April 4-10, 2014
A dying breed
JEJU's female divers
Contents April 4-10, 2014
❖ Culture
❖ Weekly Briefing
❖ Life
A dying breed JEJU's female divers
The Kim Jong-un haircut
Stop the drugs, not the party
Contents April 4-10, 2014
❖ Life Taking aim at human trafficking
❖ Life Lessons from the hunt for MH370
❖ Lifestyle
❖ Lifestyle
A matter of taste
Japan's many public holidays
Contents April 4-10, 2014
❖ Entertainment
❖ Travel
Datebook
No band is an island
Exploring Bali’s real rainforest
Happenings around Asia
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WEEKLY BRIEFING
April 4-10, 2014
AFP
The Kim Jong-un hairstyle Men in North Korea are now required to get the same haircut as their leader Kim Jongun, reports said. State-sanctioned guidelines were reportedly imposed on the capital Pyongyang last month, the BBC reported, with the shaved sides, ahead-of-the-trend, high-top fade haircut look now being rolled out across the country. But some people have expressed reservations about getting the look.
"Our leader's haircut is very particular, if you will," one source told Radio Free Asia. "It doesn't always go with everyone since
everyone has different face and head shapes." Meanwhile, a North Korean now living in China said the look is actually unpopular at
home because people think it resembles Chinese smugglers, BBC reported. It is believed that haircuts have been state-approved in North Korea for some time—until now people were reportedly only allowed to choose from 18 styles for women and 10 for men. Earlier, North Korea's state TV launched a campaign against long hair, called "Let us trim our hair in accordance with the Socialist lifestyle". — The Straits Times
WEEKLY BRIEFING
April 4-10, 2014
AFP
Chinese ex-tycoon on trial for gang crime A former mining tycoon accused of leading a massive mafiastyle criminal group stood trial this week on multiple charges, including murder. Liu Han, former chairman of the Hanlong Group, the biggest private enterprise in Sichuan province, and 35 other alleged gang members faced trial at seven courts in Xianning, Hubei province. Prosecutors accuse the defendants of murdering nine people, five of them shot dead. Liu, 49, owned tens of subsidiary companies involved in electricity, energy, finance,
mining, real estate and securities. Their assets totalled 40 billion yuan (US$6.4 billion). According to prosecutors from Xianning People's Procuratorate, gang members carried out criminal activities from 1993, mainly in Sichuan province. The defendants are charged with offences including organising, leading and taking part in a mafia-style gang, homicide, intentional injury, illegal detention, blackmail, illegally possessing guns and ammunition, collusion in bidding and defrauding banks of loans.
When the alleged gang was busted last year, police confiscated three grenades, 20 guns, 677 bullets, 2,163 shotgun cartridges and more than 100 knives. The defendants include three former government officials charged with accepting bribes and tolerating gangsters. They
are Liu Xuejun, a former political commissar in the city of Deyang's public security bureau; Lyu Bin, former director of the bureau's finance department; and Liu Zhongwei, former deputy chief of Shifang People's Procuratorate. — An Baijie/China Daily
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Tragic deaths at a rave concert in Kuala Lumpur recently highlighted again Malaysia's drug abuse problem
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STOP THE DRUGS, NOT THE PARTY
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HARIATI AZIZAN The Star Petaling Jaya
Y
ou can almost hear the anger rumbling on the social media networks after news broke out that an upcoming electronic dance concert, “Life in Colour�, was cancelled. Its promoters explained that this was due to the death of six young revellers, suspected of synthetic drug overdose, at the Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA) which was to be held from March 14-16. But as one unhappy raver points out, cancelling the event will not stop young people from taking and dying from drugs.
LIFE IN COLOUR
Sadly, he is right. Malaysia has had a party drug problem for years. And as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned last November, the problem is growing. Aggravating the problem is that users have no way of knowing if what
they are getting is real. According to the chemistry department, since 2000, Ecstasy pills that traditionally used to contain up to 40 per cent of its active ingredient MDMA are now being infused with high doses of the more dangerous ketamine (an
animal anaesthetic) and methamphetamine. This does not include the possible adulterants like rat poison and other chemicals not fit for human consumption. It is easy to blame an event for attracting drug pushers and users but it is only a symp-
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tom of the actual disease afflicting society, says Sepang International Circuit Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Razlan Razali. “What is alarming is that it takes these kinds of concerts to see how many of our young people are using drugs, or are susceptible to drug abuse. “Before we had these kinds of dance parties, young people were abusing drugs at parties elsewhere. These big events only congregate them in one place, and when six people die, it is too glaring to ignore. For all we know, one young person has been dying every other day taking party drugs somewhere else.” Razlan believes this is something that the police and other anti-drug en-
forcement agencies need to address instead of putting the blame solely on music events and concerts. “The question is, are you closing one eye and sweeping everything under the carpet?” He urges the police to use these events to try and catch the drug pushers, not wait until something bad happens. “Use the information from your intelligence or undercover. This is what many drug enforcement authorities do overseas.” In fact, in the United States, the police are being criticised of “entrapment” where plain-clothes officers pretend to be junkies and concert-goers looking for a high. Senior lecturer and clinical psychologist at
Help University’s Department of Psychology, Alex Lui, concurs. “You need to question the authorities: How did the alleged foreigners manage to get the drugs into the country, let alone the concert? How did they get through our security checks at the borders?” A big problem, says criminologist Associate Professor Dr P. Sundramoorthy of Universiti Sains Malaysia, is that the drug business is big money. “The authorities are working hard but the ‘business’ is so lucrative that you can’t stop the market. You catch one drug trafficker or pusher, there will be many waiting to take his place.”
‘Let the dogs out’ The guidelines of the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists (Puspal) state that organisers of any performances in public and open areas need to obtain a police permit from the district police headquarters concerned. It is up to the police unit in question to assess the security measures needed and decide how many people they want to deploy to guard the safety of the event, be it a public assembly, concert or a fun fair, Razlan points out. “I think it’s time we make police deployment to concerts com-
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pulsory, especially if the size of the event is big and if the duration is long. We also need to have the canine units present to sniff out the drugs and issue a stern warning to the drug pushers and those thinking of indulging in drugs. We can also have random drug tests at the concerts.” Nevertheless, he concedes that it is the concert promoters’ responsibility to ensure the safety of the concert-goers. “If you think you need extra security, ask for it.” The scale of the FMFA— some 80,000 bought tickets for the three-day, 3pm-to3am festival—did make it difficult but this is the third time Livescape Asia has organised it. More importantly, this year they had put in place
the best possible safety measures for festival-goers, stresses Iqbal Ameer, one of Livescape Asia’s directors. “We put significant planning and resources in place and our planning for events conforms to our Operations Order Manual which is of international standard and applies throughout major festivals across the globe. Approvals are only given by all the relevant parties if we adhere to these standards.” Igbal says they had beefed up security to curb admission of illegal substances into the festival. “However, the regulatory search routine that is permissible only allows bag searches and pat-downs which were
conducted at the entrances to the festival.” And contrary to common belief, police presence was strong, he adds. “The police had two mobile police stations set up at each of the entrances to the festival (one on each of the two entrances). Three police beat bases were also set up around key areas inside the festival grounds and there were 100 police officers on patrol focusing on drug detection, crowd control, and traffic and perimeter control. We also had 280 security staff who were deployed at the event and 80 Rela members on the ground as well as extensive medical facilities on site.”
Iqbal feels the crucial issue that urgently needs to be addressed is the larger drug issue in the country. “There have been a lot of questions asked in recent days, but one question that hasn’t been addressed is, ‘Why are people taking drugs?’ I think we and society as a whole need to address this.” He believes there needs to be more education on this issue. “Why is drug education such a taboo subject in this country? At the end of the day, drug usage is a personal choice—we DON’T condone it—but people need to know the repercussions of abusing drugs.”
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WHY DO YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS? The Star Petaling Jaya
The youthful 60-something retiree* laughs before whispering, “If my parents had known what I was up to in my university days, they would be worried.” Back then, she tells The Star, she and her friends had tried weed (marijuana), which they got from a “dealer” at a stall behind a mosque. “I’m not condoning drugs,” says the grandmother of three, “but partying with drugs has been around for a long time. Like many are saying: ‘If the older generation had Woodstock, this generation has raves’.”
COLOURFUL ECSTASY PILLS
One difference that has to be noted, however, is that today’s drugs are arguably more dangerous, and the “experimenters” are getting younger. (The National Anti-Drugs Agency or AADK reported that some 214 teens aged 13 to 18 were caught for drug abuse last year
while the majority of drug abusers in the country are those aged between 19 and 39). Young people who take drugs usually have a problem in their lives, mainly related to their family, says Alex Lui, senior lecturer and clinical psychologist at Help University’s Department of
Psychology. “Sometimes they feel they are not getting enough attention from parents, so they might feel that no one cares or that they are not accountable to anyone for their actions.” With the party drug problem, Lui feels it is not so much peer pressure but curiosity that leads youths to try or indulge in them. “Many today live by YOLO (You only live once) so if they are offered a drug at a concert or party they will want to try it, especially if they see their friends doing it.” Lui urges the authorities to step up their drug awareness campaigns for youths.
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“Many young people know drugs are dangerous but they don’t understand why or how they can affect them physiologically. “For example, after taking the drugs, they can dance for hours and hours without feeling tired and they wouldn’t realise they’re dehydrated, which is one cause for fatality. Or many don’t know how these chemical-based drugs can affect their nervous system and organs.” Lui believes it is also important to talk about how they can party and have fun without drugs instead of just about the dangers of drugs. “It is scientifically proven that young people do not think about the consequences of their actions. If you look
at the comments and postings about FMFA, many say they just want to hang out with their friends and have fun, not take drugs. Many are angry that they are being punished for the mistakes of some people.” He adds it is unfortunate that the six died like they did at FMFA but it should be a warning to others that “If you indulge in risky business, you might have to pay for it, sometimes with your life”. For criminologist associate professor Dr P. Sundramoorthy of Universiti Sains Malaysia, the responsibility lies with the AADK to step up their anti-drug campaigns. “Unlike in the '80s where you see anti-drug posters everywhere and public service announcements on tele-
vision all the time, you hardly see any now. “Does the agency go to all schools to talk about the dangers of drugs or just selected schools?” He adds that the AADK also needs to stress on party drugs in their campaigns for the young. “Their campaigns need to be extended further and done more aggressively to raise youths’ awareness on the different types of drugs that are out there, how they are sold —sometimes it looks just like a sweet—and what they can do to you.” Both agree that parents need to play a bigger role. “They need to build a relationship with their children from an early age, not when their kids are older. When the trust and bond is there,
they can talk about many things, including the danger of drugs.” Sundramoorthy sees nothing wrong with young people who want to attend concerts, have fun and de-stress but they need to be aware of the dangers of “over-partying”. “You need to know that if you do drugs, it is at your own risk—because you can permanently damage your body, mind, soul and life.” Lui agrees, adding that banning concerts is not the answer. “We don’t need to worry about the concert culture, but as you know, in every good thing there will be at least one bad hat, so we need to educate the young on how to protect themselves. At the end of the day, it is their choice,” he says.
