The ima g e Japan has of being obsesse d with advanced technolog y no doubt has something to do with the proliferation of vending machines that are a lmost omnipresent throughout the country The relationship people have with machines is clearly influenced by the fact the y are used on a daily basis to buy essentials such a drinks and often also food. Japanese companies are expanding their research and making many innovations in the vending machine market and it goes without saying that such dynamism is important in these difficult economic times, when Japan needs to shore up its industry in an attempt to move forward The scientist Rekimoto Jun has been working on a machine that dispenses only when it is smiled at Vending machines provide an interesting field of research with many different aspects
THE EDITORIAL TEAM info@zoomjapan info
Two years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident, the Japanese are more willing than ever to end Japan’s dependence to nuclear power This was revealed in a poll published by the Asahi Shimbun in which 71% of Japanese express a strong anti-nuclear conviction.
I N THE EYE OF Eric Rechsteiner
Japan from the train
Life seems to have suddenly stopped two years ago around
way track was still very busy just two years ago
prefecture) cuts across the 20-kilometre wide exclusion zone
ECONOMY China: dreamland no more
The tense relations between Beijing and Tokyo, related in part to the dispute over the Senkaku islands, have weighed strongly on Japanese investment in China. It has decreased by 20% in Januar y 2013 when compared to the same period a year earlier. According to Japanese sources this figure will not be improving over the next few months.
ECONOMY The commercial deficit continues to increase
With a deficit of 1,629.4 billion yen (approximately 11 billion GBP) as of this January when the most recent figures were published, the Japanese commercial balance scored its worst ever result since 1979 This can be explained by the rise in energy imports since 2011 and a lowrated yen that continues to outbid imports.
Fukushima’s damaged nuclear power plant This rail-
The Joban line between Nippori (Tokyo) and Iwanuma (Miyagi
POLITICS Abe Shinzo plays
It will not take long for the new Prime Minister to put his revolutionary revival plan into action.
As the undispute d winner of the much- anticipated general elections that took place last D e c e m b e r, t h e L i b e r a l D e m o c r a t Pa r t y (LDP) with Abe Shinzo at its head , wa s quick to announce that i t wo u l d cra c k th e wh ip in a countr y that has now been m i re d i n d o u b t f o r o ver t w o decades When the Democrat Par t y won the ele ctions with flying colours in 2009 it failed t o d o w h a t t h e L D P i s n o w putting into action, an econom i c pro g ram c omm on l y ca lled Abenomics. Aware that the
c o untr y ' s p ri o ri t y i s th e e c onomy, the ne w Prime Min is-
t e r h a s d e c i d e d t o l a un c h a bold re vival plan that is being ke en l y watc h e d a s an e xp erim e n t f r o m m a ny We s t e r n countries Japan went throug h the same torments a s Europ e did in the 90s, with the financia l bubble bursting and rava g ing the Japanese e conomy Facing a blockage, the countr y entered a deflationist spira l that has proven hard to escape This is also why the new political leader has unfolded strongarm tactics, with an ambitious plan to b e finance d by the deficit. When se en from Europ e where aust e r i t y, b u d g e t c u t
words, th is attempt ha s trig g ere d a lot of curiosit y It m ig ht b e the next step to ta ke for the o ld c ontin ent i f austeri t y pro ve s to b e n o g o o d In ord er to succe e d, Abe Shinzo has set a triple obje ctive to the Bank of Japan : restarting inflation, financing public expenses with the mone y machine and lowering the s
No
In its February 12th edition, Newsweek Japan was calling for a do over of the country
1 5 % i n t h e pace of a few days but Tokyo’s to ck exchang e ha s a lso re g a i-
e d s o m e o f t h e c o n f i d e n c e hat it had lost over the past few ears. The question is : will this u
mists re ca ll this kind of action e ing su c c e ss f u l l y imp l em ened in the 30s and insist that the apanese economic foundations ren ’ t that bad The pessimists
o c u s o n t h e a r c h i p e l a g o ’ s ecord-breaking debt However his doesn’t se em to affe ct Abe h i n z o , w h o w a n t s t o a c t q u i c k l y T h e L P D i s n ’ t i n a majority at the Senate, but new elections will be taking place in July and he will have to win them . For that to happen he needs to prove that he is doing the right thing on the economic front The Japanese are already showing gratitude according to a poll in the Asahi Shimb un ( 1 6 th- 1 7 th Fe b) in wh i c h 6 2 % o f th em g rant him their trust. Just a month ago this fig ure was only 54% GABRIEL BERNARD
TRENDS Vending Machines are putting up a fight
They are ever y where. From the nor th to the south, on top of Mount Fuji or under the sea and they are in ser vice around the clock , adapting to evolving technologies and the changing habits of consumers.
