tokyo weekender

JUNE 2014 Japan’s number one English language magazine

ALSO: Director Steve McQueen Exhibits a Daring Short Film, People Parties and Places, Agenda, and More...

Songs from the Heart

Our Summer Festival Guide

Vintage Motorbikes Tear Up a Saitama Race Course

The Samurai Blue Get Ready to Hit Brazil

Chris Hart Lets His Music Do the Talking

COME TOGETHER

HELL ON WHEELS

WORLD CUP 2014

JUNE 2014 www.tokyoweekender.com

www.tokyoweekender.com JUNE 2014

JUNE 2014 CONTENTS

13 Manabu SaitoThe Yokohama F. Marinos star looks forward to shining on the world stage

14 World Cup WallchartKeep track of your favorite teams’ progress towards the championship

16 Steve McQueenAn artist and filmmaker displays a new work at Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo

18 Seisen International SchoolDiscovering the joys involved in giving back to the community

19 Poppins International SchoolCombining cutting-edge research with children’s natural love of learning

22 People, Parties, PlacesBill Hersey, catching up on Tokyo’s ever busy social scene

26 MoviesWes Anderson returns, and Jon Snow goes up against a volcano

28 AgendaClub action galore, a charity “Yamathon,” and bugs that light up the night

30 Back in the DayChinese students in Tokyo stage a rally in support of the Tiananmen protests

CHRIS HARTThe crooner talks about his path from

vending machine technician to J-Pop star

WORLD CUP GUIDEWe look ahead to the teams and players who

are preparing to take Brazil by storm

HELL ON WHEELSA band of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts

push their bikes to the limit

SUMMER FESTIVALSThe best action of the season, from

shitamachi samba to a rock fest in Niigata

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JUNE 2014 Japan’s number one English language magazine

ALSO: Director Steve McQueen Exhibits a Daring Short Film, People Parties and Places, Agenda, and More...

Songs from the Heart

Our Summer Festival Guide

Vintage Motorbikes Tear Up a Saitama Race Course

The Samurai Blue Get Ready to Hit Brazil

Chris Hart Lets His Music Do the Talking

COME TOGETHER

HELL ON WHEELS

WORLD CUP 2014

Fried Sushi by Liam Akin. To see more of Liam’s work check out www.friedsushi.net

JUNE 2014

PublisherChairman

Executive Producer

EditorArt Director

Illustrator

Media DirectorAccount Executives

Media ConsultantMarketing

Editorial Consultant

Society

Editorial Associates

Film

IT ManagerDevelopment Manager

Finance & AdminDBA

BC Media Group Ray Pedersen

Asi Rinestine

Alec JordanLiam RamshawLiam Akin

Kotaro TodaNobu (Nick) NakazawaOhad Elbaz

Mary Rudow Ingrid DubreuilSami Kawahara

Bill Hersey

Vivian MorelliMatthew HernonMace Bertumen

Christopher O’Keeffe

Nick AdamsStephane BoudouxSakura Arimura Iryna Sundutova

EST. Corky Alexander, 1970

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)

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Published by BC Media Group

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Editor

nd with that, spring has shuffled off over a few short weeks. We’ve still got some time—and plenty

of rain—before Japan’s summer days hit us with their full oppressive force, but we’re starting to get a hint. One thing the coming of summer reminds us of, though, are those lazy days when you could just look up at the clouds scudding by and daydream entire afternoons away. And even in this busiest of cities, we’re still prone to stealing a bit of time to dream about what we’ll be when we grow up, and you can read about a few of them this month. Some of us might harbor fantasies of taking our singing outside of the shower or the karaoke room, and

like Chris Hart, finding fame as a J-Pop crooner (and as our cover star for the month). Not only did Hart’s vocal stylings land him an album deal, it put him in touch with his future wife: not a bad turn of events for a guy who came over to Japan working for a vending machine company. It must have been quite a vision that inspired a pack of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts to pack up dozens of bikes into a shipping container and send them across the Pacific from California for a day of racing on a Saitama dirt course. We have to admit that reading this account of the Hell on Wheels crew’s adventures in Kawagoe had us reveling in the heady funk of engine fumes and imagining a dirt-biking alter ego. And even the Americans among us know that something big is coming up in the sports world this month, an event that fans and athletes alike have been dreaming of for months and years. Whether you played a bit when you were younger or are just getting to know the game better, you’ll want to check out our guide to all the action that will be going on down south. So, stay cool, stay dry, and we’ll see you again once things have really warmed up next month.

A

THIS MONTH IN THE WEEKENDER


Gearing up for a summer in Tokyo? You don’t have to go too far to get your share of fun—whether you go in for music festivals, beach bashes or traditional mat-

suri. Time to let your hair down and fill up your calendar with some celebration

HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER JUNE 21–22WHAT IS IT: Music festivals don’t get much more indie than this. The twice yearly festival brings together a mix of old favorites and obscure bands for a two-day show-

case. This June edition presents Blonde Redhead and Cat Power as headliners, alongside Simian Mobile Disco, Cloud Nothings, Perfume Genius, Sohn, Toy, Highasakite, Joan as Policewoman and The Bohicas.

FOR YOU IF: None of those band names sound obscure, and you’ve managed to install Spotify in Japan.

WHAT TO WEAR: Pair those New Balance sneakers with stonewash jeans, we hear normcore is big this year.

ELECTRIC RUN JULY 11–12WHAT IS IT: Fitness and laser shows? Run a 5K along a neon-adorned course on the shores of Chiba, and end the work-out with a huge party featuring DJs, lasers and glow-in-the-dark

beachballs. Participants are encouraged to wear their flashiest cos-tumes and to walk or even dance the race.

FOR YOU IF: A 5K seems like a challenge.

WHAT TO BRING: Your sneakers and some glow-in-the-dark gear.

SUMMER SONIC 2014 AUGUST 16–17WHAT IS IT: A short (and cheap!) train ride away in Chiba prefec-ture, Summer Sonic has been building a solid reputation over the last decade. Expect an eclectic mix of important international

names as well as local talent—everyone from pop megastars to 90s punk rockers will be taking it to the stages of Makuhari Messe, Marine Stadium and the beach. So far, Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Phoenix, and rock legends Queen and Robert Plant have been an-nounced.

FOR YOU IF: You like your music with a side of air conditioning.

WHAT TO WEAR: Flat shoes, as the distance between the Marine Stadi-um and Makuhari Messe isn’t short, and a watch, as you won’t want to miss your top acts.

SONIC MANIA 2014 AUGUST 15WHAT IS IT: The all-night dance party is Summer Sonic’s warm-up, and is held the night before the actual festival. It caters to a bit of a different crowd, but if you have enough energy and luck getting

your hands on some tickets, you should stick around for the main event. This year’s Sonic Mania presents Kasabian, Kraftwerk, Mogwai and Krewella.

FOR YOU IF: You’re more EDM than classic rock.

WHAT TO BRING: A change of clothes for the next day, as you’ll be pulling an overnighter.

