on the boat for the short ride to its marker buoy. But it is worth the effort—mostly intact and with its guns still pointing to the surface as though one last shot is about to be fired against a long-ago beaten enemy, it creates an eerie underwater memorial to the highly destructive Pacific War. But there’s even more to the sea than looking at pretty and sometimes peculiar critters or descending upon a ghostly ship. Just being underwater, breathing slowly, quietly floating like an astronaut in space is an addictive experience all on its own. Once you master the basics of buoyancy control, you can float with the currents, hover in the deep blue and glide around like a manta ray. And then when you calmly resurface from your visit into the deep you will realize island life is not just about the ground we walk on; so much more is happening just below your fins.

OKINAWA | TRAVEL | 11

Dive shops that use English as the

main language:

• Piranha Divers,

Onna-son, Okinawa

Mostly showing the underwater

world to Japan’s expat community

and travelers from further away.

Web: www.piranha-divers.jp

• Reef Encounters,

Sunabe, Okinawa

Gets a lot of business from the

island’s American bases and

visiting technical divers.

Web: www.reefencounters.org

DIVE SHOPS

USS Em

mons ©

Klaus Stiefel


A luxurious hotel boasting mod-ern, spacious rooms, spectacu-lar ocean views, a therapeutic spa and three swimming pools, the newly opened

Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort is a fantastic place to stay for families and couples alike. Stylish, yet at the same time comfortable, a few nights here will help make your stay in Okinawa that much more memorable. Ideally located in the heart of Chatan, there are a number of delightful sights and attractions near the hotel, including Sunset Beach and Araha Beach, and Mihama Ameri-can Village. Naha Airport also happens to be just a 45-minute drive away.

ROOMS & SUITESWith contemporary yet simple designs,

the rooms at Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort are bright and chic with

touches of Okinawan color. The blissfully comfortable

beds also make these rooms the perfect place to relax after a day at the beach. The balconies and bathroom windows provide breathtaking views of the surrounding area—just make sure you reserve a room with an ocean view. For those looking for a little extra com-fort, it may be worth booking either a suite or an executive room, both of which feature a number of amenities such as a coffee machine and DVD player. You can also enjoy exclusive access to the executive lounge which offers special privileges including complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, as well as coffee and tea served throughout the day.

AMENITIES AND SERVICES There are a number of facilities at Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort that have been built in order to make your stay at the hotel as pleasurable as possible. You can stay in shape at the fitness center, soothe your aching bones with a treatment in the luxury


spa, take a refreshing dip in either the sparkling la-goon pool or the cascade pool with a small water-fall, and, for those who want to get out of the sun, there is also a stylish indoor pool to enjoy. Worried about the kids getting bored? Don’t be: there’s a children’s pool with water slides, a playground and various other activities aimed at keeping the little ones entertained.

EATING AND DRINKINGThere are a number of fantastic dining options at Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort, offering both local and foreign cuisine. The all-day dining restaurant specializes in traditional Okinawan fare, serving up buffet style breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. A la carte and kid’s menus are available as well, so you can be sure that the whole family will find something they’ll like.

OKINAWA | TRAVEL | 13

POOL PARADISEGet ready to make a splash. The Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort has a wide variety of pools to appeal to all tastes and ages,

whether you choose to bask in the luxurious lagoon pool, gaze at the picturesque cascade pool with its built-in waterfall, or take a break in the 17-meter long heated pool. For the young—or young at heart—in your group, there’s also a kids’ pool complete with wa-terslides. Or you can just recline in one of the poolside lounge chairs.

LIGHT MEALS OR

BREAKFAST FROM

THE BEDROOMIn addition to all-day dining restaurant and Corrente, The Hilton Okinawa Chatan offers

plenty of options when it comes to lighter fare. The lobby lounge, Mahru, is open from 10 am to 10 pm, with a selection of teas, coffee, freshly squeezed juices and pastries by day, and a full range of alcoholic bev-erages and small bar plates by night. The Poolside Bar is perfect for light outdoor refreshments. And if you’re looking for a romantic option, start your morning with breakfast in bed for two, with meal options ranging from healthy to decadent. Find out more about the Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort’s Bed & Breakfast pack-ages when you book your stay.

ROOM TO RELAX Families and parties of any size can find space to unwind after the day’s adventures. The Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort offers

guest rooms and suites with picture windows, many of which come with spacious furnished balconies that provide stunning ocean views. All bathrooms come appointed with separate bathtubs luxurious “rain shower” style shower rooms. All rooms and suites offer free Wifi, and you and the whole family can sit back and relax whilst taking in the in-room entertain-ment on a 40-inch flat screen TV. For the ultimate in luxury, step up to an Executive Room or Suite, with extra-large beds and access to the Executive Lounge.

The open kitchen with live cooking stations makes for a fun, interac-tive dining experience. Corrente is a stylish, modern Italian res-taurant with an open kitchen, giving customers an opportunity to view the chefs working their magic in front of the stove. The trained chefs stay true to authentic Italian culinary tradi-tions while at the same time using fresh, local produce. It’s a romantic setting where you can enjoy the contemporary ambience inside, at one of the poolside seats, or at the fully stocked bar. For something lighter, you can cool down with a drink and a snack at one of the poolside bars. In the lobby lounge, Mahru offers a range of speciality teas, coffee, freshly squeezed juices, a variety of cocktails and a mouthwatering selection of delicious homemade pastries.

ALL PART OF THE CHARM

Address: 40-1 Mihama, Chatan-cho, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa 904-0115, Japan

Tel: 098-901-1111 Fax: 098-901-1100Web: okinawachatanresort.hilton.com

1 Contemporary Italian cuisine at the Corrente restaurant 2 Great views from the balcony of the all-day dining restaurant 3 Luxurious twin bed suite room

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Brightly colored rooms, onsens, and a breathtaking Pacific Ocean view from the top floor of the 13-story building are just a few of the standout

amenities at Hotel Nikko Yaeyama. Situated in the middle of a hill, the steep slope allows for clear, 360-degree views of Okinawa’s tropical beach town. Ishigaki Island, with its clear blue water, pristine beaches, and stunning landscapes, is one of Japan’s must-see locations. This afforda-ble luxury hotel makes an ideal place to refresh and recharge after exploring the island, offering spacious rooms and free wifi throughout the entire property. A hearty breakfast buffet is available each morning to help you charge up for one of the many tours offered through the resort—or just a relaxing day, poolside. The concierge at Hotel Nikko Yaeyama can assist you in setting up tours of the island, tours of the sea, sunset night tours, or a wilderness tour where you can experience the charm of Ishigaki’s untouched natural surroundings. Throughout the day, guests can head to one of the world-class restaurants or bars at the re-sort. Both locals and guests alike come to enjoy the variety of cuisine, from authentic, Okinawan dishes using local ingredients to Korean-style yakiniku. Cap off the end of a long day at Hotel Nikko Yaeyama’s 13th floor sky lounge, Bar Capricorn, for cocktails and light snacks.

Groundwater pumped from Ishigaki Island is transported into the resort to supply fresh, pure drinking water as well as water for the onsens, or public baths. The large onsens filled with Ishigaki’s soft water help moistur-ize the skin, while allowing guests to relax and unwind in the tropical setting. From April to October, guests are able to enjoy the seasonal swimming pool next to the resort, along with other bonus amenities, including the sauna, spacious refrigerators, flat-screen TVs, and an in-house laundromat. The resort is conveniently located 30 min-utes from the airport by bus and 5–10 minutes by taxi from the city center. It is also a few minutes’ walk from many of Okinawa’s tourist attractions, including Ishigaki Garden, Torin Temple, and a traditional samurai house. Perhaps the most outstanding feature of this resort is its omotenashi—its particularly Japanese hospitality. The staff at Hotel Nikko Yaeyama is there to take care of you from ar-rival to departure, with a smile and ease that will make your experience one of welcome and comfort. As the resort celebrates its 30th anni-versary, they look to continue their tradition of helping guests achieve an unforgettable experience in Okinawa.

HIRAKUBO LIGHTHOUSELocated at the

northern end of

the island, this

lighthouse looks

out over a vista

of pristinely clear waters, and rocky hill-

sides to the east. Whether you’re looking to

capture your next photographic master-

piece or just looking for an unforgettable

backdrop for an afternoon picnic, this is a

vista you don’t want to miss.

KABIRA BAY AND SUKUJI BEACH Not far from Hira-

kubo Lighthouse is

the picture-perfect

Kabira Bay, with

clear, blue-green water that stretches out

from the pure white sand. Take a glass-bot-

tom boat to get close to the emerald

waters and pass by the nearby islands. Just

two kilometers west lies the shallow water

beach at Sukuji.

CLIMBING MT. NOSOKONosoko Maapee,

as the locals

call it, is not the

tallest mountain

on Ishigaki (that

honor goes to Mt. Omoto), but the views

that can be seen from its summit might

just be the best you can get on the island.

It takes no more than 45 minutes to reach

the top of Nosoko, but the memories

should last a lifetime.

Hotel Nikko Yaeyama is your gateway to the charms of Ishigaki Island in Okinawa

WHAT TO DO ON ISHIGAKI

UNWIND ON ISHIGAKI ISLAND

559 Aza-Okawa, Ishigaki-shi, Okinawa refecture 907-0022 | Tel: 980-83-3311 | Fax: 980-83-3201 | Web: www.nikko-yaeyama.com


Carbon Steel Wa-Santoku

With edges sharp and delicate enough to shave wafer-thin slices from a piece of meat or fish, Kamata Hakensha’s carbon steel knives are a perfect example of Japanese style and craftsmanship. (¥8,800)

Carbon Steel Sashimi Yanagiba

This sashimi knife’s long, slim shape is as thin as a willow leaf, and the slender blade is set off against a dimpled pattern of dark, hammered carbon steel. (¥11,200)

Damascus Steel with Flower PatternThe stainless, cobalt-alloy Damascus steel blade is easy to maintain and keep sharp, while the floral motif etched onto the side and the wooden, Japanese-style handle transform this practical meat and fish knife into a work of art. (¥26,800–29,800)

Hammered Damascus Steel—Set of 2 or 3Damascus steel knives have a unique appearance that is immediately recogniz-able. Available in a set of two or three, these knives come with a hard case for easy storage or transportation. (set of 2: ¥17,400, set of 3: ¥27,800)

You are cordially invited to a night of beauty at La YAMANO with PHYTO in Ginza. Discover makeup tips and beauty secrets

that only salon professionals know, and find out more about La YAMANO’s beauty product lineup.

The evening will kick off with a makeup show peformed by AKIRA, La YAMANO’s official hair and makeup artist. The show

will be followed by workshop on facial esthetic and head spa techniques that you can use at home to achieve salon-quality results.

Finally, mix and mingle with your fellow guests, enjoy a variety of food and drink, and try out some of La YAMANO’s top

products, like the PHYTO line imported directly from Paris.

