Metropolis #1033 Jan 10-23 2014

Japan’s Nº1 English Magazine www.metropolis.co.jp

HIT THE MATS FIGHT YOUR WAY TO FITNESS IN TOKYO

#1033 Jan 10~23, 2014

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The Akai Medical Clinic offers a range of cosmetic-surgery procedures, laser treatments and skin care, using state-of-the-art equipment and the latest techniques.

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INSIDE

#1033

JAN 10-23, 2014

Metropolis Members Club Register for prizes & discounts www.metropolis.co.jp/club

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06 FEATURE

TOKYO FIGHT CLUB

By Cal Widdall

03 THE SMALL PRINT 05 UPFRONT 08 FITNESS SPECIAL 10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 12 AGENDA & LISTINGS 18 MOVIES 20 TRAVEL 21 DINING OUT 24 CLASSIFIEDS & JOBS 28 2014 IN PREVIEW HOROSCOPE 29 HOROSCOPE & MEDIABOX 30 THE LAST WORD

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COVER DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY: KOHJI SHIIKI, CAMERA ASSISTANT: LISA WALLIN, SHOT AT CARPE DIEM BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU

Well-wishers cross Nijubashi ("Double Bridge") to the Imperial Palace on the Emperor’s birthday, by Allan McIntyre.

The Small Print

By Steve Trautlein

“I’M NEVER HAPPIER THAN WHEN RUBBING “ MY CHEEK AGAINST A CAT” —Mamoru Demizu of Osaka, who is accused of breaking into dozens of area homes in an effort to buy food for the 120 felines in his care

ćć A group called the Japan Love Project is sending 60 college students to Canada in March to help clean up tsunami debris on islands off the coast of Vancouver. ćć First Lady Akie Abe and Princess Takamodo tried their hands at kimjang—the making and sharing of kimchi—at an event hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo. ćć An elderly couple whose car veered off a cliff

LAW & ORDER CHRISTI ROCHIN

GOING APE ćć Scient ist s at Kyoto Un iversit y ’s Pr i mate Resea rch I nst it ute have con f i r med t hat humans are better than chimpanzees at piecing together visual imagery. ćć A taxi driver in Utsonomiya who stopped at a police station to complain about his drunken passenger got a su r pr ise when t he ma n climbed behind the wheel of the cab, crashed into two cop cars and slammed into a pole in a nearby parking lot. ćć Officials with the Ground Self-Defense Force say they’re hoping to deploy “300 high-speed combat vehicles armed with cannons” to boost security around the Senkaku Islands. ćć Upper House law makers handed a 30-day suspension to pro wrestler-turned-politician Antonio Inoki for his unauthorized visit to North Korea in November.

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42

Percentage of Japanese who “do not feel friendly toward China,” according to a Cabinet Office survey

ćć The National Police Agency says that 9.8 percent of all arrests in 2012 were for shoplifting. ćć Meanwhile, officials at the justice ministry say that 27 percent of women arrested around the country were aged 65 or older. ćć In response to a drastic rise of stalking and domestic violence cases, the MPD has set up an 80-officer taskforce to help prevent the crimes. ćć Japan Airlines opened an exhibition hall at Haneda Airport commemorating the 1985 jumbo jet crash that killed 520 people.

VERY CLEVER

THE OTHER CHEEK ćć One year after a French newspaper ridiculed Japan’s nuclear crisis by publishing a cartoon depicting mutant sumo wrestlers with three arms and three legs, officials from Fukushima launched a PR event in Paris to show off reconstruction efforts.

issue a ¥2 stamp for the first time in 11 years. ćć That’s to help customers cover the cost of mailing a regular letter, which will increase from ¥80 to ¥82 on April 1. ćć Meanwhile, passengers using IC cards on the Yamanote line will see their base fare rise from ¥130 to ¥134. ćć But passengers buying dead-tree tickets will have to pay ¥140.

in Shiga Prefecture survived for 12 days in the wild by drinking “mountain runoff water.”

FROM THE MAILBAG ćć Officials at Japan Post say that, in response to the consumption-tax rise in April, they will

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45,000

Number of books donated to Everyone’s Library, which has set up 13 reading centers in disaster-hit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures

ćć Mat suya depa r t ment store i n Gi n za has unveiled a rooftop skating rink that features artificial snowfall every night at 8pm. ćć Engineers at the Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology have developed an unmanned research probe to look for natural resources on the ocean floor. ćć A Japanese research firm has hooked up with Twitter on a new TV ratings system that will be based on “the number of people who tweet about a show and the number of ret weets related to [the] shows.” ćć Education officials in Tokyo announced a plan requiring high school English teachers to spend a year abroad honing their language skills.

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¥1.8 BILLION

Amount of money stolen from online bank accounts between January and November last year, according to the NPA

COMPILED FROM REPORTS BY AP, JAPAN TODAY, THE JAPAN TIMES, JIJI, THE TOKYO REPORTER, THE MAINICHI, THE JAPAN NEWS, AFP, REUTERS AND KYODO

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 03

JAPAN ALL STARS

Who are the most popular athletes in Japan? The fans cast their vote MEN 1. Ichiro Suzuki (baseball) 2. Kouhei Uchimura (gymnastics) 3. Keisuke Honda (soccer) 4. Masahiro Tanaka (baseball) 5. Atsuto Uchida (soccer; pictured)

6. Shinji Kagawa (soccer) 7. Kei Nishikori (tennis) 8. Daisuke Takahashi (figure skating) 9. Yuu Darvish (baseball) 10. Kousuke Kitajima (swimming)

PHOTOS: IMAGE.NET

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WOMEN 1. Mao Asada (figure skating) 2. Saori Yoshida (wrestling) 3. Saori Kimura (volleyball) 4. Kimiko Date-Krumm (tennis) 5. Eri Tanaka (gymnastics) 6. Ai Fukuhara (table tennis; pictured) 7. Homare Sawa (soccer) 8. Miki Ando (figure skating) 9. Ai Miyazato (golf) 10. Kasumi Ishikawa (table tennis) Source: www.oricon.co.jp Want to get into fighting shape this year? See our feature, pp 6-7.

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Upfront COURTESY OF KANDU

dye hard

H kids’ stuff

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Before

After

COURTESY OF KYOTO MONTSUKI

here's a new kid in town over in Makuhari.

Newly opened in Aeon Mall is Kandu (Tel: 0570-085-117; www.kandu.co.jp), a family "edutainment" center where kids can role play at real-world jobs including nurses, detectives or cops (who solve "crimes" with the investigators). The three-hour time slots allow kids to explore without their parents growing whiny, irritable and wanting to go home. Better yet, all activity areas can be seen from the central restaurant, where parents and guardians can relax while watching their kids grow up right before their eyes into radio DJs, fashion models and more. The jobs allow kids to earn “kaching,” a virtual currency they can use to purchase goodies in the facility. Visitors can try making pizza—and eat the results—or order food from the cafeteria. Just don’t tell your little ones that it's actually educational.

Admission starts at ¥1,575 (adults), ¥2,575 (kids) and is higher on peak days.

ave a white shirt ruined with a red wine stain when the office Christmas party got out of hand? Don’t be so quick to turn it into a rag.

The Panda Black project is encouraging people to rescue stained or faded garments by coloring them a deep, dark black. Organizers point out that Japan has one of the lowest rates in the world for recycling clothing, adding up to a major waste of natural resources.

Craftsman at Kyoto Montsuki employ an age-old process using natural dyes that's traditionally used for kimono. If you want to save those faded jeans, fill in an online request for an estimate (Japanese only) and ship off your garment. Prices depend on weight and start at ¥2,400. A portion of the proceeds go to the World Wildlife Foundation to support everyone’s favorite black and white bear. When your package comes back, you'll be ready to release your inner Johnny Cash. http://somekae.kmontsuki.co.jp/

hot stuff

T

he Japanese treats most associated with winter are taiyaki and yaki imo. The reason these are so popular is that they warm the body from the inside out. Here to heat your body from the outside are kairo (pocket heater) by Hot Honwaka (¥255). If you forget to wear your gloves, these cute heat packs can keep your hands warm, and the twee designs are sure to warm your heart. Unlike the disposable type, these can be reused again and again by simply soaking them in hot water.

They’re not actually edible, unfortunately, but if you meet a friend while carrying one of these they may ask you for a bite. www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/topbridal - Taiichi Izawa

COURTESY OF FORMLESS DESIGN

TRADITIONAL STYLE FOR MODERN LIFE artsy characters

J little buddhas

I

f you're looking to add a touch of tradition to your home, visit ISM’s new shop in Omotesando (5-48-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku; Tel: 03-6419-7822). The company’s name and logo is a deconstruction of the kanji 仏, or Buddha, which is no surprise as they deal in miniature replicas of key deities in Japanese Buddhism. The painstakingly detailed ornaments are much more than an exotic decoration, though. Each one corresponds to a full-size statue housed in temples across Japan, some of which are only on view once a year. This background info is included, making for great conversation starters when guests come to visit. Buyers often send back pictures of their prized possessions proudly sitting on the dining table, the bookshelf and (for the first time this year) on the top of a toilet tank. The shop offers two series: Tana Cocoro (¥19,950; 14-20cm high) and Isamu Standard (¥63,000¥265,000; 33-42cm). http://www.isumu.jp/omotesando

apanese calligraphy, or shodo, is one of the country’s oldest forms of art, but the folks at Carré Moji are putting a new spin on this millennia-long tradition. Their master calligraphers create designs thoroughly modern not only in form, but also in concept—they even have English words written in the style.

Each frame and color mat is carefully chosen to coordinate with the word and its presentation, creating a sleek and elegant interior design element. Prices begin at ¥40,000 and their online shop (www.carremoji.jp/en) carries over 500 works. Another option for those who want to see before they buy is the Carré Moji gallery in Omotesando (3F 5-11-24 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku.

Tel: 03-5766-7120. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-7pm).

COURTESY OF CARRÉ MOJI

wishful thinking

J

apanese tradition dictates that when a person is serious about a new goal or wish, they paint in the pupil in the white eye of a daruma doll. When that goal is achieved, the other eye can be completed and the little guy no longer has to look like a half-blind pirate. It’s a great way to visualise your goal, as the one white eye serves a constant reminder. However, these little round dudes—named for the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism, Bodhidharma—don’t do much but sit on a shelf. While they’re a symbol of perseverance and good luck and all, they’re not very practical. This is where Formless Design comes in. Their Darma Formless vases (¥5,880) are at least functional: they include a test tube in the top to hold fresh flowers. Available in traditional red or goes-with-anything white, lending a bit of variety to the way you keep track of your goals.

Available online at http://store.novelax.jp

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 05

Feature PHOTO BY YUKI ISHIKAWA

TOKYO F FIGHT CLUB

BOXING

Go toe-to-toe in the city’s martial arts gyms

By Cal Widdall

G

etting fit can be a painfully monotonous undertaking if we fall into the trap of believing it has to be that way, but t he treadmills and weight rooms of your local gym aren’t t he on l y opt ion. Combat classes are one way to have fun and gain new skills and confidence while shedding those pounds.

Tokyo has a wealth of options to suit anyone willing to try something new.

A first-time visit can be intimidating, so to give you an insight into the inner work ings, writer Cal Widdall attended three types of the ma ny d if ferent classes ava i lable in cent ra l Tok yo: box ing, Krav Maga and Brazilian jiujitsu. Grab some water and a towel and come along—just keep alert or you'll find yourself thrown to the mat.

06 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

or a boxing class, I went to recently opened Club 360 (www.club360.jp) in Roppongi.

The instructor, Jan, is also the head boxing coach for Tokyo’s Executive Fight Night. His profile reads like a Wikipedia list of combat types, having tried his hand at more fighting styles than most people probably know exist. His main sport is kickboxing, which he began at age 14, and he’s fought a total of 28 professional bouts. Besides the boxing class, Jan also runs classes for kickboxing, ladies kickboxing and kick-fit.

All levels of ability are welcome at the classes, which are tailored to the experience of the people attending. The majority of people that go have no previous fight training and are there to improve their fitness, though opportunities to spar are available if trainees are willing. Jan emphasizes the importance of teaching technique so his students will be able to defend themselves should the need ever arise, but the main focus is on improving fitness.

To beg in t he session, a rope ladder was unravelled and laid on the f loor. The six of us in attendance warmed up by running along it, quickly placing our feet in various combinations inside and outside the boxes. Stretches were performed as a group, then we began to shadow-box before eventually putting on the gloves and doing some pad work with partners. There was no drill instructor style yelling, but Jan’s mellow Canadian voice was ever present throughout the class, calmly offering encouragement and guidance.

The most challenging part of the class was a ten-minute section of alternating minutes between bag work (hitting the punching bag with set combinations of punches) and burpees. Though it was tough, we were able to work at our own pace and substitute burpees with squats or lunges if unable to complete the set.

As the time approached one hour, the session

was brought to an end with some ab exercises and “step-punching”—walking forward in a manner that involves throwing combinations in time with our paces.

Other places you can try boxing: Imaoka Boxing Gym, Shibuya (www.imaoka-boxing.jp); Ozaki Boxing Gym, Shibuya (www.oz-gym.com)

KRAV MAGA

“K

rav Maga is a business now,” Boaz Hagay explains, “but I’m no businessman.”

Hagay teaches a pure form at his Imi Krav Maga (boaz.ikm@gmail.com) lessons, the same techniques he was once taught by the martial art’s founder, Imi Lichtenfield. Before the class, he produces a treasure trove of Krav Maga history contained in a plastic file: pictures, letters and an old, faded training manual from his days studying in Israel. He laments the simplification of the discipline for marketing purposes and when he talks about his own teaching style, he often refers to what the Japanese call budou, or “the way.”

Hagay has no time for other, “sporty” forms of combat, fighting techniques artificially restricted by rules and regulations. If you need to defend yourself, he believes, you should do it in the most effective way possible: clawing at eye sockets and kicking at testicles if necessary. “Krav Maga isn’t brutal, but it’s very violent,” he says.

As it’s late December, a smaller group than usual has shown up—myself and three other men who’ve been training with Hagay for an average of around a year. Most of Hagay’s students are foreigners, but having lived in Japan for 25 years he’s also comfortable teaching in Japanese. The room used for training is small, with a colorful mat and a set of animal curtains that the group jokes are traditional Krav Maga items, but—by the time you read this— Imi Krav Maga will have expanded to three other locations (in Roppongi, Yokohama and Ogikubo).

PHOTO BY CAL WIDDALL

We begin with some stretches, push-ups and situps before practicing a simple one-two: left jab, right jab. The couple of years I spent boxing are immediately evident to Hagay, who alters my stance and highlights the importance of not fully extending the arm as one would do in a boxing match.

“You’re not just trying to punch him; after you strike, you need to do damage on the return.”

He demonstrates a few different methods of doing so and points out that, with a fully extended arm, I’m also making myself a much easier target for opponents to take hold of.

The plastic knives and guns come out for the next section and Hagay shows us a method to counter weapons, ending with a kick to the groin.

“Judo teaches disarming methods that look more impressive,” he says, demonstrating a couple of them, “but nothing is as effective as a simple kick to a man’s testicles.” We practice the move for a while, along with some work on blocking, then I step aside to take pictures as the group performs more advanced combinations on Hagay, who dons a padded suit with “kick here” and a target circle drawn on his groin.

One student, a young Glaswegian who’s been studying for 18 months, performs a perfect flurry of moves that ends with his teacher slammed against the wall by the throat. Hagay turns to me with a proud smile, “He’s so good now.”

Other places you can try Krav Maga: Combat Sports Centre, Ikebukuro (www.combat-sportscentre.com); MagaGym, Roppongi (www. magagym.com/en/)

BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU

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a r pe Diem (ht t p://bjjaoya ma.net) in Aoyama and Mita offers five different levels: basic 45-minute sessions of technique practice only, beginner classes where students are able to get their first taste of sparring, plus regular

PHOTO BY M. WILD

and advanced classes for those with experience.

The fifth option is “no gi” where students learn to grapple without wearing the traditional robes. As someone barely able to pronounce jiujitsu, let alone perform it, I chose the basic class.

On the cold, wet Wednesday night I attended, there were three instructors—with a total of 27 years experience—and only three other students.

While I found this level of one-on-one time with the instructors incredibly helpful, those that prefer to blend in with a larger crowd may want to attend the Aoyama school, where the average attendance is ten to 15 people.

All three instructors clearly love what they do and there was an enjoyable laid-back atmosphere throughout the class, as though everyone was hanging out rather than working. The head instructor, Iwasaki, has spent the past ten years competing all over the world and says, with quiet satisfaction, that jiujitsu is his life.

During the session, three moves were explained and demonstrated by the instructors, who then observed the students practicing the techniques with their designated partners. As I made mistakes, minor details that had seemed inconsequential during the demonstrations were highlighted and I was shown how my opponent would escape if I, for instance, failed to close the gap between their shoulder and my groin when performing an arm-bar.

No time was spent on exercises to improve strength or fitness during the basic lesson, as a separate conditioning class is given each morning for that specific purpose. From the beginning, the focus was purely on learning Brazilian jiujitsu.

Other places you can try jiujitsu: Tri-Force Jiujitsu Academy, Shinjuku & Ikebukuro (www. triforce-bjj.com); Axis Jiujitsu Academy, Matsubara (www.axisjj.com); Crosspoint, Kichijoji & Shibuya (www.shibukichi.com), Grabaka (www. grabaka.com)

THE WAY

BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU

Mitsuya Maeda arrived in Brazil in 1914 with the intention of spreading the Japanese judo.

His disciples twisted his techniques like the arm of an opponent, evolving it into Brazilian jiujitsu. A core principle of the sport is that a smaller, weaker combatant with better technique will overcome a larger, stronger opponent with poor technique.

KRAV MAGA Krav Maga, Hebrew for “contact combat,” was developed from a number of fighting styles by Slovakian-Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfield to defend against anti-semitic groups in Bratislava. The martial art gained commercial success after the first training center in Japan opened in Ichigaya in 2004.

BOXING Boxing was first brought to Japan on Commodore Perry’s Black Ships in 1854, and the first pro title matches were held in 1924.

Japan won two Olympic boxing medals for the first time in 2012, taking both the middleweight gold and bantamweight bronze.

Due to a fixation on heavier weight clases, predominantly light Japanese boxers have struggled for worldwide acclaim. But even outside the glow of the sport’s spotlights, Japan has so far produced 76 male and 16 female world champions.

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 07

FITNESS SPECIAL

Take advantage of Tokyo's fitness

BASI PILATES Various areas Pilates

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ilates is a holistic way to move beyond traditional approaches to fitness by combining physical strength training and breathing exercises that cater to your headspace. Stop in at one of their 11 studios in Tokyo and get to know Basi Pilates, a leader in the field. The some 20 million pilates practitioners worldwide train their minds to control their muscles, build flexibility, increase strength and improve coordination in the legs, abdominals, arms and back. The deep muscles that support your skeleton are toned—not just the surface muscles affected by ordinary exercise. Pilates practice helps you access this power from the first time you try it. Contractions can then be managed daily to improve your posture and physical well-being. During sessions, thoughts are directed inward and the concentration and breathing exercises help focus the mind. Lessons will fly by quickly—but you’ll be left feeling refreshed and ready to continue with your week.

CLUB 360 Roppongi/Motoazabu Gym/physical therapy

T

here’s no better time to commit yourself to achieving the body and healthy lifestyle you desire than at the start of a new year. The personal trainers at Roppongi’s newest fitness club, Club 360, will help turn your resolutions into a reality with the latest in training techniques and dietary advice. After a thorough analysis of your current condition, your coach will design a plan specifically for you. In addition to personal training programs, Club 360 offers group fitness classes such as kickboxing, core and cardio training, Posture Plus+, Fatburn express, Bootcamp and more. Their motto? “Changing lives through health and fitness.” So if your New Year’s resolution is to get in shape and look and feel your best, then get in the ring with the folks at Club 360—they’ll boost your confidence and help you to change your life for the better.

GOLD’S GYM Various Fitness

F

ollowing all of December’s parties and food, January is the perfect time to turn over a new leaf and start burning off some of that holiday padding. With a network of over 700 gyms in 30 countries around the world, Gold’s Gym has become synonymous with weight training. With 45 gyms across Japan, including Tokyo area locations such as Shibuya, Omotesando and Ginza, there’s no reason you can’t maintain a training regimen here. Most gyms are open from early in the morning until late at night and the ones in Harajuku, Oimachi and Omiya are open 24 hours—so you can train stress-free whenever you want. A variety of traditional and modern equipment is available and the machines are suitable for both beginners and experienced lifters—plus their Japan locations carry as many free weights as you’d find in any US gym. Make a fresh start in 2014 with the help of Gold’s Gym.

08 ● SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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centers to get in the best shape of your life in 2014!

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SPECIAL OFFER

WEBSITE

▶▶ Get rid of holiday pounds with a free membership in January 2014 ▶▶ Ladies get a ¥1,050 discount on all memberships ▶▶ Metropolis readers receive 50% off February 2014 membership fees if they try a class and sign up the same day SERVICES ▶▶ Standard (three days per week) ¥12,600/month ▶▶ Light (one day per week) ¥10,500/month ▶▶ Daytime (unlimited day classes) ¥8,400/month

M

agaGym teaches Krav Maga, a realistic system of self-defense developed by the Israeli military that's used today by FBI and SWAT teams across America. At their recently opened, brightly-colored gym just a four-minute walk from Roppongi station, MagaGym top-level black belt instructors will teach you the art and knowledge of staying safe in a way that's both fun and, at times, intense. Known for its focus on real-world situations, Krav Maga theory is based around the understanding of natural human reflexes, so it's easy to learn regardless of age, gender or body type. One of the world’s most effective self-defense systems, it's useful against opponents with knives, guns or other weapons, and its practice incorporates realistic fight training. Instruction comprises both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, leading to greater physical fitness, higher self-confidence and a huge boost in self-esteem.

TAKAHASHI KARATE STUDIO Akasaka Karate

4F Arrow Bldg,3-14-7 Roppongi, Minato-ku 03-6432-9794 info@magagym.com Mon-Fri 10:30am-11pm, Sat-Sun 9:30am-4pm Roppongi www.magagym.com/en/

SPECIAL OFFER

L

2-20-13-2F Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 03-6277-8264 jimukyoku@kuuyuukai.com Daily 7:30am-10pm Tameike-Sanno, Roppongi-itchome or Akasaka www.kuuyuukai.com

ooking for a new beginning in 2014? Start the new year on the path of karatedo. Karatedo is a traditional Japanese martial art and anyone who practices karate today is a successor of this earlier form. Conveniently located near three train stations in central Tokyo, Takahashi Karate Studio offers traditional karate classes for beginners and advanced learners. Regardless of your level, you can learn different kata and waza in a safe and fun environment. Free trial lessons are available in January—including a women-only class on January 14 and the first month of your membership will be free if you sign up on the day. Learning karatedo promises to change not only your mental and physical well-being, but your whole life for the better.

TOKYO METROPOLITAN GYMNASIUM TIPNESS Sendagaya Fitness

SERVICES

WEBSITE

▶▶ Admission to pool and gym: ¥600 (2.5 hours)

T

he Tokyo Metropolitan Gym, conveniently located near Sendagaya station, offers everything you need to get in shape and start the year off right. This serious athletic facility provides swimming lessons, fully-equipped gyms for cardio training, resistance machines and weights as well as a studio for yoga, aerobics, pilates and other fitness programs. The TMG intermediate and advanced swimming classes are supervised by coaches from Kitajima Aquatics, established by Japanese Olympic medalist Kosuke Kitajima. To combat the fatigue and stress of work’s daily grind, the gym also provides relaxing and rejuvenating massages and other muscle treatments. If that’s not enough to get you motivated to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, then the price should really pump you up: use of the pool, gym and studio programs costs only ¥600 for two and a half hours. At that rate, you can’t afford not to get yourself in top condition this year!

