Natsumi Hoshi Swims for Rio Gold, Getaways for Golden Week, Tokyo

APRIL 2016

Japan’s number one English language magazine

ALSO: Natsumi Hoshi Swims for Rio Gold, Getaways for Golden Week, Tokyo Area Guide, The Evolution of Cirque duwww.tokyoweekender.com Soleil, and Much APRIL 2016 More APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 CONTENTS 20

HIROTADA OTOTAKE GOLDEN WEEK GETAWAYS CIRQUE DU SOLEIL The public figure mulls over a political run These vacation destinations are worth Performances that stretch the limits of and faces a personal scandal their weight in ... well, you know human skill, strength, and imagination

6 The Guide 11 Area Guide 30 People, Parties, Places A fresh taste of the Mediterranean comes Step away from Akihabara’s neon jungle The Maruyamas throw their annual party to town and a few new looks to spring for and into Tokyo’s old downtown and Oakwood opens a new residence 8 Gallery Guide 18 Breaking the Silence 34 Movies Exhibitions drawn together by animation, Voices from the battlefront of suicide Leo’s Oscar-winning turn, a Marvel battle plus the fine art of haute couture prevention in Japan and overseas royale, and journalists in the “Spotlight” 10 Mariko Mori 24 Apartment Gardening 36 Agenda An artist inspired by the cosmos and the Don’t let your laundry hog all of the A pair of rock legends come to town and spirit of our million-year-old ancestors balcony—leave some room for green plenty of events for the warming weather

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 THIS MONTH IN THE WEEKENDER

with five different mistresses over the APRIL 2016 past several years. APRIL 2016 The revelation brings up a question that has been raised countless times Japan’s number one English language magazine around the world when a political figure’s personal foibles come to light: should we judge a leader by what they do behind Publisher ENGAWA Co., Ltd. closed doors, or by their ability to get things done? In the case of Ototake, we President Takanobu Ushiyama hope that our profile of the man gives you Executive Producer Asi Rinestine a sense of his potential, and inspires you to think about what he could achieve if he Editor Alec Jordan were to make the decision to run. Art Director Liam Ramshaw Moving beyond the cover story,

Sales Director Hirofumi Ohuchi there are plenty of pieces to keep the Sales Executive Kahori Terakawa pages turning, from a look at suicide prevention efforts in Japan to a talk with Media Relations Chief Junko Shimaya one of the stars of the Japanese Olympic Producers Yumi Idomoto ALSO: Natsumi Hoshi Swims for Rio Gold, Getaways for Golden Week, Tokyo Area Guide, The Evolution of Cirque du Soleil, and Much More swimming team. And as Golden Week Claudia Sun www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 lies waiting for us at the end of the Account Executives Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa irotada Ototake might not month, we’ve put together a collection of Media Consultant Mary Rudow be familiar to most of our destinations that should be memorable— non-Japanese readers, but and hopefully, not overbooked! If you’re Society Bill Hersey H his life story, and his first staying local, there are plenty of options book (“No One’s Perfect” in English), Lead Writer Matthew Hernon to keep you occupied during the long are famous throughout the country. holiday, whether it’s art on the walls or Editorial Associates Natalie Jacobsen Despite being born without arms or Cirque du Soleil magic on the ground Vivian Morelli legs due to a condition known as tetra- and the air. Finally, we invite you to Luca Eandi amelia syndrome, Ototake has had a check out our area guide for a section series of careers that anyone would Film Christopher O’Keeffe of Tokyo’s old downtown that you may envy: public speaker, sports journalist, not have explored yet. We’re planning to school teacher, and member of Tokyo’s feature different parts of the city in the Board of Education, just to name a few. months to come, so stay tuned. In the past weeks, it has been rumored that Ototake was planning EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 to make a run for public office. Now, Published monthly at JPR Sendagaya Building 8F much more recent news threatens to 4-23-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051 put that nascent campaign to an end: (03) 6863-3096 / (03) 5413-3050 (fax) Ototake has admitted to having affairs Editor [email protected]

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APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com

the guide

BURBERRY CROCHETED TRENCH COAT If you love a classic Burberry trench coat but don’t want to blend in a sea of beige come springtime (when everyone in Tokyo sports their FOOD FIT FOR THE GODS own version), this twist on the classic Kensington trench may be the Greek cuisine is known for its simple yet delicious ingredients, perfect option for you. This crocheted cotton-blend in antique rose unique flavor combinations, and healthy portions that can satisfy not only complements the cherry blossom flowers, but it also offers even the heartiest of eaters. Unfortunately, while it might not be protection against those unexpected spring rainfalls. It looks especial- too difficult to find olives and feta cheese at your local supermar- ly dazzling when paired with a white ensemble, and yes, it may be a ket, if you’re looking for complete Grecian meals, you don’t have splurge, but you’ll wear it for the next decade or so. burberry.com many choices around Tokyo. Lovers of this unique cuisine will be happy to hear that they’ve got a new option: The Apollo. The restaurant got its start in Sydney, Australia, helmed by Jonathan Barthelmess—who became a star chef on the Sydney scene thanks to his blend of traditional Mediterranean techniques and modern sense of culinary style. Opened at the end of March in the Tokyu Plaza Ginza Building by Barthelmess and fellow Sydney restauran- teur Sam Christie, The Apollo Tokyo offers tastes that will satisfy long-time Greek food fans and neophytes alike. You can order plenty of dishes à la carte, but one of the best ways to experience the full range of flavors on offer is “The Full Greek” (lunch ¥4,800/ dinner ¥5,500). It starts off with a selection of olives to whet the ap- petite, and then moves on to the taramosalata (mullet roe, lemon juice, and olive oil) dip, served with warm pita bread. Next up is a Greek salad, which adds a mildly flavored cow’s milk feta to the olives and farm-fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. The restaurant’s celebrated saganaki (pan-fried cheese) follows, made with kefalo- graviera (a blend of goat and sheep milk) cheese and flavored with just the right amount of honey, lemon, and oregano. The main dish is lamb shoulder, slow-cooked for ten hours and baked for one. Delightfully smoky and juicy, and served with tzatziki (a Greek COMME DES GARÇONS NEON WALLET yoghurt sauce), it is simply unforgettable. But remember to leave Nothing screams springtime like a neon-color block wallet. Even for room for the Avgolemono Pie, The Apollo’s take on the traditional those who steer clear of bright hues, this slim pouch is the perfect lemon meringue. A complement of wines and mixed drinks round accessory to snap you out of hibernation mode after a long winter. out a menu that’s as tempting as a siren’s song. The eye-catching blue, orange and green pattern is too good to be kept hidden in a handbag, so use it as a clutch for after-work cocktails or The Apollo Tokyo weekend brunch. The soft leather will keep all your cards and notes in- 104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo-ku, Ginza 5-2-1, Tokyu Plaza Ginza 11F tact and organized, with a thick gold zipper on top to add a bit of bling. Hours: 11:00–23:00 | Web: theapollo.jp comme-des-garcons.com

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.comwww.tokyoweekender.com Something for the weekend...A cocktail guide for the most discerning of drinkers

pril is upon us once more and gold is most definitely the colour of the month. April heralds the end of the financial year in Japan and theA beginning of the Golden Week holiday. So whether you are toasting a successful year on the markets or drowning your sorrows after loosing RAF SIMONS ADIDAS SNEAKERS the shirt off your back, make sure you do it in style, with an appropriately themed cocktail. This may be one of the best collaborations this year: fashion genius Raf Simons (formerly In this edition of the guide we shall be creative head of Dior) putting his unique, minimalistic touch on the iconic Stan Smith taking a trip back to the 80s and knocking back Adidas Originals kicks. Look for the designer’s initial “R” replacing the usual perforated a few 24 Carat Gold cocktails. It’s fair to say stripes on the sides, and for the mesh lining. The shoes are crafted from premium that the decade was a pretty low point on the leather, and are the embodiment of Simon’s creative philosophy. cultural spectrum—think Milli Vanilli, permed mrporter.com hair, and shoulder pads—but a great decade for synth pop and extravagantly camp cocktails. Although not so popular these days, the 24 Carat Gold was a fixture on the cocktail menus WANT LES of chintzy wine bars, pretentious restaurants, ESSENTIELS and hotel lounges from New York to London BACKPACK back in the 80s. A favourite of moneyed-up city boys and permed-haired office girls, this was the WANT LES ESSENTIELS is a Montre- cocktail to drink in the days when nobody had albased accessories brand that harks the slightest idea what a Tweet was and Michael back to a bygone era of elegant travel. Jackson was a popular family entertainer. The brand, which was started by twin The popularity of the 24 Carat Gold was brothers, has amassed a cult following mainly due to its extravagant appearance: a over the past few years for its under- strong golden hue garnished with sparkling stated yet practical goods, and can now bits of real gold leaf. In actual fact it’s a very be found in stores from Manhattan to well balanced cocktail; the tartness of the sours Tokyo. If you’re not sure where to start, blends well, offsetting the sweet fruitiness of their signature “Kastrup” backpack is the Cointreau and brandy. both timeless and versatile. Made from So this Golden Week, crank up the Spandau cotton-canvas and lined with leather, Ballet, break out the cocktail shaker and be this sleek bag is all you need for those thankful that we now live in a decade where daily commutes or weekend getaways. neon shell suits and leg warmers are just a wantlesessentiels.com terrible distant memory.

