Z oom Japan returns after the summer holiday with news relating to the Olympic Games Tokyo has already hosted this international event in 1964 It was a symbol of change for the city at the time, as well as for the rest of the country. We investigated to find out what remains of Japan's Olympic experience half a centur y later Mount Fuji is also a very important symbol for Japan and the Japanese. Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since the 22nd of June, it represents immutability and has consistently been a source of inspiration for many artists. This month we take a closer look at this location, rich in history and beliefs, which thousands of Japanese climb every year We wish you a good read
THE EDITORIAL TEAM info@zoomjapan info
Is the increase in the number of machines ordered by companies during the second financial quarter, the same level recorded before the 2008 financial crisis Nevertheless, the 0.6 % growth in GDP is quite disappointing after the 0.9 % reached during the first quarter. 6.8%
I N THE EYE OF Eric Rechsteiner
Koenji district in Tokyo
VIDEO GAMES Nintendo is in good shape
Despite competition from smartphones, Nintendo continues to do very well in Japan. At the beginning of August the Kyoto-based company declared that its portable 3DS console had exceeded domestic sales of 12 million units It remains the most popular hand-held console, way in front of Sony’s Playstation Vita.
CLIMATE The weather’s deadly whims
Nishi Tosa, in Kochi prefecture, is proud of being the hottest location in the country. With a temperature of 41°C, dozens of tourists gather to be photographed next to the giant thermometer. This may sound fun, but elsewhere in the country this summer’s suffocating heat killed dozens of people, while torrential rain caused deadly landslides.
Summer is the period during which Japan celebrates and there is matsuri (local festivals) after matsuri from one side of the archipelago to the other In most cases, people dance These two women adjust their hats before parading to the sound of shamisen, drums, brass instruments and flutes
DEFENCE Tokyo squares up to Beijing
The territorial intransigence of the Chinese towards their neighbours is compelling Japan to reinforce its presence in Southeast Asia , both on the economic as well as militar y fronts.
The 1st of Aug ust 2013 was the 86th anniversar y of the founding of the Chinese Pe oples L ib eration Army (P L A) and on th is date a Chinese vide o g ame company calle d Giant Interactive Group collaborated with the PLA to launch their latest g ame, Guangrong shiming (Glorious Mission) online. Developed in partnership with Nankin’s militar y s e c tor, wh o s e c h i e f Ca i Y ing ting wa s prom ote d to g enera l by president Xi Jinp ing on the same day, th i s war g am e ta ke s y o u b a c k to th e p eri o d o f resistance ag ainst the Japanese attacks during World Wa r I I ( 1 9 3 7 - 1 9 4 5 ) . It a l l ow s y o u t o d e f en d th e Diaoyu islands (Senkaku in Japanese) against the Japanese who, according to the officia l Chinese version o f e vents , a re o c c up y i n g th e t erri t o r y i l l e g a l l y O f course, this game did nothing to improve the current state of relations and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked one of his closest advisers, Isao Iijima , to org anize a meeting with the Chinese g overnor. Beijing ’ s refusal ha s encoura g e d Japan to pursue its p ol ic y of closer relations with the other Southeast Asian Nations that are also worried about the growth of China’s power Since his re-election in December 2012, the Japanese Prime Minister has visited 7 of the 10 countries that are members of the Association of S outheast Asian Nations (Asean) and received his Indian counterpart Manmohan Sing h at the end of May Tokyo’s strateg y is to participate in the economic development of that region of the world in order to ensure support when facing up to China In 2012 Japanese
companies investe d 6 4 billion dollars in the Asean countries, 50% more than in 2005 The difficulties m e t b y c er ta i n Jap a n e s e g ro up s i n Ch i na a n d th e increa se in the Ch inese workforc e ha s enc oura g e d them to turn towards Southeast Asia . The atmosphere is more rela xed there and Japanese products are quite popular with the local consumers Japan is also attractive to young people. In Indonesia, the number of Japanese speaking students has tripled o ver
c urrentl y re a c h i n g a ro un d 872,000 according to the Japan Foundation, the organ ization charg e d with promoting Jap anese cu lture across the world. In the meantime, the Japanese are also investing massively in Indonesia - 2 3 billion dollars in the first six months of 2013. However, Shinzo Abe intends to combine his intense diplomatic and economic activities in the region with a militar y component. On the 26th of July, the Ministry of Defence published a document in which it called for the creation of a g roup similar to the American Marines, capable of rapid intervention in defence of distant islands Though they are not named, the Senkaku islands inevitably come to mind. This is no video game, but rather a frightening reality For many in Japan, if such policies are put into effect it will bring the whole spirit of the national constitution, which is based on the principle of nonag g ression, into doubt Along side other government projects, Abe intends to revise that constitution, which is creating a lot of debate in the country In the meantime, the Prime Minister is encouraging the Southeast Asian Nations to arm themselves When visiting Manila on the 27th of July, he met the Filipino president Benigno Aquino III and promised to finance 10 patrol vessels to keep a close eye on territorial waters Tokyo is clearly in no mood to play games.
