JQR vol.18 January, 2013

FREE

01 2013 JAN vol. 18

JQR TOP I N TERVIEW

Interview with Stephen Cox, Managing Director of Havas Worldwide Japan

［FEATURE］

Keeping the City Clean QUALITY REVIEW

Toyo Suisan’s Maruchan Seimen Panasonic GOPAN YOSHIDA SHOTEN is one of the last rare makers

匠 of the world-appraised wooden bathtubs

Hinoki-Buro : Ancestral workmanship brought to perfection along the years

eng.jqrmag.com

January 2013 (published on December 25, 2012) COVER

Photography/Satoru Naito

C O N T E N T S 05 Japan Undercover Hiroyuki Abe 07 Other Eyes and Ears HAMAJI Michio 10

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean ● The Road to Meiji Jingu ● Subway Stations ● ROADS ● The Association that changed the face of the bowl! ● Commuter Trains ● Taxi ● On Board the Shinkansen

36

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QUALITY REVIEW

Toyo Suisan’s Maruchan Seimen Panasonic GOPAN 匠

YOSHIDA SHOTEN is one of the last rare makers of the world-appraised wooden bathtubs

Hinoki-Buro : Ancestral workmanship brought to perfection along the years ● YOSHIDA SHOTEN

44

49

JQR TOP INTERVIEW

Interview with Stephen Cox, Managing Director of Havas Worldwide Japan Ichigo-ichie—one word, one picture—a moment with Yasuko Senshu

51 Travels Down From the Ridge Bruce Huebner（Shakuhachi）

53 The Shirano Theater

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jun Shinozuka Editors

Jun Nakaki Christine Lavoie-Gagnon Dai Furusawa Michael Konin Kato Lyu nari

Designer

Wakako Kawasaki

Translation

Manabiya Inc.

JQR editorial department

2-1-14 Sarugakucho, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 101-0064 03-3518-2270 JQR advertising department

2-1-14 Sarugakucho, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 101-0064 03-3518-4488

HIROYUKI ABE News Analyst Fuji Television

An inside look at what makes Japan tick

Japan Undercover

vol. 1

vol.3

Meet the New JAPAN 2013 Japan’s aspirations of becoming a

Kansai (the greater Osaka-Kyoto-

In contrast, private initiatives are

major travel destination have been

Kobe area) and the Tokyo area.

proving far more successful than the

put on ice. The number of tourists

3) Over 100 original approved tours

Agency’s efforts. An integrated

visiting Japan from China and South

are offered in collaboration with

Japan tourism web site for foreign

Korea has drastically dropped due

local travel agencies.

travelers, called "japan-guide.com",

to territorial disputes with these

The campaign is being held in

receives six million hits per month.

countries. In fiscal 2010, 8.61

Kansai from December 1 through

It is assisting the recovery efforts in

million people visited Japan. In the

February 28, and between February

areas affected by the Great East

aftermath of the Great East Japan

1 and March 31 in the Tokyo area.

Japan Earthquake by listing tourist

Earthquake, the number is estimated

All foreign tourists need to do is

information for the region.

to have plunged to 6.22 million in

show their passport to receive the

The Hokuriku Shinkansen line will

fiscal 2011. Many predict that the

various discounts and services.

open in spring 2015, connecting

figures for this fiscal year will be

Pivotal to the campaign are the

Tokyo with the western part of the

even lower.

original approved tours, which offer

Japan Sea coast by bullet train, so

As a result, the Japan Tourism

variety for both first-time and repeat

a program promoting the appeal of

Agency is pouring its efforts into a

visitors to Japan, in collaboration

the Hokuriku region should be next.

strategy to attract female tourists in

with local travel agencies.

One major concern is the poor

their 20s and 30s from China,

The Agency’s pathetically sincere

access into and out of Tokyo,

Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong,

efforts include enlisting the

Japan’s gateway to the world.

and other parts of Asia. The Agency’s

assistance of 20 Asian exchange

Access to the city center from both

web site for this campaign, called

students to Japan, who will

the Narita and Haneda airports is

“Meet the New JAPAN 2013”,

disseminate information through

inadequate. The stations and

appears enthusiastic for the

Facebook and other social

airports lack proper signage, and

following three reasons, as stated in

networking services. They have also

have few information counters.

their press release.

enlisted the services of Miss Japan

Improving the infrastructure must

1) The campaign targets specific

as the campaign’s “special

become a priority. This point is

audiences and regions with an

supporter.”

driven home every time I help lost

integrated promotion of special

As of December 8, 2012, the

foreign tourists poring over their

benefits, events and tours to entice

campaign’s Facebook page has

maps.

people to visit Japan.

received only 13,355 likes, and

2) About 10,000 stores are offering

many of the pages on the official

discounts or gifts, and hands-on

web site still display a “Coming

experiences will be held over a

Soon” placeholder. Obviously, the

period of 18 continuous weeks in

agency is a bit slow off the mark.

1 2 3 4

Japan Tourism Agency (http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/news08_000144.html) “Meet the New Japan 2013” (http://meet-j.jp/) “Meet the New Japan” Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meet-The-New-JAPAN/422616404469024) japan-guide.com (http://www.japan-guide.com/)

After graduating from Keio University with an economics degree, earned a Master's degree in international relations from the International University of Japan. Worked in the business section of Fuji Television covering the then Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Finance, responsible for business and economic issues. Following stints heading the station's NY bureau, as a News Japan newscaster, and head of the business and economics section, is now a commentator.

Hiroyuki Abe

05

ds Ears mon wor d n a m s gh co r Eye Othe ight throu ins tural l u c r e ~ Int

Other Eyes and Ears

耳 異 異目 ORANGE, >>>

Vol.3

Vol.3

THE WORLD POWER

Orange Global Strategy

In 1602 the world’s first chartered

even more obviously in the modern-day

The national anthem of the Netherlands

company, the Dutch East India

New York city flag. The flag’s colors

also bears the name of this founding

Company, was established in tandem

- orange, white and blue - are the same

father. The oldest national anthem in

with the world’s oldest stock exchange

as those of the Dutch national flag.

the world (circa 1570), the first letter

in Amsterdam and set out to create

1625, the year the Dutch settlement

from each of its fifteen stanzas are an

new trade routes in countries around

was founded, is inscribed on the New

acrostic for WILLIAM OF NASSAU.

the world. Two of the company’s ships

York flag (the Mayflower reached the

The Dutch influence on U.S. history is

entered port in Japan at Hirado,

East Coast in 1620), and the famous

illustrated by the name Orange County,

Nagasaki in 1609.

Dutch windmills are also included in

which is used in the states of New

That very same year an Englishman by

the design.

York, Indiana, North Carolina and

the name of Henry Hudson, an

The official Dutch national flag is a

Virginia. The Orange County in southern

employee of the company, arrived on

tricolor of red, white and blue, but

California is apparently named after the

the east coast of North America. The

originally it was orange, white and blue.

orange fruit. The Orange Free State

Hudson River basin region that now

Even today it is known as the orange-

Province in South Africa, another

bears his name was part of the area

white-blue flag. Why orange? Well, it’s

country with Dutch historical

that was eventually called New

not because Holland is a producer of

connections, was dissolved after the

Netherland.

oranges!

end of apartheid.

The Dutch settled on Manhattan Island

The Dutch royal family is the House of

In addition, the team color for the

and named it New Amsterdam, and this

Orange-Nassau. Orange is the color of

champion Netherlands National Football

settlement later became known as New

the crest of Prince William I of Orange,

Team is orange. The color is certainly

York. Traces of this early Dutch

who led the struggle for independence

symbolic of Dutch history and influence

settlement are evident in the name Wall

against the Netherland’s Spanish rulers

around the world.

Street, a reference to the wall that

in the late 16th century, as well as the

protected the colony from enemies, and

color of the Prince’s flag.

HAMAJI Michio

International business consultant. Part-time lecturer at the Bunkyo University Faculty of International Studies.

After graduating with a degree in economics from Keio University in 1965, studied at a foreign trade college before taking up a post in the Middle East in charge of oil for a trading company. At the age of forty-five, launched a new career in the information business and moved to New York. Following jobs at a translation company and Japanese-US communications firm, chose the path of self-employment in 2002. Set up the Saudi Arabian pavilion at the Aichi Expo. Has worked on a series of music videos on renowned conductor Leonard Bernstein. Japanese advisor to firms such as U.S. information systems company Cognizant and U.K. educational publisher Pearson.

2013 Jan

07

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 美しさがつくる、安心・安全

10

2013 Jan

ity C s s e l t o The Sp It can be easy to forget when you live here, but despite how many people live and work in Japan, cities are kept remarkably clean. This applies not only to the roads or the train stations, but across all forms of public transportation, including trains, buses, and taxis. It takes quite a lot of people to keep our cities beautiful. In this feature, we visit those cleaners at work.

Photos: Tomoya Takai　Text: JQR Editorial Staff

2013 Jan

11

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 1

Meiji Jingu

The Road to Meiji Jingu Skilled sweepers keep the shrine environs looking beautifully neat and tidy

12

Yoshiine Yoshida has been a sweeper at Meiji Jingu for nine years. Cleaning the road to the shrine is pleasant work, he says.

