Tokyo Weekender - April 2016

APRIL 2016

Japan’s number one English language magazine

and Much More ALSO: Natsumi Hoshi Swims for Rio Gold, Getaways for Golden Week, Tokyo Area Guide, The Evolution of Cirque duwww.Soleil, tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com

CONTENTS

APRIL 2016 20

NATSUMI HOSHI The swimming phenom is looking to make a golden splash at the Rio Olympics

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26

HIROTADA OTOTAKE

GOLDEN WEEK GETAWAYS

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

The public figure mulls over a political run

These vacation destinations are worth

Performances that stretch the limits of

and faces a personal scandal

their weight in ... well, you know

human skill, strength, and imagination

6 The Guide

11 Area Guide

30 People, Parties, Places

A fresh taste of the Mediterranean comes to town and a few new looks to spring for

Step away from Akihabara’s neon jungle and into Tokyo’s old downtown

The Maruyamas throw their annual party and Oakwood opens a new residence

8 Gallery Guide

18 Breaking the Silence

34 Movies

Exhibitions drawn together by animation, plus the fine art of haute couture

Voices from the battlefront of suicide prevention in Japan and overseas

Leo’s Oscar-winning turn, a Marvel battle royale, and journalists in the “Spotlight”

10 Mariko Mori

24 Apartment Gardening

36 Agenda

An artist inspired by the cosmos and the spirit of our million-year-old ancestors

Don’t let your laundry hog all of the balcony—leave some room for green

A pair of rock legends come to town and plenty of events for the warming weather

Photo: OSA Images Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2010 Cirque du Soleil

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THIS MONTH IN THE WEEKENDER

APRIL 2016

APRIL 2016

Japan’s number one English language magazine

Publisher

ENGAWA Co., Ltd.

President

Takanobu Ushiyama

Executive Producer Editor Art Director Sales Director Sales Executive Media Relations Chief Producers

Account Executives Media Consultant Society

Asi Rinestine Alec Jordan Liam Ramshaw Hirofumi Ohuchi Kahori Terakawa Junko Shimaya Yumi Idomoto Claudia Sun Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa Mary Rudow Bill Hersey

Lead Writer

Matthew Hernon

Editorial Associates

Natalie Jacobsen Vivian Morelli Luca Eandi

Film

Christopher O’Keeffe

EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 Published monthly at JPR Sendagaya Building 8F 4-23-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051 (03) 6863-3096 / (03) 5413-3050 (fax) editor@tokyoweekender.com

and Much More ALSO: Natsumi Hoshi Swims for Rio Gold, Getaways for Golden Week, Tokyo Area Guide, The Evolution of Cirque duwww.Soleil, tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

irotada Ototake might not be familiar to most of our non-Japanese readers, but his life story, and his first book (“No One’s Perfect” in English), are famous throughout the country.

Despite being born without arms or legs due to a condition known as tetraamelia syndrome, Ototake has had a series of careers that anyone would envy: public speaker, sports journalist, school teacher, and member of Tokyo’s Board of Education, just to name a few.

In the past weeks, it has been rumored that Ototake was planning to make a run for public office. Now, much more recent news threatens to put that nascent campaign to an end: Ototake has admitted to having affairs

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with five different mistresses over the past several years.

The revelation brings up a question that has been raised countless times around the world when a political figure’s personal foibles come to light: should we judge a leader by what they do behind closed doors, or by their ability to get things done? In the case of Ototake, we hope that our profile of the man gives you a sense of his potential, and inspires you to think about what he could achieve if he were to make the decision to run.

Moving beyond the cover story, there are plenty of pieces to keep the pages turning, from a look at suicide prevention efforts in Japan to a talk with one of the stars of the Japanese Olympic swimming team. And as Golden Week lies waiting for us at the end of the month, we’ve put together a collection of destinations that should be memorable— and hopefully, not overbooked! If you’re staying local, there are plenty of options to keep you occupied during the long holiday, whether it’s art on the walls or Cirque du Soleil magic on the ground and the air. Finally, we invite you to check out our area guide for a section of Tokyo’s old downtown that you may not have explored yet. We’re planning to feature different parts of the city in the months to come, so stay tuned.

Editor

To subscribe to the Tokyo Weekender, please call (03) 6863-3096 or email: customer-support@tokyoweekender.com For ad sales inquiries, please call (03) 6863-3096 or email: sales@tokyoweekender.com 広告に関するお問い合わせ先 電話：(03)6863-3096 メール：sales@tokyoweekender.com www.tokyoweekender.com Opinions expressed by Weekender contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher

WRITERS WANTED Tokyo Weekender is looking for a few good writers. If you’ve got a travel story you want to share, a gift for the written word, or have a unique take on life in Tokyo, we’d like to hear from you. To join our team of freelancers, please send us an email at editor@tokyoweekender.com

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the guide

BURBERRY CROCHETED TRENCH COAT FOOD FIT FOR THE GODS Greek cuisine is known for its simple yet delicious ingredients, unique flavor combinations, and healthy portions that can satisfy even the heartiest of eaters. Unfortunately, while it might not be too difficult to find olives and feta cheese at your local supermarket, if you’re looking for complete Grecian meals, you don’t have many choices around Tokyo. Lovers of this unique cuisine will be happy to hear that they’ve got a new option: The Apollo. The restaurant got its start in Sydney, Australia, helmed by Jonathan Barthelmess—who became a star chef on the Sydney scene thanks to his blend of traditional Mediterranean techniques and modern sense of culinary style. Opened at the end of March in the Tokyu Plaza Ginza Building by Barthelmess and fellow Sydney restauranteur Sam Christie, The Apollo Tokyo offers tastes that will satisfy long-time Greek food fans and neophytes alike. You can order plenty of dishes à la carte, but one of the best ways to experience the full range of flavors on offer is “The Full Greek” (lunch ¥4,800/ dinner ¥5,500). It starts off with a selection of olives to whet the appetite, and then moves on to the taramosalata (mullet roe, lemon juice, and olive oil) dip, served with warm pita bread. Next up is a Greek salad, which adds a mildly flavored cow’s milk feta to the olives and farm-fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. The restaurant’s celebrated saganaki (pan-fried cheese) follows, made with kefalograviera (a blend of goat and sheep milk) cheese and flavored with just the right amount of honey, lemon, and oregano. The main dish is lamb shoulder, slow-cooked for ten hours and baked for one.

Delightfully smoky and juicy, and served with tzatziki (a Greek yoghurt sauce), it is simply unforgettable. But remember to leave room for the Avgolemono Pie, The Apollo’s take on the traditional lemon meringue. A complement of wines and mixed drinks round out a menu that’s as tempting as a siren’s song.

The Apollo Tokyo 104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo-ku, Ginza 5-2-1, Tokyu Plaza Ginza 11F Hours: 11:00–23:00 | Web: theapollo.jp

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If you love a classic Burberry trench coat but don’t want to blend in a sea of beige come springtime (when everyone in Tokyo sports their own version), this twist on the classic Kensington trench may be the perfect option for you. This crocheted cotton-blend in antique rose not only complements the cherry blossom flowers, but it also offers protection against those unexpected spring rainfalls. It looks especially dazzling when paired with a white ensemble, and yes, it may be a splurge, but you’ll wear it for the next decade or so. burberry.com

COMME DES GARÇONS NEON WALLET Nothing screams springtime like a neon-color block wallet. Even for those who steer clear of bright hues, this slim pouch is the perfect accessory to snap you out of hibernation mode after a long winter.

The eye-catching blue, orange and green pattern is too good to be kept hidden in a handbag, so use it as a clutch for after-work cocktails or weekend brunch. The soft leather will keep all your cards and notes intact and organized, with a thick gold zipper on top to add a bit of bling. comme-des-garcons.com

Something for the weekend...A cocktail guide for the most discerning of drinkers

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RAF SIMONS ADIDAS SNEAKERS This may be one of the best collaborations this year: fashion genius Raf Simons (formerly creative head of Dior) putting his unique, minimalistic touch on the iconic Stan Smith Adidas Originals kicks. Look for the designer’s initial “R” replacing the usual perforated stripes on the sides, and for the mesh lining. The shoes are crafted from premium leather, and are the embodiment of Simon’s creative philosophy. mrporter.com

WANT LES ESSENTIELS BACKPACK WANT LES ESSENTIELS is a Montrealbased accessories brand that harks back to a bygone era of elegant travel.

The brand, which was started by twin brothers, has amassed a cult following over the past few years for its understated yet practical goods, and can now be found in stores from Manhattan to Tokyo. If you’re not sure where to start, their signature “Kastrup” backpack is both timeless and versatile. Made from cotton-canvas and lined with leather, this sleek bag is all you need for those daily commutes or weekend getaways. wantlesessentiels.com

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TROUSERS While you may or may not want to pair these dapper pants with the matching blazer, they are a fashion statement on their very own. Give the classic black suit a contemporary twist this season: the slim-fit trousers are emblazoned with a light grey flowery motif, which sets the item apart. You can wear the Italian-made item with a white or grey shirt, or go all out and match them with the jacket—just don’t forget the Oxford shoes. mcq.com

pril is upon us once more and gold is most definitely the colour of the month. April heralds the end of the financial year in Japan and the beginning of the Golden Week holiday. So whether you are toasting a successful year on the markets or drowning your sorrows after loosing the shirt off your back, make sure you do it in style, with an appropriately themed cocktail.

In this edition of the guide we shall be taking a trip back to the 80s and knocking back a few 24 Carat Gold cocktails. It’s fair to say that the decade was a pretty low point on the cultural spectrum—think Milli Vanilli, permed hair, and shoulder pads—but a great decade for synth pop and extravagantly camp cocktails.

Although not so popular these days, the 24 Carat Gold was a fixture on the cocktail menus of chintzy wine bars, pretentious restaurants, and hotel lounges from New York to London back in the 80s. A favourite of moneyed-up city boys and permed-haired office girls, this was the cocktail to drink in the days when nobody had the slightest idea what a Tweet was and Michael Jackson was a popular family entertainer.

The popularity of the 24 Carat Gold was mainly due to its extravagant appearance: a strong golden hue garnished with sparkling bits of real gold leaf. In actual fact it’s a very well balanced cocktail; the tartness of the sours blends well, offsetting the sweet fruitiness of the Cointreau and brandy.

So this Golden Week, crank up the Spandau Ballet, break out the cocktail shaker and be thankful that we now live in a decade where neon shell suits and leg warmers are just a terrible distant memory.

Method: Place some edible gold flakes on a small plate.

Lightly wet the rim of a martini glass with a slice of lemon, and then dip the rim in the gold flakes to coat. Add the Cointreau, Remy Martin XO and sours mix to a shaker filled with ice, shake thoroughly and strain into the glass.

