Jap an e s e re staurants are blooming across London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin as Europeans fall in love wi th Jap an e s e c u i s in e Along side this passion for g a stron omy, Europ e n ow a l s o s e ems to b e addicted to manga People of all ages are literally devouring these comic books with which they can escape to a variety of different worlds.
G o o d f o o d i s a l s o s avo ure d in Jap an , an d Tokyo is now the city with the highest numb er o f Mi c h e l in re staurants in th e worl d However, the Japanese are showing less and less interest in manga these days and in order to regain readers, editors have been launching new collections of manga focusing on stories about cuisine, a tactic that is seeing much success! Bon appétit.
THE EDITORIAL TEAM info@zoomjapan info
130 000 000
Is the number of umbrellas that have been bought in Japan this year. Typhoon season is back already so umbrellas are everywhere. Most of them are made with see-through plastic and are not very resistant to gusts of wind.
A DAY IN JAPAN by Eric Rechsteiner
May 23rd 2012 in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture
months after the triple catastrophe of March
On
Rice is not officially contaminated by the radiation so it is deemed safe to eat
SOCIETY Poverty increases
For the past few years statistics relating to poverty have continued to drop 16 % of Japan’s population is affected by poverty, yet as the authorities keep on trying to reduce welfare benefits, charities point out that 4 to 5 million people who are entitled to benefits are, in fact, getting nothing In the end only 2.1 million people are receiving the benefits they are entitled to.
POLITICS Noda out of his depth
Not everyone in the Democratic Party agrees with the government’s plans to raise consumption tax. There are quite a few opponents to it, including Ozawa Ichiro, who might cause a split in the coalition that has held power since 2009 This situation could ultimately lead to Prime Minister Noda’s resignation.
Fifteen
2011, returning to normal seems to be the main local preoccupation
June 25th produce from the sea in the Fukushima area was back on sale Elsewhere, many rice fields have been replanted
Front cover picture by Jérémie Souteyrat
MEDIA Bad press
The split bet ween the press and its readership grows wider by the day, with newspapers accused of not covering the recent anti-nuclear power demonstrations f ully.
Ho w m a n y d e m o n s tr a t i o n s t o o k p l a c e
e xa c tl y ? How many p e op l e g ath ere d o utside the Prime Min ister ’ s office to protest a g ainst the re-commissioning of t wo reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant near Fukui ? 11,000, 45,000?
It is certainly no use loo-
k i n g f o r t h e a n s w e r i n
t h e m a i n s tr e a m Ja p a -
n e s e p r e s s , a t l e a s t n o t
i n t h e m a j o r n e w s p a -
pers, as such details have
b e e n c o n s p i c u o u s l y
a b s ent . “ S o m e th i n g i s
r o t t e n i n t h e s t a t e o f
D e n m a r k ” , Ma r c e l l u s
t o l d Ha m l e t a n d i n a sim ilar way, someth ing
s e e m s r o t t e n i n t h e emp ire o f th e Jap a n e s e p r e s s . O n e s h o u l d n o t
forg et that the Land of the Rising Sun has the larg est newspaper readership in the world Althoug h th is numb er ha s de crea se d over the past twenty years the Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun still each sell more copies daily than any o th er n e w sp ap er in th e worl d But h ow mu c h long er will this last ? Many Japanese are ang r y about these org ans of the press not covering all of the news and failing to report on the thousands of people who h a v e r e c e n t l y g a t h e r e d t o g e t h e r t o p r o t e s t . B a c k in S eptemb er, when O e Kenzaburo, winner of the No
K a mata
Satoshi were able to ra lly over 60,000 p e ople in the stre ets of To kyo to demonstrate in f avour of rap id nuclear de comm ission ing , most ne wspap ers f a ile d to send any journalists to cover the event, with others settl ing for just a sma l l p icture with a caption . On t h e 1 5 t
To ky o g ath
i d e th e Prim
Min
ster ’ s re s idence to express their disapproval with the decision to recommission Oi nuclear power plant Once more th e Jap
A flyer calling for protestors to demonstrate on the 22nd o
Prime Minister’s residence.
panese p e ople will no loner accept. On the social net-
e d wi th l e tter s cri ti c i z ing heir attitude and negligence ome newspapers have reacd p o si ti vel y to th i s, p ar tiularly the Tokyo Shimbun
Pa r t o f th e C hun i c h i g r o u p b a s e d i n Na g o y a , To k y o Shimbun has stood out from the crowd with its strong antinuclear stance over the pa st fe w months In a shor t note pub l ishe d on the 23rd of June, the ne wsp ap er admitted its mistake and tried to explain why it had not covered the demonstration in the previous week . Newspapers across Japan now need to do some soul search ing Out of a l l of the countr y ’ s g reat institutions the press is the only one to ne ver have undertaken any kind of reform, while for years demanding th a t o th
chang e ODAIRA NAMIHEI
FOCUS
TREND Manga are now devoured in many different forms
2011 and 2012 saw a marked change in the way Japanese people read comic books
Ye a r s g o b y b ut i n th e w o rl d o f ma n g a e ver y thing se ems to stay the same In 2005 the s a l e s o f g r ap h i c n o ve l s s ur p a ss e d th o s e o f mang a compilation mag azines and the g ap between the two formats continues to widen, indicating that Japanese readers’ relationship to manga has radically chang e d over the pa st de cade Most ma g a zines are in d e c l in e b ut th e s i tuati on ha s b e en s ave d by th e ri s ing s a l e s o f mang a in g rap h i c n o ve l f orm 2 0 1 1 was f ull of lessons to be learnt from the successes of S h i ng eki n o k y o ji n b y Is a y a Ha j i m e a n d Th e r m a e
R o m a e b y Y a ma z a ki Ma r i Fo r Ko d a n s ha , o n e o f Japan’s leading publishers, g ood sales of Shingeki no kyojin helped save a year that had not started off too
well, due to the end of the best-selling series Nodame Cantabile and the temp orar y absence of Vagabond from the shops during the year Shingeki no kyojin is remarkable for having sold over a million copies of its 6th volume published in December 2011 The series has be en seria lise d in B essatsu Shonen Ma g a z ine, one of its publisher’s less important imprints that has never before experienced such a dramatic rise in sa les The first volume of Shingeki no kyojin was publishe d in March 2010, with a distribution of only 40,000 copies By that autumn, sales s t a r t e d t o g r o w a n d h a d r e a c h e
, 0
Magazines are no longer selling as well.
