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All the latest news &exclusive articles on today’s Japan

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On the tasty sideof Hokkaido

Editorial

In its fifth issue, ZoomJapan takes you on a tripto the north of the archi-pelago to discover Hok-kaido. This region is stilllargely unknown byWestern tourists, who

tend to be seduced by Tokyo or Kyoto, butthe island welcomes an increasing number ofJapanese and Asian tourists who appreciateits countryside and quality of life. It is acces-sible by train or by plane with reasonably pri-ced flights from Tokyo. Hokkaido also attractsmany visitors for its food, and this is how thisissue of Zoom Japan has decided to help youdiscover the region, by introducing you tovarious unusual and original local products.We hope that this will encourage you to tra-vel around Japan, away from the beaten track.

THE EDITORIAL TEAMinfo@zoomjapan.info

NEWS

A DAY IN JAPAN by Eric Rechsteiner

On 27 September, people living in Tokyo discovered a new store at the eastern exit of Shinjuku station. Biqlois a new shop of 22,000 square metres. It was created by two leading brands, Bic Camera and Uniqlo. Biqlois mainly aimed at tourists and hopes to generate over 470 million pounds of revenue per year.

12 September, Shinjuku quarter, Tokyo.

© Eric

Rec

hsteiner

Front cover picture by Jérémie Souteyrat

2 ZOOM JAPAN number 5 october 2012

SOCIETY Victims of the disas-ter are in the doldrumsFor the third time, the Kahoku Shimpo,

Sendai’s daily newspaper, surveyed the

victims of the March 11 earthquake, to

check on their morale. 38.5% of the people

questioned believe that things are not

working out well. This is a high percentage

that demonstrates the continued distress of

the victims, many of whom are still having

to live in temporary housing..

ECONOMY A worryingcommercial deficitAccording to figures published by the

Ministry of Finance, the country’s

commercial deficit has increased during

August with a rate at 472.8 billion yen,

compared to 371.9 billion yen in July.

Exports have decreased by 2.1% and imports

have diminished by 0.2% compared with the

previous month. This development is related

to lower demand from China and Europe.

Is the number of centenarians in Japan,

revealed by the Ministry of Health,

Work and Well-being in its annual study.

Women make up 87.3% of the total,

and it is the first time that the numbers

have risen above 50,000.

In 1963, there were only 153.

51,376

NEWS

Tokyo needs to deal with the re-emergence oftensions with its neighbours, but up until now,an adequate response has not been found.

Over the past few weeks, the Japanese media hasreported many, sometimes violent,anti-Japa-nese demonstrations, that have taken place in

China. They are not the first, and they will not be thelast, but as the Weekly Kinyobi rightly underlined, thereis now “an urgent diplomatic situation” for Japan, in theface of which the governmentappears to be helpless. In addi-tion to the dispute about the Sen-kaku islands (Diaoyu in Chinese),Tokyo also needs to deal withanother issue, involving SouthKorea and related to TakeshimaIsland (Dokdo in Korean), as wellas find a solution to the territo-rial conflict with Russia over theSouthern Kuril Islands (Hopporyodo). Japan appears to be in anincreasingly weak position facingup to its principal neighbours,and there is little chance that thesituation might improve in thecoming months, considering theinternal state of the country.There are few arguments infavour of a rapid improvement. The reason why theChinese are now more upfront concerning their terri-torial claims, is partly related to their having overtakenJapan to become the second largest economic power inthe world. By attacking Panasonic for example, one ofthe first Japanese production companies to massively

invest in China in the late seventies, the Chinese demons-trators symbolically showed that they are no longerdependent on Japanese investors. In addition, relationswith the United States have changed since the demo-cratic party (Minshuto) took power in Japan in August2009. Several embarrassing situations (such as thecontroversial deployment of Osprey fighter planes atFutenma airbase in Okinawa) have weakened relationsbetween Tokyo and Washington, and given Japan’sneighbours the opportunity to test American reaction.

The visit of the American Minister ofDefence, Leon Panetta, clarified thesituation when he repeated that theUnited States would not take up a posi-tion in relation to this sensitive territo-rial claim. Nevertheless, the Senkakudisagreement is connected to an earlierAmerican decision. In 1972, the Ame-rican administration decided to handback the islands to Japan althoughChina, and then Taiwan, had both laidclaim to them in December 1970 andFebruary 1971 respectively. Last butnot least, the political uncertainty pla-guing the archipelago is making the

situation harder to settle. The numerouspolitical leaders from all sides who havemade multiple embarrassing declarationsconcerning the territorial issues, have

contributed to reinforcing the nationalist positions oftheir neighbours, especially when South Korea is in themiddle of an electoral campaign, and China is replacingits leadership. Given the situation, it is hard to see howcan things possibly get any better?

GABRIEL BERNARD

DIPLOMACY Paralysis andweakness at every level

october 2012 number 5 ZOOM JAPAN 3

Anti-Japanese demonstrations in China

on the front page of the 17 Septem-

ber edition of Mainichi Shimbun.

FOCUS

4 ZOOM JAPAN number 5 october 2012

Last April, the Japanese media gave a warm wel-come to Michelin’s first guide to Hokkaido.After Tokyo and Kansai, this northern island

has always been known for its high quality food. Fourrestaurants, including a sushi bar, were given threestars, the supreme reward in terms of worldwide gas-tronomic recognition. This recognition not only gavegreat satisfaction to the starred chefs themselves butalso helped draw attention to what Hokkaido had tooffer the rest of the Japan. For a number of years, theisland did not have a very good image with its harsh,and in certain areas, hostile climate with snow, wind,and freezing cold, that made it difficult to convinceJapanese living in the south that it was worth travel-ling there. As the Abashiri Prison Museum in the

northeast if the island reminds us, Hokkaido was alsothe place where the most undesirable criminals usedto be sent. It was a bit like Japan’s version of colonialAustralia, but closer to hand. For many years it wassomewhat complicated to travel there. You had to goto Aomori, at the northernmost tip ofHonshu, the main island in the archi-pelago, and then get a ferry to Hako-date. In 1954 the Toya-maru ferrydisaster that killed 1100 passengersand crew, encouraged the authoritiesto think of building a tunnel between Honshu andHokkaido in order to open up the region. After adecade of studies, the digging started in 1964, andthe Seikan tunnel was opened in 1988. 53 kilome-tres long, including 23 kilometres under the sea, itremains the longest tunnel in the world. As well asbreaking records, it also greatly benefited Hokkaido,bringing it into closer contact with the rest of thearchipelago. It is now very easy to travel there by train.

The Shinkansen (high-speed train) will get you toAomori in three hours, from where you can get thetrain to Hakodate. Now it is possible to travel toHakodate from Tokyo in just over 5 hours. From2035, when the high-speed trains from Hokkaido

are due to come into use, Sapporo willonly be 4 hours away from the capital ofJapan. This rail revolution has comple-tely changed the Japanese people’s rela-tionship with Hokkaido. They have dis-covered its natural treasures and found

out that snow is not the only thing going there. Thebeauty of the landscape attracts an increasing num-ber of tourists who have also gradually learnt to appre-ciate the island’s cuisine. With its large variety of agri-cultural resources, the reputation of Hokkaidos wideselection of produce continues to grow throughoutthe country. Here are a few original examples toencourage you to travel there.

ODAIRA NAMIHEI

Hakodate isfewer than fivehours awayfrom Tokyo.

DISCOVERY Hokkaido makes your mouth waterLong considered to be rather an isolatedregion, the island was often ignored, butthanks to new rail links, it has becomemore accessible.

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Shellfish take pride of place on stalls at Hakodate market, but Hokkaidô does not only produce seafood.