There are three elements in the Japanese landscape that can be found all over the countr y : the train, Buddhist temples or Shinto sanctuaries and vending machines ( jidohanbaiki) With a distribution of one for ever y 24 people and close to 5.1 million units spread a ll over the archipelago, there are more vending machines in Japan than in any other countr y It is no exaggeration to say the y are to b e found e ver y where, with machines on top of mount Fuji at a height of 3,776 meters as well as at 145 meters below sea level in Yoshioka Kaitei station situated in the Sei-
In the event of an earthquake, some machines give away their contents for free.
kan tunnel, which connects the islands of Honshû and Hokkaido There is a vending machine at the northernmost tip of Japan on cape Soya in Wakkanai, Hokkaido, as well as on Okinawa’s southernmost occupied island, Hateruma. It’s hard to travel in Japan without taking a train but it’s completely impossible not to come across vending machines, whether they sell drinks, cigarettes, or umbrellas Supermarkets that now open 24/7 could have endangered their existence but vending machines are thick skinned and are far from ready to give ground A friend recently pointed out that bet-
In Tokyo, such streets are common
ween his house and the station, just 600 meters away, there are 47 different dispensers He can get rice, batteries, tobacco, fruit, ice cream or condoms The number is surprising but it reveals a way of life in which relating to a machine is as normal as buying from a sa les p erson . In a countr y with ver y l ittle ava ilable sp a c e , th e s e ma c h in e s ensure an i d e a l s er vi c e that takes up ver y little room They are also beneficial for retailers as another not insignificant source of income. In short, ever ybody benefits from them All the more since vandalism is not customar y in Japan. They are too useful to be targ eted by thug s, althoug h it does happ en from time to time The Jap anese aren ’ t a l l ang els, and , there are e ven d isp ensers that provide g oods forbidden for minors To pre vent those who are under ag e ( in Japan, the leg al ag e for smoking is 20) from buying cig arettes from disp ensers (a problem that was quite common in the past), the authorities and the industr y have create d mach ines that require a card to prove one ’ s age Just because they’re automatic, it doesn’t mean they’re stupid.
All these machines are subject to technological developments to keep people using them Some time ago, Coca Cola Japan placed drinks machines in some areas with Internet access where people could use their mobile phones to connect to them to find out about local events such as concerts and other activities Of course, it was set up so customers had to buy something before accessing any information. Even better, Sanden, in partnership with Okaya Electronics, has created an intelligent dispenser capable of identif ying whether the customer is a man or a woman, young or old and then offering them appropriate products Its large touch screen is animated, which contributes to making the experience both fun and practical, and bodes well for its success On the practical side, the machine can also give vital information about the local area in emergenc y situations, such as after earthquakes On its website, Coca Cola Japan a lso reminds p e ople that most of its machines are connected to a national network that not only allows them to keep track of how many drinks are still available but also allows them to respond if there are any problems The company makes a point of the fact that in the event of a serious disaster (such as the Noto peninsula’s earthquake in 2007 and after the disasters of the 11th of March 2011) it ensures the free distribution of drinks from its vending machines In 2011, the brand’s 400 dispensers that remaine d in ser vice in the reg ion hit by the ear thqua ke g ave away over 88,000 cans The famous drink company understands the importance of good communications in relation to its machines In November 2012, while a national debate about the future of the countr y ’ s energ y production was taking place, the brand announced it would start installing machines with lower energ y consumption and since the beginning of January these machines have been consuming 10% less energ y on average than the previous generation of dispensers. It’s great publicity but it’s also a civic gesture from a brand that owns
980,000 vending machines throug hout the countr y and occupies the leading position in the market, with its 40% share You can distinguish a new dispenser from an old one by the polar bear on its front and sides. In other words, the conscientious customer will be more inclined to buy from Coca Cola than from others. It is important for the owners and manufacturers of vending machines to keep a close eye on the market though, as they have been generating progressively less and less income over the past few years In 2000 there were 5 6 million of them in ser vice throug hout the archipe-
lag o, 9% more than in 2012, and during this period, turnover g enerated by these machines has decreased by 25% The manufacturers need to adapt to changes in consumer habits. Sweet drinks (42.2% of machines) are d e cre a s ing in p op u lari t y an d p e op l e are e ating more fruit than previously. That is why machines selling bananas and apples are now replacing those that were full of fizzy drinks And rest assured, despite the drop in numb ers, jido hanb a iki are stil l ver y much part of the Japanese landscape
ODAIRA NAMIHEI
Fermented soya flavoured with Korean "kimchi"
A drinks vending machine in Shirogane, Tokyo
HISTORY Once upon a time, there were machines…
The countr y ’ s modernisation at the end of the 19th centur y coincided with the introduction of the first vending machines. Since then, they have become a ver y important part of ever yday life.