Method: Place some edible gold flakes on a small plate. Lightly wet the rim of a martini glass with a slice of lemon, and then dip the rim in the gold flakes to coat. Add the Cointreau, Remy Martin XO and sours mix to a shaker filled with ice, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN shake thoroughly and strain into the glass. TROUSERS Ingredients: While you may or may not want to –25ml Cointreau pair these dapper pants with the –50ml Remy Martin XO –25ml sours mix matching blazer, they are a fashion - Edible gold leaf statement on their very own. Give the classic black suit a contemporary twist this season: the slim-fit trousers are emblazoned with a light grey flowery motif, which sets the item apart. You can wear the Italian-made item with a white or grey shirt, or go all out and match them with the jacket—just don’t forget the Oxford shoes. mcq.com

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 GALLERY GUIDE TOKYO GALLERY GUIDE OUR PICKS FROM THE EXHIBITIONS AROUND TOWN

by Luca Eandi PIXAR: 30 YEARS OF ANIMATION

ust in time for the Japanese tures used as reference in the premiere of “The Good Di- early stages of production. Lee nosaur” in mid-March (a full Unkrich, director of the massive 16 weeks after its release in hit sequel, “Toy Story 3,” said the rest of the world), “PIX- the following about Pixar’s AR: 30 YEARS OF ANIMATION” commitment to conventional debuts at MOT. A version of this design methods: “our films are exhibition has been traveling the very high-tech, but at their core globe since 2005, when it began the story and characters spring as a special display at the Muse- from imagination and pencil um of Modern Art in New York. and paper.” It features hand-drawn sketches, Pixar’s entire 30-year histo- paintings, storyboards, color ry of memorable characters and scripts, and character models compelling stories are repre- created by the studio’s artists. sented at MOT, starting with Although Pixar is best known their first short film, “Luxo Jr.” for its slick computer graphics (featuring the desk lamp from and advanced image rendering, their logo), and going all the Bob Pauley, Woody and Buzz, Toy Story, 1995, Reproduction of marker and pencil on paper ©Disney/Pixar most of its character and story de- way up to their latest feature velopment is done through tradi- length, “The Good Dinosaur.” Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo tional media. The studio employs Some 500 pieces make up the Dates: March 5–May 29, 2016 a large number of accomplished collection, including two large Open: 10:00–18:00, last admission 30 minutes before closing, closed artists who create the hand draw- installations exclusive to the Mondays (except May 2, 23) ings, paintings, pastels and sculp- traveling exhibit. Web: http://pxr30.jp/

TONKO HOUSE EXHIBITION: “The Dam Keeper’s Journey”

itting nicely with the This exhibition, Tonko Pixar retrospective at House’s first public display, MOT, Creation Gallery features artwork that evokes G8 in Ginza is holding the worldview expressed Fa similar exhibition titled “The in the film, in addition to Dam Keeper’s Journey.” After character designs, maquettes collaborating on “Toy Story 3” (models), as well as visual and “Monsters University,” a narrative elements tracing the couple of former Pixar Anima- film’s story. Also on display tion Studios art directors, Tokyo will be new works, includ- native Daisuke Tsutsumi and ing collaborations created Southern California’s Robert especially for the show—one Kondo, decided to strike out on with Japanese stop-motion their own, founding animation animation studio, Dwarf, and studio Tonko House in 2014. another with miniature diora- PIG AFTER CLASS, Tonko House Their first animated short film, ma artist Satoshi Araki. Addi- “The Dam Keeper,” which tells tionally, Tonko House projects Creation Gallery G8 the tale of a pig who keeps currently in the pipeline, Dates: March 25–April 28, 2016 | Open: 11:00–19:00, closed Sundays pollution at bay with his wind- including a feature-length Web: rcc.recruit.co.jp/g8/en mill, blew critics away with its sequel to “The Dam Keeper,” moody, muted visual style and will be introduced in a space poignant story, earning an Acad- recreating the interior of their emy Award nomination in 2014. California studio.

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.comwww.tokyoweekender.com GALLERY GUIDE | WEEKENDER | 9

MIYAKE ISSEY EXHIBITION: The Work of Miyake Issey

ashion icon Issey Miyake designed the black mock turtlenecks that Steve Jobs famously wore as his uniform. As the story goes, the Apple/Pixar founder toured a Sony facility in Japan in the 1980s and admiredF the uniforms worn by the workers. He found out they were designed by Miyake, so he sought him out and struck up a friendship with the designer. He initially wanted him to create uniforms for Apple employees—an idea that never took off with his Cupertino staff. Nonetheless, Jobs received hundreds of Miyake turtlenecks for himself, and along with a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans, they became part of his defining look. It’s easy to see the kinship between Jobs and Miyake, as both were obsessed with innovation and good design. Miyake’s 45-year career to present has been a study of the relationship between body and fabric. He’s never stopped searching, constantly examining new manufacturing methods, trying to achieve perfection through innovation, often by using only one piece of cloth. Most recently, his focus has shifted to using recycled materials and shapes inspired by algorithms and geometric shapes. This exhibition, the first to span his entire career, is a large- scale appraisal of his overall creative development. Production processes and the evolution of his style are given thoughtful consideration as visitors move through the three rooms that make up the exhibit.

The National Art Center, Tokyo Dates: March 16–June 13, 2016 Open: 10:00–18:00, 10:00–20:00 on Fridays, last admission 30 minutes before closing, closed Tuesdays (except May 3) Daniel Kelly, Bold Is Better, 180 x 130 cm, acrylic and wood Web: http://2016.miyakeissey.org Daniel Kelly’s Golden Touch

ver the past decades, American-born, Kyoto-based artist Daniel Kelly has been building a name for himself as a gifted painter and printmaker who also isn’t afraid to think, paint, and print outside the box. Kelly Ohas moved from “traditional” printmaking techniques to printing on roughly textured paper and massive sheets that can stretch as long as 190 cm to a side. His paintings, on the other hand, challenge the notion of the medium being a two-dimensional one. Rather than painting on standard canvases, Kelly often uses a collection of found objects—frames from traditional Japanese doors and old tatami mats, for example—and incorporates them into the canvas, creating pieces that are as much sculpture as they are painting. In both print and painting, he uses familiar imagery but presents it in a way that forces viewers to reflect on their own perceptions. For 10 days, the Tolman Collection will be presenting an exhibition at the Conrad Hotel that features dozens of Kelly’s larger pieces. (This is not the first time that an artist that Tolman repre- sents has shown at the upscale hotel: centenarian Toko Shinoda held a retrospective there last year, and one of her pieces can be found in the Conrad’s lobby.) In addition to many of the artist’s prints and paintings at the show, keep an eye out for the visually arresting “Bold Is Better,” shown above.

Conrad Tokyo Location: 105-7377 Minato-ku, Higashi-Shinbashi 1-9-1 Dates: April 27–May 8, 2016 ISSEY MIYAKE, Horsehair, Autumn/ Winter 1990, 1990 Photo: Hiroshi Iwasaki Open: 11:00–19:00 Web: www.tolmantokyo.com

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME Returning to SCAI The Bathhouse for her first solo exhibition in more than 10 years, Mariko Mori is presenting a series of work that is both very new—and very old—at the same time © David Sims when humans developed a [modern] sense was crucial to her confidence as an artist: of feelings and minds.” She cites the 2015 “In America, nobody says ‘you can’t do that,’ discovery of 15 complete sets of 3-million- they say, ‘you can do it!’” Mori believes those year-old hominid skeletons in South Africa, in the West are pushing horizons in art, explaining that “they were found deep in and she thinks that there is fertile ground a cave, meaning there had been great care for the same kind of development in Tokyo, about their burial and in trying to protect where, as she puts it, “there is a rich culture them.” Mori considers this one of the earli- of tradition. [Thanks to] the presence of that est “[finds] of something that is fundamen- foundation, there is so much potential.” tally human.” Finally, despite the complexity of the Although her latest research delves into concepts that inform her work—which range the ancient origins of humankind, Mori’s from the dance of subatomic particles to the most recent exhibition, “Cycloid,” features ebb and flow of the cosmos itself—Mori is cutting-edge creation techniques based on quick to remind us that her creations are complex geometric forms, and takes inspira- bringing concepts that even our millions-year- tion from theories that describe the creation old ancestors would resonate with: life and of the universe. To bring these abstract death, a dense net of cycles that shape our shapes to life, Mori used a series of equa- world, and the creative power of daily life: tions that generated the three-dimensional “My pieces are simply reintroducing ideas we ariko Mori rocketed to internation- shapes, initially using values produced by humans already possess inside us, and I’m al fame in contemporary art during a computer program, and leaving some sharing them again with new generations.” the mid 1990s with her alien “live elements up to chance. Prototype versions of Mart” pieces in New York, Tokyo, Mariko Mori’s “Cycloid” will be on display at and London. Her photography captured SCAI the Bathhouse until April 23. The gallery herself dressed in futuristic, out-of-this My pieces are simply is open Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 to world costumes that she had designed, doing 18:00. www.scaithebathhouse.com domestic chores or everyday errands in the reintroducing ideas we city, challenging ideas of what it meant to be humans already possess a “normal” person. Mori’s most recent works are stripped inside us, and I’m down to the bare necessities, focusing no longer on aliens or elaborate sets, but on sharing them again with what makes us human, as she explained dur- new generations ing a visit to SCAI the Bathhouse, where she is holding her first solo show in more than a decade. “There are 7 million years of history the pieces are created using a 3D modeling in human evolution, and I am looking for program, and Mori will go through dozens evidence of when we first became spiritual; of iterations before she arrives at “golden egg.” As she explains, there is no right or wrong design, but relentless work at a design until it “feels right,” and expresses a sense of flow that is a constant hallmark of her recent work. These final shapes are cast in aluminum that is then coated with a pearlescent sheen; simply put, they are pieces that must be seen in person. Mori would be the first to admit that the sources that fire her imagination are hardly run-of-the-mill: “In finding ideas and inspiration, my antenna is a little bit different.” She also credits a nurturing environment and the input of people around in her creative development over the years: “[While] it’s important to believe in yourself ... nobody can do it alone.” Although she has recently moved to London, she says that the attitude that surrounded her in New York Above: Ekpyrotic String II, 2014 , Fiberglass, corian, paint and lacquer, 101 x 200 x 46.2 cm Right: “Cycloid IV”, 2015, Alminium, pigment, lacquer, 220 x 139 x 127cm Photos by Luca Eandi

TOKYO’S OLD DOWNTOWN Not far from the electric glitter and crowded streets of Akihabara lie a new space for artisanal handiwork and a neighborhood that has been a center of shitamachi bohemian culture for several generations 12 | WEEKENDER | AREA GUIDE

THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRACKS Built a few years back as a way to revitalize a section of the neighborhood between Akihabara and Okachimachi Stations on the Yamanote Line, the 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan retail space features a few dozen shops, carrying everything from pottery and hand-crafted leather to clothing and food products from around the country. But what’s with the funny name, you might ask? The “Aki” and the “Oka” are clear enough, but the “2k540” refers to the area’s distance—2,540 meters—from Tokyo Station. Got it? Good: now get shopping!

2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan Taito-ku, 5-9 Ueno www.jrtk.jp/2k540

ALL THE COOL CATS One of the first things you’ll notice about Yanaka is the abundance of stray cats hanging around the wind- ing alleys, staircases and the cherry tree–filled cemetery. In fact, several Yanaka shops honor the feline on THE WEEKENDER their storefront signs, as it’s really a theme in the neighborhood. If you’re peckish, you can nosh on a variety of cat-shaped sweets, and even get up close and personal with kitties at several cafes in the area, where owners let them roam free. Make sure to stop AREA GUIDE by cat-themed boutique Necoaction Strolling, shopping, and cat photography, downtown style to stock up on catty memorabilia, and shop alongside live furry friends in the boutique. Recommended: the trinkets, from keychains and socks to picture frames and notebooks. Most Yanaka cats are very photogenic, and they’ll happily pose (or rather, lounge around) for the camera—snap away!

