DECEMBER 2013 Japan’s number one English language magazine WRAPPING UP 2013 WEEKENDER’S HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE THE BEAST BITES ADVENTURES BACK ON THE Legendary entertainer INLAND Bob Sapp on his battles inside and outside the ring SEA Island hopping around Ehime and Oita ALSO: The News Stories of the Year, Our Report from the Tokyo Motor Show, Movies, Events, and much more . DECEMBER 2013 CONTENTS 7 KANSAI YAMAMOTO The designer reflects on fashion and larger-than-life Super Shows 10 16 18 CHRISTEL TAKIGAWA WLADIMIR BALENTIEN AKITA’S GOLDEN MONTH The ambassador of omotenashi looks Coco from Curaçao, the slugger who From a shining lady by the lake to a bird forward to Tokyo 2020 broke a 49-year-old record that lays a golden egg 12 The Lexus Six 22 Hitsumabushi Bincho 34 Movies Innovation and modern features combine A Nagoya unagi master with plans to send Tom Hanks sets sail, an anime icon’s return, in an aggressively tuned package the cuisine overseas and the story of Jackie Robinson 20 Elana Jade 24 DevilCraft 36 Agenda An oasis for skin, mind and body in the Fiendishly popular craft beer and pizza, Theater; festivals for food, drink and heart of Azabu-Juban now in two locations culture; and music by the score 21 Vacation Veranda 30 People, Parties, Places 38 Back in the Day A lifestyle designer who creates living What’s been happening around Tokyo, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game rooms under the stars from the embassies to the clubs comes to Tokyo—DECEMBER 1988 A WORD FROM THE EDITOR nunc, convallis ac magna ac, sagittis vehicula DECEMBER 2013 diam. Pellentesque nunc velit, vestibulum DECEMBER 2013 non molestie auctor, euismod a lacus. Morbi Japan’s number one English language magazine nec laoreet nibh. Proin nisl ipsum, ultrices vel lorem at, consectetur volutpat neque. WRAPPING UP 2013 Donec quis porttitor erat. Nulla dictum WEEKENDER’S HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE enim quis quam ultricies, fringilla dapibus THE diam pharetra. Nulla vitae tortor id nunc Publisher Bulbous Cell Media Group suscipit elementum. Aliquam odio lorem, Chairman Ray Pedersen BEAST lobortis in nisi ac, sollicitudin posuere erat. BITES ADVENTURES Executive Producer Asi Rinestine BACK ON THE Vivamus a nibh sit amet mi fermentum Legendary entertainer INLAND varius. Sed tincidunt nunc consectetur Bob Sapp on his Editor Alec Jordan battles inside and aliquet rhoncus. Pellentesque non magna Art Director Liam Ramshaw outside the ring SEA Island hopping elementum, auctor nulla vel, cursus mauris. Illustrator Liam Akin around Ehime and Oita Cras sit amet tincidunt tortor. Donec blandit Media Director Kotaro Toda sit amet velit at pulvinar. Account Executives Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa Mauris ut sem libero. Donec quis Ohad Elbaz malesuada elit, at ultrices risus. Nam ornare Masaya Okamoto massa sit amet elementum malesuada. Nulla ALSO: The News Stories of the Year, Our Report from the Tokyo Motor Show, Movies, Events, and much more . tincidunt magna ut justo aliquet, vel dictum Media Consultants Mary Rudow est dictum. Mauris ut sem libero. Donec quis Marketing Ingrid Dubreuil Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, malesuada elit, at ultrices risus. Nam ornare consectetur adipiscing elit. Strategic Consultant Andy Maher massa sit amet elementum malesuada. Nulla Suspendisse malesuada ipsum R tincidunt magna ut justo aliquet, vel dictum elementum, posuere eros in, Society Bill Hersey est dictum. vestibulum enim. Sed viverra purus nisi. Donec quis porttitor erat. Nulla dictum Film Christopher O’Keeffe Duis non turpis diam. Mauris suscipit urna enim quis quam ultricies, fringilla dapibus elit, eu vehicula ipsum placerat eu. Phasellus diam pharetra. Nulla vitae tortor id nunc Editorial Associates Vivian Morelli eu turpis in ligula iaculis malesuada non ut Matthew Hernon suscipit elementum. Aliquam odio lorem, odio. Etiam diam elit, facilisis et imperdiet Mace Bertumen lobortis in nisi ac, sollicitudin posuere erat. non, convallis volutpat mi. Nulla tortor Sami Kawahara Vivamus a nibh sit amet mi fermentum libero, auctor vel elementum in, semper varius. Sed tincidunt nunc consectetur nec lacus. Proin interdum et neque in aliquet rhoncus. Pellentesque non magna IT Manager Nick Adams suscipit. Ut cursus elit non elit feugiat, elementum, auctor nulla vel. Development Manager Stephane Boudoux varius pulvinar ante commodo. Curabitur a Fondue Guru Paul Romelot erat sed nisi dictum elementum. Finance & Admin Sakura Arimura Morbi lobortis ultrices diam. Maecenas DBA Iryna Sundutova eget viverra urna, in porttitor justo. