2016'S - Tokyo Weekender

DECEMBER 2016

Exclusive Interview with Ryu Murakami, 31 Christmas Gift Ideas, and the Happy Bees on Ginza's Rooftops PLUS:

Japan’s number one English language magazine

STRANGER THINGS

2016’S

20 28 32

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radarTHIS MONTH’S HEAD TURNERS

8 AREA GUIDE: GINZAAlthough it caters to those living in the lap of luxury, Ginza’s cultural roots suggest there’s more to it than meets the eye.

10 STYLEGear up for 2016’s final countdown with our selection of holiday season outfits and accessories.

12 BEAUTYHow to cope with dry winter skin in Tokyo? We’ve found five facial oils and serums that’ll solve all your problems.

14 TRENDSIf you haven’t caught on to the trend yet, in Japan decadent Christmas cakes are a thing. Here’s where to get ’em.

in-depthCOFFEE-BREAK READS

19 COVER FEATURE: 2016’S STRANGER THINGSWe look back at the (mostly unbelievable) headlines that got us talking this year.

24 A CONVERSATION WITH RYU MURAKAMI An exclusive interview with one of Japan’s most acclaimed and controversial authors.

28 HOW TOKYO’S ROOFTOP BEES ARE THRIVINGDid you know there are beehives on Ginza’s rooftops? Plus, how you can help the bees.

30 THE PROBLEM WITH JAPANESE CINEMAWe chat with film director Hirokazu Koreeda about the stagnating industry.

32 ALL YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMASStill need to do some last-minute shopping? We’ve got six pages of unique gift ideas for the whole family.

guideCULTURE ROUNDUP

39 ART & MUSICArt for deep thinkers, and music inspired by the poetry of Nobel laureates.

42 AGENDARomantic illuminations, a swanky New Year’s Eve party, and a festival to honor the famed 47 Ronin.

46 PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACESAn evening with former sumo champ Koni-shiki, remembering a few great leaders, and looking forward to Broadway show “Rent.”

24

4 | DE CEMBER 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6

Publisher

President

Executive Producers

Editor in ChiefSenior Editor

Art Director

Features Writer

Contributors

Sales DirectorSales Executives

Media StrategistMedia Consultant

Media RelationsMedia Producers

ENGAWA Co., Ltd.

Takanobu Ushiyama

Asi RinestineNaoya Takahashi

Annemarie LuckAlec Jordan

Liam Ramshaw

Matthew Hernon

Vivian Morelli Luca EandiBill HerseyDorothee ErleBunny Bissoux

Takaaki MuraiHirofumi OhuchiKahori Terakawa Nobu (Nick) NakazawaYu Suzuki

Mandy LynnMary RudowJunko ShimayaYumi IdomotoClaudia Sun

EST. Corky Alexander, 1970

Published monthly at JPR Sendagaya Building 8F 4-23-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051

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Published by ENGAWA Co., Ltd.

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@bapawn: So, we’ve mentioned Stranger Things a few times this issue, but I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t seen an episode yet! Annemarie, you’re a fan, right?

@mizrama: Yes, I’m definitely a fan. For me, it’s probably got more to do with the 80s nostalgia rather than the sci-fi element, but either way the show is probably one of the better stranger things that have happened this year. What’s your favorite odd headline of 2016?

@bapawn: You know, I’m not ashamed to admit that I like Piko Taro and his PPAP dance [page 20]. I’ve always been a sucker for viral videos, and he seems to really hit a lot of the magic buttons – the goofy visual appeal, the surprisingly good dance moves, and the absurdity of skewering fruits with a pen.

@mizrama: It’s weird how something as simple as this video can inspire such divided, heated emotions in people. But I guess it’s a better premise than some of the more harrowing events we’ve had to deal with

this year. I read that 2016 is now officially one of the worst years in history (although 1914 and 1945 were reportedly worse).

@bapawn: There is a silver lining, though. The bees in Ginza are thriving, aren’t they?

@mizrama: They are indeed happy up there in their rooftop hives [page 28]. Also, Tokyo elected its first female governor, Yuriko Koike – that was a great moment for women in Japan.

@bapawn: That was a great moment in Japanese politics, I think. It’s a pity that Hillary Clinton couldn’t break through that glass ceiling. Now, as happy as I am to bid 2016 farewell, I’m worried about the years to come under my country’s new President Elect...

@mizrama: I’m just glad my country’s president is out of the spotlight for once.

@bapawn: Who knows? Maybe Jacob Zuma could give Trump an ethics seminar.

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The many faces of Ginza, decadent cakes for Christmas, and your New Year’s Eve outfit sorted.

WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR TH I S M O NTH . . .

8 AREA GU I D E 10 ST YLE 12 T R EN DS

TOKYO WEEKENDER | DECEM BER 2 0 1 6 | 7

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AREA GUIDE

UPSCALE YOUR

DOWNTIME IN GINZA

GINZA CATERS TO THOSE LIVING IN THE LAP OF LUXURY, BUT ITS

CULTURAL ROOTS SUGGEST THAT IT’S HOME TO FAR MORE THAN JUST

HOLLOW CONSUMERISM

Words and photographs by Luca Eandi

CULTURE CLUB When you’re done window shopping around the pedestrian heaven of Chuo Dori, you may want to take in some culture. Luckily, Ginza is home to dozens of art galleries. From Tokyo Gallery + BTAP to Creation Gallery G8, Shiseido Gallery, and Gallery Koyanagi, there’s plenty to take in. For something a bit more dramatic, Ginza also boasts Kabuki-za, the principal theater for viewing traditional kabuki dramas. The building was recently rebuilt, addressing concerns about its struc-tural integrity and earthquake resistance. Performances are held daily and tickets may be purchased for individual acts or entire plays. Finally, kids of all ages are fond of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Museum, where visitors can try their hand at driving a patrol car simulator.

DEPARTMENT HEADS Tokyo’s “bricktown” became a model of modernization after the area’s mostly wooden buildings burned down in an 1872 fire. Although the neighborhood has gone through several facelifts since then, the curved, art deco building that houses upscale department store Wako remains Ginza’s best-known landmark, topped by its signature clock tower. Across the street is another luxury department store, Mitsu-koshi, with its bronze lion at the entrance serving as a popular meeting spot. Other major retailers in the area are Japanese fashion-oriented Matsuya, a branch of the French department store Printemps, Mar-ronnier Gate with its six-floor-high Tokyu Hands, and newcomer Tokyu Plaza.

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RICH MEALSGinza has had its share of upscale restaurants through the years, and many are still serving up their signature dishes long after fading from flavor-of-the-week status. Shiseido Parlour opened in 1920 and helped popularize omurice, epitomized by their abalone and lobster-topped version. Ten-ichi offers full-course tempura meals accompanied by sashimi. Ginza Swiss claims to have invented katsu curry, and their precise execution of the dish is certainly un-disputed. Of course, Sukiyabashi Jiro deserves a mention for sushi, but don’t overlook Sushi Aoki if you can’t get a reservation. For a more casual meal, Yamagatada has tasty home-made soba noodles, and heck, you can even stop by Hooters for chicken wings.

SERVED NEATHigh-end cocktails are the perfect

cap on a day of shopping, and Ginza has plenty of spots where you can indulge. Stop by Tender to get a classic drink mixed by Mr. Hard

Shake himself, Kazuo Ueda, Japan’s top bartender. For more experimental

and contemporary drinks, Bar Orchard Ginza uses liquid nitrogen

to freeze fresh, seasonal fruits in their boozy concoctions. Lupin started as

a coffee house in 1928, serves alcohol and has been a favorite hangout of

Tokyo’s literary elite for generations. For beer, Lion Beer Hall replicates

the look and feel of a 1930s Bavarian brewhouse. Those looking for a cheap

drink after work should head to casual meeting spot Three Hundred Bar 5-Chome before hitting the town

for dinner.

THROUGH THE VIEWFINDER If you’ve got an eye for photography, Ginza is one of the best places in Tokyo for shutter- bugs. For new gear, Bic Camera in Yurakucho has a huge selection from all major brands. Nearby, the Sony Building houses the electronic giant’s latest imaging gadgets across spacious showrooms. Facing the Wako department store, Ricoh Imaging Square contains not only Ricoh and Pentax headquarters, but also a gallery and camera museum. If you’ve got major money to burn, the Leica Ginza Salon is the luxury brand’s flagship Tokyo boutique. For used gear, Katsumido is the spot for mint vintage rangefinders, while Sankyo carries tons of twin-lens reflex cameras. Nikon House and consign-ment store Lemon are also worth a visit.

STYLE

HOL IDAY SEASON CALLS FOR A COUPLE OF CHOICE PIECES FOR THOSE INTIMATE DINNERS OR CHIC PARTIES

– OR EVEN J UST FOR A BIT OF END-OF-YEAR SPOILING

BURBERRY MINI BEAUTY BOXGlam it up with this limited edition festive beauty kit from British brand

Burberry. The box contains mini versions of everything you need to get

ready to celebrate, and you can conveniently stash it away in your handbag.

Elongate your lashes with the jet black mascara, which comes with an

hourglass-shaped brush to define each lash, apply a coat or two of the rich

burgundy lipstick, hydrate and illuminate with the lightweight, slightly tinted

fluid, and polish the look with the satin-smooth eyeshadow.

burberry.com

The Final Countdown

ALAÏA HEELSIt’s December and baby it’s cold outside,

but don’t let the frosty temperatures keep

you from sporting those fierce sandals by

the master of all things fashion, Azzedine

Alaïa. Crafted from Italian plum suede and

adorned with metallic studs, these shoes

feature button-like straps that mimic the

label’s signature laser-cut patterns. Wear

them to a holiday celebration with a chic

midi dress, or pair them with jeans and a

silk blouse. Reminder: bring a pair of wool

socks to change into as soon as you leave

the party... alaia.fr

Compiled by Vivian Morelli

TURNBULL & ASSER BOW TIEWhy would you wear a basic black bow tie when you can sport this polka dot version? You

will find plenty of occasions to wear this Turnbull & Asser creation, especially as December

rolls around with its plethora of festive events. Made in England from lustrous silk, and

woven with a delicate, barely there chevron motif, this tie is the only accessory you’ll need

this season. And in case you’re concerned about how to make the perfect bow, don’t

sweat: it comes pre-tied so you can save yourself a YouTube tutorial search.

turnbullandasser.co.uk

TOM FORD BRIEFCASESearching for a gift, or looking for a little treat to cheer yourself up this holiday season?

Look no further, as this black alligator briefcase is the item that is missing from your

wardrobe. Whether you want to be the best-dressed at the office or just spruce up your

workwear collection, this practical yet stylish bag is the ideal place to store your laptop

and important documents. This Italian-made number comes with an oversized gold zip,

which will make it stand out amongst a sea of monotonous black briefcases on any given

crowded train. tomford.com

ACNE STUDIOS SWEATERThis sweater is perfect for when you want to appear bright and cheery

for seasonal festivities, while keeping it on the classy side. In other

words, this jumper is the fancy version of the infamous “Christmas

sweater,” minus the tacky aspect. You can also be sure it’ll keep

you warm as the Scandinavians do know a thing or two about cold

weather. Knitted from Shetland wool, it boasts bold red and navy

stripes, and can be worn with jeans or slim-cut trousers.

acnestudios.com

OSCAR DE LA RENTA DRESSStop looking for the perfect party dress,

because this is it. This number will take

you to cocktail parties, end-of-year

dinners, elegant soirées and even date

nights. While the metallic-woven jacquard

is ideal for all holiday-related festivities,

you’ll surely find excuses to wear and

re-wear this dress throughout the year.

