Kosuke Kimura finds a home with the Colorado

Since 1970
Vol.42 No.2 Jan 28, 2011
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Kosuke Kimura finds
a home with the
Colorado Rapids
Sou
SouFujimoto’s
Fujimoto’stake
take
on
onTokyo
Tokyoarchitecture
architecture
A
Aspread
spreadfor
foryour
yourhome
home
interior
interior
‘Sex,
‘Sex, Booze,
Booze, Weed,
Weed,
Speed
Speed‘‘...
...but
butno
nofun
fun
Bill
Bill Hersey‘s
Hersey‘s Parties,
Parties,
People,
People, Places
Places
&
&Ian
Iande
deStains
Stainslooks
looksinto
into
the
the crystal
crystalball
ball
www.weekenderjapan.com
From designer stationery,
to imported cookware.
Everything your home or
office needs.
1F Entertaining
2F Work and Private
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LIVING MOTIF
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03-3587-2784
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Table of Contents
Arts &
Entertainment
8
Executive Profiles — Gregory Lyons,
Tokyo representative for the celebrated
designer Herman Miller
9
The View From Here — Ian de Stains
takes a look to see what the crystal
ball holds for 2011, and its grim
10
The Tokyo Agenda — Budokan gets
a little country with Taylor Swift
while M.I.A. throws firebombs from
Zepp Tokyo; Media arts take over the
National Art Center; Lovers do yoga;
and it’s time to toss your beans at
Setsuban
13
The Weekender Review — Artist,
professor and prankster LG Williams
tears Rat Hole’s latest exhibition a
new one in his first art review for The
Weekender
14
Tokyo Tables — Top class pizza in
Shinsen and an izakaya with a Western
edge in Omotesando
Features
16 Kosuke Kimura — The first Japanese
player to join Major League Soccer in the
United States went looking for a place
where he could bend the rules and play
his own style. Not only did Kimura find a
team to play for with the Colorado Rapids,
the 26-year-old defender had a key role
in the their rise to become 2010 league
champions
20 Sou Fujimoto — The Hokkaido-born
architect’s philosophical take on
residential spaces and the nature of
the city have resulted in fresh and
unconvential projects that challenge the
status quo
24 Tokyo Interiors — A selection of elegant
tables and lamps to fill your sophisticated
Tokyo interiors
26 Bill Hersey’s Parties People Places
Show business! Show business! Show
business! with Masaya Kato, Takumi
Saitoh and Osamu Mukai; a host of
Middle Eastern national days; Vietnam
sells itself as a real estate paradise;
and Bill gets a tan
30 Real estate & classifieds
34 Back in the Day — It’s the Year of the
Rabbit, doc!
WEEKENDER 5
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January 28, 2011
Volume 42 Number 2
MULTIMEDIA
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Editor
Assistant Editor
Media Manager
Media Consultants
Editorial Associate
Archivist
Researcher
Advisor To The CEO
Ray Pedersen
Donald Eubank
Stephen Parker
Tomas Castro
Pia von Waldau, Emilie Aninat
& Mary Rudow
Yonca Guler
Vika Maslyuk
Rene Angelo Pascua
Hiro M. Ishibashi
HMI & Associates Inc
Contributing Editors
Bill Hersey
Ian de Stains OBE
The Weekender
bulbous cell.
Society
Opinion
The Good Life
Contributors
Jonathan DeHart
Sebastien Yurjevic
LG Williams
Aimee Weinstein
J.K. Whelehan
IT Manager
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Business Manager
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Ali Ahmad
Scotty Oshiro
EST. Corky Alexander and Susan Scully, 1970
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6 WEEKENDER
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Business
Executives in Japan
Edward
Gregory Suzuki
Lyons
Regional General Manager, Greater Tokyo Area
and General Manager, ANA InterContinental Tokyo
G
regory Lyon, who owes his start in Japan to the JET program,
worked for Herman Miller from 2001 as Sales Manager
covering both Seoul and Tokyo. He completed his MBA in 2008
and shortly thereafter started Gregory Lyon, Inc., one of Herman
Miller’s major suppliers to the Japanese market. What was your first impression of Japan?
I moved to Japan on the Japan Education & Teaching (JET) program.
I taught English at Honjo Kita High School in Saitama for two years.
Despite the relative proximity to Tokyo, I was surprised by how rural
Honjo is, especially the area near the school. I rode my bicycle about
5 kilometers to school and the last 2 kilometers or so were straight
through rice fields. There were a lot of bugs in the spring and summer
and a lot of wind in the winter. I remember at times having to walk
my bike sometimes because the wind was so strong. I had traveled a
good amount before arriving in Japan, but I will also never forget how
bewildered I felt during my first night in Tokyo. I was staying in Shinjuku
at the Hilton, and I think of that night every time I go by the hotel.