The first vending machine in Japan dates from 1876 when Ueno Park in Tokyo was opened to the public. An article published on the 19th of March in that year, in the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun, the precursor of Mainichi Shimbun, recounted how visitors could buy their newspaper from a machine for 3 sen (100 sen = 1 yen) Although it was still a curiosity for the people of Tokyo at the time, that machine marked the start of a long love affair between the Japanese and their vending machines These progressively became part of ever yday life, without their presence ever being called into question The oldest machine still in working order dates back to 1904. It dispenses stamps and p ost cards and wa s made by Tawaraya Takashichi who went on to create many others throughout his life The spread of these dispensers was also due to the development of the railway system in the archipelago. The railway companies were quick to realise how useful those machines would be in their stations to facilitate ticket sales In 1911, the first automated ticket machine of its kind was installed in Osaka's Umeda station, at the time the joint most important station in the countr y alongside Tokyo's Shinbashi. A little more than a centur y later, underground stations and railway stations are all equipped with increasingly more sophisticated machines
Reduced price ticket machines offering a 17% discount were recently installed along the Hokuso line run by Keisei railways, whose high ticket prices have previously been the cause of much passenger dissatisfaction Due to their success, it should not be too long before others appear However, it is the dispensing of drinks that ha s b e c ome the essentia l use for Jap an ' s vend ing machines Before fizzy drinks, sake was the first drink to benefit from this innovation What seems to have been the first sake dispenser was discovered in 1987 in Ninohe, in the north east of the countr y Since its conception sometime between 1910 and 1920, this machine’s offspring have now multiplied to number some 2.5 million automatic drink dispensers throughout the archipelago O. N.
cold drinks, umbrellas,
providing extra sources o
machines allow retailers
of products
CULTURE
BOOK Entertainment made in Japan
Taking the name of the hotspring resort town in which it was founded in 1914, the Takarazuka Revue is a kaleidoscopic experience, both in terms of its theatricality and visual characteristics. This excellent book presents a detailed analysis of the Takarazuka Revue Troupe’s history, educational traditions and theatrical ethos viewed through the prism of Japan’s modernization and globalization in the twentieth century. The Takarazuka troupe are unique as an all female performance group and
they have a great appeal among female audiences in Japan. The study also includes an in-depth
THEATRE Amazing Japanese
SIRO-A is an exciting six-strong per formance group from Sendai in the northeast of Japan. Often described as Japan’s answer to the Blue Man Group, the band per fectly fuses modern technology with mime and movement, all set to a pulsating electro beat mixed live ever y night. Their visually stunning show per formed in front of 30,000 people at the Shanghai Expo, has wowed TED.com audiences in Tokyo and won Mer vyn Stutter’s “Spirit of the Fringe” award at the Edinburgh Festival in 2011. They are now in London to per form for you.
analysis of the troupe's continuing success, their daily lives and the wider social impact they have had from various cultural and social perspectives. It’s a beautiful analysis of Japanese society that maintains a strong interest in popular culture Although not as well known as manga in the Western world, the Takarazuka Revue persists in being an important Japanese cultural phenomenon.
Reference : Makiko Yamanashi, Histor y of the Takarazuka Revue
Since 1914, Global Oriental, £75 51
Event Information:
The show runs until the 22nd of April Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London Tel. 08448 733 433
T HIS MONTH’S EVENT
DVD
Journey to Agartha is a real gem
Shinkai Makoto’s third feature film is a work of art that should not missed and is at its best when viewed on a very large screen In his previous films (Beyond the Clouds, The Promised Place, 5 Centimeters Per Second), the director has already demonstrated his skills with the originality of his stories and his mastery of animation techniques that rank alongside the best in the profession With Journey To Agartha, he reaches a new level, attaining the quality of films produced by Miyazaki Hayao and Studio Ghibli In fact, he admits that they have had an influence on him “I believe that Journey to Agartha was very much influenced by the Ghibli style,” he said in an interview published in Japan “Studio Ghibli’s recent productions have a strong impact on animation producers It’s a name ever ybody knows in Japan. So it’s hard to escape that influence, whether consciously or subconsciously I should add that there are bits and pieces in this film that clearly recall some of the work produced in the Ghibli studios and that’s how I wanted it” It’s this homage that, without doubt, gives Journey To Agartha its universal appeal, which his previous work did not have despite its great technical quality Since her father died, young Asuna has been living with her mother, who is often away so she spends a lot of time in the hills near to her home where she meets a young man One day, he saves her from a monster and before disappearing, he invites her to come to Agartha, a subterranean world where gods are said to live With help from one of her teachers, who has lost his wife himself, Asuna goes hunting for this forgotten world where she hopes to find the answers to her solitude She needs to make up for all the absences in her life – her father’s as well as the boy who saved her – and to understand that losing loved ones is part of the cycle of life Shinkai Makoto leads us into this moving story with strong characters who are easy to identify with It all takes place in a heavenly setting to which this director holds the secret Don’t deprive yourself of this film
ODAIRA NAMIHEI
Journey To Agartha, Manga Entertainement, £15 (DVD) and £18 (Blu-ray)
EXHIBITION Two years on, let’s remember
The Asahi Shimbun, the second most widely sold newspaper in Japan, publishes deeply moving photos relating to the earthquake on the 11th of March 2011.
