Who said that the Japanese are defensive ab out their traditions and are incapable of accepting that foreigners might tr y to become p ar t o f th em ? No b o d y ? Ever ybody ? Anyhow, this common idea falls to pie ces than k s to the example of a handf ul of p e ople who chose to immerse themselves in areas that had, until then, always been the reser ve of the Japanese. Even though they had to fight for recognition, their talent ended up paying off As such, their paths are all the more interesting to read about. That does not prevent the Japanese being proud of their heritage, and they are right to be The journey we are about to take you on to Kamakura shows how the Japanese continue to foster affection for their past and their traditions.
THE EDITORIAL TEAM info@zoomjapan info
53.7 %
… is the percentage of Japanese people who took out insurance in 2011 against natural disasters. The number has risen by 5.6 % since the previous year. In the regions affected by the 11 March earthquake, such as Miyagi, the percentage exceeds 80 %.
A DAY IN JAPAN by Eric Rechsteiner
July 26, litatemura, Fukushima prefecture
In the areas situated close to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station that received less contamination from radioactive fallout, some of the population wish to start a new life But before they can to do so the decontamination operation needs to be completed That is what is taking place in litatemura, the man wearing white overalls is decontaminating the rice fields
POLITICS Early elections in November
It has become a habit, Prime Ministers leave office before the end of their first year in power. Noda Yoshihiko should be no exception, as several rumours have announced his intention to dissolve Parliament Challenged for his policies on nuclear energy and VAT increases, his party could well go down with him when the anticipated elections come.
ECONOMY Nintendo smiles in 3D
Despite its disappointing results in Europe, the Nintendo 3DS portable console is a hit in Japan. Over 7 million of them have been sold, more than the mythical Nintendo DS and its exceptional sales It is positive news for the Kyôtô based company, which has overtaken Sony and its PS Vita.
Front cover picture by Jérémie Souteyrat
DIPLOMACY Why Tokyo and Beijing are quarrelling
The Chinese and the Japanese have been fighting over the Senkaku islands again over the past few weeks.
Should one believe the Japanese tabloids that provocatively state that the Chinese are preparing to send militar y forces to the Senkaku islands (Diaoyu in Chinese) in November ? No, of course not But it has become obvious how tense the situation between Japan and its Chinese neighbour is currently, and how somewhat overwhelmed the Japanese government appears to be with what is going in the tiny area situated between Taiwan and Okinawa . As a friend of Beijing , Taiwan contests Japanese sovereignty on the islands
Over the past few years, incidents have taken place reg ularly The worst happene d t wo years ag o, ending up with the captain of a Chinese trawler being kept prisoner after having deliberately hit a building belonging to the Japanese maritime defence forces. This incident degenerated into a diplomatic crisis between both capitals The Japanese authorities freed the captain, hoping that would calm the tense relations between them. It allowed a lull in the conflict for a few months, but for several weeks now the temperature has risen again
On 15 August, the conservative paper Sankei Shimbun published a special edition forecasting the arrival of soldiers from Hong Kong.
Mid-August, Chinese activists from Hong Kong travelled to the islands and were able to disembark before Japanese forces stopped them and sent them back to where
they had come from In response, several days later, a few Japanese nationalists proceeded to do the same thing. It seemed important to stick a Japanese flag on the islands as a reminder of who owned the land. That gave way to huge anti-Japan demonstrations in over twenty Chinese cities Several factors explain the rise of Senkaku-related conflict. First, the attitude of a few Japanese leaders, including the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, who launched a public subscription to enable the purchase of some of the islands that were already privately owne d Of course, this initiative did not impress the Chinese who e already accustomed to the governor ’ s utrageous nationalism It was perceied as an act of provocation. n addition, China’s e conomy is not oing too well, and social discontent on the rise. Beijing is using its territoal arg ument with Tokyo to divert the tention of the p opulation . Conseuently, the next few weeks may see an ncrease in anti-Japanese protests on the art of the Chinese. Japan seems quite nable to resp ond Wea kene d by the adly mana g e d question of nuclear nerg y, and the decision to increase VAT, e Prime Minister knows his days are numbered As a result, nothing much is being done about it, and other territorial disagreements have risen up over the past few weeks: with South Korea over Tokushima Island and with Russia over South Kuril It is a hot potato he cannot g et rid of, and which could cause his successor bad indigestion In the meantime, the tabloids will continue publishing their provocative front pages Gabriel bernard
FOCUS
Heart to heart Soul to soul
Many foreigners have settled in Japan over the past few decades and many of them have also worked there
And the Japanese, who wish to learn more about their lifestyle and gain inspiration from it, have given them a warm welcome There are also those who have moved to Japan with the desire to create something Japanese The path they chose was harder, but their dreams finally came true. These are their stories
Some of them are famous Others are not, and do not tr y to be Some live in Tokyo Others have chosen to live far away from the capital Some were able to settle easily. Others have had a hard time before achieving recognition But they all have two things in common: they are all sentimentally attached to Japan, and they have all succeeded in mastering a Japanese speciality ; a
rea l cha lleng e for foreig ners se eing how little inclined the Japanese are to belie ve that anybody except they themselves could possess the necessar y sensibilities to brew sake, prune bonsais, make soba , or sing enka. For years gaikokujin, which literally means “individua ls coming from outside nations”, have succe ede d in being accepte d by Japanese societ y A few of them, such as Carlos Ghosn, manager at Renault-Nissan, have become role models, but their competenc y was not Japanese in nature. Patrice Julien, a former senior member of Tokyo’s French Institute, became one of the archipelago’s most famous foreigners in the 90s He owed his popularity to being French, and his abilit y to advise the Japanese about Western lifest yles Many like him could be cited, but those who have fully immersed themselves in Japanese culture and tradition in order to take up typical local professions are much rarer Yes, a few of you might be thinking of the sumo
wrestler Indeed, over the past twenty years or the number of foreign sumotori has increased They have come from Hawaii, Mongolia, and more recently Russia, the Ba ltic States, and e ven one from Finland But the y are an exception that proves the rule. It is not so easy for those working in other fields Ask Philip Harper, Master Brewer of sake at Kinoshita brewery, or his British compatriot Peter Warren, who spent many years learning bonsai pruning techniques Both of these men, as well as the Swiss Amen Godel who was taug ht by one of the greatest artists in Noh theatre, have gained recognition from their Japanese peers, who now accept them completely and consider their know-how as good as, if not better than, that of the Japanese We met up with these g aikokujin who chose to rise to the challenge Algerian, Turkish, British, American - they are all Japanese at heart. It is their stor y that we are going to tell Odaira namihei
GREAT BRITAIN Philip Harper, Mr. Sake
Af ter arriving in Japan in 1988, this British man fell in love with the drink of the Japanese gods. He learned all he could about it, and became one of Japan’s most highly regarded sake producers.
