Metropolis #998 May 10-23, 2013

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SPRING INTO SUMMER TRAVEL

THE LAST WORD THE INSPIRED LEGACY OF DONALD RICHIE

BAR REVIEW MEET THE “GREEN FAIRY” IN EBISU

DANCE MARÍA PAGÉS REINTERPRETS FLAMENCO

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INSIDE

#998

MAY 10-23, 2013

JOSEF DIERMAIR

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may

Metropo 1,000 iss lis GETSUMATSU celebrat ue MAY 31, FRI ion!

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Submit your snaps at http://metropolis.co.jp/photo. ¥500 DRINKS AVAILABLE

06 FEATURE

GREAT ESCAPES

By Bryan Baier & Justin Velgus

FOR MORE INFO

03 THE SMALL PRINT 05 UPFRONT 08 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 12 AGENDA 19 MOVIES 21 DINING OUT 24 CLASSIFIEDS & JOBS 29 HOROSCOPE & MEDIABOX 30 THE LAST WORD

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COVER DESIGN: KOHJI SHIIKI, PHOTOS: ZERO PARAGLIDER SCHOOL; BRYAN BAIER; ALENA ECKLEMANN; KAZUNO CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION; NAGATOROMACHI TOURIST ASSOCIATION

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The Small Print

By Steve Trautlein

EVEN PERFECT “ PROGRAMS HAVE SOME BUGS. COMPUTING

IS A FIELD KNOWN ONLY TO THE GODS, SO ALL PEOPLE CAN DO IS PRAY”

—Kozen Fujimoto, chief priest at Kanda Myojin shrine near Akihabara, on brisk sales of amulets meant “to protect the security of IT information”

HOLY CRAP

PAYBACK TIME ćć A former inmate of Tokyo Detention House will receive ¥2.3 million in compensation for being repeatedly abused by a prison guard. ćć The family of a Nigerian man who died in a fire at his home in Osaka in 2009 was awarded ¥92 million by a district court judge, who ruled that the blaze was started by a defective futon heater.

9

Number of new high school textbooks in geography, politics and economics that the education ministry has approved for the 2014 academic year

ćć Residents of Ono, Hyogo Prefecture, are being asked to snitch on local welfare recipients who “blow their money on entertainment such as pachinko, as well as horse racing, bicycle racing and other forms of gambling.” ćć In the first survey of its kind since 1999, authorities in Hiroshima have added about 15,000 people to the list of official A-bomb victims.

The new casualty figure stands at 557,478.

ćć Someone stole the bronze medal won by bantamweight Satoshi Shimizu at last year’s London Olympics—which really sucks, as it was the first medal won by a Japanese boxer in 44 years. ćć Headline of the Week: “Businessman Suspected of Slashing up to 1,000 Tires in Effort to Meet Women” (via Japan Today)

IT’S ABOUT TIME

ćć Authorities in Yokohama discovered “a stash of 106 deserted case files” at a local police station. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations had expired for each one. ćć A pair of thieves made off with ¥20 million in a heist at a pachinko parlor in Kitakyushu.

About 400 customers were inside the shop at the time. ćć A survey by a group called Central Research Services has found that 72.5 percent of Japanese people in their 20s use smartphones. ćć An Osaka-based NPO with the catchy name Josei Shokuno Shudan WARP-LEENET is suspected of actually being a KEPCO-backed “nuclear power propaganda tool.”

ćć Two female graduates of the National Defense Academy of Japan have become the first women to serve as commanders aboard Maritime SelfDefense Force ships. ćć Meanwhile, the all-female musical troupe Takarazuka Revue embarked on its first-ever tour of Taiwan. ćć Officials at the health ministr y say all 397 cancer hospitals around the country will be staffed with “antismoking counselors” by next April. ćć The infrastructure ministry has developed new guidelines for disaster-relief donations made by individuals. In the aftermath of 3/11, authorities in Miyagi were so besieged by the outpouring of goods that “it was impossible to look through them all.”

AND FINALLY…

TARA NANGIA

ćć A team of Japanese researchers has used an MRI to “successfully decode dreams by measuring brain activity during sleep.” It’s the first time scientists anywhere have been able to “read dreams.” ćć A cinema in Nagoya is planning to go “4-D” by allowing moviegoers to “experience wind, sprays of water, scents, light, fog and even soap bubbles.” We’re particularly excited about the bubbles. ćć After objections from the municipal labor union, officials in Nara ditched a plan to keep tabs on city workers via an ID authentication system “based on blood vein configuration.” ćć A letter carrier in Chiba who was arrested for stealing 2,100 pieces of mail said she did it because of “stress over her work.”

�

us.fotolia.com/metropolis

Man meets bus at Shibuya scramble crossing, by Joseph Hayward.

THAT SINKING FEELING ćć 2012 was the third straight year that fishermen around the world caught less than 10 tons of Japanese eels. At one point in the 1960s, the annual haul was more than 200 tons. ćć Officials at the health ministr y say that every single prefecture in Japan will suffer a population decrease by the year 2040.

�

8

Number of those textbooks that describe the Takeshima and Senkaku islands as “Japanese territory”

�

15,000

Number of free recording devices handed out to elderly Tokyo residents by the MPD in an effort to fight telephone scams

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

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 03

PEOPLE, TRENDS & MISCELLANY

cuddling concrete

manga manger

Upfront

japanese marvels

COURTESY OF MANI APPAREL

TM & (C)2013 MARVEL & SUBS.

Have an action-packed dinner with these striking Manga Zara (manga plates) from Comicalu.

Thwack! ¥2,980 per plate. Available online at www.comicalu.com or select stores across Japan (see website for points of sale).

DESIGN BY MIKA TSUTAI

These stuffed toys are shaped after the four-legged concrete structures that form breakwaters on Japan’s coastlines. The Tetogurumi (http://tetogurumi.seesaa. net) gets its name from a conflation of tetrapod and nugurumi (soft toy), and is suitable for manly men because of its neutral non-kawaii form, its usability as a head rest and because it could look like a woman in an inviting posture if you squint a little. Made from polyester, felt and cotton, these cuddly toys are a lot safer than the real thing, which has been lambasted for its tendency to disrupt natural cycles of erosion. Another item in the line of cuddly architectural features is the “Damgurumi,” or cuddly dam. Available from Village Vanguard (http://vvstore.jp) in mini (12cm; ¥1,575); middle (25cm; ¥2,940) and deka (38cm; ¥7,350), and in both light and dark gray.

giveaway

note biting

One of the lesser vaunted benefits of Japan and the USA’s special alliance is the possibility of combining US Marvel comic book heroes with traditional Japanese hand towels. Not content with invading the country via a series of big-budget Hollywood flicks, Iron Man is also invading key moments in Japanese cultural history, specifically appearing on top of “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” in Hokusai’s iconic ukiyo-e. Look out for Spiderman admiring sakura petals scattering in the moonlight amid other Marvel Tenugui (¥840). Take these 100%-cotton items to the onsen and let your favorite hero protect more than just the earth’s safety.

Available online via Ensky Shop www.enskyshop. com

firefly festival

© YUSE DESIGN

EAMES COLLECTION, LLC © THE EAMES FOUNDATION. COURTESY EAMES OFFICE LLC (EAMESOFFICE.COM)

It’s unclear whether these tasty looking Post-It-style slips will make desk organization easier by diverting your gluttonous urges. They may just send you running for the conbini. But whatever the dietary effect, these Sandwich Tags from Yuse Design (http://yuse-design. com) will certainly color up your clutter. Available in lettuce and tomato (¥525), pure bacon (¥840) and the complete BLT (¥1,260), these innovative sammie slips won the Audience Choice Award at the 10th Spiral Independent Creators’ Festival. Just make sure your dog doesn’t eat your homework. Available online from Amazon.jp or from Itoya Stationery store in Ginza.

Elephant (1945); Charles Eames and Ray Eames

「天の川プロジェクト（Ｒ）」「（Ｃ）東京ホタル」

Metropolis is giving away tickets to the exhibition “California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way” at the National Art Center, Tokyo. It features designs from renowned design and architectural duo Charles and Ray Eames. To claim one of the eight pairs of tickets, just answer the question: What were Charles and Ray Eames famous for, besides the Eames chair? (Hint: Our estimable movie critic, Don Morton, may have the answer).

Send your answer with “ E ame s ” in the sub ject line, along with your full name and postal address, to giveaways@metropolis.co.jp for your chance to win.

In a modern take on the floating lantern festival, about 100,000 LED “prayer star” lights will be scattered across the Sumida River in a spectacular display. Tokyo Hotaru 2013 (www.tokyo-hotaru.jp) takes place a few months earlier than the flood of traditional lantern festivals that happen during the festival of Obon—so get the jump on the summertime rush. Prime seating with a spectacular view of the Tokyo Sky Tree is available for ¥3,000, while seats on the other side of the river go for ¥1,000 per person. Buy your ticket now as they’re bound to go like fireflies.

Sumidagawa Terrace, May 25, 7-9pm. Nearest stn: Asakusa or Oshiage. http://meturl.com/hotaru

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 05

Feature

GREAT ESCAPES ESCAPES GREAT Three inspired excursions not so far from Tokyo

M

ake plans for some unique trips this summer. The sand dunes of Tottori host everything from adventure sports to camel rides; the Jomon-era archaeological sites of northeastern Tohoku enlighten you on Japanese pre-recorded history; and the mountains and rivers of Saitama’s Chichibu region provide fresh air just a couple of hours from Tokyo.

PHOTO: BRYAN BAIER

SANDBLASTING IN TOTTORI

By Bryan Baier

T

ottori is the least populated and one of the least visited prefectures in Japan.

North of Okayama on the Sea of Japan coast, the place is most famous for its sand dunes, or sakyu. Walk to the dunes from Tottori City’s main train station in a little over an hour, or take a bus to the Tottori Sakyu stop—and save your legs for your desert safari. The best time to visit the undulating formations is in the morning, before visitors and camels kick up the sand.

Take a break from the dust and sun at the worthwhile Sand Museum.

SANDBOARDING With the deep blue Sea of Japan in front of you, the pine forests and mountains at your back, and yellow-white dunes all around, the setting is ripe for sandboarding.

There are some small drops on the dune face for anyone confident enough to take them. A warning to snowboarders making the transition: the sand grips the edge of your board tighter than snow does. Dig in too deep and you’re going down.

Your weight will also need to be on your back foot.

Get used to these two things and you’re good to go.

Those with limited or no experience in board sports needn’t worry, as the soft sand is unlikely to cause injury to anything other than your pride— though it will get it into crevices you didn’t know existed. Bring sandals and a water bottle, as well as a pair of socks, and clothes you aren’t worried about getting dirty.

PHOTO: ALENA ECKELMANN

While there is a ski lift at the dunes, it doesn’t ser ve the sandboarding area, so be ready to climb back up. A two-hour course costs ¥2,500, including board and helmet rental, plus the guidance of an instructor. The assembly point for sandboarding (and paragliding) is the Rakudaya Omiyage store across the street from the lift.

Sandboarding is a seasonal activity, offered f rom m id-A pr i l to t he end of November.

Reservations are necessary (Tel: 0857-23-1749), and a little Japanese will be of great help.

PARAGLIDING The soft sand makes the dunes an ideal place to try paragliding for the first time. A half-day course (four hours) w it h Zero Paragliding School (Tel: 0857-29-9098) is a very reasonable ¥7,000. More exciting still, you won’t be f lying tandem—it’s all you. Run down the slope from the top of Uma no Se (the biggest, tallest dune) toward the Sea of Japan until your feet part company with ground. Your megaphone-wielding instructor helps everything go smoothly. Touch down on the beach, re-pack your canopy, and climb back up for another go.

GETTING THERE FROM TOKYO There are four ANA flights per day from Haneda to Tottori Airport; the 75-minute flight is a costly ¥30,000 each way without advanced-booking or discounts. Shinkansen to Himeji and then the Super Hakuto Limited Express will get you from Tokyo to Tottori in five hours at ¥17,250 for non-reserved seats. Or take the “Camel” night bus from Shinagawa or Hamamatsucho to Tottori for ¥10,200. The 10-hour trip passes quickly while you sleep.

06 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

ARCHEOLOGY IN AKITA AND AOMORI

By Justin Velgus

P

ack your Indiana Jones hat and head to Honshu’s northernmost capital city for a visit to the past in Aomori. From there head south past Lake Towada, into Akita Prefecture near Oyu, where you’ll find Japan’s answer to Stonehenge. Plunge along this route into some fantastically rustic onsen (Tsuta and Aoni are two of the best); spending the night is highly recommended.

SANNAI-MARUYAMA SITE Voyage 5,000 years back in time to the Stone Age Jomon Period (14,000-300BCE), when agriculture was still in its infancy. At this dig the former inhabitants’ struggle to survive is documented, as well as the surprising advancement of Jomon society for the time, shown in dwellings, pottery, tools, graves, and even remains of roads.

The free-entry Sannai-Maruyama site lies 20 minutes from Aomori station by bus and will take about two hours to explore. Be prepared for some walking. Remains can be seen of village foundations within several of the site’s dome buildings.

Make sure you find the active workshop where archaeologists reassembe pottery fragments.

Before leaving, stop at the fascinating museum.

Stone tools, ancient fishing hooks and reconstructions of ancient scenes are to be explored, and visitors can even try on period clothing for photo opportunities. Near the exit a mountain of reassembled pottery towers above other exhibits with a stunning design woven into it.

OUTSIDERS IN NAGATORO

T

he entire town of Nagatoro in Saitama Prefecture, just two hours from Tokyo, is a designated prefectural natural park, with the gorgeous Arakawa River rushing through its heart.

NAGATORO IWADATAMI At the side of Arakawa River, rocks up to 80m by 500m are splayed out, resembling tatami, hence the name meaning—you guessed it—“rock tatami.”

Japan’s first scenic natural monument was created naturally by changes in the earth’s crust, combined with river erosion.

LOCOMOTIVE Nagatoro station is a piece of civic history—it was constructed in 1911 to feature a Western-style structure that was the last word in modernity back then.

The Paleo Express steam locomotive makes regular seasonal stops here.

529- 2 Nagatoro Nagatoromachi. Tel: 0494-66-0002. www.chichibu-railway.co.jp

BOATING Board a traditional Japanese boat and be punted by pole along the Arakawa River. The green and rocky Horaijima, along with the precipitous cliffs of Chichibu-Sekiheki—aka the “Red Walls of Chichibu”—provide the scenery.

Full course (6km) Adult ¥2,900/ Children ¥1,300. Half course (3km) Adult ¥1,550/ Children ¥750. Open: 9am-4pm. Nagatoro Line-Kudari.

Tel 0494-66-0950. www.chichibu-railway.co.jp/line

HODOSAN JINJA At the foot of Mt. Hodo, this shrine was built almost 2,000 years ago, and has had generations of visitors come to pray for protection against disaster, theft, and hardships. Multicolored dragon sculptures come alive against the natural backdrop. 1828 Nagatoro Nagatoro-machi. Tel: 0494-66-0042. www.hodosan-jinja.or.jp PHOTO: FOTOLIA.COM

OYU STONE CIRCLES The Jomon settled primarily in northern Japan in the Tohoku region, leaving behind another unique sight —Akita Prefecture’s Oyu Stone Circles.

By no means as large as Stonehenge, the two formations nonetheless cast a spell of mystery that has lived on for several millennia.

Different from similar structures elsewhere in Asia and the rest of the world, the design of these formations is what most impresses. Both Oyu circles have a central pillar with flat stones radiating out in a sundial pattern. Despite the circles being over 40m in diameter, their diminutive height means a winter visit could find them completely covered by snow.

Stones were carried from the nearby Akuya River, a little more than 5km away. But debate continues among researchers as to what the purpose the stone circles served. It has been suggested they were for social gatherings, or burial sites, as human remains have been found by archeologists nearby.

The sundial designs suggest rituals coinciding with astrological events, and many experts believe the formations were places of religious worship.

Japan’s native religion emphasizes harmonization with nature, and the ancient builders appropriately selected a picturesque setting with gentle hills in the distance.

Since daily artifacts—but no evidence of human dwelling—have been found near the circles, some have argued that the stones were used for ceremonies, perhaps to improve chances of a harvest or a hunting expedition.

In reality, the sites were probably used for multiple purposes by different tribes over the centuries.

To gain a better perspective on the stone-circle creators’ daily lives, step inside the museum. Although exhibits are in Japanese, all visitors can enjoy models of the stone circles and ancient dwellings. Artifacts are also on display, as well as an interactive exhibit where you can test your pottery reassembling skills.

SEVEN FLOWER TEMPLES In case you didn’t know, the seven flowers of autumn are Japanese bush clover, Japanese pampas grass, arrowroot, fringed pink, golden lace, boneset, and balloon flower. Tour the town on foot or by bike and visit these seven temples, each of which displays one of the flowers. Tosho-in; Dokoji; Henjoji; Fudou-ji; Shinshoji Temple; Hozenji; Tahoji.

FUNADAMA MATSURI This annual summer festival is held every year on August 15 in Nagatoro.

Its origin lies in requesting that the gods of water protect the boatmen.

The event features mantosen, which are boats that carry stacks of lanterns, and 3,500 fireworks from both banks on Arakawa River.

GETTING THERE FROM TOKYO Seibu-Ikebukuro line from Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu on the (80min, rapid express), then from Chichibu Railway Ohanabatake to Nagatoro (20min). JR Takasaki line from Ueno to Kumagaya on the (60min), then to Chichibu Railway Nagatoro (50min).Nagatoro Tourist Information. Tel: 0494-66-3311. www.nagatoro.gr.jp

GETTING THERE FROM TOKYO ANA and JAL f lights to Ak ita cost about ¥24,000 one-way, and JAL connects with Aomori for about ¥30,000. Military travelers may be able to take advantage of the Misawa Air Base—just over an hour from Aomori station by train. Shinkansen to Akita or Aomori takes around four hours and runs from ¥16,000 one-way. Night buses are a good economical option to both destinations.

PHOTO: NAGATOROMACHI TOURIST ASSOCIATION

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 07

Arts & Entertainment ALL THE BEST IN ARTS & CULTURE ACROSS THE METROPOLIS dance

MARÍA PAGÉS

Dancing about architecture

By Dan Grunebaum

of the world, and I felt that he might have some answers,” begins the veteran choreographer in a Tokyo press visit.

“With the financial crisis in Spain, it’s a very bad moment here. I felt the crisis is not only financial, but a crisis of human values,” she continues.

“Then I met someone who told me about Oscar Niemeyer. I knew about his buildings, but when I learned more about him as a person and how his architecture reflects his values, I felt I could learn from him.”

“W

COURTESY OF BUNKAMURA

riting about music,” the saying goes, “is like dancing about architecture.” The implication is that both are nigh impossible. That hasn’t stopped many from doing the former—and now someone’s done the latter.

Spanish f lamenco doyenne María Pagés’s new Utopia takes its inspiration from Brazilian architect and cultural colossus Oscar Niemeyer.

“I had to do something about the current state

art

ALPHONSE MUCHA

More to Mucha at the Mori

By C. B. Liddell

© MUCHA TRUST 2013

The Arts, 1899 © Mucha Trust 2013

N

o artist reflects the optimistic mood of spring better than Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, whose art and life is the focus of an impressive exhibition at the Mori Arts Center Gallery.

Mucha provokes the image of flowery maidens,

long hair and loose dresses entwining with flowers and stylized foliage. You might even imagine a glass of champagne woven into the design. This exhibition has plenty of that.