c o p i e s by October. Then, thre e months later, sales rose to 750,000 af ter being awarded the coveted first place r a n king in th e a nnua l b e st ma ng a awa rd s h e l d by prestig ious comic g uidebook , Kono manga ga sugoi
[ This mang a is great] Since then, each new volume has sold like hot cakes, althoug h the mag azine itself rema ins re lati ve l y un kn own An o th er e x amp l e o f success among Kodansha’s publications is Saint Young Men by Nakamura Hikaru This best seller reaches sa les appro ach ing a m il l ion copies for ever y edition printed and like Shing eki no kyojin, it appears in one of th e p u b l i s h ing g ro up Mo rn ing 2 ’ s l e ss important mag azines This phenomenon is illustrated even better by Thermae Romae The series, written by Yamazaki Mari, is published in Comic Beam ma g azine, which a g ain, is far from being one of the most prominent publications on the market. However, this did not prevent Thermae Romae from accumulating sales of over 5 million copies when published in graphic novel form, althoug h Comic Beam’s
Silver Spoon by ARAKAWA Hiromu is on its way to becoming a best seller in Japan
actual circulation remains confidential This switch in popularit y to the g raphic novel format has be en one of the great lessons learnt this year by the manga publishing se ctor This situation contra sts sharply wi th h ow i t us e d to b e n o t s o l ong a g o , wh en re aders of manga magazines were the main driving force behind sales of the g raphic novels
From now on, other means of distribution ne e d to be de velope d in order to consolidate and maintain m a n g a s a l e s . Ma ny r e a d e r s f i r s t d i s c o v e r a s t o r y throug h its animated version or as an adaptation for T V or cinema , before reading it in its orig inal form T h i s e x p l a i n s t h e l a r g e g a p b e t w e e n t h e s a l e s o f manga magazines and manga books to a great degree Nevertheless, this development also prompts publishers to show more ima g ination in their choice of s t o ri e s , g o i n g f o r ma x i mum d i ver s i t y i n th e l a r g e number of series the y commission in the hope that just one may attract a larg e readership It is also why th e y c ontinu e to cre ate a bro a d rang e o f d i f f erent mang a ma g a zines to me et the exp e ctations of sp ecific g roups of readers
Shog akukan publishes Big Comic and Orig inal Big C om i c , on e to prom o te n e w ta l ent an d th e o th er fo cusing on the trie d and truste d. Publishers pay a lot of attention to the response the y g et from their readers and tr y to anticipate what they want in order to g uarante e a b e tter an d m ore sta b l e re turn than they have received in previous years Mang a adaptations into an imation or tele vision shows, whether f o r T V o r t h e c i n e m a , h a v e b e c o m e s u b s t a
s o ur c e s
i n c o m e c o m e s f ro m c o p y ri g ht a n d i n d i re c t s a l e s
T h e p r o f i t t o b e m a d e b y p u b l i s h e r s f r o m t h e s e sources is so g o o d that the y now ta ke par t dire ctly in th e pro du c ti on o f te l e vi s i on s h ow s an d f e ature films, from which they can earn a great deal on sales of tickets and DVDs When you consider that many o f t o d a y ’ s g r e a t b l o c k b u s t e r s a t t h e c i n e m a a r e actually movies adapted from manga, you will surely understand why publishers are so ke en to invest in co -production During the first six months of 2012, Bokura ga ita [ We Were There] by Obata Yuki, Uchu kyodai [Space Brothers] by Koyama Chuya and Therm a e R o m a e w e r e a l l a d a p t e d f o r t h e c i n e m a a n d became big hits This is one of the reasons why publishers do not show much concern when one of their magazines is losing a lot of money, because they know the y will be able to raise income elsewhere and this is all that matters in the long run. They are also aware that the y wil l no long er exp erience the h ig h le vels of success from pre vious years, when we eklies such a s S h on en Jump enj oy e d s a l e s o f 6 m i l l i on c op i e s e ver y we ek Now, Shueisha is happy to publish and d i s tr i b ut e a m e r e 3 m i l l i o n c o p i e s o f i t s l e a d i n g manga magazine, and this only made possible partly in thanks to the colossi One Piece by O da Eiichiro and Naruto by Kishimoto Masashi The success of
th e s e s eri e
a s g rap h i c n o ve l s i s mu c h g re ater an d since it’s debut in 1997, over 260 million copies of One Piece have been sold in Japan with the first print r un o f e ver y n e w vo lum e s e l l ing at l e a st 4 m i l l i on copies, which must no doubt satisf y its publisher. In addition, publishers are also turning their eyes to another new se ctor : online e ditions, e ven if results a re sti l
e s appear to have decided to start taking better advanta g e o f th i s o pp o r tun i t y a n d a c c o rd ing to a 2 0 1 1 report on electronic manga, 80% of the revenue gener at
Jap
t ems f ro m mang a This is encourag ing publishers to take more interest in their customer ’ s reading habits, especially with the advent of smart phones and tablet computers However, specialists believe that it will still take a f e w y e ar s f or th e d i g i ta l marke t to supp lant traditional paper publications
In the meantime, publishers are tr ying to determine h o w t h e i r r e a d e r s ’ t a s t e s a r e e v o l v i n g i n o r d e r t o create new series, or promote those that have not yet g a ine d enoug h public interest. In De cemb er e ver y year sinc e 2006, the y awa it Kono manga ga sug oi’s ranking s that have an obvious impact on sales. Over the years this annual publication by Takarajima has be come one of the main barometers for measuring market trends. Divided into two parts, one for men, the other for women, the ranking is the result of caref u l research by sp e cia l ists and readers and sets the tone of what will b e on offer the following sea son S i n c e 2 0 0 6 , Ko no m a nga ga sug o i ha s s i n g l e d o ut Pluto by Ura sawa Nao ki, S aint Young Me n, B akuman by Oba Tsug umi and Obata Takeshi and Shing eki n o k y o j i n . In i t s 2 0 1 2 aw a r d s p u b l i s h e d l a s t
December the publication picked out Hana no zuborameshi [Hana’s sloppy meals], the stor y of a young woman ’ s mishaps in the kitchen, being charme d by this delightful comedy and it’s charismatic main character. By ranking it first in the awards, the publication also highlights a strong trend towards food relate d mang a
A n o th e r mu c h a nti c i p a t e d r a n ki n g i s D a V i n c i ’ s monthly literar y re view that focuses on new mang a i n t h e m a ki n g . In i t s Fe b r u a r y e d i t i o n A r a k aw a Hiromu’s Silver Spoon, a stor y that takes place in an a g ricu ltura l c o l le g e in Ho kka ido, came se c ond A f e w day s a f ter th e ma g a z in e wa s p u b l i s h e d , S ilve r Spoon re ceive d the Great Mang a award of 2012 for the year ’ s best stor y, which also impacts strong ly on the chosen publication’s sa les It is still too early to tell (althoug h 500,000 copies of the second volume p u b l i s h e d la st D e c em b er have a l re a d y b e en s o l d ) b ut t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n s e e m s t o a g r e e w i t h r e a d e r s ’ t a s t e s . T h e y b e c o m e g r e e d i e r b y t h e d a y a n d a r e happy to devour stories about delicious dishes, giving them an appetite for more !