It feels good to walk along a clean,

by all this green.”

The first thing to do when starting

freshly swept road. Thinking of the

Almost all of what falls onto the road

this job is to make the broom.

constant stream of people who have

is leaves. An enormous volume of

Getting the thickness right is

walked up and back along this very

leaves from the 170,000 or so trees

surprisingly difficult. Too thick and it

same road for hundreds of years to

and shrubs drops to the ground

is hard to grip, too thin and it bends

pray at the shrine fills the mind with

throughout the shrine precinct.

so poorly as to be useless. Sweepers

a myriad of emotions.

Unfortunately, there is no special

attach the twigs to the broom

A team of skilled sweepers, known

trick for sweeping them up all at

themselves, and these wear away

as fukiya-san, keep the 700,000

once. A blower is used to move the

every time they are used to draw the

square meter grounds of the Meiji

leaves from the edge into the road,

leaves in close, especially on rainy

Jingu shrine clean. The road and

where they are scraped together with

days. A broom’s efficiency is

main shrine environs are divided up

a broom and gathered up with a

dependent on how well the twigs are

amongst ten sweepers, who head out

dustpan. The gravel is smoothed out

attached, so daily maintenance is

to their assigned area every day at

at the same time.

essential.

7:00 a.m.

The broom that Yoshida uses is

What do the sweepers think about as

Yoshii Yoshida’s assigned area is

taller than he is. The longer the

they work away in silence? When

the road. But he has been in this job

broom, the wider its reach, but

asked, Yoshida answers in a few

for nine years and so has experience

handling a long broom is not easy. “If

words: “The people coming to pray.”

cleaning three other sections, since

the sweeping motion is too weak

Birdsong echoes through the dense

assigned areas are rotated every two

leaves are left behind, but if it’s too

green woods of Meiji Jingu, and the

to three years. “I’ve swept the main

strong the broom gets caught in the

air around the road cleaned by

shrine,” he says, “but I like cleaning

gravel. It’s also hard to keep

Yoshida feels pure and fresh.

the road. It’s nice being surrounded

balanced because it’s so long.”

The broom is taller than a person.

Sweepers make their own brooms, adjusting the thickness and length for easy handling.

Two brooms are used; a long one with a wide reach, and a small one for focused sweeping.

2013 Jan

The order of sweeping work is decided according to the conditions, such as how the leaves are scattered and wind direction.

City s s e l t o p The S

Meiji Jingu

Sweeping the long broom in a large arc gathers up leaves within a wide reach. Simply pushing with all your strength isn’t effective.

2013 Jan

13

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 2

T o k y o M ETRO

Subway Stations

14

2013 Jan

City s s e l t o p The S

Tokyo M E T RO

The spotlessly polished Komagome Station.

Why is it always so beautifully clean ďź&#x;

2013 Jan

15

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 2

Three cleaning staff are allocated to the station area and platform of each station, and one person cleans the toilets. Extra staff are assigned to stations where a lot of leaf litter blows in, and stations where passenger numbers have increased due to special events.

16

People picking up litter as they pass

reaches the ceiling. In the morning

in one place. It’s crucial to discover

by, others who leave litter behind

the main task is wiping clean the

where the vulnerable points like that

them. Anywhere people gather or

handrails of escalators and

are in each station and get on to

pass through is bound to get dirty,

stairways. It looks like easy work,

them quickly.”

and a train station is no exception.

but because there are people

In the afternoon the cleaners

With all the hair and dust from the

constantly using these handrails, the

concentrate on cleaning platform

clothes of the non-stop human traffic

cleaners can’t let their concentration

doors and walls. Depending on the

in addition to litter, it’s no wonder

slip.

state of things, they might use a

that stations become extremely

“You have to be particularly careful

back pack type cleaner or bring in a

grimy. But you are not likely to see

on the stairs. When we see

floor cleaner to thoroughly remove all

any noticeable litter or grime in the

customers using the handrails about

the dirt. “We believe our job is to

stations on the Tokyo Metro subway

ten steps in front or behind us, we

create an environment that doesn’t

system, because every day an army

get out of the way because we don’t

leave the customers with memories

of 720 cleaning staff is out keeping

want elderly people, pregnant women

of a bad experience.”

them spick and span.

or anyone else falling over.

A subway station can definitely feel

Tokyo Metro operates 179 stations

Preventing accidents before they

oppressive at times, but clean and

on nine lines. The station cleaning

happen is one of our duties,” says

tidy stations can help to relieve that

staff meets every morning at 8:30

Akira Igarashi, chief of the

cooped up feeling and make using

a.m. at liaison points located every

Komagome-based team.

them a comfortable experience. As

few stations. They do some light-

He and the rest of the staff always

usual, the stations Mr. Igarashi is in

warm-up exercises and then set out

carry a cleaning cloth and garbage

charge of are spick and span once

for their assigned stations,

bags on their waist. The moment he

again today.

unsurprisingly traveling by subway.

steps on the platform his eyes are

After arriving at their designated

peeled, and any mess he sees is

stations, the first thing the cleaners

dealt with promptly. For example, if

do is make a patrol of the platform

spilled juice is not cleaned up

and pick up any litter on the ground.

quickly, passengers will walk all over

Next, they empty the garbage bins

it and spread it even further. Swift

and take the contents into a

action is required.

storeroom to sort into burnable

“I give priority to dealing with

garbage, non-burnable garbage,

whatever I notice needs doing first,

bottles and cans. On days when new

and the places I think are dirty, so I

editions of magazines hit the stands,

don’t have any set route for each

apparently there are so many

cleaning task. But litter naturally

discarded magazines the pile

tends to collect into piles and stay

2013 Jan

Discussing the state of each station and work arrangements at a meeting.

tless The Spo

Cleaning staff pay attention to detail and look out for passengers as they do their work in crowded stations

City

Tokyo M E TRO

Wiping grime off the handrails. Care must be taken not to get in the way of the passengers who use the handrails.

Pressing down on the belt with a damp towel and a dry towel to clean the escalator handrail. This is done until all grime is removed.

Grime in nooks and crannies in the pillars and walls is also carefully removed. The back pack cleaner is extremely effective.

This floor cleaner has a 43 cm diameter brush for polishing the floor. A team of two operates it so as not to bump into passengers.

Chewing gum is a nuisance that is difficult to remove. Cleaning staff always carry a scraper to remove it. Ideally it is cleaned up before someone can tread on it.

The stairs are cleaned one by one, and the process is repeated over and over. Staff tend to look down as they work, but are nonetheless aware of passengers’ movements.

2013 Jan

17

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 3 Tokyo Metropolitan G o v e r n m e n t B u r e a u o f C o n s t r u c t i o n

ROADS

Clean, trash-free roads help ensure the safety and security of the people and cars that use them.

18

“I think the Japanese peoples’ love of cleanliness is what keeps our towns looking so nice,” says Kenta Nagao, head of the Maintenance and Repair Section of the No. 6 Construction Office.

As much as eight tons of trash a day is collected from road surfaces.

In the aftermath of the Great East

Tokyo in the middle of the night,

Japan Earthquake, the number of

gathering and disposing of refuse

bicyclists in Tokyo has risen sharply.

from every inch of the city’s roads.

Since they compete with

Before starting work, each team

motorcycles and cars for space on

confirms its route for the night and

“A total of 250,000 kilometers of

the road, close calls are naturally a

inspects its vehicles, leaving the

roadway are cleaned in Tokyo’s 23

more common sight as well. A

depot at 9 p.m. They return at about

wards each year. On any day, about

sudden, unexpected spill can be a

5 a.m., after almost eight hours of

100 vehicles are on the roads

major threat to any vehicle behind

work. They clean and inspect their

cleaning, picking up nearly eight

the bicycle, and could result in

vehicles again and submit their

tons of trash. That’s more than

tragedy. Trash large and small, sand,

reports; by the time they’re finished,

2,000 tons a year (in fiscal 2011).”

and other refuse land on our

it’s nearly 7 a.m.

