Kansai Scene #150 November 2012

I’m free. Go on, pick me up.

無料 issue 150 November 2012

www.kansaiscene.com

Dig in!

Feature: Ramen obsession Feature: Noodle recruit Made in Kansai: Plastic food Food & Drink: Shinsekai and a whole lot more…

+ Where To Go And What To Do — Kansai listings, news, info, maps and classifieds

150th Issue

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Contents

Photography: Jean-Yves Terrault • www.terophoto.com Jean-Yves Terreault is an Osaka-based photographer specialising in environmental portraits and events.

Features Features

Feeding an obsession

p08

Ramen recruit

p12

Made in Kansai

Plastic fantastic

p14

Business matters

One Kansai: Hitoshi Asada

COVER ART: Dig in to our original cover design this month. Designed and handmade by Kyoto based Graphic Designer and wool-lover, Shahnaz Ahmed. www.naju.co.uk • www.etsy.com/shop/naju

p07

Travel

Mt. Hiei

p29

Darwin, Australia

p30

08

12

14

16

30

19

Food and Drink

Shinsekai p16 Tako-cham p19

Listings Film p26 Events & Festivals

p36

Sports

p37

Art

p38

Live Music

p40

Classical Music

p42

Club

p44

Business Finder

p46

Classifieds p48

kansaiscene

@kansaiscene

Kansai Scene is published monthly by Mojoprint

Enquiries

Publisher/Creative Director............Daniel Lee Editorial...................................Donna Sheffield ....................................................Nick Coldicott Sales Manager............. Nicholas Despopoulos Production Manager.................. Rie Okamoto Graphic Designer..................Naomi Mochizuki Accounts Manager....................... Michiko Lee

General mailbox@kansaiscene.com Advertising sales@kansaiscene.com Tel. 06-6539-1717 Fax. 06-7635-4791 Address Osaka-shi, Nishi-ku, Shinmachi 3-5-7, Eiko Bldg. 2F Website www.kansaiscene.com

Art................................................. Tomoko Ishii Event & Festival.......................... Yuki Uchibori Film..........................................Donna Sheffield Classical..................................Michael Vezutto Live............................................ Phillip Jackson Club.................................................Terumi Tsuji

DISCLAIMER Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. We take no responsibility for the quality or content of advertisements. Public and private parties appproached by those claiming to work for or on behalf of Kansai Scene should call this office to confirm the truth of any such claim, especially where money may be involved.

A bit of history Kansai Scene was founded by Peter Horvath and Nishikawa Keiko in 2000 and published by Jatin Banker between 2003 – 2011. Now in its 12th year, the magazine provides articles, information and listings for the Kansai area.

Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

for on the lookout KS is always ents and new newsworthy ev und town. openings aro ggestions to Email your su cene.com editor@kansais

News & Openings

Kansai Scene is celebrating its 150th issue this month. Check out our online cover gallery to see how things have evolved over the past 12 years. www.kansaiscene.com/covers I’m free. Go on,

pIck me up.

無料 issue 150 November 2012

www.kansaiscene.com

Dig in!

150th

Feature: Ramen obsessi on Feature: Noodle recruit Made in Kansai: Plastic food Food & Drink: Shinsek ai and a whole lot more…

Issue

Get some free culture Kansai — Around 450 museums and art galleries in the region will be free to enter for two days during November. This annual event, held to celebrate culture day, takes place on November 17th and 18th.

Check the website for participating venues and opening times. www.kansaibunka.com (Japanese only)

Illustration: KS

150th issue!

Got some news?

+ Where To Go And What Kansai listings, news, To Do — info, maps and classified

s

New creative center opens Sannomiya — A former silk testing site in Kobe has been renovated and reopened as a new hub of creativity. The Design and Creative Center Kobe (KIITO) opened last month, hosting a children’s city planning workshop as its first event. It has four stories and 14,000 sq meters of floorspace which will be used for workshops, exhibitions and conferences. There are lots of planned events for the centre coming up, including Kobe Garden Café, where visitors can experience the clothing, food and housing of Kobe. There’s also the Design City Forum by UNESCO, which brings together 10 cities from around the world, a design award for kids, and the Media Arts Festival Kobe, a consolidated media art festival of arts, animation and manga from around the world.

KIITO Address: 1-4 Onohama-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe Tel: 078-325-2201 Opening hours: 11am–7pm Tue–Sat (Closed Mondays; if Monday falls on a holiday, closed the following weekday) Access: 20mins walk from Sannomiya station, or 10mins walk from Port Liner Trade Center station • http://kiito.jp

2011 Kobe Marathon starting line © Buddhika Weerasinghe / buddcom.blogspot.com

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Make a run for it Check your travel plans on Sunday November 25th, as you may be held up or re-routed by thousands of eager runners. In what sounds like a logistical nightmare, both Kobe and Osaka are holding their annual marathons on this day.

Osaka’s marathon starts at Osaka Castle Park and finishes at Osaka City Hall, with a time limit of 7 hours. Around 28,000 people are expected to take part in the full marathon, and 2,000 people will be in the Challenge Run, which is 8.8km in length.

Kobe’s marathon has a smaller number of runners at 18,000.

It starts at Kobe City Municipal Office, and ends at Port Island.

Another 2,000 people will be taking part in the quarter marathon, which ends at Sumaura Park.

It’s too late to enter now as a runner, but there’s plenty of space along the routes to cheer on those sweating it out to raise money for charity. Interestingly, Osaka’s runners can also choose to wear one of 8 colour T-shirts to show which charity group they are supporting. www.osaka-marathon.com • www.kobe-marathon.net

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Inspire Me! Osaka — Osaka Gakuin University presents an annual award for outsanding young artists and performers. This years award will be presented to the all Japanese band Drakskip, who have been making waves with their unique, jazzy take on Swedish fiddle music. They will perform at a special presentation ceremony on November 29th, with everyone welcome to attend.

Photo: Michael Rogers

Building 2, Osaka Gakuin University www.osaka-gu.ac.jp • www.drakskip.net

Time for a tache Movember is fast approaching – are you ready to grow? That’s right, the month of Movember (formerly November) celebrates the growth of men’s facial hair in support of prostate cancer research. Gather your Mo Bros (or Mo Sistas), form a team, and start collecting sponsors. Look stylish and raise money while spreading the word about men’s health issues – what’s not to like?

Make sure to start November 1st with a clean shave and grow straight through to the 30th. Remember, no beards or goatees! This is the month of the moustache.

For more information and to register, visit the official website and get growing! http://ex.movember.com

Now for some sweet news Umeda — Chocoholics rejoice! Another way to feed your craving opened last month, just a few minutes’ walk from Umeda Hankyu station. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is a widely successful American chain, specialising in handdipped chocolate products. After a test store in Tokyo last year proved successful, the company confirmed their plans to open 100 stores across Japan earlier this year. The product range, similar to US offerings, includes chocolate-covered apples, truffles and peanut butter creations. www.rmcf.jp

Traditional musical treat

Murphy’s birthday bash Shinsaibashi — Japan’s first Irish bar, Murphy’s is celebrating its 21st anniversary this month with a lively three-day celebration. Join the craic from 21–23 November, and enjoy live music and drink specials.

Nishinomiya — Get hands on with a koto, the beautiful Japanese harp, in a special two-hour workshop on Sunday November 18th. Nishinomiya International Association are accepting just eight non-Japanese participants, so best sign up quickly.

The class is from 1pm–3pm in Frente shopping centre, Nishinomiya.

Tel: 0798-328-680 Email: niasakura@ceres.ocn.ne.jp www.nishi.or.jp

Address: Lead plaza 6F, 1-6-31, Higashi-Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka Access: Subway Midosuji line, Shinsaibashi stn/Subway Sakaisuji line, Nagahoribahshi stn (see KS Shinsaibashi map D2) www.murphysosaka.com

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Business matters

One Kansai Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto has a bold vision for Kansai.

His policy chief, Hitoshi Asada, tells KS all about it.

Text & images: KS

Sometimes these two leaders are heading in the opposite direction, and that causes problems. Not just for city planning but for places like hospitals, libraries, universities, those important places.

KS: How will unifying Osaka this way benefit citizens?

Asada: By our calculations... if we can unify these authorities, we can save up to 300 billion yen. We can invest that money in future planning, or use it to reduce tax, many kinds of things.

KS: Any initial ideas on how the money might be spent?

Asada: Now, Osaka is divided into 24 wards with branch offices. We want to give money and power to those branches.

Actually, we’d like to divide Osaka into just eight or nine wards, and have the residents elect their own ward mayor.

If you live in Kansai and consume news, you’ll already know that Toru Hashimoto has a new party. Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) is the only national party that’s not based in Tokyo, and its members want to change the way Osaka and the whole of Kansai are run.

KS spoke to Hitoshi Asada, Chairperson of the Osaka Prefectural Assembly and Chief Policy Architect of the Osaka Ishin no Kai, about the party’s goals.

KS: What’s the purpose of the Japan Restoration Party?

Hitoshi Asada: The main purpose is to revitalize Japan’s economy by revitalizing Kansai’s economy. We’ll start by unifying our government. Osaka is the second smallest prefecture among 47 in Japan.

Yet in such a tiny land, we have two big authorities: the Osaka Municipal Government and the Osaka Prefectural Government. So we have a mayor and a governor and they have almost the same authority.

For example, the municipal government has its own city planning authority, but so does the prefectural government.

KS: How long will this kind of plan take?

Asada: We’d like to launch this new structure for Osaka in three years’ time.

But we’ve already established a committee to discuss public services provided by the municipal government. For example, the water service suppliers. It’s more efficient to have just one supplier for the city. This is the kind of thing that directly affects people’s everyday lives.

KS: What other plans do you have for Osaka?

Asada: We’re also thinking about reducing the tax rate for companies. Currently they pay something like 40%, which is the regional level. If we reduce taxes, it will encourage more investment and growth.

KS: What about bigger plans for the party?

Asada: Our final goal is to establish doshusei, which is how things work in Italy. There are three layers of government: national, which is ruled by the head of state, regional and municipal. We want to merge Hyogo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Wakayama and Shiga into one govern-

ment, which will take care of regional matters instead of our national government. It would create one Kansai. The national government would still take care of foreign policy, national defence, macro economy, currency and so on. But on a regional basis – we will make decisions for the region. However this is still just the vision, we haven’t opened up discussions with those governing bodies yet.

KS: Why did you choose the word ‘restoration’ as part of your party’s name?

Asada: The Meiji restoration was a great age of Japanese modernization. We wanted to have the same feeling, that great change is coming for Kansai.

Hitoshi Asada was speaking to Dr. Stephen A. Zurcher, Professor of Management, Kansai Gaidai University Nippon Ishin no Kai: www.oneosaka.jp (Japanese only)

“We want to merge Hyogo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Wakayama and Shiga into one government, which will take care of regional matters instead of our national government.

It would create one Kansai.”

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Feature

Feeding an obsession Ramen is cheap, delicious and comforting, but is that enough to warrant an obsession?

Text & images: Carla Avolio

We know how to eat in Kansai, and it doesn’t have to come with Michelin stars.

This is the home of cheap yet satisfying food – be it the doughy goodness of takoyaki or the mayonnaise-slathered garbage heap that is okonomiyaki. And B-kyu (literally “B-class”), no-frills dining is perhaps most purely embodied by Japan’s enthusiasm for ramen. This simple bowl of soup, noodles and toppings has spawned devotees who have created guidebooks, rating sites, blogs, magazines – even movies.

But what’s it like to be part of this ramen-obsessed world, to be driven by something as prosaic as a bowl of noodles? To find out, KS takes its field fork on a pilgrimage across Kansai, eating ramen at the best shops (as rated by Tabelog website users) in Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe to experience a day in the life of a ramen addict.

Preparation I prepare for my three-ramen day by hitting the blogosphere to find members of the brotherhood. My first chat is with Brian MacDuckston of Ramen Adventures, who explains the obsession simply: “It’s everyman food. Everyone likes it, and the Prime Minister eats at the same shop as students.”

Patrick Mackey, author of Osaka Insider, thinks foreigners who only know instant ramen get hooked in Japan after realising how delicious and cheap it is.

I also watch Ramen Girl, a decidedly B-kyu movie about a girl who becomes a ramen chef after being dumped by her boyfriend in Tokyo. I learn that ramen is a complex art where it can take apprentices over 10 years just to learn the soup recipe. But Brian says that tradition is fast changing. “The scene is getting a lot of young, experimental stars who are getting

creative with ingredients, making foams, even putting out ramen in ratatouille or American chilli bean style,” he says.

Brian has reviewed over 500 shops, so he’s the perfect person to ask for guidelines. “Ask for the recommendation, or osusume, eat all the noodles, and don’t get anything “omori” or large size – that’s silly even by my standards,” he says. And with that, I’m ready to go.

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Breakfast – Kasho in Kyoto • General vibe: Excited but unsure I’ll reach every shop today.

• Hunger for ramen: Medium-low, so I’ve brought a friend

11:30am After a one-hour train ride to Demachiyanagi and a 15-minute walk, we reach a two-story shop at a busy intersection. It’s sleek inside, with an open kitchen and a wooden bar where we sit and watch the action. The menu is resolutely Chinese, with mouth-watering offerings of steamed dumplings and stir-fries. Determined to stay focused, we order the top two ramens, which we are told are tantan men and chicken ramen, and they both arrive in well under five minutes. The tantan men is a nest of curly noodles in a thick broth enriched by sesame, with dark-red mince and mushrooms on top. It’s absolutely delicious, but the portion is too small for the man friend, who wished he’d ordered a set. Mine is an entirely different experience. Curly noodles in a clean soy broth crowned by shredded poached chicken and spring onions, it’s a perfect lady’s portion and a restorative start to the day.

Lunch - Jikon in Osaka • General vibe: Good, but there’s a long way to go • Hunger for ramen: Medium, but I’ve lost the friend

1:30pm Under a block of units on an uninspiring residential street resides the shop voted Best Ramen Restaurant for 2011 on Tabelog. Three tables and a four-seater bar fill the compact space, and the only sound is the background hum of music and the rhythmic slurping of noodles. I chose the venue’s featured dish. It’s a light soy broth that comes with thin, straight noodles - a first for me. Toppings include a small medallion of duck, a thin slice of pork, two small chicken balls (which have strange crunchy bits that I don’t like) and a nest of fresh, green leaves that provide the perfect foil to the deep flavours. As I am photographing the dish, my waiter, wearing a worried expression, tells me I shouldn’t wait any longer before eating the ramen.

When the place empties, my friendly waiter sits down to the most enormous portion of ramen (undoubtedly the “omori” Brian warned against), which he kindly lets me photograph.

The chef, Mr Shimata, is clearly amused by my photography and shows me a line of instant ramen made by his friend, a famous ramen chef from Tokyo’s Ittou restaurant. Too interested to be embarrassed, I photograph the instant ramen before asking Shimata to pose for me. It’s not weird if it’s a legitimate craze, right?

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Afternoon snack – museum visit 2:30pm With some time to kill, I visit the Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda, which pays tribute to Momofuku Ando, the inventor of the instant noodle. It’s lots of fun, with highlights being the world’s first instant noodle launched into space (to stop the noodles and liquid flying everywhere in zero gravity, the noodles are rolled into bite-sized balls and the soup is a thick gravy) and fantastic handson activities. For only ¥300, you can design your own bespoke cup noodles, and if you book ahead, you can learn to make chicken ramen in the kitchen on the second floor. Sadly, I don’t have time for the second activity; but I watch the participants, decked out in pink aprons and chicken headscarves, hand making and flavouring noodles. Definitely worth a return visit. www.instantramen-museum.jp

Dinner - Nagomi near Kobe • General vibe: Strangely elated • Hunger for ramen: V High

6:05pm My final destination is Amagasaki, a cute riverside town between Kobe and Osaka. After a short walk down a delightful commercial street, I find my ramen shop glowing warmly in the night. It’s only five minutes past opening time but the place is packed and I’m asked to wait outside – something I welcome as an integral part of the ramen enthusiast’s experience. After only 13 minutes, I’m shocked that the first patron is getting up to leave, which reminds me of something Brian said about the financial potential of a busy ramen shop. “Customers need 10 minutes at most to finish a bowl of ramen, and I know shops that are only open for three hours but serve 150 to 200 bowls”.

Indeed, this tiny space is doing a roaring trade, with the three chefs warming bowls, boiling noodles and ladling salts and oils at great speed. When my steaming bowl arrives, I’m immediately taken with the noodles, which are fat, curly and perfectly chewy.

The owner, Takeshi, who runs the shop with his wife, hovers in front of me to make sure the broth is to my taste and that I’m correctly dealing with the toppings. He then proudly shows me a photo of his two young children, 2 and 4 years old, who are running amok in their apartment above the shop. Definitely feeling the love here.

I leave the shop glowing from my day as a ramen addict. I’m touched by the enormous pride the staff have for their product and the seriousness with which they take my ramen experience.

Ramen has introduced me to places in Kansai that I would never have visited, and much to my surprise, each bowl I’ve eaten today has tasted better than the last.