Althoug h the amount of sa ke dr un k across the archipelag o is decreasing (the Japanese prefer drinks from elsewhere), it continues to be an important part of Japanese culture because t h e r e i s s o m e t h i n g s a c r e d a b o u t i
S h into s an c tuari e s a cro ss th e c o untr y Sa ke i s n o t on ly dr un k for ceremon ies and rel ig ious ritua ls, it i s a l s o p l a c e d o n th e g r o un d a n d p r e s e
offering During various national holidays (the New Ye a r, G i r l s ' D a y, e t c . ) c
year, sa ke is first of a l l offere d a s a welcome to the g ods before being drunk during the meal Whether sig ning an imp or tant contract, or when b e coming part of a yakuza (Mafia) family, sake is used to mark the e vent. In the first ca se it is dr un k out of a sp ec i a l c up t o s a cr a l i z e th e f o rma l a g re em ent , in th e second case, sake symbolises the blood relationship b et we en the different memb ers of the g roup. This drink is so Japanese that it is hard to imag ine a foreig ner b e com ing one of its b est bre wers, but such is the case His name is Philip Harper, he comes from the south west of Eng land, and he has discovere d a passion for Japan and its rice and water based drink Over the past twenty years he has been studying the lang uage of Mishima intensively, and tr ying to unravel the se crets of ma king sa ke uge investment of time on h a l f i s w h a t l e d h i m t o accepted inside the small d o f l o c a l b r e w e r s , w h o
e c i a t e b o t h h i s p e r s e v e -
e a n d h i s t a l e n t “ P h i l i p
s s a ke , a n d h e a l s o l o v e s itiona l Jap anese cu lture resembles a Japanese pern, because he understands w we think, as well as our est yle Al l of that can b e ound in his sa ke”, says the rewer for whom this Brii s h s u b j e c t h a s b e c o m e par t of the family
After having proven himself in different breweries
i n o r d e r t o m a s t e r t h e d i f f e r e n t s t e p s i n making the drink of the g o d s , P h i l i p Ha r p e r
wa s “ a d op te d” by th e K in o s h i ta bre wer y in 2 0 0 8 . Appointed master brewer (tôji), he now has responsib il it y for the entire pro duction of the c omp any, which wa s founde d in 1842 “Philip ha s b e en with us for four years now Thre e months prior to me eting h im, our ma ster bre wer had p a sse d away, and the p erson who wa s tra ine d to ta ke over didn’t fe el c a p a b l e o f t a k i n g t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f b e i n g i n c har g e I wa s ver y worri e d b e caus e i t p ut th e brewer y ’ s existence in dang er I a ske d for advice from a sp e c i a l i st in Os a k a , an d wa s th en intro du c e d to th is Jap anese -sp ea king British man, who wa s ver y obviously intereste d in our culture. Ne ver theless, I wasn ’ t sure that a foreigner could produce good sake But he spoke with passion, and that is what convince d me Since then, I have ne ver reg rette d my de cis i o n , ” e x p l a i n s K i n
,
w e r y ’ s mana g er. “I think the sa ke we now ma ke is the best we have e ver ma d e That i s p ar tl y du e to th e quality of the rice, and good polishing Of course, other bre weries have their g o o d qua l ities, but what a lso differentiates us is the atmosphere in the company
Aro un d Ph i l i p , th e w h o l e t e a m w o rk s a d m i r a b l y well Ever y member at heart aims to produce exceptiona lly g o o d sa ke,” he adds
It is a wonderful tribute to Philip Harper who spares no effort to do his best The family-like atmosphere is ver y important, especially during the production period that g oes on throug hout October to March During that time, the brewers live ver y much isolate d from the world The work is intense, and there
is little time for family. Be cause of this, the Ma ster Brewer's role is a ll the more important, as he is the one who establishes a positive working atmosphere. Despite his foreign orig ins the British toji has made
would towards some one Japanese In this field hierarchy is imp or tant. The Ma ster Bre wer is the one who sets the tone and who ensures cohesion without which the sake would not turn out well Since Philip Harp er ha s b e en at the head of Kinoshita’s brewing , the company has been praised by lovers of sake, and rewarded with prizes. Nothing could please Phil ip Har p er m ore , a man wh o ha s s h own unf a i l ing enthusiasm for this drink for so many years, a drink whose recent decline local producers have tended to neg le ct “ The y think that the Japanese have always drunk sake, and will continue to do so. They haven’t understood that tastes evolve”, he complains He can rest assure d, howe ver, that his expertise and knowhow are now re c o g n ize d throug hout the who le of the archipelag o It has trig g ered progress in the way sake is now regarded in Japan and has encouraged its export As a connoisseur, and thanks to his efforts in f in d ing th e b e st way t o d e s cri b e i t ( by b o rrow ing vocabular y from oenolog y), when he gets the opportunity Philip Harper is an ambassador for sake across the world. Master Brewer Harper spea ks about his love for sa ke, whether in L ondon, L os Ang eles, or even New York .
Tôji (master brewer) Philip Harper, surrounded by his Kinoshita brewing family
TURKEY Halit
Mizirakli’s
well picked words
Being funny in a foreign language is no easy task. Yet it’s the challenge Halit Mizirakli, a sharp 35-year-old Turk, set himself when deciding to become a R akugoka, a distinctively Japanese kind of stor yteller.