Ingredients: –25ml Cointreau –50ml Remy Martin XO –25ml sours mix - Edible gold leaf

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GALLERY GUIDE

TOKYO GALLERY GUIDE OUR PICKS FROM THE EXHIBITIONS AROUND TOWN

by Luca Eandi

PIXAR: 30 YEARS OF ANIMATION ust in time for the Japanese premiere of “The Good Dinosaur” in mid-March (a full 16 weeks after its release in the rest of the world), “PIXAR: 30 YEARS OF ANIMATION” debuts at MOT. A version of this exhibition has been traveling the globe since 2005, when it began as a special display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

It features hand-drawn sketches, paintings, storyboards, color scripts, and character models created by the studio’s artists.

Although Pixar is best known for its slick computer graphics and advanced image rendering, most of its character and story development is done through traditional media. The studio employs a large number of accomplished artists who create the hand drawings, paintings, pastels and sculp-

tures used as reference in the early stages of production. Lee Unkrich, director of the massive hit sequel, “Toy Story 3,” said the following about Pixar’s commitment to conventional design methods: “our films are very high-tech, but at their core the story and characters spring from imagination and pencil and paper.”

Pixar’s entire 30-year history of memorable characters and compelling stories are represented at MOT, starting with their first short film, “Luxo Jr.” (featuring the desk lamp from their logo), and going all the way up to their latest feature length, “The Good Dinosaur.”

Some 500 pieces make up the collection, including two large installations exclusive to the traveling exhibit.

Bob Pauley, Woody and Buzz, Toy Story, 1995, Reproduction of marker and pencil on paper ©Disney/Pixar

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo Dates: March 5–May 29, 2016 Open: 10:00–18:00, last admission 30 minutes before closing, closed Mondays (except May 2, 23) Web: http://pxr30.jp/

TONKO HOUSE EXHIBITION: “The Dam Keeper’s Journey”

F PIG AFTER CLASS, Tonko House

Creation Gallery G8 Dates: March 25–April 28, 2016 | Open: 11:00–19:00, closed Sundays Web: rcc.recruit.co.jp/g8/en

APRIL 2016 www. www.ttokyoweekender.com okyoweekender.com

itting nicely with the Pixar retrospective at MOT, Creation Gallery G8 in Ginza is holding a similar exhibition titled “The Dam Keeper’s Journey.” After collaborating on “Toy Story 3” and “Monsters University,” a couple of former Pixar Animation Studios art directors, Tokyo native Daisuke Tsutsumi and Southern California’s Robert Kondo, decided to strike out on their own, founding animation studio Tonko House in 2014.

Their first animated short film, “The Dam Keeper,” which tells the tale of a pig who keeps pollution at bay with his windmill, blew critics away with its moody, muted visual style and poignant story, earning an Academy Award nomination in 2014.

This exhibition, Tonko House’s first public display, features artwork that evokes the worldview expressed in the film, in addition to character designs, maquettes (models), as well as visual narrative elements tracing the film’s story. Also on display will be new works, including collaborations created especially for the show—one with Japanese stop-motion animation studio, Dwarf, and another with miniature diorama artist Satoshi Araki. Additionally, Tonko House projects currently in the pipeline, including a feature-length sequel to “The Dam Keeper,” will be introduced in a space recreating the interior of their California studio.

GALLERY GUIDE | WEEKENDER | 9

MIYAKE ISSEY EXHIBITION: The Work of Miyake Issey

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ashion icon Issey Miyake designed the black mock turtlenecks that Steve Jobs famously wore as his uniform. As the story goes, the Apple/Pixar founder toured a Sony facility in Japan in the 1980s and admired the uniforms worn by the workers. He found out they were designed by Miyake, so he sought him out and struck up a friendship with the designer. He initially wanted him to create uniforms for Apple employees—an idea that never took off with his Cupertino staff. Nonetheless, Jobs received hundreds of Miyake turtlenecks for himself, and along with a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans, they became part of his defining look.

It’s easy to see the kinship between Jobs and Miyake, as both were obsessed with innovation and good design. Miyake’s 45-year career to present has been a study of the relationship between body and fabric. He’s never stopped searching, constantly examining new manufacturing methods, trying to achieve perfection through innovation, often by using only one piece of cloth. Most recently, his focus has shifted to using recycled materials and shapes inspired by algorithms and geometric shapes.

This exhibition, the first to span his entire career, is a largescale appraisal of his overall creative development. Production processes and the evolution of his style are given thoughtful consideration as visitors move through the three rooms that make up the exhibit.

The National Art Center, Tokyo Dates: March 16–June 13, 2016 Open: 10:00–18:00, 10:00–20:00 on Fridays, last admission 30 minutes before closing, closed Tuesdays (except May 3) Web: http://2016.miyakeissey.org

Daniel Kelly, Bold Is Better, 180 x 130 cm, acrylic and wood

Daniel Kelly’s Golden Touch

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ver the past decades, American-born, Kyoto-based artist Daniel Kelly has been building a name for himself as a gifted painter and printmaker who also isn’t afraid to think, paint, and print outside the box. Kelly has moved from “traditional” printmaking techniques to printing on roughly textured paper and massive sheets that can stretch as long as 190 cm to a side. His paintings, on the other hand, challenge the notion of the medium being a two-dimensional one. Rather than painting on standard canvases, Kelly often uses a collection of found objects—frames from traditional Japanese doors and old tatami mats, for example—and incorporates them into the canvas, creating pieces that are as much sculpture as they are painting. In both print and painting, he uses familiar imagery but presents it in a way that forces viewers to reflect on their own perceptions.

For 10 days, the Tolman Collection will be presenting an exhibition at the Conrad Hotel that features dozens of Kelly’s larger pieces. (This is not the first time that an artist that Tolman represents has shown at the upscale hotel: centenarian Toko Shinoda held a retrospective there last year, and one of her pieces can be found in the Conrad’s lobby.) In addition to many of the artist’s prints and paintings at the show, keep an eye out for the visually arresting “Bold Is Better,” shown above.

ISSEY MIYAKE, Horsehair, Autumn/ Winter 1990, 1990 Photo: Hiroshi Iwasaki

Conrad Tokyo Location: 105-7377 Minato-ku, Higashi-Shinbashi 1-9-1 Dates: April 27–May 8, 2016 Open: 11:00–19:00 Web: www.tolmantokyo.com

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THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME Returning to SCAI The Bathhouse for her first solo exhibition in more than 10 years, Mariko Mori is presenting a series of work that is both very new—and very old—at the same time © David Sims

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ariko Mori rocketed to international fame in contemporary art during the mid 1990s with her alien “live art” pieces in New York, Tokyo, and London. Her photography captured herself dressed in futuristic, out-of-this world costumes that she had designed, doing domestic chores or everyday errands in the city, challenging ideas of what it meant to be a “normal” person.

Mori’s most recent works are stripped down to the bare necessities, focusing no longer on aliens or elaborate sets, but on what makes us human, as she explained during a visit to SCAI the Bathhouse, where she is holding her first solo show in more than a decade. “There are 7 million years of history in human evolution, and I am looking for evidence of when we first became spiritual;

Above: Ekpyrotic String II, ​201​4​, Fiberglass, corian, paint and lacquer​, 101 x 200 x 46.2 cm Right: “Cycloid IV”, 2015, Alminium, pigment, lacquer, 220 x 139 x 127cm

when humans developed a [modern] sense of feelings and minds.” She cites the 2015 discovery of 15 complete sets of 3-millionyear-old hominid skeletons in South Africa, explaining that “they were found deep in a cave, meaning there had been great care about their burial and in trying to protect them.” Mori considers this one of the earliest “[finds] of something that is fundamentally human.”

Although her latest research delves into the ancient origins of humankind, Mori’s most recent exhibition, “Cycloid,” features cutting-edge creation techniques based on complex geometric forms, and takes inspiration from theories that describe the creation of the universe. To bring these abstract shapes to life, Mori used a series of equations that generated the three-dimensional shapes, initially using values produced by a computer program, and leaving some elements up to chance. Prototype versions of

My pieces are simply reintroducing ideas we humans already possess inside us, and I’m sharing them again with new generations the pieces are created using a 3D modeling program, and Mori will go through dozens of iterations before she arrives at “golden egg.” As she explains, there is no right or wrong design, but relentless work at a design until it “feels right,” and expresses a sense of flow that is a constant hallmark of her recent work. These final shapes are cast in aluminum that is then coated with a pearlescent sheen; simply put, they are pieces that must be seen in person.

Mori would be the first to admit that the sources that fire her imagination are hardly run-of-the-mill: “In finding ideas and inspiration, my antenna is a little bit different.” She also credits a nurturing environment and the input of people around in her creative development over the years: “[While] it’s important to believe in yourself ... nobody can do it alone.” Although she has recently moved to London, she says that the attitude that surrounded her in New York

was crucial to her confidence as an artist: “In America, nobody says ‘you can’t do that,’ they say, ‘you can do it!’” Mori believes those in the West are pushing horizons in art, and she thinks that there is fertile ground for the same kind of development in Tokyo, where, as she puts it, “there is a rich culture of tradition. [Thanks to] the presence of that foundation, there is so much potential.”

Finally, despite the complexity of the concepts that inform her work—which range from the dance of subatomic particles to the ebb and flow of the cosmos itself—Mori is quick to remind us that her creations are bringing concepts that even our millions-yearold ancestors would resonate with: life and death, a dense net of cycles that shape our world, and the creative power of daily life: “My pieces are simply reintroducing ideas we humans already possess inside us, and I’m sharing them again with new generations.”

Mariko Mori’s “Cycloid” will be on display at SCAI the Bathhouse until April 23. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 to 18:00. www.scaithebathhouse.com

Photos by Luca Eandi

TOKYO’S OLD DOWNTOWN Not far from the electric glitter and crowded streets of Akihabara lie a new space for artisanal handiwork and a neighborhood that has been a center of shitamachi bohemian culture for several generations

12 | WEEKENDER | AREA GUIDE THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRACKS Built a few years back as a way to revitalize a section of the neighborhood between Akihabara and Okachimachi Stations on the Yamanote Line, the 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan retail space features a few dozen shops, carrying everything from pottery and hand-crafted leather to clothing and food products from around the country.

But what’s with the funny name, you might ask? The “Aki” and the “Oka” are clear enough, but the “2k540” refers to the area’s distance—2,540 meters—from Tokyo Station. Got it? Good: now get shopping!

2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan Taito-ku, 5-9 Ueno www.jrtk.jp/2k540

ALL THE COOL CATS

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SHITAMACHI SHRINES AND TEMPLES Hop on the Yamanote Line at Okachimachi and head counterclockwise to either Nippori or Nishi Nippori Station. If you’re not too superstitious (or it’s not too late in the evening), the Yanaka Cemetery, closest to Nippori, makes for a picturesque stroll throughout the year. The final resting place of historical figures, such as Yoshinobu, the final Tokugawa shogun, it also features broad walkways and rows of cherry trees, so make it a cherry blossom viewing destination if the time is right for the short-lived blooms. Heading west, Nezu Shrine boasts a miniature version of the famous rows of red torii gates at Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. One of Japan’s oldest shrines, it really comes alive from early April to early May, when the Bunkyo Azalea Festival is held on its grounds. The shrine’s sizeable garden is home to around 100 species of azalea which burst into bloom around this time.