That description was provided by

roadways every day, a danger not

The work consists primarily, of

Kenta Nagao, head of the

only to bicycles, but to vehicles

course, of collecting any refuse that

Maintenance and Repair Section of

which risk loss of traction or a flat

might interfere with safe passage on

Tokyo’s No. 6 Construction Office,

tire.

the roads, but workers are careful

responsible for road construction and

Overall, Japan’s roads are clean and

not to miss any trash on the

maintenance in the city’s Adachi,

in good condition, but in reality, the

sidewalks as well. Trash build-up in

Arakawa, Kita, Taito, and Bunkyo

“beauty” of the roads also

the ditches can also cause roads to

wards.

contributes in no small part to

flood in the case of a major rain, so

With 13 million residents, Tokyo has

preventing traffic accidents.

they make sure to remove that as

seen a diversification of opinion

Street cleaning duties in Tokyo’s

well. “Plastic bags are the biggest

about its roads and urban

23 wards are divided among 26

danger. Picked up by the wind, they

development. Some people say the

blocks. Each block consists of six

can get stuck on a vehicle’s

roads should be more bicycle-

routes, though the frequency with

windshield, which could lead to a

friendly, while others call for more

which they are cleaned depends on

major accident.”

extensive greenery.

the volume of traffic and the size of

So said Koichi Mochizuki, head of

“Our job is to develop our urban

the roads. Each of the routes is

the safety committee of the Tokyo

spaces in response to a wide range

about 40km in length, and the

Road Management Association’s

of opinions,” notes Mr. Nagao. “While

cleaning trucks ply these routes in

Technical Section. Work is carried

we are involved in putting bicycle

order.

out in the middle of the night, when

lanes in place and planting trees

Teams are made up of four cleaning

pedestrian and vehicular traffic

along our roads, it is also important

trucks, each painted yellow and

volumes are low, and the street

that we maintain the roads so that

white. The lineup starts with a truck

cleaning trucks move at just 6km an

they can be used safely and

known as the lead vehicle, followed

hour. Still, safety checks are

comfortably. Street cleaning is

by the sprinkler, which carries a tank

essential. “Workers sometimes have

essential to this effort.”

of water, the odd-looking sweeper,

to take care of drunks on the street,

If you cast your eye to the streets

equipped with brushes on all sides,

and bicycles are a particular danger.

during the morning work and school

and lastly a large dump truck. Street

Near misses caused by people

commute, you’ll find the roads clean,

cleaning in Japan was first

rushing to get home and trying to

completely free of any trash that

automated in 1959, and gained

overtake the cleaning vehicles are a

littered them the night before. It sure

momentum in 1961 with the import

continual problem. Some drivers will

feels great to be able to walk in

of the first road sweeper.

tailgate behind the slow-moving

safety, enjoying the scenery.

This quartet of trucks crisscrosses

trucks.”

2013 Jan

City s s e l t o p The S Tokyo Metropolitan Government bureau of construction

The three workers in the lead car are there to “research� road surface conditions ahead of the rest of the team. They have the exacting job of sweeping together trash and otherwise making it easier for the vehicles that follow to do their work.

2013 Jan

19

JQR SPECIAL

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Const

Keeping the City Clean 3

1

Did you know? More about the four-truck caravan th

Lead Vehicle

Scrupulous Cleaning

We interrupted a cleaning crew for an on-the-spot report. These professiona This is how our roads are kept so clean.

Quickly assesses and decides how to deal with any trash.

The three workers on this truck go out about an hour ahead of the others to check the route. They get off to sweep up any refuse they find on sidewalks and other areas the sweeper truck can’t reach. They also remove any large trash that would disrupt the work of the trucks that follow.

2

Sprinkler Truck

Sprays water to keep down any dust raised by the sweeper.

Before the sweeper that follows goes to work with its brushes, this truck sprays the edges of the road with water, helping to hold down the dust. The tank holds 6,500 liters. They’ll carry less water in winter to keep the water in the tank from freezing.

20

2013 Jan

The road-cleaning team lines up for work. From right, the lead vehicle

tless The Spo

truction

City

Tokyo Metropolitan Government bureau of construction

hat cleans our roads at night.

g Requires Teamwork

als quickly assess road conditions and use teamwork to doggedly go after any trash.

e, sprinkler truck, sweeper, and dump truck.

3

Sweeper The star of the show takes in all the trash.

The sweeper, designed on three wheels for a tighter turning radius, uses rotating brushes to pull in trash and fallen leaves that have accumulated along the side of the road, storing them in the hopper on the front. Because the truck sits so high, the operator uses six mirrors on all four sides to check the position of the brushes.

4

Dump Truck Provides cover for the sweeper and carries large volumes of trash.

Once the sweeper’s hopper is full, the dump truck will come around the front to collect the trash. Since the sweeper moves along at just 6km an hour, the dump truck also guards against possible collisions with regular vehicles attempting to pass. 　

2013 Jan

21

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 4 Public Toilets = Combine business and pleasure

The Association that changed the face of the bowl!

Photo ／ Yosuke Suga

When you go around Japan, would it be by foot, train or car, you soon

:What was your first action?

We simply organized an annual contest for the best public toilet,

was attracting much more people

spotless clean toilets wherever you

targeting all municipalities around

and they started to compete against

stop at is a luxury still envied by

Japan. By giving an official prize to

each other. The phenomenon

more than one major cities of the

the best 10 restrooms and with a

became as such that the entire

world. However, it was quite a

good media coverage, little by little,

country was then realizing the

different case only twenty years ago!

the people responsible for parks and

importance of keeping public

How did we switch from malodorous

other public spaces such as train

restrooms clean and pleasant.

loos to hotel-like modern “thrones” in

stations have taken the problem to

Through the years, we have

such a quick time? A very small

their own and put in a lot of efforts

accumulated a whole lot of precise

group of people stands at the origin

in those long neglected places.

data on their utilization, from meters

the President of the Japan Toilet

of paper to minutes of usage. A few :But that is asking for a lot of

other countries also have these kind

Association, Junichi Hirata, who has

maintenance and personnel. How did

of data, but they don’t open them,

again proven to us that you don’t

you convince people to “invest” in

because the topic is still taboo. In

need to do much to change the

the cleaning of public restrooms?

Japan, since this aspect of society

world!

is rather new, and also because First with our Best Toilet Prize,

:In which context was the Toilet Association created?

Junichi Hirata: After the war in 1945, unlike Europe, which had over 60% of their territory covered with sewerage networks, Japan was literally at ground zero. And you certainly don’t build up an entire waterworks network in a couple of days just because you realize you need one! Some big international events such as the Olympics in 1964 and the Universal Expo in 1970 have triggered great pushes to its development.

However, we didn’t care much about odours in those days and we installed mainly Japanese style floor-toilets, often just a simple hole through which you could see excrements. It was in 1985 that a small group of people joined together to brainstorm about possible actions that could change these public spaces into more pleasant spots to “gather.” That is how the Association was founded.

2013 Jan

public facility with nice restrooms

forget about the fact that finding

of this “miracle.” JQR has met with

22

municipalities rapidly noticed that a

within this short time span we have

changed three times of toilet style,

public restrooms.

from wooden buckets to floor-toilets to western-style, it was easier to tackle openly this traditionally “dirty”

:Some look like hotel restrooms!

Two of our members have been

topic.

involved in the basic design

Today, we talk about toilets without

development.

shame, even at the dining table, we show them on TV, the “allergy” has disappeared. Well thanks to all those

:So you are also acting as consultants?

data that we have, we were able to understand two things. First of all,

Yes. With our databases and our

that the human being has the

experience, even though we are all

tendency to leave a place clean

volunteers, we are often called for

after usage if it was clean in the first

forums or new project developments.

place. Sadly the opposite is also true. Second, that a facility with nice

:What are your next challenges?

restrooms attracts people and even brings higher standing to the place.

Japan is a country at high disaster risks and Mother Nature has

: We can see that standards

severely reminded us last year. We

have reached impressive levels

are now trying to find solutions for

recently, in particular in parking

emergency toilets, in the case

areas or train stations!

masses of people are on the street or have to walk all the way back

JH:Yes indeed. With the new

home, when everything around is

highways that were constructed

blocked.

came new parking areas thus new

Born in 1933, Junichi Hirata has worked many years in R&D and marketing at TOTO, where he became Executive Director then later Advisor.

He took the helm of the Toilet Association of Japan in 2009 and implemented the Prize for the best toilet design. He is also the author of many publications.

SHIBUYA HIKARIE Popular Women’s Toilets Conducive to Lingering Shibuya Hikarie opened in 2012, and the women’s restroom facilities located in ShinQs, the retail portion of the complex, have been much talked-about. They include not only stylishly designed interiors, but a relaxing 3D sound system and air scented with aroma oils. The facilities on each floor even feature different themes, with one offering a woody space filled with plants, while another is like something in a luxury hotel, complete with a dazzling chandelier. Just visiting the restrooms on each of the six floors could make for a fun experience.

Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo The restrooms are being called “switch rooms,” because they provide women a place to “switch” their makeup and their mood before dinner or an important date.

Women only.

Stalls in the fourth floor toilets each feature a different design, from forest to deep sea. Every visit feels like a little trip of its own.

Powder rooms feature LED lighting designed to enhance the skin’s appearance. Magnifying mirrors and air-shower booths also available.

2013 Jan

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JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 5

Tokyu Corporation Den-en-toshi Line

Commuter Trains

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2013 Jan

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City

Tokyu Corporation Den-en-toshi Line

What’s it like giving commuter trains a thorough scrubbing, which comes on top of their daily cleaning?

2013 Jan

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JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 5

Trains are washed by machine once every 10 days (Photo, left). The cleaning machine in the inspection depot scrubs the entire train body. The front of each car is carefully washed by hand every 20 days (Photo, right).