WEBSITE

▶▶ First month free if you sign up for a membership in January ▶▶ First trial lesson free for any class in January (beginner programs January 13-17, women-only class January 14) ▶▶ Email to book a free trial lesson

1-17-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku 03-5474-2114

Mon-Fri 9am-11pm, Sat 9am-10pm, Sun & hols 9am-9pm Sendagaya or Kokuritsu-Kyogijo www.tef.or.jp/en_index.jsp

#1033 ● WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP ● 09

Arts & Entertainment ALL THE BEST IN ARTS & CULTURE ACROSS THE METROPOLIS COURTESY OF TOKYO EXCELLENCE

sports

MICHAEL OLSON

The American basketball coach embraces Japan

By Fred Varcoe

M

ichael Olson first came to Japan as a basketball player. Today, he's showing teams how to win as a coach.

The 34-year-old Portland, Oregon native was a team assistant to Link Tochigi Brex and began coaching the team in 2010, the year they won the Japan Basketball League (JBL) playoffs. Last year, he moved up a notch but down a league—to the JBL’s second division—becoming head coach of Renova Kagoshima.

After eight years in Japan as a player and coach, he’s back in the city he loves, Tokyo, and doing an excellent job coaching the irrepressible Tokyo Excellence in the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). The team ended 2013 with an almost perfect record—15 wins to one loss.

Excellence plays in what is the de facto second division of the National Basketball League, the successor to the JBL, which is not to be confused with the rival Basketball Japan League (BJL). The

art

POLA MUSEUM OF ART

CLAUDE MONET

Impressive Impressionism at the NMWA

By C.B. Liddell

N

ot every big exhibition of Impressionist art in Japan has to originate from a famous foreign museum. The current show at the National Museum of Western Art is sourced almost entirely from the NMWA’s own collection and that of the Pola Museum in Hakone.

“Monet: An Eye for Landscapes” brings together dozens of the master impressionist’s canvases as well as many works by other artists from before, during and after Monet—including Gustave Courbet, Camille Pissarro and Vincent van Gogh.

What's most noticeable is the change between early Impressionism and its later period. In the public mind it seems to be closely tied to its most famous painters,

10 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

leagues are complicated because the politics of the sport are very Japanese. Olson tries not to lose too much sleep over such matters—he’s having too much fun coaching the team that's already knocking on the door of the NBL. “At the start of the season, the president of the NBL wanted us, but our president, Dr. Shuichi Tsuji, [a well-known sports doctor and motivational trainer] wanted us to be in the Development League first,” Olson explains. “The plan was to stay two years and then move up, but we might have to the next year. I know we could play in the NBL right now.”

Olson plans to have his team back up his claim in the All-Japan tournament—in which teams from the NBL, NBDL and universities compete.

That tourney started on New Year’s Day and will run through January 13. The team’s 2013 record gave Olson confidence. “We’ve only lost one game and we’ve had some big blowouts, while other games have been close,” he says. “It’s been exciting and I’ve really seen my team improve over the last few months.”

The E xcel lence lineup includes t he ta lented and tall (215 cm) Joe Wolfinger, as well as Markhuri Sanders-Frison, who at 201 cm is, according to the coach, “265 pounds of muscle."

However, Olson can't just add as many foreign players as he wants, as each league has different rules. The NBDL allows a team to have two on the court in the first and third quarters, and one in the second and fourth quarters. The BJ League allows more because, Olson says, “they’re looking more for entertainment. The NBL is real basketball.”

The coach, along with many Japanese basketball fans, would like to see the politics ironed out. “For Japan to be great at the sport, it needs one league with a second division,” he states.

“In the long run, that would be best for Japanese basketball.”

In Tochigi, Olson worked with Yuta Tabuse, who

Water Lilies, 1907, oil on canvas especially Monet and Renoir, and tends to be defined by their more popular works. For Japanese audiences, the works Monet did later in life, when he retired to his house and garden in Giverny and concentrated on

painting his lily pond with its Japanese bridge, figure large.

But this stereotypical image is really just one chapter of the story. In its early days, Impressionism was a wide-ranging rejection of artistic conventions that limited ‘respectable’ artists to a narrow range of themes and styles— historic or mythological subject matter painted in a suitably grand way.

Most importantly Impressionism was an embrace of modernity, an obsession with all that was new, modern and proletarian. Only later did Monet and Renoir push it deeply into “biscuit tin” territory.

This is clear at this exhibition, where early works by Monet and other impressionists show many signs of the modern world. Monet’s The Goods Train (1872) not only shows a steam strain with its plume of smoke cutting across the picture plane, but the background is a forest of factory chimnies.

Steam trains and chimneys are almost signature features of these works, cropping up in several canvases. This is partly because the person whose collection formed the basis of the NMWA, Kojiro Matsukata, was particularly interested in industrial paintings—although his favorite artist was

music

the Anglo-Welsh painter Frank Brangwyn, whose enhanced realism was far from Impressionism.

Monet must have realized that modernity, with its telegraph poles, railway bridges and precise, engineered lines, didn’t suit his brush. His dappled brushstrokes were much more adept at depicting leaves and waves.

Also, the later Monet travelled much less. A photo of the artist shows him in old age, looking content, portly and a little lazy. At this stage of his career he was focusing on the narrower range of subjects that were provided by his garden.

This escape from modernity into a personal comfort zone was also something of a wider trend, reflected in symbolist and poetic painting popular at the end of the century, like the pseudo-religious iconography of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes Poor Fisherman (1887-1892) or the work of Odilon Redon.

Some of these paintings don’t seem to bear too closely on Monet and raise suspicions of the curators trying to throw everything they could into the show.

But this is nevertheless an effective and stimulating look at the work of the painter regarded as the greatest of the Impressionists.

National Museum of Western Art until March 9. See exhibition listings (Ueno) for details.

LOS LONELY BOYS The Garza bros deliver a “Texican rock” Revelation

By Dan Grunebaum

S

omehow, the image of three Chicano brothe r s s i n g i n g ro ot s y rock songs steeped in Christian ideas of family and faith, didn’t seem quite the natural fit for Club Quattro in trendy, materialistic Shibuya.

Yet there Henry, JoJo and Ringo Garza were, searing themselves into the audience’s consciousness in their first visit to Japan in 2012. “We always want to make sure our music is about being in the light,” JoJo says from the Los Lonely Boys’ San Angelo, Texas hometown, “by which I mean god being the ultimate source. It doesn’t mean if you don’t believe we don’t care for you; all it means is that’s how we live our lives.”

Not so long after a followup F uji Ro ck app e a ra nce , their faith was severely tested.

Singer and guitarist Henry broke his back at the beginning of 2013, falling off the stage during a concert in Los Angeles.

“It was a horrible, horrific accident, not only to the business, but most importantly to the family,” JoJo says. “It put our lives back in perspective. We got together as a family and are a lot closer again. It’s sad that it takes something catastrophic but sometimes that’s what it takes.”

Henry’s recovery has been two steps forward and one step back, but the band was able to complete their brand-new album, Revelation. “When the accident happened we were already working on the record, and I can remember Ringo and I were going into the studio without Henry trying to work through the parts we could, but it just didn’t feel right,” JoJo says. “We even played a gig without Henry, but decided that wasn’t going to happen again. It’s been one of the tougher years in our lives and I’m thankful we’ve had the opportunity to learn, because it could have been swept out completely from under our feet.”

Revelation sparkles with Los Lonely Boys’ “Texican rock ‘n’ roll,” their sublime blend of Latin rock, blues and Americana. It’s a style the brothers have been honing for a decade since they emerged out of Nashville, where they’d moved to break into music.

Willie Nelson, virtual personification of Americana, helped propel the brothers along by guiding their debut album, which saw the track “Heaven” go to number one. “Willie gave us a big push in the early stages of our career, and he’s treated us as his own family, and loved and respected us,” JoJo says. “He was also one of our dad’s biggest inspirations, as well as Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash.”

Los Lonely Boys’ new single, “Blame It On Love,” encapsulates the band’s musical trajectory. Launching with simple acoustic guitar and mariachi accordions, the track segues into a rollicking country rock jaunt,

COURTESY OF SMASH

went on to five years of trying to make it in the NBA. “It was a great experience and the people in Tochigi really love basketball because of that,” Olson recalls. “Every game was sold out. It was like being with The Beatles. People would wait for two or three hours to see Tabuse after games.”

However, Olson feels the momentum Tabuse created is starting to slow down. He sees the national team as still struggling, and believes the greater TV exposure that's in the pipeline will help drive the sport to the next level.

Olson owes his success in Japan to his efforts to understand the country. “I’ve learned a bit about Japanese culture and can focus on how Japanese players react to certain things,” he explains. “Some coaches come to Japan and aren’t successful because they don’t understand the culture. The best thing is to stay positive. Too many Japanese coaches are aggressive and not positive. Japanese players need to stay confident in their game or they will fall apart. If you give them too much pressure, you probably won’t get the response you want.”

Olson is learning his stuff as a coach and looking to improve himself, his team and Japanese basketball in general. “I have a dream of becoming a national team coach one day—perhaps even for the Olympics in 2020,” Olson says.

“For now, I just want to help build up Japanese basketball.”

To k y o E x c e l lence is playing their f i rst fou r ga mes of 2014 in Tokyo, starting w it h a match against Kuroda Electric Bullet Spirits on January 18 in Osaki.

See sports listings for details.

climaxing with a sizzling Fender guitar solo, all topped off with the brothers’ crystalline harmonies.

“Dad taught us about Mexican-American cats that weren’t doing the traditional music, people like Santana, and earlier cats,” recalls JoJo. “He and his brothers were actually playing traditional music, but they would also step away from that to do country or rock. It’s something we’re really proud of, to know our own traditional music, but also be able to branch out into Americana.”

Music is the family business and the Garza brothers are handing it down to their own kids. “You can’t help what gets played on the radio and TV, and when the kids are out with the other youngsters, they want to blend in,” JoJo grants. “So my kids are aware of computerbased music and the computer controlling everyone’s voices, and that’s cool in its own right. But our music comes from raw wood with a few strings attached, and we feel it’s something that has to be passed on, and not only to our children, but to everyone’s kids.”

The Japan-edition of Revelation, as is customary, features a few bonus tracks in the form of a cover of Santana’s legendary “Oye Como Va” and a live recording of “Heaven” from that night at Club Quattro.

“I don’t know why they expect more tracks—it’s kind of weird to me—but ‘Oye Como Va’ we recorded a while back and they liked it and we were like, ‘Yeah, if you want to use it go ahead,’” JoJo explains. “Because at that time it was impossible for us to get back in the studio. But then when they used ‘Heaven,’ which was recorded in Shibuya, we were super happy about that.”

“We love Japan and we can’t wait to get over there again,” JoJo finishes. “I didn’t want to come back to America. The humbleness of the people, the courtesy... I just felt like that was where I belonged.”

Liquidroom, Jan 30. See concert listings for details.

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 11

Agenda Listings

GO TO WWW.METURL.COM/LISTINGS FOR COMPLETE LISTINGS

CONCERT

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. smash-jpn.com

Cero

70s funk with electronica and brass band Inlays. Jan 25, 6pm, ¥3,300 (adv) +1d.

Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www.red-hot.ne.jp

Bananafish

J-rock with a Britpop twist.

Jan 25, 7pm, ¥3,500 (adv) +1d.

Akasaka Blitz. Nearest stn: Akasaka. www.red-hot.ne.jp

New Year Premium: Go Live Vol. 1

Orange Range, The Telephones and Polysic. Jan 25, 6pm, ¥3,955 (adv) +1d. Ex Theater Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi or Nogizaka. Tel: 03-6434-0068. http://eplus.jp/ golive1-hp

Dead Pop Festival

Reggae-punk rockers SiM and others. Jan 26, 5pm, ¥3,300 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba.

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. smash-jpn.com

One Draft

COURTESY OF BILLBOARD LIVE

Nigerian ‘blufunk’ pioneer returns as superhero The son of a Yoruba chief, Keziah Jones was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. He was sent to a British public school at 8 as part of his grooming to join the Nigerian elite. But music seized his imagination, and by his late teens, Jones was on the streets of London, forging a new sound that fused rock, funk and jazz with Nigerian rhythms. Discovered in 1991, he became the subject of worldwide fascination with the release of Blufunk is a Fact. Five years since his most recent disc Nigerian Wood, Jones returns to Japan wearing the outfit of a mythical Afro superhero in the album and graphic novel, Captain Rugged.

Feb 6, 7 & 9:30pm; Feb 7, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥6,500-8,500. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-1133. www.billboard-live.com.

Concerts POPULAR Sadie

Visual-kei. Jan 10, 7pm, ¥4,725 (adv) +1d.

Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku.

Jun Sky Walker(s)

Old school hard rock band celebrates their 25th anniversary. Jan 11, 4pm, ¥6,500 (adv). Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. Tel: 050-55330888.

The Gazette

Visual-kei. Jan 11, 5pm, ¥7,000 (adv). Yokohama Arena. Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama. http://ltike.com

My Name

K-pop boy band quintet. Jan 12, 6pm, ¥8,800 (adv). NHK Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. http://l-tike.jp

Mo'some Tonebender

Leading Japanese alt-rock band. Jan 13, 6pm, ¥3,500 (adv) +1d. Club Lizard.

Tel: 045-663-4755. www. mosome.com

Go Live Vol.1

Feat. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Back Horn. Jan 13, 6pm, ¥3,955 (adv) +1d. Ex Theater Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi or Nogizaka. www. creativeman.co.jp

Blur

Boys who like girls who like Brit pop veterans. Jan 14, 7pm, ¥9,000-10,500 (adv).

Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. http://t. pia.jp

The Mirraz

Feat. Okamoto's and Good Morning America. Jan 14, 7pm, ¥3,955 (adv). Ex Theater Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi or Nogizaka.

Tel: 0570-02-9999. www.

12 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

tv-asahi.co.jp/ex-theater

Kizuna

With Sekai Ichi, Fozztone and others. Jan 15, 7pm, ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 (door) +1d.

Shibuya O-West. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5784-7088. www.shibuya-o.com

Selena Gomez

Disney star turned pop artist.

Jan 16, 7:30pm; Jan 17, 7:30pm, ¥8,000-14,000 (adv) +1d. Zepp Tokyo. Nearest stn: Aomi. www.creativeman.co.jp

Base Ball Bear

Feat Rhymester. Jan 16, 7pm, ¥4,550 (adv). Ex Theater Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi or Nogizaka. Tel: 0570-02-9999. www.tv-asahi. co.jp/ex-theater

Misia

R&B and hip hop singer. Jan 18, 7pm; Jan 19, 6pm, ¥8,500 (adv).

Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. www.l-tike.com

Coldrain

Post-hardcore from Nagoya.

Jan 18, 7pm, ¥3,300 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. www.creativeman. co.jp

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Harajuku pop princess. Jan 18, 5pm; Jan 19, 4pm, ¥6,300 (adv).

Yokohama Arena. Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama. Tel: 03-57209999. www.red-hot.ne.jp

A Flood of Circle

70s blues rock trio. Jan 19, 6pm, ¥3,150 (adv) +1d. Akasaka Blitz.

Nearest stn: Akasaka. www. red-hot.ne.jp

Maia Hirasawa

Japanese-Swedish singersongwriter with Sukima Switch and others. Jan 19, 6pm, ¥5,500 (adv). Ex Theater Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi or Nogizaka. ticket@ zexceed.com. www.tv-asahi. co.jp/ex-theater

Japan's Next

Keytalk, Sakanamon and others. Jan 20, 6:30pm, ¥2,500

(adv) +1d. O-West. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 050-5533-0888. www.shibuya-o.com

Uverworld

J-rock from Shiga. Jan 21, 6:30pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d. Ex Theater Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi or Nogizaka. Tel: 0570-02-9999. www.tv-asahi. co.jp/ex-theater

Band Rush

Osaka punk rockers Rizing 2 End, Bradio, Geeks and others.

Jan 21, 6:30pm, ¥2,500 (adv)/ ¥3,000 (door) +1d. Shibuya Milkyway. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.rizing2end.net

Savages

Post-punk revival rock. Jan 22, 7pm, ¥5,000 (adv) +1d.

Liquidroom. Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-3499-6669. www.creativeman.co.jp

Maia Hirasawa

Swedish-Japanese singersongwriter. Jan 22, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥5,300-7,300.

Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-1133. www.billboard-live.com

Blue Hawaii

Eletro duo from Montreal, accompanied by Dustin Wong and Takako Minekawa. Jan 23, 7:30pm, ¥4,000 (adv)/ ¥4,500 +1d. O-Nest. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.alive.mu

Haim

Indie pop from Los Angeles.

Jan 23, 7pm, ¥5,00 (adv) +1d.

Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3477-8750. www.creativeman.co.jp

Soundtrack for Your Lonely View

All Off, Roach, Angry Frog Rebirth and others. Jan 23, 5pm, ¥2,500 (adv)/ ¥3,000 (door) +1d. Unit. Nearest stn: Daikanyama. Tel: 050-55330888.

SiM

Shonan-based reggae-punk rockers. Jan 25, 7pm, ¥3,300 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast.

Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba.

Japanese hip hop trio. Jan 26, 5pm, ¥3,900 (adv) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3477-8750. www. creativeman.co.jp

Kuroyume

J-rock duo. Jan 29, 6:30pm, ¥9,600 (adv). Nippon Budokan.

Nearest stn: Kudanshita. http://l-tike.com

Los Lonely Boys

American Chicano rock trio.

Jan 30, 7:30pm, ¥6,500 (adv) +1d. Liquidroom, Shibuya-ku.

Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-34446751. www.smash-jpn.com

Livemasters Inc. Countdown GT2014

The Telephones, Boom Boom Satellites, White Ash and others. Jan 31, 2pm, ¥6,300 (adv)/ ¥6,800 (door) +1d. Zepp Diver City. Nearest stn: Daiba. www.livemasters.jp/gt2013

Mongol 800

J-rock giants from the shores of Okinawa. Feb 2, 6pm, ¥4,800 (adv). NHK Hall.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. mongol800.jp

Maximum 10

Rock fes with Pop Disaster, Lost, Fact and others. Feb 2, 2:30pm, ¥3,980 (adv) +1d.

Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-3499-6669. www.creativeman.co.jp

Avril Lavigne

Canadian singer who doesn't like your girlfriend. Feb 3, 7pm, ¥10,500 (adv). Pacifico Yokohama. Nearest stn: Minatomirai. http://eplus.jp/ avrillavigne2014

Tiina Kariina

J-pop princess from Osaka.

Feb 3, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥4,0006,000. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.billboardlive.com

Gekirock Tour Vol.9

Eskimo Callboy, Angry Frog Rebirth and others. Feb 3, 5:30pm, ¥3,300 (adv)/ ¥3,800 (door) +1d. Club Seata. Nearest stn: Kichijoji. Tel: 04-22290061. http://gekirock.com/ tour/vol9

Fall Out Boy

Recently reunited to save rock'n'roll. Feb 5-6, 7pm, ¥7,500-8,500 (adv) +1d. Zepp Tokyo. Nearest stn: Aomi. www.creativeman.co.jp

The Lumineers

Folk rock from Denver. Feb 8, 6pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d.

Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www.smash-jpn. com

Scream Out Fest

The Devil Wears Prada, Her Name in Blood and others.

Feb 9, 4:30pm, ¥6,500 (adv)/

¥7,500 (door) +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba.

Tel: 03-3499-6669. www. creativeman.co.jp

The Devil Wears Prada

American metalcore. Feb 10, 7pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3499-6669. www. creativeman.co.jp

Periphery

With Cyclamen and Hammerhead Shark. Feb 11, 6pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d. Club Asia. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3499-6669. www. creativeman.co.jp

Merengue

J-pop trio. Feb 14, 6:30pm, ¥4,500 (adv) +1d. Shibuya Public Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3463-3022. www.merengue.jp

Volbeat

Rock, metal and rockabilly fusion. Feb 15-16, 6pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3477-8750. www. creativeman.co.jp

Finch

Ellis Marsalis Quartet

Jazz pianiest foursome. Jan 19, 5 & 8pm, ¥8,400-9,500 (adv). Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Blue Note Plays Blue Note Blue Note records celebrates 75th anniversary. Jan 22, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥6,300. Blue Note.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.bluenote.co.jp

Quadra

Jazz improv quartet. Jan 23, 7 & 9pm, ¥3,600. Motion Blue.

Nearest stn: Bashamichi.

Tel: 045-226-1919. www. motionblue.co.jp

Jessy J

Sexy funky saxophonist.

Jan 24-25. Various times, ¥6,800-8,000 (adv). Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3215-1555. www. cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Tribute to Dave Brubeck

The Brubeck Brothers Jazz Quartet. Jan 28, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥7,350. Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.bluenote. co.jp

American post-hardcore band from Temecula, CA. Feb 17, 7pm, ¥6,300 (adv) +1d. Liquidroom. Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-3444-6751. www.smash-jpn.com

Larry Harlow's Latin Legends of Fania

Eric Clapton

Jamie Cullum

Master of the Stratocaster.

Feb 18 & 20-21, 7pm; Feb 28, 7pm, ¥11,000-12,000 (adv).

Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. Tel: 03-34025999. www.udo.co.jp

The Novembers

Four-piece alternative rock band. Feb 21, 7pm, ¥3,000 (adv) +1d. Liquidroom. Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-3444-6751. www.smash-jpn.com

Eric Clapton

Master of the Stratocaster. Feb 23, 5pm, ¥11,000-12,000 (adv).

Yokohama Arena. Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama. Tel: 03-34025999. www.udo.co.jp

Feat. Nicky Marrero. Jan 28, 6:30pm, ¥7,500. Cotton Club.

Nearest stn: Tokyo. www. cottonclubjapan.co.jp Jazz-pop singer and songwriter. Jan 29, 7pm; Jan 30, 7pm, ¥6,500 (adv) +1d. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-5720-9999. www. smash-jpn.com

Average White Band

Scottish funk band. Jan 29-31. Various times, ¥8,400.

Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.bluenote. co.jp

Peabo Bryson with Deniece Williams

JAZZ/WORLD

Singing songs of true romance.

Until-Feb 4. Various times, ¥8,400. Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.bluenote. co.jp

Fire Horns

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Pop and jazz funk. Jan 11, 5:30 & 7:30pm, ¥3,600. Motion Blue. Nearest stn: Bashamichi.

Tel: 045-226-1919. www. motionblue.co.jp

Derrick Hodge

Husband-and-wife led blues rock band. Feb 6, 7pm, ¥7,7008,700 (adv) +1d. Shibuya Public Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3402-5999. www.udo.co.jp

Jazz composer and bassist.

Jan 12, 5 & 8pm, ¥6,500-7,500 (adv). Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.cottonclubjapan. co.jp

Soil & Pimp Sessions

Edmar Castaneda and Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Bastian Baker

Colombian harpist and Cuban pianist duo. Jan 12, 5 & 8pm, ¥7,800. Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.bluenote. co.jp

Yokohama Sound Olympics

Vakeneco and Aki Sawazaki.

Jan 13, 6:30pm, ¥3,600.

Motion Blue. Nearest stn: Bashamichi. Tel: 045-2261919. www.motionblue.co.jp

Liberace!

Starring Martin Preston and featuring William Garon.

Jan 15, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥6,300.

Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.bluenote. co.jp

Yellowjackets

American jazz fusion.

Jan 15-17. Various times, ¥7,500-8,500 (adv). Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3215-1555. www. cottonclubjapan.co.jp

The Funky Meters

New Orleans funk. Jan 17, 7 & 9:30pm; Jan 18, 6 & 9pm, ¥6,800-8,800. Billboard Live.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-1133. www.billboardlive.com

Death jazz quintet. Feb 10, 7pm, ¥4,000 (adv) +1d. Akasaka Blitz. Nearest stn: Akasaka. www.jvcmusic.co.jp/soilpimp Swiss singer-songwriter. Feb 10, 7 & 9:30pm, . Blue Note.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.bluenote.co.jp

José James

Club jazz. Feb 14, 7 & 9:30pm; Feb 15, 6 & 9pm, ¥6,000-8,000.

Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-1133. www.billboard-live.com

Swingin' GS

Yuji Miyake and Light Joke Jazz Orchestra. Feb 21, 7 & 9:30pm; Feb 22, 5 & 8pm, ¥8,400. Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.bluenote. co.jp

CLASSICAL New Japan Philharmonic

Sopranist Akiko Nakajima performs Operetta 'Aria'.

Jan 11, 3pm, ¥1,500-5,000.

Saitama Kaikan. Nearest stn: Urawa. saf.or.jpWorks

by Wagner, Respighi and others. Feb 7, 2pm; Feb 8, 2pm, ¥1,000-4,000.

New Year Special Concert St. Sophia Strauss Orchestra.

Jan 16, 7pm, ¥5,500. Meguro Persimmon Hall. Nearest stn: Toritsudaigaku. Tel: 03-57012904. www.koransha.com

EXHIBITION

New York Philharmonic

THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM, PITTSBURGH; FOUNDING COLLECTION. © 2013 THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC. / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK

Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup I: Chicken Noodle, 1968

Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal With its ambitious exhibitions and sky-high location, the Mori Art Museum has shaken up the Japanese art scene. Its founder, real estate mogul Minoru Mori, died last year, but it’s no surprise that his curators are looking to make a splash with their tenth anniversary show. "Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal" is being billed as the largest Warhol retrospective ever held in Japan.

It’s to offer a comprehensive overview of his career via some 400 works, including paintings, silkscreens, drawings, films, sculptures and photographs, as well as 300 personal items from what Warhol called his “Time Capsules,” boxes of ephemera he collected from his daily life, including materials related to Japan.

Feb 1-May 6, ¥500-1,500. Open Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-10pm, Tue 10am-5pm. 6-10-1 Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www. mori.art.museum/eng

The 65th Promenade Concert

Midori Suzuki sings accompanied by organist Naoya Otsuka. Jan 18, 2pm, free. Saitama Arts Theater.

Nearest stn: Yonohonmachi. saf.or.jp

Mikimito: New Year Concert

Bunkyo Civic Hall. Nearest stn: Korakuen. Tel: 03-5803-1100.

Escolta

Vocal trio that mixes pop with classical music. Jan 25, 6pm, ¥7,600 (adv). Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.bunkamura. co.jp/english

Charity concert in aid of the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Jan 19, 2pm, ¥2,500-6,000.

Suntory Hall. Nearest stn: Roppongi-itchome. www. suntory.com/culture-sports/ suntoryhall

Keiko Urushihara and Shigeo Neriki Duo Recital

Krystian Zimerman

St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Piano recital. Jan 20, 7pm, ¥4,500-15,000. Suntory Hall. Nearest stn: Roppongiitchome. Tel: 03-5774-3040. www.japanarts.co.jp

Chamber Music Series 3

New Japan Philharmonic plays Mozart and Schubert.

Jan 22, 7:15pm, ¥3,000.

Sumida Triphony Hall, Sumida-ku. Nearest stn: Kinshicho. Tel: 03-5610-3815. www.njp.or.jp/en

Mozart Birthday Serenade Charity Concert

A violin and piano recital.

Jan 25, 1:30pm, ¥5,000.

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Nearest stn: Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5353-9999.

Nighttime Organ Concert Performance by Megumi Ogata and Hideyuki Kobayashi. Feb 13, 7:30pm, ¥1,000. Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Tel: 0570-010-296. www.geigeki.jp

St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Piano recital. Feb 3, 7pm, ¥5,000-6,000. Sumida Triphony Hall. Nearest stn: Kinshicho. www.triphony. com

Eliso Virsaladze

Architanz 2014

Dazzle

Operatic pop crooners. Feb 26-27 & Mar 10, 7pm, ¥10,00013,000. Nippon Budokan.

Nearest stn: Kudanshita. Tel: 03-3402-5999. www.udo.jp/ Artists/IlDivo

Stage A Thrilling World of Traditional Performing Arts

Ordinary utensils transform into traditional musical instruments. Stage performances, concert and more. Jan 12, 1:30pm, ¥1,0002,000 (adv). Hachioji City Art and Cultural Hall. Nearest stn: Hachioji. Tel: 03-3467-5421. www.dento-wa.jp

Carmen

The classic operatic tale of love and loss. Jan 19, 22 & 26, 2pm; Jan 29, 6:30pm; Feb 1, 2pm, ¥4,200-23,100. New National Theatre Tokyo.

Nearest stn: Hatsudai. www. nntt.jac.go.jp

Play Ball

Original 1926 play about Roxie Hart that inspired the famous Broadway musical, Chicago. Jan 23, 5pm; Jan 24-25, 7:30pm; Jan 26, 2pm, ¥500-1,000. Tanner Auditorium, Yokohama International School. Nearest stn: Ishikawacho. http://snurl. com/2897e2t

The Full Monty

Musical of the hit movie with a Japanese ikemen cast. Jan 31-Feb 16, various times, ¥7,000-11,000. Tokyo International Forum Hall C. Nearest stn: Yurakucho.

Tel: 0570-550-955. http:// fullmonty2014.jp

Ovo - Cirque du Soleil

Street and contemporary dance unit. Feb 14, 7:30pm; Feb 15-16, 1 & 5pm, ¥5,5007,000. Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Tel: 0570-029999. http://l-tike.com/dazzle

Swan Lake

The National Ballet of Japan performs the tale of Odette.

Feb 15-16 & 22-23, 2pm; Feb 21, 7pm, ¥3,150-10,000. New National Theatre Tokyo.

Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac. go.jp/english

The Nutcracker

The American Ballet Theatre transports you to a magical world of soldiers and mouse kings. Feb 20, 7pm; Feb 21, 1 & 7pm; Feb 22, 1pm, ¥5,00020,000. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-5774-3040. www. japanarts.co.jp

All-Stars Gala Performance

The crème de la crème of the American Ballet Theater present the best scenes from notable ballets. Feb 25-26, 6:30pm, ¥7,000-22,000.

Bunkamura Orchard Hall.

Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Manon

The American Ballet Theater takes on Kenneth MacMillan's extravagant production.

Feb 27, 6:30pm; Feb 28, 1 & 6:30pm; Mar 1, 1pm, ¥6,300-22,000. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno.

Tel: 03-5774-3040. www. japanarts.co.jp

Tap dancer Kazunori Kumagai with guests. Jan 17, 7:30pm; Jan 18-19, 2pm, ¥3,000-8,500 (adv). Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.bunkamura.co.jp

A Woman's House

Contemporary dance. Jan 23-24, 7pm; Jan 25-26, 3pm, ¥3,150-5,250. New National

SATURDAY 11

Premium. All mix: DJs Katsu, Mai-My, etc. From 7pm, (m)¥3,500 w/2d, (f)¥2,500 w/2d. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. info@crystallounge.jp. http:// crystallounge.jp Fly Day. All mix, hip-hop: Various DJs. From 7pm, (m)¥5,000 w/8tickets, (f)¥3,000 w/8tickets. Nearest stn: Ginza.

Tel: 03-3571-5830. www. geniustokyo.jp

Module

R20. House, techno: DJs Haruka, Remi, etc. From 10pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.module-tokyo. com

SuperDeluxe

Tt100. Experimental DJ Evil Penguin: Live: L?K?O and more.

From 8pm, free. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-5412-0515. www.super-deluxe.com

The New Matrix Bar

Matrix Friday. Old school hip-hop, west side, south side, all mix: DJ Ykk and more. From 6pm, ¥1,000 (after 11:30pm).

Nearest stn: Roppongi. www. matrixbar.jp

Village

Fantastic. Hip-hop: DJ Hokuto and more. From

Crystal Lounge

Erement. All mix: DJs Takashi, Mint, etc. From 11pm, (m)¥3,500 w/2d, (f)¥2,500 w/2d. Nearest stn: Gaienmae.

Tel: info@crystallounge.jp. crystallounge.jp

Genius Tokyo

Ladies Night. All mix: Various DJs. From 8pm, (m)¥4,000 w/6tickets, (f)¥1,000 w/4tickets. Nearest stn: Ginza.

Tel: 03-3571-5830. www. geniustokyo.jp

Ruby Room

New Year Party!!! Various DJs. From 8pm, free.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. rubyroomtokyo.com

Sound Museum Vision

Power. House, electro: DJs Taku, Tomoyuki Tanaka, etc. From 11pm, (m)¥3,500, (f)¥3,000. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.vision-tokyo.com

The New Matrix Bar

Saturday Night Fever. Hip-hop, R&B, reggae: DJ Ykk and more.

From 6pm, ¥1,000 (after 10pm). Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.matrixbar.jp

Village

Grand Slam. Hip-hop: DJ Nuckey and more. From 10pm, (m)¥3,000 w/1d, (f)¥2,000 w/2d. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban or Roppongi.

Tel: 03-6230-0343. www. villagetokyo.com

Womb

Sofa Disco. Disco: DJs Osawa, Uemura, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-5459-0039. www. womb.co.jp

SUNDAY 12 Sound Museum Vision

Ringo Erection. DJs Altz, Nobu, etc. Live: Tagaryu and more.

From 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Daikanyama. www. unit-tokyo.com

Village

Sunday Tribe. Hip-hop: DJs Kango, Hokuto, etc. From 10pm, ¥2,000 w/1d. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban or Roppongi.

Tel: 03-6230-0343. www. villagetokyo.com

MONDAY 13

Womb

Tuemix. Edm, house: DJs Alpha One, Zun, etc. From 10pm, (m)¥1,500, (f)free.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb. co.jp

WEDNESDAY 15 Lover’s Soul. Hip-hop, R&B: DJ Hero. From midnight, (m)¥3,000 w/6tickets, (f)¥2,000 w/8tickets. Nearest stn: Ginza. Tel: 03-3571-5830. www.geniustokyo.jp

Womb

Wedm. Electro, house: DJs Hiroki, Ikezawa, etc. From 10pm, (m)¥1,500, (f) free.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb. co.jp

THURSDAY 16 Crystal Lounge

Soul & Disco Party. Soul, dance classic: DJs Ma-Chan, Jin, etc. From midnight, (m)¥2,500 w/2d, (f)¥2,000 w/2d. Nearest stn: Gaienmae.

Tel: info@crystallounge.jp. crystallounge.jp

Genius Tokyo

Love Jams. All mix: DJs Takao and Eriko. From midnight, (m)¥3,000 w/6tickets, (f)¥2,000 w/8tickets. Nearest stn: Ginza.

Tel: 03-3571-5830. www. geniustokyo.jp

Village

Celebration. Hip-hop: DJs Sah, Yaz, etc. From 11pm, (m)¥2,000 w/1d, (f)¥1,000 w/2d. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban or Roppongi.

Tel: 03-6230-0343. www. villagetokyo.com

Womb

Mid. Techno, house: DJs Kitajima, Yasuhara, etc. From 10pm, ¥1,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb.co.jp

FRIDAY 17 Womb

Trouble House. House: DJ Emma. From 11pm, ¥3,500.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb. co.jp

UPCOMING Crystal Lounge

A Collection. All mix: DJs Takashi, Mint, etc. Jan 18, from 11pm, (m)¥3,500 w/2d, (f)¥2,500 w/2d.

Nearest stn: Gaienmae.

Tel: info@crystallounge.jp. crystallounge.jp

Womb

Space Ibiza. Techno, house: DJs Derrick May, Javi Bora, etc. Jan 18, from 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-54590039. www.womb.co.jp

Exhibitions AKASAKA/ROPPONGI

Womb

Insomnia. Drumnbass, electro: DJs Ryutaroww, Yuki, etc.

From 10pm, ¥1,500 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb. co.jp

TUESDAY 14 Genius Tokyo

Another Heaven. All mix: DJs Passion, Eriko. From midnight, (m)¥3,000 w/6tickets, (f)¥2,000 w/8tickets. Nearest stn: Ginza.

Tel: 03-3571-5830. www. geniustokyo.jp

Module

Stance. Techno: DJs Rosso, Hiro, etc. From 10pm, ¥1,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.module-tokyo.com

Ruby Room

w/2d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.rubyroomtokyo.com

Genius Tokyo

Unit

Genius Tokyo

Dance to the One

Sterne. Techno: DJs Ishino, Ken Ishii, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-5459-0039. www. womb.co.jp

FRIDAY 10

A Louer

Performed by The Kiev Ballet.

Jan 10, 6:30pm; Jan 11-13, 2pm, ¥5,000-13,000. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 050-3776-6184. www.koransha.com

Womb

Clubbing Crystal Lounge

Swan Lake

10pm, (m)¥3,000 w/1d, (f)¥2,000 w/2d. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban or Roppongi.

Tel: 03-6230-0343. www. villagetokyo.com

Girls Festival. Hip-hop DJs Kaori, Watarai, etc. Live: Zeebra and more. From 11pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)free.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. vision-tokyo.com

Revolutionary troupe that blends circus arts and street entertainment. Until May 11, various times, ¥4,500-12,000.

Odaiba Big Top, Odaiba.

Nearest stn: Tokyo Teleport. www.fujitv.co.jp/events/ovo

Dance

Strauss, Mozart, and Schubert featuring Wenzel Fuchs on the clarinet. Feb 1, 2pm, ¥5,0008,000. Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall. Nearest stn: Minatomirai.

Tel: 045-682-2020.

William Shakespeare's tragic tale performed by The Tokyo Ballet. Feb 6-7, 6:30pm; Feb 8-9, 2pm, ¥3,000-11,000.

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.nbs.org/ english

Il Divo

Philharmonic Octet Berlin

Philharmonic Octet Berlin

Romeo and Juliet

Performing Chopin and Liszt. Feb 21, 1:30pm, ¥5,000.

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Nearest stn: Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5353-9999.

Brussels-based theater group Peeping Tom takes you on an ephemeral journey. Feb 17-19, 7:30pm, ¥2,000-4,800.

Setagaya Public Theater, Setagaya-ku. Nearest stn: Sangenjaya. http:// setagaya-pt.jp/en

Strauss, Mozart, and Schubert.

Jan 27, 7pm, ¥4,000-8,500.

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Nearest stn: Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5353-9999.

Theatre Tokyo. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english

Retirement performance

by Robert Tewsley together with Hana Sakai. Feb 11-12, 7:15pm, ¥6,800-7,800. New National Theatre Tokyo.

Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5730-2732. www.a-tanz. com

Yukio Yokoyama

Yuri Temirkanov conducts works by Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky. Jan 26, 2pm, ¥5,000-18,000. Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall. Nearest stn: Minatomirai. Tel: 045-6822020.

With guest soloist Grigori Feigin on violin. Proceeds go to Masonic charities. Jan 24, 7pm, ¥5,000 (group)/ ¥5,500 (single). Tokyo Masonic Center. Nearest stn: Kamiyacho or Onarimon. tickets@tokyosinfonia.com. www.tokyosinfonia.com

Yuri Temirkanov conducts Mahler's Symphony No.2.

Jan 24, 7:30pm, 8,000-17,000.

Led by conductor Alan Gilbert.

Feb 11, 6pm, ¥1,500-6,000.

Suntory Hall. Nearest stn: Roppongi-itchome. www.smf.or.jp/30th

Open Mic. From 7pm, ¥1,000

21_21 Design Sight

Toward a Design Museum Japan. Mixed media. Until Feb 2, ¥500-1,000. Open Mon & Wed-Sun 11am-8pm, closed Tue. 9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku. Nearest stn: Nogizaka. Tel: 03-3475-2121. www.2121designsight.jp

Mori Art Museum

Out of Doubt: Roppongi Crossing 2013. Contemporary art series held triennially.

This installment takes a fresh look at a familiar intersection to most Tokyoites. Until Jan 13, ¥500-1,500. MAM Project 020: Gabriel Acevedo Velarde.

Mixed media. Feb 1-May 6, ¥500-1,500. Open Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-10pm, Tue 10am-5pm. 6-10-1 Roppongi.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. www. mori.art.museum

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 13

Agenda Listings Suntory Museum of Art Celestial Dance: The Art of Hiten. Relics and religious artefacts on display in commemoration of the renovations of Byodoin's Phoenix Hall. Until Jan 13, ¥800-1,300. Imari: Japanese Porcelain for European Palaces. Luxurious early 17th century porcelain from Saga prefecture. Jan 25-Mar 16, ¥800-1,300.

Open Wed-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun-Mon & hols 10am-6pm, closed Tue. 9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.suntory. jp/sma

The National Art Center, Tokyo

16th Domani: The Art of Tomorrow. Mixed media.

Until Jan 26, ¥500-1,000.

Open Wed-Thu, Sat-Mon 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-8pm, closed Tue. 7-22-2 Roppongi. Nearest stn: Nogizaka. www.nact.jp

GINZA/KYOBASHI/ TOKYO Bridgestone Museum of Art

The Painters' Eyes, the Sculptors' Hands. Paintings and sculptures by various artists. Jan 18-Apr 13, ¥500-800. Open Tue-Sun & hols 10am-8pm, closed Mon. 1-10-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku. Nearest stn: Tokyo. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.bridgestonemuseum.gr.jp

Idemitsu Museum of Arts

JapanTravel.com

The Dreams of Itaya Hazan: The Bliss of Japanese Modern Ceramics. Ceramics.

Retrospective featuring some of the artist's greatest works. Until Mar 23, ¥700-1,000. Open Tue-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-7pm, closed Mon. 9F Teigeki Bldg, 3-1-1 Marunouchi. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.tokyo.mae.lu/ jp/node_19876/hana-hitotokyo

Megumi Ogita Gallery

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Ourselves in Today's World.

Emoticon art and more

by Kengo Nakamura. Jan 14-Feb 1, free. Dreams of Winter. Mixed media by Aya Cagiu. Feb 14-Mar 1, free.

Tue-Sat 11am-7pm, closed Mon & Sun. 4F, 5-4-14 Ginza.

Nearest stn: Ginza. www. megumiogita.com

Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

The Beautiful-Art for Art's Sake: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900.

Mixed media. Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Jan 30-May 6, ¥500-1,600.

Wed-Fri 10am-8pm, Tue, Sat & Sun/hols 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 2-6-2 Marunouchi. Nearest stn: Tokyo. Tel: 03-5405-8686. www.mimt.jp

National Film Center

Japanese Film Heritage.

Permanent collection of works from the National Film Center. Until Apr 3, ¥40-200. Iconography of Yasujiro Ozu Films. A collection of paintings, design and lettering that sheds light on Mr. Ozu's unique aesthetic sensibility. Until Mar 30, ¥40-200. Open Tue-Sun 11am-6:30pm, closed Mon. 3-7-6 Kyobashi. Nearest stn: Kyobashi. Tel: 03-57778600. www.momat.go.jp

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

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Josef Koudelka Retrospective. Photography.

Artist's first exhibit in Asia displays his entire body of work. Until Jan 13, ¥250-850. Product Design Today: Creating "Made in Japan". Presentation of

GO TO WWW.METURL.COM/L

works by contemporary designers. Until Jan 13, ¥70-420. Mud and Jelly. Mixed media. Jan 21-1, ¥130-420.

Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-8pm. 3-1 Kitanomaru-koen. Nearest stn: Takebashi. Tel: 03-57778600. www.momat.go.jp

Zeit-Foto Salon

Mono-ha by Anzai.

Photography by Sigeo Anzai.

Jan 17-Feb 22, free. Open Tue-Fri 10:30am-6:30pm, Sat 10:30am-5:30pm, closed Sun-Mon & hols. 4F Matsumoto Bldg, 1-10-5 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku. Nearest stn: Tokyo. Tel: 03-3535-7188. www.zeit-foto.com

HARAJUKU/AOYAMA Diesel Art Gallery

Global Photo Collaborations: Vice Japan. Photography.

Until Feb 14, free. Open daily 11:30am-9pm. 1-23-16 Shibuya. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.diesel.co.jp/art/

Itochu Aoyama Art Square

Iro no Tsuranari. Japanesestyle paintings by Yuuki Sori. Jan 10-Feb 28, free.

11am-7pm daily. B1 CI Plaza, 2-3-1 Kita-Aoyama. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Tel: 03-57722913. www.itochu-artsquare. jp

Nezu Museum

Art and Poetry: Waka Inspired Masterpieces. Traditional panels, lacquerware and kimono. Until Feb 16, ¥600-1,000. Kiyomaro: Master Swordsmith to the Last Samurai. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the artist's birth. Feb 26-Apr 6, ¥900-1,200. Tue-Sun, 10am-4:30pm. 6-5-1 MinamiAoyama, Minato-ku. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www. nezu-muse.or.jp/en

Rat Hole Gallery

Someone's Wife. Photography

by Nobuyoshi Araki. Until Jan 19, free. Open Tue-Sun noon-8pm, closed Mon. B1, 5-5-3 Minami Aoyama.

Nearest stn: Omotesando.

Tel: 03-6419-3581. www.ratholegallery.com

Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art

Mt. Fuji in Ukiyo-e: from the Collection of Ota Memorial Museum of Art. World Heritage-listed landmark in traditional print. Until Jan 26, ¥500-700. Katsuhika Oi: "Courtesans Showing Themselves to the Strollers through the Grille" - Beauty of Light and Shadow. Woodblock prints. Feb 1-26, ¥500-700.

Open Tue-Sun 10:30am5:30pm, closed Mon. 1-10-10 Jingumae. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www.ukiyoe-otamuse.jp

KAYABACHO/KIBA Base Gallery

The Places Nobody Knows.

Works by Toshio Miyaoka. Feb 21-Mar 29, free. Open Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, closed Sun and hols. 1-1-6 NihombashiKayabacho, Chuo-ku. Nearest stn: Kayabacho. www. basegallery.com

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

Crystallize. Mixed media

by Tokujin Yoshioka. Until Jan 19, ¥600-1,100. Bunny Smash: Design to Touch the World. Multimedia. Design focused on changing people's perception of society. Until Jan 19, ¥600-1,100. The Marvelous Real. Contemporary Spanish and Latin American art from the Musac collection.

Feb 15-May 11, ¥600-1,100.

Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku.

Nearest stn: KiyosumiShirakawa. www.mot-artmuseum.jp/eng

Taguchi Fine Art

Baumkoetter, Binding, Loehr and Toenges. Mixed media. Four artists from Cologne. Jan 11-Feb 1, Open Tue-Sun 1-7pm, closed Mon. Dai 2 Inoue Bldg, 2-17-13 Nihombashi-Kayabacho, Chuo-ku. Nearest stn: Kayabacho. Tel: 03-56523660. www.taguchifineart. com

SHIBUYA/EBISU Bunkamura Gallery

Art Bazaar 2014. Mixed media. Jan 10-27, free. Open daily, 10am-7pm. 2- 24-1 Dogenzaka. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.bunkamura. co.jp/english

Bunkamura: The Museum

Arcadia on the Shore: Puvis de Chavanne's Mythic World. Mural painter that combined innovation with classical style. Until Mar 9, ¥700-1,400. Open Mon-Thu & Sun 10am-7pm, Fri-Sat 10am-8pm. 2- 24-1 Dogenzaka. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3477-9111. www.bunkamura.co.jp

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

True Colors. Photography. Feb 7-23, free. Open Tue-Wed & Sat-Sun 10am-6pm, Thu-Fri 10am-8pm, closed Mon. 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku.

Nearest stn: Ebisu. syabi.com

Tokyo Wonder Site Shibuya

Wonder Seeds 2014. Mixed media. Young artists present their works. Feb 1-Mar 2, free.

1-19-8 Jinnan. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3463-0603. www.tokyo-ws.org/shibuya

Yamatane Museum of Art

Jakuchu's Adorability and Shoen's Beauty : "Kawaii" in Japanese Art. Edo period screen paintings. Until Mar 2, ¥900-1,200. Open Tue-Fri 11am-5pm, closed Mon & hols. 3-12-36 Hiroo. Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.yamatane-museum. or.jp

SHINJUKU/ IKEBUKURO Hiromart Gallery

The Collection – Artworks 2013. Mixed media. Until Jan 19, free. Open Wed-Sun 1-7pm, closed Mon-Tue. 1-30-7 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku.