Spaces will be limited to 10 guests, so reserve your space today at [email protected]

Time: 7pm–9 pm, September 19th

Medi beauty salon La YAMANO with PHYTO PARIS in Ginza, 104-0061 Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Ginza 3-4-8 Yamano Bldg |Tel: 03-3561-1200 | Freephone: 0120-24-9483

EXPAT LIFE | WEEKENDER | 15


No more rules. This is makeup brand KATE’s catchphrase, as the

company supports independent women who are determined to create their own self-image with fun, cutting-edge products. Estab-lished in 1997, KATE is now in its late teens, and targeting young women around that same age to their 20s, who are learning to experiment with different tools, colors and brushes. The compa-ny has made a change itself this year—formerly known just as KATE, it has marked its step into the global market as KATE Tokyo. The brand became popular with women of a wide age range thanks to its trendsetting makeup ideas and innovative products, and has been one of the most popular makeup brands for the last decade. KATE’s latest collection is mainly about the eyes: it focuses on eyeliners and eye shadows, which are used to emphasize and contour the eyes,

A clean and fresh makeup look

A feminine and glamorous look

undoubtedly one of the most desir-able results when using makeup. It turns out KATE has the tools to make eyes stand out, and the brand is not only reserved for late teens. With a collections always keeping fresh and on top of the trends, women keep on using the products and remain faithful to KATE, not to mention the high quality they get for such an affordable price range. However, with the growing presence of makeup brands based out of New York and Paris in Asia, is KATE likely to appeal to the Asian market as a unique brand coming from the fashion-able city of Tokyo? Souichi Yamaguchi, brand manager at KATE, assures that it is not a concern: “The global makeup brands now prevailing are mainly developed for facial features of a European type. KATE stands apart as a makeup brand originally created for

the distinctive features of East Asian women,” he explains. “Differences in features are evident especially in the eyes. Japanese and other East Asians tend to have relatively flat facial features with smallish eyes and single-edged eyelids. The cosmetics cultures of the East and West both emphasize the eyes, but different eye shapes obviously require different color combinations and makeup techniques. For the flatter eyes of East Asian women, creating depth with subtle shading and emphasizing the outer cor-ners of the eyes with eyeliner works wonderfully. KATE’s eye shadows have perfected this nuanced gradation and enchant with subtle pearl and lamé ef-fects. With a few simple strokes these eye shadows add depth and impact to Asian eyes,” Yamaguchi says. Don’t be mistak-en, KATE also works wonders on non-Asian women, who covet the

brand for its long-lasting mas-cara, its precise eyeliner which does not smudge, and the soft palettes of eye shadows, which are smooth, easy to apply and don’t crease at the end of the day. Shall we say, must-haves for the temperamental Japanese weather? In addition to its trendset-ting, dynamic image, the brand has been able to offer premier quality for an affordable price, and KATE BROWN SHADE EYES (including 4 shade colors) serves as a good example.

Eyes: Natural earth tones in subtle

gradation of brown and beige add

depth and contour to the eyes

Lips: Pink and beige shades with

defined coloration and brilliant

sparkles. Formulated to adhere to

the lips for a longer hold.

Eyes: Gorgeous eyes in brilliant and

glamorous shades (black). Dark shades

used to emphasize the eye line.

Lips: Strong coloration, good appli-

cation, and brilliant colors (pink and

orange)

Makeup Tutorials

Want to create your own twist on two popular looks? Follow the tutorials:

THE EYESHAVE IT


It was a decision that had been coming for a while, yet it still came as a major shock to his legion of fans. In 2000 Marty Friedman walked out on Megadeth mid-tour to embark on a new career in Japan. Since then the fearsome looking thrash metal guitarist has appeared on hundreds of TV shows, been in numerous commercials and performed alongside some of the country’s biggest stars, including many teen idols. Speaking to the Weekender from his home in Shinjuku, he in-forms us that his only regret was that he didn’t come out here sooner.

FIRST, HOW DID A GUITARIST FROM ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC HEAVY METAL GROUPS OF ALL TIME GET INTO JAPANESE MUSIC?I heard enka in my late teens and the emotion of it just really grabbed me. At that point in my life I was at a crossroads in terms of guitar playing and needed a new influence. I didn’t want to go down the same route as everyone else, copying fancy guitarists like Al Di Meola and Jeff Beck, we didn’t need another person do-ing that. I was more interested in studying people like Aki Yashiro and Sayuri Ishika-wa – both of whom I’ve since worked with – trying to do what they were doing with their vocals on my guitar. I then later started listening to all kinds of Japanese bands and artists, particularly while touring here with

Megadeth. I assumed people would be listening to international music in this country, but it was the complete opposite. I became interested in the domestic scene and just bought all these CDs and listened to them on tour. It got to a point where I was listening to 100% Japanese music all the time.

WHAT DID THE OTHER BAND MEM-BERS MAKE OF YOUR MUSICAL TASTES?They thought it was really weird. I remember being at the back of the bus jamming along to Kohmi Hirose, a super-talented singer with an extremely high-pitched voice, it was really rocking in there. Then our bass player (Dave) Ellefson joins me, so here are

by Matthew Hernon


the two of us playing along to this noisy, high-tempo Japanese disco music when (Dave) Mustaine walks in. You should see his face, “What the hell is happening to my band?” I couldn’t blame him; we’d taken a complete left turn. Everyone knew I had strange taste and was into discovering new things, but I don’t think they expected me to take it to the next level and actually quit the band. It might’ve been different if Megadeth were constantly evolving and doing great new things one after the other, but it’s pretty much a one trick pony at that time as far as I was concerned. The shows were great but just too rigid, I was trying hard to act through it but you can only do that for so many hundred gigs in a row before something in your body tells you this can’t go on. Japan’s given me a chance to do a variety of things; the musical opportunities here are that much more glittering.

IT HAS ALSO GIVEN YOU THE CHANCE TO WORK WITH GROUPS LIKE MOMOCLO AND HKT48. ARE YOU A GENUINE FAN OF POP ACTS LIKE THIS?Absolutely. Yes it’s super cute and goofy, but what’s wrong with that? Why can’t we have aggressive, high energy music that is at the same time fun and happy? In America people tend to shy away from these kind of acts, they prefer listening to stuff like Adele, which is fantastic but it’s sad chick music. They’ll see an image of cheesy Japanese girls running around and automatically assume it’s for kids, yet if they actually listen to the songs they’ll know they are off the hook. Take “Heavy Rotation” by AKB48, it’s a great song on its own with complex chord changes, added to the fact that you have 48 charismatic girls performing it. As soon as you hear it you know it’s a huge hit. The main reason why the idol culture works so well here is because the music is solid, people wouldn’t buy into it otherwise. The writing process, the production, everything is just done so well. The live shows are also probably more fun and rowdy than many heavy metal concerts. You should see the preparation that goes into them; the formations, stage markings, time signature changes, it’s amazing. I remember being exhausted from trying to remember what I had to do for one song when I performed with Momoclo, they had 30 songs like that! In terms of arrangement and production, I would say it’s comparable to a band like Muse. It’s not an accident why these acts are so big.

ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS, WHAT ARE THE OTHER BIG DIF-FERENCES BETWEEN JAPANESE AND AMERICAN MUSIC?

To generalize, melodies are much stronger here. In America, it’s more about the lyrics, which should be written by the artist. This is a con-

cept I hate: for me it’s the downfall of music and do you know who it started with? The Beatles. You used to have all these great song writers and then the Beatles came along—not only can they write well, but they also play. So what happens? Record labels start looking for guys who write their own stuff. The problem is not

THE MAIN REASON WHY THE IDOL CULTURE WORKS SO WELL HERE IS BECAUSE THE MUSIC IS SOLID, PEOPLE WOULDN’T BUY INTO IT OTHERWISE . . . THE LIVE SHOWS ARE ALSO PROBABLY MORE FUN AND ROWDY THAN A HEAVY METAL CONCERT.


everyone’s as good as the Beatles, so you have all these [expletive] Beatles and Stones clones from the 60s and music just got progressively worse: it really sucked. The idea that if you don’t do everything yourself then it is not as good is something I wholeheartedly disagree with. Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra—they never wrote a song. Aerosmith’s biggest hits were written by other people. If I’m enjoying it, I don’t care who was involved in making it, I think that is a view that is more accepted here than in the States. Also in America they think if you can sing three octaves up to a high C it is something special: how stupid is that? Take a show like American Idol: as soon as a high note comes out the audience start clapping like a bunch of monkeys. It’s as if high notes equals great music. In reality all it means is that the per-son has the tools to be a great singer. There’s no magic to it. In Japan there aren’t many super three-octave singers, but there are a whole lot of magical voices and that is what makes real art.

SO YOU ARE NOT A HUGE FAN OF SHOWS LIKE AMERICAN IDOL? I have no problem with the concept of the program; I just think it’s really negative, all these youngsters having their dreams crushed by these mean people. There’s noth-ing actually wrong with what the English guy [Simon Cowell] is saying, it’s not any different to what you’d hear at any record label, but seeing these contestants being shut down and told they are clowns who can’t sing, I find it hard to watch. Then it all finishes with some Celine Dion or Mariah Carey clone winning the thing. It’s not exact-ly stimulating, but that really doesn’t matter to the production companies. At the end of the day shows like this appeal to the lowest common denominator

and that is what TV is all about. Whether it’s a bunch of idiots walking around a house or a serious crime drama, all they care about is making sure they get sponsorship and that millions of people are watching. Even the news, how much of it is news you really need to know and how much is just entertainment?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON JAPANESE TV SHOWS? From a foreigner’s perspective they can look ridiculous and a lot of the time they are, but they grab your attention and curiosity. I remember one show where a guy could make anything out of candy; a desk, table, sofa, etc. They had celebrities come in and try to decide whether an item was real or candy and would then have to bite into it to check, so you’ve got these famous singers munching away at a fireplace or something, I mean what the….? It has no benefiting value whatsoever, but it makes you look and it’s funny. When I go back to the States I’ll turn on the TV and see two people talking in a drab room, it might be really interesting, but

it doesn’t grab you like the programs here. It may seem like disor-ganized mayhem, a bunch of whackos doing crazy things, yet in reality these shows are put together superbly well. I’ve done more than 600 of them in Japan – includ-ing educational, political, even cooking ones - and the amount of preparation and the speed at which they do things is still really eye-opening for me.

GOING BACK TO MUSIC, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM “INFERNO”? It’s extremely heavy and aggressive yet at the same time modern, definitely

the most metal album I’ve done as a solo artist. It edges in a direction that I envisaged Megadeth going in and I think my fans from that era should be into the record. It’s my first American release in years so I wanted to come back big with no constraints. I wasn’t going to stop until it was the best thing ever. It took 15 months to make, but I really enjoyed it, particularly as I also had the opportunity to collaborate with some unbelievable artists. It was incredible working with Jason Becker (Marty’s former bandmate from Cacophony) again. As you know he has ALS so he would send me stuff through his eyes on a computer. He’s such an inspirational person. Reading the emails he sent me you’d never know he was incapacitated. We’d say stuff like, “this sucks, what are you doing you idi-ot?” It was like nothing had changed, the only difference was that we’d improved massively as musicians. Skyharbor were also fantastic to work with. We did a song called “Steroid-head” together and the sound is so heavy and fresh. These guys play a sub-genre of metal known as djent: it’s really unique. I promise you in the next couple of years they will be household names.