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Osaka ramen hunting – tips from Patrick Mackey • Try out the reliable chain shops such as Kinryu, Kio, Shi-ten-noh and Ippudo to get a feel for what a solid bowl of ramen tastes like.

• Start exploring the smaller shops in Minami, Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome and other areas known for good food to find some more original approaches to the dish.

• There are various types of ramen around Japan, and because Osaka is such a cosmopolitan city you can find examples of all of them if you look hard enough.

Patrick’s top three • Sodaisho (総大醤): The best shoyu ramen I have found in Osaka.

Their rich soup is out of this world.

• Men’ya Kurobune (麺屋 黒船): It’s a rare thing to find great miso ramen anywhere in Japan, and theirs is amazing.

• Men’ya Eguchi (麺屋えぐち): Probably the best tsuke-men (tsukesoba) you’ll find in Osaka. It’s also super-affordable despite its high-class taste.

Ramen Contacts • Patrick Mackey from Osaka Insider (www.osakainsider. wordpress.com) now blogs at Finding Fukuoka (www. findingfukuoka.com) and has written a guidebook, Osaka Insider: A Travel Guide for Osaka Prefecture, which includes a ramen guide.

• Brian MacDuckston, blogger at Ramen Adventures (www. ramenadventures.com), writes a weekly ramen corner for a Japanese magazine, and has been named a ramen ambassador for Yahoo Japan. He is working on an Osaka ramen school, where English speakers can learn to run a ramen business from scratch.

Restaurant Details Breakfast – Kasho (華祥) • Address: Kyoto-shi, Sakyo-ku, Tanaka Satonouchicho 41-1 • Access: Mototanaka Station on the Eizan railway (from Demachiyanagi Keihan) • Open: 11am–2pm / 5:30–10pm • Closed: Weds

Lunch – Jikon (麺や而今) • Address: Osaka-fu, Daito-shi, Haizuka 6-7-9 • Access: 14min walk from JR Konoike Shinden station • Open: 11:30–2:30 lunch only • Closed: Tues

Dinner – Nagomi (和海) • Address: Amagasaki-shi, Mukogawa-cho 2-19-3 • Access: Hanshin Mukogawa station • Open: 12–1:30pm / 6–9pm • Closed: Mon, 2nd & 4th Tues

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Travel

Knives, cameras, action!

The inside scoop on life behind the counter at one of Osaka’s most iconic noodle joints.

Text: Matthew Coslett Images: KS

“Usually our staff are Korean, Japanese and Chinese. You’re the first Caucasian worker our shop has ever had,” says Mr Hayashi, the owner of the Kinryu (The Golden Dragon) ramen chain, as he gives me the clothes I will be wearing for my day as a noodle chef. I become acutely aware of how different I look as soon as I put on the white boats, black trousers, branded T-shirt and head wrap that all his staff wear. As soon as I walk into the dining area, I notice I’ve gone from anonymous to the person that everyone wants to point and stare quizzically at.

Even the eponymous dragon on the side of the Kinryu building seems to look at me bemusedly as I enter the kitchen and bow to the other workers.

The Golden Dragon is the perfect location to spend a day as a ramen chef.

The building, with its famous dragon, has become an Osakan icon and was one of the first to start using giant models on the

sides of buildings. Since it was featured in overseas magazines, it has also become a hit with international visitors. One of the keys to its success has always been its 24-hour opening times. The typical customer changes frequently throughout the day from businessmen in the morning to bar hostesses late at night. For the workers this means learning how to provide customer service to all walks of life. For the restaurant it meant adapting the recipe so the broth was light enough for everyone to enjoy. The broth is based on soy sauce, but the recipe is a closely guarded secret.

As my work experience progresses, my unlikely presence soon becomes accepted by most of the customers. I briefly talk with one who assumes I’m a 30-something student in need of cash. My discussion is interrupted by Mr. Hayashi who explains the importance of preparing food in the Kinryu way. His brand

has always prided itself on making sure that everything is as natural as possible, I am told, so my job today will be to prepare a bowl from scratch. My first job will be to slice up strips of raw meat to be cooked and used to make the broth and the toppings.

Because the job involves handling raw meat, Mr Hayashi guides me through his 5-point hand-washing technique. While most people know they should wash their hands thoroughly, at Kinryu the hands are only the beginning. You then have to scrub your wrists, the area where you wore your watch,

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each individual finger and then scrape your palms before you are ready to begin work. Once he’s satisfied that I’m clean enough, I start work slicing the flesh. But as I’m nervously wielding the razor-sharp knife, Hayashi also gives me a lesson in the p’s and q’s of customer relations: “Always greet customers with ‘Irasshaimase’ and say goodbye with ‘Oki-ni’ .

And if you go anywhere near the chefs working with boiling water, always shout ‘Torimasu’ (“passing”) before you walk behind them.”

After I have finished cutting up the pork, I have to clean my work area. This is easier said than done. As anyone who prepares ramen at home knows, if you leave the broth in the bowl for too long, a stubborn layer of oil can form on the sides. For this reason, the taps at this restaurant have been modified to release a mixture of oil and water. This mixture is then washed around the bowls to get rid of this annoying oily residue. Luckily for me, this also cuts the cleaning time dramatically. With the plates finally cleaned, the owner announces that he wants to give me a reward: the chance to prepare my own lunch ramen. “The training takes about 10 days and boiling noodles is usually the last thing taught,” Mr. Hayashi explains. I feel a little nervous as I approach the vats of boiling water, but my

tutor explains that he will stand beside me and guide me through it.

While the sight of me slicing meat and doing the dishes was of some interest to the customers, as soon as I move on to preparing the noodles themselves, I realize that I have crossed the line from ‘interesting’ to ‘fascinating’. I notice customers secretly recording me with their phones. I feel a little pride at my sudden celebrity status, but I have to try to ignore it. The next stage involves taking a ball of ramen and dunking it into a net suspended in the boiling water. The experienced chefs can get the noodles into the water without even disturbing it at all. Not me, though. Unnerved by all the eyeballs on me, I drop the noodles too suddenly and the seething water spits angrily at me. Most of the chefs tell me that the heat is one of the toughest things about the job and even though it’s the middle of autumn, I can see what they mean. As the steam from the hot water blows in my face, the effects of standing all day begins to overcome me, making my head swim.

Getting the noodles into the water was tricky enough, but working out when they are ready involves a lot more skill.

While guesswork may be ok at home, ramen chefs know that the difference between delicious noodles and mush

is a couple of seconds. They check the noodles regularly, waiting for the exact moment they are ready. Any home chefs take note: to tell whether a piece is perfectly cooked or not you should remove a strand from the water and press it lightly with your finger. A perfectly cooked piece should be clear on the outside and have a yellow colour in the middle. “We don’t use a timer here any more,” Mr. Hayashi says as he shows me the technique.

“People like to see noodles prepared this way too.”

Once the noodles are cooked, the ingredients must be added in a strict order to make sure no flavours are obscured or ingredients become too soggy. The soy sauce goes first as it’s the base of the dish and most important ingredient. Then come raw bean sprouts, followed by the broth which ‘cooks’ them. The noodles go in next to soak up the flavour of these ingredients. Finally, three slices of pork, a handful of green onions and a dash of sesame seed oil complete the recipe.

I take my finished bowl of ramen to the side of the counter and wolf it down.

I’ve just spent a couple of hours creating a single bowl of ramen and it has given me a newfound respect for the chefs who have to produce between 60 and 80 bowls an hour at busy times.

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Made in Kansai

Plastic Fantastic With expert casting, painting and arranging, the Japanese have mastered the art of turning plastic into something almost as tempting as real food.

Text: Carla Avolio Images: KS

It looks like a kitchen, but something’s wrong. Fumio Morino, clad in loose T-shirt and jeans, is hunched over his workbench, layering slices of BBQ pork before pouring over a gleaming, brown sauce. Behind him, metal bowls sit atop the gas stove, and containers of vibrant fruit – red raspberries, plump blueberries and wedges of melon – are prepped and ready to go. That would all be normal kitchen business were it not for the dirty builder’s tools sitting side-by-side with the knives, tubes of silicone littering the workbench, and paint splattered on every surface. Besides, Morino has just lit up a cigarette while still fussing over the pork – no doubt violating the first rule learnt at chef school.

Technically Morino isn’t a chef, although he comes pretty close. He long ago mastered the classics of sushi, udon and ramen, as well as scores of desserts and pastries. The only difference is that his food is made of plastic, and instead of

mastering the alchemy of taste, Morino’s genius lies in the art of deception.

Morino makes plastic foods, known in Japanese as “shokuhin sample”. These are the remarkably convincing models of delicious dishes that crowd the display cases of so many restaurants, izakayas and coffee shops in Japan. From his tiny factory in Hirano, Morino crafts models designed to tell people everything about a dish – its size, components, even quality – in an instant. “The key to these models is in their ability to look just like real food,” says Morino, a second-generation fake food manufacturer. “If they don’t look convincing, they won’t do their job of tempting people to stop, look and eat.”

The use of model food as advertisement is a uniquely Japanese method that began right here in Kansai, not surprisingly in the food-obsessed city of Osaka.

It took hold in the late 1920s when eating out at department store restaurants became fashionable. Today, the industry

continues to thrive, and although there are no accurate figures for the size of the market, a Japan Times article from 2002 says annual sales are estimated to reach about 8.5 billion yen.

At the helm of a model food company started by his father in 1938, Morino has seen many changes in the industry, including the transition from wax to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and silicone. He takes a break from his pork model to explain why the fake food industry has remained strong for 90 years: “Restaurants know if they’re the only shop on the street without model food, they’ll be in trouble.” He says the ability to see the product in 3D, not just in a photo, has proven benefits. “I had a client who sold boxed and frozen squid in department stores. After using my model, they had a two-fold increase in sales.”

A bowl of customised ramen, one that has original features that need to be made from scratch, can take three weeks to

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one month and costs over ¥10,000. For a restaurant that needs dozens of samples, the costs can rack up fast. “People need to understand that these models aren’t made by a machine that can crank out hundreds in a day,” says Justin Hanus, a business partner who is working with Morino to take plastic food onto the international market. “Each one is handmade to order

by Morino-san and his staff.”

Indeed, the time and craftsmanship that goes into each model makes the fee seem paltry to say the least, but it is something that Morino says is well worth it. “You can get much cheaper Chinese models, made faster and with far fewer steps, but of course they don’t look nearly as real.”

Realism is at the heart of successful plastic food. But making food look real is not about perfection; indeed, it is quite the opposite. For the model to be convincing, the imperfections need to be there – it needs to look like a product formed by the random forces of nature and cooked by the imperfect hand of a human.

This realism is created by hand crafting each element and assembling it as the chef would. Take tempura: a prawn, steamed to pink perfection, is dipped in creamy batter and then “cooked” using heat. But in this case, everything is made from plastic, and the heat is in the form of hot air, which causes the PVC batter to puff up and transform into the crunchy, airy covering.

And each element is handmade from real food, which is how the model you see on the shelf looks so similar to food you get on the plate. Marbled beef is made by pouring silicone over a real piece of beef to make a mould that accurately replicates the surface textures of meat, including all wrinkles. White PVC is then piped in to represent the fat veins, and a layer of pink PVC is poured over for the raw meat.

Next comes possibly the most crucial part of the process: the colouring. Edges are burnt, insides are undercooked, and the model is given a natural variety of colours. In Morino’s factory, this final step is done in the airbrushing studio with a palate of paints in categories like “deepfried”, “pancake” and “grilled”.

With this combination of food, art and good old-fashioned handiwork, plastic food is attracting the attention of regular citizens, who want to learn about the process or try it for themselves. To this end, Morino has started running weekend workshops for school groups and interested individuals, teaching participants to make their very own parfait.

But Morino warns that mastering fake food takes serious dedication and hard work. “To legitimately enter the industry, one needs to complete a four-year appren-

ticeship, and even after that, real expertise will only come after 10 years,” he says.

Add long hours and laborious work, surrounded by industrial plastics and paints, and you start to get the picture. “If a client wants a product in time for Christmas, we work nights and weekends to make the deadline,” he says. “You only do this job if you really love it.”

I thank Morino and Justin for their time and head for the door. But I’ve barely left the factory before I see Morino back at this workbench, cigarette in hand, intensely studying his pork model; striving for the most perfect imperfection.

Morino Sample • Address: 547-0001 Osaka-shi, Hirano-ku, Kamikita 6-1-19 • Tel: 06-6792-7543 • Email: info@morino-sample.jp • URL: www.morino-sample.jp

Plastic food workshop Have a go at making the perfect plastic parfait or cake.

Workshops run every weekend and last from 90 to 120 mins. Start times vary. ¥3,000 per person.

Please call 06-6792-7543 to make a reservation (Japanese only) or email info@morino-sample.jp.

Online store For the biggest range of fake food items you’ll ever see, check out www. fakefoodjapan.com. All items are hand-crafted by Morino and his team.

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Spotlight on:

Shinsekai

Food and drink

Best-kept secret of the century Famed for blowfish and kushikatsu, Shinsekai might not be the glammest part of town, but it’s celebrating 100 years of serving up the true flavours of Osaka.

Text & images: Celia Polkinghorne

It may not be the first place to cross your mind when planning an afternoon or evening in Osaka, but perhaps this year it should be. Shinsekai means “new world”, which may seem a little outdated for this end of town, but 2012 is a special year. It’s the 100th anniversary of the building of the Tsutentaku tower, part of a makeover of this area in 1912, so a dose of nostalgia

is in order. Local or tourist, you’ve got to eat, and whether you’re contemplating gourmet cuisine or just good old Osaka grub, Shinsekai offers boundless culinary options. Just a half-hour walk from Namba, or a short subway ride away, the supposed birthplace of kushikatsu reminds us that some of Japan’s most cherished dishes hail from its most humble streets.

ginger. There’s also sweet potato, eggplant, mushroom, tomato and long sticks of juicy, green asparagus. The more adventurous can choose chicken gristle, chicken gizzard or cow tongue. Don’t forget the favourites from the sea: the shrimp and scallops at ¥210 a piece. In the summer months, the conger pike eel is worth a try, and keep your eye out for succulent oysters on the winter menu.

A very different experience from tempura, kushikatsu’s breaded coating is often heavier than a tempura batter and the Worcestershire based tonkatsu dipping sauce far darker, thicker and richer than the tentsuyu tempura dip. Some kushikatsu is fried with a lot of batter while some has only a thin coating - it depends on the ingredients you choose. Daruma is all about attention to detail.

When your sizzling hot skewers arrive, dunk each deep-fried parcel into the special sauce (Remember, only once, so don’t hold back) and enjoy the crispy batter melting in your mouth as the juicy ingredients release their flavours.

To wash it all down, beer, chu-hai, sake and shochu are on offer as well as tea, soft drinks and a “gabunomi akadama cocktail” – a red wine and chuhai concoction that staff refer to as “a red bomb”.

For something different, and a little less explosive, try the yuzu citrus wine. It’s cool and sweet, with a dessert winestyle finish.

Daruma If you’re new to the art of kushikatsu, visit Daruma and you’ll soon learn the number one rule – the customers share trays of tonkatsu sauce, so no double-dipping!

That’s the mandate of the stern-looking character at the shop front with his arms crossed over his chest. But don’t let him fool you, the staff are as friendly as they come. Their comic banter in the kitchen provides entertainment while you wait, because the fact of the matter is, there will be a line, and this kushikatsu is worth waiting for.

There are three Daruma shops in the area. The original shop, opened around 1929, is very small and only fits a few patrons, so depending on the day, the one facing the Tsutentaku tower could be a better bet. It seats around 50, mostly around a big, rectangular counter and allows for a little more elbow room. You can ask for the English menu if you need it, then order away.

The beef and the pork cutlets are the two most popular choices and cost ¥105 per stick. There are many kinds of vegetables which are delicious deep-fried; lotus root, bamboo shoot, onion, leek and red

Where: Naniwa-Ku, Ebisu Higashi 1-6-8 Access: Ebisucho Subway Station Exit 3 (Sakaisuji Line) Tel: 06-6643-1373 Open: 11am–9pm www.kushikatu-daruma.com

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Takobozu If you’ve sampled Shinsekai’s iconic kushikatsu but still want something more, how about burning your mouth on some tasty, piping hot takoyaki? Takobozu, just a few metres east of Tsutentaku, has all the answers – savoury and sweet. Buy six golden brown balls for ¥300, or 12 for ¥500. Try your best to let the pancake part cool down before fishing out the octopus in the middle, or the roof of your mouth will punish you for your impatience.

To celebrate the 100th year of the Tsutentaku tower, Takobozu is offering a dessert with a difference – Kushikatsu sauce-flavoured soft-serve ice cream.

Admittedly, tonkatsu taste in a cone takes a little getting used to, but they combine it with vanilla ice cream for an intriguing savoury-sweet effect. Word seems to have spread, because there are long lines at Takobozu on weekends for this unlikely dessert. Luckily, talking to the cheerful staff is half the fun of being there. They’re full of stories and will have you eating sauce-flavoured ice cream before you know it.