26

Commuter trains run non-stop from

harden on surfaces, making them

the car clean, a deck brush is used

morning to night. With so many

more difficult to remove.

to scrub the front of the cars where

passengers getting on and off, there’

Cleaning starts with the doors

the machine’s brushes can’t reach.

s no way the trains wouldn’t get

between each car, moving on to the

This is to ensure the train’s driver

dirty, but you never see people

handrails, blinds, windows, and

always has a clear view, free of dust

complain they couldn’t stand to ride

walls.

and dirt.

more than five minutes in one of

Once those are done, workers use

Asked why the trains are cleaned

them. While the cars may not be

step ladders to reach higher spots

so thoroughly, Megumiko Hasegawa

exactly spotless, there are at least

for cleaning. To get into tight spaces

of Tokyu Corporation’s public

no shoe-prints on the seats, and the

where fingers can’t reach, like the

relations department replied,

cars are never so dirty as to be

space between the plastic rings and

“Keeping our stations and trains

unpleasant.

belts on hanging straps, and behind

clean is one factor in ensuring that

Each day at the end of their runs,

florescent bulbs, they use a

people who live along our train lines

the train cars undergo a “minor”

specially-designed stick. You would

can do so comfortably.”

cleaning, where any serious grime is

think these out-of-reach spots would

There is no avoiding the crush of

wiped down and trash is collected.

stay relatively clean, but that’s not

people on morning and evening

This helps maintain a certain level of

the case.

rush-hour commuter trains. It is

cleanliness. In addition, the trains

“The Den-en-toshi Line not only

thanks to the proactive efforts of the

regularly undergo a complete interior

travels long distances, but it also

train companies to provide clean

cleaning and the cars are run

runs underground. A lot of dust and

cars that the experience isn’t more

through an automated washer. The

dirt comes in through the windows,”

uncomfortable.

sole objective is to rid the trains of

said Ms. Wada, whose cleaning

their accumulated grime.

towel was already dark with grime.

Tokyu Corporation trains are taken

One worker is assigned to clean

to an inspection depot every 20

the interior of each car, while

days, where they are transferred to

another is assigned to clean the

dedicated cleaning lines for interior

bodies and floors of two cars at a

clean-up and to scour the front

time. Since the cars receive such a

surfaces of each car.

detailed going-over, each one takes

Mieko Wada has been doing this

about 90 minutes to finish. Workers

work for 16 years. She noted that

complete about four cars a day.

the dirtiest spots are the places that

Meanwhile, the trains are run

people touch with their hands.

through an automated washer once

“Worse,” she said, “during rush hour,

every 10 days. The cleaning

passengers grab on to whatever they

machine, which is located in the

can, which means even more

same inspection depot, moves along

extensive cleaning is needed.” Oils

at 5km an hour, spraying cleaning

in the skin are tough to deal with,

fluid as brushes scrub the bodywork.

especially in the winter when they

While this is sufficient to get most of

2013 Jan

“When the weather’s good, the freshly-cleaned cars really shine, and it feels great,” says Mieko Wada.

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Tokyu Corporation Den-en-toshi Line

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1. A step ladder is used to reach spots higher up.

2. Inside, windows are often sticky with hair products.

3. Dust is swept out from between the seats, where it tends to accumulate. 4.

A whisk broom is used for more detailed cleaning, while a flat stick wrapped with a cloth gets into spots that fingers can’t reach. 5. Even the bottoms of the doors get a thorough polish. 6. Floors are waxed every few months. Once dirty build-up starts showing along the edges, the floors are stripped and new wax applied. 7. Air conditioners in the ceiling are especially tough to clean.

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2013 Jan

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Drivers standing outside their cars to greet customers is just one example of MK’s superb protocol and courtesy

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 6 Tokyo MK Corporation

Taxi

Drivers pay attention to their own appearance, as well as any stains or odors in their vehicles

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“Cleaning and greeting are something that anyone can do, but it’s not easy to make them habitual.” (Saito)

Most of the taxis cruising the streets

are told to call out a greeting in a

hairdressing products leave greasy

of Tokyo are new, and their interiors

crisp voice. They then dash to the

stains on the windows, so I make a

are usually clean. You can hail any

garage to inspect their vehicles for

point of scrutinizing the windows

cab from the street and rarely be

cleanliness. Even the slightest stain

every time customers leave the car.”

annoyed by filthy backseats.

is not tolerated, and vehicles that

According to Yoshizawa, the most

Meticulous devotion to cleanliness is

don’t meet the cleanliness standards

difficult things to detect are odors. “I

a common trait among the Japanese,

are not allowed to leave the garage.

may get used to a smell while driving

but MK has taken it to extremes. Its

The drivers must meticulously

with a customer behind. In order to

fleet of taxis is always squeaky

remove any dirt or impurity, including

reset my sense of smell, I need to

clean inside and out.

all visible debris and lint on the floor

stop my car, get out and breathe in

Since its foundation in Kyoto in

mat. They are required to keep the

some fresh air before trying to detect

1960, MK has insisted on absolute

exterior of their cars clean as well,

any funny smells inside. If there is

cleanliness, along with a special

even when it rains. Whenever the

any smell in the car, I will open the

emphasis placed on aisatsu, or

rain stops falling, MK drivers exit

windows while driving to let fresh air

greetings, as part of its efforts to

their cars and wipe rain drops off the

in.”

differentiate itself from the rest of

exterior. If a car gets heavily stained,

The drivers are also required to

the taxi companies. According to

even during the peak hours of

adhere to MK’s “personal

Yoshito Saito, Assistant Head of

business, it must be taken back to

appearance” standards. According to

Global Business Promotion at MK,

the garage for a carwash. These

Saito, the MK drivers are instructed

“Back then, taxi drivers merely acted

painstaking efforts are necessary to

to “Keep their hair short and use

as vehicle operators whose task was

keep customers comfortable during

unscented hairstyling products to

to transport passengers from one

their ride.

ensure a neat, clean-cut

point to another, and they didn’t

After dropping off customers at their

appearance.”

realize that a taxi service is a

destinations, the MK drivers typically

During business hours, the drivers

hospitality business too. That’s why

cruise around a little and then stop

refrain from eating any odor-causing

MK decided to stress on cleanliness

to inspect the interior. “What

foods like garlic. In summer, they

and greetings on an ongoing basis in

concerns me the most is any mark

bring in an extra set of underwear

an effort to change the image of cab

left on the inner side of the windows

and socks to change during the day.

drivers, because these were things

by customers,” said Kosaku

If you happen to flag down an MK

that anyone could do.”

Yoshizawa, an MK driver. “Windows

cab, you are guaranteed the finest

When reporting to work, MK drivers

are prone to hand prints, and some

possible ride to your destination.

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1.Yoshizawa found MK’s obsession with cleanliness a bit extreme when he first joined the firm. Now that he’s picked up the habit, he is very fastidious about keeping his vehicle spotless.2.Yoshizawa’s personal selection of cleaning paraphernalia, which are always on hand. He pays for cleaning gadgets out of his own pocket.3.Floor mats are taken out for a meticulous cleaning regimen. He scrapes out sand speckles and dirt from the depth of the mats with a stiff scrubbing brush.4.Dust and dirt on the seats and floor mats are removed with the “sticky-sheet” cleaner. Extra attention is given to the areas where passengers’ shoes are placed. 5.Dirt on the tires is removed with a brush, and the hubcaps are polished and waxed.6.The body is polished and buffed using a towel until he can see his reflection on the surface.

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Tokyo MK Corporation 29

JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 7 Shinkansen Nozomi Super-Express

A Culmination of Japan On October 1, 1964, the Tokaido Shinkansen began running between Tokyo and Osaka as Japan’s first high-speed railway.

Today, it continues to operate at speeds of up to 270km an hour, and after nearly half a century has yet to see any major accidents.

The cars barely shake, offering a smooth, comfortable ride, and the first train of the day is spotless, with everything in perfect order.

They invariably run on time.

The Shinkansen is truly the culmination of Japanese quality.

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2013 Jan

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tless o p S e h T

City

Shinkansen Maintenance Tokai

Cleaning staff await the arrival of the “Nozomi” Shinkansen at Tokyo Station’s Platform 16. Their work takes place in the limited time between the train’s arrival and its next departure.

The staff of Shinkansen Maintenance Tokai Co., Ltd. are the ones responsible for providing a comfortable on-board experience and helping to ensure on-time operations.

2013 Jan

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JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 7

Shinkansen Maintenance Tokai

On Board the Shinkansen 330 cleaning professionals work to ensure everything is in order on an average of 88 trains a day.

Cleaning staff in matching pink

resupplied with water.

summer Obon holidays and other

uniforms line up on the platform to

One area that requires particularly

peak seasons, they may clean as

await the next Shinkansen’s arrival.

close attention in the cleaning

many as 120 trains in a single day.

Standing in front of the doors, they

process is damp seats. Once a

Watching the actual work

greet each arriving passenger with a

spilled drink has soaked into a

underway, there is not a single

smile, and once all passengers have

seating surface, it can be very

wasted movement, and everyone

disembarked, move quickly into the

difficult to detect with the naked eye,

goes about their tasks with a

cars to begin cleaning. About 12

and this is why they’ve developed a

determined expression.

minutes are allotted from the time of

broom with a built-in dampness

That seriousness is the flip side of

each train’s arrival to complete the

sensor. Thanks to this invention,

just how little time they have to

job, but considering the time needed

staff no longer overlook even the

work, or in other words, a reflection

for disembarking and boarding of

slightest hint of dampness on a

of their awareness that their work

passengers, in reality they have

passenger seat.

can have a real impact on train

closer to eight or nine minutes.