The Czech decorative artist epitomizes the Art Nouveau movement, an artistic style that

08 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

Two meetings in Rio de Janeiro with Niemeyer, who continued to practice until his death last December at the age of 104, provided the basis for Utopia. How, then, does one dance about architecture? “Niemeyer’s architecture is full of curves, and movement is full of curves,” Pagés explains about the formidable Brazilian, who among others designed his country’s capital city Brasilia.

“Curves are about transformation, and that’s also at the heart of movement.”

At Niemeyer’s studio in Copacabana, Pagés danced for Niemeyer, and the two discovered how much a dancer and architect can have in common. “W hen he was a child, he liked to draw,” the prizewinning choreographer recalls.

“But even before Niemeyer would take a pen, he would move his hand through the air, and his mother would ask, ‘What are you doing?’ and he would say, ‘I’m drawing.’ I was thinking, when my mother asked me the same question, I would say, ‘I’m dancing.’”

Taking cues from Niemeyer’s cur vilinear architecture and humanistic ethos, Pagés created a work that utilizes scenography by Niemeyer’s right-hand man, architect Jair Varela, live music by renowned f lamenco composer Rubén Lebaniegos, and poetry by Baudelaire, Neruda and Niemeyer himself.

The sleek, contemporary Utopia upends the stereotypical and folkloric Spanish image of flamenco. Pagés, who’s worked with Baryshnikov among others, says such images are long outdated. “My vision of flamenco is convoluted and modern,” she insists. “I never thought of flamenco as a folk art, because it’s our way to express everything. Flamenco is a living art for us.”

“When I first came to Japan I was exposed to very different kinds of arts,” Pagés continues, “that

sought inspiration in nature, expressed itself through sinuous, curvy lines; and idealized the feminine in a way that now seems at odds with the more androgynous zeitgeist of the present.

Often the female figure is elevated to a symbolic “goddess,” personifying seasons, qualities, or even precious stones.

This ability to symbolize and tastefully sexualize also made Art Nouveau, especially in Mucha’s hands, the perfect medium for advertising. You couldn’t imagine Cubism or Abstract Expressionism being used to advertise biscuits or bicycles quite as effectively—and attractively—as the posters doing exactly that at this exhibition.

While some of the more commercial efforts may look a tad tacky, the posters Mucha created for the theater transcend mere advertising to become works of high art. The best of these are dedicated to the artist’s muse, the actress Sarah Bernhardt, an international superstar around the turn of the last century who is shown here in a variety of her famous thespian roles.

With the full cooperation of the Mucha family, this exhibition is not a mere attempt to cash in on a much-loved name, but takes a serious, in-depth look at the artist—backed up by many of his best works. The show includes drawings, oil paintings and hand-painted poster designs, as well as contemporary prints, many of them of a size and complexity that testifies to the skill of

books made me realize flamenco can have a dialog with different cultures and art forms.”

Pagés has been to Japan 16 times and is lionized by the country’s devoted flamenco community. It’s intriguing to learn that the inf luences have worked in both directions.

“If I can bring flamenco to Japan,” she adds, “then f lamenco can meet other art forms too—it’s a language with which to express myself, and when I understand another art form I can express my personal ideas about it in flamenco.”

Rather than a brittle folk form, Pagés says, flamenco has specific qualities that allow it to evolve. “Flamenco is one of the richest arts we have in the modern era because it started in a marginal space among poor people, and then step by step it became a professional art in the world’s biggest theaters,” she says. “It’s not academic like ballet—it’s popular and has very different roots: Jewish, Gypsy and African… so many cultures made flamenco an art, and the way they come together is what makes it so rich.”

Two decades since she founded her own company at age 27 following a career as a child prodigy in Spain, Pagés increasingly wants to use flamenco to give something back to the society that she feels gave so much to her.

“There are many things I can do as a creator—I can provide valuable messages and share experiences,” she affirms in a rich Seville accent. “Utopia arrived at a moment when it’s evident we need other messages aside from materialism. My life’s work is to understand how I can contribute to society—I don’t dance only for myself, but to be useful.”

Bunkamura, May 18-19. See dance listings for details.

the print art of the period.

One of the reasons Mucha is popular in Japan is that the linear quality and love of nature have obvious affinities with ukiyoe woodblock-print ar t. Somet imes t hese attempts to link late 19th-century European art to the Japanese tradition can become tedious—but luckily this exhibition hardly goes there.

Instead it looks at Mucha’s working methods, including photographs of nude models, revealing perhaps how he got those femininely evocative lines so correct. The exhibition also looks deeply into the artist’s love of Slavic nationalism and myth. This, with its deification of nature, is a more pertinent source of inspiration than anything from Japan.

Mucha’s career was a precursor for Czech independence, an event that came to pass in his lifetime. This clearly inspired him to go beyond the effervescent art of his youth to create works of sweeping emotion for his “Slav Epic Cycle” (1910-28), represented here by several large studies. This show reveals that there is much more to Mucha than f lowery maidens in diaphanous dresses—although there’s nothing wrong with that either.

Mori Art Center Gallery, until May 19. See exhibition listings (Akasaka/Roppongi) for details.

LITERARY LANDSCAPES Roll out the plastic blue cloth and throw yourself on the spongy summer turf with a pile of Japan-related English books. Metropolis tips over the library shelves.

FICTION Citadel In Spring A Novel of Youth Spent at War

By Agawa Hiroyuki; translated by Lawrence Rogers

An autobiographical novel published by Hiroyuki Agawa in 1949, this translation gives you access to “a surprising historical document as well as a moving account of the cost of militarism and defeat” (The New Yorker). Writer Agawa tells in this fictionalized memoir of his induction into the Imperial Navy, his work as a code-breaker in China, and the effects of Japan’s final capitulation.

Kurodahan Press, 2013, 241pp, ¥1,500 (bookstores), ¥471 (Amazon Kindle) Killing Daniel

By Sarah Dobbs

English writer Dobbs’ first novel is set in England and Tokyo, and follows the separate adult lives of an English and Japanese woman connected by a childhood friendship w i t h a m u r d e r e d d e a f b o y.

Described as a “cross-cultural literar y thriller,” Killing Daniel was launched last autumn at the Unthank Literary Festival in Norwich.

Unthank Books, 2012, 306pp, ¥1,951 (bookstores), ¥792 (Kindle)

The 89th Temple

By Charlie Canning

Seven juvenile offenders walk the pilgrim’s route of 88 temples in Shikoku as they consider their future place in society. Billed as “The Seven Samurai meets The Fugitive for young adults,” this is the debut novel of Canning, who taught English for ten years in Japan before enrolling in the creative writing PhD program at the Universit y of Adelaide. Outskirts Press, 2012, 205pp, ¥1,544 ( bookstores), ¥746 (Kindle) Yamato

By Andrew Clare

Tok yo, 1953. Lieutenant Har vey Brice of US intelligence is found with a bullet in his head, and his discovery promises anything but a routine case for CIA agent Ralph Carnaby. This noir thriller takes in crime and conspiracy during the US occupation in an alternativeh istor y i mag i n i ng a k i n to Rober t Ha r r is’ Fatherland. Author Clare is a former Royal Marine and works at an international law firm in Tokyo.

Ku ro d a h a n P re s s , 2013, 314pp, ¥1,400 (bookstores)

NONFICTION

Milligan and the Samurai Rebels

After the Great East Japan Earthquake: Political and Policy Change in Post-Fukushima Japan

By Simon Alexander Collier

Edited by Dominic Al-Badri and Gijs Berends

At a time of upheaval when the Japanese market has just been opened up to foreign commerce, a young British diplomat named Milligan plies his trade while battling a weakness for women and booze.

Collier, a former British diplomat in Japan, wrote this rambunctious historical novel from his home in Tokyo where he continues to reside.

Createspace, 2012, 337pp, ¥1,470 (bookstores), ¥499 (Amazon Kindle)

The co-editors both worked for the EU Delegation to Japan at the time of the 3/11 disasters, and brought together this collection of essays to explore shifts in Japanese politics and policy making two years on.

Published by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies in Copehagen, the book’s contributors include policy experts and Tok yo diplomats. NIAS Press, 2013, 192pp, ¥2,600 (bookstores)

One Hundred Years of Vicissitude

Taiko Boom: Japanese Drumming in Place and Motion

By Andrez Bergen

By Shawn Bender

The narrator, who “suspects he’s a dead man,” undertakes a sakesoaked purgatorial tour through 20t h-cent u r y Japa nese h istor y with a ghostly geisha and a corrupt millionaire. This is t he second novel by Melbourne-born Bergen, who is also a journalist, photographer, musician, and DJ. Perfect Edge Books, 2012, 254pp, ¥1,857 (bookstores), ¥429 (Kindle)

With Japanese taiko drumming now popular around the world, cultural anthropologist Bender looks at the percussive art’s origins in post-war Japan. He explores the activity as a new way for Japanese people to associate communally and observes how practices cast light on national conceptions of race, gender and the body. University of California Press, 2012, 259pp, ¥3,120 (bookstores), ¥1,835 (Kindle)

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 09

Health & Fitness Special CLUB 360 Nishi-Azabu

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03-6434-9667 Open Mon-Sat 6:30am-9:30pm, closed Sun Nearest stn: Roppongi www.club360.jp

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1F Kobayashi Yoko Bldg, 1-15-7 Kakigara-cho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku 0120-199-053 info@maple-ortho.com Open Tue-Fri noon-3pm & 4-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-1pm & 2:30-6:30pm, closed Mon Nearest stn: Suitengumae www.maple-ortho.com SHOP URL

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CONTACT 1-11-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

03-3402-1501 info@trustdental.jp Open Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30am-5:30pm and Tue 9:30am-1pm. Also open two Sundays per month, call for details Nearest stn: Harajuku www.adventistdental.jp

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ith a network of over 700 gyms in 30 countries around the world, Gold’s Gym has become synonymous with weight training. And with 45 gyms across Japan, including Tokyo area locations such as Shibuya, Omotesando, Ginza and Umeda; there’s no reason you can’t start or maintain a training regimen here.

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#998 ● WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP ● 11

Agenda Listings Concerts POPULAR Destroy & Destroy

Hard J-rock from Roach and Harvest. May 10, 6:30pm, ¥2,500 (adv)/ ¥3,000 (door) +1d. Shinjuku Marble.

Nearest stn: Shinjuku or Seibu Shinjuku. Tel: 03-52723558. www.marble-web.jp

Keytalk

Jazz-influenced indie pop.

May 10, 7pm, ¥2,500 (adv) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-34446751. www.keytalkweb.com

Vinyl Soul

Hip-hop buskers go Latin.

May 10, 7pm, ¥1,000. Café Dolce Vita. Nearest stn: Okubo. Tel: 03-3364-1530.

May 11, 6:30pm, ¥1,000.

Salon by Marble. Nearest stn: Shin-Koenji. Tel: 03-59348106.

Tokyo Rocks

Cancelled. For refunds see website. May 11-12.

Ajinomoto Stadium. http:// tokyorocks.jp

Odorou Matilda

Fuji Rock veteran with grizzly vocals and a twinkle in his eye. May 11, 6:30pm, ¥3,800 (adv) +1d.

Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5720-9999. www.club-quattro.com

Ayumi Hamasaki

J-pop princess. May 11, 6:30pm; May 12, 4pm, ¥8,500. Yokohama Arena.

Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama.

Tel: 0570-550-799. www. avexnet.or.jp/ayu/index. html

Mad Ollie

Punk music festival with skateboarding, inc. Good 4 Nothing, Hot Squall, Shank, etc. May 11, 2:30pm, ¥3,300 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast.

Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba.

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

Cro-Magnon

Email your event information to listings@metropolis.co.jp See www.metropolis.co.jp for more listings

artist with guests Harp & Soul and Bitter Haze. May 17, 6pm, ¥2,000. The Juke Joint. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-64272528. www.thejukejoint.jp/ events

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

Eclectic mix of ska, jazz and rock. May 17-18, ¥5,500 +1d.

Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-5720-9999. www.tokyoska.net

Jackpot Bell

1133. www.billboard-live.com

Teentop

Manly K-pop heart stealers.

May 21-22, 7pm, ¥9,450. Tokyo International Forum Hall A. Nearest stn: Yurakucho. Tel: 0570-02-9999. www.teentop.jp

Mice Parade

Experimental NYC post-rock.

May 22, 7:30pm, ¥5,500 +1d.

Liquidroom. Nearest stn: Ebisu.

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

Female-fronted Tokyo pop-punk with Panic in the Box and more. May 17, 5:30pm, ¥2,000 (adv)/¥2,500 (door) +1d. Milkyway. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-6416-3227. www.jackpotbell.net

One Ok Rock

Transit

Ashley Scared the Sky

Alt-rock bands Harvest, Roach, Another Story, etc. May 17, 7pm, ¥2,500 (adv)/ ¥3,000 (door) +1d. Club Seata. Nearest stn: Kichijoji. Tel: 04-22290061. www.transit-event.com

Leon Russell

Rock legend. May 17-18, ¥6,500-¥8,500. Billboard Live.

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

Vintage Trouble

Californian soul. May 17, 7:30pm, ¥5,500 (adv) +1d. Yokohama Bay Hall.

Nearest stn: MotomachiChukagai. Tel: 03-3499-6669. www.creativeman.co.jp/ artist/2013/05vintagetrouble

Greenroom Festival

Surf vibe fest feat. The Brand New Heavies, Newton Faulkner, etc. May 18-19. ¥9,000 (one-day pass)/16,000 (two-day pass). Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. Nearest stn: Minatomirai. www. greenroom.jp

Megamasso

Visual-kei. May 18, 5:30pm, ¥3,800 (adv) +1d. Liquidroom.

Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 0570-00-3337. www. megamasso.jp/pc

Metcha Mucha Best

Emo, rock and metal fusion.

May 23-26, various times, ¥5,800 (adv). Yokohama Arena.

Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama.

Tel: 03-3405-9999. www. oneokrock.com/english Post-hardcore metal band from Tokyo. May 25, 7pm, ¥2,300 (adv)/ ¥2,800 +1d.

Cyclone. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3463-0069. www. ashleyscaredthesky.com

Loud & Metal Attack

Scando metal bands Nightwish, Mokoma, Crashdiet and more. May 25, 3pm, ¥6,800 +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. Tel: 03-3499-6669. www.creativeman.co.jp/ english

Iro Iro Vol. 19

UK music site Louder Than War indie night feat. Roku Shiki, Oh Captain! My Captain! and more. May 25, 7:30pm, free +1d. Crawfish. Nearest stn: Akasaka. Tel: 03-3584-2496. meturl.com/iroiro19

But By Fall

Tokyo pop punkers in solo show. May 26, 7pm, ¥2,500 (adv) +1d. Shelter. Nearest stn: Shimokitazawa. Tel: 03-34667430. www.butbyfall.com

Takako Minekawa and Dustin Wong

Experimental pop collaboration. May 26, 7pm, ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 (door) +1d. O-Nest. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3462-4420. www.shibuya-o.com/nest

+1d. Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-3499-6669. www.creativeman.co.jp J-pop duo inspired by 1960s rock. Jun 8, 6pm, ¥5,800 (adv). Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www. lovepsychedelico.net

Beyond The Blue

Battle of the bands with Five New Old, Pop Disaster and more. Jun 8, 1:30pm, ¥6,400 (adv)/ ¥6,900 (door) +1d.

Yokohama Bay Hall. Nearest stn: Motomachi-Chukagai. Tel: 03-3475-9999. www.bayhall. jp/sch/event/130608.html

The Dot

Jun 13, 7pm, ¥5,500 (adv) +1d.

Liquidroom. Nearest stn: Ebisu.

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. liquidroom.net

No More Fuckin’ Nukes

Hard-rock heavyweights Ken Yokohama, Brahman, Slang and more. Jul 14, 3pm, ¥4,000 (adv) +1d. Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku.

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. nomorefuckinnukes.com

Fuji Rock Festival

Mother of all Japanese rock fests. Jul 26-28. Naeba Ski Resort. Nearest stn: Echigo Yuzawa. www.fujirockfestival. com

Backstreet Boys

Princes of pop. Oct 11-13, ¥9,500 (adv)/ ¥20,000 (premium seat, adv). Saitama Super Arena. Nearest stn: Saitama-Shintoshin.

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

JAZZ/WORLD Jake Shimabukuro

Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso.

May 10, 7pm, ¥6,500.

Bunkamura Orchard Hall.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 0570-550-799. www.jklub.jp

Tokyo Big Band

19-piece ensemble led by pianist-arranger Jonathan Katz feat. Tokyo-based jazz musicians with vocalist Andrea Hopkins. May 10, ¥4,000 (adv)/¥4,500 (door).

Akasaka B Flat. Nearest stn: Akasaka. Tel: 03-5563-2563. http://bflat.biz

Kamelot

Slash, Slipknot, Black Sabbath, Deftones and more.

May 11-12, noon, ¥14,000 (one-day, standing) /¥16,500 (one-day, reserved seating) /¥27,000 (two-day, standing).

Makuhari Messe. Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. http:// ozzfestjapan.com

Teachers for Tohoku Vol. 3

West Coast melodic rock with Where's Andy, Geeks and more. May 31, 6:30pm, ¥2,000 (adv)/¥2,500 (door) +1d. Milkyway. Nearest stn: Shibuya. http://altmedrock. syncl.jp

Masters of funk and soul from New Orleans. May 10, 7:30pm, ¥5,000. Thumbs Up. Nearest stn: Yokohama. www. stovesyokohama.com. May 20, 7pm, ¥5,000. Club Quattro.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. club-quattro.com

Taico Club

Peter White

Fire Lily and Kaleb

Battle of the bands qualifier, with Crack Banquet. May 18, 5pm, ¥1,000 (adv), ¥1,500 (door) +1d. Unit.

Nearest stn: Daikanyama.

Tel: 03-3475-9999. www. redbullliveontheroad.jp

Ozzfest

Acoustic performance feat. stunning singer-songwriter Fire Lily. May 13, 7:30 & 9pm, ¥3,500 (adv), ¥3,800 (door). Rakuya. Nearest stn: Nakameguro. Tel: 03-37142607. http://rakuya.asia/ home

Orianthi

Australian musician and guitarist. May 13-14. 7 & 9:30pm, ¥7,500-¥9,500.

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

Sigur Ros

Icelandic dream pop juggernaut. May 14, 7pm, ¥7,800. Nippon Budokan.

Nearest stn: Kudanshita. http://nipponbudokan.web. fc2.com

Mika

Lebanese-British singer with crazy vocal range. May 14, 7pm, ¥7,000 (adv) +1d.

Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. Tel: 03-34446751. www.smash-jpn.com

Steph Hannah

Australia jazz-infused pop

International school faculty bands raise the roof and some money. May 18, 4pm, free, donations welcome. What the Dickens. Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-3780-2099. http://meturl. com/teacherstohoku13

Redbull Live on the Road

Fujifabric

Electric power pop. May 19, 6pm, ¥5,000 (adv) +1d. NHK Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 050-5533-0888. www.nhk-sc. or.jp/nhk_hall

The AP Tour

Progressive metal. May 28, 7pm, ¥6,500 +1d. O-East.

Nearest stn: Shibuya.

