The People of Okinawa Meet Three Locals Who Represent the Colorful
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FEBRUARY 2017 Japan’s number one English language magazine THE PEOPLE OF OKINAWA MEET THREE LOCALS WHO REPRESENT THE COLORFUL AND CREATIVE ENERGY OF THE ISLANDS PLUS: Peek Inside Love Hotels, Snowsurfing in Fukushima, and Is Japan Biased Against Those with Disabilities? 24 16 28 30 FEBRUARY 2017 radar 21 NAHA NIGHTS guide & THIS MONTH’S HEAD TURNERS Planning a visit to Okinawa? Here are five reasons to choose Loisir Hotel & Spa Tower education 8 AREA GUIDE: NAKAMEGURO Naha as your luxurious base. Things to see on the banks of the Meguro CULTURE ROUNDUP, AND OUR River, including a brand-new "mall." 24 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS FEBRUARY EDUCATION SPECIAL As everyone everywhere celebrates love 34 ART & COMEDY 10 STYLE this month, we chat with photographer Our pick of the city's best exhibitions, plus A few pretty little things to help brighten Zaza Bertrand about her new photo book, three comedy shows to keep you laughing. up pre-spring days. which reveals intimate moments from inside Japan's love hotels. 36 AGENDA 12 BEAUTY Chocolate heaven, a stimulating projection Three moisturizing products and three head 28 JAPAN'S FORGOTTEN ONES mapping show, and a friendly fun run. spa treatments to rescue tired tresses. Last year's Sagamihara massacre highlight- ed the country's ongoing bias against people 38 EDUCATION SPECIAL with disabilities. We investigate the reasons How the British School in Tokyo is still in-depth behind the discrimination. achieving top results, and Aoba Japan Inter- COFFEE-BREAK READS national School is creating global citizens. 30 SURFING THE SNOW 15 THE PEOPLE OF OKINAWA Snowsurfing is enjoying a global revival, 42 PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES We meet three talented locals who represent and Fukushima's powdery backcountry National Day celebrations and a few fond the colorful and creative energy of Okinawa. is the perfect place to try it. farewells to old friends. FEBRUARY 2017 Publisher ENGAWA Co., Ltd. President Takanobu Ushiyama Executive Producers Asi Rinestine Naoya Takahashi Editor in Chief Annemarie Luck Senior Editor Alec Jordan Creative Director Liam Ramshaw Features Writer Matthew Hernon Contributors Vivian Morelli Luca Eandi Bill Hersey Bunny Bissoux Sales Director Takaaki Murai Sales Executives Hirofumi Ohuchi Kahori Terakawa Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa Yu Suzuki Media Strategist Mandy Lynn Media Consultant Mary Rudow Media Relations Junko Shimaya Media Producers Jessica "Yumi" Idomoto Claudia Sun EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 SSU Bld. 1F 4-12-8 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku Tokyo, Japan 151-0051 (03) 6432-9948 / (03) 6438-9432 (fax) [email protected] To subscribe to the Tokyo Weekender, please call (03) 6432-9948 or email: [email protected] For ad sales inquiries, please call (03) 6432-9948 or email: [email protected] 広告に関するお問い合わせ先 電話:(03) 6432-9948 メール:[email protected] Opinions expressed by Weekender contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher Published by ENGAWA Co., Ltd. 4 | FEBRUARY 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER @bapawn: Annemarie, if you had to choose between teen, but found humility through karate. I think our a tropical getaway in Okinawa or getting radical cover shot of him really expresses that. on the slopes of northern Honshu [page 30] for a February holiday, which would you choose? @bapawn: I still haven’t been, but it just seems like there’s some kind of mysterious romance to @mizrama: I would have to choose Okinawa, for two Okinawa. reasons: I will always pick beach over mountains, and I’ve only been skiing three times since moving @mizrama: So Valentine’s month would be the to Japan, so “getting radical” is not really part of my perfect time to visit. It’s probably also a good time to repertoire on the slopes. How about you? visit a love hotel, for those who want to spice things up. Although Zaza Bertrand’s photo series about @bapawn: Actually, I’ve never gone skiing or love hotels [page 26] does show them in a slightly snowboarding before, so I only feel entitled to different light to how they’re usually portrayed. use the phrase “getting radical” because I’m from California … I think I’d take Okinawa as well. As @bapawn: That was a fascinating interview, and much as the weather down there is lovely, the people I’d really like to see more of her photo series. I seem so too. thought her perspectives on this uniquely Japanese phenomenon were quite insightful. @mizrama: Yes, I think our cover feature [page 15] proves that. I love the story of karate master Masaaki @mizrama: And the sheer number of them around town Ikemiyagi … how he admits to getting into fights as a certainly contradict all those “sexless Japan” stories... JOIN US ON FACEBOOK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER TOKYO WEEKENDER WEBSITE FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK.COM/TOKYO.WEEKENDER @TOKYO_WEEKENDER WWW.TOKYOWEEKENDER.COM TOKYOWEEKENDER TOKYO WEEKENDER | FEBRUARY 2017 | 5 6 | FEBRUARY 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH... Check out Nakameguro's new mall of restaurants under the railway, buy a little sexy something, and give your hair the attention it deserves. 