Issue 7: 50 Things To Do In Japan

INSIDE! Celebrate summer with gourmet kakigori, designer yukata, artisanal beers and more

JUL - SEP 2015 NO.7 TIMEOUT.COM/TOKYO

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In this issue

www.timeout.com/tokyo

Our cover and this photo were both shot at KOU-AN in Kyoto.

See the man inside the glass tea house on the cover?

That’s the tea house designer, Tokujin Yoshioka.

July – September 2015

Hello Tokyo…

The Japanese term ‘wabi sabi’ is a quintessential yet vague concept that can mean a few different things. You can Google the long version, but we’re just going to throw a few descriptive words at you for now: aesthetics, transience, beauty, imperfection, nature, authenticity. In a way, discovering it is kind of like finding your bliss. And who doesn’t want to find that? This summer, get out of the city and explore the country’s culture, food, art and traditions with our list of ‘50 things to do in Japan’. Wabi sabi guaranteed.

50 things to do in Japan From a glass teahouse to a desert dune, p20

Inside 06

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Tokyo Update City news, city views Tokyo Diary Essential events Courtesy calls How to go with the commuter flow Tokyo Blur The city in photos 50 things to do in Japan Take a break from Tokyo Eating & Drinking

43 Shopping & Style 52 Art & Culture 56 Music 60 Nightlife 64 LGBT 66 Sport 68 Film 70 Travel & Hotels 74 Getting Around 78 Tohoku Update 81 Fast-food sushi 82 You know

you’re in Tokyo when…

TEA HOUSE: SHUNYA ARAI, KAKIGORI: YASUHISA SHIMBO, YUKATA: SHUTTERSTOCK, GODZILLA: TM&© TOHO CO., LTD., BEACH: ANNEMARIE LUCK

Cover Art direction: Steve Nakamura Photography: Shunya Arai (YARD) Styling: Kumiko Iijima (IUGO) Tokyo Clothing: ISSEY MIYAKE KOU-AN Glass Tea House design Tokujin Yoshioka Time Out Tokyo Inc. 5-9-9-101 Hiroo, Shibuya, Tokyo, 150-0012 +81 (0)3 5792 5721 www.timeout.jp Advertising and general enquiries: info@timeout.jp

Tokyo

Editors Yukako Izumi izumi@timeout.jp Annemarie Luck annemarieluck@ timeout.jp Planning Editor Ryoko Baba ryokobaba@timeout.jp

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The best The best gourmet kakigori festival fashion Shaved ice for It’s yukata the win, p38 season, p43

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The best outdoor art Spiders and monsters, p52

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The best beaches In search of white sand, p70

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND THE TOKYOITE BLOG facebook.com/TimeOutTokyo Digital Content Editor Ili Saarinen ilisaarinen@timeout.jp Editorial Assistants Mayumi Koyama Kosuke Shimizu Designers Yuki Masuko Miho Morozumi

Staff Writers Yasuhisa Shimbo Kisa Toyoshima Kunihiro Miki Joyce Lam Mari Hiratsuka Aisté Riabovaité Shiori Kotaki Jun Harada

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International Content Director Marcus Webb Head of Global Content Chris Bourn International Art Director Anthony Huggins

International Managing Director David Woodley CEO Tim Arthur Founder Tony Elliott

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For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 5

Tokyo update

CITY FAQ

Can you go home after living in Japan?

Sarah Dworken asks – and answers – the big question

WHAT YOU SAID

Readers’ thoughts on life after Japan…

‘Nope, Japan for life.’

‘I’m also suffering re-entry blues.’

‘Y

ou can never go home. But of course you can! I said, as I packed up and shipped myself back to the US after seven years in Tokyo. There is plenty written about foreigner life in Japan. Culture shock is a wellknown concept, but what happens when we exit our adopted country to repatriate to a land where things seem just as foreign as Japan did when we first arrived?

There is something unique about moving from Japan back home. Foreigners spend a significant portion of their mental energy attempting to adapt to Japanese culture. I should have known the same challenges would spring up going back to the US, but

in the reverse. I’ve also had to deal with a world of stock questions. The question of why I was in Japan is easy to answer. Tokyo’s amazing. It’s safe, clean, has great food, there’s plenty to do. The harder question is why I stayed so long. And, if Japan was my home, then what is the US? This last question is one I’m still trying to answer.

But what I do know is you can go home, although you won’t be the same person who left it. Perhaps more so than going to a new country, coming back to your homeland gives you a new identity. Embrace it.

You’re not a national, and you’re not a foreigner.

You’re a returnee.’

Read the full article at tinyurl.com/TOTJapan-home

For full city listings, go to www.timeout.com/tokyo

TOKYO LOVES…

‘We get used to “quality treatment” while living in Japan and then when we go back to the “real world” it’s a totally different level of care.’

‘Japan is great but it’s like utopia.’

‘I think you would eventually feel at home again. As humans, we tend to adjust.’

Daikanyama’s new ‘mall’ It’s not really a mall at all. Rather, it’s a collection of free-standing shops and cafés – including Kirin’s craft beer brewery, LA clothing retailer Fred Segal, and the first Japan branch of Tartine Bakery – that all open up on to a pretty paved lane. tinyurl.com/TOTlog-road

Themed hotel rooms Park Hotel’s ‘Artist in Hotel’ project has caught our fancy, particularly the ‘Geisha Goldfish’ room by Japanese artist Aki Narita, which was unveiled in March and makes us feel like we’re inside a very zen aquarium. tinyurl.com/TOTparkhotel

6 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

The Star Wars jet Star Wars fans have to wait until December for ‘The Force Awakens’, but in the meantime you can fly on a plane designed to look like R2-D2. The All Nippon Airways (ANA) jet makes its international debut in autumn. www.ana-sw.com/index.html

‘I live in Ujiie, it’s no better than my home town.’

‘It’s like a different universe here.’

CITY FAQ: PIXTA, LOGROAD: KEISUKE TANIGAWA

‘I love it here; could definitely get used to this way of life.’

BE THE APPIEST TRAVELLER Helping you find your way

Where in Tokyo is this?

Every issue we’ll show you a picture of a Tokyo location that you may or may not recognise.

We’ll reveal where this photo was taken in our Photo of the Day series at www.timeout.com/ tokyo. This photo’s clue: You could easily be distracted by the view of Tokyo Skytree and just walk by this upside-down dome without realising there are holes underneath, designed for you to stick your head through and see what lies inside…

WHERE IN TOKYO IS THIS?: ANNEMARIE LUCK

Shibuya gets its own beer There’s no stopping the craft beer caravan in Japan: the opening of new breweries and bars continues, while out-of-place players are doing their best to make a quick yen off the trend. The distinction between ‘local’ beer (ji-biiru) and craft also still seems unclear to a significant portion of the boozing population, with a number of municipalities and neighbourhoods without a single brewery in sight touting their own ‘specialities’.

So we feared the worst after hearing that Shibuya was getting its own signature brew – pithily named Shibuya Beer – but were relieved to find out that the creation would actually be the work of Kanagawa’s well-regarded Sankt Gallen brewery. Try it out at Udagawa Café: tinyurl.com/ TOTudagawa

Tacos are trending After a spate of Mexican-inspired restaurant openings and menu additions, we think we can safely predict an imminent taco food trend. Try the new Taco Bell in Shibuya (tinyurl.com/TOTtacobell) for budget fare and seafood restaurant Cedros’ (tinyurl.com/TOTcedros) latest offering, pictured here, for a more gourmet affair.

TRIPOSO Best for When you don’t want to carry that heavy travel guide book around.

How does it work?

Choose your city and then download the package that’s filled with info like ‘Local highlights’, ‘Suggestions for a rainy day’, ‘10 nearby places’, currency exchange and weather report. Once downloaded you can access it offline so no pesky roaming charges.

Get it Free from the App store and Google Play.

NAVITIME FOR JAPAN TRAVEL Best for Finding train routes and free wi-fi spots.

How does it work? Now available in English, Navitime helps you navigate your way around Tokyo, covering all modes of transport and giving you doorto-door directions and even alerting you if there’s a train delay. Their newest function lets you search for free wi-fi spots even while offline. The app gets bonus points for also including a list of over four million sightseeing suggestions.

Get it Free from the App store and Google Play.

GOOGLE TRANSLATE Best for When you just want to be able to read a damn menu.

How does it work? Google Translate’s handiest function yet lets you use your camera to scan in a word or phrase, then use your finger to highlight the text you want translated and, hey presto, you’ve got the English version. Available in 36 languages. Just don’t expect miracles – it’s not going to be able to translate a novel just yet.

Get it Free from the App store and Google Play.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 7

Local legends #7 The otaku dance champion

‘S

ometimes knowing nothing gives you strength,’ says 33-year-old Takahiro Ueno.

He’s referring to when he was 24 and travelled from Tokyo to New York to compete in the famed Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater. He had no formal dance training and could speak very little English, yet he won the audience-judged competition nine consecutive times (that’s more times than Michael Jackson).

‘My life changed after that,’ he says, which is a pretty modest statement considering he went on to choreograph, perform and tour around the world, even scoring a gig as back-up dancer for Madonna’s ‘Sticky & Sweet Tour’. But after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Takahiro decided to return home: ‘I missed

my family. And I thought perhaps it was time to show Japan what I’d become.’

Takahiro now runs Topfield Dance Center, which has two branches and is the first studio in Tokyo to offer ‘wotagei’ (aka otaku dance) classes. This fast-paced dance style was born from Japan’s idol, anime and, most recently, vocaloid culture and involves frantic (trust us, we tried it) arm movements and multicoloured glowsticks. ‘I really believe it’s going to become a global dance phenomenon,’ he says. We have to agree – all it would take is one wotagei-inspired music video by Lady Gaga and otaku dance would be the next big thing.

Watch us attempt to learn otaku dance moves: tinyurl.com/TOTotaku Contact Topfield: www.topfield-dance. com/en

We first spotted Sami Elu on a corner in Shimokitazawa where he introduced us to his ‘disposable chopstick piano’.

The instrument is an original creation with a small but fully functional drum set, on which he plays music best described as East Asian-influenced, one-man marching band fare.

Sami came to Japan from Boston in 2006 and has been travelling the country ever since, performing at gig spaces and on the street. He says he mainly rolls solo but still plays occasional reggae gigs together with a Jamaican friend. His current instrument is the fourth incarnation

8 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

of the chopstick piano, which is portable and easily customisable.

Although an album may be on the horizon, the best way to enjoy Sami’s music right now is to catch him live, on a street corner.

For more info, visit his website: freethefleamarket.org

IMAGES: KISA TOYOSHIMA

Meet the chopstick pianist

Is Japan’s ‘Golden Poo’ the origin of that emoji?

SECRET CITY Attractions off the beaten track

I

f you haven’t yet been introduced to the (charmed) golden pile, it’s official name is Kin no Unko (The Golden Poo) and it became known as felicitous simply because the Japanese word for lucky starts with the same ‘un’ sound.

Produced by a company called Ryukodo, the trinket comes in various forms – just resting like royalty on a red pillow, or as a cellphone strap and even a coin holder. But how did it end up on your iPhone in the form of that little stinky emoji (which, according to a new study, is most loved by Canadians)?

1

In the ’80s, Japan released the popular manga series ‘Dr Slump’, which was peppered with toilet humour and pale pink walking talking poops, designed to make viewers laugh. Then in 1999, Kin no Unko came into being and at around the same time Japan invented emoji.

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By 2007, when Google joined with one of Japan’s telecom carriers with the intention of adapting emoji for Gmail, poop humour and symbolism were in full swing here. According to one report, it took some convincing for Google to keep the poop emoji in their lineup, but they went with it – although the first version had flies swirling around it and lacked a smiley face.

3

A month after Google debuted its emoji in 2008, Apple picked them up too, allowing you to send your friends little piles of faeces via text message.

Nine ways to use a tenugui

GOLDEN POO: ANNE KOERBER/LSHTM, SECRET CITY: JOYCE LAM

This traditional, hand-dyed Japanese towel has been around since the 700s and was originally created for use during Shinto rituals. They went out of fashion for a while, but the last decade has seen a revival of the very versatile tenugui, which you can pick up at souvenir shops from around ¥600 to ¥1,500.

WRAPPING

WEARING

IN THE KITCHEN

Gift wrapper

An Alice band

Hand towel

Fruit for a picnic

A hipster neck scarf

Drying cloth

Book protector

A quirky belt

Pretty wallhanging

Daiba Park The artificial island Odaiba is a popular tourist spot today but what you may not know is that the name ‘Daiba’ (one of the island’s districts) refers to the six cannon batteries that were placed on the island when it was first built for defence purposes in the 1850s. Only two of these have been preserved: No. 6 Battery and No. 3 Battery, with the latter opening to the public as Daiba Park in 1928.

Picnic in the arms of an old fortress, perhaps? 1 Daiba, Minato (OdaibaKaihinkoen Station).

Another Hachiko The statue of Tokyo’s most famous pup is the ultimate meeting spot in Shibuya. But the city so loves dear Hachiko that one statue is simply not enough. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of his death, a new statue was erected on the University of Tokyo’s campus just next to Ueno Park in March. This one has a happier ending as it shows dog and master being reunited. 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo.

Remembering the last Fujimi-zaka Fujimi-zaka refers to a hill (‘zaka’) from where one can see (‘mi’) Mt Fuji. There used to be many of these slopes all over Tokyo but sadly city development has resulted in the views being blocked by highrise buildings. The very last Fujimi-zaka, in Tokyo’s Yanaka area, met its fate in June 2013 but, even so, it’s worth visiting for the atmospheric old town. And at least the lampposts are still decorated with Mt Fuji symbols. 3-9-17 NishiNippori, Arakawa.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 9

What’s your favourite thing about Tokyo?

We asked readers to tell us what, where and why. Here’s what you said…

WE SAY ‘JAPAN’, YOU SAY… SUSHI

We played the word association game with readers and 30% of you chose raw fish as the thing you relate most to Japan. Surprisingly, just 4% of you selected robots, while 56% of you gave us your own answers…

Sakura Zen

Organised

Gundam

Riding bikes

YOU CAME FOR THE FOOD At least, 48% of you said the main reason you visited or want to visit Tokyo is for the food.

35% said the pop culture, while others said they are attracted by the vintage fashion and the temples. Then there’s the one dude who works in the judo industry and told us: ‘My company transferred me because I was the only guy in the office who knew the slightest thing about Japan.’

Love and happiness

Japanese girls Crowds

Wabi sabi

Sake

Manga

EVERYONE LOVES THE SCRAMBLE 51% of you told us your favourite tourist spot in Tokyo is the Shibuya crossing. By comparison, the Skytree dude only got a measly 18% of votes. Which surely proves once and for all that bigger is not always better.

OTHER THINGS YOU LIKE • Ghibli Museum • Meiji Shrine • Akasaka Mitsuke • Takaragawa Onsen • Just the streets • The high-tech toilets (yes, really) 10 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

BESIDES TOKYO, YOU WANT TO GO TO…

90 82 36 35

01. KYOTO 02. OSAKA 03. HOKKAIDO 04. OKINAWA

KYOTO

...which scores 90 out of 100 for its pretty temples.

Osaka, Hokkaido and Okinawa also garnered plenty of votes, while other destinations on your must-visit list include Kyushu, Oiso, Nara, Hiroshima, Naoshima and ‘a small town called Yanai in Yamaguchi Prefecture’.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND? We asked: on a scale of 1 to 10, how easy is it to find your way around Tokyo, where 1 is ‘If you don’t have Google Maps, don’t even bother visiting’, and 10 is ‘All lanes lead to an izakaya.’ The average answer was 7.3, meaning most of you find it pretty easy to get around. Except for that one girl who said, ‘I use Google Maps but I still get lost.’ Could the guy who considers himself ‘a human GPS’ please raise his hand?

The percentage of respondents who believe spring is the best season to visit Tokyo.

Runner-up is autumn, with summer and winter lagging behind in joint third place.

DESCRIBE TOKYO IN ONE WORD

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BEFORE I VISITED TOKYO, I THOUGHT IT WAS… ‘Blade Runner mixed with a Wong Kar-wai movie.’

‘Extremely expensive.’

‘Compact. A good compact.

The buildings, the culture, the streets, the transportation… everything is so well connected.’

‘Bad architecture next to stunning architecture.’

‘Busy, crowded, with every man wearing the same suit.’

‘Like stepping into a colourful, almost cartoon world.’

NOW THAT I’VE VISITED, MY IMPRESSION IS… ‘It only got better. The key was to stop asking: “Why do they do this differently to what I’m used to?”’

‘It’s more of a retro futurism.’

‘I can’t believe so many people can live together in one place and yet everything runs so seamlessly.’

‘There is more to Tokyo than meets the eye. Try to see beyond the stereotypes.’

‘A world of juxtapositions.’

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 11

Tokyo Diary What’s on in town July-September 2015 July MUSIC OTODAMA SEA STUDIO This summer gig moved from Zushi Beach to Kamakura’s Yuigahama last year, but Otodama Sea Studio hardly suffered from the change: attendance was strong throughout July and August. The 2015 edition is set to keep the ball rolling with 62 consecutive days of gigs.

Jul 1-Aug 31 Yuigahama Beach, Kamakura. tinyurl.com/ TOTotodamasea. Prices vary.

AROUND TOWN POOL WAI Yomiuri Land’s summer-only outdoor pool area is opening again, so get ready to enjoy a total of five pools, several water slides and lots of fun events – how about chilling in the predictably tame Anpanman pool before heading over to the curvy slides and the ‘wave pool’? Adults will also enjoy the night-time beer garden that spreads out on one of the nearby lawns.

Jul 1-Sep 13 Yomiuri Land, 40151 Yanokuchi, Inagi. tinyurl.com/ TOTpoolwai. Pool tickets: adults ¥2,900, children & seniors ¥1,900; combination tickets (pool & rides): adults ¥4,700, children ¥3,700.

serving up all-you-can-drink beer, wine and cocktails. You get ¥1,000 off the price from Monday to Thursday if you go in a yukata.

Jul 1-Sep 30 Takeshiba Ferry Terminal, 1-16-3 Kaigan, Minato. tinyurl.com/TOTtokyobay. ¥2,600 (¥1,000 yukata discount Mon-Thu).

Booking essential.

MUSIC TYONDAI BRAXTON The former frontman of experimental rock band Battles, Tyondai Braxton has been carving an innovative solo path over the past few years, combining music with influences from architecture and design. He now brings his latest project, ‘Hive’, to Tokyo and Liquidroom – look out for a spectacular light show, percussion-heavy electronic pieces and unexpected bursts of energy. Boredoms vocalist Yamataka Eye (under his EY alias) supports with a DJ set.

E

Tokyo Diary

Make the most of the city with our editors’ picks of the best things to do over the next three months

Wave your cups in the air At Tokyo Bay Noryosen

AROUND TOWN TOKYO BAY NORYOSEN The capital’s very own booze cruise departs from Takeshiba Terminal at 7.15pm every night between July 1 and September 30 (weather permitting), and does a lap of the bay (all the way to Haneda Airport) while 12 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

Pool Wai

Jul 2 Liquidroom, 3-16-6 Higashi, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/TOTbraxton.

Advance ¥5,400 (drink order required).

AROUND TOWN ECO EDO NIHONBASHI ART AQUARIUM Deploying a range of lighting tricks, projection mapping and traditional Japanese motifs, not to mention thousands of live goldfish, selfproclaimed ‘art aquarium producer’ Hidetomo Kimura’s annual exhibition is a must-visit. Go after 7pm on weekends for the best atmosphere, cocktails and DJ tunes. Keep in mind that this is one of Tokyo’s most popular summer happenings – there will be a queue.

Jul 10-Sep 23 Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall, 5F Coredo Muromachi, 2-21 Nihonbashi-Muromachi, Chuo. tinyurl.com/TOTecoedo. ¥1,000, children ¥600.

AROUND TOWN BRAZIL FESTIVAL 2015

Formerly held at the beginning of September, Yoyogi Park’s annual Brazilian festival now takes place at the height of the summer, ensuring maximum sweatiness. Expect big crowds, exposed midriffs and plenty of hip-shaking, all fuelled by generous quantities of churrasco barbecue, acai berries and caipirinhas.

Jul 18-19 Yoyogi Park, 2-1 Yoyogi Kamizonocho, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/ TOTbrazilfestival. Free.

FILM MEIKO KAJI PROGRAMME Hidden among the love hotels in Shibuya’s Maruyamacho, Cinema Vera is known for its focus on double features highlighting both classics and obscure indie fare. Expect a little bit of both at this programme dedicated to actress and singer Meiko Kaji, who is celebrating a halfcentury in the biz this year. Test your Japanese skills with films like the original ‘Joshu Sasori’ (‘Female Convict Scorpion’) series and 1973 thriller ‘Lady Snowblood’, a major inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’.

Jul 18-Aug 7 Cinema Vera Shibuya, 4F Kinohaus, 1-5 Maruyamacho, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/TOTmeikokaji.

¥1,400, seniors ¥1,000, college and high school students ¥800, children ¥500.

He’s got the look Watch Johnny Marr in July

MUSIC JOHNNY MARR The Smiths co-founder, composer and current alt-rock guitar god has worked with the who’s who of musicians throughout his career.

Last year, Marr released his first-ever solo album, ‘The Messenger’, and followed it up with another, ‘Playland, in October. We’re hoping this concert doesn’t neglect his classics.

Jul 28 Liquidroom, 3-16-6 Higashi, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/ TOTjohnnymarr. ¥6,800.

August

SUMMER HORROR FESTIVAL: ‘OCHLOCRACY (MOB RULE)’ © 2014 ABCS OF DEATH2 FILM, LTD.

ART & CULTURE ALL STUDENT ART FESTIVAL GAKUTEN Returning to Big Sight in August, Gakuten is where to check out student art from all over the world.

Up to 1,000 exhibitors will be showing off paintings, accessories, clothing, performance art and much more, and many of the displayed pieces can also be purchased on the spot. When announced, the list of participants can be viewed on the official website.

Aug 8-9 Tokyo Big Sight, 3-11-1 Ariake, Koto. tinyurl.com/TOTgakuten. Oneday ticket ¥1,000, both days ¥1,800.

AROUND TOWN MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S ZOO If you’ve ever wondered what zoo animals do once the sun goes down, you can find out in Ueno this month.

For a few days each summer, Japan’s oldest zoo extends its

AROUND TOWN NIGHT OF WONDER The aquarium at Kasai Rinkai Park extends its opening hours for four days over the Obon holidays, letting visitors take a look at the nightly activities of marine creatures including penguins. Take advantage of the beer garden.

Aug 13-16 Tokyo Sea Life Park,6-23 Rinkai-cho, Edogawa. tinyurl.com/ TOTnightswonder. ¥700, seniors ¥350, junior high students ¥250.

Last entry 7pm.

MUSIC SABURO TESHIGAWARA X KEIJI HAINO X MERZBOW Now this is what you call a collab: renowned choreographer Saburo Teshigawara will be teaming up with psychedelic noise explorer Keiji Haino and ruthless laptop wizard Merzbow for a night of mindboggling musical experiments at Daikanyama’s Mameromantic.

Aug 21 Mameromantic, B2F, 20-20 Daikanyamacho, Shibuya. tinyurl. com/TOTsaburomerzbow.

Advance ¥6,400, sameday ¥6,900.

consists of 26 up-and-coming international directors, including Briton Julian Gilbey and Evan Katz, plus screenings of genre classics like the ‘Hellraiser’ series and cult fare such as 1982’s ‘Basket Case’.

Aug 22-Sep 4 Kineca Omori, 5F Seiyu Omori, 6-27-25 MinamiOi, Shinagawa. tinyurl.com/ TOTsummerhorror. ¥1,500 (repeat visitors ¥1,100).

AROUND TOWN UDON TENKAICHI TOURNAMENT This glorious three-day gourmet bash brings together more than 20 udon eateries from all over the country to vie for the All-Japan Udon Championship. Get there early to sample extra-delectable mixtures and vote for your favourite – winners will be announced in two categories at the end of the weekend.

Aug 28-30 Yoyogi Park Event Plaza, 2-1 Yoyogi Kamizonocho, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/TOTudon. Free entry.

AROUND TOWN ASAKUSA SAMBA CARNIVAL Teams of elaborately dressed dancers flood the streets of Asakusa for Japan’s largest samba carnival, shaking their tail feathers to the Brazilian beat as they work

their way along Umamichi-dori, past the Kaminarimon and toward Tawaramachi.

Aug 29 Central Asakusa. tinyurl. com/TOTsamba. Free.

September AROUND TOWN GELATO WORLD TOUR TOKYO Spreading the gospel of Italy’s bestknown frozen dessert all around the globe, the Gelato World Tour now stops by Tokyo and Komazawa Park for three September days. Head over to taste all the fruity ice you can fit in, learn how to make your own treat and watch 16 gelato craftsmen from the East Asian region compete for supremacy.

Sep 4-6 1-1 KomazawaKoen, Setagaya. tinyurl.com/ TOTgelatoworld. Free entry.