The hills, the valleys, the headlands and the sea are landscapes that are just as touching as human lives; amidst the hectic nature and the deadly phantasmagoria, the unbridled flight of irreversible time towards infinity is easier to observe. Everything dies and is reborn faster Death is more menacing than in the Western world. Here, the thinking reed is fragile and if it were to think too much it might be scared of it own frailty” These are the words that journalist Ludovic Naudeau used to describe Japan’s temperamental nature and to evoke “the bravery of the Japanese” in his book entitled Modern Japan that dates back to 1909. The man who covered the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 “fell under the charm” of the Japanese whose courage impressed him. He considered, as did the British historian Henr y Thomas Buckle, that men ’ s behaviour was the result of a collision between two sets of phenomena : what happens inside them, internal phenomena ; and what happens around them; external phenomena Thus, the violence of some of the natural phenomena in the archipela g o contribute d to making the Japan e s e p op u lati on brave an d cap a b l e o f stan d ing up to calamit y That capacit y to face up to misfortune fascinated the French reporter just over a centur y ago, and it c ontinues to affe ct the m inds of j ourna l ists worldwide, especially those who covered the earthquake of 11 March 2011.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE PRESS PHOTO EXHIBITION, Gallery@oxo, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, Bankside, London SE1 9PH
5 – 17 March - open daily between 11am and 6pm
Among the first to arrive on the scene were Asahi Shimbun’s journa lists. Just like a ll its fellow newspapers, Japan’s second daily newspaper (with 10 million issues sold ever y day) dedicated a considerable amount of space to what happened on that day at 2:46 pm The pictures taken in various cities on the northeast coast (Kamaishi, Ofunato, Miyako, Rikuzentaka, Minami Sanriku and Ish inoma ki ) de eply move d the whole countr y. Two years after this trag ic event, an exhibition is currently being held in London with a selection of pictures for the public to remember and understand the immensity of the reconstruction In 1923, a few days af ter an ear thqua ke de va state d a hug e p ar t of Tokyo, the French author Paul Claudel, then the French ambassador in Japan, wrote in his journal : “A humble
and tenacious people is already at work reconstructing. They each come with a pickaxe, a basket, a handful of rice, a plank, a piece of cloth, a sheet of zinc, and on all sides small shelters rise up, as fragile as silkworm cocoons ” Until the 17th of March, visitors can discover the realit y of an unprecedented natural disaster
The pictures are beautiful, despite the nightmare they recall They encourage reflection on our frag ile existence. Yet one may b e entitle d to question why the Mitsubishi Corporation has organized this exhibition
It’s as if the company were tr ying to reg ain its g ood conscience The Asahi Shimbun could have org anized this all by itself Nevertheless, none of these pictures will leave you indifferent.
GABRIEL BERNARD
A young girl and her trumpet amidst the debris
CULTURE
ZINES Revolution Will Be Photocopied
Before being published in widely distributed magazines, many work their magic in alternative publications.
In the age of blogs and electronic communication, Japan se ems to b e one of the fe w c ountries lef t where people consistently enjoy reading printed media and such independent events as the Tokyo Art Book Fair are visited every year by thousands of young enthusiasts.
A small but fascinating niche is represented by zines – cheap, self-published booklets with a tiny print run (100-200 copies), generally photocopied and created either in the classic cut-and-paste style typical of the DIY philosophy or with the help of a computer. Zines belong to a parallel editorial world and are usually traded with friends or sold by mail or at independent festivals In Japan in particular, the zine scene is very small and mostly flies undetected under the radar of mainstream culture. The only notable exception are dojinshi or underg round com ics that t ypica l ly ta ke characters from established publications or famous novels and movies and place them in new stories, alternative relationships or parallel worlds Some of them are so popular that they sell thousands of copies. They clearly infringe copyright laws but the publishers seldom sue them because they ultimately play an important role in creating a faithful fan base 35-year-old Narita Keisuke (see inter view) is the leading figure of the local zine scene For years he has been promoting a DIY lifestyle through his “infoshop” Irregular Rhythm Asylum (IRA) and the Zinester Gatherings he periodically organizes in Tokyo His Expansion of Life zine explores such themes as veganism, feminism and queer identity While Narita comes from the older angura (underground) scene, the new generation is represented by people like Nakano Nami. Her comics (such as the ironically title d Romantic Friendship) have
Jasmine Zine and Expansion of Life are amongst the most popular in the country's underground scene
nothing to do with the cute manga that are so popular abroad Her erotic stories often feature lewd dialogue and are closer in spirit to the old Garo magazine or American comics As Nakano explains, “Rather than trying to shock my readers, I only want to say that we should live more spontaneously, without hiding behind a mask” As in other countries, current Japanese zines are ideologically connected to the punk scene or the countercultural spirit of the 1960s and often focus on music and alternative lifest yles Currently the best-known music zine is probably El Zine, which covers both the international and local punk/hardcore scene and whose fame has crossed the national borders. Women are well represented and they often contra-
dict the stereot ypical imag e of the demure Japanese female Women like Yayoi for instance who, published Catch That Beat ! b et we en 1996 and 2002. “Apar t from inter viewing my favorite bands, like Le Tigre,” she says, “ or p e op le l ike sex shop owner Kita hara Minori, I wanted to share with my readers our ideas ab out sexua l it y and p o l itics I wa s of ten criticize d for being a feminist”.