Yushima Tenshin Shrine is another picturesque location, perhaps best known as a location where students pray for good luck on exams, and for its large bronze nade-ushi (“stroking cow”) statue, which is said to cure diseases just by being rubbed.

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One of the first things you’ll notice about Yanaka is the abundance of stray cats hanging around the winding alleys, staircases and the cherry tree–filled cemetery. In fact, several Yanaka shops honor the feline on their storefront signs, as it’s really a theme in the neighborhood. If you’re peckish, you can nosh on a variety of cat-shaped sweets, and even get up close and personal with kitties at several cafes in the area, where owners let them roam free. Make sure to stop by cat-themed boutique Necoaction to stock up on catty memorabilia, and shop alongside live furry friends in the boutique. Recommended: the trinkets, from keychains and socks to picture frames and notebooks. Most Yanaka cats are very photogenic, and they’ll happily pose (or rather, lounge around) for the camera—snap away!

AREA GUIDE | WEEKENDER | 13

THESE STREETS WERE MADE FOR WALKING Yanaka is one of the rare areas of Tokyo that kept its old shitamachi (“downtown”) character, populated with merchants, artisans and cats. The district also known as Yanesen (named after the first syllables of the three neighboring districts of Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi) offers a charming glimpse of the Edo times. It was luckily spared from the WWII bombings, and managed to retain a quaint atmosphere.

Reserve an afternoon to explore this historical part of Tokyo, often overlooked by the hordes of tourists. Start your promenade from Nippori station, and you’ll quickly find yourself in the narrow shopping street of Yanakaginza. Don’t worry about getting lost—just let yourself stumble upon countless food stalls, meat and vegetable markets, textile shops, secondhand and vintage clothing havens, pottery stores, and the many tiny shops carrying traditional crafts such as washi (Japanese paper) and handwoven bamboo baskets.

If you keep walking up the hill towards Ueno,

you’ll suddenly snap back to the present: welcome to 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan, a sleek name for an equally sleek and trendy little area dedicated to jewelry, ornaments and other artifacts. Located right underneath the elevated JR train tracks near Okachimachi station, Aki-Oka Artisan houses groups of craftsmen who display their creations in boutiques, galleries, cafes and studios. While the area will please fashionistas who want to revamp their accessories collection, it offers a lot more than a mere shopping experience. Visitors can participate in various workshops and design their own pieces.

End your stroll with a pit stop at SCAI the Bathhouse, a former bathhouse turned into a sophisticated art space. And don’t leave Yanaka without a taste of old Tokyo, which comes in the form of senbei rice crackers. Take your pick between soy sauce, nori (seaweed), kombu (kelp), or sesame seeds, a nice little snack before hopping back on the train.

DOWNTOWN GROUNDS Bohemian culture and a good cuppa go hand in hand, so it should come as no surprise that the area around Yanaka has a long tradition of excellent coffee. Kayaba Coffee (6-1-29 Yanaka) has a history that dates back nearly 80 years, and while you can find plenty of Yanaka Coffee (3-8-6 Yanaka, other shops nearby at 2-31-3 Sendagi and 1-5-11 Nezu) shops around town, the location where it all got started is, naturally, right here too. The Hagi Cafe (310-25 Yanaka) is just one part of a two-story complex that includes a gallery, an event space, and a design studio.

The institution is only three years in the running, but it has charm to spare. Finally, the artfully designed Minori Cafe (1-22-10 Nezu) offers a laidback environment for whiling away an hour or two over lunch or a lazy afternoon.

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HIROTADA OTOTAKE | FEATURE | 15

A Life Without Barriers

By Alec Jordan

With a possible political run in mind and a personal scandal in the press, what is next for Hirotada Ototake?

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t first thought, tetra-amelia syndrome would seem like a prison sentence. Those born with the congenital condition have neither arms nor legs, and many of them die at an early age. Survivors who make it to adulthood often suffer from a host of painful complications to go along with their immobility. In previous generations, tetra-amelia survivors might have led cloistered lives or joined traveling circuses in order to get by, and while the prognosis for those living with the syndrome might be better than before, it would be hard to expect them to lead lives like the rest of us.

Someone forgot to tell this to Hirotada Ototake.

As the journalist, author, and educator explains, though, he wouldn’t have listened even if someone had told him what his limitations were supposed to be: “I have never been good at doing the same thing that everyone else did.” Just shy of his 40th birthday, Ototake has spent his life challenging expectations of what the disabled can achieve, and at the time of this writing, there are rumors that he is considering a run for political office—as well as a brewing scandal that could put an end to that run before it even begins.

Weekender met with Ototake at his office in Shinjuku last month to talk about the lessons he’s learned in his many careers, provoking controversy on social media to bring attention to ignored minorities, and some of the ways that Japanese politicians could reach out to a younger generation.

One of the first things that impresses you on meeting the Tokyo native is a powerful sense of his poise and self-assurance. Although his first book, “Gotai fumanzoku” (translated in English as “No One’s Perfect”) recounts stories of how Ototake overcame his physical limitations in order to run, jump rope, swim, and play basketball on his junior high club team, it also depicts a young man with a natural talent for leadership. From his elementary student days to his time at Waseda University, he was never interested in just being accepted: he wanted to make a difference in any community that he was a part of.

One of the wellsprings of this strength lay close at home.

“When I think about the love and support from my parents, I know that is what made the difference for me,” Ototake, who is a father of three, muses. “If I hadn’t had that, and had been

born in this same body, I know that I wouldn’t have the same life that I do now.” It all began, Ototake writes in “No One’s Perfect,” when his mother saw him for the first time. His father knew about his son’s disability but had persuaded his wife that the baby boy had severe jaundice and she couldn’t see him until he recovered. It was only after a few weeks that his mother was able to lay eyes on her son for the first time: “The words that burst from my mother’s lips were ‘He’s adorable.’ I think the success of this first encounter was especially meaningful. First impressions tend to stick. Sometimes you’re still carrying them as baggage years later. And when it’s a parent and child—that meeting is a profoundly important one.

The first emotion my mother felt toward me was not shock or sadness, it was joy.” (“No One’s Perfect,” Prologue)

“SUMO IS MY SOUL” Ototake quickly got involved in the barrier-free movement at Waseda, and following his pivotal role in a student campaign to improve handicapped accessibility on campus, his career as a public speaker began. It wasn’t long before he was giving multiple speeches around the country while still an undergraduate. He also wrote “No One’s Perfect,” which went on to be a smash hit: it has sold nearly 5 million copies to date and is the second best-selling book in Japan since World War II. Rather than staying on the speaking circuit after university, he followed a lifelong love of athletics and moved into a career in sports journalism. True to form, it wasn’t long before he had established a name for himself as a writer who excelled at getting athletes to open up and reveal themselves. From hundreds of interviewees, though, he recalls one that stands out: the famed yokozuna Takanohana. The wrestler came from a family with deep roots in sumo, and he was legendary for continuing to compete despite a series of painful knee injuries.

Interviewing Takanohana shortly before he retired, Ototake asked, “‘Why were you willing to put your heart and soul into sumo the way that you have?’ He responded to me by saying, ’Ototake-san, that’s where you’re wrong.

I wasn’t putting my soul into sumo: sumo is my soul.’ For him, it wasn’t a feeling of dedicating his soul to this thing

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Ototake visits with the residents of a Tokyo neighborhood

called sumo that was outside of him; rather, it was something he was born to do, and he wanted to put all of himself into it to show that culture to the next generation.”

BATTLES IN THE CLASSROOM After several years as a sports writer, Ototake returned to the classroom, this time as a teacher.

Countless examples from his first book demonstrate that his primary school teachers—who refused to coddle him, instead challenging him and coming up with creative solutions that allowed him to take an active role in everything that his classmates did—had as large an influence on him as his own parents.

But as Ototake found when he entered the world of elementary school teaching, his decision to work with his students in an innovative manner was met with resistance from the old guard. Whether it was holding class meetings outside during cherry blossom season or giving his pupils more freedom in their schoolwork, Ototake explains, “I’ve always wanted to do what I thought was best for the kids ... My teaching style was definitely a hit with the students, and the parents trusted me, but there were always complaints about me in the staff room.”

It was a resistance to change that prevented other teachers from trying new approaches as well. “I was in my early thirties, and there were teachers who were younger than I was who liked my thinking and the way that I taught. But if those younger teachers were to speak up and say that they agreed with me, that would mean that the powerful veteran teachers would be as hard on them as they were on me.

“[Japan’s] educational system requires that everyone does things in exactly the same way, in the way that was decided. But that’s a system where innovation can be very difficult, and one in which people who are different—even though they might not have asked to be different—can find it very hard to live in.”

His experience as an elementary school

It is mostly older people voting, so politicians are focused mostly on policies that support the elderly ... How much we can change that dynamic is one of the biggest problems that we have teacher led to his first film role, playing himself in the movie “Daijoubu 3 Kumi” (“Nobody’s Perfect”), but it also gave him a direct experience of the kinds of resistance that reformers can face in any field. The same year he stopped teaching school, he found a new medium for expression that allowed him a freedom he never had before.

PROVOK ING FOR A CAUSE “Being presented as perfect is really something painful for me,” Ototake says about the media’s tendency—until recently—to focus only on his positive message. “It’s not just in print; even when I’ve done interviews on TV, and express how many weak points I may have, those all get cut out when the interview is broadcast.”

Twitter has its strict constraints on the number of characters that can be used in a single Tweet, but Ototake still felt completely free in that social space—his own editor. “Nobody can cut my words and it’s entirely up to me to decide how I want to

express my message.”

And plenty of people are paying attention: he launched his account in 2010 and now has nearly 810,000 followers. The format has been a remarkably powerful tool for Ototake to achieve one of his main goals: drawing more attention to the situation that minorities of all kinds in Japan face. “Because people in the majority don’t have much interest in the situations that minorities confront, the way I use Twitter is to deliberately use controversial language that draws attention to the issues.”

He’s been known to tackle everything from handicapped accessibility to LGBT rights, and his provocative comments often get picked up by the national news. “I think that many people might get tired of hearing what I have to say— many of them are probably saying, ‘Damn, it’s this Ototake guy again!’ But if my online critics take the time to think about what I have to say, it can lead them to look at the issues differently.”