Pair it with sky-high heels and shimmery

tights, or layer it over a black blouse to

tone it down. oscardelarenta.com

TRENDS

CAKE FOR CHRISTMAS

THREE LUXURY TREATS FROM TOKYO’S TOP HOTELS, AND

UNIQUE CREATIONS BY A CUSTOM CAKE DESIGNER

Compiled by Annemarie Luck

THE RITZ-CARLTON THE HOTEL A five-star urban oasis in Tokyo Midtown, The Ritz-Carlton is of course revered for its opulence. But that doesn’t mean they don’t cater to families with young kids – they even offer an in-room camping experience called “The Ritz Kids Night Safari.”

THE CHRIS TMAS CAKES Talk about layers of dreamy deliciousness! There are four versions to try, each of which include four to six different layers. The Caramelia Pineapple Chestnut cake (¥6,400), for exam-ple, features gianduja-guanaja glaze and caramelia mousse wrapped around pineap-ple confit and chestnut cremeux, on top of chestnut frangipane and almond shortbread. (Cake orders can be placed in advance from The Ritz-Carlton Café & Deli by calling 03-6434-8711 before December 22.)

ADDED B ONUS Staying over for New Year’s Eve? Join the Countdown Party 2017 on December 31 at the Lobby Lounge & Bar. There’ll be live music and free-flowing champagne.9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku. www.ritzcarlton.com

TRENDS

1 2 | DEC EMBER 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER

KEIO PLAZA HOTEL TOKYO TH E H OTEL This luxury hotel is in the center of Shinjuku and has a knack for combin-ing Japanese traditions with popular culture into its numerous special offers. It boasts over 20 restaurants and bars, where you can enjoy, for example, an “Alice in Wonder-land”-themed sweets buffet (until January 31). They even have two original hotel rooms decorated with the theme of Hello Kitty.

TH E CHRIS TMAS CAKES For this year’s festive season, Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo is unveiling a Snow White Christmas cake collection, on sale from December 19-25. Choose from cakes such as “The Magic Mirror” (¥4,500), “The Forest of the Dwarfs” (¥4,500), and “The Magical Princess” (¥4,500).

A D D E D B ONUS Love ballet and cake? The “Cinderella and a Night of Magic, Ballet and Dining” special package lets you enjoy a special ballet performance of Cinderella at the New National Theatre Tokyo, before tucking into dinner and themed holiday cakes.2-2-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. keioplaza.com

PARK HYATT TOKYO THE HOTEL Besides offering a dose of nostalgia for fans of Lost in Translation, Park Hyatt Tokyo also affords a view of Mt. Fuji (when she’s not feeling shy), and some of the finest fine dining in the city.

THE CHRIS TMAS CAKES But let’s not waste any more time talking about fine dining when we could instead be sali-vating over these exquisite-looking treats. We simply cannot wait to dig into the decadent Bûche Forêt Blanche (¥4,400), with its striking snowy white chocolate glaze, rich mousse filling, and cherry com-pote center. (Cake orders can be placed in advance from Pastry Boutique by calling 03 5323 3462 before December 21.)

ADDED B ONUS If you’re looking for the ultimate gift, pick up a Christmas Canape box (¥10,000) from Delicatessen – it includes Pork Rillette, yuzu-flavored smoked salmon, dried fruits and nuts, and a bottle of “R” de Ruinart champagne.3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. tokyo.park.hyatt.com

IF YOU PREFER A CUSTOM CAKE…

RAINDROP SWEETS

THE STORY For those looking for a personal touch for their Christmas cakes, Reina Reyes’ unique creations will please you to no end. Reyes, who was born in Tokyo but grew up in Los Angeles, founded Raindrop Sweets just last year. “I have always had a passion for art and design, and I’ve also always been fascinated by cake decorating shows,” she tells Weekender. “In September 2015, I decided to make my mother a birthday cake; it was a simple vanilla buttercream cake with flowers made of frosting. I was surprised to get an outpouring of interest when I posted a photo on social media. The messages soon turned into orders – and the rest is history!”

THE CAKES Let your imagination run wild as Reyes can make pretty much anything you ask for, from basic Christmas-themed cupcakes to a “dinosaur-on-a-shinkansen cake.” When coming up with unique designs, she says she finds inspiration in many different places from window displays to magazine covers.

HOW TO ORDER All the cakes are custom made so Reyes asks for at least two weeks’ notice when placing an order. The price depends on size and design, and delivery within Tokyo is available at an additional cost.

To make an inquiry, email [email protected].

For more information, visit raindropsweets.com

TOKYO WEEKENDER | DECEMBER 2 0 1 6 | 1 3


OIL UPDURING TOKYO’S DRY WINTER WEATHER, THE AVERAGE

MOISTURIZER JUST DOESN’T CUT IT. SWITCH TO A NUTRIENT-RICH

FACIAL OIL OR SERUM TO KEEP SKIN SMOOTH AND SUPPLE

Compiled by Annemarie Luck

CELVOKE From the founder of Japanese brand

F organics comes this new luxury, organic skincare range. Launched in

November, it includes a concentrate oil and an intensive serum, which contain one very magical ingredient: swallow’s

nest. Although the idea of using bits and pieces from a bird’s nest on your skin

might sound odd, the practice has long been revered in Chinese skincare as the

saliva produced by male swallows is rich in nutrients and helps to stimulate

cell regeneration. Who knew! Concentrate Oil ¥12,960, Intensive Serum

¥16,200, f-organics.jp

THE BODY SHOP OILS OF LIFE FACIAL OIL

This new offering from The Body Shop is packed with natural oils, including black cumin oil from Egypt, rosehip oil from Chile, and camellia oil from

China – all known for their revitalizing and repairing properties to help

improve skin radiance and reduce signs of ageing. The Oils of Life range

also includes an “essence lotion,” “daily cream,” and “gel cream,” amongst other

nourishing products. ¥6,480, www.the-body-shop.co.jp

OSHIMA TSUBAKI OILOften touted as a Japanese beauty must-have, this is a multipurpose oil that can be used on hair, face and body. It’s 100 percent natural and the main ingredient is oleic acid-rich camellia oil, which seals in moisture and contains antioxidants. Note that it’s quite a heavy oil so those prone to breakouts might find it exacerbates the problem.From around ¥1,200 on amazon.co.jp, also available at drugstores

BEAUTY


BUDDHILaunched this autumn, BUDDHI

is the first product of a new range called Retreat Cosmetics, designed to encourage genuine healthy skin, and harmony of body and mind (in

Sanskrit, “buddhi” refers to “the higher mind”). This luxury serum, which doubles up as a massage oil, is available in three scents (Nobara,

Igusa, and Mitsu), and contains precious organic, fatty acid-rich

prinsepia oil as a main ingredient. ¥19,440 each, principlecosmetics.com

CLE DE PEAU BEAUTE LE SERUM

Promising to “awaken” your skin, this lightweight serum contains several

exclusive, nutritious ingredients such as Dermal Motivator (for supporting the effective functioning of skin) and Illuminating Complex (for moisture stabilizing), which are designed to enhance your skin’s own power. It

absorbs quickly so you won’t be left with oily skin, and serves as an ideal base for

other skincare and makeup products.¥25,000, www.cledepeau-beaute.com

SOAPTOPIA LA SQUEEZE OIL SLATHERAside from their catchy catchphrase –

“slather after you lather” – what we love most about this lemon and lavender-scented beauty is that we can count

nine fruit, nut, and seed oils in its list of ingredients. It’s great for the whole

body, but it’s sold in a small bottle too, which is ideal for popping into

your handbag for on-the-go touchups (that office aircon is so drying). It’s also “junk-free,” so it’s vegan and

environmentally friendly. ¥1,500 (59ml), ¥3,600 (227ml),

soaptopia.jp


A TOAST TO SUSHIFree-flowing Ruinart Blanc de Blanc, a masterful menu of traditional Edo-style sushi, and views of Tokyo Tower from the 52nd floor … How can you argue with that for a New Year’s Eve celebra-tion? Rooftop Bar invites you to book one of two seatings (5:30pm or 8:30pm) on December 31 for their special six-course Sushi & Champagne Gala Lounge Menu, inspired by the hotel’s sushi mas-ter, Chef Misato Masuda. Each sushi course is paired with the finest champagnes from the House of Ruinart, letting you enjoy, for example, a combination of monkfish canapés and “R” de Ruinart, or the marriage between smoked tuna tartare and Dom de Ruinart 2004. The dinner costs ¥35,000; for reservations call 03 6830 7739 or email [email protected]

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AN ELEGANT WAY TO

CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S EVE, OR A LUXURIOUS RECHARGE AS

YOU WELCOME 2017, ANDAZ TOKYO HAS PLENTY TO OFFER

WARM UP FOR 2017

[ P R O M O T I O N ]

CONTACTAndaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills

1-23-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo.For reservations, call 03 6830 1234 or

email [email protected] www.andaztokyo.com

THE LAST SUPPERBid farewell to 2016 with a heavenly dinner: the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner on December 31 at Andaz Tavern features perfectly poached turbot, topped with caviar and served on a cauliflower puree. For the first seating at 5:30pm, choose between four or five courses (¥16,000 or ¥18,000), and save space for the chef’s original “Fujisan” dessert – a chocolate and yogurt mousse inspired by Japan’s famed snow-capped peak. The second seating, a New Year’s Eve Count-down Dinner, is at 8:30pm and includes five courses, free-flowing champagne, and a wine pairing for ¥32,000. There’ll also be live enter-tainment, making this the perfect way to ring in the New Year. To book, call 03 6830 7739 or email [email protected]

MUSCLE RELEASE AND RELAX MASSAGE

December can get a little icy in Tokyo, so it’s the ideal time to go for a hot stone massage. Warm stones are

placed on certain parts of your body to help relieve muscle stiffness, improve

circulation, and boost sluggish digestion. ¥25,000 for 90 minutes.

SWEET BATH TIME

Soak the past year’s troubles away in one of these unique, warming bath

blends: cocoa and skimmed milk (only offered during the holiday season);

oranges, cloves and cinnamon sticks; or vitamin- and mineral-rich apples.

¥7,500 for 30 minutes (offer only available as a treatment add-on).

Two special treatments to try this month at AO Spa & Club


Door to Door Pickup Service24 Hour Staff Supervision

One daycare visit availableOpen 365 Days

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

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Most of the time, life is a series of tradeoffs. A surprise late night out with friends on a weekday night may be fun, but you’ll

be feeling it in a bad way the next morning. Splurging on that expensive piece of tech you’ve had an eye on for the last couple of months? You may be looking at a hefty bill on your credit card next month. So when the chance comes along to really enjoy something and not worry too much about the consequences, you probably shouldn’t turn it down. And when it comes to something that’s as tasty as the food at Guzman y Gomez, you’re probably going to have a hard time turning it down. The chain that got its start in Sydney, Australia, has made a name for itself thanks to the authentic Tex Mex flavors of its bur-ritos, tacos, and other menu items. Despite Tokyo’s culinary variety, it can be tough to find a place where you can this combination of hearty portions and savory tastes. Normally, you’d expect to feel some pangs of guilt to go along with this kind of comfort food satisfaction, but thanks to Guzman y Gomez’s dedication to freshness and high-quality ingredients, you can dig in with a clear conscience. That’s because the

team insists upon using only the freshest ingredients. All of their chicken, beef and pork is grilled to order and never stored frozen. (For an even more healthy option, diners can also choose vegetables or fish for their burrito filling.) And, many of the menu items and special ingredients that give Guz-man y Gomez’s menu items their uniquely authentic flavor – such as their delightfully spicy pico de gallo and their crispy tortilla chips – are prepared fresh every day and never reused. This dedication to healthy preparation and mouth-watering results is part of the reason that Guzman y Gomez has been a hit in Australia, and why they’re already proving a huge success here in Tokyo. After opening their second store near Tokyo Disn-eyland, they opened a third store at Shinaga-wa atre on November 15, and in December, Guzman y Gomez will be opening a fourth restaurant on the second floor of the Mitsui Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower. It’s not too early to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions, and if one of them is to be a little more careful about your diet, Guzman y Gomez’s four locations around town will make it a little easier – and fun – to watch what you eat.