Doyasa

Where: Naniwa-Ku, Ebisu-Higashi 3-1-14 Access: Ebisucho Subway Station Exit 3 (Sakaisuji Line) Tel: 06-6647-0840 Open: 11am–10pm (last order 9:30pm)

Zuboraya Call it what you like – blowfish, balloonfish, bubblefish, pufferfish, fugu or, as on the English half of the menu at Zuboraya, globefish – the potentially poisonous dish was Shinsekai’s first iconic food.

The area is home to the original Zuboraya blowfish restaurant, which is open every day of the year except New Year’s day. Look for the giant blow-up blowfish that seems to be floating in midair. Whatever form of blowfish you can imagine, Zuboraya has it at an affordable price. Sushi and sashimi (¥1,400), salad with egg, tomato, lettuce, cheese and red onion (¥950), deep fried (¥1,050), grilled (¥1,500), and blowfish in udon noodles or gratin (¥900). For a light and healthy dinner option, the blowfish nabe (¥2,650) is a must-try. This fish and vegetable hotpot contains shiitake and ennoke mushrooms, tofu, Chinese cabbage and glass noodles, and it’s perfect for the cooler weather.

Turn on the gas burner and watch the fresh, healthy ingredients bubble away in the silver pot before you. And if you’re dining with friends who fear the fugu, no problem: Zuboraya serves a range of other dishes, including crab salad, beef

shabu shabu and beef sukiyaki. There’s also a children’s menu offering fried prawns and fried chicken so the little ones don’t have to miss out.

Where: Naniwa-Ku, Ebisu-Higashi 2-5-5 Access: Ebisucho Subway Station Exit 3 (Sakaisuji Line) Tel: 06-6633-5529 Open: 11am–10:30pm www.zuboraya.co.jp

When it comes to Osaka soul food, the staff at Doyasa has it covered.

They’re experts in what Kansai does best: scrumptious flour-based dishes and fried noodles. Despite seating just eight people, this little restaurant is genuinely comfortable and the two-man team behind the counter will cook your order to perfection on the long, sparkling silver grill in front of you.

Choose from classic-style okonomiyaki or one of many variations the place offers on the savoury pancake. One Doyasa specialty is its negiyaki – okonomiyaki made from a batter of flour, yam, eggs and cabbage, mixed in with other ingredients of your choice, and a giant helping of juicy, green spring onions. If you’re feeling brave, ask for the extra hot sauce (warning – extra hot does mean extra hot) or for a Korean take on the dish, add the spicy kimchi topping. Adventurous okonomiyaki and modanyaki eaters can order their dish with offal and dried noodles (¥780). For something a little lighter to share, order the deluxe tonpeiyaki (¥600), a tender pork-strip omelette drizzled in okonomiyaki sauce and that unbeatable Japanese mayonnaise. Doyasa also has a takeaway option – you could pick up your order and take it to the Tsutenkaku tower straight ahead down the mall. It is, after all, its centenary. If you’re happy to pay the ¥600 fee to get to the top, the view of south Osaka is splendid.

Where: Naniwa-Ku, Ebisu-Higashi 1-17-12 Access: Ebisucho Subway Station Exit 3 (Sakaisuji Line) Tel: 06-6645-1083 Open: 11am–9pm (last order 8:30) Closed: Wednesdays, and the 2nd Tuesday of every month www3.ocn.ne.jp/~teppan

Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Food and drink

Hot balls, cold bubbles Prepare your tastebuds for Tako-cham, a fruity little number that was born to hang out with Osaka’s most famous street food.

Text & images: JJ O’Donoghue

Let’s kick off with a round of word association. Chicken: Egg. Apples: Oranges.

Vending machines: Japan. Natto: No thanks. Takoyaki: Champagne.

Takoyaki and Champagne? Say what?

Not many people would pair Osaka’s finest street food (or second finest, depending on where you stand on the takoyaki versus okonomiyaki debate) with champers. But that’s exactly what one of Kansai’s oldest winemakers says we should be doing. The Katashimo Winery has brought out a bottle of bubbly produced especially for takoyaki, and like the little octopus treats, it’s surprisingly delicious and reasonable to boot.

It’s called Tako-cham (as in: octopus Champagne), though technically it’s a sparkling white wine as it’s never been near France’s Champagne region. They’re gambling that the French pedants won’t notice their cheeky skirting of the appellation laws.

Katashimo has been producing wines for more than a hundred years from its vineyards just south of Osaka city, and a few years ago began toying with the idea of a sparkling wine to pair with takoyaki.

It seems one of the major stumbling blocks was finding the right design for the label, which to my eye resembles a bottle of sake more than your typical flashy French bubbles.

However, it’s the content that matters most and from first sip to last drip tako-cham is a worthy accompaniment to a helping of takoyaki. This is not a dry wine and it’s all the better for it, too. It’s lightly sparkling with a peachy fruitiness. It’s more complex than you might imagine, but nothing that will threaten a true Champagne. Not that you’ll have long to dwell on the subtleties because as soon as you wolf down your first octopus ball, takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes combine to overwhelm the senses and you’re left with just a mouthful of bubbles.

I admire what the winemakers at Katashimo have done; having the imagination and the skill to pair takoyaki, a lowbrow street food, with a sparkling wine that’s both delicious and delicate.

If you want a proper Champagne cork to pop, you’ll have to shell out for a magnum; the regular bottle is sealed with a boring old bottle cap.

If takoyaki is not to your liking, Tako-cham will go well with just about anything, from sushi to cheese, fruit or a bucket of karaage.

Order it!

Tako-cham bottle (750ml): ¥2,310; magnum: ¥5,250 Available from www.kashiwara-wine.com

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Illustration: KS

20

Language

Political rhetoric Text: Wes Lang

With the Obama vs. Romney daitouryou sen (Presidential election) just days away and Japan facing its own senyko (election) in the not-too-distant future, the time is ripe to familiarize yourself with some political lingo.

The first obvious phrase that comes to mind would have to be Nihon de wa touhyou dekimasen (I’m not allowed to vote in Japan), which could be followed by senyouken ga hoshii (I want the right to vote). Americans might be asked if they can vote in the US election from Japan, which should be answered with Hai, fuzaisha touhyou de (Yes, I can vote by absentee ballot).

Suffrage aside, you should also commit to memory a few lexical items regarding the political system in Japan. Two important terms are yotou (ruling party) and yatou (opposition party). The yotou for the time being is the Minshutou (Democratic Party of Japan), while the party that has ruled most of post-war Japan is known as the Jimintou (Liberal Democratic Party).

Both parties are characterized by division into a number of habatsu (factions), which are regularly involved in habatsu arasoi (factional disputes), while simultaneously trying to stay out of sukyandaru (scandals). Unfortunately, seiji (politics) and oshoku (corruption) seem to go hand-in-hand, which is more than likely the main cause of seijiteki mukanshin (voter apathy).

Don’t let all of this get you down, however. Get out there and have a say.

大統領 (daitouryou)

President (of a country)

選挙 (senkyo)

Election

日本では投票できません (Nihon de

I can’t vote in Japan.

選挙権 (senkyoken)

suffrage

不在者投票 (fuzaisha touhyou)

an absentee ballot

与党 (yotou)

ruling party

野党 (yatou)

opposition party

民主党 (Minshutou)

Democratic Party of Japan

自民党 (Jimintou)

Liberal Democratic Party

派閥 (habatsu)

a (political) faction

政治 (seiji)

politics

汚職 (oshoku)

corruption

政治的無関心 (seijiteki mukanshin)

voter apathy

wa touhyou dekimasen)

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Art

Shoot to win Kameraoke, the annual amateur photo competition, is now in its seventh year. Here’s seven reasons you should get clicking.

Text: Donna Sheffield Images: Kameraoke

1. It’s fun to take pictures It’s a rare breed of person who comes to Japan and takes absolutely no photographs. Sharing pics of your new life is a big part of making memories, and keeping in touch with those back home.

You know what you like to take pictures of – drunken nights out, weird food, pretty objects – but does anyone else find them interesting? The answer is, almost always, yes. Don’t be shy to share what you find interesting.

2. A theme gives you ideas Kameraoke is a competition with a theme. This year it’s the Seven Wonders of Kansai. The organizers want images of wondrous cultural, culinary, natural, design, human or fashion scenes. The seventh category is for images showing reactions to wonderful events. That should get your creative mind buzzing.

3. See something new If you’ve lived in Japan for a while, perhaps you feel you’re used to life here.

Nothing surprises you these days. Then prepare to have your mind changed. Take your camera out for the day and shoot what you see. Kameraoke co-organiser Edward says: “Don’t just trawl through your photo library and pick the best shot. Of course, you can do that, but you get a better experience if you take it as a challenge to go out and discover something new.

Many photographers at the event come and thank us for that opportunity.”

4. You don’t need a fancy camera or expertise Last year’s winning photo was taken with an iPhone. Fancy camera equipment really isn’t needed. There’s no need to worry about professionals sneering at your smartphone pics. Use what you’ve got – all cameras are OK here.

5. But you will get a fancy book.

“So here’s the book of that photography exhibition I was in...” All photographers who enter Kameraoke will get one picture published in a quality book. What better souvenir to show the folks back home?

Makes putting ‘photography’ on your CV that little bit more credible.

6. Be an exhibitionist You submit some digital pictures to the Kameraoke team, and just over three weeks later, one of them will be hanging in an art gallery. The photo exhibition is held for just one day, and photographs will be grouped by theme, which makes for a good talking point too. A gallery is a bit of a change from the first Kameraoke in Canada, which was held in co-organiser Danyk’s university dorm. “People just turned up with their photographs, and we taped them onto the wall,” he says. “When we ran out of wall, well, there was room on the stairwell.” Of course it’s a bit more professional these days, but still far from a stuffy art gallery event, as local DJs will be playing music throughout the night, and you can get food and drink.

Co-organisers Edward (left) and Danyk

7. The public vote wins Even if you don’t enter a photograph, you can come to the gallery on Dec 2nd and enjoy the show. But you won’t be just looking at the pictures, you’ll be voting on them. All the prizes given to photographers will be decided by the public. Everyone who enters the gallery gets voting forms to choose their favourite images.

The ones with the most vote win – it’s as simple as that. “Everyone is an active participant. There’s no-one just hovering in the corner, because you have a part to play,” says Danyk. There are also random prizes to be won throughout the event for non-photographers. It’s arty without the farty. But, the organisers add, everyone who just comes to the exhibition wishes they’d taken a photograph too. Danyk muses: “It’s like going to a movie and just seeing the credits roll. Kameraoke doesn’t begin next month at the art gallery, it begins now. If you join in, you’ll get it.”

Kameraoke 7: Wonders of Kansai • Deadline for submissions: Nov 11 • Guidelines and questions: www.kameraoke.com • Email: kameraoke7@gmail.com Photography exhibit: Dec 2 2pm–9:30pm Pinebrooklyn Gallery, Higashi Umeda Admission: ¥1,000

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Events

Tasty selection lined up for movie festival

Free Stuff!

of offered 5 pairs KS has been ning of your ree sc the for tickets festival. choice at the w email To enter the dra ways@ givea your name to: m by Nov 16. kansaiscene.co ct ‘OEFF’.

Mark the subje

Film fans hungry for some new international entertainment don’t have to wait much longer, thankfully. What’s on the menu for this year’s OEFF? Text: Jean-Yves Terreault

Despite some funding problems this year, the annual Osaka European Film Festival (OEFF) is back for its 19th edition throughout November. Luckily, finding outstanding movies, which will bring spectators through a gamut of emotions, has been much easier than procuring sponsorship. The festival is separated in different sections, with most events held at the Elsereine Hotel Umeda. Here’s an appetizer of what to expect.

On the topic of food, moviegoers can expect some refreshment during the festival. All morning presentations will come with complimentary cake and drinks ‘Morning Chaud’, while free drinks (including alcohol) will be served before the evening movies, ‘Apéritif ’. Following on the theme, the OEFF puts forward the Slow Food movement with the documentary Terra Madre. The November 24th representation will be followed by a symposium on the subject, with panelists from Europe and Japan. The Japan premiere of Willy Rojas’ playful food photography exhibition at the E-ma building

(Nov 3rd to 24th, free admission) wraps up the section on food.

The main dish of the OEFF is the Japanese Premiere Screenings, all of which have English and Japanese subtitles (some movies in other sections only have Japanese subtitles). Ten recent films are going to be shown for the first time here, and some might not get distributed later on. This is especially true for The Final Cut (György Pálfi, one of the guests attending), a movie that has no chance of distribution due to copyrights issues, since it is a collage of 450 movies from around the world. If you have to see only one movie during the festival, this might be the one, although know that you’d miss out on other fantastic films.

A retrospective of Honorary Chairperson Bruno Ganz, an angel in Wings of Desire, Hitler in Downfall, will feature nine of his films. Here is your chance to enjoy some of his timeless classics on the big screen. Following the Olympics, the London Fairway section presents six

movies shot by foreigners in the English capital: a gaijin view of the mythic city!

In addition, don’t miss tie-in fairs at bookstore Junkudo and the Hankyu department store, the food market on weekends at E-ma, the young cinema Symposium, and The Night of The Adeater (Jan 5th). To entertain the little ones, head down to the Kids Plaza Hall (Nov 17th-18th) to watch animated movies by Italian youngsters or to the Elsereine for the Japan premiere of Monster In Paris.

There’s also a daycare service with cinema workshops at the hotel for children aged five and up.

Osaka European Film Festival Nov 23-26 Most shows are at the Elsereine Hotel, Umeda. Venues and admission prices vary, please check the event website for further details. www.oeff.jp

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

KS

Pick

© 2012 Twentieth Century Fox

Nov 1

Coming soon

Paranormal Activity 4 Nov 1 There goes the neighbourhood – Alice, meet your new neighbour, the woman with a personal demon who likes to spook everyone at night. If I were you, I’d sell the house sharpish, because where Katie goes, death and horror follow, as her boyfriend, sister and husband all found out to their cost in previous installments.

At the end of Paranormal Activity 3, Katie kidnapped her son Hunter (now known as Robbie) and legged it. Now they’re settling in, more things have been going bump, aaargh and WHYohmygodWHY? in the night. Don’t even think about being a hero: it’s time to pack your bags and move if you want to survive.

Horror • 95 mins Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman • Starring: Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively

Nobo no Shiro/ The Floating Castle Nov 2 Japanese military leader Narita Nagachika is a little clumsy and inept, so among his men he has the nickname ‘Nobo-sama’ (short for deku no bo, or blockhead). But he really has to get it together quickly, as he and his 500 men are all that stands between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and total power over Japan. This is a novel adaptation based on a real-life event, the siege of Oshi. The movie’s release date was delayed by over a year, as a scene where floods are used as a siege weapon was a little too raw after the devastating events of March 2011.

Drama, History Directors: Shinji Higuchi, Isshin Inudo Starring: Takayuki Yamada, Hiroki Narimiya, Koichi Sato

W.E. Nov 3 Madonna tackles a celebrity love story with an interesting twist: we see it through the eyes of an ordinary person. It’s the story of England’s King Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson.

But it’s told in flashback, as their estate comes up for auction. The amusingly named Wally Winthrop becomes intrigued by the couple’s history, and filling in the blanks with her imagination proves a willing distraction from her own messy love life. The result: a look at ordinary people’s obsessions through a celebrity prism.

Drama, History, Romance 119 mins • Director: Madonna Starring: Abbie Cornish, James D’Arcy, Andrea Riseborough

Cirque de Soleil: Worlds Away Nov 9 Circuses aren’t just for clowns, lion-tamers and bearded ladies, as anyone who’s witnessed the aerobatic delights of Cirque de Soleil can testify. The Canadian company has been thrilling audiences worldwide for over 25 years, with its all-human circus cast, spinning, dancing and leaping through the air, appearing to defy gravity. Sounds like a good basis for a movie, but the director of Shrek didn’t just stick a camera in the audience. Instead, he whipped up a plot to show off all the performance highlights in one glorious, eye-opening whammy.

How much wow can you pack into one movie?

Director: Andrew Adamson Starring: Erica Linz, Dallas Barnett, Lutz Halhubner

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Film previews

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Nov 1 • Action, Fantasy, Horror • 105 mins • Director: Timur Bekmambetov • Starring: Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, Dominic Cooper

When it comes to war, it can be hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Everyone has a weapon and a reason to win – so whose side should we be on? Here’s one movie that makes no bones about who the baddies are, by rewriting the books to turn them into vampires.

Before we get into the vamp side, a history side lesson for non-Americans. Back in the 1860s, as newly elected President Abraham Lincoln moved into the White House, America was torn apart by civil war. Northern and southern states were firmly divided over slavery. The north was against it, but the south didn’t want to take orders from the north, so the states there formed their own group, the Confederacy. The confederate men were outnumbered and overpowered, but it still took four years and thousands of lives for the US to become one united country again. Got it? Great. Now let’s close the history book and fling it out the window, because this movie is based on an alternative universe, where Honest Abe wasn’t just fighting slavery, but bloodthirsty vampires.

It all makes more sense when you know the director at work is Timur Bekmambetov, famous for action flick Wanted, but

also for bringing vamps chillingly back into focus with his Night Watch and Day Watch movies. Tim Burton lends a hand as producer, which makes this an intriguing gothic mix of stylish action and genuinely creepy bloodsuckers. There are no sparkles here, but plenty of brutal vamp-slaying.