Can you tell me a little about the history of Herman Miller in Japan?
Herman Miller has been offering products to the Japanese market since
1964 and Herman Miller Japan opened a fully owned subsidiary in 1988. In
December of 2010, Herman Miller moved the showroom to Marunouchi and
established the first ever bricks and mortar Herman Miller retail shop.
Why did the company decide to open its only retail shop in Tokyo?
Herman Miller has a very strong brand in every major market,
including Japan. I believe that Herman Miller’s Modern Classics
and other seating products have created a solid core of Herman
Miller fans across Japan. The store will enhance the Herman Miller
‘... new hires in Japan are very
concerned about asking too many
questions. They tend to struggle
through issues on their own
and have a much higher level of
conscientiousness and a steeper,
more detailed learning curve
8 WEEKENDER
fan experience, make the products and Herman Miller story more
accessible, and grow the brand.
How does the Japanese furniture market differ from those in other countries?
The Japanese furniture manufacturers produce large volumes of
product but are concentrated almost exclusively on the domestic
market. Truly global manufacturers, such as Herman Miller, compete
in every major market and, as such, are in a very strong position to offer
global solutions. Therefore Herman Miller must offer inherently good
design simply because it must resonate (and does so) in all markets, not
just in the United States.
What have been your greatest successes living and working in Japan?
Japan is a very demanding market, simply because clients have very high
expectations and are under an enormous amount of pressure to satisfy their
staff and management. I take a lot of pride in being able to satisfy clients in
Tokyo because I believe if you can do it here, you can do it anywhere.
On a personal level, Japan is a great country for families. One of the
best successes for my family has been getting my daughter into a Japanese
pre-school and watching her learn Japanese. I think she will soon be
translating for us.
What have been the greatest obstacles you have encountered in your
time in business here?
One of the greatest obstacles in every business and market is
communication. While this can sometimes come down to language,
in my experience, the ability to understand exactly what your clients,
partners and employees want to achieve does not come down to
language but rather clarity around issues and solutions. Consistently
achieving this clarity, in most businesses and markets, is a challenge.
What has been the most surprising thing that you have learned working in
Japan?
The most surprising thing I have learned about working in Japan is how
hard the Japanese work at getting something right, but by doing so on
their own. In the United States, new hires learn by asking questions,
whereas new hires in Japan are very concerned about asking too
many questions. As such, they tend to struggle through problems
and issues on their own and therefore have a much higher level of
conscientiousness and a steeper, more detailed learning curve. I have a
lot of respect for the Japanese because of this consistent level of effort.
Opinion
THE VIEW FROM HERE
by Ian de Stains OBE
The crystal ball
A
s I write, a year-end stillness wraps Tokyo up in something
mystical. Or perhaps it is simply just our neck of the woods,
where the trees are stark against a bright blue sky, and the river
glitters, and the water birds dance. But I do not think it is so. At the
turning of each year, if you have an open mind and an open heart, it is
not difficult to feel that Japan has a magic that is all its own.
How far we seem from the turmoil that is Europe — record low
temperatures and the heavy snows to prove it. Airports shut, and
airplanes are grounded, and thousands stranded; the elderly and
the disadvantaged freeze in their homes (and die in the parks if they
are homeless). And even when the thaw begins, pipes burst, leaving
whole swathes of Northern Ireland without adequate supplies of water.
Meanwhile, after a decade of drought, Queensland, Australia is dealing
with floods of Biblical proportions.
It doesn’t take much more than a glance at the crystal ball to predict
that 2011 is going to see a lot more in the way of unusual and potentially
devastating weather patterns, droughts and floods, fires and famines
sent to plague us in the months ahead. No one can say we have not been
warned.
And yet, it seems, unless we are ourselves victims of such
phenomena, most of us prefer to look the other way, putting off until
some undreamed-of tomorrow what we ought to be taking care of
today. I am, of course, no different, save for the conscience-salving
donations here and there, the not-altogether half-hearted attempts to
keep my own house in environmental order, and the calling attention
now and then to the failures of our leaders to deal with some of the most
frightening situations facing our fragile word. But I know it is not enough
when I consider the injustices of the Middle East and the sufferings of
the people there on both sides of the divide. Then there’s the threat of
nuclear conflagration that will surely engulf far more than the regimes
that brandish them.
Much closer to home, of course, and in a sense far easier to
understand, are the problems facing the world’s major economies. I
think of the euro in particular and its obvious inability to deal with the
diversities of a so-called united Europe. The repercussions of a collapse
of the euro zone are frightening to contemplate even if we live outside it.