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. In consectetur sit amet sem sed pellentesque. EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 Aenean ultrices mollis ornare. Sed augue Editor in Chief 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 Bulbous Cell Media Group www.bulbouscell.com Fried Sushi by Liam Akin. To see more of Liam’s work check out www.friedsushi.net We cordially invite you to a tasting of the world’s finest sakes. The largest tasting event of its kind, the London-based International Wine Challenge has been judging sake since 2007. On Wednesday, December 11, you can delight your palate with limited tastings of IWC’s top picks for 2013 and a variety of selected sakes. To accompany this elite selection of sake, an assortment of light refreshments will be served. * Places are limited to 50 people, so don’t miss this rare opportunity. To reserve your place, please contact Ms. Yoshida at [email protected] with your name, contact information, and the number of people in your party. Tickets for the event are ¥5,000 Time: Wednesday, December 11. 19:00–21:00 Location: Café Serre, 104-0045 Tōkyō-to, Chuō-ku, Tsukiji 1-13-1, ADK Shōchiku Square 2F. Sponsored By: HOW TO GET TO OITA & EHIME he relaxing hot springs and mouth-watering fine cuisine of Oita and Matsuyama are now closer than they’ve ever been! Jetstar lets you discover Tthese great destinations with their famous low fares, and all within two hours from Narita airport. Jetstar flies up to three times a week to both Oita from ¥5,490*, and Matsuyama from ¥4,590*. Fly with Jetstar’s welcoming cabin crew, enjoy the BUY YOUR TICKETS AT LAWSON comfortable leather seats and savour the fantastic CONVENIENCE STORES selection of food & drinks available to purchase in-flight to complete your travel experience. FOR EVEN BETTER DEALS, REGISTER To find out more, visit www.jetstar.com WITH JETMAIL AND SAVE MORE! *Fares are Economy Class [Starter] one way, 10 kg carry-on baggage only. For all bookings, a Booking and Service Fee of ¥300 per passenger, per domestic fare applies. Fares are non-refundable. Limited changes are permitted, charges apply. Availability is limited (not available on all flights or days). Conditions apply. ONLY PAY FOR WHAT YOU ORDER! 12 | TRAVEL | EHIME EHIME | TRAVEL | 13 1 3 The vista of the sea below glistening EHIME: THE JEWEL OF in the sunlight, green islands in the distance, and seemingly endless THE INLAND SEA water meeting the urrounded by the inland sea, Ehime’s off the best of Japan’s traditional architecture. The friendly locals, beautiful scenery, and view of the building at night, when soft yellow light sky at the horizon is excellent food, would be reason enough to shines through the shoji paper screens, is especially 2 breathtaking. visit. But it is also a land of quiet tradition, beautiful. Shome to Japan’s oldest onsen, and a one of the only The neighborhood has the feel of a hot-spring 12 remaining castle towers that predate the Edo town of old, with guests from the area’s many ryokan over 500 species of fauna, the inland sea offers Period. With flights from Haneda—and service inns and hotels walking the streets in traditional up endless variety. Because everything is so added from Narita this June—it is easier than ever yukata, wooden geta click-clacking on the pavement. fresh, Ehime’s seafood dishes tend to be lightly to visit. Thanks to the onsen’s popularity, and the nearby Dogo seasoned to best bring out the unique flavors While many of Japan’s hot springs claim long Shopping Arcade, the neighborhood has much more of the main ingredients. Said to have originally and renowned pasts, none can match the 3,000-year energy and variety than more remote onsen towns. been made by local marines to celebrate a history of Matsuyama’s Dogo Onsen. Mentioned in The Dogo Shopping Arcade is home to a number of victory at sea is the region’s traditional horaku some of Japan’s oldest literature and legends, the cafes and stores selling the area’s traditional Tobe- yaki. Made from seasonal seafood such as sea 1 Enjoy a pleasant stroll around this onsen town 2 yaki pottery, indigo-dyed fabrics, and of course a bream, shrimp, and clams, the ingredients true history of the springs is shrouded in mystery. 3 Dogo Onsen is one of Japan’s oldest onsens Island are grilled in a heavy iron pan over a layer According to one legend, the spring was discovered plethora of local foods. For visitors short on time or hopping around the inland sea. when a brilliant white heron nursed its injured leg in who may not be comfortable with a public hot spring, of coarse salt. Ehime’s best known seafood, the waters and was miraculously healed.