ART & CULTURE 36TH TAITO NOH Performed indoors by candlelight since 2009, Sensoji’s autumn noh performance will return to its original outdoor location this year, with the area around the stage lit up by fire.

Even if you aren’t attuned to the intricacies of this traditional

Asakusa Samba Carnival

FILM SUMMER HORROR FESTIVAL The King Records music label is taking a step into the movie business with this terrifying festival, called the ‘Hidden Treasures of Horror’. The lineup For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 13

Tokyo Diary

MUSIC TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL After a 2014 edition that saw 138 ‘idol’ groups play for over 40,000 fans, this year’s version of the Tokyo Idol Festival will have to pull off something really special. They’re of course trying to do just that, promising unique ‘collaborative’ gigs that’ll feature top groups sharing the stage for the first time. Expect appearances by units like Idoling!!!, Yurumerumo, Up Up Girls, The Possible and Negicco.

Aug 1-2 Odaiba Aomi Stage. tinyurl. com/TOTidolfestival. One-day pass ¥6,000, two-day pass ¥9,800.

opening hours until 8pm, offering visitors a glimpse of the after-hours menagerie. Watch the animals get their evening meals, or kick back with some microbrews in the terrace beer garden.

Aug 8-16 Ueno Zoo, 9-83 Ueno Koen, Taito. tinyurl.com/TOTnightzoo. ¥600, seniors ¥300, junior high students ¥200. Last entry 7pm.

Tokyo Diary performing art, the expressive action and funny poses make for great entertainment. Note that if it rains, the event will be moved to nearby Asakusa Public Hall (1-38-6, Asakusa, Taito).

Sep 8 Sensoji Temple, 2-31 Asakusa, Taito. tinyurl.com/ TOTtaitonoh. ¥5,000.

Tokyo Diary

FILM 37TH PFF PIA FILM FESTIVAL Launched in 1977 to ‘discover and develop new movie talent’, the Pia Film Festival sees independent movies compete for PFF Awards, while the Invitational Selection features valuable work from both Japan and abroad. The competition jury at least has some star power: Sion Sono, Gakuryu Ishii, Shinya Tsukamoto and Yuya Ishii.

Sep 12-24 National Film Centre, 3-7-6 Kyobashi, Chuo. tinyurl.com/ TOTpffpia. Prices vary.

AROUND TOWN BELGIAN BEER WEEKEND TOKYO Take a break from Tokyo’s extraseasonal Oktoberfests in September and enjoy some Belgian beery goodness at Roppongi Hills, where a vast selection of brews is combined with delicious pub grub and quality Belgian music. A total of 61 different beers will be available, ranging from standard offerings like Hoegaarden and Vedett to rare masterpieces.

Sep 15-23 Roppongi Hills Arena, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato. tinyurl. com/TOTbelgianweekend. Starter set ¥3,100.

MUSIC ULTRA JAPAN Say what you want about the quality of the music on offer – the first Tokyo version of the Miami-born music festival was a smashing success last year. It’s no surprise, then, that expectations are already high for the 2015 edition of Ultra Japan, which looks set to eclipse last year’s party with a lineup headed by David Guetta, Armin Van Buuren and Skrillex.

Sep 19-21 Odaiba Ultra Stage. tinyurl.com/TOTultrajapan. Oneday pass ¥13,000, three-day pass ¥39,000, VIP one-day pass ¥30,000.

AROUND TOWN YEBISU BAR THE GARDEN The wooden patio outside Kasumigaseki’s Yebisu Bar turns into a raucous beer garden during

Forest Beer Garden

14 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

summer. Advance bookings for groups of two or more come with a choice of ‘standard’ (¥4,500), ‘casual’ (¥5,500) or ‘hearty’ (¥6,500) courses that include free-flowing Yebisu beer, highballs and wine.

Until Sep 25 2F Kasumigaseki Common Gate Annex. tinyurl.com/ TOTyebisubar. Free entry, set prices as above.

AROUND TOWN FOREST BEER GARDEN An expansive outdoor spot located within the children’s play area inside Meiji Shrine’s Outer Gardens, the Forest Beer Garden is separated from its boozy cousins by its tranquil, tree-lined surrounds and bubbling waterfall. The popular all-you-caneat-and-drink option contains everything from barbecued beef and pork to flavoured rum cocktails, wine and three kinds of draft beer.

Until Sep 26 Trim Sports Centre, 14-13 Kasumigaoka-cho, Shinjuku. tinyurl. com/TOTbeergarden. ¥3,800 for women, ¥4,100 for men.

AROUND TOWN TAKETORO FESTIVAL & MOON WATCHING Six hundred bamboo lanterns (taketoro) will light up the forest around the Edo-era Yokomizo mansion, making for a beautifully mysterious sight. Koto (a traditional Japanese instrument) performances will also take place at this annual festival, which celebrates the autumn moon and sees vendors setting up stalls selling seasonal snacks.

There’s only room for 500 people, so arrive early.

Sep 26 3-10-2 Shishigaya, Tsurumi, Yokohama. tinyurl.com/ TOTmoonwatching. ¥100.

Around the region Shanghai

Beijing

Nobody Knows Where World-renowned Australian photographer Christopher Doyle and groundbreaking Chinese painter Zhang Enli collaborate in a joint exhibition of completely new installation works for this high profile exhibition in Lujiazui. Until Aug 30 at Aurora Museum, www.timeoutshanghai.com

Ai Weiwei The enfant terrible of Chinese art presents his first solo show of previously unexhibited work in China, a reconstructed Anhui-style abode exploring histories both political and personal. Until Sep 6, Galleria Continua, www.timeoutbeijing.com

Jolin Once one of the biggest names in Mandopop – and rumoured to be an ex-squeeze of Jay Chou – Jolin Tsai has struggled for relevance in recent years, but that hasn’t stopped her from pulling in enough screaming fans to fill Pudong’s MercedesBenz Arena; and that’s where she’ll be for her latest visit to Shanghai. Jul 18 at Mercedes-Benz Arena, www.timeoutshanghai.com

Beat the Summer Heat at Waldorf Astoria Beijing Escape into the luxurious interiors of the Waldorf Astoria Beijing and take the sting out of summer with specially created cocktails. The creative mixologists at the hotel have put together a unique selection that will delight the tastebuds while the pretty coloured drinks – ranging from pale lime to spicy orange – perfectly chilled or swirling in ice cubes will help to restore overheated bods. Until Aug 31 at Waldorf Astoria Beijing, www. timeoutbeijing.com

N. KOREA

BEIJING

CHINA

KASHMIR

Kuala Lumpur

Beer o’clock at Gridiron On Fridays at this sports bar, beer goes for a paltry RM4 at 4pm, RM5 at 5pm, you get the idea. A perfect way to end a long and hard week, with a frosty mug of beer and sport on the telly.

Until Sep 25 at Gridiron, www. timeout.com/kuala-lumpur

S. KOREA

SHANGHAI

NEPAL

Video Games Live Celebrated video game composer Tommy Tallarico returns with some of the most iconic theme songs and music in video-games history, including ‘Zelda’, ‘Mega Man’ and ‘Mario’. More than just a concert, there will also be some pre-show activities (dubbed the Festival), such as ‘Guitar Hero’ competitions, cosplay red carpet, face painting and food trucks.

Aug 29 at Putra Indoor Stadium, www.timeout.com/kuala-lumpur

BHUTAN BANGLADESH

INDIA

MYANMAR (BURMA) LAOS THAILAND

VIETNAM

CAMBODIA

SRI LANKA

PHILIPPINES

MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR SINGAPORE

INDONESIA

JAPAN

Hong Kong

Bruce Lee: Kung Fu. Art. Life This ongoing exhibition showcasing Bruce Lee movie memorabilia, costumes, scripts and photographs has just been updated with 12 new exhibits. These include Lee’s own manuscripts from Enter the Dragon, plus the metal claw designed by Lee as a prop for the movie. Ongoing at Heritage Museum, www.timeout.com/hk Slide the City It’s an irrefutable fact that slip ’n’ slides are one of greatest things in the world.

People who disagree are most likely dead inside – treat them with suspicion. As such, the news that the good people at Slide the City are turning Hong Kong’s streets (well, one at least) into a huge 250-metre slip ’n’ slide makes us weak with excitement.

Early bird tickets have sold out, so fingers crossed for plenty still available on the door – if you could call it that. Aug 22-24 at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, www.timeout.com/hk

Singapore

After Utopia: Revisiting the Ideal in Asian Contemporary Art Split into four themes, SAM’s latest exhibition taps our desire to find or create utopia. The title, as co-curator Louis Ho says, ‘is a play on the word “after”, which can either mean what follows, or to chase what’s on the horizon’. The show tackles an ambitious and fascinating topic, but also gives the museum a chance to show off its permanent collection, some of which were recently acquired and displayed to the public for the first time. Until Oct 18 at Singapore Art Museum, www.timeout.com/singapore Muse Live in Singapore 2015 Muse is finally back in Singapore for their third round. Catch the British rock band in action at the Singapore Indoor Stadium as they play music from their new album ‘Drones’ and old favourites like ‘Knights of Cydonia’, ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ and 2012 Olympics theme ‘Survival’. Sep 26 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, www.timeout.com/singapore For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 15

16 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

Courtesy calls Etiquette made easy

No 7 How to go with the commuter flow Tips for a friendlier rush hour on Tokyo’s ‘densha’ (trains). Words Ili Saarinen. Illustration Bunny Bissoux

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rains in this great city of ours are convenient, clean, fast and (almost) always on time.

But they can also be claustrophobic and confusing, especially if you’re new to the city and/or riding during rush hour. Who hasn’t seen that hair-raising train-squashing YouTube clip and felt their jaw drop? There are also quite a few written and unwritten rules of train-taking that, if followed, make everyone’s journey more comfortable. Learning these densha dictates takes time, so to make things a little less awkward for you, we’ve put together a guide to train etiquette: what to do, what not to do, and what you just might get away with doing without attracting the salaryman looks that could kill.

DO STAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE. UH, NO, WE MEAN LEFT… The most basic of rules, this one is hard and fast. On the escalators and in the corridors you should always stand on the left, pass on the right. That means single file on the escalator. Exceptions are only allowed when the signs tell you they are, which actually does happen here and there.

DO BE A GENTLEMAN/WOMAN Old people, disabled people, pregnant people, people with little kids… These passengers all need a seat more than you do. Although there are special priority seats where you are expected to stand should one of the above board the train, you should be gracious enough to stand even if you are in the regular seating area. Don’t be the guy who pretends to be asleep when you spy a walking stick.

DON’T TRY TO SCHWARZENEGGER THE CLOSING DOORS Unless you know what you’re doing, of course. Known as ‘kakekomijosha’ in Japanese, the art of lastsecond boarding requires some skill. Besides the fact it can hurt, it also makes you look ridiculous and

causes delays. What’s a five-second delay, you ask? In Japan’s finely tuned transportation system, everything is mapped out in five-second intervals, so you’ll be throwing off the entire day’s programme. Besides, you’ll only have to wait a couple of minutes for the next train.

DON’T CATCH UP ON THE GOSSIP On Tokyo trains, phones can be used for everything except, well, phoning.

Set yours on ‘manner mode’ to prevent any ironic ringtones from waking fellow travellers from their blissful train naps. If you really can’t ignore a call, a quick ‘I’m on the train’ will defuse the situation.

DON’T BE A STICK IN THE MUD You’ll understand this one as soon as you’ve experienced trying to get off a packed train and people just ain’t budging. If you’re the

one not budging, you’re inspiring frustration, panic and elbowed ribs.

It’s simple – step off the train and stand to the side while passengers disembark. Then get back on.

Everyone stays calm.

DON’T EAT THAT LEFTOVER PIZZA Few co-riders will complain about a quick afternoon onigiri (rice ball) on a less-than-crowded local train, but messy and/or smelly snacks are off limits. A pizza slice on the Tokyo-bound Chuo line at 7.30am?

Get out.

DO GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF A TOUCH CARD Get an IC (integrated chip) card, either the Suica or Pasmo card, for easier travelling – you simply charge it and swipe it as you pass through the ticket gates. You can purchase one from ticket machines (at the

airport too) or at any station office for a deposit of ¥500 (which you can get back if you return it). It removes the need for playing around with paper tickets, makes passing through ticket gates quicker and even allows you to track where you’ve been. You can also use it to pay for goods at some convenience stores. More details at www.pasmo.co.jp/en.

DON’T GET ON YOUR HIGH HORSE See a newbie or self-righteous ‘ojisan’ (older guy) breaking these rules? No matter how much you’d like to, resist the desire to lecture them. There are few things an exhausted commuter hates more than being talked to.

For more on city life news and culture, see blogs.timeout.jp/en

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 17

Promotional feature

I,TOKYO Astrid Klein Architect at Klein Dytham, co-founder of Pecha Kucha, 53

LOCAL INSIGHT

You moved here in 1988. What made you choose Tokyo?

I was a student at Royal College of Art in London and we used to hear about all these amazing buildings going up in Tokyo. Really crazy stuff like Philippe Starck’s ‘golden carrot’ and Aoyama Seizu Senmon Gakko, which looks like a giant metallic, red cockroach. I just had to come and check them out.

How were things different back then?

Well, for one, Doutor was the only coffee shop, and ATMs closed at 7pm and on holidays, so I once had to get through an entire Golden Week on ¥347.

When did you first feel like a Tokyoite?

In 1991, when my business partner Mark Dytham and I first set up Deluxe, which was a warehouse space that we used as an office. We had to pay the deposit in cash, which felt a bit weird. We shared the space with five other creatives.

You and Mark also founded Pecha Kucha.

What’s that been like?

It’s in 830 cities now! We have been amazed at how it’s spread around the world and the people who have been inspired to start chapters in their cities. One was started by a policeman (who would’ve thought!) and they hold the events at their local fire station.

Which of your architectural projects are your favourites?

It’s always a difficult question to answer – it’s like being asked to choose your favourite child.

But right now, Daikanyama T-Site is a favourite because it’s an answer to a lifestyle rather than a shop. We also like the little accessories shop in Arisugawakoen – it’s the tiniest building we’ve ever designed. Our next favourite is coming up in 2016 on the Ginza 5-chome crossing – hopefully it will be pretty iconic.

Tell us about a building in Tokyo that you love.

I’ve always had a crush on the Olympic Stadium because it’s an unusual shape and it totally melds structure, function and aesthetics into one.

Your favourite Japanese designer?

Toyo Ito. I’m biased here because I worked for him when I first arrived and he has been a mentor for me.

What makes him so outstanding is that, even at his age, he is more surprising than many young architects.

He comes up with buildings that are both iconic and that respect the people who use the building.

NHK World’s TV programme ‘Journeys in Japan’ shows foreigners around Japan. What’s your top spot to visit in Japan?

I love going to the islands. A long-time favourite is Sadogashima, because it was the first one I went to.

Every year they have the Earth Celebration festival, centred around the taiko drumming of Kodo, so that’s definitely something to look out for this summer.

T stands for T-Site Astrid in front of Daikanyama T-Site, one of Klein Dytham’s projects

Finally, any survival tips for city visitors?

Get lost. Take any train line and just get off at random stations. This way, you’ll find more authentic spots that are not what you expect.

IMAGE: KISA TOYOSHIMA

What is the sound of Tokyo you miss most when you are away?

The 5 o’ clock bell. It’s so out of sync with the innovative and hi-tech concept of Japan.

To find out how you can get NHK WORLD TV 24/7 in your country,

I, GLOBAL Domo

©NHK-TYO

NHK mascot

Made in Japan Discover some of the country’s best artisanal products

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here is something unique about things that are made in Japan. You only have to look at Domo, NHK World’s lovable mascot, to realise this. In addition to the many mascots, the kawaii culture and delicious washoku, Japan’s craftwork ranks high on the list of ‘beautiful things to see’ when travelling around the country. Here, we round up some of the top artisanal products to look out for, as seen on NHK World’s TV show ‘Journeys in Japan’ – all of them created with delicate designs that reflect local history and tradition.

Glassware from Otaru City in Hokkaido Prefecture Back in the Meiji Period, Otaru City used floating glass balls as fishing implements. These days, the city still produces high-quality glassware but with a focus on beautiful, colourful works.

Wajima lacquerware from Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture Some of the world’s finest lacquerware products, known as Wajima-nuri, are made here by local artisans. They add unique steps to the already painstaking process of creating handmade lacquerware.

Kokeshi dolls from Naruko Onsen in Miyagi Prefecture This little hamlet is famous for its traditional kokeshi dolls, which were originally created during the Edo era (1603-1868) by wood craftsmen as children’s toy souvenirs for onsen visitors who came to stay during winter.

Hina dolls and toys from Kumamoto Prefecture

These products were featured on…

In this region, people celebrate the annual Hinamatsuri (Dolls Festival) in a unique way every March. If you happen to be there around this time, you’ll see masses of dolls on display, to pray for the healthy growth of young girls. In Kumamoto City, children make their own dolls in preparation for spring.

Echizen washi from Echizen City in Fukui Prefecture The Goka district of Echizen is renowned for its 1,500-year history of papermaking and its high-quality handmade washi paper.

The paper is often used for important ceremonies and documents.

This NHK World TV show gives viewers an inside look at what it’s like to travel around Japan, through the eyes of English-speaking visitors. Your ‘guide’ will explore the local culture, meet people and offer travel hints rarely found in guidebooks.

More TV shows for travel and design enthusiasts

Explore the charm of Japan’s ceramic culture by visiting potters from all over the country and learning about their heritage and historical background.

Meet Japanese artisans and designers and learn about the products born out of their creative collaboration. Presented with a twist of CG animation.

on your TV, computer or mobile device, visit nhk.jp/nhkworld

Focusing on individual Japanese architects, this show examines their ideas and technologies to illustrate the local industry’s rising global recognition.

TOKYO BLUR 20 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

W I’m in Tokyo. It’s dark and raining. Everything blurs around me. The faces, lights, the times I’ve gone through.

I feel myself fading away, losing control. I’m not worried, far from it: a sense of stillness, recognition and renewal flows through me. Beyond the first mists that hampered my sight, everything now becomes limpid, crystal clear. I begin to tidy up my lifetime, trying to comprehend why I came here.

– César Ordóñez

hen we first met César Ordóñez in 2013, he told us about his ‘Tokyo Blur’ photo series. He told us that ‘the out of focus portion of the pictures represents this space I feel between myself and the world around me when I’m in Tokyo. It’s a positive feeling’. When you look at the photos, which have recently been published as a hardcover photo book, you can really sense what he means. Usually, images of Tokyo show a very specific side of the city – like the bright lights, the colour, the tourist hotspots – but Ordóñez really gets under her skin.

As with his previous ‘Ashimoto’ series, he manages to capture moments from everyday life; moments that are rarely seen or felt by those who don’t live here. Through images in black and white, most of them at night and often close to abstraction, he takes us to a mysterious, sensual and ‘blurred’ Tokyo. We sat down for a chat with the photographer and asked him to give us more insight into the images.

How did the idea for ‘Tokyo Blur’ come about?

It came to me while walking through Tokyo in 2013, taking pictures of dark streets in the rain, cherry blossoms, or nightclubs. I intentionally visited the city without a prior idea of what kind of pictures I would take. I wanted to be guided by the city. A city that always gives me answers to the questions I ask it through my photographs or videos.

This is your fourth project in Tokyo since 2007. How does this one differ from your other series?

Unlike with previous projects where colour dominates the photos, I clearly visualised this one as black and white, because it facilitates the abstraction, and I was interested to go in that direction.

Tell us about the title The concept of ‘blur’ has a metaphorical meaning, expressed through pictures being out of focus, or by photographs in which it is difficult to understand what happens.

The photos are not ‘happy’ photos as such, yet you have said that they convey a positive feeling for you. Can you explain more?

These photos are based on experiences that give me a positive feeling about life. That is what I wanted to convey – indirectly – through this series. But it is understandable and acceptable that other people might interpret them in a different way, depending on their own experiences or beliefs. Indeed, I often use an indirect style in my projects to leave them open to new interpretations.

Symbolically, this series tries to capture those moments when we’re ‘out of focus’; far from our regular environment, away from stress and daily routine. Usually, in everyday life we try to have everything under control. But when we’re far from our cultural references, without understanding most of what happens around us, it’s easier to realise that to attempt to control life is impossible.

Better to just live it.

Perhaps it’s just a paradox, but that’s the feeling I have every time I visit my beloved Tokyo. There are many situations that are ‘out of focus’ around me. However, this fact somehow disconnects the incessant noise of the mind and allows me a better understanding of life.

Do you take similar photos of Spain, or is this style unique to your photos of Tokyo?

Somehow, all my photos – and specifically those I’ve taken in Tokyo – are connected. They have a style in common, but they are also different. Each project is influenced by its precedent and, in turn, will influence future works, whether in theme, style or methodology. Right now, I’m starting a series in Barcelona, which is influenced by the methodology that I use for my works in Tokyo: walking calmly around the city without a specific direction, allowing the city to give me clues about the project through the images that appear in front of me.

Spanish photographer César Ordóñez captures a different side of Tokyo in his new photo book.

Interview Annemarie Luck

You’ve chosen not to caption these photos. How come?

When I decided on the name of the project, I also decided that single pictures would not have their own titles; each would be titled ‘Tokyo Blur’ followed by a number. I wanted all the images to blur into each other, to reflect the concept of the series.

Describe Tokyo in one word.

Home.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 21

TOKYO BLUR

22 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

‘Tokyo Blur’ is available at Shashasha (www.shashasha.co/en/book/tokyo-blur) in Tokyo for ¥3,670, or online at www.cesarordonez.com.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 23

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

50 THINGS TO Need a break from the city? We’ve come up with some unusual activities to make your getaway that much more interesting.

Whether you want to spend a holiday slurping 60 bowls of soba in one sitting, discovering Japan’s ‘desert’, or sporting a kimono on a film set, start here…

CONTRIBUTORS JUN IGARASHI AND NORIKO MANIWA THIS IMAGE ART DIRECTION STEVE NAKAMURA PHOTOGRAPHY SHUNYA ARAI NOTE: ALL TRAVEL TIMES LISTED ARE APPROXIMATE, BASED ON THE FASTEST ROUTE FROM TOKYO.

24 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

O DO IN JAPAN 01

See tradition reimagined KOU-AN Glass Tea House, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka

When one thinks of tea houses, one usually imagines wooden walls and tatami mats.

Which makes KOU-AN Glass Tea House, a new artwork created by artist and designer Tokujin Yoshioka, all the more intriguing. Located in Kyoto, the glass structure is intended to reinterpret Japan’s tea ceremony tradition.

It contrasts effectively with Shogunzuka Seiryuden Hall (pictured on our cover) and if you’re lucky enough to be there at a certain time in the afternoon, you’ll begin to see tiny rainbows created by the sun passing through the prism. Unfortunately, you’re not actually allowed to climb inside. On display until spring 2016. 28 Kacho-cho, Zushi-oku, Yamashinaku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto. www.tokujin.com, www. shorenin.com/shogun. Travel time: 2h30min.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 25

SIGHTSEEING & LEISURE

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

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Wander the setting of ‘Tokyo Story’ Onomichi

Surrounded by the Seto Inland Sea, and with a landscape featuring cobblestone roads and hillside temples, the town of Onomichi is a popular setting in literature and film, most famously featured in Yasujiro Ozu’s ‘Tokyo Story’.

From the windows of the Senkoji Mountain Ropeway car, which connects the downtown area with Senkoji’s cherry blossom-filled mountainside, you can take in the full view.

Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima. 0848 37 9736 (Onomichi Tourism Association). www.ononavi.com.Travel time: 2h25min.

Tottori Sand Dunes

A desert in Japan? Not quite, but you could imagine it to be true when standing in the middle of the 30km² stretch of sand dunes in Tottori Prefecture. Facing the Sea of Japan, this sandy expanse features rolling dunes, with the highest one standing 47m above sea level. Take a leisurely trot across the sand or try your hand at paragliding, hang-gliding and sand boarding.

Fukubecho, Tottori-shi, Tottori. www.torican.jp.

Travel time: 1h35min.

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05

Canoe down a paradise river Iriomote Island – Hoshino Resorts Risonare

The flowers of the mysterious powder-puff tree (Barringtonia racemosa) only bloom at night between late June and the end of July. When dawn breaks, the flowers fade and the leaves fall off, floating gently in the mangrove jungle’s waters. To view them, take a canoe tour along one of the flower-lined rivers on Okinawa’s Iriomote Island. You can catch groups leaving from the hotel just before dawn. 2-2 Uehara, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa. 050 3786 0055. global.hoshinoresort.com.

Travel time: 4h40min.

Feed the deer Nara Park

Within Nara Park’s 660 hectares, there are 1,100 deer roaming around, napping, grazing and just generally waiting for you to hold out a handful of ¥150 ‘deer crackers’ (some of them even ‘bow’ for their food). The park also contains historical sites including Buddhist temples Todaiji and Kofukuji. Note that you’re only permitted to feed the deer the crackers sold on the premises, so no throwing bread crumbs. Nara Park, Nara-shi, Nara. 0742 27 8036. nara-park.com.

