Since 1970 FREE Vol.41 No.18 Oct 1st - Oct 15, 2010 www.weekenderjapan.com Including Japan’s largest online classifieds Germany in Japan A 150 year-old-relationship that began in Yokohama Plus: The Forests of Aśoka at the Hara Oktoberfest! and Bill Hersey’s Parties People & Places CONTENTS Volume 41 Number 18 Oct 1st - Oct 15th, 2010 4 Executive Profiles: Trevor Reynolds 5 The View From Here 6-7 Tokyo Happenings 9 Arts and Entertainment 10-11 Tokyo Tables 12-16 Feature: Yokohama 19-21 Weekender Interview: Terrence Parker 22-25 Parties, People & Places 26-27 London Calling Event 28-29 Products: Designed in Deutschland 30-31 Real Estate 32-33 Classifieds 34 Back in the Day: Sumo comes to Germany CONTRIBUTORS Christopher Jones, Thomas PUBLISHER Ray Pedersen Fukuyama, Ian de Stains OBE, EDITOR Ray Pedersen ASSISTANT EDITOR Stephen Parker Cover and inside photo courtesy of: Library of Congress MEDIA MANAGER Tomas Castro MEDIA CONSULTANTS Mary Rudow, Pia von Waldau EST. Corky Alexander and Susan Scully, 1970 RESEARCHER Rene Angelo Pascua OFFICE Weekender Magazine, 5th floor, Regency Shinsaka Building, CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Owen Schaefer (Arts), Bill Hersey 8-5-8 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 (Society), Elisabeth Lambert (Health & Eco), Darrell Nelson Tel. 03-6846-5615 Fax: 03-6846-5616 (Sustainable Business) Email: [email protected] Opinions expressed by Weekender contributors are not necessarily www.weekenderjapan.com those of the publisher. 3 WEEKENDER B u s i n e s s C-Level Profiles / Executives in Japan Photo courtesy of Australia Society of Australia courtesy Photo EdwardTrevor Reynolds Suzuki President of the Australia Society Tokyo A 20 year resident of Japan, Trevor Reynolds has many hats: father, money manager and president of the Australian Society of Japan. Tasked with bringing Aussie cheer to Tokyo, Reynolds works hard organizing BBQs, balls and other social events to bring together the community of Australian expats and locals that love the easy-going country. It’s a busy schedule, but Reynolds has enjoyed his fair share of help over the years in Japan, and feels like this is an excellent opportunity to give something back to others. What gives you inspiration? than it does today. Now we are spoiled for choice in Tokyo, but AST Helping people achieve their goals. Tokyo is full of vibrant and inter- maintains that ethos and shares the same values of the AST of the ‘50s. esting people and I have had the good fortune to meet and work with many of them. As I have lived here and been helped over the years, it is At AST we believe the best way to get people together is to organize great to be able to help others. Being involved with the Australia Society enjoyable events catering to a variety of tastes, so that’s what we do! Tokyo is an extension of that too; being able to do for others what has We are lucky to have a full committee of fantastic people all pulling been done for me. Before I was involved with AST, I was attending their together, donating time and effort to put on events. We recently held a events, so now it’s my turn for a while to help with the society. wine tasting which had over 75 people attend, and we will look to plan another one this autumn. ‘Tokyo is pretty easy once Our premier event is the annual Australia Day Gala Ball in January, where we also raise money for charity. We currently support a Chil- you get the hang of it. dren’s home for underprivileged children here in Tokyo. Our other major functions are the Adults BBQ to be held on Oct. 2 — currently taking However its transient nature registrations — and the Melbourne Cup Luncheon, our own version of a day at the races, on Nov. 2, this year celebrating 150 years. We also organize wine tastings, adult and family BBQs, Christmas parties, means that we have to regular coffee mornings and a variety of other events. So we welcome everyone to come and join in to make AST and Tokyo life just a little bit constantly work at making better. friends and contacts’ The society is blessed with a large group of sponsors, and I would like to thank them all for their support over the years. We also cannot thank What are Japan specific challenges you face here? the Australian ambassador and his staff enough for allowing us access Tokyo is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. However its transient to the embassy grounds for our events and parties. nature means that we have to constantly work at making friends and contacts with the moving cycles of friends and colleagues. I think this What kind of advice would you give to those who aspire to making a dif- is one reason why the Australia Society Tokyo is