A LEGACY OF DIVERSITY The former sports journalist sees the Tokyo Games as a rich opportunity, but argues that the city, and the nation, still need to decide what kind of a message Tokyo 2020 will present to the world. “The first time the Olympics were held in Tokyo, it was extremely meaningful for the country. Nearly 20 years beforehand, the country had lost World War II and was basically a burnt-out field. But from there [along with preparing for the 1964 Games] ... you had the development of the Shinkansen, a national highway system, and a general improvement in the development of the nation’s infrastructure.

“But for the coming Olympics in 2020, what do we want to do for the international community, and what do we want to leave behind for the

“Japan’s educational system requires that everyone does things in exactly the same way … But that’s a system where innovation can be very difficult.”

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com

HIROTADA OTOTAKE | FEATURE | 17 rest of the country after the Games are finished?

I don’t think we know yet. I think that one of the greatest legacies to this society we can leave behind with the 2020 Games is a sense of diversity.”

In the long run Ototake hopes to see a joint Olympic and Paralympic games. He recognizes that this is an ambitious goal that isn’t likely to be met within four years. “But maybe decades from now we can look back at Tokyo 2020 as the beginning of that movement. We could have one event that is held for [Olympic and Paralympic] athletes on the same day. Take the Tokyo Marathon: each time it’s held, the runners and the wheelchair marathoners compete on the same day ... We could do the same thing

their good. So they don’t have faith in their political leaders, and they don’t go to the polls. This brings the sense of happiness down further, and it’s a terrible spiral.”

He adds that younger people are even less likely to take an active role in politics, much less go to the polls, which only worsens the situation: “It is mostly older people voting, so politicians are focused mostly on policies that support the elderly. No money goes towards helping the young. How much we can change that dynamic is one of the biggest problems that we have.”

A recently enacted policy that allows 18 year olds to go to the polls for the first time is a step in the right direction; however, Ototake believes

But if my online critics take the time to think about what I have to say, it can lead them to look at the issues differently for the Olympic Marathon and have the wheelchair athletes competing on the same day as the general marathon runners. If we could do that, I think we can find one kind of meaning in hosting these Olympics in Tokyo.”

GOVERNMENT FOR ALL Through his recent work on the Tokyo Board of Education, his leadership of the anti-littering NPO Greenbird, and his studies at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, one thing has become clear to Ototake: the country’s political climate is in desperate need of change. He takes the World Happiness Report—a study that ranks nations on a variety of factors, including economic stability and trust in government— as a sobering illustration. In the 2016 edition of the report, Japan ranked 53rd. “For a developed nation, that is very low,” he warns. “One of the main reasons is that people don’t clearly see how their tax money is being used, or they don’t feel that their taxes are being used for

that the people on the ballots need to be younger as well: “Now, to run for the Lower House [of the National Diet], a candidate must be at least 25. To run for the Upper House, a candidate must be at least 30. Those Upper House members, even in their 30s, are going to have a hard time reaching younger people. I think that’s a real problem. We should change the system to be more receptive to the opinions of the younger generation.”

ran in the March 24 issue of the Shukan Shincho tabloid, it was revealed that Ototake had love affairs with five different mistresses over the past several years. In a statement made after the story was published, he called his own actions “a betrayal against my devoted wife and my supporters ... a sin so serious I can never fully atone for it while alive.” As he explained in his interview with us, he had long wanted the public to understand that he wasn’t perfect, and now the court of public opinion in Japan will weigh the writer and educator’s many positive achievements against this scandal in his personal life.

In Europe—less so in America—politics and private affairs are usually kept separate. If a leader is competent, his or her romantic activities may be fair game for the press, but they don’t affect his or her capacity to hold or run for office. In almost all cases, it doesn’t work that way in Japan: being “clean” takes priority over being a strong, capable leader. In fact, this could be one reason that many voters, young or old, have a feeling of apathy when it comes to their politicians, and their political system.

By showing that it was possible to succeed in so many different fields, Ototake has made people reconsider what “possible” means when it comes to people with disabilities—and even in the wake of the scandal, continues to do so.

During our interview, perhaps with a sense of the storm that might be coming, he spoke of his dedication to his mission as well as his understanding of the risks and difficulties involved: “For me now, the most important thing is to be able to put my efforts towards a society in which anyone, regardless of what minority they belong to or what circumstances they might have been born into, will have the same chance as anyone else. But in Japan, there are many risks involved in running for office. You have to face a huge amount of criticism, it’s expensive, and it puts a burden on your family. It seems to be a position with absolutely no positives to it at all!

If I could achieve my goals without taking the political route, I think I would ... But if I do decide to enter as a candidate, I would do it with complete conviction and throw myself into the race with everything that I have.”

Considering what he has already achieved in 40 years, it seems like a great loss for Japan to be prevented from seeing what Ototake could do in politics were he given the chance.

A NEW CHOICE Shortly after our interview, news broke that may radically affect the public figure’s career. In a story that Ototake at an informal discussion on diversity issues held last month

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

By Matthew Hernon

In Japan, tens of thousands still succumb to the voices of loneliness and depression every year. But there are people and organizations that have made it their mission to reach out with open arms and open ears

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itting at the back of a bus bawling his eyes out, Kevin Hines was desperate for someone to turn around and ask him what was wrong. Just 19 at the time, he was on his way to the Golden Gate Bridge: the destination he’d chosen to end his own life.

“I didn’t want to die that day, but I suffered from chronic suicidal ideation,” he told Weekender during his recent visit to Japan. “I’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years earlier and the voices in my head telling me to die were overpowering. If anyone on the bus had spoken to me it could have made the difference. The only thing I heard was ‘what’s wrong with that guy?’”

He was still crying when he arrived at the bridge. “A lady came towards me and I thought this is what I’ve been waiting for: someone to hear my story. She then handed me her camera and asked if I’d take her picture.”

Moments later Hines jumped. It’s a 245-foot fall that fewer than 2 percent survive. According to the now 35 year old, it was a sea lion pushing him above the water, a lady phoning the Coast Guard, and some amazing doctors that saved him that day. The American says the moment he leapt, the only thought going through his head was one of regret—“Why am I doing this? I want to live.” He believes most people who take their own lives feel something similar when they are at the closest point to dying. Hines was given a second chance and is now in a much better place. Countless others around the globe aren’t so fortunate.

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SUICIDE PREVENTION | FEATURE | 19

While accurate statistics can be difficult to collate, the WHO estimates that around 800,000 people die due to suicide annually.

That’s roughly one every forty seconds. Here in Japan the National Police Agency recently announced that 23,971 people took their lives in 2015—an average of over 65 a day. The country has one of the highest suicide rates in the developed world; however, numbers have steadily been decreasing since 2003, when a record 34,427 reported suicides were tallied.

“The rates in Japan are still well above average and double that of America, but it is encouraging to see the drop in numbers,” says Hines. “Coming here talking to different people I can sense a change in attitude. Rather than just simply saying it is part of the samurai culture, people are now looking at things from a multi-dimensional viewpoint. Previously taboo topics like mental health and depression are being discussed more openly than before.

You also have amazing groups like Inochi no Denwa (Lifeline) and TELL helping individuals stabilize and letting them know they deserve to live.”

Inochi no Denwa was formed in 1971 by a German missionary named Ruth Hetcamp.

She’d previously been helping “women of the streets” before Japan’s anti-prostitution law came into effect and believed a telephone counseling service—similar to the one in her native homeland—would be a good way to reach out to those ladies. From the outset, though, it was about more than just targeting specific groups. Inochi no Denwa supported all kinds of people with problems ranging from loneliness to marriage difficulties. In 1973 a sister service for the foreign community, TELL, was launched. Reverend Yukio Saito—a prominent figure in both organizations for more than four decades—recently spoke to Weekender about his experiences with the organizations.

“One of the earliest incidents I had to deal with was a young girl who’d swallowed a number of pills,” he says. “Our volunteer who had spoken to her on the phone realized it was serious so she got in contact with me. I drove out in the middle of the night and found the lady lying on a bench barely alive. Fortunately there was a 24-hour clinic nearby which we took her to so she could have her stomach pumped. She managed to turn her life around after staying at one of our dormitories for two months. Not every story is so positive though.

I remember when the line was cut on one of the calls. We managed to trace it and got hold of the police but by the time they’d arrived the man had died. Sometimes you’re just too late.”

Reflecting on the past 45 years, there’s a mixture of pride and sadness in Saito’s voice.

Suicidal calls, he informs me, accounted for around 0.5 percent of the total calls received in the early 70s. Now it’s roughly 10 percent nationwide and 15 percent in Tokyo. “Of course Japan’s economic decline is one of the reasons for that, but I also think demographic and societal changes have played a big part,” he says. “Everyone seems much busier now, so there’s less time for humans to develop. Additionally the growth of nuclear families means there are fewer people for the younger generation to speak with when they have problems. Our services give them a chance to talk on the phone, face-to-face or in group sessions. The volunteers aren’t there to tell them what to do, but to listen to what they have to say.”

These conversations can save lives, yet sometimes it can take more than 20 attempts before a caller gets through. In the UK you have an organization like the Samaritans, which has over 20,000 volunteers receiving

The volunteers aren’t there to tell them what to do, but to listen to what they have to say roughly 5 million calls a year; compare that to Inochi no Denwa, a group with fewer than 300 volunteers taking in around 22,000 calls annually. Another issue is a lack of funds.

While raising capital for charitable organizations is tricky anywhere in the world, Saito believes it’s even harder here. Constant rejection won’t stop him though; the pastor continues visiting companies asking for aid despite being in his 80s. For decades he lobbied the government for financial support and in 2001 they finally relented.

There’s no doubt progress has been made in suicide prevention since the turn of

the century. The amount of money being invested has increased and as Hines mentioned it’s a topic that is now being discussed more candidly here. In 2007 “a counter-suicide white paper” was introduced. Initiatives included age-specific programs and improved treatment for people who had attempted to kill themselves. With suicide rates down, the charter does appear to be having an effect, but there’s a long way to go.

People with mental illnesses continue to be plagued by stigma and discrimination in this country, so many choose to keep their suffering to themselves. Those who do seek help are faced with a mental healthcare system that’s lagging behind most developed nations. Patients are afforded just a few minutes of consultation because there is an acute shortage of psychiatrists here.

Institutionalization for sufferers is more common in Japan than in other Western countries and at psychiatric wards there is an emphasis on high doses of anti-psychotic medication rather than therapy. On top of all that individuals who’ve attempted to take their own lives are often discharged from hospitals without being examined by a mental health professional.

These are some of the issues raised by Dr. Rene Duignan in his award-winning documentary “Saving 10,000: Winning a War on Suicide.” The Irish economist decided to make the film after a lonely neighbor had killed herself. She used to pop into his apartment for a chat but as visits became more regular he pretended not to be home.

At the end of the documentary he talks about the guilt he’s felt since her death, finishing with the poignant words—“It’s not up to the government to save us, blaming this or that. Sometimes all you need to save somebody’s live is to take the time to listen.

If we’re looking for the enemy on the war on suicide all we have to do is look in the mirror.”