FOCUS

october 2012 number 5 ZOOM JAPAN 5

On arriving in Ikeda on the Nemuro line,250 kilometres southeast of Sapporo, yourattention is caught by a huge concrete buil-

ding rising above the station. On a grey, cloudy day,it is enough to get horror afficionados fantasizing.The building looks like a huge prison without anywindows, and for a minute you wonder why onearth you have stopped here. You cannot recall Ikedabeing known for its prison, the way Abashiri is. No,Ikeda’s celebrity stems from its vineyards, and thatis the reason you came here. When leaving the sta-tion, a little sign points towards Château Ikeda, just19 minutes walk away. The enormous grey buildingis still on your left-hand side, and after followingthe map, you realize that this is actually ChâteauIkeda itself. The concrete turret you thought was awatchtower is in fact the reproduction of a castletower. As you get nearer you discover the only spotof colour to be seen on the giant concrete wall: abig wooden door resembling that which a fortifiedcastle would have. This building is in completecontrast to the Bordeaux chateaux, those grandbourgeois houses. Ikeda’s architect must have usedan illustrated dictionary to base his plans on a for-tified castle rather than Versailles. Nevertheless, theincongruous architectural style actually suits thisunlikely vineyard, situated, as it is, in a region where

it snows throughout the very cold winters. It isunderstandable why Yamanashi prefecture, sou-theast of Tokyo, started producing wine. However,the idea of planting vineyards in Hokkaido is lessunderstandable, and seems rather out of place atfirst. “Not at all,” says Saito Akihiko, the cellar mas-ter. “It snows around here, but the grapes don’t growin winter. It’s very sunny the rest of the year, and thesoil is great,” he adds.The idea of starting wine production here goes backto the 60s. After a violent earthquake hit the regionand the Japanese government paid compensation,the local officials debated what to do with themoney. One of them suggested planting a vineyardand starting to produce wine. “There were cheeseproducers in this region. Maybe they wanted to havehis own wine to go with the cheese,” suggests Mas-ter Saito. So the first vineyards were planted, andthe first bottles of wine produced in 1963, about50 years ago now. Since then Hokkaido has deve-loped into a wine producing area. Château Ikeda isalso a research centre that focuses on improving thequality of the wine because, needless to say, it is notyet comparable to Japan’s best wines. Master Saitohas travelled to France several times to perfect hisknowledge and so produce better wine. “It takestime,” he says, “but it is starting to pay off. We areimproving our production, and we have also star-ted producing brandy.” He is confident because lit-tle by little, Tokachi’s wine is gaining recognition."The" Japanese are now starting to drink wine with

WINE In Tokachi, dreams are made ofgrand crusFor approximately 50 years, Château Ikedahas been building a solid reputation withits wine.

their meals. It’s still limited, but the habit is sprea-ding, and we produce very acceptable table wine tosatisfy them.” Many visitors come to have the detailsof the local produce explained to them in the greathall of Château Ikeda. Some of them already havetwo or three bottles in their shopping baskets…andthey just might add a few more.

O. N.

At Château Ikeda, the wine is put into French made bar-

rels to mature.

To give you an idea of the incrediblediversity of Hokkaido’s agriculturalproduction and the range of tastes itoffers, there is nothing better thangoing to one of the islands’ many mar-kets. Some of them are famous acrossseveral regions. Hakodate is one of themost famous. It is situated close to therailway station and started in 1945. Theregion’s farmers came by train to Ha-kodate to sell their produce, and themarket is still near the station. After anunsuccessful attempt to transfer it toanother area in the late 50s, it cameback to its initial location and has re-mained there ever since. All kinds ofproduce are sold in the market, but the

region’s specialty, squid, gets specialtreatment. At the centre of the marketis a three metre high sculpture thatpays tribute to the sea creature on

which the city’s reputation rests.Sapporo also has a morning market(asa-ichi). Like Hakodate’s, it opens veryearly, around 5 am. It is not as old, only

dating from 1970, but nevertheless, ithas become an institution in the is-land’s main city. It is where chefs go tobuy their ingredients, especially thosewho specialize in sushi. In fact, it isquite interesting to listen in to discus-sions between the merchants and thebuyers who speak an incomprehensi-ble jargon. One of the best thingsabout places like Hakodate, or evenAbashiri, is being able to taste the freshfood. There are many restaurantsamong the market stands, and theyserve delicious dishes at modest prices.It is there that you can savour the realtaste of Hokkaido.

O. N.

CURIOSITY

Fresh fish for sale, fresh fish

The morning markets in Hakodate (left) or Abashiri (right) offer greatopportunities to taste fresh produce at low prices.

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FOCUS

6 ZOOM JAPAN number 5 october 2012

Nowadays, Otaru is a little port like any other.However, until the ninteen-forties it wasthe region’s economic powerhouse. It owed

its importance to commerce with Sakhalin Island.After being under Japanese control from the secondhalf of the 19th century, Sakhalin passed into Rus-sian control again after the Second World War, andOtaru sank into oblivion. The warehouses, builtover 100 years ago along a little canal, are remin-ders of its vibrant past, and it is in one of those buil-dings that Johannes Braun took up residence. He isa 44 year-old German who has been living in Japanfor 20 years, and settled in Otaru after being recrui-ted to manage a brewery. “I was working in Scot-land in a whisky distillery when a head hunter offe-red me the opportunity to work in Japan,” heremembers. “I had quite a lot of experience in beer.My family has managed a brewery in Germany sincethe 17th century and I studied, and then worked inthe field for quite a few years.”The relaxation in the law on the development ofmicrobreweries triggered the start of this excitingadventure. In 1994, with a beer market dominatedby Kirin, Asahi and Sapporo, the authorities deci-ded to liberalize the sector and authorize the crea-tion of small business enterprises in the archipelago.This was in response to a strong demand as wellas the need to revive a sector that was going througha crisis. After years of sustained growth, theconsumption of beer has been in decline for the pasttwo decades. This can be explained by the fact thatover the years the sector’s biggest businesses increa-singly turned their backs on the productionof real beer. “They make drinksthat look like beer, but thatisn’t really beer. So youcan’t be surprised thatthe consumptionrates are so bad,”says the masterbrewer of OtaruBeer with a grin.Johannes Braun isquite obviouslyhappy to be inOtaru. His figures aregood. “They are increa-sing by 10% per year,” headds. The business is going so

well that he has opened a second production unitjust a few kilometres away in Zenibako. “We pro-duce 2 million litres per year, in addition to the150,000 litres made in Otaru.” When we ask himto explain his success, he replies simply, “I makebeer.”Johannes Braun had only one condition for accep-

ting the job, and that was for him to be allowedto produce an organic and 100% natu-

ral, non-filtered beer. “The bigJapanese brands filter their

beer, and at the end of theday, they offer very fewvarieties. They are fourbrands that dominatethe market, but theyproduce only twokinds of beer. Ithought I might suc-

ceed in the challenge Ihad set myself by offering

different kinds of beer,” saysthe brew master. The Otaru bre-

wery offers dunkel (dark beer), pils-

BEER From producer to consumerA few kilometres away from Sapporo,Otaru’s little port is experiencing a revivalwith help from a master brewer who comesfrom Germany.

ner (pale lager), and weiss (wheat beer), not forget-ting all the seasonal beers. The only downside ofthis wonderful venture is the difficulty that Johanneshas in exporting his beers. “Because it is 100% orga-nic, it doesn’t travel very well and won’t survive thedistribution methods currently used that requirelong periods in storage,” he stresses. But JohannesBraun is not too bothered by this. “If the beer can’ttravel to the consumer, the consumer must travel tothe beer,” he says. Soko No. 1 warehouse, where theproduction unit is situated, has been turned intoa huge Bierkeller, worthy of it German counterparts.The decoration is German, the music is German,and most of the food is as well. “People love it,” saysthe master brewer. At the centre of this venue, whichresembles Bavaria rather than Japan, is a copper bre-wing room that he imported from Germany. Fromproducer to consumer - with no middleman. Thequality of Otaru’s water and the yeast that JohannesBraun produces himself both contribute to the beer’sinimitable taste. Thousands of people travel toOtaru for its beer, which is bringing back some ofthis little port’s lost vitality.