Travel time: 2h55min.

26 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

DEER: KISA TOYOSHIMA, IRIOMOTE ISLAND: PETER WELD

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Play in a giant sandbox

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

06

Break out your best moves Awa Odori Festival

The people of Tokushima train throughout the year for the four days of dancing madness that is summer’s Awa Odori. Some enthusiasts even walk with knees bent throughout the ‘off season’ (‘Awa Odori knee’, similar to tennis elbow, is a common local affliction).

Watch the dance teams perform in a procession at the temporary MinamiUchimachi Theatre, then join in the fun with impromptu dance team niwakaren – don’t worry, the pros will help you bust out the right moves. Tokushima-shi, Tokushima. 088 611 1611 (Awa Odori Kaikan). www.awaodori-kaikan.jp. Travel time: 1h45min.

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AWA ODORI FESTIVAL: JUNKO YOKOYAMA, HIKONE CASTLE: © HIKONE-CITY, UNKAI TERRACE: TAISHA HIROKAWA, TAKACHIHO: ©JTA/ ©JNTO

Hikone Castle

Only in Japan would a dancing cat become a famed mascot for a 400-year-old castle. Although Hikone Castle is culturally significant as one of 12 castles in Japan whose original dungeon is preserved, the real reason it’s become a tourist attraction is Hiko-nyan. Three times a day, Hiko-nyan dances and plays instruments inside the castle, and stages a performance in which he draws his sword. Amazingly, the number of tourists visiting Hikone Castle annually has soared from 400,000 to 700,000 as a result.

1-1 Konkicho, Hikone-shi, Shiga. 0749 22 2742. www.hikone-hikonyan.jp.

Travel time: 2h10min.

Walk on clouds

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Unkai Terrace

This is probably the closest you’ll ever come to actually walking on clouds. Unkai Terrace, which belongs to the Hoshino Resorts Risonare Tomamu, is open from mid-May to mid-October when the HidakaTokachi mountain range below becomes covered in clouds. Up to 2,000 people gather from sunrise each day to witness this natural marvel.

This summer, Unkai Terrace is opening a new ‘sky bridge’ that lets you walk right out into the sea of white. Tomamu, Azanaka, Shimukappumura, Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido. 0167 58 1111 (Hoshino Resorts Tomamu). www.snowtomamu. jp/summer/en/. Travel time: 3h.

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07

Meet the castle idol

Enter heaven on earth

Hiraizumi Motsuji Temple

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Immerse yourself in myth Takachiho

As one of the most spiritual spots in Japan, the mountainous region of Takachiho is mentioned frequently in Japanese mythology. The sacred ground is home to the legendary Amanoyasu Gawara cave (stack stones inside it to make your wishes come true) and to Amanoiwato Shrine. A visit to Takachiho gorge is a must with its famous 17m-high Manai Falls, which can be viewed from a promenade as well as up close on a rowboat. Takachiho-cho, Nishiusuki-gun, Miyazaki.

0982 73 1213 (Takachiho Tourism Association). takachiho-kanko.info/en. Travel time: 2h40min.

Board the restaurant express

Hiraizumi was once the capital of the Northern or Oshu Fujiwara clan, a noble family that prospered and ruled in the 12th and 13th centuries. In 2011, the area was awarded World Heritage status for its structures and gardens related to Pure Land Buddhism. Be sure to visit Motsuji and its garden, arranged in the spirit of Pure Land teachings and featuring a pond with miniature beaches. In late May, don’t miss the Gokusui no En (Winding Stream Festival), a celebration during which participants dress in Heian period (794-1185) costumes and recite classical poetry. 58 Osawa, Hiraizumi, Hiraizumi-cho, Nishiiwa-gun, Iwate.

0191 46 2331. www.motsuji.or.jp.

Travel time: 2h10min.

Orange Restaurant Express Rediscover the romance of train travel onboard the Orange Restaurant Express, Japan’s first restaurant train that started in 2013 and runs from Sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, to Shinyatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.

The approximately four-hour journey costs ¥21,000 (at lunchtime), which includes a full-course meal and souvenirs handed out at each stop. Kumamoto and Kagoshima. www.hs-orange.com/kankou. Travel time: 1h30min.

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[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

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Traverse the tides Matsushima

The 260 or so pine-clad islands of Matsushima make up one of the Three Views of Japan and look particularly magical at sunrise. History buffs will be excited to know that Matsushima Bay and its treacherous shoals once served as the Date samurai clan’s naval port, and legendary one-eyed warlord Date Masamune even had a temple (Zuiganji) built here. There are plenty of cruise options such as sunset and night-time trips, and ones that include a feast of kaki-nabe (oyster hot pot). Matsushima-machi, Miyagi. 022 354 2618 (Matsushima Tourism Association). www.matsushima-kanko.com. Travel time: 2h.

Takeda Castle Ruins

The ruins of Takeda Castle, known as the ‘Machu Picchu of the East’, are located in the mountains of Hyogo Prefecture.

Seemingly floating in a sea of clouds, this solemn spot is best visited from the end of September to mid-December or from late March to early April, when clouds gather around the peak between sunrise and 8am (the castle is closed in winter). Be sure to check out Ritsuunkyo gorge with its astounding view of the sun rising above the cloudenveloped ruins. 363 Takeda, Wadayamacho-Takeda, Asago-shi, Hyogo.

079 674 2120 (Castle in the Sky information office). www.city.asago. hyogo.jp/0000001275.html. Travel time: 3h10min.

Forget about time Taketomi Island

The entire island of Taketomi is a national park. Its nature and culture are further protected by a charter enacted by the inhabitants, banning the sale of land to non-residents, setting low speed limits, mandating islanders to turn lights off at 11pm, and so on. They say everyone here is an artist, so don’t be surprised when the old lady at the local shop suddenly bursts into dance. Take a trip on the water buffalo-drawn cart, stroll along the white beach or stare up at the glittering night sky. Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa. www. painusima.com/en. Travel time: 3h15min.

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Cross the bridge of islands Seto Ohashi Bridge

Not only is this 13.1km bridge an engineering feat, it’s also spectacular to behold, especially at night when it gets lit up. Connecting five islands between Honshu and Shikoku, The Great Seto Bridge (aka Seto Ohashi) is one of the world’s longest two-tiered bridges (highway on top, railway below). It forms part of the 37.3km network of roads and bridges called Seto-Chuo Expressway, and can be viewed in full from the top of Mt Washu. Okayama and Kagawa. www.jb-honshi.co.jp/english. Travel time: 2h05min.

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Shower at Fuji Shiraito (White Thread) Falls

At 20m high and 150m wide, Japan’s greatest waterfall was included in the 2013 World Heritage registration of ‘Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration’. It takes its name from its own water, which resembles hundreds of ‘silk threads’ hanging from the rocky but lush cliffs. Note that Shiraito is a common name for waterfalls in Japan, so make sure you include ‘Mt Fuji’ in your search if you’re looking for information online.

Kamiide, Fujinomiya-shi, Shizuoka.

0544 27 5240 (Fujinomiya City Tourist Association). www.fujinomiya.gr.jp.

Travel time: 2h10min.

28 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

TAKEDA CASTLE RUINS: TOSHIHISA YOSHIDA, TAKETOMI ISLAND: BEN SIMMONS, SHIRAITO FALLS: JUN KANNO

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Look out from Japan’s answer to Machu Picchu

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

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Start the day like an Okinawan Shurijo Castle

Okinawa is known for its unique customs and nowhere is this individuality more on display than at the Shurijo Castle grounds, spreading out from Shurei gate. The morning ritual signalling the gate’s opening begins five minutes before the paid area of Shurijo Castle Park opens, and visitors gather to enjoy a special start to the day. While here, try out Okinawan arts such as the local style of dancing (check the schedule), and the sanshin (literally, ‘three strings’) instrument during a special event held on Sat, Sun and hols.

1-2 Shurikinjocho, Naha-shi, Okinawa. 098 886 2020. oki-park.jp/shurijo.

Travel time: 3h.

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Dance till dawn Gujo Odori

One of the top three traditional dance festivals in Japan, Gujo Odori is a designated National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. For 32 nights in summer, the entire town of Hachiman turns into one long dance party, with locals and visitors all joining in from evening till dawn. The dates for this year are July 11 to September 5. Hachiman, Gujo-shi, Gifu.

Travel time: 2h.

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Set sail for a mystery island Gunkanjima

It’s actually called Hashima, but the world knows it as Battleship Island (Gunkanjima). A victim of industrial decline, the uninhabited island’s warshiplike shape is created by the monstrous mining facilities and concrete apartment blocks. To visit this relic, featured in the 007 film ‘Skyfall’, reserve a spot on the Gunkanjima Concierge tour boat, which departs from Nagasaki harbour’s Tokiwa landing pier and takes 30 minutes to reach the island. Hashima, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki. www.gunkanjima-concierge.com.

Travel time: 3h30min.

GUNKANJIMA: BEN SIMMONS, YAKUSHIMA: YUKI MASUKO, HAJI: KOJI AKITA

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Explore a real castle town Hagi

The whole town of Hagi is preserved in the atmosphere of the Edo and Meiji periods, with relics such as the reverberatory furnace and the first full-fledged shipyard in Japan remaining intact. The castle town is essentially a sandbank surrounded by rivers, and so acts as a citadel. Take a walk down the ‘kaimagari’ (tricky corner) roads, which were built to twist at right angles in what appear to be dead ends so as to throw off enemies. Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi. www.hagishi.com. Travel time: 3h.

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Mix with forest spirits Yakushima

The primeval forest found in the centre of Yakushima Island is a mysterious place where kami (spirits) are said to inhabit the 2,000-year-old sugi (Japanese cedar) trees. Climb inside the huge Wilson’s tree stump for a heart-shaped skyward view (pictured).

Yakushima is 60km from Kyushu, and is accessible by hydrofoil, slow-car ferry or aeroplane. Vehicles are not permitted to enter the forest, so you need to be fit enough to make the 10-hour round-trip hike. Yakushima-cho, Kumage-gun, Kagoshima. www.town.yakushima.kagoshima. jp. Travel time: 2h20min.

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[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

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Send postcards from the sky Mt Fuji

Climbing season for Mt Fuji is only open from early July to mid-September. There are a number of routes available including the Yoshida route from the Yamanashi Prefecture side, or the Fujinomiya route from the Shizuoka Prefecture side, but beginners would be wise to join a guided tour. At the top, visit Fujinomiya Hongu Sengen Taisha shrine and Mount Fuji Post Office, the highest post office in Japan, where you can send postcards bearing a postmark of the mountain’s summit. Yamanashi and Shizuoka. www.fujisan-climb.jp.

Travel time: 2h.

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Time travel to the Edo era Kanazawa Chaya-gai

Once a proud castle town, the old parts of Kanazawa still exude a refined Edo-era atmosphere, especially in Chayagai. The town is best experienced around sunset, when the streets come alive with the sounds of shamisen music and drumbeats, making you feel like you’re in the middle of a period drama and a shocking plot twist is lurking just around the corner. Higashiyama, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa. www.kanazawa-tourism.com. Travel time: 1h55min.

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Ise Jingu

This shrine is one of the central sites of Shinto. Head over early in the day to catch the morning prayers and court music performed by the priests and shrine maidens.

When passing through the torii gate, avoid the middle of the road as this is reserved for the kami (spirits).

Once inside, cleanse your hands with water, head up to the shrine building, throw a few coins into the offering box, bow twice, clap your hands twice, then bow again. 1 Ujitachicho, Ise-shi, Mie. 0596 24 1111. www.isejingu. or.jp/english. Travel time: 3h15min.

Follow the fans of ‘Kol Kimono’ Kyushu is hotting up as a tourist spot thanks to the Thai TV drama ‘Kol Kimono’, which is Japan-themed and shot mainly in Saga Prefecture. The vivid scenery has encouraged Thai audiences to visit shoot locations, making them feel as if they are part of the fantasy. Join ’em.

NEED ACCOMMODATION?

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Stay at a temple Mt Koya

Mt Koya, along with its surrounds, is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the title ‘The Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range’. In 2009, it was awarded three stars by the Michelin Green Guide Japan. One of the most popular attractions is the pilgrim guest house experience, in which you can stay overnight at one of the temples. Most pilgrims today arrive at Ichinohashi (First Bridge) by bus, then walk two kilometres to visit the inner sanctuary at the Kongobu-ji head temple. Koyasan, Koya-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama. 0736 56 2616. eng.shukubo.net. Travel time: 3h05min.

30 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

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Bed down spaceship-style Nine Hours

Nine Hours is a state-of-theart airport capsule hotel where the sleeping facilities look like they’ve been built for a spaceship. Formerly known as the inner-city accommodation of choice for party animals and salarymen, capsule hotels are undergoing a revival with the influx of travellers looking for a cheap and convenient place to stay. The Narita Airport branch offers hourly stays from ¥3,900 while the Kyoto branch offers hourly stays from ¥1,900. Narita Airport: B1F Parking Tower Bldg 2, Narita Airport Terminal, 1-1 Furugome, Narita-shi, Chiba. 0476 33 5109. Travel time: 1h15min.

Kyoto: 588 Teianmaenocho, Shijo, Teramachi-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto. Travel time: 2h30min. 075 353 7337. ninehours.co.jp/en

MT FUJI: ©ENDO KATSURA, HAKONE MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY, KANAZAWA CHAYA-GAI: ©KANAZAWA CITY, ISE JINGU AND MT KOYA: BEN SIMMONS

BONUS TIP!

Bow for blessings

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

Dance Dance Dance

@ YOKOHAMA 2015

Aug 1-Oct 4, 2015 dance-yokohama.jp

This original dance festival uses the streets of Yokohama as its stage, featuring over 100 events where you’ll experience the essence of this city of culture, art and creativity together with its cultural variety and splendid port nightscape.

S IS DON’T M 1. Pikachu Outbreak!

Aug 8-16, throughout the Minato Mirai area Over a thousand Pikachu will dance and entertain the audience throughout the event.

2. Dance with the Condors! YOKOHAMA Dai Bon Dance

Aug 25, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse event square Yokohama’s entirely original ‘bon’ dance event with choreography by Ryohei Kondo, who leads the Condors, and songs connected to Yokohama. There’ll also be a talk on the choreography, so you’ll gain insight into the inspiration behind the moves.

3. Yokohama Bayside Ballet

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Aug 28-29, Special Stage, ZOU-NO-HANA Park Come and enjoy a show by the popular Tokyo Ballet, whose outdoor performances have won them an excellent reputation abroad. The outdoor stage features a fantastic backdrop of the port – a truly Yokohama-esque setting.

Wander the waterfront Yokohama

The waterside city of Yokohama is a real crowd pleaser, with its historical buildings, bustling Chinatown, and night-time scenery attracting plenty of tourists. Our favourite thing to do is take a simple walk along the stretch that lines the ocean, but here are three more unique ways to enjoy the waterfront.

Take in the industrial nightscape

Famous for its beautiful night scenery, Yokohama boasts a 300m-high observatory as well as various parks from where you can view the after-dark prettiness. For the best perspective, head out to sea on the cruise ship departing from Yamashita Park. It sails for 80 minutes and shows off Minato Mirai and the Keihin Industrial District (nicer than it sounds) at their best.

Factory Night View Adventure Cruise. ¥3,000. www.yokohama-cruising.jp

IMAGES, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: HIDEO MORI, KIYONORI HASEGAWA, ©2015 Pokémon.©1995-2015 Nintendo/ Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc., PHOTO CHOICE, HIDEO MORI, MIZUBESO

Walk on the deck of an immovable ship

Yokohama’s port welcomes big cruise liners into the bay, and you can pretend you’re on one of them by ‘boarding’ the unique pier that’s shaped to look like the deck of a ship. Taking inspiration from waves, the design allows you to enjoy excellent views from different levels of the wooden walkway. Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal. 1-1-4 Kaigan-dori, Naka, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 045 211 2304 (Osanbashi Information).

Paddle through the city

The latest craze in Yokohama is stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) on the river.

Even beginners will find it easy to nagivate their way on the board, while taking in the city’s modern buildings and piers. Classes for beginners and various tour options offered for ¥4,000. mizube.so

EXPLORE

YOKOHAMA It’s just a half-hour train ride from Tokyo yet Yokohama has a rich atmosphere that’s entirely different from the capital’s.

Since opening in 1859, the port has continued to incorporate a variety of cultures into the city, making it all its own.

GETTING THERE

From Shibuya Station: the Tokyu Toyoko line runs to Yokohama Station in about 24 minutes.

From Haneda Airport Station: the Keikyu line runs to Yokohama Station in about 22 minutes.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 31

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

CUISINE Azumaya

A session of ‘wanko soba’ involves a waitress serving you soba noodles in small bowls until you simply can’t eat any more. The practice became known as a kind of eating contest in the postwar years, when the city of Morioka pulled out all the stops to attract attention to its economic plight. Its origins, however, can be traced back to the tradition of serving soba to guests at the end of a banquet. Test your mettle at Azumaya: the average male customer finishes 50 to 60 bowls – think you can do better? 1-8-3 Nakanohashi-dori, Morioka-shi, Iwate. 019 622 2252. www.wankosoba-azumaya.co.jp.

Travel time: 2h15min.

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Bite into a drop of water

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Kinseiken

Food stalls of Hakata

The people of Hakata sure love their food stalls: when day turns to night, these shacks start popping up and office workers stop by for a quick meal on their way home.

Even upscale department stores get involved – instead of breakfast at Tiffany’s, locals are used to yakitori outside Chanel. Head down to the riverside Nakasu area and start stall-hopping. Hakata-shi, Fukuoka.

Travel time: 2h.

Feast on fugu Nihonryori Tsukasa

An incorrectly prepared fugu (pufferfish) meal can kill you, while one served by a knowledgeable chef will take you only as far as culinary heaven. Karato fish market in Shimonoseki opened in 1933 and attracts crowds of chefs, traders and curious visitors from as early as 4am. Restaurants around the market range from the Imperial Family’s official fugu provider to sushi joints – when it comes to fugu sashimi, presentation is important, and Kappo Tsukasa’s chrysanthemum flower arrangement on an Imari porcelain plate makes for a perfect example. 4-6 Akamacho, Shimonoseki-shi, Yamaguchi. 083 231 4129. tsukasa-shimonoseki.com. Travel time: 2h25min.

This shop had been making standard ‘shingen-mochi’ rice cakes for decades before turning the concept on its head in 2013 when they started selling their ‘mizu (water) shingen-mochi’, a jelly-like cake that looks like a huge raindrop and is made mainly of water, with tiny amounts of sugar and agar (algae gelatine). The creation maintains its shape for a mere 30 minutes on a warm day and is only available on weekends and holidays between June and the end of September. 2211 HakushuchoDaigahara, Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi. 0551 35 2246. kinseiken.co.jp. Travel time: 2h20min.

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Fill up on street food

Eat the most exclusive burger ever Lucky Pierrot (Tokura branch)

Specialty burger restaurant chain Lucky Pierrot has 16 branches all located in the Hakodate area, each uniquely decorated. The Tokura branch near Hakodate Airport is nicknamed ‘the hamburger history museum’ and is famed for its mighty Futotcho Burger (pictured) – a challenge for even the most demanding of burger beasts. 30-1 Tokuracho, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido. 0138 59 6688. www.luckypierrot.jp. Travel time: 1h20min.

32 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

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Add unagi for stamina Atsuta Houraiken

In Japan, unagi (freshwater eel) is considered a stamina food. In Nagoya, the speciality unagi dish is hitsumabushi, a rich dish with grilled eel served atop white rice. The best place to try it is at Atsuta Houraiken, the first restaurant to ever offer this dish. Using chopsticks, take a mouthful of food. Then add wasabi for an extra edge. Finally, add spring onion and seaweed. Afterwards, you’ll be served dashi (fish stock) soup and chazuke (rice with green tea poured over it). 503 Godocho, Atsuta, Nagoya-shi,Aichi. 052 671 8686. www. houraiken.com.Travel time: 1h55min.

AZUMAYA: KEISUKE TANIGAWA, FOOD STALLS OF HAKATA: BEN SIMMONS, KINSEIKEN: KISA TOYOSHIMA, NIHONRYORI TSUKASA: KOJI AKITA

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Slurp soba till you drop

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

DON’T FORGET THE DRINKS

37 34

Enjoy crafted cuisine Bleston Court Yukawatan

In 2013, Noriyuki Hamada became the first Asian to be awarded the Bronze Bocuse prize in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition. The craftsmanship that impressed the judges then is still evident at Hamada’s restaurant, and goes beyond the cuisine too. The restaurant’s size (a mere 24 seats) means it can be tough to get a reservation. Keep trying; it’s worth the fuss. Hoshino, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano. 0267 46 6200. yukawatan.blestoncourt.com/en. Travel time: 1h10min.

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Learn the joys of sake Sake breweries in Akita

Akita’s breweries are some of the best in the country and make excellent products, including the refreshing Hideyoshi variety. Join a brewery tour, which often includes ample tasting, or go all-out with sake journalist John Gauntner’s Sake World Tour, a comprehensive intro to the craft. Akita. sake-world.com.

Travel time: 1h40min.

Taste Michelin-starred village grub

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Hida Takayama

HIDA TAKAYAMA: BEN SIMMONS, SAKE BREWERY: JUNKO YOKOYAMA, SUETOMI: MANABU MOROOKA, KOSHU WINE: NAOMI KAWAKAMI, SHOCHU: SHUTTERSTOCK

With its traditional Japanese streetscape that still reflects its Edo-period past as a castle town and merchants’ village, Hida Takayama is affectionately known as ‘Little Kyoto’. Having garnered three Michelin Green Guide stars, the city is popular among food lovers who enjoy strolling the streets and snacking on Hida beef sushi and skewers. Takayama-shi, Gifu. www.hida.jp. Travel time: 2h45min.

Suetomi Wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionery) and the tea ceremony are inextricably linked.

In Kyoto, visit confectionery artist Tomizo Yamaguchi’s wagashi shop Suetomi, or try out more modern versions at Kyoto Hotel Okura’s café. 295 Tamatsushimacho, Muromachi, Matsubara-dori, Shimogyo, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto. 075 351 0808. Travel time: 2h15min.

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Eat chestnuts among men of culture Masuichi Kyakuden

Obuse is known as ‘the town of chestnuts and Hokusai’ because of its speciality chestnuts and for once being home to ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai was furnished with a studio in Obuse courtesy of the wealthy Ichimura (also known as Takai) family, who also invited haiku poet Kobayashi Issa and scholar Sakuma Shozan (all considered ‘men of culture’). The family remodelled a sake brewery to create guest house Masuichi Kyakuden, where you can sample ‘yoritsuki-ryori’, the style of homecooking that brewers enjoy during sake-making season.

For the best chestnuts, visit the family’s confectionery shop, Obusedo, and order the cake called Suzaku.

815 Oaza-obuse, Obusemachi, Kamitakai-gun, Nagano. 026 247 1111. www.kyakuden.jp/ english.Travel time: 2h.

Sweeten your afternoon tea

Revel in prized wine Koshu wine

Koshu’s prize-winning wine has been praised by leading US wine critic Robert Parker as a white that pairs well with sushi and tempura. Its production method was developed in the Meiji era by two men who discovered the grapes in France. There are about 30 wineries in Katsunuma and most are open to the public. Katsunumacho, Koshu-shi, Yamanashi. Travel time: 2h20min.

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Choose your favourite shochu Kagoshima shochu

In Kagoshima, where shochu is king, people don’t say ‘I’ll start with a beer’, but rather ‘I’ll start with a mizuwari’.

At bars and restaurants, the area’s famous satsuma-imo (sweet potato) shochu is served up daily as mizuwari (mixed with water), oyuwari (mixed with hot water), or on the rocks.

Kagoshima. Travel time: 2h25min.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 33

ART & SHOPPING

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[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

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Dress as a samurai-film hero (or heroine) Toei Kyoto Studio Park (Toei Uzumasa Eigamura)

Nishiki Market shopping street

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Noritougama

Saga’s Arita is known as a pottery town and at the Noritougama workshop, run by writer Norito Higuchi, you can try your hand at glazing, use the potter’s wheel and learn more about traditional methods.

Higuchi’s classes (¥6,000 per person) allow you to create three to four cups or bowls, which are delivered to your doorstep after the firing process is complete. Translation can be arranged on request. 1-2-18 Nanzantei, Arita-cho, Nishi-Matsuura-gun, Saga. 0955 43 2890. www.noritou.com. Travel time: 3h35min.

Try tofu skin, buy a swordsmith’s knife

With its wide range of specialist stores selling goods like tofu skin and seasonal vegetables and pickles, Kyoto’s Nishiki Market gives visitors a chance to sample different foods while interacting with shopkeepers and locals.

Be sure to visit Aritsugu, a popular store selling Japanese knives that are likened to swords such is their quality and sharpness. Michelinstar chefs regularly visit this store to buy knives with their names engraved. Nishikikojidori, Nakagyo, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto. www.kyotonishiki.or.jp. Travel time: 2h30min.