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MUSIC FESTIVALS MAKE BIG MONEY The Star Petaling Jaya
Lights flashing, monster beats pounding and sweaty bodies writhing with their arms in the air—electronic dance music concerts, or rave parties used to be an acquired taste. Not any more, it turns out—they are very popular and make a lot of money. The Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA), for one, brought Malaysia some 15,000 tourists and an estimated 52.5 million ringgit (US$16 million) in tourist dollars last year, said one of its organisers, Iqbal Ameer. “This year we had estimated it to be around 112.6 million ringgit.”
The tragic death of six young concert-goers, allegedly from drug overdose, has marred the festival this year, and the immediate reaction from some factions has been to call for a ban on such concerts. “This is a typical knee-jerk reaction,” says Sepang International Circuit Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Razlan Razali, who as a former concert promoter knows only too well the problems they face. “I can’t blame the public (for feeling that way) but I just hope they and the authorities can consider the amount of work and time put in planning
some of these live events,” he says. International concerts in Malaysia are not cheap to organise. They can cost from $5 million to $6 million, and cancellations can ruin the organisers. “It will kill off the industry. Is this what the government wants to do? If they say that the concert industry is unhealthy, then we can ban them all from now. Don’t let us have concerts at all,” he states. The fact is the live events industry is one that can and has contributed to Malaysia’s economy. The revenue earned says it all: in 2012, in-
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ternational events reportedly brought in revenue of 916 million ringgit, upping 2011’s earnings of 845 million ringgit. In 2013, the economic impact of international events jumped up by 21 per cent. Even the Economic Transformation Programme has earmarked international events as a key contributing segment to Malaysia’s economic growth. The tourism ministry subsequently established the International Events Unit (IEU) —as part of its agency that is responsible for strengthening Malaysia’s tourism brand, the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB)—to drive the country’s growth in the events industry. Responsible for identifying, attracting and supporting major international events
from sports to art and culture, IEU has recognised the potential of international concerts as a tourist drawer and revenue earner. “A major trend worldwide is (to host) large scale music festivals. They are really big right now and we are looking at ways to hold more such events,” IEU general manager Tony Nagamaiah told the local music industry players at the RIM Forum Music recently. IEU’s task is also to help connect the concert promoters with corporate sponsors. “The government does not fund the con-
certs, they just support them,” Nagamaiah explained. The FMFA and the cancelled “Live in Colour” are two events supported by MyCeb and the tourism ministry. Razlan hopes the authorities can work with the industry players to come up with a workable solution. “Once things cool down, the stakeholders, from the police and Jakim to Puspal, should sit down and have a proper dialogue with the concert promoters to see the best way to handle this issue,” he says. Iqbal agrees, saying: “If a blanket ban is imposed on all concerts, it
will also spin off various losses of income to the industry—production companies, local artists, taxis, hotels, food vendors are all set to lose out.” Razlan is urging the authorities to avoid generalising the music genres. “Even for electronic dance music, there is a range—not all are hardcore trance. “I hope they will not make the conclusion that if it is electronic dance music and there is a DJ performing, it will be a wild drug party. Please talk to the promoters and hear their side before making a decision.”
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DON’T STOP THE MUSIC
Cancelled festival organisers tell their side of the story SHARMILA NAIR The Star Petaling Jaya
Future Music Festival Asia, Life In Color, Kuantan Music Festival—three concerts in Malaysia gone in one week. There's been anger and confusion over what happened and why, but now the event organisers are telling their side of the story. When Livescape Asia called off Day 3 of its Future Music Festival
Asia (FMFA) concert on March 15, it was late Saturday afternoon, hundreds of fans had already entered the grounds of Bukit Jalil Stadium, with thousands more on their way to the event, and several acts had finished their early performances by then. The news spread like wildfire as texts, tweets, Facebook posts, status updates, phone calls— on every imaginable social networking tool available to the concertgoers—reacted in shock and horror. Some of the horror was over the deaths of five fans from Day 2 of the event, after one died on the grounds and the others while on their way to or at various hospitals, following a then-suspected drug
overdose during Friday night's trance DJ rave. The shock, however, was that the authorities had the audacity to "advice" Livescape to pull the plug on the last night of FMFA instead of risking more casualities, and that Livescape actually listened to them instead of standing up for the "rights" of all the other ticketholders to carry on partying. Fans were furious that they were "robbed" of seeing acts like Pharrell Williams and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis live on stage, and took to the Internet to vent their anger and frustration. The rage and vitriol spewed against the "irresponsible druggies" —they were just kids— for "spoiling" everybody
else's fun and "ruining Malaysia's image" was palpable. Labels like "cowards" were plastered everywhere, and if all the posts were true, it would seem like the world had ended. But Rahul Kukreja, Livescape Asia's director, is sticking by his decision and believes that they all did the right thing. “Obviously, there were a lot of disappointed fans. But the safety of the festival-goers must always come first, so we decided to heed the advice from the authorities not to proceed with Day 3 of the festival. I hope the fans will understand that it was the right and responsible thing for us to do,” he tells The Star Online.
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Rahul makes it clear that the authorities never threatened to revoke Livescape's business license if they had failed to comply with the suggestion to cancel the last day of the festival. He says, “There were no threats issued by the authorities toward the organisers. We were informed that the show could not go on in the interest of public safety, and key members from the organiser's team unanimously agreed to heed that advice.” For the young company, dealing with the "loss of credibility" among concertgoers and how they do damage control to win back their fans will be a massive learning curve. But having tallied up their losses to the tune of 4 million ringgit, it
would seem that Livescape is just as much a victim of what happened that weekend as anyone else.
Victim of consequences
Meanwhile, repercussions from FMFA cancellation rippled across to the Kuantan Music Festival (KMF), where Crocodile Rock Production was forced to shut down the outdoor concert. The organiser received instruction from the Pahang state government, no less, to close the curtain on the first-time event well before its April 4 and 5 performance dates. “I was shocked when they delivered the news at the police station (in Pahang). I was devastated,” says Crocodile Rock's Atord Hamdan,
after the Pahang chief minister instructed Kuantan authorities to order the cancellation of the live music festival. According to reports, the authorities acted on a police complaint made by Indera Mahkota United Malays National Organisation Youth division members, who wanted the event banned following what happened at FMFA. “Those with doubts should have clarified with us instead of acting hastily,” Atord says. The "reason" given by the political members couldn’t be further from the truth, says KMF director Erica Gilbert. “For the record, any report that the organisers of the KMF are connected in any way to the organisers of the FMFA is totally
false and a misrepresentation, which has ultimately led to the cancellation of this festival,” said Gilbert in a press statement. She says the cancellation of the show, which cost half-a-million ringgit, wasn't just a financial waste but a great blow for music fans who would have enjoyed a family-styled performance of acoustic, blues, jazz, fusion and world music from over 50 Malaysian and international artistes. “We are sad for Kuantan, for Pahang and for the east coast of Malaysia, which will never be able to enjoy an event such as the KMF, which was put together for all genuine music lovers and musicians to enjoy,” she added.
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Hard work gone to waste Music festivals in Malaysia usually last a day to three days, but the time, energy and effort—not to mention, money—it takes to get it all together and pull it off is much more than regular concertgoers can imagine. KMF organisers, a team of just five, started working on their project 15 months ago when their baby was thrown out just two weeks before it was due. So, their disappointment is understandable. “Our planning conforms to the international Operations Order Manual, which applies to every ma-
jor festival across the globe. Approvals are given by all the relevant parties only if we adhere to these standards. Tight security measures were put in place to curb admission of illegal substances into the festival. However, the regulatory search routine only allows bag searches and pat downs, which were conducted at the entrances,” explains Rahul. And in case you were wondering, FMFA had about 100 police officers patrolling the crowd, controlling the traffic and the perimeters, and trying to prevent party drugs from getting any action. Rahul says there were 280 security staff members deployed at
the event and 80 RELA members on ground. "We also put in place extensive medical facilities on site, with three marked medical posts, one onsite emergency trauma centre, 14 medical personnel, 10 nurses and seven ambulances. We also had numerous anti-drug messages shared through our social media channels prior to the event, and even anti-drug warning signs at the entrance and around the festival grounds,” he adds. Even with all that, a tragic accident happened. And while concertgoers fumed, naysayers were equally quick to point their fingers at Livescape and accuse them of facilitating the
deaths of the kids with their "immoral" and "un-Malaysian" event. Rahul brushes off the accusations of neglect and says that Livescape, as always, did its best and all it could do to avoid a bad situation. “There's only so much organisers can do. From our end, we do our very best in terms of safety, health and security. At the end of the day, festival-goers need to be responsible for themselves, too. Education goes a long way in this. People need to be aware of the dangers of drug abuse. There's got to be more awareness on this and we as a society have to address this issue together,” he says.
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Financial hit
All those security measures and precautions, however, can't always stop kids from doing what they want to do. But it's not just lives at stake here—there's also another hefty price to pay with any concert cancellation. Gilbert, whose company incurred a massive loss because of KMF's cancellation, informs The Star Online that they weren't covered by any insurance policy and now have to bear the brunt of the catastrophe on their own backs. “The money we've spent on the event—it’s gone. The promotional campaigns, the billboards, the flight tickets to bring the international
artistes in—we can’t get any of that money back. We don’t have an insurance coverage on concert cancellation because the premium is just too high. We didn’t anticipate this would or could happen to an event as mild as KMF,” she says. Rahul also adds that, "Organisers put in tireless hours and significant investment into organising shows without a guarantee that they will see a return on their investment.” But he does reveal that FMFA would have brought in about 112.6 million ringgit in "tourism revenue for the country", almost double what the festival took in last year, if all had gone according to plan.
