style - Tokyo Weekender

Transcription

ESTABLISHED 1970 BY CORKY ALEXANDER
JAPAN’S ART
ISLAND
VOL. 39 NO. 16 AUG 15 – SEP 04 2008 FREE
MOVIES
THE DARK KNIGHT
WHERE STYLE RESIDES
JAGUAR
OR
BMW?
WHAT’S YOUR MOTOR
CATWALK
KIDS
SHOPPING TO PLEASE
WAY OF
THE
HULA
FITNESS CRAZE
DINING AT
VA
TOUT
RURAL FRENCH EATING
STYLE?
OR CULTURAL
CRASH COURSE?
THEM AND YOU
IN ROPPONGI?
STYLE
HOW DO YOU DEFINE IT?
ALSO ONLINE AT WWW.WEEKENDERJAPAN.COM
| Weekender—Style Issue
FAMILY FOCUS
ESTABLISHED 1970 BY CORKY ALEXANDER
VOL. 39 NO. 16
AUG 15 – SEP 04 2008 FREE
06 Community Calendar Tokyo’s stylish events to be seen at
08 Feature Style—how do you define it?
10 Movie Reviews Including The Dark Knight
11 Movie Plus City ongoings
12 Fine Dining Brasserie Va Tout
13 Dining The French Kitchen buffet and a Roti recipe
16 Travel Japan’s art island
20 Business Interview Eddie Quinian
21 Business Profiles Blackberry and WebSoftTT
22 Motorng Profile Jaguar
23 Motorng Profile BMW
24 School’s In Global Kid’s Academy
25 School’s Out Catwalk kids
26 Sports Way of the hula
27 Bill’s Partyline
29 Arts & Crossword
•••
Photos by Ben Beechey.
Style has always been something nearly impossible to define and yet those who ‘get it’ are easily distinguished. In
Japan, style is something we seem to encounter daily in
various forms and so, in this fun issue of the Weekender,
we set out to find a Tokyo-inspired definition of style.
See what insights our city’s experts offer on pages eight
and nine. On page 16 you’ll learn about Japan’s art island, Noashima—it’s a place for the stylish, of course, and
on page 26 there’s a stylish fitness craze that goes much
deeper than the aesthetics.
Enjoy!
Caroline Pover, Publisher
•••
The Mori family enjoying the good weather in Inokashira Park.
The Mori Family
A
Endless style. How do you define it? See
our feature on pages 8–9.
WEEKENDER—JAPAN’S QUALITY ENGLISH MAGAZINE
PUBLISHER Caroline Pover ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Rajiv Trehan, George
Taylor, Emily Downey EDITOR & DESIGNER Marie Teather ADVERTISEMENT
DESIGNER Chris May TRAVEL & SOCIETY EDITOR Bill Hersey ARTS EDITOR
Owen Schaefer EVENTS EDITOR Danielle Tate-Stratton DISTRIBUTION
MANAGER Stephen Young MARKETING CONSULTANT Amy Dose
CONTRIBUTORS Owen Schaefer, Benjamin Freeland, Robert Forrest, William
Casper, Ulara Nakamura, Ian Tozer, Denis Leaker, Norman Munroe, Rob Goss,
Elise Mori, Nick Vroman, Alena Eckleman, Maria Young. OFFICES at Caroline
Pover, Inc., 5th floor, Chuo Iikura Building, 3-4-11 Azabudai, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 106-0041 Tel. 03-5549-2038 Fax: 03-5549-2039 Email: editor@
weekenderjapan.com. Opinions expressed by WEEKENDER contributors
are not necessarily those of the Publisher.
FOUNDED IN 1970 BY MILLARD H. “CORKY” ALEXANDER
Answers from Crossword #32 (Weekender Aug 01)
1
2
J
3
E
U
T
4
S
H
E
5
T
R
X
6
O
7
P
P
P
9
O
E
8
N
G
O
I
D
10
R
E
E
L
I
N
T
E
R
R
I
F
I
C
11
Y
B
T
12
S
N
K
13
D
U
L
L
A
14
T
O
P
A
Z
15
U
E
P
A
I
R
16
U
L
L
L
F
R
D
17
T
E
E
T
O
T
A
L
L
E
R
S
18
Y
S
C
R
H
E
ndrea has been living in Tokyo for just over eight
years and Dave for six. The couple met during
Dave’s first week in Japan; the meeting followed a
series of connections spanning their lifetimes—and
before—and to which they draw reference to an old
Japanese proverb; Akai ito musuburate iru, which
loosely translates as; “a red string that connects us.”
The pair first met at a language school in Tamachi
where Dave was working and Andrea had been sent to
help cover lessons for just one day. For Dave, “when
she walked into the staff room, it was love at first
sight.” After a brief conversation they learned that they
were both from Vancouver and that Andrea had grown
up in the same town that Dave had commuted to three
times a week during his childhood to learn judo. Dave
goes on to explain that; “Shortly after we met, my parents emailed and asked how my first week was. I replied
that it was great and that I had met the most amazing
half-Japanese girl from Vancouver. My parents quickly
replied, asking for her last name. At three o’clock in the
morning I was awoken to his cell phone and the bellowing voice of my father saying, “Davie! Guess what?!
That girl you met is your cousin!” I was shocked,
embarrassed, disgusted, and immediately wide-awake
until my father said, “Just kidding!, but I did just speak
to her mother!” My relief was suddenly overwhelmed
with the embarrassment of having my father call the
mother of a woman I had only briefly met.”
The following morning Andrea also received a
startling email. It was her mother telling her that Dave
Mori had called her. Andrea’s stomach dropped as
she imagined Dave as some kind of stalker calling her
mother all the way in Canada. Andrea read on and
realized that the Dave Mori her mother was referring
to was Dave Mori Sr. and that the Dave she met was
Dave Mori Jr. After the embarrassment had worn off,
they connected for their first date in Harajuku. “We
then learned that the connections run way back, all the
way to both of our grandparents living across a small
farming road from each other and were best friends,
and that my father and Andrea’s mother were the same
age and went to school together from kindergarten to
grade 12. We quickly realized that we were meant to
be together.”
Being both half-Japanese and half-Canadian, Dave
and Andrea were drawn to Japan to learn more about
their heritage. After meeting, they soon married and
on March 4 of this year Andrea gave birth to their son,
Maxon Sachio Mori.
Andrea attends yoga classes at Shizen Yoga Studio—
she started to attend the prenatal classes there—“which
were a huge help when pregnant.” These days she goes
with Max for the Yogamoms classes.
Dave is the co-founder and President of the
Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo NPO (www.eatokyo.com) who, since 2003, has conducted monthly
seminars to promote and support entrepreneurship
in Tokyo. He is also co-founder and president of
English OK Co. Ltd., who provide custom English
training programs for the service industry throughout
Japan and have launched Japan’s premier directory of
English-capable businesses at www.englishok.jp.
19
D
S
20
T
21
A
K
E
Y
O
U
R
P
I
C
K
22
F
J
L
23
C
U
E
24
R
E
E
F
G
L
O
R
Y
26
I
K
P
Y
25
G
L
A
D
27
T
I
S
28
U
O
I
Are you happy with the medical services available in Japan? To register your opinion on the
medical services available to foreigners here, go to www.weekenderjapan.com and take part in our
survey. The survey will be online for an extended period of time and the results of the 2008 Weekender Medical
Services Survey will be published in depth later this year.
29
D
A
A
Y
T
L
R
I
I
P
S
A
S
S
I
E
30
M
O
A
V
E
31
Y
E
L
L
O
W
E
D
G
R
A
T
I
S
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 Golfers age 4–15 can test their mettle at
the US Kids Golf tournament held at
Windsor Park Golf and Country Club
today. ¥8,500 for nine holes or ¥9,500 for
eighteen, includes green fee, lunch, insurance,
and practice balls. For more information and
to register: http://tinyurl.com/62nmx5.
Join in with the FCCJ’s Samba Carnival
tonight from 6–9pm, part of the FCCJ Special
Event Tuesdays in August series. The event
features Brazilian dancers, authentic cuisine,
and samba drums. ¥3,000, reserve by phone at
03-3211-3161 or online at www.fccj.or.jp.
Colombian dance troupe Ballet Folklorico
De Antioquia will perform traditional dances
tonight at the Showa Women’s University
in Sangenjaya at 6:30pm. ¥3,500–¥4,500, tel.
03-3463-3120.
FRI 22 AUG
Travel to Tokyo Disney Sea to take in one
of the many preview shows for Cirque du
Soleil’s new permanent show, ZED, set to
open Oct 1, tonight at 7:30. Tickets are available from the website: http://ticket.zed.
co.jp/top.html.
FCCJ members and their guests are invited
to a screening of Bordertown, starring Jennifer
Lopez and Antonio Banderas. Their characters
are quickly enveloped into a tangled—and
dangerous—web woven around the troubled
labor situation in Mexican border towns. For
more information about the screening: www.
fccj.or.jp.
© Jordon Cheung
SAT 23 AUG
TUE 26 AUG MON 25 AUG SUN 24 AUG
Kids and adults alike will learn how to discover more about the world around them,
while at the same time becoming more active
at the NTT Communication Center’s ICC
Kids Program 2008, which runs through Aug
31. 10am–6pm, free. www.ntticc.or.jp
THU 28 AUG WED 27 AUG
TUE 19 AUG MON 18 AUG SUN 17 AUG
SAT 16 AUG
Take in Madame Kawakita, Her Life and Films
through Sep 28 at the National Museum
of Modern Art Tokyo, National Film
Center in Kyobashi. The cinematic exhibition celebrates 100 years since the birth of
Kashiko Kawakita, who was instrumental in
promoting the exchange of film between
Japan and Europe. www.momat.go.jp
© 2008 Cirque du Soleil Inc.
THU 21 AUG WED 20 AUG
by Danielle Tate-Stratton
The Azabu Juban Matsuri
runs this weekend from
August 22–24. Try food from
around the world, as well as
enjoying the entertainment,
music, dancing, and shopping. www.azabujuban.
or.jp
The FCCJ hosts Beatles
Festival Night, which will
feature the High Grade
Gentlemen, winners of the
Best Beatles Band competition. ¥3,300 includes dinner
and entertainment, www.
fccj.or.jp.
Test your trivial knowledge
at the Paddy Foley’s Pub
Quiz tonight from 7:30pm.
Teams of up to six can play
with an entry fee of ¥500 per
person. Winners walk away
with great prizes. www.paddyfoleystokyo.com
FRI 29 AUG
COMMUNITY CALENDAR,
Mt Fuji Climb with the Tokyo Gaijins
“O
ne who never climbs Mt. Fuji is a fool and one
who climbs it again is more than a fool.” So goes
the famous saying about scaling this oh-so-famous of
mountains. Truthfully, climbing Mt. Fuji is a definite
must-do activity over the course of your stay in Japan.
While the 12,400 ft peak may be daunting to those of
us who don’t count mountaineering among our hobbies, the Tokyo Gaijins group offers a fantastic weekend
package to get you safely up and down the mountain.
The group offers the chance to climb with fellow expats from around the world, with two guides
ensuring that the group gets up and down safely,
as well as being on hand to offer minor first aid
treatments. The group also takes care of all logistics,
including hiring a private bus from Shinjuku to
Fuji and providing headlamps, snacks, and oxygen
canisters to all climbers. By climbing overnight, you
avoid some of the crowds, the blistering sun, and
position yourself perfectly to catch the sunrise; cloud
cover permitting. There is also the welcome chance
to see stars (so rare in Tokyo!) and possibly even see
fireworks in the Fuji Five Lakes region—from above
the blooms themselves.
While sturdy walking shoes will suffice, be prepared
for a variety of temperatures, as it can get cold, and be
sure to buy a walking stick from the shops at the beginning of the climb. These turn into great souvenirs as
you can have the wooden sticks stamped with hot iron
brands at each station on the way to the summit.
For more information about the Tokyo Gaijin’s
Mt. Fuji climbs this year, including one Aug 23–24,
visit www.tokyogaijins.com/fuji/hikes.html.
Would you like your community event listed in this calendar? If so, please email
danielle.tate-stratton@weekenderjapan.com one month before the event is due to take place.
SAT 30 AUG
SUN 31 AUG
© Jacob Ehnmark
The Tokyo Comedy Store’s
TCS Crocodile Show is from 8–
10:30pm tonight at the Crocodile
in Shibuya. ¥2,000. Full drink and
food menu. www.tokyocomedy.com.
The Ghibli Museum is playing host to the
Petite Louve Museum, designed to give adults
and children alike the chance to experience
works from the Louve in a relaxed setting.
Reserve tickets (required) at: www.ghiblimuseum.jp/en.
Join EA Tokyo as Daisuke Iwase, co-founder
and COO of Lifenet Insurance Company
(an online insurance venture), talks about
Breathing New Life into an Old Industry. The
event is open to members and non-members
of EA Tokyo and costs ¥3,500–¥6,000. To
sign up, visit www.ea-tokyo.com/app/
events/signup/24.
Visit the theater and take in The Winds of
God, a play about two kamikaze pilots that
looks at life and war. At the Kinokuniya
Southern Theater in Shinjuku Sept 2–9,
www.wog-stage.com.
Anyone interested in Japan–Ireland business relations is invited to The Ireland
Japan Chamber of Commerce informal
networking event tonight at Le Dragon
Bleu in the Atago Green Hills Plaza. ¥3,500
includes dinner and two drinks. www.ijcc.
jp/events/24.
FRI 5 SEPT
THU 4 SEPT
The Australian and New
Zealand
Chamber
of
Commerce invites members and
their guests to a Wednesday
Night Waterhole at Aussieowned bar Araku in Golden Gai.
¥500 includes snacks, cash bar.
www.anzccj.jp/events.php
Support eco-friendly cycling charity Bee
Japan at their charity concert at Heaven’s
Door from 6–11pm. The concert features acts
such as the Max Blues Band and is ¥2,000
including one drink. Bee Japan makes yearly
cycling trips across Japan to support sustainable living as well as promoting this way of
living year-round. www.beejapan.org
WED 3 SEPT
TUE 2 SEPT
Tomorrow is the last day of
the Kodomo Exhibition at the
Living
Design
Center
OZONE in Shinjuku, an exhibition and seminars for parents and children on furniture.
In Japanese: http://tinyurl.
com/67yh4n.
The Asakusa Samba Festival takes place
today from 1:30pm, featuring a combination
of colorful Brazilian samba dancers and one
of Tokyo’s most traditional neighborhoods.
www.asakusa-samba.jp
MON 1 SEPT
Enjoy the colorful dancing of the
Koenji Awa Odori today and
tomorrow. www.koenji-awaodori.com
Watch as 12,000 fireworks explode
at the Chuo City Fireworks
from 7:20–8:30pm at Keio
Tamagawa station.
Head to National Azabu for your weekly
shop and while you are there, pick up the
special Singapore issue of Weekender, due
out today.
Tyler Shine On—Mystery a la Carte
W
hile the event itself isn’t until September 26, the
time is now to buy tickets for the Tyler Foundation’s Mystery a la Carte dinner fundraiser at the Hilton
Hotel. From 6pm–late, guests will be treated to dinner
from a variety of internationally-known chefs, including Michelin-starred chefs Stephane Gaborieau of La
Pergolese and Sebastien Lefort of two-starred restaurant
Twenty-One. They are joined by Luke Mangan of Salt in
the Shin-Marunouchi Building. The evening’s dining is
rounded out by Artorio Spicocchi, of Michelin–starred
La Stua di Michil in Italy, and Alexander Egger from
