JUNE 2016 Japan’s number one English language magazine Plus Nine Other Top Festival Acts to Watch This Summer CHINATOWN Explore Yokohama’s More Colorful Side “I OPENED FOR THE BEATLES” Remembering That Budokan Show, 50 Years Back ALSO: Where to Go Hang Gliding, How to Plan a Wedding in Tokyo, and Meet “King Kohei” – Japan’s Champion Gymnast 2 | JUNE 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER 19 7 28 32 JUNE 2016 radar guide 24 “I OPENED FOR THE BEATLES” THIS MONTH’S HEAD TURNERS CULTURE ROUNDUP Fifty years after the Fab Four’s landmark 7 AREA GUIDE: CHINATOWN Tokyo show, we chat to two of the warm- 41 THE ART WORLD Experience the flavors of Yokohama’s more up acts who were there to see it all Must-see exhibitions including Renoir’s decorative neighborhood masterpieces and Joshua Nathanson’s 28 SO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED magical depictions of daily life 12 STYLE IN TOKYO? A new Guess store in Shibuya brings floral Here’s everything you need to know about 43 BOOKS prints to the fore, just in time for summer planning the big day in Japan On our bookshelf this month: day walks, tattoos, and a different way to connect 14 TRENDS 30 SECRET JAPANESE INGREDIENTS with Tokyo What to do in the rainy season? Eat cake, From konnyaku to azuki beans, these are drink coffee... your keys to a more beautiful summer 44 AGENDA Dress up for Cosplay Festa TDC 2016, 32 FLY AWAY WITH ME splash your way down the world’s longest in-depth Did you know there’s a thriving hang gliding slide, and switch off your phone for Candle COFFEE-BREAK READS community in Japan? Night at Zozoji 19 WHO TO WATCH THIS SUMMER 34 MONSTER PERFORMER 46 PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES Start planning your music festival calendar Meet Kohei Uchimura, possibly the best Celebrating St Patrick’s Day, and remember- now with our guide to the top acts playing gymnast the sport has ever seen ing VIP days spent with Prince TOKYO WEEKENDER | JUNE 2016 | 3 JUNE 2016 Publisher ENGAWA Co., Ltd. President Takanobu Ushiyama Executive Producer Asi Rinestine Editors Annemarie Luck Alec Jordan Art Director Liam Ramshaw Sales Director Hirofumi Ohuchi Sales Executive Kahori Terakawa Media Relations Chief Junko ShiJunea Producers Yumi Idomoto Claudia Sun Account Executives Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa Media Consultant Mary Rudow Society Bill Hersey Lead Writer Matthew Hernon Editorial Associates Natalie Jacobsen Vivian Morelli Luca Eandi EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 Published monthly at JPR Sendagaya Building 8F 4-23-5 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0051 (03) 6863-3096 / (03) 5413-3050 (fax) [email protected] To subscribe to the Tokyo Weekender, please call (03) 6863-3096 or email: [email protected] For ad sales inquiries, please call (03) 6863-3096 or email: [email protected] 広告に関するお問い合わせ先 電話：(03)6863-3096 メール：[email protected] Opinions expressed by Weekender contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher Cover photo courtesy of Fuji Rock Published by ENGAWA Co., Ltd. 4 | JUNE 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER @mizrama: So Alec, you wrote about Beck for this issue. @mizrama: No, never seen Radiohead, but they’re a You’re a fan? favorite, so I will be at Summer Sonic for sure. I’ll also be at Fuji Rock to see Beck, of course. Will I see you there? @bapawn: I am. He’s an LA guy, and I’m an LA guy too, more or less, so there’s a bit of hometown pride. @bapawn: I think camping with my two-year-old would be a bit much, unfortunately. I’ll have to get by on vicar- @mizrama: Is there a six-degrees-of-separation story in ious thrills. there? @mizrama: I’ll be sure to post plenty of Instagram pics @bapawn: Well, it is LA ... as close as I’ve come was be- for your benefit ing cornered at a party by a guy who told me that Thom Speaking of your family, you got married a little while Yorke ended up being stuck in a studio with Beck over a back. Did you enjoy wearing the kimono? [Readers, flip weekend. Apparently, Beck spent the whole time trying to page 29 for our wedding feature and to see Alec posing to get Yorke to embrace Scientology... in traditional wear.] @mizrama: Haha! I read recently that when Yorke sees @bapawn: I did. It’s certainly not the easiest thing to Beck enter a room, he puts up his hands and says, “Oh put on, but being able to have photos of the two of us in no, not Mr. Scientology.” kimono is priceless. I remember being surprised at the difference between the civil paperwork and our actual @bapawn: Poor guy ... apparently he got on the bad side wedding celebration. As you can see from our