“We were even going to announce our recognition by the Malaysia Book of Records, that FMFA 2014 was the ‘largest tourist audience in a concert’, surpassing the previous record held by Michael Jackson’s History tour in 1996,” he says.
It’s all about passion
Despite the brickbats being hurled at Livescape, and the big gaping hole now in their FMFA books, Rahul remains optimistic about the future of concerts in Malaysia. “You've really got to be passionate about what you do. Every single promoter will tell you that. With a show like FMFA, our main goal was always
to elevate the live music scene in Malaysia, and to position our country as a viable live music tourism destination in Southeast Asia. I believe we’ve managed to do that,” he says. It’s a sentiment shared by Atord and Gilbert, who say that profit was never the main idea behind their music festival. “We wanted the KMF to be good portfolio for Pahang, to help the tourism industry and local folks, giving them a chance to build back their lives after the devastating flood which hit the state late last year," they say. "Now, realistically speaking, there's no funding left and we're not sure if there will even be another Kuantan Music Festival in the future.” ¬
April 4-10, 2014
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Taking Aim at Human Trafficking Singapore is taking a big step in its fight against those who trick, threaten and transport vulnerable workers with the drafting of a dedicated law. What gaps must it address?
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RADHA BASU The Straits Times Singapore
F
or about a year, Erica Lazaro (not her real name), 23, was a dancer-cum-model in a Manila pub. On some nights, she danced sensually to English and Filipino songs. On others, she was part of a fashion show so customers would stay and buy more drinks.
It was showtime rather than sleaze, and the money was good— the equivalent of S$500 (US$396) a month. Still, like millions of her compatriots, she dreamed of working abroad to earn even more. When a former colleague working in Singapore said the same job there paid at least double the
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money, she leapt at the chance. Her friend introduced her to an employment agent who told her she would dance and serve drinks at a Singapore pub for a basic S$800 a month. In addition, she would get half the money for all drinks she got customers to buy. "They told me I could easily earn S$1,000 or more each month." But she would have to pay S$3,800 in agent fees, including the airfare, to be deducted from her salary in instalments. This would take less than four months to pay. What she insists she was not told then was that, unlike in Manila, she would also need to have paid sex with clients. A performing artiste's work permit was processed quickly. In two weeks, she was on a plane to Changi Airport, traversing a wellworn migrant route and brimming with hope. But within a day of arriving in
late March 2012, Lazaro was told that she had to sell S$200 worth of drinks a night at the Arab Street pub where she worked. If she did not meet the "quota", she would be fined. She would also be fined if she gained weight, refused to wear a G-string or fell sick. When she failed to sell enough drinks, her Singaporean boss began pressuring her to go out with clients and sell her body. She says she refused initially and wanted to return home. "But he said I could not leave without repaying my debts," the soft-spoken woman told The Straits Times in an interview last month. The way she tells it, her passport was confiscated and during the day, she was locked up in an apartment in the Marine Parade area with nine colleagues, and allowed only one meal a day. Finally, Lazaro gave in, and had paid sex with strangers.
"I had no choice," she says, adding that in five months of work, she did not get a single cent. Her employer kept all the money. "No one told me in Manila that my job would involve prostitution or that my debts would keep multiplying. Or I would never have come." People like Lazaro who were deceived or forced into labour or the sex trade here will soon get more protection under a proposed Private Member's Bill against human trafficking. Public consultations on what the law should include began here this week and will continue until April 18. The bill is being proposed by Member of Parliament Christopher de Souza and is backed by the Singaporean government.
Need for a single law
Human trafficking occurs when vulnerable men, women and chil-
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dren are forced, tricked or coerced into commercial sex or servitude, in cities or countries other than where they grew up. It is a significant transnational crime. "We need a standalone law to plant a legal flag that human trafficking is a serious crime and will not be condoned in Singapore," says de Souza. Singapore already has legal provisions against some elements of human trafficking, but these are spread across disparate laws, he points out. The Women's Charter, for instance, outlaws trafficking of women for sexual exploitation, and the Children's and Young Person's Act does the same for children. Some elements of what could be construed as labour trafficking, on the other hand, are captured under the Penal Code and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. However, "a single, dedicated law to combat human trafficking
will be more effective and easier to enforce", says de Souza, who has been speaking in Parliament on the subject since 2008. He notes that Singapore already has a precedent in the Misuse of Drugs Act, a standalone law against drug trafficking. de Souza, who was once a government lawyer who worked on sex trafficking cases, has drawn up an initial draft. The planned law will make sex trafficking an offence and also forbid forced labour and organ trafficking. It is meant to serve as a deterrent, with penalties adequately reflecting the severity of the offences. It will be gender neutral, and consent of a victim to cross borders or be exploited will not impede enforcement. Traffickers who take victims through Singapore for the purpose of being exploited in another country would be prosecuted, as would Singaporeans who traf-
fic migrants overseas. Officials, academics and activists laud the Bill, but have plenty of suggestions on what it should include. Ambassador-at-large Chan Heng Chee, Singapore's representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, says that besides being a deterrent, the law should provide for enough shelters offering temporary accommodation for prosecution witnesses in trafficking cases. It should also allow greater flexibility in job change for workpermit holders so ill-treated workers can find a new employer. Academic Sallie Yea wants clear sets of indicators on what constitutes trafficking. Indeed, the public consultation process will be useful in establishing how to define trafficking. Craft it too loosely, and bad labour conditions or practices— such as asking a domestic worker to take compensation in lieu of
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even just one day off a month— might be misconstrued. Define it too tightly, and unscrupulous employers who systematically abuse, exploit and coerce workers could be let off the hook. De Souza is acutely aware of the need for the law to strike the right balance. "We don't want to understretch, but at the same time, we don't want to promise something we cannot deliver," he says.
Lack of data
There are no official figures on how many migrant workers are trafficked into Singapore. The authorities investigated 53 reports of sex trafficking last year. Five led to prosecution. Another 49 reports with elements of labour trafficking were also investigated here in the same period. Most investigations are ongoing. In one horrifying case, a 17-year-old from China was beaten and drugged before being
brought here to work as a prostitute last May and made to serve 150 clients in 15 days. Her pimp was sentenced to six years in jail. Dr Yea, who has been researching human trafficking in Singapore since 2009, believes the official numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. The assistant professor from the National Institute of Education has conducted in-depth interviews with around 130 migrant women from the Philippines and Indonesia who worked in the nightlife entertainment and commercial sex industry here. More than three in four of these women, she says, were trafficked. Many had run away and sought help from embassies and non-profit organisations. Yet, fewer than 10 reported the crime to the Singapore authorities, largely because they feared they could face charges for visa violations. While prostitution is not a crime in Singapore, foreigners
are prohibited from working in the commercial sex industry. Most of the Filipinas interviewed by Dr Yea were single mothers with at least a high school diploma and had been promised work as waitresses, domestic helpers or retail assistants, only to find, once arriving here, that the job involved paid sex. The Indonesians were mostly childless, single and less educated. Many had been deceived or sold into the thriving sex trade in Batam and, ground down by their plight, then moved here voluntarily to work in the sex industry. Dr Yea highlights a need for more data to help achieve more convictions for human trafficking. She says: "Right now, there is not enough evidence that much of that is happening." Low penalties for trafficking offences here is another issue that the new law needs to rectify, say activists. Under the Women's
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Charter, the maximum prison term for trafficking a woman or a girl is five years. In a high-profile case last December, a pub owner who arranged for 26 Filipinas to offer clients sexual services was jailed 18 months and fined S$3,000. In the United States, some penalties for sex trafficking range from a mandatory minimum of 10 years in jail to life imprisonment.
Tending to the victims
Any new law, to be effective, must also enable quick resolution of cases, say activists and embassy officials. The process of investigating cases and prosecuting traffickers can drag on for a year or more, points out Third Secretary and Vice-Consul Oliver C. Delfin from the Philippine Embassy. Victims who are often prosecution witnesses are required to remain in Singapore during this
time. "This is difficult for victims as most are eager to return home after their ordeal," says Delfin, whose work involves assisting Filipina victims of sex trafficking. The Inter-agency Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons, the government body to fight trafficking here, says it is looking at ways to shorten the timeline and strengthen the investigation processes for trafficking cases. Take Lazaro. She has been here for more than 18 months since she was caught in a raid in August 2012. One of her bosses has already been convicted, but his partner is missing. She says that although she is here to help the Singapore authorities prosecute a trafficker, she is being financially supported by a friend, and not any government organisation. She lives with the friend and her family. Indeed, the new law must take a "victim-centred" approach to be effective, say activists such as
executive director Jolovan Wham of Home, an anti-trafficking organisation. "Without protection and support, victims will be unwilling to report their cases and the new law will fail to serve as an effective tool of prosecution and deterrence," says Wham. Places such as Taiwan and the US already offer much of this. In Taiwan, which passed a dedicated law to fight human trafficking in 2009, victims are required to be given access to jobs, counselling, accommodation, legal aid and vocational training. Those who cannot work are even given a stipend. Social workers accompany victims to court. The US also has similar provisions, all funded by the federal government. Singapore, too, has a scheme which enables migrants to work while their former employers are being investigated for trafficking or other offences. But the Ministry of Manpower's Temporary
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Job Scheme has limitations that the new law needs to address, says Wham. For instance, while all victims can apply for work permits under the scheme, employers can only hire citizens from "approved source countries". So Vietnamese trafficking victims, for instance, cannot work while cases are being investigated because Vietnam is not an approved source for hiring work-permit holders. Delfin is among those who would like to see officers better trained to chase leads on their own, instead of putting the full weight of prosecution on vulnerable victims. And Dr Yea says the biggest challenge is not the trafficking law, but how to "enable active enforcement". "It doesn't matter how good the law is if conviction rates remain low and there is no respect for the victims it is meant to pro-
tect," she says. "That's what we need to focus on - and change." de Souza, for his part, promises that the law will aim to quickly detect and punish the guilty and protect the innocent.
"But above all, it must be enforceable," stresses de Souza. "This is not going to be just an academic piece of legislation we can put on the shelf."