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

Alternative Medicine

All night alt. music event in Nagano with Machinedrum, Prefuse 73, Moodman and more. Jun 1-2. from 3pm, ¥7,500-13,000. Kodama no Mori. Nearest stn: Yabuhara. www.taicoclub.com

Envy

Hardcore punk and post-rock veterans. Jun 1, 7pm, ¥2,500 (adv) +1d. Liquidroom. Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-3444-6751. www.smash-jpn.com

Noid Festival

The Used, Silverstein and Crossfaith. May 19, 6pm, ¥5,500 +1d. Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-3499-6669. www.altpress.jp

Alt. rock festival with Egg Brain, Man with a Mission and more. Jun 2, 3pm, ¥3,000 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. Tel: 03-3496-1785. www.noid-japan.com

Weekend Lovers

James Blake

J-rock greats The Birthday and Mannish Boys. May 20, 7pm, ¥5,250 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba.

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

Tom Tom Club

Talking Heads side-project back after a 12 year hiatus.

May 20-21, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥6,5008,500. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-

London-based weaver of tangled electronic webs. Jun 4, 7pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba.

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

Helloween

Metal giants with guest Gammaray. Jun 5, 7pm, ¥8,500-9,500 (adv) +1d. Zepp Tokyo. Nearest stn: Aomi. Jun 7, 7pm, ¥8,500-9,500 (adv)

12 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

COURTESY OF HOSTESS

Love Psychedelico

The Hitch Lowke, i-Rabbits, Real Reach and more. May 18, 5pm, ¥2,500 (adv)/ ¥3,000 (door) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3477-8750. www. club-quattro.com

With Your Song is Good.

May 11, 6:30pm, ¥3,500 (adv)/ ¥4,000 (door) +1d.

Yokohama Bay Hall. Nearest stn: Motomachi-Chukagai.

Tel: 045-624-3900.

CONCERT

Jon Cleary Trio

British acoustic guitarist.

May 10, ¥7,000-8,000. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo.

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

Bobby Womack

US soul musician. May 10-12, ¥10,800-¥12,800. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi.

Tel: 03-3405-1133. www. billboard-live.com

Robben Ford

US blues, jazz and rock guitarist. May 12-13, ¥8,400¥9,500. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Kazumi Watanabe, Jeff Berlin & Virgil Donati

Jazz fusion trio. May 12, ¥6,500. Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-54850088. www.bluenote.co.jp

Benny Golson Quartet

US hard-bop jazz tenor saxophonist. May 13-16. 7 & 9:30pm, ¥8,400. Blue Note.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. www.bluenote. co.jp

The Dazz Band

US funk music band. May

Hostess Weekender International record distributor and promoter Hostess’s Weekender events have become a Tokyo indie rock institution within just a few years. The thrice-annual event’s June edition offers a mix of indie veterans and emerging lights. Long-running Icelandic electro experimentalists Mum are back, as are Brit-rock warhorses Travis, British Sea Power and Editors.

Norway indie poppers Team Me debuted only in 2011 while Indians are generating press as the alter ego of Copenhagenite Søren Løkke Juul, just signed to legendary indie imprint 4AD. Yebisu Garden Hall, Jun 8-9, ¥7,900 (1 day)/ ¥13,900 (2 days) +1d. Yebisu Garden Hall. Nearest stn: Ebisu. www.ynos.tv/ hostessclub

16-17, 6:30 & 9pm, ¥8,400¥9,500. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Sound/Art—Tuning in to Africa

Famed Malian lutist Ballake Sissoko. May 18-19, 2pm, ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 (door) +1d. Yokohama Creativecity Center. Nearest stn: Kannai or Sakuragicho. Tel: 045-2210325. http://saa.yafjp.prg

Funk Fantabulous

Piano jazz band COC and vintage instrumentalists TEFCO team up. May 18, 7pm, ¥1,500. Ruby Room. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-37803022. www.facebook.com/ TEFCO

Sinne Eeg

Bittersweet vocals from Scandinavia. May 20, from ¥6,000. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Ari Hoenig Trio

Jazz drummer from Philadelphia. May 21-23, 6:30 & 9pm, ¥6,500-¥7,500. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo.

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

Pat Metheny Unity Band

Keiko Lee with Gerald Alston of The Manhattans

Jazz diva. May 29-30, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥8,400. Blue Note.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. www.bluenote. co.jp

Irma Thomas

Soul Queen of New Orleans.

May 29-30, 7 & 8:45pm, ¥6,800¥8,800. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-34051133. www.billboard-live.com

Cassandra Wilson

US jazz musician. May 31-Jun 2. ¥8,400. Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-54850088. www.bluenote.co.jp

Jef Neve Trio

Belgian keyboardist. Jun 1-2. 5 & 8pm, ¥5,000-¥6,000. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo.

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

Lewis Nash Trio

Prolific jazz drummer with band. Jun 11-12. 6:30pm and 9pm, ¥6,500-8,500. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www. cottonclubjapan.co.jp

CLASSICAL The New Japan Philharmonic

US jazz guitarist. May 21-26. various times, ¥12,500.

Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-54850088. www.bluenote.co.jp

Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 and more. May 10-11, 2pm, ¥2,000¥4,500. Sumida Triphony Hall.

Nearest stn: Kinshicho. Tel: 03-5610-3815. www.triphony. com

Jazztronik

Classical Holiday

Jazz-and-house DJ. May 22, ¥4,500/6,500. Billboard Live.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. www. billboard-live.com

Bettye LaVette

US soul singer-songwriter.

May 25, ¥6,500-¥8,500.

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

Fabrizio Bosso Quartet

Trumpet and acoustic jazz from Italy. May 26. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Suoni Italiani

“Italian sounds” by Stefano Bollani. May 26, 7pm, ¥6,000.

Suntory Hall Blue Rose.

Nearest stn: Roppongi Itchome. www.newageproductions.it

Hod O’Brien Trio

American jazz pianist. May 29-May 31. 6:30 & 9pm, ¥7,000-¥8,000. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo.

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

Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra plays Gershwin and more. May 11, 3pm, ¥4,500. Kanagawa Ongakudo. 9-2, Momijigoka, Nishi-ku, Yokohama. Tel: 045-662-8866. www. kanagawa-ongakudo.com

155th Matinée Series

Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra plays Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. May 12, 2pm, ¥1,500-7,000. Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space.

Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Tel: 0570-00-4390. www.geigeki.jp

Wiener Symphoniker

Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven. May 13 & 15, 7pm, ¥7,000-22,000. Suntory Hall. Nearest stn: Roppongiitchome. Schubert and Mahler. May 18, 6:30pm, ¥7,000-19,000. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5774-3040. www.japanarts.co.jp

Alexander Romanovsky

Piano concert. May 14, 7pm, ¥4,500. Hamarikyu Asahi

Hall. Nearest stn: Shibashi. Tel: 03-5774-3040. www.japanarts. co.jp

Music in Heaven: The Comfort in Spirit

Harp concert to support those dealing with terminal care.

Reservations required. May 15, 7pm, free. Hamarikyu Asahi Hall. Nearest stn: Shibashi.

Tel: 03-5458-9560. info@ gem-impact.com

Tokyo String Quartet

International quartet plays Haydn, Beethoven and more.

May 16, 7pm, ¥3,000-6,000.

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Nearest stn: Shinjuku or Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.japanarts.co.jp

Ingrid Fuzjko Hemming

Swedish pianist. May 16, 7pm, ¥6,000-¥8,000. Sumida Triphony Hall. Nearest stn: Kinshicho. Tel: 03-3670-5099. http://fuzjko.aoba.bz

CLUBBING

COURTESY OF HOSTESS

Mariana

Belgian producer Peter Van Hoesen heads up the latest installment of Mariana (see: Mariana Trench) as the long-running techno event moves to house temple Eleven. Created by onetime Tokyo resident, UK producer and promoter Dave Twomey, aka Tr nch, Mariana celebrates its fourth birthday and the debut of Twomey’s new label of the same name.

Known for techno at once deep and spacy but bright and uplifting, Van Hoesen is a hot draw with Japan’s minimal crowd. His latest long-player is last fall’s well-received Perceiver.

Eleven, May 11, 10pm, ¥3,000 (w/ flyer)/ ¥3,500 (door) +1d.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.go-to-eleven.com

Since 1949

今年は"にほんごをもの"にする

Éric Le Sage

Debussy, Beethoven and more.

May 16, 7pm, ¥4,500-¥6,000.

Kioi Hall. Nearest stn: Yotsuya.

Tel: 03-3237-0061. www. kioi-hall.or.jp

Tomotaka Okamoto

Boléro and more. May 17, 7pm, ¥3,000-¥4,000. Shinjuku Bunka Center. Nearest stn: Higashi-Shinjuku. Tel: 03-33501141. www.regasu-shinjuku. or.jp

Concert for Kids

jac.go.jp/english

Tokyo Sky Tree Town Anniversary

Vocaloid Opera: The End

Rakugo in English

A rare chance to hear 12 traditional Japanese comic storytellers in English. May 19, 12:30pm, free. Shinjuku Bunka Center. Nearest stn: HigashiShinjuku. Tel: 03-3350-1141. www.rakugo-in-english.com

New Japan Philharmonic plays Beethoven. May 22, 3pm, ¥3,000. Sumida Triphony Hall.

Nearest stn: Kinshicho. Tel: 03-5608-1212. www.triphony. com

Operatic stage performance by virtual artist Hatsune Miku and others. May 23-24, ¥5,00010,000. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.bunkamura.co.jp/ english/orchard

The World of Dragon Quest X

Kodo Legend

Before Zero

Songs from Carmen and more.

Classical event for pregnant women. May 25, 3pm, ¥1,0003,000. Philia Hall. Nearest stn: Aobadai. Tel: 03-3261-9933. www.smf.or.jp/kids

Lise de la Salle

Piano recital. May 26, 3pm, ¥1,000-3,500. Saitama Arts Theater. Nearest stn: Yonohonmachi. Tel: 0570-064939. www.saf.or.jp

La Mer and Petrouchka

Duo piano recital of Debussy's and Stravinsky's works. May 30, 7pm, ¥4,000-6,000. Kioi Hall. Nearest stn: Yotsuya. Tel: 03-5774-3040. www.japanarts. co.jp

Stage Michael Jackson: The Immortal

Cirque de Soleil celebrates the star; May 10-12, various times.

Saitama Super Arena. Nearest stn: Saitama-Shintoshin.

May 16-19, ¥6,000-25,000.

Yokohama Arena. Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama. Tel: 0570-029973. http://mj-t.jp

Nabucco

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera about the enslaving of the Jews. May 19-Jun 4, 6:30pm, ¥5,250¥26,250. New National Theatre Tokyo. Nearest stn: Hatsudai.

Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.

D A I LY CO N V E R S AT I O N A N D B U S I N E S S J A PA N E S E

French house-music magician and global star.

May 11, 9:30-11:30pm, from ¥3,500. XEX Nihonbashi. Nearest stn: Mitsukoshi-mae. www.xexgroup.com

Series aimed at parents with children, inc. pregnant mothers. May 18, 11am, ¥1,000-1,800. Nakano Zero Hall. Nearest stn: Nakano. Tel: 03-5340-5042. www.smf.or.jp/ kids. May 25, 11am, ¥1,5002,500. Philia Hall. Nearest stn: Aobadai. Tel: 03-3261-9933. www.smf.or.jp/kids

Popular video-game music turned classical. May 25, 2pm, ¥4,000-5,000. Olympus Hall Hachioji. Nearest stn: Hachioji.

Tel: 042-655-0802. www. olympus.hall-info.jp

EVERGREEN LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Bob Sinclair

Traditional Japanese taiko performance. May 29, 7pm, ¥4,500 (general), ¥3,000 (students). Green Hall. Nearest stn: Sagami-Oono. www. kodo.or.jp

Cosi Fan Tutte

Mozart’s tale of love, betrayal and fiancé swapping. Jun 3-15, ¥4,200-23,100. New National Theatre Tokyo. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english

4 Stars: One World of Broadway Musicals

Lea Salona, Ramin Karimloo and others perform songs from Les Misérables and more.

Jun 15-23, ¥8,000-11,500.

Aoyama Theater. Nearest stn: Shibuya. kyodotokyo. com/4starsTokyo

Scheherazade

Ballet of the Arabian storyteller. Jul 13, 2pm; Jul 14-15, 2pm, ¥5,000-14,000.

Bunkyo Civic Hall. Tel: 050-3776-6184. www. koransha.com/ballet/ shinzui2013

Women of Ireland

Full entertainment showcase with song, dance and live music. Jul 19, 7pm. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.bunkamura. co.jp/english/orchard

Dance Emanuelle Huynh and Akira Kasai

A grand master of improv dancing and a contemporary choreographer move in symbiosis. May 17-19, ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 (door). Asahi Art Square. Nearest stn: Asakusa.

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Utopía

María Pagés Flamenco Company presents the doyenne’s latest work. May 18-19, Various times, ¥7,00012,600. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.bunkamura.co.jp/ english

Apollo

Male-only dance troupe, Condors, performs a new, dynamic piece directed by Ryohei Kondo. May 18-19, 2 & 7pm, ¥4,100-5,000.

Saitama Arts Theater.

Nearest stn: Yonohonmachi.

Tel: 0570-064-939. www. saf.or.jp

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Facset g n i v i d n Sky Experieing

Skydivokyo! near T

A Gift From Malakhov Final

Artistic director of Berlin State Ballet performs original piece with international cast. May 21-26, 3pm, ¥5,000-16,000. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno.

Tel: 03-5721-8000. www.nbs. or.jp/english

Children of Paradise

Based on the French film directed by Marcel Carné.

May 30-Jun 1, various times. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.t-bunka.jp/en

Start: 8:45 or 10:45am at Ootone Airport Airport & pick up location info: http://www.skydivefast.com/access Pick up: 6:50am at Tokyo Metropolitan Theater, 3min walk from Ikebukuro stn (west gate park) Price: Tandem Skydiving: ¥39,800 Personalized video: ¥10,000 Max Weight: 80kg

www.skydivefast.com Tel: 04-2956-7597 (Business Hours: 9am~7pm, everyday)

Clubbing FRIDAY 10 Ageha

Rhythmholic. Electro: DJs Darren Emerson, Ol Killer, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,500.

Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. www. ageha.com

Air

Eden. Underground dance music: DJs Watanabe, Maeda, etc. From 1am, ¥2,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com

Oto

Martinica. Jazz, soul: DJs Iwamura, Ishikawa, etc.

From 10pm, ¥2,500 w/1d.

Tel: 03-6457-7983. www. club-oto.com

Ruby Room

Mention Metropolis for FREE ADMISSION

THE RACE IS ON!

Groups of 4 or more can compete with each other

JR S

oto

bo li

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Keiy oH igh wa y

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

JR Keiyo

Line

Help. DJ Sakiyan and more.

From 11pm, ¥1,500 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. rubyroomtokyo.com

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 13

Agenda Listings Sound Museum Vision

Girls Festival. Hip-hop DJs Kaori, Kango, etc: Live: Fire Ball. From 10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f) free.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. vision-tokyo.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: DJs Hokuto, Kekke, etc. 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

Go. Techno: DJ Richie Hawtin and more. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Minus Connected & Reunited.

Techno: DJ Richie Hawtin and more. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.womb.co.jp

SATURDAY 11 Ageha

The Wonderland. Techno: DJs Paul Van Dyk, Yoda, etc.

From 11pm, ¥4,500. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. www.ageha. com

Air

Upbeat. House, all mix: DJs Nakamura, Kurihara, etc.

From 10pm, ¥3,000. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.air-tokyo. com

Sound Museum Vision

Hed Kandi x Tokyo Runway.

Hip-hop: DJs Ivan Gough, Daishi Dance, etc. From 10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f) ¥2,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.vision-tokyo. com

The New Matrix Bar

Fatfingaz, Buddah, etc. 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

Reel Up. Techno DJs Ken Ishii, Yama, etc: Live: Guy Gerber. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.womb.co.jp

THURSDAY 16 The Room

Ryukyu Holic. Loose & hot music: DJs Genta, Sato, etc.

From 10pm, ¥2,000 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. theroom.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

FRIDAY 17 Air

Endless Flight. House: DJs Koze, Kawasaki, etc. From 10pm, ¥3,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com

Eleven

The Awaiting Rural. Techno: DJs Neel, Brando Lupi, etc. From 10pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.go-to-eleven. com

Liquidroom

Incubation Release Party.

Techno: DJs Function, Nobu, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,500.

Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-4640800. www.liquidroom.net

Module

Think Big. Hip-hop: DJs Nobu, Tomy, etc. May 18, from 10pm, ¥1,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.module-tokyo. com

Sound Museum Vision

Touchme After Party. House, electro: DJs Nakata, Tanaka, etc. May 18, from 9pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)¥2,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.vision-tokyo.com

The Room

Magic. House, crossover: DJ Kawasaki and more. May 18, from 9pm, ¥2,500 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. theroom.jp

Womb

Touchme After Party. House, electro: DJs Ruth Flowers, Usus, etc. May 18, from 9pm, (m)¥3,000, (f)¥2,000. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.womb. co.jp

Exhibitions AKASAKA/ROPPONGI 21_21 Design Sight

Sound Museum Vision

Mori Art Museum

The Room

Womb

Grand Slam. Hip-hop: DJs

Radiogenic. New wave DJs Moodman, Ugawa, etc: Live: Ep-4. May 18, from 12am, ¥4,000. Nearest stn: Ebisu.

Tel: 03-464-0800. www. liquidroom.net

Nightout. DJs James Dean Brown, Pi-Ge, etc. From 11pm, ¥1,000. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.rubyroomtokyo.com

Ruby Room

Defected in The House. House: DJs Chocolate Puma DJ Zki & Dobre, Daishi Dance, etc. From 10pm, (m)¥3,500, (f)¥3,000.

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

Village

Liquidroom

Design Ah! NHK educational program exhibits “Design Mind.” Mixed media. Until Jun 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

Saturday Night Fever.

Hip-hop, R&B, reggae: DJ Ykk and more. From 6pm, ¥1,000 (after 10pm). Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.matrixbar.jp Sound Sanctuary. House, crossover: DJ Shuya Okino(Kyoto Jazz Massive) and more. From 10pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.theroom.jp

Raye Antonelli, Danny T, etc.

May 18, from 10pm, ¥3,000.

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

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

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. womb.co.jp

UPCOMING Air

Ministry of Sound. House: DJs

All You Need Is Love. Works from Chagall to Kusama. Until Sep 1, 10am-10pm (until 5pm on Tue), ¥1,500. Open Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-10pm, Tue 10am-5pm. 6-10-1 Roppongi.

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

Mori Arts Center Gallery

Alphonse Mucha: An Insight into the Artist. Until May 19, 10am-8pm. ¥800- ¥1,500.

52F Roppongi Hills Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.roppongihills. com/art/macg

EXHIBITION

Suntory Museum of Art

“Mono no Are” and Japanese Beauty. Key motifs in Japanese art. Until Jun 16, 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

葛飾北斎「冨嶽三十六景 凱風快晴」 （太田記念美術館蔵）

The National Art Center, Tokyo

California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way. Furniture, fashion, pottery and photography. Until Jun 3, ¥1,000. The Lady and the Unicorn. 16th-century tapestries from the Museé de Cluny in Paris. Until Jul 15, ¥600-1,500. Open Wed-Mon 10am-6pm, closed Tue. 7-22-2 Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.nact.jp

Fantastic Comics Manga, it’s said, has its roots in the woodprint tradition that flowered in Edo-era Japan. But how did ukiyo-e—better known for depictions of Mt Fuji and high-class prostitutes—lead to today’s material? “Katsushika Hokusai and Kawanabe Kyosai— Fantastic Comics” tries to solve this riddle with the works of two of the greatest ukiyo-e masters. Hokusai’s fantastical scenes, and his disciple Kyosai’s dancing skeletons, show how, as the art progressed, humor increasingly entered the picture. These artists’ subject matter, as well as their drawing technique, are presented as tracing a more direct line to 20th-century manga.

Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art, until Jun 26, free (JHS & under), ¥700 (HS & univ), ¥1,000 (gen). Open Tue-Sun 10:30am5:30pm, closed Mon. 1-10-10 Jingumae. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp

GINZA/KYOBASHI /TOKYO Bridgestone Museum

Through Japanese Eyes: Paris, 1900-1945. Painting. Until Jun 9, ¥500-800. Open Tue-Sun & hols 10am-8pm, closed Mon. 1-10-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku.

Nearest stn: Tokyo. www. bridgestone-museum.gr.jp

Craft Gallery, The National Museum of Modern Art

Body x Body x Body. An eye-opening exploration of the human body. Jun 25-Sep 1, ¥70-200. Open Tue-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm.

1-1 Kitanomaru-koen Chiyoda-Ku. Nearest stn: Takebashi. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.momat.go.jp/english

Ginza Graphic Gallery

Why Not Associates: We Never Had a Plan So Nothing Could Go Wrong. Photography. Jun 5-29, free. Open Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 11am-6pm, closed Sun & hols. 1F Ginza Bldg, 7-7-2 Ginza. Nearest stn: Ginza. www.dnp.co.jp/gallery/ggg_e

H.P. France Window Gallery

Cadence Circus Decadence.

Wooden carvings of modern women. Until May 23, free.

Open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun & Hols 11am-8pm. 1F Marunouchi Bldg. 2-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-3240-5791. www.hpfrance. com/en

Idemitsu Museum of Arts

Genji-e and Ise-e: The Illustrated Love Stories. Traditional Japanese art. Until May 19,

¥700-1,000. Kosometsuke and Shonzui. Blue-and-white tea ceramics. May 25-Jun 30, ¥700-1,000. Open Tue-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-7pm, closed Mon. 9F Teigeki Bldg, 3-1-1 Marunouchi. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.idemitsu.co.jp/ museum

Marunouchi Gyoko-dori Underground Gallery

Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi.

Upcoming contemporary artists. Until May 26, free. 2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku.

Nearest stn: Tokyo. http:// marunouchi.com

Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

Great French Paintings from the Clark. Renaissance to 19th-century Western art.

Feb 9. Until May 26, ¥1,500 (general). The Clark Collection.

Paintings by Renoir, Manet, Monet, etc. Until May 26, ¥500-1,500. Wed-Fri 10am-8pm, Tue, Sat & Sun/ hols 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 2-6-2 Marunouchi. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.mimt.jp

Mitsui Memorial Museum Kyosai: Noh and Kyogen Paintings. Hokusai's greatest successor's works. Until Jun 16, ¥600-1,200. 7F Mitsui Main Bldg, 2-1-1 NihombashiMuromachi, Chuo-ku. Nearest stn: Mitsukoshimae. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.mitsuimuseum.jp

National Film Center

Japanese Film Heritage.

Permanent collection of works from the National Film Center.

Until Apr 3, ¥40-200. Open Tue-Sun 11am-6:30pm, closed Mon. 3-7-6 Kyobashi. Nearest stn: Kyobashi. www.momat. go.jp

National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo

Francis Bacon. 20th anniversary of the artist’s death. Until May 26, 10am-5pm (until 8pm Fri), closed Mon, ¥700 (HS), ¥1,100 (univ), ¥1,500 (gen). Design Project for the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games.

Until May 26, ¥130-420. Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-8pm. 3-7-6 Kyobashi.

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Nearest stn: Takebashi. www. momat.go.jp

HARAJUKU/AOYAMA Diesel Art Gallery

I See a Different You. Studio Africa photography exhibit.

Until May 10, free. Open daily 11:30am-9pm. 1-23-16 Shibuya. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.diesel.co.jp/art

Nezu Museum

National Treasure Irises Screens Rinpa Splendor. Ogata Korin's screens. Until May 19, Ceramics and Ukiyo-e Masterpieces from the Hagi Uragami Museum.

Paintings and ceramics.

Jun 1-Jul 15, ¥1,000-1,200.

Tue-Sun, 10am-4:30pm. 6-5-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en

SHIBUYA/EBISU Bunkamura: The Museum Antonio López. Key contemporary Spanish artist.

Until Jun 16, ¥700-1,500. 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

Meguro Museum of Art

Kenichi Sawaki. Illustration.

Until Jun 9, ¥550-700. Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 2-4-36 Meguro. Nearest stn: Meguro. Tel: 03-37141201. www.mmat.jp

Parco Museum

Anzai Expo. Mixed media.

60th-birthday tribute to Hajime Anzai. May 17-Jun 2, ¥400-500. Hatarakitai. Mixed media. Art by Shigesato Itoi, on theme “wanting to work.”

Jun 6-17, ¥400-500. Open daily 10am-9pm. B1F Parco Part1, 15-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-34775873. www.parco-art.com

Poster Hari's Gallery

Shuji Terayama and Tenjo Sasaki Poster Exhibit. Theater posters 1967-1983. Until May 19, ¥300-500. 1-9pm. Asaka Bldg 103, 2-26-18 Dogenzaka, Shibuya. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-5456-7218. http:// posterharis.com

Sompo Japan Museum of Art Odilon Redon. Oil paintings, lithographs, prints. Until Jun 23, ¥600-1,000. Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 42F Sompo Japan Bldg, 1-26-1 Nishi-Shinjuku. Nearest stn:

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Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5405-8686. www.sompo-japan.co.jp/ museum

The Watari-Um Museum of Contemporary Art

9am-5pm, Fri 9am-8pm, closed Mon. 7-20 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno.

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

JR: Could Art Change the World? Mixed media by French “photograffuer.” Until Jun 2, ¥800-1,000. Open Tue & Thu-Sun 11am-7pm, Wed 11am-9pm, closed Mon. 3-7-6 Jingumae. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. www.watarium. co.jp

The National Museum of Western Art

Tobacco and Salt Museum

The University Art Museum

Series of Art Prints on the Theme of Japanese Literary Works. Mixed media. Until May 12, free. Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 1-16-8 Jinnan. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3476-2041. www.jti. co.jp/culture/museum

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

The Black is Waiting for the White. Photographer Marci Giacomelli’s works focusing on contrasts. Until May 12, ¥600-1,000. Open Tue-Wed & Sat-Sun 10am-6pm, Thu-Fri 10am-8pm, closed Mon. 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku. Nearest stn: Ebisu. http://syabi.com

Yamatane Museum of Art

Raffaello. Painter and architect of the Italian Renaissance. Until Jun 2, ¥1,500. Open daily 9:30am5:30pm. 7-7 Ueno Park.

Nearest stn: Ueno. www. nmwa.go.jp

Natsume Soseki and Arts.

British art that inspired one of Japan's greatest Meiji-era writers. May 14-Jul 7, ¥700-1,500. Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon. 12-8 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.geidai.ac.jp/ museum

UENO

Ueno Royal Museum

National Museum of Nature and Science

Deep Sea. Earth's last frontier.

Jul 6-Oct 6, ¥300-600 admission, plus special exhibition fee. Written in the Bodies Lived at the Capital Edo. Skeletons, sketches and garments. Until Jun 16, ¥600.

Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun

We can support you with: Visa and immigration Intellectual property rights (Patent, trademark, copyrights)

Tokyo National Museum

A Profusion of Flowers.

The language and the encyclopedia of flowers.

Until Jun 2, ¥800-1,000.

Open Tue-Fri 11am-5pm, closed Mon & hols. 3-12-36 Hiroo. Nearest stn: Ebisu.

Tel: 03-5777-8600. www. yamatane-museum.or.jp

Feinberg Collection: From Native Soil—The Flowering of Edo Period Painting in Japan.

New York couple's 40-year collection of Japanese masterpieces. May 21-Jul 15, ¥650-1,300. 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

Reasonable prices.

Free first time consultation

Leonardo da Vinci—Portraits of a Genius. Illustrations and oil paintings. Until Jun 30, ¥800-1,500.. 8-36 Ueno Park.

Nearest stn: Ueno. www. tobikan.jp

Shinto Shrines. Sacred treasures. Until Jun 2, ¥600-2,000. The Beauty of Japanese-style Calligraphy. A stunning collection showing the evolution of kanji. Jul 13-Sep 8, ¥600-1,500. Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-5pm. 13-9 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.tnm.jp

Edo-Tokyo Museum

J-STAR PATENT, TRADEMARK & IMMIGRATION OFFICE

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Masterpieces of Arisugawa-no-miya Yukari Takamatsunomiya. Items that belonged to the Japanese imperial family.

May 21-Jul 14, ¥600-1,000.

Open Sat-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-8pm. 1-2 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.ueno-mori.org

Imperial Palace

Aoyama Ave

Other Legal & Business matters Patent attorney Immigration lawyer

Exit 4, Nagatacho stn Supreme Court

Establishing a Company & Branch office Hiroshi Oogai,

Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka

www.j-star.jp

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

OTHER AREAS Hakone Museum of Photography

Fuji-san. Photography

by Katsura Endo. Until Jul 15, ¥300-500.

10am-5pm, closed Tues (9am-9pm Sat from May to August). 1300-432 Goura Hakonemachi, Ashigarashimogun, Kanagawa. Nearest stn: Gora. Tel: 046-02-2717. www.hmop.com

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

More Than Twenty Years Experience

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

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 15

Agenda Listings Hara Museum of Contemporary Art

Sophie Calle: For the Last and First Time. Photography.

Images and interviews with blind people. Until Jun 30, ¥500-1,000. Enoshima.

Photography by Eiichiro Sakata. Jul 13-Sep 29, ¥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

Realism: Its Potential and Challenges. Until May 19, ¥1,500 (general), ¥1,000 (HS). Feeling the Light and the Wind. Realist painting

by Japanese artists. May 23-Nov 10, ¥750-1,500. 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

The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and its Recovery Efforts. Images and talks by people from the area. Until Sep 23, ¥250-420. Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-4:30pm, closed Mon. 117 Jonai-cho, Sakura-shi. Nearest stn: Keisei-Sakura. www. rekihaku.ac.jp

Nerima Art Museum

Makino Kunio. Oil paintings. Until Jun 2, ¥300-500. Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 1-36-16 Nukui. Nearest stn: Nakamurabashi. www.city. nerima.tokyo.jp/manabu/ bunka/museum

Pola Museum of Art

Looking for Beauty: Art Collector Suzuki Tsuneshi.

An unassuming art lover's extensive collection.

Until Jul 7, ¥700-1,800.

9am-4:30pm. 1285 Kozukayama, Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi. Nearest stn: Gora. www.polamuseum. or.jp

The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama Tamamono. Mixed media.

Until May 19, ¥640-800.

Open daily 10:00am5:30pm. 9-30-1 Tokiwa, Urawa-ku, Saitama-shi.

Nearest stn: Kitaurawa. www.momas.jp

Yokohama Museum of Art

Masterpieces of French Paintings. Artworks on loan from the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. Jul 6-Sep 16, Fri-Wed 10am-6pm. 3-4-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku.

Nearest stn: Minato Mirai. www.yaf.or.jp/yma

Sports BASEBALL 62th All-Japan University Baseball Championship

May 11-May 16, various times, ¥1,000. Meiji Jingu Stadium & Tokyo Dome. Tel: 03-5464-5444.

Interleague

Tokyo

Yakult Swallows vs. Saitama Seibu Lions. May 14-15, 6pm, ¥500-4,500.

Meiji Jingu Gaien. Nearest stn: Harajuku. 03-5464-5444 Yokohama

DeNA BayStars vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. May 14-15, 6pm, ¥800-¥5,500. Yokohama Stadium. Nearest stn: Kannai. Tel: 04-5661-1251.

03-5464-5444 Yomiuri

Giants vs.

Chiba Lotte Marines. May 14-15, 6pm, ¥500-¥5,900.

Tokyo Dome. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999. 03-5464-5444

Tokyo

Yakult Swallows vs. Chiba Lotte Marines. May 17-18, 6pm, ¥500-4,500. Meiji Jingu Gaien. Nearest stn: Harajuku. 03-5464-5444 Yokohama

DeNA vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

May 18, 2pm, ¥800-¥5,500.

Yokohama Stadium. Nearest stn: Kannai. Tel: 04-5661-1251.

03-5464-5444 Yomiuri

Giants vs. Saitama Seibu Lions. May 18, 6pm, ¥1,500-¥4,500. Meiji Jingu Gaien. Nearest stn: Harajuku.

03-5464-5444

FIGURE SKATING Art on Ice

International stars put on a series of magical performances. Jun 1-2, 1 & 6:30pm, ¥8,000-28,000.

Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

Nearest stn: Meiji-Jingumae.

Tel: 0570-550-799. www. artonice.jp

GOLF Japan Professional Golf Championship May 16-19, ¥10,000. Sohbu Country Club. Nearest stn: Inzai Makinohara. www. pacificgolf.co.jp

JLPGA

Japan Professional Golf Championship. May 16-19, ¥10,000. Sohbu Country Club.

Nearest stn: Inzai Makinohara. www.pacificgolf.co.jp

KICKBOXING Nice Middle 18

May 18, 11:30am, ¥3,00010,000. Shinjuku Face. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 042-3234546. www.nicemiddle.jp

MMA J-Girls: Victorious Goddess May 19, 5:30pm, ¥3,00015,000. Shinjuku Face. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-34982350. www.jg-kickboxing.jp

Pancrase 247

May 19, 4:30pm, ¥6,00012,000. Differ Ariake. Nearest stn: Ariake-tennis-no-mori. Tel: 03-5339-9198. www.pancrase. co.jp

MOTOR SPORTS Gran Turismo D1GP Rd. 2

May 25-26, 10am, ¥1,000¥2,000. Suzuka Circuit. Nearest stn: Suzuka Circuit Inou. Tel: 059-378-1111.

MOTORCYCLE RACING Taste of Tsukuba

Motorcycle race. May 12, ¥3,200. Tsukuba Circuit.

Nearest stn: Furukawa. Tel: 0296-44-3146.

PRO WRESTLING Noah: Final Burning

May 11, 5pm, ¥3,000-30,000.

Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. Tel: 03-3527-5311. www.noah.co.jp

Rise Up

May 18, 6pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999. www.all-japan.co.jp

New Japan: Best of the Super Jr

May 24, 6:30pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999. www.njpw.co.jp

Wrestling New Classic Tournament

May 24, 7pm, ¥3,000-7,000 +1d.

Shinjuku Face. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-6441-2940. www.wnc-pro.com

WWE Live

Featuring wrestlers John Cena, Dolph Ziggler and more. Jul 4-Jul 5, 7pm, ¥3,000-7,000.

Ryogoku Kokugikan. Nearest stn: Ryogoku. Tel: 0570-550799. http://japantour13.wwe. co.jp

RUGBY Japan vs. Wales

Jun 15, 2pm, ¥600-5,500.

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae.

Tel: 03-3401-3881. www.naash. go.jp/chichibunomiya

Japan vs. USA

Jun 23, 12:10pm, ¥300-7,000.

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-3290. www.rugby-japan.jp/ticket

Tonga vs. Fiji

Jun 23, 2:10pm, ¥300-7,000.

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-3290. www.rugby-japan.jp/ticket

SOCCER Urawa Reds vs. Kashima Antlers

May 11, 7pm, ¥1,000-¥4,500.

Saitama Stadium. Nearest stn: Urawamisono. Tel: 048-8121007. www.j-league.or.jp/eng

Omiya Ardija vs. Shonan Bellmare

May 18, 5pm, ¥2,000-¥5,000.

NACK5 Stadium. Nearest stn: Kitaomiya. Tel: 048-644-7950. www.j-league.or.jp/eng

J. League, Division 1

Kawasaki

Frontale vs.

Cerezo Osaka. May 11, 3pm, ¥800-4,500. Todoroki Stadium.

Nearest stn: Musashikosugi.

Urawa

Reds vs. Kashima Antlers. May 11, 7pm, ¥1,000¥4,500. Saitama Stadium.

Nearest stn: Urawamisono.

FC Tokyo vs. Shimizu S-Pulse. May 18, 7pm, ¥500-6,000. Ajinomoto Stadium. Nearest stn: Tobitakyu.

Omiya

Ardija vs. Shonan Bellmare. May 18, 5pm, ¥2,000¥5,000. NACK5 Stadium.

Nearest stn: Kitaomiya.

Kawasaki

Frontale vs.

Albirex Niigata. May 25, 3pm, ¥800-4,500. Todoroki Stadium.

Nearest stn: Musashikosugi.

Kashiwa

Reysol vs. Urawa Reds. May 26, 4pm, ¥2,300¥5,000. National Olympic Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae.

Urawa

Reds vs. Vegalta Sendai. May 29, 7:30pm, ¥2,000-¥4,500. Saitama Stadium. Nearest stn: Urawamisono.

Nabisco Cup

FC Tokyo vs. Albirex Niigata.

May 15, 7pm, ¥500-5,000.

National Olympic Stadium.

Nearest stn: Gaienmae.

Kawasaki

Frontale vs.

Omiya Ardija. May 15, 7pm, ¥800-4,500. Todoroki Stadium.

Nearest stn: Musashikosugi.

Soccer details at www.j-league. or.jp/eng

SUMO May Sumo Grand Tournament

May 12-26, various, ¥2,10014,300. Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Nearest stn: Ryogoku. Tel: 03-3622-3300. http://sumo. pia.jp/en

SWIMMING Japan Open 2013

One of the Japan’s major swimmers. May 24-26, 9am, ¥2,000-¥4,000. Sagamihara Green Pool. Nearest stn: Kamimizo. Tel: 042-758-3151.

Festivals USMC Camp Fuji Friendship Festival

Annual open base event with military displays, etc, and an after-party. Bring photo ID. May 11, 11am-7pm (outside area), 5pm-12am (nightclub area), free. USMC Camp Fuji, Nakabata 2092, Gotenba-shi, Shizuoka. Nearest station: Takigahara Jietai Mae. Tel: 0550-89-6102. www. mccsfuji.com

16 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

Thai Festival

Food and clothing stalls and more. May 11-12, 10am-8pm, free. Yoyogi Park. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-3222-4101. www.thaifestival.net

Kanda Matsuri

One of the three great Shinto festivals in Japan, feat. a mikoshi float parade, drumming and dance. May 9-15, free.

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

Sanja Matsuri

Over 100 portable shrines paraded to bring good fortune. May 16-19, free.

Asakusa Shrine. Nearest stn: Asakusa. Tel: 03-3844-1575. www.sanjasama.jp

Shibuya Kagoshima Ohara Festival

Local specialties and a parade on the second day. May 18-19, 10am-4pm, free. Hachiko Square. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.shibuyadeohara.jp

Tokyo Hotaru Festival

Over 100,000 LED lights set afloat, accompanied by live music. May 25, 7pm, ¥1,0003,000. Sumidagawa River.

Nearest station: Asakusa.

Tel: 03-6825-7913. www. tokyo-hotaru.jp

Satsuki Festival

A feast of azalea flowers.

May 29-Jun 3, free. Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno.

Tel: 03-3821-8430. www. satsukikyokai.or.jp/ satsuki_fes

Tennou Sai

Portable shrine procession.

Jun 3 & 8-9, all day, free.

