APRIL 2014 Japan’s number one English language magazine CAPTAIN AMERICA We talk to US rugby legend Todd Clever about his stellar career and life in Japan PRIMAL EATING Man’s primitive nutrition plan has become today’s most INNER talked-about diet VISIONS Artist Asami Kiyokawa prepares to go global with RUNWAY her imaginative visual style PERFECTION Japanese designers showcase unconventional style at Tokyo’s biggest week of fashion ALSO: The Brilliant Blades of Kamata Hakensha, Paraiso’s Latin Paradise, People, Parties, and Places, and much more Before Transform your outdoor space this spring season into a new room with a view! acation Veranda is an award-winning Lifestyle Design company that specializes in customized Voutdoor creations to meet all needs. From very small private spaces to large commercial projects, Vacation Veranda provides “Luxury for Everyone Designs” for styles and budgets of any kind. 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After Call us now for a free consultation Web: www.vacationveranda.com | Email: info@ vacationveranda.com | Tel: 090-5211-0053 APRIL 2014 www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2014 CONTENTS 16 FASHION WEEK Japanese designers take to the runways with bold looks and innovative ideas 8 12 18 KAMATA HAKENSHA TODD CLEVER ASAMI KIYOKAWA Four generations of knifely knowledge in We caught up with Todzilla before his The visionary artist reveals the inspiration the heart of Asakusa crucial World Cup Qualifier game behind her unique creations 6 Paleo Diet 14 John Thomson 26 Movies Getting back to our hunter-gatherer Lexus International’s Director of Global The web-slinger takes on a triple threat, a culinary roots Branding on marketing a luxury lifestyle chilling documentary, and more 9 Paraiso 20 Real Estate 28 Agenda Have a bite, take a sip on a Pisco Sour, Our listing of some of Tokyo’s hottest We’ve got you covered: Here’s what you and then head to the dance floor properties ought to be up to this month 10 Hotel Metropolitan Sendai 22 People, Parties, Places 30 Back in the Day Tradition and modernity meet at The Ambassador Kennedy’s Red Sox Party, and Some of Tokyo’s top international schools Gateway to Tohoku more reports from our man about town show off their theatrical talents www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2014 THIS MONTH IN THE WEEKENDER world who have gathered there will be APRIL 2014 just as fascinated by her as we were. APRIL 2014 Now, while rugby standout Todd Japan’s number one English language magazine Clever’s body of work certainly wouldn’t be described as ethereal, the man they call Captain America is no less an artist CAPTAIN on the field. The Top League veteran has AMERICA We talk to US rugby legend made his mark here in Japan, and as the Todd Clever about his stellar career and life in Japan US National Rugby team moves on to the Publisher BC Media Group World Cup, you can be sure that Clever Chairman Ray Pedersen PRIMAL will be one to watch in 2015. EATING Executive Producer Asi Rinestine Man’s primitive As bound to the trappings of modern nutrition plan has become today’s most society as we are, it’s hard to believe INNER talked-about diet Editor Alec Jordan that we might have anything to learn Art Director Liam Ramshaw VISIONS Artist Asami Kiyokawa from our ancestors who lived tens of Illustrator Liam Akin prepares to go global with RUNWAY her imaginative visual style PERFECTION thousands of cherry blossom seasons Japanese designers showcase unconventional Media Director Kotaro Toda style at Tokyo’s biggest week of fashion ago. But given the popularity of the Paleo Account Executives Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa Diet over the recent years, it’s clear that Ohad Elbaz ALSO: The Brilliant Blades of Kamata Hakensha, Paraiso’s Latin Paradise, People, Parties, and Places, and much more our distant cave-dwelling cousins might not have had it wrong when it came Media Consultant Mary Rudow he always all-too-brief Marketing Ingrid Dubreuil to eating right. We find out how this hanami season may have Editorial Consultant Sami Kawahara nutrition-based lifestyle is doing here in already passed its fullest T Japan, and try out a couple of recipes that Society Bill Hersey bloom by now, and we hope prove that “no processed food” doesn’t that, even if you don’t spend a day