Asked about the secret to

operating schedules. That

Cleaning takes place in this brief

achieving a quick, high-quality clean-

responsibility weighs even heavier

time in the following order. First, the

up, cleaning crew supervisor Noriko

than any simple time restraints.

workers collect empty cans, plastic

Abe noted that “What’s important is

Ms. Abe, who is responsible for

bottles, food wrappers, and other

that everyone carry out their

adjusting cleaning times and

larger trash left on the seats. They

assigned tasks in order and without

assigning staff based on orders from

return all of the seat backs to their

a mistake.” Everyone performs their

JR Tokai, works constantly to ensure

original position, then flip them so

tasks according to the manual. If

the trains can run on time, which

that every seat is facing the direction

they can do that, nothing gets left

makes it even more difficult to juggle

of travel. They remove the seat back

behind, and even with shift changes,

things when trains are running late

covers, then distribute new ones a

the teams are able to maintain the

due to snow or other factors.

few at a time across the seats,

quality of their work.

“While I keep in mind which teams

putting each one in place before sweeping the seats of any smaller refuse, while also wiping down

As many as 120 trains in peak season

are doing which tasks on which platforms, and their standby locations, I have to make instantaneous decisions about how

window ledges and armrests with a

32

Noriko Abe is responsible for supervising all train car cleaning. Since cleaning can also affect operating schedules, she needs to be on her toes every day.

cleaning cloth. Window blinds are

Each team involved in the cleaning

those staff are assigned to arriving

set in position, floors swept, and a

consists of 55 staff. This includes

trains in order to make up for any

mirror is used to check the overhead

two for each car, four to clean the

delay in train operations. Tensions

luggage racks for items that might

toilets and washstands, four to clean

are at their peak at these times, but

have been left behind. Finally, the

the smoking rooms, plus three more

I also find such situations to be the

entire car is inspected.

for the Green Cars. Supplying water

most rewarding.”

While this is going on, trash

and handling trash requires another

The train leaves on time, the ride

receptacles in each car are emptied.

11 people, and finally each team

as comfortable as always. We may

Toilets and washstands are cleaned,

also has a supervisor. There are six

take this convenience and comfort

smoking rooms are cleaned and

of these 55-person teams, each of

for granted, but it is these

ashtrays emptied, blankets and

which handles between 15 and 18

professionals who make it possible.

magazines rearranged in the first

trains a day. While they average a

class Green Cars, and the train

total of 88 trains a day, during the

2013 Jan

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Shinkansen Maintenance Tokai

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1.Each team starts with a team meeting. Announcements are made, any special precautions are gone over, and the team warms up with calisthenics. 2. Each squad then checks its equipment. 3. A broom developed to notify workers of any dampness on seats in the train cars (Official name: Seat Whisk Broom-Equipped Dampness Detector). Airlines and other companies have expressed an interest. 4. Once cleaning is completed, each team member confirms that her area is done.

2013 Jan

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JQR SPECIAL

Keeping the City Clean 7

Shinkansen Nozomi Super-Express

Did you know? Why Shinkansen Cars are Always so Clean.

Efficient Perfection in Under 1

Arrival

The Five-Minut Mark

Emptying ashtrays in the smoking room.

Workers must check for any stillburning butts.

Each disembarking passenger is given a proper greeting.

Once the last passenger is off, the cleaning starts. Still, the cleaning staff will sometimes stop to help passengers with unwieldy baggage.

Each seat back cover is put neatly in place and smoothed to remove any wrinkles. Even as the workers rush, their movements are precise.

The Two-Minute Mark Seats are returned to their original positions and flipped to face the direction of travel. On the Tokaido Shinkansen, this is done using a footoperated pedal. Skill is required to operate the pedal and flip the seat around at the same time.

Seat back covers are distributed along each row. The workers quickly and accurately lay out the correct number of covers.

The Three-Minute Mark

eani f Cl o t s A Se Tool

ng

As they remove the seat back covers, workers are also on the lookout for refuse and dirt along windowsills and on the seats.

Toilets are thoroughly scrubbed. Depending on the situation, this can take time or be finished quickly.

34

Trash is separated and collected.

When volume is heavy, as with trains used by school groups, more staff are added to collect the trash.

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10 Minutes

te

We joined the cleaning staff as they worked on cleaning a Shinkansen car. It was a thrilling experience to see them

City

Shinkansen Maintenance Tokai

get the car so clean in just ten, tense minutes.

Seats are swept with a whisk broom.

The brooms are equipped with sensors, enabling workers to detect any damp spots. Unusable seats are switched out.

Ms. Abe waits for the signal from each car that cleaning is done. After confirming that all the cars have been completed, she contacts JR. Another job well done!

Broom in the right hand, cleaning cloth in the left. Skilled workers learn to sweep and wipe at the same time, conferring on them the title of “masters of the two-sword technique.”

The Six-Minute Mark Floors are swept to remove any trace of dust. Around this time, the train’s loudspeaker will announce “Two minutes to go,” and the teams prepare to pull out.

Two to G Minutes o

Done!

With one eye on the clock, workers still find time to do a last, thorough check of their work. They make sure they have all of their tools with them before removing the “Cleaning in Progress” sign and leaving the train.

The Seven-Minute Mark

Even the finest cigarette ashes are carefully and completely wiped away. Floors are left spotless, too.

A mirror is used to check for any items left behind on the luggage racks.

Jumping up to check the racks can lead to back injuries, so a hand-mirror is essential.

2013 Jan

35

QR 1

Quality Review The salty soup variety was added in the summer of 2012, joining the existing range of soy sauce, miso soybean paste and pork. The thickness of the noodles varies depending on the flavor, so be sure to check the boiling time for the noodles. 1 packet (5 servings), 525 yen.

Toyo Suisan’s Maruchan Seimen Photos/Susumu Nagao Text/JQR

An explosive hit product in the instant noodle market sets a new standard for instant ramen.

the market so soon.

The concept of top quality instant noodles, with a particular emphasis on the noodles, overturned consumer expectations of packaged noodles.

“We aimed to create dry noodles that tasted like raw noodles but retained the convenience and shelf life of instant noodles,” said CSR Public Relations Department staff at Toyo Suisan.

Toyo Suisan shipped 200 million

Most instant noodles are either deep

packages of its Maruchan Seimen

fried or hot-air dried, but Toyo

instant ramen within a year of its

Suisan uses original technology to

release in November 2011. Instant

produce instant noodles that are as

ramen in packets has always taken a

delicious as raw ones. They dry

backseat to the cup variety, which

freshly cut noodles, as they are, to

was first released by Nisshin in

create instant noodles with body.

1971. However, Maruchan Seimen is no ordinary packet of noodles.

Manufacturers have difficulties differentiating their products from their rivals’, because they all essentially consist of soup mix and

The prototype was superb, but commercialization was difficult

noodles. Long-selling brands Turning words into action is hard.

but Maruchan Seimen achieved

Developing a new noodle processing

instant success when it was

method took about five years.

launched. This great achievement is

“Recreating these results in a

the first time in a long while that a

production line for mass

new product has established itself in

manufacturing was especially

2013 Jan

conducted at the factory, so the research staff were going to and fro between the laboratory and the factory for days on end,” the PR staff explained.

The appeal of instant noodles is, of course, being able to choose the toppings. Toyo Suisan’s web site features a page, called “Home ramen skill up: Try adding selected ingredients,” packed with original ramen recipes. Ramen aficionados can use hints from this page to broaden their homemade-ramen horizons.

People who have fixed preconceptions about instant ramen should give Maruchan Seimen a try.

Why not make top-quality ramen at home for yourself with ease?

The noodles are 25 to 30 cm in length – half that of standard instant

dominate the instant noodle market,

● Enquiries: Toyo Suisan Customer Enquiries Tel: 03-3458-3333

36

difficult. Some tests could only be

noodles – making them easier for children and the elderly to eat.

Toyo Suisan Maruchan Seimen

Untangle the noodles after they are half boiled, taking extra care not to untangle them too much.

2013 Jan

37

QR 2

Quality Review

The SD-RMB1000 GOPAN Rice Bread Cooker (no manufacturer’ s suggested retail price), featuring an automated gluten and yeast dispenser and fluoridecoated non-stick pan.