FINALLY, WHO WOULD YOU RANK AS THE GREATEST METAL BAND OF YOUR LIFETIME?Metallica. They just get it right all the time; everything they do is cool and classy. I mean look at their products for fans—that Binge and Purge live box set for example, it had the tour itinerary, backstage passes, diaries, different live concerts . . . they just know what people want and give it to them. They are very few other bands out there—maybe the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin—who always get it right on such a large-scale. Megadeth to some extent have done some things that have been really big, but when I look at Metallica I think they are pretty much the ultimate.

Marty Friedman will be playing live at Harajuku Astro Hall on September 24 & 25


I had been working for a rather large restaurant group in Japan,” Takayuki Tsukii, Director of Hit-sumabushi Bincho said quietly to Weekender. “So I was working at an Italian restaurant, but we also

had French and Chinese restaurants in the group. But I was always sort of frustrated, because in Japan, for in-stance, Italian means pasta and pizza, more or less. That’s it. As you may know, there are 20 regions in Italy and each region has totally different dishes and different wines that complement them. No matter how much I tried to learn them, only one or two out of thousand Japanese people had any interest in my knowledge,” he sighed. “As long as you are in Japan, you won’t be able to get those Italian local vegetables and ingredients: therefore you cannot

reach the level of a real Italian.” Truth is, not many Japanese people who work for Italian restaurants think the way Tsukii does. While he was facing this dilemma, Hiroshi Suzuki, pres-ident of the Nagoya-based Hitsumabushi Bincho franchise, was in the midst of plans to expand outside of Nagoya. Unagi, or eel, is a dish loved by many Japanese since ancient times as a food that both imparts stamina and is said to help keep your complexion healthy. Suzuki wanted to open his first Tokyo location in Ginza. To him, Ginza represented the center of Tokyo, itself a cen-tral world city. His aim was to share this dish with a global audience. He wanted to produce an eel restaurant where they would serve champagne, and was looking for someone

We find out why one of Nagoya’s most celebrated “soul foods” could be the next Japanese culinary sensation

Grilled to Perfectionin Ginza


who understood both wine and restaurant management. Introduced by a mutual friend, Suzuki met with Tsukii in Tokyo and talked about his Ginza plan. Following their first chats, Suzuki invited Tsukii to Nagoya, where the president himself cooked the famous unagi in Hitsumabushi Bincho’s signature style. While eel is often steamed in Japan, with Nagoya-style cooking, it is grilled, and the smoke and flames do the work. As the name of the establishment implies, at Hit-sumabushi Bincho they only use the finest quality bincho charcoal, which is made from oak, giving the unagi extra flavor. After it is cooked, the unagi is served as hitsumabushi, which is eaten in three different stages, each one highlighting a different aspect of the flavors and textures of the charcoal-roasted unagi. Tsukii was stunned by this simple, yet traditional preparation, which left an impression on him as his first experience of tasting real Nagoya-style unagi. He decided to leave the restaurant group for good. Suzuki teamed

up with Tsukii to open the Ginza branch of Hitsumabushi Bincho in 2007. Ever since their opening, the number of customers increased so much that it is now advised to book ahead. “Searching for real Italian food in Japan is a fabricated act,” Takayuki Tsukii said, “and here I found true, authentic cuisine. Most non-Japanese people are familiar with sushi and tempu-ra. Unagi should come to the next position. But the difficulty in making it popular may lie in the fact that it’s one single bowl dish. I suppose Europeans are used to a lot of courses, especially when they eat out—for example, for an Italian course meal, you have antipasti, primo, secondo, salad, cheese and fruit, dessert, espresso. But we just serve just one bowl, and we have no closed private dining rooms. Just one open, very convivial space.” Eel is not entirely foreign to European kitchens, and it used to be a common food in the US several generations ago. But, as Tsukii explains, what makes Japanese eel stand out is the cooking style that brings out its true flavor. “Europeans cook eel with a lot of oil. French people boil eel with red wine. That’s overcooking, in our opinion. We simply grill it without using any oil, making it very juicy on the inside but with a crispy, tasty skin outside.” Because the seemingly simple cooking style brings out unagi’s natural flavor, the technique of the chef is of primary im-

HITSUMABUSHI BINCHO | RESTAURANT | 21

Combined with our secret home-made sauce, our kabayaki unagi dish is an culinary expe-rience like no other, browned to just the right shade.

portance: “The most important things are how you choose the unagi, how you grill it, and also your artisan spirit. Even two eels from the same species (Anguilla japonica—the Japanese eel) that were living the same pond and eating the same food will have completely different body compositions, if one was moving around and eating a lot, and the other was hardly eating and stay-ing still. We adjust the flames and cooking temperature for each individual unagi. Combined with our secret home-made sauce, our kabayaki unagi dish is an culi-nary experience like no other, browned to just the right shade.” The world has around 18 species of eel, and seasonal availability varies according to their species and place of origin. That’s why, instead of limiting themselves to a particular place of origin, Hitsumabushi Bincho procures eel from all over Japan, allowing them to serve eel that is always fresh, tasty, and at its seasonal peak, 365 days a year.

Nagoya: Head Store | Tel: 0587-96-0141LACHIC | Tel: 052-259-6703Esca | Tel: 052-451-5557

Tokyo:Tokyo Skytree Town | Tel: 03-5619-5757Ikebukuro PARCO | Tel: 03-5956-5756

Osaka:Grand Front | Tel: 06-6371-5759

Fukuoka: Nakasu Kawabata | Tel: 092-409-6522

O T H E R S H O P S

Address: 2 Chome-2-14 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo 104-0061 | Tel: 03-5159-0231 Web: www.hitsumabushi.co.jp | Open: Daily, 11:00–22:00


Dr. Izu Katsumata is no ordinary den-tist, particularly not one we’d expect to find in Japan. Her newly opened practice, located in the upscale dis-

trict of Omotesando directly behind Omotesan-do Hills, offers a unique dentistry experience. The background and experience of Dr. Izu both abroad and in Japan, in combination with the chic setting of Park Avenue Dentistry, allows people of all cultures and countries to feel at home in her office. Dr. Izu was born and raised in Yokohama, and at the age of 14 moved to Geneva, Swit-zerland, to attend boarding school for three years, before heading to Oregon in the US for University. After graduation, she moved to New York for eight years, experiencing a wide range

of jobs that have shaped her mindset today. She also had an experi-ence that gave her firsthand knowledge of what it means to suffer from serious dental issues. At the age of 21, Dr. Izu was in a car accident that seriously damaged her jaw, setting it severely crooked and out of line. “After seeing more than 20 doctors around the world, I found a dentist in New York who helped align my jaw after months of therapy, finally allowing me to eat solid food again,” Dr. Izu reflects. This ordeal, and its eventual cure, inspired her to specialize in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and muscle disorders. Upon her return to Japan in 1999, Dr. Izu studied dentistry at Showa University. Following that, she worked for eight years at Yamaguchi Dental Office before opening up her own practice, Park Avenue Dentist-ry, inspired by a unique aim: a focus on oral health as a means of overall health. Dr. Izu emphasizes the importance of consistent teeth cleanings and regular dental checkups, not only for superficial beauty, but more importantly for general health. Recent studies show that plaque control can help reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, or heart disease. At Park Avenue Dentistry, Dr. Izu aims to make the dental experience a comfort-able and enjoyable one. As she explains, “When I opened here, I found that profes-sional skills were of course very important, but people skills were even more critical. So we wanted to make an atmosphere that we would want for ourselves: a happy environ-ment, made for people to be able to enjoy themselves and relax.” For a true sense of comfort, the chairs at Park Ave Dentistry are “full flat,” and the clinic offers modern and thoroughly sterile amenities. Dr. Izu and her staff are dedicated to pursuing continuous education and understand the importance of lifelong learning in order to provide the highest standard of dental care in the community. And her specialty in jaw-area joint and muscle disorders allows Dr. Izu to treat patients who are suffering from pain and discomfort in these areas. Thanks to Dr. Izu’s broad cultural experience, patients will find comfort in knowing they can speak openly and clearly

with their doctor about any serious problem, or just questions following a simple cleaning or check-up. As Dr. Izu explains, “Park Ave-nue Dentistry stresses the importance of our patients’ time, and ensures issues are taken care of as efficiently as possible, while never cutting short what needs to be done.”

This very English-friendly office is conveniently open on weekends, takes appointments until 7 pm, and accepts Japanese health insurance.

• Family Dentistry

• Check Ups and Cleanings

• Gum Disease

• Crowns and Bridges

• Cosmetic Dentistry

• Dental Restoration & Full Mouth

Reconstruction

• TMJ (Jaw pain, discomfort)

• Comprehensive Care Dentistry

• Teeth Whitening

Address: 4-21-7 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku

Tel: 03-6721-1701

Hours: Tuesday to Friday

11:00 am to 8:00 pm (7:00 pm last appt.)

Saturday and Sunday

10:00 am to 7:00 pm (6:00 pm last appt.)

Web: http://pad-tokyo.jp

SERVICES & INFO

We want to make an atmosphere that we would want for ourselves: a happy environment, made for people to be able to enjoy themselves and relax.

Park Avenue DentistryThe Power of a Healthy Smile


According to a study by Marketsand-Markets, the global market for certified organic food and beverages is forecast to reach $104.5 billion by

the year 2015. With this much business at stake, it’s hard to imagine that any major food pro-ducer has not already begun to develop organic product lines. But as companies involved in organic production quickly find out, it is much more work than might be expected. Organic farming can be far more labor intensive and initial costs might seem prohibitively high when compared to conventional farming methods. In the long run, the companies that have the most success in organics are those that operate not just from a perspective of profit and loss, but from an awareness of what organic production means to the environment at large, and for the communi-ties that do the labor. Daabon Organic Japan, a branch of the Co-lombia-based Daabon Organic, is one firm that

has taken the organic perspective to

heart and

to head. As Donald Nordeng, CEO of Daabon Organic Japan, explained, all of the company’s products—bananas, coffee, and shortening made from palm oil are its main products in Japan—are organic, but the company’s com-mitment to responsible agricultural methods goes beyond just following the rules. Nordeng himself has decades of experience with these standards, as a pioneer in the field of organic certification in Japan, but he also has an intimate understanding of the day-to-day work that farm labor involves, having grown up in a farming family from rural Wisconsin in the US. As he explains, Daabon’s decision to devote itself to organic production began more than 20 years ago, following the EU’s landmark regulations on organic production. One of the reasons that Daabon was able to establish itself as an early leader in organic production is that the company works directly with collectives of farmers who grow the coffee, bananas, and palm nuts that are processed and sold around the world. As Nordeng puts it, “our business is from field to market. And quality is made

in the field, it’s not made in the factory. So when you come and talk to us, you’re talking to the farmers, because we are directly linked to them.” The company has established a number of arrangements with their producers, in each case bolstering the communities where they do business. The Japan office launched a fair trade program with the company’s banana producers that sends back $45,000 each year to the workers’ co-op, which they use for development projects of their own choosing. Daabon backs groups of small cof-fee growers, allowing them to receive their organic certification all together, at a fraction of the price that an individual certification would cost. And in the case of their palm production, the company has set up 15-year contracts with hundreds of farmer families, covering their organic certification and com-mitting to buy all of their production. Daabon extends this same groundbreak-ing innovation to its production methods: in addition to maintaining the highest stand-ards for organic agriculture, the company is also striving to reduce the environmental impact of their growing operations. Taking palm production as an example, Nordeng explains how Daabon has achieved a “carbon negative” status. This process begins with using leaves and other waste from the palm harvesting for compost—some of which is then used for growing and some of which is burnt for steam energy. This energy is then put to use for heating at production facilities. 100% of the electricity at the palm mill is gen-erated from methane collected from a digest-er and more than 800kw that isn’t needed is sold back to the electrical grid. This offsets the power used at the palm oil refinery. Customers of Daabon’s palm oil short-ening, coffee, and bananas, which can be found at high-end grocery stores around Tokyo and on Amazon [see page 25], may

not be aware of the labor and dedication that goes into the company’s responsible production. However, by setting standards beyond those simply required for organic certification, Daabon is helping to set a direction for the industry itself, pushing it towards methods that are both ethically and ecologically conscious.