GABRIEL BERNARD
THE OLYMPIC GAMES
The metamorphosis
On September the 7th, the International Olympic Committee meets to decide which city will host the 2020 Games and Tokyo is in with a chance of winning.
h en th i s i ssu e o f Z o om Jap an g o e s to print, the International Olympic Committe e (I O C) will not yet have met in Buenos Aires, Arg entina , to ele ct the cit y that will
three candidates : Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo The representatives of these thre e cities defende d their prop o s a l s on e la st tim e in f ront o f th e Eva luati on Comm ission in Lausanne, Switzerland , at the end o f Jun e Af ter th i s l a st p re s entati o n , th e Jap a n e s e deleg ation le d by Tokyo g overnor Inose Naoki and supp or te d by finance m in ister and 1976 Olympic pistol champion Aso Taro, was ver y optimistic about carr ying off the Holy Gra il. Ne ver theless, the fina l choice is a lways complicate d and many considerations have to be ta ken into account. S o in anticipation of the I O C memb ers ’ vote, we want to re ca ll
time, the committe e ' s de cision to award the g ames to Tokyo allowed a new pag e to be turned in Japan's re constr uction af ter the end of the S e cond World War The cit y op ene d a ne w chapter in its histor y No doubt, designating Tokyo as the host of the 2020 O
a s the c ountr y p a insta king ly moves out of t went y years of crisis It would be a wonderful opportunit y for chang e…
ODAIRA NAMIHEI
WALK The renaissance of a capital
When Tokyo hosted the Olympic Games in 1964, many of its districts changed. We look at what is lef t of that period.
For many countries, being awarde d the Olympic Games is not only a source of national pride but a lso an e vent of g reat sig nificance which transcends sp or ts and helps kick star t a ne w histor i c a l p h a s e In t h i s r e s p e c t , f e w h a v e b e e n m o r e i mp o r ta nt f o r th e h o s t c o untr y tha n th e s umm er g ames that took place in Tokyo in 1964.
As one of the defeate d c ountries in World War I I, Japan had become a pariah among the international c o mmun i t y a n d ha d b e e n o c c u p i e d b y th e a l l i e d powers until 1952 During that period a sense of futil it y and resig nation had pre va ile d among the p e ople, whose favourite expression had become “shikata g a na i ” ( i t c a n ’ t b e h e lp e d ) . Th e O l y mp i c Ga m e s thus b e came the fina l act of a rebu ild ing pro g ram that wa s, ama z ing ly, accomplishe d in just 20 years and primarily re vo lve d around a g radua l transformation of the capital itself
As this was the first Olympiad to be hosted in a nonwhite, non-Western countr y, the Japanese Olympic C o mm i t t e e d i d e v e r y t h i n g i n i t s p o w e r t o s h o w
Tokyo at its best, even appealing to the state for financi a l h elp, desp i te O lymp i c re g u lati ons stipu lating that the Games were to b e org an ize d by cities and not by national g overnments
Th e i r j o i nt c o mm i tm ent re su l t e d i n t o ta l e xp enditures that surpassed all previous Games A sprawling Olympic V illag e emerg e d in Yoyog i and nation a l b r o a d c a s t e r N H K b u i l t a n e w m e d i a c e ntr e nearby The t wo venues which make up the National Gymnasium – both of them desig ne d by architect Tang e Kenzo – still stand today as outstanding examples of a symbolic approach to urban architect ur e , a i m e d a t m i x i n g tr a d i t i o n a n d m o d e r n i s m .
These t wo bu ild ing s – clearly inspire d by orienta l models – are conne cte d by a road link to the Meiji
S hr i n e d e d i c a t e d t o th e f i r s t em p er o r o f m o d ern Japan
The g overnment even took advantag e of the Games t o p l a nt 2 0 , 0 0 0 tr e e s i n t h e s tr e e t s a n d p a r k s o f Tokyo In doing this the y trie d to replicate pre war and wartime landscapes that had be en dama g e d by the U S a ir ra ids For example, many of the ke ya ki trees that today g race Omotesando Avenue remind us of the area a s it lo o ke d in 1919 when the Meiji Shrine was built
A s ma ny f o r e i g n v i s i t o r s w e r e e x p e c t e d , Ha n e d a Internationa l Airp or t wa s mo dern ize d in order to accommodate the new jet airliners and it was connected to the cit y centre by a state-of-the-art monorail Many train and subway lines were completed, among them the Shinkansen or Bullet Train, that began ser-
The Nippon Budokan was built to hold judo competitions during the Olympic Games that ran between the 20th and the 23rd of October 1964
vice nine days before the opening ceremony, connect i n g t h e c o untr y ’ s t w o m a i n c i t i e s o f To k y o a n d Osaka in just thre e hours
R o a d s were wi d en e d or e ven n e wl y b u i lt , b o th in the cit y and the suburbs, with the g iant Metrop olitan Expressway crisscrossing the metropolitan area in order to improve traffic throug hout the reg ion . At the time it lo oke d so f uturistic that e ven movie
picture “S olaris” Al l these roads were supp ose d to make space for the kei kaa (light cars) that were being de velope d to promote popular motoring . In o rd er to b u i l d th e Me tro p o l i ta n E xp re ss way, a number of rivers and canals were fille d up while in other area s the E xpressway wa s just bu ilt over the
Yoyogi National Gymnasium, seen from Jingubashi near Harajuku station.