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Pub waitress forced to entertain customers A poster at a small provision store in China advertising jobs in faraway Singapore altered Li Xiu Ying's (name changed) life forever. On a whim, the impoverished mother of one decided to apply, an act that entangled her in a web of danger and deceit that she is not free of even today—so much so that some family details have been withheld in this story for their protection. What she can reveal is that her husband earns around 20,000 yuan (US$3,222) a year from running a small business. With their young son growing up fast, money had been tight. She had been keen to work in a factory in Singapore as she knew someone who had done so before. But when she met the employment agent who advertised the
jobs, he suggested that she try her luck in Singapore's fast-growing food and beverage sector instead. "I was told to apply for a job at a pub as there were plenty of vacancies," the 33-year-old tells The Straits Times in Mandarin. The job was described as serving food and drinks, and cleaning the pub after hours. Her monthly salary: S$1,000 plus tips. Li had to pay 20,000 yuan in agent's fees and another 5,000 yuan for her flight ticket to Singapore, which she borrowed from friends and relatives. She signed the contract and was soon on a plane to Singapore. However, her workplace proved to be a Chinatown KTV lounge. On her arrival, although it was early evening, her "colleagues" were decked out in garish makeup and sexy short dresses. Li was given a similar dress and told to sing and entertain clients.
She also had to drink with them, straightaway. "I was upset, I had never dressed that way before, but decided not to complain since it was my first day," she says. As she recounts her tale to The Straits Times, the young mother, face scrubbed clear of make-up, and wearing an old black T-shirt and fraying shoes, looks a far cry from the seductress her former job required her to be. On her second day in Singapore, her female boss took out a copy of a new contract written in Chinese for her to sign. The clauses left her horrified and helpless. Li claims she was told that she must be personally responsible for customers spending at least S$5,000 each month at the pub through the sale of drinks, tips from song-and-dance
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shows she did and if, all else failed, by offering paid sex. If she did not meet the quota, she was told she would be fined S$3,000. As she did not have any money to pay, it would just be added to her "debts". She also had to pay her own foreign worker levy and accommodation expenses. The list went on. She says that initially she was not forced to offer sexual services, but as her "debts" increased, the pressure was piled on. Then one night, a month later, her employer told her a client had offered to pay S$2,000 for sex with her. "She said if I did not sleep with this guy, she would send word out to my family in China that I was a prostitute.
Li says she fainted in distress and had to be taken to hospital. A colleague—not her boss— paid for her hospital expenses. She eventually gave in to sleeping with clients in the hope of earning enough to pay back her "debts" and leave. But it was never enough. The second month, she claims, she earned S$8,000 for the boss, but was paid only S$1,500. "That's when I realised that however hard I worked, whatever pain I suffered, they would always keep taking away my earnings from me," she says rapidly, her face contorted with anger. "It was no use." She ran away shortly afterwards, and with the help of
friends was referred to Home, which fights human trafficking. She has been given a job at a kopitiam under the Ministry of Manpower's Temporary Job Scheme. Her employer is being investigated. Meanwhile, Li lives in fear of being accosted by her former bosses. She hopes they will be jailed one day, not just for her own protection, but so that they do not continue to recruit innocent women from overseas. But most of all, she just wants to continue working in Singapore so that she can repay her debts and begin doing what she came here to do in the first place. "All I really want is to work hard and support my family." ¬
LIFE
April 4-10, 2014
LESSONS from the T hunt for MH370
Malaysia must learn from the MH370 tragedy, which has exposed the country’s shortcomings in many ways
M. VEERA PANDIYAN The Star Petaling Jaya
he tragic flight has exposed Malaysia’s shortcomings in many areas, but we have no other choice than to learn from the experience. It is heartrending to watch the scenes of grieving relatives, but we can only imagine the depth of their sorrow after 17 agonising days of holding out hope. As Malaysia Airlines said in its statement to the families of the 239 passengers and crew on board Flight MH370, there are no words that can ease their pain.
Two-thirds of the passengers on board the Beijing-bound flight were Chinese nationals. No thanks to the endless number of theories and rumours about the missing plane, many had been holding on to the belief that their loved ones might be alive somewhere, somehow. However remote it seemed, the probability that the plane might have landed in an isolated place kept their faint hopes aglow. Understandably, tempers flared as the anxiety
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PHOTO BY AFP
MALAYSIA'S MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND ACTING TRANSPORT MINISTER HISHAMMUDDIN HUSSEIN (C) HUGS A RELATIVE OF THE MISSING MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT MH370 DURING HIS VISIT AT A HOTEL IN PUTRAJAYA ON MARCH 29, 2014.
grew over each passing day. Some of the relatives accused MAS and Malaysia of lying and even threatened to go on hunger strike as the multinational search dragged on. But in the back of their minds, the announcement that the Boeing 777-200ER had plunged into the southern Indian Ocean with all lives lost was what they must have been dreading to hear all along. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said “a new analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort” by British satellite firm Inmarsat and the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch had showed that MH370’s last position was in the ocean, west of Perth, Australia.
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The plane had apparently flown along the southern corridor where investigators had tracked it based on the “pings” it sent, hours after it strangely went off the radar on March 8. But until the wreckage is found, we can expect doubts and the seething anger to remain. The grim statement declaring where it crashed won’t be enough to bring any form of closure to the families. A group representing family members of Chinese passengers has already voiced its “strongest protest and condemnation” for the announcement made without “any direct proof ”. As for the search, it has been stymied by gale force winds, heavy rain and high waves making any air and sea lookouts perilous to crew members. In addition to battling nasty weather, it’s also a race against time to find the plane’s “pingers”
or underwater locator beacons. These are attached to the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, the so-called black boxes, which are actually bright orange. The aluminium cylinders emit a sound inaudible to human ears at the rate of one beat per second and have a battery life of about 30 days. The United States’ Navy has despatched a towed pinger locator to the location where satellites have picked up images of partially submerged objects and debris. The stingray-looking device— a metre-long cylindrical microphone attached to a yellow floater with a shark-like fin at the top —is towed up to 6,000m behind a vessel at slow speeds to detect pings from the recorders. An Australian navy support vessel in the area, the Ocean Shield, also has acoustic detection equipment to locate pings.
The past month has been a harrowing time for Malaysia with the country coming under the intense glare of global spotlights. The authorities have been slammed for not acting swiftly on military radar information which showed that MH370 veered off course and turned to the left after disappearing from the commercial aviation radar with its communications systems switched off. The delay in calling off search operations in the South China Sea also came under much censure. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said in a scathing editorial that massive efforts had been squandered and numerous rumours spawned by the absence or lack of timely authoritative information. While the Malaysian government has tried its best to provide information as quickly as possible, it cannot be denied that conflict-
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ing statements and unclear explanations have contributed to what is being seen as a crisis management debacle. To be fair, not many countries have faced what has been dubbed an “unprecedented aviation mystery”. Corroborating all satellite and radar data coming through is no easy task, in addition to coordinating a multinational search effort across huge areas. Much has been made about the plane flying through military radar and that the RMAF was caught napping. We now know that primary radar centres in Malaysia and Thailand did indeed spot the plane heading in the wrong direction. But as Carlyle Thayer of the Australian Defence Force Academy put it, it was not surprising
operators are trained to detect fast-moving fighter aircraft and not civilian planes, which fill the skies at all hours. “Like the September 11 attacks, the MH370 mystery is so outside the box that it defies typical surveillance conventions,” he told Global Post. Ian Storey, a security expert at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies who was also quoted by the paper concurred, saying no one knew the aircraft was headed towards the towers. “And that was in the most technologically powerful country on earth.” In the case of Thailand, the confirmation of military radar data came only after 10 days, while Indonesian Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro claimed that the radar off Aceh did not detect any aircraft.
India, too, officially denied that the plane had flown past its radar in the Andaman and Nicobar islands but two officials told the Asian Wall Street Journal that it was standard procedure to switch off the systems when no threat was perceived. There are lessons for Malaysia to be learnt from this tragedy, which has exposed our shortcomings in many areas. But flight MH370 has also brought about the best of Malaysians in caring and showing support to the families of those who were on board, in spite of efforts by the usual suspects to glean political mileage from it. For now, the authorities need to focus on searching for the wreckage and finding the answers to what happened, who was responsible and why. ¬
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AFP
A MATTER OF TASTE
Visiting foreign leaders and their entourage often opt for China's specialties, rather than their home fare. Consequently, the dinner table has become a platform for connecting with ordinary locals
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Beijing
U
S first lady Michelle Obama's family made headlines when they dined at Da Dong Peking Roast Duck Restaurant when they visited China last month. The first lady had booked a seat but didn't join her mother and daughters at the table. Like all mortals, heads of state, their spouses and other leaders—and their families—of course have to eat during their time in China. And many opt to go local to get a true taste of China. Former first lady Laura Bush, for instance, dined at Tianjin Baijiaoyuan, a specialised jiaozi restau-
NG HAN GUAN/AFP
YE JUN China Daily
US VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN (C) GIVES A THUMBS UP AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT DURING LUNCH IN BEIJING ON AUG 18, 2011.
rant in Beijing's Xidan area on Nov 20, 2005. Jiaozi, or boiled dumplings, are a typical food in China. They were traditionally eaten as a special treat during Spring Festival, China's most important celebration. But they're so frequently consumed now that they've become a common meal. Tianjin Baijiaoyuan is a rather affordable diner, offering both jiaozi and popular home-style fried dishes. The eatery earned a Guinness World Record for producing 229 kinds of jiaozi. Bush planned to spend 40 minutes on the meal but stayed in the restaurant for 70. Her entourage tried jiaozi with more than 10 stuffings, including pork with celery, tomato
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and egg, and mutton with coriander. She told management her favourite was pork with beans. The first lady also ordered fried dishes—mushrooms with soy-marinated pork ribs, quickfried chicken with walnuts and bean paste, and tender corn kernels with pine nuts. Bush relished the meal so much that she visited the restaurant again, during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The restaurant's menu also shows photographs of former US secretary of state Colin Powell, who visited in 2004. Following Bush's visit, the restaurant developed a "Mrs Bush set menu", attracting throngs of new local customers. Visiting foreign leaders are usually officially received at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People or treated to a presidential "home dinner" at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.