As for Japan, my adopted and much-loved country, the crystal ball
is ever more clouded and difficult to read. One thing is for sure, unless
there is some genuine political leadership within the next 12 months,
Japan will face its greatest test in decades. It is still not quite too late.
Ian de Stains is the Executive Director of the British Chamber of
Commerce in Japan. The views expressed in this column are strictly his
own and are not necessarily endorsed by or shared by the Chamber.
WEEKENDER 9
Arts & Entertainment
The Tokyo Agenda
Setsubun at Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa
Taylor Swift at Budokan
Grab a fist full of throwing beans ready, its February, and it’s already
time to say sayonara to winter with the annual setsubun festival.
Setsubun was originally celebrated four times per year, but gradually
became a spring-only event. Shrines across the country mark the
beginning of February with the custom of mamemaki (bean throwing).
The tossing of the soy beans is thought to drive out demons and bring
in good luck for the coming year. Head to Tokyo’s oldest temple, Sensoji in Asakusa, to see priests throwing beans into the huge crowd, a
tradition first recorded in “Edo meisho zu-e,” an ancient pictorial
record of the city. There you will be sure to hear the cry of “Oni wa
soto! Fuku wa uchi!” Demons out! Good luck in!
Taylor Swift started her meteoric career with a bang: Her self-titled
debut album went multi-platinum, and her second album secured
four Grammys. In fact, everything she touches becomes a smash hit.
Swift was named 2009 artist of the year by Billboard magazine, and
her latest release “Speak Now”, sold over one million copies in its
first week alone. After performing in Osaka on Feb. 13, Swift will head
to Tokyo’s historic Budokan for two more concerts on Feb. 16 & 17.
Taylor’s concert may not go down in the history books like the lads
from Liverpool did, but country-pop fans are advised to book tickets
early, as this superstar is sure to draw the crowds.
Feb. 3, 11:30 am
Admission: Free
Venue: Senso-ji Temple
Nearest station: Asakusa Station
(Asakusa, Ginza & Isesaki lines)
www.senso-ji.jp
Feb. 16-17, 18pm
Tickets: ¥ 8,500
Venue: Budokan
Nearest station: Kudanshita (Hanzoman
& Tozai lines)
www.creativeman.co.jp
Fashion Fuse 4 at 57 in Roppongi
Tokyo Media Arts Festival at NACT
Gentlemen, if you are still single by the day, have your best pickup lines
ready: Fashion Fuse is back and this time its Valentines day. The club
57 in Roppongi is hosting the trendy event sponsored by Jaguar and
Italian brand Pinko that features models Mitsuyo Uesaka and Marie
Igarashi who will be joined by fellow “Miss” finalists Naomi Obata and
Ayaka Hanawa, plus a secret Valentine’s guest model.The doors open
early, but the night goes on until 5am. Womb’s resident DJ Satoshi
Otsuki will be providing the sounds, but you have to buy the magnums
of champagne. What a hangover that will be!
The Orwellian sounding Agency for Cultural Affairs has been behind
the Tokyo Media Arts Festival since 1997. The Roppongi-based event
seeks to cultivate and support emerging creators in the fields of digital
art, entertainment, animation and manga. What does this mean to
visitors? A whopping 2,645 works entered from over 48 countries. One
award-winning work this year is the popular “IS Parade”, an interactive
Twitter application with which mobile phone users enter their login to
watch an animated “parade of tweets”. The generator was unveiled by
AU in April 2010 and has attracted more than 13 million users. If you
want to see next year’s big thing, this is the place to be.
Feb. 2, 8 pm - 5 am
Tickets: ¥2,500 with flyer;
¥ 3,500 at the door
Venue: 57
Nearest station: Roppongi Station (Hibiya
& Oedo lines)
streetleveltokyo.com
Feb. 2 -13, 10 am-6 pm
Tickets: Free
Venue: National Art Center Tokyo
Nearest station: Roppongi (Hibiya & Oedo
lines
(0120) 454-536/plaza.bunka.go.jp
10 WEEKENDER
//
Arts & Entertainment
M.I.A. at Zepp Tokyo
The Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack made M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”
world famous, but she still manages to retain her underground mystic
(though there may be signs that it is fraying — her former musical
partner and ex-boyfriend Diplo says she’s full of hot air). The British
singer of Tamil origin creates energetic, eclectic and seemingly
politically challenging music that is hard to categorize, drawing
from influences as wide apart as hip-hop, punk and electro that she
overlays with multilingual slang and killer visuals. Her recent foray
into film with the short “Born Free” brought the harrowing subject of
genocide to the Youtube generation. M.I.A — aka Maya — is playing just
two official shows in Tokyo, but her afterparties are sure to be the talk
of the town.