ri ver i ts e l f – a p l a n th e g o vernm ent a d o p te d s o i t didn’t have to acquire new land One famous victim of th is pro g ramme wa s Nihonb a sh i, the brid g e in the centre of Tokyo from which all highway distances are traditionally measured. The expressway, just hovering over it, has completely ruine d its classic urban landscape and now more and more people are tr ying to get the area restored to its former beauty by chang ing the expressway ’ s route
Among Tokyo's districts, Shinjuku was probably the one that changed the most The WWII air raids had turned the area into a dull, g loomy place but its revita l i z ati on pro g ramm e wa s b o l stere d by a s eri e s o f archite ctura l proje cts A shopping ma ll – later ca lle d My Cit y – was built on top of the station. As a conse quence, young p e ople b eg an to g ather in the plaza in front of the station. Popular bookstore Kinokuniya moved to a new nine-stor y building designed
by famous architect Maekawa Kunio The building still faces Shinjuku Stre et, an ele vator leading up to the second floor where one finds a music corner At the time much of Japan was, like the Unite d States and Europe, in the midst of a cultural revolution and th e l o ca l y o uth wo u l d g ath er h ere to l i sten to th e latest song s from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob D ylan A few years later this re volution would turn into exp losive student protests and Sh inju ku Station be came a protest hot spot. In 1968 for inst a n
n Internati ona l Anti -War Day, f orc ing th e tra ins to stop, while one year later antiwar demonstrators –the so -calle d "folk g uerrillas" – would attract thousands of pe ople to the west exit underg round plaza (converted for the occasion into a "liberated zone") where the y spent the nig ht sing ing . If East Shinjuku was a hotbed of cultural activity, its
western side was a completely different stor y While the area immediately next to the station under went substantial renovation (Keio Department Store opene d in 1964, join ing the O da ky u D ept Store that had be en complete d t wo years before), pe ople only had to wa l k a shor t d istanc e to find themselves in the middle of nowhere The huge water purification p l a nt
moved to another location, leaving a vast wilderness that had stil l not b e en fil le d by 1964. In Ich ikawa Kon’s famous documentar y “ Tokyo Olympiad” one c
hu Kaido (one of the five main routes linking Tokyo to the rest of the countr y) just south of Shinjuku Station. Around them there is only the blue sky and a few low building s In comparison to Shinjuku, such districts as Shibuya and Roppong i still looked ver y different from their
The monorail was launched to facilitate the connection between the centre of the capital and Haneda airport
currently world-famous cit yscap es. In Shibuya the most notable addition was the ele vate d expressway that e ven to day crosses the tracks south of the station As for Roppong i, a hypothetical time traveller would have a hard time recognizing the future glitzy
n i g htl i f e cap i ta l o f Jap an . Th e o vera l l f e e l ing wa s that of a larg ely undeveloped area whose dusty, unevenly paved streets made their way between a handf ull of building s
In the central district of Yurakucho the thriving postwar black market had evolved into Sushiya Yokocho, an alley on the east side of the station whose tiny bars and sushi stalls were the meeting point for the many journa lists who worke d in the area Howe ver, af ter construction began on the Kotsu Kaikan Building the area was g radua lly cleane d up until the last bar was torn down in 1968. Many other districts became construction sites, but
most people didn’t mind the noise and inconvenience as this was mainly seen as a sign of progress while Tokyo slowly turned into a modern metropolis Tokyo is often compared to a living organism, endlessly changing its look and structure, but even though today’s Tokyo is far different from what it was in 1964 in so many resp e cts, there is no doubt that the protot yp e of the modern city to come was created 50 years ago.
GIANNI SIMONE
In 1964 expressways were built one over the other Nihonbashi was ruined by too many expressways
Shibuya River runs through it
MEETING The man who experienced the revolution
The famous columnist Kawamoto Saburo remembers this ver y important period for post-war Japan.
Fo r 4 5 y e a r s w r i t e r K a w a m o t o S a b u r o h a s chron icle d Tokyo’s past and present Born in the cit y ’ s Yoyog i district 69 years a g o, Kawam o t o ha s w i tn e ss e d a l l th e ma in e vents that have s ha p e d Ja p a n ’ s c a p i ta l thr o u g h th e y e a r s A m o n g them, he is p ar ticu larly fond of the circumstanc es surrounding the 1964 Olympic Games Kawamoto s hare d wi th Z o om Jap an h i s rem in i s c en c e s a b o ut those heady times, during a torrid Aug ust afternoon at the posh cafe inside Tokyo's Imperial Hotel “When Tokyo was awarded the Games in 1958, people’s reaction was rather mixed , but the more pre parations progressed, the more popular enthusiasm grew, so much so that in 1964 at least 80% of the Japanese supported the event ”
It w a s a v e r y s p e c i a l t i m e . Ja p a n h a d b e e n d e f e a -
te d in th e Pa c i f i c War an d f or a b o ut ten y e ar s l i f e was ver y hard for e ver ybody, but then thing s beg an to improve and the Games came to s ymb o l ize the birth of a new Japan Even more important than the sp or ting e vent itself, there wa s a wel l-thoug ht- out national economic plan behind Tokyo’s drive to host th e Ga m e s “ For me the b i g g est cha ng es w e re thos e that affected d aily life the most. For e x ample, many smelly rivers and canals were filled in and roads were built on the m. But the g reatest chang e of all happened in many people’s homes It was around 1964 that o w n e rsh i p o f th e T V s e t , t h e
Things began to improve and the Games came to symbolize the birth of a new Japan
v a c u u m c l e a n e r a n d the wa sh i ng
m a ch i ne b e c a me
m o r e a n d m o r e
w i d es p rea d , a n d pit l atrines we re re pl aced with flushing toilets This said , d espite the d evel opme nts at a macro-economic level, for most people everyday life didn’t really change We still lived in wooden houses with tatami-matted f l o o r s , a t e o u r m e a l s s i t t i n g a t t h e c h a b u d a i ( l o w dining table), in other words our lifest yle was still far different from those of the American households portrayed in the dramas we used to watch on T V ”
Speaking of foreigners, as many visitors were expecte d f rom a bro a d , th e auth ori ti e s i ssu e d a num b er of “ sug g estions” to the loca l population “The most conspicuous being “Do not piss in the stre et ” so that t h e n a t i o n w o ul d n ’ t l os e fa c e i n f r o n t o f t h e w h o l e w orl d ( l a ug hs) . As for me , i n 1 9 6 4 I wa s 2 0 a n d a c ol l eg e f r e shm a n , a n d i f y o u w e r e a f un- l o v i ng g uy the re wa sn ’ t a bette r pl ace to be than S hinjuku, the western district whose station is used today by an average of more than 3 5 million people daily There you could find many cine ma s, jazz cafes, and especially
August 2013
the eve r-popul ar Kinokuniya bookstore. O f course I loved to read , but even more appealing to me was the record store on the second floor In 1963 the B eatles had brought about a musical revolution ever ywhere,
Kawamoto Saburo at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, 9th of
i n c l u d i ng Ja p a n , s o a s s o o n a s Th e R o l l i ng S to n e s , Bob D ylan or Joan Baez put out a new album, it was avail able in Tokyo too You could say we we re really e x pe rie ncing a cultural revolution at the same time.