Nearest stn: Edogawabashi. www.hiromartgallery.com

NTT Intercommunication Center Open Space 2013. A melting pot of artists and media. Until Mar 2, free. Solaris. Works by Arata Isozaki. Until Mar 2, ¥500. 4F Tokyo Opera City Tower, 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku.

Nearest stn: Hatsudai. www. ntticc.or.jp

Sompo Japan Museum of Art

Quintet: Five-Star Artists.

Mixed media by five Japanese artists, based on the theme "landscape." Jan 11-Feb 16, ¥300-500. Face.

Mixed media. Feb 22-Mar 30, ¥300-500. Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 42F Sompo Japan Bldg, 1-26-1 Nishi-Shinjuku. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5405-8686. www.sompo-japan.co.jp/ museum

UENO Edo-Tokyo Museum

Ukiyo-e: A Journey Through the Floating World.

Woodblock prints. Until Mar 2, ¥450-1,300. Open Tue-Fri & Sun 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 9:30am-7:30pm, closed Mon & hols. 1-4-1 Yokoami. Nearest stn: Ryogoku. Tel: 03-36269974. www.edo-tokyomuseum.or.jp

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LISTINGS FOR COMPLETE LISTINGS ©LUCKY LAND COMMUNICATIONS/SHUEISHA

EVENT

Pola Museum of Art

Homage to Renoir: Renoir and Painters of the 20th Century. Impressionist oil paintings. Until Apr 6, ¥1,000-1,800. Color, Line, Form: Matisse, Degas, Chagall. Oil, watercolor and pastel painting. Until Apr 6, ¥1,000-1,800.

Japanese-Style Paintings and Japanese WesternStyle Paintings. Works by Léonard Foujita and others.

Until Apr 6, ¥1,000-1,800.

Glasswork Selections.

120 of the museum's finest pieces. Until Apr 6, ¥1,000-1,800. 9am-4:30pm.

1285 Kozukayama, Sengokuhara, Hakonemachi. Nearest stn: Gora. www.polamuseum.or.jp

Setagaya Art Museum

Manga Division Grand Prize winner JOJOLION-Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 8, Hirohiko Araki

Japan Media Arts Festival Survey the latest in multimedia art in another of Japan’s efforts to put itself on the world’s cultural map. 120 works selected from 4,347 entries from 84 countries and regions are on show, taking in installations, graphic art works, interactive art, games, gadgets, experience-based works, manga and anime. If NACT weren’t big enough, the festival also spills out of its confines to include symposia, workshops, demonstrations of the exhibited works and guided tours at Tokyo Midtown and SuperDeluxe.

National Art Center, Tokyo and other venues. Feb 5-16, free.

Nearest stn: Roppongi and Nogizaka. http://j-mediaart.jp

National Museum of Nature and Science

Big Dinosaurs: Wonders of the Gobi Desert. Velociraptor and tarbosaurus bones unravel mysteries of Earth's history.

Until Feb 23, ¥600-1,500.

Surviving the Desert: Strategies of Humans, Plants & Animals.

Investigation into survival in harsh conditions. Until Feb 9, ¥600. Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 9am-5pm, Fri 9am-8pm, closed Mon. 7-20 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno.

Tel: 03-3822-0111. www. kahaku.go.jp

The National Museum of Western Art

Monet, An Eye for Landscapes: Innovation in 19th Century French Landscape. Some of the artist's most famous impressionist works including "Water Lilies". Until Mar 9, ¥600-1,400. The 150th Anniversary: The Prints of Edvard Munch from the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo.

Prints. Major element of Munch's overall work method.

Until Mar 9, ¥130-420. Open daily 9:30am-5:30pm. 7-7 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. www. nmwa.go.jp

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Field of Painting. Mixed media.

Five artists connect to the outside world. Until Jan 10, free. 8-36 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.tobikan.jp

Tokyo National Museum Admired from Afar: Masterworks of Japanese Painting from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Traditional Japanese paintings return home. Jan 15-Feb 23, ¥800-1,600. The 60th Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition Engendering Beauty, Preserving Technique: Artworks by Living National Treasures. Pieces made by artists acknowledged for their dedication and pursuit

of excellence. Jan 15-Feb 23, ¥800-1,400. Japanese Masks: Noh Masks - Zekan and Kawachi. Masks by masters. Until Feb 16, ¥400-600. Yayoi Culture at the Westernmost Point of Honshu: The Hibikinada Area and the Ayaragigo Site in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Artifacts from western Japan. Until Mar 9, ¥400-600. Special New Year's Exhibition. Selected masterpieces from the museum collection. Until Jan 13, ¥600. Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-5pm. 13-9 Ueno Park.

Nearest stn: Ueno. www. tnm.jp

OTHER AREAS Hara Museum of Contemporary Art

Michael Borremans: The Advantage. Oil paintings.

Jan 11, ¥500-1,000. Open Tue-Sun 11am-5pm, closed Mon. 4-7-25 Kita-Shinagawa.

Nearest stn: Kita-Shinagawa.

Tel: 03-3445-0651. www. haramuseum.or.jp

Hoki Museum

Hoki Museum Award Exhibition Vol. 1. Paintings. Until May 18, ¥900-1,800. Open Mon & Wed-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-5pm, closed Tue. 3-15 Asumigaokahigashi, Midoriku. Nearest stn: Toke. www. hoki-museum.jp

National Museum of Japanese History

Various Seasonal Festivals.

Traditional ornaments and accessories. Until May 6, ¥250-420. Traditional Antique Chrysanthemum. Over 100 variations of classical fronds.

Until Jan 26, ¥100. The Year of the Horse. Mixed media.

Until Jan 19, ¥250-420. Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-4:30pm, closed Mon. 117 Jonai-cho, Sakura-shi. Nearest stn: Keisei-Sakura. www. rekihaku.ac.jp/english

Experimental Workshop.

Mixed media by young avant-garde artists.

Until Jan 26, ¥500-1,000.

Ginko, Ryusei and Reiko Kishida—Genealogy of Innovative Spirit. Painting.

Feb 8-Apr 6, ¥500-1,200.

Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 1-2 Kinutakoen, Setagaya-ku. Nearest stn: Seijogakuenmae.

Tel: 03-3415-6011. www. setagayaartmuseum.or.jp/ index_e.html

Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki Faces and Masks. Paintings.

Until Jan 13, ¥300-900.

17th Taro Okamoto Modern Arts Award. Mixed media.

Feb 8-Apr 6. ¥400-600.

Open Tue-Sun 9:30am5pm, closed Mon. 7-1-5 Masukata, Tama-ku, Kawasaki. Nearest stn: Mukogaoka-Yuen. Tel: 04-4900-9898. www. taromuseum.jp

Sports BASKETBALL National Basketball League

Hitachi

Sun Rockers Tokyo vs. Tsukuba Robots.

Jan 25-26, 6pm, ¥1,0002,000. Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Nearest stn: Meiji-Jingumae.

Hitachi

Sun Rockers Tokyo vs. Wakayama Trians. Feb 8, 6pm, ¥1,000-2,500. Sumida City Gymnasium. Nearest stn: Kinshicho. Tel: 03-36237273.

Hitachi

Sun Rockers Tokyo vs. Hyogo Storks.

Feb 9, 3pm, ¥1,000-2,500.

Sumida City Gymnasium.

Nearest stn: Kinshicho. Tel: 03-3623-7273.

Hitachi

Sun Rockers Tokyo vs. Aisin Seahorses Mikawa. Feb 15-16, 6pm, ¥1,000-2,500. Ota City General Gymnasium.

Nearest stn: Umeyashiki.

Tel: 03-5480-6688.

Indie rockers spread their sticky-sweet sound

J

ust off a tour of England in support of legendary indie rockers the Wedding Present, four-piece band Taffy are in a slightly unusual situation. Despite touring internationally, they’ve never been around Japan.

“Actually we haven’t toured Japan yet, so we can’t compare,” singer Iris says in answer to a question about differences in touring Japan and the UK. “But the whole tour was just amazing. The Wedding Present members were very nice people—we loved watching them after our show and never tired of seeing them.”

The members of Taffy first got to know The Wedding Present leader David Gedge and the rest of the band after meeting them when they last toured the UK. With Taffy’s sweet, jangly guitar sound that meshes nicely with Gedge’s homespun rock songs, it’s not surprising the two bands hit it off.

Iris says they learned a lot from touring with a veteran like Gedge. “He would always be standing at the merchandise place and chatting with fans,” she says.

“He spent a lot of time communicating with them. And he would also watch our shows and tell us how they were.”

Taffy are busy building their own pedigree here on Japan’s indie rock scene.

Their latest disc, Lixiviate, is only their second since coming together in Tokyo a few years ago, but the album tells the tale of many years of collective musical experience. Singles like “Boys Don’t Cry” a

shimmer with the gritty confection of ’80s and ’90s guitar rock, but it’s Iris’s sweet, ethereal voice that puts the taffy in Taffy.

Iris cites classic acts like the Carpenters and Beatles as an impetus to start playing rock ‘n’ roll. Still, there are no specific influences on Lixiviate. “We don’t have any specific concepts when we make albums,” she says. “But as always, there are a variety of songs coated with our Taffy sound. And on this album, I think you can see different sides of the band.”

Having now played before sizable audiences at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, Taffy are looking to reacquaint themselves with a domestic crowd. But wherever their musical journeys take them, they’ve got the right attitude.

“Music is my doctor,” Iris concludes.

For guitarist Asano, it’s “fun to listen to, fun to play—something amazing.” Bassist Koichin says music is “something he never wants to lose,” while for drummer Ken, it’s “life itself.”

ICE HOCKEY Asia League

H.C.

Tochigi Nikko Icebucks vs. Oji Eagles. Jan 18-21, 4pm, ¥1,000-3,600.

Nikko Shimofuri Ice Arena.

Tel: 0288-53-5881.

H.C.

Tochigi Nikko Icebucks vs. High 1. Feb 8-9, 4pm, ¥1,000-3,600. Nikko Shimofuri Ice Arena. Tel: 0288-53-5881.

KICKBOXING No Kick, No Life

Feb 11, 3pm, ¥3,00030,000. Ota City General Gymnasium. Nearest stn: Umeyashiki. Tel: 03-54806688.

MMA Shooto

Jan 13, 5:30pm, ¥5,00010,000. Korakuen Hall.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 15

IA L

Agenda Listings Rise 97

Jan 25, 5:20pm, ¥4,0007,000. Korakuen Hall.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

VTJ 4th

Feb 23, 4pm, ¥6,00050,000. Ota City General Gymnasium. Nearest stn: Umeyashiki. Tel: 03-54806688.

PRO WRESTLING Wrestle-1: Sunrise Tour

Jan 12, 12pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999.

Legend: 40th Anniversary

Jan 13, 12pm, ¥5,00010,000. Korakuen Hall.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

Dragon Gate

Jan 16, 6:30pm, ¥4,0007,000. Korakuen Hall.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

New Japan

Jan 18-19, 6:30pm, ¥5,0007,000. Korakuen Hall.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

Wrestling New Classic

Jan 30, 7pm, ¥3,000-7,000.

Shinjuku Face. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-34190536.

Kaientai Dojo: Taka & Taichi

Jan 31, 7pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Shinjuku Face. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-34190536.

Wrestle-1

Jan 31, 7pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999.

Noah

Feb 3, 6:30pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999.

All Japan

Feb 5, 7pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999.

Noah

Feb 8, 6pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999.

Kensuke Office

Feb 11, 12pm, ¥3,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999.

Michinoku

Feb 15, 7pm, ¥3,500-5,000.

Shinkiba 1st Ring. Nearest stn: Shinkiba. Tel: 03-35211015.

Deep Jewels

Feb 16, 6pm, ¥5,000-10,000.

Shinjuku Face. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3419-0536.

DDT

Feb 9, 6:30pm, ¥4,000-5,000.

Shinkiba 1st Ring. Nearest stn: Shinkiba. Tel: 03-3521-1015.

RUGBY Top League

Canon

Eagles vs. Suntory Sungoliath. Jan 11, 1pm, ¥300-2,000. Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium. Nearest stn: Yokohama. Tel: 045-3112016.

Ricoh

Black Rams vs.

Kubota Spears. Jan 18, 12pm, ¥300-3,500. Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-3881.

Suntory

Sungoliath vs. Yamaha Jubilo. Jan 18, 2:15pm, ¥300-3,500.

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-3881.

SUMO January Grand Tournament

Jan 12-26, various times, ¥3,600-8,200. Ryogoku Kokugikan. Nearest stn: Ryogoku. Tel: 03-3623-5111.

TENNIS Davis Cup: Japan vs.

Canada

Jan 31-2, 1pm, ¥1,500-10,000.

Ariake Colosseum. Nearest stn: Ariake. Tel: 03-3529-3301.

VOLLEYBALL Toyota Auto Body Queenseis vs. JT Marvelous

Jan 18, 2pm, ¥500-4,500. Ota City General Gymnasium.

Nearest stn: Umeyashiki. Tel: 03-5480-6688.

Festivals Daikoku Matsuri

Festival focused on good relationships and business success for the coming year. Jan 11-13, all day, free.

Kanda Myoujin. Nearest stn: Shin-Ochanomizu or Ochanomizu. Tel: 03-32540753. www.kandamyoujin. or.jp

Sagicho Festival

Annual burning of old New Year's decorations. Jan 15, from sunset, free. Kitahama Beach, Oiso. Nearest stn: Oiso. http://meturl.com/brr2014

Usokae Shinji

GO TO WWW.METURL.COM/LISTINGS GO TO WWW.METURL.COM/L

Submit your event at metropolis.co.jp/listings/submit

Visitors exchange their bullfinch charms from the previous year for new ones.

Jan 24-25, all day, free.

Kameido Tenjin. Nearest stn: Kameido. Tel: 03-3681-0010. www.kameidotenjin.or.jp

Doryoson Ceremony

Special ceremony held at midnight three times a year.

Jan 27-28, from midnight, free. Daiyuzan Temple.

Nearest stn: Daiyuzan.

Tel: 0465-74-3121. www. daiyuuzan.or.jp

Hatsu Fudo

Daruma doll festival. Jan 28, all day, free. TakahataFudoson Kongoji. 733 Takahata, Hino-shi. Nearest stn: Takahata-Fudosan. www.takahatafudoson.or.jp

Chinese Spring Festival

Traditional performances, acrobatics and lion dances.

Jan 31-Feb 11, various times, free. Yokohama Chinatown.

Nearest stn: Motomachichukagai. Tel: 045-662-1252. www.chinatown.or.jp/e

Setsubun Tsuina Festival

Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival

03-3226-6800.

Fabric, needles and thread.

Feature event includes Moomin stories by Yoko Saito, Scandinavian wool embroidery and more. Jan 23-29, 9:30am-6pm (opens 11am 1st day, closes 5:30pm final day), ¥1,800 (adv)/ ¥2,000 (door). Tokyo Dome.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi.

Tel: 03-5800-9999. www. tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/quilt

Hanazono Shrine Market

Tableware Festival

Nogi Shrine Market

Porcelain, dining accessories and new trends. Until Feb 10, 10am-7pm (1st day 11am-7pm), JPy1,700 (adv)/ ¥2,000 (door). Tokyo Dome.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi.

Tel: 03-5800-9999. www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/ tableware/22th/event

Saitama Cycle Expo

Annual ceremony of driving out evil spirits. Feb 3, 7:30pm, free. Chichibu Jinja. Nearest stn: Kumagaya. Tel: 0494-220262. www.chichibu-jinja. or.jp

A cycling fanatic's dream.

Feb 15, 10am-5pm; Feb 16, 10am-4pm, free. Saitama Super Arena. Nearest stn: Saitama-Shintoshin.

Tel: 03-6820-5146. http:// cycle-expo.jp

Setsubun Festival

Tokyo Marathon Expo

Throw beans at evil spirits ahead of the first day of spring. Feb 3, all day, free. Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji Temple. Nearest stn: Kawasaki Daishi.

Tel: 044-266-3420. www. kawasakidaishi.com

Setsubun-sai

Plucking of bowstrings and soybean spreading to dispel evil spirits. Feb 3, 1pm, free.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Temple. Nearest stn: Kamakura. Tel: 0467-220315. www.tsurugaokahachimangu.jp

Plum Blossom Viewing 600 trees including numerous rare varieties.

Feb 14-Mar 3, 9am-5pm, ¥200-500. Sankeien Garden Museum. Nearest stn: Negishi. Tel: 045-6210634. www.sankeien.or.jp/ en-about

Forums & Expos Furusato Matsuri

Annual event featuring local specialties from all over Japan. Jan 10-19, various times, ¥1,000-1,500.

Tokyo Dome. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999. www.tokyo-dome. co.jp/furusato

Tokyo Auto Salon with NAPAC

International custom car event. Jan 11-12, 9am-6pm, ¥1,500-2,000 (door).

Makuhari Messe. Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. info@ tokyoautosalon.jp. www. tokyoautosalon.jp

Everything and anything for the casual jogger to the serious athlete. Feb 20-21, 11am-9pm; Feb 22, 11am-8pm, see website for price details. Tokyo Big Sight.

Nearest stn: Kokusai-TenjijoSeimon. www.tokyo42195. org/2014en/expo2014

Bazaars & Markets

Ibaraki-ichi

Farm-fresh veg from the north. Every Sat, 7-9am, Roppongi Hills East Court.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-6406-5285.

Every second Sun, 5:30am3pm, Nogi Shrine. Nearest stn: Nogizaka. Tel: 03-3478-3001.

Oedo Antique Fair

Japan’s largest outdoor antique market. Every first and third Sun, 8am-4:30pm, Tokyo International Forum Hall C. Nearest stn: Yurakucho. Tel: 03-58051093.

Gothic and Lolita, steam punk accessories and art. Mar 1, 11am-4pm, ¥500. Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center. Nearest stn: Takeshiba. Tel: 03-3434-4242. www.artism.jp

Shinagawa Intercity Flea Market

More than 120 vendors.

Sun & hols. Nov 15-Jan 1, 9am-3pm, free. Shinagawa Intercity. Nearest stn: Shinagawa. meturl.com/ shinflea

Iidabashi Ramla Market

Every first and third Sun, 10am-4pm, Iidabashi Ramla.

Nearest stn: Iidabashi.

Umi no Koen Flea Market

Every third Sun, 10am-4pm, Umi no Koen. Nearest stn: Uminokoen-Shibaguchi. rinpodan@umino-kouen.net Tel: 03-3226-6800.

Every second Sun, 10am-4pm, Tokyo International Forum Hall C. Nearest stn: Yurakucho. Tel:

Organic farmers’ market.

Every weekend, United Nations University. Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-3456-0960.

Yasukuni Shrine Antique Market

Every Sun, sunrise-sunset, Yasukuni Shrine. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. Tel: 03-32618326.

Fudaten Jinja Market

Every second Sun, 10am-4pm, Fudaten Jinja. Nearest stn: Chofu. Tel: 04-2489-0022.

Local produce stalls, workshops and live performances. Every Saturday, 10am-4pm, Shinjuku Central Park.

Nearest stn: Tocho-mae. Tel: 03-2504-2128. meturl.com/ shinjukuparkmarket

Yebisu Marché

Organic fruits and vegetables.

Every first and third Sun, 11am-5pm, Ebisu Garden Place. Nearest stn: Ebisu. www.facebook.com/ YEBISUMarche

Community Roppongi Tenmon Club

Star gazing with other astronomy enthusiasts. Jan 24 & Feb 28, 7-9pm, ¥500-1,500 (entrance fee) + ¥2,000 (seminar, optional). Tokyo City View. Tel: 03-6406-6652. http://meturl.com/tenmon

Japanese Speech Contest 2014

Test your Japanese skills.

Application deadline Jan 17. Mar 1, 1-5:30pm, free.

Za-Koenji. Nearest stn: Koenji. info@suginami-kouryu.org. www.suginami-kouryu.org

Don't waste time and money

on so-so dental care.

Invest in the best.Your teeth deserve it.

Meiji Dori Shibuya Station

3-2-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo Clinic hours: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Closed: Thu, Sun and National Holidays

03-6435-0993

16 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

Located directly across the street from the main gate of Keio University

JAN 19 (SUN), NOON-3PM Easy Japanese Stretching Exercises Lesson

Kourinin Temple, ¥4,500.

To register. email names to: wac@wac55.com. Please wear clothes that are easy to move in. Nearest stn: Hiroo (3-min walk) Tel: 0120-350924. http://wac55.com

Aoyama Marché

Shinjuku Central Park Market

Artism Market

Best Flea Market

Every Sun, 8am-4pm, Hanazono Shrine. Nearest stn: Shinjuku-sanchome. Tel: 03-3200-3093.

Meijijingumae Station

FEB 8-APR 26 Telephone Counselor Training Program Spring 2014

12-week program beginning Feb. 8 and then every Tue and Thu 9:30am-12:30pm in Minami Aoyama. Online training program also available. For more info. email: lls.assist@telljp.com

Sunday Spin

Hula-hoop it up in Yoyogi, no need to bring your own.

Drop in/out at any time. Every fourth Sun, Yoyogi Park.

Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-3469-6081. http://meturl. com/hoopinginjapan

Pause Talk

Open forum where creatives can get together and discuss projects, ideas and cultural currents. Every first Mon, Cafe Pause. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Tel: 03-6912-7711. www.pausetalk.org

Party and Purpose

A casual get-together over dinner with people interested in personal development, organized by Tokyo Positive Thinkers.

Every third Wed, 8pm, about ¥2,000, Ikebukuro TGI Friday's. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Tel: 090-44406391. http:// meturl.com/ positivethinkerstokyo

Stitch-n-Bitch

Meet fellow knitters, crocheters and sewers to talk, share ideas, eat, drink and create. Every first and third Tue, 7pm, free, Cafe Respekt. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.meetup.com/ TokyoStitchandBitch

LISTINGS FOR COMPLETE FOR COMPLETE LISTINGS LISTINGS Half-Fast Cyclists

Bicyclists of all treads meet for slide shows, lectures, ride-planning, etc. Every second Wed, 7pm, free, The Pink Cow. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-6434-5773. cowmail@thepinkcow.com

Tokyo Street Hockey Association

Casual street hockey group with regular meet-ups. Every first, second and third Fri, ¥1,000-3,000 (per player)/ ¥500 (goalies, girls, first timers), various venues. Check website calendar for details. info@tokyohockey.com www.tokyohockey.com

Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School

Burlesque models pose for artstars and sketching newbies alike with one drink included and arty socializing.

Every third Wed, 7pm, ¥2,000, Venue: Studio & Space IVVA. B1, 4-25-35 Jingumae. Nearest stn: Meiji-Jingumae. www. drsketchytokyo.wordpress. com

Learning Horses in Art

Lecture by Katsuki Genichiro, curator of Asian art. Jan 18, 1:30pm, free w/ admission.

Tokyo National Museum.

Nearest stn: Ueno. www. tnm.jp

Burgundy Wine Seminar

Shinbashi. http://meturl.com/ sl2013

Baccarat Eternal Lights

Until Jan 13, daily from 4pm, free. Ebisu Garden Place.

Nearest stn: Ebisu. www. gardenplace.jp

Christmas Decorations and Model Christmas Train

Until Jan 13, all day, free.

Hilton Tokyo Bay Lobby.

Nearest stn: Maihama. www. hiltontokyobay.jp

Tiara of Light

Until Jan 13, daily from 4pm, free. Ginza and Kasumigaseki area. Nearest stn: Ginza. http://mi-mo.jp/pc/special/ xmas2013_illumination

Utsunomiya Illumination Until Jan 14, daily from 5pm, free. Across Utsunomiya city.

Nearest stn: Utsunomiya. http://meturl.com/utsu2013

Tokyo Skytree Town Illumination

Until Jan 31, daily from 5pm, free. Tokyo Soramachi.