Be a potter

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Still your mind through art Teshima Art Museum

Never mind what exhibit is on – just spending a few moments in the Teshima Art Museum’s wondrous building is bound to make you feel serene. It’s perched on a hill overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, sunlight pouring in through the cut-out ceiling. Every three years, from spring to autumn, the Setouchi International Art Festival takes over Teshima and nearby islands, forming a humongous gallery of contemporary art (next one is in 2016). 607 Teshima-Karato, Tonosho-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa. 0879 68 3555. www.benesse-artsite.jp/en/teshima-artmuseum/ index.html. Travel time: 1h50min.

Toei Kyoto Studio Park (Toei Uzumasa Eigamura) features an Edo period townscape used as a movie set, and a costume shop where make-up artists and costume designers will help kit you out in the look of your choice (Google ‘Senhime’, ‘Mito Komon’ and ‘Zenigata Heiji’ for ideas), after which you get to walk around the park feeling like the hero/heroine of a Japanese period drama.

Ninja costumes for kids are also available for rent.

10 Uzumasa-Higashihachiokacho, Ukyo, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto. www.toei-eigamura.com/en. Travel time: 2h35min.

Distort your senses Yoro Tenmei Hantenchi (Site of Reversible Destiny)

NORITOUGAMA: BEN SIMMONS, TESHIMA ART MUSEUM: NOBORU MORIKAWA

Japan is known for its pretty parks, but this one is something altogether different. Yoro Tenmei Hantenchi (Site of Reversible Destiny) is an ‘art park’ featuring optical illusions and distorted spaces that allow you to experience the ‘unreliability of your senses’. Sneakers and helmets can be rented. Yup, you’ll need them. 1298-2 Takabayashi, Yoro-cho, Yoro-gun, Gifu.

0584 32 0501 (Yoro Park). www.yoro-park.com/facility-map/hantenchi. Travel time: 2h40min.

34 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

[50 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN]

47

Mingle at the friendliest market Hirome Market

The people of Kochi have always been welcoming thanks to their culture of taking in o-henro-san (pilgrims) who come to visit the 88 Buddhist temples scattered around Shikoku. One of the best places to mingle with friendly locals is Hirome Ichiba, the market near Kochi Castle. It’s crowded from morning till closing time, and its chaotic food alley attracts all kinds of characters. 2-3-1 Obiyamachi, Kochi-shi, Kochi. 088 822 5827. www.hirome.co.jp. Travel time: 1h50min.

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Check out a retro museum for grown-ups Atami Hihoukan

‘FLOWER HORSE’ © MAMI IWASAKI

The euphemistic Japanese name of this museum can be translated as ‘Museum of Secret Treasures’, while the English description – Atami Adult Museum – is more matter-of-fact. Housing sex-related paraphernalia from all over the world, the museum is one of many that were built in resort towns to attract couples. Although it’s more retro than risqué by today’s standards, you still need to be 18 or older to get in. 8-15 WadahamaMinamicho, Atami-shi, Shizuoka. 0557 83 5572. www.atami-hihoukan.jp. Travel time: 40min.

Starnet

As part of Towada’s grand plan to reinvent itself as a ‘city of art’, the Towada Art Center was created in 2008 with the aim of letting the contemporary art interact with the natural surroundings. Individual pieces and installations are connected by glass passageways, giving you the feeling of roaming the museum and the town simultaneously.

Look out for special tours hosted by the museum such as the bus trip to Oirase Stream. 10-9 NishiNibancho, Towada-shi, Aomori.

0176 20 1127. towadaartcenter. com. Travel time: 2h.

Find your dream denims Kojima Jeans Street

Your search for that perfect pair of jeans may just finally come to an end at Kojima, the birthplace of Japanese denim. The area developed as a textile centre in the Meiji era, forging a perfect marriage between the tradition of detailed handiwork and emerging technology. You’ll find denim shops and workshops lining the 400m stretch known as Kojima Jeans Street. Like the pot of indigo at the end of the rainbow, if you will. Kojima, Kurashiki-shi, Okayama. 086 441 9127 (Kojima Jeans Street Cooperative). www.jeans-street.com. Travel time: 2h.

For 51 more things to do in Japan, go to www.timeout.jp/101-things-to-do-in-japan

TO DO IN JAPA N

Mashiko is a small town that has been gathering acclaim for its pottery, known as Mashikoyaki. One of the top shops is Starnet, a lifestyle store that has played a big role in the modern evolution of Mashikoyaki. As if to complement the pottery, there’s been a recent spate of bakeries opening up – a ‘bakery tour’ map has even been created. Mashikoyaki plate + freshly baked pastry = perfect breakfast. 3278-1 Mashiko, Mashikomachi, Haga-gun, Tochigi. 0285 72 9661. www.starnet-bkds.com. Closed Thu. Travel time: 2h30min.

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Towada Art Center (Towada City Museum of Contemporary Art)

101 THINGS

ATAMI HIHOUKAN: KISA TOYOSHIMA, HIROME MARKET AND STARNET: KEISUKE TANIGAWA, TOWADA ART CENTER: MANAMI IWASAKI, KOJIMA JEANS STREET: KOTARO KIKUTA

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Lend tradition to your table

Roam the city of art

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 35

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Keeps you in touch with home

REASO CHOOSE

When you’re out of town, you want to make sure you don’t miss that 8pm Skype call with loved ones back home. But if you’re constantly travelling, it can get tiring having to constantly calculate the time difference. The Edifice helps you out by simultaneously displaying the time in two cities, so you can easily check the time at homebase.

Especially when

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It’s tireless

Even when your batteries are running low, your watch’s won’t be. Casio’s reliable solar charging system converts not only sunlight but also light from fluorescent bulbs into power, ensuring even powerhungry functions keep running.

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ou know the feeling. You’ve crossed at least three different time zones in the last 24 hours. One of your flights was delayed, which means you missed your connecting flight.

You’ve finally reached your destination but the trains

A smart watch that works with your smartphone EQB-510D-1AJF ¥40,000 (excl tax)

For more information on Casio’s latest timepieces a

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Uses technology that’s the first of its kind

LOCAL INSIGHT

Sure, there are other watches that can switch between time zones using GPS satellite radio waves, but G-SHOCK GPW-1000 is the first in the world to combine GPS satellite radio waves with terrestrial radio waves.

This means that no matter where you are – indoors, outdoors, in bad weather conditions – your watch will display the correct time.

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Boasts the work of master craftsmen

The entire production line of G-SHOCK watches is overseen by the mother factory in Yamagata, Japan. So you can rest assured you are getting world-renowned Japanese quality at every step in the production process from design to assembly and finishing.

tedious time 3 Does calculations for you

About that conference call… There’s no need to bother with tedious time difference calculations. Simply use the dual time display, which switches between two time zones. Any combination can be chosen, like Singapore and Dubai or London and São Paulo.

ONS TO E CASIO

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It’s tough

This is the kind of companion who will stand by you through thick and thin. G-SHOCK watches are known for their impressive impact resistance, and this model is no different. Even pilots vouch for its ‘triple G’ resistance against up to three types of powerful gravitational acceleration: shocks, centrifugal forces and vibrations.

you’re jetsetting aren’t running. You have an urgent conference call with colleagues in Tokyo at 7pm but you’re so exhausted your brain is struggling to compute the time difference.

What’s the solution? One of these watches by Casio.

Here are 10 reasons why…

and where to purchase yours, visit world.casio.com

leaves you 5 Never in the dark

Whether you’re in an area with unexpected electricity cuts or enjoying a night-time game drive, you’ll still be able to read your dial. The G-SHOCK has a strong and bright LED light installed, making it easy to tell the time even in low-light conditions.

Syncing global time zones SKY COCKPIT GPW-1000T-1AJF ¥140,000 (excl tax)

Eating & Drinking

ED’S PICK

DARUMAYA

Their signature dessert is Ujikintoki, made with matcha (dark powdered green tea) that’s whisked up fresh for every order.

Its subtle bitterness is offset by a topping of sweet azuki bean paste.

1-3-6 Jujo-Nakahara, Kita (Jujo Station).

03 3908 6644. tinyurl.com/TOTdarumaya.

Café open 11am-6.30pm, closed Tue.

KANNA

This traditional Japanese restaurant uses raw ingredients and ‘natural ice’ (i.e. from spring water) sourced from Tochigi’s Nikko. This Rich Yam & Milk Sauce kakigori is light and refreshing, topped with a sweet purple yam sauce. 2F, 2-43-11 Shimouma, Setagaya (Sangenjaya, Ikejiri-Ohashi stations).

03 6453 2737. tinyurl.com/TOTkanna. Kakigori served from 11am-11pm (LO 9.30pm).

ICHINIISAN (ONE TWO THREE)

Shirokuma is a type of shaved ice from Kagoshima flavoured with condensed milk, fruit and azuki beans. It’s rare to come across the real thing in Tokyo – except at Ichiniisan, which sells this cute treat. 1F, 1-6-4 Yurakucho, Chiyoda (Yurakucho, Hibiya stations). 03 3501 3123. tinyurl.com/TOTichiniisan.

11.30am-10pm, Sun & hols until 9.30pm.

ASAKUSA NANIWAYA

This taiyaki (fish-shaped dessert) specialty shop offers a shaved ice treat called Asayake, which depicts the sunrise atop Mt Fuji. It includes an unsweetened milk flavouring topped with syrup made from strawberries and homemade sweet bean paste. 2-12-4 Asakusa, Taito (Asakusa Station). 03 3842 0988. tinyurl.com/ TOTnaniwaya. 10am-7pm.

38 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

SEBASTIÁN

Watching the owner assemble this Mango Shortcake kakigori is fascinating – ice, mango syrup, cream and fruit pieces come together to form what looks like a real cake. Yum! 7-15 Kamiyamacho, Shibuya (Yoyogikoen Station).

03 5738 5740. tinyurl.com/TOTsebastian.

11.30am-7pm (shaved ice from 2pm Mon-Fri and 11.30am Sat & Sun), closed Wed in Jul & Aug.

MINATOYA

Tastebuds all sugared out? Then try this nutrient-rich one (it’s been called ‘the drinkable IV’) with syrup made from fermented rice – it’s naturally sweet, which means no sugar is added – and ginger slices on top. 2-41-20 Sasazuka, Shibuya (Sasazuka Station). 03 6383 3120. tinyurl.com/ TOTminatoya. 11am-9pm, closed Wed.

ADDITIONAL TEXT: AISTÉ RIABOVAITÉ, TOP RIGHT IMAGE: PIXTA

Eating & Drinking

!

Y R KAKI- GLO

Tokyo’s traditional summer dessert, kakigori, has made a craze-inspiring comeback, with gourmet options popping up everywhere. To help you decide on your shaved ice of choice, we took a taste tour and selected six of the sweetest. Words and images Yasuhisa Shimbo

Everything you need to know about shaved ice The history, the calories, the retro machine on our shopping list...

Where does it come from?

Who wins the calorie war?

Kakigori, ice cream or frozen yoghurt? Here’s a handy little chart comparing the calories in 100g of each: THE DESSERT ER! WINN

THE CALORIES

Kakigori with flavoured syrup

98

Plain soft serve ice cream

222

Plain low-fat frozen yoghurt

107

Can I make it myself?

You certainly can. Electric shavers are available, but more expensive, so we recommend making it the traditional way by using a handcranked machine to spin a block of ice over an ice-shaving blade.

Try out this recently released retro shaved-ice maker by Doshisha. Available from Amazon Japan for just over ¥20,000, or at Tokyu Hands and Bic Camera.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 39

Eating & Drinking

The history of kakigori goes back about 1,000 years to the Heian Period, when ice was apparently shaved with a knife into a metal bowl and eaten with a sweet sap with some golden syrup on top.

This snow-like, refreshing snack was available only to the Heian nobles, because ice was such a rare commodity in the summer at the time. The first kakigori shop was opened in the Bashamichi area in Kanagawa in 1869, and the first ice-shaving machine was invented several years after that, eventually making kakigori the common summer dessert it is now.

How to find it At festivals, look for the red kanji character (it means ‘ice’) with blue waves underneath

The year of the craft beer Never mind the sheep, 2015’s biggest star is the artisanal brew. Here’s where to sample Tokyo’s hippest hops. Tried and tested by Kunihiro Miki

T

here are currently three main types of beer on the Japanese market: industrial lager, the cheaper low-malt beer (dubbed ‘the third beer’), and the increasingly popular craft beer. As a preference for authenticity rises, major beer manufacturers are muscling their way into the craft beer market and big-name ‘microbrews’ have begun appearing on convenience store shelves.

But if you’re after the real real deal, you’re far better off visiting one of the city’s top brewpubs, where the making and serving of beer all happens in one place. Plus, there’s just something comforting about actually seeing the tank that’s brewing your beer.

T.Y. HARBOR

Ahead of the curve, T.Y. Harbor originally opened in 1997 with a restaurant and inhouse brewery, and this year they’ve expanded to include a second floor with more seating and extra brewtanks. The well-balanced selection of beers includes the refreshing Pale Ale, made from cascade hops for a fragrant combination of bitter and citrus flavours; the Belgian-style Wheat Ale; the award-winning IPA; the Imperial Stout, a rich and bitter dark beer; and the fragrant and slightly bitter Amber Ale. Make a meal of it and try their meaty dishes such as Spicy NY Chicken Wings, Whole Fried Chicken, Cowboy Steak, or the Wagyu Burger. On your way out, pick up some freshly baked bread from their bakery.

2-1-3 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa (Tennozu Isle Station). 03 5479 4555. tinyurl.com/TOTtyharbor.

Mon-Fri 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-10pm, Sat, Sun & hols 11.30am-10pm.

Beer Flight taster at Spring Valley Brewery Tokyo

SPRING VALLEY BREWERY TOKYO

Okay, so this is admittedly one that’s backed by a beer behemoth, but Kirin’s brewpub has a couple of things going for it. They strategically opened up in April as part of the much-hyped new complex Log Road Daikanyama (which turned out to be better than we expected), and the onsite brewery makes drinking here feel far more authentic than just picking up a can of Kirin at the store. The six-variety lineup includes the crisp, bitter 496; the rich, fragrant After Dark; and the raspberry juice-infused Jazzberry. We recommend trying out the Beer Flight option (¥1,000), which lets you sample the entire lineup in 120ml taster portions. Future plans include brewery tours and tasting seminars with discussions by brew masters. 13-1 Daikanyama, Shibuya (Daikanyama, Ebisu stations). 03 6416 4960. tinyurl.com/TOTspringvalley. Mon-Sat 8am-12am, Sun 8am-10pm.

40 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

ASAGAYA BEER WORKSHOP

The Beer Kobo (Workshop) ‘chain’ has come a long way since Kakyu Nomura started things off in 2009 with his Koenji Bakushu Kobo: the collective now also operates brewpubs in Nakano, Ogikubo, Nishi-Ogikubo and Asagaya, serving up the same fine suds across the board.

This branch is a little more spacious than the others, occupying a two-storey building on the north side of the station, complete with a no-frills but atmospheric rooftop terrace. Their Blonde Ale is the most popular choice, but we have to recommend the flavourful IPA with its tempting grapefruit aroma. ¥500 and change for a tankard feels like a bargain here. 1-31-5 Asagaya-Kita, Suginami (Asagaya Station). 03 3336 0606. tinyurl.com/TOTasagaya-beer.

6pm-11pm (from 3pm on Sat, Sun & hols), closed Thu.

LAMBIC, CAMPION: MANABU MOROOKA, SPRING VALLEY, TY HARBOR: KISA TOYOSHIMA, ASAGAYA, YOKOHAMA: KEISUKI TANIGAWA

Eating & Drinking

Eating & Drinking

CAMPION ALE ASAKUSA

This two-storey pub and brewery is owned by a Brit who is committed to serving British-style beer – which means you get UK-size pints (¥1,000 each). They brew up to five types of ale on site and customers can watch the entire process from mash and fermentation to serving.

The tanks are directly connected to the taps, ensuring you get the best-tasting beer possible, whether it’s the bold fruity taste of Wheat, or the light, easy-to-drink Golden, the fragrant Porter, or the rich Bitter ale. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a proper British pub without hearty standards like Fish & Chips, Meat Pie, and Sausage & Mash. 2-2-2 Nishi-Asakusa, Taito (Tawaramachi, Asakusa stations). 03 6231 6554. tinyurl.com/ TOTcampion. 5pm-11.30pm (Sat-Sun & hols 12pm-11.30pm).

British pub food at Campion Ale

LAMBIC

Atsugi Beer Brewery has been producing top quality Belgian-style beer since 1997, so they’ve had plenty of time to perfect their craft. Next door is brewpub Lambic, where you can sample all varieties of Atsugi Beer at the amazingly reasonable price of around ¥600 for a pint – which makes up for the fact that the venue is a little out of the way; about 50 minutes from Shinjuku. The selection includes both light and rich ales, with one of our favourites being Framboise Lambic, a beer originally from Belgium that balances sweet and sour flavours and has a hint of raspberry aroma. The Lambic is unusual for Japan as microbreweries here tend to steer away from sour beers since it can be tricky to handle wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. But the Atsugi Beer brewers have trained in wineries across Yamanashi Prefecture, picking up the skills needed to produce this sort of beer. If you’re hungry, choose from dishes such as pork ribs in ponzu sauce and stonebaked Korean bibimbap. 2-12-36 Mizuhiki, Atsugishi, Kanagawa (Honatsugi Station). 046 222 5959. tinyurl.com/TOTlambic. Mon-Fri 12pm-1.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm, Sat 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm, closed Sun and every 3rd Mon.

YOKOHAMA BEER STAND

Look for a small bar counter tucked away inside the restaurant Sul Ponte Umaya no Shokutaku and take a seat to taste freshly brewed Yokohama Beer (the copper cooker and storage tanks you see in the back are made in Czech Republic). There are five regular varieties, including the Pilsner, which took first place at the Japan Brewers Cup, and the Weizen, which won a gold medal at the International Beer Competition. While each has its own distinct character, they all make for easy drinking. They also have limited-edition beers and original cocktails on offer, and if you’re lucky enough to visit during the preparation stages, you’ll be pleasantly enveloped in the aroma of mellow malts wafting through the restaurant.

Yokohama Kannai Jisho Bldg, 6-68-1 Sumiyoshicho, Naka-ku, Yokohama (Sakuragicho, Bashamichi stations). tinyurl.com/TOTyokohama-beer. MonFri 4pm-11pm, Sat 11.30am-11pm, Sun & hols 11.30am-9pm.

Eating & Drinking

Freshly brewed T.Y. Harbor, Lambic (left), Asagaya Beer Workshop (right) and Yokohama Beer Stand (below right)

42 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

Shopping & Style What to wear this summer

Don’t let the festival season go by without getting your yukata on.

Words Vivian Morelli

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 43

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

Shopping & Style

F

ireworks, aromatic food stalls, portable shrines and copious amounts of sake: welcome to Japanese summer matsuri.

Besides providing a welcome distraction from the heat, these festivals also give you a chance to don a traditional yukata – the lighter, summer version of the kimono.

Just like kimono, yukata are made with straight seams and wide sleeves, and are worn by both men and women. The standard getup consists of the robe itself, a few cotton ties to keep everything in place, an ‘obi’ sash tied as a belt, and optional accessories including ‘geta’ (wooden clogs), a hand fan and a small handbag.

The word yukata comes from ‘yukatabira’, a bathrobe dating back to the Heian period (7941185) that was used to dry off after bathing. This later became a common form of clothing to wear to and from the bathhouse. Nowadays, you can still wear a certain type of yukata for bath time, such as those provided at ryokan (traditional inns), but those worn at summer festivals are more elaborate with fabric designs varying from the traditional plain cross-hatch pattern to busier, more intricate ones.

In recent decades, traditional clothing such as kimono and yukata has enjoyed a revival in Japan.

Aside from the wide range of yukata available at secondhand shops, department stores and specialist boutiques, there are also local designers offering spiced-up, modern creations. When it comes to pairing your yukata robe with an obi sash and other accessories, colour co-ordinating is optional, but we think it’s far more fun to mix and match different shades, textures and patterns to achieve the most dramatic effect. In other words, the more colourful, the better. Don’t be afraid to play around with vintage materials and modern accessories, or vice versa.

As for where to purchase your yukata, secondhand shops and flea markets sometimes sell them for just a handful of change, or you can spend far more to invest in a high-end designer kind.

Turn the page for our list of top shops as well as a handy step-by-step guide on how to tie your yukata (it’s not as easy as it looks). All that’s left is figuring out how exactly to shuffle around on those geta.

Our top five picks, for all budgets and styles MODERN: Sou-Sou

Putting a trendy twist on traditional Japanese clothing and accessories, Sou-Sou is a great place to buy gifts and souvenirs (think furoshiki wrapping cloths, hand towels and split-toe trainers based on tabi footwear). Their yukata and kimono collection is splendid, combining rich textiles, eye-catching patterns and versatile styles you can wear on a daily basis. They have a branch in San Francisco too! 5-4-24, MinamiAoyama, Minato (Omotesando Station). 03 3407 7877. sousounetshop.jp. Daily 11am-8pm.

TRADITIONAL: Sakaeya

Just a short walk from Harajuku Station, Sakaeya is a family-owned shop (the CEO is a cat!) and the ideal place to start your yukata quest. You can buy a brand-new one for ¥6,000 (obi included), or spend ¥10,000 and they’ll throw in dressing assistance and a tea ceremony. You can even add hair and make-up and a photoshoot, then strut around Meiji Shrine in your outfit. Available in fits up to US size 16. Make a booking before you visit: go to kimonosakaeya.com/Tokyo/ for more details.

EDGY: Tsukikageya

VINTAGE: Chicago

This is the punk rock of kimono design: it’s unconventional, groundbreaking and packing a serious attitude. Designer Natsuki Shigeta launched the line in 2001, and since then it’s been making waves on the Tokyo fashion scene. Combining traditional craftsmanship with somewhat controversial subject matter, her pieces are all sewn and dyed by hand, and priced at ¥52,929. 1B Yoyogikoen Q Bldg, 1-9-19 Tomigaya, Shibuya (YoyogiKoen Station). 03 3465 7111. www.tsukikageya.com. Open irregularly, so it’s best to book an appointment or order via their online store.

44 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

Spend hours browsing the endless rows of secondhand kimono and yukata at Chicago, a chain thrift store. The Omotesando branch has an especially large selection, and you can’t miss the neon-lit, palm treeadorned storefront. During summer sales, some pieces are sold for as little as ¥300, so it’s a great place to stock up on festival wear (and stonewashed jeans, while you’re at it). B1F Olympia Annex Bldg, 6-31-21 Jingumae, Shibuya (Meijijingumae Station). 03 3409 5017. www. chicago.co.jp. Daily 11am-8pm.

LUXURY: Jotaro Saito

Jotaro Saito’s kimono and yukata designs have been featured on the runways for several seasons now.

Each collection is futuristic and fascinating in its own way, while keeping the core elements of the traditional garment. Step things up a notch this summer with Saito’s denim kimono, complemented with sleek accessories from his online shop or posh Roppongi Hills boutique.

Prices from ¥60,000 (before tax).

1F Roppongi Keyakizaka-dori, 6-9-1 Roppongi, Minato (Roppongi Station).

03 3796 1011. jotaro-web.shop-pro. jp. Daily 11am-9pm.

JOTARO SAITO, JAPAN TOURS AND PARCO: KEISUKE TANIGAWA

Shopping & Style

Where to buy your yukata

Promotional feature LOCAL INSIGHT

If you only have two hours to shop…

HOW TO TIE: STEP BY STEP While not as complicated as assembling a kimono, wearing a yukata still takes some practice. We visited True Japan Tours, who provide one-on-one lessons, and asked them to help dress our writer, Vivian.

1.

Put the yukata on. Open it with both hands, and adjust it by gathering the material up until the hemline is straight and just covering your ankles. Make sure the vertical lines on each side align with your thighs. Fold the right-hand side across your body, with your right hand touching your left hip. Then fold the left side over the top.

We’ve narrowed down the best of Parco so you can get the most out of your shopping

W

hen you visit Tokyo on holiday, you’ll soon realise it’s impossible to fit all your desired shopping and sightseeing into just a week or two. We’ve cunningly devised a plan to help you use your time wisely, specifically when visiting Parco’s Ikebukuro branch, which is teeming with top shops and ramen eateries to boot. If you’ve got a couple of hours to spare, here’s how to fit everything in, down to the minute.

STOCK UP ON SOUVENIRS 6F-5F, 25 minutes

2.

Use a thin cotton string to tie it around your waist, ensuring the hemline stays in position. Don’t worry about the excess material that bunches up around your chest. We’ll sort that out next.

I t e ms

f rom

Fu

rif

u

Let’s start from the top floor: here you’ll find everything from art materials and cosmetics to the sock specialty store Kutsushitaya.

Next, on the fifth floor, sweep through pretty kimono shop Furifu and pick up a colourful yukata to take home with you.