When he first set fo ot in Jap an in 2001, Halit Mizirakli would never have imag ined becoming famous there one day, b eing appre ciate d and accla ime d by audiences as a ra kug oka (a f unny stor y tel ler) under the Japanese name Warattei Harito. “I started studying Japanese at universit y in Turke y It enable d me to g et a oneyear scholarship to g o to Tsukuba Universit y. And that’s where I discovered rakugo When I got back to Istanbul, I decided to continue improving my knowledge of Japan before getting another scholarship from the Japanese government to study Japanolog y at Osaka University. As I had previously enjoyed rakugo, I decided to spend more time on it and Japanolog y helped because it embraces several fields in the social sciences That’s when I immersed myself in it”, he says Being in Osaka was a good opportunity to do that The capita l o f K ans a i i s f am o us f or i ts s ens e o f hum o ur. It has many theatres in which the artists act out their plays with a pillow, a fan, or a piece of material as their only prop While kneeling , they tell a stor y involving several characters Their misfortunes always cause the au d i en c e , wh i c h veri ta b l y lap s up th e stor y te l l er ’ s words, to burst out laug hing
“My Japanese teacher at Tsukuba University often used rakugo in her classes, with stories by Yanagiya Kosan, a great rakugoka who passed away in 2002 She then encouraged me to go and see a show. It was love at first sight”, he remembers He then undertook a long apprenticeship alongside various famous rakugoka, including Yanagiya Sankyô who g ave him his sta g e name Warattei Harito. He learned that the actor is not p erforming a role at the star t of the stor y “One of rakugo’s characteristics is that the actor is situated between reality and fiction It’s not easy to explain, but it’s the basis of the genre ” , he explains. Indeed, the actor conditions the audience, and prepares it to discover the roles he will end up interpreting. “Sometimes the audience is a bit lost. People don’t know whether the actor is playing a role or not
Now I understand Japanese humour and the Japanese people.
They wonder if the last sentence was pronounced by the character or by the stor yteller Even though it may be of no great importance, it is part of the show. People love the combination of fiction and reality They find it fun”, adds the young rakugoka, whose talent was rewarded in 2010 with the Grand Prize during a competition in Gifu (city in central Japan) that brings together some of the best performers in the field. Of course, to rise to such a level not only must you be a good actor, you must also master the language of Mishima to perfection It is in this that Halit Mizirakli excels He is g lad to have g aine d re cog nition from his peers, but he expects the same from the aud ienc e “ The aud ienc e of ten comes to se e a Turk on sta g e, and the y do show me their support I am thankful for that, yet still a little frustrated as an actor. I would like them to value the performance above all else Sometimes I wonder whether they would pay more attention to the acting if I performed in Turkish Seeing a Turk tell stories in Tur-
kish might seem more natural to them”, he says with a hint of reg ret Is this the impatience of youth? Probably, because he quickly adds that the relationship b et we en the ra kug oka and his audience ta kes time to develop “ When someone attends a rakug o show for the first time, the y can ’ t yet f ully appre ciate the quality of the acting If they return a few times after that, they will then find out whether they like it or not. I still lack experience”, he admits Although he has not finished learning he is still proud of having achieved so much “ The first time I saw a rakugo show, I didn’t understand much of what was g oing on Ever ybody was laug hing except for me. Of course it was due to my level of understanding of the Japanese lang uag e, but also to my weak knowledg e of Japanese culture Now I understand Japanese humour and the Japanese people, and that’s huge It’s a great opportunity to promote Turkish culture in Japan”, says Warattei Harito, a k a Halit Mizirakli, a Turkish-Japanese person, or Japanese Turk, his face lit up by a broad grin.
USA Jero, new prince of enka
Originally from Pittsburgh, this young Black-American has learned to conquer his audience with tear-jerking songs.
Th ere were m i l l i ons watc h ing te l e vi s i on on 31 De cemb er 2008 L ike e ver y year at this tim e , th e y were g lu e d to th e ir T V s cre ens
w a t c h i n g t h e g r e a t a nnu a l s o n g s h o w o n N H K , during which two teams of popular singers – the red and the white team – compete in interpreting a song. That night Jerome Charles White Junior, a k a Jero, was on the show for the first time. He was not unknown to the Japanese, but he definitely conquere d their hearts when h had release d a few Japanese grandmot tears moved the live watc h ing th e s h ow Black-Americans a m o t h e r i s Ja p a n e s app earance The c lo oks like a rapp er in the US) enc our maybe launch a car ter in Japan, as othe Before hearing him have g uesse d that J those who are unfam nese music g enre in mature an d we ar a c o stum e Th e s on lost love and nostal ones origins They a sung in a low-pitche wi th vi brato f or a emotion
“ I star te d l i sten in en k a wh en I wa s v young My g randm ther lived close by an wh en I vi s i te d h er
wo u l d h e ar a l o t o it At the age of five
I sung my g ran dm o th er an en k a song for the first
tim e a f ter l e arning it by myself
S h e wa s ver y
m o ve d , an d that ’ s wh en I
d e c i d e d to d o my b e st to become an enka sing er and make
sure my song s would always make my grandmother smile”, Jero remembers with emotion.
Recalling his grandmother is what prompted the deep emotion experienced by the sing er and his audience during the NHK show in 2008. The audience realized that appearances can be deceptive, and that hiding beneath his unconventional enka st yle was a performer with true Japanese feeling
His first contact with Japan was when he was fifteen “I was representing the US in a Japanese speech competition I came back later as an Eng lish teacher It wasn ’ t my cup of tea, but I knew I had to get through that to reach my g oal
easy thing to do When I was lucky enough to become an en k a s ing er, I kn e w I sti l l ha d many b arri er s to overcome but that, in the end , a ll the effor t would be worth it ” Hearing Jero speak with such humility, de sp i te h i s g re at suc c e ss, y o u can f e e l h ow h e avi l y influence d he is by Japan He has sold hundre ds of thousands of CDs and made the front cover of many ma g a z in e s , b ut h e sti l l a c ts a s i f h e n e e d s to pro ve himself That’s probably also why he is so well accepted in Japan. “It was ne ver a problem being a foreig ner I think it helpe d Of course, I surprise d a few when I started. They were curious, so they made the effort to listen And when I told them my stor y, they o l low me ” , he adds His love for h is mother and his indirect cultural heriouched the audience Jero realises that, p r i s e s h i m . “ I d i d n ’ t th i n k I w o u l d sful and that the Japanese would show affe ction Ne ver theless, I wil l ne ver ese, and don’t wish to be. I was born an For the most par t of my l ife I ’ ve he States. But I am proud of my Japage, which has allowed me to make my tr u e ” , h e e x p l a i n s “ I w a nt t o s t a y so why I didn’t adopt the traditional o k If I had wa l ke d out on sta g e in a t think pe ople would have taken me essing in my American clothes I prei t y An d at th e s am e tim e , I th in k I g i v i n g en k a a y o un g er i ma g e , a n d I allow a young er audience to be come d in it. What characterises en ka are r i c s O f t e n m e l o d r a m a t i c a n d p r od, they are also ver y poetic They can ’ t you indifferent if you really do listen hem”, says the young singer, aware that s defending a piece of Japanese cultuh eri ta g e It ’ s n o t sur p ri s ing that h e s able to move so many Japanese with s h o n e s t y a n d s i m p l i c i t y o n 3 1
De cember 2008 Just over thre e years ater, he is still working with the same youthful desire to reach perfection O. n.