SHITAMACHI SHRINES AND TEMPLES Hop on the Yamanote Line at Okachimachi and head counterclockwise to either Nippori or Nishi Nippori Station. If you’re not too superstitious (or it’s not too late in the evening), the Yanaka Cemetery, closest to Nippori, makes for a picturesque stroll throughout the year. The final resting place of historical figures, such as Yoshinobu, the final Tokugawa shogun, it also features broad walkways and rows of cherry trees, so make it a cherry blossom viewing destination if the time is right for the short-lived blooms. Heading west, Nezu Shrine boasts a miniature version of the famous rows of red torii gates at Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. One of Japan’s oldest shrines, it really comes alive from early April to early May, when the Bunkyo Azalea Festival is held on its grounds. The shrine’s sizeable garden is home to around 100 species of azalea which burst into bloom around this time. Yushima Tenshin Shrine is another picturesque location, perhaps best known as a location where students pray for good luck on exams, and for its large bronze nade-ushi (“stroking cow”) statue, which is said to cure diseases just by being rubbed.

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.comwww.tokyoweekender.com AREA GUIDE | WEEKENDER | 13

THESE STREETS WERE MADE FOR WALKING Yanaka is one of the rare areas of Tokyo that you’ll suddenly snap back to the present: welcome kept its old shitamachi (“downtown”) character, to 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan, a sleek name for an populated with merchants, artisans and cats. The equally sleek and trendy little area dedicated to district also known as Yanesen (named after the jewelry, ornaments and other artifacts. Located first syllables of the three neighboring districts right underneath the elevated JR train tracks near DOWNTOWN of Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi) offers a charming Okachimachi station, Aki-Oka Artisan houses glimpse of the Edo times. It was luckily spared groups of craftsmen who display their creations in GROUNDS from the WWII bombings, and managed to retain boutiques, galleries, cafes and studios. While the Bohemian culture and a a quaint atmosphere. area will please fashionistas who want to revamp good cuppa go hand in hand, Reserve an afternoon to explore this histori- their accessories collection, it offers a lot more so it should come as no cal part of Tokyo, often overlooked by the hordes than a mere shopping experience. Visitors can surprise that the area around of tourists. Start your promenade from Nippori participate in various workshops and design their Yanaka has a long tradition station, and you’ll quickly find yourself in the nar- own pieces. of excellent coffee. Kayaba row shopping street of Yanakaginza. Don’t worry End your stroll with a pit stop at SCAI the Coffee (6-1-29 Yanaka) has a about getting lost—just let yourself stumble upon Bathhouse, a former bathhouse turned into a history that dates back nearly countless food stalls, meat and vegetable markets, sophisticated art space. And don’t leave Yanaka 80 years, and while you can textile shops, secondhand and vintage clothing without a taste of old Tokyo, which comes in find plenty of Yanaka Coffee havens, pottery stores, and the many tiny shops the form of senbei rice crackers. Take your pick (3-8-6 Yanaka, other shops carrying traditional crafts such as washi (Japanese between soy sauce, nori (seaweed), kombu (kelp), nearby at 2-31-3 Sendagi and paper) and handwoven bamboo baskets. or sesame seeds, a nice little snack before hopping 1-5-11 Nezu) shops around If you keep walking up the hill towards Ueno, back on the train. town, the location where it all got started is, naturally, right here too. The Hagi Cafe (3- 10-25 Yanaka) is just one part of a two-story complex that includes a gallery, an event space, and a design studio. The institution is only three years in the running, but it has charm to spare. Finally, the artfully designed Minori Cafe (1-22-10 Nezu) offers a laid- back environment for whiling away an hour or two over lunch or a lazy afternoon.

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com HIROTADA OTOTAKE | FEATURE | 15 A Life Without

BarriersBy Alec Jordan With a possible political run in mind and a personal scandal in the press, what is next for Hirotada Ototake?

t first thought, tetra-amelia syndrome would born in this same body, I know that I wouldn’t have the same seem like a prison sentence. Those born with life that I do now.” It all began, Ototake writes in “No One’s the congenital condition have neither arms Perfect,” when his mother saw him for the first time. His fa- nor legs, and many of them die at an early ther knew about his son’s disability but had persuaded his age. Survivors who make it to adulthood of- wife that the baby boy had severe jaundice and she couldn’t Aten suffer from a host of painful complications to go along see him until he recovered. It was only after a few weeks that with their immobility. In previous generations, tetra-amelia his mother was able to lay eyes on her son for the first time: survivors might have led cloistered lives or joined traveling circuses in order to get by, and while the prognosis for those “The words that burst from my mother’s lips were ‘He’s ador- living with the syndrome might be better than before, it able.’ I think the success of this first encounter was especially would be hard to expect them to lead lives like the rest of us. meaningful. First impressions tend to stick. Sometimes you’re still carrying them as baggage years later. And when it’s a Someone forgot to tell this to Hirotada Ototake. parent and child—that meeting is a profoundly important one. The first emotion my mother felt toward me was not shock or As the journalist, author, and educator explains, though, he sadness, it was joy.” wouldn’t have listened even if someone had told him what (“No One’s Perfect,” Prologue) his limitations were supposed to be: “I have never been good at doing the same thing that everyone else did.” Just shy of “SUMO IS MY SOUL” his 40th birthday, Ototake has spent his life challenging ex- Ototake quickly got involved in the barrier-free movement pectations of what the disabled can achieve, and at the time at Waseda, and following his pivotal role in a student cam- of this writing, there are rumors that he is considering a run paign to improve handicapped accessibility on campus, his for political office—as well as a brewing scandal that could career as a public speaker began. It wasn’t long before he put an end to that run before it even begins. was giving multiple speeches around the country while still Weekender met with Ototake at his office in Shinjuku an undergraduate. He also wrote “No One’s Perfect,” which last month to talk about the lessons he’s learned in his many went on to be a smash hit: it has sold nearly 5 million cop- careers, provoking controversy on social media to bring at- ies to date and is the second best-selling book in Japan since tention to ignored minorities, and some of the ways that Jap- World War II. anese politicians could reach out to a younger generation. Rather than staying on the speaking circuit after One of the first things that impresses you on meeting the university, he followed a lifelong love of athletics and Tokyo native is a powerful sense of his poise and self-assur- moved into a career in sports journalism. True to form, ance. Although his first book, “Gotai fumanzoku” (translat- it wasn’t long before he had established a name for him- ed in English as “No One’s Perfect”) recounts stories of how self as a writer who excelled at getting athletes to open Ototake overcame his physical limitations in order to run, up and reveal themselves. From hundreds of interview- jump rope, swim, and play basketball on his junior high club ees, though, he recalls one that stands out: the famed team, it also depicts a young man with a natural talent for yokozuna Takanohana. The wrestler came from a family leadership. From his elementary student days to his time at with deep roots in sumo, and he was legendary for contin- Waseda University, he was never interested in just being ac- uing to compete despite a series of painful knee injuries. cepted: he wanted to make a difference in any community Interviewing Takanohana shortly before he retired, Oto- that he was a part of. take asked, “‘Why were you willing to put your heart and One of the wellsprings of this strength lay close at home. soul into sumo the way that you have?’ He responded to “When I think about the love and support from my parents, I me by saying, ’Ototake-san, that’s where you’re wrong. know that is what made the difference for me,” Ototake, who I wasn’t putting my soul into sumo: sumo is my soul.’ For is a father of three, muses. “If I hadn’t had that, and had been him, it wasn’t a feeling of dedicating his soul to this thing

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 express my message.” And plenty of people are paying attention: he launched his account in 2010 and now has nearly 810,000 followers. The format has been a remarkably powerful tool for Oto- take to achieve one of his main goals: draw- ing more attention to the situation that minorities of all kinds in Japan face. “Because people in the majority don’t have much interest in the situations that minorities con- front, the way I use Twitter is to deliber- ately use controversial language that draws attention to the issues.”

Ototake visits with the residents of a Tokyo neighborhood He’s been known to tackle everything from called sumo that was outside of him; rather, it It is mostly older people handicapped accessibility to LGBT rights, and was something he was born to do, and he want- his provocative comments often get picked up ed to put all of himself into it to show that culture voting, so politicians are by the national news. “I think that many people to the next generation.” might get tired of hearing what I have to say— focused mostly on policies that many of them are probably saying, ‘Damn, it’s BATTLES IN THE CLASSROOM this Ototake guy again!’ But if my online critics After several years as a sports writer, Ototake support the elderly ... How take the time to think about what I have to say, it returned to the classroom, this time as a teacher. much we can change that can lead them to look at the issues differently.” Countless examples from his first book demon- strate that his primary school teachers—who dynamic is one of the biggest A LEGACY OF DIVERSITY refused to coddle him, instead challenging him The former sports journalist sees the Tokyo and coming up with creative solutions that al- problems that we have Games as a rich opportunity, but argues that lowed him to take an active role in everything the city, and the nation, still need to decide what that his classmates did—had as large an influ- teacher led to his first film role, playing himself kind of a message Tokyo 2020 will present to the ence on him as his own parents. in the movie “Daijoubu 3 Kumi” (“Nobody’s Per- world. “The first time the Olympics were held in But as Ototake found when he entered the fect”), but it also gave him a direct experience of Tokyo, it was extremely meaningful for the coun- world of elementary school teaching, his deci- the kinds of resistance that reformers can face try. Nearly 20 years beforehand, the country had sion to work with his students in an innovative in any field. The same year he stopped teaching lost World War II and was basically a burnt-out manner was met with resistance from the old school, he found a new medium for expression field. But from there [along with preparing for guard. Whether it was holding class meetings that allowed him a freedom he never had before. the 1964 Games] ... you had the development of outside during cherry blossom season or giving the Shinkansen, a national highway system, and his pupils more freedom in their schoolwork, PROVOKING FOR A CAUSE a general improvement in the development of Ototake explains, “I’ve always wanted to do what “Being presented as perfect is really something the nation’s infrastructure. I thought was best for the kids ... My teaching painful for me,” Ototake says about the media’s “But for the coming Olympics in 2020, what style was definitely a hit with the students, and tendency—until recently—to focus only on his do we want to do for the international communi- the parents trusted me, but there were always positive message. “It’s not just in print; even when ty, and what do we want to leave behind for the complaints about me in the staff room.” I’ve done interviews on It was a resistance to change that prevented TV, and express how other teachers from trying new approaches as many weak points I well. “I was in my early thirties, and there were may have, those all get teachers who were younger than I was who cut out when the inter- liked my thinking and the way that I taught. But view is broadcast.” if those younger teachers were to speak up and Twitter has its say that they agreed with me, that would mean strict constraints on that the powerful veteran teachers would be as the number of charac- hard on them as they were on me. ters that can be used “[Japan’s] educational system requires that in a single Tweet, but everyone does things in exactly the same way, Ototake still felt com- in the way that was decided. But that’s a system pletely free in that where innovation can be very difficult, and one social space—his own in which people who are different—even though editor. “Nobody can they might not have asked to be different—can cut my words and it’s find it very hard to live in.” entirely up to me to His experience as an elementary school decide how I want to “Japan’s educational system requires that everyone does things in exactly the same way … But that’s a system where innovation can be very difficult.”