Digging into the science and the philosophy of organic agriculture

Setting a Higher Standard: Daabon Organic

DAABON | ORGANIC SPECIAL | 23


Quality Manager Mr. Higashida at the Tanaka Seika Packing Facility in Mie, Japan

Daabon’s Felipe Guerrero Zúñiga, Donald Nordeng, and Lorena Diaz Ensuncho in Bonaza Farm, Magdelena, Colombia


ORGANIC MISO Shoda Shoyu’s organic miso is

made from organic soybeans

and organic rice, and has a

bold, slightly sweet flavor. Rich

in vitamins, minerals, and pro-

tein, the miso can be used in a

variety of dishes—miso soup

and other simmered dishes,

of course, but also for grilled

meats and stews.

ORGANIC RICE VINEGAR This rice vinegar is made from

pure water and organic rice,

ingredients that should be

familiar to any lover of Japan’s

national drink: nihonshu, or

sake. The lightly pungent flavor

and delicately sharp aroma of

this vinegar makes it easy to

use for cooking, and as it is rich

in amino acids, it also makes

for a very healthful drink.

ORGANIC SOY SAUCE This is a carefully aged soy

sauce made from organic

whole soybeans and organic

wheat. While making soy sauce

from whole beans takes more

time and effort than larger, in-

dustrial-scale does, the mellow

taste and deep aroma of this

genuine-fermented soy sauce

will be certain to bring out the

taste of every dish.

ORDERS AND INQUIRIESShoda Shoyu Co.,Ltd.

Mail Order Business Department

YONEBUN Online Shopping

Tel: 0120-014-247

Fax: 0276-75-0713

E-mail: [email protected]

Telephone Hours:

Weekdays 9:00 am–5:00 pm

Free nationwide delivery service

for both home and gifts.

A Flavorful TraditionInspired by more than 140 years of history, this artisanal producer of Japanese

seasonings creates organic products using time-honored techniques

The home of the Shoda Shoyu company in Tate-bayashi, Gunma Prefecture, has been known as a superb location for brewing soy sauce for centuries. Of course, no great product is made without great

ingredients, and one of the reasons for this region’s popular-ity is the pure water that flows through the nearby Watarase and Tone Rivers. An insistence on using only the finest raw materials has been one of the hallmarks of Shoda’s produc-tion since founder Bun-emon Shoda III brewed his first batch of soy sauce in 1873: while times have changed since then, Shoda’s dedication to the purity of its ingredients continues to

this very day. The company’s most deeply held philosophy is the Japanese proverb onko-chishin, which can be trans-lated as “moving forward by learning from the past” and this concept comes to life in Shoda Shoyu’s entirely organic lineup of the “big three” traditional Japanese season-ings—soy sauce, miso, and rice vinegar. All of these three seasonings have passed the stringent Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) for organic products. Whether you’re using them in your own kitchen or giving them as gifts, you can be confident that Shoda Shoyu’s products are as carefully prepared as they are rich in flavor.


ELANA JADE

SHIGA KAJIWARA FARM

DAABON

lana Jade is a spa that offers an oasis in the heart of Tokyo where you can experience a wide array of unique, organic-based techniques and treatments. Decorated with a blend of wood, stone, and plants from

Australia and Japan, the salon has a tranquil ambience that you can feel as soon as you walk inside. Sit back and relax in this serene environment as you get ready for your spa experience. The attentive English-speaking staff will provide you with a personalized analysis of your skin and advise you on the possible ways to optimize it through natural daily care before starting the treatment.The Ilcsi Organics’ anti-age and peeling facials, which use pure certified organic ingredients, are a favorite of celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow, and are four times more effective in beautifying your skin than herbal extracts. Elana Jade uses a variety of organic products, including its own house brand and other recognized lines, such as Jasmin Aromatique, Amber Botanical, and Koala Baby. Products are replaced frequently to maintain their freshness and effectiveness, guaranteeing that you will step out of the salon feeling refreshed and rejuvenated inside and out, ready to put your best face forward.

iscover the taste of farm-fresh organic produce with the convenience of home delivery. Shiga Kajiwara Farm is located in a mountainous valley in the heart of Nagano Prefecture, known for its crystal-clear water, clean air,

and a climate that yields some of the most flavorful crops in Japan. And, as Tomoko Kajiwara, one half of the husband-and-wife team that owns and runs the small organic farm explains, each of the 50 to 80 types of vegetables that they plant has its own unique growing season. This means that, whether you choose to have a weekly or monthly box delivered from them or make a one-time order, each delivery box that the farm sends out is filled with produce at its peak of freshness and nutritional value. Using strictly organic farming methods, and maintaining the health of their farm’s soil with vegetable-based fertilizers, Kajiwara grows everything from hearty root vegetables and leafy greens during the colder months to juicy cucumbers and tomatoes during the warmer seasons. A small box contains four to six items, and a large box has eight to ten. As a unique touch, the farm updates its delivery box on its site and Facebook page every Tuesday—delivery box items can also be swapped out on advance request.

aabon not only has the largest plantation of organic bananas in the world, it is also one of Japan’s leading importers of organic Colombian coffee and the only source of organic palm oil shortening. This shortening is excellent for baking, but can also be used as a butter substitute in recipes and is ideal for frying for

donuts, tempura, or spring rolls. You can find these products—as well as their premium Italian olive oil—at finer stores in the Tokyo area, but if you’d like to buy online, you can find their Amazon Store at http://ow.ly/AQBuy. Tokyo Weekender readers can get a 10 percent discount at checkout. Just enter the code WKNDR0914.

E

D

D

www.elanajade.com

Latorie Memorial Building 3F 1-5-19, Azabu Juban, Minato-Ku, 106-0045

03-6438-9895

www.shigakajiwaranouen.jp

Phone service available in English at 0263-64-3313

TokyoOrganic

The organic lifestyle is as much about food as it is the clothes that you wear and the other products you use in your daily life. These are a few of the companies and services available around Tokyo to

help you achieve a ethical, eco-friendly way of life.


With its lofty mountain ranges, rolling hills, and expansive plains, Akita is a land of great variety. And with the changing of the seasons, this north-

ern prefecture decks itself in a changing coat of many colors—from green to gold, red, and white. It’s a landscape that is meant to be savored, explored, and enjoyed. But there are some travelers who like to add a bit more adventure to their journey, and those visitors won’t find themselves disappointed with what this multifaceted terrain has to offer. The following are just a few of the ways that you can get your heart pumping in this sporting paradise that offers opportunities to get you moving on land, sea, and air.

A TRIATHLON WITH A HAIKU HEARTHaiku might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about athletic pursuits, but Akita Prefec-ture’s triathlon begins and ends at an important loca-tion for fans of Japanese literature. The beloved poet, Matsuo Basho, while traveling on the 2,400-kilometer journey to and from Tokyo that would be immortalized in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, reached the northernmost point on his journey at the seaside town of Kisakata. Before he headed back south, he spent a day or two taking in the sights. Competitors who take part in the Kisakata Triathlon may not have quite the same chance to sit back and be inspired, but this challenge of endurance does navigate through some impressive scenery. It’s an Olympic Triathlon course, so that means a 1.5-km swim, a 40-km bike race, and a 10-km run—all launching off close to the site where Basho stayed. This triathlon is held in July, which would mean a very difficult go farther south, but Akita’s comparatively mild summers make the experience less painful than would be expected. Despite its formidable reputation, the Kisakata Tri-athlon appeals to athletes of all ages, and you can find ardent competitors ranging from their teens into their 60s, made up of Akita natives and those from outside of the prefecture. More than 1500 volunteers help during the event, and local residents actively cheer on the runners and cyclists as they make their way through the scenic course route, passing by the impressive profile of Mount Chokai and through historical areas as they eventually make their way back to the beach. For those just earning their triathlon stripes, there is also a shorter version of the triathlon available.

ATHLETIC ADVENTURES IN AKITA


MOUNTAIN BIKING AT THE BASE OF AKITA’S CELEBRATED PEAK Known as Akita’s Mt. Fuji, Mt. Chokai is an active volcano that last erupted in 1974. (In fact, a major eruption in 1804 actually caused the seabed near Kisakata to rise, drastically changing the landscape of Basho’s celebrated stopping-off point.) When looked at from the Sea of Japan, the mountain has a cone-like, sym-metrical shape that inspires the comparison to its more famous sibling to the south. Chokai-san is one of Toho-ku’s most celebrated mountains, and a favorite of hikers, but in October, it becomes the site of a 130-km mountain bike event (as well as a 100-km “short course”) that runs around the base of this famous summit and also heads into Yamagata prefecture. The event is held just before the temperatures begin to drop in October,

on the day before the Sports Day holiday, making it a perfect getaway activity for the long weekend. Now in its 13th year, one of the things that makes the MTB at Mt. Chokai event a memorable occasion is that it is an entirely non-competitive event. Riders of all experience levels are welcome on a ride that goes through the day and well into the evening, as the pack makes its way through a challenging but rewarding course that affords views of the many faces of Mt. Chokai and the Sea of Japan.

FREE FLIGHTSpeeding down a hill or a trail on two wheels is exciting, but there’s not much that can compare with seeing the landscape of Akita from the sky itself. Paragliding is a popular activity that gives its followers the ultimate rush—borne aloft on air currents in a special-ly designed parachute, you can feel the wind blowing in your face, and as you develop in skill, the ability to control

your flight. One of the more popular locations for paragliding in Akita is at Kanpuzan, where director and head teacher of Kanpu Paragliding school, Hisanori Onodera, has been training people to head off into the wild blue yonder for more than 25 years. Courses are available for all ex-perience levels, and even first time paragliders can have a chance to get airborne in a tandem flight with the instructor. It’s an unparalleled way to get out and see Akita’s splendor from a new perspective. And while the experi-

ence can be exhilarating, the focus is always on safety. More experienced paragliders can learn more about how to read the weather, practice various techniques, and even get advice about selecting new gear. Paragliding flights are available year-round, from March to Novem-ber, weather conditions permitting.

