LGBT

Bourbonne, neat (but not straight) Bar A-Un. Right: Bourbonne. Below: Left, Kusuo, and right, Campy! Bar

Queen of the quarter

New to Tokyo’s gay scene? Let drag artist Bourbonne, writer and ‘mama’ at Campy! Bar, walk you through the glamour and clamour of Ni-Chome…

Anyone who’s watched TV in Japan will no doubt have seen the many comedic drag queens that populate the airwaves. For the real life ones, you need only visit Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ni-chome, where around 300 LGBT bars and lounges make up what is probably the biggest gay district in the world. These days it’s also a popular hangout for curious (straight) tourists. Straight or gay, head there on a weekend to the main street of Naka-dori and you’ll be treated to some headturning moves from local gogo boys and resplendent queens of the night, dressed to kill.

MAMA TIME At Campy!Bar , a mixed bar, opened in 2013 on the main street of Shinjuku Ni-chome, we welcome all orientations. It’s hosted by yours truly, and the floor waitresses are also in drag with styles ranging from comical to classic. Indeed, the hunky bar staff include models who have graced the covers of several gay magazines. The clientele is not just LGBT but includes gay-friendly straight folk as well. The atmosphere is electric and drinks are reasonable. 2-13-10 Shinjuku, Shinjuku. 03 6273 2154. www.tinyurl.com/ TOTcampy. Shinjuku-Sanchome station. 3pm-5am daily.

SIZE MATTERS Are you one of those people who complains that Japanese gay bars are too small? Or are you looking to enjoy themed parties without all the alcohol? Aisotope Lounge is the place for you. It opened in April 2012 and boasts the largest bar and event space in Ni-chome. The place is split up into two floors, and features themed bars during the week, such as the Queen’s Lounge nights, run by drag queen mamas, which happens on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The weekend brings a diverse range of parties, with both gay- and lesbian-only nights once a month. Performers are not limited to the gay scene, and include, for example, world-class electro-pop producer Yasutaka Nakata (who madeHiroshima girl group Perfume). Daini Hayakawaya Bldg B1F, 2-14-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku. 03 3352 6297. www.aisotope.net. ShinjukuSanchome station. 8pm-4am daily.

IF IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR FREDDIE… Loved by the Ni-chome crowd for 36 years, classic establishment Kusuo has passed on ownership to the second generation. Throughout its long history under first owner Macchan, the bar regularly hosted famous guests from Japan and elsewhere, including the late Freddie Mercury. The bar is one of the largest in Ni-chome, and attracts a diverse crowd of gay patrons with its karaoke and occasional afternoon tango and squaredancing lessons. Prices are reasonable, though women have to pay an extra ¥500 for their first drink. Sunflower Bldg 3F, 2-17-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku. 03 3354 5050. www.tinyurl. com/TOT kusuo. Shinuku-Sanchome station. 8pm-2am Sun-Thu, until 5am Fri, 7pm-5am Sat.

GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS

A state-of-the-art sound system and laser lights create a stimulating atmosphere at Bar A-Un, which requires a ticket system to cope with its low drink prices. Proprietor DJ Juri gives DJ lessons, plays the

Taiko drum beautifully and has built up quite a following of both lesbian and bi admirers. Popular club night Kimbianca Groupis held on the second Saturday of every month. The food’s also good, especially the Juri soba, made with the owner’s homemade broth and soba (or buckwheat) noodles, imported directly from Hokkaido. Taraku Bldg 3F, 2-14-16 Shinjuku, Shinjuku. 070 6612 9014. www.a-un. bz. Shinjuku-Sanchome station. 8pm3am Sun-Thu, until 5am Fri and Sat.