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com HIROTADA OTOTAKE | FEATURE | 17

rest of the country after the Games are finished? their good. So they don’t have faith in their po- ran in the March 24 issue of the Shukan Shincho I don’t think we know yet. I think that one of the litical leaders, and they don’t go to the polls. This tabloid, it was revealed that Ototake had love af- greatest legacies to this society we can leave be- brings the sense of happiness down further, and fairs with five different mistresses over the past hind with the 2020 Games is a sense of diversity.” it’s a terrible spiral.” several years. In a statement made after the sto- In the long run Ototake hopes to see a joint He adds that younger people are even less ry was published, he called his own actions “a Olympic and Paralympic games. He recognizes likely to take an active role in politics, much less betrayal against my devoted wife and my sup- that this is an ambitious goal that isn’t likely to go to the polls, which only worsens the situation: porters ... a sin so serious I can never fully atone be met within four years. “But maybe decades “It is mostly older people voting, so politicians for it while alive.” As he explained in his inter- from now we can look back at Tokyo 2020 as are focused mostly on policies that support the view with us, he had long wanted the public to the beginning of that movement. We could elderly. No money goes towards helping the understand that he wasn’t perfect, and now the have one event that is held for [Olympic and young. How much we can change that dynamic court of public opinion in Japan will weigh the Paralympic] athletes on the same day. Take the is one of the biggest problems that we have.” writer and educator’s many positive achieve- Tokyo Marathon: each time it’s held, the run- A recently enacted policy that allows 18 year ments against this scandal in his personal life. ners and the wheelchair marathoners compete olds to go to the polls for the first time is a step In Europe—less so in America—politics on the same day ... We could do the same thing in the right direction; however, Ototake believes and private affairs are usually kept separate. If a leader is competent, his or her romantic activities may be fair game for the press, but they don’t affect his or her capacity to hold or run for office. In almost all cases, it doesn’t work that way in Japan: being “clean” takes priority over being a strong, capable leader. In fact, this could be one reason that many voters, young or old, have a feeling of apathy when it comes to their politicians, and their political system. By showing that it was possible to succeed in so many different fields, Ototake has made people reconsider what “possible” means when it comes to people with disabilities—and even in the wake of the scandal, continues to do so. During our interview, perhaps with a sense of the storm that might be coming, he spoke of his dedication to his mission as well as his under- standing of the risks and difficulties involved: “For me now, the most important thing is to be able to put my efforts towards a society in which anyone, regardless of what minority they be- long to or what circumstances they might have been born into, will have the same chance as anyone else. But in Japan, there are many risks involved in running for office. You have to face a huge amount of criticism, it’s expensive, and it puts a burden on your family. It seems to be a But if my online critics take the time to think position with absolutely no positives to it at all! If I could achieve my goals without taking the about what I have to say, it can lead them to look at political route, I think I would ... But if I do decide to enter as a candidate, I would do it with the issues differently complete conviction and throw myself into the race with everything that I have.” for the Olympic Marathon and have the wheel- that the people on the ballots need to be younger Considering what he has already achieved chair athletes competing on the same day as the as well: “Now, to run for the Lower House [of the in 40 years, it seems like a great loss for Japan to general marathon runners. If we could do that, National Diet], a candidate must be at least 25. To be prevented from seeing what Ototake could I think we can find one kind of meaning in host- run for the Upper House, a candidate must be at do in politics were he given the chance. ing these Olympics in Tokyo.” least 30. Those Upper House members, even GOVERNMENT FOR ALL in their 30s, are going Through his recent work on the Tokyo Board to have a hard time of Education, his leadership of the anti-littering reaching younger peo- NPO Greenbird, and his studies at the National ple. I think that’s a real Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, one thing problem. We should has become clear to Ototake: the country’s polit- change the system to ical climate is in desperate need of change. He be more receptive to takes the World Happiness Report—a study that the opinions of the ranks nations on a variety of factors, including younger generation.” economic stability and trust in government— as a sobering illustration. In the 2016 edition A NEW CHOICE of the report, Japan ranked 53rd. “For a devel- Shortly after our in- oped nation, that is very low,” he warns. “One terview, news broke of the main reasons is that people don’t clearly that may radically af- see how their tax money is being used, or they fect the public figure’s don’t feel that their taxes are being used for career. In a story that Ototake at an informal discussion on diversity issues held last month

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 By Matthew Hernon

In Japan, tens of thousands still suc- cumb to the voices of loneliness and depression every year. But there are people and organizations that have made it their mission to reach out with open arms and open ears

itting at the back of a bus bawling his eyes out, Kevin Hines was desperate for someone to turn around and ask him what was wrong. Just 19 at the time, he was on his way to the Golden Gate Bridge: the destination he’d Schosen to end his own life. “I didn’t want to die that day, but I suffered from chronic suicidal ideation,” he told Weekender during his recent visit to Japan. “I’d been diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years earlier and the voices in my head telling me to die were over- powering. If anyone on the bus had spoken to me it could have made the difference. The only thing I heard was ‘what’s wrong with that guy?’” He was still crying when he arrived at the bridge. “A lady came towards me and I thought this is what I’ve been waiting for: someone to hear my story. She then handed me her camera and asked if I’d take her picture.” Moments later Hines jumped. It’s a 245-foot fall that fewer than 2 percent survive. According to the now 35 year old, it was a sea lion pushing him above the water, a lady phoning the Coast Guard, and some amazing doctors that saved him that day. The American says the moment he leapt, the only thought going through his head was one of regret—“Why am I doing this? I want to live.” He believes most people who take their own lives feel something similar when they are at the closest point to dying. Hines was given a second chance and is now in a much better place. Countless others around the globe aren’t so fortunate.

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.comwww.tokyoweekender.com SUICIDE PREVENTION | FEATURE | 19

I remember when the line was cut on one of the calls. We managed to trace it and got hold of the police but by the time they’d arrived the man had died. Sometimes you’re just too late.” Reflecting on the past 45 years, there’s a mixture of pride and sadness in Saito’s voice. Suicidal calls, he informs me, accounted for around 0.5 percent of the total calls received in the early 70s. Now it’s roughly 10 percent nationwide and 15 percent in Tokyo. “Of course Japan’s economic decline is one of the reasons for that, but I also think demograph- ic and societal changes have played a big part,” he says. “Everyone seems much busier now, so there’s less time for humans to develop. Additionally the growth of nuclear families means there are fewer people for While accurate statistics can be difficult the century. The amount of money being in- the younger generation to speak with when to collate, the WHO estimates that around vested has increased and as Hines mentioned they have problems. Our services give them 800,000 people die due to suicide annually. it’s a topic that is now being discussed more a chance to talk on the phone, face-to-face That’s roughly one every forty seconds. Here candidly here. In 2007 “a counter-suicide or in group sessions. The volunteers aren’t in Japan the National Police Agency recently white paper” was introduced. Initiatives in- there to tell them what to do, but to listen to announced that 23,971 people took their lives cluded age-specific programs and improved what they have to say.” in 2015—an average of over 65 a day. The treatment for people who had attempted to These conversations can save lives, yet country has one of the highest suicide rates in kill themselves. With suicide rates down, the sometimes it can take more than 20 attempts the developed world; however, numbers have charter does appear to be having an effect, before a caller gets through. In the UK you steadily been decreasing since 2003, when a but there’s a long way to go. have an organization like the Samaritans, record 34,427 reported suicides were tallied. People with mental illnesses continue to which has over 20,000 volunteers receiving “The rates in Japan are still well above be plagued by stigma and discrimination in average and double that of America, but it this country, so many choose to keep their is encouraging to see the drop in numbers,” suffering to themselves. Those who do seek says Hines. “Coming here talking to different The volunteers help are faced with a mental healthcare people I can sense a change in attitude. Rather system that’s lagging behind most devel- than just simply saying it is part of the samurai aren’t there to tell oped nations. Patients are afforded just a culture, people are now looking at things from few minutes of consultation because there a multi-dimensional viewpoint. Previously them what to do, but is an acute shortage of psychiatrists here. taboo topics like mental health and depression Institutionalization for sufferers is more are being discussed more openly than before. to listen to what common in Japan than in other Western You also have amazing groups like Inochi no countries and at psychiatric wards there is Denwa (Lifeline) and TELL helping individuals they have to say an emphasis on high doses of anti-psychot- stabilize and letting them know they deserve ic medication rather than therapy. On top to live.” of all that individuals who’ve attempted to roughly 5 million calls a year; compare that Inochi no Denwa was formed in 1971 by take their own lives are often discharged to Inochi no Denwa, a group with fewer than a German missionary named Ruth Hetcamp. from hospitals without being examined by 300 volunteers taking in around 22,000 calls She’d previously been helping “women of the a mental health professional. annually. Another issue is a lack of funds. streets” before Japan’s anti-prostitution law These are some of the issues raised by While raising capital for charitable organ- came into effect and believed a telephone Dr. Rene Duignan in his award-winning izations is tricky anywhere in the world, counseling service—similar to the one in her documentary “Saving 10,000: Winning a Saito believes it’s even harder here. Constant native homeland—would be a good way to War on Suicide.” The Irish economist decid- rejection won’t stop him though; the pastor reach out to those ladies. From the outset, ed to make the film after a lonely neighbor continues visiting companies asking for aid though, it was about more than just targeting had killed herself. She used to pop into his despite being in his 80s. For decades he lob- specific groups. Inochi no Denwa supported all apartment for a chat but as visits became bied the government for financial support kinds of people with problems ranging from more regular he pretended not to be home. and in 2001 they finally relented. loneliness to marriage difficulties. In 1973 At the end of the documentary he talks There’s no doubt progress has been a sister service for the foreign community, about the guilt he’s felt since her death, made in suicide prevention since the turn of TELL, was launched. Reverend Yukio Saito—a finishing with the poignant words—“It’s not prominent figure in both organizations for up to the government to save us, blaming more than four decades—recently spoke to this or that. Sometimes all you need to save Weekender about his experiences with the somebody’s live is to take the time to listen. organizations. If we’re looking for the enemy on the war “One of the earliest incidents I had to on suicide all we have to do is look in the deal with was a young girl who’d swallowed a mirror.” number of pills,” he says. “Our volunteer who These are sentiments that are under- had spoken to her on the phone realized it was standably echoed by Kevin Hines. “People serious so she got in contact with me. I drove don’t really want to die or hurt others out in the middle of the night and found the when they attempt to take their own lives,” lady lying on a bench barely alive. Fortunately he says. “Their brains aren’t functioning there was a 24-hour clinic nearby which we rationally. They’re going through hell and took her to so she could have her stomach need someone to unleash that pain on. Just pumped. She managed to turn her life around being there, lending an ear; that could be after staying at one of our dormitories for two the difference between life and death. Sui- months. Not every story is so positive though. cide prevention is everybody’s business.”