Hotel La Perla (courtesty of De Longhi Japan).
As well as exquisite food, the event features a
murder mystery hosted by actor Rachel Walzer and
a live auction with prizes including airline tickets,
meals, and more.
The Tyler Foundation’s aim is to support children
with cancer in Japan and currently contributes to
the lives of young cancer patients through initiatives
such as supporting the salary of a doctor and child
psychologist at the National Center for Child Health
and Development. The foundation also hopes to open
a Shine On House, to allow families to stay near their
children undergoing treatment, in the near future.
To buy tickets, which are ¥30,000 each, or to find
out more about the event or foundation itself, visit
www.tylershineon.org.
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 Style—How Do You Define It?
A Tokyo definition from the international community, by Marie Teather
I
t was Yves Saint Laurent that once said, “Fashions fade, style is eternal,” and true though that may be,
it didn’t really define or enlighten us as to what style is, exactly.
On the concept of style, living in Japan is a fantastic place to ponder over this dilemma as we watch ‘the
next big thing’ fly in and out of fashion at alarming rates, but with the majority of us remaining just far
enough from the center of the hype to avoid being caught up in the excitement. How very cool we must be,
but how does that define us, the international community, and our concepts of style? Everyone, it seems,
has a different idea of what constitutes style—some very passionately—and so Weekender got to asking just
what style is.
First we spoke with the ‘experts,’ three members of the international community who are very much
involved with the style and fashion industry, to ask them how they thought fashions and styles were changing here in Tokyo and how the foreign community could learn from it. Secondly, we asked those members
of the foreign community, who are inspired by and who have allowed style be a part of their lives about how
they defined style. Of course, that leaves you next, so, how do you define style?
What’s your attitude to style?
(left to right:)
Lilo Maruyama—“You have to know yourself and
what suits you best. It’s OK to have a few pieces of
fashionable items but you should just follow your
instincts!”
Photo by Nick Dale.
Kiko Ireton—I have a few favorite stores (mostly non-brand, private labels) that I visit from
time-to-time and if I happen to find something I
like, I purchase and wear it. I don’t have—what
shall I say—any ‘fashion statement,’ or whatever.
If anything, I wear black, white, and grey mostly,
with occasional very bright colors when I find
them, again, it’s what I like!
Grace Saito—“Style and fashion should just be about
expressing yourself—happily!”
“Style
f
o
is not
l
l
o
–Anri
wing
Schro
ss, To
fashio
kyo-b
ased f
ns”
ashio
n jou
r
n
alist.
enting
pres
e
r
s
i
“Style irit” Tokyo Girls Collection.
ury Csogphlan, organizer of
yo
imoth
–T
Christian Thoma is the Managing Director of Triumph International
and has been working for the company in Japan since 1986.
Triumph has been in Japan since 1964 and specializes in ladies
under garments.
How do you think attitudes to fashion and style have changed
over the past 10 years in Tokyo?
You cannot talk about a ‘Tokyo style’ but the retail industry has changed a
lot. Before it was just department stores where people would do all of their
shopping under one roof, but during the past 10–15 years there has been a
huge increase in the number of boutiques and specialized stores.
What changes have you seen in your industry?
Twenty years ago our customers were ladies over 35 years old and they
were very conservative. Now our average customer is around 22 or 23 years
old and the image has changed dramatically. Customers used to think
that underwear was functional not fashionable. Today it has become a
fun product.
Who do you think the Japanese are looking towards for their style inspiration?
They are making their own styles and the Western world is looking towards Japan instead.
What could anyone visiting Japan learn from Japanese fashion and styles?
The dynamics and the cleanliness of clothes, not to wear dirty or shabby clothes, and the love of something new.
FEATURE
Cristiano Scognamiglio is the Managing Director of M+M Scognamiglio,
a family business specializing in Cameo jewelry that started 150 years
ago. The company is the largest manufacturer of handmade cameos
and has been seen on the TV series Sex and the City and on other celebrities. The Japan branch can be found in Ginza.
over the past 10 years in Tokyo?
Until 10 years ago Japan was a very conservative place. Clothes were more
formal and everyone would pretty much wear the same styles. Designers
would bring their designs to Japan and customers would simply wear the
outfits exactly as designers presented them. But, thanks to the internet, customers no longer have to wait for designers to tell them how to dress and
instead are able to learn immediately from fashions the world over.
In jewelry, until very recently Japanese girls would mostly wear diamonds.
But now, as in Europe where it is considered slightly unoriginal to wear
exactly the same designs as your peers, more and more Japanese are looking
for original designs and one-off creations. We are making lots of handcrafted jewelry—each piece is unique—and
we are promoting the idea that ‘You are the designer of yourself.’
How easy is it for you as a foreigner to work in the fashion industry here?
My family has been in Japan for five generations and so we are well trusted by customers. You need to be accepted
to do well here and even more so today as customers are so well informed; they study and will know everything
they need know about a product before buying it.
Who do you think the Japanese are looking towards for their style inspiration?
Currently, in New York jewelry is all about ‘volume.’ Big is in and we are seeing people adopting this style here too.
Also, as in Europe and the US, people are mixing and matching expensive jewelry with other cheaper accessories.
In Ginza, you’ll see people looking towards Europe for their inspiration, in Shinjuku it’s the US, and in
Shibuya you see rap. Japanese are very good at copying styles that have been presented to them in a certain way,
but it is only now that they are starting to have more contact with foreigners and they are learning that not
everyone in Italy dresses in one concept of ‘Italian style’ and not everyoone in the US dresses in another concept.
Japanese are starting to mix and match.
Where do you think is the most stylish place in Tokyo?
All of it. There’s a stylish place for everyone and that, in itself, is stylish.
Not to judge someone by the outfits they are wearing. They wear a particular outfit because they like it, not
because they think it’s better than anyone else’s. Its just fun and there’s room for everyone.
Finally, how do you define style?
Style is that you only show your personality through your dress, not your social standing.
Fumio Kawashima has been a hairstylist to the stars after opening
his first Peek-A-Boo salon in Omotesando in 1978. Peek-A-Boo now
has six locations throughout Tokyo and employs more than 200
staff. Fumio studied under Vidal Sasson in London for seven years in
the seventies and has been in the industry for over 40 years.
over the past ten years in Tokyo?
Attitudes have changed a lot. Before it was very conservative and Japanese
didn’t really want to have their hair cut. These days, you don’t see so
much black hair anymore and younger ladies are willing to try anything.
I’m seeing more people with dimension haircuts (hair that is short underneath and long on top) and, more importantly, that younger people want
to be different.
Who do you think Japanese people are looking towards for
their style inspirations?
Definitely Europe. Not so much the US, but London and Paris. Japanese
can identify more with European styles. Also, younger people are still learning from the pop culture you can see
in London.
Where do you think is the most stylish place in Tokyo?
Harajuku and Shibuya. There are so many shops there—it’s all apparel—and all those people who work in those
fashion stores make it very stylish.
It’s the other way around. Japanese want to learn from western people, as they know so much more about style.
They learn more than they teach.
What do you think is the single most important item to give you instant style?
A good haircut. If you wear good clothes a bad haircut can ruin it all. Also, no matter how fashions change you
should remain feminine and not be too aggressive with your styles.
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 MOVIE REVIEWS BY WILLIAM CASPER
nevitably and tragically, The Dark Knight, Christopher
Nolan’s second batman film, is all about Heath Ledger. The fine, young actor died following an overdose of
prescription drugs soon after filming had finished. He
joins the likes of River Phoenix and James Dean in dying just at the point a brilliant career was getting into its
stride. His superb performance in Ang Lee’s Brokeback
Mountain alone is a worthy memorial to his obvious talent, although one suspects it is his fine characterization
of the Joker in this film that will become the abiding
iconic image of his all too short career. I’m not sure playing a wildly maniacal psychopath is more of a challenge
than an inarticulate gay cowboy trapped in the tightest
of closets, but it will be hard to argue against if this performance wins him a posthumous Oscar in March.
Elsewhere, there is much to enjoy in this action
packed, big screen version of the most adult of comic
book heros. Christian Bale’s Batman, like Sean Connery’s
Bond, is the one all previous efforts fail to match.
Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman,
three of the best actors in the business, offer sterling
support and by swapping the lovely and talented
Maggie Gyllenhaal with
the hopelessly miscast
Katie Holmes as the
love interest, the producers removed the one
glaring flaw in Batman
Heath Ledger as the Joker.
Returns. Aaron Eckhart is
another new edition and more than holds his own as
District Attorney Harvey Dent. Having covered most
of Batman’s back-story in the earlier film, The Dark
Knight is as much about the villain as it is our hero.
Ledger’s Joker stages ingenious (though evil) elaborate
set pieces, posing terrible dilemmas for Batman and
any other authorities that attempt to resolve them.
The psychological battle between the self styled Cape
Crusader and the crazy clown is totally engrossing and
at times, with the special effects on show, mesmerizing. The film’s greatest strength is that none of the
characters get lost in the avalanche of action sequences
and retain our attention, compassion, and concern
throughout—which for a film about a comic book hero
is no mean feat.
What Happens In Vegas
I
n the mid 1990s, just like now, Cameron Diaz’s thenyouthful face adorned countless billboards around
Tokyo. In those far-off days, presumably considered
the perfect role model for young Japanese women, she
was promoting a leading brand of menthol cigarettes
rather than a cell phone giant as now. As she has allegedly been paid over ten million dollars on at least
eight different occasions for various movies—including
a mind boggling $20,000,000 for the Charlie’s Angels sequel—it’s a wonder she can be bothered to flog other
people’s stuff at all.
This piece of fluff, for which Diaz reportedly received
another eight figure salary, co-stars Demi Moore’s toyboy husband, Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher usually bears the
dazed expression of a performer who has been handed
his script 30 seconds before the director calls “action,”
but here, as an unpleasant slacker slob, he is quite effective and more than holds his own against his co-star’s
prissy banker. These
two unkindred spirits
meet in Vegas. They get
wasted together (as you
do), they get married
(as you do), immediRomance—Vegas style.
ately regret it (as you
do), win $3,000,000 on a slot machine, and are forced
to stay together for six months in order to keep the
money (as you do—only in the twisted imaginations
of the people who churn out these half cocked romcoms). It’s not the worst film ever, there are some funny
moments but you’ve seen most of them before featured
in its countless cinematic second cousins. It’s main fault
though, is that it should have starred—without being
ageist—someone like Lindsay Lohan rather than a 36year-old ex-tobacco industry face, who really should be
doing better than this by now.
photo courtesy of 20th Centruy Fox.
I
photo courtesy of Warner Brothers.
The Dark Knight
W
ill Ferrell? A quirky sports movie? THE SEVENTIES!? It’s almost as if the ball has been tossed
gently up to the basket, it hovers there waiting; this
must be as sure fire a slam-dunk as you will see. Therefore, it is something of a surprise as the ball falls harmlessly down to earth and skips away in a series of ever
decreasing bounces.
It’s not that Semi-Pro is bad; were it the first Will
Ferrell film of its kind, the set up and the seventies
parody would probably be enough for most viewers.
Unfortunately, it isn’t the first, so despite the two or
three genuinely funny sequences, it feels tired. There
is too much that is familiar in the tale of an underdog
basketball team owned
by disco king and Team
Captain Jackie Moon
(Will Ferrell). Variations
on it’s theme crop up in
Blades of Glory, Talladega
Airball.
Nights, Anchor Man, Old
School (same scriptwriter), and even non-Ferrell films
like Kingpin, Balls of Fury, and Major League. Indeed,
with the 1989 baseball movie, it shares a subplot—the
aging top-draw star given one last chance of glory in
the city where, coincidently, an old flame is currently
living. Semi-good.
photo courtesy of New Line Cinema.
Semi-Pro
WEEKENDER’S FAVORITE MOVIE THEATERS
ROPPONGI: Roppongi Hills Cinema. Roppongi 6-10-2, Minato-ku.
03-5775-6090. In the Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka Complex, facing
the Mori Tower, Hibiya Line Roppongi Station. Showing: The Dark
Knight, The Incredible Hulk, Kung Fu Panda, The Happening, Indiana
Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. www.tohotheater.jp.
SHINJUKU: Shinjuku Milano Za, Kabuki-cho 1-29-1, Tokyu Milano