Susanoo Shrine. Nearest station: Minami-Senju. www.susanoo.or.jp/tennosai

Tokyo Pure Ice Festival

Shinagawa Intercity Flea Market More than 120 vendors.

Sun & hols, 9am-3pm, free.

Shinagawa Intercity. Nearest stn: Shinagawa. meturl.com/ shinflea

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.

Best Flea Market

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

Tel: 03-3226-6800.

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

Batoma Interior Exhibition

Interior-design trade show specializing in Christmassy items. May 24-25, 11am-7pm; May 26, 11am-5pm, ¥500.

Laforet Museum. Nearest stn: Meiji-jingumae. www.batoma. com

Island Lifestyle Show

Hawaii art, goods and more.

May 25-26, 10am-6pm, ¥800 (adv)/ ¥1,000 (door). Tokyo Big Sight. Nearest stn: KokusaiTenjijo-Seimon. Tel: 03-64274596. www.hawaii.jp

Bazaars & Markets Shimokitazawa University Fair

Arts and crafts, workshops and Tohoku charity events.

May 11-12, noon-7pm, free.

Around the station. Nearest station: Shimokitazawa. www.shimokita-univ. com/2013spring

Learning Tokyo Writers Workshop

Nogi Shrine Market

Book Picnic

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

Oedo Antique Fair

Japan’s largest outdoor antique market. First and third Sun, 8am-4:30pm, Tokyo International Forum Hall C. Nearest stn: Yurakucho. Tel: 03-5805-1093.

Aoyama Marché

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.

Forums & Expos

Biannual expo for upcoming artists and artisans. May 18-19, 11am-7pm, ¥1,000. Tokyo Big Sight. Nearest stn: KokusaiTenjijo-Seimon. designfesta. com/en

Bicyclists of all treads meet for slide shows, lectures, ride-planning, etc. Every second Wed, 7pm, free, The Pink Cow. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www. halffastcycling.com

Farm-fresh veg from the north.

Every Sat, 7-9am, Roppongi Hills East Court. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-6406-5285.

Tokyo Street Hockey Association

Design Festa Vol. 37

Half-Fast Cyclists

Ibaraki-ichi

Fudaten Jinja Market

Popular horticultural event in its 15th year. May 11-16, 9:30am-5:30pm, ¥1,700 (adv), ¥2,000 (door), free (elem and under). Seibu Dome.

Nearest stn: Seibukyujomae.

Tel: 03-5777-8600. www. bara21.jp

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

Regular monthly meeting to improve your work and discuss others’. Check submission guidelines online. Nihon University College of Art Ekoda Campus.

Tel: 03-5995-8201. www. meetup.com/Tokyo-WritersWorkshop

A frozen wonderland with ice bar, sculptures, games, performances, and more. Jun 9, 10:30am-4pm, free. Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. Tel: 03-3828-5644. http://meturl. com/icefest

International Roses and Gardening Show

Stitch-n-Bitch

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

Community Casual group with regular meet-ups. First, second and third Fri. Check site for details. www.tokyohockey.com

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School

Burlesque models pose for artstars and newbies alike with food, drinks and arty socializing.

May 15, 7pm, ¥2,000. The Pink Cow. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.drsketchytokyo. wordpress.com

PechaKucha

Architects and designers present at Heineken Star Lounge­. May 15, 8:20pm, free. Heineken Star Lounge.

B6 Bldg, 6-28-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www. pechakucha.org

Southpaw Open Mike

New night for aspiring comics and musicians. May 27, 9pm, free. For a spot email southpawopenmike@gmail. com. The Black Sheep. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. http://meturl. com/blacksheepmike

Pause Talk

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

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. meturl.com/ hoopinginjapan

Meet contributers to Forty Stories of Japan and Downunder Japan, as well as Japan on Foot writer Mary King for some sun-soaked discussion. May 26, noon, free. Yoyogi Park. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 090-9153-5917. www.finelinepress.co.nz

Other Events Zombie Walk

Join a parade of rotting corpses around Harajuku.

Advance registration required via hellozombiena@gmail. com. May 11, from 2pm, free.

Yoyogi Park. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www.zombiena.net

Sound/Art - Tuning in to Africa

Art installations, live performances and talk sessions. May 14-20.

Yokohama Creativecity Center. Nearest stn: Kannai or Sakuragicho. Tel: 045-2210219. http://saa.yafjp.org

Mama Fes

Two-day event for mothers and families, with workshops, performances and goods on sale. May 17-18, 10am-5pm, ¥1,000 (gen)/ free (JHS and under). Tokyo Midtown.

Nearest stn: Roppongi.

Tel: 03-3475-3100. www. mamafes.com

Manpaku

Open-air food festival with dishes from all over the world and a beer garden at night.

May 18-Jun 3, 10:30am-9pm, ¥400-¥2,000. Showa Kinen Park. Nearest stn: Tachikawa. http://manpaku.jp/201305

Pena Festayre

Southern French-themed event with dinner and drinks. Wear red and white for a free glass of wine. Reservations required.

May 18, 5:30pm, ¥3,500 (10 food tickets for dishes, outdoors)/ ¥5,000 (3 course menu with wine, indoors). Le Comptoir Occitan. Nearest stn: Daikanyama or Nakameguro.

Email: bruno.leroy@ hesperidesadvisors.com.

One Love Festival

Reggae music, dance championship and more.

May 18-19, all day, free.

Yoyogi Park. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www. onelovejamaicafestival.jp

Warrior Dash

Muddy obstacle race. Jun 15-16, from 8am. Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest, Kanagawa. Nearest stn: Pleasure Forest Mae. Jun 22-23, from 8am. Free (spectator)/ ¥1,000 (festival)/ ¥8,000 (adventure run). Naeba Ski Resort. Nearest stn: Echigo Yuzawa. Tel: 03-4550-1199. www.warriordash.jp

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03-6425-7054 • roppongi@basipilates.jp www.basipilates.jp/english/ #998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 17

MOVIES

BY DON MORTON

IRON MAN 3: © 2012 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2012 MARVEL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; SINISTER: (C)2012 ALLIANCE FILMS (UK) LIMITED; EAMES: THE ARCHITECT AND THE PAINTER: © 2011 EAMES OFFICE, LLC.; GOD SAVE MY SHOES: © CAID PRODUCTIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED./©MATTEL, INC.; GANGSTER SQUAD: © 2012 VILLAGE ROADSHOW FILMS (BVI) LIMITED; WELCOME TO THE PUNCH: ©THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE 2013; KILLING THEM SOFTLY: © 2012 COGANS FILM HOLDINGS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; THE WE AND THE I: (C)2012 NEXT STOP PRODUCTION. LLC. JELLYFISH EYES: ©TAKASHI MURAKAMI/KAIKAI KIKI CO., LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

More reviews and theater details: metropolis.co.jp/movies

Metpod

NEW

IRON MAN 3

2

008’s Iron Man was a fun flick, m a i n ly b e c au s e of Ro b e r t Downey Jr.’s unique, irreverent and even believable portrayal as the brash-but-brilliant industrialistturned-superhero. The 2010 sequel

was, I thought, dutiful and a bit forced, and I really don’t remember much about the bombastic The Avengers.

But I’m glad to say that everyone’s favorite skewed-hero Man in a Can is back in form with IM3. As with the

first film, this one works because Downey spends a lot of time outside his ferrous super-suit engaging in his inimitable, rapid-fire one-liners. A highlight is Ben Kingsley, an absolute hoot as “The Mandarin,” an expectations-subverting s u p e r-v i l l a i n w h o s e vengeful, scorched-earth ca mpa i g n a ga i n st Tony Stark and all he holds dear severely (and sorry about this in advance) tests his mettle. Guy Pearce again demonstrates his range as a convincing secondary (or is it primary?) villain, one of those dreaded smarmy successful nerds. And of course Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle reprise their roles as Pepper Potts and Colonel Rhodes. Well paced, excellent special effects (in pointless 3D), pretty funny, entertaining from start to finish and a satisfying, character-driven balance of action, comedy and sci-fi. (130 min)

NEW

NEW

This fun, stylish and male-baffling look at those thin gs that cover your feet (women’s, that is) consists largely of interviews with very wealthy—what you’d have to call “Imeldic”—ladies who have shoe closets bigger than my 2DK. The humble shoe is examined from the sociological, historical, cultural and psychological perspective —and let’s not leave out the erotic. Or the obsessive. Also represented are designers like Manolo Blahnik, and a lot of people speaking in French. But mostly it’s rich ladies talking about this pair of Jimmy Choos they just hadda have but have never worn.

Baffling. Japanese title: Watashi ga Kutsu wo Ai Suru Wake. (60 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 11

A self-centered true crime hack (Ethan Hawke) desperate for a new hit book moves his unsuspecting family into a house in which the previous inhabitants were hanged en masse, with one child still missing.

He finds some unsettling Super 8 footage that seems to be “family” snuff films, in that entire families are ritually burned, drowned or even lawn-mowered. Ick. Develops like a mystery thriller before plowing into supernatural horror. Ending a bit over the top, but a credible Hawke holds it together. Relentlessly paced, well crafted, above average boo movie with a fittingly discordant score. Japanese title: Footage. (110 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 11

GOD SAVE MY SHOES

SINISTER

NEW

EAMES: THE ARCHITECT AND THE PAINTER

You may never have come into contact with Charles and Ray Eames, but your butt most likely has. The architectural-school dropout and his wife, the painter who rarely painted, are most commonly associated with the ubiquitous bentwood “Eames chair.” But their influence goes way beyond that. Their iconic and groundbreaking mix of the practical and the aesthetic fairly flowed out of their wonderfully prolific design studio in Venice, CA. They made numerous short films, designed the IBM logo, housewares and exhibitions. A must-see for designers. Japanese title: Futari no Eames: Kenchika Charles to Gaka Ray. (84 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 11

WELCOME TO THE PUNCH

Highly derivative (of Michael Mann and Christopher Nolan), style-oversubstance Brit coppers-and-robbers kill-’em-up. Solid performances by James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Peter Mullan and Andrea Riseborough are repeatedly undermined by writing rife with risible dialogue and plot twists you can spot from a mile away.

And the thing’s so convoluted that it must at one point be explained in one of those at-gunpoint monologues.

Looks great, but I don’t remember believing a thing in it. Bright side: Pretty good Bad Movie potential if you consume it with friends and a few drinks. (99 min)

GANGSTER SQUAD

The “Hat Squad” was an elite unit illicitly sanctioned by legendary LAPD Chief William Parker in 1949 to play dirty with Mickey Cohen and drive the Mob out of El Lay. Fascinating story. Go rent the 1996 Mulholland Falls for more. But this tawdry, stylishly empty Untouchables wannabe is closer to Dick Tracy, and so dumbs down and amps up the story for the multiplex crowd that it plays more like a preposteronedrenched Fantastic Four sequel with tommy guns. Talent wasted in this dim-witted celebration of righteous bloodshed includes Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. (113 min)

KILLING THEM SOFTLY

Of all the movies about mob hit men, etc., few are more gritty, unglamorous or wickedly amusing than this sideways look at the daily job of being a hood. Hey, it’s just business, but in this economy business is bad. Brad Pitt’s charismatic-but-callous assassin character has had it about up to here with the banality of the corporate-type mob decision-makers. Is organized crime just capitalism in a more raw form? Gangster-flick fans may find this dialogue-driven effort a bit slow (filmmakers prefer “deliberately paced”). Be warned, however, that when it turns violent, it’s pretty explicit. Japanese title: Jackie Cogan.

(97 min)

THE WE AND THE I

T he latest from M ichel Gond ry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind but also Green Hornet) is an hour and a half of intense teenage effusiveness, about a few dozen insanely energetic Bronx high school kids sharing a city bus home on the last day of school before summer. These soon-to -be-adults yearn, spurn, chatter, flatter, bully and befriend as they jockey for status. It’s not a doc, but every scene is meticulously crafted to play like one. Gondry spent two years with these kids at an after-school acting program weaving their real lives into the script. Starts off irritating; grows on you. (103 min)

eiga

movie news

cinematic underground

JELLYFISH EYES

Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda has already tasted success at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. His film Nobody Knows, a study of four children living alone in a Tokyo apartment was selected for the competition for the 2004 edition of the French festival. Its 14-year-old star Yuya Yagira became the first Japanese to win the Best Actor award that year. Now Koreeda will have another shot at the Palme d’Or when the cinema elite descend on the resort town May 15-26.

His just-completed feature Like Father, Like Son [pictured] stars author/actor Lily Franky as a loving father who finds the boy he has raised for six years is not his biological son, due to a hospital mix-up. It is one of 19 films in the “official selection” program.

Fellow Japanese director Takashi Miike is heading to France with his thriller Shield of Straw. Other high profile entries in the competition include Roman Polanski’s Venus in Furs, Steven Soderbergh’s Behind the Candelabra on the entertainer Liberace, and the Coen Brothers’ folksinger drama Inside Llewyn Davis.

After having been invited countless times, Steven Spielberg finally cleared up his schedule enough to serve as this year’s jury head. “My admiration for the steadfast mission of the festival to champion the international language of movies is second to none,” the Lincoln director said. Like Father, Like Son will open in Japan on Oct 5. Kevin Mcgue

In sad news, Ginza Theatre Cinema (1-11-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku; www. t tcg .jp/t heat re _ g i n za ) will become the latest Tok yo a r t hou s e to lower its lights for the final time this month.

To s ay fa rewe l l , it i s bringing back some of the most popular films from its 27-year history, May 11-30. On the program are Almodovar’s Talk to Her (2002; pictured) and Bad Education (2004), Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) and French movie 8 Women (2002), as well as all-night screenings of the films of Catherine Deneuve (May 18) and Ken Loach (May 25)… Portuguese director João Pedro Rodrigues has won international attention for his work, which often deals with gay themes. His films have not been widely seen in Japan, but Shin-Bungeiza in Ikebukuro (3F, 1-43-5 Higashi-Ikebukuro Toshima-ku; www.shin-bungeiza.com) will hold an all-night screening of his features, shorts and documentaries on May 11…If you have a love of cinema and a morning free, check out the ongoing series of digitally-remastered classic films presented at 10am at Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills (6-10-2 Roppongi Minato-ku; www.tohotheater.jp). Pretty Woman (1990) is on through May 17, followed by West Side Story (1961; May 18-31), Rio Bravo (1959; June 1-14), Lawrence of Arabia (1962; June 15-28) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975; Jun 29-Jul 12). KM

C o n te m p o r a r y a r t i s t Takashi Murakami, known for coining the term “superflat” to refer to a present-day Japanese aesthetic—as well as the look of his own work— appropriately helms the stylish Jellyfish Eyes for his directorial debut. This is fitting since the superflat oeuvre is heavily influenced by manga, anime, a kawaii sensibility and Japanese commercialism, making Murakami the ideal candidate to create this type of popular feature length film. The story revolves around Masashi (Takuto Sueoka), a boy who has come from a tsunami relocation center to a small town in Japan. At his new school, he learns that every child gets a Friend, something like a robot spirit totem controlled by technological devices to serve the child. This allows Murakami to create a whole range of otherworldly creatures while focusing on Kurage-bo (“Jellyfish boy”), Masashi’s totem. Visually inventive, Murakami mixes live action and animation to create a compelling flick. While the idea seems to borrow a bit from the great manga-based film Ikechan to Boku (2009) and it is a children’s story; overall this is a fine cross-genre jump for Murakami. Japanese title: Mememe no Kurage. (100 min). Rob Schwartz

Unless noted, Japanese films screen without English subtitles.

Non-English language films are shown with Japanese subtitles only.

©GAGA CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

© EL DESEO S.A.

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 19

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Dining Out

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COURTESY OF SAZABY LEAGUE, LTD

apa n’s h istor ic staple got a shakeup last month with the opening of Akomeya T o k y o ( 2 -2 - 6 G i n z a , Chuo-ku; www.akomeya. jp), a “rice lifestyle design store.” While the shop sells rice (18 different types to be exact), it also houses a restaurant serving dishes using its goods (inari-zushi, ohagi and warabimochi) and a bar serving cocktails based on nihonshu (sake mojito, anyone?). Modern rice totes (instead of sacks) are offered, along with wooden rice chests and masu (those square cedar boxes you’ll remember from drinking sake—or maybe not). In collaboration with the opening, Finnish designer Mina Perhonen has created a rice pouch and a stylish apron. Ask about joining the regular tasting event Kiki no Kai.

COURTESY OF ROLLING SOBBAT J

achikawa’s spacious Showa Kinen Park is the venue for a yearly extravaganza that pulled in some 191,000 punters last year. The purpose of Manpaku is found in its name, which has elements of full stomach (manpuku) and wide knowledge (hakuran).

There are seven themed areas to eat your way around— world, curry, ramen, gyoza, karaage, sweets, and gotochi (Japanese regional food). Look out in the sweets zone for the eye-catching Melon Maru Goto Cream Soda (¥800; pictured). At night Manpaku transforms into a humongous beer garden, with locally brewed beers like Shonan Gold and Yokohama XPA alongside all the faves. Showa Kinen Park, Tachikawa, May 18-Jun 3, entry ¥500/day. http://manpaku.jp COURTESY OF ROCKIN’ ON JAPAN

bread

M

issin g ma ma’s breadbasket?

L on g i n g for a decent bowl of hearty soup that doesn’t come from a certain overpriced cha i n? T hen h it up t he recently opened Eat More Soup and Bread (7F Lumine Est, 3-38-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; http://emsb.jp). Choose from soup, salad or pasta as the main dish in their lunch set (from ¥1,080), and get a mini-salad or soup, minidessert, drink and—wait for it—all-you-can-eat bread.

Which could be a major shock to the carb-deprived system. Tea time involves parfaits (matcha, mixed berries, caramel nuts) and cakes from ¥680 (¥880 with a drink), and dinner offers a wider range including clam chowder (¥1,000) and bouillabaisse (¥1,100).

drink

G pro

T

wo Japanese heavyweights tussle at the brand-new Rolling Sobbat J (1F Take Bldg, 1-19 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku; tel: 03-3226-4821), where the genteel soba noodle meets the barbarous gravy-like soup of tsukemen. To accompany this culinary clash, the shop is decked out in pro-wrestling paraphernalia, from mementoes to actual ropes separating the customers from the staff and a cartoon fresco of puroresu legend The Great Muta. Three soup bases are on offer—yuzu shio, seafood and tonkotsu, and maze (mixed)—with the standard dish going for ¥750, and the maxed-out version for ¥1,050. The name comes from a move where the flying, spinning wrestler back-kicks his opponent. If you’re feeling on the ropes after a night out, stop by until 5am on Monday-Thursday and 7am Friday-Saturday.

et a jump on the barrage of novelty drinks set to fill up convenience store shelves over the summer months by partaking of a different class of fancy beverage now. For those who can’t decide between a sugary drink or a sweet snack, Asahi Soft Drinks has launched a tie-up with French fine-foods company Fauchon to combine the both in one heady swig. The consequent entity is the Fauchon Éclair Tea (¥115), guaranteed to dilate your pupils and fill your body with a surging rush of energy, followed by a descent into a comatose state from which you can only be wakened with a Pocari Sweat and a large electric shock.

turtle

I

f your idea of Hawaiian fare in Japan stops at loco moco, you’re missing out. Honolulu Sweets Factory (1F Lumine Kitasenju, 42-2 Senju Asahi-cho, Adachi-ku; www.honolulusweetsfactory.com) produces the stellar Honu Cookies [pictured]. Named after the Hawaiian word for turtle, the biccies (¥1,050/ box of 8) are tastefully amphibian-shaped with a heartshaped dollop of filling to make your mouth melt.