ODAIRA NAMIHEI
L
IBRARY
The top 4
Here is a selection of the best selling manga series published in 2011
Giants have devoured a uge proportion of uman life on the planet
A small group of humans ake refuge in a gigantic ortified town, protected within three concentric nclosures but one day he main character Eren iscovers that the Titans ave succeeded in finding new way in
j , g no kyojin, Kodansha ed., 2009, an on-going serial with 7 vol published so far
his shojo manga (manga or young girls) is about a igh school student who alls in love with one of her choolmates who has a uspicious past It has been dapted into an animation nd a film for cinema elease. Miki Takahiro (also he director of Solanin) irectedthe very successul movie version
, g , Shogakukan ed , 2002, serialisation has ended with 16 volumes published
his manga is about food
etail
on-going serial with 18 vol published so far h
,
hers who dream of traelling in outer space he first is recruited to
of a space raining programme
SHIMABUKURO Mitsutoshi, Toriko, Shueisha ed
2008, an
KOYAMA Chuya, Uchu kyôdai, Kodansha ed , 2008, an on-going serial with18 volumes published so far
INITIATION From producer to consumer
Wi t h Fu l l m e t a l Al c h e m i s t , A r a k a w a
Hiro mu ha s b e c o m e o n e o f th e g re atest names in manga, both in Japan and in the rest of the world. Her talent is greatly applauded and it is well known that ever ything she touches t ur n s t o g o l d G i n n o s a j i ( S i l v e r S p o o n) i s p r o o f of this It is an orig inal stor y that may come as a sur-
A drawing by Arakawa
to being
prise to Fullmetal Alchemist readers when the y first d i p i nt o i t b e c a u s e i t s c o nt e nt ha s n o th i n g t o d o w i th f a nta s y. W i th S ilv e r S p o o n th e auth o r t urn s her back on alchemy for a more down to earth universe that is ver y dear to her : a g riculture Ara kawa is from Hokkaido, the main island north of Honshu that is f amous for it’s a g ricu ltura l wea lth, and she e ven stu d i e d f or s om e tim e at an a g ri c u ltura l c o llege That kind of school is also the setting she chose to tell her stor y To make her characters more believable, Arakawa meticulously investig ate d details of her past, which helps make the setting and the psyc h o l o g y o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s m o r e r e a l i s t i c . S i l v e r Spoon’ s hero is Hachiken Yug o His first year at the a g ricultura l col leg e ha s just b eg un and he wil l not only discover life in the school community but above a
f o o d . How an
turn e d into delicious slices of bacon is something he had ne ver g iven a thoug ht to b efore but it is a rea lit y that he will need to face up to during his studies The main p oint of interest in this award-winning stor y (winn er o f th e b e st mang a award 2 0 1 2 ) , l i e s in h ow i t informs the readers about some of the principles of ag riculture, of which many probably know ver y little Ara kawa Hiromu a lso stresses the imp or tance of paying attention to the environment and defending susta inable a g riculture, so as to ensure respe ct for a natura l ba lance
She is in tune with the current Japanese preoccupation with food, particularly since March 2011, and
the problems with radioactive contamination caused by the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear p o w e r p l a nt . T h e a ut h o r a l s o p a y s tr i b ut e t o t h e reg ion where she wa s b orn by describing lo ca l trad i ti o n s a n d h i g h l i g hti n g h ow c l o s
ple in that area are Without b eing to o mora l istic , Silver Sp o on ne ver theless ra ises some g reat mora l princip les . The mang a a lso exp lores the questions farmers have to face in relation to life and death when having to send their pig s and cattle to the slaug hterhouse Similarily to Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon is a sort of tale of initiation, but focussing on youth, and this se ems to to be at the root of its popularit y w i th b o th c r i ti c s a n d a g r o w i n g r e a d e r s h i p Fi r s t published as a serial in the weekly mag azine Shonen Sunday, the mang a has already been collected tog ether into four g raphic novels, with over ha lf a mill i o n c o p i e s s o l d . T h e d i s t i n c t i o n i t w a s aw a r d e d during the spring should g ive it a tremendous boost, esp e cia l ly a s an increa sing numb er of Jap anese are d r aw n t o th e c o untr y s i d e i n Ho kk a i d o a n d ha v e hop es of l iving there one day Ara kawa Hiromu, a tr ue comic b o ok a lchemist, ha s succe e de d in creating a brilliant stor y that also relates to current trends in mang a I wish her many cong ratulations
REFERENCE
GIN NO SAJI - SILVER SPOON by Arakawa Hiromu, Shôgakukan, 2011, an on-going series with 4 volumes published so far
Arakawa Hiromu has taken a bold step with her new manga about agriculture.
Hiromu in response
awarded the Great Manga prize of 2012 last March
HISTORY At Mr. Nobunaga’s service
By using the historical figure of Oda Nobunaga as a character, mangaka have succeeded in creating several ver y imaginative stories.
Over the p a st fe w years, jid aigeki ( Jap anese p erio d films) have made a c omeb ack in movies Samurai films are acclaimed both by the audiences the y entertain and the dire ctors w find in them an opportunity to express their talent a different way Kitano Takeshi’s Zatoichi and Mi Takashi’s 13 Assassins are wonderful demonstratio of this The success of these feature films illustrate Japanese need for traditional points of reference a time when their countr y is in deep crisis. Althou they are based on fiction, the fact that they are ste ped in a period that is rich in histor y (the Edo er is enoug h to satisf y viewers They are also sensiti to the literar y refere d li ith J i th 16th and 17th c entu
great figures in h istor y wer
a l ive Th is cra ze can a ls b e found manga, with qu
a fe w suc c es history based p cations app during the p years Among t h istorica l c from this glori
Oda Nobunag the most famo
Born into a w aristocratic fam
Jap an, whose a lready wides 16th c entur y, found himself
dal power stru ded his father g overnor of h
permitted them to preach Catholicism and to build churches rig ht up to the outskirts of Kyoto. In addition, the imperial court perceived him to be a militar y chief with a great capacity to end civil wars, which led to him being appointed Second Minister, one of the hig hest positions in the g overnment hierarchy As a renowne d militar y leader, Nobuna g a of ten surprised his enemies with his battlefield mobility and he
He took up arms to unif y the province and fought the daimyo of the neighbouring regions. After allying himself to To kug awa Ie ya su, h is ea stern neig hb our, he conquered Mino province to the north, and transferre d h is residenc e from Kiyosu ca stle to Gif u, near Nagoya
He was endowed with a ver y inquisitive nature and helped to establish relations with the Portug uese who reached Japan for the first time in 1543, Nobunag a
Japan in its first steps towards modernization
Taking his impressive historical profile into consideration, it is not so surprising that many mangaka are inspired by the character of Oda Nobunaga to create stories that describe him either as a great hero or a heartless warrior. For example, he ordered the assassination of his younger brother Oda Nobuyuki whom he suspected of conspiring against him. Among the manga that depict him in a rather nega-
tive light is Samurai Deeper Kyo by Kamijo Akimine (a series that app eare d b et we en 1999 and 2006 in 38 volumes), in which he is portrayed as a bloodthirsty warrior who is extremely cruel and wants to dominate the world by terrorising it. More recently, two other manga have also chosen to tell the stor y of this great lord. Nobunaga Concerto by Ishii Ayumi (an on-going series with 6 volumes published so far) has appeared in the monthly mag azine Shonen Sunday, Get Sun, since 2009. Although it initially went unnoticed, the stor y is now getting more attention from critics and readers alike. In this tale Saburo, an ordinar y hig h school student with poor grades in histor y, is transforme d into O da Nobuna g a , whose p ersona lit y is markedly changed under Saburo’s influence. With a meticulous sense of rhythm and a pleasant brush stroke, Ishii Ayumi has succeeded in writing a widely acclaime d stor y The same g o es for Nish imura Mitsuri (stor y) and Kajikawa Takuro (art) for Nobunaga no s Chef ] that was first d in 2011, with 4 vo lumes having a lready e en relea se d It ls the stor y of n, a c o o k who s himself in 16th ur y Jap an af ter down a crevasse on becomes Oda a g a ’ s p ersona l h is is ma in ly a bout food but to und of various e vents that Chef It attracts ersh ip who are two passions in tor y and gastrowist is that Ken is mo dern day roduce new flae having to adapt moment Publimagazine Manga Times (Hobunsha ed ), Nobunaga no shefu is a beautiful illustration of the ability of mangaka to make use of h istor y when writing mo dern and dynam ic stories that are impossible to put down