Abe of course has the signature whiskery beard, stovepipe hat, swooshy cloak and – oh yes – a shiny axe that, after some training, he can twirl like Bruce Lee handling nunchucks. But we get to see a sad childhood memory before he turns into that powerhouse – a nasty vampire kills his mother. Abe wants revenge, but after he gets it, he learns there are lots more bad guys out there to defeat. Trainee lawyer by day, vamp killer by night, he slowly works his way up to the White House. But the vampires aren’t gonna take it lying down in their coffins. They’ve teamed up with the Confederate army to strike back.

Relative newcomer Benjamin Walker plays Abe with brooding sincerity, but the plot is a little more tongue-in-cheek playful than an attempt at a serious history lesson. That’s made it a mixed hit with audiences, so go with an open mind and let the action suck you in.

Stolen

Trouble with the Curve

Nov 10 Quick, Nic! There’s a situation!

You’re the only man who can help!

Grease back your thinning hair, pull on your trusty black jacket and grim expression. Have an angry phone call or two, leap in a car, drive like a maniac, possibly through a fire or explosion of some sort, and grit your teeth for 96 minutes. Or, you could just shrug, tell your former co-thief he can just keep your annoying daughter, and go to bed with a nice cup of tea. Now that would be an original movie. Just make sure the bad guy ends your agent while you’re at it.

Nov 23 Eastwood plays Gus, a grumpy old baseball scout that has spent his life scouring the minor leagues for the next big star. Shunning both family and technology in the process, he has finally come to the end of his career. A legend in his day, he has 3 months left on his contract at the Atlanta Braves and teams up with his reluctant, lawyer daughter for what may be his last big swing.

Non-baseball fans will still enjoy this somewhat conventional fatherdaughter reconciliation story, not least for Eastwood’s Gran Torinoesque portrayal of a cranky oldtimer looking to go out on a high.

Karasu no Oyayubi/ The Rule of Crow’s Thumb

Action, Drama, Thriller 96 mins Director: Simon West Starring: Nicolas Cage, Malin Akerman, Josh Lucas

Drama, 111 mins Directors: Robert Lorenz Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake

Nov 23 Two small-time con artists, Take and Tetsu, live together and constantly cook up ways to get money. They owe a loan shark, so their dream is to complete one big job, pay him off and end their criminal ways. Things get complicated when they meet Mahiro, a girl who was orphaned when they bungled one of their jobs. But she doesn’t seem to know who they are, thank goodness. They invite her in to stay, but soon her sister, sister’s boyfriend and stray cat also end up living with the failing crooks and getting drawn into their con jobs. Based on a novel by Shunsuke Michio.

Drama • Director: Tadafumi Ito Starring: Hiroshi Abe, Shoji Murakami, Satomi Ishihara

Hick Nov 24 Cherub-lipped teenager Chloe Grace Moretz has already shown her ability to play gutsy, charming characters in Kick-Ass (and she’s just finished filming a sequel reprising her role as Hit Girl).

Here, she’s Luli, an ordinary girl in Nebraska, who just got a revolver for her thirteenth birthday (thanks, scary uncle!) Determined to escape her hick fate and deadbeat parents, she throws the gift in a travel bag and hitches a ride out of town. Her dream: to make it to Vegas, baby.

The reality: she’s gonna meet some weird and wonderful people who’ll help and hinder, and she’ll grow up a bit faster than expected.

Comedy, Drama 99 mins Director: Derick Martini Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, Rory Culkin

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Photo courtesy of Enryakuji

Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Travel

Mt. Hiei: sacred home of the Tendai monks Text & images: Lauren Hadler

Soon the mountains surrounding Kyoto will transform into a spectacular array of colour. The landscape will completely change place on the colour wheel. Mount Hiei is the perfect place to take in autumn. Situated northeast of Kyoto city, it makes up part of the Hiei-zan range, dividing Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. The mountain boasts the UNESCO World Heritage site Enryakuji, the sacred home of the Tendai monks.

Upon reaching Enryakuji, the temple’s significance immediately becomes clear.

Worshippers take their time in prayer.

Incense hangs in the air among the cedar, until the breeze sends it into the forest.

There is a seamless connection between the ancient temple buildings and the natural environment.

Enryakuji has a long history. It was founded in 788 by the monk Saicho, and then flattened in 1571 by Oda Nobunaga. Ruthlessly, Nobunaga sent 30,000 men to indiscriminately massacre all the inhabitants on the mountain. Ravaged by fire and war, Enryakuji has always bounced back - a true hub of Japanese religious belief.

From the Kyoto-side cable car, the walk to the main hall reveals a lookout, perfect for picnics. We spread our rug in the sun and enjoyed the panoramic view of mountains. After lunch, we had a conversation with another couple about the diverse wildlife found on the mountain, and the relatively easy hike up from Yase.

We had taken the cable car but mentioned to them that we had considered hiking down to Yase that afternoon. We decided against it. Unsuitable shoes. The couple said the hike is moderate, but it’s long and often over uneven ground. This conversation about the terrain made it even more exciting to walk through the forest and think of the famous marathon monks.

Those monks run for 100 days, covering 40 kilometres per day. They pound around the mountain with minimum sustenance and incredible endurance!

Humbling. We were too chicken to even take Mt Hiei on downhill!

A highlight of the day was the Inextinguishable Dharma Light in the sacred Konpon-chudo hall. The light has burned for 1,200 years; a dedicated Tendai monk always attends the flame. The Dai ko-do

training hall was rich in history, filled with ancient portraits of esteemed monks.

Ultimately though, the best parts of the day were simple, just walking in the forest, the views and experiencing the significance and connection of the mountain to Enryakuji.

Ways and means Take the Keihan Main Line to Demachiyanagi and catch the Eizan train to Yase-Hieizan-guchi. From there, you’ll need to take the Eizan cable car. Once on Mount Hiei, begin the short, sign posted, 2-kilometer walk to the To-do (Eastern area).

The temple consists of three main areas the, To-do, Sai-to (Western), and Yokawa, with each area located in its own place on the mountain. If you want to see them all allow plenty of time. We enjoyed the mountain and focused our attention on the To-do temples.

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Travel

Darwin

Natural selection Down to Darwin, where the weather’s warm and the wildlife’s armless.

Brisbane

Perth Sydney

Adelaide

Canberra Melbourne

Text & images: Natalie Emmons

There is a chill in the air. It won’t be long before ads start touting tropical beaches and afternoons in a hammock. But if you are going to venture south of the equator, why not get a bit of adventure along with the tan lines? In Darwin, Australia’s gateway to the outback, you can have your kangaroo and eat it too. Home to sandy beaches and tropical waterholes, Darwin is the hub for adventure tours that navigate through magnificent national parks, cruise through rivers infested with crocodiles, and allow you to get touchyfeely with pythons.

The northern Australian city is the starting point for tours bound for Adelaide River, Katherine Gorge, and Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks.

Named after biologist Charles Darwin, the coastal town boasts art galleries,

Northern Territory

beach markets and fantastic seafood restaurants, but is best known for its wildlife getaways. Tours range from day trips to weeklong escapades in the outback.

The most popular excursions visit either Litchfield or Kakadu, the latter of which served as a location for the Crocodile Dundee films. Both parks are brimming with tropical flora and native wildlife. Highlights include swimming beneath thundering waterfalls, bush walks through monsoonal rainforest, and visits to sacred aboriginal sites. Litchfield can be done in a day, but Kakadu tours take at least two and include overnight camping beneath the stars.

A tour of the national parks isn’t complete without a visit to the termite mounds built by Australia’s famed Magnetic Termites. In order to survive the

Hobart

extreme dry and wet seasons, the tiny architects construct mounds that let them live above the swampy marshes.

These fascinating insects can live as long as 25 years and build mounds up to six meters high. Angled towards the sun, the mounds absorb heat during the day and remain insulated at night. While taking a photo next to the “Sagrada Familia” of termite mounds, I stood in awe of the structure three times my height that was created by insects the size of ants. Some of the more ornate mounds are called Cathedral Termite Mounds since they appear to have decorative pillars and buttresses. These productive little critters may be a homeowner’s nightmare, but they are also one of the natural wonders of Australia’s Top End.

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

The outback is bursting with wildlife.

It isn’t unusual to spot kookaburras in the trees, giant Australian monitor lizards drinking at waterholes, and sleeping koalas. Even camels roam freely in some parts of the outback. Most of the native animals are harmless, but not all of them.

Australian comedy duo The Scared Weird Little Guys wrote a song about the creatures that inhabit Australia, encouraging folks to “Come to Australia!” where, “you might accidentally get killed.” In the the Australian outback, the danger is part of the draw.

This call of the wild persuaded me to join the Jumping Crocodile Cruise, a boat that putters through Adelaide River and entices wild crocodiles to jump out of the water by dangling chunks of raw beef above their heads. On the desk, next to the tour sign-up sheet was a plastic crocodile figurine with a pair of Barbie legs protruding from its jaws. Newspaper and magazine headlines exclaiming “Croc Attacks Barmaid”, “Man Shoots Mate While Saving Him From Croc Attack” and a number of other bizarre scenarios were plastered across the walls of the waiting

room for the cruise. Apparently, easing the anxieties of tourists is not a priority in the adventure business.

As the captain of the ship introduced himself and our vessel, I couldn’t help but notice a sizeable scab between his lower lip and chin. I found out later that, in addition to captaining the cruise, he performs in a wild animal show where he kisses pythons on the mouth. In an especially memorable performance one week prior, one of his serpent friends decided to kiss back.

The cruise was as thrilling as promised. From our open windows, we were mesmerized as the crocodiles leapt almost entirely out of the water to grab the juicy blocks of meat. Wildlife experts will tell you that crocodiles are more prone to quietly stalk their prey than expose their bodies. It took repeated voyages and feeding attempts before they felt safe enough to take the bait. The jumping crocs were a stellar photo opportunity, but the guide warned us not to lean out of the window too far. Crocodiles are quite practical. They will snap their jaws on the closest meat available.

We saw at least six wild crocodiles on the cruise, one of which was missing its arms. Our guide explained that its limbs had probably been bitten off by another crocodile during mating season, in which males often fight over the females. Clearly, crocodile rivalry knows no bounds.

For those who would rather keep their distance from snapping jaws, there is always Crocodylus Park. Only a 15-minute drive from the city, this enclosed wildlife park is a scientific research facility and mini zoo. But the creatures are caged and it’s all a bit tame. The Jumping Crocodile Cruise definitely gives more bite for your buck.

Ways & Means • Jetstar flies from Kansai International Airport to Darwin with one stopover • Kakadu and Litchfield Park tours: www.kakadudreams.com.au

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This month in Kansai

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1

2

3

FILM

EVENT

FESTIVAL

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Details p.27

Wafuku de Naramachi Walk, Nara

Kyokusui no Utage, Kyoto Details p.36

Details p.34

8

9

10

11

FESTIVAL

FILM

EVENT

ART

Fuigo Matsuri, Osaka Details p.36

Cirque de Soleil: Worlds Away Details p.26

Vetro Montagna Koyasan 2012, Wakayama

Kameraoke photo competition entry deadline

Details p.34

Details p.23

16

17

18

19

LIVE MUSIC

FESTIVAL

EVENT

LIVE MUSIC

Details p.40

Details p.36

Details p.35

Luna Sea @ Zepp Osaka

Reitaisai Festival, Nara

Koyo Masu Matsuri, Shiga

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion @ Muse Osaka Details p.41

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25

26

27

FESTIVAL

CLASSICAL

ART

LIVE MUSIC

Details p.38

Details p.40

Kakupan Matsuri, Wakayama Details p.36

Ingolf Wunder (piano), Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Hubert Soudant (conductor) Details p.42

Sekaiichi Asakura Exhibition

Mimori Yusa @ Taku Taku, Kyoto

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

4

5

6

7

EVENT

EVENT

ART

ART

Details p.34

Details p.34

Details p.39

Details p.38

Machamachi Salon

Aiko Suzuki: Everything that is not here anymore

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I am Yamaguchi Akira

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13

14

15

ART

FESTIVAL

CLASSICAL

LIVE MUSIC

Details p.39

Details p.36

Details p.42

Details p.40

20

21

22

23

ART

LIVE MUSIC

LIVE MUSIC

LIVE MUSIC

Symbolists: Apostles of Visionary Beauty

Tops from Japan and the World Details p.39

Shimotsuki Taisai Festival, Hyogo

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 @ Club Quattro, Osaka Details p.40

The Vienna String Quartet

Ikimono Gakari @ Osaka Jo Hall Details p.40

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ART

EVENT

LIVE MUSIC

ing: People with Disabilities in Progressive Form, Shiga Details p.39

The Autumn Exhibition of Antique Dolls, Kyoto Details p.34

The Birthday @ Zepp Osaka Details p.41

Draksip @ Taku Taku, Kyoto

4Strike - Straight Rock Play @ Big Cat, Osaka Details p.33

Nov 11, Tengu no Sakamori

Ikeda Ramen Festa ‘12

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Events

Nov 2–4

Wafuku de Naramachi Walk Nov 2–4 Naramachi Center, Nara

Have you ever wanted to wear Japanese kimono around town? Do you fancy strolling in kimono around the traditional neighbourhoods of Naramachi? Try on kimono and go walking in the streets through scenic rows of old houses. Sara – the rental kimono service shop – will offer a large selection of Japanese traditional clothing at reasonable prices on these days. You can just visit Naramachi Centre and choose your favourite from 150 items. Friendly staff from the shop will gladly help you get dressed in kimono.

They stock many different sizes, footwear, accessories and, of course, men’s kimono too. This would make a memorable day for anyone staying in Japan. Booking is necessary.

Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: ¥2,500 • Access: Kintetsu Railway Nara stn, 10min walk • Tel: 090-5466-9907 • www4.kcn.ne.jp/~sara/

Event Listings The Autumn Exhibition of Antique Dolls, Kyoto Nov 1–30

See some bewitching smiles from antique dolls at this exhibition.

Hokyoji Temple is a classicallydesigned Buddhist convent. Here it will showcase some fantastic antique dolls which successive emperors sent their daughters.

Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: ¥600 adults, concessions • Where: Hokyoji Temple • Access: Subway Karasuma line Imadegawa stn/ Kuramaguchi stn, 15min walk • Tel: 075-451-1550

Miki Kanamono Matsuri (Metal Goods Festival), Hyogo Nov 3 & 4 FREE

A huge metal goods market will be held at Miki city, which is famous for its metal industry. Join the workshop focusing on knife sharpening. See a demonstration by traditional Japanese blacksmiths, and enjoy their craft with lots of

interesting activities. This grand event draws around 100,000 people annually.

Time: 9am • Admission: free • Where: Miki City Hall Square • Access: Kobe Railway Miki stn/ Shijimi stn free bus to the venue • Tel: 0794-82-3190

Ikeda Ramen Festa ’12, Osaka Nov 3 & 4

Inhale your noodles and slurp the soup as noisily as possible! Osaka’s popular noodle restaurants will open their stalls for this annual event. Chow down to your heart’s (and stomach’s) content.

Time: 11am–4pm • Admission: ¥350 for one portion (half the size of the usual bowl) • Where: Teruteru Hiroba Square • Access: Hankyu Railway Ikeda stn • Tel: 072-751-5591

Shitennoji Wasso, Osaka Nov 4 FREE

Join this spectacular carnival, commemorating the cultural

exchange between Asian countries and Japan in the 6th century. See a dazzling parade of ancient Chinese, Korean and Japanese court clothing.

Enjoy ethnic music, dance and food.

Time: 10:30am–5pm • Admission: free • Where: Naniwanomiya-ato • Access: Subway Tanimachi line Tanimachi4-chome stn, 5min walk • Tel: 06-6371-8703

Machamachi Salon, Osaka Nov 5 FREE

Do you want to learn more about noh? This is a light-hearted noh workshop for beginners. Chant noh songs together. Raise your hand to get a chance to wear a costume and mask. A brief explanation will be provided in English. Booking is essential.

Time: 2pm & 7:30pm • Admission: ¥1,000 (for each class) • Where: Yamamoto Noh Theatre • Access: Subway Tanimachi line/Chuo line Tanimachi4-chome exit 4; 2min walk • Tel: 06-6943-9454 (English/ Japanese) • www.noh-theater.com

Vetro Montagna Koyasan 2012, Wakayama Nov 10 & 11 FREE

Car lovers, get yourself up the ancient mountain of Koyasan. There you’ll see classic Ferraris, MGs, Porsches and other rare automobiles at the parking area of Kongobuji temple on the 10th. These cars will go on to tour around Shirahama hot springs on November 11th.