These are sentiments that are understandably echoed by Kevin Hines. “People don’t really want to die or hurt others when they attempt to take their own lives,” he says. “Their brains aren’t functioning rationally. They’re going through hell and need someone to unleash that pain on. Just being there, lending an ear; that could be the difference between life and death. Suicide prevention is everybody’s business.”

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

By Matthew Hernon

Champion Natsumi Hoshi has already beaten back a disease that could have ruined her career. Now she’s preparing to swim for gold

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wimmer Natsumi Hoshi was just 16 when she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease. An autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland, it’s a debilitating illness that sapped her energy, weakened her muscles and turned a simple task like climbing the stairs into an arduous one.

For a young athlete with great potential it was a devastating blow, but rather than letting it get her down Hoshi fought back and within a year of the diagnosis had remarkably made the Japan team for the Beijing Olympics. Almost a decade later she is now a world champion in the 200 meter butterfly and goes to Rio this summer as one of her country’s top medal prospects.

Continuing our build up to the Games, Weekender recently met up with the 25 year old at the Japan Institute of Sports Science in Tokyo.

“My first interest in swimming came from watching my brother in the pool when I was two maybe,” she says with a smile. “At elementary school I didn’t win any big races or display real promise so my parents thought I’d eventually quit. I carried on, not because of an obvious talent, but because I loved the sport. That feeling grew even stronger after watching Ian Thorpe at the 2000 Sydney Olympics on TV and live at the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships in Yokohama.”

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Inspired by the Australian, Hoshi’s times improved. She won two inter-prefectural high school championships, but something wasn’t right. Increasingly fatigued, she found training was becoming more difficult. “I went to see the doctor and he informed me that I had Graves’ disease,” she tells us. “I thought I’d have to quit swimming. I was often out of breath and couldn’t do any intense training. The medication I was on wasn’t making much of a difference and I could only do light exercise like walking in the pool.”

After two months she was given different medicine. Despite side effects such as cramping and weight gain, it seemed to do the trick. She grew stronger and was soon back to her best. She finished second in the 200 meter butterfly at the 2008 National Championships, which earned her a place at the Beijing Games.

Considering she was still at high school and too exhausted to train a few months earlier, it was an incredible achievement just to be part of the Olympics, but Hoshi left China with regret.

“I underachieved,” she says. “I felt I could challenge, but I went out in the semis, which was bitterly disappointing. Although it was tough watching the final after that, it showed me the level I needed to be at, which gave me an extra desire to push on. I was determined not to be watching from the sidelines

Hoshi with her coach Norimasa Hirai at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan

Last time we didn’t manage any golds and that is something we must rectify this summer.

Hopefully I can contribute to that

again in four years’ time.”

She wasn’t. Hoshi powered through the qualifying rounds at the London Games and was seen as a potential dark horse in the final. After a slow start, though, her prospects didn’t look good. The Waseda University student was well off the pace at the 100 meter stage. She recovered some ground over the next 50 meters and then in the home straight surged past pre-race favorite Kathleen Hersey. China’s Jiao Liuyang and Spain’s Mireia Belmonte were just out of reach, but Hoshi had done enough to claim a bronze.

“It was a bittersweet feeling afterwards,” she says. “I know how hard it is to win a medal at the Olympics so I was obviously pleased, yet at the same time my goal in London was to bring back the gold.

I gave myself too much to do in the latter stages and that ultimately cost me.”

Hoshi once again left it late at last year’s World Championships in Kazan, Russia. Back in sixth place after the first lap, she slowly made up the ground before going in for the kill towards the end. “I felt in control throughout, but I was fortunate to win with a time of 2:05.56,” she says.

“Belmonte and the two Chinese girls (Jiao Liuyang and Liu Zige) were missing and they’ll be back for Rio so I know I need to go much faster.”

Confident, yet at the same time cautious about her chances in Brazil, Hoshi believes a new Olympic record may be required to take home the gold. She tells me preparations are going well and the lethargy that has troubled her at meets down the years is now less of a problem since she had an operation to remove her thyroid gland towards the end of 2014. It’s

helped to reduce stress levels, allowing her to focus more on swimming.

Around the time of the surgery she also began working with renowned coach Norimasa Hirai. He famously guided Kosuke Kitajima to double gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Prior to the Athens Games Brendan Hansen smashed the Japanese swimmer’s world record in the 100 meter breaststroke by 0.48 seconds and was seen as the favorite for the race. Hirai, however, felt the American had peaked too early and pushed his own pupil hard in the final weeks building up to the event—a time when most athletes are slowing down. The strategy paid off.

“It feels like there is some kind of magic in his words,” says Hoshi. “He’s really pinpoint in his advice and when you have a problem he seems to fix it. The way he helped me prepare for the Championships in Kazan was perfect.”

The coach isn’t the only influential person in Hoshi’s training sessions. She also gets inspiration from working with Kitajima and 2014 World Swimmer of the Year Kosuke Hagino. The three of them all contributed to Japan’s medal haul in London, which stood at 11. The question now is: can they improve on that in Rio? “I’m not sure,” says Hoshi. “To be honest while it’s great winning lots of medals, I think the type of medal is just as important. Last time we didn’t manage any golds and that is something we must rectify this summer.

Hopefully I can contribute to that.”

under the surface

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apan has won a total of 73 Olympic medals in swimming including 20 golds. Eleven of those victories have come in either the 100m or 200m breaststroke. Kosuke Kitajima is the country’s most decorated Olympic swimmer with four titles to his name, followed by Yoshiyuki Tsuruta who won two in the 200m breaststroke.

One of the country’s greatest successes was at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles, where they took home five golds in total. The last female to stand on top of the podium was Ai Shibata who won the 800m freestyle in 2004.

Looking ahead to Rio, Japan has a number of swimmers capable of adding to that golden list of 20. As well as Natsumi Hoshi, there are two other world champions on the squad: Kanako Watanabe won gold in the 200m breaststroke and Daiya Seto did the same in the 400m individual medley. The latter could face tougher opposition in Brazil: There’s a chance of both Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps making a return, as well as Kosuke Hagino who missed last year’s championships due to a broken elbow. Hagino is arguably Japan’s most exciting swimmer and is expected to compete in multiple events this summer. Rikako Ikee is another name to look out for. Still only 15, she’s already broken three national records in the 50m and 100m freestyle and the 100m butterfly.

Before thinking about Olympic glory, though, both she and Hagino will first have to get through the qualifying stages at this month’s National Championships. Hoshi, Watanabe and Seto have already booked their places in Rio following their victories in Kazan last spring.

GRAVES’ DISEASE Named after Irish doctor Robert J. Graves, it is an autoimmune illness in which the over activity of the thyroid gland causes the overproduction of thyroid hormones. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain and muscle weakness. The most famous Olympian to contract the disease was sprinter and hurdler Gail Devers who lost clumps of her hair, had skin falling off her face, and at times had to crawl between rooms at home during a two-year hiatus from the sport.

She made a glorious comeback winning gold in the 100m at the Barcelona Olympics.

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

Golden Week Getaways The weather is warming up and with Golden Week just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to plan a trip. Although it seems that almost every Japanese citizen—and their dog—is on the move over Golden Week, there are plenty of wonderful places around the archipelago where the crowds won’t be too much of a problem

by Louise George Kittaka

Mine, Yamaguchi: Akiyoshido Limestone Cave

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amaguchi Prefecture in the Chugoku region is off the average foreign tourist’s radar, but is home to the spectacular Akiyoshido Limestone Cave in Mine. The caves are around ten kilometers in length, one kilometer of which is open to the public. The route is equipped with elevators and isn’t difficult to traverse, making it suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. (Very small children, however, might find the underground experience unnerving.) You can view a range of curious and awe-inspiring vistas sculpted by Mother Nature herself along the way, and you may see some of the six types of bats that call the caves “home.” Other attractions in the Mine area include the Akiyoshidai Karst Observatory, located in a popular area for hiking and wonderful views, and Akiyoshidai Safariland, where you can get close up and personal with various animals.

Yoichi, Hokkaido: A Land of Wine & Whiskey

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nown for its lovely beaches, Yoichi is popular with surfers in the warmer months of the year. However, it is also a good choice for those who want to enjoy a touch of the gourmet life. It goes without saying that the area boasts fresh, delicious seafood, but it is also beginning to develop a reputation for wines, too. One winery and restaurant that comes recommended is The Occi Gabi (www.occigabi.net). They welcome visitors from elementary school age and up, and the owner speaks both English and German. Yoichi is also home to the Nikka Whiskey Distillery, famous as the origin of Japanese whiskey and, more recently, as the inspiration for the popular NHK “Massan” morning drama. Nikka founders Masataka Taketsuru and his Scottish wife Rita were the models for the characters in the series.

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com

Takachiho, Miyazaki: Spectacular Scenery and Shinto Mythology

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he dramatic geographical features of Takachiho in northwest Miyazaki Prefecture can make for an unforgettable Golden Week excursion. The Gokase River flows through the Takachiho Gorge, with steep cliffs on either side. Probably the best way to experience the natural beauty of the gorge is by renting a boat, with the 17-meter high Manai Falls being just one of the cascades to take in along the route. There are also walking trails, and Golden Week is prime time to view various species of flowers. Takachiho is also known as a cradle of Shinto, Japan’s native religion. There are a number of shrines to visit, and Takachiho Shrine hosts evening performances of Kagura—sacred dancing and music offered to the Shinto gods. Minpaku (homestays) can be arranged through the town office. Particularly welcoming to foreign overnight guests is Shonenji Temple, where British woman Victoria Yoshimura and her Japanese husband are the priests.

Tono and Kitakami, Iwate: Folklore in the North

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ost visitors to Iwate make a beeline for Hiraizumi, a World Heritage spot renowned for its historic monuments and gardens.

However, for something a little different, head over to the small town of Tono with its rich folkloric heritage. Chief within this tradition are legends about the kappa, mischievous Japanese “water sprites” that resemble something akin to a turtle, frog and bird all rolled into one. A few kilometers out of town is the picturesque Kappabuchi Pool, where you can try fishing for kappa with a cucumber (their favorite food), and chat to Kappa Ojisan, the local kappa expert. Don’t miss the Tono Folklore Village (Furusato no Mura), which has a wonderful collection of traditional buildings set up like a farming village. The first part of Golden Week is generally cherry blossom time in Iwate, and Tenshochi Park in the city of Kitakami is a top viewing spot. Located about 70 minutes from Tono, the park hosts parades and festival booths during the season, and is adjacent to the Michinoku Folklore Museum.