O. N.

Of all Johannes Braun’s beers, the pilsner lager is the most successful.

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october 2012 number 5 ZOOM JAPAN 7

FOCUS

Hokkaido is famous for fish, shellfish, râmen(especially famous in Sapporo and Asahi-kawa), maybe even cheese (Hokkaido’s

famous camembert sold in a tin box), and that isabout it. This represents more or less the wholeinventory of the island’s food produce, or at least,that is what most Japanese would say if they werequestioned on the subject. However, this list is notcomplete. Of course there are many other agricul-tural products (such as wine) that aregrown successfully andcontribute to the region’sreputation but there is onequite unexpected productthat is growing in popularitythroughout the archipelagoand abroad, and that is cho-colate. Hokkaido is becominga mini version of Switzerlandthanks to a chocolate calledRoyce’. The first time you hearits name, you immediately thinkit must be a foreign business deve-loped locally to satisfy the demandof gourmets in the region. Royce’does not sound very Japanese. “Infact, it’s the founder’s name read back-wards,” explains Imai Akiko, who is incharge of the company’s public rela-tions. It was Yamazaki Yasuhiro (Rohisu when thecharacters are read in reverse) who founded the com-pany in 1983, in the area surrounding Sapporo. “Atthat time, nobody made milk chocolate in Hokkaido,although the region is well-known for its milk,” saysImai. Yamazaki Yasuhiro had just left his job in a

machine-tool factory, and was looking for an ideato start his own business. That is when he came upwith the idea of a chocolate factory.His first workshop was fewer than 200 square metres.“I remember I used to make everything from scratch.I didn’t have the means to pay for a machine. Myonly tools were standard kitchen implements. That’swhen I used to make chocolate bars in the shapeof cows. They had quite a lot of success with tou-rists,” remembers Yamazaki Yasuhiro. Then he star-ted making “nama chocolate” (madewith crème fraîche).

Nowadays it is still oneof the Royce’ brand’s most popular

products. “It represents 50% of our sales,” says Imai.“We take advantage of the high quality of Hokkaido’smilk products, but that’s not all. For a few years now,we have also been using potatoes,” she says with asmile, seeing a look of surprise at the idea of a com-bination of potatoes and chocolate.But innovation is at the heart of Royce's success, andit so happens that the chocolate maker came up with

PLEASURE Royce’, the Rolls of chocolatesSituated close to Sapporo, this company isgaining increasing popularity amongstchocolate lovers.

the idea of potato crisps coated on one side with cho-colate. A local business supplies Royce’ with thecrisps, which are then coated and packed. Peoplelove them. In the factory shop in Ishikari Futomi,just 30 minutes from Sapporo’s city centre, boxesand bags of chocolate crisps sell like hot cakes. “Manytourists travelling through Hokkaido come all theway to the factory to buy some. It’s a sign of the pro-duct’s quality,” adds Imai.

Not all the tourists she mentions are Japa-nese, there are also many foreigners whoare increasingly addicted to Hokkaido’schocolate, and Royce’ uses that fact aspart of its marketing strategy. Thesepast few years, the island has madegreat efforts to attract visitors fromabroad, especially from Asia, andRoyce’ has used one of its adver-tising campaigns to help pro-mote this. The company hasdeveloped its investments inAsia, and opened manyretail outlets: Singapore,in 2001, followed byHong Kong, Thailand,Malaysia, the Philip-

pines, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan,and Russia at the end of 2011. This fast-growing

success both in Japan and Asia can be explained bythe originality of the products, as well as the qualityof the raw materials. “Hokkaido’s milk is wonder-ful. We only use milk from farms where the animalsare fed with organic produce,” insists Imai. It givesthe product a unique taste and texture that cannotbe found anywhere else. That is the reason whyYamazaki Yasuhiro is confident about the future. Heis certain that this taste of Hokkaido can conquerthe world.

O. N.

In its Ishikari Futomi factory, Royce’ makes chocolate crisps (left), its famous “nama” chocolates made with Hokkaido crème fraîche (middle), and twenty other products that

benefit from being packed carefully by hand.

CULTURE

THIS MONTH’S EVENT

Rin Okumura is a young man with issues. He has beenbrought up with his twin brother by a priest, whom hecalls father, and he is having trouble finding somethingconstructive to do with his life. Neither studious, norhard working, he is a great worry to his poor father.However, everything changes one night when Satanappears to him in person, tells him he is his son andthat he has come to get him. His adoptive father, whois really an exorcist, prevents the master of evil fromexecuting his plan by sacrificing himself. Rin cannotstand by and see his family suffer, so he decides tobecome an exorcist to vanquish his real father. In orderto do so, he is sent to an academy that trains exorcists,whose director Mephisto is an enigmatic character.This is the animated adaptation of a classic shonenmanga. There is nothing wrong with classic stories, butwhat about Blue Exorcist?The first thing you must consider is that the intrigueis based almost entirely on the characters, their thoughtsand their relationships with each other. The basic storyis not sufficiently out of the ordinary not to have to relyon something else besides the charisma of the prota-gonists. This works quite well for three of the charac-ters: Rin is a somewhat uncomplicated, easy to unders-tand shônen hero, but from the start, you recognizehis desire to reject his relationship with Satan in orderto protect the people around him. That is the key to hischarm, as well as being funny from time to time. Hisbrother Yukio is also caught in a paradox: he loves hisbrother, but he is scared of the problems that mightarise, and it is also his fault that his brother is reluctantlyforced to become an exorcist. That is what makes himinteresting. Last but not least is Father Figimoto, andalthough he appears only briefly, reveals a characterthat gives him immediate authority.Nevertheless, the story is not all that fascinating,although the action scenes are quite successful and aresatisfactorily entertaining, but apart from those fewscenes, the rhythm is slow and without doubt it can-not compete with the printed version of the manga.All in all, Blue Exorcist is an entertaining adaptation,although the intrigue needs to be explored in moredepth so as to broaden the character of the protago-nists, who already display a certain amount of charm.

ODAIRA NAMIHEI

DVD Blue exorcist: could do better

Until the 8th of December,

Christian Ferreira will

present the first

collaborative installation by

British artists Tom Milnes &

Sabine Okami in the

Accumulator Tower at

Wapping Hydraulic Power

Station. Titled "Kioku"

(memory) this ambitious

installation sees Milnes &

Okami working with

personal elements relating

to emotional memories felt

through disconnection. The

starting point is based on

stories related to the 2011

Japanese earthquake, as

experienced by Okami’s

grandparents. The artists

explore issues of memory,

translation and migration by

weaving personal narratives

into everyday Japanese

convenience-food products

and placing them in an

unnerving environment.

Milnes & Okami mirror the

now disused warehouses of

the area, which used to be

filled with exotic produce

from the Far East, by filling

the space with shelves

stacked with the re-

interpreted copies of

Japanese convenience food

products. Each of the re-

interpreted products is made

from a wood-block print,

loaded with family histories,

thus creating a hybridized

product which is then

organized and stored away.

By stepping into

claustrophobic space filled

with these re-interpreted

products that seem at once

familiar, yet exotic and

foreign, the viewer will

experience an unexpected

shudder as the shelves

transform the space into one

of angst, creating a feeling

of imminent danger

Wapping Hydraulic Power Station

Wapping Wall London E1W 3SG

Weds - Sat 12:00pm - 6:00pm

MUSIC Shonen Knife is backOriginating from Osaka and founded in

1981 by the Yamano sisters and their fellow

band member Nakatani, Shonen Knife has

been part of the Japanese rock scene for

over 30 years. Although two of the founding

members left the band and were replaced

by Morimoto Emi and Taneda Ritsuko, they

have not lost any of the energy that

characterises the pop-punk music that they

enthusiastically play on statge, and this is

what gives them all their charm and

strength. The loud rhythms of their guitars

and the power of the drums sound great,

and in conjunction with their new album

“Pop Tune” released last June, the trio is

back on tour throughout Great Britain and

Ireland until mid October. This is a

performance you must not miss.