REFERENCE
NOBUNAGA NO SHEFU by Nishimura Mitsuru and Kajikawa Takuro, Hobunsha ed , an on-going series with 4 volumes published so far
FOCUS
PASSION A cop sits down to eat
Pu b l i s h e d i n th e p o p u l a r w e e kl y ma g a z i n e
Asahi Geino that covers Japanese show business, Meshibana deka Tachibana [Dete ctive
Ta c h i b a n a ’ s f o o d s t o r i e s ] i s g a i n i n g a f o l l o w i n g
am ong f o o d l o ver s D e te c ti ve Ta c h i b ana ’ s ro un d
g re e dy f and sh
Ta c h i b
W h e t
h i s
l e a g u e
o r w i t suspe c always
t o r
s t o r i e s
t h e o t h i s d
Ho w e ned, re
n o t D
b a n a ’ s stor y a food, e
k i n d t
sma ll r
s tati o n 5th vol ab out
sa lad ],
O ur f r scientific description of the best way to prepare this re cip e and dumbfounds h is c o l lea g ue, leaving out no detail, e ven down to the point of comparing the price of macaroni in various grocer y shops Readers like his jovia lit y but that is not a ll. In its 2012 e dition, Kono manga ga sugoi ranke d Meshibana Deka 9 t h a m o n g t h e b e s t m a n g a o f t h e y e a r, w h i c h h a s
g iven it a whole new popularity It is part of the growing trend for mang a that focus on food, this g enre ta king up an increa sing amount of space in b o oksh o p s In Ja p a n , t h e s e k i n d s o f c o m i c s a r e c a l l e d “ g urume manga ” , meaning gourmet comics, although Mesh ib ana deka Tach ib ana is not rea l ly what you
This is a stor y about a talkative cop who likes to eat, but most of all loves to talk. It is to be consumed enthusiastically… around for qu ite a fe w years to c ome, amusing h is r e a d
c o u l d c a l l a
s t o r y f o r tr u e
ts. The main chalittle but his first scrib e what he is d l i ke to f in d on h e ing re d i ents in e a sure h e ta ke s i n eating Tabii Tori’s drawing s capture these moments p er f e c tl y an d h i g h l i g ht Ta c h i b ana ’ s f a c i a l e xpre ssions of g a stronomic plea sure Another rea son for i t s s u c c e s s i s t h e d e t e c t i v e ’ s s tr a i g
w a r d approach . He is neither a g ourmet, nor an ace chef but is a character that many ordinar y Japanese can identif y with It is easy to fe el close to him, be cause o f th e un c omp l i cate d way
cri
h
avo urite dishes, even instant noodles This lovable loudmouth succe e ds in convincing the reader by tempting him with various dishes Such an unpretentious a p p r o a c
rently This could a lso expla in why this mang a wa s chosen to app ear in a p opular ma g a zine.
The recognition he received from reviewers encourag es us to belie ve that Detective Tachibana will be
confronte d with sma ll plates of fo o d That is what b
blend of invig orating stories to bur y oneself in and awaken an appetite for more Reading clearly encoura g es a g o o d app etite !
CULTURE
LITERATURE I am a cat
The narrator of this tale is a cat who belongs to an English teacher ill at ease with himselfand who suffers from depression and stomach pain. He observes the sick society of the Meiji era all sorts of intellectuals parading through the house of his master, meditating on the meaning of life. While one struggles to develop theses on things such as suicide by hanging and the workings of a frog’s eyes, another amuses himself playing around with exotic European words and customs that nobody has ever heard of. There is even a Zen monk who has made a vow of renunciation and prays that the master will do likewise. This whole class of out-of-work intellectuals has to submit to competition from money thirsty materialists such as the master’s neighbour, who represents the new e g g class in Japan. I am a cat talks about such eclectic subjects as marriage, a theory on the eyesight of frogs, baseball, stomach pain, and Zen philosophy! This story was first published as a serial between 1905 and 1906, which explains the unusual layout of the chapters: each a little sketch that describe an episode or a day in the English teacher’s life. This is a book that you should read and re-read over the summer
MUSIC Mao’s great leap
T HIS MONTH’S EVENT
Gabriel Bernard
I am a Cat, NATSUME SOSEKI, translated by ITO Aiko, Tuttle Publishing, £18
Abe Mao is not very well known outside Japan but this young woman who has just released her fourth album deserves wider recognition. She is a songwriter who crafts her songs in the same way as goldsmiths make jewellery. Over the years, she has gained in confidence and reveals a mature approach to lyrics and the topics she sings about. Abe comes from Kyushu, and lived with her mother after her parents divorced, which is probably why she pays so much attention to relationships between people. This is an album to be listened to over and over again.
DVD Broken blade
is making a killing
Broken Blade is a manga by YOSHINAGA Yunosuke that was first published in Japan in 2007 Published by Flex Comics, it still appears in Comic Blood and now n
wa owaranai, PCCA-03595.
EXHIBITION Japanese influence
It is often said that the Japanese copy others to first reproduce and then improve on an object. In the case of Japanese gardens however, it seems to be the other way around in that the Japanese heavily influenced the British. This is made obvious in this beautiful photography and text based exhibition that demonstrates the great importance and influence of Japanese design. The exhibition is very well organised and is meant to both educate and be accessible to as many people as possible. It runs until September the 13th Visions of Paradise – the Japanese Garden in the UK The Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB - Tel 0845 0944584
young boy who does not possess the same aptitude for magical powers as those around him, to manipulate quartz from a distance Despite this “handicap”, he still remains particularly close to the King of the country in which Broken Blade takes place War is about to break out and despite the weakness of his magical powers, Lygatt finds himself at the heart of the conflict The stor y is set in a universe that is essentially fantastic and futuristic, with its own mecha
also adapted into an animation in 2010 Produced by I G Studios and directed by AMINO Tetsuro who is already well acquainted with mecha series, having directed Macross 7and Mobile Suit SD Gundam This series of 6 movies is now available on DVD and BluRay The creators did not spend a great deal of time on the story but the same cannot be said about the a
ken Blade is ver y impressive, from the dirty, grimy, beaten up look of the fighting robots to the sprawling landscapes they battle in, ever ything appears to have been carefully thought about and meticul o u
it is not always easy to find such good quality anime Such quality may be down to Amino being assisted by HABARA Nobuyoshi, who had previously worked on the TV shows D N Angel, Negima!, and Shaman King The script was by Sogo Masashi (known for TV shows Gantz, Bleach and Kiddy Grade) and the character design by Norita Takushige (a key contributor to the TV show Gurren Lagann and the movie R
rall Broken Blade is an entertaining and carefully crafted anime with a solid story that has something to offer all types of anime fans
ODAIRA NAMIHEI
Broken Blade by AMINO Tetsuro, MVM, 300 minutes. Available on DVD and Blu-Ray
Tatakai
CULTURE
CINEMA A well deserved tribute to Shindo and Yoshimura
Two great fig ures of Japan’s post-war cinema will be celebrated in an exhibition at the BFI Southbank , running until the 30th of July. It will be a good opportunit y to discover their best movies.