Wakayama: Koyasan and Stationmaster Cat

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he Koyasan (Mount Koya) area is a World Heritage site and has been a sacred spot for Japanese Buddhism since the monk Kukai set up residence there in 816. The centerpiece is Okunoin Cemetery, comprised of some 200,000 stone monuments set among a cedar forest. It is hard to sum up the atmosphere at Okunoin, but a combination of “spiritual, tranquil, ethereal and eerie” might cover it. Scores of other temples can be found in the vicinity, some of which offer lodgings to tourists and the chance to experience shojin ryori (vegetarian Buddhist cuisine) and meditation.

Less than an hour from this quintessential Japanese experience is another “only-in-Japan” attraction: Nitama, the Stationmaster Cat. Presiding over Kishi Station on the Kishikawa train line in Kinokawa, Nitama follows in the footsteps of her late predecessor, the “legendary” Tama.

The cat is credited for bringing the station back from the brink of financial ruin and tourists now flock to the area, which now celebrates all things feline.

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

By Greg Afman

Don’t be put off by the pint-sized space you’ve got on your apartment balcony: there’s still room to grow

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f you are anything like me, once the sakura buds begin to swell, it’s official: I have spring fever. During this period I feel compelled to reconnect and reintroduce nature into my balcony and apartment.

In my spring cleaning I come across a plethora of empty pots and half used bags of soil, all remnants of last spring’s overzealous buying sprees. I figure I can’t be the only one with this problem, seeing that most of us want more green in our lives and are restricted by the limited space of our balcony.

For most of us, the dream of having a lushly planted oasis for a balcony is soon blocked out by drying garments, but with a little planning you should be able to do both. Try these three ideas on for size:

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OPTION 1: AN EDIBLE GARDEN Who doesn’t like fresh veggies? I know, I can hear you saying it already: “I don’t have enough room to grow anything.” This is understandable, for the majority of us might be thinking back to the way that we or our parents grew vegetables back home.

Plants were laid out in long rows with space to walk between, in turn using a lot of real estate. Over the last five years or so Square Foot Gardening, or SFG, has gained popularity as one possible solution to address the difficulties of growing in an urban landscape. It’s a growing method that increases production and uses less space at the same time.

(See sidebar for details.)

OPTION 3: KOKEDAMA

OPTION 2: A GREEN CURTAIN. This is a great option for those who want to improve their view and also keep cool in summer.

A lot of gardens in Japan use shakkei (borrowed scenery), a technique of incorporating a background into the garden itself, but let’s face it, most of us don’t want to bring the views we can see from our balconies into our apartments.

I’m trying hard enough to keep the guy who’s smoking on the balcony across from me from watching TV with me! Green curtains work double duty, providing a creative way to screen

As much time as I’d like to be outdoors, I unfortunately spend a lot of my time indoors. The final suggestion in our trio of suggestions is kokedama (moss ball), which provides a great way to incorporate nature into our apartments in a way that feels very modern. If you are not familiar with kokedama it is a plant, of almost any variety, that is growing out from a sphere of peat and soil covered in moss.

The great thing about them is the fact that you can grow dozens on a balcony and rotate them in and out of your apartment depending upon your mood, whether the plant is in bloom, in its autumn glory, or whether you are having people over.

Kokedama have become very popular both inside and outside of Japan in the past few years and can be purchased anywhere from department stores to local “home centers” all across Tokyo. But we recommend making your own, as half the fun is in creating them. One excellent online resource for making kokedama is art-kokedama.com.

You can use almost any plant or tree you

Allow your balcony to be an extension of nature out unsightly views and also bring the refreshing sights and benefits of nature into your apartment. Many plants lend themselves to this type of growing arrangement, but two foolproof plants to start with are goya and morning glory. Morning glory comes in a wide range of varieties, and they were a very popular plant during the Edo period in Tokyo, and continue to be sold at flower festivals throughout the city to this day. No matter what you choose to grow as a green curtain, you will be blocking out the strong summer sunlight, helping to reduce the need for air conditioning—if not in reality, then at least psychologically. The items needed and actual setup for a green curtain are pretty straightforward and simple. Purchase a few windowsill type rectangular containers, fill them with potting mix and plant your seeds, or just plug your plants in them. Next you will need to have a structure or string for the plants to climb up.

I tend to buy a big ball of string and fashion my own tressal for the plants to climb up. All these supplies can be found at any DIY store. Tokyo is a great city to see some pretty impressive green curtains, so head out and get some inspiration.

fancy. Aloe, Japanese maple, succulents, English ivy—the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Also, you can really give your inner designer free rein with regards to showing off these moss spheres; you get to decide how they will be displayed because they don’t have pots. Anything from a small antique plate to a silver dish can be used. The possibilities are endless.

So as the days slowly get warmer and nature starts to give us signs of its rebirth, use this time to rethink your balcony’s role. Elevate it from its lowly status as strictly a place to dry your clothes! Allow your balcony to be an extension of nature. Go ahead, get your hands dirty and let’s blur the line between inside and out.

T

he basic principle is to divide your planting bed or containers into 1 x 1 foot (30 x 30 cm) squares and grow different plants in each of these squares. The “secret” that makes for the increased productivity has to do with the fact that you are planting using the “space after thinning” that is recommended on the back of the seed package, ignoring the “seed spacing” advice. What does this look like? Imagine you have a 2 x 2 foot (61 x 61 cm) container or 4 square feet (0.35 sq m) to play with. In 1 square you could plant 16 carrots or radishes, in another square 9 bunches of spinach, in another 4 lettuce or basil plants, and in the final square, 1 tomato plant.

The spacing the plant needs to grow will obviously dictate how many you can put in a square. If the plant requires 3 inches (7.6 cm) of spacing then you can have 16 plants, and 4 inches (10.1 cm) of spacing then 9 plants, and so on. Once you have your containers prepared, you can use string to mark out your squares, but anything will work. Then you are off and growing! The rest is easy; once a square is done producing, you pull the plant(s) out, mix in a little fresh compost and plant something new in its place. Just be warned: your friends may soon catch wind of your green thumb and come knocking on your door for your fresh salsa.

(For more information on SFG, squarefootgardening.org is a great resource) Greg Afman is the former lead horticulturist for one of the most prominent Japanese gardens in the US. He is now living and working as a gardener in the Nagoya area.

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

By Natalie Jacobsen

“Totem,” the third Cirque du Soleil show to come to Japan, is the company’s most ambitious production yet

I

t all starts with The Crystal Man. Glittering and curled up, he drops slowly from the ceiling. The 4,000 mirror pieces that make up his costume sparkle in the spotlight as he dips towards the stage. His commanding presence, hovering over the giant turtle carapace stage set, summons the “frog people” to rise from their slumber, bringing a spark into the show. With a beat of the drums, the fire catches, and life begins.

Cirque du Soleil’s “Totem” has been on tour for the last 6 years, traipsing around the planet to 30 cities in 12 countries, entertaining nearly 4 million. Much of the core cast has remained intact, with just a few performers in rotation. “Totem” is the third Cirque du Soleil show to appear in Japan (“Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” and “Zed” were its predecessors).

This is the second Cirque du Soleil show for creator Robert Lepage. Although it follows his prior “Ka” with its exploration of love and humanity, “Totem” is a “stand-alone performance.” Each time the show takes up residence in a new city, it is slightly reconstructed with local audiences in mind. “The music is adapted to please the [country’s] audience culturally,” Lepage explained in an earlier interview.

Left: OSA Images Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2010 Cirque du Soleil © 2015 Fuji Television Below: Matt Beard Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2014 Cirque du Soleil

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Though there is no set script in the show, one clown character, Valentino, defies the “body language only” rule—and while he babbles away in Italian for the most part, many zingers are in Japanese, inciting giggles from children.

One of the fundamental components of the Cirque du Soleil experience is their hallmark usage of the “Big Top” tents, harking back to days of rustic circuses on the outskirts of French cities. Their trademark yellow and blue tent is taken down and rebuilt in each place it travels to, with stadium seating and earthquake-proof framing. As if by magic, it looks far too small from the outside to hold all that the show entails, including an audience several hundred strong. The audience sits around the stage, atypical of stage performances. Said artistic director Neelanthi Vadivel of the theater layout: “It’s very intimate. The audience is close to the action, so it’s a beautiful experience.”

“Totem” follows the evolution of life, from the amphibian stage to a distant future. “[Lepage] really wanted it to jump back and forth through different time periods, different locations on the globe,” explains Vadivel.

“We’re trying to tell everybody’s story.”

Each of the dozen acts embodies a particular time and place, and highlights a different

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL | ART & CULTURE | 27 Photo: OSA Images Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2010 Cirque du Soleil

kind of performance skill. As the show progresses, each act seems to top the one before, continuing to expand the boundary of human ability, right up to the climax of the two-hour journey through the history of humankind. The breathtaking performances by the cast, including musicians, are all “disciplines you’ve never seen on a Cirque stage before,” proclaims publicist Francis Jalbert.

Technology plays a pivotal role in the production of “Totem.” The stage itself acts as a screen for an overhead video projection for Argentinean volcanoes, Icelandic waterfalls, and American marshes; synchronized performers “dive” into the screen, just as characters “swim” through the screen before crawling out of the stage, a stage that transforms from a turtle shell into a rocket halfway through. The music, lights, and in-air acts all harness high-tech, in what seems to be a nod towards how far we have come, and how much we have evolved, highlighted by the show’s final “cosmonaut” act that launches us towards the future.

The family-friendly show engages audiences even before the lights dim.

Clowns and a modern version of a “ringmaster” walk among the audience, throwing popcorn, teasing children with time-honored pocket gimmicks, and snapping photos. Drummers and “apes”

Photo: OSA Images Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2010 Cirque du Soleil

make their way into the crowd during the show, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat and getting everyone involved. At times, it’s hard to stay focused on just one character, for fear of missing out on what another is doing.

While unmistakably original in approach, much of the show pays homage to ancient myths and legends of Amerindians and tribes from all corners of the globe. The turtle-shaped centerpiece is acknowledgement of several civilizations’ symbol of origin. Each costume, too, embodies not any single group, but rather, incorporates motifs from several peoples and cultures, from Bollywood to South America. The inclusion plays to the theme that we all

“busy-ness” and colors and enormous set pieces. Unicyclists have carefully choreographed their balancing act, tossing soup bowls stacked on their heads onto their feet, one by one, before kicking them onto each others’ heads. Russian Bars performers leap high into the air, flipping multiple times before landing smoothly on 10-cm-wide beams. Yet, perhaps the most mesmerizing acts are the solos or duets: Trapeze artists who flip and spin high in the air, climbing over each other effortlessly, fearlessly. An exhilarating performance by two roller skaters upon a two-meter–wide drum, who act out a “wedding” in a captivating whirlwind.

The “Crystal Lady,” who can juggle four spinning rugs on her feet while lying down, the “Strong Man” who can balance on a single hand, without so much as a tremor, or the “Love Birds” who can dangle fifty feet in the air, the woman’s head cradled in the hand of the man who is hanging just by his knees—all acts are remarkable in the feats they achieve, each talent leaving the audience breathless and in suspension.