By Vivian Morelli


FUJI ROCK 2014 JULY 25–27WHAT IS IT: An outdoor, weekend-long festival tucked amidst the misty mountains of Niigata. Whatever the weather—it will rain, and you will get a sunburn—the trip to Japan’s best-known music festival will be an epic journey. This year’s lineup includes Arcade Fire, Denki Groove, Manic Street Preachers, The Flaming Lips, Jack Johnson, Franz Ferdinand, Blur’s Damon Albarn, Travis, The Lumineers, Out-kast, Lorde, Basement Jaxx and a few more handfuls.

FOR YOU IF: Camping for three nights and skipping a few showers doesn’t make you want to run away.

WHAT TO BRING: Mosquito repellent, rain boots, a tent and sunscreen.

ASAKUSA SAMBA FESTIVAL AUGUST 23WHAT IS IT: The annual Asakusa Samba Carnival sees dancers wiggling their way through downtown Tokyo and shaking their feathers to the beat in what is possibly the city’s sexiest summer festival. Expect plenty of samba vibes, shaking hips, exposed stomachs, glitter and se-quins, Brazilian beats, and hordes of Japanese men with zoom lenses.

FOR YOU IF: You want to spice things up with the shitamachi version of the iconic Rio de Janeiro Carnival.

WHAT TO BRING: Your camera...

YOYOGI CULTURE FESTIVALS ALL SUMMERWHAT IS IT: You know it’s officially summer when Yoyogi Park gets overtaken by swarms of people, waiting in front of countless food stalls exuding delicious, spicy

aromas—for every single weekend until the leaves turn red. Sample foods and performances from Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Latin America, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka, to name a few places.

FOR YOU IF: You’d rather not leave the city and don’t mind queuing up for food.

WHAT TO BRING: An empty stomach and your patience.

SUMIDA RIVER FIREWORKS FESTIVALJULY 26WHAT IS IT: By far the oldest and largest (not to mention busiest) fireworks display in Tokyo, the Sumida River Fireworks Festival is one of the most popular events

in summer. The last Saturday of July is always synonymous with a night sky filled with dazzling shades, and packed crowds below trying to get the best spot to view them. Nearly a million spectators gather every year to see the colorful explosions, which come in an array of patterns, shapes and sizes.

FOR YOU IF: Crowds don’t scare you.

WHAT TO WEAR: Your yukata (light summer kimono), of course.

KOENJI AWA ODORI AUGUST 23–24WHAT IS IT: Just about the biggest party in Tokyo, Koenji’s annual street dance festival crams the streets to capacity for an evening of revelry. Around 12,000 Awa dancers and countless more

members of the public will descend upon the neighborhood to take in the parades, which snake along nine different routes through the narrow, atmospheric streets.

FOR YOU IF: You want to get lost in a haze of booze and dancing.

WHAT TO BRING: Some coins to keep you stocked with water and ice cold beers.


When vending machine technician Chris Hart started uploading some of his songs on YouTube, he was just hoping for some feedback from people in Japan. what he didn’t anticipate was the impact that those videos would have, not only on his music career, but also his love life.

es, I met my wife via YouTube,” Hart tells Weekender. “She posted some videos on there singing in English, then saw mine and con-tacted me. We decided to meet up and make some music together; we hit it off right away and within two weeks were already talking

about marriage. After that we were invited on to a show about chance en-counters by NHK where we performed a SMAP song. Someone from Nippon

Television saw it and invited me on Nodo-jiman Za! World.” The popular seasonal reality show features foreigners singing in Japanese, and Hart won it in the spring of 2012. Covering Kazumasa

Oda’s ballad “Tashika na koto” and SMAP’s “Yozora no mukou,” he wowed the judges with his pitch perfect, soulful voice. Masahiro

Nakai, who witnessed Hart’s rendition of “Yozora,” a far more accomplished display than his own group had ever achieved,

admitted that he felt “embarrassed to come on stage” after

Y

By Matthew Hernon


CHRIS HART | MUSIC | 9

the San Francisco–born singer, and appeared genuinely nervous when he was asked to sing alongside him. Looking like a true professional, the majestic vocal display helped to propel Hart from a part-time club singer to a genuine J-Pop star. “I went in to the show with no expecta-tions,” he tells us. “It was only after being on it that I became aware of how popular it is; it really is watched by a lot of people. Consequently, this can have a big effect on the sales of the songs you perform. I actually returned the following fall season and sang “Home” by Yusaku Kiyama and the original version then got to number one in the charts, five years after it was first released. Of course it has also helped to open doors for foreign singers such as myself, Nicholas Edwards and Diana Garnett. There is no recording contract for the winner like American Idol, but it helps to get you spotted. Fortunately for me Jeff Miyahara accidentally recorded the program when I was on it and apparently liked what he saw.” One of country’s most sought-after re-cord producers, Miyahara has collaborat-ed with a number of high-profile Japanese stars as well as many international artists such as Boyz II Men and Timbaland. He quickly realized the huge marketing potential of Hart and arranged a meeting,

soon after the two men began working on the singer’s debut album. They decided to start with a collec-tion of covers—popular J-Pop hits that Hart grew up listening to from the late nineties onwards, including songs by the likes of Spitz, Masahara Fukuyama and Dreams Come True. A critical and commercial success, Heart Songs entered the Oricon charts at number three in June last year and has thus far sold more than 300,000 copies as well as winning numerous awards. For Hart, though, it is the reaction from fans that has given him the greatest satisfaction. “I thought that people might find some of the tracks nostalgic, bringing back some memories of their youth or some kind of event in their past. What I didn’t expect, however, was the depth of emotion that the songs could inspire in certain individuals,” Hart says. “I had people writing letters to me about their families, hardships, dreams: all kinds of issues. There were even businessmen telling me about the stresses of their jobs; I was just amazed that these songs could have such a profound effect. It gave me clear ideas about what I wanted to do for my original music.” Hart’s follow-up album, Song for You, gave him a chance to work on those ideas. Including popular tracks “I Love You” and “Yume ga samete,” which fea-tures iconic singer Seiko Matsuda, it was released earlier this year and further enhanced the 29-year-old’s reputation as one of the country’s most talented young musicians. Described by Hart as “an easy-listening J-Pop album,” it also showed he could write songs as well as sing them. “I saw it as being like a natural progression from the debut album,” he says. “With the first one I was telling my history through the songs I listened to in my youth: with this one I was trying to tell other peoples history. It was my re-sponse to the letters I received, with the topics ranging from love to overcoming a lack of confidence.” Hart has a strong bond with his fans, who regularly bombard him with gifts in-cluding CDs, jewelry and food. For some the emotion of seeing him on stage can be too much, and they spend the entire

concert weeping. Many of his devotees say that he stands out because he “truly under-stands the soul of Japanese music.” There are many talented foreign artists in the country, but few are as dedicated as Hart. He started studying the language at the age of seven, began singing J-Pop songs in his early teens and since moving here five years ago, he has made a concerted effort to learn about all aspects of life in Japan. “I actually first came here when I was 13,” he says. “It was just for a two-week homestay as part of the Japanese course I was taking at school, but I quickly fell in love with the place. The people were so hospitable, going out of their way to make sure I had a great impression of their country. I knew I had to come back; it just took a bit longer than I’d hoped. I did some jobs that required Japanese back home and then I finally got my chance to return with the vending machine company in 2009. I wanted to start from zero, not coming with an American mindset. It was a huge challenge to engage in a culture that is so much more felt than spoken, but you have to make the effort. I saw people who moved to the States who didn’t adapt; they kept their traditions and did things their own way, which is fine up to a point, but it makes it more difficult to blend in and fully appreciate what is around you. When I arrived I wanted to learn as much about Japan as possible and I think that has helped to make my experience in this country that much better.” Clearly loving life here, Hart plans on sticking around for as long as possible. He’s unsure how long he will remain in the public eye, but isn’t overly concerned about that. It has never been about being famous; he won’t be too disappointed if he slips off the celebrity radar in the near future. His goal is simple. He just wants to keep making music for those fans who have shown him so much support over the years. As long as they keep writing to him, he will keep trying to answer them with his music.