State banquets are prepared by some of the country's best chefs. They need to consider not only food quality but also guests' religion, ethnicity, eating habits and, sometimes, health. Chefs deliberate ingredients' health benefits, nutrition and seasonality. Much of the porcelain tableware is specially produced by Jiangxi province's Jingdezhen, which is celebrated for fine porcelain. State banquets usually feature dishes that represent the best of Chinese cuisine. In October 1986, Deng Xiaoping treated Queen Elizabeth II to "Buddha jumps over the wall" soup. The famous Fujian specialty has more than a century of history and contains up to 20 kinds of seafood and poultry, simmered for hours or days. It's said former US presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan loved the soup.
Chinese leaders sometimes introduce their personal favourites at state banquets. Deng is said to have adored cuttlefish-roe soup, a spicy and sour delicacy hailing from traditional Shandong cuisine. As a result, the warming soup became a regular fixture of state banquets. It's commonplace for visiting leaders to try Peking roast duck, Beijing's premium culinary icon. Many dine on duck at Quanjude, an eatery dating to 1864. The walls of Quanjude's Hepingmen branch have many photos of visiting foreign leaders on the restaurant's second to fourth floors. Among them are former US president Richard Nixon and his national security adviser Henry Kissinger. Another restaurant Chinese leaders often invite foreign leaders to is Sichuan Fandian, which serves classic Sichuanese cuisine. Former French president Jacques Chirac's photo is one of
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many leaders' portraits on the restaurants' walls. The president of a nation renowned for its gourmet offerings visited China at least five times—as Paris' mayor, and as the country's prime minister and president—rom 1978-2006. On Oct 25, 2006, Chirac dined at Tiandi (Heaven and Earth) restaurant in Beijing. The restaurant (now closed) on Nanchizi Dajie (Street) was opposite Tai Miao, the Royal Ancestral Temple. Chirac made it a point to eat from communal serving plates per Chinese custom, the restaurant's executive chef Yu Li says. Four Chinese chefs presented six cold dishes, a soup, six hot dishes and three desserts, representing cuisines from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Jiangsu. Chirac started with traditional Beijing dim sum. Then he tried Peking duck, quick-fried king prawns, spicy and sour cuttle-
fish-roe soup with coriander and seasonal stir-fried hairy crab roe with French toast, accompanied by French burgundy. When he visited Sichuan's provincial capital Chengdu in 2004, he had northern Sichuan starch-noodles and dandan noodles for breakfast, both of which are spicy. British Prime Minister David Cameron also chose Sichuan's famous spicy hot pot when he visited Chengdu on Dec 4, 2013. Xiangtianxia hot pot restaurant's sales manager Cao Jing says the prime minister was "very capable of eating spicy foods". He liked the mushroom platter, and ordered two additional plates of coriander meatballs. His table of diners also ordered beef, lamb, bean curd, lotus roots and cabbage for the hot pot, washed down by the restaurant's home-brewed beer. He didn't order the locally popular
beef giblet. But he bought a pack of local green tea. Cameron's table spent 877 yuan (US$141), including 436 yuan on food. That's a relatively cheap meal, considering they also drank beer. US Vice-President Joe Biden was even thriftier. He spent 79 yuan at Yao's Chaogan'er Restaurant near the Drum and Bell towers in August 2011. He ordered pork buns, zhajiang (fried brown-bean sauce) noodles and cucumber salad, and two colas. But he didn't sample the liver stew that is the eatery's signature dish. While Western leaders are treated to refined feasts at state banquets, most otherwise enjoy inexpensive archetypal Chinese dishes. That has been the trend in China, too. Chinese leader Xi Jinping spent 21 yuan on stuffed buns at a Beijing restaurant last December. He also treated visiting Kuomintang honorary chairman
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ANDY WONG/AFP
Lien Chan at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse to a "home banquet" of Shaanxi noodles, flatbread in lamb soup and sliced cake with mashed pork filling on February 18. These are inexpensive but typical Shaanxi foods, suitable because both Lien and Xi are from Shaanxi province. That created a new 58-yuan "presidential set menu" in Shaanxi's capital city Xi'an. Ultimately, the tendency of leaders to opt for relatively ordinary local fare seems to point to a desire—if not a means—to connect with everyday locals. Consequently, the dinner table has become a platform for the world's elite to relate with ordinary folks. ¬
LIFESTYLE
US FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA (C) RECEIVES A TIBETAN SCARF AS SHE AND HER FAMILY ARRIVE AT A TIBETAN RESTAURANT FOR LUNCH IN CHENGDU IN SOUTHWEST CHINA'S SICHUAN PROVINCE ON MARCH 26, 2014.
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LIFESTYLE
Japan's many public holidays MARINE DAY ONLY BECAME A NATIONAL HOLIDAY ON JULY 20, 1996 AFTER SOMEONE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS NO PUBLIC HOLIDAY IN THE WHOLE OF THAT MONTH.
Although Japan is rightly or wrongly known as a nation of workaholics, it in fact has the most number of public holidays among developed countries
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KWAN WENG KIN The Straits Times Tokyo
S
ingapore and Japan both look very Western on the surface, and they share many Asian roots. Yet, the two countries have only one public holiday in common— January 1, or New Year's Day. The rest of Japan's public holidays are nothing like what we have in Singapore and so take some getting used to. For instance, on March 21, the Japanese celebrate Vernal Equinox Day. On this day, the hours of daylight and night are equal, an event used to signify the change of the seasons from Winter to Spring since daylight hours grow longer after this day. Autumnal Equinox Day on September 23 marks a similar change from summer to autumn
THE EMPEROR'S BIRTHDAY IS CELEBRATED ON DECEMBER 23.
with daylight hours becoming shorter after this day. During this time, a period known as Ohigan in Japanese, many people pay visits to their family graves to sweep the gravestones clean and to leave offerings of food or flowers for the deceased.
But how do these two public holidays come to be associated with the Japanese custom of grave visits? The answer lies in developments in Japan after the end of World War II. 3 But during the US-led post-war Occupation of Japan, it was decided to strip these festival days of
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LIFESTYLE
COMING OF AGE DAY: IN JAPAN, YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME ADULTS LEGALLY WHEN THEY REACH THE AGE OF 20, GIVING THEM NOT ONLY THE RIGHT TO VOTE, BUT ALSO THE RIGHT TO SMOKE AND DRINK.
April 4-10, 2014
LIFESTYLE
COMING OF AGE DAY: IN JAPAN, YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME ADULTS LEGALLY WHEN THEY REACH THE AGE OF 20, GIVING THEM NOT ONLY THE RIGHT TO VOTE, BUT ALSO THE RIGHT TO SMOKE AND DRINK.
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their religious trappings and turn them into non-religious public holidays, in line with the separation of state and religion provided in the country's new Constitution. The 1948 law that laid down these public holidays stated they were set aside for the people to “celebrate, give thanks, or to remember, so that they can cultivate beautiful customs, a better society and a richer lifestyle”. Before the War, the two equinoxes in March and September—the actual dates vary every year—were originally set aside for the imperial ceremony of ancestral worship. After the two days were transformed into public holidays after the War, imperial ancestral worship was quietly forgotten. To take another example, Labour Thanksgiving Day on November 23 was originally the Niiname-sai, an ancient Shinto ritual to celebrate the autumn harvest. These days, Labour Thanksgiving Day commemorates labour and production.
The Niiname-sai, a ritual shrouded in mystery, is however said to be still conducted annually today in a shrine behind the secrecy of palace walls and presided over by none other than the Emperor himself. Meanwhile, Marine Day in July has rather dubious claims to being a national holiday. It was first designated in 1941 to commemorate the Meiji Emperor's 1876 voyage in an iron steamship named after him. Marine Day only became a national holiday on July 20, 1996 after someone pointed out that there was no public holiday in the whole of that month. The Japanese, however, do not regard public holidays as sacred and immovable. To create more three-day weekends and help boost the economy under what was called the "Happy Monday" policy, four public holidays were uprooted and moved to Mondays.
Marine Day, for instance, now falls on the third Monday of July, while Respect for the Aged Day, which was started on Sept 15, 1966 to honour Japan's senior citizens, now falls on the third Monday of September. Even Sports Day, which originally marked the day of the opening ceremony of the 1964 Summer Olympics hosted by Tokyo, was moved to the second Monday of October. The fourth and last public holiday to be similarly moved is Coming of Age Day, which now falls on the second Monday in January. In Western societies, private celebrations are common when a person reaches adulthood, usually at the age of 21. In Japan, young people become adults legally when they reach the age of 20, giving them not only the right to vote, but also the right to smoke and drink. Celebrating the coming of age of an entire cohort on a national basis demonstrates the impor-
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tance that the Japanese place on their younger generation. This holiday was started in 1948 to remind young people of their responsibilities in rebuilding the nation which was then in ruins after the war. It was a time when resources were scarce, most of all, human resources. The coming-of-age ritual in Japan, however, goes back some centuries. In some parts of Japan in ancient times, a young person who showed himself capable of chopping 60 kilograms of firewood a day and then walking 12 kilometres to hawk his wares was considered an adult.
Although Japan is rightly or wrongly known as a nation of workaholics, it in fact has the most number of public holidays—15— among developed countries. This is a godsend for the Japanese as the work culture here is such that most of them find it impossible to consume their full entitlement of paid leave every year. To partly make up for that, many Japanese workers are able to enjoy ungazetted holidays every year, typically a week or so in mid-August during the so-called Obon holiday, and the year-end New Year break that stretches from December 28 to around January 3. ¬
JAPANESE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS FOR 2014 January 1 - New Year's Day January 13 - Coming of Age Day February 11 - National Foundation Day March 21 - Vernal Equinox Day April 29 - Showa no Hi May 3 - Constitution Memorial Day May 4 - Greenery Day May 5 - Children's Day May 6 - Substitute holiday for Greenery Day July 21 - Day of the Sea September 15 - Respect for the Aged Day September 23 - Autumnal Equinox Day October 13 - Sports Day November 3 - Culture Day November 23 - Labour Thanksgiving Day November 24 - Substitute holiday December 23 - Birthday of the Emperor
April 4-10, 2014
ENTERTAINMENT
South Korea’s first ‘idol band’ marks six years in the tough world of Kpop
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FOUR ONE ONE ENTERTAINMENT CO. LTD.
