JUNE 2013 BRAVE NEW WORLD EDDIE JONES INTERVIEW OPINION THE COACH THE PRICE OF SHAPING THE PEACE IN JAPAN FUTURE OF JAPANESE CRAFTY CUTS RUGBY BESPOKE LEATHER WARE IN OMOTESANDO EXECUTIVE TRAVEL A CLASS ABOVE INTERVIEW WITH NIKKO HOTELS’ TOP MAN ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Top news from Asia Daily Wire, things to do in Kanazawa, the truth about ninjas, Tokyo events and more... JUNE 2013 CONTENTS 10 EDDIE jONES We meet the man responsible for shaping the future of Japanese rugby. 12 14 19 BESpOKE leather KanazAwA SEEKINg NINjA TrUTHS We found some crafty goings on down an A historic castle town that is focused on There are a lot of stereotypes and Omotesando backstreet. the 21st Century. misconceptions when it comes to ninja. 7 Asia Daily Wire 20 Business Interview 46 Movies Banned: white T-shirts and ‘sexy’ This Dutch man finds himself at the top of A bumper month for film fans this mannequins... a major Japanese company... month, we give you the lowdown. 8 Opinion 24 Executive Travel 48 Agenda What does “heiwaboke” mean to you? We spoke to some readers who are more Top shows and events around Tokyo as Anything? Nothing? than just frequent travellers. we head into summer. 18 Culture 36 Education, Education, Education 50 Back in the Day Want to know how to get on the bus Do you really need an MBA to get ahead Power to the people, and the age old without paying in Kyoto? in the world? question: what’s under that kilt? FROM THE EDITOR here is no such thing as a ninja costume,” said the expert to the writer – before allowing him to try on some suits for style jUNE 2013 Tin Shiga. We’d sent our man to find out a bit more about the history of ninja and to try and get beyond the clichés that we usually see in Hollywood movies and the like, and he had some success – Publisher Bulbous Cell Media Group have a look on page 19 to see how that turned out. Chairman Ray Pedersen Another trip out of Tokyo took us to Kanazawa, one of my favourite cities in Japan, and on page 14 you’ll find an introduction Executive Producer Asi Rinestine to the city and some particularly alluring traditional options for where to stay and get the full experience. Editor Matthew Holmes Speaking of travel, how often does your trip not involve leisure? Art Director Liam Ramshaw Designer Ayako Fujiwara When we found that the man leading one of Japan’s most recognizable Illustrator Liam Akin brands – a hotel group that is as familiar to those enjoying their trips around Japan as to the many frequent business travellers we know Media Director Kotaro Toda are amongst our readership – was not Japanese but in fact from the Account Executives Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa Netherlands, we decided to ask him a little about how he came to be Ohad Elbaz in his position. We also spoke to some of you, and got to grips with Masaya Okamoto what it means to travel for work, what you are looking for and how Media Consultants Mary Rudow you can occasionally mix business with pleasure. Marketing Ingrid Dubreuil Fans of rugby will hopefully have skipped this page and dived straight in to our interview with Eddie Jones, the man who is trying Society Bill Hersey to boost the game in Japan through some results on the field, and with some harsh words for players who “aren’t aggressive enough Film Christopher O’Keeffe and are perhaps too polite.” With a World Cup in Japan in the not Editorial Associates Vivian Morelli too distant future, we wonder what the next few years will bring Matthew Hernon and will be watching Ryoto Nakamura – our cover star and the man Henry Watts Jones feels could be the most exciting prospect of his generation – with a keen eye. Asia Daily Wire Mace Bertumen Lastly I want to mention some great web-exclusive content we’ve had on tokyoweekender.com this month: an interview with IT Manager Nick Adams Development Manager Stephane Boudoux James Blake before his Tokyo gigs was a personal highlight, and Cheese Expert Paul Romelot we’ve had a great response to our call for more writers to get Finance & Admin Maki Kiriishi involved and pitch us some stories. Listing and giving you a flavour of DBA Iryna Sundutova all the festivals that take over Yoyogi Park during the summer seems to have gone down well, and we reviewed a new café with a concept that can’t really go far wrong: coffee and pies. Go take a look. 