Feb. 11-12
Tickets: ¥ 6,300
Venue: Zepp Tokyo
Nearest station: Aomi (Yurikamome Line)
or Tokyo Teleport (Rinkai Line)
www.creativeman.co.jp
Valentine’s Yoga at YogaJaga
Yoga isn’t really the most romantic of activities. In truth, the ancient
mental and physical discipline seems the opposite of spending a good
night wining and dining, but for you body-conscious couples, this might
be right up your street. Certified AcroYoga teacher Adi Carter will be
hosting a special Valentine’s themed class on Feb. 11. The afternoon is
open to everyone (i.e., no prior experience with a partner yoga or Thai
massage is necessary). According to YogaJaga, “Chocolates will be
provided, and students are also invited to bring their favorite desserts.”
Suddenly this seems more appealing.
Feb 11, 2 pm - 5:30 pm
Price: ¥10,000 for couples,
¥5,500 individuals; 5%
discount for members
Venue: YogaJaga, Jamgle Jam Bldg. 2Fl
1-25-11 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya
Nearest station: Ebisu
(03-5784-3622)/www.yogajaya.com
For more events listings, visit
weekenderjapan.com/tokyohappenings
WEEKENDER 11
Modern Japanese
calligraphy for
the interior
Omotesando based Carre Moji takes a modern interpretation
of traditional Japanese calligraphy (Shodo) and mixes it with
exquisite design to give a new form of interior art that is
beautiful to the eye.
Each work is an original, executed by the hand of a master
calligrapher and captering the special characteristics of each
character in brush strokes.
“Grand / Attractive”
“Each work is an original,
executed by the hand of a
master calligrapher”
1. The flow of the lines are designed to look beautiful in
your home.
2. As the piece spreads its aura into the room, you feel the wealth of the written letter(s).
3. Each individual stroke is designed to match with the total design of the piece.
All pieces produced by Carre Moji are real items made within
Japan using the new Interior Art style that Carre Moji has pioneered
and is introducing to the world.
A Carre Moji piece is perfect for modern life and will be loved,
enjoyed and appreciated by all. Why not try one for yourself.
Carre Moji has over 2000 original pieces available for your
perusal. If you have certain words, sizes or other requirements, Carre
Moji staff can custom make anything for you.
“Wind”
“To fly”
Carre Moji, Omotesando Gallery
3F 5-11-24 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
Tel: 03-5766-7120 • Fax: 03-5766-7128 Open: 11:30am 7:00pm • Closed: Sundays
E-mail: [email protected] • www.carremoji.jp
Arts & Entertainment
No fun at ‘Sex Booze Weed Speed’
by LG WILLIAMS
M
any questions surround the new Rat Hole Gallery exhibition
“Sex Booze Weed Speed”, the two-person show of sculpture
and paintings by a Paris-based American Oscar Tuazon and
a Norwegian artist Gardar Eide Einarsson. Where’s the sex? Where
the booze? Where’s the weed? Where’s the speed?
And, where is the art? Even after a confused double take at the
gallery press release, any visitors will have to conclude that the party
is somewhere else.
Although the show is billed as “a site-specific installation
conceived specially for the gallery space,” the visual evidence behind
this claim, too, is nowhere in sight. Still, the effort does leave one’s
head spinning — not from the post-party hangover, but from dismay
at having to witness two young artists from the 2006 Whitney Biennial
struggling helplessly against the renown of a few untouchable
heavyweights of contemporary American art.
For example, the scale and color of “Stainless Steel (Fine VII)” and
“Stainless Steel (VIII)”, Einarsson’s 2010 paintings displayed in the
second gallery, instantly evoke Frank Stella’s seminal 1960s metallic
silver paintings. Stella left little to explore — and it is unclear why
anyone in 2011 would want to go down this dusty dead-end road — but
the pictures do serve to prove that preying upon a canonical formula
without understanding its intent, style and structure will not create
new artistic value. As paintings they are failures; as experiments they
are useless; and, at ¥3,000,000 a piece, they are a joke.
Similarly, in four “Untitled” paintings from 2010, Einarsson
literally attempts to wrestle fresh subject matter into an ancient
Warhol formula from the ‘60s. These shrunken, hueless and clueless
amalgams rest atop other equally random, feeble, and economygrade canvases for no apparent purpose or effect; we can only
assume that one image wasn’t enough.