Nearest stn: Asakusa or Oshiage. http://meturl.com/ skytree2013

Blue Lights Symphony

Until Feb 14, daily from 5pm, free. Keyaki Hiroba, Saitama Shintoshin. Nearest stn: Saitama Shintoshin. www.saitama-arena.co.jp/ illumination2012

Learn about Burgundy wines and enjoy a gourmet dinner in an international atmosphere.

Jan 25, 4pm, ¥10,980 (adv).

Legato. Nearest stn: Shibuya. frenchwinetasting@hotmail. com. www.wineandcooking. info/en/winetesting.html

Marunouchi Illuminations

Making The 47 Ronin Manga

Nov 7-Feb 16, from 5pm, free.

Tokyo Dome City. Nearest stn: Korakuen or Suidobashi. www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/ illumination/2013

British manga artist Sean Micheal Wilson describes the creative process behind making comic books. Jan 29, 7pm, free. Lakeland College.

Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3225-0425. www.lcjapan. com/lectures

TCS Improv Workshop

The weekly Tokyo Comedy Store In the Moment improv workshop, all levels welcome.

Beginner intensives on weekends throughout the year. See website for more details. Every Wednesday, 7-9pm, Our Space Studio.

Nearest stn: Hatagaya.

Tel: 03-5770-7401. www. tokyocomedy.com/improv_ comedy_workshop

Other Events Shinbashi Christmas Illumination

Until Jan 10, from 5pm, free. SL Hiroba. Nearest stn:

Until Feb 16, daily from 5pm, free. Marunouchi area.

Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.marunouchi.com

Tokyo Dome City Winter Illumination

Jewellumination

Until Feb 16, from 4pm, ¥500-1,200. Yomiuriland.

Nearest stn: Yomiurilandmae. www.yomiuriland.com/ jewellumination

Oto to Hikari no Omotenashi

Until Mar 2, from 5pm, free.

Akasaka Sacas. Nearest stn: Akasaka. http://sacas.net

Night Venus—Light for Wishing

Until Mar 16, daily from noon, free. VenusFort. Nearest stn: Aoumi. Tel: 03-3599-0700. www.venusfort.co.jp/illumi

Winter Fantasy

Until Apr 9, from sunset, free. Cosmo Clock 21, Cosmo World. Nearest stn: Minato Mirai. www.senyo.co.jp/ cosmo

Lake Sagami Illumillion

Until Apr 13, from 5pm, ¥300-500. Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest.

Nearest stn: Sagamiko. www.sagamiko-resort.jp/ illumillion

Alfred Hitchcock and the Blonde Beauty

Classic movie screenings featuring Vertigo, To Catch a Thief and Marnie. Jan 25-Feb 14, various times, ¥1,300 (adv)/ ¥1,800 (door)/ ¥3,000 (3 screenings).

Shinjuku Piccadilly.

Nearest stn: Shinjuku. www.screenbeauties.com

TPAM in Yokohama

International platform for performing arts of every kind. Until Feb 16, various times, various prices, venues across Yokohama.

Tel: 03-5724-4660. www. tpam.or.jp/2014

Hiring Experienced Native English Instructors Location: Kanto area Full-time: from ￥250,000/month Part time: ￥1,800-¥2,100/hour (Teaching wage) Labor union membership Visa sponsorship available BA/BS required TEFL, CELTA, TESOL desired

Email your CV/cover letter to: coco-apps@nichiigakkan.co.jp

Tokyo Marathon International Friendship Run 2014

Fun-run and cultural exchange event ahead of the marathon. Application period ends Feb 14. Feb 22, 10:45am, free (spectator)/ ¥3,000 (application fee).

Ariake Jogport. Nearest stn: Kokusai Tenjijo Seimon.

Tel: 03-6891-9354. www. tokyo42195.org/2014en/intl

Tokyo Marathon 2014

About 36,000 runners take to the streets of Tokyo for the biggest race of the year.

Feb 23, from 9am, free (spectator), all across Tokyo. tm2014@or.knt.co.jp www. tokyo42195.org/2014en

Art Rink

Artistically designed outdoor ice rink. Until Feb 23, 1-10pm Mon-Fri, 11am-10pm Sat, Sun & Hols, ¥300-500, plus skate rental. Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse.

Nearest stn: Minatomirai.

Tel: 045-211-1515. www. yokohama-akarenga.jp/ artrink2013

Department-H

Underground party hosted by drag queens. Every first Saturday night of every month. BYOB. Mar 3-Dec 5, 12am, ¥3,000(dress code)/¥4,500 (w/flyer)/ ¥5,000 (door). Tokyo Kinema Club. Nearest stn: Uguisudani. Tel: 03-38747988. department-h.com

Groups of 4 or more can compete with each other

Shibuhouse Party

All-night house party with the Shibuhouse residents on the 22nd of every month, 7pm-7am. ¥1,000 w/ food & drink. Contact shibuhouseinfo@gmail. com for address/directions.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. shibuhouse.com.

Mention Metropolis for FREE ADMISSION

THE RACE IS ON!

JR S

oto

bo li

ne

Keiy oH igh wa y

Admission 1 ticket (7 min)=¥2000, 3 tix=¥5000, 5 tix=¥7500

Line JR Keiyo

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 17

Agenda Movies BY DON MORTON

THE SAPPHIRES

A

quartet of boriginal amateurs (Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens & Miranda Tapsell) singing Merle Haggard in the Australian outback in the 60s is discovered by a tippling, itinerant Irish keyboardist (Chris O’Dowd) and repurposed into a bootie-shakin’, soulsister sensation—and they’re off to Vietnam to entertain the troops. A strange thing happens with this film. See, it’s full of flaws. Structurally, it’s all over the place. The film’s momentum and story arc are repeatedly sabotaged by its adhering too closely to the true story that inspired it. I would’ve preferred a less literal flight of fancy like The Commitments, a film this one frequently suggests. The plot holes are many and large, the script corny and clichéd, and several subplots are ignored.

But this is all forgiven when the girls rip into “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” “Land of One Thousand Dances” or “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” and the redemptive powers of soul music go to work.

These singers got heart, and it fairly spills off the screen.

This sincere yet unpolished little feelgooder makes you smile, and it makes me recommend it. (99 min)

NEW

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

This may be one of those rare sequels that are better than the first film. Katniss is finding her victory in that film’s lethal Games to be not without emotional scars, considering that she had to kill 22 people to achieve it. Now she has been enlisted by the despotic President Snow for a PR campaign to disabuse the oppressed masses of the notion that she may represent rebellion. And she has to enter another battle to the death, this time against an all-star array of past winners. Not only did I like this one better, its cliffhanger ending made me hungry for the next installment.

(146 min)

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2

I mildly praised 2010’s Insidious for a few genuine scares and a relative lack of gore. Now this unwarranted sequel picks up where the first film left off (with dad returning from the “other s ide ” w it h h i s re s c ue d s on ) and proceeds to run it into the ground. I take back the mild praise. Should you still be awake by the second half, you’ll be subjected to a shameless, nearly incoherent, suspense-free jumble of rambling flashbacks, chronological inconsistencies and frequent generic “boo!” moments. At the much-anticipated ending, it has the nerve to hint at a second sequel, which I’ll skip.

(106 min)

ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

In indie director Jim Jarmusch’s somewhat metaphorical, slyly humorous take on the vampire flick, the bloodsuckers are erudite literati and the huddled human masses insufferable, tasteless plebeians. The central characters are a pair of attractive, decadently cool, centuries-married, world-weary hipsters (Tom Hiddleston & Tilda Swinton) who rarely bite anyone these days (sooo last century!), preferring to pilfer their plasma when possible from hospitals. Spot the sarcastic riffs on mankind’s creative oeuvre. Sometimes it’s just fun to hang out with Jarmusch’s characters for a few hours.

(123 min)

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NEW

ESCAPE PLAN

T he Ita l ia n Sta l l ion a nd t he Governator both tanked in their action comebacks (Bullet to the Head and The Last Stand). This tag-team nonsense is about what you’d expect from the inevitable, market-mandated pairing of the two (unless you expect surprises). Sly’s a professional escaper from prisons, you know, to check their security. His latest job turns out to be a set-up, and he’s stuck in a comically secure CIA facility. Shwa-chan’s the savvy inmate he recruits to form an (see title). Yes, I know it’s just stupid fun, but although I was never a fan, don’t these two action icons deserve something better? (115 min)

PENTHOUSE NORTH

A blind former war photographer (Michelle Monaghan) is held captive and tormented in the fancy New York penthouse p a i d fo r b y h e r a p p a r e n t ly not-so -leg it i mate b oy f r iend , who’s now bleeding out on the kitchen floor. The intruding thugs (Michael Keaton & Barry Stone) want to know “where it is.” The filmmakers should be commended. It takes a lot of work to make a movie this unoriginal. There’s not a character or situation we haven’t seen before, many, many times; and every plot “twist” is telegraphed well in advance. Like this kind of story? Rent 1967’s Wait Until Dark. (86 min)

PLANES

A bored little crop duster in, as we are unnecessarily told, the “world of Cars,” dreams of being a high-powered air racer, and by golly, if he's just true to himself and follows his dream, he can do it! Gag. Just shoot me. It’s hard to remember a more formulaic, autopilot-directed piece of kiddie crap. And then there’s the rampant cultural stereotyping. It gets worse. The main character in this toddler toon is voiced by slimeball comedian Dane Cook! What were they thinking?

This soulless, non-Pixar, DisneyToon cash-grab seems more interested in creating toys than a memorable movie. I’ll skip the sequel. (92 min)

NEW

KILLING SEASON

A US Army vet (Robert De Niro) who retired after a shattering tour in the Balkans and a Serbian war criminal (John Travolta, more convincing in Hairspray) meet in the Appalachian woods to settle an old score mano a mano by hunting each other with bows and arrows. Not making this up.

The tables are repeatedly turned, with each getting opportunities to torture and torment the other with things like lemonade waterboarding and, worse, endless speechifying. This latter is especially silly in Travolta’s Boris-and-Natasha accent, which is eeneeshally jost fonny but soon gets eeratatink. Skippable brutality. (90 min)

ODD THOMAS

The aptly named title character (Anton Yelchin) sees dead people.

And works with them as kind of a dead-people detective to find their killers. Plus, these evil creepy-crawly thingies only he can see portend violent death(s) that he must figure out and prevent. It’s a promising premise in a pop-culture sort of way but soon devolves into a TV-cartoony, Scooby Doo-type romp that has to be viewed as a missed opportunity. Based on a book by Dean Koontz and directed

by Stephen Sommers, who has previously inflicted upon us G.I. Joe and Van Helsing. And what’s Willem Dafoe doing in this fluff? (96 min)

GRAVITY I n a st u n n i n g update of t he classic shipwreck narrative, space-walking astronauts Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are literally knocked for a loop when space debris destroys their shuttle, the ISS and any means of returning to Earth. More Kubrick than Cameron, this weightless, true-science ballet from Alfonso Cuaron is elemental, immersive and awesome. It joins Avatar and Hugo in justifying the overused and abused 3D treatment. Yet as it floated toward its wildly improbable ending, I was torn between wanting more character development, so I could care, and a 2001-like minimalism. Big screen, please. Japanese title: Zero Gravity. (90 min)

THE SAPPHIRES: © 2012 THE SAPPHIRES FILM HOLDINGS PTY LTD, SCREEN AUSTRALIA, GOALPOST.; THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE: © 2013 LIONS GATE ENTERTAINMENT INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; ESCAPE PLAN: © 2013 SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; KILLING SEASON: ©2013 PROMISED LAND PRODUCTIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2: © 2013 ALLIANCE FILMS (UK) DEVELOPMENT LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; PENTHOUSE NORTH: © 2012 PENTHOUSE NORTH PRODUCTIONS INC.; ODD THOMAS: © 2013 TWOOUTOFTEN PRODUCTIONS, INC.; ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE: ©2013 WRONGWAY INC., RECORDED PICTURE COMPANY LTD., PANDORA FILM, LE PACTE &FALIRO HOUSE PRODUCTIONS LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; PLANES: ©2013 DISNEY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; GRAVITY: ©2013 WARNER BROS.ENTERTAINMENT INC.; THE BEST OFFER: ©2012 PACO CINEMATOGRAFICA SRL.; THE BLING RING: ©2013 SOMEWHERE ELSE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; 47 RONIN: © UNIVERSAL PICTURES; THE SESSIONS: ©2012 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX; CAPTAIN PHILLIPS: © 2013 COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; EIGA: ©2014「トリック劇場版 ラストステージ」製作委員会; MOVIE NEWS: WENN; CINEMATIC UNDERGROUND: © SHOWCASE PRODUCTIONS.

THE BEST OFFER

Guiseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) offers, in English, this love story, mystery, character study and thriller all wrapped up in surprises. A delightfully despicable Geoffrey Rush is a reclusive, misogynistic celebrity art auctioneer who’s not above undervaluing a piece and snapping it up for himself. His treasured, hidden art collection is all portraits of women. Bastardo! Then he’s contacted by Claire (Dutch beauty Sylvia Hoeks), a severe agoraphobic who wants to sell a vast inherited collection but refuses to be seen.

He falls in love. Wheels within wheels. Also Donald Sutherland and Jim Sturgess. Japanese title: Kanteishi to Kao no Nai Irainin.

(131 min)

THE BLING RING

Sofia Coppola’s social commentary, sort of, on today’s obsessive celebrity culture. Based on a real-life quartet of vapid, entitled L.A. highschool girls and a gay boy who wou ld deter m ine through social media when Paris, Lindsay, Miranda or Orlando would be away from home, break in and steal pretty things. While it’s nicely filmed and well acted, it soon grows repetitive. Its glaring drawback is having to spend an hour and a half in the presence of these useless, self-absorbed brats. It’s depressing. Interesting for a bit but ultimately a narratively static satire as forgettable as its victims.

(87 min)

eiga

TRICK: GEKIJOBAN LAST STAGE

By Rob Schwartz

W

hen it comes to entertainment, Japan is huge on franchises. The all-time leader is Otoka wa Tsurai yo (It’s Tough Being a Man) with 48 feature films, a TV series and an animated run. There are dozens more, all with their roots in manga, giving them a built-in audience before they bounce between TV and film, or whatever form the producers choose to express it in. The Trick comedy-drama empire made its first appearance on the small screen in 2000 after it was created by talented auteur Yukihiko Tsutsumi, now a leading filmmaker. Trick is his baby, having already enjoyed three seasons, two TV specials and three films. The story centers on failed magician Naoko (Yukie Nakama) and arrogant physicist Jiro (Hiroshi Abe) who expose fraudulent spiritualists, faith healers and magicians. This fourth and (supposedly) last film contains all the usual gags and few touching moments as the pair go to Malaysian Borneo at the behest of a mining company that wants to explore some land. A shaman (Kiko Mizuhara) refuses to leave her property. Will the pair unmask her? (English title: Trick The Movie: Last Stage, 112 min.)

movie news 47 RONIN

While most Chushingura dramatizations are fictionalized, this one takes the pink potato. A monster-slaying Keanu Reeves rallies and reboots the title ronin but first must battle a variety of CG monsters, mostly to give the creators of the crappy 3D something to do. The dialogue’s eye-rollingly corny, and the (over)acting by a mostly Japanese cast almost makes Keanu look good. (It’s shown in two versions: Japanese and tortured English.) This is one of the worst movies ever made. Someone should do jail time. But it does have hilarious bad-movie potential. A few drinks first wouldn’t hurt. (121 min)

THE SESSIONS

A 38-year-old polio-paralyzed Berkeley poet with a droll sense of humor decides that he wants to lose his virginity before he hits his “sell-by” date, and engages a sex therapist (Helen Hunt). This heartwarming film treats the subject of sex for the disabled with a rare explicitness and honesty, tenderness and humor. No emotional button-pushing.

Hunt is at her most engaging but the focus is on the versatile John Hawkes. Is this really the same actor who played the scary uncle in Winter’s Bone? William H. Macy’s Catholic confessor serves mainly to save us from a continuous expository voiceover. Just see it. (91 min)

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Paul Greengrass can craft incredibly suspenseful films around true incidents for which we already know the outcome.

This you-are-there dramatization of the 2009 hijacking of an American freighter upends the conventional Hollywood idea of the action hero. Tom Hanks’ Captain Phillips is an everyman whose only weapons are guile and intelligence. The film focuses on the relationship between Phillips and the Somali pirate captain (a terrific Barkhad Abdi).

In the transcendent final ten minutes, Phillips, safe at last, finally allows himself to react to four days of terror. Absolutely devastating. (134 min)

O

fficial Oscar nominations are due out January 16. Although anything can happen at this point, there’s been a lot of talk naming Sandra Bullock as a shoo-in for a Best Actress award. The 49-year-old star not only went through six months of grueling training to pull off her role as an astronaut in Gravity, but she carries the film, being the only character on screen for the large majority of the space epic. She also overcame great technical and emotional challenges to film scenes simulating zero gravity. “The director invented all these things I was strapped into and hanging from,” the actress said during a recent visit to Japan to promote the film. “I was isolated and alone during filming but that was the best way to film this type of story.” Bullock, who took home a gold statuette in 2010 for the drama The Blind Side, modestly dismissed all the award buzz. “As far as the Oscar goes, that’s not going to happen,” she told reporters in Tokyo. “It is such a beautiful story that I [feel] I have already won the award. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, both as a human being and as an actor.”Gravity is now playing. Kevin Mcgue

cinematic underground

A

udrey Hepburn’s cinematic revival in Tokyo continues with the theatrical re-release of Mayerling (pictured), a rarelyseen 1957 black-and-white TV movie based on the true story of a romantic tragedy that more recently inspired The Illusionist. Hepburn costars with her then-husband Mel Ferrer. Screening from January 11 at the newish Cinema Qualite (3-37-12 Shinjuku; http://qualite.musashino-k.jp/)... The 10am Film Festival continues its morning screenings of digitally remastered classics at Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills (6-10-2 Roppongi Minato-ku; www.tohotheater.jp). Take on HAL with 2001: A Space Odyssey from January 11, revel in the cross-cultural romance of Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) from January 25, give a damn about Gone With the Wind (1939) from February 8 and run to the theater in slow motion to catch Chariots of Fire (1981) that’s on from February 22 (asa10.eiga.com)... Australian director Cate Shortland takes on an ambitious project with Lore, a German-language film set just after the end of WWII. The title character was brought up as a member of the Hitler Youth but with the war over and her parents jailed, she has to accept help from a Jewish man to get her sisters to safety. Screening from January 11 at Ginza’s Cine Switch (4-4-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku ; www.cineswitch. com). KM Unless noted, Japanese films screen without English subtitles. Non-English language films are shown with Japanese subtitles only. #1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 19

Travel GREAT JOURNEYS IN JAPAN

NORTHERN LIGHTS

Sapporo’s snow and ice festivals brighten up the season Catharine Hagar and Tom Roseveare

© CITY OF SAPPORO

In collaboration with JapanTravel.com, Metropolis takes you on a winter journey up to the northern end of Japan.

SNOW CITY

F

ebruary is the coldest month for much of Japan—and that means a lot of snow. Sapporo has found a way to use all the white stuff to their advantage. For over six decades the city has held one of Japan’s largest winter events—the Sapporo Snow Festival. It all started in 1950, when some high school students made some snow sculptures in Odori Park. Little did they know they were starting an annual event that now brings around two million people from around the world to that very same park.

The Snow Festival stretches out across Odori Park, starting at a large skating rink at the foot of the Sapporo TV tower and spreads out across white snow beneath glittering lights and snow. Sculptors come from around the world to create their grand artworks and to represent their countries in the International Snow Sculpture Contest.

Some of the largest, most intricate pieces aren’t part of the contest, but are in the nearby Snow Aquarium.

Recent entries have included Mickey Mouse from Fantasia, the National Palace Museum from Taiwan, the Taj Mahal and Tsuruga Castle. It’s incredible to see the amount of detail that goes into monstrously large sculptures even though the creators know they’ll only last a week.

The Tsudome during the Sapporo Snow Festival

WINTER PLAYGROUND If you need to get out of the bitter wind for a while, head to the Tsudome, a family-oriented site with both indoor and outdoor activities. Warm up with Hokkaido specialties in the food court or let the kiddies take a spin on the mini shinkansen. Outdoor fun includes snow slides, sledding and snowmobiles. Open 9am-5pm during the festival.

Lanterns in the snow at Tsudome

FROZEN FESTIVAL Another must-see event is the Susukino Ice Festival on the main street in Sapporo’s red light district—which is very reminiscent of Kabukicho’s restaurants, bars and clubs. Just a ten-minute walk from Odori Park, it’s an extension of the Snow Festival, except all the sculptures are made of ice.

The best time to visit the Ice Festival is in the evening when the sun goes down and Susukino comes to life. The neon lights of the izakaya, hostess bars and karaoke parlors light up the ice sculptures as revelers crowd the streets and meet contestants in the Susukino Queen of Ice beauty contest. When you’re ready for a break, the street is home to several ice bars, where everything from the bar stools to the beer mugs are carved out of frozen water.

SAPPORO SNACKS The pathway winding through the sculptures is lined with hot drinks and food. The specialties in Hokkaido are potatoes, lamb, seafood and, of course, Sapporo beer. Some hot citrus sake served at many of the stands is a good way to stay warm. You'll need to drink it fast though, as your cup will be cold within seconds of hitting the air.

20 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

Ice bar in Susukino

Ice dragon at the Susukino Ice Festival

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

and scarves to wrap around your face.

Other necessities for Hokkaido in the winter are grips to attach to the bottom of your boots so you don’t fall on the ice and kairo (heat packs) to keep in your pockets or stick to your underga r ments . It ’s be st to go prepa re d , but most essentials can be found at almost any convenient store in the area.

The Nijo Fish Market in Sapporo is what Tsujiki Fish Market is to Tokyo. Though it’s much smaller in size, it’s still a great place to get fresh seafood, such as uniikura don, Hokkaido crab and other local produce right in the heart of Sapporo.

The market is open from 7am to 6pm though individual market restaurants have their own opening hours. Nijo Market is about a five-minute walk from Odori station, one stop from Sapporo station along the Nanboku subway line.

ESSENTIALS Even with all the crowds, the air in Sapporo can be bitterly cold and visiting the festival means you’ll be exposed to snow flurries and winter winds. In addition to a good, waterproof coat, bring knitted caps

GETTING THERE The 65th Sapporo Snow Festival runs February 5-11. JR, buses and taxis can take you from New Chitose Airport to Odori Park. The JR Airport Express (¥1,040 adults; ¥520 children) runs every 15 minutes and reaches Sapporo station in 36 minutes.

For more info on the Snow Festival, visit www. snowfes.com/english and www.japantravel.com

THE LATEST DISH ON FOOD & DRINK IN THE BIG CITY

Dining Out PHOTOS COURTESY OF YUKARI SAKAMOTO

Thin-sliced pork nabe

local flavors

NABE 101

Winter hotpots to warm belly and home

By Yukari Sakamoto

O

ne of the most comforting Japanese mea ls i n w i nter is nabe.

Thank f ully, t he hot pot dishes are easy to assemble and whatever you find in your refrigerator is often enough to get you cooking. Everything is made in a single pot, so post-meal cleanup is a breeze. These are also fun meals for entertaining at home with family and friends, which will warm up quickly once the pot starts bubbling and you crack open a bottle of sake. Add nabe to you r k itchen reper toi re a nd it w i l l change your life.

There are no firm rules when it comes to nabe, just standard varieties you can use as a starting point to come up with your own creations.

These include mizutaki, featuring chicken, oden (which is made w ith f ish cakes) and shabushabu, which is traditionally made with thinly sliced beef, but at home could be made with pork or seafood.

It’s said that all great things come from small beginnings, and a basic cooking broth starts off

with water and a piece of kombu (kelp), giving a nice umami (f lavor) to the dish. As it simmers, prepare the other elements.

Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces that will cook quickly and evenly. Good choices include leeks, onions, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves), broccoli, hakusai (Napa cabbage), cabbage, daikon and bean sprouts. Mushrooms such as shimeji, enoki, shiitake and eringi will also add flavor.