In Great Britain at least, a memorable anniversary in the histor y of Japanese cinematog raphy ha s be en overlooke d Ver y little was said in France either about the 22nd of April 2012, a historical date that marke d the 100th b ir thday of film d ire ctor S H I N D O Kaneto ! Ala s, Shindo die d shor tly af terwards on the 29th of May. Although generally renowned only for being the director of a single movie, The Island (Hadaka no shima, 1960), since 1951 Shindo had actually directed over 45 movies, finishing with his last and most well known film, Ichimai no hagaki [Postcard], shown at the Tokyo festival in 2010. The Island has his fif te enth film and demonstrate d his international recognition when it was unexpectedly awarded the best movie prize at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1961 The movie’s soundtrack by Hayashi Hikaru was also part of its success, a haunting melo dy in a film that is close to b eing totally silent. The director patiently and poetically describes the laborious e ver yday life of a family of p ea sants throug hout the sea sons, on an arid l ittle island in the Inland Sea , using beautif ul black and white pictures The Island remains one of the outstanding classics of a great era in Japanese cinema and it was the turning point in Shindo’s career In reality,
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
BFI SOUTHBANK, Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1
8XT The Box Office is open daily from 11 30 am –8.30 pm. Phone: 020 7633 0274
he was already known to Western re vie wers for one of h is first movies, Ch ildren of Hirosh ima (Gembaku no ko, 1952), in which he explicitly describes the fate of ch ildren af ter the atom ic b omb wa s dropp e d over the cit y of his birth. Shindo started out as assistant to one of his g reat mentors, MIZOGUCHI Kenji and experienc e d a l l of p ost-war Jap anese cinema, from Toho to Shintoho to toho, especially during the period when he was politica lly eng a g e d and affil iate d to the commun ist part y Shindo was the script writer for a few dozen movies in the 1940s, most notably collaborations with his colleague YOSHIMURA Kozaburo with whom he would go on to later found an independent company calle d Kinda Eig a Kyokai ( The modern film society) in 1950 This gave him the impetus to undertake independent productions and direct some socially engaged, polemical movies such as Shukuzu [Life of a Woman, 1953], Okami [ Wolf, 1955] and Daigo Fukuryu maru [Lucky Dragon No 5, 1958]. The latter film became almost as well known as The Island and is a true stor y about a fishing boat that was irradiated after American nuclear tests on Bikini Atoll
Than k s to the B FI, you can now watch some of SHINDO KANETO and YOSHIMURA Kozaburo’s most beautiful movies. Less well known than his Kindai Eiga Kyokai partner, Yoshimura’s own career started in 1929 at the Sho ch iku company His debut a s a director dates back to 1934 but even after this he was still just assistant director to OZU Yasujiro and SHI-
MAZU Yasujiro and it was the movie Danryu ( Warm Current), released in 1939, which finally started to build his own reputation. His film Anjoke no butokai ( The Ball at the Anjo House, 1947), starring famous actress HARA Setsuko, was awarded Best Film of the year in 1947 by the renowned film magazine Kinema Junpo and this film marked the beginning of Yoshimura ’ s long relationship with SHINDO. YOSHIMURA directed over 60 movies in total, including Itsuware ru seiso (Clothes of D e ception, 1951) and Yoru no Kawa (Undercurrent, 1956) and he too playe d a great part in post-war Japanese cinematography We can only thank the BFI ’ s initiative, which allows us to watch and re-watch Shindo’s Onibaba (1964), Yabu no naka no kuroneko (Kuroneko, 1968), or Fukuro ( The Owl, 2003) and Yoshimura’s Osaka monogatari (Osa ka Stor y, 1957), Onna no saka (A Woman’s Uphill Slope, 1960), and Echizen take ning yo (Bamboo Doll of Echizen, 1963) This is one seasonnot to be missed!
GABRIEL BERNARD
The Island by Kaneto Shindo
EVENT Noh in Britain? we say yes!
On the 7th and 9th of September, two high quality shows will be presented in London and Orford in Suffolk, which combine classical Japanese theatre and British tradition.
Noh theatre’s inheritance stems from the oldest forms of Japanese theatre. Its origins lie in religious celebrations that used to take place in the countryside, in order to amuse the deities and consequently to insure their benevolence towards the harvest These performances including dances, costumes and masks are known as Kag ura. After the arrival of Buddhism and its new kinds of ceremonies in Japan around 650 AD, Kagura with its allegiance to the older rites of Shinto, started to lose prestige. The performances became more secular in meaning , yet were still just as festive. These new forms of entertainment were called Gagaku and Bugaku, then during the 9th century Sangaku evolved and finally Sarugaku (Lit:“Monkey games”) was added to the repertoire, featuring acrobatics, ma g ic tricks and come dy It was during the Muromachi era, under the authority of the Ashikaga Shog uns, that the father and son actors Kanami and Zeami established the rules for what was to become Noh. They kept the main outline of Sangaku but changed its form completely Inspired by the new school of Zen Buddhism, which was now rapidly expanding , they wrote new texts and imposed strict rules for the use of kimonos, masks, music, and even the stage itself In the space of twenty years they manag ed to completely transfig ure the ancient and popular yet bois-
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Sumidagawa : 6 30 pm on the 7th of September 2012 at Christ Church in Spitalfields, London Curlew River : 3 00 pm on the 9th of September 2012 at St Bartholomew in Orford, Suffolk http://sumidagawa-curlewriver.com/
trous Sarugaku into a refined art aimed at the Japanese militar y and political elite. Masks have always played a dominant role in Japanese culture At approximately 20 cm h ig h, Noh ma sk s are scu lpte d from cypress wood that is then covered with a layer of white paint on to which the masks’ characteristic yellow is applie d. Black ink is then use d for the e yebrows and the hair All of this is then covered with a ver y thin layer of lacquer The eyes are thin slits, making it hard for the actor to see
By now you may be curious about this intrig uing art and wish to attend a performance yourself. It so happens that one will take place Christ Church in London’s Spitalfields on September 7th at 6.30pm and at St Bartholomew in Orford, Suffolk, at 3pm on September 9th Actors and musicians from Tokyo University of the Arts will perform Sumidagawa [The Sumida River], a 15th centur y play by Kanze Motomasa As
a ferryman is taking on board passengers to ferry across the Sumida River, a woman appears, wracked with pain : she is looking for her long lost son The ferr yman tells her that the pilg rims across the river are praying for a little boy who died just a year before and the mother soon finds herself standing over her son ’ s tomb. As she prays, she thinks she sees the child’s ghost, but the shadow disappears at dawn Did the mother rea lly se e her child ? Sumida g awa will b e followe d by Curlew River, an adaptation of the same Noh play, composed by Benjamin Britten, with a chorus of British singers. The soloists and instrumentalists are from Tokyo Universit y of the Arts, and the music director is Dominic Wheeler. Curlew River embodies an unconventional fusion of music and drama with elements b orrowe d b oth from Japan and me die va l English myster y plays. Not to be missed!
GABRIEL BERNARD
INTERVIEW The press embodies local identity
The local press plays an important role in the far flung regions of Japan, but how it works is quite a myster y. A respected academic reveals some answers.