Panasonic GOPAN

Photos/Susumu Nagao Text: JQR

automated home bread maker began

it was released, Sanyo was bombarded

with the team tackling the challenges

with so many orders that it had to stop

its predecessor failed to address.

accepting them to catch up with the

Among the countless problems

demand. The SD-RBM1000 is the

encountered, the single most difficult

latest GOPAN model currently on the

one was the mechanism that milled

market. According to Mizuki Moriyama

rice into rice flour. The heat produced

of Public Relations at Panasonic,

by the process of grinding rice into

“GOPAN’s bread making processes

powder converted the starch in the rice

have been improved and the bread is

into sugars, which in turn gave the

more evenly textured” and thus

Automated bread-making machines

ground rice a pasty texture. This paste

smoother. Another new feature is a

are raved about by bread lovers who

absorbed too much liquid during the

bread making mode that uses cooked

can’t resist the sweet smell and soft

next step of kneading, and the

rice. You can throw in leftover cooked

texture of freshly baked bread. In

resulting rice dough would not rise

rice from the night before and the

October 2003, Sanyo Electric (now

well during baking.

machine will turn it into a loaf. A

a wholly owned subsidiary of

To eliminate the heat generated by the

variety of cooked rice, including fried

Panasonic) rolled out its first

milling process, commercial rice flour

rice and ketchup chicken rice, can

automated bread maker with a

manufacturers rely on airflow

also be used for some interesting

“rice-flour” bread-making mode.

pulverization, a system that blows rice

results. If you are a health fanatic, try

The underlying concept of the

grains around and grinds them into

brown rice or multigrain cereals. The

machine – making rice bread, which

pieces as they hit the walls of a drum.

endless recipe possibilities and the

is known for its extra moistness,

The principle was difficult to adapt for

luxury of having freshly made bread on

conveniently at home – appealed to

home use, as the required structure is

the table every morning makes the

the market, but the high price tag

too large to be mounted into a

GOPAN a worthwhile investment.

attached to rice flour, as compared

compact bread maker.

to wheat flour, was a drawback. In

A real breakthrough based on lateral

addition, the original design used

thinking was achieved when the team

rice flour mixed with gluten, making

came up with the revolutionary idea of

it unsuitable for people with gluten

simultaneously performing the

intolerance.

processes of milling and producing rice

Rice bread’s biggest selling point is

paste, instead of leaving them as two

its elastic texture, but there are more

sequential steps. You throw water and

important reasons for promoting it.

rice into the pan, and the machine

Wheat-free rice bread is perfect for

keeps stirring the mixture until it

people with wheat allergies.

becomes paste that is ready for

Moreover, if the popularity of rice

kneading.

bread surges, it could halt the

After overcoming all these challenges,

decline in Japan’s rice consumption.

the GOPAN bread maker finally hit the

The development of the GOPAN

market in November 2011. As soon as

A bread maker that magically transforms rice (including cooked rice, fried rice, ketchup chicken rice and whatever leftovers you may have) into a loaf of bread

● Enquiries: Panasonic Customer Care Center 0120-878-365

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2013 Jan

In addition to rice bread, the GOPAN can also make wheat bread, cakes and mochi (rice cakes). Your culinary horizons will greatly expand as you gain more experience with the machine. Recipes based on local ingredients are available from Panasonic’s website.

Panasonic GOPAN

For perfectly moist bread, it is essential to (1) adjust the temperature of the water used to match the room temperature, and (2) precisely measure out each ingredient. Other ingredients needed: your imagination and hard work.

2013 Jan

39

JQR Select Japanese Skills T A K U M I

匠

From the Workshops of Monozukuri Manufacturers V o l

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YOSHIDA SHOTEN is one of the last rare makers of the world-appraised wooden bathtubs

Hinoki-Buro : Ancestral workmanship brought to perfection along the years Photography /Tomoya Takai

Interview and text/JQR

Koichi Yoshida is the President of YOSHIDA SHOTEN, which he founded in 1986, transforming his father’s wood shop into an ancient Beni-Hinoki bathtubmaking company.

It is well known that Japanese are the masters in the art of wooden bathtub making. With their beauty, warmth, softness and their multiple properties, they always stand as the highest luxury option for bathrooms. The expression “Hinoki-buro” is commonly used to designate wooden bathtubs, but few people know that the most widely and most ancient material used is the Japanese umbrella pine. In fact, it contains essential oils that have rot-proof properties, which the Japanese Hinoki wood barely has.

So why do we call wooden bathtubs “Hinoki-Buro”? Koichi Yoshida explains, “The cream of wooden bathtubs is one that is made of Taiwanese ancient red cypress, “Beni-Hinoki.” This wood comes from giant trees that grow up to 25m high with 3 to 4m of diameter, in the

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2013 Jan

highlands of Taiwan, for 1000, sometimes 3000 years.” The lumber of these “Ents” as Tolkien would put it, has been forbidden 30 years ago.

However, Yoshida’s father, who owned a wood shop in Kyoto since 1934, had accumulated a reasonable stock before that date. So in 1986, Yoshida transformed his family business into an ancient Beni-Hinoki retailor and started the sales of wooden bathtubs. This material being very expensive from the start and becoming rarer nowadays, there is no surprise when Yoshida confirms that not so many people can afford them. “We can only find Taiwanese ancient Beni-Hinoki here in Japan, now. And we are only a few rare makers.” This wood’s properties are the absolute attributes to bathtub making. First, its shape never changes.

Then it contains essential oils that are bactericide and protect from about any

known microbe, germs, mould, or viruses. Last comes its aroma…

The Yoshida quality is a pride The Yoshida quality is a pride: “I have never received any complaints neither been noticed of any defects during my 30-year long career!” Each bathtub is order-made, according to the needs of each customer. Once the material and the design have been defined, Yoshida chooses with his master’s eye the wood he will use. “It has to contain enough essential oil, should not change its shape too much with time, and has to be beautiful to the eye.” The crafting method is based on ancestral workmanship, to which he has added of his own know-how and new ideas along the years. “Nothing is perfect, but we are very close to that!” A

技

TAK U M I

JQR

The egg-shape model is the latest creation of Koichi Yoshida. When you lay your back on the narrow side and stretch your legs, you have the impression of dipping in a large tub while having great dorsal support. On the wider side, you have more back room, but can enjoy a very comfy cocoon sensation.

Sel e ct

J a p a ne s e

S ki l l s

2013 Jan

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1

2

When the design and material are defined, the wood is meticulously chosen by Yoshida. An ancient BeniHinoki plank makes generally 60cm by 4m.

4

3

The main plank is cut into small pieces that are chiselled, sanded, then assembled together with special glue, to shape a curve or an angle according to the design.

5

The side panels vary in width from 33 to 40mm. Larger edges may give a luxury look, but they don’t affect quality.

What differentiates quality: the bottom layered with three planks.

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2013 Jan

Once assembled, the tub is worked with planing, bevelling, and finally extremely precise sanding, which brings all the visual and tactile quality to the tub.

6

Some customers require a lacquered layer. The tub is then dismantled and natural lacquer is added to each part, one layer a day, during 8 days. The type of lacquer that is used keeps the wood breathing and doesn’t affect its bactericidal properties.

It is important to keep a few centimeters of space on each side and under the tub, to make it dry faster.

Wood lasts well when completely immerged or in all-dry environments. Its only rots when staying for loo long “in-between.” Let’s not forget to wipe the water off after use.

bathtub takes 1 to 3 weeks to make, depending on its complexity, and then if the customer wants lacquer, the tub is dismantled and lacquer is added to each piece in 8 layers. “The most important is sanding. If you forget a tiny little detail, you’ll see it right away in the lacquer. You know, what do you see first in beautiful thick black hair?

The only white hair!”

it for several weeks, it is preferable to leave a water-full bucket inside to prevent it from over-drying. “But a bathtub that has over-dried, with joints that have loosened, is very easy to repair. You just seal the open creases and that does the trick. It is even rather a good thing, because then you are certain that the wood will no longer change its shape.”

Maintenance is easy

For round-shaped tubs, you use precision guides when chiselling the wood.

The maintenance of a wooden bathtub can seem quite a chore. “It’s a wrong image! As wood is bactericide, you don’t have to use detergents, which on the opposite can deteriorate it with time. People who complain about maintenance are those who neglect their bathtub and are forced 15 years later to re-sand it.” Indeed, since unlike usual bathtubs there is no “dirt line” left after emptying a wooden one, it is very easy to neglect its maintenance, which is in fact very simple: wipe out the water on its surface with a soft cloth after usage. Nothing more. If the room is well ventilated, the bathtub will last for 30 years. When you don’t use

The magic of wooden bathtubs is that you can decide of its shape and let go your imagination! Round, oval, square, angled, they can last up to 30 years indoors or outdoors. Wood is however very sensitive to chlorine, which destroys its natural bactericide properties.

YOSHIDA SHOTEN 1397 Kogacho Ueno, Koga City, Shiga Prefecture, 520-3421 TEL0748-88-2793 FAX0748-88-2575 URL http://www.kiburo.jp

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Japanese consumers look for the brand value beyond the product

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We are going back to word -of-mouth Canadian Managing Director of a French advertising firm in Tokyo, Stephen Cox fits in it's mainly Japanese environment as naturally as a professional can be. Passion is the word that comes to mind when he first starts explaining about the new shapes that the advertising world is undertaking and you can almost see new ideas floating around in the air of his trendy office. He kindly accepted to meet with JQR and reveal his views and thoughts on the "new" Japanese advertising world.

Advertising used to be a glamorous field to work in. It no longer is that way! But right now, it is in the middle of a revolution. It is going through a painful, but very interesting rebirth as whole around the world, and especially in here in Japan. So there’s probably no better time to be in advertising. The consumers have changed, everywhere, but in Japan to a greater extent, and it is really the consumer that is driving the change.