STYLE YOURSELF JAPANESE

3.

Bags from KURA CHIKA

Down to the third floor, which houses stylish Japanese brands such as Cabane de Zucca and Ca4La. Head for KURA CHIKA and choose from a range of Porter bags. On to the second floor, where you’ll be greeted by 24 ladies’ fashion and accessories stores. If you’re short on time, we recommend going straight to Snidel for the kind of sophisticated style that’s popular with Japan’s fairest.

Smooth down any excess material, front and back, over the cotton string. Use another cotton string to tie this in place just under your chest. So you should have two layers around your chest/rib area now (unless you’re very tall!).

Items from Snidel

3F-2F, one hour

GRAB A BAG Bags from Samantha Thavasa

4.

Wind the obi sash twice around your body. When both ends are about the same length, tie it into a bowtie at the front.

1F, 20 minutes

Right next to the entrance, you’ll find a large selection of colourful bags. They’re from one of the most popular handbag brands in Japan, Samantha Thavasa. Already have too many handbags? Then check out the lovely purses too.

HEEL UP

5.

Turn it 180 degrees to the back and... strike a pose for the camera.

VISIT TRUE JAPAN TOURS Our yukata dressing lesson took about one hour and cost ¥4,320.

For an extra fee, you can add a tea ceremony to the experience.The tour group also provides a variety of other services. 4F Sasaki Bldg A 405, 2-57 Koishikawa, Bunkyo (Korakuen, Kasuga stations). 03 3830 0451. www. truejapantours.com. Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.

Quick now, you’ve only got 15 minutes to hunt down your favourite pair of heels and find the right size. Among several shops on this floor, shoe shop R&E is one of our favourites because its heels and sandals are all designed to make your legs look beautiful. Can’t argue with that.

IKEBUKURO PARCO 1-28-2 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima 03 5391 8000. Ikebukuro.parco.jp Open 10am to 9pm daily

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Shoes from R&E

B2F, 15 minutes

HIS Two-in-one!

1

Shopping & Style

Go outsi 4 HERS

2 2. Camper’s futon

1.His and hers rain ponchos

For her: rain gear by Kiu There are three essential requirements when it comes to summer rain gear in Tokyo: lightweight, folds up small, stylish. Affordable helps too. Kiu’s rain poncho series fits the bill, offering a variety of patterns and a handy little zip bag that hardly takes up any space in your handbag. Styles for men are also available. ¥4,536 Available at Rakuten, tinyurl.com/TOTkiu.

Or at Loft Shibuya, 18-2 Udagawacho, Shibuya.

03 3462 3807. tinyurl.com/TOTloft-shibuya For him: Ten-cho by Mont-bell Make like a snail and carry your roof on your back. This raincoat turns into a tent that fits three people (sitting) and is especially useful if you’re heading to an outdoor music festival where rain is guaranteed. We’re looking at you, Fuji Rock. ¥11,800 Available from Mont-bell’s webshop or at all their stores including Ebis Q Plaza, 1-8-12 Ebisu, Shibuya. 03 5420 7956. tinyurl.com/TOTmontbell

Grand Ofuton by Snow Peak Just because you’re out in the wild doesn’t mean you can’t sleep like a king. This futon sleeping bag comes with an air mattress for extra comfort and to block any chill from the ground. Granted, you may not need all this warmth during summer, but just sleep on top of it for now. Come winter, you’ll be laughing. ¥49,800 (single), ¥72,800 (double) Available from Snow Peak’s webshop, tinyurl. com/TOTsnow-peak. Or in store at Tamagawa Takashimaya Garden Island complex, B1F, 2-32-14 Seta, Setagaya. 03 6805 7796.

3. Musical chairs

Speaker Sofa by Doppelgänger Outdoor Upgrade that fold-up camping chair with this ultra-comfy blow-up rocking chair that comes equipped with speakers – simply plug in your smartphone and press play.

From ¥4,205 Available from Amazon, tinyurl.com/TOTsofaamazon, or Rakuten, tinyurl. com/sofa-rakuten

46 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

4. Eco-friendly paper plates

Bamboo tableware by tm-series The tm-series of plates, cups and bowls were designed to mimic the size, texture and weight of disposable paper plates, while being as eco-friendly as possible. They’re made from organic bamboo powder and are as durable as plastic so you can re-use them. ¥700 for one cup, ¥900 for one plate or bowl (before tax) Available at ideaco's webshop, tinyurl.com/TOTtm, 0120 188 511, info_en@ideaco-web.com (English available on phone and email). Or from Spoon & Tamago’s webshop, tinyurl.com/TOTspoontamago

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We’ve found what you need for a summer of camping (even in the rainy season), rooftop dining, and hands-free festival dancing.

Compiled by Mayumi Koyama and Annemarie Luck

Collapsible coffee dripper by Uniflame If you can’t start the day without a cup of organic drip coffee, then don’t leave home without this handy gadget. It’s stainless steel, collapses for easy storage, and comes in two sizes: ‘cute’ for two people and ‘grande’ for four. ¥1,900 (cute) or ¥2,100 (grande), cup not included Available at L-Breath, 4-1-11 Shinjuku, Shinjuku. 03 3354 8951. www.uniflame.co.jp

6. Summer scarf

Cooling towel by SHF There are plenty of run-ofthe-mill cooling products on sale at your local convenience store, but this one might just pass as an actual accessory. It’s made with a special material that activates when you run it under water for a minute, creating a cooling effect that lasts for hours. ¥1,300 (before tax) Available from SHF’s webshop, shf.co.jp/item/ shirokuma2.html. Or at Loft Shibuya, 18-2 Udagawacho, Shibuya. 03 3462 3807. tinyurl. com/TOTloft-shibuya

7. The perennial bonsai

Air Bonsai by WabiSabi If you’ve ever tried to nurture a plant through Tokyo’s summer, you’ll understand why we recommend throwing out your (by now dead) sunflowers and only bothering with cacti and inflatable bonsai trees. The Air Bonsai won a JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association) award – in case you need to convince anyone of its cred – and comes in black and transparent. ¥2,160 Available from Museum Store, tinyurl.com/ TOTmuseum

Shopping & Style

5. Drip coffee anywhere, anytime

8. By the light of the veg

Obon candle by Kameyama Candle What’s up with this unlikely pair of veggie candles? Besides the fact we think they’ll fit right in 6 with your healthy alfresco dinners this summer, they are significant for being part of obon, the Japanese custom of honouring one’s ancestors.

Some people place a cucumber and eggplant side by side (giving them both ‘legs’ made from toothpicks) in their home to welcome and then see off their ancestors respectively. Nothing like a quirky centrepiece to act as conversation starter. ¥680 for the set (before tax) Available from Kameyama Co. Ltd, call to order: 0595 82 9837.

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9. Smart tee for smartphones

T-shirt by inink Tired of losing your phone at festivals?

This T-shirt gives you a hand. Its transparent pocket has a Velcro strip at the top left corner and an opening at the bottom right corner for your earphone cord. ¥5,184 Available from inink, www.store.inink. jp/items/3890. Or at Loft Shibuya (until Aug), 18-2 Udagawacho, Shibuya.

03 3462 3807. tinyurl.com/TOTloftshibuya For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 47

Promotional feature LOCAL INSIGHT

HOW TO SING LIKE A TOKYOITE

10 UNBREAKABLE KARAOKE RULES If you’ve ever been to karaoke with a group of Tokyoites, you might have noticed that everyone behaves according to a set of unwritten rules. Now, it’s not easy to decipher these tacit rules, so we asked twin sisters Ami and Aya to help us introduce the guidelines to first-time karaoke-goers. All you have to do is follow their lead…

1

Don’t hog the mic

2

Don’t blame the machine

The most important thing at karaoke gatherings in Tokyo is that everyone must have fun. Don’t be fooled by any apparent shyness in accepting the microphone – everyone wants a turn, and when that turn comes round, he or she will amaze you at their transformation from wallflower to Wolfmother.

So be sure to share the love.

5

Don’t get stage fright

Want to feel like you’re live on stage? Press the Live Sound button on the remote control and feel the difference as the system switches to surround sound. Certain rooms also include screens with images of a real-life screaming audience to cheer you on. Make sure you up your game accordingly.

LIVE DAM STADIUM’s precision DX-G scoring system evaluates your vibrato, pitch, expression and other singing skills. It’s a challenge, for sure, but you can't complain about the results. Like a singing samurai, fight on.

3

Praise your elders

6

Karaoke in Tokyo is like a sport. The LIVE DAM STADIUM machine even displays the number of calories you’ve burned after you finish singing. The food menu also has a calorie count so you can keep track of your input vs output. Moral of the story? The harder you sing, the more you’ll sweat, the more calories you’ll burn.

In Japan, the word ‘yoisho’ can be used in a variety of ways, but generally it’s said (or shouted) as a form of encouragement. When it comes to karaoke, if you’re singing alongside anyone who’s older than you, you should praise their singing (even if it’s bad), sing their favourite songs, and exclaim ‘yoisho’ as often as possible.

4

Be a good DJ

When choosing songs, your DJ skills and musical taste come into play.

You don’t want everyone else sitting around feeling bored while you belt out your favourite golden oldie. Read the crowd, sense what they want and time your choice just right. No pressure.

Sweat, a lot

7

Keep the drinks flowing

Your karaoke activity is not limited to just singing. Take note of who’s drinking what and make sure glasses are topped up regularly. Especially if there’s someone in the group you fancy. You don’t want to have a dry throat (all that singing, you know) when he/she finally edges over to talk to you.

AMI

AYA

HI NIPPON GOES ON T HI MOS OUR S O M

= Favourite

st? = Favourite arti CreepHyp d pleaser? = Your top crow 'JOY' by YUKI ad? = Favourite ball 'Swallowtail Butterfly ~Ai No Uta~'

by YEN TOWN BAND

artist?

Disclosure = Your top crowd pleaser?

'Sobakasu' by JUD Y AND MARY = Favourite ba 'Manatsu No Kallad? jits

by SOUTHERN u' ALL STARS

*Some of the services described here are not available at all stores. Please contact individual shops for details.

8

Spreading J-pop around the world

Haven’t heard of Moshi Moshi Nippon yet?

It’s a project organised by ASOBISYSTEM, the company that manages singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and other J-pop stars, and its aim is to drive Tokyo’s unique kawaii culture. This year, Moshi Moshi Nippon is going on tour, taking Japanese pop culture to the world’s major cities. With one of the sponsors being Daiichi Kosho Company, the tour kicked off with a bang in Bangkok, Thailand and was met with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Here’s what went down…

THERE WAS KARAOKE, OF COURSE

Save ballads for the second half

There’s always room for a ballad or two, but save them till last. This goes hand in hand with ‘Be a good DJ’, and is an important part of keeping energy levels up through the night. If everyone boos your choice, don’t take it personally – not everyone wants to slip into a slower gear.

g d anison J-pop an heavy rotation n o were

9

Never rest

Just because you’ve finished singing, doesn’t mean it’s time to sit back and relax or distract others with chatter. You still need to show active involvement: clap your hands, beat a tambourine, play the maracas, etc. There is no rest for a karaoke singer.

10

Be memorable

Even if you can’t hold a note, you should still aim to entertain. Bring the house down by mimicking a star’s choreography, for example, or go big on facial expressions and distract everyone from your actual singing.

Of course, if you’re good at all three of these, you’re a surefire winner.

Anime may be the main reason that Thailand’s youth first became interested in Japan, but karaoke is a massive drawcard too. This was obvious as students arrived in droves and packed themselves into the karaoke booth at the event. Apparently many of them visit karaoke clubs in Bangkok too. There were more professional performances too as ASOBISYSTEM’s artists entertained using the group’s cutting-edge sound system.

THE CULTURE CORNER WAS A HIT

A number of booths allowed visitors to experience both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese culture, from tea ceremonies to playing around with Fujifilm’s Cheki instant camera, browsing Harajuku fashions, and trying out kakigori (shaved ice) from Yelo. There was even a corner where you could try out nagashi somen, the Japanese tradition of sending chilled noodles down a slide before catching and eating them.

THE STARS CAME OUT TO PLAY

Twin sistersok AMIAYA to e to the stag

It seems Japanese girls are a hit in Thailand. As ASOBISYSTEM’s artists performed live or strutted their stuff in fashion shows, they attracted hordes of screaming fans. Moshi Moshi Nippon!

Promotional feature LOCAL INSIGHT

J

apan has cultivated an image of a country hurtling into the future, all robots and fancy cellphones and heated toilet seats.

Yet the past remains important to many, and enka, one of Japan’s most popular music genres – one that some fans would argue is synonymous with ‘Japanese style’ – centres around nostalgia.

These ballad songs, often sad and grasping for a time long passed, resonate with the Japanese, and can be heard in bars, restaurants and karaoke boxes across the nation.

Enka’s origins stretch back to the 19th century, when the voice-centred style functioned as protest music against the government. Modern enka, though, emerged after World War II, featuring women performers clad in kimono and men often donning formal wear to mournfully sing about the olden days – hometowns and loves lost being just a few of the common tropes, along with the challenges of the working man (which helps explain why so many truck drivers and other blue-collar types also enjoy it). Enka also acted as a kickback

WHAT IS KOBUSHI? The defining musical element of enka is the way singers make their voices waver, stretching syllables so as to give their songs an extra melancholy punch. This technique is called kobushi, referring to the way a singer’s pitch changes on a single note.

Although not exclusive to enka, kobushi pops up in most of the big enka hits of the past 60 years.

© Sachiko Kobayashi

HIBARI MISORA

HOW TO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION Enka singing might be reflective of Japan’s past and unique culture, but nobody wants to do it for free.

Thankfully, fans are more than happy to throw some cash at performers – sometimes literally. The term ‘ohineri’ refers to coins wrapped in paper in a very specific way and thrown on stage when a performer reaches a critical moment in their show. Although primarily practised in traditional Japanese theatre, enka fans can often be seen tossing a few bucks on stage.

1000

against the rise of American rock-inspired music in Japan, with enka singers such as Hideo Murata and Hibari Misora embracing the Japanese-ness of Japan. The genre became one of post-war Japan’s most commercially successful genres.

After a slight sales decline in the 1990s, enka has seen a resurgence in the 21st century, thanks to a greying Japan and a new generation of singers. Enka remains a staple on TV, at CD stores and at karaoke, and one of the most uniquely Japanese styles of music going.

ENKA LEGENDS

WHO WORE IT BETTER?: KENICHI MIKAWA VS SACHIKO KOBAYASHI For all the sorrowful nostalgia and dramatic singing, enka can be lots of fun too. Nothing better highlights this than the long-running rivalry between singers Kenichi Mikawa and Sachiko Kobayashi to see who could wear the more extravagant get-up at the yearly Kohaku Uta Gassen event, held on New Year’s Eve. Although these two no longer compete, the costumes on show during the yearly event are still a big drawcard.

WORDS: PATRICK ST. MICHEL

mtv81.com

The queen of enka and one of the most important Japanese performers of the post-war era, to the point where many books have been written about her as a representative of Japanese identity. Started as a teen boogie-woogie artist before absorbing enka.

Must hear: ‘Kawa no Nagare no You ni’

SABURO KITAJIMA

The most famous male enka singer, Saburo is still going strong today. Before getting his big break, he built up his powerful voice and reputation by performing in bars and on the streets of Tokyo, speaking to the hearts of Japanese men.

Must hear: ‘Matsuri’

KEIKO FUJI

Even though plenty of performers were making music now classified as enka, it wasn’t until the late Keiko Fuji hit the scene at the end of the 1960s that the term itself came back in vogue. Her debut album topped the Oricon music charts for 20 straight weeks, a record that holds today. Her daughter is the famous J-pop singer Utada Hikaru.

Must hear: ‘Shinjuku no Onna’

JERO DREAMS OF ENKA The enka world was shook up in 2008 with the debut of Jero, an American performer of AfricanAmerican and Japanese heritage. He captured media attention for his ballads – in Japanese, natch – and because of his background and youth (late twenties).

He’s not the only artist born outside Japan to be impacted by enka – Jim O’Rourke and Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman both count it as a major musical influence.

© GETTY IMAGES

DIAL IN TO THE LATEST MUSIC AND CULTURE FROM JAPAN

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH ENKA?

N E E R G A E T I K O O N A A R R A K E YO H C I U? H W YES NO Use our highly unscientific guide to find out which age group you should be singing in…

You’ve heard of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.

You have all her CDs and know what she eats for breakfast.

You often wistfully wish you had been at Woodstock.

YES

NO

NO

YES

Pick your cosplay preference…

Just because I've heard of her doesn't mean I like J-POP.

Glastonbury is way better.

Who would you have wanted to watch the most?

Full Lolita girl getup.

Just a blonde bob wig.

GENERATION

TEENS

Shake It Off Heartbeat Song Happy Let It Go What Makes You Beautiful

GENERATION

20s

You still have eyes for Bieber, but you’re starting to appreciate a Jagger swagger too.

You’re old enough to feel heartbreak but young enough to shake it off.

U SONGS FOR YO

I wish I was J Law and dating Chris Martin.

I’m more into noise music.

Artist

Request No. 3928-42 Taylor Swift Kelly Clarkson 3934-77 Pharrell Williams 5635-09 Idina Menzel 3919-72 One Direction

3865-51

U SONGS FOR YO Roar Born This Way Call Me Maybe I Gotta Feeling Moves Like Jagger feat.Christina Aguilera

I just can’t believe Kanye West is headlining this year!

GENERATION

I started scaling that fence when I was 16.

The Who

30s

GENERATION

For whatever reason, you can identify with Amy Winehouse.

Even if you haven’t been to rehab.

Artist

Request No. 3912-89 Katy Perry Lady GaGa 3840-33 Carly Rae Jepsen 3876-29 The Black Eyed Peas 3660-20 Maroon 5

3841-33

U SONGS FOR YO

40s+

You’d like to leave your troubles behind – and a bit of ABBA always helps in this regard.

Request No. Rehab Amy Winehouse 3397-85 With Or Without You U2 3388-33 ...Baby One More Time Britney Spears 6053-01 3564-85 Ice Ice Baby Vanilla Ice Wake Me Up Before You Go - Go

Jimmy Hendrix

Artist

Wham!

1314-11

U SONGS FOR YO

Artist

Jolene Dancing Queen Love Me Do

Dolly Parton ABBA The Beatles

The Look

Roxette

I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Request No. 5157-05 1005-16 7042-90 4143-06

Whitney Houston 1315-03

*The Request No.'s listed here are for LIVE DAM STADIUM devices. Please ask for a room with LIVE DAM STADIUM when visiting.

Art & Culture

Art & Culture

How to save money while enjoying some of Tokyo’s best art?

Take a tour of these outdoor masterpieces. Words Matt Schley

T

okyo is filled with museums, galleries and exhibitions.

But that doesn’t mean you need to pay to see some of the best art in the city – heck, to see these pieces, you don’t even have to go indoors. Here’s our list of some of the best outdoor art around town.

Spider-Mom

One of the city’s most iconic outdoor artworks, Louise Bourgeois’ ‘Maman’ (‘Mum’ in French) at Roppongi Hills greets visitors to the Mori Art Museum and the Tokyo International Film Festival (held in October) – though ‘greets’ might be the wrong word for the imposing metal spider, over nine metres tall.

Created as a tribute to Bourgeois’ mother (both weavers, you see), ‘Maman’ comes complete with a sac of marble eggs attached to the body. She has siblings too, which you can find spidering around at

the National Gallery of Canada, the Guggenheim in Spain, London’s Tate Modern and the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul.

Closest station: Roppongi Station, Roppongi Hills exit

The happy tree and the lost mural

One of Japan’s most noted avantgarde artists, Taro Okamoto is perhaps best known for the ‘Tower of the Sun’ sculpture he contributed to Osaka during its famous 1970 Expo, but there are examples of his work scattered throughout Tokyo too. ‘Tree of Children’ (1985), a series of happy faces extending from tree branches, can be found, appropriately enough, in front of

the National Children’s Castle in Aoyama (which unfortunately closed earlier this year).

Then there’s the ‘Young Clock Tower’ (1966), created four years before the Osaka Expo, which stands in Sukiyabashi Park in Ginza. Try to check it out in the evening, when its tendrils light up.

And perhaps the most impressive work on the list is ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ (1969), a colossal depiction of an atomic bomb blast. Originally created in Mexico and long assumed to be lost, the 30m by 5.5m painting was found abandoned in a building materials yard in 2003

by Okamoto’s wife. Painstakingly restored over a period of three years, it can now be seen inside Shibuya

‘Maman’ the spider comes complete with egg sac

52 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

Mark City at Shibuya Station.

Closest stations: ‘Tree of Children’, Omotesando, exit B2; ‘Young Clock Tower’, Ginza, exit C2; ‘Myth of Tomorrow’, Shibuya, on the concourse leading to the Keio Inokashira line

Godzilla is not dead

Those less fussed about fine art and more in the mood for tracking down the king of monsters should first make their way to Hibiya Chanter Square, where a 1.2m-tall Godzilla has been protecting the area since 1994, the Big G’s 40th anniversary.

Next, head to Kabukicho, where a significantly taller Godzilla (or his head, anyway) towers over the new Toho Cinemas movie complex, which opened in April this year. The adjacent hotel features a special Godzilla room, where a monstrous hand hovers over the bed. Sweet dreams.

Finally, truly hardcore fans should make the pilgrimage to Toho Studios in Setagaya, which boasts a two-metre-tall bronze statue and an 11-metre mural of Godzilla. As a bonus, there’s

IMAGE: MANABU MOROOKA

ALFRESCO ART

another mural depicting the main characters from ‘Seven Samurai’. www.tohostudio.jp/en Closest stations: Chanter Square, Hibiya, exit A5; Toho Cinemas, Shinjuku, east exit; Toho Studios, Seijogakuen-mae, south exit

AN ARTFUL DAYTRIP

An inspired walk

GODZILLA: TM&© TOHO CO., LTD., OBOROKE: KISA TOYOSHIMA, SASAERU: MNANDI RIDLEY, REALLY LARGE CLOCK: ©STUDIO GHIBLI

Taro Okamoto’s ‘Young Clock Tower’ didn’t satisfy your craving for large Oboroke, Really LARGE Clock (right)

outdoor timepieces? We hear you.

One additional chronometer you might hunt down is the ‘Countdown 21st Century Monument’ in Akasaka. Designed

by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the clock, as the name implies, was created to count down to the new

millennium. Nowadays it just tells the time, but still retains that classic Hundertwasser funkiness. Look for it behind the shops on Akasaka-dori, just next to the TBS building.

If Rube Goldberg machines are more your thing, check out

the ‘Magic Clock’ in Aoyama, designed by kinetic artist George Rhoads. Less a traditional clock and more a series of moving gears, chains and tubes, it’s a delight to watch when it’s in operation – though the schedule unfortunately appears to be pretty random.

Lastly, and perhaps our favourite, is a clock designed by none other than Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli and director of films like ‘Castle in the Sky’ and ‘Spirited Away’. Reportedly the largest mechanical clock in the world (the official name is ‘Really LARGE Clock’), the titanic timepiece sits outside the NTV headquarters in Shiodome. When the time strikes – just before the hours of 12pm, 3pm, 6pm and 8pm on weekdays, plus an additional 10am slot on weekends – there are 32 separate mechanical motions involved.

Closest stations: ‘Countdown 21st Century Monument’, Akasaka, exit 3B; ‘Magic Clock’, Aoyama Itchome, exit 5 or Nogizaka, exit 1; ‘Ni-Tele Really LARGE Clock’, Shiodome or Shinbashi

Want to escape the city?

Check out the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale Just two hours from Tokyo via bullet train, Echigo-Tsumari is a rural region that since 2000 has been the home to a collection of around 200 artworks spread across just as many villages. Dubbed the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, it’s an ‘absolutely inefficient’ approach, deliberately designed to encourage wandering and ‘reviving the soul’.

The Triennale, held every three years, serves as a showcase of both old and new artworks, plus live performances by artists from across Asia. Recommended art projects for the 2015 edition include works by Cai Guo-Qiang and Seizo Tashima, along with performance artists including Nibroll, Yubiwa Hotel and Strange Kinoko Dance Company.

Jul 26-Sep 13. Adv tickets ¥3,000 (includes discounts on accommodation, hot springs and other events). www.echigotsumari.jp/eng

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 53

ECHIGO-TSUMARI IMAGES, FROM TOP: RICHARD WILSON, ‘SET NORTH FOR JAPAN (74°33’2”)’, PHOTO BY OSAMU NAKAMURA; AKIKO UTSUMI, ‘FOR LOTS OF LOST WINDOWS’, PHOTO BY H. KURATANI; YAYOI KUSAMA TSUMARI IN BLOOM, 2000, PHOTO BY OSAMU NAKAMURA

Clocks with personality

A monster, a spider (left) and a threesome (below): all in a day’s art viewing

Art & Culture

Created by students and professors at Tokyo University of the Arts, the Geidai Taito Sumida Sightseeing Art Project (or GTS for short) is a series of art pieces that run along the riverside walk between the capital’s oldest temple, Senso-ji, and its newest megatower, Tokyo Skytree.