I had people writing letters to me about their families, hardships, dreams, all kinds of issues. There were even businessmen telling me about the stresses of their jobs, I was just amazed that these songs could have such a profound effect.

BORN: San Francisco, California (1984)

ALBUMS: Heart Song (2013), Song For You (2014)

SINGLES: Home (2013), Yume ga Samete (2013), I LOVE YOU (2014), Mamoritai—Magic of a Touch (2014)

AWARDS: Japan Record Awards—Best Promoted Work (Heart Song & Yume ga Samete), Japan Gold Disc Awards—New Artist of the Year, 5 Best New Artists, Special Product Album of the Year (Heart Song)

Chris Hart Factfile


ou may have preconceptions of what sort of culture would populate a dirtbike track, images of high flying, high- octane energy drink–fuelled athletes may spring to mind. There are, however, subcultures in most action sports, and

motocrossing is just the same. Meet Hell on Wheels. Earlier in the year this group of motorcyclists spent a full day packing 40 vintage motorcycles into a shipping container in California. Their pur-pose: a single day of racing at an out-of-the-way motocross track in Saita-ma. Organizer Jeff Tulinius, who usually goes by the name “Meatball,” describes the Hell On Wheels crew and affiliates as “a vintage motorcycle repair shop in California—just a couple of guys wrenching on old bikes. We get out and race as often as we can. No real clubs as such came with us, but the guys and gals from Von Zipper, Deus, BA Moto, Lossa Engineer-ing and a few others came along.”

YRIDING MOTOCROSS REQUIRES

A CERTAIN TYPE OF ADRENALIN-SEEKING LUNATIC—IT’S A SPORT

WITH SEVERE INHERENT DANGERS. BROKEN BONES, LIGAMENTS, CUTS,

AND BRUISES ARE ALL PART OF THE RISK TAKEN FOR THE RUSH OF

CLEARING A GAP, TAKING A TURN TIGHTER, OR ACCELERATING HARDER.

Text and pictures by Kyle Drubek


This eclectic group of riders shares a love of building, maintaining, and most importantly, riding motorcycles which probably should be relegated to short Sunday jaunts. These people take their fun seriously, and relish in restoring motorcycles long past their glory days, and then thrashing them to the point of near implosion. Connett Brewer of BA Moto lets us in a bit to the appeal of riding these rustbuckets: “These old bikes have class and tie us into a past that was the start of a motorized two-wheel revo-lution. They are timeless and unique. Much like antique cars, I consider them works of industrial art. Yeah they leak oil and s--- breaks but as long as you stay on top of it, they will treat you right. That’s old British for you...just ride and enjoy life.” The concept of “run what you brung” stands as a stark contrast to the mainstream bike cultures of Japan, where high-cost custom fabrications and high performance add-ons are common. In this case aesthetics run a far second to purpose, but function also creates new forms, presenting a pleasing demonstration of styles and inventiveness. A dusty parking lot in Kawagoe was packed with transport vans, aged trucks, and bikes representing almost every country imaginable. Reveling in the gritty, oily air, the 200+ participants finished their practice runs on a course built and maintained for modern suspensions and high-power engines. At first glance, many of the rusty, seemingly cobbled together bikes looked incapable of completing a full

lap, much less a full race. Some had been meticulously restored, while others were covered with an aged patina of scuffed paint and fitted with fiberglass-wrapped mufflers. All were machines that had been lovingly cared for, sporting engines which had gone under countless rebuilds, hand-packed bearings, and frames modified to handle brutal jars and slams. The race itself was simple—it was divided across engine size categories, with a series of heats for each one—but in all honesty, the results were of little concern to most involved. The key element was to enjoy a single day of racing which had taken months of preparation and countless hours of mechanical work, and hopefully not be injured in the process. The Clash boomed from PA speakers, and the races kicked off in a massive cloud of fine dust. The roar from raucous two-stroke engines echoed from the surrounding forest. Bikes abandoned at the starting gate were common, while bikes with engines wrung past their limits similarly peppered the track, stalled or sometimes just plain dead. A strug-gle for survival had begun, riders intent on making each lap faster, taking each jump longer, and pushing their bikes’ finite capabilities against the unrelenting track. Hard-tailed Triumphs ran against slightly more modern

twin suspensions, two-strokes against four-strokes. The riders rode that thin line between control and utter mayhem: sometimes they would make heavy contact in tight berms, and sometimes a misjudged landing would launch a rider off the track. The riders stood in hearty defiance of danger, and embraced the consequences. It was a collective rejoicing in days long past, when full-face helmets and body armor were unheard of, a throwback reminiscent of hazy summer afternoons, skidding bicycles with playing cards clothespinned into spokes, and handbuilt wooden jumps. The trip out to Japan was a first for the Hell on Wheels crew, and they weren’t sure how things were going to go with the Japanese motocrossers. “We’d seen magazine articles and videos on the internet but you never know what to expect ... The Japanese guys didn’t disappoint. They had some of the best bikes we’d ever seen and their clothing and gear was dead on. The starting grid looked straight out of 1969! Along with that, they were just some of the nicest guys you could meet; [we] really enjoyed hanging out with them.” Some may cry sacrilege at the

sight of a collection of classic or vintage two-wheeled

machines being so callously thrashed,

but it is rallies and races like this that offer a glimpse of the roots of

modern-day riding and machines. It was

a chance to see these bikes in action—not stored carefully away in a shed or showroom, but run to their limits—and experience the thriving

culture of the people who ride them.

HELL ON WHEELS | FEATURE | 11

These old bikes have class and tie us into a past that was the start of a motorized two-wheel revolution. They are timeless and unique.


WITH FIVE-TIME WINNERS BRAZIL EXPECTED TO TAKE TOP SPOT, THE MOST INTERESTING ASPECT ABOUT GROUP A WILL BE THE BATTLE FOR SECOND. DESPITE BOTH STRUGGLING IN QUALIFYING, CROATIA

AND MEXICO HAVE SOME EXCITING ATTACKING TALENT, WHILST UNDERDOGS CAMEROON ARE CAPABLE OF CAUSING AN UPSET.

TRIVIA: BRAZIL HAVE WON MORE WORLD CUP GAMES THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY (67); MEXICO HAVE LOST MORE THAN ANYONE (24).

THE HIPSTERS GROUP. COLOMBIA AND JAPAN LOOK GOOD GOING FORWARD AND WEAK AT THE BACK: FOR GREECE THE OPPOSITE IS

TRUE. IVORY COAST ARE INCONSISTENT, BUT IN YAYA TOURE BOAST THE WORLD’S BEST CENTRAL MIDFIELDER. MOST DIFFICULT GROUP TO CALL.