Bldg. 03-3202-1189. JR Shinjuku station East Exit, number B13.
Walk towards Nishi-Shinjuku station; the theater faces this station.
Showing: Kung Fu Panda, Speed Racer, Rec, Ghost in the Shell,
SHIBUYA: Shibuto Cine Tower, Dogenzaka 2-6-17, Shibuya. 035489-4210. From JR Shibuya station, take the Hachiko exit to the
large intersection (to Dogenzaka). Go up the road, and it will be
on your left (across from Shibuya 109). Showing: Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Happening,. http://gmap.
jp/shop-1533.html.
ODAIBA: Cinema Mediage. Daiba 1-7-1, Minato-ku. 03-55317878. Across from Tokyo Teleport Station, just behind the Fuji TV
building. From the Yurikamome line’s Daiba station, cross the street.
The cinema is next to Aqua City Odaiba. Showing: The Dark Knight,
The Incredible Hulk, Kung Fu Panda, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of
the Crystal Skull, www.cinema-mediage.com.
For more reviews please visit our website at www
10 | Weekender—Style Issue
MOVIE PLUS WITH BILL HERSEY
he rainy season is over. But I feel I can safely say, as far as
summer film happenings go this year, when it rains, it pours!
Press conferences for visiting celebrities, premieres, receptions,
and other movie promo events have been on a sometimes twicea-day basis.
There have been some really special promos with really
special people including people from Kadokawa Pictures and
Paramount’s Kung Fu Panda, and Warner Brothers press conferences and the screening of the awesome animated Star Wars. Sony
Entertainment had a green (color of the Hulk) carpet premiere of
their box office hit The Incredible Hulk at Ginza Nichigeki. Over
at the Tokyo International Forum, Warner Brothers held a starstudded premiere for their record-breaking The Dark Knight.
Noted Director M. Night Shyamalan was here for 20th Century Fox to
promote his film The Happening. When he wasn’t working he hung out
and made lots of friends at the New Lex.
director
Dale and
pher Nick
Photogra at the New Lex.
Shyamalan
M. Night
photo courtesy of Warner Brothers.
T
Lucy Liu and Jac
k Black having
fun at the
Kung Fu Pand
a press conferen
ce.
Looking ahead, August will have some great films here so you can relax,
enjoy, and escape the heat.
20th Century Fox had a promo for their film What Happenes in Vegas
which opens August 16 and Toho-Towa did a major promo for Mummy
which opens the same day. You can also see the popular superstar Will
Smith in his Sony release Hancock. Gaga will release the much anticipated Sex and the City on August 23.
Good stuff coming up this fall includes Sony’s Ironman and Warner
Brother’s Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. John Woo fans can look
forward to Towa’s fall release, Battle of Red Cliff. I’ll have rundowns and
photos of most of these promos later. Meanwhile, I’d like to suggest
you see Across the Universe, a film set to the Beatles’ words and music.
Thanks to Sony’s Dick Sano I got to have dinner with one of the film’s
stars Jim Sturgess. What a talented and a nice young guy he is.
As they say movies are better than ever and theater owners are going
all out to make watching films in their super venues the absolute
3 ultimate in comfort. The newly opened Shochiku Cinema complex
near Isetan in Shinjuku is a perfect example. The theater features ten
screens with a total of 2,237 seats, luxury rooms and seats, cutting
edge audio technology, a cinema library, and a café. For more information check out the website: www.shinjukupicadilly.com
On the down side, The Shinjuku Koma Stadium, an institution
for all kinds of entertainment since 1956 will close down at the end
of this year. As Queen sang, Another One Bites the Dust. Filmmaker
Toho is already working on plans for a big redevelopment in that
Paramount Jap
an Sales Direct
CEO Jeffrey Ka
or Kiyoto Taka
part of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho.
tzenberg, Pa
ya, Dreamw
ram
orks Animation
ount Marketin
g Director His
President and
amichi Kinom
GM of Param
oto,
Senior Vice Pre
ount Japan Ich
sident United
iro Okazaki,
International
Pictures Kurt
Rieder.
In closing, I’d like to mention that I had a really fun night—almost
morning—at the New Lex on July 29 and 30 with Aussie superstar Hugh
Jackman and a group of his “neighborhood mates” who were here holidaying. My thanks to 20th Century Fox’s honcho Jesse Lee for setting
it all up.
In addition to his great film work (X-Men, Van Helsing, etc), Hugh
won high acclaim and a Tony award for his role as Judy Garland’s
Australian showbiz husband Peter Allen in the musical The Boy From Oz.
I guess that’s where he learnt to dance as well. He’s a nice, as down to
earth guy as you ever could meet—and he can really shake his booty!
eneral
tury Fox G
20th Cen
man with
ck
Ja
h
ug
H
Jesse Lee.
Manager
NB. Schedules are subject to change so please make sure to check
the website to avoid disappointment.
SHINAGAWA: Shinagawa Prince Cinema. Takanawa 4-10-30, Minato-ku. 03-5421-1113. Across the street from Shinagawa station,
in the Shinagawa Prince Hotel. Showing: The Dark Knight, Kung Fu
Panda, The Happening. www.princehotels.co.jp/shinagawa/cinema/index.html.
YOKOHAMA: Toho Cinemas Lalaport. 4035-1 Ikebe-cho, Ysuzuki-ku,
Yokohama. 045-929-1040. JR Yokohama Line, Kamoii station. Take the
North Exit; theater is on the first floor of the Lalaport Complex. Showing: The Incredible Hulk, Kung Fu Panda, The Happening, Speed Racer,
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. http://yokohama.
lalaport.jp.
w.weekenderjapan.com
Out on DVD!
By William Casper
Jumper—Interesting premise; being able to instantly relocate
anywhere. A decent cast including Samuel L Jackson and a big
budget. All wasted by some awful storytelling.
Enchanted—The most successful mix of animation and real action since Roger Rabbit. Charming, funny, and yes, enchanting.
The Golden Compass—Excellent adaptation of the first part of
Phillip Pullman’s superb trilogy His Dark Materials. Sadly looks
like being the only part to be made into a film. How insecure the
institutions that campaigned against it must be.
The Killing of John Lennon—Better than Chapter 27, dealing with
the same sad incident, but still heavy-going.
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 11
FINE DINING BY ROBERT FORREST
Brasserie Va-Tout
How would you choose your most stylish restaurant?
T
his should have been so easy: “Write about a stylish restaurant.” So I racked my head, lubed my
brain, and tried to think of all the spangled places
where I have eaten, seeking signs of life for those
with hunger looking for taste, and those with taste
satisfying hunger.
Immodestly, I am the latter, but my day job
designing does not always translate to nifty tablecloths come mealtime. Instead, we often end up at this
friendly if slightly absent-minded restaurant on the
strip leading from Roppongi crossing towards Tokyo
Tower. Every other year, Va-tout and the Axis building
next door hosts Designer’s Night, a tight gathering of
car designers who have migrated to the Tokyo Motor
Show. Va-tout puts on quite a spread, but it is hard to
concentrate on balancing a buffet when business cards
keep slipping from your cuffs.
My co-designer Francophone was with me this
time, and not a supplier in sight. “I fear we have an
unusual case of French mangled to the effect of an
English t-shirt bought in Harajuku,” he seemed to say
while finishing the bread. Va tu, va tous, but not va
tout. Not unless you add faire, though this might act
as a deterrent if put on the sign. As if the slow service
would not be enough. Each time we dine here we wait:
there is clearly a talented chef in the kitchen eager to
make his food great, but he needs somewhere smaller.
The drinks are also expensive—I paid ¥1,300 for 600ml
of Yebisu. A generous glass, but an absurd price. So
why do we keep coming back? Location is one thing:
from here you can watch pretty girls trotting and fast
cars rolling; it also has excellent variety in its menu:
duck with apricot, chicken tanjine, and roasted lamb
are all meals I have enjoyed here. Now, with summer
panting down our necks, I chose this month’s special
five-course meal: Legumes d’ete.
“Eventually, the first course arrived.” That was
my planned start to this paragraph, but today barely a
moment had passed from the keg arriving to my mousse
d’avocat
introducing
itself. Forget
that we had
to wait 15
minutes for
the beer and
this is a giddy
effort for a
restaurant that reproduces the pace of rural France to
spectacular effect. My amuse bouche certainly stimulated with bitter tomato puree smeared over the dense
mousse, but the presentation could have been better:
green and red belong side-by-side, not suffocating in
a Pyrex dome. And before I finished the hors d’oeuvre
arrived. The waiter looked faint. This was crab salad
successfully imitating coleslaw, presented as a neat
patty within a buttery moat. Clock another reason for
coming here: the prodigious use of butter. If only the
same could be said of the late crustacean: nuggets of
sweet corn and diced peppers were present, but the
fragile meat seemed lost to budgeting, despite the
¥5,250 needed for this set.
My entrée came next, and so did Francophone’s
steak. 300g for ¥3,000 is clearly the one to choose over
the 200g they offer for ¥2,500, though there is 500g
at just under double that if you have nothing planned
for the weekend. The steak here is excellent, always
cooked precisely to preference; in Francophone’s case
French food cooked to perfection.
still lowing. It comes with a mountain of fries, Dijon
mustard, and ketchup, and offers little reason to
choose the Outback at the crossing instead. My starter
was a more delicate affair, perfectly suited to the summer vegetable theme of the menu. Two white coins
of St. Jacques scallops perched like rotund herons in
a watery meadow of basil sauce. Loll your tongue in
freshly cut grass lightened with dill and try to forget
the scallops a la carte also available are bathed in burnt
butter. This is my usual choice when coming here,
almost as good as those in Cuisine[s] Michel Troisgros
you may remember my mentioning: you can re-read it
while we wait for my main.
“Excuse me, I am ready for my main,” “Excuse
me, I have finished now.” Just two attempts this time.
When we first came last year, each would take it in
turn to ask for their food; Oliver Twist would have
been joined on the streets by the whole orphanage
had they eaten here. But when it did arrive, so too
did an explanation as to what, exactly, ‘Axoa’ is. This
curious word appeared solo alongside thorough kanji
on the menu, and with my Japanese worse than their
French, I was left guessing until the plate arrived. Even
Francophone could not translate.
My initial reaction proved wide of the mark.
“Axolotl” I boldly declared. No other word seemed close,
but it seemed
unlikely they
would serve
axles outside
Designer’s
Night. It was
Iberian pork,
to my relief,
indeed from
the same region of France as Francophone. Asked
what I thought by the waitress, she prompted; “fatty?”
before I had time to answer. Yes, as the pork tends to
be here, but the sauce was fantastic—and fantastically
inappropriate for a midsummer night. Marmalade-like
peppers reduced within a hot nest of onions, garlic,
and sultry tomatoes would make the perfect stew in
winter, but here my brow brimmed. The meat was
not as generous as my first glance noted but perfectly
cooked and so tender. Easily the best course of the
meal, so I hope they bring it back in a few months
when I have cooled down.
By this time, Francophone had finished his steak
without offering me a piece, now prodding lukewarm fries when my grapefruit gratin arrived. Bloody
mounds cleaved the froth, if still too fluid for me, their
crème brulee is far superior. Finally, Va-tout’s excellent
coffee completed the meal, before the last dance of trying to receive the bill began. Va-tout is not as stylish as
some restaurants, but it is always fashionably late.
from here you can watch pretty girls
trotting and fast cars rolling; it also
has excellent variety in its menu
Best table: Outside is best if the weather is good, and
they can accommodate large groups inside too. Try to
arrive early evening. Location: Walk from Roppongi
Crossing towards Tokyo Tower. It’s ten minutes on
your right. Prices: A great lunch menu is offered from
¥1,000, and mains for dinner are about ¥2,500. Their
monthly course is ¥5,250. Contact: www.brasserievatout.jp or call 03-3568-2080 for reservations.
photo courtesy of the French Kitchen.
DINING
The French Kitchen
Casual elegance, by Marie Teather
Catwalk to the buffet.
T
here are few more stylish restaurants in Tokyo than
that with a catwalk-like runway to strut up to the
kitchen and with a floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar able to
hold 3,000 bottles. This is, of course, the French Kitchen
and despite the glamour and the special effects, this brassier still retains a certain casualness; I’ve gone back a few
times and each time it becomes a little more homely.
It’s perhaps little surprise that the evening menu
should be something as equally grand, and yet, with no
frills. A buffet perhaps? But forget the mundaneness of
a slow moving buffet line; the waiting as food meant
to be served hot soon turns cold; the shuffling of feet
as you move slowly down a long table of food; here we
have the ‘interactive experience.’ There are food stations
and with plate in hand you’ll flit from one station to
the next, taking a little pate from this one, roast carving
from the next, stop and chat with a chef as he cooks
your eggs Florentine to your liking, grab a little seafood,
and sit down again. This is busy eating.
The animated open kitchen serves as backdrop to
the on goings up front and this, I should add, is one big
open floor plan. Small coves and twists of the restaurant
mean you are never too close to other diners and yet
still able to enjoy the buzzing of waiters, the chefs, and
the hungry walking the runway and circling around the
buffet center piece.
Each month the kitchen presents their seasonal
offerings; for August it’s sole, served at their prime and
in the form of Sole Meuniere, pan-fried with white wine.
It’s delicious. Perhaps you’ll accompany this with handpicked eggplant from Kanazawa, or maybe you’ll take
the garlic asparagus—it’s your choice remember.