Anthony R ausch lives in TohokuJapan’s northern Tohoku region, in Hirosaki, a city that the Japanese appreciate for its castle and the thousands of cherr y tre es that surround it Ever y year, hordes of Japanese visit Hirosaki to enjoy the transformation of the ca stle and surrounding park , when the white and pink cherry trees are in bloom Born in the United States, R ausch has now lived in the reg ion for 22 years and has savoured ever y moment of it He is a professor at Hirosa ki Universit y and by working with the regional press he has learnt to understand and interpret local customs He has recently published “Japan’s Local Newspapers: Chihoshi and Revitaliz ation Journalism” (Routledg e), an excellent book in which he reveals the role of small provincial newspapers. This work results from metic u l o us o b s er vati on ins i d e a n e w sro om in th e northern prefecture of Aomori.
Can you give us a short explanation of the role of local newspapers in Japan?
Anthony Rausch : The major question for most local newspapers is whether they view themselves as complementar y to or substitutes for national papers A role as substitute would demand that they included international and national news, predominantly political and economic, along with local news. A complementar y role would allow the local newspaper to
REFERENCE
forego such international and national coverage and instead focus on strictly local themes. Local newspapers in Japan – defined here as newspapers that operate at the prefectural level – actually adopt both patterns : in essence the y ser ve both as substitute and complementary newspapers. This is evidenced by analysing local newspapers, where you find that the front page is usually a mix of a big national stor y along with t wo or three more local stories, after which the next few pag es are dominated by national and international stories, with local news provided with exclusive space in several pages near the end of the paper.
This dual character can also be confirmed in readership patterns, where for most prefectures there is a fairly even balance of readership percentages for both national and prefectural level newspapers, with the national average at 43% for a national paper and 45% for a prefectural paper People are reading both levels of newspapers – even though the prefectural papers diligently cover national news along with local news Of course there are a handful of prefectures for which the prefectural newspaper readership drops below 10% with a corresponding ly hig h percentag e for a national paper; conversely, there are also ten-plus prefectures where the readership levels of local newspapers is above 60%, with a corresponding lower percenta g e for a national paper This is most likely a testament less to the role of the newspaper than to the level of reading that constitutes a big part of daily life for Japanese
That being said, the local newspaper also contributes significantly to both sense of location for the reader and sense of self for the reader In this regard, the prefectural newspapers of Japan devote space not just to ‘local news, ’ but also to local histor y, culture, g eo-
raphy, literature, and arts. The paper s providing for the creation and susenance of local identity for its readers – in a manner that is both highly detaie d and e ducational but which also trongly reaffirms identity of place for he reader In addition, the papers devote pace to themes and issues of imporance to various sectors of the populaion – whether it be the aged who are oncerned about health issues, young arents who are concerned about education, or more recently, residents who seek histor y, context and detailed information on nuclear power generation in Japan Many local newspapers accomplish this through ‘themed rensai,’ long-running and highly in-depth columns devoted to a specific theme
During the events of 3 11, local newspapers seem to have played a crucial role (for example the Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun). What is your take on this? Anthony Rausch : Over the past year, I have looked at three newspapers specifically from affected areas focusing on 3 11 disaster-related content: the Fukushima Minpo of Fukushima Prefecture, the Kahoku Shinpo of Miyag i Prefecture and the Toonippo of Aomori Prefecture What I found was on the one hand, what one would expect, but on the other, something very illuminating relating to how the local newspaper was covering the event First of all, there was a trend to prioritize the event as news, from directly after the event until mid-summer ( July), after which many of the ‘themed rensai,’ the long -running and highly in-depth columns referred to above were initiate d. While this mig ht be what is expe cte d, the disaster, as an immediate news item, is replaced by the longer view contextualizing it and the event itself is replaced by other news items. These hese themed columns were ver y revealing in the topics they took
Japan's Local Newspapers: Chihoshi and Revitalization Journalism by Anthony Rausch, Routledge, 2012.
up For the Fukushima newspaper, the focus was predominantly on the nuclear power plant disaster, in a very post-event reflective view. For the Miyagi newspaper, the columns focused on testimonies of the event, retelling s of the event throug h the words of sur vivors This was complemented by themes related to recovery, in part focusing on the physical prog ress of re cover y, in par t on the human a sp e ct of kizuna, (human ties and bonds) Finally, the Aomori newspaper beg an a column mid-summer entitle d “Lessons from Fukushima”, which, focused on the nuclear disaster, but very quickly expanded the extent of content to themes such as governance and policy considerations, the technolog y of nuclear power, and the reality of Japan’s propensity for earthquakes, all ver y for ward looking considerations Considering such media functions as social utility in terms of information; agenda setting in terms of policy direction; hype in terms of perpetuating rumour and hysteria ; narrative development yielding human interest stories and social value creation in terms of content that leads to informed citizenr y, the local newspapers seemed able to strike a balance by avoiding the negative trends that can occur in post-disaster media coverage, while still emphasizing the positive contribution that media can produce in terms of re-establishing community consciousness and promoting an informed citizenr y and intelligent debate.
How do you se e the f uture of lo ca l ne wspap ers in Japan ?
Anthony R ausch : The answer to this question is refle cte d in the sub -title of the b o o k : re vita l iza-
tion journalism I have read my local Aomori newspaper for nearly twenty years One of the trends that I have noticed over the past five to ten years is the use of the ‘themed rensai,’ the long running columns, in a manner which can be interpreted as contributing to the revitalization of the area This revitalization is both identity related and economics related Japanese consciousness is hig hly Tokyo and urban centric It is simply a fact of life for a countr y that is so small, has such efficient transportation and hosts one of the most dynamic cities in the world This extends to other reg ions as well, with much of the focus on outlying areas being centred on a dominant municipality I see the future of the local newspaper as countering this centralization tendency. This ongoing practice of a widely read local newspaper focusing not just on local news, but on the histor y and character of its host area , bring s to local residents a new appreciation of their locale For local residents, this appreciation can provide an understanding that the value of an area is more than just economic measures of production and growth As Japan is g oing through its demographic transition due to depopulation and regional population shifts, it is important that the value of outlying rural areas is reinforced by their inhabitants Along with that, I have noticed evidence of my local newspaper providing content in these columns that can contribute to the economy of Aomori – not in the creation of a new economy, but rather in the revitalization of the existing economy So I see the future of the local newspaper as best ser ved by the local newspaper providing for the f uture of its host lo ca le And in th is h ig h ly te ch-
CULTURE
On March the 12th 2011, the day after the earthquake and the tsunami, the Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun’s team of journalists published their first handwritten mural newspaper They did this for a whole week, before the rotary press was put back into use
nolog ical and g lobally connected world in which we live, that for me is the truest meaning of a local newspaper Inter view by GABRIEL BERNARD
EATING & DRINKING
R
g l a s s t o Japan’s brewers
Choosing a bottle of sake can be quite a daunting prospect. Bottles come in all shapes and sizes, each decorated with graceful but indecipherable kanji. A good place to start though is to focus on quality. Gekkeikan Hourin Junmai Daiginjyo, for example, has won Monde Selection’s gold medal for five years in a row. But before we drink, let’s break down that name Gekkeikan is the name of the brewery (one of Japan’s most prestigious, with a history going back 400 years).
Hourin is the brand name of this particular sake, and Junmai Daiginjyo describes its exact type, or ‘special designation’.