Choose from the creamily refreshing mango choco, white choco, strawberry choco and dark choco. Hua’ai (fruit) Cheesecake Bars are among the other irresistible delights (¥1,260/5 sticks).

Metropolis is giving away five boxes of Honu Cookies. To win, email giveaways@metropolis.co.jp with your postal details and tell us your favorite imaginary snack.

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 21

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Dining Out

bar review

THE ART OF DRINKING

Absinthe in Ebisu

By Brandi Goode

T

he "Green Fair y," better known as absinthe, served as a symbol of freedom from conventions for creative souls in France 150 years ago.

La fée verte can now spirit modern Tok yo drinkers away to another bohemian time and place.

Bar Tram and its “brother” establishment, Trench, are the handiwork of owners Takuya Itoh and Rogerio Igashi Vaz. Both are experts of what they refer to as “the art of drinking.”

Itoh says they launched the bars to fill a void in Tokyo, for a venue with a nostalgic ambience that served topflight cocktails. Absinthe was seen as the link between fashion, art and bar culture, and thus became the focal spirit for their concept.

Tram is the larger, older brother,

restaurant review

LOTUS CAFÉ

A hip twostory café in Omotesando

By Kimberly Hughes

T

okyo has a café for every occasion. While some days might beckon you outside to enjoy fine weather on a patio, others might induce you to sit in a darkened basement surrounded by chain-smok ing intellectuals.

On those days, head straight to the backstreets of Omotesando toward

with a collection of antique, eclectic furnishings scattered throughout its main space. The lighting is soft with a rosy hue complementing the velvet covered chairs. Retro lamps, wall hangings and bottles serve as décor.

Each bottle has a story—one that the passionate owners are anxious to tell.

If you're not a fan of umeshu, Hoshiko at Tram could change your mind. The artisan behind the plum liqueur spent over 20 years perfecting the recipe, and the result is a delightful blend of spice and muted sweetness with just the right touch of sour. Tram serves a Hoshiko Matador for ¥1,470 with fresh pineapple, lime and all-spice bitters; we dare you to try having just one.

Or give in to the Green Muse with an Absinthe Drip (¥1,155-2,940).

The anise-f lavored brew is served using traditional glass fountains, with a slotted spoon and sugar cube atop a glass. The ideal ratio is apparently three to five parts water to one part absinthe, so adjust accordingly. Tram serves eight varieties of the spirit, including Mansinthe, Marilyn Manson’s own rendition.

Cock ta i ls l i ke t he Green Beast (absi nt he, cucu mber a nd l i me, ¥1,200) can also be procured for the reticent. The rest of the menu is divided into sections according to herbal themes, such as ginger, mint and rosemary, in addition to a selection of classics.

Tram’s international food menu features snacks such as cheese and jerky plates (¥500-¥1,250), and an assorted mix of starters and bread (¥900-¥1,200). Recommended dishes include roasted cabbage with herb oil and cheddar cheese (¥800), gorgonzola and orange-honey pizza (¥1,100) or the lamb curry (¥1,450).

Finally, take advantage of that betsubara and order the absinthe ice cream (¥850). Vanilla ice cream is bathed in Swiss chocolate—an ideal match for the bitter absinthe, which is added just before the dish is flambéed tableside—et voila!

Trench is the more “maniac” bar of the family, targeting true spirits enthusiasts. There is a ¥500 cover charge and an abbreviated menu, which changes monthly.

Twisted classics like the Vesper

Lotus Café.

Run by the good folks at Table Modern Service, who helped bring minimalist-st yle café culture to Tokyo with establishments like the Bowery Kitchen in Komazawa, Lotus offers the same cozy warmth, tasty and reasonably priced food, eclectic ambient music, sophisticated clientele, and artistic magazines for browsing.

On a recent d in ner v isit, we began with a classic appetizer of Vichyssoise (¥350). The chilled soup had a perfect consistency and balance of flavor between the potatoes and leeks. A glass of crisp Chilean Cha rdon nay (¥600) pa i red wel l with a second appetizer of chilled

tomatoes (¥500), drizzled with olive oil and accentuated by strong hints of garlic. For our first entrée, we opted for the grilled chicken with herb-lemon sauce (¥1, 0 0 0) — p e r f e c t l y cooked a nd accompa n ied by a mou nd o f c r i s p y, f r a g r a n t grilled potatoes and charred rosemary. The kajikimaguro saikyo-yaki (¥850), a grilled white tuna filet with miso sauce, was accentuated by glazed eggplant and small mounds of tof u a nd shung ik u (ga rla nd chrysanthemum).

By far t he toughest choice of the night was dessert. We finally d e c id e d on t he m o c h a c hou x (¥400)—a decadent twist on choux crème featuring a solid chocolate crust—and the two-tiered matcha w ith white chocolate tart (¥550), which was f lakily-crusted, baked to just the right level of firmness, and topped off with a small pile of azuki beans.

As with anything, Lotus is not all

Martini with No. 3 gin, vodka and quinine liqueur for ¥1,470 (shaken, not stirred) w ill amuse t he palate. There’s also an intriguing wall of bit ters beh i nd t he ba r, most imported directly by the proprietors through their Small Axe distribution business. Trench showcases no less than 30 varieties of absinthe and a few food items from their menu at Tram.

Intrigued? Hop on the drinking Tram and en-Trench yourself in the world of absinthe, or, as the bars’ slogan suggests: “Get drunk different.”

J/E Menu in Japanese and English

Cocktails from ¥1,200, food from ¥500

No nonsmoking seats

Tram: table, sofa or counter; Trench: counter, couples’ tables

Unique ambience, cocktail ingredients

Tough to get a table at Tram; reservations recommended

2F Swing Bldg, 1-7-13 Ebisu-nishi, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-5489-5514 Nearest stn: Ebisu

Tram: Open Mon-Thu 7pm-3am, Fri-Sun & hols 7pm-4am Trench: Open Mon-Sat 7pm-2am, closed Sun

www.small-axe.net

perfection. The service can waver between annoyingly over-attentive and near-abandonment. Such is an easily forgivable blemish, however, in a café lifted straight out of hipster New York.

J/E Menu in Japanese & English (lunch menu in Japanese only)

Some nonsmoking seats

Price (for one person not including drinks): ¥1,000-2,000

Upstairs for a more airy feel; downstairs for a cozier, basement vibe

Variety of food and soft drinks

Touch-and-go service

4-6-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tel: 03-5772-6077. Nearest stn: Omotesando

Open Sun-Thu 11am-3am, Fri-Sat 11am-4am

www.heads-west.com/shop/ lotus.html

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 23

The majority of classified ads have moved online!

Our online classified ad system gives you more power to place and track your ads. All classifieds submitted for business purposes are considered commercial. Commercial and upgraded free ads can appear in any section.

To place Job ads, go to http://classifieds.metropolis.co.jp Or get in touch by email at commercial@metropolis.co.jp

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1.8 GENERAL SERVICES JAPAN’S MOST AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE. If you feel like you’re throwing money away on insurance, come on over to HealthOne and start saving today!

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acclaimed Peter Walker’s “Developmental Baby Massage” and “YogaGym”.

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TokyoCityApartments.net 03-3382-0151

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

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 s t n . R a te s : D a i ly ¥ 78 0 0.

Weekly ¥68 50 -/day.

Monthly ¥5900-/day. Over three months ¥4950-/ day. Tax, utilities included. f r o n t d e s k@ a z a b u c o u r t . com www. azabucour t . com/ 03-3446-8610

2.3 RENT OVER ¥200,000

TO K YO A PA RTM E NT S .

Corporate housing p rovi d e r of fe ri n g s h o r t and long-term apartments throughout central Tokyo. Fully customizable packages! Serviced, furnished and unfurnished apartments, relocation service, furniture rental, a n d p ro p e r ty s a l e s a n d management. Please call 0120-957-520. www.tokyoapartments.jp

M E T R O H O M E S .

U e n o 5 - G o ka n H e i g h t s 1LDK ¥200,000. Re Mode Minami-Aoyama 1LDK ¥200,000. Works Yotsuya 1 LD K ¥ 2 0 0,0 0 0. Vi ra g e Nakacho 1LDK ¥200,000.

Ginza Tower 1K ¥200,000.

Lanai Heritage 2LDK ¥200,000. Seion-Kaku 2LDK ¥200,000. Regina Minami-Azabu 1LDK ¥ 2 0 0,0 0 0. C r e a H o m e s Jingumae 2LDK ¥200,000.

Apple Tower Tokyo Canal Court 3LDK ¥200,000.

Ipse Ebisu 1R ¥200,000.

Search for your room at the Metropolis Real Estate Site. www.MetroHomes.jp http:// meturl.com/mh200

2.4 HOUSE SHARE B U D G E T S T A Y .

Google “ Budget Stay,” or visit our website at http:// budgetstay.jp/qhm.

D o rm ito r y, 8 0 m fro m Tokyo Subway Shimo stn ¥20,000/m. Private room, 1 5 0 m f r o m To b u S h i m o Itabashi stn, 500m from JR Itabashi stn ¥35,000/m. 0706516-7597 (10am-10pm) C ENTR ALLY LO C ATED S E M I - F U R N I S H E D STUDIO APARTMENT in Wakamatsu-Kawada, Shinjuku-ku, deluxe, independent, 23sqm, w/ a i rc o n , m i c rowave ove n , g a s stove, bed, computer table, fridge, light fixture, curtains ¥92,000. apollojp@gol.com EMERGENCY HOUSING. Non-profit Megumi House is available 24/7 to

PRIVATE ROOM IN GREAT LOCATION. Room m ate sought for 4 2 sqm apartment in Uehara, one-month or longer, 12sqm private room, w/small balcony ¥65,000. Utilities extra. vombat.idae@yahoo.de

2.7 OFFICE SPACE

COMPASS OFFICES, MEGURO, S H I N AWAG A- KU. Fully furnished offices for 1-100 people, virtual offices and meeting rooms. Flexible te rm s . Co - wo rki n g a n d mobile working in the largest

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 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

business lounge in Tokyo.

Call 03-4540-1234, email jpsales@compassoffices.com or visit www.compassoffices. co.jp for more info.

3 EDUCATION 3.1 JAPANESE SCHOOLS JAPANESE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY. Our flexible, affordable Japanese lessons can help you reach your communication goals for eve r yd ay c o n ve r s a t i o n , passing the JLPT, or reading newspapers or books.

Individual or group classes at times and locations suitable for you. Contact Aoyama L a n g u a g e S c h o o l to d ay!

0 3 - 5 4 1 3 - 7 4 5 0 www.aoyama-school.com info@aoyama-school.com

3.2 JAPANESE TEACHERS JAPANESE LESSONS. Easy Japanese classes for beginners at my place near Iogi, Nerima-ku, Seibu Shinjuku line. ¥1500/h. Contact me in English. 080 -5071-5723 http://123japaneseschool.jimdo. com/ rieko818jp@yahoo.co.jp

3.4 ENGLISH TEACHERS PRIVATE ENGLISH CLASSES. If you are seeking private English lessons, please contact me. I'm from Britain and have been teaching for 15 years. Business, conversation or test preparation all ok. dallarasj@ yahoo.co.uk

3.5 LANGUAGE EXCHANGE Chinese, English, Japanese. Hi! I'm seeking an E/J or Chn language exchange partner, M/F ok, in Kanagawa or the Tokyo area. I'm a Japanese male, 28, living in Yokohama. Don't care about age/nationality. Thank you! milky_coke_yeah@yahoo.co.jp 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. Hi, I'm a Japanese man, 30s, studying English.

I like watching movies, going abroad and playing games. I live in central Tokyo (Hibiya line, Tozai line). Please send me a message. Cheers. y_keigo@ inter7.jp English and Japanese. I'm a JM, 38, working in Tokyo. I would like a language exchange partner and friend.

I can teach you speaking, writing and listening. I would like to brush up my spoken English. Need it for my job. nihon100@hotmail.co.jp English and Japanese. Hello, I'm a JF, 35, seeking a language exchange partner and friends. I'd be glad if we could chat about many things, like travel, music, business, etc. Yoroshiku!

Yutenji/Nakameguro/Sangenjaya area. lovemacapple@gmail.com 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 English and Japanese. Hi, I’m a JF, 20. I can help you with your Japanese.

I seek a native English speaker, M/F ok, 20-29. mamiringorin@yahoo.co.jp

English and Japanese. Are you a motivated Japanese person? Do you want to improve your English for free? I will help you study E if you give me some advice on doing business in Japan. Let’s help each other! intentsmat@hotmail.com English and Japanese. American language exchange. Toyoko line (Shibuya, Daikanyama, Nakameguro, Yutenji, Gakugei-Daigaku, Jiyugaoka) and Hibiya line (Ebisu, Hiroo, Roppongi). I live in Yutenji and am free on Mon. Sat-Sun possible. Tue-Fri caseby-case. shawnw007@gmail.com English and Japanese. Native English speaker is sought in Kokubunji City by Japanese male, 35. I would like to talk with you in E/J over coffee. Feel free to contact me. Skype partner is also welcome. seigow@hotmail.com English and Japanese. I’m an inte rn ati o n a lly o p e n - m in d e d , attractive, well-educated SJM, early 30s. I’m with an international consulting firm in central Tokyo. Let’s meet at a cafe or a bar in central Tokyo! starwoodtokyocity@gmail.com English and Japanese. Seeking E/J language exchange partner in the 23-ward area, M/F ok. I’m American, male, 23. Don’t care about age/ nationality (though as I’m trying to learn Japanese, a Japanese person is preferred). robt625@gmail.com English, German, Japanese. JM, 24, from central Tokyo, is seeking native English or German-speaking people to help me learn the languages in Tokyo.

Of course, I’d be pleased to help you learn J. takashi.n1575@gmail.com Filipino and Japanese. Filipino language speaker wanted by Japanese guy for exchange via Skype or at cafes in Yokohama or Yokosuka. I’m a complete beginner. I can speak advanced E and intermediate Sp. elsalvadorjapan@yahoo.es 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. J u s t started Kor and seeking help in the Marunouchi/Otemachi area. I’m a Japanese female, speak E and Ger, seeking a Korean female for lunchtime. arai.kumiko@gmail.com Spanish, French, Japanese. I’ve been learning Sp and Fr for some time. I can understand daily conversation of both, but need to practice composition and speaking. Weekdays, daytime only. anri1982@mail.goo.ne.jp Thai, Japanese, English. Looking forward to meeting anyone who lives in the Tokyo area for language exchange, cafe, hanging out and traveling together sometimes. I'm Thai, male, professional career, easygoing and fun. freemap49@ yahoo.com

3.6 LEARNING: GENERAL PACIFIC CULTURE CLUB offers you lessons in IKEBANA KOTO (a traditional Japanese instrument), calligraphy and wearing kimono.

One lesson ¥3000. Available in French and Spanish. Please contact P.C.C. at 03-3391-1578. keiko.pac@ gmail.com

3.9 TEACH ME! Hungarian teacher sought for preferably weekday lessons during the day in central Tokyo. I can go to you, cafe lesson, Skype, etc. gewatson@ gmail.com 08056842220

4 HOUSEHOLD GOODS

English and Japanese. Cool, friendly, intelligent JM seeks native English speakers for language and cultural exchange. Let’s enjoy talking about a variety of topics over coffee or dinner in E/J. languageex2010@gmail.com

Bed and mattress, medium (W4’6”) ¥4000. Pick up only. 08033508967

English and Japanese. JF, 31, seeking a native English speaker for language exchange. Tokyo area preferred. linasinberlin@yahoo.co.jp

Bed, queen-sized mattress and boxspring, in excellent condition, w/bed frame and nightstands ¥60,000. chris. hath@gmail.com

4.1 FURNITURE & FITTINGS

Chair, Papasan, rattan, in good condition ¥1000. Pick up Koto-ku or pay for delivery. Front door needs to be 80cm or legs will need to be removed. mark.dkeene@yahoo.com Curtains, fo ur availa b l e (W70xL160cm), light brown, w/white inner curtain, side strap and hooks, almost new ¥3200/set. ¥10,000/ all. Pick up Meguro or chakubarai. feetokyo@aol.com 090-8301-4489 Shelf unit, large, custom-made for audio equipment and storing CDs, electronics not included ¥40,000. Sofabed, pullout, brown leather, in good condition ¥50,000. chris.hath@gmail.com Stool, Deluxe, sturdy, adjustable height handle, black, w/casters, fabric-covered, rectangular-shaped seat, w/rounded corners ¥2500.

Pick up Meguro. feetokyo@aol.com 090-8301-4489 Table, c o f fe e , te a k ¥ 2 0 0 0 .

08033508967 Tea chest (L73xD33xH90cm), in good condition. New ¥35,000. Sell ¥25,000.

Negotiable. Come and see Minato-ku. oldfurniture@netmap.net

4.2 APPLIANCES

high/low settings, easy to carry on train. e-ri-no@excite.co.jp

6 VEHICLES

H e a t e r, o i l . B u n k y o - k u . metropoliscat@yahoo.co.jp

6.1 CARS, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES

Hutch, n o t a s s e m b l e d (H180xW75xD30cm), 20 y/o, in ok condition. Pick up Kyodo, Odakyu line, or arrange delivery. I can arrange a truck. e-ri-no@excite.co.jp Mattress, semi-double (120x200cm), used five months, in excellent condition, pocket-coil design. Pick up Kamata. axteca@gmail.com Various items. DVD player and VCR, w/remotes; wooden cabinet. Pick up Musashi-Sakai, or can deliver along Inokashira line. karmatheif@gmail. com Zabuton, 2 6 av a i l a b l e , o l d (54x58x5cm), stuffed w/cotton, in good condition. Pick up Kyodo, Odakyu line or COD delivery. e-ri-no@excite.co.jp To Advertise in Japan’s No.1 English magazine, log on at www.metropolis. co.jp/classifieds or email your commercial ads to commercial@ metropolis.co.jp.

5 HOBBIES&INTERESTS 5.1 CAMERAS

Appliance sale! Sun food processor ¥2000. Merita coffeemaker, w/filter pack ¥1000. Pick up Takaido, Tokyo. pradeep888@hotmail.com

Lens, Canon EF 24-70 F2.8 L USM proseries zoom, new ¥70,000/obo. Can test first. mbekiares@gmail.com

Dishwasher, Panasonic Eco Navi NP-TR5-W, bought Oct '12, as new, hardly used, still under warranty.

New ¥65,000. Sell ¥22,000. Firm. sakekusek@yahoo.com

Tripod, Gitzo GT2541 Carbon Fiber 6X series, 1.36kg, max height (without tripod head) 153cm, almost new, w/original box. Photo available. kodachromed@yahoo.com

Fridge, Haier JR-N100C, small, 98L ¥2500. Pick up Toyosu. kumabusiness@yahoo.com

5.2 SPORTS EQUIPMENT

Mug/can heater/chiller, new, never opened. New ¥5000. Sell ¥1500. Pick up Shirokanedai. mbekiares@gmail.com

4.3 SAYONARA SALE Sayonara sale! Sharp washer/dryer, 7kg, front-loading ¥18,000. National fridge, four-door, w/ice maker ¥18,000. Rice cooker, microwave/ baking oven. Delivery possible if not too far away. naomimovingon@ gmail.com Sayonara sale! Shelves, kitchen furniture, appliances, lounge furniture.