TREE CLIMBINGAlmost all young adventurers got their start by climbing a tree and seeing just how high up they could go. This feeling is the inspiration behind the Tree Climbing Japan organization, which has been helping adventurers young and old reach new heights in locations around the country. Using specialized harnesses and climbing techniques that ensure safety, participants on Tree Climbing Japan’s activities scale higher than they ever could with

hands and feet. Tree Climbing Japan’s event in Akita celebrates winter, perhaps the region’s most picturesque season, giving its climbers a chance to get a bird’s-eye view of the world around them, decked in its finest whites. Adventurers from 3 to 88 are all welcome to this chance to challenge themselves and see things from a new perspective.

AKITA | TRAVEL | 27

The next Mt. Chokai Mountain Bike Race

will be held on October 12, 2014. For

more information, visit:

www.nikaho-kanko.jp/mtb/top.html

Tree Climbing Japan’s next Hachimantai

event will be held in March 2015. For

more information, visit www.akitafan.

com/events/detail.html?event_id=9724.

For more information about Tree Climb-

ing Japan, visit:

www.treeclimbing.jp

The next Kisakata Triathlon will next be

held on July 19, 2015. For more informa-

tion, visit:

www.nikaho-kanko.jp/triathlon

Paragliding at Kanpuzan:

www.kanpu.jp

Akita’s official Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/discover.akita

Despite its formidable reputation, the Kisakata Triathlon appeals to athletes of all ages, and you can find ardent competitors ranging from their teens into their 60s.

MORE INFORMATION


Visit Rikuzentakata and you will see a mas-sive overhead conveyor system. With every trip to the city I see a new conveyor belt extended into the area that was downtown. This conveyor belt moves earth, millions of cubic meters of earth from nearby moun-tains into the city. We are tearing down mountains to create livable and buildable land so people can move out of temporary housing into their own homes. At the same time, we are raising the land of what was downtown, nine meters in some areas, eleven meters in others. For this, we need dirt. Without this conveyor belt, the removal of earth from the mountains across the river and into downtown would take ten years. With the conveyor belt system, we can do this in one. Here’s a massive project success-fully bid upon and working. By next summer, the city is hopeful we can offer to residents land upon which they can rebuild homes. Not all in Rikuzentakata is hopelessness and doom. But there is still so much work to be done. When cities, towns, and villages along 500 kilometers of coastline experience the damage that they have, rebuilding is a must. All of the cities affected by the tsunami from March 2011 have reconstruction projects at varying degrees of completion. Money for these projects has been allocated both by the central and prefectural governments. Companies can bid for the work, creating jobs for locals, or bring in their own crews if

they’re not from the area. The number of projects available for bidding is endless. And yet, local mu-nicipalities grapple with the fact some contracts have no bidders. No bidders. The work is available. The money is availa-ble. Bid and there’s a good chance the job is yours. Rikuzen-takata is no excep-tion. With downtown gone—and the only permanent structure to be rebuilt to date a

hotel—the list of what remains to be complet-ed is long. Very long. Funds to rebuild are available. The need is obvious. Why then has only one building gone up? The answer is anything but simple. Explanations range from “too much work and too few contractors” to “bidding only on the biggest of projects” to “lack of available hotels/housing for crew.” The truth probably lies somewhere between these and other reasons. Rikuzentakata has had to build living quarters for construction crews, a fancy version of temporary houses seen dotting the city. The number of watering holes available for an after-work beer can be counted on two hands. There’s nothing to do here. These facts lead to an ugly truth: with fewer companies bidding, reconstruction is slowing. Three-plus years post-disaster, Tohoku is becoming more and more forgotten. When Tokyo was selected as the host city for the 2020 Olympics many in Tohoku were happy. Tourists would visit, leaving behind money, they thought. People from around the world would see the incredible progress being made, bringing back a sense of awe over Japan’s accomplishments. Then there are those

As construction projects begin for Tokyo’s turn in the Olympic spotlight, the triple disaster recovery regions fall back into the shadow

Is Tohoku in the Picture?2020 Vision:

who wonder whether reconstruction will indeed be complete by 2020. If the current pace of construction is any indication, this is a valid question. The difficulties faced over lack of bids on construction projects will only continue, becoming more severe with time. Here is another way Tohoku bleeds. If projects in Tokyo are seen as more important than Tohoku recovery—the Olympics showing a more direct path to economic input into Tokyo—Tohoku recon-struction will continue to lag behind. Many in Tohoku feel like the unwelcome, unloved stepchild, always taking a back seat to the favorite—Tokyo. Ask any Japanese politician and they will say Tohoku recovery is important for Japan’s future. Perhaps this is only lip ser-vice, elected officials saying what they must on air and in print. Those in the disaster areas want to believe that they matter. For disaster victims, recovery is a must. For that, cities need projects to be completed—land made available, schools rebuilt, city halls reopened, hospitals restored to func-tional condition—which brings us back to the Olympics. If reconstruction projects fall behind because of a lack of bidders now, won’t the Olympics make this worse? Many in Tohoku wonder.

by Amya Miller

28 | OPINION | TOHOKU

Many in Tohoku feel like the unwelcome, unloved stepchild, always taking a back seat to the favorite—Tokyo

Rikuzentakata after the tsunami

Giant overhead conveyor belt is used to move earth


Soaring above the terrain that surrounds the Gifu Prefecture city of Hida-Takayama, you can see why the region is fast becoming a

popular destination for tourists, both foreign and domestic. The summits of the Japan Alps’ peaks, such as Norikura, Hotaka, and Yakedake, lie to the east of the city, drawing throngs of hikers and climbers during the spring and summer, and making for pictur-esque views when covered in the region’s copious snowfall. Lush green valleys dip between the mountains and run alongside the emerald-green waters of nearby rivers. And if you’re flying low enough around the west of the city, you can make out the tall,

thatched roofs of the houses that fill the famous hamlets of Shirakawa Go and other nearby villages. However, this isn’t an experience that most of us would get the opportunity to have: arranging for private flights from Hida Air Park would be an expensive proposition for most individuals. But thanks to a recent agreement between Takayama and the air rescue organization Japan Council for Air Rescue Promotion (JCARP), residents and visitors alike can find out more about good safety precautions for the area, get a deeper sense of the natural environment that sur-rounds Takayama, and take in the scenery of Hida-Takayama from the windows of an 11-seater turboprop plane, making a visit to

the city known as the “Little Kyoto of Hida” even more memorable. Takayama has much to offer travelers from ground level as well, with nearly 300,000 foreign tourists visiting the city of 92,000 every year. They are drawn to a unique culture that has been allowed to flourish over the centuries thanks to its relatively isolated location, and well-preserved traditional architecture. It’s difficult not to feel as if you were stepping back in time as you walk down the

streets in the center of the city, strolling alongside the scenic Miyagawa River, or witnessing the town’s celebrated spring and autumn festivals.The same geographic isolation that has allowed the region to develop its appealing culture can also make it perilous to travelers and natives alike. It is known for its long, snowy winters, when high drifts and snow banks leave

An association dedicated to air rescue gives travelers and residents of Hida-Takayama the chance to appreci-ate the local landscape from an entirely new perspective

mountain roads impassable and leave vil-lages in the area stranded for long stretches of time. The rainy season can also be a dangerous time of year in the steep reaches of the mountains, with torrents of rain often causing landslides. So when Takayama Mayor Hiromichi Kunishima wanted to ensure the safety of residents and visitors to the region, he reached out to JCARP. The air rescue group has a long history of being where they are most needed, and the organization has provided support to communities hit by disasters such as the Kobe Earthquake and the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. In August, the city signed up for a dedicated rescue and surveillance plane for the region: a PC-6 tur-boprop that can take off or land on a grass field 200 meters long and 30 meters wide, making it an ideal vehicle for the area’s mountainous terrain. As a part of the agreement, the first of its kind between a city and JCARP, the organi-zation will also provide lectures and semi-nars on ways to keep safe around Takayama throughout the seasons, followed by a flight that lets participants see the villages, mountains, and valleys from a bird’s-eye view. People who choose to become JCARP members (see text box) can take part in special lectures and flights that focus on the mountains over the Shirakawa Go region or the Kurobe Dam.

JCARP can accept groups of 7 to 10

people for a 30-minute seminar, followed

by a 20-minute flight over the Japan

Alps. To find out more about arranging

a seminar and flight, if you’d like to

become a JCARP member, or if you’d like

to find out more about the association

in general, contact Tomoo Nakayama

at the JCARP Office (nakayamat@itca.

co.jp) at 03-3555-3621 or 090-3540-6959

(at night), or you can visit the following

websites: jcarp.jp and itca.co.jp

MORE INFORMATION

Hida-Takayama Wings over


If you’ve lived here any length of time you know it can stay pretty hot through most of September. But time flies, and we’ll soon be into autumn—one of my (and many of my friends’) favorite seasons here in Japan. I do hope you and yours had a good summer, and that things

get better for people all over the world: it’s looking like kind of a messed-up place right now. Checking out my plan for this month’s column, I see how important food is on the party scene. Just this week there was a gastronomic feast of Peruvian food, which is excellent at the Peruvian Embassy. Another night at the Okura, the Moroccan food at their National Day was really delicious—especially the tajine and lemon chicken. There was also a great night sharing all the homemade Irish food for the sayonara of Irish Ambassador John Neary and his wife Kathleen. When there wasn’t a party, I joined friends in checking out some of the many new restaurants, cafes and spots around town. One of my favorites is El Coqui: “The first Puerto Rican restaurant in the history of Japan with home style cooking.” The stylish two floors, plus 20 VIP seats in the basement, are located in the Park View Nishi Azabu Building, Nishi Azabu 1-15-10 Minato-ku, Tel. 03-6434-9726. e-mail: [email protected]. Liz, who’s Puerto Rican, does a great job, as does their Cuban chef with Cuban food and their Japanese chef with the Italian food. No matter what you choose you’ll enjoy it, and the Latin music in the background, along with Liz and her staff, really create a good mood. For original exotic food (“fresh fruits and vegetables + herbs + spices + healthy”) check out Forbidden Fruit in Omotesando Hills. The small upscale snack shop has an endless list of healthy, tasty delicious drinks. My favorite foods there are the weekly tajine, wild Indian soup with garlic bread and honey, and their heavenly honey coconut pancakes. If you have the time, take the narrow stairway in the back of the eatery. You’ll be amazed at the downstairs stores’ selection of way-out fashion and accessories. Love the layout—and much of the pricey and original fashion. My only complaint about Forbidden Fruit is the butt-shaped cold metal stools in the snack bar, but the food and drinks really make it worthwhile. Still talking healthy as well as delicious and inexpensive, I’d like to recommend the prize-winning curry from my dear Sri Lankan friend Ravi who specializes in medical spices and natural herbs. You can get Ravi’s ready-to-eat-curry at his food stand outside of Hiroo National Azabu Supermarket every Sunday. For more info about his products, call

03-3739-4044. And if you happen to be at the popular national market on the second Friday/Saturday/Sunday of each month, contact Paul Kraft who’s there giving a taste of America with his samples of honey baked ham. While you’re in Hiroo, check Café Segafredo. Had an espresso recently with a good friend Brian Mori, who is the Representative Director and President of Segafredo. In addition to 35 shops in Japan, he has the famous Espresso Segafredo franchising contract for all of Asia. Brian just opened a new shop in Shinjuku. When he’s not traveling he keeps very busy working with his staff on adding all kinds of Italian food specialties at very reasonable prices to his shops’ growing menus. Brian and his staff have some well-located nice venues where you can set up small parties (food, drink, party ambiance.) For more info, call me at 090-3200-6767. Guess that’s enough on food for now; let’s move on to old Edo’s always busy party scene.