12 Oct – Crane Lane Theatre, Cork IR. 13 Oct –

Whelan’s, Dublin IR. 15 Oct – Waterfront, Norwich

UK. 16 Oct – Cargo, London. www.damnably.com

8 ZOOM JAPAN number 5 october 2012

EXHIBITIONKioku: fracture and memories

CULTURE

On the boat, we were mostly virgins. We hadlong black hair and flat feet and we werenot very tall.” It is with these words that

Julie Otsuka starts her new novel. In this, her secondnovel, the American of Japanese origin delivers anaccount of the life of Japanese women, who left thearchipelago during the last century to flee povertyand get married to compatriots, who had themselvespreviously left Japan to make their fortune in theUnited States of America. Japanese emigration tothe US started in 1890. That year, 148 arrived.Twenty years later, there were over 150,000, buttheir presence gave rise to many problems, and Japa-nese immigration was officially suspended by theUS in 1924.Following her first novel, When The Emperor WasDivine, distributed by the same publisher in 2004,in which she described the way immigrants of Japa-nese origin were mistreated and locked up inconcentration camps during the Second World War,this time she pursues the quest for her roots. “I builtup a picture of myself from what I knew of my ownfamily history. My grandfather was suspected ofbeing a spy for Japan and was picked up by the FBIon the day Pearl Harbour was attacked (7 Decem-ber 1941), and sent to camps in Montana, Texasand New Mexico. My mother, my uncle and mygrandmother were all interned in Topaz, Utah, forthree years. My family has always been discreetabout what happened during the war, and in a cer-

tain way, writing this novel allowed me to reachbeyond this wall of silence,” she said, back in 2004,when her first “serious” fiction, as she called it, wasreleased. Similarly, The Buddha In The Attic requi-red a great deal of hard work from the youngwoman. “It slowly took me over completely,” sheexplains. However, and here lies the story’s strength,the writer never falls into pathos, and opts insteadfor a pared down style, resulting in a certain dis-tance with the subject that allows her to avoid theuse of vocabulary designed to play on the reader’semotions. Of course, that does not prevent emo-tion from being present, quite the opposite in fact.In the same way that rough textured ceramics canbe beautiful, Julie Otsuka’s second novel makesquite an impression. In her first novel, she hadalready begun her stylistic plucking away of any sen-timentality in order to give the reader freedom to

get to know the characters, the majority of whomare unnamed. In The Buddha In The Attic, noneof the women, linked by stories of misfortune in anunknown land, have names. The main difference,this time, is the omnipresence of the collective “we”.“We spoke seldom. We ate little. We were gentle.We were good. We never caused any trouble andallowed them to do with us as they pleased. We didnot bother them with questions. We never talkedback or complained. For most of us were simplegirls from the countryside who did not speak anyEnglish and in America we knew we had no choicebut to scrub sinks and wash floors.” These few sen-tences summarise the atmosphere in the novel thatcries out to the deepest corners of the reader’sconsciousness. He cannot be insensitive when rea-ding this detailed account of the lives of individualswho might become part of his daily life one day,and in whom he might have very little interest, onlyslight disdain. Ultimately, these Japanese womencould have been like the Senegalese, Gypsies orTunisian women who are a constant presence inmodern day Paris, and of whom we take little notice.One day, they might just disappear, as did the Japa-nese in 1942. “The Japanese have disappeared fromour city. Their houses are boarded up and emptynow. Their mailboxes have begun to overflow. Allwe know is that the Japanese are out there somew-here, in one place or another, and we shall proba-bly not meet them again in this world.” In the lastchapter, Julie Otsuka revisits the first chapter ofWhen the Emperor Was Divine, called “Evacua-tion order n°19”. The novelist takes us back in time,and underlines how society’s response to immigra-tion issues has barely evolved over the past century,although she never preaches, leaving the readerto make up his own mind about his attitude towardsforeigners. ODARIA NAMIHEI

By continuing the work she started with herfirst novel, Julie Otsuka forcefully evokesthe conditions of Japanese immigrants inAmerica.

LITERATURE The memory of our mothers

october 2012 number 5 ZOOM JAPAN 9

REFERENCETHE BUDDHA IN THE ATTIC, Thorndike Press £18.86

CULTURE

You moved to London recently but I understand thatyou have visited the city many times before. Whatwere your impressions when you came here for thefirst time?Hotei Tomoyasu : London is the birthplace of so manyrock legends, such as David Bowie whom I personallyrevere, and for someone like me, who grew up listeningto rock records from the age of 14, it really is a cityof dreams. Soon after I had made my debut in JapanI came here for the first time and it was indeed likehaving a dream come true for me.

What made you decide to move your base to London?H. T. : Last year was my 30th year in the music careerand I also turned fifty this year. That was an illustriousturning point in my career and was one of the main cata-lysts for the move. Also, during my 30th anniversaryconcert, right after I had sung ‘Dreamin’, one of myfavourite BOØWY songs, I turned to the audience andasked them, “Are you still following your dreams?” Thisquestion was also somewhat directed at myself, andbrought back memories of the first time that I came toLondon. My dream was always to travel the world withmy guitar and I realised that I wanted to continue fol-lowing that dream.

What impressions do you get from the current musicscene in Japan?H. T. : These days the technology involved in makingmusic has come on a long way and pieces are put toge-

MUSIC Interview with Hotei TomoyasuSince August this year, legendary guitaristHotei Tomoyasu has shifted his base fromJapan to London and on Tuesday the 18thof December he will be performing his firstever solo live show here.

ther electronically, using pre-created, finished sounds,so I kind of feel that the personal touch and musician’sindividuality is being lost. When I was 14, I taughtmyself to play the guitar in my own unique way andsearched out the kinds of sounds that I liked and thechords that I liked to play myself. That process of tryingand experimenting to see how you can produce yourown sound is fascinating and it is a great shame to thinkif it is completely disappearing. There is definitely some-thing important missing today for an old soak like me!(Laughs)

I hear that among the many different areas of musicthat you are involved in you also provide music forthe anime world. What exactly have you done alongthose lines?H. T. : I did the theme song “STILL ALIVE” for “Fistof the North Star 2010”. Also, the weeping sound madeby the Ohmu in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Windwas actually made with my guitar.

Please could you tell us about the concept for yourlive concert in London on the 18th of December andwhy you are so enthusiastic about it?H. T. : “Battle without Honour or Humanity”, thetheme song that I did for Quentin Tarentino’s film KillBill is pretty well known among British people. Thatsong really shows off the dynamism that the guitar canproduce. The London concert will feature roughly halfguitar tracks like this and half pieces with vocals. I willbe singing in both English and Japanese. There aremany great musicians in London so I am really excitedabout doing a live concert here. I would love it if eve-ryone came along to hear my own style of music that

takes the fundamental vibrancy of the guitar and hasabsorbed things into that from all kinds of other genressuch as funk and electronica. I want for British peopleinterested in Japanese culture, as well as those who maynever even have heard of me to be able to listen tomy music straight up. There will also doubtless be thosein their late thirties and forties working at Japanesefirms over here who heard my music when they weregrowing up in their youth. I really would like for allthose people to come together, with me giving it myall up on the stage, and experience the atmosphere asone. I am confident that my guitar sound can deliverexcitement and satisfaction to everyone who comes!This live show will be the first page in the second chap-ter of my long career as a musician. I can’t wait to seewhat kind of opening I can make for this new storywith all my fans. I have done many thousands ofconcerts over the years but getting up on this one willbe surely an unforgettable experience for me.