The Internet and digital were just starting to become mainstream

When we talk about the fact that the world is interacting, that everyone is connected, it can sound very boring, very “IT.” But when you see this change on the people’s everyday life point of view, you realize that today, whenever you want to know about something—anything—you just take your little cell phone and see what the world is telling you about it, from official information sites, to forums to chat rooms. People can ask the world what they think about an idea. Even in Africa, it is expected to count up to one billion cell phones in 2016!

We have taken the word-of-mouth to extreme expansion. Now it can seem limited to little screens and devices, but in reality, it completely destroyed the traditional business models of all industries. Music for example, you don’ t need to buy an entire album to hear the tune you like, you can buy each song individually digitally. Carmakers have to integrate communication systems into their vehicles, the book industry, movie industry, all these revolutions bring a whole lot of rethinking for legislations and copyrights. In Japan like everywhere

Interview with Stephen Cox,

Managing Director of Havas Worldwide Japan Photo ／ Yosuke Suga Text ／ JQR

around 12 years ago and brought a limited number of new tools. But what the people did with digital went way beyond those tools and it is still true now! When you look at all those creators of Internet tools like Facebook, Twitter or Mixi, the users— we call them consumers but they are we, the people around the world— have taken their tools to much greater stretches than they could all have ever imagined!

else, you normally legally can make copies of music or a book that you bought, as long as it is for friends.

DVD zoning can’t protect distribution rights anymore.

We are forced to communicate differently So all of this has forced us to communicate differently to the consumers and the brands have to

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find new effective ways to interact with them. The consumers are now moved by different things, they have a different way of deciding what’s valuable to them and what’s not. It is very interactive, digital or not, and it’ s more about the conversation. So we have to accept the fact that advertising is no longer done by pushing strong messages through very defined channels that we hope the consumers will come across in the course of their day. We are going back to the old times when Ms. X had bought one thing from a fine salesman and she’d liked it so she talked to her neighbor about it and they both would tell all their families… People today need to touch and feel the product, talk about it to others and share their experience, take advice. Even though Japan has an extremely crowded consumer market, people don’t necessarily buy in shops, but they still go to stores to see and touch the products.

Also, Japanese have been more than ever looking for the “suppliers of their lives.” More than the product itself, they are looking for the perfect brands, the best insurance, the best

government, the best service they can rely on. They look at CSR actions and the roots behind the products, the extra value that is provided to them.

Understanding that, we can decide how to approach each client’s specific needs. Most of the time we start by reorganizing the whole purchasing steps, where traditionally marketing, sales, after-service, communication departments in a company all were working independently with their own separate budgets. We help firms to put in place a more multi-functional, crossdepartment system to be consistent toward the high expectations of the consumers.

Social Media is a natural to Japanese Word of mouth has always been strongly integrated into Japanese society. In the West, we had Tupperware and Avon, but here, sales representative still come to your house to sell you medicine boxes, bank accounts, tofu, everything. Take an old Bank like Fuji in the old days.

They would send a representative to your house and you would trust him

even though you didn’t know him. He would make you sign some papers, take your cash and go away and you wouldn’t even question his honesty.

That is because he had the name and the value of the company behind him.

I think that this is a great factor to explain why social media is a natural for Japanese. It is a way to make new relationships even though people don’ t know each other very well. Here relationships are everything. They are what empowers you in society.

What also makes it easy here is that people are willing to taking in information in enormous quantities, wherever they go. Look at the magazines, the luminescent panels on the streets, look at a website! You always have massive information blinking on the top and you click from there to go where you want. A Western site will have some assumed categories at the top, you guess that the information you look for is in one of them, so you go down on that list.

So Japanese are used to choose what they want out of an incredible amount of information and share it with others.

Another difference is that they use social media anonymously, unlike most social medias around the world and that changes the objectives as well as the use of social media. On Facebook you say “Hey! Hello! Here I am! Here’s how I look and what I do!” as on Mixi you go under a nickname on a word of mouth connection base. You don’t even see the value of revealing who you are.

“Hey! Look at me!” is not Japanese So for Western brands, this is difficult to accept. They want to know their targets, their name, their age, what they do, what they buy, what they want to talk about etc. They look at what they can benefit rather than what they can provide to the benefit of the consumer. They use Facebook to say, “Hey! Come and like us! Come and see what we have to tell you! We’ ll have YOU talk about US!” We have found proven advertising techniques that work well here and we call it in-context advertising. Rather than interrupting an interesting movie that someone is watching attentively with an ad that tells him that his feet are smelly, we prefer to create an entire context of interest that will naturally attract people who are receptive to the information and integrate the brand into it so people can interact directly with it ask questions, make suggestions, etc. If you want to communicate on

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a bandage, for example, you have to identify exactly when the people will want to hear about it. Other than that precise timing, they will not even want to think about bandages. So we used an interactive information website about family camping and it worked out pretty well. This way of doing is becoming common around the world, but is already extremely important in Japan.

Japan loves events. So we use for example train ads with QR codes that bring the consumers to another place where they can get even more, experience the brand and learn about it. We have to think about ways not to talk about the brand or the product directly, but rather frame them into a context that is of interest of the consumers. We need to provide all the touch points of that the consumer is receptive to and position the brand somewhere in there.

Also when you want to go digital, you quickly notice that in this country, the world of small developers is very fragmented. One application developer here, one website designer there, etc.

As a foreign firm in Japan, we have a good opportunity to bring all those together in one all-round service, where Japanese agencies have not been successful at doing. Here, agencies tend to acquire small companies to work under their umbrella, but all are doing very different tasks. So I have created an entire digital team made of the best talents around and who come from all the important fields.

Going Western or Japanese global way?

Japanese brands that want to go global have to reposition themselves for the world. So we help them to integrate that into their communications in Japan, then to other countries. As we have people everywhere around the globe, we can speed up their globalization in a very consistent manner as well as in very well adapted ways to each culture. Traditionally, large successful Japanese organizations that have spread overseas have usually followed one business model, which is to establish headquarters in New York, Shanghai and Paris and let the people there run the business. This was based on really good reasons, as the customers don’t look for the same things and the market sharing is done a different way. So for companies that

wish to go global now will either have to follow the traditional way or find a way to link everything together.

The challenge for marketing and advertising agencies is now to find a model that can bridge both domestic and foreign markets.

Now, does going global for Japanese companies mean they have to follow Western models? In the past, it’ s always been the “Western way” of campaigning that was imposed globally.

Today, Japanese brands are strong enough and they have a lot of knowhow to be able to bring the “Japanese way” to the world in advertising. The question is weather they are willing to do it.

PROFILE Born in Winnipeg Canada, Stephen Cox grew up in contact with Japanese culture thanks to his father’s acquaintances. Graduated in Political Science, he came to Japan 25 years ago and worked first at Toyota for a while, then in the music industry, to later switch to advertising. From copywriter to Creative Director, he has covered all positions in the industry before becoming Managing Director of Havas Worldwide Tokyo almost two years ago.

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Japan and the world as seen and heard by a globetrotting illustrator

Ichigo-ichie—one word, one picture—a moment with Yasuko Senshu

Vol.2

Missing What’s Under Our Noses

The other day, I visited Bali for the first

an inflatable boat on the surface is

and was later famous as the inspiration

time in several years. I’d once worked

equipped with an air tank attached to a

for the film “The Big Blue,” visited

on drawing a poster and ad campaign

long hose which sends oxygen to the

Yonaguni-jima in his later years, and

logo for Garuda Indonesia Airlines, and

diver, making it possible to dive without

apparently made countless dives to see

got to visit spas and enjoy a variety of

carrying a tank.

the underwater ruins.

other experiences.

I didn’t have much to do with diving

One often hears funny stories about

I learned about the native gamelan

after that, but hopes of seeing the

Japanese people who have gone diving

music and dance, tried my hand at

undersea relics off of Yonaguni-jima in

overseas, only to end up in Okinawa

batik, a type of wax-resist dyeing, and

Okinawa have me feeling a little

and find themselves thrilled by what

learned how to make traditional temple

restless.

they say is the most beautiful place in

offerings. I also experienced an

It’s truly mystical to imagine that what

the world; in fact, when conditions are

“elephant wash,” riding right into the

are thought to be man-made terraces,

right, the visibility around Yonaguni-

bath on top of an elephant (the bath

arches, and stairways are spread out

jima can reach a world-class level of

was quite dirty, with dung floating in it).

across the ocean floor. If these are

50 meters or more (similar to some of

One of my more unusual experiences

indeed the remains of some ancient

the world’s most famous diving spots).

was when I made the rounds of several

civilization, they are said to be more

I’m thinking of taking a dive myself at

fortune tellers known as “Balian,”

than 10,000 years old, and it’s even

this, Japan’s newest place of pride,

usually visited only by the local people.

possible that this was the site of the

where one can enjoy both the beauty of

The first time I went diving was also on

lost continent of Mu. How mysterious!

the ocean and an undersea Machu

Bali. This was snuba diving—something

Jacques Mayol, the diver who first

Picchu, all while imagining a

just recently available in Japan—where

learned to swim as a child in Karatsu,

spectacular past.