A sake’s quality is down to how extensively the rice used in its production has been ‘polished’ to remove the bran and leave the all important inner starch. This will then turn to sugar and ferment to produce alcohol. Other factors governing the quality include how much extra alcohol is added, how long it is left to mature and even the kind of wood used for the barrels it is stored in. Junmai Daiginjyo is a premium sake with nothing added, made from just rice and water. It is worth bearing this in mind when you drink it and marvel at the complexity of flavour achieved from just these two ingredients. It has a fruity aroma, a mild, sweet and layered taste but nevertheless at 15 per cent also has quite a kick to it. This sake goes well with a light meal, fish or chicken, or can be enjoyed equally well just on its own. Kanpai!
Gekkeikan Hourin Junmai Daiginjo
300ml £10 50, 720ml 36 90, 1 8L £76 70 Japan Centre www japancentre com * price may be subject to change
RESTAURANT Oodles of noodles at Ittenbari
There is a scene in the quirky 80s film comedy ‘ Tampopo’, where an old ramen master teaches his young pupil the correct way to eat noodle soup
“First you must obser ve it in its entirety,” explains the aged teacher, “and then caress the noodles with your chopsticks to show affection” He then instructs his student never to begin with the focal point of the dish, the slices of pork belly known as chashu, but instead to place them to one side, whispering : “ see you again soon”! Of course, it’s not necessary to visit the cinema to appreciate a good bowl of ramen, but watching this film does give an idea of how deep the world of this deceptively simple dish can be Every neighbourhood in Japan seems to have a legendar y local ramen restaurant, recommended through word of mouth and with a queue of hungr y diners outside Now at last London may have its own.
Ittenbari opened in Soho in March this year It is partnere d with Ry ukishin, a small chain of ramen restaurants founded by celebrity chef Matsubara Tatsuji in Sakai, a tough industrial area of Osaka.
salt, are sourced directly from Japan
The dish is finally put together in an open kitchen at the front of the restaurant. Noodles are cooked for exactly 70 seconds (60 if you prefer them hard boiled), added to 360cc of soup stock and topped with spring onions, bamboo shoots, specially prepared boiled egg and the all-important chashu
We tried the shio and shoyu ramen (same base soup but with different stock) and both were delicious and hearty with the shoyu having a strong er taste and the shio a lighter, clearer broth
There are four basic varieties of ramen: shio (salt), shoy u (soy sauce), tonkotsu ( p ork) and miso ( b ean paste) At Ittenbari the speciality of the house is shio ramen, the hardest of the four to perfe ct be cause of its delicate flavour.
Ramen is filling and tasty, but also fast This is because most of the work goes in to the preparation beforehand At Ittenbari the soup base and the stock are cooked separately for six hours and flavoured with mussels, prawns, scallops, gobo (burdock root) and a long list of other ingredients Many of these, such as a special kind of sea
The seafood flavours, nurtured over those many hours of cooking , are balanced wonderfully and once the noodles, pork and other toppings are gone you can ’ t resist lifting the bowl and slurping down the last of the soup We also enjoyed the katsu curry, breaded deep fried pork cutlets, crispy on the outside but moist and succulent within, ser ved with curr y sauce, rice and pickles Ramen restaurants are always relaxed, lively places and Ittenbari is no exception. Ramen is a dish you can ’ t help but making noise when eating and it goes perfectly with a glass of cold beer and a plate of g yoza ( grilled dumplings), although it’s perhaps best not to star t ta lking to your fo o d , e ven if you are an ancient ramen master!
Sakaiminato is the birthplace of mangaka Mizuki Shigeru, a charming port cit y that pays tribute to his comic strip characters.
Since the end of March there has been a certain soap opera broadcast on Japan’s NHK at 8am that ha s a c h i e ve d a p a ss i onate f o l l owing . “Gegege no nyobo” is an adaptation of Mura Nunoe's autobiog raphy in which she tells of her life marrie d for for t y years to the famous mang a ka Mizuki Shig eru Mura tells the stor y of her time spent tog ether with this giant among comic strip creators, one of the few still left alive The success of this television show has renewed public interest in Mizuki’s work as well as the many places he frequented throug hout his life. French readers discovered Mizuki in 2007, when his mang a “NonNonBâ to ore ” (Drawn and Quarterly) re ceive d first prize at the Ang oulême g raphic novel festival and this international recognition even encouraged those who had never been interested in manga before to discover a unique universe of strange stories, f u l l o f th e b i z arre cre ature s , m onster s an d g h o sts (yokai) which have evolved as part and parcel of Japanese folklore Evidence of this tradition can be seen in artist Toriyama S ekien’s (1712-1788) famous Gazu hyakki yako [ The Illustrated Nig ht Parade of a Hundred Demons], a fantastic inventor y of all of Japan’s
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
HOW TO GET THERE Sakaiminato is more than 900 km northwest of Tokyo. The best way to get there is to take an 80-minute flight from Haneda airport to Yonago (5 flights a day) and from there Sakaiminato is a 40-minute train ride away. Taking a bus from Tokyo (Runs once a day and takes 11 hours) is the cheapest solution, or if travelling from Osaka you can catch a train (3.1/2 hours) or take the bus as far as Yonago (3.1/2 hours, 18 services per day).