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 By Matthew Hernon

Champion Natsumi Hoshi has already beaten back a disease that could have ruined her career. Now she’s preparing to swim for gold

wimmer Natsumi Hoshi was just 16 when she Inspired by the Australian, Hoshi’s times im- was diagnosed with Graves’ disease. An autoim- proved. She won two inter-prefectural high school mune disorder affecting the thyroid gland, it’s championships, but something wasn’t right. Increas- a debilitating illness that sapped her energy, ingly fatigued, she found training was becoming more Sweakened her muscles and turned a simple task like difficult. “I went to see the doctor and he informed climbing the stairs into an arduous one. me that I had Graves’ disease,” she tells us. “I thought For a young athlete with great potential it was I’d have to quit swimming. I was often out of breath a devastating blow, but rather than letting it get her and couldn’t do any intense training. The medication down Hoshi fought back and within a year of the I was on wasn’t making much of a difference and I diagnosis had remarkably made the Japan team for could only do light exercise like walking in the pool.” the Beijing Olympics. Almost a decade later she is now After two months she was given different medi- a world champion in the 200 meter butterfly and goes cine. Despite side effects such as cramping and weight to Rio this summer as one of her country’s top medal gain, it seemed to do the trick. She grew stronger and prospects. was soon back to her best. She finished second in the Continuing our build up to the Games, Weekender 200 meter butterfly at the 2008 National Champion- recently met up with the 25 year old at the Japan Insti- ships, which earned her a place at the Beijing Games. tute of Sports Science in Tokyo. Considering she was still at high school and too “My first interest in swimming came from watch- exhausted to train a few months earlier, it was an in- ing my brother in the pool when I was two maybe,” she credible achievement just to be part of the Olympics, says with a smile. “At elementary school I didn’t win but Hoshi left China with regret. any big races or display real promise so my parents “I underachieved,” she says. “I felt I could chal- thought I’d eventually quit. I carried on, not because of lenge, but I went out in the semis, which was bitterly an obvious talent, but because I loved the sport. That disappointing. Although it was tough watching the feeling grew even stronger after watching Ian Thorpe final after that, it showed me the level I needed to be at the 2000 Sydney Olympics on TV and live at the 2002 at, which gave me an extra desire to push on. I was Pan Pacific Championships in Yokohama.” determined not to be watching from the sidelines

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.comwww.tokyoweekender.com Hoshi with her coach Norimasa Hirai at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan Last time we didn’t manage any golds and that is something we must rectify this summer. Hopefully I can under the contribute to that

helped to reduce stress levels, allowing surface her to focus more on swimming. Around the time of the surgery she apan has won a total of 73 Olympic medals also began working with renowned coach in swimming including 20 golds. Eleven of again in four years’ time.” Norimasa Hirai. He famously guided those victories have come in either the 100m She wasn’t. Hoshi powered through the Kosuke Kitajima to double gold medals at Jor 200m breaststroke. Kosuke Kitajima is the qualifying rounds at the London Games the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Prior to the country’s most decorated Olympic swimmer with and was seen as a potential dark horse in Athens Games Brendan Hansen smashed four titles to his name, followed by Yoshiyuki the final. After a slow start, though, her the Japanese swimmer’s world record in Tsuruta who won two in the 200m breaststroke. prospects didn’t look good. The Waseda the 100 meter breaststroke by 0.48 sec- One of the country’s greatest successes was at University student was well off the pace at onds and was seen as the favorite for the the 1932 Games in Los Angeles, where they took the 100 meter stage. She recovered some race. Hirai, however, felt the American home five golds in total. The last female to stand ground over the next 50 meters and then had peaked too early and pushed his own on top of the podium was Ai Shibata who won the in the home straight surged past pre-race pupil hard in the final weeks building up 800m freestyle in 2004. favorite Kathleen Hersey. China’s Jiao to the event—a time when most athletes Liuyang and Spain’s Mireia Belmonte are slowing down. The strategy paid off. Looking ahead to Rio, Japan has a number of were just out of reach, but Hoshi had done “It feels like there is some kind of swimmers capable of adding to that golden list enough to claim a bronze. magic in his words,” says Hoshi. “He’s re- of 20. As well as Natsumi Hoshi, there are two “It was a bittersweet feeling after- ally pinpoint in his advice and when you other world champions on the squad: Kanako wards,” she says. “I know how hard it is have a problem he seems to fix it. The way Watanabe won gold in the 200m breaststroke and to win a medal at the Olympics so I was he helped me prepare for the Champion- Daiya Seto did the same in the 400m individual obviously pleased, yet at the same time my ships in Kazan was perfect.” medley. The latter could face tougher opposition goal in London was to bring back the gold. The coach isn’t the only influential in Brazil: There’s a chance of both Ryan Lochte I gave myself too much to do in the latter person in Hoshi’s training sessions. She and Michael Phelps making a return, as well as stages and that ultimately cost me.” also gets inspiration from working with Kosuke Hagino who missed last year’s champion- Hoshi once again left it late at last Kitajima and 2014 World Swimmer of the ships due to a broken elbow. Hagino is arguably year’s World Championships in Kazan, Year Kosuke Hagino. The three of them all Japan’s most exciting swimmer and is expected to Russia. Back in sixth place after the first contributed to Japan’s medal haul in Lon- compete in multiple events this summer. Rikako lap, she slowly made up the ground before don, which stood at 11. The question now Ikee is another name to look out for. Still only 15, going in for the kill towards the end. “I felt is: can they improve on that in Rio? “I’m she’s already broken three national records in the in control throughout, but I was fortunate not sure,” says Hoshi. “To be honest while 50m and 100m freestyle and the 100m butterfly. to win with a time of 2:05.56,” she says. it’s great winning lots of medals, I think Before thinking about Olympic glory, though, “Belmonte and the two Chinese girls (Jiao the type of medal is just as important. Last both she and Hagino will first have to get through Liuyang and Liu Zige) were missing and time we didn’t manage any golds and that the qualifying stages at this month’s National they’ll be back for Rio so I know I need to is something we must rectify this summer. Championships. Hoshi, Watanabe and Seto have go much faster.” Hopefully I can contribute to that.” already booked their places in Rio following their Confident, yet at the victories in Kazan last spring. same time cautious about her chances in Brazil, GRAVES’ DISEASE Hoshi believes a new Named after Irish doctor Robert J. Graves, it is an Olympic record may be autoimmune illness in which the over activity of required to take home the thyroid gland causes the overproduction of the gold. She tells me thyroid hormones. Common symptoms include preparations are going shortness of breath, chest pain and muscle weak- well and the lethargy ness. The most famous Olympian to contract the that has troubled her at disease was sprinter and hurdler Gail Devers who meets down the years is lost clumps of her hair, had skin falling off her now less of a prob- face, and at times had to crawl between rooms at lem since she had an home during a two-year hiatus from the sport. operation to remove her She made a glorious comeback winning gold in thyroid gland towards the 100m at the Barcelona Olympics. the end of 2014. It’s

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 Golden Week Getaways The weather is warming up and with Golden Week just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to plan a trip. Although it seems that almost every Japanese citizen—and their dog—is on the move over Golden Week, there are plenty of wonderful places around the archipelago where the crowds won’t be too much of a problem

by Louise George Kittaka Mine, Yamaguchi: Akiyoshido Limestone Cave amaguchi Prefecture in the Chugoku region is off the average foreign tourist’s radar, but is home to the spectacular Akiyoshido Limestone Cave in Mine. The caves Yare around ten kilometers in length, one kilometer of which is open to the public. The route is equipped with elevators and isn’t difficult to traverse, making it suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. (Very small children, however, might find the underground experience unnerving.) You can view a range of curious and awe-inspiring vistas sculpted by Mother Nature herself along the way, and you may see some of the six types of bats that call the caves “home.” Other attractions in the Mine area include the Akiyoshidai Karst Observatory, located in a popular area for hiking and wonderful views, and Akiyoshidai Safariland, where you can get close up and personal with various animals.

Yoichi, Hokkaido: A Land of Wine & Whiskey nown for its lovely beaches, Yoichi is popular with surfers in the warmer months of the year. However, it is also a good choice for those who want to enjoy a touch of the K gourmet life. It goes without saying that the area boasts fresh, delicious seafood, but it is also beginning to develop a reputation for wines, too. One winery and restaurant that comes recommended is The Occi Gabi (www.occigabi.net). They welcome visitors from elementary school age and up, and the owner speaks both English and German. Yoichi is also home to the Nikka Whiskey Distillery, famous as the origin of Japanese whiskey and, more recently, as the inspiration for the popular NHK “Massan” morning drama. Nikka founders Masataka Taketsuru and his Scottish wife Rita were the models for the characters in the series.

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com Takachiho, Miyazaki: Spectacular Scenery and Shinto Mythology he dramatic geographical features of Takachiho in northwest Miyazaki Prefecture can make for an unforgettable Golden Week excursion. The Gokase River flows through the Takachiho Gorge, with steep cliffs on either side. Probably the best way to experience the natural beauty of the gorge is by renting a boat, with the 17-meter high Manai Falls being just one of the cascades to Ttake in along the route. There are also walking trails, and Golden Week is prime time to view various species of flowers. Takachiho is also known as a cradle of Shinto, Japan’s native religion. There are a number of shrines to visit, and Takachiho Shrine hosts evening performances of Kagura—sacred dancing and music offered to the Shinto gods. Minpaku (homestays) can be arranged through the town office. Particularly welcoming to foreign overnight guests is Shonenji Temple, where British woman Victoria Yoshimura and her Japanese husband are the priests.

Tono and Kitakami, Iwate: Folklore in the North ost visitors to Iwate make a beeline for Hiraizumi, a World Heritage spot renowned for its historic monuments and gardens. However, for something a little different, head over to the small Mtown of Tono with its rich folkloric heritage. Chief within this tradition are legends about the kappa, mischievous Japanese “water sprites” that resemble something akin to a turtle, frog and bird all rolled into one. A few kilometers out of town is the picturesque Kappabuchi Pool, where you can try fishing for kappa with a cucumber (their favorite food), and chat to Kappa Ojisan, the local kappa expert. Don’t miss the Tono Folklore Village (Furusato no Mura), which has a wonderful collection of traditional buildings set up like a farming village. The first part of Golden Week is generally cherry blossom time in Iwate, and Tenshochi Park in the city of Kitakami is a top viewing spot. Located Wakayama: Koyasan and about 70 minutes from Tono, the park hosts parades and festival booths during the season, and is adjacent to the Michinoku Folklore Museum. Stationmaster Cat he Koyasan (Mount Koya) area is a World Heritage site and has been a sacred spot for Japanese Buddhism since the monk Kukai set up residence T there in 816. The centerpiece is Okunoin Cemetery, comprised of some 200,000 stone monuments set among a cedar forest. It is hard to sum up the atmosphere at Okunoin, but a combination of “spiritual, tranquil, ethereal and eerie” might cover it. Scores of other temples can be found in the vicinity, some of which offer lodgings to tourists and the chance to experience shojin ryori (vegetarian Buddhist cuisine) and meditation. Less than an hour from this quintessential Japanese experience is another “only-in-Japan” attraction: Nitama, the Stationmaster Cat. Presiding over Kishi Station on the Kishikawa train line in Kinokawa, Nitama follows in the footsteps of her late predecessor, the “legendary” Tama. The cat is credited for bringing the station back from the brink of financial ruin and tourists now flock to the area, which now celebrates all things feline.