AMBASSADOR KENNEDY’S SUPER AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY PARTYIt was US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy’s first time to host the July 4th celebration here in Japan. The occasion was the 238th Anniversary of American Independence and the celebration of the new Ambassador. Her staff and a long list of American and many other friends who donated for the truly red, white and blue evening made it a truly memorable event in every way. There was a huge variety of American food favorites—hamburgers, hotdogs, lobster, and ribs. Frito Lays also had something to satisfy everybody . . . you name it and they had it. There was an amazing variety of great drinks that included America’s top whiskeys, American and Japanese beers, fine wines, Menshune water from Hawaii, and of course Coca-Cola. The desserts included natural watermelon, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, homemade brownies and chocolate chip cookies, and Hawaiian papaya. The automobile industry was well represented by Ford, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, and Tesla. Harley Davidson had a display as well. I really wish I had space to list all the patriotic generous donors. There were a couple hundred people who donated American products, their time, and their American know-how in making me and every American there proud. I would like to mention a few personal friends who donated that day, and who have long been supporters of the Weekender, including Mark Gleason, whose company distributes Tabasco products here, Martin Fluck who heads

TOKYO’S LONGEST RUNNING SOCIETY PAGE, WITH BILL HERSEYPEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES

Caroline Kennedy with members of the US Coast Guard at the US Embassy’s Fourth of July celebration


PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 31

Super July 4th at U.S. Embassy

1. Oakwood’s Man—Martin Fluck, Prince Konoe, ANA Hotel’s new GM, Markus Platzer 2.

Wendys’ owner Ernie Higa, his wife Aya, his sister Merle Ogawa 3. Fashion Legion Hanae

Mori, her son Kei. 4. Photographer Hiroyuki Suzuki, his wife noted fashion designer

Junko Koshino, renowned art dealer Norman Tolman 5. Journalist Robert Whiting and

his wife 6. Hawaii Menehune Water Co. Pres. Ken Simon, his son Tristan, and Angela

Maki 7. Hisanaga and Takako (sister of HIH Emperor) Shimazu w TELL’s Ian de Stains 8.

The Shimazus with Finnish Ambassador Manu Virtamo and Georgian Ambassador Dr.

Levan Tsintsadze 9. Jun Ashida PR man Paul Jeffers, Argentine Ambassador Raul Dejean,

Jun Ashida Pres. Hideki Santo 10. Long time friends Mississippi Culture Ambassador/Jazz

singer Ora Reed, Takako Shimazu, and Embassy part-time staffer 11. Dave Spector and Benin

Ambassador Zomahoun 12. United School of Tokyo’s Principal Natasha Dytham, and architect

Mark Dytham.

Hyatt Andaz Hotel Opening

13. Charo Ireton, Pres. Tsukasa Shiga, Maritess and Philippines Ambassador Manuel

Lopez, Bill Ireton 14. Sadako Nagano, Akio Tosu Ohga 15. Laurent Perrier’s Philippe

Sauzedde, Paramount Japan Pres. Ichiro Okazaki, Moroccan Ambassador Samir Arrour

16. Tsukasa Shiga, Bill Ireton, Ambassador Lopez, Hyatt Hotels’ Mark Hoplamazian

Charo Ireton, Maritess Lopez, Hyatt’s V.P. Brands, Asia Pacific, Carina Chorengel.

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32 | SOCIETY | PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES

Hyatt Andaz Hotel Opening (Cont.)

1. WDI Group Chairman Yoji Shimizu, Former K-1 Champ Takayuki Kohiruimaki, Francoise

Morechand, Andaz Hotel GM Arnaud de Saint-Exupery, Tsukasa Shiga 2. Mori Art Museum

Pres. Yoshiko Morita, Tolman Gallery Pres. Norman Tolman, Tsukasa Shiga.

Jordan Nat’l Day Reception Okura

3. The Hostess Shifa 4. Good looking Mexican friends Regina, Sebastian, and Monica

5. Soka Gakkai Min-On Concert Assoc. Execs Shigeo Iijima and Kobayashi Hiroyasu, Kuwait

Ambassador Abdul Al-Otaibi 6. Popular politican Kazuyuki and Mrs. Hamada congratulate

Jordanian Ambassador and Mrs. Demiys Haddad 7. Outgoing Malaysian Ambassador Datuk

Sharuddin, Brunei Ambassador Ahmad Haji Ahna, Philippines Ambassador Manuel Lopez

Abeer’s Fantastic Photos of Oman

8. Nicaraguan Ambassador Saul Arana Castellon, Dewi Sukarno, Oman Ambassador Khalid Al-

Muslahi 9. Actor Hide Kusakari, TV personality Naotomo Umewaka, Photographer Ali Siam

10. Grand Master of Ceremonies for the Imperial Household Nobutake Odano, Oman

Ambassador Khalid Al-Muslah, His wife Abeer, Tamayo Odano 11. Segafredo Expresso Rep. Dir./

Pres. Brian Mori, HIH Princess Takamado, Cher Mori

12. The International Clinic’s Dr. Eugene Aksenoff with Clinic Nurse Rumi Yamamoto

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Drummer Nick, Blues singer Terri Macmillan, Oakwood’s Amy

Psychic Reiko Amano, Martin Fluck, French artist Françoise Lions

Italians Fabio and Martina, Iranian Miro at Shibuya Segafredo

PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 33

the beautiful Oakwood residences in Japan, and Walt Disney attractions to promote their super popular films through our publication. The official program that day included the presentation of the colors by the Marine Color Guard, the singing of the US and Japanese national anthems, remarks by Ambassador Kennedy and guest speakers and celebratory toasts. This was followed by an exciting colorful musical show that featured Jazz artist Ora Reed, the highly acclaimed United States Force band for Asia Pacific and a special performance by the Embassy’s own Tom Duval. The food, the drinks and the program were all great. The highlight for me was seeing so many good friends and meeting so many interesting people for the first time. It was a super and special celebration in every way. Congratulations to Ambassador Kennedy and the many who helped make it all that and more. God Bless America.

ABEER’S PHOTOS OF OMANIf you have the privilege of knowing Abeer A. Aisha, wife of the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, you know what a wonderful, outgoing, generous lady she is. She’s always busy, and always involved in worthwhile projects. You also know when she decides to do something she really gets into it and makes it all very special. Her recent photo exhibition “From Japan to Oman: The Beauty of the Moment” proved how true this all is. Abeer became a keen photographer while living here in Japan, where she studied photography at Temple University in Tokyo. She earned several prizes in photo competitions, which is no surprise, judging from the truly original and artistic work that was on display at the Embassy from 6/4 to 6/16.

JORDAN’S 68TH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION—OKURAIt was a busy night at the Okura Hotel when hundreds of the friends of Jordanian Ambassador Demiye Haddad and his wife Shifa joined them for their country’s 68th Independence Day. It was also the 15th Anniversary of H.M. King Abdullah H Ibn Al Hussein’s Accession to the throne as well as 60 years of diplomatic relations between Jordan and Japan with Ramadan and many National Day celebrations. Our Arab friends have really been busy. The Haddads and their staff worked with the Okura staff and the Indian consultant Rajeesh Paul, who really helps the hotel with its many Embassy parties at the hotel. The Okura venue, as always, was tastefully set up for the Jordan event. I especially enjoyed the artistic displays of Jordanian books, fashion and handicrafts. The bountiful buffet featured excellent Jordanian food that really brought back some great memories of a trip I made all over the beautiful country several years back. Drove from Amman to Petra where they filmed part of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. From there it was a hectic truck-dodging drive to Wadi Rum, where they filmed much of the legendary spectacle Lawrence of Arabia. When Egyptian actor Omar Sharif was in Tokyo, I had dinner with him at a Thai restaurant. Much of our conversation was about the many months he spent in Wadi Rum while they were filming. From Wadi Rum, I then drove down to the beautiful seaport/resort, Aqaba. This is a place, like much of Jordan, I’d really like to visit again. I was given another super privilege by my Jordanian friends when

I had dinner with King Al Hussein when he was just a prince, and was really impressed by the man. It was a nice evening, with the Haddads’ daughters—6 year-old Maria and 3 year-old Aya—really contributing to the lively ambiance.

GRAND OPENING—HYATT ANDAZ HOTELThe much-anticipated opening of the Hyatt Andaz Hotel in Roppongi Hills’ magnificent new complex Toranomon Tower was—as we knew it would be—very special. The hotel has an open-air rooftop bar/terrace, restaurants, studios, a chapel, the luxurious Andaz Lounge and hotel reception on the 51st and 52nd floors of the 52-story Toranomon Towers. The 164 guest rooms are on floors 47–50, and the spa and fitness center is on the 37th floor. There’s a café on the ground floor and a spacious all-day dining restaurant on the 51st floor, Andaz Taverna, where they serve sophisticated contemporary dishes. There’s also a bakery and pastry shop on the first floor. The opening party was wall-to-wall VIPs, with so many Japanese and foreign friends. It was really great to see so many of the executive staff from Hyatt Hotels I’ve met over the years. Those people really know what they’re doing. I really enjoyed meeting Akio Ohga, the adopted son of the late and great Sony Pres. Norio Ohga and his wife Midori. Thanks to Ohga and Nichan Blessner I attended the big opening events at the Sony Centre in Berlin several years ago. The highlight of the many happenings there was a concert where talented conductor Norio conducted the Berlin Philharmonic. It was also nice seeing WDI chairman Yoji Shimizu. He’s a real pioneer in Roppongi nightlife. He started the original Playboy Club in Japan, worked with top chef/restaurateur Wolfgang Puck on the famous Spago restaurant, and is still involved in the restaurant/bar biz with his Hard Rock Café, Tony Roma’s, and a few other places that are still going strong. Also happy to see long-time friend Francoise Morechand. Really admire her and happy to hear she’s going to Paris and do something she’s wanted to do for a long time: study art. Our congratulations to Hyatt on the Andaz. At the same time we welcome the Dynamic GM Arnaud de Saint-Exupery. He never slowed down at the opening, and from the looks of things, will continue to be super busy with the fantastic new hotel. Toranomon Tower is the 2nd tallest high-rise in Tokyo. The panoramic views of the city from the upper floors are awesome. The hotel name Andaz is from the Hindi word “personal style.” Check it out, and you’ll discover why.