Time: 11am–4pm (subject to change) • Admission: free • Where: Kongobuji Temple • Access: Nankai Railway Koyasan stn bus to Senjuinbashi • Tel: 0736-56-2616

Talkshow – The World of French Comics, Kyoto Nov 11 FREE

Two French artists, Regis Loisel and Emmanual Lepage, from Bande Desinee (BD) will discuss their works and French comics, which have been making inroads into the

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Nov 11

Dec 1 & 2

Momiji Matsuri

The 36th Nekkikyu Biwako Odan

Nov 11 FREE Togetsukyo Bridge and Surroundings, Kyoto

Dec 1 & 2 FREE Lake Biwako, Shiga

Head to Togetsukyo in Arashiyama for the Momiji Matsuri and spend the day enjoying ancient Japanese culture in the beautiful scenery of autumn leaves. This glittering display takes place on the second Sunday of November every year. See a number of colourfully decorated boats sailing up and down the river Oi. A variety of traditional performing arts will be showcased on the boats, such as noh play, court music and dance, and flower arranging. Do not miss the costume play and the parade featuring a courtesan from the samurai period along the riverside.

Things are heating up as Takashima City gears up for its 36th hot air balloon event. You can witness the hot air balloons lifting off. These colourful balloons will take to the sky from Omi Shirahama bathing beach at 7am, cross Lake Biwa and finally land close to Notogawa town. If there are light wind conditions, the hot air balloons will just circle the sky above Adogawa-cho town. Short balloon rides will be available for the first 150 people at Aoyagi-shogako school from 8am to 10am on December 1st.

These balloon events are subject to good weather conditions, so adverse weather may result in cancellation. Phone enquiries are not available on the event days.

Time: 10am (cancelled if it rains) • Admission: free • Access: Hankyu Railway Arashiyama stn/JR Sagano line Saga-Arashiyama stn • Tel: 075-861-0012

Japanese market. Reserved seats are available from 10am.

Time: 2pm – 4pm • Admission: free (usual entry fee for the museum required) • Where: Kyoto International Manga Museum • Access: Subway Tozai line / Karasuma line Karasuma Oike stn exit 2 • Tel: 075-254-7414 • www.kyotomm.jp

Gosemachi Sogetsu Sai Festival, Nara Nov 11 FREE

During this festival, a variety of fine artworks will be on display at some impressive stately houses in Gosemachi. There will be a parade of mountain priests, and local products and gourmet shops will also be there.

Time: 10am–5pm • Admission: most of events at Gosemachi Sogetsu Sai are free • Where: Gosemachi and surroundings • Access: JR Wakayama line/Kintetsu Railway Gose stn • Tel: 0745-62-3001

Sakagura Matsuri, Hyogo Nov 17 & 18 FREE

Spend the day enjoying the very best of Japanese sake at Shushinkan, a traditional sake distillery. See the cracking of sake barrels, try dumplings and hotpots cooked with sake and visit the sake cellar.

Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: most of events at Sakagura Matsuri are free • Where: Kobe Shushinkan • Access: Hanshin Railway Ishiyagawa stn, 8min walk • Tel: 078-841-1121

Demonstration of HoyoJutsu, Kyoto Nov 18

Do not miss this exciting display of Japanese falconry. Well-trained falcons will show off some splendid feats at the Midori no Sono garden, part of Nijo Castle.

Time: 11am, 2pm and 3pm • Admission: free (usual entry fee required, ¥600 adults, concessions) • Where: Nijo Castle • Access: Subway Tozai line Nijojo-mae stn

Time: 7am • Admission: free • Access: JR Kosei line Omi-Takashima stn 5min taxi to Omi Shirahama Suiei-jo • Tel: 0740-22-6108 • Email: biwako@takashima-kanko.jp

• Tel: 075-841-0096

Koyo Masu Matsuri, Shiga Nov 18

Make your way to Samegai trout farm to sample mouth-watering sashimi, grilled trout, and even trout burgers! Try your hand at trout fishing too. Great for children and families.

Time: 10am–3pm • Admission: ¥450 adults, concessions • Where Shigapref. Samegai Trout Farm • Access: JR Tokaido Honsen line Samegai stn bus to Samegaiyosonjo • Tel: 0749-54-2715 • Fax: 0749-54-0302

Midosuji Talkin’ About, Osaka Nov 19 FREE

Network with a mix of other nationalities at the monthly cultural salon Midosuji Talkin’ About. This month’s speaker is Haruko Rhoads, who has taught English in Japan for several years. Her passion

in life is to preserve traditional Japanese culture.

Time: 7pm–9pm • Admission: free • Where: Osaka Gas Building • Access: Subway Midosuji line Yodoyabashi stn exit 13, 3min walk • Tel: 06-6205-4545 (English/ Japanese) • www.facebook.com/ MidosujiTalkinAbout

Syoku Sai Wakayama 2012, Wakayama Nov 23 FREE

Get ready for an amazing eating experience with Syoku Sai Wakayama, celebrating Wakayama’s hottest food trends. Sample all the delicious foods in the area. Enjoy a number of live performances and events while you eat, as there’s lots being planned for this festival.

Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: free • Where: Wakayama Castle Park • Access: JR Hanwa line Wakayama stn bus to Koen-mae/Nankai Railway Wakayamashi stn, 10min walk • Tel: 073-435-1234

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Festivals

Tengu no Sakamori

Nov 11

Nov 11, Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple, Kyoto

Every year when maple leaves turn scarlet, the magical Japanese creatures called tengu come down from Mt. Atago to Otagi Nenbutsuji to ward off evil spirits from the grounds and people. Shooting arrows in the air and beating wooden clappers noisily, these tengu – including a blue-faced one and a goldfaced one – work vigorously to scare away any malevolent forces.

There will be a taiko drumming performance given by cheerful children before the main religious event. Around 1,200 Buddhist stone statues in this temple should also impress you.

Time: 1pm–3pm • Admission: ¥300 adults, concessions • Access: Hankyu Railway Arashiyama stn bus to Otagidera-mae • Tel: 075-865-1231 • www.otagiji.com/page014.html

Reitaisai Festival

Nov 17

Nov 17, Tanzan-jinja, Nara

Enjoy a religious festival at Tanzan-jinja shrine among a superb backdrop of autumn leaves. This is an annual memorial service for a great politician, Fujiwara no Kamatari, who was important in the early history of Japan. See a classical performing art called bugaku acted by a skilful troupe, Nantogakuso. Their elegant manoeuvres and exotic music has won great recognition around Japan. Lastly, there will be a ceremony for the completion of repairs to the main shrine on this day.

Time: 10:30am • Admission: ¥500 adults, concessions (to enter the shrine) • Access: JR Sakurai line/Kintetsu Railway Sakurai stn; bus to Tanzan-jinja • Tel: 0744-49-0001 • http://tanzan.or.jp

Festival Listings Kyokusui no Utage, Kyoto Nov 3 FREE

An elegant courtly game, Kyokusui no Utage consists of brightly dressed people competing to write poems. This competition is held in a graceful manner, by the side of a stream in a Japanese garden covered with beautiful green moss. It takes place at Jonangu shrine.

Time: 2pm (cancelled in case of rainy weather) • Admission: free • Where: Jonangu shrine • Access: Subway Karasuma line, Takeda stn bus to Jonangu-higashiguchi • Tel: 075-623-0846

Yabusame Shinji, Shiga Nov 3 FREE

Horses will gallop quickly, and arrows will make unusual clapping

sounds as they hit the targets at full speed. This is an annual religious ritual of horseback archery, performed in samurai period style.

Time: 12:30pm–2pm • Admission: free • Where: Omijingu Shrine • Access: Keihan Railway Omijingumae stn, 9min walk • Tel: 077-5223725

Fuigo Matsuri, Osaka Nov 8 FREE

Witness some of Japan’s best swordsmiths forging steel into Japanese swords, using traditional methods. This is part of a ceremony held to please the god of the shrine.

Time: 1:30pm–3pm • Admission: free • Where: Ikutama-jinja Shrine • Access: Subway Tanimachi line/ Sennichi-mae line Tanimachi 9-chome stn, 4min walk • Tel: 066771-0002

Kanikakuni Sai, Kyoto Nov 8 FREE

This is a great opportunity to see fully dressed geisha and maiko.

Here they’ll perform a ceremony to commemorate Isamu Yoshii, a playwright from the Taisho era.

Time: 11am–2pm • Admission: free • Where: Gion Shirakawa • Access: Keihan Railway Gion Shijo stn, 10min walk • Tel: 075-561-1115

Shimotsuki Taisai Festival, Hyogo Nov 13–16 FREE

Many ceremonial events will take place during this festival at Harimanokuni Sousha shrine.

Witness a purification ceremony held in the sea, and an exciting martial arts demonstration.

Time: 10am • Admission: free • Where Harimanokuni Sosha shrine • Access: JR Sanyo line Himeji stn, 15min walk • Tel: 079-224-1111

Kakupan Matsuri, Wakayama Nov 24

This major festival is held to celebrate Kakupan-shonin, who was the founder of Negoroji temple. Enjoy live performances of Japanese lute and traditional dance, but don’t miss the more unusual demonstration of matchlock gun.

Time: 9:30am–3:30pm • Admission: ¥500 adults, concessions • Where: Negoroji temple • Access: JR Hanwa line Izumi-Sunagawa stn bus to Negoroji/Nankai Railway Tarui stn bus to Negoroji • Tel: 0736-62-7101

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Sports

Run to the hills As the nights grow darker and cooler, it’s the perfect time to lie on the sofa and lard up for winter... or, you could explore Kansai on the run. KS braves the chill to try trail running.

Text & images: Jean-Yves Terrault

It’s a cool December morning when I board the Kyoto Karasuma subway car, filled with people dressed for the mountains. Like me, they’re headed for one of Kansai’s most popular trail races, the Kyoto Higashiyama Sanjurokumine Mountain Race. There’s a growing fervor for trail running in Japan. It attracts runners tired of pounding pavement. The Higashiyama run has proven especially popular for its proximity, length and relative ease. If you hope to enter, you have to be quick: these days the 1,050 places fill up in about two weeks at the start of September.

The 30-kilometer course goes from Takaragaike to Fushimi Inari shrine, through the eastern hills. About 70% of it is mountain trail (mostly not very technical) over three main peaks, and it takes about the same amount of time as running a regular full marathon. The cut-off time is five hours. Though it’s not so hard, you’ll need to train: if you don’t think you can finish a full marathon, don’t think of this as an easier option.

Back to that December morning. I arrive in good shape but with a dislocated shoulder. I’d sustained the injury in a capoeira practice the week before and am concerned it might have repercussions over the distance. I’ve trained harder than previous years, and a personal record is within reach, but there are too many variables to hope for anything better than finishing the race.

After a brief chat with friends from running group Hash House Harriers, we are called to the starting line. The countdown echoes through the hills, and POW! We are off! We start on the road and head to the mountains. As we reach the trailhead, a bottleneck ensues. No need to rush, though, this race is about endurance. Coming down the first peak, I exchange a few words with a fellow francophone. The rest of the course is quieter but scenic, with bird’s-eye views of Kyoto, secluded temples and the season’s colours.

Nineteen kilometers in, calf cramps prevent me from running uphill. Is it a consequence of my dislocation, inadequate training or sodium intake? It

hardly matters now. I need to focus. Unless something goes wrong, I will hit that personal best. When I see the stairs down to Fushimi Inari, my goal looks attainable.

Suddenly, about a hundred meters from the finish, an older gentleman stumbles and falls. “Are you alright? Here, take my hand”, I say, helping him to stand. He urges me to go on, and so I do, watching him jog again with a quick glance over my shoulder. I cross the finish line in 4 hours 19 seconds, beating my personal record by more than 20 minutes.

I am hurting, but receiving a congratulatory beer from my friend who finished it in 3 hours. I feel elated. The sun is warm, the air is fresh, and I can’t think of any better way to spend a Sunday.

Kyoto Triathlon Club www.ktc-kyoto.com (Japanese only)

Hash House Harriers www.kobehash.com

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KS

Nov 11–Dec 16

Pick

Art

Her Name is Abstra KYOTO Daido Soko, Daido Building

The peak of abstract art occurred in the 1950s in the US with artists such as Rothko, Pollock, de Kooning, and more. These works have since left enormous influence on the history of art.

Then, the question arises, what is abstract art for our generation?

After WWII, Japan, with the influence of the US, has created a society of plentifulness and efficiency. However, after the disasters of March 11th such values are being challenged. If we envision the abstract art movement that occurred in the 50s as masculine, where would the feminine version of this movement exist? The twelve exhibiting artists have attempted to formulate an answer to this question by searching for "Abstra," the "other" abstract art that has yet to exist.

Various Media • Open: 1–7pm, closed on Mon • Admission: ¥500 (Purchase of this passport ticket will let you in throughout the exhibition period) • JR/Kyoto Subway Nijo Stn • http://abstra12.tumblr.com/

Art Listings Kyoto Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I am Yamaguchi Akira Museum Eki Kyoto • Nov 2–Dec 2 • Japanese Paintings Open: 10am–8pm, closes at 5pm on 12/2 • Admission: ¥800, ¥600 University and High School Students, ¥400 Junior High and Elementary School Students • Access: JR Kyoto Stn • http://kyoto.wjr-isetan.co.jp

Shiro Tsujimura: Tsuchi imura art gallery • Nov 17–25 • Painting, Calligraphy

Open: 11am–7pm • Admission: Free • Access: Keihan Jingumarutamachi Stn • www.imuraart.com

Sekaiichi Asakura Exhibition Transpop Gallery • Nov 8–Dec 2 • Illustration/Manga

Open: 12–7pm (Until 6pm on Sun), closed on Mon and Tue • Admission: Free • Access: Keihan Demachiyanagi Stn • www.trancepop.jp

Chie Matsui: School of Contemporary Art and Critique Matsuo Megumi + Voice Gallery pfs/w • Nov 2–24 • Installation

Open: 12–7pm (Until 9pm on 11/2, 11/17), closed on Sun and Mon • Admission: Free • Access: Kintetsu Kyoto Stn • www.voicegallery.org

A Close Look at Private Art Schools of Kyoto Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art • Until Nov 25 • Paintings

Open: 9am–5pm, closed on Mon (except national holidays) • Admission: ¥500, Junior High and Elementary School Students ¥300 • Access: Subway Higashiyama Stn • www.city.kyoto.jp

Kageutsushi -Reproduction, Transition, TransmissionKyoto City University of Arts Art Gallery • November 3–25 • Media Art

Open: 11am–7pm (Until 6:45pm on 11/25), closed on Mon • Admission:

Free • Access: Subway Nijojomae Stn exit 2 • www.kcua.ac.jp/gallery

Osaka Shiho Yamamoto Exhibition Yoshimi Arts • Nov 23–Dec 23 • Paintings

Open: 11am–7pm • Admission: Free • Access: Higobashi Stn • www.yoshimiarts.com (This exhibition is part of Osaka Art Complex)

magma: Magma Show 2 Mexico Chido Gallery • Nov 23–Dec 9 • Mixed Media

Open: 11am–9pm • Admission: Free • Access: Umeda Stn • www.lamp-harajuku.com (This exhibition is part of Osaka Art Complex)

Chika Tanikawa Exhibition YOD Gallery • Nov 23–Dec 13 • Paintings

Open: 12–7pm, closed on Sun, Mon • Admission: Free • Access: JR Kita Shinchi Stn/Subway Umeda Stn

• www.yodgallery.com (This exhibition is part of Osaka Art Complex)

macha Exhibition Tengensya• Nov 23–Dec 8 • Paintings

Nov 23–Dec 8 • Open: 3–8pm, closed on Mon • Admission: Free • Access: Subway Yotsubashi Stn • www.tengensya.jp (This exhibition is part of Osaka Art Complex)

Hiroko Uehara: Heartbeat Tezukayama Gallery • Nov 23–Dec 22 • Sculpture

Nov 23–Dec 22 • Open: 11am–7pm, closed on Sun and Mon • Admission: Free • Access: Yotsubashi Stn • www.tezukayama-g.com (This exhibition is part of Osaka Art Complex)

Jomi Kim Exhibition Port Gallery T • Nov 15–Dec 1 • Photography

Open: 12–7pm (Until 5pm on Sat), closed on Sundays and National Holidays • Access: Higobashi Stn

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Nov 10–Jan 14 Image: A Girl and Seashells, 1934, Oil on canvas, 167.3×267.2cm

Nov 23–Dec 23

Osaka Art Complex vol. 5 OSAKA Various Locations

FREE

Kawaguchi Kigai: Celebrating His 120th Birthday

Osaka Art Complex marks its fifth year this fall. Originally launched by a collaborative effort of four galleries, this year they have expanded their reach to include fashion with Mexico Chido Gallery. Aiming to realize the recognition of Osaka as a cultural hub, each gallery will display works by artists that bring out their uniqueness. An opening party will be held on the ground floor at Osaka Umeda's Breeze Breeze building, allowing art lovers and pedestrians to enjoy a taste of art.

WAKAYAMA Museum of Modern Art

Various Media • Opening Party: November 23 7–9pm, Free Admission • Location: Media Court at Breeze Breeze (ground floor entrance area) • For more information on the participating galleries, please check event details in the listing section.

