YUSUKE ISEYA on HIS AMBITIOUS REBIRTH PROJECT
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AugusT 2013 Japan’s number one English language magazine SETTING SAIL FINDING OUR SEA LEGS IN TOKYO BAY INTERVIEW YUSUKE ISEYA ON HIS AMBITIOUS REBIRTH PROJECT MT. FUJI IS UNESCO TAG A CURSE? TOKYO 2020 THE SPRINT FOR THE FINISH LINE ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Top news from Asia Daily Wire, a bonsai bounty, keeping cool in the pool, Tokyo events and more... ASIAN TIGERS AugusT 2013 CONTENTS 16 INTERvIEW: YUSUkE ISEYA The superstar model-turned-actor is changing the way we help others. 14 22 30 IS UNESCO TAG A CURSE? SAvE that SHARk BlockBUSTER season Mt. Fuji is in the news more than ever, and Meeting the locally based ‘artivists’ It must be August – and we’re not too far is celebrating... But should it be? aiming to eradicate a brutal practise. behind the rest of the world... 7 Asia Daily Wire 10 Cover story: Yachting in Tokyo Bay 18 Culture: Bonsai Bonanza Could Japan have a new US ambassador Even rising at 6am on a Sunday morning The annual Bonsai Fair in Azabu is back, from rather well-known stock? was worth it for this experience. and they even let it grow a little... 8 Tokyo 2020? The Bids Are In... 12 Cool Pools 24 People, Parties, Places We know who we’re getting behind, but Seeking summer solace by the pool, Our own Lone Ranger about town bumps which city deserves it most? without leaving Tokyo. into a few old friends. 9 sport: stars of the Future? 15 On the Download 32 Agenda Talking of 2020, this pair could be genuine Meeting the ‘anonymous’ bilingual An outdoor festival vibe to proceedings, contenders for track gold on home soil. podcasters at the top of the charts. whatever happens to be your cup of tea. FROM THE EDITOR n a few weeks, depending on when you are reading this, Tokyo will know whether it has been chosen to host the 2020 August 2013 Olympics. Whichever way the IOC decision goes there will be celebration; in these parts we’re well up for a Tokyo Games Publisher Bulbous Cell Media Group Ibut there is a section of society – though perhaps less vociferous Chairman Ray Pedersen in recent months – which is not behind the bid, citing financial problems and suggesting there are other more important things to Executive Producer Asi Rinestine get in order before we start thinking about matters of sport… We Editor Matthew Holmes asked our regular columnist and contributor, Henry Watts, to look Art Director Liam “Big Dog” Ramshaw at some of the pros and cons of hosting a Tokyo Olympics – and Designer Ayako Fujiwara indeed of the plausibility/popularity of the Madrid and Istanbul Illustrator Liam Akin bids – and you can read a roundup of his research and thoughts on page 8. Media Director Kotaro Toda Account Executives Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa We hope there’ll be a few years of hard work and planning Ohad Elbaz after the September 7 announcement, and that we don’t have to see Masaya Okamoto another return to the drawing board! Next, to our cover story. We were glad to have a writer invited Media Consultants Mary Rudow Marketing Ingrid Dubreuil along to find out just how it feels to unfurl the sails and get involved in a yacht race out in Tokyo Bay. It does sound like a fantastic way to Strategic Consultant Andy Maher enjoy our surroundings and though quite honestly there aren’t too many of us in the office who envied his 6am Sunday morning start, Society Bill Hersey we were fairly jealous when we read the story for the first time; it’s Film Christopher O’Keeffe definitely got more than a few of us thinking about getting involved and getting out there some time in the near future. Editorial Associates Vivian Morelli To matters inland, and UNESCO’s decision to award World Matthew Hernon Heritage status to Mt. Fuji, which might have ramifications Henry Watts unforeseen. Writer Phil Colquhoun reckons not everything will be Asia Daily Wire Mace Bertumen smooth for local business owners in Yamanashi and Shizuoka, and that they will have to learn lessons from a recent past in which parts IT Manager Nick Adams of Japan have struggled after being given the tag. Development Manager Stephane Boudoux Lastly, we’re pleased to announce a few major changes – and Fondue Guru Paul Romelot Finance & Admin Sakura Arimura minor behind the scenes tweaks – to our website that will allow you DBA Iryna Sundutova to more easily enjoy reading and navigating through our content online. Please do have a look, I’m pretty sure you’ll be happy with what you find. Oh, and have a great summer break! EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 Published by Bulbous