No band is an island
ENTERTAINMENT
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YASMINKA LEE Asia News Network Bangkok
A
3,500-full concert hall in Bangkok broke into the Korean version of “Happy Birthday” toward the end of the March 29 concert of rock band FTISLAND. A birthday cake was brought out with the mini figures of the five members who led in singing the song to celebrate six years in the industry since their debut. Bangkok was the last leg in the FTISLAND Sixth Anniversary Concert (FTHX) tour and fans came wearing their club’s official colour of yellow. The Thai capital is significant to the band because it was where they held
their first overseas performance on April 12, 2008, in Siam Paragon. Six years later, they returned to a bigger venue with a firmer footing in the Korean entertainment scene that is crowded with idols packaged to entertain the public with song and dance routines. "It's definitely not easy debuting at a young age and being the first idol band in Korea. Many had wondered how long FTISLAND can last in the industry despite their acknowledgement that we were really good at playing instruments," the band vocalist Lee Hong Ki said in an earlier interview.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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ENTERTAINMENT
VOCALIST LEE HONG KI
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LEADER AND GUITARIST/KEYBOARDIST CHOI JONG HOON
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ENTERTAINMENT
DRUMMER CHOI MIN HWAN
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ENTERTAINMENT
VOCALIST LEE HONG KI AND BASSIST LEE JAE JIN
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GUITARIST SONG SEUNG HYUN
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Indeed, the band—composed of Hong Ki, leader and guitarist-keyboardist Choi Jong Hoon, bassist Lee Jae Jin, guitarist Song Seung Hyun and drummer Choi Min Hwan—has every reason to celebrate for having lasted six years and counting in the face of fickle fans and stiff competition from idols with their poppy songs and uniform clothes. They belong to that generation of young, good-looking artists who play musical instruments and compose their own music in the real sense of the word “band”. But while they may have the face of an “idol”, their music and rocker attitude certainly set them apart. Hong Ki and Jong Hoon came out onstage at BITEC Hall in northeast Bangkok wearing shorts and looking like they were in for a jamming session in someone’s
garage. The Bangkok weather must have been too hot for the Koreans but jam they did with their fans, with Hong Ki working out a sweat by running around the stage and constantly asking the audience if they were okay and enjoying themselves. During the concert, they sang three of their songs from the sixth anniversary mini album “Thanks To”: “Memory”, “Falling Star” and “Always With You”. The album, released in September last year, was the band’s gift to their fans to express their gratitude over the support in the past six years. These songs, together with “Try Again” were composed by the members, showcasing their growth and maturity in the music
industry. It was also the first time that the band released an album filled with their self-composed songs. Hongki, with his powerful vocals, kept the audience on its feet for the most part of the twohour concert. There were times he even had to ask the fans to sit down, leading them in a fun routine of “shooting up“ on their feet together with the confetti. The other members also had a chance to showcase their vocals in “I Confess” while Jonghoon played the piano for crowd favourites “Madly” and “Severely”. They ended the concert with their debut song, “Love Sick”, showing how far they have come from the teenagers who debuted and
became Korea’s “first idol band” paving the way for others to follow suit including their labelmates CNBlue and N.Flying. The band returned for two encores, “I Wish” and “I Hope”, with Hong Ki expressing the band’s gratitude to the fans who filled up BITEC Hall and promising to return on a bigger stage that would allow them to be “closer” to the audience. And typical of the SNS generation, Hong Ki took a photo of the audience and uploaded it on his Instagram and Twitter accounts. He also coined a new term in thanking the audience with “khop khun imnida”, a combination of the Thai phrase for “thank you” and the Korean honorific. FTHX was brought to Bangkok by Four One One Entertainment Co. Ltd. ¬
CULTURE
April 4-10, 2014
A DYING BREED The tradition of female divers on Jeju Island goes back many centuries but there are just a few that remains
April 4-10, 2014
KIM HOO-RAN The Korea Herald Jeju
O
n a windy Tuesday morning, two elderly women are selling fresh abalone, conch, sea cucumber and sea squirt in plastic basins filled with seawater in front of the Haenyeo House on Saekdal Beach in Jungmun, southern Jejudo Island. A small plate of assorted seafood, cut up fresh to order, costs 20,000 won (US$19). The women are female divers, known as haenyeo or jamsu, selling their catch. “Right now is not a diving period. I will go into the water in a couple of days,” says one of the divers, who wished
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to be identified only as Kim. It is early spring and the water is still cold, but no matter, she says. At 75, she still dives a couple of hours at a time in the colder months and five to six hours in the summer, she boasts. A Jeju native, she cannot remember when she actually learned to dive. “I live by the sea. It was only natural to play in the water as a youngster and by the time I was in my early teens, I was doing ‘muljil,’” she explains. “Muljil” refers to diving and harvesting various marine products. “I know the landscape under the water like the palm of my hand. I know where to catch what. It is all in my mind’s eye,” she says. Kim is one of 5,380 haenyeo on Jeju Island, of
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April 4-10, 2014
whom about 4,500 are active as of the end of 2013. Records show that the tradition of women divers on Jeju Island goes back many centuries. In a book on Jeju topography written in 1629, Joseon-period scholar Lee Geon noted that haenyeo harvested abalones, while a map of Jeju Island from 1702 depicts haenyeo diving in the water. During the Joseon period, the job of haenyeo was to harvest seaweed and abalone for the royal court in Hanyang, today’s Seoul. With the tradition of haenyeo at risk of dying out as the divers age—the average age of 102 haenyeo who participated in a 2013 study of their life history was 77, the oldest being 97—and few young people taking up the physically taxing and dangerous work, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is seeking a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity listing for haenyeo. If haenyeo are listed next year, they will join 16 other intangible cultural heritage entries from Korea—including the Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut, a ritual held to pray for calm seas, an abundant harvest and sea catch—that are already inscribed.
Spirit of community
To become a haenyeo, one must join a fishing village cooperative of the village where one lives. Joining a fishing village cooperative requires the agreement of the members and a one-time payment of one million won to join the Fisheries Cooperative. While it is difficult for an outsider to join a fishing village, members often pass on their diving rights to their daughters and daughters-in-law. “Personal relationships are most important as muljil puts
your life in danger. It is inevitable that a sort of cartel is formed,” explained Kang Kwon-young, curator at Haenyeo Museum in Jeju. Communal spirit is at the core of haenyeo culture as the divers are partners in ensuring each other’s safety, yet competing for harvest. An Mi-jeong, an anthropologist specialising in marine cultures at the Institute of International Maritime Affairs in Busan, lived in the northeastern coastal village of Gimmyeongni from April 2005 to March 2006 as part of her fieldwork on haenyeo. In “The Maritime Garden of Jeju Woman Divers”, published in 2008, she relates an incident where she was publicly scolded for not following directions. “I was recognised as a member and Sukhi (a haenyeo) was stopping me from moving in a direction where I may have been swept away by a strong current,” she writes.
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April 4-10, 2014
“There is no muljil without a friend,” goes an old haenyeo saying.
Conservator of marine ecology
Haenyeo are allowed to harvest only within the waters marked as belonging to the fishing village cooperative of which they are members. While customary boundaries traditionally had been observed, official boundaries for the fishing village cooperatives were drawn up in 1975. Competition among haenyeo could be fierce under such a system, but the women seek equitable distribution of their harvest, giving away part of their catch to a diver who has a poor catch. Such favours are always returned by the recipient. While the divers make their living by picking marine products, they also play an active role
in conserving the ecology of the sea. To guard against depleting the sea of marine life, restrictions are enforced during the spawning season. For example, a ban on catching conch, the most picked marine product, is in place from June to September. In the summer months when a diving ban is in place, the women divers turn their attention to the land, tending to their fields. Old black-and-white photographs of haenyeo from before the 1970s show tanned haenyeo wearing white cotton garments. Today, haenyeo wear rubber suits which were introduced in the 1970s after a group went to Japan to dive with "ama", Japan’s divers, on a cultural exchange programme. The rubber suits allow the divers to stay in the water for five to seven hours. Each dive lasts one to two minutes where haenyeo use a number of tools to pick ma-
rine products. When divers surface, they take a cleansing breath with a whistling sound called “sumbi” and the catch is placed in a net attached to a “tewak", or buoy. Leaning on tewak, haenyeo take a short break, before diving back into the water. “It used to be such a spectacular sight to see a huge group haenyeo all jump into the water as the diving ban was lifted. This is no more,” recalled Paek Unchol, a Jeju native in charge of developing Jeju Stone Park.
Haenyeo culture
Haenyeo have only been seen as workers and the study of haenyeo culture is a recent development. Today, academics view haeneyo in an entirely new perspective. “The value of haenyeo lies in the fact that they preserve the
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April 4-10, 2014
marine ecology and are keepers of folk knowledge. They are a living cultural legacy that is worth preserving,” said Choa Hae-kyung, a haenyeo specialist at Jeju Development Institute’s Jeju Studies Research Center. “They also sustain the folkloric beliefs with their rituals and folk music of Jeju is preserved by haenyeo who still sing the old haenyeo songs,” she added. Haenyeo are disappearing at an alarming rate. “Two hundred to 300 women retire every year, and in 10-20 years, the number of haenyeo will be drastically reduced,” said Choa. With time quickly running out, much study still needs to be done on haenyeo and their unique culture. Among them are bio-physiological studies of
haenyeo, said Haenyeo Museum’s Kang. “This is an urgent issue. Haenyeo are getting old and we need to do research on their physiological traits, such as their lung capacity, their agility,” he said. “The Unesco listing can be a catalyst for more research,” he added. Choa hopes that a Unesco listing will lead to more women becoming haenyeo. “There is hope that a designation as a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage will help preserve haenyeo culture. What is important, however, is not the Unesco listing itself but the creation of an environment where young haenyeo will emerge,” said Choa. “The Unesco listing may change the perception of the
future generations and lead to its preservation as a living tradition,” she added. Because of the difficult nature of their work, most haenyeo harbour shame, considering muljil as a lowly job. Back on the beach, Kim is upset with a group of middle-aged women who have asked for a generous serving. “No way. I put my life at risk every time I go into the water. The money I earn comes at the expense of my life. I never give customers extra,” she says. Does she have daughters or daughters-in-law who are divers? “No! Why would I teach them something as dangerous and difficult as muljil? It is enough that I do it!” she says as she walks off abruptly. ¬
April 4-10, 2014
CULTURE TRAVEL
Ubud
Exploring Bali’s real rainforest Mount Batukaru is is the second highest peak in Bali, yet it is not as popular to the climbers as the other mountains in Bali are
PHOTO COURTESY OF WAKA LAND CRUISE
ELECTRA GILLIES, CONTRIBUTOR The Jakarta Post
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April 4-10, 2014
and verdant interior of the forest for a few days. Batukaru forest is protected as it is home to a myriad of species. It is a primary forest that has evolved from the unique microclimate of fertile volcanic soil from the now-extinct Mt. Batukaru, along with a high level of rainfall and an elevated altitude that means the forest has flourished. It is home to a wide array of flora and fauna, including the Balinese luwak—a member of the mongoose genus, which is more popular in Sumatra for kopi luwak (civet coffee), also known as “cat poo” coffee, as the animal ingests the coffee beans before passing them out, after which the beans are roasted.