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 By Greg Afman

Don’t be put off by the pint-sized space you’ve got on your apartment balcony: there’s still room to grow

f you are anything like me, once the sakura OPTION 1: AN EDIBLE GARDEN buds begin to swell, it’s official: I have spring Who doesn’t like fresh veggies? I know, I can hear fever. During this period I feel compelled to you saying it already: “I don’t have enough room reconnect and reintroduce nature into my to grow anything.” This is understandable, for the Ibalcony and apartment. majority of us might be thinking back to the way In my spring cleaning I come across a plethora that we or our parents grew vegetables back home. of empty pots and half used bags of soil, all rem- Plants were laid out in long rows with space to walk nants of last spring’s overzealous buying sprees. I between, in turn using a lot of real estate. Over figure I can’t be the only one with this problem, see- the last five years or so Square Foot Gardening, or ing that most of us want more green in our lives and SFG, has gained popularity as one possible solution are restricted by the limited space of our balcony. to address the difficulties of growing in an urban For most of us, the dream of having a lushly planted landscape. It’s a growing method that increases oasis for a balcony is soon blocked out by drying production and uses less space at the same time. garments, but with a little planning you should be (See sidebar for details.) able to do both. Try these three ideas on for size:

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com OPTION 3: KOKEDAMA As much time as I’d like to be out- doors, I unfortunately spend a lot of my time indoors. The final sug- gestion in our trio of suggestions is kokedama (moss ball), which provides a great way to incorporate nature into our apartments in a way that feels very modern. If you are not familiar with kokedama it is a plant, of almost any variety, that is growing out from a sphere of peat and soil covered in moss. The great thing about them is the fact that you can grow dozens on a balcony and rotate them in and out of your apartment depending OPTION 2: A GREEN CURTAIN. upon your mood, whether the plant is in bloom, This is a great option for those who want to im- in its autumn glory, or whether you are having he basic principle is to divide your prove their view and also keep cool in summer. people over. planting bed or containers into A lot of gardens in Japan use shakkei (borrowed Kokedama have become very popular both 1 x 1 foot (30 x 30 cm) squares and scenery), a technique of incorporating a back- inside and outside of Japan in the past few years grow different plants in each of ground into the garden itself, but let’s face it, and can be purchased anywhere from depart- Tthese squares. The “secret” that makes for the most of us don’t want to bring the views we can ment stores to local “home centers” all across increased productivity has to do with the fact see from our balconies into our apartments. Tokyo. But we recommend making your own, that you are planting using the “space after I’m trying hard enough to keep the guy who’s as half the fun is in creating them. One excel- thinning” that is recommended on the back of smoking on the balcony across from me from lent online resource for making kokedama is the seed package, ignoring the “seed spacing” watching TV with me! Green curtains work art-kokedama.com. advice. What does this look like? Imagine you double duty, providing a creative way to screen You can use almost any plant or tree you have a 2 x 2 foot (61 x 61 cm) container or 4 square feet (0.35 sq m) to play with. In 1 square you could plant 16 carrots or radishes, in another square 9 bunches of spinach, in Allow your balcony to be an another 4 lettuce or basil plants, and in the final square, 1 tomato plant. extension of nature The spacing the plant needs to grow will obviously dictate how many you can put in a out unsightly views and also bring the refresh- fancy. Aloe, Japanese maple, succulents, English square. If the plant requires 3 inches (7.6 cm) of spacing then you can have 16 plants, and ing sights and benefits of nature into your ivy—the possibilities are only limited by your im- 4 inches (10.1 cm) of spacing then 9 plants, apartment. Many plants lend themselves to this agination. Also, you can really give your inner de- and so on. Once you have your containers type of growing arrangement, but two foolproof signer free rein with regards to showing off these prepared, you can use string to mark out your plants to start with are goya and morning moss spheres; you get to decide how they will be squares, but anything will work. Then you glory. Morning glory comes in a wide range of displayed because they don’t have pots. Anything are off and growing! The rest is easy; once a varieties, and they were a very popular plant from a small antique plate to a silver dish can be square is done producing, you pull the plant(s) during the Edo period in Tokyo, and continue used. The possibilities are endless. out, mix in a little fresh compost and plant to be sold at flower festivals throughout the So as the days slowly get warmer and nature something new in its place. Just be warned: city to this day. No matter what you choose to starts to give us signs of its rebirth, use this time your friends may soon catch wind of your grow as a green curtain, you will be blocking to rethink your balcony’s role. Elevate it from green thumb and come knocking on your door out the strong summer sunlight, helping to its lowly status as strictly a place to dry your for your fresh salsa. reduce the need for air conditioning—if not in clothes! Allow your balcony to be an extension reality, then at least psychologically. The items of nature. Go ahead, get your hands dirty and (For more information on SFG, needed and actual setup for a green curtain are let’s blur the line between inside and out. squarefootgardening.org is a great resource) pretty straightforward and simple. Purchase a few windowsill type rectangular Greg Afman is the former lead horticulturist containers, fill them with potting for one of the most prominent Japanese gar- mix and plant your seeds, or just dens in the US. He is now living and working plug your plants in them. Next you as a gardener in the Nagoya area. will need to have a structure or string for the plants to climb up. I tend to buy a big ball of string and fashion my own tressal for the plants to climb up. All these supplies can be found at any DIY store. Tokyo is a great city to see some pretty impressive green curtains, so head out and get some inspiration.

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 By Natalie Jacobsen

“Totem,” the third Cirque du Soleil show to come to Japan, is the company’s most ambitious production yet

t all starts with The Crystal Man. Glittering Though there is no set script in the show, one and curled up, he drops slowly from the clown character, Valentino, defies the “body ceiling. The 4,000 mirror pieces that make language only” rule—and while he babbles up his costume sparkle in the spotlight as away in Italian for the most part, many zingers Ihe dips towards the stage. His commanding are in Japanese, inciting giggles from children. presence, hovering over the giant turtle cara- One of the fundamental components of the pace stage set, summons the “frog people” to Cirque du Soleil experience is their hallmark rise from their slumber, bringing a spark into usage of the “Big Top” tents, harking back the show. With a beat of the drums, the fire to days of rustic circuses on the outskirts of catches, and life begins. French cities. Their trademark yellow and blue Cirque du Soleil’s “Totem” has been on tent is taken down and rebuilt in each place tour for the last 6 years, traipsing around the it travels to, with stadium seating and earth- planet to 30 cities in 12 countries, entertaining quake-proof framing. As if by magic, it looks nearly 4 million. Much of the core cast has far too small from the outside to hold all that remained intact, with just a few performers in the show entails, including an audience several rotation. “Totem” is the third Cirque du Soleil hundred strong. The audience sits around the show to appear in Japan (“Michael Jackson: stage, atypical of stage performances. Said The Immortal World Tour” and “Zed” were its artistic director Neelanthi Vadivel of the theater predecessors). layout: “It’s very intimate. The audience is close This is the second Cirque du Soleil show to the action, so it’s a beautiful experience.” for creator Robert Lepage. Although it follows “Totem” follows the evolution of life, his prior “Ka” with its exploration of love and from the amphibian stage to a distant future. humanity, “Totem” is a “stand-alone perfor- “[Lepage] really wanted it to jump back and mance.” Each time the show takes up residence forth through different time periods, differ- in a new city, it is slightly reconstructed with ent locations on the globe,” explains Vadivel. local audiences in mind. “The music is adapted “We’re trying to tell everybody’s story.” to please the [country’s] audience culturally,” Each of the dozen acts embodies a particu- Lepage explained in an earlier interview. lar time and place, and highlights a different

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com CIRQUE DU SOLEIL | ART & CULTURE | 27

make their way into “busy-ness” and colors and enormous set the crowd during pieces. Unicyclists have carefully choreo- the show, keeping graphed their balancing act, tossing soup the audience on the bowls stacked on their heads onto their feet, edge of their seat one by one, before kicking them onto each and getting everyone others’ heads. Russian Bars performers leap involved. At times, high into the air, flipping multiple times it’s hard to stay before landing smoothly on 10-cm-wide focused on just one beams. Yet, perhaps the most mesmerizing character, for fear of acts are the solos or duets: Trapeze artists missing out on what who flip and spin high in the air, climbing another is doing. over each other effortlessly, fearlessly. An While un- exhilarating performance by two roller skat- mistakably original ers upon a two-meter–wide drum, who act in approach, much out a “wedding” in a captivating whirlwind. of the show pays The “Crystal Lady,” who can juggle four homage to ancient spinning rugs on her feet while lying down, myths and legends the “Strong Man” who can balance on a of Amerindians and single hand, without so much as a tremor, kind of performance skill. As the show tribes from all corners of the globe. The or the “Love Birds” who can dangle fifty progresses, each act seems to top the one turtle-shaped centerpiece is acknowledge- feet in the air, the woman’s head cradled in before, continuing to expand the bound- ment of several civilizations’ symbol of the hand of the man who is hanging just by ary of human ability, right up to the cli- origin. Each costume, too, embodies not his knees—all acts are remarkable in the max of the two-hour journey through the any single group, but rather, incorporates feats they achieve, each talent leaving the history of humankind. The breathtaking motifs from several peoples and cultures, audience breathless and in suspension. performances by the cast, including mu- from Bollywood to South America. The “Totem’s” music takes us through the sicians, are all “disciplines you’ve never inclusion plays to the theme that we all past, the costumes dazzle us with cultural seen on a Cirque stage before,” proclaims publicist Francis Jalbert. Technology plays a pivotal role in the production of “Totem.” The stage itself acts as a screen for an overhead video We’re trying to tell everybody’s story. projection for Argentinean volcanoes, Icelandic waterfalls, and American marshes; synchronized performers “dive” into the screen, just as charac- come from the same place, and have traditions and colors, each act pushes the ters “swim” through the screen before the same ambition: “to escape Earth’s limits of human flexibility and strength, crawling out of the stage, a stage that gravity.” All of the music is inspired by, and the technology flies us into the future: transforms from a turtle shell into a rock- and includes sound bites from, Native evidence of evolution carries us through et halfway through. The music, lights, American tribal music, Indian tunes, and the show, right up to the final bow. The and in-air acts all harness high-tech, in Spanish flamenco melodies. narrative and the backbone of “Totem” are what seems to be a nod towards how Considered to be the most ambitious the transcendence and importance of love, far we have come, and how much we Cirque du Soleil showcases to date, “To- supporting one another, and continuing to have evolved, highlighted by the show’s tem” journeys not just through time and grow—together, as humankind. final “cosmonaut” act that launches us lands, but talent. The 40-strong troupe is towards the future. very much a family—literally. A younger “Totem” will be on at Odaiba Big Top until The family-friendly show engages performer, Nikita Moiseev (seen “flying” June 26. See totem-jp.com for more details. audiences even before the lights dim. on the Russian Bars), is the son of Russian Clowns and a modern version of a Bars coach Alexander Moiseev. Nikita was “ringmaster” walk among the audience, born while his parents were on tour with throwing popcorn, teasing children with Cirque du Soleil’s “Alegria” twenty years time-honored pocket gimmicks, and ago, and has been in the circus since. “I’ve snapping photos. Drummers and “apes” been performing for 13 years, and I was traveling for most of my life,” says Nikita. Fifty other family members join their partners, parents, and children around the world on tour, keeping in line with the tradition of old-fash- ioned images of traveling circuses. The large-ensemble acts, involving mon- keys, the Scientist, and “present day” man, are mesmerizing in their