8 AREA GUIDE 10 STYLE 12 TRENDS TOKYO WEEKENDER | FEBRUARY 2017 | 7 AREA GUIDE A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT One of Tokyo’s most scenic settings for hanami season, the Meguro River slices through Nakameguro, serving as the backbone of this thriv- ing neighborhood. On top of being prime real estate for boutiques, restaurants and cafés, the riverside is a popular strolling path, as well as a pedestrian-friendly track for jog- gers and dog-walkers alike. Follow the river upstream to Meguro Sky Garden, by the Municipal Library, and you’ll be treated to a peaceful garden retreat 35 meters above the street with ample city views. Nearby, Saigoyama Park is an ideal green space for a sunny picnic, light sport OLD AND NEW activity or carefree people-watching. IN NAKAMEGURO EVEN WHEN THE CHERRY TREES AREN’T IN BLOOM, THERE’S A BLOSSOMING COMMUNITY ON THE BANKS OF THE MEGURO RIVER, INCLUDING A BRAND- NEW SPACE UNDERWords THE and RAILWAY photographs FILLED by Luca WITH Eandi CUTE EATERIES WHAT’S IN STORE The neighborhood’s businesses cater to artists, designers and celebrities who have put down roots here, making for an eclectic mix of boutiques. EEL sells high quality clothing like simple jeans, button-ups and jackets. The Mix has vintage men’s and women’s wear. 1LDK carries local and international brands of outerwear and accessories, while Vase specializes in lesser-known European labels. Irma Records|Merch Store deals in vinyl along with their own unique branded merchandise. For knick-knacks, gifts and furnishings, Shop Detail has an array of quirky items. Tokyobike has a shop in the neighborhood to pick up some stylish wheels. And no visit to Nakameguro is complete without a visit to Cow Books for reading materials. 8 | FEBRUARY 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER RESTAURANTS Like any respectable Tokyo neighborhood, Nakameguro is teeming with great restaurants for a night out. Late last year, the selection grew even bigger with the opening of Nakameguro Koukashita (www.nakamegurokoukashita.jp), a 700m stretch of cafés, bars and eateries that runs underneath the raised railway tracks at Nakameguro Station. Here you can sample ramen, udon, sushi, Spanish cuisine, sake, and plenty of other culinary delights. Head away from the station to fine Craftale, which provides high-concept dining from a former Joël Robuchon chef. Along the same lines, Sourire does its version of Japanese-meets-French food. For something a little wilder, Yakiyama specializes in grilling game like pheasant, boar and deer. Xin Xian is a great spot for shabu-shabu, as is Kijima. Award-winning pizzaiolo Hisanori Yamamoto got his training in Naples, which makes his Da Isa Pizzeria as authentic as you’ll find in Tokyo. One of the best Mexican spots in the city, Junkadelic, will sate your craving for enchiladas. Sun 2 Diner deals in American standards like hamburgers, sandwiches and BBQ. GET HIP TO IT Nakameguro has a laid-back vibe within an urban setting, making it a natural fit for a younger, international, hip crowd. This translates into a remarkably high concentration of coffee shops in the neighborhood, including standouts Onibus, Streamer and a fresh branch of Blue Bottle. For coffee and books, head to the newly opened Nakameguro Koukashita where you can buy a latte and browse magazines at the sleek mini branch of Tsutaya Books. Charles Schulz- tribute Peanuts Cafe and the scenic Sidewalk Stand also offer up a tasty cup, as well as good lunch fare. For nut aficionados, Groovy Nuts is a specialty store serving raw and creatively flavored almonds, cashews, walnuts and more. There’s quite a few world- class bakeries in the area as well – City Bakery, Ecole Criollo, Trasparente and Tavern, to name a few. OPEN HOUSE Kyu Asakura House sits in Daikanyama, a fashionable quarter bordering Nakameguro. The home and garden, commissioned in 1919 by Torajiro Asakura, a chairman of the Metropolitan Assembly, was used to conduct business and entertain guests. It’s an impor- tant cultural property, as it is one of the few remaining wooden houses in the area that survived the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and carpet bombings during World War II. The architecture incorporates elements from the Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras and endures as an ideal specimen for those styles. A bonus for thrifty visitors – the house and surround- ing gardens can be visited for the admission fee of a mere ¥100. TOKYO WEEKENDER | FEBRUARY 2017 | 9 STYLE JIMMY CHOO STILETTOS February may be the shortest month, but it can feel like the longest. Therefore, bright and shiny things are needed to add some excitement to this otherwise dreary time of the year, like this pair of Jimmy Choo pumps.