“ The n o f co urs e I w o ul d g o up sta i rs a n d b uy a cop y of Heibon Punch. This magazine (“the magazine for men, ” as they proudly declared on the cover) started in May 1 9 6 4 a n d g reatly contr ib u ted to the s p rea d o f youth culture in Japan. Until then youth had only been seen as the stage leading to full-blown adulthood As such, the stude nts ’ role in societ y was neglig ible. But the Beat Revolution raised youth’s visibility, and Heibon Punch greatly contributed to shape our tastes in fa shion and music while al so cove ring such topic s a s cars and even sex
Up to the mid-60s, for example, most students used to wear their school uniform all the time, so the y didn’t really have a chance to think about clothes, plus few of them could actually afford to buy any. But just around this time VA N became ve r y popul ar in Japan, espec i al ly th e i r b u tto n- d o w n sh i r t s. Wr ite r Murak a mi Haruki even now still sports that same look (laughs)! O ne no tabl e el e me nt o f th i s m aga zi ne wa s its co v e r that in the beginning was always illustrated by Ohashi Ayumi Even now after 50 years, her art looks very stylish. The fact that a woman illustrated the cover of a men ’ s magazine was in itself something special It was thanks to her work that the professional fig ure of the illustrator came to the fore and became central to the creation of a certain cultural mood”
VISIT Back to the future?
An original way of experiencing the atmosphere of the modern era’s 18th Olympiad.
LS
Kawamoto confesses that he feels increasingly estrang e d by th e way To ky o ha s c hang e d in th e la st f e w de cades “ Probably it’s because I ’ m too old now, but Tokyo has grown too big for my tastes, ” he says “Also, what at the time was seen as progress is now considered as a big mistake. Take, for ex ample, filling in all th os e r iv e rs ; i n th e ‘ 6 0 s that wa s co n si d e red a g oo d i d ea It wa s the ul ti m ate si g n o f p ro g res s Yo u m u st take into consideration that Tokyo was in the midst of a pollution emergenc y In particular, the many rivers h a d t u r n e d i n t o s m el ly r e c e p ta c l e s fo r r e f u s e , th e i r waters looked reddish brown and all the fish had gradually disappeared , so many citiz e ns had wel comed the idea of covering them But in retrospect that was a bad decision and things should have been handled diffe re ntly. O f course it’s easy to judge the past whe n you are 30 or 40 years removed from those events The same thing could be said for the cit y ’ s widespread tra mway Tra m u s e rea ched a p eak i n the mi d - 5 0 s , afte r which the Metropolitan Gove rnme nt began to close one line after another until in the first half of the ‘70s only the Arakawa Line had sur vived (and still operates to this day) Now many cities worldwide are adopting this system because it’s ecological, but in 1960s Tokyo, with the g radual increase of privately owned cars – the so-called “ my car ” boom – those trams were see n a s a traffic-slowing nuisance That wa s just too bad I really love the m ” INTERVIEW BY G
ittle known to foreign visitors, and even to the Japanese themselves, the Tokyo Olympic Memorial Galler y is an original and interesting place where many souvenirs are gathered from the Olympic Games that took place in the Japanese capital between the 10th and the 24th of October 1964. It is situated in the Komazawa Olympic Park, just a 10-minute walk
from Komazawa Daigaku station (Tokyu Den-en-toshi line), and is accessible for free between 9 30 am and 5 pm (closed the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month) The gallery is a good way of finding out about and experiencing the Olympic spirit that ruled at that time 1-1 Komazawakoen, Setag aya , Tokyo 154-0013
FOCUS
REMEMBERING Tokyo’s enthusiasm in ’64
Interpreter for the International Volley-ball federation, Reiko Descotes-Toyosaki remembers that particular autumn.
In the summer of 1964 I had just returned to Japan after having spent three years as a music student in Paris and I could not have imag ined that the who le c ountr y wa s reach ing b o il ing p o int in anticip ation of the To kyo Olymp ic Games Ch ildren, elderly people, everybody was talking about the Tokyo Olympics Tokyo itself wa s disfig ure d and unre cog n isable, covere d with bu l ldozers and scaffold ing . Ever ything needed to be renovated ! Far from being a discouragement to the population, the preparation gave people the feeling they were witnessing the bigg est e vent since the Second World War In the centre of the capital, we built an expressway that snaked around the city above the main streets, as well as many sports stadiums The honour of our countr y was at sta ke and Japanese archite cts worke d ver y hard on this big proje ct I was thrown into in this euphoric atmosphere as soon as I arrived and I was even more surprised when the bureau of international interpreters contacted me to work for the president and the vice-president of the International Volle yball Federation (IVBF) and their wives All four of them were French.