Guzman y Gomez serves up a tasty reminder that healthy food doesn’t need to be boring

Guilt-Free Pleasures

For more information please check out the official website: gyg.jp


TOKYO WEEKENDER | DECEMBER 2 0 1 6 | 1 9TOKYO WEEKENDER | DECEMBER 2 0 1 6 | 1 9

The debate has been settled online: there have been worse years. But since none of us were actually around for the Black Death of 1347, shall we just turn 2016

into pop art and call it a day?

IS 2016 THE WO RS T Y EAR I N H I S TO RY ?

PIKO TARO PENS HIS WAY TO A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDBy Matthew Hernon, our man on the celebrity scene

Stealing SMAP and AKB48’s thunder, Piko Taro has unquestionably been 2016’s biggest headline-maker in the Japanese entertainment industry. The singer/comic burst onto the scene

towards the end of the summer with his annoying but infectiously catchy tune “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen” (“PPAP”) and is now one of the country’s most recogniza-ble faces. The 45-second track has attracted fans from all over the world and received a ringing endorsement from Jus-tin Bieber. At the time of writing the official video’s been watched on YouTube just under 90 million times, though the total online views of the song have already exceeded 500 million. There are also 70,000+ cover versions and collaborations, including the most recent one with Elmo and Cookie Monster from Sesame Street Japan. On top of all that the song also entered the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest track to reach the top 100 of the US Billboard Chart, making Piko Taro the first Japanese artist to enter the American charts since Seiko Matsuda back in 1990. Not bad for a strange-looking man in a leopard-print outfit who started the year as a relative unknown. “Back in January I was performing free live shows at parks,” he tells Weekender. “It’s something I’ve been doing for years. There would usually be an audience of

AFTER A YEAR OF CELEBRITY DEATHS, POLITICAL UPHEAVALS, AND WHAT SEEMED TO BE A GENERAL FEELING OF MALAISE, MOST OF US WON’T SHED A TEAR AS WE SAY SAYONARA TO 2016. BUT ONE THING’S FOR CERTAIN: IT MADE FOR GREAT HEADLINES. HERE’S A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE NEWS WE WERE ALL TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR – DON’T WORRY, IT’S NOT ALL BLEAK

THESE ARE A FEW OF 2016’S

STRANGER THINGS


around ... zero, although occasionally one guy would turn up videoing me on his phone. “It was always my dream to be a singer. As a child, I belted out Stevie Wonder tracks and that continued as I got older. I thought my chance wouldn’t come; then five years ago, I met my producer, who let me perform at a live house in Ebisu in front of 100 people. That be-came an annual event. I also did charity shows for Tohoku and some comedy gigs.” The producer he’s talking about is Daimaou Kosaka, the stage name of Kazuhito Kosaka, who happens to be the same guy who plays Piko Taro, but is 10 years younger (yes, it’s quite complicated). His back story for Piko Taro includes a 78-year-old wife whom he

fell for after a chance meeting at a hospital. There’s also a number of part-time jobs that he manages to do while maintaining his career as a singer. “I go out in my illuminated yellow jacket and helmet to fix electrical cables,” he says. “I also sell rhinoceros beetles that I make by adding horns to drone beetles.” Back in the real world, the Aomori-born Kosaka is a reasonably well-known entertain-er who was part of a comic trio, “Bottomless Air-Line,” and the comedy/techno group called “New Bushidou Ravers.” He had minor roles in Mika Ninagawa’s movie “Helter Skelter” and “Crow’s Thumb” alongside Hiroshi Abe. In 2014 he released the iOS/Android game “JK Festa Vampire Fate.”

Fellow comedians would sometimes mock Kosaka’s struggles, but he’s the one laughing after Piko Taro decided to combine some fruit with a writing implement. “I remember the day well,” Piko Taro says. “I was at Kosaka’s house and had a pen in my hand when I saw an apple on the table. Oh apple-pen, yes [makes a stabbing motion]. Now what next? Pp-pet-bottle no – oh there was a pineapple here yesterday. Perfect, pineapple-pen [he starts dancing]. It was great – Kosaka knew immediately we were on to something.” Given the song’s lyrics, you can’t expect a much more profound explanation. The video cost just ¥100,000 to make, was released on Au-gust 15, and instantly proved popular amongst

Japanese students. It then turned into a glob-al phenomenon when Justin Bieber tweeted that it was his favorite video on the Internet. “When I first heard that I thought a beaver had tweeted something about it,” he says. “Honestly, that sounded more realistic. Obviously, I was delighted. The ‘Justimpact’ has been phenomenal. I sent him a thank you message, but I doubt he’ll read it given the thousands of people who write to him.” Soon after the Canadian singer’s mes-sage, which received over 68,000 retweets, “PPAP” officially became the number

one music video on YouTube and reached the top 100 of various charts around the world. Ste-phen Colbert opened “The Late Show” with a skit of “PPAP” and more recently Ivanka Trump shared a video of her daughter performing it via her Instagram account. “It started with junior high school girls and then just snowballed,” Piko Taro says. “At first, I didn’t have clue why they’d want to imitate me, but I’ve loved seeing all the different versions. Most are better than mine.” With the rising popularity comes the unsurprising suggestion that “PPAP” is the next “Gangnam Style.” While Piko Taro can under-stand why – they’re both earworms penned by Asian artists – he believes the two tracks have come from very different ideas.

“‘Gangnam Style’ is a kind of parody of LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem’ that makes people dance, whereas ‘PPAP’ is part of Kosaka’s comedy sketch,” he says. “The goal was to make lyrics that were clear so audiences would laugh and try to mimic the words. We also used a technique popu-lar in musicals where you stop the melody during the track. The two songs aren’t sim-ilar at all, but if people want to compare them then I’m honored. After all, ‘Gang-nam Style’ was a sensation that’s been watched more than two billion times.” The monster tune was of course written by PSY, whose follow-up song “Gentleman” garnered over a billion views. It proved he was no one-hit wonder, as many critics believe Piko Taro will eventually be labeled. He doesn’t seem too worried. “I could have a second hit – maybe even a third – or this could be my only one,” he says. “What I do know is I’m not a no-hit wonder and that delights me. It’s like a batter who hits a home run. You can’t be sure when the next one’s coming so for the time being you’ve got to enjoy the moment. That’s what I’m doing. Right now, people are talking about my song and that’s an amazing feeling.” But the comments haven’t all been positive. Most people see “PPAP” as a bit of harmless fun, but others have voiced their disapproval of Piko Taro’s success while “more talented and serious artists” struggle to gain recognition. Initially surprised by the unfavorable observations, the comedian is now much more relaxed about it all. “Early on I thought it was scary, but as a performer what’s even more frightening than criticism is getting no reaction at all,” he tells us. “Honestly, I don’t understand what most people have written anyway because I only speak Japanese, but I get the general vibe and try to read through everything so I can learn from it … One minute you check and people are saying nice things, the next you see something negative. That’s fine. It’s a microcosm of life! We all have ups and downs; you just hope to experi-ence more of the former.” Piko Taro’s career is certainly on the way up now, and his company Avex is looking to cash in with a 20-track album due for release soon. He hopes to finish 2016 by singing on the popular NHK show “Kohaku Uta Gassen.” The ultimate dream, however, is to perform at Madison Square Garden, “possibly alongside Justin Bieber,” he says. After the year Piko Taro’s had, maybe that isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds.


2 2 | DEC EMBER 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER 2 2 | DEC EMBER 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER

The tough thing about trying to wrap up Situation Trump is that it never seems to hit bottom. Could it be launching his campaign with

the promise of building a wall between the US and Mexico? Nope. Insulting war heroes, mocking disabled people, or calling for vio-lence at his rallies? Not even close. Allowing the appearance of a former beauty queen to become a valid debate topic? Just getting started. You’d think – and many pundits wrote – that the guy really didn’t want to get elected. He just wanted the attention, and was looking to parley the whole campaign into his own TV network. Instead, he surprised the world (and possibly himself) on November 8 by being elected the 45th President of the United States. As of the time of writing, he’s turning his Cabinet appointment process into a reality show and has appointed a white nationalist media mogul as his chief strate-gist. And, of course, none of us can turn away as Donald J. Trump continues to plumb the depths. How could we? It’s the greatest show on earth.

Us British always pride ourselves on a good sense of humor, and on the 23rd of June this year we proudly displayed it to the whole world by

shooting ourselves in the foot by voting to leave the EU. Nobody really thought it could happen. New Zealand’s immigration website crashed shortly afterwards, such was the lev-el of shock and desperation. The leave cam-paign was led by a who’s who of bumbling buffoons and angry racists from the British political classes. All the experts warned that it would be a terrible idea, but that didn’t stop 51 percent from voluntarily destroying their future economic growth. On the world stage we looked like a bunch of clueless idiots, but thankfully later in the year our American cousins took some of the pressure off with their own unique version of crazy.

This July at the Tsukui Yamayuri-en Care Facility in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 19 disabled residents were killed and 27 were

injured in the most violent attack in the post-war period. The fact that this violent act was committed by a former employee of the facility, a person in whom the residents and their families had placed their trust, has cast a shadow of sadness, fear, and anger over our society. It’s especially tragic in light of the fact that, in April of this year, Japan had just instituted a law that was meant to bring an end to discrimination against disabled people; however, the worst homicide case based on discrimination and prejudice occurred right after that. One of the oddest details to emerge? Murderer Satoshi Uematsu had previously tried to present a letter to politician Tadamori Oshima, calling for the euthanasia of disabled people and detailing the plans of his attack. Although there’s no way to judge whether the act could have been prevented, it’s imperative that we now arm ourselves with a determination, born from our sadness, to create a society in which all lives are valued.

BY ALEC JORDAN, STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF THE CALEXIT MOVEMENT

BY LIAM RAMSHAW, WHO WONDERS IF TEA IS THE ONLY GOOD THING LEFT IN BRITAIN

BY CHIHIRO ONODERA, FORMER EDITOR WITH TV ASAHI

TRUMP’S WIN MAKES

BREXIT MAKES NEW

SAGAMIHARA MASSACRE

REALITY TV SEEM REAL

ZEALAND LOOK GREENER

CASTS DARK LIGHT ON

HATE CRIME


Granted this headline is not so much strange as it is surprising, but it got us talking thanks to Japan’s big-gest-ever medal haul (41 in total).