Cell Media Group www.bulbouscell.com 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 AugusT 2013 Japan’s number one English language magazine SETTING Follow Tokyo Weekender on Twitter: SAIL FINDING OUR SEA LEGS IN TOKYO BAY @weekenderjapan INTERVIEW Like us on Facebook: YUSUKE ISEYA ON HIS AMBITIOUS REBIRTH PROJECT MT. FUJI www.facebook.com/tokyo.weekender IS UNESCO TAG A CURSE? TOKYO 2020 THE SPRINT FOR THE FINISH LINE Fried Sushi by Liam Akin. To see more of Liam’s work check out www.friedsushi.net ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Top news from Asia Daily Wire, a bonsai bounty, keeping cool in the pool, Tokyo events and more... Your Move. Our World. C M Y CM MY CY Full Relocation CMY K Services anywhere in the world. Asian Tigers Mobility provides a comprehensive end-to-end mobility service tailored to your needs. Move Management – office, households, Tenancy Management pets, vehicles Family programs Orientation and Cross-cultural programs Departure services Visa and Immigration Storage services Temporary accommodation Home and School search Asian Tigers goes to great lengths to ensure the highest quality service. To us, every move is unique. Please visit www.asiantigers-japan.com or contact us at [email protected] Customer Hotline: 03-6402-2371 w APRIL 2013 www.tokyoweekender.com AsIA DAILY WIRE | NEWS | 7 sia Daily Wire is your go-to place for all the latest news from across the Asia Pacific region. Covering business, culture, entertainment, Former CIA head: Huawei spying for sports and breaking news, Asia Daily Wire is updated round the China clock in real time and picks and chooses the best headlines from Michael Hayden Asources across Asia—doing all the hard work for you. Here is a roundup of accused telecom some of the ADW editor’s picks from the past month... giant Huawei of supplying the Chinese government with Caroline Japanese “intimate and extensive knowledge of the foreign Kennedy husbands’ telecommunications systems it is involved in.” nominated as spending slumps He said it was his “professional judgement” that ambassador to to 30-year low Huawei is a significant threat to Australia and the US, and that intelligence agencies have evidence Japan The average of its clandestine activities. Barack Obama has monthly allowance nominated Caroline Kennedy, the daughter for Japanese husbands slumped to ¥38,457, Angry tigers trap of former US President John F. Kennedy, the lowest level since 1982, at the start of the men up a tree for for the role of ambassador to Japan. If country’s financial year. Salarymen’s spending three days confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy would be money plunged 3% from last year to less than Five Indonesian the first woman to serve as envoy to Japan half the 1990 peak, according to a report by men, allegedly and would go into her highest-profile public Shinsei Bank Ltd. poachers, were role to date. Chinese museum trapped up a tree in a national park on Head teacher found with fake Sumatra island for over three days when arrested over exhibits angry tigers chased and surrounded the group after mauling another man to death. deadly Indian A Chinese museum The men had reportedly killed a tiger cub school meal was forced to while “searching for rare incense wood” in Police arrested the close down after the Gunung Leuser National Park. head teacher at authorities said most of its collections a school in India where 23 children died of were fake. The museum, curated by a local Asiana drops food poisoning after a free lunch was served. Communist Party official, had boasted an defamation case Reports say vegetable oil used to prepare extensive collection worth 50 million-yuan over “racist” pilot the food was contaminated with toxic levels ($8.1 million), including artifacts supposedly names of insecticide. It was believed to have been engraved 4,000 years ago, during the Yellow Asiana Airlines bought from the teacher’s husband, who filled Emperor’s reign. dropped plans to sue a container previously used to store pesticide. 17 killed in a US television station that aired fake and racially Six men stampede after offensive names for four pilots involved in a fatal convicted for boxing match in crash in San Francisco. The network offered Swiss tourist Indonesia its own apology, blaming a summer intern for “erroneously confirming” the ‘Korean-sounding’ gang rape At least 17 people names: “Sum Ting Wong,” “Wi Tu Lo,” “Ho Lee A court in India has were trampled to Fuk,” and “Bang Ding Ow.” sentenced six men death and 39 injured after riots broke out accused of the gang rape of a Swiss tourist to among boxing fans in an overcrowded life terms.