Paintings • Nov 10–Jan 14• Open: 9:30am–5pm, closed on Mon, 12/25, 12/29-1/3, open on 12/24 • Admission: ¥500, University Students ¥300 • JR/Nankai Wakayama Stn • www.momaw.jp

• www.portgalleryt.com

ROGUES' GALLERY: Farmer's Car Show 2 Creative Center Osaka/Namura Shipyard Dock • Nov 23-25 • Performance/Interactive Art

Open: 1–8pm • Admission: Free • Access: Kitakagaya Stn • http://coop-kitakagaya.blogspot.jp

Aiko Suzuki: Everything that is not here anymore Nadar Osaka • Nov 6-11 • Photography

Open: 11am–7pm • Admission: Free • Access: Shinsaibashi Stn • http://nadar.jp/osaka

RoToR Osaka 2012 Namura Shipyard Dock • Nov 3 • Performance, Wall Painting, etc.

Open: 12–9pm • Admission: ¥4,000, High School Students ¥2,000 • Access: Kitakagaya Stn • www.facebook.com/ • RoTorOsaka2012 • Admission is ¥500 OFF if you bring a copy of KS or mention that you saw the event in KS.

Hyogo Hiroh Kikai: PersonaPortraits from Tokyo, India and Anatoria Itami City Museum of Art • Nov 10–Dec 24 • Photography

Open: 10am–6pm, closed on Mon (open on 12/24, closed on 12/25) • Admission: ¥700, ¥350 University and High School Students, ¥100 Junior High School Students and Younger • Access: JR/Hankyu Itami Stn • http://artmuseum-itami.jp

Mariano Fortuny's Dream: 2012 Silk Travels Kobe Fashion Museum • Until Jan 8 • Fashion

Open: 10am–6pm, closed on Wed, 12-29-1/3 • Admission: ¥500, ¥250 Students • Access: Island Center Stn • www.fashionmuseum.or.jp

Symbolists: Apostles of Visionary Beauty Himeji City Museum of Art • Nov 3–Dec 16 • Paintings, Glass Open: 10am–5pm, closed on Mon

Kigai Kawaguchi (1892-1966) was born in Wakayama and challenged new expressions of painting from pre and post WWII. Art was undoubtedly his lifework; after going to Tokyo in his teens, he studied abroad in France and returned, in pursuit of establishing his very own style. This year marks the 120th year since his birth and the exhibition will reveal the paintings that reflect his journey as a western-style painter.

• Admission: ¥1,000, ¥600 University and High School Students, ¥200 Junior High School and Elementary School Students • Access: JR Himeji Stn • www.city.himeji.lg.jp

Tops from Japan and the World Japan Toy Museum (1st Exhibition Room) • Nov 17–Feb 12 • Toys Open: 10am–5pm, closed on Wed and 12/28-1/2 • Admission: ¥500, ¥400 University and High School Students, ¥200 4 yrs and above • Access: JR Koro Stn • www.japan-toy-museum.org

NARA Trunk Design's Traveling Exhibition: Hyogo craft in Nara Geiiku Cafe Sankaku • Nov 2-13 • Craft

Open: 12–10pm (2pm- on 11/10, -6pm on 11/13), closed on 11/8 • Admission: Free • Access: Kintetsu/JR Nara Stn • http://aalabo.com/index.html

SHIGA ing: People with Disabilities in Progressive Form Borderless Art Museum NO-MA • Nov 23–Dec 28 • Various Media Open: 11am–5pm, closed on Mon • Admission: ¥300, University and High School Students ¥250 www.no-ma.jp

Legends about the Origin of Ishiyama-dera Temple, Emaki The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga • Nov 13-25 • Scroll paintings

Open: 9:30am–5pm, closed on Mon • Admission: ¥950, ¥650 University and High School Students, ¥450 Junior High and Elementary School Students • Access: Bunka Zone mae bus stop from JR Seta Stn

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Live Music Nov 19

Nov 21

Nov 27

Kyte

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80

Accept

Kyte, the post-rock-electro-indie-pop trio from Leicestershire, England are looking to promote their new and fourth album Love to Be Lost.

Still fairly new on the scene, formed in 2007, the band has had significant commercial success (including a single B-side being used for the US drama The Sopranos). They will also be hoping to build on their already good Japanese audience after appearing at the 10th anniversary of Summer Sonic and releasing a twodisc album in Japan in 2009. Although originally stamped with the post-rock shoegazing genre, Kyte now seem to be drifting towards a more electro sound.

Nigerian-born Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti, Seun Kuti brings his father’s former band Egypt 80 to Japan. Vocalist and saxophonist Kuti is the son of the famous Afro-Beat pioneer Fela Kuti.

While he was alive, it was a trademark of Fela Kuti not to perform songs live that he had recorded, so this is a great opportunity for Egypt 80 and Kuti fans to hear some classics live.

An outspoken man and musician, Seun Kuti fronts a band that in various iterations has been going for nearly half a century (and still features some originals!).

One for the metal-heads, Accept, the masters of German metal (though sadly without original and long-time frontman/ screamer Udo Dirkschneider) are back in town and pushing their latest album Stalingrad. The current line-up maintains two originals in the form of guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes.

As a professional outfit, Accept go back to 1976 and many great speed metal bands that followed would no doubt cite them as a major influence. Find a metal fan anywhere in the world and he or she will have at least one Accept album in their collection. I personally recommend 1985’s Metal Heart.

Saxophonist/Vocalist fronts Afro-beat pioneering band • Club Quattro, Osaka

UK Electro-Indie pop Trio • Shangri-La, Osaka

Stalwart Speed Metal Masters • Club Quattro, Osaka

Live Music Listings Nov 13

Nov 19

Nov 21

Orange Range

Mari Kaneko 5th Element Will

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

Club Quattro, Osaka Hip-hop/Rock · 7pm · ¥3,000 · Tel: 06-6357-3666

Nov 15 Draksip Taku Taku, Kyoto

Acoustic Instrumental · 7pm · ¥3,000/¥3,500 · Tel: 075-351-1321

Nov 16-18 Luna Sea Zepp, Osaka

Visual Kei Rock · 6:30pm-16th/5pm-17th/3pm-18th · ¥7,800 · Tel: 06-7732-8888

Taku Taku, Kyoto

Rock · 7pm · ¥4,000/¥4,500 · Tel: 075-351-1321

Kyte Shangri-La, Osaka

Electro Indie · 8pm · ¥5,500 · Tel: 03-6809-1070

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Muse, Osaka

Rock · 7pm · ¥6,500 · Tel: 06-6245-5389

Nov 20 Hoobastank Club Quattro, Osaka Rock · 7pm · ¥6,000 · Tel: 06-6311-8111

Club Quattro, Osaka

Afro Beat · 7:30pm · ¥7,000 · Tel: 06-6535-5569

Nov 22-23 Ikimono Gakari Osaka Jo Hall

Rock/Pop · 7pm-22nd/5pm-23rd · ¥6,300/¥6,800 · Tel: 06-7732-8888

Nov 24

Suara Big Cat, Osaka

Female Vocal · 5:30pm · ¥5,500 · Tel: 06-6357-4400

Ryo The Skywalker Zepp, Osaka

Hip-hop · 7pm · ¥4,800 · Tel: 06-7732-8888

Nov 26-28 Dir En Grey Namba Hatch, Osaka

Visual Kei Rock · 6:30pm · ¥5,700 · Tel: 06-6357-4400

Yoshiki Fukuyame & Chie Kajiura – Firebomber

Nov 27

Namba Hatch, Osaka

Taku Taku, Kyoto

Rock · 6pm · ¥6,500/¥7,000 · Tel: 06-6357-4400

Mimori Yusa Singer-songwriter · 7pm · ¥6,000 · Tel: 075-351-1321

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Nov 19

KS

Pick

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion New York-based Garage Rock trio Jon Spencer Blues Explosion first came together in 1991 after frontman Spencer had spent time with the bands Pussy Galore, Boss Hog and Honeymoon Killers. The trio of Jon Spencer, Judah Bauer and Russell Simins released their latest album Meat and Bones in September and it has been well received by the music press. It’s the band’s first studio album in eight years, which they describe as “Straight-up, Grade A Blues Explosion” to “blow minds with their fusillade of energy and rhythm.”

Accept Club Quattro, Osaka Metal · 7pm · ¥7,500 · Tel: 06-6311-8111

Nov 30 The Birthday Zepp, Osaka

arage Rock · 7pm · ¥4,500 · Tel: 06-6341-3525

Dec 2 The Back Horn Zepp, Osaka

Rock · 6pm · ¥3,675 · Tel: 06-6357-3666

Okamura Takako Namba Hatch, Osaka

Folk Vocal · 6pm · ¥6,800 · Tel: 06-6341-3525

With previous material re-issued only a couple of years ago this album is just what Blues Explosion fans have been impatiently waiting for. “Meat & Bones operates with the same lean, restless energy JSBX always display in concert,” says the BBC review.

“Their primal post-modern blues riot continues to transcend the ebb and flow of musical trends,” adds MOJO magazine.

Pioneering New York Punk Blues Trio • Muse, Osaka • Rock • 7pm • ¥6,500 • Tel: 06-6245-5389 • Nov 19

Dec 6

Dec 9

Dec 12

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE

Bloodthirsty Butchers

Zazen Boys

Club Quattro, Osaka

Pangea, Osaka

Rock/Pop · 7pm · ¥3,800 · Tel: 06-6341-3525

Dec 7

Dec 10

Earthshaker

The Heartbreaks

Galactic & Special Guest Corey Glover (Living Color)

Taku Taku, Kyoto

Shangri-La, Osaka

Dec 8-9

Dec 11

Dec 15

Eikichi Yazawa

Spiritualized

Mr. Children

Osaka Jo Hall, Osaka

Club Quattro, Osaka

Kyocera Dome, Osaka

Rock · 7pm · ¥5,000 · Tel: 06-6535-5569

Rock · 6:30pm · ¥5,500/¥6,000 · Tel: 075-351-1321

Rock/Pop · 7pm · ¥7,000/¥10,000 · Tel: 06-7732-8888

Rock · 6pm · ¥3,300 · Tel: 06-6535-5569

Rock · 7pm · ¥5,500 · Tel: 06-6535-5569

Rock · 7pm · ¥6,500 · Tel: 06-6311-8111

Big Cat, Osaka

Club Quattro, Osaka

Rock · 7:30pm · ¥6,500 · Tel: 06-6535-5569

Rock/Pop · 6pm · ¥7,350/¥7,875 · Tel: 06-7732-8888

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Classical music

Classical Musings Text: Michael Vezzuto

Nov 10 Valery Gergie. Photo © Alexander Shapunov

Big names are coming back to Kansai! The two biggest, admittedly at some expense, appear at the Symphony Hall in Osaka.

First, on November 9th, world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma and renowned British pianist Kathryn Stott give a chamber music recital. The major works on the program are Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne and Brahm’s 3rd Violin Sonata, both transcribed for cello and piano. The rest of the program features small scale works by Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Guarnieri, Falla, and Messiaen.

Ma’s programming is as always inventive and intriguing, just like his playing, and with the equally intrepid Stott as his partner, this concert will be a musical adventure.

On November 10th, Russian conductor Valery Gergiev conducts the Mariinsky Orchestra, of which he is Artistic in General Director, in a powerful concert featuring Messiaen’s L’Ascension, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony. The pianist in the Rachmaninov is Denis Matsuev, nicknamed “The Siberian Bear” and winner of the 1998 International Tchaikovsky Competition. Gergiev is one of the best conductors before the public today, and this all-Russian program surely could not receive a more authentic interpretation than these players are capable of achieving.

Izumi Hall is currently holding its Wiener Musikfest in Osaka 2012 festival, every concert of which is worth attending. The bulk of the festival is held this month, with the two most popular concerts – chamber works by violinist Sayaka Shoji and pianist Gianluca Cascioli and a solo piano recital by the great Radu Lupu – occurring on November 3rd and 6th respectively. These were highlighted last month. I hope you’ve already got your tickets!

Three more concerts round out the festival. The first, held on November 10th, features the Izumi Sinfonietta conducted by Seikyo Kim – one of Japan’s leading conductors who we often hear in Kansai conducting intriguing programs with the Osaka Century Orchestra – in a rather unusual program of Mahler arrangements. The works presented are the early, one-movement

Nov 9 Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Kathryn Stott (piano) The Symphony Hall, Osaka

Time: 7pm • Admission: A = ¥18,000/B = ¥15,000/C = ¥12,000/ D = ¥9,000 • Tel: 0666453-6000 • Access: JR loop line Fukushima Station or Oyodominami-1-chome bus stop http://asahi.co.jp/symphony

Nov 10 Denis Matsuev (piano), Mariinsky Orchestra,

Valery Gergiev (conductor) The Symphony Hall, Osaka

Time: 3pm • Admission: A = ¥19,000/B = ¥16,000/C = ¥12,000/D = ¥9,000 • Tel: 0666453-6000 • Access: JR loop line Fukushima Station or Oyodominami-1-chome bus stop http://asahi.co.jp/symphony

Nov 10 Mahler “Das Lied von der Erde” Izumi Hal

Time: 4pm • Admission: ¥5,000 (students ¥2,500) • Tel: (06) 6944-1188

Piano Quartet in A minor and an arrangement for chamber orchestra of Das Lied von der Erde begun by Arnold Schoenberg and completed by Rainer Riehn. The vocalists for the latter work are mezzo-soprano Mihoko Fujimura and tenor Ken Fukui. It’s Mahler as you’ve never heard him before!

Though I chose Radu Lupu as the highlight of the festival, I could also easily have chosen the concert by the Vienna String Quartet on November 14th. The quartet, founded in 1964 by their first violinist Werner Hink, are an outstanding representative of the Viennese musical style, an ideal credential for the program they are performing: Haydn’s chirpy C major quartet op. 33 no. 3, nicknamed “The Bird”; Beethoven’s metaphysical final string quartet in F major op. 135; and Schubert’s thrilling D minor quartet “Death and the Maiden”. Japanese audiences generally don’t flock to string quartet concerts, so make their loss your gain by securing tickets to hear some of the best music written for this combination of instruments performed by peerless interpreters.

Finally, on November 25th the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Hubert Soudant, performs two huge works by equally huge Romantic composers. First on the program is Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, op. 58, with Ingolf Wunder – the young Austrian who controversially took second prize in the 2010 International Chopin Competition when the audience believed he deserved first – at the piano. Following is Schubert’s mighty “Great” Symphony in C major, D. 944, which, due to recent scholarship, is now often numbered as Schubert’s 8th, though most readers will, like myself, insist on thinking of it as the 9th (Ah, my kingdom for space to carp on about that issue!). Such a program ensures that Wiener Musikfest goes out with a bang, not a whimper!

And if, after all these Viennese concerts, you find yourself longing for more, the wait won’t be long. January’s New Year’s in Vienna concerts are just around the corner!

• Access: Keihan Kyobashi Station, JR loop line Osakajo-Koen station, subway Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokichi line Osaka Business Park station exit 1 www.izumihall.co.jp

Nov 14

Nov 25 Ingolf Wunder (piano), Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Hubert Soudant (conductor) Izumi Hall

The Vienna String Quartet Izumi Hall

Time: 7pm • Admission: ¥6,000 (students ¥3,000) • Tel: (06) 6944-1188 • Access: Keihan Kyobashi Station, JR loop line Osakajo-Koen station, subway Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokichi line Osaka Business Park station exit 1 www.izumihall.co.jp

Time: 2pm • Admission: S = ¥7,000/A = ¥5,000/ students = ¥3,500 • Tel: (06) 6944-1188 • Access: Keihan Kyobashi Station, JR loop line Osakajo-Koen station, subway Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokichi line Osaka Business Park station exit 1 www.izumihall.co.jp

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Club

It’s Owl happening in Umeda Get your dancing shoes on and head out to Umeda’s new night spot. You’ll be in for a hoot.

Text: KS Images: OWL Osaka

Despite the plethora of bars and clubs being forced out of business up and down the country recently (you know, the problems with those draconian licensing laws about no dancing?), the brand spanking new venue, OWL Osaka, spread its wings in Umeda this summer.

OWL makes its nest in the basement of a prime location, just a few doors down from the HEP FIVE building. With its permission to dance officially granted, plush decor and parties every night of the week, it has soon become Umeda’s premier draw for those looking to party hard and rub shoulders with the young and beautiful.

With an enormous flat panel LED screen behind the DJ booth displaying VJ effects, and separate panels lining the walls of the first floor dance floor, it’s easy to see why they boast about having the best LED lighting in Japan.

Throw in a state-of-the-art sound system, several hundred revellers, glow sticks, mirrorballs, laser lights and a handful of scantily-clad performers and you have the ingredients for some serious partying.

The music is an all-encompassing mix of hip-hop, R&B and Top 40 with a bit of techno, house and even reggae thrown in for good measure, depending on the night and the DJs behind the decks. OWL also

plays host to both domestic and touring DJs but it is most likely the atmosphere that will draw you here, rather than some big name.

If the dancing gets too much, try lounging in one of the VIP areas. Seating up to 10 people, these semi-enclosed areas can be reserved for the night. Perfect for birthday parties. From just ¥20,000 on weeknights, including champagne or other drink specials of your choice, club together with mates and enjoy waiter service from the comfort of a leather sofa.