In the main gallery, Tuazon won’t be outdone in unlearned
futility with “A Dead Thing” (2010), an anemic, arbitrary placed
double “X” sculpture. To be sure, dead things deserve space and our
consideration if they have lived a life worth living. This unexamined
artifact wouldn’t merit critical attention — it is entirely forgettable —
were it not for its incredible ancestor: Chris Burden’s massive and
hellish “Dos Equis” (1972), a 16-foot, solid wood double “X” sculpture
that was soaked in gasoline for days then set ablaze to burn-babyburn in the already scorching hot California desert. Note to art
revelers: Forty years ago this Dionysian-fueled artist knew how to
fight for his right to party in art.
Tuazon’s other adolescent assault is equally in-step with the
exhibition’s insignificance. “Machine” (2010) is an undergraduate-level
contraption (or calamity, take your pick) that never makes it off the
ground despite being plugged in. It features a recycled, long, rectangular
Donald Juddesque piece of wood resting on the floor, recovering from an
accidental run-in with a rogue Dan Flavin florescent fixture. Yet, apart
from all the other unnecessary artistic concoctions in this exhibition,
this “machine” has a purpose: It lights up — weakly — a tiny area of the
large (and already quite visible) gallery floor. Of course, you would have
to be blind not to notice that Rat Hole’s flooring is vital, compelling, and
visually intoxicating ... but, that said, you would also have to be blind to
assume that this artwork shares any of those features.
One can only hope that these uninspired and star-struck
wunderkind artists can score some real sex, booze, weed, speed (or
art) before their next exhibition.
LG Williams can be reached at www.lgwilliams.com
Exhibition: “Sex Booze Weed Speed”
(till Feb. 20)
Venue: Rat Hole Gallery
(Omotesando Station)
Hours: 12 noon–8 pm (Closed Mon.)
Admission: Free
More info: Visit www.ratholegallery.com
or call (03) 6419-3581
WEEKENDER 13
Tokyo Tables
To k y o Ta b l e s
W Omotesando — The Cellar Grill
by Norman Breakes
T
here is something about the thought of finding a place to
dine around the Omotesando area that has always caused a
headache. Harajuku is for the kids, and with Omotesando dori’s
fashionable emporiums attracting a blend of tourists and serious
Japanese shoppers, the options are a confusing blend of crowdpleasing street eats and fancy-pants, pricey fair.
So it’s always nice to find a decent izakaya/tapas-style
establishment to steer a crowd to when you find yourself the head of
a party in the area. Aoyama Wine Hall, a hop, skip and a jump from
the Omotesando Station’s B2 exit use to play that function, with lowpriced wine and Spanish inspired plates, till it mysteriously closed a
year or so ago. But no worries, there’s a new spot in fashion town:
Taking over Aoyama Wine Hall’s abandoned location, W Omotesando
— The Cellar Grill has filled in the void in cheap and cheerful options.
The Cellar Grill is run by the same people behind the popular
Fummy’s Grill and Cardenas in Ebisu, so you know they know how
to put together a winning formula for dinning. At the new location,
the focus is on a great wine list that generously tilts toward the
reasonable end of the scale and a menu of tasty dishes that
encourages you to select a variety.
But don’t let the wine and the apparently Western dish names
deceive you, much like Les Vinum, reviewed in The Weekender back
in November of last year, in reality Cellar Grill is an izakaya dressed
up in different clothing. The menu is designed for relaxed pace of
ordering, picking, drinking and chatting, and then re-ordering, more
picking, drinking and chatting. We started with the daily special,
carpaccio of spiny red gurnard rockfish (hobo in Japanese) in olive oil
with a mix of herbs, and a misnamed turnip salad with lemon, that
turned out to be carrot (not a problem, after a certain point dinning
overseas, you should get use to menu roulette — order this, get that
— as it exposes you to dishes beyond your vocabulary or culinary
comfort zone ... not to say that carrots our beyond our comfort zone).
This was followed by another set of specials of the day, grilled
14 WEEKENDER
W Omotesando — The Cellar Grill
Ayoama Parks Bldg B1F
3-10-6 Kita-Aoyama
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Lunch 11:30 am-3 pm
Dinner 5:30-12 midnight
(03) 3400-3552
hanger steak, and Japanese mustard spinach (komatsuna) cooked
in a small metal casserole dish. The steak was tender and tasty,
presented on a wooden cutting board. The menu specializes in
similarly grilled meats, including other cuts of beef, duck, chicken
and lamb, as well as a selection of sausages and pates.
To compliment our selections, we asked sommelier and manager
Tsuyoshi Takeuchi to recommend a bottle, and he suggested we go
with a Pinot Noir. We settled on a Louis Jadot Bourgogne 2006 at
¥3,000, an unfussy pinot that has all the characteristics you expect in
that grape and was eminently drinkable.