There will soon—and always it’s sooner than you
planned—come a time when you can simply eat no more.
Or so you thought, until you venture over to the dessert
station and see the chocolate fountain with marshmallows, strawberries, and other fruits to be dipped in and
whirled around. I don’t usually care for desserts but when
finding a creation that seems to have been sent from
Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, even I can’t resist.
All this walking and choosing, picking and eating, it
could feel almost quite demanding. I’m not quite sure
that this is really a way to relax after a long day, but
there is always something else that I wish I had eaten;
the food and the variety here really is that good. With
that in mind, I’ll no doubt be back again soon.
For reservations call 03-4333-1234 or see the website
at www.tokyo.grand.hyatt.com
Barbeque Prawns with Tropical Mango Salsa
Roti chef, Ian Tozer, teaches us a barbeque hit
T
his being the Style issue of Weekender, I was asked to turn in an appropriately stylish recipe and, as we are right
in the middle of the red-hot Tokyo summer, I thought this barbeque prawn dish would fit the bill perfectly.
You can either grill the prawns on your barbeque or sauté them in a hot skillet in your kitchen. The salsa can be
made in advance and is great in salads, on chicken, or simply with cheese if you have any leftovers. I would suggest
drinking a very cold imported Pilsner beer with this or it’s equally good with your favorite summer white or rose
wine. You can serve the shrimp simply with steamed rice or it is great with good grilled bread to mop up all the
extra sauce. The salsa is served over the top and the fruit really balances the spiciness of the prawns.
images courtesy of www.istock/MiquelMunill.
photo
i.
y of Rot
courtes
he
on t
oked
o
.
c
n
e ove
ious
on th
Delic
r
o
que
barbe
photos
images
courtesy
courtesy
of Soho
of www.istock.com/PLAINVIEW.
Hospitality Group.
photo courtesy of Roti
The Prawns (3-4 people):
Use 12 shell-on, head-on, fresh or frozen large
prawns; the larger the better. Cut along the back
of the prawn and remove the veins if they have
them. Wash in cold water.
The Sauce (or marinade if grilling)
60 gm butter, melted
2 tsp garlic chopped
1 tsp Cajun spice (adjust as you like)
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp beer
3 tbsp stock, shrimp or chicken will do (omit
if cooking on the barbeque)
3 tbsp chopped coriander
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
For reservations at Roti call 03-5785-3671 or see the
website at www.rotico.com.
Cooking the Prawns
(Saute): Start with half the butter on a meduim
heat, melt, and add the garlic. Swirl the pan and
add the prawns in a flat layer, sprinkle them with
half the spice and cook for 30 seconds. Turn the
prawns over and add the remaining spice. As soon
as the garlic and spice is golden brown and smells
spicy add all the liquids, turn the heat up to high,
and boil for one minute. Remove the pan from the
heat and with a swirling motion add the remaining
butter and coriander. Season with the salt and pepper and you’re done!
(Barbeque): Melt the butter in advance and combine
all the ingredients together in a bowl. You can omit
the stock. Only marinate for a maximum of 30
minutes before grilling.
Tropical Mango Salsa
No cooking method. Simply dice, chop everything as
you like, and mix together.
1 mango
1/2 papaya
1/8 pineapple
1 tbsp red onion
1 tbsp coriander
1 lime, juiced
1 fresh red chili, seeds removed
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 13
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 15
Japan’s Art Island
Naoshima—where only style resides for those in the know, by Denis Leaker
Imagine an island with pristine beaches an
the pace of life is relaxed and unhurried. Im
of the world’s most cutting edge, designtemporary art museums. Where world-cla
seum, inhabiting hotel rooms, the surroun
cliffs. Imagine a traditional fishing port tow
the 200-year-old renovated houses now se
leries and where the aging local village fo
Now imagine that this sleepy secluded art i
away from Tokyo, nestled in the Inland Se
T
wenty-five years ago Naoshima was known only
for a copper smelting plant. However, two determined men came together to draw up a plan to regenerate this aging island. The founding fathers were Tetsuhiko Fukutake, President of the Benesse Foundation
and Chikatsugu Miyake, a previous mayor of Naoshima. The former had a dream to create a place where
young people from all over the world could gather on
an island in the inland sea, while the latter dreamt to
develop Naoshima as an educational and cultural area.
In 1985 the two men made a promise to each other to
realize their dreams.
Having paid a billion yen for the southern side
of the island, Fukutake, owner of Berlitz Language
Schools, began the steady creation of this unique
environment. The island is now home to Benesse
House, a museum and hotel complex; the Chichu
Art Museum, opened in 2004 to worldwide critical acclaim; and the Art House Project, traditional
houses and temples converted into galleries for specially commissioned artists from around the world.
Unique environment
It’s the architecture of these buildings that creates
Naoshima’s unique environment. Designed by the
world famous Pritzker Prize winning Tadao Ando—
also behind the controversial redevelopment of
Omotesando Hills in Tokyo—these buildings blend into
the environment without disturbing the natural order
and traditional way of life. Furthermore, despite being
a commercial enterprise, the museums and hotels have
maintained a conservative advertising policy, relying
instead on reputation and word of mouth to draw
visitors. This means it is free of the tour buses and
crowds that plague so many of Japan’s other great
scenic spots.
The Benesse House original museum building was
designed with lodgings attached. The idea was to
allow visitors to enjoy the art at their own speed, in
keeping with the gentle pace of the Inland Sea. In fact,
those staying in the hotel can wander the museum in
relative isolation until 11pm. It is a strange and surreal
feeling to wander, without a guard in sight, amongst
priceless works of art. It is as though walking through
an art collector’s house in the middle of the night.
Furthermore, there is a commissioned work of art in
every room of the hotel, making the transition between
museum and hotel delightfully seamless. Artworks
present in the museum and hotel include those by
Andy Warhol, Bruce Nauman, Jean-Michel Basquiat,
Richard Long, and James Turrell to name a few.
Suprises
Benesse House contains four separate lodging areas
each with their own unique style, called Museum,
Park, Beach, and Oval. Arguably the highlight of
these accommodations is the Oval. This building
is reached via a monorail which is connected to
the museum. The monorail slowly transports guests
up to the top of the hill overlooking the bay. Here
guests must walk through a glass corridor crossing a
trickling stream to enter a large oval atrium buried
into the top of the hill. An oval water fountain reflects
the doors to the six guest rooms which look out over
the Inland Sea. When first entering your room, it is
tempting to think you won’t leave for the duration
of your stay. If you can’t get a room here, then try
the cocktail bar adjacent to the rooms, which has a
perfect vantage point to view the sun setting over the
Inland Sea.
Not only are the museums designed to be harmonious with nature; they are also designed to be in
harmony with the art they contain. Some spaces are
designed specifically for the art, whilst some of the art
is designed specifically for the spaces. For some installations, artist and architect have worked together for
their creations. This is site specific art, which cannot
be viewed anywhere else in the world.
Despite all this, you don’t have to appreciate
contemporary art to enjoy this island. Naoshima is a
beautiful destination regardless of the regeneration it
has undergone and for visitors it’s worth a trip just to
...a
mo
tra
TRAVEL
HIGHLIGHTS:
Chichu Art Museum
In 2004, the Tadao Ando designed Chichu Art Museum opened to
worldwide critical acclaim. So as to not change the natural landscape,
the three-floored-museum is completely buried underground, yet it
utilizes only natural light to exhibit the art works by Claude Monet,
James Turrell, and Walter De Maria. The building is phenomenal
and even a trip to the toilet is an experience in architectural style.
If visiting during a weekend, make sure you reserve a viewing of
James Turrell’s Open Sky night program. This installation is a tall
room with a large square opening in the roof which serves to frame
the sky. On Friday and Saturdays, the night program occurs during
sunset. As the color of the sky changes, the walls of the room are lit
with varying colors, the effect being to turn the color of the framed
sky into varying shades of green, blue, red, purple, pink, and orange.
The Art House Project (Minamiyoura)
This building designed by Tadao Ando contains James Turrell’s Back Side
of the Moon. James Turrell is an artist who explores the perception of light,
often working with optical illusions. The building is entered via a snaking corridor designed to block out all light. Once inside you are blinded
and disorientated by the darkness. As you wait for your eyes to adapt, a
blurred blue square of light will slowly emerge and draw you forwards to
touch it. This is art that is experienced viscerally rather than passively.
Cultural Melting Bath
Designed by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, this is an outdoor herb infused hot tub, surrounded by 36 huge volcanic rocks
imported from China. These rocks have been moulded by natural forces into breathtaking forms and are arranged according
to the principals of Feng Shui. To experience the bath, reservations must be made in advance, and bathing suits must be worn!
sample the calming life of the
inland sea and to view the beautiful panoramic vistas the island
affords. Furthermore, the hotel is a
stylish retreat for any weekend getaway with top class restaurants and a
cocktail bar. For the indulgent, a visit to
the Benesse House Spa, complete with aromatherapy,
thalassotherapy, stone therapy, and other holistic
treatment is sure to invigorate.
Visiting Naoshima is satisfying just for knowing it exists. It could be seen as elitist to hide away
such prized artworks in the middle of the Inland Sea,
only for the dedicated (and wealthy) to see them,
however, it is a small price to pay for arguably the
most contemporary, modernist, and stylishly traditional island, in the world. While Tokyo is undoubtedly at the forefront of style, the grandparents
of the Inland Sea are quietly plotting a coup.
A sculpture that moves in the wind.
(Three Squares Vertical Diagonal, by George Rickey.)
arguably the most contemporary,
odernist, and stylishly
aditional island, in the world...
Getting There From Tokyo:
By Air: One hour and ten minutes from
Haneda to Takamatsu Airport, 35 minutes by bus
from the airport to Takamatsu Station, and finally, it is a pleasant 50-minute journey from the
ferry terminal to Naoshima Island by Shikoku
Kisen Ferry.
By Rail: Three hours and twenty minutes from
Tokyo to Okayama Station by JR Rokaido-Sanyo.
By Shinkansen: On the Sanyo Shinkansen lne
take the Nozomi for three and a half hours to
Okayama Stataion, then take the JR Uno Line for
50 minutes, (or alternatively a taxi for the same
amount of time to Uno Port). It’s 20 minutes from
the port to Naoshima Island by ferry.
From
the
Port:
From
the
SANAA
designed ferry port, the Benesse House
hospitality
bus
will
pick
you
up.
Staying at Naoshima: With four different
options for lodging (Park, Beach, Museum, and
Oval), prices vary dramatically. Basic twins and
double rooms are available as well as double and
family suites. Expect to pay from ¥30,030 for one
person staying in a Park twin room, up to ¥69,300
for a suite in the Oval. Booking several months in
advance is necessary.
Contact:
For more information on Naoshima and lodging,
see www.naoshima-is.co.jp.
photos courtesy of flickr.com/yoheiyamashita, flickr.com/ nickyfern, flickr/Ms. President
nd turquoise waters, where
magine this island with one
-conscious hotels, and conass art spills out of the munding forests, beaches, and
wn, regenerated to contain
erving as contemporary galolk are happy to assist you.
island is less than four hours
ea.
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 17
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 19
BUSINESS INTERVIEW
The Flair of a Certain Restauranteur
photo courtesy of Tableaux.
From Hollywood to restaurant entrepreneur, by Rob Goss
Maitre’d Eddie Quinlan in the elegant Tableaux surrondings.
W
here to start with Tableaux? We could begin by
talking about Tableaux being something of an
expat institution, widely known for its selection of
Cuban cigars, award-winning wine list, and the live
jazz that fills its lounge each night. Then there is the
decor, characterized by classical European elegance,
rich tones, and seductive lighting, all of which add
touches of opulence to your night out.
Next would be the diverse menu put together
by Chef Koji Teshima, a man who has previously
honed his skills in Thailand, Vietnam, California,
and Paris, besides some of the finest restaurants in
Tokyo. And no conversation about Tableaux would
be complete without mentioning Maitre’d Eddie
Quinlan, who has been greeting and entertaining
Tableaux’s guests since the restaurant first opened
its doors 12 years ago in the fittingly plush surrounds of Daikanyama.
During those 12 years Eddie says “Tableaux has
been just about the best place in town,” and few
neutrals would argue the point. Rob Goss spoke to
Eddie to find out what makes Tableaux special.
First of all, why did you get into the restaurant business?
I spent 23 years as a television actor in
Hollywood. Every actor works in the restaurant business. I did quite well guest staring on many top shows but I hated LA and
realized that my true stage was in a restaurant.
I then met Global Dining CEO, Kozo Hasegawa,
who convinced me to change my life and move to
Tokyo to establish his flagship restaurant, Tableaux.
What is the concept behind Tableaux?
Tableaux’s concept is quite simple: value for money.