Our favourite pieces include ‘Sora-chan’, a giant beckoning cat, ‘Oboroke’, a series of 161 rods jutting into the air that look almost like a frozen water fountain, and ‘Ha Ha Ha’, an abstract piece perhaps named in anticipation of any poor Time Out writer who might attempt to describe it. We also have to give special mention to ‘Sasaeru’ – it means ‘supporting each other’, but when you look at the picture (right) you’ll understand why several crude nicknames have cropped up.

A walk between the pieces featured in the GTS brings you into contact not only with 12 works of contemporary outdoor art, but also one of Tokyo’s most impressive engineering feats, and its most historic neighbourhood. Winwin-win-win. gts-sap.jp Closest stations: Tokyo Skytree, Asakusa

Art & Culture

Art & Culture

Essential exhibitions Have an art-filled summer with artistic relationships, playful architecture and introspective photography ‘Motion Science’ 21_21 Design Sight, Jun 19-Sep 27 Curated by filmmaker Seiichi Hishikawa, ‘Motion Science’ shines a light on how mobility in technology, engineering and aesthetics has both made our daily lives more convenient and widened our artistic vistas, offering a selection of cutting-edge examples representative of one or both of these aspirations. Many of the installations are interactive, allowing visitors to experience the wonder of optimised movement for themselves.

9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato. 03 3475 2121. www.2121designsight.jp/en. 10am7pm, closed Tue (except for Sep 22).

‘Manga＊Anime＊Games from Japan’ The National Art Center, Tokyo, Jun 24- Aug 31 Taking the year 1989 and the

death of Osamu Tezuka as its point of departure, the centre’s investigation into the visual forms of modern Japanese pop culture is an ambitious attempt to say something comprehensive about how manga, anime and games have impacted culture and society, and about how said genres in turn adapt to and mirror social changes. Consisting of eight sections, from ‘Contemporary Heroes and Heroines’ to ‘The Creators’ Handiwork’, the exhibit takes visitors on a journey through the last 25 years of these media while also highlighting how the people behind them work and create. 7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato. 03 5405 8686. www.nact.jp/english. 10am-6pm (Fri until 8pm), closed Tue.

‘Kyosai – Master Painter and His Student Josiah Conder’ Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Jun 27-Sep 6 One of the last greats of traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga), Kyosai Kawanabe (1831-1889) witnessed

54 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

Japan and Edo make the leap towards modernity – a leap that the artist often ridiculed in his work, caricaturing the new system and society. Kyosai regularly skirted decency and traditional morality both in his art and in private, but maintained a close connection with the mythology of traditional Japan. Later in life, Kyosai accepted British architect and enthusiast of Japanese art Josiah Conder as his student. This extensive retrospective focuses particularly on how the two men influenced each other. Note that some of the displays will be rotated after the first part of the exhibition (Jun 27-Aug 2). 2-6-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda. 03 5405 8686. mimt.jp/kyosai. 10am-6pm (Fri & Aug 31-Sep 4 until 8pm), closed Mon (except for Jul 20 & Aug 31).

‘Erik Satie and His Time’ The Bunkamura Museum of Art, Jul 8-Aug 30 Travel back to Paris in the 1920s and venture into the peculiar world of the fascinating composer Erik Satie, who counted Picasso, Debussy and Cocteau as his drinking buddies. The Bunkamura’s

‘The Prolific World of Togo Murano – Architectural Models’ Meguro Museum of Art, Jul 11-Sep 13 One of Japan’s best architects, modernist Togo Murano was impressively productive, working on up to 300 projects until he passed away aged 93. The Nissay Theatre in Yurakucho displays his penchant for the playful, with the organically inspired, mysterious interior perhaps marking Murano’s most experimental work. This exhibition covers around 80 projects and draws attention to the architect’s lifelong desire to design buildings specifically for the people living in and visiting them. 2-4-36 Meguro, Meguro. 03 3714 1201. www.mmat. jp/english. 10am-6pm, closed Mon (except for Jul 20) & Jul 21.

‘Cai Guo-Qiang: There and Back Again’ Yokohama Museum of Art, Jul 11-Oct 18 Returning to Japan with a largescale exhibit this summer, Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang has earned plenty of international recognition since taking his talents to New York in 1995. Cai is famed for applying unconventional materials and techniques while incorporating elements of traditional Chinese culture – from gunpowder to herbal medicine – and is well-attuned to the tastes of Japanese audiences having previously lived here. ‘There and Back Again’ features both

‘MOTION SCIENCE’: MAI IKINAGA + HITOSHI AZUMI ‘REFLECTION IN THE SCULPTURE’, MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL JUNIOR DESIGNER AWARD 2014 JUDGE'S SPECIAL PRIZE – NAOKI SAKAI PRIZE; ‘MANGA, ANIME, GAMES FROM JAPAN’: The voices of a distant star © Makoto Shinkai / CoMiX Wave Films; ‘KYOSAI – MASTER PAINTER AND HIS STUDENT JOSIAH CONDER’: KYOSAI KAWANABE, FROLICKING ANIMALS, NEKOMATA AND TANUKI BADGER, MEIJI PERIOD, INK ON PAPER, KAWANABE KYOSAI MEMORIAL MUSEUM; ‘ERIK SATIE AND HIS TIME’: Erik Satie (composition), Charles Martin (illustration), Sports et Divertissements, 1914-1923, pochoir sur papier, Fonds Erik Satie - Archives de France / Archives IMEC; ‘THE PROLIFIC WORLD OF TOGO MURANO – ARCHITECTURAL MODELS’: MURANO ARCHITECTURE ‘FOREST OF MODELS’, SCALE 200:1. PAPER, PRODUCED AND OWNED BY KYOTO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KIMURA/MATSUKUMA OFFICE. PHOTO BY YASUSHI ICHIKAWA

summer special sheds light on his artistic relationships in Montmartre, where Satie hung out with Man Ray, André Derain and Georges Braque, soaking up influences and impacting the creatives around him.

B1 Bunkamura, 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya. 03 5777 8600. www. bunkamura.co.jp/english. Sun-Thu 10am-7pm, Fri & Sat 10am-9pm.

signature pieces and new work, and highlights the artist’s search for harmony between Eastern and Western philosophy. 3-4-1 Minatomirai, Nishi, Yokohama. 045 221 0300. yokohama.art.museum/ eng. 10am-6pm (until 8pm on Sep 16 & 18), closed Thu.

‘I Love Art 13 – 100 Artists from the Watari-Um Collection’ Watari-Um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, until Sep 13 Look forward to a total of 250 pieces by the likes of On Kawara, Joseph Beuys, Nam June Paik and Marcel Broodthaers, all well represented in the museum’s permanent collection, plus cutting-edge work

by French street art enigma JR, Chinese fusionist Cai Guo-Qiang, Berliner Michihiro Shimabuku and many more. Worth a peek for any friend of contemporary art. 3-7-6

Jingumae, Shibuya. 03 3402 3001. www.watarium.co.jp. 11am-7pm (Wed until 9pm), closed Mon (except Jul 20).

For more exhibitions, culture features and artist interviews, go to timeout.com/tokyo

‘CAI GUO-QIANG: THERE AND BACK AGAIN’: ‘HEAD ON’ 2006 99 LIFE-SIZED REPLICAS OF WOLVES AND GLASS WALL. WOLVES: GAUZE, RESIN, AND HIDE. DIMENSIONS VARIABLE. THE DEUTSCHE BANK COLLECTION. PHOTOGRAPH: JON LINKINS, COURTESY: GALLERY OF QUEENSLAND ART, GALLERY OF MODERN ART; ‘MASAHISA FUKASE – THE INCURABLE EGOIST’: SLAUGHTER, 1963 © MASAHISA FUKASE ARCHIVES; ‘CY TWOMBLY - FIFTY YEARS OF WORKS ON PAPER’: PETALS OF FIRE, 1989 144 X 128 CM ACRYLIC PAINT, OIL STICK, PENCIL, COLOR PENCIL ON PAPER © CY TWOMBLY FOUNDATION/COURTESY CY TWOMBLY FOUNDATION; ‘I LOVE ART 13 – 100 ARTISTS’: FROM THE WATARI-UM COLLECTION, ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, ORCHID, 1987

‘Cy Twombly: Fifty Years of Works on Paper’ Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, until Aug 30 Cy Twombly famously elevated

scribbles, doodles and scratches to high art, but his abstract paintings were always rife with allusions to antiquity and classical mythology – due in no small measure to the fact that this Virginia native lived most of his life in Rome. ‘Fifty Years of Works on Paper’ recounts Twombly’s career with the help of around 70 drawings, paintings and monotypes. 4-7-25 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa. 03 3445 0651. www.haramuseum.or.jp.

11am-5pm (Wed until 8pm), closed Mon (except Jul 20) & Jul 21.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 55

Art & Culture

‘Masahisa Fukase – The Incurable Egoist’ Diesel Art Gallery, until Aug 14 Internationally renowned as one of postwar Japan’s finest photographers despite not being as well known in his native land, the late Masahisa Fukase was invited to participate in the epoch-making ‘New Japanese Photography’ exhibition at New York’s MoMA in 1974. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Fukase experimented with introspective themes, documenting the life of his

family and expressing private feelings through his subjects. This display includes previously unreleased prints and offers an overview of Fukase’s colourful career, which ended tragically after he fell down a set of stairs and was left in a coma until his death in 2012. B1F, 1-23-16 Shibuya, Shibuya. 03 6427 5955. www.diesel. co.jp/art/en. 11.30am-9pm.

Music Festivalgoers, start your engines Summer is finally here, and that means music’s happiest, sunniest season.

Use our handy dandy flowchart to find the fest for you

Let me say this: Pitchfork should hire me.

Do you find your music on the blogs, or is everything you listen to at least two decades old?

Do you like temples?

I treat my tunes like my Pokémon: gotta catch ’em all.

Music

I’m all templed out.

What would bring more joy to your ears: techno or the saxophone?

Does a duck with one leg swim in a circle?

I’ve loved techno since the ’90s.

I live for the beats, man.

I’m the ultimate culture vulture.

Would you rather party in a stadium or in the mountains?

Is your style more vintage or current?

Sax me up like Color Me Badd!

Are you all about the music, or do you want to get down with some film and art, too?

Classic cool

Contemporary casual

The stadium–we go big or go home

All parties belong in the mountains.

Slow Live

The Labyrinth

Tokyo Jazz Festival

Summer Sonic

Fuji Rock Festival

Earth Celebration

Listen to laidback tunes under the summer sky at a traditional temple (the headquarters of the Nichiren Buddhist sect, no less) in the heart of the city.

The festival’s three-day lineup includes Yoshie Nakano,Yuko Ando and Original Love.

Sep 4-6. Ikegami Honmonji. tinyurl.com/TOTslowlive

Techno nerds come from around the world for this outdoor dance party that maintains high standards by capping attendance at 1,000, only having one stage, and booking DJs who know how to make the most of the sound system.

Sep 19-21. Naeba Greenland. tinyurl.com/ TOTlabyrinth

This festival delivers jazz with inspiring acts and legendary performances from famed local and international musos. This year, look forward to super quartet Fourplay as well as Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and top drummer Steve Gadd.

Sep 4-6.Tokyo International Forum. www.tokyo-jazz.com

Fuji Rock’s main rival competes to snag headlining artists, although the mix they end up with is often random.

This year, Pharrell Williams is the most hyped name, while ’90s kids can revisit their formative years thanks to the likes of Marilyn Manson.

Aug 15-16. Makuhari Messe. tinyurl.com/ TOTsummersonic

Although Japan’s biggest festival has lost a bit of its street cred in recent years, it’s still a spectacular setting and atmosphere.

Foo Fighters and Muse headline this year, while hippies and ravers are catered for with jam sessions and house.

Jul 24-26. Naeba Ski Resort. tinyurl.com/TOTfujirock

The mesmerising taiko drumming amidst the natural beauty of Sado Island is almost too much to comprehend.

Hosted by renowned drumming troupe Kodo, the festival is complemented by dance workshops, musicians’ seminars and fringe performances.

Aug 21-23. Sado Island. tinyurl.com/TOTearthfest

56 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

CHART: JILLIAN ANTHONY AND ANNEMARIE LUCK. FESTIVAL AND ARTIST SELECTION: KUNIHIRO MIKI

This is a strictly pre-boyband-era zone.

WHO TO WATCH

Jim O’Rourke and Gaman Gilberto at Fuji Rock Festival

He’s kept fans guessing for over a decade now, but D’Angelo has finally made a comeback, releasing his new album ‘Black Messiah’ in December 2014 to critical acclaim. The ’90s neo-soul star is set to perform at this year’s Summer Sonic, and if recent performances are anything to go by, he’s still got it going on. Set your heart to ‘throb’ and head to the Mountain Stage on Sunday, August 16.

He moved to Tokyo in 2008 for a quieter life, so it’s rare to catch former Sonic Youth guitarist Jim O’Rourke playing a live concert. These days he prefers to spend time in studios, producing awardwinning albums for bands like Wilco. But in May he surprised us with a new album, ‘Simple Songs’, and on Sunday, July 26 you can see the elusive experimentalist on stage at Fuji Rock.

Yoshie Nakano at Slow Live

Pharoah Sanders at Tokyo Jazz Festival

Japanese band Ego Wrappin’ has been around for a decade now, but they’ve continued to evolve thanks to iconic vocalist Yoshie Nakano who infused pop and rock into their sound. At the end of last year, Nakano released her second solo album, ‘Madokei’, an acid-folk masterpiece that calls to mind the likes of Joni Mitchell and Sufjan Stevens.

Watch her at Slow Live on Friday, September 4.

If you like to combine your jazz with your spirituality, Pharoah Sanders’ legendary sax playing mingled with his penchant for gospel is your happy place.

His career goes back to the ’60s when he played with John Coltrane’s band, but although he is jazz at heart, his music goes beyond genre restrictions and is loved across the board. See the 74-year-old at Tokyo Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 5.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 57

Music

JIM O'ROURKE: TAIKOU KUNIYOSHI

D’Angelo and The Vanguard at Summer Sonic

She’s not real.

Or is she?

Patrick St Michel explores the rise of virtual pop stars in Japan

Ill. by KEI © CFM www.piapro.net

Music

Music

58 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

P

animated avatar approach, creating dozens of new characters (see sidebar). Miku, though, still towers over the field, and ushered in a unique digital era.

‘The technology was an important issue, but VOCALOID™ created a new culture on the internet, especially on [Japanese video sharing site] Nico Nico Douga,’ says Keisuke Ito, a marketing and product planner for VOCALOID™ at Yamaha.

Thanks in part to Crypton’s ‘Piapro Character licence’, which allows users to manipulate their character’s image and voice (within reason of course – it’s not for commercial use and mustn’t violate basic morality), musicians and creators went wild with the virtual blank canvas that was Hatsune Miku (Crypton, wisely, included minimal details about who Miku was – they listed her height, weight and age, but the rest was left to the users’ imagination). And thanks to the Web, they had a way to share their work with one another.

‘Original characters are attractive to creators.

It makes you feel like you became a producer for popular idols,’ says Ito. ‘And this character can connect musicians, graphic artists, 3D movie creators, and so on.’

Artists such as livetune, Hachioji-P and supercell captured attention from the music world thanks to their VOCALOID™-utilising songs. Club nights in Tokyo sprung up, and are still going strong today – one monthly event held at Akihabara’s club Mogra, called VOCALOID™ ManiaX, finds DJs spinning VOCALOID™ tracks while a crowd stuffed with cosplayers bounces along to them.

Eventually, Crypton held their own characters’ concerts, where Miku and her virtual squad performed live to arenas full of rabid fans. Initially, footage of these events caught bewildered glances from Western media, though it inspired the resurrection of rapper Tupac Shakur at the 2012 Coachella Music Festival in California. Miku made it over to America soon after, and has only seen her stock grow since. She opened for Lady Gaga on a stretch of her 2014 North American tour, and then made her US television debut on Letterman.

While she remains somewhat a curiosity abroad, in Japan she’s graduated to national prominence. Besides music, she’s also appeared in ads for Toyota, Family Mart and Domino’s Pizza.

A spot she appeared in for Google gained more views than a similar one starring Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. For a 2013 musical called ‘The End’, Miku modelled exclusive clothes designed by Marc Jacobs. Pretty good for a virtual performer.

‘VOCALOID™ culture has became one of the more unique elements of Japanese culture, like anime,’ says Ito. ‘We are excited about sharing this culture around the world.’

VOCALOID™ is a registered trademark of Yamaha Corporation. Visit the webshop: net.vocaloid.com

BECOME A PRO! VOCALOID™ music has turned into big business in Japan. This April, Shikoku University Junior College started a new twoyear course focused around VOCALOID™.

In the first year, students will study the

basics of the Yamaha software, and in the second year of study will compose their own VOCALOID™ music. Those enrolled can also take supplementary courses on various topics, including how to promote their creations.

OUR FAVOURITE DIGI-STARS Miku’s got company

HATSUNE MIKU The top dog on the scene and the character responsible for turning the singing synthesizer software into a pop culture force. The blue-green-haired singer has starred in car commercials, modelled Marc Jacobs-designed clothes in a futuristic opera, and performed live on ‘Late Show With David Letterman’.

KAGAMINE RIN AND LEN Technically two characters but sold as one software package, the blond twins Kagamine Rin and Len are now among the most beloved VOCALOID™ characters in Japan. They are also two of the most imitated – go to a VOCALOID™ event or convention, and you’ll spot almost as many people cosplaying these guys as Miku.

MEGURINE LUKA Boasting a more ‘mysterious’ vocal delivery than the perpetually upbeat Miku, Luka earned a large following all her own in the VOCALOID™ world.

KAITO Female vocalists tend to get the most shine in the VOCALOID™ realm, but there are plenty of digitised men out there too.

The blue-haired KAITO, released in 2006 (before Miku), is the most recognisable fellow out there, often performing live with Miku at arena shows.

AKIKOLOID-CHAN The commercial success of VOCALOID™ – and the avatars representing it – has caught the eye of many Japanese companies. Convenience store chain Lawson created their own character, Akikoloid-chan, featuring her own voice bank and a get-up patterned after the store’s design.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 59

Music

eople pack the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on a crisp autumn weekend to watch one of the most famous pop stars in Japan. Thousands of fans wait for the show to start, as a dozen workers on stage check the instruments of the band that’s backing tonight’s show. Several hundred visitors have expressed their love for the headliner by dressing like her, complete with wigs.

The lights dim, and the crowd erupts. A sea of glowsticks – the same colour as the singer’s hair, a blue-green that turns the floor into a bed of neon seaweed – lights up. Then she materialises on stage. Hatsune Miku, Japan’s premier virtual pop star, is ready to shine in real life.

Hatsune Miku is a singing voice synthesizer developed by Sapporo-based software company Crypton Future Media, utilising the Yamaha-built VOCALOID™ voice engine. The singing synthesizer programme allows users to generate a voice on their computer and manipulate it to make it sound how they’d like. In recent years we’ve seen many virtual singers being developed, but Miku has retained her place as the most famous avatar on the scene. Originally envisioned as a marketing tool, Miku has gone from a glorified advertisement to one of the most recognisable performers in Japan today. And she’s attracted global attention, with the ‘Hatsune Miku Expo’ being held in Los Angeles and New York, and an appearance on ‘Late Show With David Letterman’ as the show’s first virtual performer ever.

‘It’s like being on Willie Nelson’s tour bus,’ the late-night host joked following the surreal performance.

The first VOCALOID™ prototype emerged in 2002, and soon Yamaha licensed the technology off to third-party groups, who could create their own versions. The first retail copy arrived on shelves two years later, but sales were slow.

Well, almost all sales. In 2004, Crypton Future Media saw success in the Desktop Music (DTM) market by sticking a cartoon character – a brownhaired woman named MEIKO, followed by a male counterpart called KAITO in 2006 – on the package. Hardly massive numbers, but far ahead of the competition.

Crypton kept with this idea in 2007, when Yamaha developed VOCALOID™ 2 technology, an improved software. The Hokkaido company created a new character – one featuring vocal samples courtesy of anime voice actress Saki Fujita – to paste on the box, named Hatsune Miku (in Japanese, the name means ‘The First Sound of the Future’).

Miku became an instant hit. Stores couldn’t keep the software featuring her visage in stock, and she gained attention from the Japanese mainstream media. Crypton – and later also other companies – have continued using the

The happiest hours When the ambience is rich but the drinks are cheap(er)

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rinking in Tokyo isn’t cheap – that’s a fact we all have to accept. What we don’t have to accept, however, are regular-price drinks, extortive entrance fees, and tricky ‘nomihodai’ (all-you-can drink offers; see sidebar) that are only affordable for the 15-year veteran alcoholic. The way to dodge all these bullets is knowing where to find a decent happy hour – ones that include drinking establishments that are usually way beyond our meagre budgets. Here, we’ve picked five favourites, from fancy hotel bars to standard pubs to microbrew havens.

GOODBEER FAUCETS Happy hour: Mon-Thu 5-8pm, Sun 4-7pm The deal: ¥200 discount on any of their 40 types of microbrews on tap from Japan and around the globe – usually priced at around ¥1,000 per pint.

One of the boldest ventures in Tokyo’s current craft beer boom, this spacious, chrome-andconcrete bar occupies a prime slice of real estate just across the street from the Bunkamura in central Shibuya. Thanks to

Goodbeer Faucets, Peter: The Bar (right), Union Square Tokyo (above)

60 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

their experience of running online retailer Goodbeer, they’ve built up an impressive selection of craft beers at the bar – they offer over 40 different beers on tap, predominantly Japanese and American microbrews. Also, the calibre of the menu has improved a lot since they first opened. Keep an eye on their Twitter account if you want to catch some of the more unusual offerings, as they tend to go quickly.

2F Shibuya Crossroad Bldg, 1-29-1 Shoto, Shibuya (Shibuya Station). tinyurl. com/TOTgoodbeer.

Mon-Thu 5pm12am, Fri & Sat 5pm-3am, Sun 4pm-11pm, closed 4th & 5th Mon of the month.

PETER: THE BAR Happy hour: Sun-Thu 5-8pm The deal: ¥800 per drink or appetiser (plus 15% service charge)

Glorious views and a special menu

Don’t let the glorious 24th-floor views scare you off – this bar at the Peninsula Tokyo isn’t as stuck up as you might think. Make the trip during happy hour and you’ll be greeted by a special menu with food and drink available for ¥800 a pop. Give the cajun fried potatoes a try for a down-to-earth dish that won’t leave you hungry – or go all-out with some of the more luxurious selections.

1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda (Hibiya Station).

03 6270 2763. tinyurl. com/TOTpeter. 12pm12am (Fri & Sat until 1am).

UNION SQUARE TOKYO, GOODBEER FAUCETS, HAVANA CAFE: MANABU MOROOKA

Nightlife

Nightlife

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH NOMIHODAI?

Havana Café

HAVANA CAFÉ Happy hour: Mon-Sat 5pm-7pm The deal: Drinks from ¥200-¥500

THE PEAK BAR Happy hour: Daily 5pm-9pm The deal: ¥3,500 for unlimited drinks and canapés Granted, this is still a little pricey but you’ll be sipping cocktails to your heart’s content and helping yourself to buffet-style snacks on

the 41st floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Four hours of this kind of luxury would usually set you back at least triple this amount – one draught beer usually costs ¥1,200 and a small portion of toasted ciabatta with herbed chicken, bacon and tomatoes usually goes for ¥1,700. If you’re visiting Tokyo for the first time and you’re a fan of ‘Lost in Translation’, this hotel is undoubtedly on your must-visit list, so taking advantage of their ‘Twilight Time’ deal kills two birds with one stone. Visit on any night from Wednesday to Saturday and you’ll get the added bonus of a live DJ. 41 Park Hyatt Tokyo, 3-7-1-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku (Shinjuku Station). 03 5323 3461. tinyurl.com/TOTpeakbar.

5pm-11.30pm.

UNION SQUARE TOKYO Happy hour: Daily 5pm-7pm The deal: Drinks from ¥500 The Tokyo version of New York’s Union Square Cafe has a spacious terrace with gorgeous views of the nearby park areas, and the atmosphere is altogether very relaxed. The menu is heavy on NYC-

The Peak Bar

Kobuchizawa Kobuchizawa Country Country Club Club in in HOKUTO HOKUTO

Enjoy a nature-filled tee time to unwind.