Howe ver, the French female volle yball team wasn ’ t present, so I didn’t understand what wa s g oing on I found out that the president was to g ive an important press conference: should the International Olympic Committee allow the North Korean female volle y ba l l team to par ticipate when S outh Korea wa s threatening to stay home if Pyong yang was represented? According to my boss, nobody could predict the IVBF president’s reaction before he set foot in Tokyo I wa i t e d f o r th e Fren c h d e l e g ati o n ’ s a rri va l at th e entrance of the Grand Imperial Hotel with the mayor of Tokyo, Azuma Ryotaro When Mr Azuma announced that the press conference would take place fortyeig ht hours later, the president had simply said that he needed to be updated with last minute information When the day finally came, I hadn’t been able to prepare The room was filled with journalists from around the world The Japanese press was in the front row and I was even more scared than I had been for my first sing ing comp etition ! I translate d without understanding what was g oing on, and I was heavyhande d enoug h to ask the audience if the y understo o d what it wa s a l l ab out I wa s b o o e d l ike ne ver before and one of the journalists stood up and said : “all you need to do is translate. We don’t ask you to understand!” I literally fell apart The president slowly repeated his press release ag ain and I translated but remember nothing about it, except that after the press
conference North Korea decided on its own behalf not to attend the Olympic Games – to the great relief of a ll the par ticipants A fe w days later there wa s a reception at the Imperial Hotel and two or three journa lists came to find me to che er me up and tell me that they weren ’ t all as mean as their colleag ues ! The opening day finally came and I was lucky enough to attend with the French deleg ation The Jing u stadium, situate d in the hear t of Tokyo, wa s cho ck- ablock. Locals invaded all the television shops to watch the event as ver y few people then had televisions at
home It was a beautiful autumn day Nobody cared about working - all we cared about was the ceremony The sp or ts champ ions entere d the stad ium to the sound of brass bands We clapped our hands, wideeyed ever y time we heard the name of a countr y completely unknown to us When the Emperor made his speech in perfect old Japanese, the crowd screamed with joy as thousands of white doves flew off above our heads How exciting to see so many people from around the world on our soil ! We were finally at the centre of the world’s attention af ter the miser y of a lost war Japan had amazing ly succeeded in org anizing ever ything in record time and was able to show off their sporting ta lents as well Among them was the female volleyball team called Toyo no Majo, the Oriental Mag icians They had invented a way of rolling on the g round to touch the ball with une quall
powerful moment ! But even more remarkable is the enthu s i a sm that Jap a n e s e s ti l l have n o wa d a y s f o r sports champions from around the world Many times we have ta l ke d ab out “ our champions” such a s the Czech g ymnast Vera Caslavsca, or the Ethiopian barefoot marathon runner Abebe Bikila ! For the closing c eremony, the champ ions danc e d wild ly and sung and hug g e d e ver ybody while waving to the prince
All the spectators laug hed until they cried! To see all those happy foreigners was so moving . That was our great reward
Now we are waiting for the IOC's decision to know whether Tokyo will be chosen to welcome the 2020 O l ymp i c Gam e s Th e s e g am e s wo u l d g i ve us th e opportunity to thank the whole world for supporting us when the Fukushima disaster and earthquake took place in northeast Japan Nevertheless, when I think back to the pure joy that prevailed in 1964, I fear that today’s population may not be worthy of such an event They have become too bitter, disappointed with the p olitics of re cent years. Times have chang e d… But if we do get picked, I sincerely hope that the political conflicts that currently put us in opposition to our Chinese and Korean neighbours will have no influence on the quality of our welcome We need to do all we can to re-establish friendship with our Asian neig hbours who taug ht us so much over the years That is what the Olympic Games should mean.
REIKO DESCOTES-TOYOSAKI
The delegation from the International Volleyball Federation in Tokyo
EVENT Kyoto lands in Tent London
Since its advent in 2003, the London Design Festival has become one of the most important international events of its kind. It takes place between the 19th and the 22nd of September and its programme is particularly varied, with over 300 exhibitions and presentations, including the famous Tent London Japan, a country synonymous with design, is represented by a company from Kyoto, Daitou Shingu Kogyo
Founded in 1925, it specializes in the creation of “bedding and cushions to create a relaxing sleeping environment” This company has a great reputation across the archipelago for bringing together architects, designers, interior decorators and sleep specialists to create the best possible environment with all the vital elements for a good night’s sleep for their customers. A representative from the company explains that “It is our knitting together of skills that turns feelings and thoughts into shapes. We use many different kinds of material such as cotton, hemp and polyester to satisfy all of our customers’ needs and the finishing touches with expertly incorporated cotton stuffing creates unparalleled comfort. We change the materials
THIS MONTH’S EVENT
Yamato’s return
Takashi Yamazaki’s film closely follows the script of Leiji Matsumoto’s original series that was broadcast in Japan in 1974 With the support of a 15 million dollar budget, the director has reproduced an atmosphere that was probably familiar to him as an adolescent. The stor y highlights several old-fashioned moral values and a bundle of vintage philosophical elements that appear to come straight out of an epi-
used in the inner fillings for each of our products and spread them in multiple thin layers of equal thickness. Our experience and skill fills and blends into every corner of the cloth".
Another company expected at Tent London is Furukawa Yosuke Shoten. Located for 50 years on the shores of Lake Biwa, north of Kyoto, the company first worked with gold and silver to make kimonos Now it is Japanese paper that is making their reputation “We have twisted 1mm Japanese paper with a special technique to make extremely thin threads They are half as light as cotton threads and the very smooth surface without any fluff is their strong characteristic It is 100% organic and the textile makes it unique and ideally suited for new kinds of products," says their representative Also from the old imperial capital is Kawasaki
sode of Star Trek But that doesn’t seem to matter On the contrary, it helps make this 2010 version of Space Battleship Yamato an original piece of work, with its own kitsch atmosphere that plays around with obsolete concepts, timeless imagery and sophisticated graphics. In short, it works More worrying are the long, dramatic and overly verbose interludes that too often flirt with pathos (separation
scenes, moralis preaching, verba attacks sometimes too verbal) These sequences of heightened e m o t i o n a l expression, often seen as an undesirable character
Sudare, which specializes in creating traditional window screens known as sudare in Japanese. “These types of blinds first appeared in the famous illustrated scroll depicting the Tale of the Genji. During the Heian period, they were mainly used as partitions in the houses of the aristocracy or in shrines as a way to separate the mundane world and holy territory. It took quite a long time for the sudare screen to become a part of our daily lives” says one of the designers, adding that “Sudare is mainly constructed from organic materials and we make an effort to keep it all natural, using hemp, wool or mixed threads depending on what the screen will be used for We have employed the same process for 80 years and put every single thread in the machine to knit them together, making each product with great reverence to carrying on the the traditional craft"
There is no doubt that Japanese designers will once again be the centre of attention, especially for those who are curious about traditional techniques and pleased that they continue to be used Gabriel Bernard Old Truman Brewery Hanbury Street London E1 6QR From 10 am, www tentlondon co uk/buy-tickets
ma, tend to interrupt the m of the otherwise well-susnarrative line, especially the somewhat nervously filenes of space combat Gabriel Bernard
attleship Yamato, by Takashi i, Manga Entertainment. 3 30) and Blu-Ray (£17)
CULTURE
TRENDS The Kumamon bear - happiness, made in Japan
who has captured the hearts of a nation came to Europe last July.