In the buildup to the Rio Olympics I had the chance to speak with a number of Japanese athletes who all backed up their words by going on to win medals. The most pleasing result was probably Hiromi Miyake’s bronze in the weightlifting. She’s one of the most courteous and humble people you could hope to meet and fought back from injury to bring home her second consecutive Olympic medal. Swimmer Natsumi Hoshi’s third-place finish in the 200m butterfly – despite suffering from Graves’ Disease – was also great to see. Judoka Ami Kondo was not so happy with her bronze, though at 21 she still has time on her side. But my biggest Olympic interview was undoubtedly with gymnast Kohei Uchimura. It’s the second time he has spoken to Week-ender, and on both occasions he’s underlined how much more a team victory would mean to him than an individual one. Thankfully he got his wish this year, while also picking up a second gold in the AA event. He’s a true legend; I just hope he’ll still be performing in four years’ time.

Two men fell off a cliff (California). A teenager got hit by a car (Pitts-burgh). A truck driver ran over a woman (Tokushima). And yet, we

are still playing it. Topping the charts as the highest ranked social media app, even sur-passing Facebook and Instagram, Pokémon GO is undoubtedly one of 2016’s stranger things. While I’m no Pokémon fanatic, I have to admit that this new augmented reality game has brought gamers out from behind the screen and into the real world. How to identify them: they are lured in groups to Pokéstops. That, and you’ll see them in headline news: “Pokémon GO Accidents.” From collecting coins and catching Pokémons to walking to “hatch eggs” (don’t roll your eyes, I’m serious), Pokémon GO was arguably one of the most anticipated games of 2016. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing, we’re not too sure ourselves.

FIVE OF THE MANY ICONS WE LOST IN 2016, AND HOW TO

REMEMBER THEM

BY MATTHEW HERNON, WHO INTERVIEWED SEVERAL JAPANESE ATHLETES BEFORE

THE GAMES

BY MANDY LYNN, WHO ARRIVED HERE FROM SINGAPORE AS POKÉMON GO LAUNCHED; IS NOW DATING A POKÉMON GO ILLUSTRATOR

OUR LAST POKEMON GO

JAPAN SURPRISES WITH

GOODBYEGOES CRAZY

RECORD MEDAL HAUL

AT RIO OLYMPICS

DAVID BOWIE69, died from liver cancer in January

REMEMBER HIM BY… Listening to his 25th album, Blackstar,

released on his birthday, just a few days before he died. It’s also worth buying

the vinyl version and discovering all the hidden surprises in the album artwork – for

example, when you expose the sleeve to sunlight, it unveils a galaxy of stars.

ALAN RICKMAN 69, died from pancreatic cancer in January

REMEMBER HIM BY… Watching Alice Through the Looking

Glass, released in May 2016 and featuring Rickman in his final role as the voice of

Absolem, the caterpillar.

PRINCE57, died from fentanyl overdose in April

REMEMBER HIM BY… Listening to his final album, Hit n Run Phase Two, released in December 2015. Although

it’s had mixed reviews, it is essentially Prince’s last testament.

MUHAMMAD ALI74, died in June after a 35-year battle with

Parkinson’s diseaseREMEMBER HIM BY…

Buying the photo book GOAT (stands for Greatest of All Time). Originally a limited collector’s edition, this tribute to Ali has

been re-released in a smaller size, but still contains thousands of images, art, and

memorabilia, as well as five decades’ worth of interviews. tinyurl.com/TWali

LEONARD COHEN82, died in November, “during his sleep

following a fall in the middle of the night,” according to his manager Robert Kory

REMEMBER HIM BY… Buying his 14th album, You Want It Darker,

released in October, the same month in which he told the New Yorker: “I am ready

to die. I hope it’s not too uncomfortable. That’s about it for me.”


A CONVERSATION WITH

The acclaimed author’s latest book, Japanese Traditional Events, is a marked departure from the noir novels for which he’s famed. He sits down with Annemarie Luck to talk about

genre switching, childhood nostalgia, and Trump versus Clinton

W hen Ryu Murakami hands me his meishi, the first thing he asks me is do I like the feel of the business card. In the split second between him passing it

over and asking the question, I have already rubbed my thumb up and down the white paper and noticed how silky smooth it is. “It’s made from limestone,” he says, with a smile. “No wood, no water.” It’s an unusual way to break the ice, but it does the trick. And as he welcomes me into his workspace, which is actually a suite at a luxury hotel in the center of Tokyo, the mood is easy, calm, and far more relaxed than you’d expect when meeting one of Japan’s most celebrated – and controversial – novelists. But then again, the 64-year-old has built a career on delivering the unexpected. Since his very first novel, Almost Transparent Blue (1976), which won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize and was heralded as a new kind of literature, the author and film director has shocked and fascinated readers with often grisly, graphic stories that have running themes of sex, violence, and drugs. Now, as I take in the view below of a cluster of treetops, which autumn has burned the colors of fire, I wonder at the unexpected extremes of Murakami’s subject choices. How does he go from creating brutal, psychopathic characters – like the serial killer protagonist in the award-winning novel In the Miso Soup (1997) – to penning his latest work, a non-fiction picture book entitled Japanese Traditional Events (JTE)? “Writing is my job,” he offers as a pragmatic response. “So while compiling JTE was a different process to writing my novels, it’s not as though I’m

not used to writing this kind of thing.” In fact, he tells me he previously wrote a vocational guide for teenagers, before rummaging in some nearby boxes to find a copy. He brings over the hardcover book to show me – it’s called Job Guide for the 13-year-old – and says, “This sold 1.5 million copies.” JTE could also be described as a guide, but in this case the focus is on traditional cultural events in Japan such as the New Year’s custom of visiting a shrine or temple; February’s bean-scattering ceremony (Setsubun); and March’s doll festival (Hina-matsuri). The book has both Japanese and English text, is charmingly illustrated, and comes packaged with a set of CDs featuring famous Japanese children’s songs produced by renowned composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. There’s a knock on the door. It’s room service, bringing us a trolley of fresh coffee. Murakami pours me a cup, asks if I’d like milk and sugar, and then we take a seat on the sofa to continue the conversation.

IN JTE, YOU WRITE WITH SENTIMENTALITY ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD. IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC FROM YOUR PAST THAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK? When I was growing up in Sasebo, Nagasaki, there was a team of farmers who came all the way from Saga every New Year’s to perform an annual mochi-tsuki ceremony. It involves the pounding of steamed rice into rice cake, using big wooden mallets and a wooden mortar. It was very exciting for us. But around the time I entered middle school, supermarkets started being built, and they would sell ready-made mochi. So the mochi-tsuki team stopped showing up. This is one of the traditions that I feel is now sorely missing

Ryu Murakami

Photographs by Gui Martinez


from our culture. So I saw value in writing about it, and sharing an impression of what New Year’s looked like when I was little. I also really enjoyed Tanabata, the star festival celebrated on July 7. There were bamboo trees in our backyard and we would write a wish on a piece of paper and hang it on the branches. It’s very romantic.

DO YOU STILL DO THIS?[laughs] Not so much. I feel like these days in Japan, it’s hard to have a wish. Especially for young people, it’s becoming harder to enter a good company and earn a good salary. There are people surviving on meager wages, so even though they might wish for a spouse and a home, it’s hard to have hope under these circumstances.

BUT ISN’T HOPE ABOUT MORE THAN JUST MONEY?Yes, but in Japan, religion isn’t working very well either. There are some religious people, of course, but many are confused about whether we believe in Buddhism of Shintoism. So we are missing the kind of community that develops when, say, Christians get together and go to church.

YOU’VE BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING, “THE FUTURE OF JAPAN IS DARK.” HOW ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD … ANY OPINIONS ON TRUMP WINNING THE US ELECTIONS?It’s better than Hillary [laughs]. What I mean by this is that even though Hillary and her media supporters launched

a smear campaign against Trump, American people weren’t really that affected by this strategy. I’m pretty impressed by this. You know, after Trump was elected, the American translator who worked with me on JTE, Ralph McCarthy, emailed me to say the election had helped him understand why I wrote the book. Having translated some of my novels, he had previously asked, “Why are you writing about New Year’s now?” [laughs] But after the election, he said he realized just how confused America is right now. They’re confused to the extent that they’ve forgotten about their traditions, such as how the country was built, and what the constitution is based on. But because they are politically confused, now is the time to look back on the cultural side of tradition, in the way that I have done with JTE.

BUT FROM A FOREIGNER’S POINT OF VIEW, JAPAN IS ONE OF THE COUNTRIES THAT MOST UPHOLDS TRADITIONS...I feel that developing countries, like Tibet and Bhutan, uphold traditions better than us.

EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WALKING AROUND IN KIMONO IN TOKYO?There are so many people who don’t know how to properly wear kimono.

HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED A POLITICAL CAREER,0 AS A MEANS TO HELP IMPROVE OR CHANGE SOCIETY?I don’t think I could change it, nor do I think I would want to. You know, I once received a letter from a reader. She was a high school girl. She had fought with her parents, and ran out of the house to

I FEEL LIKE THESE DAYS IN JAPAN,

IT’S HARD TO HAVE A WISH


escape. She felt there were too many hardships and wanted to die. But she was reading one of my books at the bus stop, and said it made her realize there are many others who feel the same as her. So she thought twice about dying. I think it’s an honor that I can have this kind of influence on someone. To make them feel like they’re not alone. That even though life is not all about the good stuff, it’s also never a good idea to commit suicide. There is always something good if you keep on living.

IN THE PAST YOU’VE SPOKEN ABOUT JAPANESE PEOPLE’S TENDENCY TO HIDE EMOTIONS, WHICH THEN MIGHT EXPLODE SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY. DO YOU THINK THIS IS CHANGING AT ALL?It hasn’t changed much. Maybe we don’t know much about how to express our feelings. Maybe the style of the Japanese language is part of the reason. For example, we still have keigo [respectful language]. Also, there are many different ways to say one word. This is perhaps one of the methods we use to hide our feelings.

IN JTE YOU TALK ABOUT MORE FOREIGNERS COMING TO LIVE IN JAPAN. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS IS IMPACTING ON JAPANESE CULTURE? I think it’s positive. One of the reasons it’s hard for Japanese people to get along with foreigners is that it’s simply easier for us to be with other Japanese people. We are islanders so we have little chance to interact with other countries.

IS THAT WHY YOU CHOSE TO TRANSLATE JTE INTO ENGLISH? TO SHARE WITH FOREIGNERS?I want people to use JTE almost like a textbook. Or if you are Japanese and working abroad, and if people ask you to explain traditional events, you can give this book to them. Also, there are more foreigners working in Japan now than ever before. One of the guys who delivers my room service, for example, is a refugee from Myanmar. I gave him a copy of the book, and he said it has really helped his community of friends to understand Japan’s culture. There are lots of ways to use the book. It’s not just for children. Right now, I’m also making a list of third- and fourth-generation Japanese communities in the US. I want to send the book to them. I think it will help connect people together.

WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT?I’ve been reading several books about AI. What I’m interested in is whether AI can also dream as human do.