Details available. happyjenny1979@ hotmail.com Sayonara sale! LG washer, silver, 5kg, newer ¥15,000. Microwave/oven/ grill ¥5000. Fridge, two-door ¥7000.

Family-sized fridge ¥18,000. Single bed, w/mattress ¥10,000. saito.kanako. gggg@gmail.com Sayonara sale! Baby gate system, large vase, table, bar counter chairs, DVDs, PC parts, etc. Roppongi, Azabu. c6prz-3756853782@sale.craigslist.org http://tokyosayonara.weebly.com/ Sayonara sale! Fridge, washer, DVD player, shelves, futon, storage boxes, printer, kitchen utensils, ironing board, heater, air purifier, water filter, hairdryer, etc. ¥40,000/all. Lots of free stuff. birdandsky@gmail.com Sayonara sale! Ikea furniture, two y/o: bed, dressers, etc. Pick up Koto-ku area before June 10. Closest stations are Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, Kikukawa. agnes. theilen@gmail.com

4.4 TV & HOME THEATER LCD TV 20”, no HDMI input, only D-cable, S-video, regular AV, w/cables and remote ¥6000/obo. Pick up only Mitaka/MusashiSakai, Chuo line, or Tanashi, Seibu Shinjuku line. karmatheif@gmail.com

4.6 FOR KIDS Various items. Tricycle, Anpanman car set, Hello Kitty kitchen, kids' carpet, toys. Photos available. profscott2000@ yahoo.ca

4.7 FOR FREE Heater, Yamazen CF1-1203, ceramic (10x30x36cm), electric, recently used,

Suitcase, M a r i e C l a i r e (H72xW48xL25cm), old, in good condition ¥3000. Pick up Myogadani stn, Marunouchi line, or Ginza area. metropoliscat@yahoo.co.jp http://www. flickr.com/photos/95006453@N08/

Bodyboard, HPD Paipo, w/custom carry bag, as new ¥20,000. Photos available. kodachromed@yahoo.com Golf clubs, Iron Daiwa Hi-Trac TCS, w/carbon shaft 3-5-7-9-11 and Sureout sand wedge ¥3000. Pick up near Yokohama. sayonara_vancouver@ hotmail.com Surfboard, Chaos, hand-crafted, 6’17” ¥10,000. Brand new McTavish skate longboard, handmade, 3’8” ¥25,000. Pick up Ebisu. Photo available. lolipop.flores@yahoo.com Surfboard. Longboard, 9’6”, in great condition. View Kugenuma-Kaigan, Fujisawa. quu_mansa@yahoo.co.jp Surfboard, Tom Wegner Alaia, 5’3, w/ custom carry bag, used once. Photo available. kodachromed@yahoo.com

5.3 MUSICAL EQUIPMENT Amps. Vox DA20 guitar amp, almost new, in box ¥15,000. Ibanez IBZB 10W bass amp ¥4000. Pick up Nakameguro stn. dhilleson@stmaur. ac.jp 09025248221 Headphones. Ultrasone Edition 9 studio monitoring headphones, limited edition, in presentation box, brand new, unused ¥300,000. justcallmehenry@gmail.com edwardsoperation.com Insect sounds, Ric Viers’ Blastwave, on USB drive, thousands of sounds, brand new, never plugged in. New $249. Sell ¥15,000. justcallmehenry@ gmail.com edwardsoperation.com Piano, Apollo Upright A-5, sweet, full sound, made in Japan by Toyo Piano Company, mute pedal for late night practicing ¥100,000. Photos available.

Can help arrange move. isaac.ezer@ gmail.com 090-6482-6843 Piano, Yamaha P-140, digital, built-in loudspeakers, w/stand and pedal, in perfect condition, bought in '09 ¥45,000. Pick up Kagurazaka. cjriach@hotmail.com

5.5 GAMING Chess in Azabu area. Seeking someone to play on the weekend, preferably Sun morning. I'm in the Azabu area and could meet for coffee and a game. If interested, please shoot me a mail. Regards, Peter. pknight01@ mac.com 090-6015-1424

8 COMPUTERS 8.2 HARDWARE

JCE AUTOS - THE A U T O M O B I L E PROFESSIONALS. Specializing in car buy-backs, door-todoor shipping, long-term car storage and any other carrelated matters. If you need assistance with your car, we are here to help. Tel: 03-68683366 or 090 -9362- 5098 inquiries@jce-autos.jp www.jce-autos.jp MAZDA STATION WAGON, 1800cc, seats five, in very good condition overall, mechanically excellent, w/ ETC unit, 12-stacker CD, navigation, shaken, insurance, all taxes paid until July '13, economical ¥80,000. nickjapan2002@yahoo.com 09018591378

6.3 BICYCLES, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES Bike, six-gear, 18 m/o, in very good condition ¥3000. Pick up Tokyo. tsuneokobayashi@hotmail.com 090-8498-1298 Bike, men’s, 3x6 gear, 28” wheels, one y/o, in very good condition ¥16,000. fi.brianti@libero.it 08012787931 Handlebars, B MX Fre e s t yl e , Skyway EZ 1980s, white, w/decals, unused ¥4000. Pick up Ochanomizu.

Other Haro parts also available. jamesbigceltic@excite.com 09071768259 Road bike, Devinci Millennium Optimum Carbon C-T, 61cm, suits rider around 187cm, w/Ultegra nine-speed shifters, derailleur, 105 cranks, brakes, XSR-2 rims, Schwalbe tires, Serfas saddle, Cateye computer, Sachs bottle holder, Shimano SPD pedals ¥80,000. cjriach@hotmail.com Road bike, Giant TCR, size M frame, yellow/black, as new, currently disassembled, various parts available.

New ¥226,000. Sell ~¥60,000. Price depends on parts. View Nishi-Ogikubo. cjriach@hotmail.com

7 GENERAL 7.1 PHONES iPhone 4 16GB, white, locked to SoftBank, as new, w/cable and earphones (never used) ¥15,000. rstones1976@yahoo.co.jp Phone, Pioneer, w/cordless companion phone for another room, both white ¥2000. Pick up only. 08033508967

7.2 FASHION Bag, men's, business, faux leather (52x30x11cm), used once. New ¥6000.

Sell ¥2000. Pick up Gotokuji or COD delivery. e-ri-no@excite.co.jp

Monitor, Acer, LCD, 21.5”, G225HQ, resolution 1920x1080, aspect ratio 16:9, DVI and VGA inputs, original packaging ¥10,000. Pick up Saginomiya or Nakamurabashi stn. ohpopshop@ gmail.com Scanner, Iris, pen, w/OCR software.

New $120. Sell ¥3000. marantzfan564@ yahoo.com

10 HELP! 10.2 SUPPORT NEED TO TALK? We’re here to listen. TELL LIFE LINE: free English-language a n o n y m o u s counseling, daily from 9am-11pm, by trained volunteers: 03-5774-0992.

TELL COUNSELING CENTER: affordable multilingual p sychothe rapy by accre 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 day, from anywhere, about anything.

From emergency assistance to simple questions. Visit www.jhelp. com/ and press “help,” or call 0570-000-911. To volunteer or support, please contact team@jhelp. com. www.jhelp.com/

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 meetings daily. 03-3971-1471 inquiries@ aatokyo.org http://aatokyo.org Infertlity support group. TTC Tokyo is an infertility support group in Tokyo which provides informal opportunities for women and men experiencing infertility to connect with one another.

Please visit our website for more info. www.ttctokyo.org

12 SOCIAL SCENE 12.1 LET’S PARTY

Bracelet, ladies’, Murano lampwork charms, sliver chain, w/other jewels/ charms ¥8000. Photos available. mylesson@outlook.com Jeans, Levi's 505 (W32xL30), hardly worn, in very good condition ¥1000.

Pick up near Korakuen stn, Marunouchi line. metropoliscat@yahoo.co.jp

7.3 MISCELLANEOUS Gardening items. Four empty planters ¥3000. Large ivy in terracotta planter ¥2500. Small ivy in terracotta planter ¥1300. Small cherry tree in terracotta planter ¥1700. Geranium planter ¥1300. And more. No delivery. oldfurniture@netmap.net Kitchenware, pots, pans, cutlery, etc. ¥5000/all. 08033508967

GAITOMO INTERNATIONAL PARTY, VERY POPULAR AND THE BIGGEST PARTY IN JAPAN. A Gaitomo International Party is held every Fri, Sat and Sun in Tokyo and Osaka. Locations are Roppongi, Ginza, Azabu, etc. ¥1500-¥2000. Not club music. Mainly conversation in a friendly atmosphere. info@ gaitomo.com http://gaitomo. com/

#998 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 25

Many more Classified ads online! Please visit classifieds.metropolis.co.jp jp/tokyo13warriors

JAPAN I NTE R NATI O NAL PARTY - 10TH ANNIVERSARY. Sat, May 25, 6:30-9pm, Devi Fusion (Roppongi). Japan's biggest international party.

250 people expected. All-youcan-drink and free snacks.

J a p a n e s e m e n : ¥ 4 0 0 0.

Othe rs : ¥3000. M obile : getyourfriend.com/mobile/ jiparty@hotmail.com http:// www.getyourfriend.com/ 090-1735-5405

I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA R T Y @ LEAFCUP. Come join us and have fun. Men ¥3000.

Foreigners/women ¥2000.

All-you-can-drink-and-eat.

Shibuya and O miya : May 11 and 25. Iidabashi and Yo k o h a m a : M a y 1 8 a n d June 1. For more info: www. leafparty.com

13 CLUBS & INTERESTS 13.1 SPORTS

AMERICAN FOOTBALL .

Nihon Unisys Bulls, X league Central Division, seeks fit players w/ US college football experience for all positions.

P r a c t i c e e ve r y S a t / S u n from 10am-3pm (including meeting) in Tokyo/Saitama (time & venue subject to c h a n g e). At te n d a n c e a t 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/ ALL-NATIONALITY TOUCH FO OTBALL . N o n - co nt a c t 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.

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 . Ve r y u n i q u e new sport from Scotland. Using a tambourine -like instrument as a sports racquet, players hit a shuttlecock! We play two or three tim e s/m onth on we e ke n d s 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.

We have advanced and intermediate groups on weekday evenings. Beginner and low-intermediate also welcome.

No entrance or membership fees.

Reasonable participation fees. tokyo. tennis@yahoo.fr American touch football. Seeking people to play with in a suburb of central Tokyo on weekends. No skills needed as long as you can run. kaka0413@hotmail. co.jp Diving in Izu. Get in touch to talk about scuba diving near Tokyo. Info 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 Futsal players wanted by a very friendly international team. Practice is in Tokyo and Kanagawa on Sat. Details available. fkkyn468@ybb.ne.jp Futsal players needed. Are you a Tokyo resident who wants to play futsal?

Please introduce yourself (name, age, nationality, where you live, experience with futsal). futsaluk@yahoo.co.jp Gaijin Golfers. Come join the most fun and active golf group in Japan for expats, foreign residents and English-speaking Japanese. Excellent network for finding golf partners, regular golf outings and lots more! info@gaijingolfers.com http://www. gaijingolfers.com 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

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 only, please. tennis. tokyo@yahoo.fr

13.2 LEISURE 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 Japan Outdoor Adventure Club for people living in/visiting Japan.

Group trips almost every weekend.

Membership is free and everyone is welcome! info@tokyosnowclub.com http://www.tokyosnowclub.com

JOBS

To advertise: commercial@metropolis.co.jp

FEMALES WANTED AT AN ELITE MEMBERS’ CAFE IN EBISU. Seeking women interested in drinking or having dinner with our male members.

Must be over 18, speak Japanese, have proper ID and etiquette. Models, attractive looks a plus. Nothing suspicious and no sexual contact. ¥5000-¥20,000/h. Please contact in Japanese at 03-6412-7755 or ebisu_ limited_cafe@yahoo.co.jp.

13.3 ARTS J A PA N E S E / E N G L I S H D R A M A WORKSHOP STARTING. Seeking amateur actors to join an exciting n ew En gli s h/Ja pa n e s e d ra m a group in Kita-Senju. Japanese and foreign students, all levels welcome.

I d e a l fo r l a n g u a g e s tu d e n t s .

Contact 080-3212-5378 for details. dallarasj@yahoo.co.uk Love Shakespeare? Amate ur 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/ Short movie. I am seeking staff and actors for a short movie. No payment, but fare and food will be provided by us, and after editing, DVD will be given to everyone. pradeep888@hotmail.co

13.4 MUSIC Dancing in illusion. JM guitarist in the Shibuya area seeking a female singer.

Let's play music together! Beginners welcome. I like pop, rock, punk, R&B. riku_hiroxx@hotmail.com Melodic hardcore band seeking drummer. We're seeking a regular drummer. You can find "Agent of the Grand Canyon" on Facebook. If you're interested, email us. twelvesunday@ gmail.com http://www.myspace.com/ agcpunk Songwriter seeking guitarist. UK singer/songwriter seeking an original guitarist to start a band with. I have written and recorded songs, you add your own style to them. I can email demos. Influences: Stone Roses and Nirvana. crabbtastic@hotmail.co.uk 08038495222

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

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, TOKYO. A fine hotel located near Tokyo stn is seeking bilingual waiter, waitress or bartender.

To apply, send your E/J resume, w/photo, to recruitment. tokyo@ shangri-la.com (www.shangri-la. com) ZAMA AND YOKOTA AMERICAN BAS E B EAUTY AN D BAR B E R SHOP seeking experienced barbers, hairstylist, nail stylist and massage therapist for full-time positions.

Call for an interview. 09017692781 ec12907168@yahoo.co.jp welcome, Japanese spoken. Please call 090-3598-3072 for more info. daginia@ gmail.com http://www.diamondway.jp/ Reiki share. Non-profit Reiki share group. We meet twice/month in the Ueno area. Other healing modalities are ok, too. Contact for info. inarichoureiki@gmail.com Zen meditation. You’ve always thought it would be interesting to try it - why not now? Join us Fri evenings at Tokuun-in in Ueno. Make arrangements in advance by email, and check our home page. tokyozazen@jcom.home. ne.jp www.wgthorpe.com

13.6 RELIGIOUS Ukrainian Orthodox. St. Jude Ukrainian Orthodox Mission celebrates liturgies in downtown Tokyo every other Sun. All nationalities, all sincere people welcome! Ukrainian, English,

03-4550-2929

CHAT HOSTS & TEACHERS WANTED

BY LEAFCUP @ Tokyo, Iidabashi, Shibuya, Yokohama, Omiya. Seeking enthusiastic and proficient English, Korean, French, Spanish and/or German speakers who can teach and lead lively conversations. ¥1000-¥1500/h. Apply online: www.leafcup.com/job.htm MEDIA ADMINISTRATION STAFF. Metropolis is seeking a motivated Japanese national with excellent English-language skills to provide administrative support in a dynamic multinational media and marketing o f f i c e l o c a t e d i n N i s h i -A z a b u .

Office administration experience r e q u i r e d . A b i l i t y to m u lt i t a s k , highly organized, excellent people skills. Responsible, outgoing, with the ability to work with a great team of different nationalities and backgrounds. Send your E/J resume to akane@metropolis.co.jp.

SALES INTERN. Metropolis is seeking a bilingual (E/J) intern to join its Restaurants & Bars advertising team.

No pay, but transportation provided.

Please fax your resume (E/J) to 03-4588-2278 or email knakashima@ metropolis.co.jp.

Japanese spoken. father@stjude.jp www.stjude.jp 0422-43-5424

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 m e et oth e r inte rculturali st s . director@japanintercultural.org www.japanintercultural.org

14 PERSONALS 14.1 FRIENDS Coffee friend if you're not boring.

Professional white guy working in Tokyo seeking friends. Let's go have a coffee and enjoy each other's company.

lovelighttokyo@yahoo.co.jp Fishing. I'm seeking friends who like fishing. Let's go together. I work for a fishing tackle company.

Drop me a line if you are interested. piyopiyotaku0605@alpha.ocn.ne.jp German/Austrian friends? Hallo, I'm a JM, 26. I want friends from Germany and Austria. I am interested in the language and countries. M/F ok.

I like music, cooking and having fun on weekends. Danke! akaiyuuwaku@ gmail.com Hello, people! Cool fella, happy fella (black American in Setagaya) seeking cool people, happy people!

New friends can be good friends! b_ fullilove_2000@yahoo.com 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.

NEPENJI Curly Hair Specialist & Colorist

Cut & Treatment ¥8,400 (first visit) Single Color ¥6,300~ Half Head ¥8,400~ Metropolis readers also Full Head ¥12,600~ receive 20% off color treatments, Blow Dry ¥3,675 with any cut.

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yossynet@ra2.so-net.ne.jp New friends. American male, can never have enough friends. If you feel the same way, please look me up. I enjoy drinking, dining, or just hanging out at a cafe as long as the conversation is interesting. mixnplay@yahoo.com Seeking family friends. We are seeking a family who has kids in Higashi-Yamato, Kodaira, Nishi-Tokyo, Musashi-Murayama, Tachikawa, Fuchu or Higashi-Murayama. We have two boys. Let’s hang out. Please contact us if you are interested. piyopiyotaku0605@alpha.ocn.ne.jp Seeking foreign friends. Two friendly Japanese guys are disposed to go out as spring comes along. Incidentally, we would like to make foreign friends in Tokyo. If you want to make Japanese friends, please write us. tapness@ hotmail.com Seeking friends in central Tokyo.

JF, early 30s, seeks friends to hang out with in central Tokyo. atkm92@ yahoo.co.jp Seeking friends! I am a JM, 40, from Tokyo, seeking friends to go for drinks.

I work in Marunouchi as personnel at an architectural design company. aqua. stagno@gmail.com

14.2 MEN LOOKING FOR WOMEN WOOKIN’ PA NUB. Seeking some kind of true love or something, native English or someone pretty comfortable speaking English, who likes back scratches, has a wicked sense of humor, is seeking to annihilate her ego. Been trying that myself. It’s hard! thebookof_ righton@yahoo.com American cheesecake, 37, born in America, raised near Santa Monica, my father spoke German. Now near Tokyo Tower. Love restaurants, fashion, R&B, exercise every day. You: live or work in Tokyo, open-minded. tokyotwr10@ yahoo.com Attractive black girl? Handsome, young, very athletic blond American guy seeking beautiful black girl, any nationality, under 40. I speak a little of many languages, so mail and give it a shot! Shallumain@yahoo.co.jp Batsu-ichi? Black guy in central Tokyo seeking a batsu-ichi JF for a serious relationship. Let's meet and talk about life. Serious only. Email please. No jokes or quick-tempered and impatient people, please. strike4me@yahoo.com Bilingual SJM, 41, in Setagaya, seeks bilingual lady for a serious relationship.

I’m fit, smart and financially stable.

I lived in NYC for ten years, so I can communicate in English. Please email me and let’s start talking! dubstone79@ yahoo.co.jp British male, 31, friendly, tall, slim, seeking a nice girl to hang out with.