It’s just a train ride away.

http://www.kobuchisawa-cc.jp TEL:＋81(0)551-36-4411

10060 Kobuchizawa-machi, Hokuto-shi Yamanashi, JAPAN http://www.kob-art.com

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Nightlife

One of Roppongi’s more enduring expat hotspots, Havana Cafe serves good mojitos and decent Tex-Mex grub, with a kitchen that stays open until 4am. The ground-floor standing bar is usually the livelier option, but those in search of a quiet meal can retreat to the basement. Best of all is the happy hour from 5pm-7pm, when you can get a gin & tonic or a Moscow mule for ¥200, wine and beer for ¥300, and a frozen margarita for ¥500. It’d be good value wherever you were – but in the middle of one of Tokyo’s pricier nightlife districts, it’s an absolute steal. 1F-B1F, 4-122 Roppongi, Minato (Roppongi Station). 03 3423 3500. tinyurl. com/TOThavana. 11.30am-5am.

style fare, including giant salads, fresh pasta, burgers and smoked steaks. During happy hour you’ll have your pick of drinks with prices starting from a very reasonable ¥500. B1F Galleria Garden Terrace, Tokyo Midtown, 9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato (Roppongi Station). 03 5413 7780. tinyurl.com/TOTunionsquare. Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, 5pm-11pm (Sat & Sun 11am-4pm, 5pm-11pm).

These ‘all you can drink’ plans offered at Japan’s local izakaya (pubs) sound like a good idea in theory: basically, for prices ranging from ¥1,500 to ¥3,000, you can refill your glass as many times as you want over a certain time period, usually about 90 minutes to two hours.

If you Google the term, you’ll find several excitable blog posts by tourists and nomihodai newbies detailing a night spent ruining expensive coats with spilled wine and other ‘accidental spills’ as a result.

But, ruined coats aside, there are a few things you need to consider. Firstly, Japan is probably the only country in the world where this kind of offer doesn’t regularly end in debauchery. So you should strive not to become debaucherous either. Which leads us to the next point: if you’re drinking like a civilised person, then paying ¥3,000 for 90 minutes might not actually end up earning you any savings on beer at all.

What about the cheaper plans? Watch out for hidden costs like table charge and an obligatory food order (where the food is drastically overpriced).

There are, of course, some places that offer all-night nomihodai, but if you’re hunting down one of these then you probably don’t own an expensive coat in the first place.

LGBT

LGBT

Where everybody knows your name Okay, perhaps these LGBT-friendly bars and restaurants are not quite as local as Cheers, but they will make you feel at home. Words Yuki Keiser

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eyond their reputation as LGBT hot spots, neighbourhoods like San Francisco’s Castro, LA’s West Hollywood and Le Marais in Paris are known as trendsetting areas widely impacting mainstream culture.

Although that’s still not the case for Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ni-chome, nor for the city’s overall ‘rainbow scene’, there’s still a significant LGBT scene in the capital and plenty of openminded bars and restaurants.

Gossip

A cultural centre for the LGBT community, Gossip bustles with activity from around noon to late at night. Sip on a beer or some strong coffee, devour a dessert and browse the vast selection of reading material on themes including gay culture, art, sexuality and diversity. Photo books, magazines, comics and literature in several languages are among the options, while the regular cultural events are also well worth checking out. 2F, 5-46-15 Jingumae, Shibuya (Omotesando Station). 03 6427 5505. tinyurl. com/TOTgossip. 12pm-11pm.

Cocolo Café

Ideal for a late-night rendezvous, this café and restaurant is a popular Ni-chome hangout that’s also a great spot from where to start exploring the area. Everyone is welcome to sample Cocolo’s healthy grub and imaginative drink selection: try the always-popular, seasonal Cocolo Plate, sip on some Vietnamese coffee or choose from 18 different kinds of tea. The homemade fruit cakes and ice cream parfaits are highly recommended, too.

Hayakawa-ya Nr 1 Bldg, 2-146 Shinjuku, Shinjuku (ShinjukuSanchome, Shinjuku Gyoenmae stations). 03 5366 9899.

64 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

tinyurl.com/TOTcocolo. Mon-Thu 11am-12am, Fri 11am-7am next morning, Sat 3pm-7am, Sun & hols 3pm-12am.

Dorobune

One of Ni-chome’s finest ‘mix bars’, Dorobune caters mainly to women, and even refuses male admissions on Saturdays. That’s not to say that the atmosphere is stuck up – everyone’s welcome on all other days, regardless of gender or orientation, and the friendly owner even doubles as a fortune teller of sorts for emotionally burdened ladies. Dogs are allowed as well, so you can hang out with your pet pooch while munching on the tasty okonomiyaki and homely appetisers on offer. Regulars tell us this spot feels like a home away from home.

205 Vera Heights Shinjuku Gyoen, 2-7-3 Shinjuku, Shinjuku (ShinjukuSanchome Station). 03 3356 3358. tinyurl.com/TOTdorobune. Tue-Thu, Sun 7pm-12am (last order 11pm), Fri & Sat 7pm-1am (last order 12am), closed Mon.

Tac’s Knot

Each month the walls of this tiny cocktail bar display the work of a different local gay artist. Master Tac is a local gay community leader and an artist of some note himself – his bejewelled reliquaries for pubic hair caused a stir back in the 1990s.

To meet Tac himself, go on a Friday or Saturday. 202, 3- 1112 Shinjuku, Shinjuku (ShinjukuSanchome Station). 03 3341 9404. tinyurl.com/TOTtacsknot. 8pm-2am (Sun 6pm-2am). Cover charge ¥500.

Suzu Bar

Run by LGBT activist and spokesperson Fumino Sugiyama, Suzu blends right in among the hundreds of tiny watering holes along Shinjuku’s Golden Gai. Still, it’s newer and spacier than most of its neighbours, in addition to giving off a unique vibe with its ’50s folk craft decor and stained-glass lamps.

We recommend the fruit cocktails, made with a professional’s touch.

If you’re feeling peckish, try the signature Suzu Katsu Sandwich.

1-1-10 Kabukicho, Shinjuku (Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Sanchome stations). 03 5272 6100. tinyurl. com/TOTsuzu. Daily 8pm-3am.

Gold Finger

Running on a regular basis since 1991, Japan’s first women-only party Gold Finger (currently held on the third Saturday of every month at Shinjuku Ni-chome’s Aisotope) is also the force behind this eponymous bar.

Only members of the fairer sex are admitted into the space that’s decorated with ’70s motel-style furniture and staffed by fashionista DJs. The rotating event calendar includes gems like ‘Tapas Night’ and ‘Dog-Lovers’ Party’, so there’s no complaining about a lack of variety. 2-12-11 Shinjuku, Shinjuku (Shinjuku-Sanchome Station).

03 6383 4649. tinyurl.com/ TOTgoldfinger. From 6pm daily.

For the full list of venues, go to tinyurl. com/TOTlgbt-venues

Sport

With foreigners dominating the ring these days, it’s not impossible. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Benjamin Boas looks at how Japan’s oldest sport has changed, and how you can prepare for a life of sumo

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umo’s origins lie in the Japanese Shinto religion and date back a couple of thousand years. Originally performed during religious festivals and later used for military training, the sport’s purpose continued to change over the years, according to the needs of whoever was in power at the time. The warlord Oda Nobunaga, who ruled in the 16th century, is credited for holding the first tournament with a defined area marked by a ring. Later, during the Edo period, some of the first professional sumo wrestlers were masterless samurai (ronin) who needed a source of income.

With six major tournaments a year, each lasting 15 days and broadcast on national television, sumo remains popular in Japan, even though in recent years it’s been tainted with controversy (bar fights, match fixing, xenophobic name-calling, that sort of thing) and dominated by foreign fighters. Despite strict regulations that allow only one foreigner per stable, the last time a Japanese rikishi (wrestler) won a grand sumo tournament was in 2006.

This may seem surprising, since traditional Japanese disciplines tend to be difficult for non-Japanese to enter. However, there’s been more outside influence on sumo than many people think. It bears significant resemblance

to traditional Chinese shuai jiao wrestling as well as Mongolian wrestling. The latter is particularly telling, since it’s Mongolians who have had the most success recently: all three of the current yokozuna (the highest ranked wrestlers) are from Mongolia, with one of them, Hakuho, recently breaking the all-time record for championship wins.

Other successful foreign rikishi have included Estonian wrestler Baruto and Bulgarian Kotooshu. Part of the reason for their success is simply because they tower over their local contemporaries – a story that’s also often heard in other Japanese sports such as baseball and the ekiden (long-distance relay race). However, this is only part of the story. Some sumo commentators also point to the innovations, such as new moves, that foreign fighters have brought to the sport.

Will the trend of foreign champions continue?

Many say yes, citing Japan’s decreasing population and the fact that Japanese boys these days are more eager to try their hand at Western sports such as baseball. As sumo writer John Gunning told ‘The New York Times’: ‘There’s a lot more competition from “cooler” sports [and] sumo is seen as old-fashioned.’

Want to take the plunge? Read on for our top tips on becoming a sumo wrestler…

Current champions are all Mongolian

66 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

WATCH IT

WHEN: The last three tournaments for this year are: July 12-26 in Nagoya, September 13-27 in Tokyo, and November 8-22 in Fukuoka.

WHERE: In Tokyo, the tournament is held at Ryogoku Kokugikan. 1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida. tinyurl.com/TOTryogoku-kokugikan.

HOW TO BUY TICKETS: The easiest option is to reserve seats online at sumo. pia.jp/en. Reserved seats start at ¥3,800 and boxed seats range from ¥9,500 up to ¥14,800 for a ringside seat. Sameday general admission tickets are also available for ¥2,200 (show up early for these). If you can speak Japanese, you can book by calling Ryogoku Kokugikan’s ticket office directly on 03 3622 3300, 10am to 6pm.

IMAGE: PIXTA

Sport

So you want to be a sumo wrestler?

Six tips to get you started

1

Embrace the man bun!

Luckily, topknots are hot right now.

As a rikishi, you will be required to wear your hair in the traditional samurai chonmage style. Rise far enough in the ranks and you’ll be expected to wear the oicho topknot, so named because the hair is shaped to resemble a ginkgo (icho) leaf.

There are 82 officially recognised kimarite (winning techniques). Oshidashi, pushing the opponent out of the ring with both hands, is often regarded as the most aesthetically correct way to win.

Throws, including the ipponzeoi (one-armed shoulder throw) and kotenage (armlock throw) are also common. Illegal moves include hitting with a closed fist, hair-pulling, kicking, and strikes to the throat, eyes and groin.

Sport

3

2

Make friends with pain

Training in a sumo beya (stable) is gruelling.

Expect to get up at 5am and attend sessions in a mud-floored room for seven hours a day. Daily exercises include slapping your hands against wooden pillars and being thrown onto the floor. If discomfort isn’t your thing, you might want to try flower arrangement instead.

4

Be male

Sorry, but there’s no way around this one. Japanese sumo may have opened itself to foreigners, but it’s a long way from being gender neutral. You can always head to America, where the US Sumo Open has both male and female divisions.

Try the sumo workout at tinyurl. com/TOTsumoworkout

5

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

Learn a few key moves

Know the rules

Sumo takes place in a ring on a block of clay called a dohyo. The straw rope around the edge is the tawara. The aim is to make your opponent touch the ground with any part of his body besides his foot, or leave the ring. Even a pinkie outside the tawara will end the match. The most colourful figure is the referee (gyoji), due to his fancy outfit and shouting voice, but true decision power lies with the five judges (shinpan).

6

Eat, eat, and eat some more

There’s a reason the sumo beya training facility is often called ‘sumo farm’: the wrestlers are expected to eat. A lot.

You’ll be bulking up by scoffing hefty portions of chanko-nabe, a sumostyle stew made with everything and anything that happens to be in the kitchen. Served with rice, natch.

Want to sample it before committing?

There are plenty of chanko-nabe restaurants around Tokyo.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 67

Film The birth of sake

It’s raining rice A clip from Erik Shirai’s (above) new film

Film

Erik Shirai’s new documentary premiered at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival to critical acclaim. Here, he shares more about the movie and what it was like to live with the sake brewers while filming. Interview Annemarie Luck

very difficult. I hope that this film will allow more people (both in Japan and abroad) to appreciate the craftsmanship and dedication involved.

What was it like to live amongst the workers at the brewery?

It was very interesting. We woke up with them every morning at 4.30am, we had breakfast, lunch and dinner with them and even got drunk with them every night. This enabled us to get very close with everyone and it allowed us to capture the very intimate lifestyle that these workers live for six to seven months every year. By the end of the filming, we became a part of their small family.

By the end of the filming, we became a part of their small family

Why did you want to tell this story?

As a Japanese-American, I wanted to share the story of my own people and my culture. I see so many films made about Japan and Japanese culture through the eyes of foreigners and I felt that it was important that this film be made with a Japanese perspective.

This film is a tribute to all Japanese artisans who dedicate themselves to their craft.

Do you think the tradition is in danger of dying out?

I do not believe that sake making will ever completely die out but I do believe that, in this modern age, making sake traditionally has become

Tell us about a moment that impacted you the most?

There is a very specific moment in the film that impacted both my producer and I, but I do not want to give anything away for those who haven’t seen the film yet. When you see the film it will be very obvious.

Did you get a sense that the sake makers are passionate about what they do, even though they have to deal with certain hardships?

I think you need to have a strong passion for crafting sake or you will not last very long, especially with this very difficult lifestyle. It’s very common for many workers to quit after the first season because it is so difficult being away from their families. Many workers must

68 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

sacrifice their time with their family because there is very little work in the region they live.

You were funded by Kickstarter – 394 people and $50,000. Were you surprised by the support?

Yes! But I think people supported the film because they were genuinely interested in knowing how sake is made traditionally. We were very fortunate and will forever be grateful to everyone who helped us make this movie.

The documentary premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in April. How did that go?

It was a great experience, especially for our two main characters, Toji-san and Yachan, who came all the way from Japan as guests. I think they were surprised at how many people came to see the film and the positive response it received. They were nervous at first but with a little sake they loosened up and were crowd favourites at the festival.

Any screenings scheduled for Tokyo?

We have submitted the film to a few festivals in Japan so we hope that it will be accepted so it can be screened in the land of sake. We will keep everyone updated on all of our screenings via our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BirthOfSake For more info, visit www.birthofsake.com For upcoming events and movie reviews see timeout.com/tokyo

IMAGES: COURTESY OF ERIK SHIRAI

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ot too far removed from ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’, Erik Shirai’s ‘The Birth of Saké’ is a contemplative portrait of a year inside Japan’s Tedorigawa sake brewery. The atmospheric film looks at the lives of a small group of manual labourers who must brave difficult working conditions (like having to live together for six months at a time) to preserve a 2,000-year-old tradition. Shirai and producer Masako Tsumura first visited the brewery in 2012 and, after months of negotiation, were finally given access to film at the brewery. They returned in 2013 to ‘live amongst the workers at the brewery and capture the intense and relatively unknown process (even within in Japan) of traditional sake making’.

Promotional feature LOCAL INSIGHT

AN EVERCHANGING MENU

How Robot Restaurant keeps the wow factor going

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hinjuku’s Kabukicho district has plenty of fascinating forms of entertainment to keep you coming back for more. Just recently, a new Godzilla statue was the talk of the town. So how does a spot like Robot Restaurant reinvent itself to ensure repeat visitors are never bored? If you’ve been to watch the show more than once, you might have noticed that, while the main elements remain the same – the lights, the glitter, the girls – new characters are introduced on a continual basis. Here, we look at our favourite recent additions to the fantasy world.

THE MARCHING BAND OF BOMBSHELLS Although Robot Restaurant has always featured a ‘girl power’ team – which they have termed ‘josen’ (‘fighting women’) – lately these singing, dancing lasses have added a new skill to their repertoire: the drum march. So powerful they’ll give your eardrums a run for their money.

THE LED DANCERS Just when you thought Robot Restaurant’s world of neon lights couldn’t get any more spectacular, they introduced these gals. Bringing together state-ofthe-art technology, choreography and sound, their visually stunning performance is – suitably – out of this world.

COMPILED BY: MAYUMI KOYAMA, IMAGES: MANABU MOROOKA

SCALES AND METAL The show is known for its gigantic reptilian-like creatures, which are generally conquered by the above-mentioned ‘josen’ (except for one unfortunate girl who ends up getting munched). The last time we visited, we were impressed by two new types: a scaly fellow who roars with fire and a metal-bodied one who looks equally futuristic and ancient.

Bring this issue of Time Out Tokyo magazine with you to Robot Restaurant and get ¥1,000 off your bill.

HOW TO BOOK

TAKE THE SHOW HOME Pick up one of these souvenirs on your way out

Not that you’ll be able to forget the sensory overload any time soon (good luck getting to sleep afterwards), but if you want to keep your memories of Robot Restaurant even more alive or if you just want to tell the world you’ve visited the famous spot, here are a few items to buy from the souvenir shop.

ROBOKO PRINT T-SHIRTS The most popular item in the shop, a Robot Restaurant tee costs ¥2,900 and comes in small, medium, large and extra large.

ORIGINAL COOKIE BOX The perfect gift for those friends who have to be content with scrolling enviously through your Instagram feed, this box of robot-decorated cookies is just ¥600.

ROBOT CHIPS Not really a souvenir as such (unless you frame the plastic bag?), but a handy after-show snack – which you might need since food is not included in the entrance fee (you have to pay extra for a bento box).

Robot Restaurant is open for three shows daily (four on weekends), starting at 5.55pm, 7.50pm and 9.45pm, and the format is changed every few months to keep things fresh.

You can reserve your spot a couple of days ahead by calling the number below between 9am and 10pm. The entrance fee is ¥7,000, excluding food and drinks. Shinjuku Robot Bldg, 1-7-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku (Shinjuku Station). 03 3200 5500. www.shinjuku-robot.com. 4pm-11pm daily.

Travel & Hotels

Travel & Hotels

THIS BEACH…

….is only three hours from Tokyo

You don’t have to put up with the party people of Zushi or the crows of Kamakura. Add an extra hour or so on to your travel time and you will find a better beach. Self-confessed white-sand snob Annemarie Luck takes you there

I

f you happen to hail from a city that’s blessed with white sands and turquoise seas, we know how you felt when you first set out to explore Tokyo’s closest beaches. Even if you were prepared for the black volcanic sand, you most likely didn’t enjoy having to dodge bits and pieces of garbage while swimming. And if you visited in the run-up to the July/August summer season, you probably didn’t enjoy being serenaded by the sounds of construction (seasonal bars, if newbies are wondering) rather than the gentle lapping of waves. We are here to tell you not to give up. The beach of your dreams is just a few hours away.

Japan’s answer to the Amalfi Coast

It may be a stretch to say this, but when we spent a long weekend discovering Shimoda’s coves and sandy stretches, we felt the kind of wonder that can only come with racing on a scooter between Italy’s Sorrento and Positano.

Shimoda is part of Shizuoka Prefecture, which is situated along the Izu Peninsula, and boasts nine main beaches all worth visiting.

We stayed at Shimoda Tokyu Hotel and, on our first morning, we wandered to the end of the hotel’s garden path to a steep set of stairs that took us all the way down past the hotel’s leafy pool area to a narrow road. Just a few metres on, we discovered a small, quiet patch of sand overlooking a bay of emerald water. This beach is called Nabetahama. Make sure you take a walk along the rocky sidepath until you’re within swimming distance from the shore. Dive in and swim your way through tiny jumping fish who look as happy as you’re bound to feel.

That afternoon we walked all the way from our hotel to Shirahama Ohama beach, through the old but charming town and then along the coastal road as it curved up and down around the mountain, giving us views of beautifully clear blue ocean below. We stopped for lunch at Ra-maru, which is at the harbour in the same complex as the Shimoda Tourist Association and famed for its delicious crunchy-fried fish burgers served with

70 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

toppings like camembert. Shirahama is the most popular beach but we opted for the neighbouring and less busy Shirahama Ohama. It’s a long stretch of soft pale sand and the water is warm and as blue as the sky. As dusk fell and a breeze picked up, we sipped on hot coffee and watched the clouds turn to candyfloss.

On the other side of town is Tatadohama beach, which you can get to by taking a bus from Izukyu-Shimoda Station – we picked up bus timetables from the Tourist Association, which also rents out bicycles.

Tatadohama is where the surfers go. The beachfront is lined with campervans with open boots facing the ocean, giving it a wonderfully casual atmosphere, with surfers changing in and out of wetsuits, and dads teaching sons to bodyboard. The bay is completely enclosed by a high wall of foresty mountain and as the sun dipped behind it, we lay back and wished we never had to leave.

Swim your way through tiny jumping fish

FOUR MORE BEACHES ON OUR RADAR

Isshiki

Kujukuri CNN called it a ‘little Hawaii’. We might not go that far, but it does score points for being the second-longest beach in Japan and only a couple of hours from Tokyo.

This 66km-long stretch of sand in Chiba extends from Cape Gyobu (in Iioka, south of Choshi) to Cape Daito (in Misaki) and is ideal for swimming, surfing and other watersports.

How to get there: From Tokyo, take the limited express Wakashio to Oami Station (50 minutes), then switch to the Togane line to Togane Station (10 minutes), then take a bus bound for Katagai and get off at Katagai Station (30 minutes).

Shirahama beach is the most popular in Shimoda, but Shirahama Ohama (right and top) is less crowded while Nabetahama (right, middle) is like your very own private emerald bay

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION How to get to Shimoda

The Superview Odoriko (a limited express train on the Tokaido line) runs from Tokyo Station to Izukyu-Shimoda Station. Or, the shinkansen runs from Tokyo to Atami, where you need to change to a local train to Shimoda.

Both journeys take about two hours and 45 minutes. You can save a bit of money by taking a local train from Tokyo via Atami and journey time is about 3.5 hours.

Shimoda Tokyu Hotel 5-12-1, Shimoda-shi, Shizuoka. 0558 22 2411. shimoda.tokyuhotels.com.

Shimoda Tourist Association 1-1 Sotogaoka, Shimoda-shi, Shizuoka.

0558 22 1531. shimoda-city.info/ index_e.html. 9am-5pm daily.

MAIN IMAGE: PIXTA, ALL OTHER IMAGES: ANNEMARIE LUCK

While you’re there

Take a ride up the Shimoda ropeway, just near the station, to the top of Mt Nesugata. From here you get an excellent view of the whole town, the bay dotted with islands, and the surrounding mountains. tinyurl.com/ TOTshimoda-ropeway

Ra-maru 1-1 Sotogaoka, Shimoda-shi, Shizuoka.

0558 27 2510. 10am-4.30pm.

Shimoda ropeway

Araihama A baby beach in comparison to Kujukuri, this little cove is only 150m long but visitors consistently praise its clear water and green surroundings. Aburatsubo Marine Park (www.aburatsubo.co.jp) is nearby, featuring an aquarium and views of Sagami Bay. How to get there: From Shinagawa, take the Keikyu line to Misakiguchi Station (one hour and 10 minutes), then hop on bus no. 4 for about 13 minutes to Aburatsubo (the last stop). Walk towards Aburatsubo Marine Park; just before it, turn left at the forest path which leads to the beach.

Uchiura There’s not much information available about this short beach that’s found in Chiba’s Suruga Bay, but we take that as a good sign. It means you’ll be primarily hanging with the locals. It’s most noted for its calm, warm water and beautiful coral.You will have to put up with passing traffic though as there’s a road running behind the beach.

How to get there: From Tokyo, take the limited express Wakashio to Awakominato Station (one hour and 50 minutes).

The beach is just a short walk away.

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Travel & Hotels

Isshiki The cosy back garden of the Emperor’s summer home, this beach is far more relaxed than crowded, noisy Zushi which is just around the corner of the bay. Look forward to trees, rocky outcrops, paddle boarding and chic beach bars during high season.

How to get there: From Shinjuku Station, take the Shonan-Shinjuku line to Zushi (about an hour), then take the bus to Sangaoka stop (20 minutes). Cross the road and walk down a short pathway.

Travel & Hotels

POOLS WIT Travel & Hotels

Tired of dealing with crowded swimming lan

Sky Pool at Keio Plaza Hotel

Take a break and swim in the midst of Shinjuku’s concrete jungle. The Sky Pool, on the 7th floor of the hotel’s main tower, boasts an impressive city view, blue skies and even a little poolside greenery.

Prices vary by the hour – it’s a bargain to come on weekdays after 5pm and enjoy the pool for only ¥1,200. Ladies get half price (¥2,000) and a free mini bottle of body lotion from L’Occitane every Monday and Tuesday (except for August 10 and 11). See, you don’t need to leave the city to take a (mini) vacation. Jun 27 to Sep 13. 2-2-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku (Shinjuku, Tochomae stations). 03 3344 0111. tinyurl.com/TOTsky2015.

9am-8pm, last admission 7.30pm. ¥4,000 before 3pm, ¥2,400 after 3pm, ¥1,200 after 5pm. Check the website for full admission details.

Garden Pool at ANA InterContinental Tokyo

The ANA InterContinental Hotel at Roppongi’s Ark Hills opens up its luxury garden pool for the summer months, providing a rare opportunity for aquatic entertainment with views of Tokyo Tower and the surrounding skyscrapers. The 20x13m pool is spacious by Tokyo standards, while the surrounding deck area is great for hanging out and enjoying a few drinks in the sun. Finally, the night-time lightup is a worthy combo of big-city aesthetics and a resort atmosphere. Jun 27 to Sep 30. 1-12-33 Akasaka, Minato (TameikeSanno Station). 03 3505 1111. tinyurl.com/ TOTpool-ANA. 8am-7pm, Jul 25-Aug 31 until 9pm. ¥7,000. Check the website for full admission details.