Although he is completely aware of how hard it is to export enka (“the deep meaning and subtleties would be lost in translating the lyrics,” he says), Jero has not given up on the idea of presenting this genre outside Japan In the meantime, you can take a ok at his discography on his website jero jp
ALGERIA Lakhdar Belouazani’s soba
Based in Japan for twent y years, an Algerian chef, thanks to his talent and his great generosit y, has progressively made his way into a ver y exclusive circle.
Much can be understood from someone ’ s expression, and when Lakhdar Belouazani looks at you, you feel something intense In his eyes you can read all the determination and the energ y he had to summon up to succeed in becoming one of Japan’s great soba masters; he is the only foreigner to be part of this very exclusive profession. “It has to be in your heart”, explains the forty-nine year-old cook, who waited many years for recognition. “I opened this restaurant nineteen years ago Time was key, a lot of time was needed in order to gain people’s trust ” , he adds To begin with, he had to be accepted in the district. “At first, it was very hard Just like my neighbours, I would sweep outside my restaurant. All we would say was hello. I felt like an intruder It was quite a difficult period It was hard to accept the way people would keep away from me But I came to understand that it was also part of the learning process Being married to a Japanese woman, and with two children going to school in the area, was not sufficient; I still needed to prove myself And that can only be done with patience”, he says He worked with Japanese people for many years in France so he knows what he’s talking about “I was born in Algeria, but bought up in France. After a few small jobs, I ended up being hired by a Japanese restaurant in Paris That is where I met my wife, and where I learnt the basics of Japanese cuisine”, explains the owner of Kabura-An Yet culinar y recognition was a long time coming It is maybe because buckwheat noodles are part of the Japanese ’ tradition of ever yday life that people displayed such reser vations towards him The recipe for making soba noodles appears so easy : water, a pinch of salt, and flour ; thre e common ing re dients that ne ver theless require a special know-how that takes time to acquire and finally determines whether one will be accepted by local customers “Some Japanese eat soba at least once a day Others eat them two or three times a day, so they can be ver y difficult to please You can make good soba yet spoil the soup. And, in that case, the judgement is harsh It’s all about balance And to get that ba lance you ne e d to have travelle d throug hout the whole of Japan and tasted hundreds and hundreds of
soba That’s what I did And that is how I make better soba than many Japanese people now. But, again, you need to feel it in your heart If your heart is in it, the soba will be good”, Lakhdar Belouzani reminds us. The customers are never wrong Although his restaurant is in Kawasaki, t went y kilometres to the south of Tokyo, at the ver y end of a shopping street near to Musashikosugi station, the chef welcomes a very diverse clientele ready to travel a great distance to get to taste his delicious yuzu soba - a dish made with a citrus fruit that is related to the lime “I have a web site, and the media have often talked about me over the past few years, ” he claims But what works best is kuchikomi, word of mouth. “People want to know where they can eat good soba And my restaurant is often quoted But I still tr y to remain low key”, he adds One feels he is a man of great humility, with a desire to satisf y all those who enter his restaurant “My customers are between five and ninety years old. They are happy to come here, and that is what is essential to me I couldn’t care less about all the rest, even the Michelin g uide My customers are regulars Some come every week And when I’m on T V, they stay away, sometimes for up to two or three weeks. They don’t like the publicity. They worry about their tranquillity And that is part of the soba world It’s a bit like a ritual They need to be in a relaxed state of m ind to eat ” , stresses La khdar Beloua zan i, who would nevertheless like to increase the number of his customers. He ser ves fifty to sixty covers a day but “ some days I only ser ve fif teen With the crisis, p e op le don’t eat out a s of ten . It’s b e en a l ittle harder over the past five to six years ” The situation means
he cannot plan to expand his activities in Japan He would like to develop something in Algeria, his homeland Yet he se ems de eply attache d to th is d istrict He has lived here for twent y years and has invested a lot in it It was here that he first received recognition And, although things are not always easy, Lakhdar Belouazani has faith in soba. “It’s all in your heart”, he says again “Another cook can use the same ingred ients without accompl ish ing the same d ishes a s I do, because in ever y soba there is a part of yourself ” With such a warm heart it is easy to understand why Kabura-An’s owner ’ s soba is so delicious and appreciated by connoisseurs O n
Before going to Kabura-An, Lakhdar Belouazani’s restaurant, we advise you to check on the website or call to make a reservation.
Mitsu is the narrator. He is twenty-seven years old and the father of an abnormal child, like his sister who committed suicide before she reached adulthood. Mitsu never gets over the suicide of his best friend. It is a recurring image throughout the novel. Taka, Mitsu’s younger brother, is back from the United States. He advises his brother to start a new life and return to Shikoku, their home village, in the south west of Japan.
Taka hopes to follow in the footsteps of one of his ancestors: his great grandfather, who was leader of the farmers’ uprising in 1860. The brothers' great grandfather was not a farmer but a village administrator Taka wins over the village’s population when he starts up a football club. In Kenzaburô Ôé’s novel, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1994,
EXHIBITION Premiere in London
North of Tokyo lies Mashiko, a small town that is famous for its pottery. During the 10th century AD the region’s population already specialized in ceramics. But it was not until the 1930s, with the development of the Mingei movement, that Shoji Hamada gave this pottery a more modern dimension, allowing it to gain incredible recognition throughout the country. In spite of this fame, Mashiko’s pottery has never been exhibited abroad This is why the presence of potters from Mashiko at Tent London is an event of great importance. Do not miss
all the main themes of Japanese culture play their part: suicide, the relationship of man to nature, forests, snow, racism towards the Koreans, alcoholism, music, dancing with the dead. It is quite a disconcerting, difficult novel. Its atmosphere is harsh and violent, yet interesting because it tells the story of Japan, its history and mysterious legends, while depicting an imaginary world that is dear to the author This is a novel to be discovered, or rediscovered. Gabriel bernard
The Silent Cry, Kenzaburo Oe, Translated by John Bester, ed Serpent's Tail, £7 99
this opportunity to discover some of Japan’s most beautiful ceramics, from the 20th to 23rd September. Otherwise you will have to travel thousands of miles to admire them. Not to be missed under any circumstances Old Truman Brewery - Hanbury Street - London E1 6QR - www.tentlondon.co.uk/buy-tickets
T HIS MONTH’S EVENT
DVD Jun Awazu lays it on thick
In the year 2047 the brutal arrival of FOS, an extraterrestrial intelligence with an incommensurate destructive power, radically changes the landscape of the planet After the traditional armies are defeated, the human race is close to extinction At the last minute the erection of a protective energy shield allows the last sur vivors to enjoy an additional period of grace A wonderful protection that is as effective as it is mysterious Where does all the energy needed come from for it to create such a strong force field?
