tokyo DECEMBER 2012 Since 1970 weekenderJapan’s premier English language magazine BOND AND BEYOND ASTON MARTIN & SKYFALL REVIEWED INTERVIEW VIVIENNE WESTWOOD WINTER TRAVEL KYOTO BY THE SEA PARTY SEASON CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The Latest News from Asia Daily Wire, Seasonal Gift Ideas, Movies, Events and much more... Weekender December.indd 1 29/11/2012 12:21 TOKYO WEEKENDER manu.pdf 1 14.09.2012 11:02 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Weekender December.indd 2 29/11/2012 12:21 TOKYO WEEKENDER manu.pdf 1 14.09.2012 11:02 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Weekender December.indd 3 03/12/2012 13:19 Weekender December.indd 4 03/12/2012 13:19 Weekender December.indd 5 03/12/2012 13:19 Weekender December.indd 6 03/12/2012 13:19 DECEMBER 2012 CONTENTS 22 FESTIVE FIZZ A cork-popping journey through a few festive glasses with our team. 14 19 46 ASTON MARTIN JCRAFTS JAMES BOND It’s not just the man opposite this page They do gifts we like and take a genuine A full review of Skyfall pretty much takes who gets to drive this beast. interest in artisan creators here in Japan. over the movie page (Hobbits too!) 11 Asia Daily Wire 20 Sabon 34 Winter Travel Man sues “ugly” wife, Japan doesn’t do Take salt from the Dead Sea, put it on your Niseko seems like the perfect place to try enough for nuclear victims and more. face, and what do you get? out your new camera goggles. 12 What a Year 21 Vivienne Westwood 38 Society How could so much good stuff happen on She’s a little crazy but we love her. And Look who bumped into Lewis Hamilton in islands so small in 2012? she loves Tokyo... But why? Roppongi last month... 18 The King of Sake 24 Kyoto by the Sea 48 Agenda That’s right, it isn’t all Gold and Silver New Year plans? Take a look, we’ve room of sake fans, in Tokyo or abroad. temples in the city. rounded up some of your options. Weekender December.indd 7 03/12/2012 13:19 DECEMBER 2012 FROM THE EDITOR Publisher Bulbous Cell Media Group Chairman Ray Pedersen t’s not quite over yet, but we’ve had quite a year. Executive Producer Asi Rinestine In marked comparison to 2011 – though nothing is perfect – we do feel it has been quite a good one and Editor Matthew Holmes I Art Director Liam Ramshaw we have a lot to celebrate. Designer Ayako Fujiwara So, Champagne. If the “party girl” (as one member of Photographers Norihisa Kushibiki the team you see to the right of this column calls her…) on Kyle Drubek our cover gets you excited by what is to come at the end Media Director Kotaro Toda of the year, have a look at a bit of a cork popping guide to Account Executives Nobu (Nick) Nakazawa some bubbly for the cooler (p. 22) and check Agenda for a Ohad Elbaz few ideas on where you might bring in 2013 in Tokyo. Masaya Okamoto At this time of year I often hear about friends and readers who have holidays and will head back Media Consultants Mary Rudow Matthew Hernon to wherever is ‘home’ other than Tokyo. I sometimes Marketing Ingrid Dubreuil think it’s a shame to miss Japan over the festive season, especially when there is so much to do back here – even Society Bill Hersey if it is a little ‘different’. Maybe you are heading skiing or Film Christopher O’Keeffe boarding (see pp. 34-37) or feel like exploring a new part of the country? Editorial Associate Vivian Morelli Kyoto by the Sea wasn’t a headline I was expecting to Asia Daily Wire Mace Bertumen write – who knew the prefecture was more than temples and a historic city surrounded by mountains? But it is. IT Manager Nick Adams Take a look. Development Manager Stephane Boudoux You won’t have avoided the hype surrounding Skyfall Finance & Admin Vika Maslyuk DBA Iryna Sundutova and, if you aren’t a fan, I’m afraid you’ll have to look away now – we have a review that, in celebrating 50 years of Bond, somewhat takes over our movie page. And while EST. Corky Alexander, 1970 the film nods to history, with Daniel Craig driving the original Aston Martin DB 5, we take a look at the newest Published by Bulbous Cell Media Group vehicle from the iconic British (well, maybe not in the www.bulbouscell.com boardroom) manufacturer and explore the story of how it has remained just so ‘cool’. 