PHOTO BY ELECTRA GILLIES
T
he forests covering Bali, though often referred to as ‘rainforests,’ are actually lowland monsoonal forests. However, in the central area of Bali lies the island's true rainforest, the Batukaru forest, a peaceful and mystical place waiting to be explored. In the middle lies the majestic Agung Batukaru volcano, known as Mount Batukaru. It is the second highest peak in Bali, yet Mount Batukaru is a little less popular with climbers than the other mountains, as you have to pass through the dense and mysterious forest to get there. For those who are not into mountain climbing, they can explore the lush
JATILUWIH RICE FIELD: THE DRIVE TO BATUKARU WILL PASS THE UNESCO HERITAGE JATULIWIH RICE FIELD.
April 4-10, 2014
In spite of this, or precisely because of it, kopi luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world. The forest is also home to plenty of huge trees, including mahogany, cacao trees, vanilla, coffee and some primeval looking palm ferns. This type of forest is similar to Java and the islands west of Indonesia, like Kalimantan and Sumatra. It is an ideal place to explore for those who like a tropical rainforest experience but do not have the time to travel beyond Bali. Anyone with moderate fitness level can explore the low-lying areas; a normal trek through the forest will take around three hours. At the other end of the scale, visitors can try a strenuous climb to the top of Mt. Batukaru and experience sweeping views across Bali. An early start before an entire day’s hiking is required to reach the summit and return. Amid the forest also lies Pura Batukaru, a Hindu temple of some significance, being one of Bali’s directional temples. It has a seven-tiered meru, or thatched temple roof, signifying its importance, with twelve being the highest number of
PHOTO COURTESY OF WAKA LAND CRUISE
WAKA LAND CRUISE: THIS TOUR IS A COMFORTABLE AND INTIMATE WAY TO EXPERIENCE NOT ONLY THE BATUKARU AREA BUT ALSO A DRIVE THROUGH THE RICE TERRACES AND SCENERY OF RURAL BALI AND EXPERIENCE THE STUNNING COUNTRYSIDE.
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April 4-10, 2014
plethora of bird, butterflies and other forest inhabitants. It is a worthy project that not only supports local environmental conservation efforts but also the community projects in nearby villages. The guides can take you on cultural tours to the temple or up to the summit of the volcano. If experiencing the rainforest with a little more luxury sounds more appealing, then the Waka Land Cruise experience will take you through the Unesco World Heritage site of the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces to the heart of the Batukaru Forest for a trek, temple visit and a traditional lunch in its restaurant. This tour is a comfortable and intimate way to experience not only the Batukaru area but also a drive through the rice terraces and scenery of rural Bali and experience the stunning countryside. Prices start from $35 per person for the tours. If you are on honeymoon or you just feel like you need a little privacy, the tours can be tailor-fitted to suit your requirements.
PHOTO BY ELECTRA GILLIES
tiers possible. It is a sacred mountain sanctuary and royal temple of the Tabanan dynasty that was established in the 11th century by Empu Kuturan, a great Hindu Sage who established six main temples on the island of Bali. The temple can be reached by road or, the more magical way, trekking through the rice fields. Experienced guides from the area can be found or, if one would opt to support an ecotourism initiative, a guide from the Sarinbuana Trekking Guides Association (STGA) can be tapped. Sarinbuana Eco Lodge, which set up the guides association, is a good option if you plan to stay the night. By taking a trek, you also support the local community, which encourages ecotourism, rather than the exploitation of the ecosystem, as a form of livelihood. A trek costs a donation of only US$25. The guides are knowledgeable about their local landscape and will show you cacao, coffee and vanilla growing wild as well as a
PALM FERN: THE FOREST IS ALSO HOME TO PLENTY OF HUGE TREES, INCLUDING MAHOGANY, CACAO TREES, VANILLA, COFFEE AND SOME PRIMEVAL LOOKING PALM FERNS.
This is an area that is still very much overlooked on the main tours of the island and, therefore, one can enjoy the place without the usual crowd of the other tourist destinations in Bali. It is a haven for birdwatchers during the day, and at night, one can see the stars shine brighter than anywhere else in Bali. It is therefore important to protect this area, as well as to support it financially by visiting, so the benefits of nature tourism can be fully realised. ÂŹ
April 4-10, 2014
¬ Japan 2PM’s Junho to hold second solo tour in Japan Korean boy band 2PM’s Junho is scheduled to hold his second solo tour in Japan in early July. The idol released his first solo album titled “Kimi No Koe” in Japan last year. He also held his solo tour, “JUNHO 1ST Solo Tour Kimi No Koe”, in Sapporo, Fukuoka, Namba and Tokyo.
When/Where: July 3-4/Zepp Sapporo July 14-15/Fukuoka Sun Palace July 17-18/Nagoya Congress Center Century Hall July 24-25/Osaka International Convention Center July 21-August 1/Tokyo International Forum Hall A August 12-13/Tokyo Nippon Budokan
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April 4-10, 2014
ÂŹ Seoul
Brian Mcknight, K.Will joint concert
Brian Mcknight, the R&B singer songwriter from the United States, is holding an R&B concert with singer K.WIll in Seoul. Mcknight, who debuted with his first self-titled album in 1991, is now recording a sale of 20 million copies of his album in the world. Performance producing company EWW says K. Will, who will be performing with him, thinks of Mcknight as his mentor. "Two people who are well known for their singing abilities, will show fantastic teamwork," says EWW.
When: May 11; 6pm Where: Jamsil Indoor Stadium Info: www.hancinema.net
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April 4-10, 2014
ÂŹ Kuala Lumpur
UB40 Live
UB40 is coming to Malaysia with its reggae beat. During its three-decade long career, the band has performed sell-out shows worldwide, headlining the Reggae Sunsplash music festival in Jamaica, as well as spreading reggae to Russia, South America and Europe. Three UK Number One Hits and 5 US Top 10 hits speak for itself as Ali Campbell and company have stamped their mark as the favourite reggae contemporary band in Asia and worldwide.
When: April 9; 8pm Where: KL Live 20 Jalan Sultan Ismail 50250Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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April 4-10, 2014
ÂŹ Manila
The Dangerous Tour: Before You Exit Live in Manila 2014
Ovation Productions and Music Management International are bringing back to Manila American pop rock band Before You Exit for a one-night-only concert .
When: May 17; 8pm Where: Samsung Hall, SM Aura Premier, Taguig City Info: www.smtickets.com.
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April 4-10, 2014
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April 4-10, 2014
DATEBOOK
¬ Singapore
A. R. Rahman Infinite Love Live in Concert
Brought to Singapore by DML Live, the A. R. Rahman Infinite Love concert would provide a grand stage to the musical genius featuring mesmerizing lights and stage effects. It is set to be an experience to remember! Over the last two decades, A. R. Rahman has scored some of the most outstanding music for Indian and International movies such as Slumdog Millionare, 127 Hours, Roja, Taal, Sivaji, Rockstar, Ghajini and Raanjhanaa, enchanting millions worldwide. When: April 30; 7:30–10pm Where: Gardens By The Bay - The Meadow 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore
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ASIAN CITY GUIDE Asia News Network
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A guide to leading cities in Asia
THIS WEEK IN
BEIJING BANGKOK MANILA HONG KOKG SEOUL TOKYO SAPPORO TAIPEI SHANGHAI
TOKYO
HIGHLIGHTS
What's on
Shopping
Eateries
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ASIAN CITY GUIDE
What’s on
¬ Setsubun
¬ Design Festa
Where: In various temples What: Setsubun in Japan is the day before the beginning of spring in February. It is celebrated yearly on February 3. It is a special ritual to ward off evil and disease-bringing spirits. A ritual called mamemaki (bean throwing) is carried out in various temples.
Where: Tokyo Big Sight What: Design Festa is a heavyweight art event in Asia. The two-day programme brings in more than 2,700 exhibitors. It creates an artistic chaos that fascinates some 50,000 visitors. Exhibits include theatrical arts, fashion shows, impromptu performances, and much more as long as they are original. It is a biannual event held on May and November. Visit www.designfesta.com for more.
¬ The Festival of Broken Needles Where: All the temples and sanctuaries What: According to the tradition, women would take a break from their daily work as dressmakers on Hari-kuyo (February 8) and show their gratitude and respect to their broken and rusty pins by sticking them in a cake.
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ASIAN CITY GUIDE
What’s on
¬ Cycling around Tokyo
¬ Takigi Noh Where: In various temples and shrines between April and October What: Noh is a traditional theatrical art often performed outdoor with illumination by burning torches. It is also called Takigi Noh. It was considered a sacred ceremony in the old days and therefore usually performed in shrines. Different shrines have different performance times. Meijojingu, Kichi Gesoji and Shinjuku are the usual spots within the city limits.
Where: 1-3-2, Shinkawa, Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture What: Enjoy Tokyo in a fascinating way. Bike tours organised by Tokyo Great Cycling Tour will take you to various sightseeing spots with experienced guides who speak fluent English. There are several routes to choose from. One of them will take you to Tsukuda-Jima (the old fishermen's island), Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo Tower and the Imperial Palace.
ASIAN CITY GUIDE
TOKYO
What’s on
¬ Enjoy a prominent view of Mount Fuji
¬ Visiting the Nezu Museum Where: 6-5-1 Minamiaoyama, Minato, Tokyo Prefecture What: The mere garden of the Nezu Museum may well overshadow other museums in Tokyo. Designed in a traditional style, the spacious garden offers the visitors an aura of relaxation with several tea houses by the pond. The owner, Nezu Kaichiro, was an enthusiastic tea practitioner. The museum, showcasing over 7,400 exhibits, specialises in Japanese and other Asian pre-modern arts. It is also famous for preserving a wide range of Chinese ancient bronzes. Admission fee is 1,000 yen.