The Cellar Grill actually acts as a retail wine shop as well, and
they note that all the prices on their wine list are retail. To enjoy any
of the bottles with dinner, you only add a ¥600 corkage fee. The list
is weighted heavily towards France and America, but features wines
from around the world and hits the low end at with bottles between
¥900-¥1,300 from Chile, Spain and Italy. Oddly, all wines are served
in stemless glasses, but for an extra ¥200, you can request Riedel
Bordeaux or Burgundy glasses.
Where there’s wine, there must be cheese, so we rounded out
the meal with three selections from the cheese menu: a hard, tangy
Comté, a dense, herby Sainte Maure goat cheese, and a creamy Brie.
Served up with raisins on a stem and sliced figs, it was the proper
finish to a great meal, and final reason to return to a location that is
certain to quickly become popular for those looking for a casual but
satisfying spot in Omotesando.
//
To k y o Ta b l e s
TOKYO
Pizzeria Meri Principessa,
Shinsen, Shibuya
NOBU TOKYO is going in to its 5th year in
Toranomon. This we owe to all our loyal
guests. To celebrate our 4th anniversary,
we will be having a grand SAKE DINNER
for 3 nights. My love, HOKUSETSU Sake
by choice, is the only sake served in my
restaurants for over 20 years.
This year, I am pleased to be able to serve
to you, its NAMA Sake, available for only a
short period each year. I will serve a
special course to match with this once in a
year delicious brew.
Please come join me for a night of great
food and sake!
by Stephen Parker
I
’m sick of mass-produced junk pizza and chain restaurants. I want to
forget about Pizza Hut, Dominos and Shakey’s. I’ve been on a quest to
find some decent hand-made pizza in Tokyo, and, in a back street near
Shinsen, I think I’m on to something good.
Between numerous combinis, and located a stones throw away from
seedy “Love Hotel Hill”, I found the tiny restaurant Meri Principessa with
not a “deep dish” or stuffed crust in sight. The restaurant has the word
“PIZZERIA” clearly emblazoned on the front — simple, unpretentious
and to the point, a lot like the food inside. Stepping in from the cold, you
are warmly greeted by the staff behind the curving bar counter. The
basement houses a bigger restaurant room for more intimate (and
pricier) dining, but the counter is welcoming enough to drop by after
work, and that way you get to chat to the chefs to boot if you like.
Owner chef Kei Eguchi and his team kneed the pizza dough right
in front of customers, a good way to guarantee the freshness of the
ingredients. A litmus test in all pseudo-Italian diners is the Margherita
pizza: The Margherita is so simple it can easily go wrong, with too much
cheese, bad sauce or an artificially thick base.
Eguchi could teach chain restaurants a thing or two about simplicity:
His Margherita consists of a fresh ball of dough, a ladel of tomato sauce,
a sprinkle of mozzarella, fresh basil and olive oil. That’s it. The fiveminute masterpiece is then slid straight into the wood fired oven behind
the counter. You can watch it cook, and before I had time to read the rest
of the menu, I was presented a steaming, hand-made pizza for just ¥500.
The restaurant sells a wide range of antipasto from ¥450, fresh
shellfish and all the Italian desserts you would expect, including a
reasonably priced tiramisu. Drinks include imported grappa, beer and
wine and quality Italian coffees.
You will really need an iPhone or at least a good map to find the
place, but it is well worth the effort. The location is one stop from Shibuya
on the Inokashira line, so its close enough to visit before hitting the
center of town, (or braving a walk up the notorious hill behind).
Trying to impress a date? Go with one of chef Eguchi’s
recommendations: the Nero. The pizza sauce is unusually jet black, as
it is colored with squid ink, and is topped with fresh seafood and a little
cheese. It looks very odd going into the oven, but tastes great coming out.
Try ordering something like that from Pizza Hut.
For details 03.5733.0070
http://www.nobutokyo.com
Pizzeria Meri Principessa is located at 22-1 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku;
for more information, call (03) 5456-9394
WEEKENDER 15
Feature: Kosuke Kimura
Running with
the Rapids
16 WEEKENDER
F eFaetaut ruer :e : K 2o0s1u0k ei n KRi emv ui er wa
Much has been made of Japanese
sluggers infiltrating Major
League Baseball, but with Japan’s
growing soccer craze, baseball
is no longer the only sport on
the plate. As superstars like
Suzuki Ichiro and Matsui Hideki
once paved the way to baseball
stardom, compatriot Kosuke
Kimura is now singlehandedly
blazing a trail into the United
States’ Major League Soccer
by JONATHAN DeHART
H
aving just celebrated a championship victory in Major
League Soccer with the Colorado Rapids, Kosuke
Kimura, the first Japanese-born player in the history
of the US league, is off to a good start. At only age 26, though,
Kimura doesn’t have any plans to stop there. When recently
asked about his long-term goals over a cup of coffee in Tokyo,
the Rapids defender, kitted out in a leather jacket and blue
jeans, says matter-of-factly in a noticeably Americanized
accent, “I want to play in the World Cup one day.”