or Editorial Associates Vivian Morelli need to mean “no fun.” two drinking on the blue tarps, you find Matthew Hernon After that, we sample the best Pisco some way to savor this time when the Mace Bertumen Sour in town, learn how to pick out the country loosens up and embodies the perfect knife from one of the masters in Film Christopher O’Keeffe spirit of bureiko—playing it free and the field, take in the latest bold collections easy, and not standing on ceremony. IT Manager Nick Adams from Tokyo’s young fashion designers, With that same spirit in mind, let’s Development Manager Stephane Boudoux and experience Tohoku-style omotenashi have a quick look at what our April issue Finance & Admin Sakura Arimura in a town where sakura season comes a DBA Iryna Sundutova has on offer. little later in the year. Our cover star is the artist Asami As always, we appreciate your Kiyokawa, an intriguing creative force readership. We’ll see you next month. who is as captivating as the work that has made her famous. She’ll be showing some of her latest pieces at Milan Design EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 Week by the time you’ll be reading this, and we expect that the art and design Editor Published monthly at the Regency Shinsaka Building, 5th floor 8-5-8 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 (03) 6666-4924 / (03) 6432-9229 (fax) [email protected] To subscribe to the Tokyo Weekender, please call (03) 6666-4924 or email: [email protected] For ad sales inquiries, please call (03) 6666-4924 or email: [email protected] www.tokyoweekender.com Opinions expressed by Weekender contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher Published by BC Media Group www.bulbouscell.com Fried Sushi by Liam Akin. To see more of Liam’s work check out www.friedsushi.net APRIL 2014 www.tokyoweekender.com www.tokyoweekender.com APRIL 2014 by Sami Kawahara nnovation doesn’t always mean alcohol, and dairy improvement, advocates of the products—became Paleo Diet might say, as America’s staples of the human newest and most “Googled” diet diet. Since the In- Iof 2013 is, ironically, inspired by the dustrial Revolution world’s oldest diet. in the 19th century, The Paleolithic diet, common- food processing tech- ly referred to as the “caveman,” or niques and intensive “hunter-gatherer diet,” is based on the livestock farming foods that our ancestors ate during the methods have led to Paleolithic Era—a period that began the production of re- about 2 million years ago, and ended fined cereals, sugars with the First Agricultural Revolution, and vegetable oils. 10,000 years ago. The main principal of Due to strong the diet is simple: if the cavemen didn’t beliefs that the Munchkin Foods, says that “Japanese eat it back then, we shouldn’t eat it now. human digestive system has hardly people are not used to thinking of a During the Paleolithic Era, our changed over time, Paleo Diet support- diet as a lifestyle. They are always ancestors only ate foods that could be ers argue that the ideal diet for human looking to go on a diet, but it’s more of hunted and fished, such as meats and health is a pre-agricultural diet. So, say a momentary thing to drop weight in a seafood, as well as foods that could be goodbye to ramen and rice—no grains, couple weeks. They can’t wait to finish gathered, such as nuts, fruits, vegeta- no refined sugar, no processed foods— their diet so they can eat a piece of bles, herbs, and spices. Since the time and hello to sashimi and yakitori. cake after.” when humans began cultivating crops Cutting out particular foods, how- The Paleo Diet, on the other hand, around 10,000 BCE, several kinds ever, doesn’t mean your diet has to be a puts more of an emphasis on a change of food that humans rarely strict calorie-counting, yes-or-no-check- in mindset: it’s actually less of a diet and consumed before—beans, list type of diet. The Paleo Diet focuses more of a lifestyle. Advocates believe grains, more on a general lifestyle change and that just following the minimal require- guidelines to eating unprocessed food. ments—cutting out processed foods and Sayaka Miller, longtime ultra-trail loading up on unprocessed whole foods, athlete and author of in combination with healthy sleep and Japan’s bilin- physical activity—can lead gual Paleo to a lean, strong, and blog, energetic body.