Owl attracts a wide spectrum of partyseekers, from office workers and English teachers to 20-something teenyboppers and USJ staff unwinding from the park.

With various parties every night of the week, there is something for everyone.

For ladies in skimpy tops there is a free entry and all-you-can-drink offer at the monthly Bikini Night, and similar offers for women wearing heels on Fridays, or mini-skirts on Saturdays etc. Indeed, OWL does its best to draw female customers in every way it can, even making the entire second floor women-only, and offering a free dessert buffet on weeknights from 8 to 9pm.

For guys hoping to follow the lines of ladies through the door, be advised to be well dressed, since sandals and shorts etc.

are frowned upon. Donning a jacket will earn both men and women free entry and glass of bubbly on Tuesday nights though, so it pays to brush up. Oh, and if you happen to be a model (or can blag it), there’s free entry and three drinks in it for you. If all else fails, simply turn up any night of the week and mention KS for special discounted admission. With so much to party for, you can just forget being an early bird this winter – be a night Owl instead.

OWL Osaka • Address: Umeda Rakutenchi Bldg B1 5-1 Kakutacho, Kita-ku, Osaka • Tel: 06-6362-0822 • Open: 7pm–1am • Facebook: www.facebook.com/ clubOWL • Website: owl-osaka.net OWL is offering KS readers admission for just ¥500 with one drink, or completely free for women, including one drink ticket. Just mention KS on the door to qualify.

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Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Club Listings 1 (Thu) Onzieme seven feat. Hernan Cattaneo (House) • DJs: Hernan Cattaneo, Nao Nomura, Osakaman, senda, Asaura, Kojiman, Bancho • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-62430089 • www.onzi-eme.com

2 (Fri) Circus Sound of Panorama Bar (House) • DJs: Nick Hoppner, Ryan Elliott, Yasuhisa • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,500/1D(ADV: ¥2,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • http://circusosaka.com

3 (Sat) Circus Y.Mag Release Party (House) • DJs: Yummy, Jaxx Da Fishworks, Kenji Tazaki, Jaguar & Keiburger, UK-Bin • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • http://circusosaka.com

Onzieme Hyper:Society (House) • DJs: Tomoyuki Tanaka, Saito + more • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6243-0089 • www.onzi-eme. com

Owl Osaka Stafes Pop! (Tecno) • DJs: Takkyu Ishino, Monashee, Ryoma • Open: 3pm–9pm • Admission: Men: ¥3,000/2D, Women: ¥2,500/2D (Before 4pm: ¥1,000/1D) • Where: Umeda • Tel: 06-6362-0822 • owlosaka.net

4 (Sun) Avenue A, Clapper, Circus, Drop, Fanj Twice, Grand Cafe, Joule, Onzieme, Panga, Triangle Kaikooooooooooaka 2012 (All Mix) • Acts: Shingo Nishinari, Shingo02 & DJ A-1, Nobu, O.N.O, Baku, Dexpistols, kireek, Aoki Takamasa, Altz, Kihira Naoki + more • Admission: ¥4,500 (ADV: ¥4,000) • Where: Shinsaibashi • www.kaikoo. pop-group.net/2012osaka

Owl Osaka block.fm sunset (House/Electro/ Drum’n’Bass) • DJs: Daishi Dance, Mitomi Tokoto, Taku Nakahara, Taku-Hero, Jiro • Open: 3pm–9pm • Admission: Men: ¥3,000/2D, Women: ¥2,500/2D (Before 4pm: ¥1,000/1D) • Where: Umeda • Tel: 06-6362-0822 • owl-osaka.net

World Peace Love Sprung (Techno) • DJs: Takkyu Ishino • Open: 5pm-1am • Admission: ¥3,000/1D (Before 7pm: ¥1,500/1D • Where: Kyoto • Tel: 075-212-4119 • www.worldkyoto.com

10(Sat) Circus Tightrope Dancing (House) • DJs: Ageishi + more • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,000/1D (Before 9pm: ¥1,500/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • http://circusosaka.com

Onzieme Torque (Techno) • DJs: Ben Sims, Audio Injection aka Truncate, Shine, Masasi Osaku, Emijah • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,500/1D (Before 9pm: ¥1,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6243-0089 • www.onzi-eme.com

Troopcafe Nobu (House/Techno) • DJs: Nobu + more • Open: 10pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D (WF: ¥2,000/1D) • Where: Sannomiya • Tel: 078-3213130 • http://troopcafe.tumblr.com

11 (Sun) Circus Secretsundaze (House) • DJs: Giles Smith, James Priestley, Ageishi, Ono • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,500/1D(ADV: ¥2,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-62413822 • http://circus-osaka.com

Grand Cafe Dam Funk Japan Tour (Funk) • Live: Dam-Funk • DJs: Yoshihiro Okino, Altz, Hex Bex, Kazikiyo, Questa + more • Open: 6pm–1am • Admission: ¥3,500/1D (WF: ¥3,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6213-0031 • www. grandcafeosaka.com

17 (Sat) Circus Agile feat. DJ Tasaka (Techno) • DJs: Tasaka, Monashee, Ryo

Yoshida, Ryoma • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥3,000/1D(ADV: ¥2,000) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • http://circus-osaka. com

G2 Solaris Day1- Hardfloor (Techno) • Live: Hardfloor • DJs: Shin Nishimura, Shine, Torsten Feld, Fullmoon Mondo + more • Open: 6pm–1am • Admission: ¥3,000/1D (2Day Ticket: ¥3,000) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6244-3177 • g2-osaka.net

Grand Cafe

• Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6243-0089 • www.onzi-eme.com

23 (Fri) Circus 1DJ feat Ree.K - Open to Last!

Special Long Set (Techno) • DJs: Ree.K • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,500/1D(ADV: ¥2,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • http://circusosaka.com

24 (Sat)

Grand Cafe 18th Anniversary Party - Drop Zone (House) • DJs: Mr.V, Banzawa, Yukihiro, Piro, Korge, Sacco + more • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥3,000/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6213-0031 • www.grandcafeosaka.com

ATC Hall

Owl Osaka

Owl Osaka

Saturday Sonic (All mix) • DJs: Genki Rockets, Groovy Workshop, O-Man aka Beyond • Open: 7pm–9pm • Admission: Men: ¥2,500/1D, Women: ¥2,000/1D • Where: Umeda • Tel: 06-6362-0822 • owl-osaka.net

DJ Shu-ma & Oliver Schmitz Japan Tour 2012 (House) • DJs: Shu-ma, Oliver Schmitz, Atsuo Morita, Satoshi • Open: 5pm–9pm • Admission: Men: ¥3,000/2D, Women: ¥2,500/2D (Before 6pm: ¥1,000/1D) • Where: Umeda • Tel: 06-6362-0822 • owl-osaka.net

Troopcafe Dolpa (House) • DJs: Kaoru Inoue, Hourai, Hachi, Akihisa, Pulin Shuzo Ogawa + more • Open: 11pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D (WF: ¥2,000/1D) • Where: Sannomiya • Tel: 078-321-3130 • http://troopcafe. tumblr.com

Electraglide2012 (Electronic) • Acts: Flying Lotus, Kode9, Four Tet, Squarepusher, Andrew Weatherall • Admission: ¥7,800 • Where: Nanko • www.electraglide.info

Troopcafe Deep Sessions (House) • DJs: Theo Parrish, Telly, Mituo Shiomi • Open: 11pm • Admission: ¥3,500/1D (WF: ¥3,000/1D) • Where: Sannomiya • Tel: 078-321-3130 • http://troopcafe. tumblr.com

18 (Sun)

25 (Sun)

Circus

Joule

In The Circus feat. Craig Richards (Techno) • DJs: Craig Rechards + more • Open: 7pm–1am • Admission: ¥2,500/1D(ADV: ¥2,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • http://circusosaka.com

teiONclub 4th Anniversary Party (Techno/House) • DJs: Takatsugu, Wada, D41 ex.energydai, Yasuhiro, hidetaka, DK-Baseline, Soichi Tanaka + more • Open: 8pm • Admission: Men: ¥2,000/1D, Women: ¥1,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6214-1223 • http://club-joule.jp

G2 Solaris Day1- Mauro Picotto (Trance) • DJs: Mauro Picotto, D41 ex.energydai, Yasuhiro, Takatsugu Wada, Kim Galaxy + more • Open: 6pm–1am • Admission: ¥3,000/1D (2Day Ticket: ¥3,000) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6244-3177 • g2-osaka.net

Pine Brooklyn Emerald Parks presents Love Planet (House) • DJs: Calm, Altz, Yama, Kazushi + more • Open: 6pm–10pm • Admission: ¥1,500 • Where: Fukushima • www.loveplanet1125. tumblr.com

22 (Thu) Onzieme Hush! feat. John Digweed (House) • DJs: John Digweed, Yashima, Nao Nomura + more • Open: 7pm–1am

List your own club event with Kansai Scene.

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46

Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Kansai Business Finder Wining & Dining

Dublin Bay

List your business in the Kansai Business Finder, and appear both in print and online.

Contact sales@kansaiscene.com for more details.

> for maps see kansaiscene.com/business-finder

Education

Irish Pub

Absinthe Mediterranean Restaurant Cafe/Bar

Nishi-ku, Kita-horie 1-2-27 South Yotsubashi Bldg. 1F Osaka Tel: 06-6534-6635 Url: www.absinthe-jp.com

Asbinthe Solaar Roof Top Restaurant Cafe Bar & Beer Garden

Chuo-ku, Namba 5-1-18 Namba Dining Maison 8F Osaka Tel: 06-6633-1445 Url: www.absinthe-jp.com/absinthesolaar

Himalaya Indian Restaurant

Chuo-ku, Dotonbori 2-1-5-B1 Osaka Tel: 06-6213-1122 Url: www.irishpub-dublinbay.com

Gastro Garden on the 7th Open-air Bar & Kitchen

Chuo-ku, Dotonbori 2-3-28, Newjapan Bldg. 7F Osaka Tel: 06-6211-2384 Url: www.newjapan.co.jp/7th

Zerro The Place to be...

Chuo-ku, Shinsaibashi-suji 2-3-2, Queen’s Court Bldg 1F Osaka Tel: 06-6211-0439

Kita-ku, Umeda 1-2, Osaka Ekimae, Dai-2 Bldg. B1 Osaka Tel: 06-6545-6116 Url: www.meera.jp/en/himalaya

The Blarney Stone Shinsaibashi

Outback Steakhouse

Chuo-ku, Higashi-Shinsaibashi 2-527 Kohda Bldg B1F Osaka Tel: 06-6484-2220 Url: www.the-blarney-stone.com

Australian Themed Steakhouse

Kita-ku, Umeda 2-1-24 Shinsakurabashi Bldg. 1F Osaka Tel: 06-6457-7121 Url: www.outbacksteakhouse.co.jp

Murphy’s Irish Pub First Irish Pub in Japan

Chuo-ku, Higashi-shinsaibashi 1-631 Lead plaza 6F Osaka Tel: 06-6282-0677 Url: www.murphysosaka.com

Fubar Restaurant and Bar

Chuo-ku, Shinsaibashi-suji 1-5-22F Osaka Tel: 06-6245-3757 Url: www.fubarosaka.com

Captain Kangaroo Food, Sports & Rock ‘n’ Roll

Kita-ku, Sonezaki-shinchi 1-5-20 Okawa Bldg. 1F Osaka Tel: 06-6346-0367 Url: www.roo-bar.jp

Chedi Luang Horie Traditional Thai food

Nishi-ku, Kita-horie 1-7-11 Osaka Tel: 06-6535-1515 Url: www.chedi.jp

Chinese Cafe Eight Chinese Cuisine

Chuo-ku, Soemon-cho 7-2 Luz Shinsaibashi 5F Osaka Tel: 06-6125-5338 Url: www.chinesecafe8.com

The Irish Pub in the Heart of Osaka

The Blarney Stone Umeda The Irish Pub in the Heart of Osaka

Kita-ku, Sonezaki 2-10-15 Sonezaki Center Bldg. 6F Osaka Tel: 06-6364-2001 Url: www.the-blarney-stone.com

Owl Osaka Club

Kita-ku, Kakudacho 5-1 Rakutenchi Bldg B1 Osaka Tel: 06-6362-0822 Url: www.owl-osaka.net

Coolabah Sports Cafe

Chuo-ku, Nishi-shinsaibashi 2-1613, Housen Bldg. 1F Osaka Tel: 06-6213-5153 Url: www.coolabah.jp

Ali’s Kitchen Pakistani & Arabic Cuisine

Chuo-ku, Shinsaibashi-suji 1-10-12B1 Osaka Tel: 06-6553-2292 Url: www.aliskitchen.jp

Trois Dix Macrobiotic & slow food restaurant

Nishi-ku, Kitahorie 1-22-4 Osaka Tel: 06-6648-8336 Url: http://locoplace.jp/t000094365/

TNT-PC English PC Support

Kobe YWCA Global Network of Women

Chuo-ku, Ninomiya-cho 1-12-10 Kobe Tel: 078-231-6201 Url: www.kobe.ywca.or.jp

Osaka YWCA Global Network of Women

Kita-ku, Kamiyama-cho 11-12 Osaka Tel: 06-6361-0838 Url: www.osaka.ywca.or.jp

Arthur Murray Dance School Dance Studio

Chuo-ku, Minami-senba 3-5-28 Osaka Tel: 06-6245-1731 Url: www.arthurmurray.co.jp

Marga Language Service Japanese Language School

Chuo-ku, Onoe-dori 5-1-27-8F Kobe Tel: 078-271-6446 Url: www.marga.jp

Online Japanese Lessons Study Japanese from Home

Suita, Toyotsu 40-6, EBIC Suita 3F Osaka Tel: 06-6484-6021 Url: www.nihongo-lesson.jp

Doshisha Business School Discover the Doshisha Global MBA

Doshisha University Karasuma-Imadegawa, Kamigyoku, Kyoto, 602-8580 Tel: 075-251-4600 Url: gmba.doshisha.ac.jp

Shops & Services Mojoprint Full Color Printing

Nishi-ku, Shinmachi 3-5-7, Eiko Bldg. 2F, Osaka Tel: 06-6539-1717 Url: www.mojoprint.jp

Brastel Remit Send money overseas

Sumida-ku, Yokoami 2-6-2 Tokyo Tel: 0120-983-891 / 03-6869-4851 Url: www.brastelremit.jp

Nishinomiya-shi, Maruhashi-cho 6-8-1F Nishinomiya Tel: 0798-65-7555 Url: www.tnt-pc.com

Yoshimoto Tax Services Tax Services for English speakers

Amagasaki-shi Tsukaguchi-cho 6-8-6-203 Hyogo Tel: 06-6421-3318 Url: http://yoshimotokaikei.tkcnf. com

Yuko Tamaki Accounting Office Accounting & Tax Services

Chuo-ku, Tanimachi 1-7-3-8F, Osaka Tel: 06-6809-1955 Url: www12.plala.or.jp/ytaccounting

International Solution Group Investments, Real Estate, Taxes US and Japanese

Chuo-ku, Tanimachi 1-3-17 suite 1001 Osaka Tel: 06-6949-0144 Email: kansai@isgjapan.com

Sweatshop Union T-Shirt Print Shop

Naniwa-ku, Sakuragawa 4-5-19 Osaka Tel: 06-4394-8850 Url: www.sweatshop.jp/eng

Creamy Kids International Modeling Agency

Kita-ku, Umeda 1-2-2 Osaka Ekimae, Dai-2 Bldg. 2F Osaka Tel: 06-6347-7705 Url: www.pre21.com/creamy

Pakmail Amagasaki We Ship Anything, Anywhere!

Tsugiya 2-2-28 Amagasaki Tel: 06-6492-8950 Url: www.pakmail-ama.com

Pakmail Esaka We Ship Anything, Anywhere!