While Kimura may not be a household name yet, he has
recently garnered an upsurge of attention. Although positioned
in the backfield, the Japanese native scored the goal in the
semifinal match with the San Jose Earthquakes that took his
team to the MLS Cup 2010.
“I can’t resist attacking when I see the opportunity, so
that’s what I did,” he laughs. “But no one was complaining
after that goal.”
The defender went on to play the entire duration of the final
game against FC Dallas. After a tense, physical 90 minutes that
ended with a one-all tie, plus a 30-minute overtime, the Rapids
emerged victorious in the first MLS Cup in the team’s history
when a shot by the Sengalese striker Macoumba Kandji was
deflected off a FC Dallas defensive player into the goal.
The road to this point has been anything but straight for
Kimura, though. In contrast to the spirit of his early training
in Japan – which he describes as being “uptight” – the rising
star has learned the importance of adapting both on and off the
field.
Kimura’s desire to go pro started early, while watching
J-League games on television. Although he grew to love the
sport by watching Japanese players, with time and experience,
he found flaws in Japan’s style of play that he felt would hold
him back from the potential for wider exposure.
“Japanese soccer tends to be more about looking good,
passing smoothly and so on,” Kimura says. “Every player
is encouraged to follow the same training routines and to
essentially become like everyone else. The same pattern shows
up in many parts of Japanese society, such as in education.”
This perspective, combined with the fact that playing for a
Japanese university team does not lead to the pros, inspired
Kimura to set his sights abroad. Recognizing the challenges
inherent in the European soccer machine, he looked to
America’s more open and untapped soccer culture instead.
In Europe, he realized, big name players are often snatched
up during their teens by forward looking recruiters from high
ranking teams.
“Beckham signed at age 14, and Messi was practically
raised by Barcelona,” he cites as examples.
With salaries in the MLS on the rise and higher caliber
players suiting up (Wayne Rooney’s younger brother John just
signer up with the NY Red Bulls), Kimura is confident that
soccer will continue to progress in the states. Even if he always
has Europe and the ultimate dream of World Cup play buzzing
in the back of his mind, he is quite content with letting things
evolve right where he is now.
“The US has so much potential to develop,” he says. “Even
FIFA considers it one of the fastest growing regions for the
sport in the world.”
After assessing his options, Kimura decided to try and play
at the college level in the states. Though his exemplary high
school career was cut short by a broken foot, he compiled a
video of his playing highlights and sent it to a slew of American
Division I coaches. After getting a healthy number of replies, the
best offer came in the form of an athletic scholarship to play for
the Western Illinois University Leathernecks — if he could show
the proper academic credentials in English to be accepted to
the school first.
Even if it wasn’t as simple as boarding a plane and suiting
up, but the cold weather was in his favor — academically at
least: “When I arrived, the place was covered in snow,” he
recalls of his introduction to Macomb, Illinois. “There was
literally nothing to do but study.”
And study he did, with such intensity that he barely touched
a soccer ball for six months. First in Kimura’s educational
gauntlet was the American standardized test for university
admissions, the SAT, for which he received a passable score
by nearly acing the math section; for the English portion of
the test, he simply filled in his name for 200 points and dozed
through the rest.
“I studied the math section like crazy because I knew my
English wasn’t good enough for me to stand a chance,” he
laughs. “My strategy worked.”
But it would be impossible for him to escape learning
English forever, and his biggest challenge was the year-long
English language boot camp that he was forced to condense
into six months.
“All I did was study every day, all day,” he recalls. “My teacher
said that if I wanted to have a hope of passing, I had to literally cut
all ties with Japanese classmates and do everything in English.”
The mental stress paid off by delivering him the athletic
scholarship that he needed, and Kimura proceeded to help
WEEKENDER 17
Feature: Kosuke Kimura
his team rocket from the bottom of the Division I into the
national spotlight. For three years straight during his time
with the Leathernecks, they made it to the first round of the
national tournament, only narrowly losing to heavyweights like
Northwestern and Notre Dame.
“We came out of nowhere,” Kimura says. “Even though we
didn’t beat those teams, we literally went from being one of
the lowest ranked teams in Division I to one of the highest. This
caught peoples’ attention.”