Nationality/race unimpor tant , but should be 20-35 and have a nice personality. Interested in music and film: you should be, too. shiodomebye@gmail.com

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 Chinese-Canadian, 32, 175cm, 65kg, caring, fun-loving, athletic, likes basketball, music, movies, seeking a serious relationship with an attractive JF, 22-32. test697@hotmail.com Exotic and bilingual JM businessman in Tokyo, early 30s, romantic, good-looking, friendly, seeking a sincere and kind woman who enjoys movies and traveling for a serious relationship. Please reply w/details. pirlo_cucchiaio@hotmail.com Friends and more. Hi, I 'm a professional foreigner, 40, living in Japan, seeking a clever and elegant lady around my age to join me in dining out and exploring the Tokyo nightlife. dosedem@hotmail.com Kinky side? Good-looking, successful SWM, mid-30s, in Tokyo, seeking relationship with a nice girl who has a curiosity for swapping and adventures in love. Be attractive and proper when it's appropriate and fun and spontaneous, too! adultfuntokyo@ yahoo.com Large and lovely English-speaking woman, 20s-40s, sought by mature, professional SJM nonsmoker. shingitai@apost.plala.or.jp Let's become good friends. I am a fun, kind, active SJM, 40s, seeking someone who could share good times and possibly a serious relationship. I like chatting in coffee shops, movies, exercise. Looking forward to hearing from you! toshinoris1012@yahoo.co.jp Lonely in Japan? If you’re a Western woman who truly seeks a Japanese man who is fun, sincere, smart and crazy (in a good way), what are you waiting for? Please email me now!

Let’s have fun together! imymeore@ gmail.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 Older woman? Sane, relaxed, attractive SJM, 26, seeks someone older. Maybe we can go to a nice cafe or get drinks first. I want to take it easy.

Hope to hear from you. akaiyuuwaku@ gmail.com Romance with an older lady. Very nice and sexy gentleman seeks an older, or much older, woman to have nice dates and a romance. feeltokyo@ yahoo.co.uk Seeking a lady who lives in Tokyo.

Let's have a chat! I'm a JM, 38, living in

Tokyo. nihon100@hotmail.co.jp Serious and long-term relationship sought. Any age/nationality ok. montamula@yahoo.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 Special female friend, preferably 20-41, sought by SJM, 41, for having a good time together. I like analog music, good food, traveling, cats, peace, nature, some drinks, books, trying new things. old_k78@yahoo.co.jp SWM seeking fun! Australian, 26, seeking some casual fun in Tokyo! I am an athletic and open-minded guy and am seeking someone to share a good time after work or on the weekend. r_ andom@hotmail.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 彼女が 欲しいな〜 Single white professional guy likes drinking coffee, going out to movies, art galleries, jazz, walking in parks, talking about books and films. No full-time web losers or photo scavengers. Let's meet up. lovelighttokyo@yahoo.co.jp

14.3 WOMEN LOOKING FOR MEN

JAPANESE WOMEN SEEK MEN for serious relationships possibly leading to marriage.

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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

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MENU RF Slimming (90 min)........................................... ¥21,000 ➝ ¥8,400 Photofacial for wrinkles and facelift (60 min).......... ¥25,000 ➝ ¥8,400 IPL Hair Removal .................................................. ¥16,000 ➝ ¥8,400~ Semi Permanent Makeup* (Eyeliner or Eyebrows) .... ¥52,500 ➝ ¥21,000~ *includes a free follow-up treatment one month after.

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Fresh, young women join our club every day. Try our free one-month trial offer: f ir st d ate i s o n u s! 0120 675-858 (E) international@ u n i ve r s e - c l u b . j p h t t p : // universe-club.jp/ SEEKING ONE PLAYMATE. MWF, 41, beautiful, blond, slim, lovely disposition, huge heart, seeks a tall married male, preferably Japanese or Japanese-American, who can court her, love her, make her feel special, and most importantly, satisfy her in the bedroom. in2deepintokyo@hotmail.com Beer date? I thought I'd combine an activity I do often (drinking beer) with one I don't do as much of (dating) and see what happens. I'm a SJF, 36. Send intro for reply. Single men only! No casual hookups! beerhugstokyo@gmail.com Geek wanted because he is passionate/professional in that specific field. Say something much more than liking movies, music, the gym and hanging out with friends. Say you are different/unique/confident! JF, mid-30s, wants an intelligent guy. celinewinte@ yahoo.co.jp Life partner. Female, 32, wants to find her life partner. Prefer a SWM from Italy, France, Germany, the USA. I like reading books, and appreciate small joys, such as autumn leaves. spaceneedle78@ yahoo.co.jp Mature, attractive SJF, 30s, kind of pochari, chubby, with long hair, easygoing, polite, with many interests, loves the outdoors, travel, learning about new cultures, seeks a well-educated SWM for wonderful times. English ok. pink_ topaz2010@yahoo.com Mountain woman. I live in an upland forest. I'm very happy with life, but one thing is still missing. Artistic, intelligent, down-to-earth, healthy being (JF) seeks a man who is skillful enough to satisfy a mature woman. marikok08@gmail.com Paradoxically. Attractive-yet-shy, modest-yet-passionate SJF seeks a gentle, educated, emotionally secure man for best friends and lovers in a long-term relationship. Life gets real when shared. I’m over 40, but younger people ok, too. before_sunrise_2009@ yahoo.co.jp

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28 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

Single African-American.

SJF, late 30s, charming, cultured, into the arts, seeking never-been-married, sincere black man, over 38, to hang out with. Tokyo resident and office worker preferred. skasumi11@yahoo.co.jp Sweet JF. If you're seeking a sweet life with a sweet JF, write me. I'm a SJF, mid-30s, enjoy making sweets, walking in the park and beach. Well-mannered gentleman with professional job only.

No info, no reply. rosecolour@inter7.jp Traveling partner. Affectionate, warm, caring, fun-loving, professional, multilingual JF seeks a mature, sophisticated gentleman, 35-45, for a meaningful long-term relationship.

Do you also enjoy traveling, water sports, nice dining, music, art, reading? icedcoconutmilktea@hotmail.com Why don't we give it a try? Attractive, laid-back, fun, sweet SJF, early 30s, seeks SWM for a serious relationship.

Let's see how it goes. Love travel, nature walks, good food and drinks.

No drama, nonsmokers only, please. kokutou2@gmail.com

14.4 GAY & LESBIAN Cross-dresser/TS/TV. Nice Westerner, 23, seeking a nice Japanese crossdresser/TS for company in Tokyo or nearby. I want to find a person I can treat completely as a girl and have fun. josekki@luukku.com Mocha girl seeking playful female. I'm a sweet, fun, chill woman, 20, seeking an open-minded female to have some fun with. Let's hang out and see where it leads. Willing to meet at your place anytime. Email me to know more. bunnylalane@gmail.com いろいろ募集中. Well-educated and athletic American male, mid-20s, is seeking others with similar interests and clear goals in life. 日本語もokです。Tokyo/ Saitama area. nihonotoko@gmail.com

14.5 ESCORTS

24 HOURS/7 DAYS. Sweet, young Japanese and European girls available only for VIP executives. Are you a lonely gentleman? She is waiting…

Now hiring girls. 090-38007428 onvo4z507871w4n@ ezeweb.ne.jp

Ready to meet my charming prince.

Hello, there! Funny French woman is seeking her Japanese prince charming.

Me? Sweet and kind, 30. You? The same and ready to love. Players not allowed.

A bientôt! elorasan69@yahoo.com Respectful relationship.

Warmhearted, attractive SJF, loves cooking, hiking, art, seeks gentle, successful Caucasian living in central Tokyo. I want to settle down and raise a family. What's important is trust and stimulating each other. Serious only.

Please email w/photo. sorosoroaitai@ yahoo.co.jp Romantic and stylish. My dream is to meet a good-looking and generous gentleman with good taste to take me to nice resorts/onsen, enjoy wine/good food, spas, relaxing, etc. I’m mid-30s, slim, feminine and friendly! dejidj2011@ yahoo.co.jp Seeking serious relationship. I'm a girl who loves the Lord with all my heart. Down-to-earth, loving, caring, family always comes first. Love travel, the outdoors. I'm early 40s, divorced.

Love to hear from you. ppirbi777love@ yahoo.co.jp

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14.6 AND OTHERS Couple seeks couples and select guys for safe, fun meetings at fetish/ happening bars. He is American. She is a very attractive Japanese. We’re very clean. Reply w/photo, please. japan. girl6969@yahoo.com

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Femboy, white, 34, 178cm, 74kg, living in Tokyo, seeks boyfriend.

Any nationality/age welcome. k.sweetdream@yahoo.com Massage for breast enhancement.

Breast massage is one of the best ways to help create a more beautiful bustline by helping to shape, tone, develop the breast and the surrounding area. French gentleman masseur available to teach you. turbo32s@yahoo.fr Spanking! Need a good spanking? I’ll give you whatever you require! スパンキ ングを要求する女性、私、英国男性、やってあげ ますよ。junkhenry3@gmail.com

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BY CATHRYN MOE

Horoscope

♥ Love ¥ Money ♣ Luck

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Navigating this new paradigm is tricky.

The rules are just being defined. This is particularly true for Aries at the moment. The New Moon and solar eclipse are in your sector of income and ownership. This includes your feelings and every thought that occurs to you. You are a co-creator of your environment; enjoy the power that has been handed to you. Hot flame that you are, inspire the truth!

Watch for a turn of events. The New Moon in your sign coincides with a solar eclipse over the weekend. You may notice your inner world begin to match your outer one. You enjoy a stability that your presence actually creates. Note that Saturn is still retrograde in your house of significant others. Marry their strength, not their potential. As unfair as it seems, their challenges are not yours to sort out.

The weight of your dreams drizzles into your waking life. The New Moon and solar eclipse Saturday is just the beginning. Within the next few months you may find your thoughts mirrored in the windows of your environment, not to mention your soul.

Make sure you are able to soar to your special place whenever you need to. Someone has you all figured out. Or so they think!

Someone is backing you and helping you to make good choices. Ceres in your sign wants to see you healthy, happy and well fed. Vesta, there too, looks after your insights and how you use your wisdom. As things change, you’re able to break old patterns and transform them into a stellar leap forward.

The New Moon and solar eclipse over the weekend shows who your friends are.

LEO

VIRGO

Aug 23, 24~Sep 22, 23 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣

Sep 23, 24~Oct 22, 23 ♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Tame the lion within. You were born to lead but that doesn’t mean exhausting yourself dealing with others’ tricks. The New Moon and solar eclipse over the weekend connect into your career sector. This includes how you feel about yourself and what kind of image you present. Now, with Mars, Mercury, the Sun and Pallas Athene in this area, you’re on a roll.

But remember your soul only wants to be loved.

Take a moment to breathe. Nobody said you had to be overscheduled.

And if they did, you can restructure your thoughts to see how you feel about it. Note the New Moon and solar eclipse over the weekend open a door as they close a window. If you can’t schedule a trip to a faraway land, open a spiritual insight or two. There isn’t time left to hold onto the past, since it doesn’t exist anymore.

You can get through this week by emulating your mirror sign, Aries. Put yourself first and think, “What would they do?” The list of people you have let move in front of you may have grown too long. The New Moon in your sector of soul-level change and things that feel fated coincides with a solar eclipse.

Know that choices you make with a partner are potentially pivotal.

A solar eclipse in your sector of significant others falls through your window over the weekend. It’s a time of the New Moon, determining a shift you’ve longed for but may not have expected to actually show up. Love comes in many forms. If you don’t have what you need to take care of yourself, you may have to start over. Nourish the part of yourself that reaches out to others. Then the next step will come quickly.

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Want to run free but feel called to stick around for cuddles and comfort?

That’s understandable, as this week you navigate the energy in your sector of service and health. You have a job to do, and it’s changing.

Due to the New Moon and solar eclipse over the weekend, your focus turns to the value of material reality. That’s right, Sag—who gallops away to foreign lands and freethinking—might want to consider settling down.

There’s a New Moon and decisions to be made. Over the weekend, the solar eclipse puts pressure on your area of romance. Will you or won’t you? How can you not?

Check to see if you are taking care of everything that feels right in your world. If not, you could find out you’re overextended just when you wanted to clear out and start again. Creativity is not in question. You have it and more. In the labyrinth of your week you will find the path that supports you.

Detachment from others’ influence is essential as you expand your heart waves this week. It’s your scene, and you have as much right as anyone to have this earth be and become what you need it to be. Breezes are bright and invigorating for you over the weekend. The New Moon in your sector of home life coincides directly with a solar eclipse. Don’t worry if you can’t see it. The ripples start where you begin to feel.

Before you go judging yourself or others, remember the whole vibration of our planet is in flux. Some days you’re having a pink and fluffy day that is reflected in your thoughts as well as the sunset. Other days you’re floating on clouds of confusion and indecision. That’s all to the good, as you’re learning to tell your instincts from those that are externally generated. Take your time and when in alignment, make your move.

March 20, 21 - April 19, 20 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣

July 23, 24~Aug 22, 23 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣

Nov 22, 23~Dec 21, 22 ♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Apr 20, 21~May 20, 21 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥¥ ♣♣

Dec 22, 23~Jan 19, 20 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣

Metropolis Mediabox

Oct 23, 24~Nov 21, 22 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Jan 20, 21~Feb 18, 19 ♥♥♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣

facebook.com/MetropolisMagazine W. PAYOON

Author Jessica Chambers re s p o n d s : T h a n k you s o mu c h !

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I mean, it would b e r id icu lou s to say that I haven’t noticed the seedier aspects of Japan, but hey—I’m leaving this place for good. Why go on a negative? Thanks so much for your p o sit iv it y, s ome people just love a good moan.

hear about her experience at a Japanese school, and perhaps a more personal account of growing up in Tokyo. Let’s give her a mulligan—try again!—hurvj

THE MADCHATTER

STILL DREAMIN’

Regarding “808 State” (Music, Apr 12): Ironically, most of the bands in the socalled “Madchester Revolution” of 1989 were in fact guitar bands… I think that’s a false dichotomy [the author] is making, based on his personal hindsight only.—jonholmes

Regarding “In A Japanese Dream” (The Last Word, Apr 12): Oh my god!

Don’t say nice things about Japan! The grumpy gaijin brigade will be all over you! They remember the war, you see...—Johnny Rabbit

I hate to impugn this writer because I appreciate her perspective and I feel that everyone deserves a voice.

However, is anyone else struck by the shallowness of her decade-long experience? Props for getting published as a college freshman; but what did you really accomplish though this piece beyond the stereotypical “Harajuku” and “bowing” drivel? I’d be interested to

Most of the bands getting press coverage were guitar bands, but the number of dance remixes they released shows the scene was very much all about the rave.—Yohan Mau5

R e g a r d i n g “ P h o to o f t h e We e k ” (Upfront, Apr 26): Any photograph of an animal in a zoo is pathetic. Reminds me of a great Calvin and Hobbes strip.

Calvin: Hobbes, do you want to go to the zoo tomorrow?

Hobbes: Sure. Then, let’s visit a prison.

Please raise the bar for your photographs.—Allan

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF… Regarding “Sayonara Tokyo” (The Last Word, Apr 26): Nothing wrong with the innocence of a child’s view.

T he i mp re s s ion s he h a s i s n ice .

Everyone doesn’t see the seedy side of things. […] Go girl! Best of luck in school!—Sept922

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Madchester had at least three different aspects. I lived through it. There were electronic dance artists and DJs, guitar bands who were influenced by the

electronic/dance scene and straight guitar bands. The Hacienda itself had overwhelmingly dance-oriented club nights, though.—Johnny Buckle

ZOOROPA

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The Last Word

Want to have The Last Word? Send your article to: editor@metropolis.co.jp

BY WAY OF THE INLAND SEA

Honoring Donald Richie’s legacy

By Dreux Richard

state that there is.” In light of that sensibility,I have always regarded his writing as unburdened—he drifted in the vacuum between cultures, weightless compared to the rest of us.

In the process, he revealed the nature of our responsibilities as expatriates: not to interpret individual cultures or render them familiar to each other, but to move beyond their constraints into a bet ter rea lm of t hought.

I choose to think of Richie’s life and writings as testimony disputing the

t u n it y. E ng l ish-la ng uage pr i nt publication in Japan isn't long for this world, and it should therefore surprise no one that the talent pool among expatriate writers can seem shallow. Perhaps little can be done about t h is—Wester ners haven’t been afraid of Japan since the bubble burst, and they would rather read about China now. But that doesn’t explain why The Japan Times (Richie’s longtime patron) has invited the International Herald Tribune to

LOUISE ROUSE

I

ar rived in Japan hav ing been advised: begin with The Inland Sea. As if it was a k ind of dut y American Millenials are bound to, I responded with willful ignorance. If Donald Richie was the “right” author to read during expatriation, I would read anything else.

I spent my first t wo weeks in Japan traveling south from Tokyo to visit friends. When I later read The Inland Sea, I discovered I had unwittingly traced much of Donald Richie’s route with near-perfect fidelity. Since then, I retain the sense t hat expatriate w riters in Japan don’t choose Donald Richie for their patron saint. They touch down at Narita having already received him.

R ichie’s legac y is pr ismat ic.

Most will remember him as a bridge between cultures, an elucidator of the inscrutable Japanese psyche. But I don’t think Richie ever felt Japanese people needed elucidating.

He treasured the opacity he sometimes perceived in them and knew it belonged foremost to his manner of perceiving. Still others—perhaps cloistered in academia where the bulk

of Western thought about Japan now occurs—will remember him as the best-read of the “occupation heirs” who populated postwar Japan’s literary scene. They will wrongly contend that the distinguishing feature of his lifework was the geostrategic privilege that permitted it: that Donald Richie was an occupier first and foremost.

Never mind that he was as warmhearted, self-conscious and human an observer of the occupation as any two nations could have hoped for.

Richie often remarked upon the clarity afforded him by his ethnically-imposed outsider status in Japan. He called himself a “citizen of limbo… t he most democratic

very notion of clear cultural boundaries; boundaries that Richie knew were precious, but also often porous or illusory.

Do we know as much? Do we understand what we might gain— not just for ourselves, but also for our respective cultures—by living, thinking and writing as expatriates in Japan? Donald Richie’s legacy, after all, is not to be found in the books he wrote, in the speeches he delivered or in the Japanese films that might never have transcended the archipelago had they not been propelled by his pen and his ardor. It’s closer by.

We are his legacy: several generations of expatriates occupying the limbo whose imperceptible boundaries he eloquently described, privileged with the opportunity to emulate his clarity and weightlessness.

We lately squander that oppor-

demolish what little remains of its mandate for independent reporting. It doesn't explain why academia has relegated literary translation to extracurricular activity—thereby removing the sole remaining career incentive for aspiring translators.

Such shor tcom i ngs mat ter because they ref lect our ability to address ourselves to the tasks of our era. Donald Richie arrived in Japan bearing a preternatural understanding of the moment he’d been called upon to inhabit and the work it would demand of him. His was the postwar era. Buoyed by an ongoing US fascination with Japan, a subsequent generation of writers and thinkers later addressed themselves to equally trenchant work during the Bubble Era, when Emperor Hirohito’s death was the signal moment.

Our generation of US expats must live, think and write in the 3/11 era, which we have been asked to do without some of the economic and institutional advantages enjoyed by our predecessors. Yet ours is perhaps the most important era of all, for its outward appearance of peace. Much as an aged Donald Richie identified the accumulating inhumanit y of our age in Tokyo’s physical ugliness, we must identify the corresponding wounds that have accumulated on our host society and its spirit. We are equipped to do so because of where we live—in the clear-eyed space between two troubled nations and their respective cultures. And along the path Richie laid for us.

HE WAS AS WARMHEARTED, SELF-CONSCIOUS AND HUMAN AN OBSERVER OF THE OCCUPATION AS ANY TWO NATIONS COULD HAVE HOPED FOR.” ■ Dreux Richard is the literary translation editor for Kyoto Journal

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