guide, of Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips, too. Hopefully there are a lot of ways to celebrate the day. being on our cover makes up for it a bit. @mizrama: It’s a little expensive in Japan, though. @mizrama: I think probably the way he handled Kanye Maybe tandem hang gliding weddings could take off. West’s stage storm last year makes up for anything and Pardon the pun. [And see page 32 for places to hang glide everything. in Japan.] @bapawn: Radiohead are coming to town too, right? @bapawn: I’m practically salivating at the thought of Have you ever seen them before? writing the headline for that story... JOIN US ON FACEBOOK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER TOKYO WEEKENDER WEBSITE FACEBOOK.COM/TOKYO.WEEKENDER @WEEKENDERJAPAN WWW.TOKYOWEEKENDER.COM TOKYO WEEKENDER | JUNE 2016 | 5 Products for your little princes and princesses Rompbaby products are meant to be used throughout the year while looking their very best, day and in day out. Rompbaby’s Safe Dishware This five-piece set includes cups, dishes, and bowls that can be used for all kinds of food, and are perfect for use at the dining Ultimate Waterproof Diaper Multi-Function Tote table or for eating on the go. Thanks to a patented manufactur- Diaper Pouch Changing Sheet ing technique, the dishes are infused with gold, which makes them easier to wash, and safe to use in the oven, microwave, or freezer. Allergen free and bacteria resistant, they’re tough enough to stand up to daily use but will always look like they’re ready to serve royalty. Accessories for Every Parent’s Needs In addition to dishware, Rompbaby offers a number of patent- ed accessories that make daily activities all the simpler. Our Ultimate Diaper Pouch gives parents easy access to the items that baby needs, from diapers to cleaning wipes. Our Waterproof Diaper Changing Sheet is chic, functional, and durable, and our Rompbaby Multipurpose Tote can store everything you need, and comes in a variety of charming colors. Address: 1-5-4 Shinyamashita Nakaku, Yokohama, Kanagawa www.rompbaby.co.uk Designed in Yokohama and made in Japan 6 | JUNE 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH... We take a stroll around Yokohama’s historic, colorful Chinatown to bring you a roundup of what to see, where to shop, what to eat, and even how to escape reality for a couple of arty hours. 8 AREA GUIDE 12 STYLE 14 TRENDS TOKYOWEEKENDER.COM TOKYO WEEKENDER | JUNE 2016 | 7 AREA GUIDE [ PROMOTION ] YOKOHAMA’S CHINATOWN IS THE LARGEST IN JAPAN – AND ASIA FOR THAT MATTER. IT’S A PLACE TO SAMPLE CUISINE, BUY UNIQUE ITEMS, AND BE DAZZLED BY THE SIGHTS BITE-SIZED BLISS You’re probably already familiar with gyoza and shumai, but there are plenty of pleasant tastes beyond that to be found in Chinatown. The shoronpo, and its pan-fried cousin the THE WEEKENDER yaki shoronpo, are tasty but require a bit of caution: before digging in, you should poke a hole in the top and use that to pour off the (often scalding) juice. Once it’s cooled off you’re good to go. Some sweet treats to keep an eye out for are dou jiang (sesame balls, stuffed with a variety of fillings) and AREA GUIDE dan ta (egg tart). Qing man yong! WHERE TO SHOP, EAT, AND PLAY IN CHINATOWN STORIED STREETS Shortly after the opening of trade relations between Japan and the West in 1853, Yo- kohama built its own port by 1859, and Chinese traders flocked to the area. Although the neighborhood’s Chinese population has dwindled over the years, Yokohama’s Chinatown is the largest in Japan, and Asia for that matter. Along with the hundreds of shops selling tasty food are eyefuls of colorful and decorative Chinese architec- ture. Ten ornate gates stand over Chukagai’s main street, including the Goodwill Gate, which was built in 1955 as a symbol of the desire for peace between China and Japan after World War II, and the East Gate. The area is also home to the Kwan Tai Temple, a religious building dedicated to the legendary Chinese general who lived during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and the Mazu Miao Temple, which was built to honor the goddess who watches over sailors and fishermen. 8 | JUNE 2016 | TOKYO WEEKENDER [ PROMOTION ] ROUROU UTOPIA DISCOVER THE STYLISH WORLD CREATED BY DESIGNER MAKI HAYAZONO GET THE NEO-ASIA LOOK HIDE AWAY WITH MUST-BUYS Having grown up in a family of craftsmen A PANDA LATTE Scarves from Yokohama who make silk-screen patterns for the have become globally As an extension to her clothing brand – and popular Yokohama scarf – which is famed renowned for their thin perhaps a physical representation of the Ro- for using unique printing techniques – Maki silk fabric.