72 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

Garden Pool at Hotel New Otani

Forget you’re in the big city at the New Otani’s expansive (and expensive!) outdoor pool, decorated like a tropical resort and featuring a poolside restaurant serving West Coast-style burgers and fruity cocktails. After dark, it changes atmosphere and name, becoming the Pool by Night The ‘O’ Lounge – the pool will be lit up, while DJ gigs usually take place from Monday to Friday.

Garden Pool: Jul 18-Sep 13. 9am-7pm. ¥12,000, Sat-Sun & Aug 10-14 ¥20,000. Pool by Night The ‘O’ Lounge: Jul 24-Sep 12. Mon-Sat 6pm-10pm. ¥5,500. Prices include towel, bathrobe, deck chair rental and locker use. Check the website for full admission details. 4-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda (AkasakaMitsuke, Nagatacho stations). 03 3265 1111. tinyurl.com/TOTpoolotani.

TH A VIEW es? Cool off in style at these hotels instead

Travel & Hotels

Grand Blue at Grand Pacific Le Daiba

Forget you’re in the big city at New Otani’s ‘tropical resort’ pool

A resort hotel in Odaiba, the building offers great views over Tokyo and a fantastic night vista over the ocean. Best of all, you can swim while marvelling at Rainbow Bridge. The pool is one of the most luxurious in Tokyo and is equipped with food and drink stalls. Inside, the hotel’s furniture, amenities and restaurants are imbued with a sophisticated French vibe. Jul 11-Aug 30. 2-6-1 Daiba, Minato (Daiba, Tokyo Teleport stations). tinyurl.com/TOTgrandblue. 10am-6pm (last admission 5pm), on the day of Tokyo Bay’s fireworks festival, closed 2pm. July: ¥3,300 (SatSun & hols ¥7,200, after 3pm ¥3,300). August: adults ¥5,200 (Sat-Sun & Aug 8-18 ¥10,800, after 3pm ¥3,300). Check the website for full admission details.

Swimming Pool at Tokyo Prince Hotel

Fancy a dip in the shadow of Tokyo Tower?

The Prince Hotel’s 25m outdoor pool is your destination. It’s a hit with both serious swimmers and those looking for a more laid-back spot. When you’re done with the two-lane pool, spread out on the spacious lawn and soak up the sun.There’s also a beer garden, just to round off the joy.

Jul 1-Sep 6. 3-3-1 Shibakoen, Minato (Onarimon, Daimon, Hamamatsucho stations). tinyurl.com/ TOTpool-prince. 10am-6pm. ¥6,000, Sat-Sun & hols ¥10,000. Check the website for full admission details.

For the full list of hotel swimming pools, visit timeout.com/tokyo

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Getting Around How to rent a car in Japan Getting your own set of wheels isn’t actually that complicated, as long as you know the rules

THE LEGAL STUFF To be legit, apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP), which is valid for one year, before arriving in Japan.

Note that Japan only recognises permits that conform to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.

Also, the law stipulates that drivers from France, Switzerland, Germany, Monaco, Slovenia, Belgium and Taiwan cannot use an IDP and will need a Japanese translation of their original licence instead. Japan Experience provides a translation service for ¥6,500. If you aren’t sure which rules apply to you, take a look at the Japan Automobile Federation’s website (www.jaf.

or.jp/e/). If you’re planning to live in Japan, you can consider switching your foreign driver’s licence to a Japanese one by applying to a local licence centre, though be warned that you may have to take an aptitude test and driving skill check.

fitted with English GPS. Pay a small add-on of ¥3,000 for the Drivin’ Assistance service to get unlimited roadside telephone support during the rental period. Entry level cars from ¥5,067 per day. www.japanexperience.com/car-rental-japan

RENTAL RULES AND ASSISTANCE To rent a car in Japan, you need to be at least 18 years old and hold a valid driving permit. Here are a few Englishfriendly websites that compare different rental car companies for the best deal in the country. Note that some companies offer the option to return the car to another outlet by paying a small drop-off fee. Just remember to fill up the tank before you take it back.

ToCoo Simply fill in the online booking form and leave it to ToCoo to find the best-priced car rental for you.

They have a list of discount deals on their website – when we checked, the cheapest offer was ¥3,148 per day. Check the language of the GPS, as most of them are in Japanese, but English ones are available on request. www2.tocoo.jp/en

Japan Experience Provides an easy online reservation form for renting cars, which come

74 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

For more essential travel info go to timeout.com/tokyo

ON THE ROAD

The wonderful world of Japan’s roadside service centres More than just a petrol station with toilets, Japan’s Service Areas (SA) are like mini shopping centres. They’re filled with all kinds of goodies, from local souvenirs to satisfying dishes including ramen and yakitori. You can usually find an SA every 50 to 100km, while the smaller version, Parking Areas (PA), can be found every 15 to 35km. Look out for the maps that display up-to-date information on traffic congestion in the surrounding area. If you happen to be driving through Saitama Prefecture, stop by at Yorii PA off the Kanetsu Expressway, which is themed around ‘The Little Prince’. It’s like being on a French film set, but better.

COMPILED BY: JOYCE LAM, IMAGE: PIXTA

Getting Around

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t’s much easier to get around Tokyo and Japan’s other major cities by public transport, but if you’re looking to explore rural areas where buses might only run twice a day, a rental car is the way to go.

It’s also a cheaper option if you’re travelling in groups. Many visitors assume it will be too difficult to rent a car if they can’t speak Japanese, but while the process is more complicated for some nationalities than for others, it’s far from impossible. Here’s what you need to know…

Going underground?

Welcometo tothe theworld’s world’smost mostefficient efficienttransport transport system Welcome

Getting Around Around Foryour yourfull, full,up-to-the-minute up-to-the-minuteguide guideto toTokyo Tokyovisit visit www.timeout.com/tokyo www.timeout.com/tokyo 77 75 For

Getting Around

Let’s get festive!

Fireworks, flowers, dancing and more, here is our mix and match list of summer’s top festivals GET FIREWORKED UP

1. Sumida River Fireworks Festival Japan’s oldest recorded fireworks festival dates back to 1733, when it was staged as part of a ceremony to pray for victims of a famine the previous year. Today, it’s by far the largest display in the capital – involving more than 20,000 fireworks – and regularly draws close to a million spectators.

Jul 25. 7.05pm-8.30pm. Sumida Park, Sumida River around Asakusa & Ryogoku, Mukojima, Sumida (Asakusa Station). tinyurl.com/TOTsumidariver

For a full list of summer’s fireworks festivals, go to www.timeout. com/tokyo

2. Tokyo Bay Fireworks Set against the backdrop of Tokyo Bay and Rainbow Bridge, this is arguably the most picturesque fireworks festival in the capital – and the most exclusive. The festival features 12,000 fireworks launched from the sea in front of Harumifuto Park, and is best viewed from slightly further away: try Odaiba, Tokyo Tower or even Roppongi Hills. Aug 8. 6.50pm-8.10pm.

Harumifuto Park, 5 Harumi, Chuo (Kachidoki,Toyosu, Tsukishima stations). tinyurl.com/TOTbaytokyo

Getting Around

WISH UPON A TANABATA (STAR FESTIVAL) 3. Zojoji Tanabata Festival Legend tells of the star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi who, separated by the Milky Way, are only able to meet on the night known as Tanabata. This festival is synonymous with streamer decorations, romance, and a ritual in which people write wishes on strips of paper and tie them to branches. Jun 21-Jul 7 (lightup Jul 1-7, 6pm-8pm). Zojoji Temple, 4-7-35 Shiba-Koen, Minato (Shiba-Koen, Daimon stations). tinyurl.com/TOTzojojifes

DO THE BON ODORI (DANCE)

5. Roppongi Hills Bon Odori This lively event features traditional Bon dance performed on a purpose-built stage by yukataclad dancers, while the surrounding stalls cater to hungry crowds with all the usual festival fare, as well as gourmet choices provided by area restaurants. Aug 21-23. Fri (stalls only) 5pm-9pm, Sat-Sun stalls 3pm-9pm, performance 5pm-8pm.

Roppongi Hills Arena, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato (Roppongi Station). tinyurl.com/TOTroppongibon

FROLIC AMONG FLOWERS

7. Iriya Asagao Matsuri (Morning Glory Festival) It’s worth getting up early – as in crack-of-dawn early – for Japan’s largest morning glory festival, held in and around Iriya Kishimojin temple. Around 400,000 people head to the event each year, perusing the 120 flower booths and hundred-odd festival stalls on display. Jul 6-8. 5am-11pm. Iriya Kishimojin, 1-12-16 Shitaya, Taito (Iriya, Uguisudani stations). tinyurl.com/TOTiriyaasagao

GAZE AT LANTERN LIGHT-UPS

9. Ueno Summer Festival While the main draw is a parade down the area’s central street on July 18, the rest of the event period includes happenings like the picturesque ‘toro nagashi’ ceremony, in which paper lanterns are floated on Shinobazu Pond. Jul 11-Aug 9. Time varies by event. Shinobazu Pond, and surroundings, 2 Ueno Koen, Taito (Ueno Station). tinyurl.com/ TOTsummerueno

4. Tokyo Daijingu Tanabata Kigansai Make a wish on ‘the evening of the seventh’ at Tokyo Daijingu’s Tanabata celebration, where you can write your wish on a ‘tanzaku’ slip and hang it on one of the bamboo branches at the shrine.

The line of ‘wish trees’ will also be lit up between July 1 and 7, making for a magical nighttime atmosphere. Jul 1-7. Lightup until 9pm. Tokyo Daijingu, 2-4-1 Fujimi, Chiyoda (Iidabashi Station). tinyurl.com/TOTdaijingu

6. Kinshicho Kawachi Ondo Bon Odori Kawachi Ondo is a Japanese folk song that originated in what is now the Osaka region.

This festival is where to get a comprehensive introduction to the art of Kawachi Ondo, all the while enjoying the dance and yukata contests and feasting on classic festival grub. Aug 26-27.

From 5pm. Katagawa Shinsui Park, 1 to 5 Kotobashi, Sumida (Kinshicho Station). tinyurl. com/TOTkawachibon

8. Asakusa Hozuki-Ichi Legend holds that paying respects at a temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon on July 10 is equivalent to 46,000 such visits on any other day. The Hozuki-Ichi, named after the flower that resembles a red lantern, sees up to 120 flower stalls set up around Sensoji Temple. Jul 9-10.

8am-9pm. Sensoji Temple, 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito (Asakusa Station). tinyurl.com/TOThozuki-ichi

10. Asakusa Toro Nagashi This hauntingly beautiful Toro Nagashi lantern light-up was revived in 2005 after a 40-year break.

You can light your own lantern for ¥1,500, but just enjoying the view of glittering lanterns on the Sumida River is completely free. Aug 15. From 6.30pm. Sumida Park between Azumabashi and Kototoibashi, Mukojima, Sumida (Asakusa Station). tinyurl.com/TOTasakusatoro

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Getting Around

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[TOHOKU UPDATE]

THE UNSEEN IMPACT We chat to the founder of APRICOT, an NPO that’s committed to counselling children who survived the 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake.

Words Nick Narigon

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he kids are too skinny, thought Andrew Grimes. The Tokyobased clinical psychologist was entertaining a group of toddlers last October in Date, a city 60km from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and the children’s body weight, bone and muscle development all seemed well below normal.

‘It was an eyeopener,’ says Grimes, who has over 25 years of professional counselling experience. ‘The children in Fukushima and in other parts of Tohoku are not being allowed to go out of the house at all. They stay with their mothers all the time because of fear of radiation.’

Grimes believes there’s a growing mental health problem in Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate prefectures – the main areas devastated by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami – and that it’s on the verge of becoming a national crisis.

The disaster killed nearly 16,000 people, and those who survived

The kids aren’t all right APRICOT hosts regular events to raise money and awareness

are still dealing with the psychological trauma. For a year after the earthquake, aftershocks continued to rock Japan nearly every day. By the second year, the suicide rate had increased, and reports of domestic abuse were emerging from homes with no prior history of violence. Four years later, a quarter of a million people are still living in temporary housing.

Research has shown that one in four people in Fukushima suffer from depression, and one in three children

One in three children in Tohoku are suffering from mental health issues

78 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

in the wider Tohoku region are already experiencing mental health issues. To address the situation, the government has set up regional mental healthcare centres headed by local universities, but Grimes dismisses these as mere ‘window dressing’.

‘Nothing was changing in a fundamental way,’ he says. ‘The infrastructure, roads, railways… For business purposes, the government did that. But regarding the need to protect and provide professional mental healthcare for people who were already developing mental health disorders, and those at risk of developing mental disorders, there was virtually no effort whatsoever.’

Taking matters into their own hands, local mental healthcare professionals have been forming

non-profit organisations (NPOs) to help counsel survivors and provide accurate information. ‘[We] couldn’t ignore the people who were suffering from fear of radiation,’ says Kanae Narui, a counsellor with the Fukushima Society of Certified Clinical Psychologists. ‘There were lots of rumours everywhere, so most people were confused, especially parents who have children and had to decide [whether] to stay there or move immediately. In such a terrible, confusing situation, it was necessary to organise and to gather necessary information, and to create some special place to support them – not only physically, but also psychologically.’

Although the NPOs have provided counselling and assistance to thousands of people, Grimes says there are still hundreds of thousands more who need professional help. He founded APRICOT (Allied Psychotherapy Relief Initiative for the Children of Tohoku), which gained NPO status in 2014, to provide financial support for the Tohoku organisations that are habilitating people with developing mental health disorders.

‘We are sitting in Tokyo: we’re in a place where money is around,’ he says. ‘What we are trying to do is raise money here in Tokyo through initiatives we organise... but we are also trying to raise awareness.’

An APRICOT event held at the Belgian Embassy in March this year raised ¥1.5 million. Grimes says the next step is to get accepted by the online crowdfunding platform GlobalGiving, which charges only the minimum transfer fee to NPOs for monetary transactions.

‘We have to take it a step further,’ he says. ‘In February I went up to Minamisoma, which is in the 20 to 30 kilometre range [from Fukushima Daiichi], and the sense of hopelessness was tangible. It is tangible throughout Fukushima.’

For more information or to find out how you can help, visit apricotchildren.org

Lost in Harajuku?

Head straight for Moshi Moshi Box

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s the shopping district that symbolises Japanese pop culture, Harajuku is a must-visit for any tourist. But anyone who’s jumped into the shopping fray will tell you it can be a little intimidating.

Which is why you’ll be pleased to hear about Moshi Moshi Box, the tourist information centre that’s right in the heart of the area.

To find it, walk five minutes from the station and look out for the centre’s symbol – a big, colourful world clock designed by Harajuku kawaii impresario Sebastian Masuda. The centre provides sightseeing information for the Shibuya area, including Harajuku. It also provides essential information and services such as courier assistance, a foreign currency exchange machine, and free wi-fi.

But that’s not all: aiming to serve as an entertainment centre in itself, it’s a place where overseas visitors can experience J-pop culture through activities such as karaoke. There’s also a souvenir shop where you can pick up must-haves like a traditional tenugui, Mt Fuji artwork and even a pair of sushi socks. And don’t leave without trying the character-themed crepes. 3-23-5 Jingumae, Shibuya (Harajuku and Meiji-Jingumae stations).

03 6447 2225. moshimoshi-nippon.jp.

Daily 10am-6pm.

Get our maps and mag in Shibuya Stop by the Shibuya Station Tourist Information Centre

You can now get your copy of Time Out Tokyo magazine delivered – we ship internationally too!

Please visit time-outtokyo.myshopify. com.

Pick up our maps and magazine at one of these venues: Stations: Select Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway stations Tourist information centres: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Headquarters Shibuya Station Tourist Information Centre Tokyo City Air Terminal and more tourist information centres Airports: Haneda Airport Narita International Airport Shops: Daikanyama Tsutaya Books Books Kinokuniya Tokyo Tower Records Shibuya and more shops

T

ime Out readers will know about our popular series of free maps: pocket-sized guides to the multifarious delights this city has to offer. They’re hard to miss these days – as well as our ever-popular ‘101 things to do in Shibuya’ edition and the comprehensive ‘88 things to do in Tokyo’, we’ve come out with maps for nearly all the top areas including Roppongi, Shinjuku, Nihonbashi, Marunouchi, Koenji and Ginza.

We even have a special map just for those of you visiting Tokyo on business: ‘50 Things to do in Tokyo for business travellers’, produced in collaboration with Japanese airline ANA. Each edition squeezes the best of the capital into a compact pamphlet, complete with a city map, and we’ve included everything from offbeat art galleries and otaku meccas to ancient shrines and hipster hangouts.

80 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

All of these publications, along with issues of our magazine, are available to pick up at Shibuya Station’s tourist information centre, conveniently located in the underground passage on the second basement floor of Shibuya Station. The Englishspeaking guides will help you stock up, provide sightseeing tips, and assist you in navigating the bowels of the cavernous station itself.

Hotels that have Les Clefs d’Or Japan member concierge: ANA Intercontinental Tokyo The Peninsula Tokyo Palace Hotel Tokyo Park Hyatt Tokyo Grand Pacific Le Daiba Mandarin Oriental,Tokyo Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel Grand Hyatt Tokyo Conrad Tokyo Hotel Okura Tokyo The Ritz Carlton Tokyo Tokyo Prince Hotel Park Tower and more hotels Note: If you can’t find the map you’re looking for, this probably means we’ve temporarily run out of stock. Please be patient while we work on the next print run.

Please direct any advertising queries to sales@timeout.jp.

KARAOKE: KISA TOYOSHIMA, SHIBUYA INFORMATION CENTER: KEISUKE TANIGAWA

Restaurants: Time Out Cafe & Diner Hard Rock Cafe and more restaurants

How sushi became fast food Takeo Funabiki explores the smelly origins of Japan’s global culinary delight

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IMAGE: CHARLY/PIXTA

n part one of this article, published in the last issue of Time Out Tokyo, I wrote that ‘sushi lives and dies by its ingredients’. My hope is that fishermen will try to refine their palates in order to create their own form of sushi, instead of attempting to recreate the ‘Edo style’.

The fermented roots of sushi In fact, what is commonly called sushi these days, i.e. Edomae sushi, is a recent phenomenon in the history of sushi: it only appeared in the latter part of the Edo period (early 19th century) as a convenient form of fast food. Until then, ‘sushi’ referred to fermented fish and game, which had been buried in a mixture of salt and cooked rice (and, in some cases, sake lees and koji mould) and left to ferment for months or even years. The rice component was originally a fermentation agent and was not to be eaten.

To understand the origins of Edomae sushi, one has to look into the social history of fermented food. Consumables like wine, liquor, cheese, miso and gyosho fish sauce are all core components of their respective food cultures. Proper fermentation requires a high level of skill as it involves stabilising the chemical decay process of food just before it goes bad. Mastering this

technique allowed people to create new, ‘artificial’ tastes, which do not occur naturally.

The high value accorded to such food and drink is reflected in how strongly people identify with the fermented food they have been eating since childhood, considering it an indispensable part of their culture, while outsiders dismiss it as ‘smelly’ and unpleasant.

Japanese natto is a perfect example: like many foreigners, people in the western parts of the country may even find it disgusting, while easterners never stop singing its praises.

as a city: following the large-scale urban development that started around the year 1600, its population eventually grew to one million, creating a huge concentration of people living far away from their families’ homes. Over hundreds of years, a culinary culture specific to Edo came into being, as rootless urbanites abandoned the distinct, divisive flavours of narezushi in favour of something anyone could enjoy right away: the brisk taste of vinegared rice paired with freshly caught raw fish – Edo’s signature fast food, nigiri (handformed) sushi.

The reason sushi came to be appreciated overseas some 200 years after its Edo transformation is because that’s how long it took for the rest of the world to catch up with Tokyo’s rootless, busy modernity. Sushi’s worldwide success story most likely began in California, where the sensibilities of a global, mobile and busy population proved compatible with the ideals of Edo modernity – although the fact that sushi was considered diet-friendly also helped.

Now, readers who think ‘modernity’ came from the West may find my thinking a little curious, but I maintain that modernity ought

Tokyo gave birth to modernity in aspects like cuisine two centuries ago

Edo’s modern fast food In the same way, sushi was originally region-specific, and only became a ‘mainstream’ food as the result of two developments. The first was the invention of vinegar. Itself a fermented product, vinegar could be mixed into rice to instantly create ‘fermented rice’. The beauty of vinegar was that it fulfilled many people’s longstanding desire to eat at least a little bit of the narezushi rice, which had been a little too smelly in the past. The second factor relates to the nature of Edo

not to be understood as a linear historical process, popping up in a specific place and then proceeding from there. Instead, it is a number of systems brought about by new needs created when specific technologies combine with specific populations.

In this sense, the city of Edo (Tokyo) gave birth to modernity in aspects like cuisine two centuries ago.

Sushi comes full circle Finally, although its current simple, clean taste and use of only a few ingredients suggest that sushi has now left the domain of fermented food, some signs point to an opposite trend: first seen at high-end shops, an endless array of appetisers now precede the original fast food nigiri at practically every sushi-serving restaurant worth the name. Chefs dish up things like karasumi (dried mullet roe), konowata (sea cucumber entrails) and kuchiko (sea cucumber ovaries), all fermented delicacies, to complement the simplicity of the main attraction. Thus, sushi is perhaps about to come full circle: having originated as a fermented dish and then transformed into the fresh Edoera fast food we know today, it is slowly moving back towards its roots. Now that’s a thought worth raising a glass of sake to, of course while nibbling on shiokara (salted seafood guts) or some other fermented delicacy.

For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 81

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apan is a land with a rich culinary culture, where chefs take into account the current season when preparing their dishes. Hotpots in winter.

Ichigo daifuku (strawberry and sweet bean balls) in spring. And in summer, a slew of refreshing treats, including some of the kookiest dishes this country has to offer.

We’ve waded through all of them, nixed the weirder ones (squid-on-a-stick, beerflavoured ice cream), and now present you with our five favourites. Beat the heat with these oddball delights!

You know you’re in Tokyo when…

You find yourself axing a watermelon

MUGICHA

Japan seems to have a different variety of tea for every occasion. Sencha to welcome guests, hojicha to cleanse the palate, and of course powdered matcha for more formal occasions. If all of this is confusing, then perhaps it’s time to take a break with some mugicha – roasted barley tea – the most chillaxed tea of them all. Caffeine-free and generally served chilled, it’s the perfect beverage for just sacking out.

TOKOROTEN GARIGARIKUN POPSICLES Don’t let the youthful looks of this ice pop’s mascot fool you: Mr Crunchy has been around for close to 35 years now, and chances are that every one of your Japanese friends will be familiar with this frosty treat. Not only is it tasty, but when you’re done you’ll have the chance to win another. Check the finished stick to see if you hit the jackpot. Cheap, crunchy and a lottery on every stick. Win-win-win.

SUIKAWARI

Is it a noodle? A jelly? Cthulhu tentacles, perhaps? Even though it’s impossible to guess at first sight exactly what tokoroten is made from (spoiler: it’s agar, or plant jelly), it’s one of the coolest summer foods around because it can be seasoned with just about anything. Virtually formless and flavourless, tokoroten can adapt to just about any situation: chopped seaweed, soy sauce, ponzu, even hot sauce will work.

NAGASHI (FLOWING) SOMEN You may have tried udon (wheat noodles) and soba (buckwheat noodles), but somen is a different animal. It’s cut extremely thin – less than 1.3mm in diameter – which, if you happen to have a few long pieces of bamboo handy, makes it possible to eat in a very entertaining way. Cut the bamboo pieces in half and join them together to create a long downwards-facing chute. Run a steady stream of cold water down the chute, send the noodles along their way, and let gravity do the rest. All diners need to do is stick their chopsticks into the water and the noodles will collect around them automatically. This is nagashi somen: the ultimate summer way to play with your food.

(WATERMELON SPLITTING) You’ve presumably eaten watermelon before, but if you want to do it in the traditional summer Japanese style, you have to hunt it first. Here’s how: take your group of watermelon-eaters to the beach and conceal your prized fruit in the sand. Take turns being blindfolded. When it’s your turn, you’re given a large stick and sent in search of the watermelon – which, in true samurai fashion, you’re expected to whack open with one hit. After all, food tastes so much better when you catch it yourself.

If your spider senses aren’t tingly enough to gauge the melon’s location, that’s okay, because everyone will be shouting directions at you – though be warned, some of your wilier friends might lead you chopping into the surf.

In the next issue of Time Out Tokyo…

Is Japan cool?

The guys behind Cool Japan clearly think so since they’re on a mission to spread the country’s culture around the world. We peer into the project to bring you Tokyo’s best design, food, entertainment and more.

82 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo visit timeout.com/tokyo

Available across Tokyo from September 2015

ILLUSTRATIONS: KENTO IIDA

Summer snacks

(BARLEY TEA)

By Benjamin Boas