DR. EUGENE AKSENOFF, 1924–2014I also wanted to say a sad farewell to a medical man who has done so much good for the foreign community of Tokyo: Dr. Eugene Aksenoff, who passed away this month at the age of 90. He opened the International Clinic in 1953, and he was known not only for being an excellent doctor, but also a real philanthropist. His great skill as a doctor made him the

“go to” person for people to visit, and he got plenty of attention for treating celebrities, including Madonna, Brad Pitt, and Michael

Jackson. But what made him so special was that he was always willing to help out people who didn’t have a lot of money, or might have had visa trouble. That’s just the kind of person he

was—one of a kind—and he will be missed.

New developments in Tokyo completed this year will likely bethe last chance you have to buy before prices rise considerably.Here are the reasons why! It has been a rough time for property developers in Tokyoover the last six years. With the onset of the Global FinancialCrisis in 2008 (or the “Lehman Shock” as it is known locally), projects that were underway at that time finished with littlefanfare while all new projects were put on hold. During this period a strange situation in the market emergedwhere the prices of these newly finished projects were actuallylower than renovated second hand apartments (see graph tothe right). The reason for this was two-fold, one the developerswere keen to off-load their supply of new apartments in a slowmarket and, two as the construction industry was hit very hard,contractors fought mercilessly to bid on scarce developmentprojects which meant doing the same work for lower and lowerprices. At the same time the yen was very strong helping tofurther drive down the cost of construction. These lowconstruction costs and desperate developers caused the lowprices for new projects during this period. Fast forward to now and the pricing of new developments iscreeping higher due to land increases and surging building costs because of the weaker yen and the high construction demand for post-earthquakereconstruction. In addition, developers and the government have decided to pull the trigger on plans that have been sitting on the shelf for the pastsix years adding further pressure to construction prices. This increase in construction costs is about to be passed on to you, the buyer. What does this mean? Any new development that finished this year will be the last chance you have to buy before prices rise considerably asdevelopers incorporate the higher land and construction costs into their final pricing. Financing is readily available and easier to obtain than ever before. Contact us today and make home ownership in Tokyo a reality!

Land Size: Freehold 101.81 sqmBuilding Size: 297.17 sqm

5 Floors, 1 BasementBuilt 1986

Gross Yield: 6.11%

TOKYO RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT

FEATURED PROPERTIES

PRICE ¥198,000,000AZABU JUBAN - 8 MINS

RENT - ¥940,000, 3LDKROPPONGI ITCHOME - 4 MINS

PRICE ¥88,000,000, 2LDKTAMACHI - 8 MINS

FROM ¥64,763,400, 3LDKTAMACHI - 5 MINS

RENT - ¥1,500,000, 4LDKAOYAMA ITCHOME - 1 MIN

RENT - ¥1,150,000, 2LDKROPPONGI - 7 MINS

67.46 sqm (14 F)Built 2014

Management Fee ¥22,200Restoration Fee ¥7,920

Great Value in Minato Ward

FROM ¥39,700,000, 1 & 2LDKSHINJUKU - 15 MINS

FROM ¥34,900,000, 1 TO 3 LDKHONGO-SANCHOME- 4 MINS

RENT - ¥890,000, 3LDKOMOTESANDO - 6 MINS

RENT - ¥430,000, 1LDKAOYAMA ITCHOME - 1 MIN


RENT - ¥900,000, 4LDKGOTANDA - 7 MINS

GENERAL INQUIRY: [email protected]

SALES: [email protected]

LEASING: [email protected] MANAGEMENT: [email protected]


FEATURED PROPERTIES

SELECT FOR SALE LISTINGS

SELECT RENTAL LISTINGS


145.25 sqm (21 F)Built 2012

Deposit: 4 MonthsNo Key Money

Ark Hills Sengokuyama Living

40.29 sqm (1 F)Built 2008

Management Fee ¥10,500Restoration Fee ¥6,230Gross Yield up to 5%

37.14 sqm (1 F)To Be Completed In 2015

Management Fee ¥ 13,200Restoration Fee ¥3,800

Ten Minute Walk to Tokyo Dome

301.05 sqm (19 F)Built 2003

Deposit: 4 monthsNo Key Money

Hot Water Supply ¥17,850/monthAir Conditioning Fee ¥35,700/month

153.45 sqm (2 F)Built 1972

Deposit: 4 MonthsKey Money: 1 Month

Trunk Room Fee: ¥8,640 per month

71.72 sqm (6F)Built 2007


Landmark Aoyama Tower

117.35 sqm (11 F)Built 2003


Right Next to Roppongi Hills

184.9 sqm (1 F)Built 1991


Large Wrap Around Balcony

200.61 sqm (2 Floors)Built 1998


Western Living on the Yamanote

All rental properties require the use of a guarantor company. Housing Japan is acting in a brokerage position for all properties below. All rental properties require the use of a guarantor company. Housing Japan is acting in a brokerage position for all properties below.

88.98 sqm (22 F)Built 2006

Management Fee ¥24,290Restoration Fee ¥9,340An Island of Your Own

Here is your chance to own a very rare buildingright behind the Tokyo American Club near Azabu Juban and Akabanebashi stations. Minutes walk from TAC, this 5 storey building with basement level has a total of 6 rentable units providing a gross yield of 6.11% or gross rental income of ¥12,108,000/year. The building sits on top of 101 square meters of land, all freehold, and the building’s age allows it to be eligible for financing.The whole building’s size is over 297 square meters large! Inquire now regarding this super hot property!

One in a long line of luxurious Mori Buildings, Ark Hills Sengokuyama Tower Residence comes complete with an array of amenities such as a Sky View Lounge, as well as a 24 hour concierge service, and Doormen. This particular unit is located on the 21st floor of the buildling, allowing for an amazing view of Tokyo for tenants. Built with only the finest materials and supplies, satisfaction is guaranteed at Ark Hills Sengokuyama Tower Residence. Inquire today and make your new home a memorable one.

The Shibaura Island Grove Tower is a building that is an island within itself, so you will always be surrounded with an amazing view of Tokyo bay at all times. The building comes with a 24 hour concierge service as well as a play room for children and a fitness center. The unit that we have for sale is a two bedroom, and as the owner you can keep pets as well! The unit comes furnished with a washer, fridge, heated flooring, a dryer, a dishwasher, and an AC system. Inquire now to own this superb view!

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport (1) 8385, CR Kamiyacho Bldg. 7F, 1-11-9 Azabudai, Minato-ku Tokyo, 106-0041 Japan

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New developments in Tokyo completed this year will likely bethe last chance you have to buy before prices rise considerably.Here are the reasons why! It has been a rough time for property developers in Tokyoover the last six years. With the onset of the Global FinancialCrisis in 2008 (or the “Lehman Shock” as it is known locally), projects that were underway at that time finished with littlefanfare while all new projects were put on hold. During this period a strange situation in the market emergedwhere the prices of these newly finished projects were actuallylower than renovated second hand apartments (see graph tothe right). The reason for this was two-fold, one the developerswere keen to off-load their supply of new apartments in a slowmarket and, two as the construction industry was hit very hard,contractors fought mercilessly to bid on scarce developmentprojects which meant doing the same work for lower and lowerprices. At the same time the yen was very strong helping tofurther drive down the cost of construction. These lowconstruction costs and desperate developers caused the lowprices for new projects during this period. Fast forward to now and the pricing of new developments iscreeping higher due to land increases and surging building costs because of the weaker yen and the high construction demand for post-earthquakereconstruction. In addition, developers and the government have decided to pull the trigger on plans that have been sitting on the shelf for the pastsix years adding further pressure to construction prices. This increase in construction costs is about to be passed on to you, the buyer. What does this mean? Any new development that finished this year will be the last chance you have to buy before prices rise considerably asdevelopers incorporate the higher land and construction costs into their final pricing. Financing is readily available and easier to obtain than ever before. Contact us today and make home ownership in Tokyo a reality!

Land Size: Freehold 101.81 sqmBuilding Size: 297.17 sqm

5 Floors, 1 BasementBuilt 1986

Gross Yield: 6.11%


FEATURED PROPERTIES

PRICE ¥198,000,000AZABU JUBAN - 8 MINS


PRICE ¥88,000,000, 2LDKTAMACHI - 8 MINS

FROM ¥64,763,400, 3LDKTAMACHI - 5 MINS

RENT - ¥1,500,000, 4LDKAOYAMA ITCHOME - 1 MIN

RENT - ¥1,150,000, 2LDKROPPONGI - 7 MINS

67.46 sqm (14 F)Built 2014

Management Fee ¥22,200Restoration Fee ¥7,920

Great Value in Minato Ward

FROM ¥39,700,000, 1 & 2LDKSHINJUKU - 15 MINS

FROM ¥34,900,000, 1 TO 3 LDKHONGO-SANCHOME- 4 MINS

RENT - ¥890,000, 3LDKOMOTESANDO - 6 MINS

RENT - ¥430,000, 1LDKAOYAMA ITCHOME - 1 MIN


RENT - ¥900,000, 4LDKGOTANDA - 7 MINS

GENERAL INQUIRY: [email protected]

SALES: [email protected]

LEASING: [email protected] MANAGEMENT: [email protected]


FEATURED PROPERTIES

SELECT FOR SALE LISTINGS



145.25 sqm (21 F)Built 2012


Ark Hills Sengokuyama Living

40.29 sqm (1 F)Built 2008

Management Fee ¥10,500Restoration Fee ¥6,230Gross Yield up to 5%

37.14 sqm (1 F)To Be Completed In 2015

Management Fee ¥ 13,200Restoration Fee ¥3,800

Ten Minute Walk to Tokyo Dome

301.05 sqm (19 F)Built 2003

Deposit: 4 monthsNo Key Money

Hot Water Supply ¥17,850/monthAir Conditioning Fee ¥35,700/month

153.45 sqm (2 F)Built 1972

Deposit: 4 MonthsKey Money: 1 Month

Trunk Room Fee: ¥8,640 per month

71.72 sqm (6F)Built 2007


Landmark Aoyama Tower

117.35 sqm (11 F)Built 2003


Right Next to Roppongi Hills

184.9 sqm (1 F)Built 1991


Large Wrap Around Balcony

200.61 sqm (2 Floors)Built 1998


Western Living on the Yamanote

All rental properties require the use of a guarantor company. Housing Japan is acting in a brokerage position for all properties below. All rental properties require the use of a guarantor company. Housing Japan is acting in a brokerage position for all properties below.