Guests will experience great food, great wine, an amazing atmosphere, and smiles galore from our staff.
Do you have a typical kind of guest?
Our guests are like the decor, the music, and the
menu: eclectic. For example, Thursday night is
‘trader’s night,’ so all the guys come because they
can stroll across the patio to our lounge and have
a Cuban cigar. We also love our family nights on
Sundays and national holidays and we offer a special
kiddies menu. During the week, children aged over
seven years old are no problem.
How do you manage to satisfy the variety of
people that come to Tableaux?
Tableaux’s menu is so diversified as to satisfy both
foreign and Japanese palates. We have the best Caesar
salad in town and Black Angus steaks. As I said before,
it is eclectic. All service is with a smile, starting with
the red carpet greeting at street level. As you descend
the stairs your name is known by the reception desk
team and your waiter. The staff are all so professional
and charming. We have 16 on the floor and 16 in the
kitchen. Two are foreign and the rest are Japanese.
Every staff member speaks English and of course the
menu is in English with Japanese sub-titles. I’m so
proud of our staff, they constantly amaze me.
Can you tell us more about the menu?
At Tableaux we’ve taken great care to prepare a
menu that allows you to relax and enjoy the natural
flavours, textures, and seasonal charm of the ingredients that we handpick to ensure the finest quality. As
for wine, Wine Spectator has given us a special award
for our outstanding wine list. We offer cheap and
cheerful as well as rare Bordeaux.
You obviously love what you do, but what is
the most rewarding aspect of being a part of
Tableaux?
For 12 years our restaurant has always been good and
reliable, but now for me I can only say it’s thrilling.
My greatest joy is to see a first date, then a proposal,
and then a wedding party in Tableaux, then see
pregnancy and watch the child grow. We have a file
of every wedding and to celebrate an anniversary
we give a ten percent discount and special personalized dessert plate complete with candles for however
many years.
Final question: who has been your biggest
influence?
Biggest influence on how we run Tableaux? Our
amazing staff and Kozo Hasegawa.
Reservations are essential and dress code is smart casual,
with shorts allowed only on the patio. For reservations,
contact Eddie directly at: eddie_tokyo@hotmail.com,
or call: 03-5489-2201. Tableaux is open seven days a
week, 5:30pm to 1am, last orders at 11pm.
BUSINESS
The World Wide Web in Your Pocket
Blackberry Internet Service to be launched in
Japan in August, by Nick Vroman
cheduled for August, Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM)
will launch the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) in
Japan. RIM Japan Senior Manager, Nalin Gunasekera
is excited at this new prospect; “This service has been
available elsewhere in the world for several years and
in the past few years showed the most growth for RIM,
with respects to services that it offers.” Realizing that
there’s a high bar of consumer expectation in the Japanese telephone communications market, he’s certain
that once individuals and companies start using the
BlackBerry, they will see it’s benefits.
BIS offers many things that your average Japanese
cell phone services probably never will. A highlight is
the integration of ISP email, using push technology
(Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo!). You’ll be able to integrate
up to 10 standard POP/IMAP email accounts (Japanese
included) on one device. You can use any number of
global instant messaging services, such as Google Talk.
And, BlackBerry itself has its own messenger client
allowing for instant communication between you and
other BlackBerry users. Famously, the Blackberry offers
an amazing array of organizing features. Calendar and
appointment logs, address book, task lists, notes, an
alarm clock, and a password keeper are at the tip of
your fingers—securely and easily accessible. Plus, of
course, telephone and browsing applications are clear
and simple.
The BIS service was originally developed to provide
the BlackBerry experience to prosumer users (doctors,
lawyers, real estate agents, and small businesses) in
North America and Europe, but has evolved into a
more consumer orientated service over the years. RIM’s
photo courtesy of Research in Motion.
S
In the office, out of the office.
strategy in Japan is to initially target companies (hosted IMAP / POP mailboxes) and individuals (ISP email
accounts) that use email as a core communication tool
to conduct business. It’s expected that many foreigners
may just buy this service for family members and for
personal use. Gunasekera adds: “For example, I have
a Gmail account for my business, a Yahoo! account
for newsletter subscriptions, an AOL account for my
wife and family, and another Gmail account for my
friends—and I can receive it all in one unit.”
The expectation is to have the same BlackBerry
addictiveness within the foreign community here in
Japan as they’ve seen elsewhere in the world. Says
Gunasekera, “Japan has yet to feel and experience the
true BlackBerry buzz. We are learning a lot from the
Japanese market and we are striving to feed this back
into our products and services.”
To find out more about BlackBerry, ISP email contact and
Research In Motion see www.rim.com for more detials.
Is Your Company Ahead of Web Marketing?
WebSoftTT keeps you afloat, by Nick Vroman
ebSoftTT is in the business of email marketing
management. The brave new world of email
marketing has been growing by leaps and bounds over
the years and WebSoftTT has been at the forefront of
web 2.0 since opening their doors in 2002. With an intuitive ASP platform, WebSoftTT allows the user to create, manage, and do in-depth analysis of any number
of email-based marketing campaigns. Chatting with
Annisea Wong, Marketing Manager for WebSoftTT, we
talked about products, initiatives, and new enhancements that are keeping the company competitive and
lively in an ever-changing marketplace.
Track & Trace, WebSoftTT’s main product/application is a bilingual Japanese/English email delivery and
readership tracking platform. Its powerful functionality enables users to create, modify, and manage email
distribution from a simple web interface. It gives the
user powerful tools to track readership and click-rates
from any email marketing campaign. The online database can manage information for tens of thousands of
subscribers. This ability brings profound changes to the
way businesses can execute and monitor everything
from marketing campaigns, to newsletters, to the processing of transactions. Through this, one can do some
serious data-mining of mailing lists—slicing, dicing,
and individualizing marketing tactics—and tracking
the effectiveness of marketing campaigns to identify
individual sales prospects for follow-up, all the while
easing administration labor and costs. And because
Track & Trace is an ASP platform with servers and
databases offsite, everything is ready to run from the
moment of login, with nothing to install on the user’s
computer, and no need for dedicated IT support staff.
image courtesy of WebSoftTT.
W
WebSoftTT helps everyone.
Wong noted that along with its already easy-touse and fully functional management, tracking, and
analytic functions, WebSoftTT is adding several more
enhancements that will be sure to get the attention
of any savvy marketer. Among them are a new event
registration system—noting that they are working on
trigger messages that can automate responses to event
invitations and calls-to-action, a new survey and campaign tool, and a CRM system that can integrate with
other databases and systems via API. All in all, it’s a full
package of constantly improving offerings, including
personalized email marketing templates that can keep
your company at the cutting edge of web marketing.
Wong added, “WebSoftTT’s industry-leading allin-one online marketing suite offers a comprehensive
and integrated set of tools, combining campaign
management, data segmentation, reporting, analysis,
and performance for top enterprises in the AsiaPacific market.”
For more infomation on WebsoftTT call 03-3796-8131 or
see www.mailtt.com/week.
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 21
Jaguar Still on the Prowl in Japan
photo courtesy of Jaguar and Land Rover Japan.
Coming back from going nowhere, by Norman Monroe
The Aoyama showroom.
The 2008 Jaguar XF sports sedan at Jaguar’s showroom in Setagaya Ward.
aguar is on the prowl once again, these days seeking
to spearhead a re-birth in the somewhat stressed out
luxury car market in Japan. This quintessentially British
car maker, albeit owned, these days, by the Indian conglomerate, Tata Group (a bit of colonization in reverse,
if you will!), seems bent on re-capturing its glory days,
after going through one of its latest rough patches, being sold recently, by US manufacturers, Ford.
A change of ownership, a re-invention of itself
highlighted by a bold and aggressive publicity/brand
reinforcement campaign and, critically, a slate of
superbly designed new models, headed by the new,
highly acclaimed Jaguar XF that has
wowed both the pundits and customers alike, seems to have provided all the
right ingredients for the near-85 year old
marque to re-establish itself, not that it
had really gone anywhere!
Englishman David Blume, a veteran
of the motor vehicle industry, who
first came to Japan over 25 years ago, is the managing
director of Jaguar Land Rover Japan. Speaking with the
Weekender at his company’s well-appointed offices in
Toranomon, he described the Jaguar brand as being “in
a period of revival”, seeking to re-invent itself, under
the mantra ‘New Fashioned Luxury,’ following its break
with Ford, which had owned it for almost 20 years.
Jaguar, he said, benefited tremendously from Ford,
in terms of “being able to build cars with the best processes, with the best CAD/CAM [computer-aided design
and computer-aided manufacturing] on the best facilities money can buy, with parts from the best suppliers
in the world [which] makes a hell of a difference to the
quality and reliability of your car.” Tata, he adds, seems
prepared to continue in that vein, supporting its new
subsidiary company to do what it does best; designing
and building quality vehicles.
the company’s two superb showrooms are located in
Setagaya and Aoyama.
“We wholesale the cars to dealers and they retail
them to customers. And they [the dealers] provide the
after sales service...Our role as importers is to obviously,
order, and import the cars, prepare the cars for delivery
to the dealers, make sure the cars are legal, and create
demand together with the dealers. Build the brand
through brand marketing and generate traffic,” Blume
said. “...We have a 97–98 percent what we call ‘first
pick’. If you order a part, there’s a 98 percent chance
that it’s already in the market ready for delivery. The
J
the new, highly acclaimed Jaguar
XF that has wowed both the
pundits and customers alike
Jaguar in Japan
In Japan, Jaguar competes in the luxury car market with
‘the usual suspects’ like Mercedes Benz and Audi, as well
as with domestic high-end models like Lexus. Jaguar cars
dealerships have been in Japan since 1977 and it is therefore, a well-established brand in the market. Over the
last 10 years Jaguar Japan has been operated as a whollyowned subsidiary of the UK-based Jaguar Cars Ltd.
Jaguar’s new XF sports sedan model released in May,
has forced the executives at its Coventry works to have
to make quite a bit of space in its trophy cabinet for the
awards and accolades it has racked up. By all accounts
a magnificent vehicle, the car combines all the qualities
that has long been a hallmark of the marque since its
establishment: superb craftsmanship, exemplary performance, and impeccable styling, all of which conspired
to snare, among other such prizes, the prestigious Car
of the Year Award 2008 from UK. publication, What
Car? magazine. All of the cars in the Jaguar line, inclusive of the XK,
XJ, XF, and X-Type models and the wide range of subvariations ranging from sports coupes to estate cars to
convertibles to über-luxury/executive models are available locally from its franchised dealer network of some
70-odd locations scattered across the country. In Tokyo,
kind of stuff that isn’t [in the system] is generally the
stuff that there isn’t much demand for.
Most of the models, that is, with the exception of
the X-Type, are available in either right or left hand
drive configurations and in fact, left-hand drive cars
account for 10 percent of their total sales. And although
available in other markets, no diesel-powered vehicles
are sold in Japan so the Japanese lineup comprises all
gasoline-powered cars, that are also all available fullyloaded with automatic transmission, unless a manual
gear-shift is requested.
Service
The company, through its dealers, prides itself on its
capacity to offer detailed, smooth, and speedy service, before, during, and after sales and the expatriate
English-speaking community can access quite a bit of
information about the company, the steps required to
acquire a car and the services that linguistically-challenged customers can be afforded, from its informative
Buyers Guide on the company’s website. These services,
available to all customers, can include everything up to
and including registering the vehicle and assistance with
identifying a parking space, should that be necessary.
While English-language assistance may not necessarily be readily available from the average dealer,
Special Sales Manager Masahisa Kanoh, who can be
contacted at Jaguar Japan’s head office, is fully bilingual, and is more than willing to ‘hand-hold’ customers
through the entire process, or help to identify someone
who can.
Jaguar, since its founding in 1922 by William Lyons
has always sought to remain true to its motto of “building beautiful fast cars desired the world over.” Despite
its ups and downs the marque has remained true to
that ideal and has consistently produced cars that have
re-defined performance standards, both on the road as
well as on the track in races like the Le Mans 24-hour
endurance marathons, while setting standards in class
and elegance. It seems about to embark on another
