OCTOBER 2011 Japan’s premier English language magazine Since 1970 INSIDE BUNKA PLUS FASHION FALL FASHION COLLEGE PICKS AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT JAPAN’S CREATIVE CRUCIBLE TOKYO’S TOP HALLOWEEN PARTIES THAILAND GETAWAY + SPECIAL EXPLORING CHINA HALLOWEEN PARTIES INTERVIEW Harbin: Paris of the Orient, Tokyo Weekender’s pick of We speak with “Fireflies” An ex-Russian city on the the best parties in the city singer OWL CITY way up in Northeast China -Yamanote line excluded! ahead of his Tokyo gig OCTOBER SPECIAL: Japan & Germany celebrate 150 years, Bill Hersey parties with Audi and Roberto Cavalli, Ian de Stains + Much More... OCTOBER, 2011 CONTENTS 16 DON’T MISS: TRAVEL IN THAILAND AND CHINA P27 BUNKA FASHION COLLEGE Ahead of Japan Fashion Week, we peak inside Japan’s renowned fashion college 12 2014 22 OWL CITY INTERVIEW FALL TRENDS AGENDA Adam Young on playing in Tokyo, Twitter Weekender’s roving reporter braved Tokyo Designers Week, Fashion’s Night and octopus ice cream! a typhoon to bring you the latest trends Out and Halloween parades and parties 7 From The Editor 19 Shiseido’s new range tested 27 Asia Travel The Yamanote line is not a party venue! Tokyo Weekender explores Harbin, China Mens and womens skin care, developed and luxury hotels in Thailand. 10 Oktoberfest! here in Japan. German president Christian Wulff in 21 My Tokyo, iPad app unveiled 34 Bill Hersey Tokyo to celebrate 150 years of freindship Tokyo’s longest running society column. How an expat designer made her own between Germany and Japan. This month Bill parties with Audi, shopping guide to Tokyo’s hidden gems. Roberto Cavalli and several ambassadors. 14 Opinion: Ian de Stains OBE 24 New: Illy Issimo Our columnist on writers block, 43 Announcements Premium Italian espresso meets Japanese plagiarism and the state of the media. Send us your photos for next month and canned coffee and it tastes pretty good! tell the city about your special day. weekendertokyo October 2011 Publisher Ray Pedersen Editor-in-Chief Pia von Waldau Editor Stephen Parker Art Director Liam Ramshaw Advertising Sales Director Tomas Castro Media Consultants Mary Rudow, Nick Nakazawa Vika Maslyuk Editorial Associates Esther A Uchino, Chris Jones, Brendin Lamoureux Executive Advisor Hiro M. Ishibashi HMI & Associates Inc Contributing Editors Bill Hersey Society Ian de Stains OBE Opinion Cover Photography Bunka Fashion College Additional Photography Luke Hayes IT Manager Nick Adams System Development Vineela Chadaram, Zia Ur-Rahman EST. Corky Alexander and Susan Scully, 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) 6846-5615 / (03) 6846-5616 (fax) [email protected] To have Tokyo Weekender delivered to you, please call (03) 6846-5615 or email: [email protected] For ad sales inquiries, please call (03) 6846-5615 or email: [email protected] www.tokyoweekender.com Opinions expressed by Weekender contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher tokyo OCTOBER 2011 On the cover: weekenderJapan’s premier English language magazine Since 1970 Bunka Fashion College students present INSIDE their annual culture day fashion show in BUNKA PLUS Shinjuku. FASHION FALL FASHION COLLEGE PICKS AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT JAPAN’S CREATIVE CRUCIBLE Follow Tokyo Weekender on Twitter: TOKYO’S TOP HALLOWEEN @weekenderjapan PARTIES THAILAND GETAWAY + SPECIAL Like us on Facebook: EXPLORING CHINA HALLOWEEN PARTIES INTERVIEW Harbin: Paris of the Orient, Tokyo Weekender’s pick of We speak with “Fireflies” An ex-Russian city on the the best parties in the city singer OWL CITY www.facebook.com/tokyo.weekender way up in Northeast China -Yamanote line excluded! ahead of his Tokyo gig OCTOBER SPECIAL: Japan & Germany celebrate 150 years, Bill Hersey parties with Audi and Roberto Cavalli, Ian de Stains + Much More... OCTOBER 2011 www.tokyoweekender.com EDITOR’S NOTE TRICK OR treat? e all love Halloween: Trick or treating, costume parties and a whole weekend of serious fun! For last minute costume ideas DIY enthusiasts need look no further than everyone’s favorite cathedral of Wconsumerism: Don Quijote. The store stocks a good selection of masks and face paints (www.donki.com), as does Tokyu Hands (www.tokyu-hands.co.jp). Or, if you feel like splashing out, Loft department store have a slightly more up-market selection (www.loft.co.jp). Now you have your costume sorted, you can hit the town! Which brings us nicely to the annual Yamanote line “Halloween party”. When I first heard of this a few years ago; it sounded like one of those kerr-azy things Japanese teenagers might do, something the foreign media would happily lap up as another example of “wacky Japan”. The sad truth is, a gang of ghoulish gaijin with too much time