A NEW TOPIC FOR A NEW NOVEL PERHAPS?Yes, I think so…

Japanese Traditional Events (Kodansha Company Ltd) is available for ¥4,860 from Amazon. More information at jte.ryumurakami.com

To some, they are nothing more than a buzzing nuisance, but honey bees actually play a crucial role in producing almost 70 percent of the food that ends

up on our plates. In addition to producing delicious honey, bees pollinate a vast majority of vegetables, crops and flowers, which in turn yield fruits that feed birds and other wildlife. Protecting the bees is not just a matter of insect conservation; it’s both an environmental and agricultural problem, it’s about protecting ecosystems and, ultimately, our entire food system. Over the past few years you may have heard of the “global honey bee crisis,” but despite numerous reports and campaigns, the bee population has continued to decline. The cause of the crisis is still a point of contention, with beekeepers and environmental groups largely disagreeing with chemical manufactur-ers. But rather than one genesis, the most likely explanation for the decline is the nightmarish combination of pesticide use, climate change, mites, disease and the increasing lack of suit-able environments to provide nectar (due to intensive farming and urban development). In Japan, large areas of the country are occupied by manmade forests of non-nec-tar-producing cedar, cypress and pine trees, as well as rice paddies and farmland lacking the flowers and variety of plants that bees need to stay healthy. In addition, Japan is still one of the top pesticide users in the world. However, while their countryside counterparts are strug-

gling, the city and suburban bees are doing better than ever. In Chuo Ward, high above luxury boutiques, upmarket restaurants and stylish bars, the Ginza Honey Bee Project (also known as Gin Pachi – combining the location with the Japanese word for “bee”) keeps bees on the rooftop of a high-rise building just a few minutes walk from the station. When we meet with the project’s founder, Atsuo Tanaka, at first glance it’s hard to believe this well-dressed businessman is one of the most progressive beekeepers in the

WHILE THEIR COUNTRYSIDE

COUNTERPARTS ARE STRUGGLING, THE CITY

BEES ARE DOING BETTER THAN EVER

country. But within minutes, his passion and devotion for the project becomes clear. In the spring of 2006, after a chance encounter with a Tohoku beekeeper looking for roof space to rent in Tokyo, Tanaka offered his company’s rooftop, but somehow ended up becoming the beekeeper himself. “I’d never touched bees before; I didn’t know anything about beekeep-ing,” he says. “I grew up in a city and rarely had the chance to interact with nature when I was a child.” As it turns out, the Chuo area is an urban paradise for honey bees who can go foraging for nectar in the flora of the nearby Imperial Palace, Hibiya Park and Hamarikyu Gardens as well as the flower pots and trees lining the elegant streets of Ginza. The bees then return to their rooftop home where volunteers harvest their honey, which is used to produce a number of products, including an array of honey-themed cakes, desserts and souvenirs baring the Gin Pachi mark. At certain times of the year, you can even hit nearby bars to sample Gin Pachi honey-based cocktails. Tanaka’s business experience was likely an ad-vantage in making connections with the local community and working with top patissiers, restaurateurs and barmen. He even convinced corporate CEOs to join him in harvesting sweet potatoes on his rooftop, and the geisha in Shimbashi to start growing rice. Earlier on the day we met, Tanaka had visited the Prime Minister’s house to tend to Akie Abe’s native Japanese honey bees – which are apparently very difficult to raise and vastly outnumbered

If the founder of the Ginza Honey Bee Project has proved anything, it’s that just because we live in a concrete jungle, it doesn’t mean we can’t support the survival

of the honey bees. Atsuo Tanaka tells us more about the success of the project, and how helping the bees in fact means helping ourselves


Words by Bunny Bissoux

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by Western imports. The Prime Minister’s wife contacted the Ginza Honey Bee Pro-ject after returning from a trip to America where Michelle Obama had shown her how she was raising honey bees in the White House garden. Education is also a huge part of the project, and Tanaka believes it’s most important to deliver the message to children as a part of environmental education. “Adults tend to think the bees are dangerous, but when the children are educated they teach the parents too. It’s a great strategy!” he says with a laugh. The mission of the project is not only to keep bees but to ask people to plant more trees and flowers all around the city. “Wherever it is, a school or a shopping street ... when people pay attention to the environment around them, their perspective starts to change.” He continues, “People are apathetic; they should be more interested in the environment in front of them, not just concerned with animals in Africa or melting glaciers. Once they notice, it will help change society.” Gin Pachi organises regular seminars and events, inviting regional famers and beekeeping groups to the city, exchanging skills, discussing problems and finding ways to collaborate while introducing re-gional produce and farming issues directly to city residents. “When you connect with people living in rural areas, your life in the city will come to feel more enjoyable,” says Tanaka. “What we eat is deeply connected to the people who harvest it ... I’ve been able to connect with so many people from different regions.”

HOW YOU CAN HELPHERE ARE A FEW SIMPLE TIPS

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

There are over 100 community beekeeping groups in Japan, over 40 of whom Tanaka has met with. Besides in Ginza, bees are collecting nectar in the most unexpected places, including Akasaka, Shibuya, Omiya, on top of the Marunouchi Building, at Oodori Park in Hokkaido, and even at Shurijo Castle in Okinawa. Groups are cropping up every-where and the bees are living up to their role as pollinators – connecting people to each other. In the 10 years since the project began, Tanaka’s life has been trans-formed by the bees. By understand-ing how they live, he has learned to appreciate the environment around him and become aware of various issues that different regions face. He hopes people living in the city will come to grow their own food, even just in small amounts, and by doing so, help farmers to solve their problems. One of the current aims is to make Gin Pachi products become popular souvenirs in time for the 2020 Olympics, a goal that could take this precious nectar, and its message, all around the world. As he connects the city to the countryside and spreads his mission beyond Ginza, Takana himself is performing his own kind of pollination. A bee a cannot live alone: they al-ways live collectively as a group. With a lifespan of only one to two months, bees are constantly busy – making honey, cleaning, warming their home, raising babies, and pushing out the dead, in a neverending cycle. Tanaka concludes: “They are very short-lived, so in that way, they are always living to connect their lives to another. I think we can learn a lot from them ... you can make society better by connecting together and solving each other’s problems, like bees do.”

Support the Ginza Honey Bee Project. You can arrange

a tour of their rooftop beekeeping garden through

their website, and find links of where to buy their products around Ginza. Look out for

their special Christmas honey cake available only from

Matsuya Ginza in December. For more information visit

www.gin-pachi.jp

Plant more flowers and create green spaces for honey bees – in your yard, on your office roof,

or even just by adding some plants to your balcony.

Try to buy organic, local produce and food from

regional farmers. Supporting them directly helps to

accelerate their projects and continue their positive work.

Educate yourself, your children, your friends, and spread the

word. Apathy could be almost as deadly to the honey bees as

pesticides.

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THE PROBLEM

WITH JAPANESE CINEMAHIROKAZU KOREEDA IS ONE OF THE FEW

LOCAL MOVIE DIRECTORS WHO’S PUSHING

FOR ORIGINAL SCRIPTS THAT MIGHT

APPEAL TO A FOREIGN MARKET. HE TELLS

US MORE ABOUT WHY THE INDUSTRY HERE

IS STAGNATING, AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE

DONE TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE

Predictable storylines, risk aversion, small budgets and an over reliance on popular idols to bring in the crowds: Japanese cinema has taken quite a bashing in recent years. One of the most outspoken critics has been Takeshi Kitano who in 2014 described the

film industry in this country as “going to ruins.” Statistics from the Motion Picture Producers Associ-ation of Japan would suggest he’s exaggerating. The an-nual number of locally produced films being screened here has more than doubled since 2000, and for the last decade or so Japanese movies have enjoyed a leading share of the domestic market. While this all sounds positive, the problem is that producers and distribution companies have even less desire than before to export content globally. After all, why gamble on a young filmmaker with an original idea when you can invest in a live- action adaptation of a well-known manga story or novel? The former might have the potential to appeal to foreign audiences, but it’s the latter that will put bums on seats in Japan, and that’s ultimately what they care about. Subsequently there are now hardly any Japanese directors making a significant im-pression outside these shores. One of the few exceptions is Cannes regular Hiro-kazu Koreeda. The Tokyo native, who’s been compared to cinema masters like Mikio Naruse, Yasujiro Ozu and Ken Loach, started out in the early 90s as a documentary filmmaker. His debut feature-length movie, Maborosi, won him a Golden Osella for Best Director at the 1995 Venice Film Festival, and since then he’s continued to enhance his reputation as an auteur on the international circuit despite not be-ing a household name in Japan. Six of Koreeda’s movies have been presented at Festival de Cannes, including Like Father Like Son (Soshite Chichi ni Naru), which picked up the coveted jury prize in 2013. Now he’s trying

Words by Matthew Hernon



to encourage young Japanese filmmakers to follow in his footsteps. The 54-year-old recently met with 20 young directors at an event sponsored by Lexus Short Films where he reviewed their one-minute films individually before sitting down for a Q&A session about his own career. Afterwards he spoke to Weekender about the current state of the movie industry here. “When I go abroad, people are always asking me who’s the next (Akira) Kurosawa. Or when’s the next (Nagisa) Oshima coming along. Well it’s difficult to answer,” Koreeda tells us. “After 2000 you had a few Japanese directors like Shinji Aoyama, Naomi Kawase and myself, who seemed like popular dis-coveries for Western markets; however, we are all currently in our 40s and 50s so we’re waiting for the next generation to come along. Unfortunately, it’s harder than ever for young independent filmmakers to make an impression overseas.” “To do well you need a proper sales agent, and right now Japanese sales agents have no guts whatsoever. It’s pointless even commu-nicating with them. International companies like Wild Bunch, MK2 and Memento are the agencies with influence around the world that you need to work with. The hard part is making that first step and establishing proper contacts. I was fortunate to have peo-ple like (Taiwanese director) Hou Hsiao-hsien to turn to, so now I also want to try and give something back by speaking frankly to young directors and producers at workshops like this.” One piece of advice he al-ways gives is to get out there and travel to film festivals all over the world, particularly ones in Vancouver, Rotterdam and Busan as they provide the best platforms for promising creators. He believes it’s im-portant to present movies at these events personally as this “has a much bigger impact.” That’s what Koreeda did with his first two feature-length films and it had the de-sired effect. Both Maborosi and After Life received wide acclaim and theatrical dis-tribution around the globe. Yet despite his international accomplishments and recent domestic successes with movies such as Like Father Like Son and Our Little Sister, Koreeda admits it can still be difficult to persuade Japanese companies to invest in his work. “I’ve got a story I still haven’t given up on that takes place in Brazil,” he says. “I took it to Toho and they said it was too big for them. Honestly, if they can’t do it, who can?” “The problem is that major film studi-os aren’t thinking about the international market. They’ve no strategy from a busi-ness perspective and don’t seem to care about promoting their movies. Have you seen their posters? For the past 100 years, these companies have been able to remain active and competitive just by appealing to Japanese audiences, but that’s not sustaina-

ble. They need to change their mentality. I’ve been banging on about this for ages.” He’s not the only one. Many leading fig-ures in the industry have expressed their concerns at the inward-looking approach that dominates the market here. Director Kazuaki Kiriya believes it’s a reflection of society as a whole. “In my opinion Japanese people have become more introverted and are less interested in looking outside,” he told Weekender last November. “You’re seeing it in business and with the declin-ing number of students going abroad. It’s a worrying trend. The market’s shrinking because of the aging population so as a na-tion we need to be more outward looking in order to survive. I truly believe that for the movie industry as well.” Kiriya was speaking after a screen-ing of his first English-language film, Last Knights, starring Morgan Freeman and Clive Owen. An adaptation of the classic Japanese tale of the 47 Ronin, it was dis-tributed in more than 30 destinations glob-ally, yet got no response from any com-panies in Japan. Fellow director Kiyoshi Kurosawa also made his foreign-language movie debut recently with the French haunting love story Daguerreotype. The 61-year-old, who’s most well-known for his contributions to the J-horror renais-

sance of the late 90s, feels it probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day in Ja-pan because “producers here aren’t really looking for original scripts these days and are only interest-ed in doing anime movies or films based on manga stories and novels.” 2007 Cannes Grand Prix winner Naomi Kawase agrees, however she be-lieves the main problem is a lack of support for people who finance movies here.