Star t building t he brot h by adding meat like thin-sliced pork, beef or buri (yellowtail).

Chicken can be cut into bite-size pieces or ground and seasoned with salt and pepper then rolled into small balls. Think outside the box and add gyoza or wieners. Shrimp, oysters, scallops and squid are all good seafood options, as well as the Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish cakes) found in oden.

Other f illers include shirataki (konnyaku noodles) or tofu. Note that the tofu often breaks up so be sure to ask for yaki-dofu (grilled) or momen-dofu (firm) varieties.

You'll know your hotpot is almost finished when the broth becomes very flavorful. At this point, feel free to add some pre-boiled udon noodles. You can a lso add cooked rice and throw in a beaten egg or two and cover with a lid and simmer until the eggs are cooked.

t h at c a n b e adde d to t he dipping sauces or used as a seasoning on their own and include grated daikon or ginger, shichimi (seven spice) and y uzu kosho, a salt y, citrusy paste made from yuzu rind, chili peppers and salt.

ESSENTIALS Ne w bie s m ay opt to st a r t w it h a store-boug ht “nabe set," which includes all the essential veggies packaged in a one-time use aluminum pot.

Ceramic nabe pots come in a variety of sizes, depending on how many your are feeding. There are even single-serving sizes. There are also special pots for making yudofu (simmered tofu) and sukiyaki (thin-sliced beef in a sweet soy broth).

A gas konro, or tabletop stove, brings the nabe out of the kitchen and into the dining room for a more social cooking experience. A sound investment, it can also be used for camping or to supplement the gas rings in the kitchen on busy cooking days.

Bombe (disposable gas canisters) are needed to power the konro. Be sure to have a few extra on hand so your nabe party doesn't run out of steam.

CONDIMENT CORNER

PHOT O BY ED DAVI AZ EV O

Hotpots are usually complemented by small dishes of dipping sauces, which can be purchased at the supermarket or prepared at home.

Ponzu is a tart and citrusy sauce that can easily be made at home by mixing one part each of soy sauce, citrus juice (like yuzu), and hon-mirin (authentic mirin).

Goma-dare is a sesame seed-based sauce available at supermarkets which you can customize with a bit of spicy ra-yu (chili oil).

Yakumi are condiments Cod Satsuma-age ingredients

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 21

Roppongi's famous Chinese eatery

Order 3 Tsingtao beers, and get 1 free. Post a photo

of the restaurant on Facebook, and get 1 free Tsingtao. (3 people max.)

Open 24 hours • 180 people max for parties Roppongi: 2F Court Annex Roppongi, 3-2-13 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku.

Akasaka: B1F Floral Plaza Bldg, 3-8-8 Akasaka,Minato-ku.

03-5414-5708 03-6234-9788

Visit our website for info on other Chinese Cafe Eight locations

welcome@cceight.com | www.chinesecafe8.com

GORGEOUS BAR &LOUNGE CONVENIENT STANDING CASH-BAR AREA SELECTED ALCOHOL & FOOD FROM ¥500

Enjoy various events on Friday!

All events start: 8pm and no entry fee.

• P.C.M. HOT FESTA in Jan Provide special hot drinks and hot food for making you hot!!!

• 1/10(FRI)CIROC NEW YEAR PARTY DJ: LAVA & MORE • 1/17（FRI）POMMERY NIGHT FRENCH FRIDAY DJ: TADAHISA SHINKAWA & MORE • 1/22（WED）kind of night Craft Beer DJ: LAVA VJ: adachi from •1/24(FRI) REALSOUND of HEARTLAND ¥500 GUEST DJ COMING! * Performers and event might change 1F Tokia Tokyo Bldg, 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku.

Nearest stations: Tokyo or Yurakucho. Open: Lunch 11am-2:30pm, Tea 2:30-5pm, Dinner (Mon-Fri) 5pm-4am LO 3:30am, (Weekends and hols.) 5pm-11pm LO 10pm

☎ 03-5222-1251www.miyoshi-grp.com/cardinal/pcm

Accounting • Auditing • IPO Consulting • Due Diligence

Visa Attorney Tax • Corporate • Tax Preparation Services • Tax Consulting • Immigration • US Tax Filing Services • Accounting Services • Payroll Services

More Than Twenty Years Experience

KASAI CPA 042-401-0342

22 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

Takashi Kasai CPA Firm 4-1-2-302 Honcho, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo support@kasaicpa.com www.kasaicpa.com

BITES

THE LATEST DISH ON FOOD & DRINK IN THE BIG CITY

hot chocolate

Dining Out

from the vine

fit food

T

W

PHOTO: DAVI AZEVEDO

ith chocolate shops popping up left and right across Tok yo these days, it takes something rather special to get noticed. Fitting that bill is the new Akasaka cafe Del’Immo (3-19-9 Akasaka, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-6426-5059. w w w.de-limmo.jp). Chocolatier Kazuaki Eguchi opened the café after deciding to widen his skills as a chef and pâtissier.

Following on the city's recent pancake craze, Eguchi has concocted monkey punch (¥1,000), chocolate cakes ser ved w ith sliced banana, whipped cream and extra chocolate sauce for good measure. There are not one but two varieties of cocoa (both ¥800): one is a fruit y, 66 percent cacao Caribbean chocolate with hot milk on the side that customers are encouraged to blend and savor by dunking slices of baguette (¥150); and the other is a bitter 70 percent cacao.

The chocolat espresso (¥600) packs a punch and will redefine your understanding of cafe mocha.

Open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm.

he term “sports restaurant” usually refers to places where people gob down fries and nachos while watching the big game, but some are actually eateries with a focus on fitness.

Urban athletes can find the perfect meal in Roppongi Hills’ Total Workout Cafe (6-4-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5414-1877. www.totalworkout. jp). The healthy diner offers high-protein, lowfat, low-sugar curry, pasta and other dishes for people on a regulated diet, as well as post-workout protein shakes. Their Japanese-style pasta (¥850; pictured) is made with whole wheat noodles and lean chicken... Shibuya’s Nodo (8F Seibu Shibuya A Bldg, 21-1 Utagawa, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-37803119. www.nodo-diet.com) helps calorie-counters by putting the numbers right on the menu and keeping everything below the 500 mark—while making them appear sinfully good. For more on fitness, see our feature, pp 6-7.

bar review

TWO DOGS TAPROOM

Another win for Tokyo beer fans

By Jessica Kozuka

T

here may have been a time when beer aficionados had to travel across Tokyo to find a watering hole offering more than regular nama, but these days it seems like you can find a craft beer bar on every corner. The number of traditional brewpubs, though, could still be counted on one hand with fingers to spare.

The ranks of beer bars offering their own tasty creations on tap grew in 2013 with the addition of Two Dogs Taproom, a restaurant, brewery and bar in the heart of Roppongi.

Slightly off Gaien-Higashidori, just past Don Quixote, the premises occupy the second and third floors of a glass-walled building. The décor is of the chic industrial style popular these days, with concrete floors and exposed ductwork, but is saved from severity with the addition of squishy black leather couches and warm-toned wood tables and chairs.

The house specialty is the wood-fired oven pizza, so we opted for the prawn, feta, zucchini and basil paste pie (medium ¥1,600, large ¥2,000). The crust was a good balance of crispy and chewy, but the all-important sauce was blander than we’d expect from a flagship entrée. If it’s pizza you're after, you're probably better off heading to one of Tokyo’s many specialty shops, but the menu doesn’t stop at pies. They use the wood oven for a variety of dishes including a roasted vegetable salad with vinaigrette and Caesar dipping sauces sure to please any veggies

U

pscale supermarket chain Seijo Ishii, known for its selection of imported wine and food, has expanded on what it does the best with Le Bar a Vin 52 (2F Azabu-Juban Square Bldg, 2-2-10 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5439-6403. http:// lbv52.jp). The chic wine bar in Azabu-Juban opened last month with a list of 120 different white, red, rosé and sparkling offerings. The 52 in the name is a subtle hint that customers can come in every week to try something different. Of the wines on offer, 95 percent are imported in refrigerated containers.

That not only assures every bottle is kept in optimal conditions, but also keeps costs down—the Epicerie Bonheur house red is just ¥500 a glass. There are also nibbles and imported goodies, including a ham and salami plate (¥1,680) and a cheese board (three varieties ¥880). Open Mon-Thur & hols 11:30am10pm, Fri-Sat & day before hols 11:30am-5am.

expand to 30 in the near future. The lineup includes some old international favorites like Paulaner Hefeweizen and Stone IPA as well as some domestic picks and three offerings from Two Dogs themselves: their Roppongi Red Ale, American Wheat and Amber Ale. We started with a medium (350ml) of American Wheat (¥800), which lacks the creaminess one expects from a weizen but has a nice bite. Next, we tried the Amber Ale (¥700), definitely the winner of the night with its full-bodied flavor that paired well with the food rather than overwhelming it.

With its well-curated beer list and happy hour deals (¥800 pints and ¥500 halves from 5-7pm), Two Dogs is likely to become a bustling after-work stop for the expat crowds from Roppongi and Akasaka.

Their better-than-pub-grub menu will bring in the dinner patrons, and being open until 5am will give the clubbers a place to nurse a beer and wait for the first train, so expect Two Dogs to be busy at all hours once word gets around. Head in soon if you want to say you knew this fledgling brewpub back when.

J/E Menu in Japanese & English

and a criminally good cheddar macaroni and cheese with bacon (both ¥1,000). Portions are very large, so keep that in mind, particularly as you’ll want to save room for the most important item: beer.

Currently, Two Dogs has 20 taps, with plans to

Dinner from ¥3,000

Smoking downstairs, non-smoking upstairs

The bar for chatting, a sofa for lounging

A beer list both fresh and familiar

House specialty pizza lacks pizzaz

Aries Bldg 2F, 3-15-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku

Open daily 5pm-5am

www.twodogs-tokyo.com

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 23

The majority of classified ads have moved online!

NOTE: PRINTED CLASSIFIEDS!

CLASSIFIEDS

Metropolis and its subsequent Classifieds section are printed every other week.

The upcoming publication dates and corresponding deadlines for print are as follows. This does not affect the online Classifieds, where ads are visible immediately after they are approved.

1 AT YOUR SERVICE

1.2 HAIR & BEAUTY

1.1 HEALTH

KIMISHIMA DENTAL OFFICE, MINAMI-AZABU, MINATO-KU, TOKYO. English-speaking dentist, 3min from Hiroo stn, specializing in both cosmetic a n d g e n e ra l d e n t i s t r y.

State-of-the-art facility and friendly staff. Special offer for Metropolis readers: 30% off dental check-up. 03-6277-4217 http://kimi-dental-office.com/

O N LY C U T Z O N E s a l o n provides a hair cut service for only ¥1000. 5min walk from K i t a - S e n j u s t n . Fr i e n d l y English-speaking staf f is av a i l a b l e . C o n t a c t u s a t 03-3882-1550. Open from 10am until 7pm , 7 days a week. http://meturl.com/ onlycutzone

1.3 MOVING

JAPAN’S MOST AFFORDABLE H E A LT H I N S U R A N C E .

If you feel like you’re throwing money away on insurance, come on over to HealthOne and start saving today!

Three-, six- and 12-month plans. Inpatient/outpatient coverage for illness and injury.

Online enrollment; pay by credit card or at convenience s to r e s . w w w. h e a l t h o n e . jp info@healthone.jp 0503424-6713 NAKAMARU D ENTAL , LO C AT E D I N YOKOHAMA , provides g e n e r a l dentistry, esthetic dentistry, dental implants and or thodontic s by a UC LAtrained and certified dentist.

30min from Shinagawa and Shibuya. nakamar-@cameo. plala.or.jp www.nakamarudental.jp/english/ 045-6813359

SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY (physical therapy) c a r e i n H i r o o .

Native Engli sh - speaking therapists specializing in sports injuries, post-operative rehabilitation, back /ne ck pain , running related, headaches, orthotics, ergonomic consultations and women’s health. www. tokyophysio.com 03-34436769 ACUPUNCTURE, SHIATSU, MOXIBUSTION. Professional treatments offered by licensed acupuncturist trained in China, Australia an d Japan . Acupuncture is effective for backache, sore shoulders , sciatica , headache, stomach problems, depression, colds and flu, high blood pressure, insomnia.

Phone Lynne at 090-54954936.

CHEAPEST, QUICKEST AND SAFEST! Transporter Tokyo supports your moving and delivers your stuff. Moving for singles or couples from ¥12 ,000. Delivery (furniture, motorbikes, etc.) from ¥7000.

English, French and Japanese -speaking staf f available. Inquiries: info@transportertokyo.com www. transporter-tokyo. com/english/contact Te l : 0 3 - 6 7 1 5 - 9 3 9 1 F a x : 03-6715-9392 Address: 3-29-8 Nishi-Rokugo, Otaku, Tokyo

MOVING OVERSEAS? Call ECONOSHIP! With over 30 years of experience, you can count on Econoship for courteous, efficient, reliable service and reasonable p rice s . Fo r re a l p e a ce of mind, move with the best.

Move with Econoship! Call, email, or visit our website.

Ask how you can receive 10 free boxes. 0120-222-111 info@econoship.net www. econoship.net

1.4 TRAVEL

N A R I TA A I R P O R T C A R / MINIVAN TRAN SFER SERVICE. Cheaper than a taxi. English-speaking driver.

Meet and greet. Free baby seat. Luggage assistance.

Dependable-Safe-Easy-Quick Airport Transfer Service. BOOK NOW! Email Reservation@ To k yo A i r p o r t e r. c o m . www.tokyoairporter.com

LAW OFFICE IN KAWASAKI (next to Tokyo), member o f t h e Yo ko h a m a B a r Association. Legal service in English for traffic accidents, divorce, inheritance, bankruptcy, business cases (contracts, establishing a company, trademarks, etc.) and other legal problems.

Email: web@smkw.biz http://www.sumikawa.net/ VISA COUNSELING: female immigration lawyer h a n d l e s yo u r v i s a c a s e .

P e r m a n e n t r e s i d e n c y, naturalization, eligibility (inviting your spouse/ children/workers from your country), extension/ change of visa status.

Consultation ¥5000. OFFICE LI FE (M i h o Fu j i b aya s h i).

Tel: 090-8330-0670 Email: mailto@officelife.jp Website: http://officelife.jp/en/ CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. Specialists in branding, web design, photo/ vi d e o p ro d u c ti o n . D rawi n g A Crowd: a new approach in design.

Get in touch. info@drawingacrowd. co

1.8 GENERAL SERVICES

T H E A S P I R AT I O N O F “MIWA” IN DAIKANYAMA is to display the craftsmanship of traditional Japanese a r t i n t h e co n te m p o ra r y world. Our wish is to present dishes, art, and crafts made of urushi, gla s s an d c hina . w w w. craftandlife-miwa.com #101, 20 -13 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

2 FIND A PLACE 2.1 GUESTHOUSE GREAT LOCATION & SUPER CLEAN. Private furnished rooms in Roppongi, Akasaka, Azabu-Juban and Minami-Shinagawa, all 2min from stn, ladies-only floor available, weekly cleaning service, free internet, aircon, fridge. From ¥49,000/m.

No key money/guarantor/ agent fee. 090-2405-0022 mail@bauhousetokyo.com

C R E AT E G U E S T H O U S E provides clean, comfortable, reasonable rooms around central Tokyo and Saitama.

No key money, agent fee, guarantor necessary. Rent includes all utility fees, as well as internet fees. Contact us at 03-5155-7781. info@ accommodation-japan.com www.create-gh.jp/

2.2 RENT UNDER ¥200,000

SMILE STAND: Japan’s first and only stylish rental photo booth.

An exciting addition to any party, event, etc., and the best way to get crazy, fabulous, professional photos. With this ad ¥55,000~. info@highland-tokyo.com https://vimeo.com/44976943 www.smile-stand.com

THINKING ABOUT ADVERTISING WITH M ETRO P O LI S ? Platinum ¥28,928. Gold ¥23,940. Silver ¥18,953. Bronze ¥2000.

Printed photos +¥2000/ photo. Prices are for one print issue, two weeks online. For details, contact commercial@ metropolis.co.jp.

Issue 1035 Issue 1037 FRI, JAN 24

FRI, FEB 7

Deadline:

Deadline:

Jan 16, 3pm

Jan 30, 3pm

the best. Let our international team find you the perfect p l a c e t o l i v e i n To k y o . fo n t a n a @ g o l . c o m w w w.

TokyoCityApartments.net 03-3382-0151

1.7 BUSINESS SERVICES U S AN D JAPAN E S E TA X SERVICES. Planning a job switch? Best time to leave Japan? Tax impact on a potential investment? We can comment on both sides. No charge for initial consultation.

E x p a t Ta x J a p a n . w w w. expattaxjapan.com. info@expattaxjapan.com.

classifieds.metropolis.co.jp

SAKURA HOUSE. Leading multilingual real estate a g e n c y i n To k yo s i n c e 1992. Over 1600 furnished apartments and guest/ share house rooms, from ¥52,000/m, utilities included.

No key money/guarantor/ agent fee. Contact us: 03-5330-5250 info @ sakura - house .com www.sakura-house.com

F O N TA N A , e s t a b l i s h e d over 30 years ago.

With a wide range of location s at competitive prices, our apartments and guesthouses are some of

I C H I G AYA G R E E N C O R P. Furni s he d t wo - room , three-story apartment, s u n ny a n d q u i e t , s o u t h / north facing, many trees, small Japanese garden, 5min walk from subway station, 13min by bicycle to J R S h i n j u ku / Yo t s u ya ¥100,000/m. Tel/ fax: 03-3341-7875 Email: itto@itto-jinnai. com

I C H I I C O R P O R AT I O N .

Over 600 affordable, quality-furnished apartments in central To k yo l o c a t i o n s . N o key m o n ey/g u a ra nto r/a g e nt fe e re quire d . N ew, clean apartments, simple contract system, full English support.

Call us today! 03-5437-5233 www.japt.co.jp MODERN, BEAUTIFUL A N D F R I E N D LY S H A R E HOUSES IN CENTRAL TOKYO, featuring amenities such as a yoga studio, pool tables and private music rooms.

All houses cleaned daily, onemonth contracts available, simple proce ss , with full English support. Call us at 03- 64 47-2201. info @ s h a re d e s i g n .co. j p w w w. sharetown.jp

P R I VAT E F U R N I S H E D A P A R T M E N T S .

Odakyu line: MukogaokaYuen/Yomiuri-Land-Mae, 20/30min from Shinjuku.

Keikyu line: Hatcho-Nawate, 15min from Shinagawa.

1K~2LDK ¥58,000/ m~¥120,000/m. Tel: 0449 3 3 -7 0 0 0 E m a i l : m h @ minowagroup.jp w w w. minowagroup.jp/ minowahomes

log on at www.metropolis. co.jp/classifieds or email yo u r c o m m e r c i a l a d s t o commercial@metropolis. co.jp.

S E RVI C E D A PA RTM E NT S in a quiet residential area of Hiroo. Studios and suites. 4min from Hiroo stn. Rates: Daily ¥7800. Weekly ¥6850-/day.

Monthly ¥5900-/day. Over three months ¥4950-/day. Tax, utilities included. frontdesk@ azabucour t .com www. azabucourt.com/ 03-3446-8610

RO PP O N G I/K AM IYA- C H O, 5 5 s q m , d i r e c t f r o m o w n e r.

Fourth-floor 1LDK+SIC, 2min from Roppongi-Itchome, 7min from Kamiyacho stn, brand-new interior, w/new furniture, two aircon, mist s a u n a , w a s h l e t ¥ 1 8 0 ,0 0 0/m .

No agent fee, etc. Call Pham at 0 8 0 - 5 0 4 2- 8 5 97. p h a m 5 4 5 4 @ yahoo.co.jp VERY TIDY 100SQM HOUSE , MODERN AMENITIES: Jacuzzi, two washlet toilets, nice kitchen, roof BBQ, 10min walk from Minami-Senju stn (Metro, JR, Tsukuba Express), semi-furnished (if required), bright, am ple storage , s hop s nearby ¥120,000/m. maguroken@mac. com YOKOHAMA APARTMENT, NO KEY MONEY, NO AGENT FEE. Private one-room apartment, w/loft, small kitchen, unit bathroom, walking distance to Yayoidai stn, Sotetsu line, easy access to Yokohama and Totsuka stn ¥45,000. Private rental. robhoey.c17@gmail.com

2.3 RENT OVER ¥200,000

TO K YO A PA RT M E N T S .

Corporate housing provider offering short and long-term a pa r tm e nts th roughout c e n t r a l To k y o . F u l l y customizable packages!

Serviced, furnished and unfurnished apartments, relocation service, furniture rental, and property sale s and management .

Please call 0120-957-520. www.tokyoapartments.jp

TO ADVERTISE IN M E T R O P O LI S , JA PA N ’ S NO.1 ENGLISH MAGAZINE,

Metropolis reserves the right to refuse, cancel or edit any ad without notice. Metropolis takes no responsibility for the quality of items or services advertised. Please carefully examine vendors or items offered before commitment. Please be careful when contacting and arranging to meet people.

Visit classifieds.metropolis.co.jp for complete listings.

24 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

2.6 BUY/SELL PREMISES TIRED OF PAYIN G R E N T ?

Minato Asset Management Co., Ltd. can help you find properties, get a mortgage, permanent visa, etc.

Diversified income properties also available. m u k a i @ m i n a to - a m . c o m 090-4123-1025 03-557982779 www.realestate minato.com

3 EDUCATION 3.1 JAPANESE SCHOOLS

English and Japanese. SJF, 40s, living and working in Tokyo, seeking E/J language and culture exchange partner in Tokyo. Also seeking good friends. Around 30s-40s, M/F ok. Please feel free to contact me. mari46@yahoo. co.jp English and Japanese. Group language exchange every Wed, 7:309:30pm, at coffee shops around Ginza.

Most members are 20s and 30s. We switch languages every 30min. Fun events on weekends. Free to join. ando. andy@gmail.com German and Japanese. JF seeks Ger/J language exchange partner. Seit Sechs Monaten lerne ich Deutsch aber ich spreche Englisch. F/M ok. If interested, drop me a line. gardenstate2005@ hotmail.com Korean and Japanese. Japanese male, 41, seeks a native Korean speaker for Kor/J exchange. I like music, reading, cooking. I hope we can learn from each other and have some fun. deepgreenforest@mail.goo.ne.jp

3.6 LEARNING: GENERAL

ALPHA JAPANESE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE, established in 1987, with branches in Toranomon, Akasaka-Kioi and Yokohama. Various Japanese classes, including business conversation, general Japanese and JLPT preparation; private, semi-private, group, off-site, etc. Send inquiries to tokyo@ alpha.ac.jp. www.alpha.ac.jp/ japanese 03-3504-8080

3.2 JAPANESE TEACHERS WE ARE QUALIFIED TEACHERS offering lessons in your area or online. Prices from ¥1500/h , written in our re sum e s , e m aile d to you. No registration fee! japaneseanywhere@yahoo. co.jp http://www.sunlesson. com 090-2709-3736

3.5 LANGUAGE EXCHANGE Bengali and Japanese. Indian Bengali or Bangladeshi Bengali speaker needed for language exchange. I'm a JF. I don't care if you don't speak E or J, as my survival Bengali somehow works for that. Females only, please. mhih999@ gmail.com Chinese and English. Hi, I'm a Taiwanese girl seeking a Chn/E exchange. roway1011@gmail.com English and Japanese. UK male, 40, seeks language exchange. I can meet you in central Tokyo after work. stevendorrans@yahoo.com English and Japanese. I'm seeking a language exchange partner, preferably an American, 26-38, in or near Ichikawa City. I'm a JF translator, 35. gk24vbn8@ gmail.com English and Japanese. Japanese female, mom to 4-month-old girl, seeking English-speaking female friends.