PIZZA THE ACTION Despite Doop Tokyo’s great decor, the main attraction is the food: 45 pizzas to choose from, with dough made from Italian wheat, left to rise overnight then baked in a real stone oven. Savour your meal in the hip ambience of the mural-covered dining area and enjoy a little banter with the mostly gay staff. There are both acoustic gigs and DJ-led parties on weekends, and you can reserve the VIP room for private bashes. Casa Verde B1F, 2-11-2 Shinjuku, Shinjuku. 03 6380 5835. www.doop tokyo.com. Shinjuku-Sanchome station. 5pm-3am Mon-Thu, until 5am Fri & Sat and midnight Sun. Closed every third Mon.

For full LGBT listings and reviews, go to timeout.com/tokyo

Art & Culture

I would like to create works capable of transcending history

Making light work Tokujin Yoshioka, lit by his work at ‘Crystallize’

The Luminary

As his new solo exhibition takes over the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, artist and designer Tokujin Yoshioka talks to Chisai Fujita about the nature of art, humanity and why he’s a light obsessive

Travelling down the escalators to see I seriously returned to the idea. I began to feel very because I see beauty and attraction in that which ‘Crystallize’, there is an overwhelming strongly that I could help in some way. I wanted goes beyond the realm of human imagination. sense of descending into a world of frost, of to create a type of expression that would prompt I always want to create something that is only looking out from inside an iceberg. In the atrium, people to think about the relationship between possible in a particular place. I had the large the Rainbow Church, a large-scale structure made humanity and the terror and vitality of nature. atrium space at the Museum of Contemporary Art from 500 crystal prisms, seems to capture At the time, I thought this would be a very good Tokyo in mind when I conceived the ‘Rainbow natural light and intensify it, before bouncing it out opportunity to do this. Church’. This work came about through careful to flood the space. In another area, crystals form study of and experimentation with light. In inside water-filled cabinets, and the air blows Your work has been exhibited at shows such as addition, I have been using transparent material about as though the room itself is breathing. It is ‘Second Nature’ (21_21 Design Sight, 2008) for about 20 years now, because that is the the biggest testament so far to Yoshioka’s skill in and ‘Sensing Nature’ (Mori Art Museum, 2010). material closest to light, and I want to create giving form to the intangible – light. He tells us How do you feel about public perceptions of art? something that will go straight to people’s hearts about how it came about. Like Isamu Noguchi [internationally active in a form that feels very similar to light. Japanese-American sculptor, 1904-1988], What was your initial reaction when you were I personally do not think about categories like art, What meaning does ‘light’ hold for you? approached by the Museum of Contemporary Art design, and so forth, but rather, For humans, light is something both universal and Tokyo to do a solo exhibition? I create purely what I want to create. I think of the mysterious. It gives us no answer about the I was first asked in 2009, but it was later, after the finished work as a form of free expression, which relationship between nature and humanity, which Great East Japanese Earthquake in 2011, that may sometimes be art, and which can be we are unable to figure out. That is precisely why perceived in terms of architecture, design, and a I find light so fascinating. variety of forms. I hope people who see my work will agree with that. I would like to create works TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA CRYSTALLIZE is at the capable of transcending history. Museum of ContemporaryArt Tokyo until Jan 19 2014. 4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto. 03 5245 4111. There is something noble about your work that www.mot-art-museum.jp. See website for really draws the viewer in. Where does your sense opening times. of beauty come from? What occupies your mind? I create works not merely to be beautiful, but rather to practically imbue them with the vitality of nature, in view of the magnificent power of, and For more exhibitions, culture features and artist interviews, go to timeout.com/tokyo terrifying energy brought forth by, nature. This is

Tokyo’s secret art spaces

Cosy galleries, renovated schools and exhilarating exhibitions – check out Tokyo’s lesser-known art venues

The vast, silent halls of the National Museum of Western Art and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum are home to some of the most spectacular displays by the biggest names. But to miss out on Tokyo’s smaller, odder outlets would be to do yourself a disservice. Here are five galleries and art houses worth going out of your way for.