Finally, do you have any messages for the readersof Zoom Japan ?H. T. : Those Brits who have an interest in Japan’s cul-ture really have a deep understanding of the goodaspects of Japan that Japanese people are so oft to for-get. I am very happy that thanks to people like themI can now eat excellent sushi here in London and thatJapanese culture is flourishing here. I am one of manyJapanese guitarists who grew up being influenced bythe magnificent rock and roll coming out of the U.K.and I am now here to showcase Japan’s rock and rollon British soil. Get your friends together and comealong to see the show!

INTERVIEW BY YOSHIKI VAN

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PROFILEHOTEI TOMOYASU. One of the most prominentguitarists representing Japanese rock, HoteiTomoyasu debuted in 1981 as guitarist for legendaryrock band BOØWY. He started a solo career after theband split, as well as forming COMPLEX withKikkawa Koji and works as a producer, lyricist andsongwriter, achieving numerous million selling hits.His activities encompass a wide variety of fields,including creating music for film soundtracks andappearing in commercials. Hotei held a concert tomark his 30th year as an artist in 2011 and moved toLondon in August 2012.

CONCERT INFORMATION「ELECTRIC SAMURAI」Tuesday 18th of December2012 - Round House LondonFor more information: www.roundhouse.org.uk/

PRIZE DRAW HIS AUTOGRAPH!For more information: www.zoomjapan.info

http://www.jsps.org/index.html

CULTURE

How did you start working in film?Hosoda Mamoru: When I was 12 years old, I boughtan issue of the monthly magazine Animage in whichthere was a feature about the film The Castle of Caglios-tro. It was the second movie in the series. The namesMiyazaki Hayao and Ôtsuka Yasuo were quoted, andI knew nothing about them. So I went to see the movie,and I was bowled over. I was in my last year in primaryschool and I can remember writing in an essay at theend of the year: “I want to become a cartoon directorlike Miyazaki Hayao.”

Did you read a lot of manga?H. M.: My parents didn’t buy them for me very often,but my mother loved the cinema, so she let me watchmovies, and it is thanks to her I was able to see so many.So I was naturally more interested in cinema thanmanga.

What is your favourite film? And who is your favou-

HOSODA MAMORU “Making a movie meansknowing how to take risks”The Wolf Children, Ame and Yuki, is thisJapanese film director’s latest masterpiece. It was a great success throughout Japanduring summer 2012, and it is yet to bereleased in Britain.

rite film director?H. M.: In terms of Japanese cinema, I really like themovies of Sômai Shinji, who is dead now. In the eigh-ties, he was very active. I like Sailor Suit, Machine Gunand Typhoon Club a lot. I started taking interest inEuropean movies when I was at University. That’s whenFellini’s Intervista was released. When I saw the workof Leos Carax, I was completely dazzled by his talent.There are many others, but I still remember VictorErice’s first movie, The Spirit of the Beehive, reallymoved me. Actually, when people ask me what myfavourite movie is, that’s usually the one I quote.

Were you already thinking about directing cartoonsback then?H. M.: No. I studied painting at university and wasinterested in modern art. With time, I became increa-singly interested in pictures and cinema.

And when you left university, you started working atTôei Animation.H. M.: Yes, indeed. I could have become an indepen-dent director, but I wanted experience of working in ateam. That’s why I started at Tôei.

And you started making children’s films. Was therea gap between what you really wanted to do, and whatyou were doing?H. M.: As you can imagine, there was a gap. Directingchildren’s films was completely different from what Iwas doing before. The fact that children didn’t knowmuch about the way of the world bothered me. It wasdifficult for me to find a good way of communicatingwith them. So I thought of a way to try and get theminterested in my work. In retrospect, I can say that it’svery interesting for a director to create for children.

BIOGRAPHYHOSODA MAMORU was born in 1967 in theprefecture of Toyama. In 1991 he began working atTôei Animation as an animator. After beingrecognized for his talent, he started an independentcareer. In 2006, he directed The Girl Who LeaptThrough Time, for which he received many awards.In 2011, he founded his own production company,Studio Chizu, and he has just released The WolfChildren, Ame and Yuki.

It allowed me to learn something very important: howto communicate with people who don’t share the sameoutlook on the world.

Do you think that may have something to do withyour films being appreciated all over the world?H. M.: Maybe! In general, and not just in Japan, authorsdraw upon their own country’s culture and referencesthat don’t need explaining. I often ask myself what itis we can all share as human beings despite our cultu-ral differences.

How did you start working on your films?H. M.: I had been wanting to make a feature film fora long time. When I worked at Tôei, I was offered ajob at Studio Ghibli to direct Howl’s Moving Castle.I had only directed short movies before, so I gladlyaccepted Ghbli’s offer. In the end, the project wasdeveloped without me, but I increasingly wanted tomake a feature film. So I left Tôei Animation forMadhouse. That’s when I directed The Girl WhoLeapt Through Time.

Wasn’t it hard to leave a place you had been for sucha long time, for a new adventure?H. M.: I think many people hope to make their ownmovie. But it’s very difficult. And if you fail the firsttime around, there’s no second chance. Not everybodyis lucky enough to get a first chance. But if you aregiven one, then you need to put all you have into thatmovie, even if it means risking your life, your future,your family, and your pride. So it was out of the ques-tion to stay at Tôei. I needed to direct my own movie.And I was ready to sacrifice a lot to achieve that. It wasa weird feeling, but I had the impression I had reacheda point of departure.

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Tell us about your latest movie, The Wolf Children,Ame and Yuki. How was the project born after thesuccess of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time andSummer Wars?H. M.: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was a lovestory. Then I made Summer Wars based on my expe-rience of marriage. The Wolf Children, Ame and Yuki,is about how you bring up a child. Many people areconcerned with this. Everybody has parents, so it’s acommon theme for all human beings. In spite of this,there are very few films on the topic.

In your movies, isn’t the main character often awoman?H. M.: Yes. Women are photogenic. I always look forsomeone with great vitality for the main role, someonewho can overcome all sorts of difficulties.

Does this mean that women have more vitalitythan men?

H. M.: Yes, I think so. Men’s vitality is different. Formen, it’s all about winning or losing. Whether in workor in love, men always react that way. But for women,winning or losing doesn’t really mean much. Theymake different choices in life. Each one of them deve-lops her own values, her own sense of what life is about.Men are too simplistic. We rely on only one value.And we’re not photogenic. That is why I’m inspi-red by women’s vitality, because they have the powerto change the course of a life. I feel comforted whenI see what they can do.

In your opinion, did the tragic events of 11 March2011 have an influence on the concept of family inJapan?H. M.: I think that the way the Japanese think in termsof family has changed a lot since the earthquake. Ithink they have become aware of what is most impor-tant. Before, we used to say, “this is important, andthat is important too.” Everything had the same value.

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Since March 11th, I think children are at the heart ofour preoccupations again. We have finally understoodthat it is essential to raise our children, even if theworld has been completely destroyed. We ask diffe-rent questions: “In case of a major crisis, how shouldwe bring them up? What do we need to do it?” Sincethe earthquake, we’ve come to understand that theonly thing that counts is “protecting and bringing upour children”. There is a direct link between The WolfChildren, Ame and Yuki and Japan since March 11th.

During the world premiere in France, you were askedmany questions about the importance given to thecountryside in your movie. Had you always plan-ned that the story should take place in Toyama, theregion where you grew up?H. M.: Because the film is about the relationship bet-ween children and their parents, I thought about mymother a lot. I am an only child. I questioned the fee-lings I had had for my mother while growing up. Ihave always wondered if, as her son, I had contribu-ted something to her life. Because she is dead, I wasn’table to ask her, but that’s what I was thinking aboutwhile making this movie. And that’s also why I natu-rally imagined the story happening in the region inwhich I had grown up.