“We simply don’t have enough producers in this country because there’s no system for them to fall back on to recoup their invest-ment. They’re the ones taking all the risks and many feel it’s not worth the gamble. I’ve known three who’ve gone bankrupt. It’s a tough environment that makes it diffi-cult for young filmmakers to emerge on the international stage,” she recently told us at the Nara International Film Festival. While this may all sound rather bleak, Kawase and Koreeda are not ready to give up on the next generation just yet. Both have recently led open seminars with pro-spective directors and are hoping to do more in the future. “People think I should be stuck doing my own projects all the time, but workshops like these give me fresh im-petus and excitement,” Koreeda says. “I’m also mentoring filmmakers like Miwa Ni-shikawa (Sway) and Mami Sunada (While the Women Are Sleeping), who both have great potential. I hope to discover others. We need more young Japanese filmmakers prepared to step out of their comfort zones and show the world their movies.”

RIGHT NOW, JAPANESE

SALES AGENTS HAVE NO GUTS WHATSOEVER

AFTER LIFE A movie that’ll make you stop and think about the one moment in your life you treas-ure above everything else. Recently deceased people staying at a waystation must choose a single memory they can save for eternity. A stunning piece of work that includes actors working from scripts and “real people” pro-viding genuine recollections.

NOBODY KNOWS A heart-wrenching film inspired by a real event, Nobody Knows is a documentary-like work of fiction about four children with different fathers abandoned by their mother. Forced to survive on their own, their bond grows stronger. Yuya Yagira’s moving portrayal of eldest son Akira won him a Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON A sensitive, thought-provoking story about a family forced to make a difficult decision when a blood test reveals that their son Keita and another boy were switched at birth. The moving tale caught the eye of Steven Spiel-berg at Cannes and his company Dream-Works picked up the remake rights.

KOREEDA FILMS TO WATCH


FOR BOYS WHO LIKE TOYSBecause we’ve never needed an

escape from reality more than in

2016. PlayStation VR, ¥49,980,

www.playstation.com

FOR DESIGN ENTHUSIASTSEach block of wood making up this playful lamp is

connected by magnets, so he can create different

shapes as the mood takes him. Tukkun Light, ¥19,440

(¥7,020 for the mini), tinyurl.com/TWtukkun

FOR THE STYLISH STAMPERThese personal seals are made of

titanium, feature smooth curves,

and can be carved with Western

names upon request. Samura-in

Inkan, ¥51,840, samurain.jp

FOR MEN WITH MEISHISThis Shosa card case is made

from just one piece of high quality

leather that’s folded in a fashion

inspired by origami, and held

together with only one nut and

bolt. Shosa Origami Card Case,

¥11,000, www.nonoyes.com

FOR THE SLICER AND DICEREach knife in this sophisticated set is personally

and meticulously sharpened by a third-generation

sharpening master, giving new meaning to the term

“cutting edge.” Kamata Hakensha Hand-made

Japanese Carbon Steel Knife Set, ¥29,100, tinyurl.

com/TWkamata-hakensha

FOR THE SERIOUS CAMPERNo more baked beans from a tin during weekends

spent in the great outdoors. But even if you’re indoors,

this portable stove will turn dinners into hot pot

parties. Sochikusya Portable Stove, ¥48,600, tinyurl.

com/TWstove

FOR THE ARTY CHAMPAGNE DRINKERA collaboration between Dom Pérignon and German artist

Michael Riedel brought to life this limited edition design

that’s all about “transformation” and “time” – perfect for an

end-of-year gift. Dom Pérignon Vintage 2006 by Michael

Riedel Giftbox, ¥23,000, domperignon.com

FOR THE SPORTY BARBECUERBaseball fans will love this bat-shaped pepper grinder,

which is bound to start both conversations and tastebud

sensations.

Cole & Mason Beech Wood King Pepper Mill, ¥12,960,

coleandmason.com and fissler.jp

FOR THE HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESSCreated by French silverware brand Christofle, this

pink-gold-colored cutlery set might be pricey, but it’ll

make her a dinner host legend. Christofle “MOOD

Precious” Cutlery Set, ¥264,000 (incl. tax). For more

information, call Christofle Aoyama Boutique

on 03 3499 5031 or visit www.facebook.com/

ChristofleJapan

FOR THE SCARF SOPHISTICATEMade from a newly developed fabric that’s

woven from an organza thread that’s about

one-fifth the thickness of human hair, this scarf

is light as a feather and a perfect example of

Japanese workmanship. Amaike Super Organza

Scarf, ¥14,580, amaike.jp

FOR YOUR NUMBER ONE Give her all of Kiehl’s number-one

selling items for 2016, packaged

in a limited-edition travel bag

designed by New York-based artist,

product designer, and animator

Jeremyville. Kiehl’s x Jeremyville

Holiday Collection, ¥18,000,

kiehls.jp

FOR BAG LADIESThese handcrafted purses are made from embossed

white leather, painted by a team of artisans, and

finished with a shiny lacquer coating. More than 100

designs are available. Bunkogawa Leather Purse,

¥25,500, www.oozeki-shop.com

WIN! ONE OF FIVE

SCALP BRUSHESWe’re giving away five of these amazing

brushes to lucky Weekender readers. To enter,

send your name and Tokyo address to luck@

engawa.global by January 6, 2017. Prizes will be

delivered in January.

FOR THE GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRINGAn exquisite combination of Japanese

Maki-e art (lacquer sprinkled with gold

or silver powder) and delicate pearls

create these irresistible earrings.

Karafuru Makie Pearl Earrings,

¥23,760, tinyurl.com/TWkarafuru

FOR THE INNER ARTISTIf she’s the kind of woman who loves a touch of fun, these

colorful insoles will make her day, every day. Chemifelt Japan

Graphicinsole Soko, ¥1,944, tinyurl.com/TWinsole

FOR THE HAIR STYLISTAWith 376 bristles, this revolutionary brush – and cult favorite amongst

Japanese women – is designed to be used while shampooing to massage

and remove dirt from follicles (the secret lies in the rounded tips being

the same size as the pores). It’s also oh-so-pretty and comfortable to

handle. S Heart S Scalp Brush, ¥6,990, www.s-heart-s.net


FOR BATHING BEAUTIES Looks like ice cream, smells like ice cream, melts in

the bath like, well, ice cream. Coldstone Bath Bomb,

¥850, available from Wise Integration Co., Ltd.

(only in Japan)

FOR HIRAGANA LEARNERS These handy chopstick rests are available in all 46 syllables of the Hiragana writing system,

sold in sets of words such as “yokoso” or “omotenashi,” or as individual syllables by order.

Decent Work Labo Hiragana Hashioki, ¥1,944 (four-character set),

tinyurl.com/TWhiragana

FOR BUDDING ARTISTS This mini Ukiyo-e canvas makes

the perfect stocking filler for young

arty types. Ukiyo-e Canvas, ¥100

from selected 100 Yen shops

FOR NINJA TEA DRINKERS Filled with premium quality green tea

from Shizuoka, this tea bag range comes

with handmade leather cutouts (which

double up as stickers) of ninja, samurai,

geisha, sumo wrestlers, and other

characters attached to the bags.

Yamasu Sugimoto Shoten “Ensemble

Cast” Green Tea Bags, ¥1,080 from

Tokyu Hands and Rakuten

FOR BE@RBRICK COLLECTORS Released on November 26, this special Christmas

BE@RBRICK is a real collector’s edition with its “Merry

Christmas 2016” message on the back. BE@RBRICK

2016 Xmas Stained-glass Tree Ver., ¥1,500-¥39,000

(depending on size), bearbrick.com

BE@RBRICK TM & © 2001-2016 MEDICOM TOY CORPORATION. All rights reserved.


FOR HAPPY EATERS From German fine tableware

brand Kahla comes this silicone-

coated “magic grip” crockery set

that’s bound to help make meal

times happier (and less messy).

Kahla Magic Grip Dishware Set,

¥10,800 from Fissler stores,

www.fissler.jp

FOR LITTLE MISS MURAKAMI These two pretty products are part of a

special 2016 holiday collection by Shu

Uemura and renowned artist Takashi

Murakami. Shu x Murakami Block Booster

Protective Moisture Primer, ¥4,500, and

Blanc: Chroma Blossom in Brightening UV

Cushion Foundation Compact Case and

Puff, ¥1,300, www.shuuemura.jp

FOR TWINKLE TOES A modern take on traditional Japanese geta, these sandals feature a

sponge-like material instead of wood, making them much more comfy

as well as water-resistant. Hajime Narageta, from ¥2,052 (minimum

size 20cm), choose size and fabric at www.narageta.jp/order/index.

html; also available at Kyobashi Edogrand (www.edogrand.tokyo)

FOR SENSITIVE ONES Marmaille’s line of underwear for babies

is made with 100 percent organic Swiss

cotton thread, and the fabric is woven in

Japan, ensuring breathability and comfort.

Marmaille/Bisen Organic Cotton

Underwear, ¥3,024, tinyurl.com/

TWmarmaille

38 | DE CE MBER 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER

Takuya Nezasa is the kind of person who pays fine attention to detail. As executive sous chef of Grand Hyatt Tokyo’s Shunbou

restaurant, he personally picks out much of the décor and tableware – think gorgeous natural woods and beautifully crafted, hand-made ceramics – and he admits to be-ing “very choosy” about the ingredients he features on the traditional Japanese menu. So it’s no surprise that, last year, he created a brand of superb quality rice that’s exclu-sive to Shunbou, cultivated on Kurosawa Farm in Yamagata Prefecture. Because if there’s one ingredient that’s essential to Japanese cuisine, it’s rice. “I had actually been trying to create an exclusive rice for some time, but most farmers aren’t willing to let you use just one small part of their land. Luckily, I connected with a farmer at Kurosawa Farm who agreed to give us some land, and to the conditions I asked for,” he tells Weekender. Yamagata has long been revered for de-veloping a superior type of rice called tsuya hime, which is known for being shiny, fluffy, and extra tasty, so Nezasa already had a good base from which to work. Over and above that, he asked them “to only use clean water that flows directly from the mountain, to minimize pesticides, and make it as organic as possible.” Everything is done by hand, too, and the result is Shunbou-mai, a premium rice that scores

at least 80 points or higher on Japan’s taste scale of 100 (standard rice, by comparison, scores 65 to 75). Nezasa personally visits the farm three to four times a year, and insists on slow-cooking the rice for diners in a classic Jap-anese kama (iron pot), which heightens the already sweet flavor. “The superior texture and taste has got a lot to do with the pressure inside the pot.” The rice is served in the kama too, adding to the restaurant’s modern

THE FARM ONLY USES WATER THAT FLOWS DIRECTLY FROM THE

MOUNTAIN

It’s All About the RiceChef Takuya Nezasa of Grand Hyatt Tokyo tells us about a new, organic rice he’s cultivated specially for Shunbou restaurant – it’s so delicious he recommends you order it with just a raw egg

yet traditional atmosphere. It’s also testament to the hotel’s focus on showcasing the quality of Japan and its cuisine, and supporting local farmers and artisans, while still maintaining a global outlook and catering to guests from around the world. When asked to suggest three dishes from the menu that pair well with Shunbou-mai, the chef recommends the charcoal-grilled Hida beef dishes, their signature sukiyaki, or – and he chuckles a little as he says this last one – even just a raw egg. (You know the rice must be good if all you’re going to eat it with is one raw egg; even if said egg does cost ¥350 and come all the way from Kyoto.) Should you prefer noodles to rice, Nezasa has also recently added original Shunbou soba to the menu. And from around February next year, he adds, “We’ll be launching our very own Shunbou sake.” Shunbou-mai can be purchased from the res-taurant directly (small ¥3,000, large ¥5,000).