HAGISO Styling itself as Tokyo’s ‘smallest cultural institution’, Hagiso certainly fits the bill, looking more like a private home than an art space – which is actually how it started out. Spanning two storeys, this renovated house sits in the traditional Yanaka area. Head to the first floor for contemporary works, watch dance performances and live shows in multi-purpose space ‘Hagi Room’, or take a break in the café. 3-10-25 Yanaka, Taito. 03 5832 9808. www.tinyurl.com/TOTHagi. Sendagi and Nippori stations. Noon-9pm Tue-Sun, closed Mon. VACANT ‘A starting point for human encounters and idea exchange’, or, to the rest of us, an event space that also happens to moonlight as an independent art gallery. Operated by events planners No Idea, Vacant has been hosting everything from book fairs and flea markets to theatre and, of course, a vast range of exhibitions since it opened in 2009. The space remains open as a shop and café between events.

3331 ARTS CHIYODA The name ‘3331’ is inspired by the old Edo custom ‘Edo Ippon Jime’, which is used to signify the end of a meeting or celebration. The protocol would be to shout ‘Iyo-o!’ and clap your hands three times, followed by another three, and three more, before ending with a single clap (hence 3331). So now you know… On the site of an old junior high school, this multi-level art centre makes full use of its vast premises, hosting exhibitions and workshops inside, and also employing the school roof and gymnasium. Even the former schoolyard has been transformed into a public park. 6-11-14 Sotokanda, Chiyoda. 03 6803 2441. www.tinyurl.com/ TOT3331. Suehirocho station. Noon-7pm Wed-Mon. ASAKUSABASHI’S TENSAI SANSUJUKU Another mixed-use space, this cosy, laid-back venue hosts a variety of events, including art exhibitions and

Art houses Hagiso. Below: left, Vacant; right, Tensai Sansujuku

gigs. And it doesn’t shy away from the weirder end of the event spectrum. One of Tensai Sansujuku’s recent dance parties, Techno Udon, had revellers twerking to tunes by DJs Puri Puri and Moshi Moshi as they kneaded udon with their feet. Its next event mixes art and music. 2-5-8 Asakusabashi, Taito. www.tinyurl.com/TOTTensai. Asakusabashi station. Opening times vary.

ART CENTER ONGOING Focusing on the unusual and avantgarde, Art Center Ongoing will often invite up-and-coming artists showing at other galleries to display their more offbeat works on its walls. As well as exhibitions, it also hosts live events and seminars that regularly come with the chance to chat to the artists themselves. Don’t forget to collect a complimentary cup of tea at the café (covered by the ¥400 entrance fee), which also does a decent bite to eat. We recommend the ‘Ongoing burger’ 1-8-7 Kichijoji-Higashi, Musashino. 04 2226 8454. www.ongoing.jp/en/. Kichijoji station. Noon-9pm daily.

3-20-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. 03 6459 2962. www.tinyurl.com/ TOTVacant. Harajuku station. Opening times vary Tue-Sun.

and laksa noodle soup.

Art & Culture This season’s essential exhibtions

Playful photography, beautiful teacups and postmodern portraiture mash-ups… Prepare yourself for the capital’s must-see art shows this winter

Ever the visual cacophony, Tokyo’s art scene is vibrant and diverse. In any given month the big galleries play host to a full spectrum of styles and stars, from the domestic avant-garde to the international art-historical. Don’t miss out on this season’s round of exhibitions. Here are the five best shows that focus on Japanese art –from November to January –that you should be picturing for your diary…