So it had nothing to do with describing the contrastbetween a big city and a village?H. M.: No. But you’re right, I’m often asked if theidea in the movie was to draw a contrast betweennature and the city. In fact, for personal reasons, Iwanted to show children growing up in the country-side. Not everybody is lucky enough to grow up inthe countryside, so I thought it would be a good ideato show it and demonstrate other ways of buildingone’s life.

Is the countryside a model?H. M.: Yes. The countryside isn’t just a place wherenature is generous and good for humanity. The areain which I was born is quite wild. It’s a village situa-

Despite her oft dreaming nature and frail constitution, Hana, Ame and Yuki’s mother demonstrates an astonishing

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ted at the foot of the Japanese Northern Alps. Lifethere can be quite difficult when compared to bigcities like Paris or Tôkyô, where you have access toeverything and it’s easy to bring up children. That’swhy I thought it a good idea to show how childrenare raised and grow up in the countryside.

In the UK, too, there is growing enthusiasm forecology. But most of the time we have an idealvision that has nothing to do with reality. We tendto see things through rose tinted glasses.H. M.: I completely agree. Nature isn’t easy. Thatis why the movie has nothing to do with ecology. Youonly have to look to the events of March 11th 2011.That day, nature destroyed many lives. She isn’t alwaysgentle with us, but despite the conditions, humanitysurvived. We’ve been trying to protect nature fromcivilisation’s progress for 30 to 40 years now. But whenconsidered on the scale of "human history", naturehas always been stronger. She can be dangerous, justlike she was on March 11th. It is essential to think ofchildren’s wellbeing whatever the environment inwhich you find yourself.

When watching the movie, I couldn’t help but won-der if you wanted to show the wild side of man, withthese half-wolf, half-human creatures?H. M.: I chose to create half-wolf and half-human

creatures because I feel they’re representative of howchildren are. They have two faces, one is closer tonature and the other is closer to civilisation. Whengrowing up, they lose their naturalness little by little.They become aware of society and become human.It’s called becoming an adult, but I’m not convincedby the process. Some people succeed in keeping theirwild side, in staying natural.

At the start, it is Yuki who is closest to the universeof wolves, but then she turns towards the worldof human beings. Is there a meaning to this evo-lution?H. M.: Her little brother, Ame, is quite a weak childin the beginning, but he chooses to turn towards theworld of wolves when growing up. Children grow upin different ways. They don’t always choose the samepath. They can completely change and that’s part oftheir dynamic growth. Yuki is very curious and lively.When she walks into the world of humans, she fitsin easily. On the other hand, Ame is cautious. Heincreasingly resembles his father, and he ends up dres-sing and thinking the way his father does. Themoment when Yuki and Ame see their destinies trans-formed in the movie is very important.

Is it a coincidence that the date on the father dri-ver’s licence is March 11th?H. M.: It’s a coincidence. His birthday is February11th. In Japan, a licence is valid until a month afterthe driver’s birth date. That is why March 11th onthe licence appears several times during the film.Although it is a complete coincidence, it’s hard notto connect it to the current situation in Japan. When

he dies in the movie, the only thing that remains ishis driver’s licence. Many people may have experien-ced the same situation. That Hana, the main charac-ter, ends up alone with her two children, and respectsher dead husband’s will is very symbolic.

Could you tell me about the team you work with?H. M.: Sadamoto Yoshiyuki is the character designerI have been working with since The Girl Who LeaptThrough Time. I couldn’t have imagined making thismovie without him. Yakagi Masakatsu wrote themusic. It’s the first time we have worked together. It’salso his first experience composing music for a movie,but what he wrote is very subtle and moving. He hasa rare talent.

What project do you have planned now?H. M.: I can’t think of future plans before a movieis finished. By listening to the viewers’ comments, Itry and understand what they felt, what we need todo now, and that’s what is important. It gives mesomething to chew over and then I can start writinga new story.

Lately, some magazines have been saying that youare the new Miyazaki.H. M.: I am not Miyazaki Hayao. He is what led meinto film, but when I write a story, I do not do it toresemble him. What is interesting in cinema is the direc-tor’s capacity to create a multiplicity of views for theaudience. I can’t say Miyazaki Hayao didn’t influenceme, but I would like to write my own films.

INTERVIEW BY YATABE KAZUHIKOAND ODAIRA NAMIHEI

SCREENINGSTHE WOLF CHILDREN will be shown Thu 11 Oct. at12:45 p.m. and Sat. 13 Oct. at 12:15 p.m. at the VueCinema in London, Sun 14 Oct. at 1 p.m. at Rich Mixcinema in London and Sun 21 Oct. at 20:40 atFilmhouse in Edimburgh (tel. 0131 228 2688)

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NIHONGO

PIPO IN JAPAN

On arriving at his host family, Pipo discoverswhat will be his own private space: hisroom. From now on, he must develop his

private response to this new world in Japan and faceup to the unknown day by day. So as not to appearuncouth, he needs to put aside all the rules that haveregulated his life up until now and adopt new ones.Shapes, lines, directions, everything looks different.To gain confidence, Pipo needs to learn to read andinterpret all that he can see.Now read over these last few lines again, and ima-gine what it would be like learning how to writein Japanese. You can approach writing in Japaneseas a story, looking and questioning. So says StéphaneBarbery in his excellent blog (www.tropiques-japo-naises.fr/apprendre-le-japonais), “you walk throughlife differently when you cannot make use of thewritten word. The way you see things can be com-pared to photography. It’s about being on the loo-kout. (…) As the texture of the world becomes morecomplex, so anxiety increases.” But when you are motivated, learning how to writein Japanese need not cause you anxiety, especiallynowadays, with plenty of effective and fun inter-active tools for learning hiragana, katakana and kanji.With the iPhone, iPad and the proliferation of touchscreen technology such as Kanji LS Touch, you canrecord your thoughts without using pen and paper.iShodo and Samura Shodo applications allow youto enjoy writing practice without dirtying yourhands. Those familiar with the Nintendo DS will

LANGUAGE Technology comesto the rescue for learners

surely know about that wonderful tool for learninghow to write kanji: the Calligraphy Training game(sold only in Japan). Created for those Japanese peo-ple who wish to regain the benefits of writing byhand which have been neglected due to the conti-nual use of computers and mobile phones, this gamecan also be of great help to a language student lear-ning kanji, who wishes to perfect his calligraphy.This is because the game is all about achieving per-fection. The program immediately identifies andcorrects the slightest mistake you make, and givesvaluable advice on how to make improvements aswell. Some will say, rightly, that a rigid and inflexible com-puter program cannot reproduce the precision neces-sary for calligraphy, or for drawing, and that justdoing it correctly may not always mean doing it pro-perly. However sophisticated, technology will neverreplace the model from which it took its inspiration.The Japanese know this well, and it is mostly tofill in the small gaps in the day that they turn on theirDS and practise their calligraphy, without ever for-getting that their education was in fact based on tra-ditional methods.

PIERRE FERRAGUT

Learning to read and write in Japanese mightseem impossible. But there are several differenttechnical solutions that can help.

PRACTICETHIS MONTH’S WORD

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Kakijun dori ni kakeba shizen de utsukushii ji ninarimasu.Respecting the order of the lines when writing inJapanese allows you to produce beautiful, naturallooking characters.

EATING & DRINKING

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One of the most satisfying things about eatingout in Japan is the number of dishes cookedright in front of you.

