FEBRUARY 2014 Japan’s number one English language magazine BREAKING THE SILENCE Former Miss International speaks out against the yakuza BARUTO We speak with the Baltic sumo superstar on the eve of his retirement THE MAYOR OF MINATO Managing Tokyo’s most international ward TAG HEUER PERFECT TIMING The precision engineering behind the iconic Swiss brand ALSO: Interview with former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, Agenda, People, Parties, and Places, and much more FEBRUARY 2014 CONTENTS 10 TAG HEUER The inner workings of a Swiss watchmaking legend 6 16 42 BARUTO IKUMI YOSHIMATSU MOGWAI An Estonian sumo phenom looks back at a Standing up to a system of intimidation in Scottish post-rockers on Rave Tapes and their storied career in the ring Japan’s talent agencies upcoming show at Hostess Weekender 8 The Lexus 6 22 Valentine’s Day 34 People, Parties, Places In the fast lane with Issac Nelson, a star Cupid got you stumped? Here are our The 16th Annual Orphans’ Holiday Party, of the Tokyo rock and soul scene suggestions for gifts and things to do saying sayonara to old friends, and more 18 Yoshir Mori 25 Education 40 Movies Former Prime Minister speaks about New trends in learning, and a look at A Formula One throwback, a return to foreign policy and Vladimir Putin some of Tokyo’s top schools Middle-earth, and the Mighty Thor 20 Patina 30 The Mayor of Minato 44 Agenda California fine dining comes to the Masaaki Takei tells us what it takes to run The Stones, Eric Clapton, Nine Inch Nails, heart of Tokyo the most international ward in Tokyo and cultural celebrations FEBRUARY 2014 www.tokyoweekender.com www.tokyoweekender.com FEBRUARY 2014 A WORD FROM THE EDITOR with France’s Ambassador to Japan, FEBRUARY 2014 Christian Masset, as he looked back at a landmark year in Franco-Japanese relations FEBRUARY 2014 and ahead to a year of even greater cultural Japan’s number one English language magazine connections. The beginning of a new year brings promises to start out right, and to help you with your new commitment we check out Publisher Bulbous Cell Media Group BREAKING some of the ways you can get fit around THE SILENCE Chairman Ray Pedersen Former Miss International the city, from the global exercise sensation speaks out against the yakuza of CrossFit to the stretching and balancing Executive Producer Asi Rinestine BARUTO movements of Pilates. We look forward to We speak with the Baltic sumo superstar on the eve seeing you in the gym. Editor Alec Jordan of his retirement Art Director Liam Ramshaw Also looking ahead in the New Year is Illustrator Liam Akin THE MAYOR investigative journalist Jake Adelstein. His OF MINATO Managing Tokyo’s most book, Tokyo Vice, was a hard-boiled look international ward Media Director Kotaro Toda at the world of the yakuza, and getting the Account Executives Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa TAG HEUER story nearly cost him his life. But this year, Ohad Elbaz PERFECT TIMING The precision engineering behind the iconic Swiss brand Masaya Okamoto Tokyo Vice is being brought to life on the big ALSO: Interview with former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, Agenda, People, Parties, and Places, and much more screen, and we sat down with the writer to Media Consultant Mary Rudow hear about production and find out just how o, as we bid farewell to the Marketing Ingrid Dubreuil much Japan’s underworld still influences Year of the Snake and welcome Editorial Consultant Sami Kawahara society. in the Year of the Horse, there S Heading out of Tokyo, we visit Akita for might be those among you who our fourth and final stop on the color tour Society Bill Hersey wonder exactly how that snake ended up of this prefecture to the north. Our journey in front of the fleet horse. Well, in one of Editorial Associates Vivian Morelli ends with the snow white of frost-covered the old stories that they tell, the animals Matthew Hernon trees, skiing and snowmobiling through the of the zodiac were given their heavenly Mace Bertumen winter drifts, and udon fit for an emperor. progression according to how quickly they We get there on a picturesque railway Film Christopher O’Keeffe could arrive at a meeting place. (How that through snow country, on a train line that rat ended up ahead of the pack is a tale IT Manager Nick Adams takes us through the heart of Akita, and a for another year.) As