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) 6846-5615 / (03) 6846-5616 (fax) [email protected] To subscribe to the Tokyo Weekender, 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 JUNE 2013 Cover photo by Kenji Demura (RJP). JRFU© BRAVE NEW Follow Tokyo Weekender on Twitter: WORLD EDDIE JONES @weekenderjapan INTERVIEW OPINION THE COACH THE PRICE OF SHAPING THE PEACE IN JAPAN FUTURE OF JAPANESE CRAFTY CUTS RUGBY BESPOKE LEATHER WARE IN OMOTESANDO Like us on Facebook: EXECUTIVE TRAVEL A CLASS ABOVE INTERVIEW WITH NIKKO HOTELS’ TOP MAN www.facebook.com/tokyo.weekender 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, things to do in Kanazawa, the truth about ninjas, Tokyo events and more... 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, Japan votes to adopt child sports and breaking news, Asia Daily Wire is updated round the abduction treaty clock in real time and picks and chooses the best headlines from Japan’s parliament Asources across Asia—doing all the hard work for you. Here is a roundup of has voted to adopt an some of the ADW editor’s picks from the past month... international treaty on child abductions, after decades of pressure. Japan Indonesia seizes French find fake is the only G8 country yet to ratify the 1980 Hague Metallica guitar drugs hidden in Convention, which requires nations to return over corruption Chinese tea children to the countries where they usually reside and sets out procedures for handling cross- An anti-corruption French customs border custody disputes following the collapse of commission officers have an international marriage. has forced discovered 1.2 the governor of Jakarta to surrender a million doses of counterfeit aspirin hidden in a Businessman collector’s item guitar, signed and given consignment of tea that arrived from China, the destroys Maserati to him by Metallica’s Robert Trujillo. “The largest-ever seizure of fake medicines in the EU. supercar in promoter probably knew Widodo was a The counterfeit drugs were believed to be bound protest Metallica fan,” a commission official said, for a Spanish company based in the Balearic A wealthy Chinese “There’s a possibility he might expect Islands for distribution in the Iberian Peninsula businessman hired something in return.” and French-speaking Africa. a crew to smash his Maserati supercar China ‘bans’ Single crane cuts with sledgehammers in a much publicized white T-shirts to power across protest, though not over human rights abuses curb protests Vietnam or a rich-poor divide, but because of poor customer service at his dealership. The stunt, The Communist Over a third of at the Qingdao Auto Show, raised eyebrows Party is enforcing Vietnam and parts amid a government austerity drive. a registry system of neighboring for white T-shirts and obliging anyone who Cambodia plunged into darkness after a uses photocopiers to provide ID. T-shirts, say crane operator knocked a tree onto the Mumbai proposes authorities, could fall into the wrong hands country’s main north-south power lines. The ban on lingerie-clad and be used to display anti-government state electricity company said 22 of Vietnam’s mannequins statements. Photocopiers can proliferate 63 provinces were left without power, Following a gruesome posters, pamphlets and other protest including Ho Chi Minh City. trend of attacks paraphernalia. Chinese teen on Indian women, Plight of man ‘hired hitmen to authorities are scrambling to stamp out sex kept in cage kill father and crimes – apparently blamed on men’s sexual for 11 years sister’ desires – by banning mannequins wearing skimpy lingerie. The proposal triggered derision revealed A Chinese from rights groups: “What nonsense,” one Dozens of mentally teenager arrested activist said. “Thinking of committing a crime is ill people in China for allegedly hiring the hitmen who in the head and not from an outside source.” reportedly suffer the same indignation as killed his father and sister wanted to free Wu Yuanhong, a schizophrenic man kept in himself from family-induced stress over a cage by his mother. In 2001, he reportedly his studies, police said. The high school beat a 13-year-old to death in his local village, student from the central province of For all the top news of 2013 or to but his condition meant he could not be held Henan reportedly found hired killers on read more on these stories, visit: responsible, prompting his release, but no the internet and ordered them to murder www.asiadailywire.com institution exists to take care of him.