For more information see Jaguar Japan’s website
at: www.jaguar.co.jp (click on English Buyers Guide).
MOTORING PROFILES
BMW—Your Status Symbol?
Beyond being just a car, by Alena Eckelmann
E
arly morning, a sleek BMW is making its way out
of town. The sunrise is visible from the back and an
empty motorway lies ahead, this is a perfect start to the
weekend. Pushing the speed limit just a little bit, the car
is confidently escaping the onset of another hot day in
Tokyo. Does this sound good to you?
The key to becoming the proud driver of this car is
held at Abe BMW, an authorised dealer of BMW Japan
Corp. Ryota Abe has been Managing Director of Abe
BMW for three years now, following in the footsteps
of his father, who is president. Their involvement with
BMW reaches back 25 years but the car dealership
business was set up much earlier by Abe’s grandfather;
in 1966. Previously in IT sales, Abe followed his call
to continue the business. “Selling computer servers
was not as interesting” he comments, smiling, “BMW
cars, on the other hand, are special. They are not just a
product.” Abe drives a 323i, a compact sports sedan and
knows how to kindle a driver’s passion.
This long tradition of authorised car dealership
has earned Abe BMW the trust of their Japanese customers. “There are many private car dealers now,” Abe
says, “but Japanese consumers generally prefer authorised dealers. They are considered to be more reliable.
They do not overcharge and consistently offer a
high standard of service that satisfies the demanding
Japanese clientele.”
Changes
Abe’s customers have changed somewhat over the
years. Ten years ago, is was mainly Japanese men in
their forties or fifties who would go to the showroom.
Now customers are as young as twenty years of age,
there are more women, and increasingly more foreigners. According to Abe, “the range of rich people has
expanded. There is now more ‘new money.’ BMW has
a young and challenging brand image and is therefore
attractive to the young rich and the newly rich.”
“A BMW is a status symbol in Japan,” Abe says,
“Japanese customers firstly buy status when they buy a
BMW, then they trust the functional reliability and the
luxurious design of the German car brand.” He adds
that although speed restrictions do not allow drivers
in Japan to drive free like the Germans who know no
speed limit, even at the allowed speed here one can
appreciate how stable the BMW lays on the street and
its fast acceleration.
Ryota Abe at the showroom in Minato-ku
want the same driving experience in Japan but require
English-language support to make it happen.
International Support
Abe BMW International Sales Program is a unique service to cater to this need. A dedicated team of eight,
which includes two English-language speakers and Abe
himself, are able to offer professional consultation in
English at the showroom or, upon appointment, at a
place convenient to the customer. They take the trouble
out of purchasing a BMW in Japan and car registration
and financing are handled by the dealer. Catering to
the specific needs of expatriates, Abe BMW cooperates
with companies’ corporate car programs and offers special financing packages. After sales hospitality ensures
happy customers who can also benefit from the Abe
Premium Service maintenance program.
Customised English-language car navigation is
another unique point of BMW Japan. While other
makers’ systems have English-language menu and voice
guidance, the map is still in Japanese, making it impossible to understand for non-Japanese speakers. BMW’s
navigation system, on the other hand, is completely in
English, including the map. This allows foreigners to
drive as comfortably in Japan as in their home countries
without the threat of getting lost in Tokyo’s jungle or
worried about a trip to Japan’s countryside.
What’s more, the English-language navigation truly
helps to see the Japanese environment in a new way.
“With a Japanese map, one does not know what is
along the way,” Abe comments, “however, on the
English map one can make out every single landmark be it a convenience store, hotel, restaurant,
museum, golf range, etc. Plus,
a search function provides a
list of similar landmarks in any
given area.” Abe quotes a customer who told him recently:
“Thanks to the BMW Englishlanguage navigation I have discovered my home’s surroundings and have found out
many things about Tokyo. This was a huge learning
experience.”
Abe’s vision for the future is to offer the same level
of top-class service to both their Japanese customers
and to Tokyo’s expatriate community by supporting
their ‘car life.’ This means servicing them well from the
moment they come through the door of the showroom
for a test drive to their first car purchase and throughout their whole ‘car life’ with a BMW car. Offering testdriving of the latest models is another unique point of
Abe BMW. Currently, the spacious showroom proudly
presents four models including the X6 and the M3,
BMW’s hottest car at the moment. “We can explain all
about a new car in functional terms,” Abe says, “but
once you have driven it, you will ‘experience’ it. We
have confidence in that. Come and have a test drive!”
BMW has a young and challenging
brand image and is therefore attractive
to the young rich and the newly rich.
The rise of the oil price is not affecting sales much.
“The BMW engine is one of the most efficient petrol
engines,” Abe explains. “If one drives 10,000 kilometres
per year at a petrol consumption of eight kilometers per
liter then this would be a total of 1,250 liters per year.
With the current petrol price rise at ¥30 per liter, this
results in Y37,500 more to the petrol bill, a fairly small
amount considering the cost of a BMW car. BMW is one
of the strongest high-class car brands in the world that
continuously attracts customers who can afford it.”
Catering to the needs of international customers is
one of Abe BMW’s unique points. Located conveniently
in Minato-ku near Tokyo Tower, their showroom is
easily accessible by Tokyo’s expatriate community.
International clientele, at present, account for only ten
percent of total customers but the trend is promising.
New customers who are non-Japanese are about 30 to
40 percent and increasing. The percentage of expatriates
living and working in downtown Tokyo is high, which
constantly brings new customers to the showroom.
Often they drove a BMW in their home countries and
For more information on Abe BMW call on 03-35823281, or see www.abembw.co.jp.
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 23
SCHOOL’S IN
Summer Enrichment—Year Round
Global Kids Academy’s impressive line up, by Danielle Tate-Stratton
S
peaking with Mika Fukutomi, founder
of Global Kids Academy (GKA), I was
struck by a real desire to actually go back
to grade school. Believe me, this doesn’t
happen often, but the programs Mika
described sounded fun, educational in
an interesting way, and unique—several
things my elementary career didn’t necessarily feature!
While GKA is an after school program during the year, over the course of
the summer, full-day week-long camps—
each related to a different theme—have
been opening the eyes of foreign and
Japanese students alike to a variety of
historical and contemporary topics.
Each week of the camp has been based
around a theme, with lessons and activities culminating in a guest speaker or a
field trip. For instance, a themed week
on responsible forestry, agriculture, and
ecology saw the owner of a tree farm
come to the school to discuss responsible forestry practices, how his tree farm
replaces the trees it logs, and how he is
practicing sustainable agriculture. To
visually highlight his talk, he brought
in a three-year-old sapling, a great way
to illustrate just how long it takes for
trees to reach a mature enough stage to
become lumber.
Another week included a historical
study of Commodore Perry, who was
instrumental to opening Japan’s shores to foreigners, and culminated in a visit to the Japanese Diet,
allowing the students to see the political process in
its current form as well.
Learning and sharing knowledge, inside the classroom and out.
hours a week and consider it a second home—each
day’s schedule remains consistent and typically starts
out with the youngest students working on reading
and writing exercises as well as early literacy games
and skills-building activities. Once the older
children arrive, the day continues with a
circle time featuring the ever-popular showand-tell and time spent on theme-studies,
school homework, Japanese lessons, board
games, playtime, and more.
Being
bilingual
herself,
Mika says she is aware
of both the benefits and
challenges of being bilingual.
Year Round
During the school year, GKA continues focusing studies on a theme and students spend part of each day at
the school learning about the current topic. While the
students, who range in age from approximately 4–14,
all study the same theme, they do so at age appropriate
levels—the youngest children may be filling in worksheets and writing basic sentences, while the older
students will be carrying out much more in-depth
research and writing complex essays. Mika comments
that many parents have remarked to her just how
impressed they are with the enthusiasm their children
show in studying a topic in depth.
The school is open to students from 2:30–6:30,
Monday–Friday, as well as 10am–noon on Saturdays
and offers immersion programs in both English and
Japanese. There are separate Japanese-language classes
available to those in the English stream as well. Being
bilingual herself, Mika says she is aware of both the
benefits and challenges of being bilingual and therefore is committed to, as it says in GKA’s mission statement, “provid[ing] a rich and nurturing environment
for language acquisition and development, so that
our children have the tools to make a difference in
tomorrow’s world.”
Although the number of hours a child spends at
the school can vary widely—some are there for just
one afternoon a week while some spend up to 20
Team Ethic
In conjunction with their regular programs,
the school also offers private and semi-private Japanese
lessons, math and essay-writing workshops, and SSAT
prep. The SSAT is similar to the SAT test, but for high
schools, and Mika proudly points out that all of the
students who applied were accepted to their firstchoice boarding school. GKA believes strongly in
the team teaching approach and to that end, Mika has
put together a trusted team of teachers, each of whom
has international school experience (as a student or
teacher) and is bilingual—at least.
This team will help guide GKA into the future;
especially over the next year as founder Mika takes a
one-year sabbatical, though not one of rest! She will be
heading to Harvard University to complete a master’s
degree in School Leadership (in the school developer strand) at the Graduate School of Education. She
hopes to use this in-depth knowledge to both further
the goals of GKA, and after a few years of studying the
‘best practices’ carried out by international and preparatory schools with strong international programs, she
will perhaps open a high school here in Tokyo.
In the meantime, GKA’s current program is sure to
offer an ideal enrichment program for your child in
conjunction with their current schooling.
To find out more, call 03-5419-8277 or visit the
website at www.globalkidsacademy.com, email:
info@globalkidsacademy.com.
SCHOOL’S OUT
Catwalk Kids
Where to shop to please them and you, by Elise Mori
well as home grown children’s design brands,
this is a typical selection of what to expect on the
children’s floor of a large department store, plus,
of course, a shoe section, a large and well-stocked
toy area with a whole lot of toys available to play
with, and a reclining area for exhausted adults.
Whereas designers like Rei Kawakubo and
Yohji Yamamoto have made Japanese fashion
synonymous with farsighted, eclectic design,
what can we expect of Japanese children’s clothing brands?
HIGH
STREET
Photos courtesy of istock.com/ mindundalk.
Out on the street, international brands fight for a slice of the children’s
retail clothes market: Zara, Gap, and luxury French brand Cyrillus are just
three that I spotted on an afternoon in the thrumming Kichijoji area. Also
in Kichijoji is a department store sized Muji with a whole floor given over
to children’s clothes, although a decent selection can be found in most
Muji branches across the country. Created as a backlash to the brandobsessed throwaway culture of the day, Muji has since turned a neat fullcircle, with its iconic style-of-no-style simplicity and reasonable price tags.
Then there’s UNIQLO. Founded in 1984 in Hiroshima, today the chain
has grown to over 760 stores worldwide. Aiming to “provide people everywhere with the piece [of clothing] they need to create their own style,”
UNIQLO has long been a fashion standby for many a parent. For younger
children and babies, try the excellent and warmly recommended Akachan
Hompo, on the fifth floor of the TOC building in Gotanda. There’s a free
shuttle bus to get you there from the underground station, and if you read
Japanese, their website address is www.akachan.jp.
However, sometimes a parent just doesn’t have the energy to publicly and
strenuously negotiate with a stylistically-other child about what is suitable
wear and what isn’t, at which point the internet becomes a wonder as from
above. If you know the brand you’ll like the very comprehensive Dashin
Fashion site, which represents online children’s clothing selections from
22 countries from Bolivia to the Netherlands: www.dashinfashion.com.
Another excellent online resource, for children (and adults), is La Redoute
(www.redoute.com), which will ship to anywhere in the world and on
whose website you can shop in English, French, German, and Japanese. A
household name in France, their children’s clothes are as stylish, practical,
and excellent value as you’d expect, and they also stock many major brands
such as Converse, American Vintage, and Roxy. Also from France is the upmarket Cyrillus website, www.cyrillus.com, for adorable and sought-after
French style, while from the UK comes Boden (www.boden.co.uk), whose
children’s range is fresh, funky, well made, and ethically sourced.
HAIR
HIGH
END
Photos courtesy of istock.com/ mindundalk.