on their hands decided to invade the central car of one of the worlds busiest commuter trains; drink excessively, play loud music, harass passengers and even urinate on the train (seriously?!) which somehow, thanks to the internet, warped into an annual “tradition”. Last year, commuters at Shinjuku (Tokyo’s busiest station) were treated to a special appearance by Japanese far- right protestors, who staged a noisy demonstration surrounded by hundreds of uniformed Police. At times it was hard to tell who was in costume and who wasn’t—which may be funny if it wasn’t so scary! Unlike most Western cultural traditions that have been taken up by Japan with great abandon, Halloween remains a somewhat of a mystery to many Japanese people. Tokyo Disney Land may run a three month Halloween Life is Better extravaganza and department stores may cash in on candy sales but most Japanese people still don’t get it. So naturally they look to English speaking expats to explain. And what are when Shared we to tell our Japanese friends when they inquire about the ancient traditions of All Hallows’ Eve? - “Oh, we wear stupid masks, get drunk, fight and piss on trains—it’s wonderful!” If you really want to enjoy the seedy side of Halloween, skip the Staying in a hotel is spending a precious JR lines altogether and take the subway to Roppongi, (trust us amount of your time.Sheraton Hiroshima there is always plenty going on, you’ll love it!) And please, for Hotel will provide world class comfort in an the sake of the rest of the English speaking community, try and international peace city of Hiroshima. Enjoy your stay meet new people and make it to the bathroom—even if you are clad head to toe in a discover happiness while you stay with us. comedy banana outfit. The Editor. The Opening Special Stay Promotion Limited Time Offer-Save up to 64% through October 31 Deluxe Room for two per room Treat! Bella’s Cupcakes From13,500yen per night surprised the Weekender office Club Room for two with a box of spooky and per room delicious cakes. Covered in From19,500yen per night buttercream icing in a choice of Vanilla, Chocolate or Pumpkin flavor, complete with lots of t-082-262-7111 www.sheraton.com/hiroshima Halloween decorations! They come beautifully boxed for collection or delivery with a choice of a gift note. Dozen regular ¥4,800, Two dozen minis ¥4,800, Halloween Regular cupcake ¥400, Halloween Mini cupcakes ¥200. www.bellas-tokyo.com Available until 31st October. ©2010 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sheraton and its 10 NEWS & VIEWS WEEKENDER OKTOBERFEST! CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF marks the anniversary of 150 years of friendship between JAPAN-GERMANY RELATIONS Japan and Germany. In a statement in Germany, Werner Kozue Ando, World Cup Star 2011Hoyer, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, said: “Japan is our partner in Asia who shares our values...In the past year we have enjoyed success in jointly founding the group of friends of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and we have also made progress in the reform of the UN Security Council. In this anniversary year we want to move forward on these issues with particular momentum.” The president of Germany Christian Wulff will be visiting Japan on an official visit from Oct 23-28, 2011. He will be accompanied by Christian Wulff, Hans-Joachim Otto, parliamentary secretary of the Federal Ministry German President of Economics and Technology as well as Dr. Rolf Mützenich, member Team “Nadeshiko”: World Cup Winners in Germany of the German federal parliament, and the German Japanese parliamentary league chairman. Among others travelling with the president this trip will be the president of the German Red Cross and star soccer player Kozue Ando, who helped Japan to World Cup victory against the United States at Frankfurt’s Commerzbank-Arena in July. A PRESIDENTIAL TOUR: ImageStock Photos: • October 23rd, President Wulff will observe the German Festival in Hiroo (see box below), to strengthen the ties between Germany and Japan. • October 24th, he will meet with Emperor Akihito, lunch at the palace and meet with key people relating to Japan- German trade. • October 25th, Lecture at University of Tsukuba. Iwaki visitation, to talk with residents of Ikawaki shi who have been taking shelter at temporary housing since the Fukushima incident. He will visit sites affected by the tsunami in the same city, to observe the restoration progress. Attend solidarity concert. • October 26th, factory visit at Evonik company (Yokaichi, Mie prefecture). Worship at Ise Jingu Shrine, participate in Goethe-institut, Villa Kamogawa (Kyoto’s German Cultural Center) artist in residence opening ceremony. • October 27th, Tokushima