“Totem’s” music takes us through the past, the costumes dazzle us with cultural

We’re trying to tell everybody’s story. come from the same place, and have the same ambition: “to escape Earth’s gravity.” All of the music is inspired by, and includes sound bites from, Native American tribal music, Indian tunes, and Spanish flamenco melodies.

Considered to be the most ambitious Cirque du Soleil showcases to date, “Totem” journeys not just through time and lands, but talent. The 40-strong troupe is very much a family—literally. A younger performer, Nikita Moiseev (seen “flying” on the Russian Bars), is the son of Russian Bars coach Alexander Moiseev. Nikita was born while his parents were on tour with Cirque du Soleil’s “Alegria” twenty years ago, and has been in the circus since. “I’ve been performing for 13 years, and I was traveling for most of my life,” says Nikita. Fifty other family members join their partners, parents, and children around the world on tour, keeping in line with the tradition of old-fashioned images of traveling circuses.

The large-ensemble acts, involving monkeys, the Scientist, and “present day” man, are mesmerizing in their

traditions and colors, each act pushes the limits of human flexibility and strength, and the technology flies us into the future: evidence of evolution carries us through the show, right up to the final bow. The narrative and the backbone of “Totem” are the transcendence and importance of love, supporting one another, and continuing to grow—together, as humankind.

“Totem” will be on at Odaiba Big Top until June 26. See totem-jp.com for more details.

Photo: Matt Beard Costumes: Kym Barrett © 2014 Cirque du Soleil

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

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Martin Fluck, Kyoko Spector, Entertainment group “Lucky white person” at the opening party of Oakwood Premier Tokyo

Tokyo’s Longest Running

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t’s been five years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and found it depressing reading that there are still 180,000 victims of that great tragedy living as refugees and unable to resume a normal life. Thank God the Catholic Church and charity organizations like Caritas Japan continue to help so many people who have suffered so much.

I had the chance to visit the Tohoku region with Bill Ireton and his older son, Matthew a short time after it all happened. We drove up in a van full of baseball uniforms and equipment for several schools that had pretty much been destroyed. I took time to walk along the beach that was now miles of flattened homes and miles of mud. Still have vivid images of things like family photos, books, a tennis racket, clothing and many other personal things that belonged to those who lived there buried in the mud.

Caritas Japan, which is supported by the Catholic Church in Japan, has cooperated in reconstruction activities and continues to work closely with the local people. They are especially good with the children and elderly, who still face so many problems. If you have time and really want to help others, contact Caritas Japan at 03-5632-4439 or 03-5632-4411

Still on helping others, I heard a dear friend, Guy Laliberté sold his big and beautiful business the world famous Cirque du Soleil.

He’s done a lot of interesting and good things since he and another

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Society Page with Bill Hersey street performer made their dream come true by creating the fabulous circus. Guy’s a dynamic guy who does things like flying into orbit and here on Earth, gets involved in so many worthwhile charity projects. Just got an e-mail from him about the “One Night for One Drop” charity auction in Las Vegas. Guy founded the One Drop foundation in 2007 to provide access to safe water to the most disadvantaged regions of world. This is the 4th year they’ve done this, and the prizes include meeting and greeting celebrities, luxury travel and many other unique and interesting things, including Victoria Secret Fashion Show packages, and walk-on roles in movies. For information, contact info@ charitybuzz.com to help Guy keep up the good work.

One of Japan’s top restaurateurs Kozo Hasegawa, owns many restaurants here in Tokyo. These include Gonpachi, where visiting US Presidents always eat; Monsoon; La Boheme; Legato; and many other very busy chains. For quite some time now he’s been commuting from Japan to California on his latest project, which he describes as “an amazing mega restaurant.” He’ll soon open at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica—construction was just finished and it will open in May. I’m sure that’s going to be very special, as well as very busy.

Our congratulations to Kozo and his staff.

Seems like there’s so many crazy things happening in this old world of ours. When I say this to friends, most of them say it’s always been that way, but now with TV, mobile phones, and everything else,

PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 31

Diana Hudoyarova, Anna Shiga’s mom, Tatiana

Akihiro Nozaki, Super formula racer J.P. Yoon Eui Chun, Pirelli Tires Pres. Japan, Giovanni Ponzoni

Anna Danielsson, Birthday Girl Anna Shiga, Oksana Shimoda

Anna Shiga’s Birthday Party

Elizaveta and Tamerlan Abdikeev with their daughter Adelia

Tsukasa Shiga, his wife Anna, their daughter Anastasia

Maruyumas’ Chinese Dinner— Hilton’s Dynasty Luxembourg Amb. Beatrice Kirsch, Kuwaiti Amb. Abdul Al-Otaibi, Moroccan Amb. Samir Arrour, Iman Younes (Lebanon), Marlise Vahekeni, Lilo Maruyama

Waleed and Maali Siam, Mitsuo Maruyama, Angola Amb. Joào Vahekeni, his wife Marlise

Algerian Amb. Mohamed Bencheif, Moroccan Amb. Samir Arrour, Iman Younes, Kuwait Amb. Al-Otaibi

Birthday girl Sadako Nagano, Hisa Uemura, Lilo, Yasumine Araita (Djibouti)

Toshiko Yanai, Lilo, former Amb. to US Shunji Yanai, Shima-san

Samir Arrour, Khalid Al-Muslahi, Lina Chikada, Waleed Siam, Tania Tupou (Tonga) and Helge Maruyama

Lilo, Tsugahara-san, Yanai-san, Mutsuko Kato, Toni Matsubara, Akio Matsuzaki (father-in-law, PM Abe), Prime minister Abe’s mother Yoko, Mitsuo Maruyama Emiko Matsuzaki, Hisa Uemura

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32 | SOCIETY | PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES

Stanley Nakagawa, his wife Jane Yamano who runs Yamano Beauty, Oakwood’s Amy Kanashiro and Martin Fluck

Tekko Bldg. COO Soichiro Masuoka, Tekko GM Tetsuo Isono, Tokyo Midtown’s Yasuhiro Nakamura, Martin Fluck, Makiko Mori, Tekko Pres./CEO Yoshifumi Masuoka, Mitsui Fudosan’s Yasuhiro Tanaka

Oakwood’s Eric Ishimaru, Makiko Mori, Tetsuo Isono, Oakwood’s Miyako and Mika

Asian Tigers Nick Masse

Konishiki, fashion designer Shizuka Miura, Chie (Konishiki’s wife), textile designer Masumi Kawahara

Oakwood Premier Tokyo Opening Martin, Oakwood Asia Pacific’s Dean Schreiber, Michael Mrolzek (Okuno & Partners)

Nick Coyle (MSX Intl.), Mika Kume, Keren Meirs

In and Around

Dancers at last year’s Super Yosakoi

One of the entertainers at the Oakwood Premier opening

Producer Raymond Johnson and his daughter Liili

Super pop star Yoshiki of the band X-Japan after his recent concert and Bill

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com

Koichiro and Daniele Yoshikoshi and friends Eduardo and Senora Cardena visiting from Colombia at Nat’l Azabu

PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 33 we just see and hear about so much more than we used to. I’ve never been all that interested in politics but have really gotten hooked on CNN’s coverage of what’s happening on the American political scene now. Like so-o-o many, I’m not happy about Trump and find it difficult to understand how anyone could vote for him after all the things he says, his behavior, and his attitude in general. Many people I know from just about everywhere feel the same way. The German magazine Der Speigel has labeled him “The Most Dangerous Man in the World.” Former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright said the same thing when she was interviewed

by Christiane Amanpour on CNN. We all have heard “What we’ll do if he wins—we’ll put up a wall,” “Don’t let Muslims in,” and more.

A short time later, it’s “I love the Mexicans” “I love Texas.” “I love women and a real long list of other things” he loves. With his hair, his tons of makeup, and his attitude he does look a bit mental. In many of his appearances he reminds me of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and looks like an ageing, pouting 10 year-old spoiled kid.

I haven’t lived in the US for a long time, but have many great memories of growing up there and do love my country. I really hope and pray that things get better and my country finds solutions for the many problems many Americans are facing, and of course, I also really wish people of the world could learn to live with each other peacefully.

PEOPLE Had a long telephone conversation with former Tokyoite Maria Anderson who with her husband Ron, lives in New York now. Really happy to hear they’re making their annual trip here for the cherry blossoms and the Cherry Blossom Ball. They’ll arrive April 1 and stay until April 10, and are looking forward to seeing old friends.

Happy to see Mick Jagger’s ex-wife, Texas model Jerry Hall just married Rupert Murdock. I spent considerable time with Jerry when she was in Tokyo for modeling. One of my favorite photos is a black and white one I took of Jerry in a tight black dress, her long blonde hair flying when she was doing some lesbian looking dancing at the popular Lez club. She’s a fun and sharp lady. Hope she’s happy with her new man.

MARUYAMA CHINESE DINNER – HILTON’S DYNASTY Mitsuo Maruyama, his wife Lilo and their son Helge always go all out to make anything they do really special. It seems they’re always traveling, and have been named the most traveled family in the world by several travel organizations. When they’re in Japan their annual garden party at their beautiful home in Tochigi is one of the most legendary parties on the Tokyo social scene. In addition to that Lilo often hosts luncheons for her many int’l and Japanese friends.

This year their annual Chinese dinner at Hilton Tokyo’s Dynasty restaurant was bigger and better than ever. Special guests included Prime Minister Abe’s

mother, Yoko Abe as well as his in-laws, Akio and Emiko Matsuzaki (He’s with Morinaga Chocolate). Other members of the Tokyo glitterati included Hisako Uemura, whose husband Banjiro is the founder of the huge Tohokushinsha Company on Aoyama Dori and also owner of the popular National Azabu Supermarkets. These are well worth checking out. The variety of health foods that store manager Dale Toriumi has brought in from all over the world is really impressive.

As always, the Maruyamas’ get together was laid-back and fun.

Good friends at my table included Moroccan Ambassador Samir Arrour and Kuwaiti Ambassador Rahman Al-Otaibi. I was sitting between two really outgoing interesting ladies, Marlise Vahekeni, wife of Angola Ambassador Vahekeni and Luxembourg Ambassador Beatrice Kirsch. I knew Marlise through her help at my annual Children’s Christmas party, which we’ve been doing at the Hilton for 18 years. This was my first time to meet Beatrice and really enjoyed getting to know her. The ten-course dinner was excellent and it was, as always, a great, laid-back evening with a full house of good friends and good people.

CEREMONY BIRTHDAY FOR ANNA Ceremony President Tsukasa Shiga (who many of you know) hosted a birthday party in Roppongi Hills Club for his super Russian wife Anna recently. Guests were mostly former Russian and Ukrainian models and their very international Japanese husbands and many of their beautiful, energetic kids. The food at Roppongi Hills was excellent and it was a relaxing and interesting evening with a really nice guest list. Happy birthday Anna—and many more to come.