The market leader, synonymous with high-end Japanese children’s fashion is Miki House. The company’s stated aim is to “support children
reaching for their dreams with a sparkle in their eyes.” Their style is simple yet colorful, using a lot of fresh gingham, chambray cotton, denim,
and their signature bold primary colors.
These are well-made simply-styled clothes for children up to the age of
five. Alongside is Hysteric Glamour. Mainly a brand for adults, their children’s line is kitsch and full of vibrant colors, though nonetheless properly constructed clothes that last. And of course, there’s the Narumiya
family of brands: Pom Ponette for babies, Blue Cross for boys, and Angel
Blue for girls to name but three of their brands: there’s no shortage of
detailing here, with buckles, zips, and distressed hems a-plenty in the Blue
Cross range. If you have ever looked at a tangerine colored girl’s t-shirt
covered in chains, rainbow ribbons, and nonsensical English slogans and
wondered where the inspiration for it all came from, Angel Blue is your
answer. All of these brands and many more are to be found in mostly any
Japanese department store.
ONLINE
So now you have dressed your child, where to take him or her for a
hair cut? At Zusso Kids, who have branches nationwide, your child
can sit in a miniature sized car (choose from New Beetle or Mercedes
SLK) and have their hair cut facing a Mickey Mouse shaped mirror
whilst watching a Disney film. Their Japanese website is http://zussokids.1755.net. Meanwhile, back in Sogo Yokohama, the Hello Kitty
Studio Wonder can cut your child’s hair on a Kitty seat, whilst watching either Thomas the Tank Engine puffing in and out of tunnels or
Kitty herself on DVD. They use Kerastase products and the price of
a shampoo, haircut, and blow-dry is ¥5,250. I ask the lead stylist if
English is a problem. “No, it should be no problem,” she smiles. Their
website address is www.wonder-int.com.
Photos courtesy of istock.com/kate_sept2004.
t’s a raspberry pink, patent-looking, polyester
trenchcoat, with shiny gold plastic buttons and
signature Burberry leather covered buckles at the
cuffs. Inside, it is part-lined in what the sales person describes as the “autumn winter season grey
check coat.” She and I agree, it is every little girl’s
dream coat, and although it won’t keep her very
warm this winter, it costs ¥58,000. Alongside
Burberry, at Yokohama’s Sogo department store,
other major international brands represented are
Celine, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Sonia Rikyel. As
Photos courtesy of istock.com/ B52photography.
I
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 25
SPORTS
Way of the Hula
More than a fitness craze, by Ulara Nakagawa
middle-aged businessman friend of mine spends
Sunday afternoon doing virtual yoga with his
mother on her Nintendo Wii Game System.
Last month, the New York Times featured an article
about a weight-loss group made up of a mayor and
town-officials in the Mie prefecture who call themselves “The Seven Metabo Samurai,” and who parade
around town advocating fitness. (Until one member
was killed “in action:” heart attack while jogging.)
Has this country gone madder than ever? Perhaps
it is a matter of opinion. This is all actually part of
a massive craze that has recently swept Japan, stemming from the government initiated “Anti-Metabo”
campaign. Metabo is the new Japanese lingo for obesity and has quickly become part of the country’s
vernacular. Influenced heavily by the media, people
have become obsessively keen on trimming or keeping
their waistlines small enough to fit into the belt loop
of government determined weight limits.
Those affected most by the metabo craze are the
middle-aged. Forty-four percent of the country’s
population will run through the gauntlet this year
when their waists are measured as part of their regular health checks.
Yet at 40 plus, it becomes perhaps a little more
difficult to engage in cardiovascular sports such as
basketball, soccer, or baseball. So when I learned about
the Hawaii Aloha Academy and the popularity of hula
dancing in Japan, I suspected it was a good alternative
to really demanding sports for the increasingly health
conscious masses.
Photos courtosy of Ulara Nakagawa.
Culture First
That the original founder of the school is well-known
ex-sumo wrestler Konishiki, who has become somewhat of a celebrity entertainer since retirement, only
served to add to my preconceived notions of hula
in Tokyo as a kitschy sport. But I soon discovered
that I couldn’t have been more wrong. First, it turns
out that most Japanese partaking tend to be passionate about and dedicated to Hawaiian culture,
not just looking for the latest fitness craze. Hawaii
Aloha Academy’s Director and Head Teacher Kalani
Poòmaihealani tells me that in the 35 years that he
has been teaching hula in Japan it has never had a
shortage of devoted followers.
If there is anything in vogue about the hula
dance these days, ironically, it is about embracing
the past. Say instructors Ku’umaka’ou Kanai and
Kahiapookalaua’e Ikeda: “It is a very current concern
Imagine the waves.
“Aloha is an all embracing way of life. Hula is
Aloha. The two cannot be separated.”—Kalani
Poòmaihealani
A—Akahai = modest, gentle, unassuming.
L—Lokahi = unity, unison, harmony, accord.
O—Oluòlu = gracious, pleasant, happy, contented.
H—Haàhaà = humble, lowly, meek.
A—Ahonui = patience, patient, enduring.
Upon my visit to the academy, I was given the
opportunity to take part in a class. I’ve never been to
Hawaii and it was my first time doing anything this
close to experiencing its culture, apart from eating
macadamia nut chocolates. I was less nervous than
totally lost. First there was a traditional chant before
entering the dance studio. The music began, ukulele
and all, and I attempted to move my hips as closely in
the form of the instructor as I could.
Floating and Swaying
Then something strange happened. At some point in
time, between the ocean wave hand movements and
sensual hip sways, I was transported somewhere else. I
really did feel as if I could be floating on a serene blue
sea. I felt some kind of peace. Kanai-san is right; it is
only when you do hula that you can realize its true
meaning. This is not some empty or passing fad. Hula
is about things that transcend time and space.
The experience made me understand the importance of learning hula the correct way, in the safe hands
of the academy, where there are passionate, dedicated
teachers committed to providing authentic experiences. How
far removed it is really from
some silly weight loss craze I had
naively assumed it was tied to!
For Poòmaihealani, the Hawaii
Aloha Academy has an even
greater aspiration. He explains
that hula is actually one and the
same as the Hawaiian concept
of aloha, an all embracing way
of life that “creates a tight bond
between people.” He says, “In
aloha, life is never about you,
Learning culture whilst getting fit. nor is it ever about me. In the
Hawaiian mentality it is always
in Hawaii to preserve its unique culture and traditions about us.” Thus, Poòmaihealani hopes that hula can
and hula is very closely tied into this. The language become something meaningful in peoples’ lives, an
spoken in songs of hula is mostly native Hawaiian, extension of life, “not just at dance time but principles
which right now is being taught again to the young.” that are practiced everyday.”
I am also told that hula’s origins lie in old forms of
story telling, like oral tradition, so it serves to keep
For more information on the Hawaii Aloha Academy
history alive through dance. I recall reading an article
call 03-5619-4550 or see www.hawaii_aloha_academy.
where one writer eloquently defined hula as “the soul
of Hawaii expressed in motion.”
Photos courtosy of Ulara Nakagawa.
A
PARTYLINE WITH BILL HERSEY
Italian National Day/Bova Sayonara Reception
Polish Ambassador Marcin Rybicki, his wife Tamayo Odano, the hostess Anna Cenerini Panamanian Ambassador Alfredo Martiz
Adrianna, and Armani’s Giorgio Fornari.
Bova, and Takako Shimazu.
Fuentes, his wife Carla, and former politician—
now professor—Kyoko Kusakabe.
Kyoko Spector, US Ambassador Thomas Schief- Slovakian Ambassador Peter Vrsansky, his wife GEOX President Lino de Santis, Fiat’s Tiziana
fer, and Dja Dja Carriedo.
Eleonora, Bulgarian Ambassador Blaqovest Alamprese, and Roberto Cavalli President MarSendov, and his wife Ana.
co Scardigli.
Alexa Daerr, Portuguese Ambassador Joao Outgoing Italian Ambassador Mario Bova Saudi Ambassador Faisal Trad congratulates
Pedro Zanatti and German Ambassador Hans- and Spanish Ambassador Miquel Carriedo the Bovas.
Joachim Daerr.
Mompin.
Enit Italian State Tourist Board Director Japan, Asia, and Oceania Enrico Martini, Archbishop Alberto Bottari de Castello (Vatican), Italian
Counselor Elena Sgarbi, and Jordanian Ambassador Samir Naouri.
O
ur jet-set issue sure brought back a lot of great memories and this issue on style is doing the same.
For my first twenty years in Japan I really kept
busy in all kinds of fashion activities. These included
modeling, fashion show production and direction, ten
years as a fashion editor for two major Japanese men’s
magazines, (seven with one, three with the other), and
fashion reporting for about six publications including
Weekender and the Japan Times. For two years I had
a boutique in a small wooden two-storey plus attic
building on Aoyama Dori where the Peacock supermarket stands now. I also designed my own line of
menswear. It was manufactured by Jazz Co, and had
Bill Hersey corners in five major department stores.
Back then, there weren’t many foreign modeling
agencies (a couple compared to well over 100 today)
and I really kept busy modeling—not only for fashion
but commercials as well. These included fantastic trips
to locations all over Japan for Pan Am TV commercials
and a huge poster in all the trains and subways promoting Billy Graham’s religious crusade here. Looking
back, one of the funniest was when I was told we’d be
shooting at the Hilton Hotel (which was in Akasaka
then) and to bring jeans and a baseball cap. After I
changed into those, the sponsors took me to the back
entrance of the hotel and brought out this big sortof-vacuum cleaner made to suck up fallen leaves, etc.
and clean up the road. I had just gotten into writing
my social column and was sure an ambassador or big
business VIP would pull up to park and see me with
my cleaning machine. I kept pulling the bill of my
baseball cap down over my face and the cameraman
Roberto Bianchi, Raffaele Palmieri, Ahilo Sorti, Marco Brera, and three representatives of the Catholic Church.
kept saying: “put the cap further back, we can’t see
your face.” Funny how time changes one’s attitude;
now I couldn’t care less! (See the picture in ‘In and
Around’ on page 29.) Another time I was on the ramp
for about for about 15 minutes greeting and escorting
the women models as they came out at an international wool show in Osaka. The other models were
cracking up when I finally walked off stage. The problem was that I had forgotten to zip up my fly. Once
again—nowadays I couldn’t care less!
As fashion editor for Heibon Punch, and later Shukan
Myojo, I was responsible for six color pages of photos
a week. My duties included coordinating the fashion,
choosing the models, and coming up with an idea to
shoot in a studio or some interesting location in this
old world of ours. Believe me, I took advantage of that.
We drove all over Europe several times, photographing in every major country there, shot on location in
Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco,
as well as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. On two occasions I drove across the USA and filmed from Florida
to New York, New Orleans, Texas, Las Vegas and on to
San Diego, with so many places in between.
Another time we headed south from Phoenix
Arizona and had a great time driving and filming all
over Mexico (Guadelajara, San Blas for surfing fashion, Mexico City, Taxco, Acapulco, Cancun, and Vera
Cruz.) It was great. Closer to Japan, we worked on location in Hawaii, Guam, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
My magazine work also took me to Koln, Germany
for the big Herrenmode (men’s wear) Fair seven years
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 27
El Salvador’s Gougie Paredes Art Exhibit
Masako Morita, Yumiko Harada, Gougie Parades, Martha’s Mom Elvia Cantellano, Martha Ruiz Cabanas, and Mikako Mori.
A public school visiting the exhibition.
Norma Polski and wife of the Dean
of the Corps El Salvador Ambassador Gouguie Parades.
At the Muscle Musical Premiere
Junko Koshino, who designed
some of the show’s fabulous costumes and her hair stylist Yuichi
Matsumura of Fumio Kawshima’s
Peekaboo Chain.
Fashion guru Francoise Morechand and Office Otake President
Sayumi Otake.
in a row—that gave me the opportunity to meet most
of the world’s top menswear designers at that time.
These included Savini Brioni, the epitome of all good
things Italian. He was really like my godfather—in a
good sense of the word. I not only produced and modeled in his shows here in Japan, but in Hong Kong and
the Philippines as well.
I was also able to produce and direct Italian model/
actress Elsa Martinelli’s first, and I think last, collection here, in Hong Kong, and one in Bangkok. Elsa was
great, but designed for her own tall, slim body and we
had problems finding models. Finally, I had to include
two tall Patpong Road transvestites. The show was in
the garden of the legendary Oriental Hotel and people
there included diplomats, their wives, and the cream
of Thai society. The two boys were OK in their first
dresses, but got a bit campy in their second appearance. I saw some confused and a few not-amused faces
in the audience. I felt a little uneasy about this, but
the Gods were kind that night—one of those sudden
Thai tropical rainstorms hit and as the show was on a
stage in the hotel garden, it had to stop. I had to pretend I was sorry even though I was pretty happy about
Mother Nature’s help.
As you can see, fashion has played a big part in my
life and I really do have so much to be thankful for.
I liked our editor Marie’s idea of asking each of the
fashion personalities she met with to make a comment
on their concept of style. Consequently, I decided in
closing the opening of this issue’s Party Line to make