‘Yasumasa Morimura –Rembrandt Room Revisited’ Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, until Dec 23 This Jin Watanabe-designed building Center Atrium, Mori Art Museum. Below left: ‘Rembrant Room Revisited’. is a fitting home for contemporary Below right: Video installation by Niwa Yoshinori (‘Roppongi Crossing’) treasures – its speciality, in fact. The museum champions new talent as well as Japanese and international contemporary art. Its current exhibition, ‘Rembrandt Room Revisited’, is a reprisal of its 1994 showing of the works of Yasumasa Morimura. He’s famed for his photographicself-portraits, and his pieces cover a vast range of familiar faces, such as Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstein. 4-7-25, Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa. 03 3445 0651. www.haramuseum.or.jp. 11-5pm Tue, Thu-Sun, 11-8pm Wed. ‘Roppongi Crossing 2013: Out of Mori Tower 53F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, ‘150 Years of Modern Doubt’ Minato.03 5777 8600. Japanese Music’ Mori Art Museum, until Jan 13 www.mori.art.museum. 10-10pm Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Billing itself as an art ‘experience’, Wed-Mon, 10-5pm Tue. until Dec 23 entry to Mori Art Musuem also The Tokyo Opera City gallery is gives you access to the bar, café, ‘Ueda Shoji & Jacques Henri a contemporary arts centre that restaurant and observation deck Lartigue: Play with Photography’ holds a variety of events and solo that share the gallery’s spectacular Tokyo Metropolitan Museum shows by emerging artists in its location on the 52nd and 53rd floors of Photography, Nov 23-Jan 26 series ‘project N’. of the Mori Tower. This museum boasts a large Aside from The gallery focuses permanent collection and regularly canvases, you’ll on modern culture, brings in exhibitions by big-name see fashion, architecture and design. Its latest Tokyo’s big galleries play and brings in some world-class displays. Its triennial show photographers. Round off a visit with a trip to the Images & Technology Gallery in the basement, which show, ‘150 Years of Modern Japanese Music’, host to a full spectrum of ‘Roppongi Crossing’ is always a good bet. Its latest visitation, presents a multimedia history of optics and tricks. ‘Ueda Shoji & Jacques Henri Lartigue: Play with features works from the time of the styles and stars ‘Out of Doubt’, is the museum’s first Photography’ explores the work of the titular photographers, and poses Meiji Restorationin time working with questions about their medium. 1868 when, in the spirit of overseas curators, and places an Yebisu Garden Place, 1-13-3 Mita, modernisation, the Japanese emphasis on international and local Meguro. 03 3280 0099. www.syabi. government introduced Western artists born in the ’70s and ’80s. It com. 10-6pm daily (till 8pm Thu & Fri). music into schools. features a variety of work, such as 3-20-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku. 03 5353 0756. www.operacity. jp/en. Hatsudai station. 11-7pm the satirical wood-block painting of Kazama Sachiko, and installations by Suga Kishio, a key member of the For more art events and exhibitions, see timeout.com/tokyo Tue-Thu, Sun; 11-8pm Fri & Sat. Mono-ha conceptual art movement.

Nakayama Shinpei’s ‘The Gondola Song’, 1915 (‘150 Years of Modern Japanese Music’)

‘Eyes of Sori Yanagi’ and ‘Tea and Beauty –Soetsu Yanagi and the Way of Tea’ Japan Folk Crafts Museum This museum, founded in 1936 by Yanagi Soetsu, spotlights mingei (arts of the people). Yanagi’s criteria for inclusion in the permanent collection was that objects should be made anonymously, by hand, and in large quantities. Its current show, ‘Eyes of Sori Yanagi’, is an exhibition of masks, textiles and ceramics collected by industrial designer Munemichi Yanagi, who died in 2011. Later this year, visitors can catch ‘Tea and Beauty’ which looks at how Yanagi considered tea and its traditions. 4-3-33 Komaba, Meguro. 03 3467 4527. www.mingeikan.or.jp. ‘Eyes of Sori Yanagi’, until Nov 21. ‘Tea andBeauty’, Jan 10-Mar 23. 10am-5pm Tue-Sun.

Three to see

JOSEF KOUDELKA RETROSPECTIVE Overview of the work of photographer Josef Koudelka, from the ’50s to today. 03 5777 8600. www.momat.go.jp. Nov 6-Jan 13.

EVANGELION AND JAPANESE SWORDS Collection of anime-inspired swords by up-and-coming swordsmiths. 03 3833 4191. www.tinyurl.com/ TOTUeno. Nov 23-Dec 23.