TRIVIA: WITH 142 GAMES FOR HIS COUNTRY, MIDFIELDER YASUHITO ENDO WILL BE THE MOST CAPPED OUTFIELD PLAYER IN BRAZIL.

A TOUGH GROUP. CHAMPIONS SPAIN ARE AMONGST THE TOURNAMENT FAVORITES, HOLLAND ARE ALWAYS A THREAT, AND CHILE ARE SEEN AS DARK HORSES. IT DOESN’T LOOK GREAT FOR AUSTRALIA, WITH FORMER

CAPTAIN PAUL WADE STATING THAT THEY’LL “GET ABSOLUTELY SMASHED.”

TRIVIA: SPAIN’S GAME AGAINST HOLLAND IS THE FIRST TIME FINALISTS FROM THE PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT HAVE BEEN DRAWN TOGETHER IN

THE GROUP STAGES.

TRICKY GROUP FEATURING THREE PREVIOUS WINNERS. ITALY SHOWED THEIR QUALITY REACHING THE FINAL OF THE 2012 EUROS, ENGLAND

HAVE SELECTED AN EXCITING YOUTHFUL SQUAD, WHILE URUGUAY CAN CALL ON SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST STRIKERS. OUTSIDERS COSTA

RICA SHOULDN’T BE RULED OUT EITHER.

TRIVIA: A MONGREL NAMED PICKLES KNOCKED THE GENERAL ELECTION OFF THE FRONT PAGES IN 1966 AFTER FINDING THE STOLEN

WORLD CUP TROPHY UNDER A BUSH IN SOUTHEAST LONDON.

By Matthew Hernon


rom Pele’s dummy to Tardelli’s tears, Mara-dona’s hand to Zidane’s head, the World Cup regularly produces iconic moments that live long in the memory. For Manabu Saito, who was recently named as one of the 23 Japanese

members going to Brazil, it was a wondrous solo effort from a 17-year-old English striker at the 1998 tournament in France that stands out most in his World Cup recollections. “Michael Owen was my hero growing up,” Saito tells Week-ender. “That goal against Argentina where he just ran at their defenders without any fear: wow, it was just tremendous. It was the first World Cup I can remember. I was eight at the time and because of the time difference, my father would record the games and I would watch them the following day. Four years later the final was played in Yokohama, so I got a chance to watch it at the stadium, it was a magical experience.” Now it is Saito’s turn to try to emulate his hero and create a piece of history of his own that will inspire the next generation of Japanese footballers. He’s certainly capable of it. Known for his ability to create a piece of magic out of nothing, the Yoko-hama F. Marinos winger marked his international debut last year with a spectacular strike against Australia and is a regular scorer of eye-catching goals for his club.

Behind Kagawa, Honda and Okazaki in the pecking order, the 24-year-old is likely to start on the

bench for the opening game against the Ivory Coast in Recife, but if the game is tight he may be the man

Alberto Zaccheroni turns to in order to unlock the Ivorian defence. He

is certainly not going to Brazil just to make up the numbers. “Of course I was really glad to hear about being se-lected for the squad, but just being picked isn’t enough,” he says. “I want play, score and enjoy it. Now the

J-League season is on a break I can start focusing on the World

Cup and that means I need to do some research about our opponents.

This is a great opportunity for us: I feel our team has the potential to change the

history of Japanese football.”Following the game against the Ivory

Coast, Japan will travel to Natal to take on Greece and then on to Cuiaba, where they

will face the dangerous Colombians. In what is possibly the most open of all the eight groups

in the tournament, Japan will fancy their chances of making it to the knockout stages. No doubt Saito is already dreaming about scoring the goal that gets them there.

F

YOKOHAMA F. MARINOS MIDFIELDER MANABU SAITO LOOKS TO BRING HIS GOAL-MAKING MAGIC TO THE WORLD’S STAGE.

NOT A PARTICULARLY STRONG GROUP. FRANCE ARE TALENTED BUT TEMPERAMENTAL, SWITZERLAND SHOULD BE MORE ENTERTAINING THAN

AT THE LAST TOURNAMENT, ECUADOR LOOK STRONG ON THE COUNTER-ATTACK, AND LONG SHOTS HONDURAS WILL BE HOPING TO RECORD THEIR

FIRST EVER WORLD CUP WIN.

TRIVIA: FRANCE STRIKER JUST FONTAINE’S 13 GOALS IN 1958 ARE THE MOST SCORED AT A SINGLE WORLD CUP. BRAZILIAN RONALDO HOLDS THE

OVERALL RECORD (15 IN 4 WC’S).

A HARD GROUP WITH SOME INTRIGUING GAMES, INCLUDING GERMANY’S 100TH WORLD CUP MATCH AND USA COACH JURGEN KLINSMANN COMING

UP AGAINST THE SIDE HE WON THE TOURNAMENT WITH IN 1990. ON PAPER THE EUROPEAN SIDES APPEAR TO HAVE THE SLIGHT EDGE, BUT GHANA

AND AMERICA WILL MAKE IT VERY TOUGH FOR THEM.

TRIVIA: CRISTIANO RONALDO DOS SANTOS AVEIRO’S SECOND GIVEN NAME “RONALDO” WAS CHOSEN AFTER THE THEN US PRESIDENT RONALD

REAGAN, WHO WAS HIS FATHER’S FAVORITE ACTOR.

LED BY MAGICAL MESSI, TWO-TIME WINNERS ARGENTINA SHOULD QUALIFY WITH EASE. THE BATTLE FOR SECOND IS EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN

DEBUTANTS BOSNIA AND AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONS NIGERIA, WITH OUTSIDERS IRAN HOPING TO CAUSE A SURPRISE.

TRIVIA: OSSIE ARDILES WORE NUMBER ONE IN 1978 WHEN ARGENTINA NUMBERED THEIR PLAYERS ALPHABETICALLY. THEY DID THE SAME FOUR YEARS LATER, THOUGH MARADONA WAS EXEMPT: HE WORE THE NUMBER

10 JERSEY.

ONE OF THE WEAKER-LOOKING GROUPS. ALGERIA HAVE NEVER GOT PAST THE FIRST ROUND, KOREA ARE THE SECOND LOWEST RANKED TEAM IN BRAZIL, WHILE RUSSIA SHOULD BE SOLID IF UNSPECTACULAR. MUCH IS EXPECTED OF BELGIUM, WHO ARE PLAYING IN THEIR FIRST MAJOR

TOURNAMENT IN 12 YEARS.

TRIVIA: KOREAN STRIKER AHN JUNG-HWAN WAS FIRED BY ITALIAN CLUB SIDE PERUGIA AFTER HE SCORED THE GOAL THAT KNOCKED THE AZZURRI

OUT OF THE 2012 WORLD CUP.