I hope we can become good friends, too. I live in Minami-Nagareyama, Chiba (Musashino line and Tsukuba Express). ishikawasan12@gmail.com English and Japanese. Japanese female, around 20, living in Tokyo, seeking language exchange. I want to improve my English, and I'll help you learn J. Please feel free to contact me. marikoes07@yahoo.co.jp English and Japanese. Japanese seeking native English language exchange partner in Tokyo. I can help you improve your Japanese. Irish English would be best, but others ok. mauvette24@hotmail.com English and Japanese. Seeking language exchange partner around Akishima/Tachikawa. I'll teach you E in exchange for J. smartguy@i.softbank.jp

EDUCATION N E V E R EN D S . Take courses like Counseling, Aging and Beyond, Exploring the Japanese Mindset, Webpage Design, Japanese to English Tr a n s l a t i o n , A m e r i c a n Flower Arranging, International Negotiations, Magazine Article Writing, PowerPoint Presentations, Japanese/ Western Art, Korean Language, Business Wri t i n g , C u rre n t I s s u e s , English language courses at Lakeland College Japan, an American branch campus in Shinjuku, starting Jan 29 (evenings/Sat). 03-322 5 0425 opencollege@japan. lakeland.edu http://www. lcjoc.com

3.9 TEACH ME! English lessons. JM, 33, seeks native English teacher for ¥1500/h around the Odakyu line. umek2002jp@yahoo.co.jp Expert C++ programmer needed to trace a program flow. Can pay ¥3000 for two hours, plus coffee. Must be fluent in English or Japanese and must have a graduate degree or be a graduate student in engineering or science. yatri_in_town@yahoo.co.jp Japanese. Need some help with my Japanese and kanji. I can help you learn English or pay you. I am friendly and like meeting interesting people. We can also be friends. funjamsession@ yahoo.co.jp

4 HOUSEHOLD GOODS 4.1 FURNITURE & FITTINGS Table, wooden (H70xL90xW60cm) ¥1000. Pick up near Gotanda stn. vandley.industries@gmail.com Table, sturdy, antique-like dark wood, for living rooms, w/two leather chairs ¥10,000. Delivery possible. hatoh16@ gmail.com Table, dining, wooden, w/two chairs ¥5000. Delivery possible. hatoh16@ gmail.com Table, coffee, wooden ¥5000. Pick up Hon-Komagome or delivery can be arranged. chiekomk1@gmail.com

4.2 APPLIANCES Appliance sale! Mitsubishi fridge, 410L, five-door, w/ice maker ¥35,000.

National microwave/baking oven, w/grill ¥7000. Hitachi washer/air dryer combo ¥13,000. alone.in.the. world.5656@gmail.com Heater. Tokyo Gas fan heater ¥9000.

Free delivery/shipping possible if nearby. mizi2005@hotmail.com

4.3 SAYONARA SALE Sayonara sale! Double bed, w/ shelves ¥35,000. Sofabed ¥15,000.

Swivel chairs ¥6000/each. ¥15,000/ three. Hitachi W42-P7000 plasma TV (AVC-HR7000 system), etc. Best offer. tokyo101@outlook.com Sayonara sale! Queen-sized bed, sofa, lamps, table, etc. Details, photos available. Motoyawata/Ichikawa-Ono/ Higashi-Matsudo. rajeshshanbhag5@ gmail.com 09098580062 Sayonara sale! Microwave oven, fax machine, phone, Dyson vacuum, ironing board, mirror, wooden dining table and two chairs ¥10,000.

Delivery possible. hatoh16@gmail. com

4.4 TV & HOME THEATER Flatscreen TV 50", P i o n e e r ¥30,000. Delivery possible. hatoh16@ gmail.com Projector, Epson 8350, full HD, imported from the USA, hardly used, in great condition, no box ¥60,000. kevin11green@hotmail.com TV 40", Sony Bravia KDL-40F5 ¥ 5 0 , 0 0 0 . D e l i ve r y i n c l u d e d . movingsaleminato@gmail.com

4.6 FOR KIDS Various items. Doll house, ski set, ski wear, homeschooling Lifepac, roller skates. Pick up Hirano area, Koto-ku.

Photos available. zhaoan@yahoo.com

4.7 FOR FREE

8 COMPUTERS

11 MESSAGES

8.2 HARDWARE

11.1 PERSONAL MESSAGES

Desktop, great for gaming, full HD video editing, printer, monitor, network card, Quadcore 3.4GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB HD, ATI HD5770 grfx card, Blu-ray burner ¥70,000. Pick up Hachioji. hachiojisayonara@ gmail.com HD, external, five available, 40-120GB ¥320 ~¥1240. Details available. ohpopshop@gmail.com iMac, 24", early '09, 3.06GHz Core2Duo, 4GB/320GB HD, GeForce GT 1 3 0 ( 5 12 M B), p owe r co rd , keyboard, manuals, Office Mac '04, OSX Mavericks, as new ¥68,000/obo.

Can ship within Japan. metropolis@ weatherman-au.com Laptop, Dell Latitude X1, 1.5GB RAM, two four-cell batteries, E/Win 7 XP, J/ keyboard, 60GB HD, external DVDR/W, external 320GB passport WD HD USB storage, SD, CF card slots, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi ¥13,000. nrad_bob@ hotmail.com Monitor, I-O Data, 15", white, older but works fine, w/Win XP Home Edition ¥6000. earth_travel_joy@ hotmail.com

10.2 SUPPORT

Various items. Ikea Agen chair, Pello armchair, Hemnes coffee table. Pick up Oji stn. benoit.castets@gmail.com Various items. Ikea TV bench; Ikea Besta shelf unit, w/doors; vacuum; folding bicycle; Muji stainless steel kitchen racks, w/drawers; microwave; large family-sized fridge, all white.

Mita/Shirokane. byetokyojk@gmail. com

5 HOBBIES&INTERESTS 5.1 CAMERAS DSLR, Nikon D80, w/18-200mm(VRII), 35mm/f1.8, SB-400, SB700, in very good condition, original boxes, accessories, manuals. New ¥192,000.

Sell ¥70,000. Higashi-Nakano. rory@ amber.plala.or.jp

5.3 MUSICAL EQUIPMENT Drums, Roland V-Drums TD-9, great for quiet practice, one y/o, hardly used, w/HH stand, double kick pedal, drum stool ¥120,000. earth_travel_joy@ hotmail.com Electric guitar, Fernandes, red, w/ tuner, new strings, a few picks, gig bag case ¥8000. Will string and tune. earth_ travel_joy@hotmail.com

13 CLUBS & INTERESTS WORRIED ABOUT FINDING THE PERFECT GIFT FOR VALENTINE’S DAY? Worry no more! Flowery and poetic, laced with innuendo, or a combination thereof, Metropolis is the perfect place for lovers to declare their most fervent feelings and deepest desires. Don’t hold back - publish it in Metropolis. http://classifieds.metropolis.co.jp.

A. Ito from Osaka, Japan. A. Ito, Mami, I met you years ago in Yokohama. You are from Osaka, your birthday is June 24, you are five years younger than I am. This is Tim. I am missing you seriously. tlg336@hotmail.com

12 SOCIAL SCENE 12.1 LET'S PARTY

Printer, Dell, '06, never used, new in box, supports up to Win 7, might be low on ink ¥3000/obo. mizi2005@ hotmail.com

10 HELP!

N E E D T O TA L K ? W e ’ r e h e r e to listen. TELL LIFELINE: free, anonymous English counseling daily from 9am-11pm by trained vo l u n te e r s : 03 - 57 74 - 0 9 92 .

TELL COUNSELING: affordable multilingual p syc hothe rapy by acc re dite d Western-trained professionals, a CIGNA International Provider: 03-4550-1146. TELL website: www. telljp.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TokyoLifeLine.

THE JAPAN HELPLINE, 24 hours a d ay, fro m a ny wh e re , a b out a ny t h i n g . Fro m e m e rg e n c y assistance to simple questions.

Visit www.jhelp.com/ and press “ he lp,” or call 0 570 - 0 0 0 -911.

To volunteer or support, please contact team@jhelp.com. www. jhelp.com/

INTERNATIONAL WINTER SPECIAL PARTY. Sat, Jan 18, 6 -8:30pm, Assembly Hall (Omotesando). Held by Japan's biggest international friendship site and English portal site. 2 50 people.

Everybody welcome! Allyou-can-drink and snacks ¥3000. sip@toeiclesson.com http://www.toeiclesson.com/ sip/ 090-1735-5405

JAPAN I NTE R NATI O NAL PARTY - WINTER SPECIAL. Sat, Jan 25, 6:30-9pm, Devi Fusion (Roppongi). Japan’s biggest international party.

250 people expected. Allyo u - c a n - d ri n k a n d fre e snacks. Japanese men ¥4000. Others￥¥3000.

Mobile: http://getyourfriend. com/mobile/ jiparty@ hotmail.com 090-1735-5405 www.getyourfriend.com/

5.7 PETS Adopt or foster a rescued cat.

Japan Cat Network, a registered NPO, is seeking loving homes for rescued cats and kittens. Please act now to find a friend, and save a life! info@japancatnet.com http://www. japancatnet.com/ 09060588102

7 GENERAL 7.1 PHONES Watch phone, stand-alone, 1.3" touch screen, 3G+ connectivity, video call, Bluetooth, MP3, voice recognition, three y/o ¥20,000. gewatson@gmail. com 08056842220

7.4 ITEMS WANTED Bicycle, w/basket, under ¥6000. judoguy626@yahoo.com To advertise in Metropolis, Japan’s No.1 English magazine, log on at www.metropolis.co.jp/classifieds or email your commercial ads to commercial@metropolis.co.jp.

WEST PAPUA: ONE SOUL , ONE PEOPLE . Fifty years ago, West Papua should have been an independent country. Since 1969, West Papua has been invaded and the people robbed of their rights, culture and country. Help support West Papuans’ desire to be free. http://tapol.gn.apc.org/ davidhalpern@7ymail.com ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS TOKYO. If you have a problem with drinking, we can help. English-speaking m e e t i n g s d a i ly. 0 3 -3 97 1 -147 1 inquiries@aatokyo.org http:// aatokyo.org Infertility support group. TTC Tokyo is an infertility support group that provides informal opportunities for women and men experiencing infertility to connect with one another.

Please visit website for more info. admin@ttctokyo.org www.ttctokyo. org/

international exchange website party. Gaikokujin ¥1500. Drinks ¥500. Snacks.

250 people expected.

03-6434-5544 http://Party.

GetStudents.net reid@ eikaiwa.fm

J O I N T H E B I G G E S T, B E S T, M O S T P O P U L A R INTERNATIONAL PARTY! Great people, drinks and food!

Meet new friends and party with nice people in a friendly atmosphere. Events in Tokyo (Ginza, Azabu, Roppongi) and Osaka. ¥1500-¥2000. http://english.gaitomo.com/ info@gaitomo.com

LANGUAGE EXCHANGE FRI EN D S H I P PART Y! S at , Jan 25, 6:30-9:30pm, To k y o D o u b l e ( N i s h i A z a b u ) . J a p a n ’s l a r g e s t

13.1 SPORTS

AMERICAN FOOTBALL .

Nihon Unisys Bulls, X league C e n t ra l D i v i s i o n , s e e k s fit players w/ US college football experience for all positions. Practice every S at /S un from 10a m -3 p m (including meeting) in To k y o / S a i t a m a ( t i m e & venue subject to change).

Attendance at practice must be over 60%. Please contact for tryout info and send your profile to team admin. bullsxleague@gmail.com http://www.unisys .co.jp/ football/

CLUB 360 PERSONAL TRAINING, physical therapy, fitness classes, massage.

Large, modern facility just 3min walk from Roppongi Hills, with experienced trainers and therapists. For all your fitness and rehabilitation needs, contact us! info@ club360.jp www.club360.jp 03-6434-9667 ALL-NATIONALITY TOUCH FOOTBALL. Non-contact tag rugby (OZ tag) and Rugby League players. We play every Sat from 10am in Tatsumi.

M/F and beginners welcome!

Good exercise and fun! Many other activities, such as BBQs and drinking parties! Email for details. tokyorugbyleague@ hotmail.com http://ameblo. jp/tokyo13warriors AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS . Japan ANZAC S Rugby League team is seeking Rugby League players for Japanese Rugby League official games from Apr to Sep. Everyone welcome.

Contact for more details. japananzacs@gmail.com PLAY RUGBY. The Tokyo Crusaders are a friendly but keen international rugby club. Devoted to the game and its social side, the “Cru” welcomes all players and supporters.

Established in 1990, the Cru plays in the Shuto League 1st Division. http://www.facebook.com/tokyo. crusaders www.tokyocrusaders. com TA M B O U R E L L I . U n i q u e n e w s p o r t fro m S cotla n d . U s in g a tambourine-like instrument as a racquet, players hit a shuttlecock.

We play two or three times/month on weekends in Meguro with many socials. Join us! More details: www. tamjapan.org/en/ info@tamjapan. org All-level tennis group in Tokyo.

Serious and motivated tennis players sought by active tennis group to join their weekly sessions in central Tokyo.

No entrance or membership fees.

Reasonable participation fees. tokyo. tennis@yahoo.fr

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 25

Many more Classified ads online! Please visit classifieds.metropolis.co.jp Diving in Izu. Get in touch to talk about scuba diving near Tokyo. Information on scuba lessons, equipment advice, dive trips, monthly social events, CPR training, etc. kowtokyo@yahoo.co.jp Don's Half-Fast Flash-Mob Weekend Urban Bicycle Rides. halffastcycling@ hotmail.com

L’OPERAIO performs sales, maintenance and purchase of imported used cars, shop with a stock of Japan's most high-quality.

Have our own maintenance shop that can be supported by total car life, and incidental free guarantee to sell vehicle.

It has strengthened the English-speaking staff in the Tokyo metropolitan area four stores all stores.

Futsal players wanted by a very friendly international team. Practice is in Tokyo and Kanagawa on Sat. Details available. fkkyn468@ybb.ne.jp

Always treating 350 or more of imported cars.

MercedesBentz・AMG・Porsche・BMW・audi・ FERRARI・LAMBORGHINI・MASERATI etc.

info2@loperaio.co.jp www.loperaio.co.jp/global Tokyo 03-5779-7100 Saitama 048-421-5500

WADA Legal & Administrative Office We can help you with:

MCARTHUR HEIGHTS. Take a break where General Douglas McArthur did! One hour from Tokyo by car or direct train. Beautiful cabins on the ocean, w/onsen, beach, shopping. mcarthurheights@yahoo. com

J-STAR PATENT, TRADEMARK & IMMIGRATION OFFICE Reasonable prices.

Free first time consultation We can support you with: Visa and immigration Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka

Hiroshi Oogai,

Patent attorney Immigration lawyer

www.j-star.jp

Exit 4, Nagatacho stn Supreme Court

Establishing a Company & Branch office Other Legal & Business matters

Imperial Palace

Aoyama Ave Akasaka Mitsuke stn

Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

National Diet Library

608 Kitano Arms 16-15, Hirakawa-cho, 2-Chome, Chiyoda-ku ,Tokyo, 102-0093

Tel: 03-5216-6890 Fax: 03-5216-6891 Email: hiroshioogai@j-star.jp

AZUMA

LEGAL AND BUSINESS SUPPORT CENTER a division of azuma consulting ltd.

We totally support your Visa and business needs

Our services include:  Immigration (visa) assistance

Eligibility, Visa change & Renewal, Permanent resident

 Payroll (withholding taxes etc.)

www.azuma-law.com

Rafine Higashi Ginza 209, 4-4-14, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045 Attn: Mr. Y.Ogawa, Representative email: info@azuma-law.com | tel/fax: 03-6226-5105 | mobile: 080-1126-2293 26 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

You're right - we can play the guitar and sing songs! Seeking singer or singer/songwriter. I'm a Japanese guitarist. I play electric and acoustic guitar. Beginners welcome. Gigs in Tokyo. Pop, rock, punk. kamikaze_ vibe@hotmail.com

13.5 MIND, BODY, SPIRIT Diamond Way Buddhism Tokyo.

Do you want to explore your own mind? Guided Buddhist meditation every Sun, 6pm, near Azabu-Juban.

International practitioners, beginners welcome, Japanese spoken. Please call 090-3598-3072 for more information. daginia@gmail.com http://www. diamondway.jp/ Zen meditation (Zazen). Join a small group of practitioners Fri evenings at Tokuun-in in Ueno. No Japanese ability necessary. Please make arrangements in advance by email, and check our home page. tokyozazen@jcom.home. ne.jp www.wgthorpe.com

13.9 INTERNATIONAL Intercultural activities. JII (Japan Intercultural Institute) is a nonprofit, member-run organization that sponsors activities (seminars, cultural events, conferences) for those wanting to further develop intercultural competencies and meet other interculturalists. yuko. bolick@japanintercultural.org www. japanintercultural.org

14 PERSONALS 14.1 FRIENDS

Free Japanese home cooking lessons. Japanese housewife offers free private home cooking lessons in English (women only) at her house near Kawasaki stn during the day on weekdays. You pay the cost of ingredients. tome.haruka-soushi@ ezweb.ne.jp

Are you from...？ JF, 30s, seeking nonsmoking friends from Denmark, Germany, Canada or Australia for having fun times together. Let's meet for a cup of coffee first. Please be nonsmokers, 30s. Mail with selfintroduction, please! b2jw13@hotmail. co.jp

ThrowBack - gaming in Tokyo. Up for 8bit of gaming nostalgia? Super hangouts held fortnightly at arcades around Tokyo. Games followed by drinks and gaming chat old and new. Drop us a line for more info. m_ hemingway@ymail.com

Danes wanted! JF, 30s, into Denmark like crazy. Er der nogen dansker i Tokyo eller Kanagawa at moedes til kaffe og hjaelpe mig at laere dansk lidt? Please be nonsmokers, 30s preferred. Glaeder mig til at hoere fra jer! codename107113@live.com

Tokyo Snow Club. A ski/snowboard club for anyone living in/visiting Tokyo. We go on big group trips every weekend in the winter.

Powder, live music events, parties in snow. Membership is free! info@ tokyosnowclub.com http://www. tokyosnowclub.com 050-5806-5616

Good friend. SJF, late 30s, seeking new single friends around my age. Female friends more than welcome! Central Tokyo area only. coolqoo324jp@ yahoo.co.jp

13.3 ARTS Love Shakespeare? Amateur group in Tokyo, meeting once/month to celebrate our love of the Bard. Come to read, or just to listen. All nationalities welcome, no experience necessary! rchrd_schwartz@ yahoo.com http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Shakespeare-sama/ Stand-up comedy. Interested in doing or watching stand-up? Check out The Mad Cows of Tokyo for free shows, free workshops and events.

If you like laughing, you'll enjoy it! bignightout@madcowscomedy.com www.madcowscomedy.com

13.4 MUSIC

 Company Foundation  Bookkeeping

 Other business documents

Tennis in central Tokyo! Active international group of tennis friends in central Tokyo welcomes new players. We play on weekday evenings and weekends. Different levels, fun workouts with coach, great people!

Motivated players preferred. tennis. tokyo@yahoo.fr

13.2 LEISURE

http://www.wada-lats.com/ E-mail: info@wada-lats.com 3-5-3-1402 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023

Intellectual property rights (Patent, trademark, copyrights)

Interested in tai chi? Then why not start now? Take a step to counter the stresses of daily living. Practice is in Toyama Park on Sun mornings, near Takadanobaba stn. chifact@gmail.com

Volleyball Club Intervoll. Japanese and foreign volleyball players gather in Takadanobaba to enjoy playing. Have volleyball experience and want to play volleyball in a friendly atmosphere? intervollclub@yahoo.co.jp http:// intervoll.sakura.ne.jp/

• Visa & Immigration Procedures • Mixed Marriage, Naturalisation and Refugee Status • Establishing a Company & Branch Office • Accounting Services, Acquiring Business Licences • Preparation/Translation of Legal & Business Documents • Other Legal & Business Matters

For information: Tel: (03) 3345-7977 FAX: (03) 3345-5377

Futsal team. Interested in futsal on weekends in Tokyo? We're seeking gentle, cooperative people.

Please introduce yourself properly. umek2002jp@yahoo.co.jp

Seeking male singer in Tokyo to sing my very unique songs (traditional Japanese-meets-modern sound).

Demo at website. leveebreaks210@ yahoo.com http://soundcloud.com/ keitak-21

Drummer and bassist wanted around Yokohama for a band. Hello, we mainly play rock music and have rehearsals in Shin-Yokohama. Any kind of player is welcome, so feel free to contact us. m_a_b1998@yahoo.co.jp Female vocalist wanted. I'm a JM seeking female vocalists who can sing English and middle/northern European languages for recordings. You can listen to some of my demos at my website. I live in Yokohama. prettypopmusic@ gmail.com http://www.prettypop.net/ demo/

Jazz-playing friends. JM seeks jazz players for fun. I've been playing the alto sax for a couple of years. Still amateur, but want to play with others. yossynet@ ra2.so-net.ne.jp New friends in Tokyo. I'm a SJF seeking new friends (not a boyfriend) for hanging out in Tokyo and sharing fun times. Any age, M/F ok. I'm a nonsmoker, open-minded, like to laugh. Email me. celticmusic81@gmail.com New York Yankees fan in Tokyo area.

Long-time Yankees fan living near Machida, Tokyo, seeking to meet likeminded people who are also fans of the greatest franchise in all sports over food and drinks. bravo_2003@hotmail.com 080-6554-8688

ジョギング横浜駅. JM who speaks English and Spanish seeks jogging mates for 3-8km, any nationality welcome as long as you have a good personality. Near Yokohama stn preferred. 日本語ok. elsalvadorjapan@ yahoo.es

14.2 MEN LOOKING FOR WOMEN A few drinks, maybe more. British man, 37, seeks open-minded JF, pretty, educated and internationally minded.

Me: 173cm, into exercise, literature, music, eating out. Possible long-term relationship. spk3005@i.softbank.jp All yours! Tall, good-looking, professional, fit SWM, with golden hair, coral blue eyes, still seeking his soulmate. Are you a slender, attractive JF who wants to be wined, dined, romanced, receive gifts and travel the world together? Email me! nightwatchblue@gmail.com Attractive Japanese male for SWF. Seeking attractive Western female with a nice smile. If you are interested in chatting over coffee or nice food, please contact me. I am looking forward to your contact. juniperten2013@gmail.com Attractive SJM seeks a nice Western or Japanese female for friendship and possibly more. Nonsmokers preferred.

I am confident that I can create fun times for you. If you are ready, email me. cioinjapan@gmail.com Attractive, cute and gentle SJM seeking foreign female. Let's enjoy new experiences and feel happier together.

Nonsmoker preferred. Waiting for your response! Let's start with dialogue. lifegoes2012@mail.goo.ne.jp Big, tall woman? Guy seeks tall, largerthan-average woman. Age, nationality and looks not important. spk3005@i. softbank.jp British male, 31, friendly, tall, slim, seeking a nice girl to hang out with.

Nationality/race unimportant, but should be 20-35 and have a nice personality.

Interested in music and film: you should be, too. shiodomebye@gmail.com Calm, gentle JM seeks someone special for a serious relationship leading to marriage. I am 42, nonsmoking, don't drink. Any nationality ok. If interested, please contact me. Let’s start with a cup of coffee. olympia127@yahoo.co.jp Caring and cute JM seeks attractive, hearty, nonsmoking Western female for friendship. I simply would like to share fun, interesting and great experiences with you. If you feel the same way, just drop me a line. jinzaixyz@yahoo.co.jp Carpe diem. Genuine, attractive, downto-earth SJM, 40s, is seeking a serious relationship. Would love to meet a lady who is sincere, active and sophisticated.