UKIYO-E: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE FLOATING WORLD Exhibition of ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) from around the world. 03 3626 9974. www.edo-tokyomuseum.or.jp. Jan 2-Mar 2.

Tableau manners A performer in the noh play ‘Makiginu’

Noh barriers

Know your noh?

A traditional noh performance can be captivating – but it’s not for the uninitiated. Time Out London’s Dance editor, Lyndsey Winship, offers a formal introduction

It’s seriously old Developed in the 14th century, noh is one of the world’s oldest performing arts. It’s a form of music theatre, but we’re not talking show tunes here. Combining drama, dance, music, poetry and chant, the actors play out stories of gods, warriors, demons and ghosts, most of which have been performed in exactly the same way for centuries. A traditional performance can last the whole day, with five plays interspersed with comic interludes. Epic.

It might leave you stumped Noh is an esoteric and symbolic form. It’s an ultra stylised art that’s highly choreographed even when there’s minimal action; every footstep is prescribed. There’s no going offpiste with this one. Noh aesthetics have been described as: abstraction, refinement and suggestion. Which, for those who haven’t brushed up beforehand, may well add up to not having a clue what’s going on.

Less is more The noh stage is sparse, but the costumes are extravagant and oversized. Performers wear masks to define their characters, but these are often expressionless – the wearer tilts it so that the play of light and shadow conveys the emotion.

It’s a man’s, man’s, man’s world All the roles are traditionally played by men, even the female parts, and have been passed down from father to son for generations. Those family troupes all follow the styles of the five noh schools. Some women do now train in noh, but few perform (one of the exceptions is Ryoki Aoki, interviewed right).

Bertolt Brecht was a fan Noh’s influence has spread beyond its native Japan, touching the work of Bertolt Brecht, Peter Brook, Benjamin Britten, David Byrne, Ezra Pound and Stockhausen among others.

It has something in common with olives… Noh has been designated an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ by Unesco, as has tango, Croatian lacemaking and the Mediterranean diet. And it lasts about as long as your average Spanish lunch.

For more dance and performing arts, go to timeout.com/tokyo Where to see noh Here are three Tokyo venues to see the ancient style in action…

NATIONAL NOH THEATRE Noh performances are normally staged here four or five times a month. A one-page explanation of the story in English is available. 4-18-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya. 03 3423 1331. www.ntj.jac.go.jp/ english. Sendagaya and Kokuritsukyogijo stations.

KANZE NOHGAKUDO For regular performances, they sell ‘happy hour’ tickets that enable you to see the last part of three noh plays. 1-16-4, Shoto, Shibuya-ku. 03 3469 5241. www.tinyurl.com/TOTKanze. Shibuya station.

CERULEAN TOWER NOH THEATRE The basement of this hotel hosts both professional and amateur noh shows, albeit without any kind of English translation. 26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya. 03 4777 6412. 34 www.ceruleantower.com. Shibuya station. Female noh performer Ryoko Aoki on how she is bringing the art form into the 21st century

What challenges have you faced in your noh career so far? Firstly, I was not born into a noh family – I only discovered it as a teenager. Then when I decided to specialise in noh plays at the Tokyo National University of the Arts, the five other students on my course were all men, four of whom came from noh families. This was when I began to notice the challenges of my situation. I wanted to create a new frontier – I believed art should develop based on earlier traditions.

Is that how your project ‘Noh x Contemporary Music’ came about? I started this project in Tokyo in 2010, with support from the Minato Prefecture Grant for Culture, with the aim of commissioning young international composers from Western Europe and Japan to write new pieces for noh theatre. So far, I’ve premiered 15 pieces, using newly written music, in this series.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced during this project? Noh singing differs from Western musical styles in that performers are not required to sing a specific pitch. This makes it difficult to transcribe using Western notation. However, despite this, I am sure that we can develop a new art by combining noh with contemporary music.

www.ryokoaoki.net/e