©Yokohama F. Marinos


The trendy and stylish surround-ings around Omotesando are pri-marily known as a hub for lovers of fashion and style, but there are also many places where you

can experience avant-garde art. One of these is the Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo, located on the seventh floor of the Louis Vuitton store in Omotesando. This art space, which opened in the beginning of 2011, is only the second Louis Vuitton Espace in the world —the first opened in Paris in 2006. The gallery holds about three exhibitions a year, playing host to rising international art-ists as well as more established players on the world art scene, who create new works with the support of Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo. Most recently, the Espace in Tokyo is showing an intriguing work by the British art-ist and filmmaker, Steve McQueen, whose film 12 Years a Slave had a tremendous showing at the 2014 Academy Awards, taking home the Best Picture trophy. McQueen is no stranger to success with feature films—his debut full-length, Hunger, won a Camera d’Or Award at

the 2008 Cannes Festival—but his short films have also gained wide attention for their unflinching attention to the rawness of life in full detail. Both force his audiences to look the harsh facts of history directly in the face and develop their own emotional reaction to these moving canvases. The short on display at the gallery, Ashes, takes a more intimate subject for its attention than IRA conflicts or slavery in the US, but is no less affecting. The film has its roots in a trip that McQueen made to the Caribbean in 2001, while shooting another piece. The director was struck by the appearance of a young man who went by the name Ashes. He came from a humble background, but McQueen recognized a “star quality” in his athletic grace and natural presence. Not able to cast him in the piece he was working on at the time, he asked a friend, Robin Miller, to film Ashes on his boat. The resulting clips capture the young man’s slender figure as it rises and falls in his small fishing boat, with only the stark blues of the West Indian sea and sky as a backdrop. The

graininess of the digitized Super 8 film adds to the short’s immediacy and power. The film was never meant to be displayed publicly, but after McQueen returned to the same island in 2009, he learned that Ashes had been murdered, and he decided to create the work as a tribute to the young man, so that his existence would not go entirely forgotten. Presented with McQueen’s characteristic minimalism, Ashes harnesses the contrast be-tween the sheer happiness of its subject’s face on one hand, and the events of his short life and tragically early death, which are narrated in voiceovers by Ashes’s friends. McQueen does not push his audiences to reach any particular conclusion with this powerful short; rather, he fashions an environment in which viewers are forced to develop their own sense of meaning, thereby becoming creators of narrative art themselves as they examine their own presumptions and expectations.

McQueen’s work will be on display at the Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo until August 17. Admission to the gallery space is free. Hours: 12 pm–8 pmAddress: Louis Vuitton Omotesando Bldg. 7F, 5-7-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001Phone: 03-5766-1094 | Fax: 03-5766-108a

Following a spate of awards for his film 12 Years a Slave, Steve

McQueen goes back to his artistic roots with a challenging new

short on display at the Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo


Return to Form


3rd year anniversary promotions are available from March 1 to June 30, 2014

Come celebrate our 3rd anniversaryThis year, the presents are on us. Join us at the Sheraton Hiroshima Hotel for special limited time promotions, including special theme events, lucky drawings, special wedding packages and more. Find out more at www.sheraton-hiroshima.jp or call us at 082-262-7111.

©2012 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, Sheraton and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates. For full terms and conditions, visit www.sheraton-hiroshima.co.jp

Visit our New website at www.century21japan.com

EXPAT LIFE | WEEKENDER | 17


18 | EDUCATION | SEISEN

A Day of ServiceStudents at one of Tokyo’s top international schools experience the joys of giving

back to the communities around them

rriving on campus of Sei-sen International School mid-morning on May 16, you could feel the excite-ment in the air. Students

were running around the halls, discuss-ing their plans for the day. A group of middle-schoolers were working with a PE teacher to assemble new basketball hoops for the recreation area. The school felt like it was getting ready for a festival or party: it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere that you’d expect to find on a day dedicat-ed to community service. The date has always been an impor-tant one for Seisen: it is the saint’s day of St. Raphaela, co-founder of Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (the school was founded by the Handmaids organization in 1949.) Every year, the students and

staff have gathered to honor St. Raphaela with services and various ceremonies, but this year, Seisen decided to celebrate Raphaela’s memory with a Day of Service. Students at all levels are involved with community service projects throughout the year, but the recent decision to honor St. Raphaela in this way seemed fitting, as Sister Margaret Scott, head of Seisen School explained: “In the past, we’ve always had a Mass, where we would hear the story of Raphaela: She came from a wealthy family near the city of Córdoba [in Spain], and was raised in luxury. But in her teens, she said to herself, ‘I have been served long enough: the time has come to serve.’ And we realized that the real way to celebrate Raphaela is for students to go and do what she did.” High school and middle school stu-dents participated in 14 different activi-ties for the day: groups went to parks by Tamagawa and Futako-Tamagawa to help local communities with beautification pro-jects, visited several local nursing homes to give musical performances for resi-dents, volunteered at a local soup kitchen, painted murals, and cleaned up around the campus. As the plans developed for the day of service, Seisen staff realized that they didn’t want to simply assign students to tasks. Sister Margaret pointed out that

A

the best way for the kids to take an active role in their projects during the day was to let them choose the way in which they wanted to serve: “for the students, we want the service to really come from the heart. So even if a student is in the choir most of the time, if they want to spend their day of service cleaning up along the river, that’s fine! We were trying to encour-age that choice, and give them the motivation for choosing to do what they want.” Even the youngest children played a part in the day of service: the primary school students performed song and dance routines to perform at nearby nursing homes, and the kindergarten students prepared lunches—with some assistance from some of the upper school students—for the custodial staff and guards on campus. Although the Handmaids order was found-ed in 1877, the day in St. Raphaela’s honor was a high-tech affair. The school set up a Google+ page for the event, and found themselves linked up with many other Handmaid schools and organizations throughout the world. These new connections gave advice and encourage-ment as the runup to St. Raphaela’s Day. Along with the volunteer groups, 10 students took responsibility to record the service day with iPads and cameras. By the end of the after-noon, the students were able to see a video of the day’s activities, and share it with their new social networks. It was plain to see that this was just the beginning for Seisen’s newest tradition, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the school continues to inspire its students to find joy in taking an active role in their communities.

1-12-15 Yoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-0097

03-3704-2661 (phone)| 03-3701-1033 (fax)

Seisen International School

www.seisen.com [email protected]


f you think back to some of the favorite teachers from your childhood, they were probably the ones who brought your classes to life, making the subjects so in-teresting that you couldn’t keep yourself

from being curious about what you were learning. You might even say that there’s something magical about those moments in your education. It’s no surprise, then, that PALIS—Poppins Active Learning International School—takes part of its name from the English govern-ess who was famous for making learning fun. The Poppins Corporation has always been con-cerned with “Edu-care”—caring for children’s all-round needs while educating them to their full potential at the same time. For more than 25 years, Poppins has provided professional nanny services and nursery schools for Japanese families, and today has 138 nursery schools in Japan and one in Hawaii. The company’s name has long stood for quality and high standards, supported through links with institutions such as the esteemed Norland College in England. More recently, Maiko Todoroki, director of Poppins Corporation, daughter of CEO and President Noriko Nakamura, recognized an opportunity to combine the school’s traditions with top universities’ academic findings on early learning. Having been educated in the UK since the age of 12 and as a par-ent of a nursery-school-age boy, Todoroki saw that many students in Japan “were forced into doing things…I saw situations where young children didn’t have the chance to awaken their individual talents. This inspired me to create an environment where young children could wonder about things, and where they could be helped to discover the world.” As Principal Bill Ward explains, empowering students to take a proactive approach towards their own learning process lies at the heart of Active Learning, but the fundamentals are never ignored: “We let the children branch off to follow their interests as they explore, guiding them while following the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework as it’s used in England. This includes specific top-ics, such as Social Growth, Numeracy, and Literacy, which are de-veloped through focus activities and regular face-to-face individual talk. Through this approach young children gradually find out how to negotiate and take responsibility for their learning schedule.” One unique aspect of the pedagogy at PALIS is the specialist teacher program. For these classes, an expert in a particular subject