After six years of an oppressive siege, FOS is more ready than ever to completely wipe out the human race. Taiki Akeshima lost his father when the conflict started Since then, he has become a soldier and joined the Japanese army’s most prestigious unit As a mecha pilot, alongside his teammates, he will try a last desperate assault against the invincible FOS
It is codenamed: PlanZet If they fail, we are all lost for good So it is official, Jun Awazu is completely obsessed with giant robots and space monsters! After writing the beautiful Negadon, he is back with a very similar, atmospheric scenario Only the length has changed, from 26 minutes to 53 But underlying this tragic, heroic story, it is the graphic design that is most impressive 3D competes in a spectacular way with the leaders of the genre, such as Final Fantasy, The Spirits Within, which left its own imprint at the time of its release. Its only weakness is the animation of the characters, whose dubious quality contrasts sharply with the rest of the production. The scenario of PlanZet is sacrificed in favour of aesthetic polish, and is inspired by nostalgia for B-movies full of space monsters, giant robots and heroes ready to die for their cause Without being a total must-see, PlanZet still deserves some interest
ODAIRA NAMIHEI
PlanZet, by Jun Awazu, Manga Entertainment, Kaze Available on DVD and Blu-Ray
PHOTOGRAPHY
A red carpet for Moriyama
You can enjoy Daido Moriyama’s work at the Michael Hoppen Galler y until 20th October. It is a must see.
Da i d o Mori yama i s a trave l l er, a p h o to g rapher and a fascinating author He was born in 1938 and his childhood memories reach back to the O ccupation of the Allie d Powers He began his career as a photographer designing matchboxes for bars in Osaka before getting a job in a photography studio On the docks at Kobe he took souven ir p i c t ure s o f s a i l o r s a n d p a ss en g er s . In 1 9 6 1 he be came a fre elance Around 1965 the aesthetic form of Moriyama's work beg an to evolve towards snapshots. His pictures represent the darkest dimensions of urban life He traps the hidden corners of consumer societ y. He catches the other side of the d a z z l i n g l a n d s c ap e s o f c o nt emp o r a r y c i ti e s Hi s works are often a reminder of how urban landscapes can be full of nostalg ia .
D a i d o Mo r i y a ma l i ke s t o wat c h th e w o r l d f r o m ground level ; from a dog ’ s perspective, for example. He travels around Japan by car and ta kes pictures from its windows This new point of view is unusual in the world of photography ; the standing position ha s a lways b e en preferre d His p hoto g rap hy became a personal expression from the moment it l e f t c o nventi o n b e h i n d T h e p i c t ur e s a r e ta ken without a viewfinder ; the photographer’s eye has to f un c ti o n o ut s i d e c o nventi o na l f o rm s D a i d o Moriyama was not a reckless photographer and he always kept his distance. This distance allowed the object of his pictures to always appear true to itself
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
3 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TD Tel. 020 7352 3649
10.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-5pm Sat
Voyeurism? A description based on timidity ? Seeing the world as the spectator of a dream? The perspecti ve h i s p i c t
approach a s that of a voyeur or a rapist. His g a ze, from the window of a moving car, or from a shadow, is that of a crim ina l Th is is the work of some one who speaks without looking people in the eye
The Michael Hoppen Galler y is delighted to present an exhibition of new work by one of the giants of Japanese photography, Daido Moriyama This latest collection of pictures, entitled " Tights", developed out of his famous earlier series, "How to Create a Beautiful Picture 6: Tights in Shimotakaido" from 1987, a small sele ction of imag es depicting close-up shots of leg s in fishnet tig hts The complete series comprises
t went y pictures This e vent coincides with a major exhibition at Tate Modern, “ William Klein/Daido Moriyama”, which shows how both of these artists influenced each other, and how they both explored Ne w York and Tokyo in their famous pictures of modern urban life ” Yet the feeling behind the pictures is the same : a desire to obser ve and preser ve e ver yday details that are too often overlooked He sees things we don’t see ” , say the promoters of this beautiful exhibition that gives one the opportunity to grasp this photographer’s great talent. This collection is presented tog ether with a series of photos focusing on lips It reveals Daido Moriyama’s genius in being able to seize the power of the moment.
Gabriel bernard
Tights, 2011 Silver gelatin print
Lips, Silver gelatin print
LITERATURE 1300 candles for the Kojiki
Compiled in the year 712, it is about time you were introduced to the ‘Record of Ancient Matters’, a monument of Japanese culture
In turn a cosmog ony, a theog ony, an epic, a histor y manua l , a col le ction of song s, embracing the birth of g ods and their cults, the Earth and its multiplicit y of names, men and their verses, the Kojiki is a complete antholog y ” These are the words c h o s en b y th e Fr en c h e d i t o r o f th e ‘ R e c o r d o f Ancient Matters’ to describe this monumental work of Japanese culture. It was reviewed and adapted by the French writer Pierre V inclair
Complied in 712, exactly 1300 years ago, this antholog y occupies a supremely important position in the h istor y of Jap anese l iterature Divide d into thre e volumes, the Kojiki starts with the creation stories of the Sky and the Earth, the birth of the g ods, and the formation of the Japanese islands, including the c o nn e c ti o n b e t w e en th e g o d s a n d th e i r va r i o u s deeds It also tells the stories of the countr y ’ s almost legendary emperors, starting with Jimmu and ending wi th o th er h i sto ri c a l f i g ure s su c h a s th e emp re ss Suiko, who ruled from the end of the sixth centur y until the beg inning of the seventh.