CONTACTShunbou at Grand Hyatt Tokyo6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-ku03 4333 8786tokyo.grand.hyatt.com


TOKYO WEEKENDER | DECEMBER 2 0 1 6 | 3 9TOKYO WEEKENDER | DECEMBER 2 0 1 6 | 3 9

PLAY OU T TH E O LD Y EARMusic, art shows, a variety of events, and an update from Tokyo’s glitterati scene that should help you get into the

right frame of mind to send 2016 packing in style.


THERE WAS A M AN CALLED GO C H O SHIG EO 1946-1983

Afflicted with vertebral tuberculosis from the age of three, Shigeo Gocho overcame the debilitating handicaps of his illness to develop a memorable career as a photographer before his untimely death at the age of 36. As can be seen from the black and white images drawn from the many photographic series that Gocho shot during his lifetime, the figures that he shoots – children, family, and friends – are reacting to his stunted body at the same time he is capturing them to film. Photo History Museum, Fujifilm Square Until December 28 fujifilmsquare.jp

KEI TA MIYA Z A KI “ T HE TOW ER ”

Sculptor Keita Miyazaki brings together seemingly disparate objects – car parts, polished pieces of bronze, and handmade paper and felt – to create works that are both intriguing and whimsical. Some pieces seem to suggest what kind of work M.C. Escher could have done had he taken up auto-mobile engine design, while the centerpiece of Miyazaki’s first solo exhibit in Tokyo for seven years is a five-meter-tall sculpture that was inspired by the Tower of Babel. Loko Gallery Until December 18 lokogallery.com/en


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Photo by GOCHO SHIGEO, Photograph from the series Childhood, 1983

(the Tower) / car parts, paper, felt, speaker system / H457×W265×D175 cm / 2016 (Whites) / car parts, paper / H60×W50×D30 cm / 2016

OU R PICK OF T H E CIT Y’S B EST EXHIB ITIONSTHE ART WORLDCompiled by Alec Jordan


ART FOR LIFE: EARTH Q UAKE

How can art help us recover from the trauma of natural disaster? The latest exhibit at the Taro Okamoto Museum in Kawasaki answers this question with a collection of colorful, sobering, and thought-provoking pieces, made by art-ists who were affected by events of March 11. All of them will make you think about the power of the creative process to aid in rebuilding and recovery – if not of physical structures, but of the spirit. Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki Until January 9, 2017 www.taromuseum.jp/exhibition/current.html

Dusadee Huntrakul, “Sample of possible monument,” 2016 Ceramic (porcelain and found clay), 22 x 16 x 17cm

TRACING THE PAST – AN INSIGHT INTO THE

It’s known as The Land of Smiles, but Thailand is a country with a complex, and some-times turbulent, history that is often ignored by the millions of tourists who visit each year. As the opening of the MIAAIM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai goes to show, the country is also home to a vibrant contemporary art scene. This exhibit features the work of four Thai-based artists whose work grapples with the changing political and social landscape of today’s Thailand. Nichido Contemporary Art Until January 14, 2017 www.nca-g.com/en/index.html


In honor of Bob Dylan being awarded with the Nobel Prize for Literature this

year, we’ve assembled three musical interpretations of the poetry of three

different Nobel laureates

BRAZILIAN GIRLS “ME GUSTA CUANDO CALLAS”

The Chilean poet Pablo Neruda won the Nobel Prize in 1971 for a body of work that celebrated

the elements and the many atmospheres in which love exists. The NY-based band Brazilian Girls

brings a compelling rhythm to a song that cele-brates silence. bit.ly/TWCuandoCallas

MAANAM “NIC DWA RAZY/NOTHING TWICE”

The sonorous and wistful celebrations of daily life are what brought the Polish poet Wislawa

Szymborska acclaim, and the 1996 Nobel Prize. Her reminder that ever precious moment passes, never to be repeated, is given a 90s rock treatment by the

Polish rockers Maanam. bit.ly/TWNothingTwice

SOLOMON BURKE “MAGGIE’S FARM”

OK, even people who really like Dylan have to admit that his singing is something of an acquired taste. Here, his song about “just saying ‘No!’” to a few different things gets the soul treatment from

the underappreciated singer Solomon Burke. bit.ly/TWMaggiesFarm

Shunji Iwai, friends after 3.11 (film version), 2012

THAI CONTEMPORARY ART SCENE

MUSIC

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KAMASI WASHINGTONJazz lovers will relish

the chance to watch Washington playing live with the band that’s been accompanying him since his teenage years. Where: Billboard Live TokyoHow much: ¥9,000-¥10,500 More info: tokyoweekender.com

BRIDGE STREET MARKETRecreating the look

and feel of London’s outdoor market of the same name, this event promises plenty of shopping and entertainment. Where: Around Ba-Tsu Art GalleryHow much: FreeMore info: tokyoweekender.com

ALICE IN WONDER-LAND CHRISTMAS SWEETS BUFFET

Although the Alice in Wonderland buffet continues until January 31, this Christmas-themed special puts a sweet touch on the offer. Where: Keio Plaza hotelHow much: Adults ¥3,800, Kids ¥2,600More info: tokyoweekender.com

COUNTDOWN LOUNGE AT PARK HYATT TOKYO

At the hotel’s Peak Bar, guests will be treated to free-flowing champagne, cocktails, light canapés and live music to celebrate the New Year. Where: Park Hyatt TokyoHow much: ¥15,000More info: tokyoweekender.com

ANNE COLLIER: WOMEN WITH CAMERAS

Deconstructing the assumption of disposability in the digital age, the New York-based artist focuses on found photos of women holding cameras. Where: Rat Hole GalleryHow much: FreeMore info: ratholegallery.com

JULIAN OPIE EXHIBITIONMost famous for illustrating

the album cover of “Blur: The Best Of,” this British artist’s line drawings with minimal detail and color are on show in Harajuku. Where: Maho Kubota GalleryHow much: FreeMore info: mahokubota.com

RIKUGIEN GARDENS ILLUMINATIONSEnjoy an uber romantic

evening setting at these Edo-style gardens, where the illuminations highlight the last of the autumn leaves. Where: Rikugien GardensHow much: ¥150-¥300More info: tokyoweekender.com

AKO GISHI-SAI FESTIVAL Celebrating the anniver-

sary of the death of the 47 Ronin, this memorial service features a procession and volunteers dressed up as the samurai. Where: Sengakuji TempleHow much: FreeMore info: tokyoweekender.com

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SAN-DAI-ME RICHARDA witty reworking of

Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” this multilingual play sees the Bard himself put on trial for defaming ikebana master Richard. Where: Tokyo Metropolitan TheatreHow much: ¥3,000-¥5,500More info: geigeki.jp

CUBISM IN JAPAN: PICASSO’S IMPACTPeek into Cubism’s effect

on 20th century Japanese art with pieces by Picasso, Georges Braque, Tetsugoro Yorozu, and Seiji Togo.Where: The Museum of Modern ArtHow much: ¥1,100More info: tokyoweekender.com

VAN GOGH AND GAUGUIN Subtitled “Reality and

Imagination,” this exhibition focuses on the artists’ individual styles, and how they inspired each other after meeting in 1888. Where: Tokyo Metropolitan Art MuseumHow much: ¥1,600More info: tokyoweekender.com

CARETTA ILLUMINATION 2016 CANYON D’AZUR

A special illumination display will be held every 20 minutes, lasting for about eight minutes each round. Where: Caretta ShiodomeHow much: FreeMore info: caretta.jp

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1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATIONWith its tagline being “The hotel that never sleeps,” it’s no surprise that HOTEL the M INN-SOMNIA akasaka picked an area that’s known not only for being culturally rich but also for its energetic social scene. Whether you’re in Tokyo for work or play, the hotel is ideally situated in the center of Akasaka, giving you plenty of options for eating, drinking, partying, shopping, and sightseeing (see opposite page for Weekend-er’s recommendations).

2. THERE’S A STATE-OF-THE-ART PRIVATE KITCHENWhy would you need a private kitchen when you’re staying at a hotel? Because you might be here on an extended stay and decide you’d like to host a dinner party. Or you might not be a guest, but someone looking for a venue to host cooking events and classes. The “Kitchen Drink-er” room is available for rent for both guests and non-guests, and you are welcome to either prepare your own meal or order catering. The space includes modern cooking facilities with storage design by German company Bulthaup, and a dining table with eight seats. Don’t forget to order after-dinner coffee from Unir café, which is on the hotel’s first floor and is open 24 hours a day (guests can order coffee for free).Rental fee: ¥29,000 (including tax and service fee)

HOTEL the M INNSOMNIA akasaka2-14-14 Akasaka, Minato-ku

Phone: 03 3568 3456Web: www.m-innsomnia.com

5. YOU CAN WORK OUT AFTER WORKING

No need to hunt around for a gym as there’s an

in-house one right here. The “Muscle Pain” room is open 24 hours a day, so no matter what time you clock off work you

can still fit in an hour on the treadmill. It’s free for hotel guests and features stylish equipment from

the Italian manufacturer Technogym’s Wellness

Collection.

per four hours. Half price for guest staying at the hotel. If you’re traveling in a large group, ask the hotel about their special package deal, which includes guest rooms and Kitchen Drinker rental at reduced rates.

3. IT’S A HOME AWAY FROM HOMERather than being yet another skyscraper style hotel, the accommodation here is more like an apartment building, giving you privacy and spa-ciousness, while also creating a more homely at-mosphere. Think smart business hotel combined with personal touches and hints of Japanese tradition – for example, book the biggest room, which is called “Wa – Japanese style” and you get Western-style beds as well as an 8-mat tat-ami room. The smallest room is 35m² but even this one includes a lounge area and workspace.

4. YOU GET YOUR OWN BOARDROOMGeared towards businesspeople who might be traveling to Japan for short periods and need an office space to work from, HOTEL the M INN-SOMNIA akasaka offers a room called “Worka-holic” that’s equipped with a stylish boardroom table, top quality sound system, and high-defi-nition TV screen. It’s the ideal venue for hosting meetings or conference calls, and allows an easy segue from business conversations to after-work team building.Rental fee: ¥19,000 (including tax and service fee) per two hours. Half price for guests staying at the hotel.