area—for example, the specialist music teacher is a concert pianist, the art teacher is a graduate of Gold-smiths University of London, while the sci-ence teacher worked on NASA projects—visits the class during the week to deliver an age-appropriate lesson to the chil-

dren, alongside that class’s lead teacher. One of the more popular specialist classes is “Kids’ Yoga,” in which students learn how to use their bodies to make shapes of letters and combine those shapes for phonics practice. PALIS’s curriculum is made richer thanks to the academic research being conducted at leading institutions in early childhood develop-ment. As a part of training and summer programs, Poppins’s staff members attend symposia at Harvard University as well as Stanford University in the United States, where they are exposed to some of the latest ideas in early childhood pedagogy; this constant updating adds depth and innovation to the school’s methodology. There is a buzz of confidence in the atmosphere at PALIS as children go about their education with confidence and satisfaction knowing that they are learning and discovering.

A Lesson in Active LearningLooking into the magic of learning that occurs when cutting-edge research in early

childhood education is combined with young learners’ sense of wonder

PALIS | EDUCATION | 19

I

www.poppins-palis.jp/en/

Poppins Active Learning International School, Yebisu Garden Terrace

Nibankan 1F + 2F, 4-20-2 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0013

03-5791-2105 (phone) | 03-5791-2106 (fax)

PALIS will be hosting open-campus events on June 7, 14, and 21.

An eight-week summer program, offering a different learning theme each

week, begins July 1 and runs until August 29. For more information, see

contact information below:

11 months–5 years

There is a buzz of confidence in the atmosphere at PALIS as children go about their education with confidence and satisfaction

[email protected]


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tokyoweekender_sakura_20140523.pdf 1 2014/05/23 13:22:32

20 | WEEKENDER | EXPAT LIFE

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QOLA June issue 1/4size


My doctor told me I can’t drive for a couple of months. I enjoy driving and am sorry about that. Once again it has been good people—good friends have come to the rescue, pick me up and take me all around this great

city of ours. I’ve been here a long time, and drive all over. Even so, relaxing in friend’s cars instead of driving has really given me the opportunity to see so much I hadn’t seen or perhaps just didn’t pay all that much attention to before. It really makes one realize what a big and wonderful city Tokyo is. We all see so many changes almost overnight, and with all the building and redevelopment, we’re sure to see a lot more. I will update you on things as I learn about them. Let’s start out with a huge, beautiful new project—Mori Buildings’ Toranomon Hills Mori Tower, which is scheduled to open June 11. The new landmark boasts 52 floors and is 255.5 meters tall. Extended roads, tunnels, broad sidewalks, tree-lined streets, modern residences, offices, conference halls and a variety of retail outlets will, according to the developers, make Toranomon the “gateway to Tokyo” Hyatt lovers are really looking forward to. One highlight is the new Andaz Hyatt Boutique Hotel at the top of the beautiful new building with its “special grade” anti-seismic construction. This, my friends, is all really going to be really special. Sitting in one of my favorite coffee shops, Tully’s, recently, and was about to write about the clean, modern, artistically decorated Goto Bldg. on Roppongi Dori. The owner that houses Tully’s is the same

man who owns the really run-down Goto Bldg. 2. As the old saying goes “What goes up must come down,” and according to what I heard, #2 will go under the wrecking ball in June. This building—which housed first the Lexington Queen and later the New Lex Tokyo, a half-dozen different hostess bars over the years, and a few offices that no one really seemed to know went on in—has recently really gone down hill. That’s a long story I’ll tell later. As most of you know I hosted a lot of happenings with so many international celebrities there: it was interesting and fun for 35 years, and I hope to get a book on much of it out later this year. Boy George, who recently cut his first album in 18 years, dropped into the Lexington Queen when both he and the club were pretty much on top of the charts. We put him and the others in his entourage in the VIP section where they could relax and enjoy. Nature called and as the star got up and headed for he restroom one slightly overweight, but fast moving, young girl fan managed to tackle him on the dance floor. He’s a big guy and didn’t fall down: He just kept walking (dragging the girl who wouldn’t let go) over to where I was standing, and loudly exclaimed “I didn’t know what it is, but something has attached itself to my leg.” It took two security guys to get him free.

MARUYAMA’S CHINESE DINNER—HILTONMitsuo, Lilo and Helge Maruyama’s Chinese New Year’s dinner party, with its VIP guest list, family hospitality, and a superbly prepared

TOKYO’S LONGEST RUNNING SOCIETY PAGE, WITH BILL HERSEYPEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES

22 | SOCIETY | PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES Tanya Kumar and Kristopher Brown at their wedding in New Dehli


PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 23

Maruyama’s Dinner Hilton Tokyo1. Tony Matsubara, Toshiko Yanai, PM Abe’s mother Yoko Abe, Hisako Uemura, Midori Ohga, Abe’s mother-in-law Emiko Matsuzaki, Sadako Nagano 2. Mary Katayama, Grace Saito, Utako Arrour (Morocco), Lilo Maruyama 3. Palestine Ambassador Waleed Siam, his wife Maali, Iraq Ambassador Nadid Al-Robaee, his wife Ala Hassa Hassiny, Kuwaiti Ambassador Abdul Al-Otaibi and his wife Jamilah, Yasmine Tsamados (Greece), Fumiko Tottori 4. Teressa Dejean (Argentina), Reko Dida (Albania), Heidi Vahekeni (Angola) 5. Paula Bowers (Canada), Helge Maruyama, Djibouti Ambassador Ahmed Araita Al, his daughter Emely 6. Mitsuo Maruyama, Philippines Ambassador Manuel Lopez, Moroccan Ambassador Samir Arrour 7. Swedish Minister Counselor Ulf Sormark, Mary Katayama, Argentine Ambassador Raul Dejean 8. Utako Arrour, Kaoru Schweisgut, Lilo, Canadian

Ambassador Mackenzie Clugston 9. Jamilah Al-Otaibi, Maali Siam, Ala Hassiny, Maria Teresa Lopez (Philippines) 10. Shima-san, Pakistani Ambassador Farukh Amil, Albanian Ambassador Bujar Dida 11. Philippines Ambassador Manuel Lopez, Kuwaiti Ambassador Abdul Al-Otaibi, Iraq Ambassador Nadid Al-Rabaee, Palestine Ambassador Waleed Siam, Moroccan Ambassador Samir Arrour 12. Emiko Matsuzaki, Colombian Ambassador Patricia Cardenas, Teressa Dejean, Akio Matsuzaki, Hisako Uemura 13. Toshiko Yanai, Fumiko Tottori, EU Ambassador Hans Schweisgut, Yoko Abe, Mitsuo Maruyama

India’s Nat’l Day at the Okura14. French Ambassador Christian Masset and his wife Hélène 15. Indian Minister Sanjay Panoa, his wife Minalti.