On the fifth floor of the Loft department store in Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s most vibrant districts, the first time visitor might be taken by surprise It is populated by “kyarakuta”, also called “ yurukyara”. The word was borrowed from the English word character to describe these imaginary figures from Japanese popular culture Some are heroes in animated films, others represent brands or local authorities. Such is the case for Kumamon, who takes up a great deal of space at Loft. The black bear with red cheeks has become one of Japan’s favourite characters It was created in 2011 for the inauguration of the express train line on Kyushu Island, in the south of the countr y. Kumamon’s mission was to represent Kumamoto, one of the cities on the railway, and attract tourists. However, the mascot ended up doing far more In the space of a few months, it conquered the hearts of most Japanese people According to a study published by the Research Centre on Regional Economy in April 2013, 87 % of people questioned know about Kumamon and 91% associate it with Kumamoto. Its great success in terms of image also translates into substantial commercial success The turnover generated by the character reached 25 5 billion yen in its first year of existence (£167 million)
Kumamon comes in a variety of forms at Loft. As a smartphone shell, a classic stuffed toy, as fig urines and as stationer y, the black bear fills several shelves Its main asset is being kawaii (cute) - a notion that has travelled beyond Japan’s borders The word hasn’t made it into the dictionary yet, but it can sometimes be found in magazines to describe objects, clothes and an aesthetic ins-
pired by Japanese pop culture.
In July 2013 Kumamon appeared in France during Japan Expo, the yearly Japanese pop culture event that takes place in Paris and attracts over 200,000 visitors Its presence was a reminder of how influential these characters are throughout the world. According to a yearly BBC World Ser vice poll on the image that different countries project, Japan has fig ured in the top four over the past few years Japan doesn’t owe this achievement to its practically non-existent diplomacy, but to the friendly faces of dozens of kyarakuta that have been appearing over the past two decades The Pokemon video game characters were Japan’s best ambassadors at the start of the 21st century As well as their presence on T V screens and Game Boys, they could also be found on the sides of All Nippon Air ways fleet of 747 planes that travel worldwide Now it’s Kumamon’s turn to promote the image of the Land of the Rising Sun across the world. Japan Airlines uses it on their meal trays In Asia where relations bet-
ween Japan and its neighbours are sometimes tense, characters such as Kumamon help smooth things over This is especially true in China where young people are ver y attached to such kawaii (pronounced as keai in mandarin Chinese) characters, and are often less inclined to demonstrate against Japan when diplomatic relations deteriorate On the 5th floor of Loft, a Chinese couple stroll among the Kumamon products. The signs are that turnover generated by the red-cheeked bear will continue to grow “He’s really so cute, ” says the young woman about the Kumamon stuffed toy she has just handed to her partner Just like them, millions of tourists come to Japan and bring back products inspired by the kyarakuta that cities use to help seduce visitors During the first six months of 2013 Japan attracted 4 0 million tourists, 22 8% more than the previous year during the same period So it isn’t surprising that Kumamon has such a big smile
One of the hundreds of friendly mascot characters in Japan, this adorable bear from Kumamoto prefecture
ODAIRA NAMIHEI
EVENT Brighton, in tune with Tokyo again
The Brighton Japan festival intends to leave its mark for the sixth year running and this time is introducing a more international dimension.