The role of this book is essential in leg itimizing the imperial leadership, according to which emperors are the direct descendants of the gods In fact, it can be read in the Kojiki’s introduction that when ordering th e c o mp i l ati o n o f th i s a nth o l o g y, emp ero r Temmu declared, “ This book is the backbone of the State, the foundation of imp eria l influence”. And no emperor ever contradicted this It was only after Japan wa s defeate d in 1945 that the emp eror lost
REFERENCE
KOJIKI: RECORDS OF ANCIENT MATTERS, Translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain - Tuttle Publishing, £28.00
h is d ivine re c o g n ition . A g reat p ar t of the Kojiki is focused on the quarrel between Amaterasu, g oddess of the sun, and Susanoo, god of storms, the latter ending up being banished from Earth Susanoo’s deeds are also described, he is said to be g ood-hearted on Earth althoug h he was mean-spirited in the Sky The stor y of Okuninushi, Susanoo’s son, and what he g ets up to in Izumo province ( in the west of the archipelago), also fig ures in the text. The eponym o us s an c tuar y d e d i cate d to Ô kun inus h i wa s bu ilt in that re g ion . It is one of the o ldest Sh into sanctuaries in the islands In 2013 a grand ceremony w i l l ta ke p l a c e t o c e l e b r at e th e re t urn o f Ô kun inushi’s spirit, which has lately been forced to move o ut b e caus e o f th e ren o vati on work on th e s an c -
tuar y. The larg e number of myths (around a third ) connecte d with this reg ion illustrates how important it is. The Kojiki a lso leg itimizes the imp eria l dynasty of Amaterasu’s descendents It recounts the stor y of "the surrender of the countr y " , which allows them to ta ke the upper hand. That is how Ninig i, the grandson of the g oddess of the sun, descends to ear th and founds the c our t of Yamoto, wh ilst h is great grandson, the emperor Jimmu, founds the line of imperial leaders, which continues to this day It is a unique stor y in the histor y of the world, but the Japanese do not question their founding myths despite the fact the y mig ht have be en adapte d to suit the political needs of a particular period That does not detract from the fact that this 1300year-old book is one of the oldest texts in the archipelag o and that it greatly helps in forming a better understanding of Japanese culture. The philosopher Katô Shûichi says that, “the most beautiful and inspired pages in the Kojiki are nearly always related to love, especially the lovers’ flig ht from their father ’ s h o us e ” , an d h e c i te s th e tra g i c e x amp l e o f prin c e K ar un o an d h i s step s i ster K ar un o - O iratsum e . Karuno was exiled because of their forbidden love, but his sister followed him “According to the Kojiki, the banne d couple de cide that without love, their home and countr y hold no sig nificance for them, and after singing love songs at length to one another, th e y en d up c omm i tting su i c i d e to g e th er Th e concept that love finds supreme accomplishment in death is ver y common in Japanese literature that followed on from the Kojiki”, he notes This clearly suggests the important place this antholog y occupies in the country ’ s culture Professor Ueno Makoto stresses this as well (se e inter view, pa g e 15). According to him, by reading the Kojiki and its founding myths, one succeeds in better understanding how the Japanese think and behave. So it is worth a tr y ! Gabriel bernard
I NTERVIEW
Ueno Makoto, at the heart of the Japanese soul
Could you describe how you were introduced to the Kojiki? And does it have anything to do with your becoming an expert in this foundational text of Japanese culture?
Ueno makoto : I was born and grew up in Fukuoka on Kyûshû island There are many sanctuaries dedicated to the empress Jingu in that region So ever since I was a child, without even meaning to, I learned many stories about her that are drawn from the Kojiki In Japan, people maintain a special relationship with the temples and sanctuaries in its regions That is also the case with both the universe of the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) That is how I was introduced to the stories that are told in those books But that’s not what drove me to start analyzing them
What is the best way of defining the Kojiki, according to you?
U. m. : Literally, the Kojiki is the book of “ancient facts” It’s a document in which t h e e i g h t h - c e n t u r y J a p a n e s e c o m p i l e d their ancestors’ stories That is why they are “ancient matters”
The Kojiki is mainly a compilation of Japanese myths. If we compare them to other myths, particularly the Greek ones, what are the main differences, if indeed there are any?
something that all human beings share In fact, when you compare myths from one countr y to another, many similarities can be found. In a certain way, Japan
myths
Japanese today?
U m : The year 710 is when Heijô-kyô [Nara’s former name] became the capital And I believe that the appearance of the Kojiki two years later may have somet h i n g
r words establishing a new capital, and the advent of a new era, favoured the emergence of nostalgia for the past France is a country that is renowned for its scientific and technical expertise Its agriculture is also one of its main assets Nevertheless, for me, France is the Opera, the L o u v r e , o r t h e O r s a y m u s e u m . I t i s a country in which history, art and culture all converge And that is what gives it all its charm I’d like to say that in some way the Kojiki presents a concentration of history, art and culture for the Japanese
N a t u r e p l a
K o j i k i . W h e n r e a d i n g i t 1 3 0 0 y e a r s
l a t e r, w h a t l e s s o n
from it today?
The folklorist Ueno makoto was born in 1960 he is an expert on the man’yôshû, the first anthology of Japanese poetry that dates back to the year 760. he focuses on the founding texts of Japanese culture, including the Kojiki he currently teaches in the literature department at nara University
U m : In Japan, mountains are believed to shelter gods, and rivers have their own divinities. When human beings die they, too, become ancestors that are worshiped For the Japanese, gods are part of nature It’s different for monotheist religions In a universe in which there isn’t a u n i q u e g o d , t h i n g s a r e n ’t s e t t l e d b y r u l e s t h a t a r e s e t i n s t o n e , t h e y a d a p t according to the fluctuation of relationships between people In Japan, it is believed that things aren’t settled during meetings, they also depend on the nature of our relations towards and with others
That is why it sometimes takes time to establish what the nature of the relationsh i p i s . I f y o u r e a d t h e K o j i k i , y o u
take a decision at the end of the meeting For the Japanese, there is no one univers a l g o d ; t h e r
m amongst which there are the good ones, the bad ones, the beautiful and the ugly I feel that by using simple words to desc r i b e t h e w
h i n k , i t makes it easier to share their culture with the rest of the world
inTerview held by G. b.
EATING & DRINKING
Curr y OK!
Curry took a roundabout route into Japan.
Arriving via the British navy at the end of the 19th century, when India was still part of the empire, it was seen as a Western dish
Served with steamed rice, a pickled daikon garnish, the classic Japanese curry is made with beef, onion, carrots and potatoes, though chicken, pork katsu cutlets, or even cheese can be used. Initially seen as a luxury, it became a household staple after the Second World War with the introduction of curry roux (blocks of curry powder, mixed with flour and oil) One of the biggest manufacturers of these is House Foods, and one of their most popular brands is Vermont Curry, first launched in 1963, with a sweet flavour, and three levels of spiciness.
To cook, brown the meat and onions, add the vegetables with water, simmer until tender, then add the roux. The number of blocks needed depends on how much you’re making, but they should dissolve completely in the water creating a thick, rich sauce. It’s incredibly easy to make, and perfect for big family meals. But if this still sounds like too much work, House also sell instant varieties.