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India’s Nat’l Day at the Okura

1. The popular restauranteur brothers, Pal and Yog Kapoor 2. Indian Chamber of

Commerce’s Ricky Sarani, Jothy Kumar, Yog Kapoor 3. Sri Lankan Ambassador Wasantha

Karannagoda, Malaysian Ambassador Datuk Shaharuddin 4. Austrian Ambassador

Bernhard Zimburg, Indian Ambassador Deepa Wadhwa, Rashim Zimburg.

Vietnam New Year’s Party

5. The hostess Le Nguyet Nga, Maria Teresa Lopez 6. Philippines Ambassador Manuel

and Senora Lopez 7. Vietnamese Embassy staff Chucong Huang, his wife Duong Bich Muyen,

Hideko Kudaka Crane 8. The host Vietnamese Ambassador Doan Xuan Hung and VIP guest

In and Around

9. The Mehndi ceremony for the wedding of Jothy and Anil Kumar’s daughter Tanya to

Kristopher Brown 10. The couple arrives at the Sangeet ceremony on a painted elephant

11. Anil Kumar, Tanya Kumar, Kristopher Brown, and Jothy Kumar 12. Dolly Baker, 1922–2014

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Wayne Gracyk, William Ireton, and Bill Ireton at Legends Bar in Roppongi

Swiss travelers Patrice and Michel at the Seihakusai Festival in Nanao, Ishikawa-ken

Former Djibouti Ambassador Rashad Farrah and Kuwaiti Ambassador Abdul Al-Otaibi.

PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 25

11-course dinner by Hilton Tokyo’s popular Dynasty restaurant was perfect in every way. In addition to many diplomatic couples, guests included a group of really important and always busy ladies.

THE HUNGS’ VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR PARTYI enjoyed wishing friends at the Dynasty dinner a Happy New Year (“Gung Hay Fat Choy!”), and a week or so later, I had the opportunity to walk over to my neighbors a few minutes from my house and join the wall-to-wall friends of Ambassador Doan Xuan Hung, his family and his staff in their New Year’s celebration—“Cung Chuc Tan Nien” to all our Vietnamese friends on this festive occasion. The ambiance at the party was great, with all the guests really enjoying the bountiful buffet (especially the pho noodles), the Vietnamese entertainment and the hosts’ warm hospitality. Many of the ladies there wore the chic traditional national dresses—Ao Dai—and they really added color and glamour to the special evening.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVEYears ago, I used to hang out with world-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa, but I hadn’t seen him for a long time. I was really happy to see and talk with him at Ambassador Kennedy’s party for the Boston Red Sox. A few weeks later, I was watching the classic TV channel #36 and my timing was perfect. It featured Seiji conducting almost two hours of Gershwin’s music, including An American in Paris. The concert was outside and I could hardly believe the number of people there and how much they all enjoyed the concert by Japan’s master of music. I should be used to seeing friends leave, but it wasn’t easy when Colombian Ambassador Patricia Cardenas and Zimbabwe Ambassador Stuart Comberbach and his wife Bicky all returned home. These people were all real movers and shakers, and for me they were like family. Ambassadors are usually here for four years. Patricia was here 7 years, and Stuart and Bicky were here for 11 years. Believe me, they all worked wonders in furthering relations and creating understanding between Japan and their respective countries. Boy will they all be missed. The Iretons—Bill, his wife Charo, and three of their five kids, Roberta, William, and Edward—flew to LA for their son Thomas’s graduation from Loyola Marymount University. He’s interested in film production and like all the Ireton kids, graduated with honors. William will stay in the US and be in New York City, working with the New York Yankees. Matthew, the oldest, had to pass up on the trip because of his heavy showbiz schedule (acting, singing, emceeing, etc.) One of Tokyo’s most popular ever couples, Ron and Marie Anderson—they live in the Big Apple now—were back in Tokyo and, as always, had a full schedule of breakfasts, lunches and dinners in their honor. I did get to have a coffee break with Maria. She’s a very special lady in every way, and like everyone who knows her, I really love

her. By the way, she looked gorgeous at the ILBS Ball, which she once chaired. Got an overseas call from someone who spoke good English but with a very French accent. Thought it was a friend who is really good at accents so joked a bit until I realized it really was world famous hotelier Xavier Destribits. He ran the Grand Hyatt for seven years here and moved to Switzerland, where he heads a huge hotel group. Anyway Xavier had heard about my health problem and called to see “How I was doing.” Really enjoyed talking with him, and he and his wife Tatiana send their best to their many friends here.

JUST TALKA big and sincere thank you to Lawson convenience stores’ CEO Takeshi Nimami. When he learned I was sick he sent me two boxes of an assortment of Lawson’s special bread developed especially for health-conscious people. The bran bread is low in calories and has a lot of fiber. It’s also low in carbohydrates and very popular with people suffering from diabetes across Japan. It’s not just good, it’s really recommended by doctors. If you’re curious to give it a try, ask your Lawson people for their “bran bread.”

CATCHING OR TRYING TO CATCH UPSo much has happened over the last few months I managed to mess things up from time to time. Will try and clear it all up this column. First, I had a write-up on India’s festive National Day last column. But there weren’t any photos, so I’ll run them now. Sorry about that.I wasn’t able to get to the Imperial Hotel’s Annual, always first-class, reception for the media, but the hotel’s PR man, Nacio “Skip” Cronin really worked to get the photos for me (we’ll show them in the next column). Friends who were there told me it was a very special evening with truly excellent gourmet food. Skip had some health problems as well, and I’m happy to report he’s much better now.A big Kudos to Omani Ambassador Khalid Al-Muslahi, his wife Abeer and their staff on the success of their Oman/Japan student forum culture show at their beautiful Embassy and residence. Long time friend Takako Shimazu, sister of the Emperor, joined the Al-Muslahis in officially opening the super cultural event (we’ll show you the pictures next month!) It was my first party after getting out of the hospital, and Abeer made sure I had some of the delicious and healthy Omani food: talk about good friends. I also wanted to say farewell to Dolly Baker, a longtime friend of Corky Alexander and one of the stars of the jazz scene in Tokyo, where she lived from 1961 until 2001. She sang regularly at the American

Club, several international embassies, and at many of Tokyo’s jazz clubs; she also cut albums and appeared on TV. She was

a prominent member of Tokyo’s international community, and I loved seeing her sing. I was sorry to hear that she had passed away in April, and I wish her family all the best.

MOVIESCOMING TO A CINEMA NEAR YOU IN JUNEMOVIES

NOAH

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL POMPEII

HER

COMING TO A CINEMA NEAR YOU IN JUNE

There was a time when Biblical epics were the biggest event pictures Hollywood had to offer, with the

likes of The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur boasting the biggest budgets, the hottest stars, and the grandest visuals. Long having fallen out of fashion, films in this genre occasionally appear, often whipping up a storm of controversy in their wake, as was the case with Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. The story of Noah is less likely to cause much controversy, unless you take issue with just how true to scale the Ark should be. Russell Crowe takes up the role of the man tasked by God to make an ark to carry two animals of every kind and repopulate the earth after a great flood arrives to purify the land. Darren Aronofsky is the man behind the camera, the gifted director who first came to attention with grueling drug addiction drama Requiem for a Dream before courting Academy Awards success with The Wrestler and Black Swan. Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins and Emma Watson fill out the cast of thesps helping and hindering Noah in his monumental task.