88.98 sqm (22 F)Built 2006

Management Fee ¥24,290Restoration Fee ¥9,340An Island of Your Own

Here is your chance to own a very rare buildingright behind the Tokyo American Club near Azabu Juban and Akabanebashi stations. Minutes walk from TAC, this 5 storey building with basement level has a total of 6 rentable units providing a gross yield of 6.11% or gross rental income of ¥12,108,000/year. The building sits on top of 101 square meters of land, all freehold, and the building’s age allows it to be eligible for financing.The whole building’s size is over 297 square meters large! Inquire now regarding this super hot property!

One in a long line of luxurious Mori Buildings, Ark Hills Sengokuyama Tower Residence comes complete with an array of amenities such as a Sky View Lounge, as well as a 24 hour concierge service, and Doormen. This particular unit is located on the 21st floor of the buildling, allowing for an amazing view of Tokyo for tenants. Built with only the finest materials and supplies, satisfaction is guaranteed at Ark Hills Sengokuyama Tower Residence. Inquire today and make your new home a memorable one.

The Shibaura Island Grove Tower is a building that is an island within itself, so you will always be surrounded with an amazing view of Tokyo bay at all times. The building comes with a 24 hour concierge service as well as a play room for children and a fitness center. The unit that we have for sale is a two bedroom, and as the owner you can keep pets as well! The unit comes furnished with a washer, fridge, heated flooring, a dryer, a dishwasher, and an AC system. Inquire now to own this superb view!

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport (1) 8385, CR Kamiyacho Bldg. 7F, 1-11-9 Azabudai, Minato-ku Tokyo, 106-0041 Japan

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tokyoweekender_sakura_20140523.pdf 1 2014/05/23 13:22:32

36 | WEEKENDER | EXPAT LIFE


Door to Door Pickup Service24 Hour Staff Supervision

One daycare visit availableOpen 365 Days

No Cages

1F 1-8-18 Akatsutsumi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0044Tel: 03-3327-1003 I Fax: 03-3327-7407 | E: [email protected] www4.ocn.ne.jp/~adc (Japanese) | http://adc.pipi.cc (English)

Athletic Dog Club co., Ltd.!"#$%&'('')*(+&&'%%%%[email protected],-.$%&'('))*(*/&* www4.ocn.ne.jp/~adc


EXPAT LIFE | WEEKENDER | 37



GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

RUROUNI KENSHIN: THE LEGEND ENDS OUT OF THE FURNACE

TIME IS ILLMATIC

COMING TO A CINEMA NEAR YOU IN SEPTEMBER

The mighty brand of Marvel has hit on a winning formula of action, entertainment and

a touch of knowing humor to bring their fantastic stories to life. With so many well known comic names at their disposal, it seems like an odd choice to bring a set of unknowns into their expanding cinematic universe, but that’s exactly what’s been done with Guardians of the Galaxy. The film sees a group of misfits, little known outside the comic’s world, thrown together to form a team and defeat the villainous “Ronan the Accuser” in order to save the universe. Guardians is the first starring role for Chris Pratt, who plays wise-cracking space pirate Peter Quill. Featuring Zoe Saldana as green-skinned alien assassin Gamora, pro wrestler Dave Bautista as the hulking killer Drax, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, a genetically altered gun-toting Raccoon, and Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, a tree-like monster. The film has garnered tremendous critical praise abroad and become and looks likely to be this year’s biggest success story.

Last month saw the release of Ruruoni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno, the sequel to the first live-adaptation of the popular

manga and anime series Ruroni Kenshin, which follows a former assassin who turns his back on a life of violence becoming a force for good. There’s still a chance to catch Kyoto Inferno—it’s currently tearing up the box-office—before following it up with this month’s conclusion to the trilogy, Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends. Ruruoni Kenshin, played by handsome leading man Takeru Satoh, struggles to maintain his peaceful existence in the face of the evil, bandage-covered mad man Makoto Shishio, ‘Battle Royale’ star Tatsuya Fujiwara, as he attempts to bring down the government. Dojo owner Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei) provides the love interest, desperately trying to prevent Ruruoni from returning to his killing ways.

Boasting the most impressive cast list of the month, Out of the Furnace tells the story of a man who is forced to go

outside of the law to find justice for his brother. Christian Bale stars as Russell Baze, a steel worker in search of his little brother Rodney (Casey Affleck), after the latter disappears following a bad streak of gambling and the involvement of a vicious crime gang. Rodney was trying to repay his debts by earning money bare-knuckle boxing but the scarred war veteran doesn’t go down when he’s supposed to. When he doesn’t return home his brother has no choice but to go after him. The cast is filled out with Zoe Saldana as Baze’s former girlfriend who left him for local police chief, Forest Whitaker, Woody Harrelson as an unstable drug dealer and Willem Dafoe as a seedy loan shark.

Any true hip-hop head is bound to own a copy of rapper Nas’s seminal 1994 debut album The Illmatic, it’s

an album that repeatedly tops best hip-hop album lists and sounds as fresh as the day it first dropped in 1994. Time Is Illmatic is a feature-length documentary that looks at the making of the classic album, celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, from the development of Nas as a young MC in his home of Queensbridge, New York, and the economic and social conditions that shaped the music. Nas is one of the biggest rappers in the world today, still regularly releasing new music and touring the world, including an appearance at last year’s Summer Sonic festival.

SEP 13

SEP 27

SEP 13

SEP 13


DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

MUPPETS MOST WANTED

The Planet of the Apes phenomenon began back in 1968, but by the turn of the century the series was looking pretty rusty until 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes finally did

the franchise justice, delivering an intelligent, entertaining, and visually stunning return which paid homage to the original while paving a way for the future of the series. A sequel has been highly anticipated by the legions of new Apes fans ever since. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes takes place ten years after the original, in a much-changed world where a simian virus has wiped out much of humanity, while the apes that escaped in the first film have thrived in their new forest home. Trouble threatens their peaceful existence when a surviving band of humans enters the forest seeking help. Stunning motion-capture character work by Serkis and Toby Kebbell as lead apes Caesar and Koba, along with some stunning fight scenes and a thought-provoking story concerning nature and survival make this must-see entertainment.

Despite Japan’s fondness for all things cute, you may have missed the last Muppets movie: a global hit abroad, it was surprisingly overlooked in Japan. This month’s release,

Muppets Most Wanted, follows up with an all-new cast of human characters, alongside the irreplaceable Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo et al. Taking place immediately after the events of the last film, The Muppets are taken on tour in Europe with the suspiciously named Dominic Badguy, played by comedian Ricky Gervais, as their manager. Badguy is in league with criminal mastermind Constantine, who has just escaped from prison and happens to bear more than a passing resemblance to put-upon hero Kermit. This leads to all kinds of trouble as the villainous duo embark on a mission to steal priceless items from the world’s greatest museums. This crime caper musical comedy ratchets up the action from its predecessor with the presence of the sharp-tongued Gervais hinting at a sharper edge to the comedy, while retaining the Muppet’s brand of nostalgia and heart.

SEP 6

SEP 19

SHOWING THIS MONTH | SCREEN | 39


AGENDA

AGENDA: THE WEEKENDER ROUNDUP OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SEPTEMBER

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AGENDA

Tokyo Jazz Festival 2014 Take your choice of free open-air concerts and

more intimate indoor gigs. Herbie Hancock, Jaga Jazzist and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds.

Where: Various venues around Marunouchi

How Much: ¥3,800–¥18,600

More info: www.tokyo-jazz.com

Bonjour Tokyo Singles PartyRomance will be in

the air at this latest installment of the French party planners’ night of love. The slow dance activity should definitely heat things up.

Where: Ginza Roots

How Much: ¥2,000 (Includes one drink)

More info: www.bonjourtokyo.com

Namaste India FestivalTake part in yoga

workshops, learn how to draw with henna, stock up on spices and explore the different cultures of India.

Where: Yoyogi Park Event Space, Shibuya

How Much: Free

More info: www.indofestival.com

Belgian Beer Weekend TokyoSample 64 different

beers, including hard-to-find brands and specialties, along with some Euro-themed fare.

Where: Roppongi Hills, Minato

How Much: ¥3,000 for 11 tokens

More info: www.tokyoweekender.com

Vogue Fashion’s Night OutJoin the swarm of

models, fashionistas, fashion editors, paparazzi and designers as they flood the swanky boutiques of Omotesando.

Where: Omotesando-Harajuku-Aoyama

How Much: Free

More info: www.vogue.co.jp/fno

The Do-Over Tokyo 2014 Make sure you RSVP to this free, end-of-summer bash,

featuring a surprise lineup, free-flowing sangria and a dance party with Tokyo Bay in the backdrop.

Where: Harumi Port Terminal, Chuo-ku

How Much: Free

More info: www.thedoover.net/tokyo14/

Festival of Japanese CultureExperience the traditional

side of Japan in the heart of modern Tokyo with a kimono course, ikebana, tea ceremony and music performances.

Where: Kyoraku-Tei, Chuo-ku

How Much: ¥7,000 - ¥12,000 for all three.


Star Fes ‘14Nas, Public Enemy, Erykah Badu, Zazen

Boys, DJ Krush, Mark Farina and Boredoms in this Vice Japan-produced extravaganza.

Where: Makuhari Messe, Chiba

How much: ¥6,500 (adv.)/¥8,000 (door)

More info: www.star-fes.net

SEP 5-7 SEP 4-15

SEP 6

SEP 14 SEP 20

SEP 20 SEP 26 SEP 21

3 4

8

21

5 6 7

SEPTEMBER


SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER | AGENDA | 41

9

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Say hoo roo to your hunger with this down

under twist on the classic surf and turf.

This dish combines our Outback Signature

Sirloin served with delicious Grilled

Shrimp on the Barbie.

OUTBACK SPECIAL AND

GRILLED SHRIMP

Ultra JapanThe Miami-based electronic music festival

is crossing the pond with Afrojack, Alesso, Hardwell, Kaskade and Steve Angello, just to name a few.

Where: Odaiba Ultra Park, Odaiba

How Much: ¥11,000 (one day)

More info: www.ultrajapan.com

World Breakfast FestivalFeast on the most

important meal of the day with pancakes, acai bowl, granola, eggs Benedict and English muffins from local and international names.

Where: Rinko Park, Minatomirai

How much: Free


UFC Fight Night Japan 2014UFC Heavyweights Mark

“Super Samoan” Hunt and Roy “Big Country” Nelson will go head to head in a no-holds-barred battle.

Where: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama

How Much: ¥9,800 - ¥100,000

More info: www.ufc.tokyoweekender.com

Vietnam FestivalGet your fill of pho, fried spring rolls, banh mi, and

banh xeo as well as plenty of traditional garments to go along with live music and dancing.

Where: Yoyogi Park Event Space, Shibuya

How Much: Free

More info: www.vietnamfes.jp

SEP 20

SEP 13-14

SEP 13-15

SEP 27-28

11

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BACK IN THE DAY: SEPTEMBER 1975Check out the scene in Tokyo from 1975! You can read the rest of this issue

(No.37 1975) and view Weekender’s 42-year archive online.

www.tokyoweekender.com/weekender-archives/

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