House Vermont Curr y (roux type): £2 98
House Kukure Curr y (instant type): £4.12 All prices are current as of August 2012 at Japan Centre
RESTAURANT In the market for chirashizushi
Chirashizushi, or ‘ scattere d sushi’ sounds like what mig ht happen if you ask a particularly temperamental sushi chef for some ketchup on your marbled tuna.
It’s actually the name of a version of sushi popular for being fast, filling and good value, but just as artfully presented
A bowl of sushi rice is topped with sashimi, tamagoyaki (squares of ‘grilled’ egg omelette) and garnished, usually with cucumber
It’s a great option if you ’ re hungry, not sure what to order, but fancy a bit of everything And a great place to try it is at Tajima -tei b et we en Chancer y Lane and Farringdon?.
Often some of the best places to eat in London can be found in the most inconspicuous places, and Tajima-tei is a g o o d example, situate d on the ground floor of a non-descript office building , hidden behind the bustling stalls of Leather Lane market.
niently divided into bite-sized parcels, chirashizushi can be a little messy to eat
It’s best to flavour the fish separately in a small dish of soy sauce mixed with wasabi, then take some rice from the bowl and eat together
Its simplicity allows you to appreciate the quality and freshness of the ingredients It’s also hearty, with generous chunks of fish, leaving you satisfied but not uncomfortably bloated.
The ground floor of Tajima-tei has table seating cosily divided by wooden screens, with plenty of natural light during the day, and seats at the sushi counter if you want to see the chefs at work
The market, said to be one of London’s oldest, may not match Tsukiji in Tokyo for size and atmosphere You’re more likely to find knock-off high street fashions and mobile phone accessories than the best of the catch of the day, but the noise and clamour make a suitable setting for this unpretentious sushi-ya
Ea s y to miss from the outside, inside you’ll enjoy a friendly welcome The restaurant, run by a husband and wife team, is popular with locals as well as Japanese city workers and has an informal, relaxed feel.
The menu may change depending on what’s freshly available, but on our visit the topping for chirashizushi included sea bass, sea bream, yellowtail, tuna , salmon, salmon ro e, crab sticks and tama g oya ki a ll b eautif ully arranged on a bed of rice.
Unlike nig iri or makizushi which are already conve-
Downstairs are three private rooms, holding 10-16, 5-6, and 4-5 people
Note the g olfing trophy on the way down the stairs The owner and head chef Miyakawa-san is a ke en player, with a reputed 9 handicap.
Of course if sushi is not your thing , there are plent y of other options on the menu, including tempura, udon noodles, teriyaki and tonkatsu dishes Enough to keep ever yone happy Alexis Brown
REFERENCE
TAJIMA-TEI JAPANESE RESTAURANT Unit 1 Doorington House, 9-15 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7ST phone 020 7404 9665 www.tajima-tei.co.uk
EATING & DRINKING
ESCAPE So close, yet so different from Tokyo
Just an hour away from the capital, Kamakura is so full of charm that you will forget how close you are to a big city.
Leaving Tokyo at this time of the year, with its stifling heat, is rather a g ood idea . Even more so now, since the accident at the Fu kush ima Dai-ichi power station means that air conditioning ha s b e en re duc e d to a m in imum S o why not leave the capital for another, older, one ? I am not thinking o f Ky o to , h owe ver c ha rm ing i t may b e , b ut r ath er Kamakura , which be came the capital of Minamoto
no Yoritomo in 1192, and gave its name to the period from 1192 to 1333 It is situated just an hour away by tra in f rom Tô ky ö (on th e J R Yo ko su k a l in e ) , ha s a population of 174,000 and offers many advanta g es to the traveller in search of to something fresh - which is provided by the sea , the woods, and the many relig ious building s to be found in the area During the t w e l f th c ent ur y,
K a ma kur a b e c
sm , which explains the presence of over sixt y temples in th e l o ca l i t y. Th ere are a l s o c l o s e to t went y S h into sanctuaries, so your itinerar y will be packed I advise
you to sp end at lea st t wo or thre e days there if you also want to take advantage of the sea front at Sagami
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
From Tokyo, catch a train on the JR Yokosuka line to Kita-Kamakura (780 yen) or Kamakura (890 yen) From Shinjuku, catch a train on the JR Shônan Shinjuku Line (890 yen).
When staying overnight, the Kaihinsô Kamakura is a beautiful hotel dating from the twenties, just two steps away from Yuigahama station (Yuigahama eki) Prices start at 18,900 yen for half-board www kaihinso jp
The Japanese love trains The Enoden line that runs between Kamakura and Fujisawa is particularly popular
bay, so loved by the Japanese, with its memorable sunsets
As is customar y in Japan, and Kamakura is no exception, the visit starts at the station. If you want to be efficient and make the most of the public transport, get off the train at Kamakura station (Kamakura eki), wh i c h i s a l s o th e en d o f th e En o d en l in e that r uns along the coast Several buses also leave from that station, and ser ve the ma in tourist sites. Ne vertheless, if you choose to g et there early and you have enoug h time, it is much nicer to enjoy this cit y ’ s treasures by g etting off at Kita-Kamakura (Kita-Kamakura eki), th e stati o n b e f o re K a ma kur a Fro m th ere y o u c a n ta ke a p lea sant wa l k towards the arch ite ctura l and historical locations of the ancient capital First stop : Engaku temple (Engaku-ji), situated just two minutes away from the station Founded in 1282, as a tribute to the Japanese and Mongolians who died during the t wo attempte d inva sions of the arch ip ela g o by the Mong olians, this site is surrounde d by tre es - which ma ke s f o r a l o v e l y s umm e r ti m e w a l k . D ur i n g th e spring the cherr y blossom is the attraction for many visitors, and in the autumn the maple tre es turn a ll shades of re d. The Sanmon g ate was the inspiration for The Gate by novelist Natsume Sôseki [translated by Francis Mathy, Peter O wen Ltd e d ition, 2006], and it is the only ruin that re veals how majestic this site once was It shelters t wo national treasures : the Great Bell of 1301 and the Pavilion of Relics (Sharid en)
Yo u c a n en d y o ur vi s i t to Eng a ku Temp l e at Benten-dô teahouse where you can taste some delicious macha (600 yen), while contemplating the view of nature below you