Now 35, Yayoi is an office worker and ha s exchang ed her t-shirts and jeans for a business suit, but has not forg otten the Riot Grrrl’s philosophy Her messa g e ha s b e en followe d by p e ople like Kanatin and Yumeko who put together the NAMAE zine. Their mission is to “sail the seas of love and joy with the help
of a map of the imagination”. Less politically committe d than Yayoi, the dynamic duo b ehind NA M A E write in a “ pop & cute ” style of their invention which often borders onto nonsense. Yet they present different sides of alternative culture both in Japan and in other East Asian countries.
Popdrome Ser vice is another Tokyo-based group with an eclectic spirit Their photocopied zines (Carson Zine, Kathy Zine, R omang etic Island ) m ix pun k , comics and children’s illustrations while displaying a h ig h ly subj e ctive vision, wh ich transc ends so cia l conventions
The world of alternative fashion is featured in a num-
I NTERVIEW
ber of zines that approach this subject in different ways. While Cantera prefers the cute side and Jasmine Zine features elegant black and white pictures that are closer to ma instream publications, other zines lo ok at fashion from an alternative, lefty perspective A typica l example is Natura lo Punk , which cla ims to feature “fashion for ever ybody” and displays a somewhat rougher approach to the typical trends of what is usually called “ street fashion” that in Japan has a long tradition. A growing trend is represented by art zines – hig her quality booklets that are usually printed in colour on good quality paper and are comparatively more expensive Works like Miyazaki Chie’s Watermelon Zine
can be found more easily in art bookstores and g alleries than at DIY distributors like Narita’s IR A and unlike other independent publications, they are often just a way of advertising one ’ s own work outside the mainstream network That’s why they are often dismissed by the more hardcore side of the DIY scene as something that has nothing to do with the underground, rather a way of getting access to the commercial art circuit. An interesting exception is a free photo zine called Doo Fanzine by Osaka-born artist Terasawa Dougen. Its first issue focuses on graffiti art and falls into the local tradition of what the author calls “ street snapping ” GIANNI SIMONE
Narita Daisuke, The Godfather of Japanese Zines
People say that your main weapons are a photocopier and a sewing machine
Narita Daisuke : They are right (laughs) You see, I graduated from fashion school So on Thursdays we have a clothes-making circle And the motto is to let your creativity fly!
Like many people involved in the DIY community, you started with music.
N D : Yes, about twenty years ago I was i n t o p u n k I c o u l d n ’t p l a y a n y i n s t r uments so I looked for different ways of e x p r e s s i n g m y d i s s e n t r e g a r d i n g s u c h things as war, politics and mainstream media I started a self-publishing project called U-Do-Sha through which I made a tribute to the anarco-punk band CRASS and a couple of photo guides devoted respectively to New York and Berlin My latest zine, Tongue Confuzine, is a surreal phrasebook featuring multi-lingual translations of such “useful phrases” as “ H e l p ! T h e p o l i c e i s c h a s i n g m e ! ” a n d “ A r e y o u o p e n t o n e w e x p e r i e n c e s ? ” Then I started a distro (mail order cata-
logue) through which I began to trade and distribute my own and other people’s zines and music
In 2004 you opened Irregular Rhythm Asylum (IRA) Can you tell me something about this so-called “infoshop”?
N. D. : For several years we were in the red Recently we have reached a point in which the stuff we sell through the shop a n d d i s
trade, so I don’t have to worry about the fi n a n c i a l s i d e o f r u n n i n g I R A , b u t honestly, I don’t care about money What I want to support is people’s autonomy and creativity, not the market, and I feel that the alternative scene is finally growing in Japan too The best thing about IRA is that it has become a meeting place for all those people who for some reason refuse the social and cultural status quo We are also reaching out to zine makers and other creative types abroad
What can people find at IRA?
N . D . : We h a v e C D s ( m o s t l y p u n k ) , clothes, badges, new and old books (e g anarchist literature, indie publishers such a s A K 4 7 P r e s s a n d M i
Japanese but there are plenty in English as well But as I said, IRA is first and forem
here, relax on the sofa, have a nice cup of coffee while chatting with other interesting people and spend as much time as you want Here, you have a chance to meet the kinds of creative people whom you can hardly find in Shibuya or Harajuku We like to think outside the box
INTERVIEW BY G S I R
, Tel. +81 (3) 3352 6916) is open every day (13:00-20:00) except Mondays and Wednesdays It is located a little off the beaten track, but if you find it difficult to navigate the maze of back streets, you can just call the shop
Narita speaks good English and is always eager to help.