Where: Mount Fuji What: The perfect way to view the perfectly shaped volcano is to take a train along the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Osaka. You can probably enjoy the best view around Shin-Fuji Station on the right hand side of the train. You can obtain a clearer view of Mount Fuji if you view it during early morning and late afternoon, and during winter seasons. Those are the times when visibility tends to be better.
ASIAN CITY GUIDE
What’s on
TOKYO
ASIAN CITY GUIDE
What’s on
TOKYO
ASIAN CITY GUIDE
TOKYO
What’s on
¬ Boys’ and Girls’ Day Where: Anywhere in Japan What: On the third day of the third month of the year, Japanese celebrate Girls’ Day (Hina Matsuri). Homes and public spaces are decorated with traditional dolls to pray for the happiness and health of girls. There is also a Boys’ Day (Otoko No Hi) on May 5 for the same purpose when people display banners or other things as a symbol of strength and other masculine virtues.
¬ Yebisu Beer Museum Where: Sapporo Beer Headquarters B1, Ebisu Garden Place, Ebisu 4-20-1, Shibuya What: The beer museum, which opens for free since 2010, pays homage to Yebisu Beer—one of Japan’s favourite brews. It’s dedicated to the brand’s history and products through the ages. Join a tour for a free tasting session!
¬ Haunted Tokyo Tour Where: Backstreets, little known places in Tokyo What: The Haunted Tokyo Tours, guided by experienced, Englishspeaking tour leaders, offer walking tours that take you through some of the most mysterious and historic areas around town you don’t find in a guide book. A two- to three-hour tour costs around 3,000 yen per person.
ASIAN CITY GUIDE
What’s on
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ASIAN CITY GUIDE
What’s on
TOKYO
TOKYO
ASIAN CITY GUIDE
Shopping
¬ Ginza Known as Tokyo’s upmarket shopping heaven, Ginza features high-end department stores, art galleries and designer brand stores. Almost every leading Japanese and international fashion and cosmetics brand has a presence here, as well as electronics big daddies such as Sony and Apple. The main boulevard is closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays.
¬ Shibuya Lively, fun and vibrant, Shibuya, birthplace of many of Japan’s youth fashion trends, is a shopping and dining area popular among young Tokyoites. It’s newer and cleaner than its rival Shinjuku. Along with its department stories, the area is known for its love hotel hill and Olympic gymnasium.
Address: Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
Address: Ginza, Chuo-ku
ASIAN CITY GUIDE
Shopping
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Shopping
¬ Shinjuku Located at the city’s beating heart, Shinjuku is your classic snapshot of modern Tokyo: Skyscrapers, malls and neon lights. It’s a major business, transport and shopping hub with a handful of major department stores, Japan’s largest electronics outlets and underground shopping arcades. Believe it or not, an estimated two million people pass through Shinjuku station every day! Address: Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
¬ Jimbocho
¬ Akihabara
A must-go for bookworms. Home to major universities, including Nihon, Senshu and Meiji, the college town itself is the largest book town in Japan with a cluster of over 160 publishers and second-hand bookstores selling novels to rare comics. You will also find plenty of curios here, from antiques to old ukiyoe—a kind of Japanese woodblock print.
Home to Japanese “otaku” nerd culture, Akihabara is essentially Tokyo’s electric town and gamers’ Mecca. You will find a wide range of cool electronic gadgets there: Computers, cameras and home appliances as well as a great collection of cartoon manga and figures. For a break, enjoy a cup of coffee in any one of Akihabara’s maid cafes, where waitresses dress up like anime characters.
Address: Kanda Jimbo-cho, Chiyoda-ku
Address: Soto-Kanda,Chiyoda-Ku
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Shopping
¬ Daikanyama
¬ Ochanomizu
Well-known as a shopping hot spot for dainty young women, the hip neighbourhood is home to a myriad of unique fashionable boutiques and sidewalk cafes. Designer outlets ranging from Paul Smith, Vivienne Tam and Martin Margiela can be found alongside vintage fashion stores converted out of old houses by local designers.
If you’re looking for quirky musical souvenirs, music CDs or rare vintage instruments from guitars to synthesizers, it’s well worth a visit to this musicians’ paradise, just a short train ride from central Tokyo. The Meida Dori Avenue has more than 10 music stores, with most of them boasting three floors.
Address: 17-6, Daikanyama-cho, Shibuya-ku
¬ 100 yen shops Dotted around train stations and popular shopping districts, these shops are almost ubiquitous. They stock a range of products for just 105 yen (with tax): Tableware teapots, stationary sets and even Hello Kitty toys! Tokyo’s largest 100 yen shop is Daiso Harajuku, just a few steps away from Harajuku Station. A great place for cheap souvenirs.
Address: Village107, 1-19-24 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku
Address: Ohtsuka, Bunkyo-ku
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Shopping
¬ Odaiba Built on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay and linked by monorail to the mainland, the new Tokyo shopping district features space-age buildings and three hyper-modern shopping malls, including Aqua City, Tokyo Decks and Venus Fort—all within walking distance of each other. It’s also home to the world’s largest Ferris wheel, making it an ideal dating spot.
Address: Daiba, Minato-ku
¬ Tokyo Solamachi Opened since May 2012, the brand new megamall is the largest shopping and dining complex at the base of Tokyo Skytree, the world’s highest free-standing broadcast tower at 634 metres. It features more than 300 unique restaurants and specialty shops selling salt, traditional crafts and snacks.
Address: 1-33-12 Mukojima, Sumida-ku
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ASIAN CITY GUIDE
Eateries
ÂŹ Sushi and Sashimi If you decide that you are going to splurge on only one Tokyo sushi restaurant, then make it this one. The sushi parlor is famous for its incomparable quality and attendant celebrities. And it often makes newspaper headlines. In 2009 this restaurant bought at an auction half of a single bluefin tuna at a staggering price: 9.63 million yen!
Recommended Restaurant: Kyubey Address: 8-7-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku Telephone: 03-3571-6523
ÂŹ Noodles Noodles are indispensable for Tokyoites. Noodle restaurants are of vast variety in Tokyo, ranging from tachikui (stand-and-eat) noodle bars near train stations to highly refined restaurants. Honmura-an is one of the most famous ramen shops with the soba made by veteran chefs by hand. Served with a piece of tempura, the delicately flavoured noodles always attract crowds of foodies.
Recommended Restaurant: Honmura-an Address: 7-14-18 Roppongi, Minato-ku Telephone: 03-5572-6657
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Eateries
¬ Shabu-shabu
¬ Curry Rice Japanese curry has been adapted to local taste and has become a part of the Japanese culture. It would be unwise to omit curry if you are to visit Tokyo. Manten gains its edge by offering its customers curry of incomparable quality at affordable prices. A plate of curry rice with pork is served at only 600 yen.
Recommended Restaurant: Manten Address: 1-54 Kanda, Jinbo-cho Telephone: 03-3291-3274
A Japanese variant of hot-pot. The name is from the “swish-swish” sound produced as you broth meat in a boiling pot. You would be served with thin slices of beef and vegetables. Before you eat, dip them into the special sesame sauce that is usually provided.
¬ Fugu Fugu is a Japanese blowfish, famous for its fine texture and incomparable umami. Fugu is prepared only by licensed chefs since its internal organs are extremely poisonous, but that never keeps its fans from consuming it. While having a plate of fugu, not only will you enjoy its scrumptious taste, you will also be amazed by the art of the arrangement of the fugu pieces on the plate. Tsukiji Yamamoto
Recommended Restaurant: Shabu Zen Address: 3-16-3 Roppongi, Minato-ku (located at basement floor) Telephone: 03-3585-5600
obtained two stars in the Michelin Guide in 2010, and opens only from October to March.
Recommended Restaurant: Tsukiji Yamamoto Address: 2-15-4, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku Telephone: 03-3541-7730
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ASIAN CITY GUIDE
Eateries
¬ Wagyu
¬ Tempura Tempura is served in many Japanese restaurants, but it would be worth paying a visit to a tempura specialty restaurant to appreciate this traditional delicacy. Ten-ichi has gained its reputation for non-greasy tempura since its establishment in 1930. Although the food on the menu may sound pricey as a single piece a tempura prawn can cost you 1000 yen, the shop has gained loyalty from customers. Recommended Restaurant: Ten-ichi Address: 6-6-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku Telephone: 03-3571-1949
Once you’ve tried wagyu, other kinds of steak are just overshadowed. The white veins of fat on the meat may scare off some folks, but when compared to typical beef, wagyu has more omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, which maintain better cardiovascular health. You may need to splurge for a piece of good-quality wagyu, but it is definitely worth the money. Recommended Restaurant: Ginza Yoshizawa Address: 3-9-19, Ginza, Chuo-ku (
Telephone: 03-3542-2981
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Eateries
¬ Takoyaki ¬ Snacks There is no lack of sweets in Japan. Traditionally people take wagashi with tea in order to neutralise the natural bitter taste of tea. You can also find a variety wagashi in Japanese restaurants or some specialty outlets. Wagashi is often given as gifts among Japanese. Plus you may be surprised by the variety of confectionery that you can find in Japan, and it’s impossible to list all the names. Sweet shops are all around in Tokyo and they all display attractively to tempt hungry shoppers.
Recommended Restaurant: Kotobukido Address: 2-1-4 Nihonbashi Ningyocho, Chuo Ward Telephone: 0120-48-0400
Its name literally means fried or grilled octopus, but it is not sufficient to describe the Japanese all-time favourite snack. Typically filled with minced octopus, pickled ginger and scallions, the globe of dough is finished with a crispy exterior and served with a specific sweet sauce.
Recommended Restaurant: Gindaco Address: Various locations, including 3-24-3 Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku Telephone: 03-3353-7838
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ASIAN CITY GUIDE
Eateries
ÂŹ Kaiseki Kaiseki is one of the most delicate Japanese cuisines where ingredients, preparation, setting and presentation come together to create a delectable dining experience that is quite different from other types. With all these combined you would usually end up with an astronomical bill if you head for an especially fine restaurant. There are more affordable choices as well and it would typically cost you 8,000 yen per head.
Recommended restaurant: Maru ( Address: Aoyama KT Building B1F, 5-50-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku ( Telephone: 03-6418-5572
) )
ASIAN CITY GUIDE
Eateries
TOKYO