8-5-8 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 It was easy (particularly for myself) to stay with (03) 6846-5615 / (03) 6846-5616 (fax) Britain when looking at how great a year 2012 was. The [email protected] Olympics took over the media this summer and even from here in Tokyo we enjoyed the spectacle, huddled around To subscribe to the Tokyo Weekender, please call (03) 6846-5615 or email: the monitors in the office every evening – it is pleasing [email protected] to hear that cynicism back there melted away to become national pride and a wave of good feeling, something we celebrate by looking at why now may just be the best For ad sales inquiries, please call (03) 6846-5615 or email: time in a long time to head to the UK. Speaking of which, [email protected] since she launched her summer collection at the British embassy in Tokyo at a Jubilee party in spring, Vivienne www.tokyoweekender.com Westwood has intrigued us – we wanted to ask her what made Japan so special, so we did. Have a look how that Opinions expressed by Weekender contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher turned out on page 24. As I briefly alluded to earlier, not all is well. Many people are still living in the shadow of events and their aftermath in Tohoku last year and ongoing issues which tokyo here in Tokyo many of us can’t pretend to understand. DECEMBER 2012 Since 1970 weekenderJapan’s premier English language magazine It is great to hear so many people still doing their bit to help. Don’t forget. BOND AND BEYOND ASTON MARTIN & SKYFALL REVIEWED Follow Tokyo Weekender on Twitter: INTERVIEW VIVIENNE WESTWOOD @weekenderjapan WINTER TRAVEL KYOTO BY THE SEA PARTY SEASON CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA Like us on Facebook: ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The Latest News from Asia Daily Wire, Seasonal Gift Ideas, Movies, Events and much more... www.facebook.com/tokyo.weekender Weekender December.indd 8 03/12/2012 13:19 Away on business or leisure, find comfort in a familiar environment — luxurious in Oakwood Premier, elegant in Oakwood Residence or stylish in Oakwood Apartments. Come home to the ease of Oakwood living in Asia. Oakwood offers a choice of 7 hot spot locations in Asia's most cosmopolitan city, Tokyo — Aoyama, Akasaka, Azabujyuban, Midtown, Roppongi and Shirokane. For further details, please visit our website or call (81-3) 5412 3131 or email us [email protected]. Weekender December.indd 9 03/12/2012 13:19 Weekender December.indd 10 03/12/2012 13:19 ASIA DAILY WIRE | NEWS | 11 FOR ALL THE LATEST APAC NEWS CHECK OUT WWW.ASIADAILYWIRE.COM sia Daily Wire is your go-to place for all the latest news from across Xi Jinping takes the Asia Pacific region. Covering business, culture, entertainment, over in China sports and breaking news, Asia Daily Wire is updated round the In a long-expected transition, China clock in real time and picks and chooses the best headlines from A appointed Xi Jinping sources across Asia—doing all the hard work for you. Here is a roundup of to lead the world’s some of the ADW Editor’s picks from the past month... second-largest economy and its military for the next decade at the recent Communist UN envoy says Australia Party Congress. Mr. Xi addressed the Great Japan should do reveals world’s Hall of the People in a keynote speech and more to protect largest network pledged to battle corruption and concerns nuclear victims of marine brought by the public. Japan has not done reserves enough to ensure Australia revealed Pakistani girl the health of those affected by the Fukushima the creation of the world’s largest network killed with acid nuclear crisis, says Anand Grover, the UN of marine reserves after years of planning by parents after Special Rapporteur. After an 11-day survey, and consultation. The protected area covers ‘looking at boy’ his report said that the government had six marine regions, spanning more than 2.3 A Pakistani girl died adopted “overly optimistic views” of radiation million square kilometers of ocean, and aims to risks and conducted only limited health protect blue whales, green turtles, grey nurse killing” after her mother caught her looking at checks following the meltdown. sharks and dugongs. boy in their village in Kashmir. Police arrested Zaheen Zafar and her husband Mohammad Anger over Indian woman after Anusha, 15, was doused in acid and kept Malaysia died after Irish for two days without medical attention. identifying gay hospital refused men by their abortion Judges using T-shirts Savita drugs in Gay rights Halappanavar died Indonesia face activists are wearing V-necks as a symbol of septicaemia in Ireland after doctors denied crackdown of protest. The Malaysian government Judges in Indonesia had released a list identifying gay and miscarrying. They cited Catholic-based laws, will be subjected to lesbian traits in bid “to prevent its which don’t allow for the practice.