Brighton he yokoso! is what to say in Japanese to welcome visitors to this famous Eng lish seaside town. Despite its English location, Brighton will be adopting its best Japanese accent from the 13th to the 22nd of September for the Brig hton Japan Festival. What was just a modest one-day meeting about Japanese culture six years ag o, has been transformed into an unmissable event that takes place over several days and attracts thousands of people Last year ' s event attracted 25,000 visitors This growing enthusiasm can be attributed to the rise in popularity of Japanese pop culture in Britain, although it seemed this phenomenon had passed the countr y by compared to the rest of the Europe In France, Japan Expo is in its 14th year and attracts over 200,000 visitors Brighton Japan Festival mig ht become as popular one day and is responding to the British public’s growing passion for Japanese culture. The event ' s increase in visitors has meant a chang e of location, with the org anizers deciding to move it to the beautiful g ardens of Old Steine, near the Palace Pier on the sea front. This is already a major attraction for tourists, who will now also be able to find out about Japanese culture. One of this event ’ s aims is to offer a rich and varied programme of surprises As its organizers say, “Our mission is to make Brighton Japan a platform for Japanese performers and artists to promote themselves in the UK and Europe. Japanese bands will converg e on
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
From a single day event five years ago, Brighton Japan expanded last year to a full ten day festival encompassing some of the most prestigious venues Brighton has to offer www brightonjapan com
Brig hton Japan, Harajuku-st yle, to vie with each other for media and audience attention”. This ambition is reflected in the ver y eclectic programme of events On the 16th of September the pianist Aisa Ijiri, one of her g eneration’s most g ifted musicians, will be
playing along side Ts’ui, a band that mixes traditional instruments (shakuhachi, koto) with more modern instruments as well as foreign rhythms On the 18th of September, Taiko Meantime will turn the traditional rhythm of Japanese drums into an exhilarating experience for the audience. Mark Alcock, the band’s leader, promises a musical journey – a journey that de-
mands the utmost levels of physicality and athleticism from his players. But music is not all that is on offer at Brig hton Japan Festival It is also a place where you can g et to know about Japanese cinema , which is under-represente d in the British film scene. Ag ain, eclecticism g uided the choice of films On the 13th of S eptember, lovers of disturbing and powerf ul ilms will be able to enjoy Tetsuo Shinya Tsujamoto and Audition by Takashi Miike A week later, studio Ghibli and their famous representative Hayao Miyazaki will be in the spotlight with two animation films: Ponyo and Spirited Away. Two classics which Guardian film writer Peter Bradshaw said left jim "feeling ig hter than air ” some years ag o
As an important part of Japanese popular culture, animation is well represented at Brig hton Japan Festival as is fashion. Starting on the 14th of September there will be a special focus on Tokyo’s street st yles, including the Harajuku district which is at its heart “ Diect from the captivating and unique streets of Tokyo, Brig hton Japan bring s you a weekend of Fashion, Manga, Cosplay and music. Experience the vibrant and creative culture of Harajuku with the street style fashion how, on stage transformations and amazing stalls and raders. Delve into the dynamic and exciting world of Cosplay with our Cosparade competition and Cosplay ball. Get creative at one of our workshops on eveything from creating and customizing your cosume to special effects makeup and Mang a artistr y, ” ay the org anizers The next day, mang a and JPop workshops will allow ever yone to express their creativit y. One of the aims of this event is also to include the visitors in creative activities Last but not least, Japan ’ s biggest video games will also be there With such a programme, there is no doubt Brig hton Japan Festival will attract plenty of visitors again this year Welcome to Brig hton!
G B
DESTINATION Her majesty Mount Fuji
Perhaps the most widely recognised symbol of Japan that there is, the Mount Fuji volcano has been dormant since 1707 and is now a UNESCO registered world heritage site. Lets take a tour.
On June the 22nd last year, most Japanese daily newspapers published a special edition to announce UNESCO’s decision to reg ister Mount Fuji as a World Heritage Site The application was handed in to the international institution twenty years ago At first, the Japanese tried to get it registered as a site of natural importance but its tourist development and the accumulation of litter on its slopes prevented its accep-
tance so the mountain's cultural importance as a sacred location and a source of artistic inspiration was taken into consideration instead The volcano plays a major part in the country ’ s history, which is evident in its presence in many literary, poetic and pictorial works of art Many will think of Katsushika Hokusai’s famous series of prints illustrating thirty-six views of Mount Fuji. The master ’ s work contributed to making the volcano one of Japan’s principal landmarks, although for centuries its image was confined to the background behind Edo’s castle in works of art At the beginning of the 17th century, Mount Fuji was still a far away mountain for many living in the capital, a passing landmark for travellers on the Tokaido road
on their way to Kyoto, where the emperor lived Its presence was still underplayed in works of art at that time. It wasn ’ t until the second half of the century that it was given more importance, when the castle started to decline and lose some of its splendour Its 60-metre donjon built in 1607 was destroyed by fire fifty years later and was never rebuilt. Mount Fuji then took centre stage visually. This transition becomes obvious when looking at the Hokusai sketches sold in the Mitsui shops down Suruga Street in Edo (Koto Suruga-cho Mitsui Miseryakuzu), dating back to 1830 Your eyes are drawn to the volcano and its snowy peak that are at the centre of the composition, while Edo castle is lost among st the pine trees below
View of Mount Fuji from Kawaguchiko Lake
Thirt y years later another master engraver, Utag awa Hiroshige, published his famous Hundred Views of Edo (Meisho Edo Hyakkei) in which the volcano appears ever more imposing as it emerges from out of the mist and the castle has completely disappeared from the picture. As the end of the Shog unate approached, a new chapter was starting Mount Fuji, which last erupted in 1707, demonstrates great power in the imagination of human beings, especially as for centuries it was believed to have been the home of divinities “Fuji, like poetry, reaches for the sky and we never know if it is part of this world or the other, perhaps it is a mysterious kami (divinity)?” Fosco Maraini wonders in his work Meeting with Japan (1960) The mountain's dormant potential for fier y violence is without doubt the reason why people venerate it; they build sanctuaries to calm its anger and wish to commune with it when ascending it's slopes