Suita, Esaka-cho 1-23-17 Osaka Tel: 06-6330-8988 Url: www.pakmail-osaka.com

Shinmei Law Office Business Lawyer

Kita-ku, Nishi-tenma 4-11-22, Hanshin-shinmei Bldg. 501 Osaka Tel: 06-6362-8013 Url: www.shinmei-law.com/e

Meister Edi Orthopedic & Custom Shoes

47

Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Nada-ku, Kishichi-dori 5-3-9-1F Kobe Tel: 078-802-8043 Url: www.osmherbst.com

Higashi-Osaka, Morikawachi-nishi 1-1-12 Osaka Tel: 06-6942-5766 Url: www.aviormanor.com

Exeo International

Hostel Base Point Osaka

International Dating Parties

Kita-ku, Umeda 1-1-3-3F Sky Lounge Mariage, Osaka Tel: 050-5810-3977 Url: www.exeo-international.com

ACCJ Kansai American Chamber of Commerce in Japan

Kita-ku, Dojima-hama 1-1-8, Dojima Park Bldg. 5F, Osaka Tel: 06-6345-9880 Url: www.accj.or.jp

Real Estate & Accommodation Takani Co. Ltd. Total Solution for House-hunting

Yodogawa-ku, Nishimiyahara 2-335 Osaka Tel: 06-6396-6770

Avior Manor Clean and Spacious Apartments for Rent

Hostel

Chuo-ku, Sennichimae 2-11-17 Osaka Tel: 06-6644-1810 Url: www.basepoint-osaka.com

Mayflower House Guesthouse

Chuo-ku, Izumi-machi 2-1-15 Osaka Tel: 0120-881-456 Url: www.osaka-mayflowerguesthouse.com/en/

Oriental Process Apartments for Rent

Ikuno-ku, Tsuruhashi 1-1-36 Osaka Tel: 080-1422-4679 Url: www.orientalprocess.com

Entrance Japan Shared houses across Osaka

Kita-ku, Shibata 1-14-8-9F Osaka Tel: 06-6136-3330 Url: www.entrance-japan.com

Procyon Apartment

Health & Beauty

Executive apartments for rent

Chuo-ku, Uchiawajimachi 1-1-6 Osaka Tel: 06-6942-5766 Url: www.palforest.com/residence

Travel

Ishida Women’s Clinic Women’s Health Care in Osaka

Asashi-ku, Shinmori 2-1-26 Osaka Tel: 06-6951-9701 Url: www.ishida-clinic.jp/en/

Hair Art & Make up BOY World Express Kobe’s Popular Travel Agency

Chuo-ku, Kotonoo-cho 5-3-5, Green Chapeau Bldg. 104 Kobe Tel: 078-222-5050 Url: www.wexp.co.jp

GS Travel Best Fares in Osaka

Chuo-ku, Higashi-Shinsaibashi 1-13-21, Wadayoshi Bldg 302 Osaka Tel: 06-6281-1230 Url: www.gs-travel.com/en

Hair and Make Up

Chuo-ku, Higashi-Shinsaibashi 1-223-5F Osaka Tel: 06-6252-7630 Url: www6.ocn.ne.jp/~boy/i/index. html

Oriental Dental Clinic English Speaking Dentist

Chuo-ku, Nakayamate-dori 3-4-7, Oriental Medical Dental Bldg. 4F Osaka Tel: 078-321-2717 Url: www.oriental-shika.com

Across • No.1 Travel We go the extra mile for you

Kita-ku, Umeda 3-4-5, MainichiIntecio 15F, Osaka Tel: 06-6133-0273 Url: www.no1.his-west.jp

List your business in the Kansai Business Finder, and appear both in print and online. Visit www. kansaiscene.com/businessfinder for more details.

49

Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Kansai Scene Classifieds Place your own ad online at kansaiscene.com/classifieds Please note: Kansai Scene is not responsible for the content of communications made through either printed or online classified ads.

Education Part-Time Native English Teacher Adult classes only. We

are looking for a teacher to work 2-3 days per week in a relaxed yet professional environment.

Experience is not necessary but a great attitude is. 80,000 - 150,000 per month. Send availability, CV and a recent photo to: info@ sunrises.jp

English teacher. Looking for a part-time English teacher in

Nishikujo. Date: every Fridays and extra Time: 3-4pm and 5-8:30pm on Fridays and 8pm-9pm mainly kids. You should be self-motivated, have good communication and critical thinking skills. Please contact me for more details: b.confidence.ur.self@gmail.com TEACHERS WANTED School in Ashiya/Okamoto is looking

for FT/PT English and French teachers ASAP. University diploma is preferable. Must be native speaker with valid visa. Payment: 2700-3000yen per hour and transportation. Contact us by email. ashiyaplus@hotmail.co.jp

Seeking English Teacher RES, a fun and happy English

school, is looking for part time teacher for adult and kids classes at Ibaraki and Suita schools.

Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat. starting beginning of Nov. Please email royalenglish725@gmail.com or call 0726-379-899 if interested. Royal English School.

Corporate class, Shiga 4,000hr Seeking a part-time

teacher for Wednesday evening.

Experience and qualifications preferred (must be a native English speaker with a strong command of English). Please clearly state availability and visa status in the covering letter. Only successful applicants will be contacted. nphojin@ecc.co.jp WANTED part-time teachers in Sakai City WANTED pre-

school teacher must like children, energetic, smily personality.

Also adult class teacher needed experienced person required.

Payment 1800-2500yen p/h Contact to manager by e-mail: info@ vacation-es.co.jp www.vacation-es.jp

Female english teacher wanted We are looking for an

female native English speaker to work with children between 1 and 5 y.o, P/T or/and F/T to start in November. We are an small school, in Nishi-ku, Osaka. Salary starting from 1500 yen, negotiable. Please send a resume with picture to info@ clio-ips.com www.clio-ips.com

P/T NATIVE ENGLISH TEACHER wanted from Nov/

Dec on Tues(4:30-8:30) and/or Sat (9:30-3:30) for kids/adults in IZUMISANO. 2500 yen/hr + travel/ paid holidays. Set curriculum with all materials. Experience + basic Japanese required. Send resume/ photo to Cotee Language School: cls@rinku.zaq.ne.jp English Teachers Needed in Osaka with Immediate Start

English teachers needed at an English conversation school in Osaka with immediate start.

No experience is required but a visa which allows you to work is required. If interested, please send us a short introduction, your resume and available times to the following email address: ma1_11@ hotmail.com

F/T Native English Teacher

Imagine Language Studio in Ashiya is seeking a F/T teacher to work Wed to Sun starting in Jan. Valid visa and university degree required, TEFL or equivalent preferred. Salary from ¥240,000 per month + travel.

Send cover letter and CV to info@ justimagine.jp

General Immediate opening available for Female and Male

Bartenders at our international dining bar in Tamatsukuri, Osaka.

We can train you! Basic Japanese ability and proper visa are required.

Please send your resume and photo to citusa@hotmail.com and inform us when you are available for an interview.

Part-Time: International Cafeスタッフ募集 Looking for a

female and male cafe staff. Cafe will offer English-only service allowing customers to use, enhance or practice their English skills. We share an facility with Myrica Hills (opens 2013 @Suita, Osaka). Basic Japanese ability and proper visa required. ¥2,000/hr. Please call: 06-6535-1817

英語通訳オペレーター募集 24時間営 業 3交代制【勤務地】神戸市中央区 日 本語<=>英語通訳オペレーター 国内の 宿泊施設、交通機関、商業施設、飲食施 設などを利用される海外の方と、各施設 の方のコミュニケーションをテレビ電話 通訳でサポートするお仕事です。専門 用語はありません。PC、iPad使用。日本 語ネイティブは英語がビジネスレベル以 上。非日本語ネイティブであれば日本語

検定1級レベル。 【時給】1,200円~ (別 途夜勤手当 ¥6,000-勤務毎支給)通勤 手当1日1,500円まで 【就業時間】24時 間営業間6~8時間 3交代制 担当: 原田

harada@rsystem.co.jp TEL:078-3273330 http://teltell.jp/ Seeking female bar staff

Conveniently located near Kitashinchi station in Umeda.

Hours 20-23 up to 6days a week.

International staff. Please inform if available for an interview. Contact Nana: chosheenmama@yahoo.co.jp Destination Manager Small group adventure

travel operator seeking Japanese nationals with love of travel. Strong J & E ability, traveled extensively throughout Japan, exceptional organisation, great people skills and interested in showing Japan's heart and soul. E for app and JD; info@bashukwaytravel.com http:// bashukwaytravel.com

Wanted: Female Rest/Bar Staff! Looking for 6 ladies to join

our lively staff. P/T at least twice a week, 4 hrs/day. 19:00-24:00: ¥1300/ hr & 24:00-LO: ¥1500/hr. Trnsp, meals & uniform incl. Closed: Sunday. Near Kita-Shinchi. Basic Japanese comprehension a must.

Foreigner Females only! Ages:18-29.

For more info call: 06-6347-0566

For Rent Cozy-Villa for only ¥62,000

rent!! Three clean rooms, the kitchen, and garage are partly furnished!! The location is on a quiet street near Takatsuki City. 20 mins to Osaka and Kyoto. No extra fees!! For more information contact skoberla@hotmail.de Daruma House: Share house rooms available in Namba

Rooms available. 40-60,000 yen a month. Furnished rooms, 6 to 8 tatami in size, rent includes gas, water, electric and Internet. Good location just 10 mins walk from Namba. Looking for creative, easygoing types into music and art.

Large living space (over 20 tatami!) for rehearsals, projects etc. Contact Matt: Capuchin@i.softbank.jp

Bentencho/Osakako apartments available Bentencho 1DK 55000

semi furnish. 1DK 70000 fully furnish. 2DK 75000 unfurnish.

Osakako: 1R semi furnish 55000.

2DK 85000 fully furnish. 2LDK 90000 unfurnish, No Key money no Guarantors, No Agency Fee, 3month min stay required. 1 month refundable deposit. Call Alex 09037030314. www.abhousingosaka. com

Safe & Lovely Apartment

with loft in Osaka-city Furnished Studio Apartment with loft in Osaka.

JR Mitejima Riverside Residence.

Convenient & Safe.

Only 7min to Osaka Umeda by JR. Furnished: ¥59K-64K Semi-Furnished: ¥54K-59K Minimum 6months contract.

No commission. Deposit is required. Call us to schedule a viewing. Bill: 09025919960 http:// passage.sunnyday.jp KOBE Various locations :

No key money, 2mon deposit Kasuganomichi: 43sqm Y78,000/mn Semifurnished. Very convenient Mikage: 68sqm sunny Y98,000/mn Great views, near trails Kitano: Convenient Y100,000/mn 30sqm fullyfurnished No agency fee (except Kitano) www.ffeilden.com 090-9286-1216 ffeilden@yahoo.co.jp

Other MUST SELL - Small Cabin/ Cottage for Sale Accepting offers!

1hr from Osaka/Kobe. In mountains overlooking massive temple. Older building,fairly new hardwood floors,3 Small bedrooms,half-log cabin.Great for getting out of city, bbqs etc.(Not walkable)Stn:JR ShinSanda/Aino. Asking 3.9 Million Yen- Email 4 pictures/info to bec. banff@gmail.com

Language exchange Let's do language exchange! I and my friends(JF)

are looking for language exchange partner. Let's study together in OSAKA. Any level is OK!! Contact Rimi: rimim@hotmail.com

Japanese and English I am Japanese 30's female looking for native English speaker.I would like to practice speaking and help you with Japanese.I don't care about your age and level,but only serious people please. mmcake2007-ks@ yahoo.co.jp looking for langage exchange freindship JF

(40yrs) in Osaka is looking for language exchange friendship Between Umeda and Namba area . Lets help each other out! I speak an intermediate Eng level. ippoippomaeni@gmail.com Echange linguistique sur Osaka Je (Femme) cherche

des francais(e) qui peuvent faire echange linguistique sur Osaka dans un cafe. Serieux uniquement. mujimoto@yahoo.com

Korean Language Exchange Hi, I'm a British

guy wanting to meet a korean girl for English and Korean language exchange. Nothing formal, just relaxed easy conversations over a coffee. Drop me a mail if you're interested. Jupp.stephen@gmail.com

51

Kansai Scene magazine NOVEMBER 2012 kansaiscene.com

Language Exchange I teach you Japanese and

you correct my English. I have experience of teaching foregners Japanese,JLPT lessons. I would like to meet in Kobe. wakinohama123@ yahoo.co.jp

English-Japanese in Umeda or Kobe! Friendly English teacher

is looking for Japanese for language exchange at least once a week in Umeda or Kobe. I hope we can help each other and be good friends as well. japanese-english-inumeda@ yours.com Osaka Englsih/Japanese Japanes female looking for

native English speaker as language exchange partners.At least I would like to meet you once a week.If you are keen I don't care about your Japanese level.Thank you. kansai707@yahoo.co.jp Let’s this clears the hurdle!

Are you thinking of studying Japanese ? You are able to improve your speaking, listening, writing and reading. Keep a positive attitude and do not hesitate to start it. Let’s study together! aiming21@gmail.com English - Japanese -

Portuguese I am looking for many good friends who can share language exchange in English and japanese and portuguese by skype.

Please let me know! hikeyaya@ gmail.com or seinao1614 (Skype) I can be support to study

Japanese! I’ll able to meet your challenge it in Umeda.So now, I'm proposing a more balanced approach to achieve your demands.

Should you improve your Japanese abilities, please do contact me. aiming2004jp@yahoo.co.jp

Hi, I am Japanese, studying

to be a teacher of the Japanese language, and am looking for potential students who want to study Japanese for free. If you want to know the details, please contact me. blue-amon@mail.goo.ne.jp

English Japanese exchange in Kobe Hi, Im a

Australian guy that has recently returned to japan. Because I need to speak japanese for my work so If your interested in doing general conversation practise contact me.

(Kobe area) sean2ryan@yahoo. com.au

Pets Help Us Help Them Pets

struggling to survive in earthquake/ tsunami affected areas need your help. Contact us for how you can help at japancatnet.com

Announcements

Other

Join us for Sunday morning Futsal. All Welcome! Arthur seoulmon@hotmail.com / http:// fcintern.blogspot.jp/

Sweets contest in Kitano

MBIS International Food Fair On Sat., November 10, Marist

Brothers International School will be hosting its International Food Fair. Admission is free! Delicious food, games, used goods in the garage & used books in the library! www.marist.ac.jp/food-fairnovember-10th/

OSAKA BOOK GROUP'S MEETING We'll share Emmanuel

Dongala's "Johnny Mad Dog" in November. The discussion starts at Inch Bar in Osaka's Shigino area at 12.30pm of November 25.

(The venue could be changed.) bookisbetter2012@yahoo.co.jp

Free Giveaways Office Furniture in Honmachi. Or office is moving!

We are giving away: 4x File Boxes (file cabinet) white. 2x White Office Tables. For pictures or any other informations, please feel free to contact us anytime. Thanks. Dio: meia-dio@gmx.de

Wanted Free computer, preferably desktop, wanted.

Will come and pick up your computer. Please contact me at raph888@yahoo.com or 080-38678899.

cho Nov.3rd To support local farmers, we will have a sweets contest using rice on Nov.3rd in Kobe Kitano cho. Great prizes to win! http://store.peace-and-nature. com/ BILINGUAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH CLOSE TO UMEDA

English and Japanese bilingual Christian church close to Umeda.

Worship service every Sunday at 11:00am. Anyone is welcome. Please see www.mustardseedosaka.com for more details.

Sparring partner Wanted: Black belt level practitioner for

sparring practice. Terms: we meet, we spar, we have some fun. Pads: OK (not essential) weapons: no way this is Japan. Age/ sex:over 20/any.

Location: Osaka chilledoutman@ yahoo.com

Music & Talk! I am a 21 year

Tennis in Nishinomiya / Kobe Hi. Anyone interested in playing tennis? I am between a beginner / intermediate player. Been a while since I've played, so may be a bit rusty. Email: sd19753@yahoo.com Cheers, Will Vocalist looking for band

Female 25yo vocalist looking for a band to sing and have fun. Have experience with anime song bands and metal. For videos of past gigs and other info, please contact me. ukiyou@gmail.com looking for band mates

I am looking for members to make a HEAVY METAL OR HARDROCKBAND if interested and you like HEAVY METAL OR HARD ROCK drop me a line. thanks. Chris: vilaboac@yahoo.co.jp

Friendship British man 36 looking

to hang out, Hi I am Chris, I am visting Osaka and Kobe from Oct 6th. I am looking for people to meet for chatting and drinking. I am friendly and easy-going, so if you are free lets meet. stellanoia@ hotmail.co.uk Seeking Japanese female Greetings! Handsome guy

old Male from Singapore who has recently moved to Kobe to Study Japanese & Music. I am interested in making both Japanese and International friends to talk, jam, watch concerts etc!!! Jaye: JayeFoo@ Gmail.com

is looking for Japanese girls for friendship and hanging out. I can speak Japanese to an intermediate level so communication won't be a barrier. Contct me & let's enjoy: discretecorn_torpedo@live.com

Friday Night Futsal in

aged Japanese working man seeking one woman for friendship and possibly more! Jiro: km2012327@ gmail.com

central Osaka. All levels welcome.

Email sundayfootyjapan@yahoo. co.uk Kansai Bulldogs Cricket Club Feel like a game of cricket!

We are always looking for players for regular games around Kansai.

All equipment is provided and players of all levels welcome. Email or call Jason: crazierjay2010@gmail. com 09039957908

Hi from Kyoto. I am a middle

Sorry…

Due to space restrictions we are unable to print all classified ads.

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Umeda

Cine Libre Umeda 3F

Bank

Post Office

Theater Umeda

ARC 6F Umeda Sky Building

35F German Umeda 4F Consulate Garden Cinema Westin Hotel

Yodobashi Camera

JR Osaka Sta.

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Hankyu Umeda Kinokuniya Sta. Ings New Hankyu Toho Hotel Annex Hep 5 Hep Owl Osaka Navio

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Nikko Hotel

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Family Mart

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Chinese Cafe Eight

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Movie Theatre

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Kobe Ikuta Junior High School

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Mitsui Sumitomo Bank

Kobe City Hall

Starbucks

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Hanamikoji-dori

World

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Kyoto Royal BLDG.

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Kyoto Royal Hotel

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Kyoto City Hall

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Movie Theatre

Kobe YWCA

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Kobe Grocers

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Shrine

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Post Office

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