my th ica l monsters publ ishe d in 1776 Irish author Lafcadio Hearn introduced the Japanese love for monster s an d g h o sts to Europ e ans wi th th e work s “ In Ghostly Japan” (1889) and “Kwaidan, Stories and Studies of Strange Things” (1903), which in turn influenced the Japanese ethnologist YANAGITA Kunio in his undertaking to compreh i l h th monster stories found in In Nonnonba Mizuki rec ser vant telling him man and legends populated w an d f anta sti ca l cre ature strong impression that t on him As a consequenc these sup ernatura l char consistently haunt his w Among his most popular memorable works, Gege no Kitaro, a tale about a li tl e g h o st wh o b e c om e s d i s i l lus i on e d wi th human nature, ranks as a f ir st c la ss stor y K i taro i s on e o f th e f ir st o f Mi zu ki ’ s c haracters that the travell er en c o unter s wh en visiting Sa ka im inato, wh ere th e ma ster o f mang a horror is worshipped as a hero The train between the port and Yona g o, the nearest big city, is decorated with Kitaro reproductions and this sets the tone for the visitor, immersing him in the
strang e un iverse of Mizu ki Sh ig er u a lmost
authorities have re-named the main street leading from the station in h is honour and the first statue a tourist encounters there portrays the author sitting at his
Gangi kozo, the fish eater
desk . It is a warning to the tourist that he is about to enter a new world populated with over a hundred distor te d and sometimes terrif ying b eing s, whose sole a im i s to enter ta in . Statu e s an d repro du c ti ons o f Mizuki Shig eru ’ s characters awa it the visitor a ll the way a l ong Mi zu ki S h i g er u R o a d . Many stop an d admire these statues althoug h one mig ht expect they would run screaming from their grotesque appearance! Though they may well be scary, there is still something charm ing and attractive ab out these characters In Mizuki’s work at least they are reminders that g hosts and monsters are there to reawaken man ’ s conscience, which has a tendenc y to fall dormant over time The statues are a lso there to whet your app etite and the local shops overflow with sweets in the shape of the
characters you wil l a lready have met in the stre ets . Yôkai Manjû (Hideous Manjû) sell manjû (little cakes f i l l e d wi th re d b e an p a ste ) in th e s hap e o f c hara cters from Geg eg e no Kitaro. Situated rig ht opposite the museum de dicate d to the author and his monsters, th is del ig htf u l shop is ne ver empt y. For many, boxes filled with tasty morsels and wrapped in special Kitaro paper, make an ideal souvenir of their trip down Mi zu ki S h i g er u R o a d . If n o t , th en th e y wi l l sure l y return home with pictures of Kappa’s Fountain (kappa no izumi) where Kitaro can be seen imitating the Belg ian little peeing boy for the amusement of visitors, or the Spook’s Warehouse ( Yokai Soko) whose walls are covered with beautiful painting s of hideous looking monsters B efore leaving don’t forg et to drop
Still used by the port authorities, these buildings have been part of the Mizuki tour since 2001 In that year, the exterior was covered with huge murals of monsters
In this humid area you can see many characters from Mizuki’s manga such as Kitaro portrayed as the little peeing boy and the main cast of Sanpe no kappa, as well as Ratichon as a swimming champion
Do these creatures live up to your expectations? Take a visit and find out! Kitaro’s father Medama Oyaji (Daddy Eyeball) will be there to welcome you
Sakaiminato Terminal, Information Centre
As well as its tribute to the author and his work, collections of monsters from all over the world are exhibited at the museum It is open from 9 30am to 5pm (6pm n the summer) Entrance costs 700 yen
Sea and Life Museum, Daiba Park
Yonago
TRAVEL
by the post office where the post is stamped with a specia l commemorative postmark . S ome fear the y will have an overdose on monsters in Sakaiminato but they may rest assured that the city also has many other assets justi f y ing a vi s i t la sting s e vera l day s . Af ter l e aving Mizuki Shig eru Road and the eponymous museum, you need only turn left to find yourself walking along the Sakai Channel that leads to the sea Sakaiminato is a port city and one of its greatest specialities is the snow crab Sakaiminato provides 60 % of the Japanese production of this delicac y so it g o es without saying that the lo ca l cuisine is definitely worth tasting Ever y year, in mid- October, a seafood festival (Suisan matsuri) takes place in the fish market that presents a g reat opportunit y to feel the pulse of the city. You can taste delicious crab soup early in the morning while watching several fascinating local customs Other than crab, Sakaiminato also produces a lot of mackerel, with autumn and winter being the best times to eat this fish, when its flesh is most succulent. Saba misoni (simmered mackerel and miso) and other delig htfully tast y fish speciali-
ties can be found in the many little restaurants dotted around the town. It would be a great pity to miss Sakaiminato in autumn but you could tr y visiting in spring instead, another g ood time to take advantag e of the city’s treasures. The weather is good and in Daiba Park close to the Sakai Channel you can admire 350 cherr y tre es in bloom around a wooden lig hthouse built at the beginning of the last centur y It is a pleasant walk that can be prolong ed to take in another green area running alongs i d e th e s e a , h e a d ing to an o th er p ark ca l l e d Yum e Minato Here we can find another of the City’s treasures, the Yume Minato tower with its obser vation platform from where you can enjoy the beautiful scenic landscape around the port To end your visit, have a look at the hot water fountainby the entrance to the tower and you will then be ready to try one of the city’s many fine restaurants Following a good night’s sleep, turn the television on at 8 am and watch an episode of G e g e g e no nyo b o but don’t wa it to o long a s the series is only scheduled to run until September 25th!
GABRIEL BERNARD
R ECOMMENDATION
A handmade guarantee
Who hasn’t dreamt of owning one of those pretty ceramic dishes that make food look so good when it is presented to you? Who hasn’t ever wanted to get hold of one of those handmade tea sets, whose
uneven finish is so beautiful? Japanese handicrafts are found everywhere and each region has its own c
works of art You can discover them throughout the archipelago, from north to south, but seeking them a
tion is to go to Kamakura, south of Tokyo, and visit t
famous folklore scholar Miyamoto Tsuneichi, Kuno has travelled around the whole countr y for years, searching out the best craftsmen and he now sells their work in his little shop just ten minutes away from Kamakura station (west exit) The shop is situated in a residential area and, with its wooden gate and hedge, resembles somebody’s house rather than a boutique Once inside though you will find it hard to resist buying up everything in sight There are all k
dishes and, thanks to his many contacts, Kuno can o
ted craftsmen. On the whole, prices are reasonable although some objects can be ver y expensive In a
either to please yourself or for one of your friends Odaira Namihei
How to get there
Moyai kogei 2-1-10 Sasuke, 248-0017 Kamakura Open 10 00am to 4 30pm (closed on Tuesdays) Phone : 0467-22-1822 www.moyaikogei.jp
Kitaro, Ratichon, Medama-oyaji (Daddy Eyeball) and Neko-musume The main characters in Kitaro’s adventures are edible too!
LANGUAGE Plunging into the realm of sign language
Advertisements, street signs, billboards, video screens… Keep your eyes and ears open, you are about to meet the Japanese language!
One of Jap an ' s maj or a ssets is its ama z ing ly efficient infra str ucture and transp or t s ystem an d th i s i s ver y mu c h appre c i ate d by European visitors who set off to explore the islands of the archipelag o. Some say that ever ything always works in this society, with the obvious caveat of when severe natural disasters such as t yphoons and earthquakes inter vene. The key to making ever ything work so smoothly is that there is ver y little improvisation and a lot of for ward planning . Ever ything is org anized for you so just sit back and enjoy the journey ! Discovering Japan throug h its lang uag e does not have to be a battle either and with a little planning you can avo id a suc c ession of unwelc ome surprises, rap id ly leading to a complete fe eling of wellb eing . Delig ht arises in the first steps of your journey, with the temporar y absence of words to describe what you are hearing and se eing . It is a lso a plea sant way of learning that being talkative is not necessarily considered a virtu e in Jap an an d s om e tim e s y o u may e ven sp en d a whole day without saying a word When paying for shopping or at a restaurant, many Japanese simply take out their wa llet without a word and some fast food chains such as Matsuya and Yayoiken have automatic ticket dispensers that allow you to order without even having to se e the wa iter Ne vertheless, a new customer is always greeted warmly with :
いらっしゃいませ！
Irasshaimase ! Welcome!
It i s ha rd t o n o t n o ti c e w hat s urro un d s y o u , e ven without words to describe it
You stand silently in a cit y floode d with sounds, in the streets, in the shops, when using the myriad vending machines or on public transport.
ドアが閉 � まります。ご注意 ���� 下 �� さい！
Doa ga shimarimasu. Gochûi kudasai !
Caution ! The doors are closing !
Even the trucks talk When they reverse, a female voice(used to distinguish the warning from the sound of the eng ine) intones loudly and repetitively :
バックします！
Bakku shimasu !
I’m reversing!
The Jap anese lang ua g e is e ver y where, yet without kn ow i n g w hat th e y m e a n , a l l th e s e wo rd s a re b ut sounds, shap es and colours An a ssau lt on the ears and e yes that may, one day, completely over whelm you . Those who say the y don’t ne e d to sp ea k Japanese to live in Japan are missing out on an essential e xp eri en c e . To un d er stan d th e lang ua g e i s a l s o to understand the environment of the people who use it and bring it alive