A Buddhist monk was the first man to climb to the summit in 863 The volcanic activity calmed down during the 12th century and Mount Fuji became the centre for shugendo, a spiritual practice that focused on Man and his relation to nature A monk named Matsudai built the Daini-chi temple at the peak and the first pilgrimages were organised The number of pilgrims grew progressively and small replicas of the sacred mountain started appearing as keepsakes for those who could not climb the steep faces themselves Mount Fuji’s cult also grew when Hasegawa Kakuhyo placed it at the heart of his doctrine The Shinto sect Fujiko is increasing in popularity and encourages pilgrimages to the summit, as well as to other sites near the volcano At the end of the 19th century the prohibition against women climbing Mount Fuji was lifted. This coincided with the development of roads and rail lines making it more accessible
Today it still attracts hundreds of thousands of people. Between the 1st of July and the 27th of August, 200,000 to 300,000 people walk up the volcano’s slopes, of which 30% are foreigners. This number will probably increase now it has been listed as a World Heritage Site The local authority certainly aims to attract even more tourists. There are four routes to the summit : Fujinomiya , Gotemba, Subashiri and Yoshida, the last being the most popular because it’s also the easiest and the best equipped for the needs of hikers It starts at the fifth station at 2,305 metres, that you reach by bus (an hour’s ride from Kawagushiko station) or by car (330 parking places) To hike to the summit at 3,776 metres will take approximately six hours for a distance of 7 5 km Twenty rest stops are spread along the way and some have rooms for the night to allow visitors to enjoy the sunrise. We advise you to make a reser vation in advance if you would like
Sketches by Katsushika Hokusai, 1830, in the Mitsui shops down Edo’s Suruga Street
The same street 30 years later, by Utsgawa Hiroshige
TRAVEL
a room, or you might have to walk back down Nights are ver y cold and if you aren ’ t properly equipped, it is strongly recommended not to sleep outside The Navi Fujiyama website (www.fujiyamanavi.jp) has an English version and lists the phone numbers for the various accommodation available on the side of the mountain, as well as a lot of practical information to help you succeed in climbing the volcano Starting in 2014 it will cost hikers 1,000 yen to access the site and the money will go towards its maintenance Unfortunately, despite a lot of improvement, there is still a lot of pollution due to litter Although climbing to the top of Mount Fuji is the main aim for most people, they also wish to see the beautiful view (when not obscured by cloud) or enjoy the magnificent sunrise Mount Fuji’s attraction also lies in its great beauty The Japanese enjoy looking at it, just as they enjoy gazing at cherry trees in bloom and the red leaves in autumn Just as the expression Hanami is used to describe the moment of ecstasy while gazing at the cherr y blossom, there is one adapted for Mount Fuji: Fujimi
With its perfect conical shape and its unchanging majesty, it is easy to understand how the peak could have inspired so many artists One of the best ways to take advantage of its sleeping beauty is to travel by train. Don’t catch the Tokaido Shinkansen line’s fast train, from which you will only see the mountain for a few seconds For those with JR Rail Passes, the Minobu and Gotemba lines are the best to enjoy the view and the most popular line is the Fujikyuko that runs from Otsuki station and reaches to Kawaguchiko station in 55 minutes The prices vary according to the type of train and as is often the case on these popular lines, there are special carriages in which the interior decoration is just as important as the outside In the case of the Fujikyuko line, some trains such as the Fujisan Tokkyu and the Fuji Tozan are completely overrun by Japanese travellers But whatever the carriage, the landscape will be the same Don’t hesitate to stop to take advantage of a beautiful view of Mount Fuji, such as near to Fujisan station.
Another way of admiring Fuji is by boat Yamanakako
Lake, reached by bus from Fujisan station (Fujikyuko line), offers a pleasant and surprising experience, especially if you have children with you Catch the Yamanakako no Kaba (Yamanakako’s hippopotamus) that leaves from Yamanakako Asahigaoka, an amphibian vehicle (2,000 yen, 1,000 yen for children) that allows you to discover Fuji in an enjoyable way If you wish to combine flower gazing (hanami) with Fuji contemplation (Fujimi), go to Yamanakako Hananomiyako park, accessible by bus from Fujisan station Entrance is free all year around (8.30 am to 5.30 pm) and it offers a beautiful view of Mount Fuji with fields of colourful flowers in the foreground
From April to May, tulips are blooming while Mount Fuji is still covered in snow in the background and in June and July sunflowers follow poppies. At the Kawaguchiko terminus of the Fujikyuko line, the eponymous lake is also an ideal place to contemplate Fuji There are several cruises offered all year round. However, just 20 minutes away from the station there is an even better place to contemplate the sleeping volcano: the thermal baths, Fuji chobo no yu Yurari (towards Motosuko, three minutes away from the Fujimidori no kyukamura stop) Open ever y day from 10 am to 10 pm (1,200 yen, 600 yen for children), the outside bath (rotenburo) offers an incomparable view of Mount Fuji. Bathing with such an incredible view of Mount Fuji is like being in a dream
ODAIRA NAMIHEI
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
TO REACH YAMANAKAKO by train: from Shinjuku, catch the Azusa limited express or the Kaiji (1 or 2 trains a day) Change in Otsuki and get the Fujisan Tokkyu (4 to 7 trains a day) to Fujisan, where you can catch the bus to Asahigaoka (1 to 4 buses per hour). It’s a 2h40 ride for 4,600 yen. By bus: from the Shinjuku bus terminal, 2h15 for 2,000 yen (1 or 2 departures per day) or from the South exit of Yaesu at Tokyo station, 2h20 for 1,700 yen (8 to 10 departures per day)
TO GET TO KAWAGUCHIKO by train: the same trip as for Yamanakako, but get off at the terminus rather than at Fujisan. It takes 2 hours and costs 4,100 yen By bus: same location
ZOOM JAPAN is published by A Concept Limited
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ISSN : 2050-5108 Pr nted n France - In cooperat on w th Zoom Japon (France) - Ed I yfunet
Publisher : Yoshiki Van
Editorial : Oda ra Namihei, Gabriel Bernard, Gianni Simone, Re ko Descotes-Toyosaki, Eric Rechsteiner, Jérémie Souteyrat, Keiich Kondo, Jay Brillo, Luke B ssett, Aurélie Boissière, Kanda Graphisme
Translation : Chloë Salles, Susana Brown, Gav n J Poffley
Sales : Keiko Tashiro, Monica Fujiwara
Production : Toru Uekusa, Misako Kondo, Yuk Torikai, Toyohiko Endo, Takatoshi Ono, Kyoko Saito
The Fujikyuko line between Otsuki and Kawaguchiko attracts many lovers of trains and beautiful landscapes.