There’s something communal and incredibly appeti-zing about gathering round a hot plate or pot, feel itsheat, hear the sizzle of frying fat, the bubble of simme-ring stock.One such dish is Suki-yaki, a kind of beef stir-fry madewith onions, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and kon-nyaku noodles.Popular as a family meal for large gatherings, it is simi-lar to Shabu-shabu and Nabe,though no water is added.Incidentally, Suki-yaki is also theEnglish title of the only Japaneselanguage song to top the Ameri-can charts. The Suki-yaki song(Japanese title ‘Ue o Muite Aru-kou’, or ‘Let’s walk lookingupwards’) was a huge hit in the60s, but has absolutely nothing to do with food, it wasgiven the catchy name because Americans associatedit with Japan.Ribon restaurant near St Paul’s and Farringdon is a greatspot to try the hearty dish, especially with the coldnights now drawing in.A gas burner is brought to your table, with a casse-role dish on top. First the vegetables are fried in oil,then a mixture of soy sauce, sugar and sake is added,followed by thin slices of sirloin steak, placed to oneside.This is all carried out expertly by your waitress, who atRibon dress in traditional hakama, a kind of pleatedskirt worn over kimono.As soon as the meat browns it’s ready to eat, either bydipping into a dish of raw quail eggs to soften the fla-vours, or on its own.

Drinking alcohol is not normally associatedwith improving your looks, but more likelythe pale, blotchy skinof the morning after.Two new productsfrom Japanese bre-wing giant Gekkeikanattempt to changethis image however.Kirei ume-shu (plumwine) and Kireimomo-shu (peachliqueur) from thePetit Moon label,contain two ingredients moreusually found in beauty products. Collagen inthe plum, and hyaluronic acid, undergoing abit of a craze in Japan at the moment, in thepeach.The pink labelled bottles, available at theJapan centre, either online or at their RegentStreet store, are clearly aimed at the youngfemale market, and claim to rejuvenate theskin and help the body’s regenerative pro-cess.The peach version is slightly sweeter, but theyboth taste very fruity and light, with a lowalcohol content so they go down very easily,either neat, on the rocks, with soda or as amixer in cocktails.Whether they actually work is a matter fordiscussion, but what’s certainly true is theyare great for relaxing at the end of the day,without worrying too much about how yourhead feels in the morning.

RESTAURANT Singing the praisesof Suki-yaki

Suki-yaki is a dish for sharing, it encourages conversa-tion and social interaction, as you take turns to pickout the sweet and succulent pieces of beef with yourchopsticks, and devour them with mouthfuls of rice,washed down by miso soup. Filling and flavoursome,the only problem is who gets the last slice of sirloin.Ribon itself covers two floors, with a modern diningarea and bar by the entrance, while underneath, downthe stone spiral staircase is a more atmospheric space,with nooks, crannies, and archways which feel like theymight be part of the original structure of nearby Hol-

born viaduct.There are private rooms for mah-jong and karaoke, and the wallsare covered with rather kitsch butimpressively rendered oil paintingsby the restaurant’s friendly pro-prietress, who uses the pen nameJunko Ribon.Often wearing a kappogi, old style

Japanese apron, she happily chats away, often aboutnews from home which she picks up from the manyJapanese salarymen who work nearby.A popular lunchtime spot, thereare daily specials, sushi and sas-himi, udon, tempura, and oko-nomiyaki on the menu.Suki-yaki is available in the eve-nings, every night of the week.Just remember to bring a friend.

Alexis Brown

REFERENCERIBON JAPANESE RESTAURANT6 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2AEphone 020 7329 3252 www.ribonrestaurant.co.uk

The drink that’spretty in pink

Gekkeikan Kirei Umeshu plum wine 300ml £7.20Gekkeikan Kirei Momoshu peach liqueur 300ml £7.20(*Prices may be subject to change) Japan Centre

EATING & DRINKING

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“Iwas there, standing near the “water mirror”,and the other side was bathed in light underthe setting sun. The fishing pavilion on the

left was half hidden. The pond, full of weeds and waterplants, reflected the image of the Golden Pavilion per-fectly, the reflection even more beautiful than the realthing. The rays of the setting sun played on the roof cano-pies, and were reflected back into the pond. Comparedto the surrounding daylight, these flashes were too strongand dazzling; and just as in a painting with exaggerated

perspective, the Golden Pavilion gave me the impres-sion it was both stretching higher, and leaning backwardsa little.” These few lines by Mishima Yukio in his famousnovel, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, illustrate thefascination the building holds for those who visit it. Allyou need to do is watch the great number of visitors whostand there every day, staring at it, in an attempt to unders-tand the secrets of its beauty. At the start of Mishima’snovel, the hero says it is, “nothing more than an old,blackened and insignificant two storey construction,”but he very rapidly comes to understand that “nothingelse in the world can compete with the beauty of the Gol-den Pavilion.” This building, completed in 1398, over-looks a pond called “the water mirror”, in which it is per-

fectly reflected all year round. However, in autumn itsappearance is altered amidst the surrounding coloursthat range from yellow to bright red. Kyoto, the eter-nal city, is transformed at that time of year by the stun-ning changing colours that attract thousands of people.Throughout the city, the multicoloured leaves play inthe autumn light, filtering it to put on a beautiful showfor the awed visitors. We invite you to join us on thisautumnal promenade, giving you time to calmly preparefor your next trip to Japan.“Kyoto is the only city in the world where past and pre-sent overlap in such a natural way. In Tokyo, all the oldlocations have changed and are unrecognisable. Here,every stone, every tree, every sound, every animal has

The ancient imperial capital welcomesvisitors all year around, but autumn is thebest time of year to visit, and this is why…

The Golden Pavilion was burnt down in 1950 by a mentally ill monk who was unable to cope with its beauty. His story inspired Mishima Yukio.

DESTINATION When Kyoto goes up in flames…

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remained the same,” says a visitor who often travels tothis city, which has been saved from the foolish humandesire to constantly change everything. “The creation of Kyoto required generations of aestheteemperors, architects, builders, gardeners, sculptors, poets,goldsmiths, lovers, enamellers, philosophers, town plan-ners, craftsmen and artists, but from the very beginningKyoto must have demonstrated such purity, such accom-plishment that even the most unscrupulous warriorsrecoiled from destroying it,” wrote journalist Marcel Giu-glaris in his book, Visa for Japan, published in 1958.Both these quotes describe the city perfectly and stillapply today. When you step off the train in Kyoto ona beautiful autumn morning, into the railway stationthat has been completely renovated by the architect HaraHiroshi, you should first choose to walk to the Gol-den Pavilion, before it is invaded by cohorts of touristsfrom around the world later on in the day. You cannotput a price on being the first to arrive and having theplace to yourself. Perhaps, at that moment, you just mightbe touched by its grace. “Bit by bit it began to exist insideme, profoundly, and completely. It became difficultfor me to recall any detail of the Pavilion without fee-ling the whole of my being vibrating,” says Mishima’syoung hero about the building he will, nevertheless, endup destroying. In spite of all the crowds that gather there,the place always inspires respect. It is not only the buil-ding that draws your attention but the whole of its sur-roundings. The red leaves (koyo), that the Japanese loveas much as cherry tree blossom, will make your head spin.It is hard to know where to look; they are everywhere.Along the avenues, the maple trees stretch their redde-ning branches as if they want to block the way and arebegging for attention. Amateur photographers need lit-tle persuasion, and snap away as though the trees aretoday’s film stars, while the Golden Pavilion finally disap-pears as you turn a corner. It is now time to leave thisbeautiful location for another temple, just as attractiveat this time of year: Kiyomizu-dera. The easiest way

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At Kiyomizu-dera temple, every visitor attempts to capture

the beauty of the autumn leaves in his own way.