my own comment. For me, fashion should be fun and
really be what you like and enjoy wearing. If you like
to follow the trends—fine, if you want to be an individual—fine. Like with your life, you should be able to
do and wear what you want as long as it doesn’t hurt
or offend others.
Italian National Day
For me, Italian fashion is the best so this style issue
is perfect to cover the huge mid-day reception at the
Italian Embassy. In addition to celebrating Italy’s
National Day, the hosting couple, Ambassador Mario
and Anna Cenerini Bova had the opportunity to say
sayonara to lots of the many friends they made during
their five-year posting in Japan.
The weather was nice that day and in addition
to all the main venues in the residence being filled
Me—as I look today—with fellow
comedian Nanbu Torata.
Francoise and Junko.
to capacity, many of the guests had moved out into
the Embassy’s huge garden—one of Tokyo’s most
beautiful. Most of my Italian friends who hang out at
Segafredo in Hiroo were there and that’s a good group
of mostly guys. I was also happy to have the opportunity to say sayonara to Giorgio Fornari, who I got to
know through his work with Armani here. Giorgio,
a good friend, has been transferred to India where
he’ll play an important part in Armani’s operations
there. I introduced him to two more friends, Polish
Ambassador Marcin Rybicki and his wife Adrianna,
who I was sorry to hear will be leaving Japan soon as
well. Talk about coincidence, the Rybickis were both
wearing Armani that day. Check out the photo.
As at any of Mario and Anna’s events, there was a
huge variety of Italian food. The risotto and tiramisu,
as they say, were to die for. The Bova’s have left by
now and our best wishes for them back home.
Rayban
Still on style, Mirari Japan, whose fashion lines include
the world renown Rayban sunglasses hosted an exciting evening at the Liquid Room in Ebisu. The occasion was to introduce their new colorized “wayfarer”
series. The look, which is very popular, is similar to the
glasses from the film The Blues Brothers. Both floors of
the venue were wall-to-wall Tokyo trendies enjoying
the food, the hip hop show, and a performance by pop
singer Anna. It was a great evening with lots of familiar faces from showbiz, fashion, and the arts.
Cultural Music
I’ve been in Japan for a long time and am still amazed
at the awesome variety of Japanese and international
cultural events offered here. In just the last month or
so, you could have literally traveled around the world
in Tokyo. Musical presentations included a group of
Karaja Indians from the Amazon Rain Forest and traditional Taureg music from the Sahara.
The Sharmila Biswas Classsic Indian Dance Group
did the official opening performance of the IndiaJapan Cultural Exchange 2008. Mrinalini Singh, wife
of the Indian Ambassador, told me that like last year
they have many special events coming up. We’ll keep
you posted on this. There was lots of music, dance, and
color at both the Jamaican and Indonesian Festivals
at Yoyogi Park, as well as the dynamic Colombian
PARTYLINE WITH BILL HERSEY
Segafredo Zanetti Espresso
www.segafredo.jp www.segafredo.it
Wayne Shaw, Alef Saraie, Aldo La Cavera, Mitsuko
Moritake (the birthday girl), Dino Dalle Carbonare,
and Daniel Gardh.
Andrea Paola, her mom Carla
(wife of the Panamanian Ambassador), her two-year-old
sister Fiorella, and her friend
Victoria Skiei from Norway.
Kristen Foley, Kim Vickrey, and Nicole Cribbins.
In and Around
Going back a bit:
Noted fashion designer Jun Ashida, Shizuko The Ashidas with two more of our citys chicest
Naouri, Mrs. Ashida, and Jordanian Ambas- ladies—Charo Ireton and her daughter Rosador Samir Naouri—at Jun’s latest collection berta.
showing—at the Grand Hyatt.
Back a bit—Bill Hersey doing “one of his most
prestigious modeling jobs.”
At Rayban’s Super Party
Rayban top executive Alessio Ferraresso with Aldo La Cavera, Fabio La Cavera, and Fran- Aldo with Mika and Kyoko Kano.
both the Japanese and Korean Miss Universe cesco Gala.
finalists.
Alef Saraie.
Chris Peppler.
Tasty Rayban cakes.
Festival at Hibiya Park. More on that later.
Kudos to Colombian Ambassador Patricia Cardenas
and her staff on the occasion of the Centennial
Celebration of the diplomatic relation between Japan
and Colombia. They’ve organized a full calendar of
Colombian cultural events through December 21.
Colombia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernando
Araujo Perdoma was here for the opening, preview,
and reception of the Exhibition Kin-Zipanqu and El
Dorado Land of Gold at the National Museum of Nature
and Science in Ueno Park.
The Min-on Concert Association continues to bring
in some unbelievable cultural shows from China. After
seeing several of these I can really visualize what the
opening ceremony at the Olympics had to be—super
special in every way.
The many young Japanese athletes who make up
the cast of the show Muscle Musical in Shibuya are
really talented and the show, which runs through
mid-September, is well worth seeing. In addition to
all that, there’s a full schedule of festivals, not only
here in Tokyo, but all over Japan. Here are a few dates
Carabinieri Security’s Raffaele Palmieri and
Randy Alford.
to remember: August 30—Join the huge crowd at
the Asakusa Festival. This year’s happenings include
performances by members of the most colorful
event of the Barranquilla Carnival of the Colombian
Caribbean. September 13 and 14—our Sri Lankan
friends will be showing the colorful and exciting
diversity of their beautiful country and culture at ‘Sri
Lanka—The Paradise Island’ Festival at Yoyogi Park.
Over 100 trade booths will display and sell Ceylon
tea, spices, exotic fruits, semi-precious stones, costume jewelry, organic and herbal products, batiks,
and handicrafts. Sri Lankan dance troupes and musicians will fly in to perform and there will be many
stalls serving a variety of delicious Sri Lankan foods.
See you there!
On a sad note, I would like to close by giving my
condolences to all those who knew Sister Ruth Sheehy
who passed away on July 26. Sister Sheehy served her
mission for 48 years in Tokyo and was headmistress
of the International School of the Sacred Heart for 18
years. Her life was devoted to education and helping
others and she will be sadly missed.
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 29
ARTS WITH OWEN SCHAEFER
When the Center for Media Art Can’t Hold
P
erhaps media art is simply no longer fashionable.
That is certainly the impression one could get
from the NTT Inter Communications Center—which
is strange, since it was founded as a space devoted to
electronic art.
The ICC opened in 1990 as a project to commemorate 100 years of telephone service in Japan and quickly
developed something of a reputation. Up to three years
ago, it seemed that the center was out to prove that
media art was more than just a blip on our collective
computer screens. Exhibitions were cutting-edge; artists
as diverse as Bill Viola, Laurie Anderson, and Dumb Type
have all held shows there, and group exhibitions like the
2003 E.A.T. show practically made media-art history.
So what happened? In 2006, the ICC closed its
doors, ostensibly for remodelling. And when they
reopened, the interior was the most superficial of the
changes. The truth is that as early as 2005, NTT East—
citing a need for “greater operating efficiency”—had
been contemplating closing the facility entirely.
However, after a long closure the space did reopen.
Unfortunately, the trade-off for whatever deal was brokered behind closed doors wasn’t pretty. The majority
of exhibition space had been commandeered for a single year-long exhibit titled Open Space, pushing special
events and thematic exhibitions firmly into the margins. With plenty of vague explanations, a new category
titled Emergencies! was created, which would feature
up-and-coming artists that could be tucked neatly into
a back room, and changed periodically, without fuss.
Last year’s Open Space gave the ICC all the atmosphere of a local science center—it was kid-friendly,
cute, and had a high “neat-o” factor. But it still featured
enough works of merit that year to keep me hoping that
the oversights were simply bugs that would be worked
out come 2008. But this year’s Open Space falls down
on so many levels that it almost seems preferable that
the ICC had closed back in 2006. Those bugs look more
like a virus.
A number of the works now on display have been
recycled from last year, including the Gainer Kaidan,
which once caused ghostly, echoing footsteps to follow you up the stairs and has now been hacked to play
an obsequious timeline of ICC history. Add to that
an entire room devoted to Yamaha’s Tenori-on music
device and you can practically hear the marketing
department singing “Design is the new black!”
There are bright spots. After trying to pass off the
facility’s empty anechoic room as an exhibit on its own
last year, the center has once again put it to good use.
Carsten Nikolai’s Invertone is a white-noise generator,
with two speakers facing one another—each playing a
reversed waveform of the same sound. The wall of noise
is so intense that it takes some nerve to stand directly
between the speakers. But when you do, the sound all
but vanishes. As the noise focuses down to a tiny point
inside your head, the resultant experience is more physical than aural, by turns unsettling and meditative.
Martin Riches Interactive Field questions the cause
and effect that we’ve come to expect in our interactions with machines. Seiko Mikami and Sota Ichikawa’s
Gravicells makes light of gravity on its surface, but also
draws visual attention to our proximity to others—
our own individual bubbles of influence. And Keiko
Kimoto’s Ambiguous Forest is a work that wears its technical and mathematical aspects on its sleeve, though it
may have fared better with a less utilitarian display.
Until the end of August, the ICC Kids Program is
featuring Transform Yourself: a further indication of the
science-center approach the facility seems to be taking.
The exhibits for kids are all interactive and entertaining,
and even include Masahiko Sato and Takashi Kiriyama’s
Arithmetik Garden, which appeared at last year’s Roppongi
Crossing exhibition. But as a sign of things to come, the
ICC’s Open Space is ringing pretty hollow.
Open Space 2008 (to Mar 8, 2009) & Transform Yourself!
(to Aug 31) NTT InterCommunication Center. Hatsudai
Station (Keio Line). Free. 10am–6pm. Closed Mon. Tel.
0120-144-199. www.ntticc.or.jp
CROSSWORD #33
Across
Down
3. The Devil’s favorite
1. Paul McCartney’s designer
designer? (5)
daughter (6)
7. Clothing (6)
2. Champion (6)
8. Riches (6)
3. Tame animals (4) 9. Small problems (5) 4. Small hole piercers (4)
12. Senior (5)
5. Nureyev’s genre (6)
14. Place (5)
6. Figurine (6)
15. Vacancy sign (4,2,3)
10. Famous label (4,5)
16. Tart tasting stem used
11. Fashion sense (4,5)
as a pie fruit (7)
13. Love affair (7)
17. More appetizing (7)
14. Italian designer Gianni (7)
19. One of distinctive and
18. Daze (6)
superior quality (1,5,3)
19. Friends (6)
22. Fashion (5)
20. Chinese religion (6)
23. Deserves (5)
21. Verve (6)
24. Sides (5)
24. Ages (4)
26. Up to date (6)
25. Soapy bubbles (4)
27. Create (6)
28. From Zurich? (5)
WEEKENDER PICK-UP POINTS
Aoyama Daiichi
Mansions, Ritz Carlton
Aoyama TELL, Virgin
Atlantic Airways, Sin
Den, Kinokuniya,
Samrat Azabudai H&R
Consultants/ReloJapan,
Suji’s, Cosmo PR, Tokyo
Lease Corporation
Azabujuban Magellan,
Nissin World Delicatessen,
Oakwood Residences,
Temple University, UFJ
Bank, Paris Miki, Right
Brain Research, Chofu
American School in
Japan Ebisu Happy
Days Preschool, My
Lebanon, Samrat,
Segafredo, The Footnik,
The Westin, What the
Dickens, Va Tout, Good
Day Books Ginza Ash
Hair-Essensuals, Nissan
Hanzomon British
Embassy Hiroo Across
Travel, Kato Gallery Frame
Store, Meidiya, National
Azabu Supermarket,
Samrat, Segafredo,
Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club,
Priya, Tokyo Physio,
International School of
Sacred HeartJingumae
Gold’s Gym, Boudoir, The
King Clinic Kamiyacho
American Chamber of
Commerce in Japan, Hotel
Okura, Town Cryer, Asian
Tigers, Atago Green Hills
Residence, 911 (Mad
Mulligans) Meguro
Party Palace, The Tavern
Minami Aoyama Samrat
Minami Azabu Hiroo
International Clinic,
The New Sanno Mita
Australian Embassy,
English Studio MotoAzabu Global Kids
Academy, Gymboree,
Nishimachi Intl School,
Zen Healing Nihonbashi
National Australia Bank
Nishi Azabu Nottinghill
Cakes, PAL International
School, Samrat
Odaiba Daily Yomuiri
Omotesando Fujimama’s
Roppongi, 57, Aoyama
Book Center, Azabu Dai
Ichi Mansions, Bernd’s
Bar, Bourbon Street,
Grand Hyatt, Hotel
Ibis, Nakashima Dental,
Oakwood Roppongi
T-Cube, Paddy Foley’s,
Roppongi Hills Club,
Roppongi Hills Residence
C&D,
Roti, Roy’s, Samrat,
Tipness, International
Clinic, Tokyo Midtown
Clinic, Tokyo Skin Clinic,
Zest, Va Tout, Devi
Fusion Setagaya Sakura
International School, Seta
International Preschool,
Seisen International
School, Boarding Kennel
Hinatya, Shiba Nakai
Immigration Services
Shibakoen Tokyo Gifted
Academy & Rivendale,
Tokyo Surgical & Medical
Clinic, Shibaura
Japan Times Shibuya
Beacon, No.1 Travel,
Tower Records, HMV,
Tableaux, British School
Shinagawa TY Harbor
Brewery, Embassy of
Columbia Shinjuku
Hilton Tokyo, No.1
Travel, Grand Hyatt, Park
Hyatt, Samrat, Dubliners,
Virgin Megastor,
YMCA Suginami Aoba
International School
Takanawa Samrat, Tokyo
American Club, Crown
Relocations Toranomon
Tokyo Orientations
Uchisaiwaicho Imperial
Hotel Yokohama Saint
Maur International School,
Yokohama International
School, Yokohama
Country and Athletic Club
Yoyogiuehara Childs
Play Yurakucho Press
Club Outside of Tokyo:
Atsugi Nissan Chiba
BMW Ibaraki Windsor
Park Golf & Country Club
Nagoya Lease Japan
Shizuoka Gotemba
Kogen Resort Yokosuka
Fleet & Family Support
Aug 15–Sep 4 2008 Vol. 39 No. 16 31

style - Tokyo Weekender

Transcription

Similar documents

"NIPPON E YOKOSO!" ‒ Unique Access to Japan!

Promote exchanges in the arts and culture based on city diplomacy

May 22th, 2014 DIC meeting in Chicago

How to Read Manga

memoirs of a geisha

Japan Beauty Program in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto

Workshop Poster

2006.22th（pdf）

Public transport triumphs in a Megacity

Monday 25 August 2014 10:30 am to 5:30 pm