COOL JAPAN from New Yorkers` Viewpoints Aki Hayakawa

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［English Edition］
週刊NY生活　SHUKAN NEW YORK SEIKATSU
NYクール日本
Aki Hayakawa
Captures
Nostalgia in
Debut Single
Japanese readers may have
noticed Aki Hayakawa’s guest
appearance on a video on our
Web site, where she cheerfully
spoke with anchorwoman Yuko
Mizohata and sang her debut
song, “Otoko ni Saku Hana.” Ms.
Hayakawa’s debut single album,
“Otoko ni Saku Hana,” was
released on April 4. Masayuki
Yamamoto composed the songs
and lyrics. The album is distributed by Victor Music Arts and is
available in the United States on
the iTunes music store.
The title song, beginning with
“sword fight flicks, catching
locusts, picture card shows, running through narrow streets and
empty lots,” naturally elicits nostalgia from baby boomers who
grew up just after the war. The
lyrics tell of the period of high
economic growth, from “twist,
ivy look, cafe” to “oil crisis,
hijackers, traveling to the moon.”
Her heartfelt lyrics describe a
Japan that is different from the
one that exists today. The song
touches the hearts of Japanese
New Yorkers living far away
AnimEigo Brings
Samurai Film
“13 Assassins”
to U.S. Market
2012年（平成24年）6月16日（土）
COOL JAPAN from New Yorkers’ Viewpoints
from Japan. It seems natural that
people are moved, as the songwriter Mr. Yamamoto is famous
for “Moeyo Dragons” and the cartoon “Yattaman no Uta.” Ms.
Hayakawa’s voice is a great
match for the song.
“Koiyuki MANHATTAN
Matenro,” the other song on the
album, is about Manhattan and
depicts New York overcoming the
events of 9/11, providing imagery
of a lone saxophone swooning in
Grand Central Terminal. The
lyrics “this winter without you
blows in my heart” brings to mind
a lonely solitary life.
Ms. Hayakawa is a native of
Wakayama Prefecture and is affiliated with the Sun Music Brain
talent agency. She plays saxophone and enjoys baking. This
was her second visit to New
York. While she was here for five
days, she said, “I’ll take this New
York energy back with me to
Japan.”
(Ryoichi Miura; Translated by
Mari Kawaguchi)
Many chambara (sword-fighting) genre fans know that the
1963 film “13 Assassins” is a
masterpiece. Kinema Junpo, a
presigious Japanese film magazine, ranked it second after
“Seven Samurai” in their 85thanniversary issue top ten list.
The film regained popularity in
2010 when Takashi Miike filmed
a remake starring Koji Yakusho.
There is also a stage adaption of
the film starring Katsunori
Takahashi and Kenji Sakaguchi
scheduled for performances in
Tokyo and Osaka this summer.
The film depicts fierce battles
of samurai trying to kill a cruel
fuedal lord and those obligated
to defend him. The fight scene
where 13 samurai battle 53 soldiers is powerful and helped cre-
Dewi Sukarno Recalls
Her Stormy Life of
Love and Politics at
Spring Luncheon
On May 31, the Friends of
Rinri-Kenkyusho of New York
held their annual spring luncheon
welcoming Dewi Sukarno at the
Midtown Shinbashi restaurant.
The group is chaired by Lindsay
Emiko Akutagawa. Eighty-five
people attended the luncheon to
listen to Mrs. Sukarno’s life
story. She is the only Japanese
woman to marry the leader of a
foreign country.
Mrs. Sukarno began by talking
about the Tohoku Earthquake.
ate the genre of “mass-war samurai films.” The actors, then
chambara stars, include Chiezo
Kataoka, Kanjuro Arashi, Ko
Nishimura, and Kotaro Satomi.
The black and white film runs
126 minutes (Japanese with
English subtitles). Readers can
purchase the DVD online at
AnimEigo.com ($12.99).
(Yukishige Takesue; Translated
by Yo Shin)
Since the disaster she has visited
19 areas three times each, giving
five car’s worth of school supplies and toys to children, and
visiting five animal shelters. She
then gave harsh criticism of the
Japanese government’s response
to the disaster.
Women made up 90 percent of
participants, and there was a
focus on Mrs. Sukarno’s story for
clues on how to live with energy,
beauty, and youthful spirit. “It’s
important to feel moved about 10
times a day and feel great love
from your family and lover,” she
advised. Living depends upon
mentality. She noted she can live
every day happily by having a
healthy mind-set.
She continued her story by
recalling her days as a young
woman, meeting President
Sukarno, and her stormy life of
exile to France after a military
coup. To Japanese youths she
counselled, “I want Japanese
youths to be self-confident,
active, proud, and have respect
for themselves. I want politicians
to have strong character and create a dignified country.” After
her talk, she held an autograph
session for her vivid and wellcomposed memoir. Many participants bought her book and asked
for her autograph.
(Photo and Article by Ryoichi
Miura; Translated by Chiaki
Yoshida)
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