such a great society ference in this country? and our events are well attended. It is a great opportunity to meet new There are many different ways to get involved in Japan, whether it is on people and make new friends in this sometimes overwhelming city. a voluntary basis, joining a society like AST or setting up a new venture. The most important thing is to keep aiming for your goals. You’ll meet Tell us a bit about Australia Society and its history. hurdles along the way, but don’t give up — keep asking and doing and It all started in the 1950s as a volunteer organization to get Australians don’t lose sight of what it is you set out to do. Finally, come along and and friends of Australia together to share a bit of Australian life in Tokyo. join in an Australia Society event for a taste of Australia in Japan! Since then, AST has had several stages of growth. Back in the ‘80s there used to be meat drops, and the society played a very different role then What do you do in your spare time? When I’m not spending time on AST, my wonderful young daughters take up all my free time. At weekends we enjoy bike riding, going to For more executive and entrepreneur profiles, go to parks, BBQs and swimming. We also love to travel and make the most of getting to Australia as often as possible. // www.weekenderjapan.com/business B u s i n e s s THE VIEW FROM HERE by Ian de Stains OBE Photo Photo courtesy of Library of Congress The Elephant in the Polling Booth Enlightened politicians and those of other persuasions with equally anything else, to see how they compare with his. Others have made progressive views in Japan have of late spoken about giving the vote only slightly less ludicrous claims; for example that it wouldn’t work in local government elections to foreigners who hold permanent resi- because gaijin don’t speak Japanese. Please! What world do these dent status. They argue that doing so might help drag Japan out of the people live in? In any event, if this was a genuine issue — which it is current parlous state in which it finds itself, politically, economically and not — you simply set a language test before any permanent resident is sociologically. They point to other countries where such suffrage has given the right to vote. had a markedly positive impact. As a permanent resident who’s lived here for almost 35 years, I am, unsurprisingly, in favor of such a move. But the point is, these lame excuses are offered up not necessarily I care about Japan; it is my adopted country. I care about the ward in because anyone really believes they matter. They are a way of not men- which I live, and I would like to be able to make a greater contribution tioning the elephant in the polling booth. Which is, of course, the large to it, to give back to this community that has for so long made me feel number of Special Permanent Residents — principally of Korean origin so welcome. — and the fear that allowing them to vote, even in local elections, could somehow influence Japan’s position on highly sensitive territorial and It should come as no surprise, of course, that the majority of Japan’s other issues with long histories that the majority of Japanese prefer politicians find this idea heretical. They are where they are largely not to think about. Indeed, the educational system here being what it is, because they are incapable of thinking outside the box. The prospect they have been taught <not> to think about them. There may be some of anything different scares them to death and — whereas in some truth in these claims and some discomfort in facing them. But isn’t that other countries such ideas would stimulate creativity on the part of something that speaks to the heart of what a true democracy is? those looking to make an impression — has the establishment in Japan yelping in protest. One Diet member pointed out that this was a bad idea since the vote should only to be given to those who pay taxes. Ian de Stains is the executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan. The views expressed in this column are strictly his own and are not Excuse me! I’d be more than happy to show the member in question my necessarily endorsed by or shared by the Chamber. tax returns for the last 30-plus years. It would be interesting, apart from WEEKENDER 5 Arts & Entertainment » Tokyo Happenings by Christopher Jones Photo courtesy of Australian Society of Australian courtesy Photo Oktoberfest Yokohama Melbourne Cup in Tokyo Proscht! Pay homage to the world’s largest beer festival in Munich, The Melbourne Cup, dubbed the “Race that stops the Nation”, is cel- German and head over to the seventh annual Yokohama Oktoberfest ebrating its 150th anniversary this year.