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 28 | WEEKENDER | EXPAT LIFE

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www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 Martin Fluck, Kyoko Spector, Entertainment group “Lucky white person” at the opening party of Oakwood Premier Tokyo

Tokyo’s Longest Running Society Page with Bill Hersey

t’s been five years since the Great East Japan Earthquake street performer made their dream come true by creating the fabu- and Tsunami and found it depressing reading that there are lous circus. Guy’s a dynamic guy who does things like flying into orbit still 180,000 victims of that great tragedy living as refugees and here on Earth, gets involved in so many worthwhile charity pro- and unable to resume a normal life. Thank God the Catholic jects. Just got an e-mail from him about the “One Night for One Drop” IChurch and charity organizations like Caritas Japan continue to charity auction in Las Vegas. Guy founded the One Drop foundation in help so many people who have suffered so much. 2007 to provide access to safe water to the most disadvantaged regions I had the chance to visit the Tohoku region with Bill Ireton and of world. This is the 4th year they’ve done this, and the prizes include his older son, Matthew a short time after it all happened. We drove meeting and greeting celebrities, luxury travel and many other up in a van full of baseball uniforms and equipment for several unique and interesting things, including Victoria Secret Fashion Show schools that had pretty much been destroyed. I took time to walk packages, and walk-on roles in movies. For information, contact info@ along the beach that was now miles of flattened homes and miles charitybuzz.com to help Guy keep up the good work. of mud. Still have vivid images of things like family photos, books, One of Japan’s top restaurateurs Kozo Hasegawa, owns many a tennis racket, clothing and many other personal things that be- restaurants here in Tokyo. These include Gonpachi, where visiting US longed to those who lived there buried in the mud. Presidents always eat; Monsoon; La Boheme; Legato; and many other Caritas Japan, which is supported by the Catholic Church in very busy chains. For quite some time now he’s been commuting from Japan, has cooperated in reconstruction activities and continues to Japan to California on his latest project, which he describes as “an work closely with the local people. They are especially good with amazing mega restaurant.” He’ll soon open at the Third Street Prome- the children and elderly, who still face so many problems. If you nade in Santa Monica—construction was just finished and it will open have time and really want to help others, contact Caritas Japan at in May. I’m sure that’s going to be very special, as well as very busy. 03-5632-4439 or 03-5632-4411 Our congratulations to Kozo and his staff. Still on helping others, I heard a dear friend, Guy Laliberté sold Seems like there’s so many crazy things happening in this old his big and beautiful business the world famous Cirque du Soleil. world of ours. When I say this to friends, most of them say it’s always He’s done a lot of interesting and good things since he and another been that way, but now with TV, mobile phones, and everything else,

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.comwww.tokyoweekender.com PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 31

Diana Hudoyarova, Anna Shiga’s mom, Tatiana

Akihiro Nozaki, Super formula racer J.P. Yoon Eui Chun, Anna Danielsson, Birthday Girl Anna Shiga, Oksana Shimoda Pirelli Tires Pres. Japan, Giovanni Ponzoni

Anna Shiga’s Birthday Party

Elizaveta and Tamerlan Abdikeev with their daughter Adelia Tsukasa Shiga, his wife Anna, their daughter Anastasia

Maruyumas’ Chinese Dinner— Hilton’s Dynasty

Luxembourg Amb. Beatrice Kirsch, Kuwaiti Amb. Abdul Al-Otaibi, Moroccan Amb. Samir Arrour, Iman Younes Waleed and Maali Siam, Mitsuo Maruyama, Angola Amb. (Lebanon), Marlise Vahekeni, Lilo Maruyama Joào Vahekeni, his wife Marlise

Algerian Amb. Mohamed Bencheif, Moroccan Amb. Samir Birthday girl Sadako Nagano, Hisa Uemura, Lilo, Arrour, Iman Younes, Kuwait Amb. Al-Otaibi Yasumine Araita (Djibouti)

Lilo, Tsugahara-san, Yanai-san, Mutsuko Kato, Toni Matsubara, Akio Matsuzaki (father-in-law, PM Abe), Toshiko Yanai, Lilo, former Amb. to US Shunji Yanai, Samir Arrour, Khalid Al-Muslahi, Lina Chikada, Waleed Prime minister Abe’s mother Yoko, Mitsuo Maruyama Shima-san Siam, Tania Tupou (Tonga) and Helge Maruyama Emiko Matsuzaki, Hisa Uemura

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 32 | SOCIETY | PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES

Stanley Nakagawa, his wife Jane Yamano who runs Yamano Oakwood’s Eric Ishimaru, Makiko Mori, Tetsuo Isono, Beauty, Oakwood’s Amy Kanashiro and Martin Fluck Oakwood’s Miyako and Mika

Tekko Bldg. COO Soichiro Masuoka, Tekko GM Tetsuo Isono, Tokyo Midtown’s Yasuhiro Nakamura, Martin Fluck, Makiko Mori, Tekko Pres./CEO Yoshifumi Masuoka, Konishiki, fashion designer Shizuka Miura, Chie Asian Tigers Nick Masse Mitsui Fudosan’s Yasuhiro Tanaka (Konishiki’s wife), textile designer Masumi Kawahara

Oakwood Premier Tokyo Opening

Martin, Oakwood Asia Pacific’s Dean Schreiber, Michael Mrolzek (Okuno & Partners) Nick Coyle (MSX Intl.), Mika Kume, Keren Meirs

In and Around

Dancers at last year’s Super Yosakoi One of the entertainers at the Oakwood Premier opening

Producer Raymond Johnson and his daughter Liili

Koichiro and Daniele Yoshikoshi and friends Eduardo and Super pop star Yoshiki of the band X-Japan after his recent concert and Bill Senora Cardena visiting from Colombia at Nat’l Azabu

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 33 we just see and hear about so much more than we used to. I’ve mother, Yoko Abe as well as his in-laws, Akio and Emiko Matsuza- never been all that interested in politics but have really gotten ki (He’s with Morinaga Chocolate). Other members of the Tokyo hooked on CNN’s coverage of what’s happening on the American glitterati included Hisako Uemura, whose husband Banjiro is the political scene now. Like so-o-o many, I’m not happy about Trump founder of the huge Tohokushinsha Company on Aoyama Dori and and find it difficult to understand how anyone could vote for also owner of the popular National Azabu Supermarkets. These him after all the things he says, his behavior, and his attitude in are well worth checking out. The variety of health foods that store general. Many people I know from just about everywhere feel the manager Dale Toriumi has brought in from all over the world is same way. The German magazine Der Speigel has labeled him “The really impressive. Most Dangerous Man in the World.” Former US Secretary of State As always, the Maruyamas’ get together was laid-back and fun. Madeline Albright said the same thing when she was interviewed Good friends at my table included Moroccan Ambassador Samir by Christiane Amanpour on CNN. We all have heard “What we’ll do Arrour and Kuwaiti Ambassador Rahman Al-Otaibi. I was sitting if he wins—we’ll put up a wall,” “Don’t let Muslims in,” and more. between two really outgoing interesting ladies, Marlise Vahekeni, A short time later, it’s “I love the Mexicans” “I love Texas.” “I love wife of Angola Ambassador Vahekeni and Luxembourg Ambassa- women and a real long list of other things” he loves. With his hair, dor Beatrice Kirsch. I knew Marlise through her help at my annual his tons of makeup, and his attitude he does look a bit mental. In Children’s Christmas party, which we’ve been doing at the Hilton many of his appearances he reminds me of North Korea’s Kim Jong for 18 years. This was my first time to meet Beatrice and really Un, and looks like an ageing, pouting 10 year-old spoiled kid. enjoyed getting to know her. The ten-course dinner was excellent I haven’t lived in the US for a long time, but have many great and it was, as always, a great, laid-back evening with a full house memories of growing up there and do love my country. I really of good friends and good people. hope and pray that things get better and my country finds solutions for the many problems many Americans are facing, and of course, CEREMONY BIRTHDAY FOR ANNA I also really wish people of the world could learn to live with each Ceremony President Tsukasa Shiga (who many of you know) other peacefully. hosted a birthday party in Roppongi Hills Club for his super Rus- sian wife Anna recently. Guests were mostly former Russian and PEOPLE Ukrainian models and their very international Japanese husbands Had a long telephone conversation with former Tokyoite Maria and many of their beautiful, energetic kids. The food at Roppongi Anderson who with her husband Ron, lives in New York now. Really Hills was excellent and it was a relaxing and interesting evening happy to hear they’re making their annual trip here for the cherry with a really nice guest list. Happy birthday Anna—and many blossoms and the Cherry Blossom Ball. They’ll arrive April 1 and more to come. stay until April 10, and are looking forward to seeing old friends. Happy to see Mick Jagger’s ex-wife, Texas model Jerry Hall just mar- GRAND OPENING OF OAKWOOD PREMIERE TOKYO ried Rupert Murdock. I spent considerable time with Jerry when As a longtime fan of and frequent guest of many of their special she was in Tokyo for modeling. One of my favorite photos is a black events, I was sure that the opening of Oakwood Premier’s luxu- and white one I took of Jerry in a tight black dress, her long blonde rious new serviced apartments, the 123-room Oakwood Premier hair flying when she was doing some lesbian looking dancing at the Tokyo in Marunouchi would be very special. Located on the 6th popular Lez club. She’s a fun and sharp lady. Hope she’s happy with to the 19th floor of the ultra modern Tekko Building, the serviced her new man. apartments offer all the amenities, services and facilities we have come to expect from Oakwood. As their brochure reads, it’s a MARUYAMA CHINESE DINNER – HILTON’S DYNASTY sanctuary in a pulsating city. Guests at the cocktail reception were Mitsuo Maruyama, his wife Lilo and their son Helge always go all an interesting mix of Japanese and foreign VIPs. out to make anything they do really special. It seems they’re always After a short welcome speech by Oakwood Asia Pacific Ltd’s traveling, and have been named the most traveled family in the managing director Dean Schreiber, people there enjoyed the world by several travel organizations. When they’re in Japan their gourmet buffet, mixing with old friends, making new friends and annual garden party at their beautiful home in Tochigi is one of the enjoying the fun entertainment. most legendary parties on the Tokyo social scene. In addition to that The New Oakwood Premier is just steps away from Tokyo Lilo often hosts luncheons for her many int’l and Japanese Station. You should drop by and check it out. The panoramic friends. view of Ginza from the reception area is really awe- This year their annual Chinese dinner at Hilton some. The invitation was unique and cool—a gold Tokyo’s Dynasty restaurant was bigger and better than silhouette on a black card of Tokyo’s ever growing ever. Special guests included Prime Minister Abe’s skyline. It’s one you want to keep or copy.