Yasuko Senshu

Illustrator

A leading creator of adorable healing art. Senshu's work, which includes calligraphy pieces that make use of her Level 7 calligraphic skills, as well as illustrations and essays, is suffused with a universally soothing warmth and humanity. Senshu's career spans Asia, from the Japan Trump set of playing cards covering famous Japanese sightseeing spots (supported by the Japan National Tourism Organization), to a sub-brand logo for the Singapore national tourist bureau, and Indonesian playing cards. http://www.sensyuyasuko.com/

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Travels Down From the Ridge Lessons

PH Marty Chappell

Bruce Huebner（Shakuhachi） California-born Bruce Huebner is the first non-Japanese to receive a master's degree in traditional Japanese music performance from the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music.

He earned his masters license from Chikuyusha in 1997. In 1999 Huebner co-founded the jazz/world music group "Candela," which has recorded and performed to wide acclaim including their debut album "Mogami" that was chosen "Best 5 in 2001" by Stereo Magazine. In 2008 he formed the koto and shakuhachi duo "Curt and Bruce," and began the popular "Sakura Zensen Tour" that included vocalist Susan Osborn.

Since 3.11, he has conducted over 60 concerts in the disaster affected areas, especially Fukushima Prefecture where he lived in 1994-2000. He teaches shakuhachi at his home in Yokohama and has released a four-part DVD on shakuhachi in English and is a part-time lecturer at Fukushima Medical University.

[Bruce Huebner studied shakuhachi at

are down in the back of the building.

Monbusho scholar my large shoe size is

Tokyo Geidai from 1989 to 1994

This is the only music conservatory in

the perennial topic of conversation. I am

under Yamaguchi Goro. He was the

Japan with a Japanese music

an outsider of outsiders. I realize one of

first non-Japanese to graduate from the

department. The room is small, cold, and

my handicaps is that I am hardwired to

traditional music department, where

wedged unceremoniously between the

analyze a piece of music, to try to know

he received a master's degree in Kinko

pipe organ practice room and the

the composer, and to stand back and

School shakuhachi. ]

cleaning staff office. The koto rooms, by

interpret a piece, like I did with flute in

● Shakuhachi Lesson

contrast, are up on the third floor, sunny

California: me, the teacher, and Bach.

The teacher and I sit face to face with

and spacious. Maybe this difference

Now the teacher is the authority, not the

the score between us. We dive into the

reflects the outsider status of the

composer. The practice is the source,

music. I follow along comfortably in his

instrument that in the past was played

not the theory. I over hear the teacher

wide slip stream, his sound is luxuriant,

by Zen mendicants on the street.

ask another student, "Did you come to

seeming to wrap around me from

The teacher, though, is a "Living

the piece through verbal explanations,

behind. I think to myself, "Hey, I can

National Treasure." He has a deep

(or through its real essence?)"

do this!" We play down several lines

smoke in the hall between lessons. He is

● Situational music.

and start slowing naturally into the

gracious to the cleaning staff next door.

The big test at Geidai is coming up. It is

cadence. We stop. "Play again from

When he was named a "Treasure" we

the biannual "study concert" where we

here."

saw his name in the paper, he met the

learn one huge classical piece and

syllables "ro, tsu, re, chi, and ri"

emperor, and the students lined up in the

perform it with the student string players

resonate as he sings the notation

narrow lesson room and shouted "banzai"

(koto and sangen) for the teachers who

along with me. When I hold the tune

three times in his honor. He is a world

sit at a table. I get an upset stomach.

he stops and, like a kid without training

famous musician whose performance is

The music has no harmony, no themes,

wheels, I careen along for a minute.

on the Voyager space probe. At the

no repeats, no motifs, but it holds

When I lose the melody he sings again

cafeteria we share a table. One time he

together for a non-stop 20 minutes,

taking my musical hand and leading

folded my kimono after a student

apparently by another set of rules. It

me through. Outside the next student

concert. The other students were wide

takes me three months to learn this

is waiting, the lesson is over. I am

eyed. Now that he is gone I wish I had

piece. I use a tape and go to the lesson

exhausted but exhilarated.*

left the kimono as he folded it 20 years

and keep my questions to myself.**

● Outsider of Outsiders

ago.

I learn slowly that it is profoundly

At Geidai (Tokyo University of Art and

I am ten years older than the other

different here. But what is "it?" The

Music) the shakuhachi lesson rooms

students. For four and a half years as a

traditional notation is clear with the

This time the notation's

same data as western notation and more, Mikawa Yukie

but there is so much more going on: the push and pull of tempo, the weight and lightness of tones, and the beautiful ornaments. Ornaments are so central to the music that calling them "ornaments" seems oxymoronic. They are not in the score but are transmitted and are chosen according to the situation.

*In western notation the sounds are represented in their respective ALTITUDES i.e. the higher pitches are higher on the page. You read left to right, like the NY Times, in a horizontal fashion . In shakuhachi notation, on the other hand, sounds are represented by katakana and are read right to left and up to down, like the Asahi Shinbun. Pitch (the high or low) is shown by the name of the fingering not unlike solfeggi, like "do re mi." **The student's success is judged by their PROXIMITY to the teacher. Geimei (stage name,) group concert stage positions, flute quality, and, of course, playing style are the signifiers. The notation functions as a memo of the lesson, a description rather than a prescription. The student must watch and learn. No planned out dynamics. Just play. Like a "good student" I asked questions, and sensei, probably used to teaching westerners, explained at length, but I realized that my best bet was to get as much flying time playing with him, trusting that eventually the real essence will rub off naturally.

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er Theat s * o n Shira

場 劇 乃 志ら

y er's fanc h c a e t o. 7 e ckle th Show N i t o t t c An a

o

hiran awa S Tatek

interest, but from partway through he appeared

shinuchi, choosing the Tokyo Kaikan for the venue.

to start taking a keen interest in Raiko's act. He

I can still clearly remember the first time I ate

later praised Kiwi in a pamphlet for one of his solo

curry there and thinking,“Wow, this has to be

shows for getting Raiko Sakamoto to entertain at

some of the best curry I've ever eaten.”The Tokyo

the party. This remained etched in my memory.

Kaikan had also been used by many of my senior

Now it was my turn. Shiraku likes song acts. For

colleagues for their parties, and will be used by

my part, for my stage act I have arranged the

Danshu, who is due to become a shinuchi soon.

whole of the classic comic story Shibahama to

So it's a tried and true setting for a Tatekawa

the tune of folk singer Sada Masashi's Sakimori

rakugoka celebrating their promotion to shinuchi.

no Uta, and delight in randomly throwing offbeat

The main point of throwing these parties is to

ditties into the rakugo mix. As I was pondering

inform lots of people of that promotion. At the same

all this, a particular artist suddenly came to mind:

time, however, it's important to try to please one's

Makita Sports. Makita is on TV a lot, so I imagine

teacher. In my case, that meant finding something

many of you are familiar with him. He does comic

to impress my teacher and mentor, Shiraku.

monologues accompanied by guitar, mainly using

When my esteemed colleague Kiwi held a party

song material. His original renditions, such as

to celebrate his promotion, his teacher, Tatekawa

a Yutaka Ozaki track sung in ancient Japanese

stable founder Danshi Tatekawa, was not in the

soloist style, never fail to bring down the house.

best of health and did not attend. Nonetheless,

His singing is actually quite good in its own right:

Kiwi, eager to please his movie-loving mentor, had

skilled enough to win a popular celebrities-got-

engaged the benshi (silent film voiceover artist)

talent-type TV song contest. Nothing beats seeing

Raiko Sakamoto as the entertainment. Using footage

someone who is genuinely talented joking around.

from a Yasujiro Ozu film with the sound muted,

That's true art. When the time came for his act, and

Raiko gave a wonderful performance in which he

Makita launched into his material, the pervasive

altered the scene to have people chatting about how

atmosphere was one of, is this going to be the same

第七席

師匠を喜ばせるネタとは

I threw a party to celebrate my promotion to

“Someone called Kiwi Tatekawa had apparently

old stuff? But Shiraku, who initially was not looking

become a shinuchi.”Obviously the material Raiko

at the stage, became riveted by the performance.

managed to weave in to the original film was funny,

Making his way to Makita's table afterward, he

but the really amazing thing was how well he was

started speaking to him. I hurriedly went over to

able to mimic Ozu's actors. My teacher, Shiraku,

join them, just as Shiraku was asking Makita to be

is also a big fan of Ozu's films, so I was watching him the whole time to gauge how he felt about Sakamoto's overdubbing. Initially he showed little

a guest at one of our rakugo shows...

“Yes!”I thought, mentally punching the air. I had indeed succeeded in tickling my teacher's fancy.

● Shirano Tatekawa Second-generation apprentice of Danshi Tatekawa. Joined the Tatekawa Shiraku rakugo stable in 1998 and advanced to futatsume status in July 2003. He has been promoted to the rank of Shinuchi just recently! Don’t miss his Shirano Daisakusen solo shows, held regularly every month. Also a subculture aficionado with a regular radio program that allows him to expound exhaustively on the subject. http://ameblo.jp/st-blog/

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The next issue will be released on Wednesday March 20, 2013.