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22 ZOOM JAPAN number 5 october 2012

to get there is by taxi, and with a bit of luck, youmight have a driver who speaks a few words of English.In Tokyo, it is often said that people in Kyoto are notvery friendly, and treat tourists rather rudely. This issometimes true with visitors from the capital, but thelocals are charming to foreign tourists, and proud of theinterest shown in their city by travellers from all over theworld. It is just a question of minutes before you arriveat Kiyomizu-dera, the “Clear Water Temple”, a buildingthat also includes a pagoda and a large raised terrace sup-ported on pillars. It is a magical place to be in the autumn.In the afternoon, the light floods the leaves on the nume-rous maple trees in this truly magnificent location, andtheir glorious beauty attracts even more stares than theGolden Pavilion. “It’s the season during which theybloom. Not blossom made up of petals and corollas, butof leaves that turn to crimson. A flame, an explosion, asilent fire, slightly melancholic because its beauty isn’tfound in the beauty of germination, but in shades ofdecomposition instead,” said the Italian Fosco Marainiin his Japanese travel notes published in the late ninteenfifties. He added, “Maybe this is why maple trees areso sacred to Buddhists, who always embrace the fragi-lity of things, gathering together pictures of the worlddisintegrating with all the pain, on the threshold of emp-tiness. No other tree has such precisely defined leaves –mathematical, ineffable, hanging in the air like a veil -,such strength, such an intense scream of fiery colours.”You get all of this when you are introduced to Kiyomizu-dera on an autumn afternoon, when the sun shines onhundreds of trees that encircle the place like a raging fire,although there is no danger. The friendly atmospheretempers the violence of the colours. People huddle onthe terrace to catch a view of the city, hoping to capturea few beautiful red reflections with their cameras. Pic-tures of maple leaves are often used in camera advertise-ments, which are trying to say that if you were to buysuch a camera, your pictures would be of a better qua-lity because it captures the light better. The red leavesare transient, and that is why they are so popular in tra-vel photo albums. Brother Enchin founded this templein 798. It is also popular for its sacred waterfall, Otawa

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no taki, whose soothing waters encourage visitors to lin-ger awhile among the trees. You need not rush, as timestops in this magical place. Eventually it is time to leave,with regret, but also with a promise to return. It is plea-sant to walk through the narrow streets, Ninenzaka andSannenzaka, leading to the temple. Bordered with oldhouses that have been turned into all kinds of shops,these two streets have a particular charm all of their own.The shops are always well stocked and full of surprises,especially the ceramics shops. One must beware of thehigh prices though, even if what is on offer is hard toresist. There are quite a few middle school studentsaround here on a school outings. They walk up and downthe streets in little groups, on the lookout for foreigntourists to try out a few words of English, and ask themfor their impressions of Kyoto and Japan. It is a pleasantinterlude before setting off again.Another fantastic place to see when the leaves are tur-ning red and orange is Anraku-ji temple. It is situatedhalfway between Kiyomizu-dera and the Golden Pavi-

lion, and it is only open to the public in the autumn. Youwill soon discover why on you way there. Not only doesthe sky look as though it is on fire, but the ground is alsocovered with red leaves, giving the impression it is inflames. It is impossible to remain unmoved whenconfronted with such splendour. Nature puts on anunforgettable show. She delivers a message that can beunderstood in many ways, but that cannot leave youindifferent. In these places, the reason why haikus wereinvented, many years before photography existed, seemsclear: to be able to express a moment in just a few words.The Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn said that poetry is “uni-versal like the air,” that it, “was felt by all, read by all, andwritten by nearly all without any distinction of class orsocial condition.” The seasons are the main theme ofthese poems, and autumn naturally predominates. Awalk through Kyoto is sufficient to convince you. Anraku-ji temple has not only inspired poets, it also sheltered thephilosopher Nishida Kitaro, one of Japan’s great wisemen. You can walk in his footsteps by following the path

Kiyomizu-dera’s large raised terrace supported on high pillars welcomes a vast number of visitors.

Jérémie Sou

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TRAVEL

october 2012 number 5 ZOOM JAPAN 23

TRANSPORTHokkaido for less than 5000 yen

To travel to Hokkaido, you can catch

one of the legendary night trains

(Twilight Express, Cassiopeia or

Hokutosei) but in the last few weeks, a

number of low-cost airlines have offered

Tokyo-Sapporo flights for just over 4000

yen.

Air Asia is one, whose offer (4580 yen),

began on the 1st of September.

www.airasia.com/jp/en

EXHIBITION Niigata celebratesWater and Earth

Until the 24th of December, the port-city of

Niigata, on the Sea of Japan, presents an

outdoor exhibition of work by artists from

around the world on the theme of "Water

and Earth". Most of the artwork is exhibited

alongside the Shinano river in Bandaijima

(buses travel from Niigata station). One of

the most astonishing is “The Pheonix reborn

from its ashes” by Wan Wen-Chih.

www.mizu-tsuchi.jp

There is a great passion for trains in Japan, andmany Japanese spend their leisure time in train-related activities. Some track down their dream

train, armed with their cameras. Others go in searchof isolated stations in hidden places in the mountainsand the countryside. There are also those who fre-quent railway museums. Since the 10th of July, theycan visit Yokohama and admire one of the most beau-tiful miniature train collections in the world. For yearsHara Shintaro collected model trains from all aroundthe world. He agreed to display some of them in anew building just 5 minutes away from Yokohama station. The Hara Model Railway Museum does not

only display miniature trains behind glass, it also hasthe largest diorama in the world (310 square metres),thanks to which the trains can be seen in operation.The care given to the presentation allows every visi-tor to dream or bask in old memories. It is also a greatopportunity to visit the beautiful city of Yokohamaand its Chinese quarter.

O. N.

Since 10 July, Yokohama has boasted anastonishing new museum.

CURIOSITY Marvellous trains

PRACTICAL INFORMATIONHARA MODEL RAILWAY MUSEUMYokohama Mitsui Bldg 2F1-1-2 Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-0011Open from 11am to 6pm (closed Tuesdays)Entrance fee: 1000 yen Phone: 045-640-6699 - www.hara-mrm.com

A very realistic 310 square metre diorama with many model

trains in operation.

that he used to take through these beautiful places. NearAnraku-ji is the Shinto sanctuary of Kumano Nyakuoji,established by the Emperor Goshirakawa in 1160. Itis very popular during the last days of autumn when thetrees above the building give the impression that it is bur-ning. It is magnificent, and you cannot help but wonderif it influenced the founder of the Kyoto school ofthought, a philosophical movement that tried to bringtogether Western philosophy with Oriental spiritualityand traditions. If you continue walking, you will comeacross the Nanzen-ji temple with its own Zen garden,which must have held a particular interest for the phi-losopher. It is said that he practised Zen intensely andthat it had a considerable influence on his thinking. Whe-ther true or not, this Buddhist building is neverthelessstill very beautiful in autumn. It is not too large, so youmay feel a little less oppressed than in the other histo-rical holy places. It is also interesting for its aqueduct,built during the end of the 19th century, that stands outfrom the older buildings. Situated in a wooded area, youcan experience some spectacular moments near the tem-ple in October and November, when the forest looks asthough it has gone up flames. To conclude this philoso-phical journey, stop at Eikan-do, headquarters of theBuddhist sect of the pure Earth (jodo). At this time ofyear, this big building welcomes many visitors who walkthrough the gardens where the maple trees - yes, yet moremaple trees - are putting on their show. You have nochoice but to enjoy the way they light up everywherethey are present. Professional artists could not do better,and if you have time to extend the experience with a nightin the woods, go to Hoshinoya Kyoto (tel: 075-871-001). This tourist village is situated in the Arashiyamavalley, 25 minutes away from Kyoto station by taxi, andit offers incredible services in amazing surroundings. Youarrive after a short boat trip, which makes it all the morespecial. However you will pay top prices for the highstandard of the services on offer, and can count on spen-ding 60,000 yen per night. It is far from being cheap, forKyoto can fire up our hearts, but equally, it can fire upits prices.

ODAIRA NAMIHEI

https://ana-cooljapan.com/