Director Wes Anderson is one of the most idiosyncratic directors working today. For years he has been

delivering his own brand of oddly touching cinema with a distinct visual style and a talent for bringing together large casts of top acting talent in quirky roles. Throughout his career, Anderson has demonstrated a knack for creating wonderfully complex narratives that are funny, sad and endlessly imaginative. The Grand Budapest Hotel stars Ralph Fiennes as Gustave, the concierge of an opulent hotel in a fictional European country, who teams up with a lobby boy to prove his innocence after being framed for murder. The film has a huge cast featuring many Wes Anderson regulars including Bill Murray, Willem Defoe, Jason Schartzman, Tilda Swinton and Owen Wilson.

Given the globe-conquering success of Game of Thrones, it was only a matter of time before cast members

started breaking away to film projects. Peter Dinklage, (Tyrion Lannister), appeared in last month’s X-Men offering, Nickolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister) was in the Tom Cruise sci-fi blockbuster Oblivion and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) can be seen in this month’s fantasy sequel 300: Rise of an Empire (out June 20). One of the youngest stars of the show is Kit Harrington (Jon Snow), who’s stepped off of the The Wall and into the ancient Roman Empire for Pompeii, a Gladiator-meets-300 action adventure that sees a slave fighting for the woman he loves (Emily Browning) in the shadow of an exploding volcano.

The Academy Awards wrapped up back in March but it’s often a long wait for all the Oscar heavy-hitters

to reach Japanese shores. June sees the last of the Best Picture nominees finally released with the arrival of Spike Jonze’s Her. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly, a lonely man unable to fully connect with the people around him. Theodore purchases a new artificially intelligent operating system with a female voice and personality with which he eventually starts a relationship. The film was directed, written and produced by Jonze, the maker of the brilliant Being John Malkovich, and co-stars Amy Adams and the voice of Scarlett Johansson as Samantha, Theodore’s digital love interest.

JUN 14

JUN 6

JUN 28

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www.tokyoweekender.com JUNE 2014 www.tokyoweekender.com JUNE 2014



AGENDA

AGENDA: THE WEEKENDER ROUNDUP OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN JUNE

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Realmusic Tokyo 2014Sponsored by Real Madrid’s official energy drink, this

party presents Jungle Brothers, Black Sheep and Hifana.

Where: ageHa

How Much: ¥4,800 (adv.)/¥5,500 (door)

More info: www.ageha.com

Tokyo YamathonThe “ultimate urban challenge” where teams

compete to walk or run through Tokyo visiting all 29 stations of the famous JR Yamanote train line.

Where: Start/Finish at Tokyo International

Forum How Much: ¥10,000 per team

More info: www.tokyo-yamathon/com

Todd TerjeNorwegian disco at its best, with the “king of

summer jams” as part of the Red Bull Academy’s up-and-coming artists event.

Where: Womb, Shibuya

How Much: ¥3,500

More info: www.womb.co.jp

Asean Festival 2014The Association of Southeast Asian Nations

team up for a two-day extravaganza filled with a plethora of dishes, music and live performances.

Where: Yoyogi Park, Shibuya

How Much: Free

More info: www.aseanfestival.jp

Resident Advisor at ageHaLevon Vincent, Eddie

C and DJ Sodeyama will warm up the crowd at the popular Resident Advisor night.

Where: ageHa, Shin-Kiba

How much: ¥4,250 (adv.)

More info: www.ageha.com

Outlook Festival Japan Launch PartyDub Phizix & Strategy,

Dillinja, P Money and Royal T will give you a preview of the largest bass music and soundsystem culture festival in Europe.

Where: ageHa | How Much: ¥6,500

More info: www.outlookfestival.jp

Sanno MatsuriOne of Tokyo’s three biggest festivals, this week-long

celebration features huge processions of costumed revelers, portable shrines, and riders on horseback. Drop by Hie Shrine throughout the week before for various cultural activities.

Where: Hie Shrine (Tameike-Sanno Station)

How Much: Free More info: www.jnto.go.jp

TLCRemaining TLC members T-Boz and Chilli will show

you that they still don’t want no scrubs, and that they still got it.

Where: Akasaka Blitz, Akasaka

How Much: ¥9,000 - ¥18,000 (2F seating)

More info: www.tokyoweekender.com

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ENJOY A JUICY, FLAME-GRILLED,

AMERICAN TENDERLOIN STEAK. COOKED

JUST HOW YOU LIKE IT AND SERVED

WITH 2 SIDES OF YOUR CHOICE.

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! (Available Until June 30th)

STAR RANCHANGUS FILLET

Tokyo Festival of ModularLearn about the

technology behind electronic music with international artists including Richard Devine and Black Zenith.

Where: Super Deluxe, Nishi-Azabu

How much: ¥2,500-¥4,500

More info: www.tokyoweekender.com

Fussa Firefly FestivalCatch the ephemeral glowing critters in this

49th annual festival. While the short-lived wonders only appear at nighttime, visitors are welcome for an all-day celebration.

Where: Fussa Hotaru Park

How Much: Free

More info: www.fussakanko.jp

Bonjour Tokyo Summer Tahitian PartyDon your favorite Hawaiian

or Tiki shirts for this summer preview party: even if it rains, the atmosphere will be hot.

Where: Tokyo Salon, Omotesando

How Much: ¥2,000 (includes one drink)

More info: www.bonjourtokyo.com

Short Shorts Film FestivalWhether you’re looking to catch the next big

Japanese director or go in for British black comedy, there’s something for everyone to enjoy with this huge collection of short films.

Where: Tokyo and Yokohama (check site)

How Much: Free

More info: www.shortshorts.org/2014/en

JUN 14

UNTIL JUN 15

JUN 21

JUN 7–8

11

9

12

10

BACK IN THE DAY: JUNE 1989Check out the scene in Tokyo from 1989! You can read the rest of this issue (No.21 1989) and view

Weekender’s 42-year archive online. www.tokyoweekender.com/weekender-archives/

Your “Renter’s Rooftop Paradise” awaits you with Vacation Veranda, the award-winning

Lifestyle Design company specializing in customized luxury outdoor living and entertainment spaces. The talented team at Vacation Veranda is ambitious in its

artistic approach, helping you achieve a ‘vacation’ escape space in the privacy of your own home!

The company offers both optional maintenance services to keep your “room with a view” as impeccable as it was on installation day, as well as garden removal services when moving day comes: 70% of Vacation Veranda clients are renters. And for customers looking to refresh the interior of their homes, restaurants or offices, Vacation Veranda is there to help them realize their visions as well.

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Call us now for a free consultationWeb: www.vacationveranda.com | Email: info@ vacationveranda.com | Tel: 090-5211-0053

Before

After

Theodore Haley Jennings, IIICEO & Principal Designer

tokyo weekender - june 2014

Documents

people parties

wheelsworld cup

director steve mcqueen

daring short film

english language magazinealso

talkingcome togetherhell

brazilchris hart