it goes, the horse Development Manager Stephane Boudoux few generations back in time. was galloping at a decent clip, but shortly Finance & Admin Sakura Arimura We hope you had a happy holiday before he reached the meeting point, he DBA Iryna Sundutova season and we offer you our best wishes for came across the legless fellow and was this Year of the Horse. Well may we run it! startled long enough for the snake to take sixth place. If we can learn anything from this, we should keep in mind that 2014 might get off to a skittish start, but give it time, and keep an eye out for snakes. EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 For a New Year’s greeting, we visited Editor 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 Looking to eclipse their best effort of ten medals won at the Nagano Olympics in 1998, the Japanese team are heading to Sochi with high hopes. While their target may seem overly ambitious to some, they do have a number of by Matthew Hernon exciting teenagers capable of making a big impression in Kaido Höövelson, aka Baruto, shrugs when asked about the Russia. Here’s a look at three of the best. legacy he has left behind, saying that some might see him as and offers to take her picture. After a few “just a fat sportsman.” Well, he was a lot more than that. seconds of confusion she realizes he isn’t Sara Takanashi (17) being serious. Women’s ski-jumping is finally set to make its One of the best and most colorful sumo wrestlers of his The fact that he is so approachable and Olympic debut this year, with teenage sensation generation, his retirement leaves a huge void in the sport. is able to have a laugh with his fans is one of Sara Takanashi a favorite for gold. The 4’11” star, the main reasons why his popularity soared who credits ballet lessons as the reason for her during the last few years of his career. He sense of balance, has been in stellar form this persistent knee injury forced pushed to the limit by their trainers. trained arduously to achieve the success he season, winning 8 out of 11 events, giving her 17 world cup wins in total. the giant Estonian to bow out “I think they should do even more,” he did and therefore wanted to enjoy it. It’s just It puts her four ahead of previous record holder Sarah Hendrickson, who at the age of just 28, yet if he tells Weekender. “Shiraishi, who works at this a shame that he couldn’t earn that promo- will also be competing in Sochi. If she has recovered sufficiently from is feeling sorry for himself he yakiniku restaurant, and I used to do double tion to yokozuna. knee surgery, the American is expected to be Takanashi’s closest rival. certainly didn’t show it when sessions, in the morning and evening. That Refusing to use injuries as an excuse, he Awe met up for some drinks and yakiniku at a was our own choice because we wanted to prefers to concentrate on the positives. He Yuzuru Hanyu (19) restaurant where a former teammate works get stronger. Additionally, being a foreigner believes his troublesome knee, which he had While much of the press attention will focus on in Ikegami. The 193-kg. star was in high spir- in what is quite an enclosed nation; I had to at the start of his career, actually pushed him Mao Asada’s battle with Kim Yuna in the women’s its as he reflected on what has been a short, work even harder to prove myself.” to try even harder and without it he “may figure skating event, the men’s competition prom- but memorable career. Baruto’s fierce determination soon not have even reached ōzeki status,” (the ises to be just as exciting. In Daisuke Takahashi, “I remember my coach telling me sumo started to yield results. He made the top divi- rank directly below yokozuna). He has no re- Tatsuki Machida and Yuzuru Hanyu, Japan has would be easy,” Baruto says with a smile. “He sion in just two years, the second fastest rise grets about his time in sumo as he prepares three genuine medal contenders. Hanyu in particular goes into the lied! I was doing judo at the time and he con- in the history of sumo. He was then promoted for a new life away from the sport. Games with high hopes, following an extremely impressive display in December’s Grand Prix Final in Fukuoka, where he defeated three-time vinced me to try this Japanese sport where to ōzeki rank in 2010, beating Hakuhō, the “I loved wrestling and I will miss it,” he world champion Patrick Chan of Canada.