GRAND OPENING OF OAKWOOD PREMIERE TOKYO As a longtime fan of and frequent guest of many of their special events, I was sure that the opening of Oakwood Premier’s luxurious new serviced apartments, the 123-room Oakwood Premier Tokyo in Marunouchi would be very special. Located on the 6th to the 19th floor of the ultra modern Tekko Building, the serviced apartments offer all the amenities, services and facilities we have come to expect from Oakwood. As their brochure reads, it’s a sanctuary in a pulsating city. Guests at the cocktail reception were an interesting mix of Japanese and foreign VIPs.

After a short welcome speech by Oakwood Asia Pacific Ltd’s managing director Dean Schreiber, people there enjoyed the gourmet buffet, mixing with old friends, making new friends and enjoying the fun entertainment.

The New Oakwood Premier is just steps away from Tokyo Station. You should drop by and check it out. The panoramic view of Ginza from the reception area is really awesome. The invitation was unique and cool—a gold silhouette on a black card of Tokyo’s ever growing skyline. It’s one you want to keep or copy.

Male models Jeoren Teerlinch (Amsterdam) and Jack Mather

Segafredo Hiroo’s always helpful staffers Alessio Bonelli, Hiroyuki

(England) at Hiroo Segafredo

Watanabe, and Marco Anacleria

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

COMING TO A CINEMA NEAR YOU IN APRIL APR 22 THE REVENANT

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icking up an Academy Award for Best Director is quite an achievement: taking away the prize in two consecutive years puts the winner in a most exclusive circle.

Alejandro González Iñárritu is only the third man to hold such an honor and the first to do so in 65 years, thanks to “Birdman” followup “The Revenant.” The film also earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Best Actor Oscar after many years of trying. DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, a fur trapper in the wild Northern Plains of 1820s America. After being viciously attacked by a grizzly bear, the dying man is then abandoned and betrayed by the men left behind to see that his body was properly taken care of. What follows is an extraordinary (and true) story of survival as the seriously wounded Glass nurses himself back to health before setting out on a mission of vengeance against those men that callously left him to rot in a shallow grave. A film of staggering technical brilliance from a master of his craft, “The Revenant” offers brutal action set amidst a stunningly beautiful yet bitterly harsh environment.

APR 8

ROOM

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ndie drama “Room” took the world by storm, racking up multiple film prizes and making it all the way to the Academy Awards thanks to its deeply moving narrative. Young newcomer Jacob Tremblay wows as five-year-old Jack, a little boy who has lived his entire life inside a tiny room.

Jack’s mother Joy, an equally impressive Brie Larson, was captured seven years earlier and has been held captive ever since. Joy tries to create a happy life for her son but struggles to cope with her situation and the routine rapes from a man they call “Old Nick.” With living conditions growing worse, Joy decides it’s time to make a break for the outside, introducing her son to a world he didn’t believe existed.

Director Lenny Abrahamson infuses a film that could have been unbearably dark with the power of hope.

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com

LOWLIFE LOVE

APR 15

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etsuo is a lowlife, a scummy film director with one minor hit to his name who lures in women with promises of acting roles only to use them for sex. Unfortunately, at the lowest levels of the indie filmmaking scene he’s not the only scumbag around. Eiji Uchida, director of outstanding 2013 black-comedy “Greatful Dead,” populates his latest work with a lineup of sleazy producers, actors, agents and managers who’ll do anything to make it to the top. Now, with the help of a naïve young screenwriter and an innocent actress, Tetsuo might just be able to get his career back on track, if he can get his act together and rise above the sleazy world he inhabits.

APR 2

YOUTH

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talian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino provides the more thoughtful cinemagoer with a trip to the Swiss Alps in his latest work, “Youth.” Aging best friends Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel are guests at a luxurious hotel who spend their days lounging by the pool and reflecting on their lives and fading memories. One a successful film director and the other a renowned composer, their respective desire or apathy towards work drives the plot but it’s the traded words of these two acting heavyweights that provides the content. Encounters with the likes of Rachel Weisz, Jane Fonda and Paul Dano add further color to this beautifully shot film. “Youth” is Sorrentino’s second English language film and the follow up to his 2013 Academy Award winning effort “The Great Beauty.”

PREVIEWS | MOVIES | 35 APR 23

> BEST OF THE REST This Month’s Releases THE MOHICAN COMES HOME APRIL 8 Punk rocker Ryuhei Matsuda returns to his island hometown to find his estranged father on his last legs. The wayward son decides to hang around and reconnect with the dying man in this life-affirming comedy-drama.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

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fter last month’s clash between DC Comic titans Batman and Superman, Marvel’s own big screen heavyweights are getting in on the hero vs. hero action. Robert Downey Jr.’s wisecracking Iron Man often came into conflict with Chris Evans’ stoic man-out-of-time Captain America but they formed a friendship built on mutual respect and shared adventures. When yet another international incident occurs involving The Avengers, Cap must take a stand to protect his friend The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) from the fallout, and the Earth’s mightiest superheroes become split down the middle. The Falcon (Antony Mackie), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) line up behind Cap while Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Vision (Paul Bettany), War Machine (Don Cheadle) and newcomer The Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) stand with Iron Man. And is that a certain web-slinging wall-crawler I see swinging into action…?

APR 15

SPOTLIGHT

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potlight” was this month’s other big Oscar winner, sneaking in and taking away the coveted Best Picture Award from under the nose of its rivals. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast, the film tells the story of The Boston Globe newspaper’s “Spotlight” investigative journalism team as they tackle allegations of child sex abuse within the Catholic Church. Going up against Boston’s legal, religious and political leaders, the team risks everything to expose a decades old cover-up. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Brian d’Arcy James and Liev Schreiber are the team members in a film quite rightly hailed as one of the best of the year. While the “Spotlight” film team took away a Best Picture Award, the real group of journalists earned themselves a Pulitzer Prize for their groundbreaking work.

COP CAR APRIL 8 This throwback action-thriller sees Kevin Bacon as a county sheriff on the trail of two young boys who have taken an abandoned cop car for a joyride into a world of trouble.

AYASHII KANOJO APRIL 1 Japanese remake of Korean smash hit “Miss Granny,” in which a cantankerous grandmother magically regains the body of her twentysomething self for a second shot at life, love, and happiness in this joyous comedy-drama.

SICARIO APRIL 8 Intense thriller as Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro set out on a clandestine mission in the dangerous US/Mexico border area to tackle the war on drugs.

LOVE APRIL 1 Provocateur Gasper Noé follows up Tokyo-set “Enter the Void” with another kaleidoscopic, sexfueled drama.

ZOOTOPIA APRIL 23 A cast of some of Hollywood’s finest provides the voices for this Disney animation caper that tells the story of hijinks in a city populated entirely by nonhuman mammals.

This month’s movie previews were written by Christopher O’Keeffe. For more movie news and reviews visit www.tokyoweekender.com

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

AGENDA 1

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3

4 6

7

8

5

AGENDA: THE WEEKENDER ROUNDUP OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN APRIL 2 APR 15-24

1 APR 13-19

3 APR 28

4 APR 17

Eric Clapton

Tokyo Beer Week

We Love 80’s Disco

Sadistic Circus Spring

His anticipated retirement

Tokyo bars are partici-

Grand Hyatt Tokyo will

The bizarre, kinky, fetish show

from a decades-long music

pating in the annual beer

host its second annual

will showcase local and inter-

career is just around the corner, and

festival: expect to find a variety of

80s-themed disco event, “We Love

national talent, performing musically, and

Old Slowhand will be gracing the stage

rare flavors from microbreweries

80’s Disco,” transforming the hotel’s

more. This show has been running for 14

at Budokan for a whole week before

around the country at this week-

Roppongi location into an internation-

years—time to see what it’s all about.

he takes his final bow.

long festival.

al dance scene.

Where: Beer Lion Hall, Ginza

Where: Budokan How much: ¥12,000-13,500

Where: Various bars in Tokyo How much:

Where: Grand Hyatt, Minato-ku How much:

How much: ¥13,000

More info: tokyoweekender.com

Depends More info: www.beerweek.jp

¥13,000 More info: tokyoweekender.com

More info: tokyoweekender.com

5 APR 23-24

6 APR 28-30

7 APR 1-24

8 APR 2 - MAY 14

Earth Day Tokyo

40th Japan Hobby

Saikyo Ramen Festival

Graciela Iturbide

Groups of NPOs will

Show Stroll through

Forty Japanese ramen shops

The famed Mexican pho-

be poised in Shibuya

a maze of booths and

will be collaborating for the

tographer and filmmaker

Ward’s largest park over the week-

displays featuring hobbyists’ creations,

month of April, assembling at Shibahi-

is bringing her traveling exhibition

end, celebrating all things eco. The

from painting and sewing to confec-

ro Park to tempt taste buds with their

to Tokyo. Take a photographic and

space will be brimming with booths,

tioneries, and maybe discover a new

specialty ramen. Shops will rotate

cinematic journey into the psychology of

concerts, contests, and more!

hobby for yourself…

every few days.

crossing the border.

Where: Yoyogi Park, Shibuya How much:

Where: Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall How

Where: Nakamachi, Machida How much:

Where: Taka Ishii Gallery How much: Free

Free More info: www.earthday-tokyo.org

much: ¥1,000~ More info: www.hobby.or.jp

Free More info: tokyoweekender.com

More info: tokyoweekender.com

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com

APRIL

APRIL | AGENDA | 37

9

10

11

12

9 APR 4-6

10 APR 8-10 Bob Dylan

Asakusa Festivals

The great American

Asakusa will celebrate

bard is in Tokyo for a

spring with a floral fes-

multi-night set of performances. Get

tival, a procession of women dressed

your hands on a ticket while you

as Edo period courtesans, and a white

have the chance!

heron dance festival.

Where: Bunkamura Orchard Hall,

Where: Sensoji Temple, Asakusa

Dogenzaka How much: ¼13,000–25,000

How much: Free

More info: tokyoweekender.com

More info: tokyoweekender.com

11 APR 16

12 APR 16-17

Yabusame (Horseback

Motor Sport Japan Festival

Archery Festival)

One of the largest shows of its

Cheer on Asakusa School

kind in Japan. You can expect

of Yabusame students as they aim to

a big turnout to see race tuned and

hit three simultaneous targets while

tricked out cars on display. Meet and

racing on horseback, a tradition that

greet racers, get photos, and check out

dates back to the Edo period.

some hardcore drifting.

Where: Sumida Park, Taito-ku How much:

Where: Odaiba How much: Free

Free More info: tokyoweekender.com

More info: tokyoweekender.com

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016

BACK IN THE DAY: APRIL 1974 Check out the scene in Tokyo from 1974! You can read the rest of this issue (No.16 1974) and view Weekender’s 45-year archive online. www.tokyoweekender.com/ weekender-archives/