IRA promotes foreign artists such as Filastine
EATING & DRINKING
SOZAI Cooking School Opening
February 12th 2013 saw the opening of the UK’s first ever Japanese cooking school, known as SOZAI, near Liverpool St. The word “sozai” has two meanings in Japanese: “household dishes” and “raw ingredients” Appropriate, as an essential element in Japanese cooking is the quality of the ingredients one uses, and also because this school aims to teach people to create, in their own homes, the delicious and exquisitely-presented dishes many have enjoyed for years in restaurants. Equally interesting is that the school will also teach how to use Japanese food preparation and cooking methods to incorporate non-traditional Japanese ingredients into new, adventurous and tasty fusions.
The school will run classes of 90 to 120 minutes long, for anyone who’s ever wanted to make delights such as sushi or tempura, or if their tastes run to more urban dishes like ramen or okonomiyaki, a team of highly-acclaimed chefs will be their sensei, whose backgrounds range widely from traditional, classic Japanese elegance to energetic, cordon-blue-influenced innovation. It doesn’t end there This school’s going to be interactive. If you’ve enjoyed a particular dish, you can suggest it as a subject for new classes by going to the SOZAI website and posting it, and then there’ll be a vote to see if it’s popular enough.
So if you’ve always wanted to make Japanese food at home, but don’t have Japanese friends to teach you, there’s no longer any excuse: get yourself to SOZAI! http://www.sozai.co.uk/
Tsutomu Nakazono
RESTAURANT Pot luck in West London
There are se vera l wel l-known one p ot d ishes in Jap an Su kiya ki, wh ich we ` ve c overe d in ZOOM mag azine before, and Shabu-shabu, are mea ls either c o o ke d by you, or c o o ke d in front o f y o u A
th e tab le, with a nab e p ot simmering away on top, and f r e s h i n g r e d i
t h e s i d e , ready to b e dropp e d in
A so cia l , sharing way to enj oy f o o d , e v e r y o n e h e
mselves, a s more is adde d to the p o t , a n
n d c onversation and sa ke flows
A lesser known version of th is st yle of c o o king is Udon-su ki Orig inating from Ta kamatsucit y, Ka g awa prefe cture in the Shikoku reg ion of western Japan, it is reputedly only available in two restaurants in London. One of them is Momo in E a l ing
kon (wh ite rad ish) and p in k kamab o ko (a kind of processed seafood often ser ved with noodle dishes), are a l l fresh ly prep are
and la id out on a d ish
dropped one by one. As they cook away, the colours
b owl and enj oy. As the p ot c ontinues to bubb l e awa y, th e f l avo ur s
nt
s i f y, g rowing m ore p ower f u l and rich
A n d w h e
This west London boroug h is home to a larg e communit y of Japanese ex-pats, students, and businessmen on long term se c ondment with their firms
Mo m o i s s i t ua t e d i n Ho t e l 5 5 , a s t y l i s h b o uti q u e hotel , a shor t wa l k from Nor th E a l ing station
The d in ing ro om of the restaurant is mo dern, low l it, with a rela xing , welc om ing atmosp here There is seating outside, on de cking in the g arden, perfe ct for when the weather turns b a lmy
Order Udon-suki and a g a s stove is first broug ht to your table, with the nab e p ot fille d with a sto ck , or b r o t h o f s o y s a u c e , k a t s u o b u s h i ( f l a ke d s m o ke d b on ito) and a se cret ing re d ient known on ly to the owner and head chef Kondo -san
The ma in ing re d ients of the d ish : shrimp, sa lmon, clam, sca l lop, sea b a ss, c o d , ch icken, le ek , cab b a g e, sliced carrot, tofu, three varieties of mushroom, dai-
udon noodles are broug ht out, along with harusame (also known as Chinese vermicelli or ‘glass’ noodles). The y are adde d to the soup, the fat white udon and clear, sp ong y har usame so a king up a l l the flavours, filling your stomach, and rounding the meal off perfe ctly
A w a r m , h e a r t y a n d
h e a l t hy d i s h , Ud o ns u ki i s s er ve d thro u -
g h o u t t h e y e a r a t
M o m o ( £ 2 9 5 0 p e r person, minimum 2). Alexis Brown
For ages, this quiet port city situated by the Inland Sea has attracted appreciators of tranquility and good food.