Male models Jeoren Teerlinch (Amsterdam) and Jack Mather Segafredo Hiroo’s always helpful staffers Alessio Bonelli, Hiroyuki (England) at Hiroo Segafredo Watanabe, and Marco Anacleria

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 COMING TO A CINEMA NEAR YOU IN APRIL

APR 22 THE REVENANT icking up an Academy Award for Best Director is quite an Pachievement: taking away the prize in two consecutive years puts the winner in a most exclusive circle. Alejandro González Iñárritu is only the third man to hold such an honor and the first to do so in 65 years, thanks to “Birdman” followup “The Revenant.” The film also earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Best Actor Oscar after many years of trying. DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, a fur trapper in the wild Northern Plains of 1820s America. After being viciously attacked by a grizzly bear, the dying man is then abandoned and betrayed by the men left behind to see that his body was properly taken care of. What follows is an extraordinary (and true) story of survival as the seriously wounded Glass nurses himself back to health before setting out on a mission of vengeance against those men that callously left him to rot in a shallow grave. A film of staggering technical brilliance from a master of his craft, “The Revenant” offers brutal action set amidst a stunningly beautiful yet bitterly harsh environment.

APR 8 LOWLIFE LOVE APR 15 etsuo is a lowlife, a scummy film director with one minor hit to his Tname who lures in women with promises of acting roles only to use them for sex. Unfortunately, at the lowest levels of the indie filmmaking scene he’s not the only scumbag around. Eiji Uchida, director of outstanding 2013 black-comedy “Greatful Dead,” populates his latest work ROOM with a lineup of sleazy producers, actors, YOUTH ndie drama “Room” took the world agents and managers who’ll do anything talian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino by storm, racking up multiple film to make it to the top. Now, with the help provides the more thoughtful Iprizes and making it all the way to the of a naïve young screenwriter and an Icinemagoer with a trip to the Swiss Academy Awards thanks to its deeply moving innocent actress, Tetsuo might just be able Alps in his latest work, “Youth.” Aging narrative. Young newcomer Jacob Tremblay to get his career back on track, if he can get best friends Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel are guests at a luxurious hotel who wows as five-year-old Jack, a little boy who his act together and rise above the sleazy spend their days lounging by the pool has lived his entire life inside a tiny room. world he inhabits. and reflecting on their lives and fading Jack’s mother Joy, an equally impressive Brie memories. One a successful film director Larson, was captured seven years earlier and and the other a renowned composer, their has been held captive ever since. Joy tries to respective desire or apathy towards work create a happy life for her son but struggles to APR 2 drives the plot but it’s the traded words cope with her situation and the routine rapes of these two acting heavyweights that from a man they call “Old Nick.” With living provides the content. Encounters with the conditions growing worse, Joy decides it’s time likes of Rachel Weisz, Jane Fonda and Paul to make a break for the outside, introducing Dano add further color to this beautifully her son to a world he didn’t believe existed. shot film. “Youth” is Sorrentino’s second Director Lenny Abrahamson infuses a film English language film and the follow up to that could have been unbearably dark with his 2013 Academy Award winning effort the power of hope. “The Great Beauty.”

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com PREVIEWS | MOVIES | 35

APR 23 > BEST OF THE REST This Month’s Releases

THE MOHICAN COMES HOME APRIL 8 Punk rocker Ryuhei Matsuda returns to his island hometown to find his estranged father on his last legs. The wayward son decides to hang around and reconnect with the dying man in this life-affirming comedy-drama.

COP CAR CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR APRIL 8 fter last month’s clash between DC Comic titans Batman This throwback action-thriller and Superman, Marvel’s own big screen heavyweights are sees Kevin Bacon as a county getting in on the hero vs. hero action. Robert Downey Jr.’s sheriff on the trail of two A young boys who have taken an wisecracking Iron Man often came into conflict with Chris Evans’ stoic man-out-of-time Captain America but they formed a friendship abandoned cop car for a joyride built on mutual respect and shared adventures. When yet another into a world of trouble. international incident occurs involving The Avengers, Cap must take a stand to protect his friend The Winter Soldier (Sebastian AYASHII KANOJO Stan) from the fallout, and the Earth’s mightiest superheroes APRIL 1 become split down the middle. The Falcon (Antony Mackie), Scarlet Japanese remake of Korean Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) line up smash hit “Miss Granny,” behind Cap while Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Vision (Paul in which a cantankerous Bettany), War Machine (Don Cheadle) and newcomer The Black grandmother magically regains Panther (Chadwick Boseman) stand with Iron Man. And is that a the body of her twenty- certain web-slinging wall-crawler I see swinging into action…? something self for a second shot at life, love, and happiness in this joyous comedy-drama.

SICARIO APR 15 APRIL 8 Intense thriller as Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro set out on a clandestine mission in the dangerous US/Mexico border area to tackle the war on drugs.

LOVE APRIL 1 Provocateur Gasper Noé follows up Tokyo-set “Enter the Void” with another kaleidoscopic, sex- fueled drama. SPOTLIGHT potlight” was this month’s other big Oscar winner, sneaking in and taking away the coveted Best Picture Award from ZOOTOPIA Sunder the nose of its rivals. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast, APRIL 23 the film tells the story of The Boston Globe newspaper’s “Spotlight” A cast of some of Hollywood’s investigative journalism team as they tackle allegations of child sex finest provides the voices for abuse within the Catholic Church. Going up against Boston’s legal, this Disney animation caper religious and political leaders, the team risks everything to expose that tells the story of hijinks a decades old cover-up. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel in a city populated entirely by McAdams, John Slattery, Brian d’Arcy James and Liev Schreiber are nonhuman mammals. the team members in a film quite rightly hailed as one of the best of the year. While the “Spotlight” film team took away a Best Picture Award, the real group of journalists earned themselves a Pulitzer This month’s movie previews were written by Christopher Prize for their groundbreaking work. O’Keeffe. For more movie news and reviews visit www.tokyoweekender.com

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5 AGENDA: THE WEEKENDER ROUNDUP OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN APRIL

1 APR 13-19 2 APR 15-24 3 APR 28 4 APR 17 Eric Clapton Tokyo Beer Week We Love 80’s Disco Sadistic Circus Spring His anticipated retirement Tokyo bars are partici- Grand Hyatt Tokyo will The bizarre, kinky, fetish show from a decades-long music pating in the annual beer host its second annual will showcase local and inter- career is just around the corner, and festival: expect to find a variety of 80s-themed disco event, “We Love national talent, performing musically, and Old Slowhand will be gracing the stage rare flavors from microbreweries 80’s Disco,” transforming the hotel’s more. This show has been running for 14 at Budokan for a whole week before around the country at this week- Roppongi location into an internation- years—time to see what it’s all about. he takes his final bow. long festival. al dance scene. Where: Beer Lion Hall, Ginza Where: Budokan How much: ¥12,000-13,500 Where: Various bars in Tokyo How much: Where: Grand Hyatt, Minato-ku How much: How much: ¥13,000 More info: tokyoweekender.com Depends More info: www.beerweek.jp ¥13,000 More info: tokyoweekender.com More info: tokyoweekender.com

5 APR 23-24 6 APR 28-30 7 APR 1-24 8 APR 2 - MAY 14 Earth Day Tokyo 40th Japan Hobby Saikyo Ramen Festival Graciela Iturbide Groups of NPOs will Show Stroll through Forty Japanese ramen shops The famed Mexican pho- be poised in Shibuya a maze of booths and will be collaborating for the tographer and filmmaker Ward’s largest park over the week- displays featuring hobbyists’ creations, month of April, assembling at Shibahi- is bringing her traveling exhibition end, celebrating all things eco. The from painting and sewing to confec- ro Park to tempt taste buds with their to Tokyo. Take a photographic and space will be brimming with booths, tioneries, and maybe discover a new specialty ramen. Shops will rotate cinematic journey into the psychology of concerts, contests, and more! hobby for yourself… every few days. crossing the border. Where: Yoyogi Park, Shibuya How much: Where: Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall How Where: Nakamachi, Machida How much: Where: Taka Ishii Gallery How much: Free Free More info: www.earthday-tokyo.org much: ¥1,000~ More info: www.hobby.or.jp Free More info: tokyoweekender.com More info: tokyoweekender.com

APRIL 2016 www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL | AGENDA | 37 APRIL

9 APR 4-6 10 APR 8-10 Bob Dylan Asakusa Festivals The great American Asakusa will celebrate bard is in Tokyo for a spring with a floral fes- multi-night set of performances. Get tival, a procession of women dressed your hands on a ticket while you as Edo period courtesans, and a white have the chance! heron dance festival. Where: Bunkamura Orchard Hall, Where: Sensoji Temple, Asakusa Dogenzaka How much: ¥13,000–25,000 How much: Free More info: tokyoweekender.com More info: tokyoweekender.com

11 APR 16 12 APR 16-17 Yabusame (Horseback Motor Sport Japan Festival Archery Festival) One of the largest shows of its Cheer on Asakusa School kind in Japan. You can expect of Yabusame students as they aim to a big turnout to see race tuned and hit three simultaneous targets while tricked out cars on display. Meet and racing on horseback, a tradition that greet racers, get photos, and check out dates back to the Edo period. some hardcore drifting. Where: Sumida Park, Taito-ku How much: Where: Odaiba How much: Free Free More info: tokyoweekender.com More info: tokyoweekender.com

www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2016 BACK IN THE DAY: APRIL 1974 Check out the scene in Tokyo from 1974! You can read the rest of this issue (No.16 1974) and view Weekender’s 45-year archive online. www.tokyoweekender.com/ weekender-archives/