5 REASONS TO STAY

AT HOTEL THE M INNSOMNIA

AKASAKAAND FIVE THINGS TO DO IN

THE NEIGHBORHOOD…



TOP THINGS TO DO IN ONE OF TOKYO’S LIVELIEST ’HOODS

WATCH LIVE MUSIC Crawfish is a comfortable American-style pub and live-house where you can catch gigs by local and international acts. Perfect for friendly mingling, and a variety of genres includ-ing rock, pop, blues, pop, and more. crawfish.jp

AKASAKA HOT SPOTS

TASTE LOCAL CRAFT BEER

Japanese craft beer has been brewing up a storm lately, and

Yona Yona Beerworks is an ideal place to sample the goods. Order

their flagship ale, Yona Yona (which translates as “Night After Night”), a gold medal winner at the International Beer Competi-

tion for eight years in a row. yonayonabeerworks.com/akasaka

SAMPLE EDO ERA-STYLE SUSHI

New sushi restaurant Itamae Sushi Edo opened its doors at the end of October, and wel-

comes guests with top quality ingredients, an Edo atmosphere and era-appropriate clothing to boot – when you arrive, you’ll

be invited to don a yukata. The restaurant interior is modeled

after sajiki-seki box seating in a Kabuki theater, and chefs prepare food as a kind of live performance, making for an

exciting and entertaining dining experience. itamae.co.jp

TAKE PART IN A TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR’S EVE

Besides having a lively nightlife scene, Akasaka is also host to plenty of tradi-

tional spots. On New Year’s Eve, head to Toyokawa Inari Temple, where singers,

actors, TV personalities, artists and other creative types gather to pray for good fortune. 1-4-7 Motoakasaka, Minato-ku

ENJOY THEATER, SHOPPING AND FAMILY FUN

Centered around the TBS (Tokyo Broadcast-ing System) headquarters, Akasaka Sacas

offers plenty of entertainment options including the Blitz theater, which regularly

hosts local and international bands, the ACT Theater, which presents Broadway-type

shows, and the Biz Tower where you can shop (and eat) till you drop. During winter,

be sure to take a spin on the ice skating rink. sacas.net



Have an early deadline for this last column in 2016 so I starting working on it on Monday, November 7, at Oak-wood Premiere’s luxurious lounge overlooking the park in midtown. It couldn’t be nicer. By the time you read this, Halloween has come and gone. I enjoyed a couple of

parties for handicapped kids. The street scene in Shibuya was fun, but Roppongi was disappointing. Thanksgiving’s gone as well – and hope you and your families and friends had a good one. Of course, Tokyo started decorating for Christmas before Halloween was over. I want to thank you for reading the column, and for your friendship and support over the years. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and hope the new year is a good one for you – and a better one for people everywhere. Looking around Oakwood with its international and Japanese staff, warm ambiance, super service and wonderful facilities makes me aware of what a great job they’ve done in making themselves a special part of our community. Our friends at their always growing chain of luxurious furnished apartments really do keep busy. Just a few months ago, they opened their beautiful new facilities in the big Tekka Building near Tokyo Sta-tion. More recently they had a people-packed fun party at Midtown Oakwood Premiere to celebrate the opening of the new Oakwood in Minami-Azabu. Like all Oakwood facilities, the new one, with its three-bedroom and 41 studio units, has everything for those looking for the best. Special guests included former sumo champ Konishiki and two of his young sumo friends. It was a very special evening.

REST IN PEACE MY FRIENDSI’m aware it’s all a part of life, but the passing away of family members, friends and others we love and admire is never easy. I don’t really like writing about all this the last column of the year, but I held off when I shouldn’t have, and feel I do want to remember friends and people I met who left me and many others with wonderful memories. I’d like to start out with Thailand’s highly respected, much loved King, H. M. Bhu-mibol Adulyadej. The very special man who was the world’s longest reigning, richest, and most revered ruler passed away on October 13 at the age of 88. During the seven decades of leading his country, he won the hearts of not only the Thai people, but people all over the world for his countless efforts in making things better for his country and people. Thanks to several Thai ambassadors and friends in the hotel busi-ness in Thailand, I met the great man twice – once at the legendary Oriental Hotel in Thailand, and once in a rural area where I was a guest of the government visiting one of his agricultural projects and he was there taking photos. As most of you know, the king played the saxo-phone, loved jazz and once even played with Duke Ellington. Duke’s daughter Mercedes is a friend, and we talked about this when she was here in Tokyo. The world has lost a great human being, a great man, and a great leader.

PRINCE TAKAHITO MIKASAThe world lost another special person when Mikasa-no-miya passed away on October 27. He was 100 years old, and as a member of the im-perial family had an interesting and full life. I first met Prince Mikasa

People, Parties, Places

TOKYO’S LONGEST RUNNING SOCIETY PAGE WITH BILL HERSEY

Kyoko Spector with three members of Italy’s La Scala Ballet


MIN-ON BRINGS BIBAP TO TOKYO

1. Min-On’s Kazato Ito, Panama Amb. Ritter N.

Diaz, his wife Ayana, Min-On President Kobayashi-san

2. Bill with “Bibap” cast – Kim Ruah, An Yong Woo

and Yu Seon Hyun

AT DEWI’S ANNUAL CHARITY GALA3. Glamorous politician Akiko Santo4. Makoto showing off a little “fun fashion”5. Still looking good – Transgender showbiz’s Maki6. Zampa member does his thing7. Cute “Miss Japan” Mika Matsuno8. Azerbaijan Amb. Gursel Ismay-ilzada, his wife Rana9. Dewi with Armenian Amb. Grant Pogosyan, his wife Natalia10. Peruvian Elard Escala, his wife Cristina, APA Hotel’s Toshio and Fumiko 11. Dewi (center), Ceremony’s Hiroko Ijichi (right) and Ceremony staff


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GOOD HAPPENINGS AT OAKWOOD

1. Ken Iwasaki, Kamasami Kong 2. Stan and his beauty biz wife, Jane Yamano, Oakwood

top exec. Dean Schreiber 3. Polish lawyer Aleksandra Czubak, Rotary International’s Hiro

Kobayashi, Oakwood’s Martin Fluck, Adrian Rowles 4. Martin Fluck flanked by two young sumo wrestlers from the Musashigawa stable

GIORGIO’S RECEPTION LA SCALA BALLET5. Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala, Designer Junko Koshino, Italian Amb. Domenico Giorgi 6. Domenico Giorgi, Italian car racer Ronnie Quintarelli, Dewi, Rita Giorgi, businessman Marco Staccioli 7. Rita with La Scala Ballet members 8-11. La Scala Ballet members

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at a party many years ago and told him I majored in anthropology. He told me he majored in archaeology, and we became friends.

GRACE SAITOCloser to home, we also lost a truly great lady – Grace Saito. This lovely, generous philanthropist was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. She loved fashion, classical music, and her many friends really loved and miss her. Grace kept busy with her frequent classical music con-certs which she held in Sogetsu Kaikan, the Imperial Hotel, the Grand Hyatt, the Peninsula, the Tokyo Hilton and other prestigious venues. Through her many friends and connections, she was always able to get really good classical music artists to perform in her well-attended con-certs. She was a very active member of the Rotary Club and proceeds of her events went to them for many worthwhile causes. She also helped me with several projects for less fortunate kids in the Philippines. We lost Grace on October 6. I’m so glad I was able to visit her at her lovely nursing home with Lilo Maruyama and Kyoko Spector several times. She really was very special.

DEWI’S CHARITY GALAIt was a full house (about 500 people) in the huge Maiougi Room at the beautiful Tokyo Meguro Gajoen. The occasion was Dewi Sukarno’s 19th Annual Grand Imperial Banquet Charity Gala Dinner to benefit the Jap-anese Red Cross Society and the Association for Aid and Relief. The audience was a kaleidoscope of color with a lot of familiar faces from the worlds of government, big business, fashion, arts and enter-tainment. The fashion was original and, for the most part, super chic. The women’s jewelry was proof positive of the song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” as sung by Marilyn Monroe in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Thanks to Dewi, I had the privilege of sitting at one of the best ta-bles, right in front of the stage. Others at my table included politician Akiko Santo; Kyoko Spector; a real cute Miss Japan, Madeline Umewaka; and Toshio & Fumiko Motoya, who own all those APA hotels you see everywhere you go. Dewi opened the program with a heartfelt speech. This was followed by a toast by Azerbaijani Ambassador Gursel Ismayilzada and the pres-entation of the proceeds of the evening to the two main charities. The dinners at Meguro Gajoen are always superb and the multi-course meal was a hit. The show was excellent as well: Dewi always invites a leg-endary Japanese singer, and this year it was Jeorgi Yamamoto. He has a great voice and a wonderful stage presence. There was something for everyone, which included several pop songs by the four talented young guys from the group Zanpa. Dewi performed two ballroom dances with pro dancer Masaya Yamamoto. This was followed by a silent auction and the drawing of raffle tickets for great prizes. The evening, which was masterfully emceed by Greg Irwin and Noriko Kawachi, was as always one of the highlights of our city’s busy social scenes. Congratulations to Dewi and her many friends who made it so special.

LA SCALA BALLET’S PARTY AT GIORGI’SItalian Ambassador Domenico Giorgi and his dynamic wife Rita have been super busy this year. It has been the 150th

anniversary of Italy-Japan relations, which has meant a full schedule of all kinds of special events to celebrate the event. One of my favorites was a laid-back, yet glamorous party at Domenico and Rita’s beautiful home for a visiting group from Milan that included the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, top executives of La Scala, and about 50 of the cast and crew of the renowned La Scala Ballet in Milan, who were here to put on a spectacular production of “Don Quixote.” It was really special for me when I learned the production (costumes, sets, choreography) was pretty much the same as the original, which starred my late great friend – and one of the most talented dancers ever – Rudolf Nureyev. It seemed that the La Scala top execs wanted to update the production, but the dancers who came from all over the world wanted to do it like Nureyev did. Well, it was a sellout here, and everyone I talked to had nothing but raves for the production. When the dancers heard I knew Nureyev, I got to meet many of them and talk about his shopping and other activities in Tokyo. The girls in the cast were beautiful and the guys good looking. The Italian fashions they wore were outstanding. There’s always a lot of delicious Italian food at the Giorgis’ parties and the embassy food and beverage staff really went all out that night. It was amazing to see how much the dancers ate, even though they’re so slim and fit. I’ve been lucky over the years and have been able to spend time with some of the world’s top ballet dancers. With early training, rehearsals, performance, competition, accidents, jealousies, and more, it’s not an easy life. Even so, most I’ve met love and are very devoted to what they do. The La Scala Ballet dancers all seemed to have that same feeling.

MIN-ON CONCERT ASSOCIATION BRINGS THE BIBAPI love musicals, and I love Seoul. I don’t know why but I just never got to see the musical “Bibap,” which has been playing there for six years. Thanks to good friends at Soka Gakkai’s Min-On Concert Association, I got to see the musical here, and I really enjoyed it. The talented six boys and two girls gave several performances at Nakano Sun Plaza. The stage setting was mostly a kitchen in a Korean restaurant. The music, singing, dancing and energy were really great. I was so happy when the cast came out to the lobby after the show and shook hands and took photos with many of the audience members. Congrats to Kim Hyun-Hwao di-rector, Korean Cultural Center on helping get “Bibap” to Japan. Min-On does cultural exchange with countries all over the world – that’s some-thing we really need these days. In November they worked with Ven-ezuelan Ambassador Seiko Ishikawa to bring the Grammy-nominated tropical music band “Guaco” here. I had to miss it, but I heard it was a really colorful and exciting show.

THINGS TO DODrop by the beautiful Conrad Hilton and check out the Tolman Collec-tion’s Exhibition by one of Japan’s most renowned artists, Toko Shinoda. The grand lady is 103 and still painting. The exhibition opened on De-cember 2 and runs through December 11. It’s on the hotel’s 28th floor. And the award-winning Broadway show “Rent” will be playing here

with an international cast from Thursday, December 15 through Saturday, December 31. It’s the show’s 20th anniversary tour – and really worth seeing.

Dutch friends – Gonneke Hauwing, her sons, Victor and Hugo at National Azabu

Adam Cooper, Hublot’s Salvatore Mandra, Martin Poole, Shiga, F1’s Nico Hulkenberg, Christoph Shiga, LVMH’s Chizuka Matsumoto, Bill at Xex Roppongi

Michael Jackson impersonator, Hiroshi Watabe

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