Let's have coffee to see if there's good chemistry between us. toshinoris1012@ yahoo.co.jp Enjoy life. Caucasian American man seeking Japanese woman, under 27, who loves nature, Japanese food, music, life, for a lasting relationship. Let's enjoy it together. Serious only. I'm educated and work in Tokyo. Email, w/photo. sushix10@gmail.com European gentleman, mid-40s, tall, educated, good-looking, S, seeks M lady, under 30, with unusual fantasies, ready to explore the extraordinary. One mouse click may make your secret desires come true! aminimia@yahoo.com

Newly arrived. Professional Western male, late 30s (really late!), seeking friendship, M/F ok, for weekends/ evenings. Likes: sushi, w/Japanese sake; snowboarding, relieving those aches and pains w/a cold beer; volleyball followed by a shochu at an izakaya. eddy2301@gmail.com Seeking friends in central Tokyo. JF, early 30s, seeks friends to hang out with in central Tokyo. atkm92@yahoo.co.jp Tokyo friends. JF, 41, wants to have new friends for joining fun events/ festivals, and for socializing at pubs after work. I like watching football with friends at pubs. If you do, too, then it'd be great. badamix@mail.goo.ne.jp

Foreigner for foreigner shock! Oh my God, what’s this? A foreigner who wants another foreigner and isn’t seeking a Shibuya girl or the maid cafe girl he’s been dreaming about? Shoot me!

I’m obviously an alien invader. matsens+majorq@gmail.com

JOBS COCO JUKU, an expanding English school, seeks native English instructors with experience. Full-time ¥2 50,0 0 0 ~ ¥2 6 5 ,0 0 0/m . Pa r t-t i me ¥1800~¥2100/h (teaching wage). Labor u n io n m e m b e r s h ip, s p o n s o r s h ip available. B.A./B.S. required; TEFL, CELTA, TESOL desired. http://www.cocojuku. jp/recruit. Email CV/cover letter to coco-apps@nichiigakkan.co.jp.

SALES & MARKETING POSITIONS. Metropolis i s s e ek in g motivate d bilin gual ( E /J ) s ale s exe cutive s , support staff and interns to join the advertising and marketing team of the most successful English-language magazine in Japan. Send your resume, in both English and Japanese, to jobs@ metropolis.co.jp. Positions available are posted on our website at http:// metropolis.co.jp/jobs/.

ADMIN INTERN. Metropolis is seeking an E/J bilingual intern for general admin duties, editing, various other tasks. Students welcome. No pay, but transportation provided. Great chance to gain experience in an international environment. jobs@metropolis.co.jp

French executive needs massage.

Due to many tiring business trips, French businessman wants oil/aroma massage in exchange for English or French lessons. jaimeparisalafolie@ yahoo.fr French guy. Hi, I'm a Frenchman, 35, who arrived in Tokyo one week ago.

I'm seeking a sefure! Waiting for your message. gilbertmoignon666@gmail. com Handsome Japanese guy seeks European girlfriend. I'm 39, 173cm, well-built, born, raised and still living in central/northern Tokyo. I'm very warm, generous and rich. I like photography, collecting things, cooking, gourmet food, driving, cycling, sports, animals, music, etc. seven8877@hotmail.com Handsome white American new in Tokyo. Educated, fit California-type guy, with lots of interests, hobbies, seeking a cute, kind, possibly slender Japanese girl for romantic fun times. よろしくお願い します. Try me. wwooozzz3@yahoo.com Hola! Friend in Kanagawa. Tall Spanish man is seeking a kind, clean, financially secure lady living and working in the Kanagawa area. I am seeking a cheerful and mature lady for love. 日本語日常会話. jp_yoroshiku@ yahoo.co.jp Humorous and good-looking SJM, 30s, seeks an attractive foreign lady with the same interests, like movies, books, music and going to cafes. Let's meet up for coffee and maybe more.

Reply w/photo. lovehotellover@ yahoo.co.jp Japanese girlfriend. British man, new to Japan, seeks Japanese girlfriend to show him around. Me: 173cm, blue eyes, blond hair, medium build, likes music,

To advertise: commercial@metropolis.co.jp

03-4588-2277

I N T E R N AT I O N A L HOSTESSES AND B I L I N G UA L STA F F WA N T E D , f u n a n d easygoing, with proper visa. Top-quality karaoke sound system and stage, 1min from Nishi-Kasai stn, Tozai line. Daily pay, plus drink back.

No tax! Tel: 03-5696-5397 or 0 8 0 -3 5 0 4 - 9 4 74 . E m a i l : l i z a @ stardustjapan.com Website: www. stardustjapan.com FORE IGN AN D JAPAN E S E CAFE STAFF WANTE D. LD&K Inc . will open a new cafe in Udagawa, Shibuya at the end of Nov. We are seeking friendly, music-loving E/J speakers for the bar, kitchen and hall. Shift work paid at ¥1000 -¥1400/h , depending on experience.

Transportation and staff meal provided. Valid visa required. Please contact kawaguchi@ldandk.com. http://www.udagawacafe.com/ SALES INTERN. Metropolis is seeking a bilingual (E/J) intern to join its Restaurants & Bars advertising team.

No pay, but transportation provided.

Please email knakashima@ metropolis.co.jp.

J A PA N PA R T N E R S H I P I N C . I S S E E K I N G W R I T E R S to c o n d u c t interviews in Japanese and write accompanying articles in English.

Three-month project (Jan-March). Send CV, with a writing sample, to jobs@ metropolis.co.jp.

reading, etc. jhdf2007@yahoo.co.uk Japanese guy, around 40, speaks English and Spanish, seeking a girlfriend for a relationship leading to marriage in/around Tokyo. I'm not highly paid, but I am kind and humorous. My hobbies are jogging, Latin dance, language learning. elsalvadorjapan@yahoo.es JM seeks older or fat woman. I live in Tokyo and am seeking an older or fat woman. If you're interested, please send an email. riku_hiroxx@hotmail. com JM, 22, virgin boy living in Tokyo, seeking my first woman. Girls with big, soft boobs are more than welcome. ikumin1222@hotmail.com Lazy weekends together? Seeking attractive and curvy girlfriend, 160cm+, who is fun to be around and seeking intimacy in the Tokyo area. I'm a caring Afro-American male from NY, 35, 183cm, shaved head, athletic build, working in IT. Interested? sbmmodel@ yahoo.com Mature and sophisticated Japanese, some have said charming, seeking an elegant, passionate, kind SWF. I dream about wild nights as well as sharing the simple pleasures of love. Is that you? imak1_2_3@yahoo.co.jp Need love. Handsome English gentleman, moderate build, mid30s, needs beautiful, passionate JF. I am handsome, fun, intelligent, wellmannered and empathic. Let's have romance together. Please send photo w/email. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. edanoki@gmail.com Romance and dating. Very nice and sexy gentleman seeks an older, or

much older, woman to have nice dates and a romance. feeltokyo@yahoo.co.uk

jokes and you! No playgirls. Western lady preferred. happymantarou@ yahoo.com Still seeking batsu-ichi. I'm an African living and working in central Tokyo seeking a serious divorced JF for a serious friendship leading to a relationship. Must be serious. No junk mail, please. strike4me@yahoo.com

Lonely and broken-hearted buddy out there? Missing someone badly who is not there for you anymore? Me, too. Need someone to talk to in the same situation. Why not let us forget this poor feeling by exchanging emails? mhih999@gmail.com

Two is better than one! Romantic, outgoing, fun, pretty handsome SWM seeks very slim, attractive JF to build a relationship. Sweet kisses, travel, snuggling, a bit of shopping and sharing some adventures together is what I am seeking. nightwatchblue@ gmail.com

Long-term relationship, possibly marriage. Me: Japanese, 49, warm, kind, positive, hiking lover, picnics, cooking, jogging, etc. You: SWM, 40s-50s, warm, loyal, positive, fixed financial status, outdoor lover, etc. If interested, mail me. e.amethyst22@ gmail.com

UK lady. SJM, 30s, tall, slim, lover of books, films and music, seeks an attractive British lady with the same interests. hurryondownboy@yahoo. co.jp

Oriental beauty. Long black hair, smooth skin, big eyes and full lips.

Looks are important, but my best assets are my head and heart.

Educated, 45, seeks a mature native English-speaking single businessman, fun-loving, doing well, honest. sunflower7withyou@gmail.com

UK man seeks long-term relationship with JF. Must be open-minded, educated, independent, physically attractive. spk3005@i.softbank.jp Western female? Japanese man, late 20s, seeks a lonely Western female in Tokyo for friendship or more. I am very westernized, but Japanese at heart.

I treat women with respect and care. mcgurodonut@gmail.com Young gentlewoman? I am a handsome, slim, bearded gentleman, 30s, seeking a gentlewoman, 20s. I am fond of long walks, dressing well, cooking you sweets and giving you massages. Try me! scpflw@gmail.com

14.3 WOMEN LOOKING FOR MEN

SINGLE? Then this is for you. Singles-only dating parties every Fri night for foreign men and Japanese women. Leave the event with a new date! Always more women than men.

FREE if signing up in advance! Otherwise, ¥2000. info@exeo-international. com

Seeking my lady. Good-looking, athletic SBM, 21, with a fit body, from California, into film, music, and pretty much anything interesting, seeking someone to have fun with. alphadog22@hotmail.com Serious, long-term. SWM, 34, welleducated and traveled, with a stable job, seeks true love. If you are 20-30s, warm and caring, and seeking a serious long-term relationship, then please drop me an email. Serious only, no games. No Roppongi girls, please.

Lasagna5577@yahoo.com Share loneliness. Nonsmoking WM, early 40s, seeking similarly lonely yet creative individual to share and draw comfort from each other. You: non-sexy, nonsmoker, early-mid-30s.

Genuine and lonely a must. Tokyo/ Saitama. im11age@netscape.net Sincere relationship. Single white European, 35, likes movies, art, music, travel, cooking, seeks a serious relationship. I am sincere. 日本語でも 大丈夫です. unparisienatokyo2014@ yahoo.co.jp SJF friend sought. SWM, 42, seeks SJF, 30-40, for friendship and maybe a long-term relationship with the right person. Enjoy recording/writing music, reading, biking, travel, sightseeing. I'm friendly, like to joke. Little English?

That's ok. Let's chat! earth_travel_joy@ hotmail.com SJM for SWF/DWF. SJM, 30s, would like to have conversation, coffee, drinks, lunch, dinner, your smile and hopefully a serious, meaningful relationship. My interests are music, art, photography, painting, movies,

men who know how to introduce themselves only. framboisier@inter7.jp

Possible to be both mature and sexy? I like to think I have both qualities. SJF, mid-40s, take good care of myself inside and out, very pretty, in great shape, seeking a single American gentleman over 40. enfant7bythesea@yahoo.co.jp Serious boyfriend. B eautiful Japanese wants to meet someone.

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#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 27

Horoscope

2014 IN PREVIEW

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

March 21–April 19

April 20–May 20

May 21–June 20

Venus retrograde until the last day of January opens the way to a closer relationship. Trust yourself. You’re moving towards your deepest goals in 2014. Mars gives you the focus and drive to bond, support and commit. When it moves retrograde from March to May, you’ll need patience with yourself and your loved ones. Finances shore up for you. By July you’re redecorating or considering a larger home. April and December, the Pluto Uranus square accelerates opportuni ties and choices. Persevere in 2014. You’ll see results!

Venus, your ruler, is retrograde until the last day of January. This is not an omen for all of 2014. Mars in your work sector makes up for treats and expenses. Jupiter helps cozy up life at home through July. Then your social pace picks up and you become a focal point for fun. Romance is smooth as long as candles, hot baths and chocolate are included. The Pluto Uranus squares in April and December light up mysteries to free you. Time to explore with new adventures.

Venus is retrograde for all of January. Don’t let that stop you from 2014’s freewheeling ways. Give yourself plenty of enviable avenues to explore. Until March, Mars is well-placed to enhance your creative forces, bringing romance to the forefront. Mid-July, Jupiter keeps you in the center of the news. Finances dip and soar with Saturn consolidating your spending capacity. It really is a magical year if you take care of yourself. Make sure you’ve developed a strong foundation to support your dreams.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

June 21–July 22

July 23–August 22

August 23–September 22

2014 is a pivotal year for Cancer. In January the effects of Venus retrograde give you a chance to treat yourself for comfort and beauty. Jupiter brings you goodies you’ve worked so hard for. March through May, Mars is retrograde. It’s time for reassessment and perhaps a new direction. Enjoy the authority and confidence you have in your financial world. Saturn has kept things at less than lightning speed when it comes to romance. By late December, Saturn leaves this sector of your chart. Waiting is replaced with optimism, enthusiasm and vision.

2014 begins with Venus retrograde in January. Combined with Jupiter in your solar twelfth house, it may seem like the patterns you seek to create won’t permanently set. There’s more emphasis on working with projects that benefit your creative juices in 2014.

Mars moves retrograde March–May. When it moves direct late May you’ll have the quantum mechanics of your technical support in place. Jupiter, party planet of excess, moves into your sign midJuly. Saturn encourages travel. The Pluto Uranus squares of April and December reconnect the dots of personal puzzles you had previously put aside.

With Venus retrograde in January, there could be a tendency to think all romance is at an impasse. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are workings behind the scenes to put your dream love scenario into place. Mars in your money sector is a bonus for Virgos in 2014. Bank a little of your hard-earned cash to enjoy your fiscal prowess. April and late December, the vision of changes at home have you feeling content.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

September 23–October 22

October 23–November 21

November 22–December 21

January arrives with your ruler Venus in retrograde. Pay no attention. Give yourself comfort treats, at-home spa nights and warm cuddly blankets to dive under. Mars makes progressive changes to your personality. Your lifestyle will soon follow suit.

Cash in when Jupiter opens doors to desired career paths starting mid-July. Saturn creates a home brew of financial maneuvers designed to save you money. Pluto Uranus squares in April and December put the spotlight on life at home and energize an important relationship.

Venus’ retrograde in January could make you think the world has gone into a tumble. With your prescient mind, you may have thought you felt it coming. Mars in your solar twelfth house gives a push to move the past out as quickly as it came in. Jupiter leaves your sector of long-distance travel and lands in your arena of career mid-July.

Expect dreams and realities to reveal themselves in a big way. The exact Pluto Uranus squares in April and December focus on writing, publishing and telecommunications. Enjoy the freedom and ease you’ll be feeling, you've earned it!

What you put your energy into will flourish in 2014. Venus is retrograde all January in your house of finance. Don’t scare yourself.

Readjustments take place, noticeable by February. Jupiter in your solar eighth house deepens your interactions with partners, joint resources and inheritance. The best action comes when Mars enters Sagittarius mid-September. Love? Romance? Commitment? You may feel responsibility and authority being handed to you in the realm of shadows and dreams. This continues until late December when Saturn finally enters your sign. Then you can truly take steps into the security of your new life.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

December 22-January 19

January 20–February 19

February 20–March 20

2014 is about building from the inside out. January starts with Venus retrograde in your sign. Luckily this goddess moves direct and by March your finances are looking up. In April you’re in a rerun and choose to write the script. Romance continues to turn you inside out. You’re tired of the words "learning experience" and "spiritual connection." However, this cleansing means you end up with your dream partner. Don’t you think a little discomfort is worth it? Even if you don’t, it may be the only way to get there.

Mid-December, you’re at the next to last Pluto Uranus square. And this time you’re directing!

Welcome to 2014’s fly or dive in, no compromise. You’re so ready for this. January does start with Venus retrograde but then this love goddess straightens out. Mars is in your sector of enlightenment, in-laws, and travel until July. Some of you are going to start a new life and move. You’ll shake out the last remnants of who you thought you were and reinvent yourself. Romance continues to grow in the bright light of your heart. As usual, the more you love the more you attract. Saturn traverses your career sector keeping it solid. By late December you’ll have top marks in your work as it transits into your friendship and rewards sector.

2014 is your year to be famous. It would be hard to avoid. Pluto keeps placing you in prominent positions. You’ll have ample energy to focus, strive and achieve for yourself and a partner. If you’re single, you’ll put energy into creating what is needed to open up all doors and embrace your desires. Jupiter keeps your heart open in the area of romance. So much so, that you may as well just fall in love and stay there—don't let it walk on by. Call out and take a risk. Of all the zodiac signs, you are most likely to benefit from Saturn’s stabilizing effects.

And so will your career, when it enters this sector in late December.

Enjoy a smooth as silk transition to the top.

28 WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP 28••WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

Horoscope BY CATHRYN MOE ♥ Love ¥ Money ♣ Luck

ARIES

TAURUS

Take it slow, take it fast, laugh a lot, race to the finish line. You’re an expression of joy, wit and wild antics this week. You may find a queue of friends wanting to join you as you make January a happier place to be. It certainly will not be an anti-climactic holiday week for you!

2014 becomes something you can tame with one hand behind your back. Well, for the most part!

Stretch yourself and don’t back down.

Steady as she goes. You are onto a good thing. Patience is a virtue, never more than this week. This doesn’t mean you have to wait around forever or put yourself last to achieve an objective. You may have to put yourself first! But with life as it stands this week, the more you focus on the spiritual benefits of being in tune with yourself and those around you, the quicker you end up in just the perfect place.

GEMINI

CANCER

Geminis have big hearts and this week you’re determined to show it.

Strangely, lately you may have had a tricky time letting yourself say just how you feel if you’re in a relationship. You don’t want to rock the boat, you want to turn it into a house that feels safe and secure in any weather. Luckily, Mercury the messenger moves into your sector of enlightenment starting Sunday, so you might just think of the perfect thing to say!

This week in January brings you closer to being able to find a balance between your needs and those of loved ones. There’s a high degree of hope and happiness in your interactions. Cancerians who want to start a business will do well as Jupiter in your sign won’t always be retrograde. Use this time to research what you would like and how you see yourself. Vis-à-vis being an entrepreneur, you’re a natural.

LEO

VIRGO

What has been on your mind is about to clear a path to your door. This is an exciting week in that there are surprises you may not have expected. Keep yourself warm, cozy and busy with your own interests. Mercury moves into your partnership sector on Sunday.

You may find you’d like to have fun without too much involvement. This is possible and keeps you at the top of the list of the magnetically attractive.

Pallas Athene in your sign has her work cut out, holding her own with Chiron, Juno and Neptune in your partnership sector. It’s not that you don’t enjoy being with someone, or that commitment is so very hard. It’s just that right now, you need to be your own unique self within the context of being with someone. Even if you're single, your energies this week are co-vibrating with a special someone.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

This week in January is like no other.

That’s because you believe in love that’s sustainable and true. In fact, Venus-ruled you, it’s the only way to go. At the moment, Venus is retrograde, so you’re looking at what’s real for you and what’s not. Your life, perspectives and realities belong only to you.

Thus you’re free to use your energy to do what’s comfortable, beautiful and makes you feel cherished and protected.

There’s a mystery you’ve been working on for a long time. It has to do with being true to yourself, loved ones and friends, while also keeping your privacy intact.

Without over-analyzing, you may have noticed yourself slipping into a feeling state where you have to put your own needs first. Contrary to what you may have been taught, you really can’t move forward with your current plans without taking time out for yourself. So do!

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

Someone may be traveling just to see you. You won’t believe it of course, because with Venus retrograde in your sector of finance, you may not be feeling so skip-and-go-lucky. Still, you pull more than your weight in whatever you do, so if you haven’t given yourself credit for the love/comfort/recognition you’ve attracted, it’s time to just breathe deeply and see how truly wonderful you are.

Which is only the truth!

Taking it slow and steady really fits this week’s options. The other is to move quickly, decisively and without looking back. Capricorn isn’t a drama king/ queen sign but with the Sun, Venus retrograde and Mercury there could be a bit of a cloud until Mercury moves into your house of finances on Sunday. Then the open minded effect takes place and you’re glad to be in the midst of your January moments.

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The energy required to pull off the holidays was not as extended as in previous years so you have it to burn in January.

Expectations on the material level are less. Awareness of the inner realms continues to grow. There’s a power you’re feeling that’s more constant and easier to reach. This week is all about foreshadowing so distract yourself with music, films and a continuation of the dreams you feel within.

January presents a continuum of solidity interspersed with options for change. Your patience is paying off.

There isn’t a lot to do other than stay focused on your dreams. Neptune and Chiron continue to be in your sign. The wounding is not so deep. The surprises are less. And the ability to put your order in with the universe and see what manifests is so much fun, you can hardly wait for your next ride.

#1033 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 29

The Last Word

Want to have The Last Word? Send your article to: editor@metropolis.co.jp

TOKYO AND THE BIG SPIN

CHRISTI ROCHIN

The Arizona card room was the kind of place where a newcomer sitting down was news and a newcomer taking down an entire table was big news. (Disclosure: I was that newcomer, the game was seven card stud, and I caught three kings in the first three cards, had another pair showing and the fourth king came on the last card down). It was also the kind of place where regulars turned to shake hands and say, “Well played.”

That could be Japan. The country gets to do this any way it wants—baccarat for those who want it, roulette, various iterations of poker tables, low stakes, high stakes, private rooms for private games. I declined to join the game at the last private poker room I saw. The problem was not the stakes, though they were high, it was the three bodyguards, two with submachine guns thought necessary by the players. That sort of thing would not be a concern in Tokyo.

Legalized gambling will revitalize Japan, not ruin it

By Richard P. Greenfield

Richard P. Greenfield is a journalist and consultant who lives in Tsukuba

T

he Japanese Diet is set to vote on what they call “special zone legislation.” It’s not the first time this has come up and this time around, the bill may really pass. Tucked inside is what could become authorization for the first casino in Japan.

Japanese tabloids are already having a field day. A glance at their articles on the legislation is enough to make one imagine Al Capone, Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel were riding into town. But a casino being built in Tokyo won’t herald the apocalypse. In fact, the idea has been around in one form or other for 20 years.

These days, Japanese folks don’t have to fly as far as Vegas to gamble anymore. South Korea is just an hour f light away. Singapore and Macau aren’t much further. Manila

is building a new complex and others are planned for Vietnam and C a mbod i a . T he neig hborhood is getting crowded and Japan is exporting capital in the form of outbound gamblers. Meanwhile, Tokyo is overlooked. The international gambling crowd who’ll come to the Olympics won't likely see pachinko as gambling. In that, they’ll join the US occupation authorities who took one look at a pachinko board and pronounced it a game—thus influencing modern Japan.

Of course, Japan already has gambling. There are bicycle, horse and power boat races as well as several kinds of lottery, including one based on soccer game results. But it’s crucial to distinguish between various types of gambling and what they mean. Around the world, very few casinos permit the type of sports betting that Las Vegas does.

Sports betting is really a world unto itself—one reason it doesn’t have the international appeal of

other games of chance. Try to imagine someone who closely follows horse racing having a meaningful conversation with someone hooked on slot machines, and the image becomes clear.

T he present boom in casino building makes their fate clear— some of these will last and some will be gone before the Olympics are held in 2020.

People who haven’t lived or traveled widely in the US seldom realize t hat lega l ga mbl i ng i n isolated pockets dates back to before World War II. There’s a poker card room in a little town near San Francisco that, with minor changes, looked as it had in the 40s. Outside Phoenix is a legal card room on a sliver of what was once Indian land, with a few old slot machines and poker tables for stakes—quarters, half-dollars and dollars with the big table going up to ten dollars. Most of the players were retired and there for the love of the game.

A CASINO BEING BUILT IN TOKYO WILL NOT HERALD THE APOCALYPSE.” Here, nobody is going to frog march pachinko players, or anyone else, into a casino. Players will come if they’re curious and come back if they’re interested, just as everywhere else in the gaming world.

There are only two things I would hope are not allowed. The first are the very newest slot machines that allow you to create your own Lehman shock by betting against yourself or betting multiples of your original bet, which makes them more like video games than the older mechanical models. Until they’re better understood and regulated, they should not be allowed.

A nd sec ond l y, w it h a l l due respect, no pachinko in casinos, please. Any visitor who’s curious enough to try that is quite able to find it without venturing into a casino.

The views expressed in "The Last Word" are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the position or opinions of Japan Partnership Co. Ltd. or its partners and sponsors.

METROPOLIS is Japan's No.1 English magazine, founded in 1994 and published for Japan’s international community.

It is the only English-language publication in Japan that distributes up to 30,000 copies per printed issue.

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