The town of Onomichi, on the Seto Inland Sea Coast, is a living monument to literature Its g reat b eaut y ha s b e en insp iring writers and ar ti sts f or c enturi e s It wa s e ven m enti on e d in th e
Manyoshu, the oldest known antholog y of Japanese poetr y. Legendar y haiku master Matsuo Basho spent time there in 1689 More recently, movie director Yasujiro Ozu chose Onomichi as the archetypical Japanese hometown for his classic 1953 movie, Tokyo Monogatari ( Tokyo Stor y) German director Wim Wenders loved Ozu’s film so much, he made his own pilgrimage to the town fifty years later and published a book about
it; Journey To Onomichi Howe ver, film and literature aside, Japanese pe ople also appreciate Onomichi for something that, to Western visitors at lea st, may have less obvious cultura l appeal : ramen People come from all over Hiroshima Prefecture and beyond for a heart y bowl of Onomich i’s finest no o d les . L ong queues form outside the town ’ s more popular ramen restaurants, which even
A view of the city and its famous three-floor pagoda made famous by the director of Tokyo Story
place kerosene stoves outside in winter to keep waiting customers warm
The ea siest way to explore Onomichi is to ta ke the ropeway (built in 1957 and just a short walk from the station) up to Senkoji Park, 500 feet above the town The short ascent is breathta king as you g lide above the canopy of pine trees that clad the hillside
At the top, you are rewarded with stunning views of the entire town and the many misty islands of the Seto Inland Sea The view is even grander from the Park’s flying saucer-like obser vatory, the town ’ s highest point. On a clear day you can see across to Shikoku, Japan’s f o ur th lar g e st i s lan d Ins i d e th e o b s er vator y, a re staurant offers your first chanc e to samp le the lo ca l ramen
To g et back into town, ta ke a stroll down the ste ep, winding trail known as the Path of Literature Dotted among the fragrant pine trees, echoing with the sound of cicadas, you’ll find twenty-five boulders, each inscribed with a quotation from some of the famous literar y fig ures a sso ciate d with the town . These rang e from ancient folk song s to 20th centur y writers like the feminist Fumiko Hayashi Even if you can ’ t read Japanese, you can ’ t help but feel uplifted by this outdoor art galler y It’s also fun to wander off the trail and g et lost down t wist y alle ys, where Onomichi’s famous cats snooze in the shade and quaint tea-rooms cuddle into the folds of the hillside.
Half way down the Path of L iterature, prepare to be amazed by the vermillion-lacquered glor y of the Senkoji Temple, with its famous Kyo-onro bell-tower Established in 806, it’s one of Onomichi’s most iconic symbols Many students come to Senkoji to buy omamori
TO GET THERE
THE BEST WAY to reach Onomichi is to take the JR Sanyo train from Kobe, Okayama or Hiroshima The portion of the line between Matsunaga and Mihara, where Onomichi is situated, is known for the beauty of the landscape it travels through, with a fantastic view of the Inland Sea.
(amulets), believed to bring them luck in their exams. The sound of the Kyo - onro b ell ha s e ven b e en designated as one of “Japan's 100 soundscapes that need to be preser ved”
Near the bottom of the hill, look out for Tenneiji Temple (built in 1367), famous for its three-storied pagoda. In fact, you could easily spend a day, or longer, just visiting the temples Onomichi is home to more historic temples per square mile than any Japanese town outside Kyoto Most were built through the donations of rich medieval merchants when Onomichi’s port, which dates back to 1168, was booming with trade The His-
toric Temple Wa lk , which ta kes you round t went yfive of the town ’ s most interesting temples, is a g ood countr y mile, up and down the Old Town’s labyrinth of steep streets and alleys Some temples, like Saikokuji – the one with the giant rope sandals hanging outside, date back to the 8th centur y. It’s a walk not to be hurried, but savoured
Back down in the town centre again, it’s time to explore the seafront area and Hondori, the covered shopping arcade Most of the ramen shops are in this area Some, l ike Shu ka - en, re g u larly have queues outside of up to 100 people It’s also worth checking out the little
Jizo statues at Senkoji temple
TRAVEL
dried fish shops. Look out for the fossil-like objects, which are actually senbe, or rice crackers, with whole dried fish or octopus baked inside them
In a typical ramen bar, jars of help-yourself condiments stand on the counter, from pickled ginger to whole, peeled garlic cloves. Service is swift, as the waiter places before you a steaming bowl of noodles topped with heaps of chopped spring onions and other vegetables, plus a generous slice of pork. The stock is thick and creamy, making for a perfect pick-me-up after a morning ’ s sightseeing If you ’ re really hungry, do like the locals and ask for a side order of onigiri (rice balls with salmon, seaweed or fish roe filling ) and g yoza (meat dumplings)
No one seems to agree about what makes Onomichi ramen so special “It’s the pork bones in the broth” say some. “It’s the flat noodles,” say others. “No, it’s because they use soy sauce instead of miso in the stock,” insist a fe w But one th ing is c er ta in : a trip to Onom ich i will change your mind about ramen forever.