Then, proceed towards Kenchô temple (Kenchô -ji), which is approximately a fif te en-minute walk away It wa s the first Z en temp le in the c ountr y, bu ilt in 1 2 5 3 , a n d th e m o s t b e a uti f u l c o m p a r e d w i th th e other four in the cit y Its Buddha Ha ll (Butsu- den) and Dra g on in the Clouds (Unr y û), pa inte d in the 1 9 2 0 s on th e c e i l ing o f th e p u b l i c c erem on i a l ha l l (Hattô), are both definitely worth a visit. Following this, another ten-minute walk will g et you to Tsuru-
g aoka Hachiman-g û. It is Kamakura’s main historica l Shinto sanctuar y, built in the hear t of the town in 1180
This sanctuar y offers something quite different from the pre vious visits, and is a b eautif ul conclusion to your first day spent in Kamakura . Although the walk under the trees is not too tiring you will soon feel hot and hungr y Now that you are close to Kamakura sta-
train line still in use on the archipelag o. Many train lovers visit Kamakura to take pictures of the pale yellow and green carriages known throughout the countr y. For 580 yen you can g et a day ticket that allows you to g et on and off the train and take advantag e of the many attractions a long the l ine. If you want to continue at this pace then just ten minutes away from Hase station is Kôtoku-in, mainly worth a visit to see
tion you can easily find a place to eat You can then return to Tôkyô aboard one of the many trains that run on the JR Yokosuka line, or you can extend the enj oym ent by ta king th e f am o us En o d en l in e that runs between Kamakura and Fujisawa The latter is a thirt y-minute ride running partly along the beaut i f u l c
, t h e Enoden line was opened in 1902 It is the third oldest
the great Buddha statue It is bronze, weighs 121 tons a n d s t a n d s 1 3 . 3 5 m e tr e s h i g h . In s p i r e d b y Na r a ’ s
Tôdai-ji Buddha , Kamakura’s is smaller but recognize d a s more b eautif u l It wou ld b e a shame to m iss out on this amazing sculpture, just as it would never d o n o t t o v i s i
minutes away from Kôtoku-in. This beautif ul place i s w o r th a l o n g s t o p s
Kôtoku-in’s great Buddha (Daibutsu) is one of Kamakura’s main attractions
TRAVEL
its treasures, the most famous being a statue of Kannon, the ele ven-heade d G o ddess of pardon, wh ich i s s i tuate d in th e K ann on- d o an d pro vi d e s a vi e wpoint overlooking Sag ami bay. On your rig ht, in the Am i da - d ô p avi l i on , y o u can s e e th e g o l d statu e o f Yakuyoke, a protection ag ainst evil spirits. The temple is particularly attractive to visit in autumn, when a l l the leaves chang e c o lor In the summer it is the turn of the hydrangeas. They bloom all around Hase’s Temple, in pink , crimson and white, and a long the w a y t o G o r y ô’s t e m p l e ( G o r y ô j i n j a ) , Jô j u - i n a n d
G okura ku’s temple (G okura ku-ji ), from where you can g et back on the Enoden line
From then on forget the temples and sanctuaries and focus on the sea and the outline of Enoshima in the distance. Many Japanese stop at Inamura g asa ki stati o n ( Ina mur a g a s a ki e ki ) o r K a ma kur a Kô kô ma e
( K ama kura Kô kôma e e ki ) . Q u i te a f e w f i l ms have be en shot there, and the y are locations from which y o u c a n ta ke w o n d er f u l p i c t ure s at s un s e t Yo un g couples enjoy sitting outside one of the many restaurants Do not expect haute cuisine, however, a beautif ul sunset is sometimes worth a g ood meal. O uts i d e S h i c h iri g a ha ma stati o n ( S h i c h iri g a ha ma eki), bet we en Inamura g asaki and Kamakura Kôkômae, Amalfi della Sera (which sounds and looks more Italian than Japanese) ser ves delicious Mediterranean fo o d . But it can b e hard to g et a seat on its f amous terrac e You can a lso c ontinue to En ish ima station (Enoshima eki) for a stroll at dusk Whether you stay for a day or more you always end up forg etting how hot it is in Tôkyô when visiting Kamakura In addition, you return with beautif ul pictures and memories to share with your friends G b
Ko Kotoku-In (Great B Buddha)
At Engaku temple, take the time to savour a Japanese pastry and some iced tea
LANGUAGE Keigo: Manners
please
Manners, respect, modesty…
Essential language ingredients for living in Japan.
The first d ire ct c onfrontation with Jap an ese speakers may render the pupil perplexed, even if he ha s worke d hard. He knows the ba sics for a conversation in Japanese, ha s ma stere d essenti a l v o c a b u l a r y, a n d ha s a n e a r tr a i n e d f o r sp e e c h re c o g n ition, but it of ten happ ens that he do es not properly understand the subtleties of Japanese manners in the lang ua g e : keig o.
ようこそ いらっしゃいました。
Yôkoso irasshaimashita
You are welcome
Irasshaimashita , the past tense of irassharu (or irasshaimasu), means ‘ to come. ’ So what about the verb kuru? It is too neutral, and thus inappropriate The meaning is the same, so why complicate matters by j u g g l i n g w i th v o c a b u l a r y ? W hy b e n d o v e r b a c kwards and r un the risk of f a l l ing over and lo o king clumsy ? Be cause, in Japanese, it is by adapting your vo c a b u l a r y to y o ur interl o c uto r, o r to th e p er s o n you are talking about, that you are at your best, most polite, most sociable, and conse quently most accurate The use of the polite form of the verb ‘ to come ’ in th e a b o ve e x a mp l e i s re l at e d t o Pi p o ’ s stat us a s a g u e st wh o d o e s n o t y e t s hare any intima c y wi th th e h o sting f am i l y A s a y o ung Fren c hman wh o s e comfort in the archipelag o will in g reat part be due to h is caring hosts, Pip o shou ld rep ly in the fo l lowing forma l and mo dest way :
お世話 �� になりますので、よろしくお願
�� いいた します。
Osewa ni narimasu no de, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
I am at your mercy, thank you for your indulgence
Note that the famous expression used in our previous issue is slightly modified in this sentence Shimasu is replaced by itashimasi, its modest equivalent. Instead, Pipo speaks gibberish But it is this lack of a sufficient level of language that makes him ‘important’ and gives him the feeling of being welcomed like a member of the royal family
Keigo and its subtleties can become second nature by practicing ever y day, and it is necessar y for anybody who wishes to be more than just a tourist On the other hand, the Japanese do not expect a tourist to master all the intricacies of the lang uage The foreigner who is just passing through and uses keigo is an exception, quite unusual, anything but normal But the fact that this formal lang uage is used all day long (all Japanese interaction uses this language), justifies the visitor learning a few basic expressions Even the cash dispenser speaks in keig o and, althoug h no reply is ne cessar y, it is always better to understand what is being said PIERRE FERRAGUT