STEVE JOHN POWELL
A love story with cinema
Many Japanese travel to Onomichi to savour its famous ramen or to walk along the Path of Literature in search of famous authors’ quotations. Others know it as a port city, the source of inspiration for filmmakers Ozu Yasujiro made it internationally famous with Tokyo Story (Tokyo Monogatari) This feature film, one of the three greatest of all time according to the British Film Institute, isn’t about the city itself as such, but Onomichi perfectly depicts the image of an unchanging Japan whose tranquillity is in complete contrast to the restlessness of the capital during a time of great change Sixty years after the film was released, Onomichi has hardly altered The city has kept its good nature intact, encouraging even the hastiest of travellers to slow
down and take his time Film lovers will enjoy the Onomichi Motion Picture Museum (Onomichi eiga shiryokan) that is located in an old warehouse and has a lot to offer Naturally, it includes an area dedicated to Ozu Yasujiro with some souvenirs from the set of Tokyo Story Posters, equipment and notebooks are all here on display It doesn’t compare to the Cinémathèque Française (French cinema and film library in Paris) but the documents on show give a good idea of the atmosphere on the set while filming. The museum also has a section dedicated to film director Shindo Kaneto This eminent figure in Japanese cinema, who passed away last May, directed The Naked Island (Hadaka no Shima, 1960) on a small island in the Inland Sea This explains a large part of
why Onomichi with its beautiful scenery honours him for succeeding in capturing the distinctive features of this region of Japan so well. The peaceful inland sea contrasts with the tempestuous nature of the Sea of Japan or the Pacific Ocean Most of the cities along its coastline share that same tranquillity That is also why Yamada Yoji, one of the last great figures of post-war cinema still alive, chose to set up his camera on an island in the nland sea to shoot Tokyo Kazoku (Tokyo Family), released this January in Japan. It pays tribute to Ozu’s Tokyo Story, and there is no doubt it will one day have its own corner in Onomichi’s museum, for visitors to enjoy the memor y of the good old days
Gabriel Bernard
When you follow the Path of Literature (bungaku no komichi), the city reveals itself in a new light
Tokyo Story (1953) by Ozu Yasujiro
LANGUAGE The great game of deduction
It isn’t always easy to understand what is going on, so you need to stay tuned…
Wh en l e a rn i n g a l a n g ua g e ( i n th i s c a s e ,
Ja p a n e s e ) y o u mu s t c o n s t a ntl y q u e s -
t i o n e v e r y t h i n g y o u a r e p r e s e n t e d
wi th , mu c h l i ke a b a by d o e s wh en d i s c o vering th e
w o r l d a r o u n d h i m f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e L e a r n i n g a
l a n g u a g e i s t o a g r e e t o f a c e u p t o m i s u n d e r s t a n -
d ing s, inc omprehension and many other o bstacles
t h a t o f t e n c a u s e s t u d e n t s t o g i v e u p , t h i n k i n g
th e y ’ r e o n th e wr o n g tr a c k . A s t u d ent w h o q u e s -
ti o n s i s a s t u d ent w h o i s ma ki n g u s e o f h i s o r h er
i ma g i na ti o n a n d i nt e l l i g en c e . A s t u d ent w i th o ut
a ny i ma g i nati o n w i l l n o t s u c c e e d Fo r a b e g i nn er, ima g ination is usua l ly the on ly way of moving for-
w a r d . T h e e a r i s n ’ t y e t u s e d t o t h e l a n g u a g e a n d
o n e s vo c a b u l a r y i s sti l l q u i t e l im i t e d In a c o nver -
s ati o n , o n l y t w o o r thre e w o rd s ma y b e i d enti f i a -
b le and these are the star ting p o int of a suc c ession
o f g u e s s e s , a g a m e o f d e d u c t i o n s , c o n f i r m a t i o n s and evaluations, before the sentence is fully unders-
t o o d It b e c o m e s e ss enti a l t o e x a m i n e e ver y th i n g that frames the conversation in order to make sense
o f t h o s e c o n f u s i n g s e n t e n c e s t h a t y o u c o u l d n o t p i c k up th e ma j o ri t y o f Fo r g u e ss e s to b e a s a c c u -
r at e a s p o ss i b l e , i t i s n e c e ss a r y t o p a y at t enti o n t o
e ver y th ing that a c c omp an i e s th e word s : th e f a c i a l
e x p r e s s i o n s , th e g e s t ur e s , th e m o vem ent s , a s w e l l
a s the tone of vo ic e There is a lways an abundanc e
o f c l u e s C o m m u n i c a t i o n i s n ’ t m a d e u p o n l y o f
w o r d s a n d l i s t e n i n g i s n ’ t a l w a y s s u f f i c i e n t L o o -
ki n g c a n b e j u s t a s i mp o r ta nt It i s b y ta ki n g n o t e
o f e v e r y t h i n g t h a t y o u s e e a n d b y i m i t a t i n g t h e
Jap anese in their own setting that you can suc c e e d
in having a conversation and using expressions that p uri s t s m i g ht d i s ap p ro ve o f
For examp le, interro g ative sentenc es de vo id of the f i n a l “k a ” , w h i c h i s c o m p e n s a t e d f o r b y t h e t o n e o f vo i c e :
よく眠 �� れました？
Yoku nemuremashita ?
You slept well ?
Also, voluntar y omission of the particle, because it is sometimes obvious:
おなかすいたでしょう。
Onaka suita deshô.
You must be hungry
As well as longer sentences broken up with the particle " ne " "Ne" has very little meaning by itself, but is ever so useful to catch one ’ s breath and think when speaking