Among those watching the Leathernecks’ miraculous string
of seasons was the coaching staff of the Colorado Rapids, and
in 2007, Kimura heard the news that he’d been drafted.
“My coach told me to have a look at a website, but gave no
‘The problem in Japan
is that there is too much
emphasis on formula ...
(so) baseball is an ideal
sport ... But with soccer,
relying on formulas
doesn’t work’
18 WEEKENDER
further explanation,” Kimura says. “When I checked it out later,
I read that I’d been drafted by the Rapids in the preliminary
round. I couldn’t believe it, but it was real.”
Once he hit his stride after a few quiet seasons, Kimura
began to shine in his own unorthodox way. A midfielder at
heart, the Japanese player says, “I always said I would strike if
the chance came, and sure enough it did in the Dallas match.”
When reflecting on the major differences between the styles
of play in the US and Japan, Kimura notes a couple things. First,
he considers the training regimen in the US to be much more
intense than its Japanese counterpart.
“Since coming to the US, I’ve gained 15 pounds from weight
training,” he says. Alongside bulking up, Kimura says he
spends four hours stretching seven days a week. “It’s all about
stretching. It’s almost like a full-time job for me.”
But even more significant, he says, is the mindset. Where
he was praised for going beyond the line of duty and scoring the
goal that took the Rapids to the MLS Cup 2010, in Japan this
kind of boundary breaking is looked down upon.
“The problem in Japan is that there is too much emphasis
on formula,” Kimura says. “For this very reason, baseball is
an ideal sport for Japan. It’s a bit more slow moving and works
well with strategy; for example, throwing a certain kind of pitch
against a certain kind of batter, and so on.”
“But with soccer,” he continues, “relying on formulas
doesn’t work. It’s a contact sport and requires a very high
degree of athleticism and individual strengths. For the level of
play in Japan to improve, more players need to begin developing
their own individual styles.” — (JDH)
To k y o A r c h i t e c t u r e
Different visions
of Tokyo
An interview with architect Sou Fujimoto
Sou Fujimoto
IWAN BAAN PHOTO
WEEKENDER 21
To k y o A r c h i t e c t u r e
by today’s high technical and environmental standards.
In a recent conversation with Fujimoto, the young rising star
answered questions regarding his architectural practice and
Tokyo’s residential and urban landscape.
The ubiquitous high-rise residential towers so popular in
recent housing projects rarely make an appearance in your
work. What are your thoughts on what is being offered today in
Tokyo’s housing market?
I don’t think that these high-rise towers create rich living
spaces, nor do I think they are enriching the city of Tokyo. I think
architects should be responsible for proposing an alternative
urban living environment for the future.
Hokkaido-born architect Sou
Fujimoto brings a fresh perspective
to Tokyo’s urban sprawl. Challenging
the carbon-copy homes of the
suburbs and the city’s high-rise
towers, Fujimoto’s projects, such
as House N, should be a wake-up
call for real estate developers and
corporate architects
by SEBASTIAN YURJEVIC
The practice of designing residential architecture could be
defined as a fervent quest for new material configurations to
satisfy our ever-evolving social environment. In a field that
favors the new over the old, it is little wonder then that the
current generation of cutting-edge Japanese architects are
currently enjoying a surge in their international visibility due to
their experimental nature and capacity for innovative residential
solutions that never cease to amaze both the learned and
neophyte. From curating international biennials and winning
top honors in world class competitions, this generation is taking
their particular approach to the issue of residential architecture
further and further, both physically and metaphorically.
Among the top exponents of this group is Sou Fujimoto,
whose Tokyo-based, eponymous practice has been active
for several years. A native of Hokkaido, Fujimoto’s nuanced,
outsider look at the lifestyles of contemporary Tokyo inhabitants
gives him a privileged platform from which to impart his
innovative style of residential design. His recent exhibit at the
Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, “Forest, Cloud, Mountain”,
was a true laboratory of configurations of space and materials.
From plastic and steel to concrete and glass, Fujimoto
infuses his projects with an eager vitality, characterized both by
the hunger for pushing the boundaries of the acceptable further
out and by focusing on our most basic and intimate bonds. His
seemingly unwitting naiveté hides a steadfast realism that allows
his otherworldly creations conceptual flight, while at the same
time grounding them with the necessary practicality demanded
22 WEEKENDER
What are your favorite and least favorite urban places in Tokyo?
My favorite urban places in Tokyo are places where order and chaos,
the natural and the artificial merge, such as sloping roads, narrow
alleys and metropolitan expressways.
My least favorite urban place is inside a crowded train.
Your projects constantly redefine the concept of boundaries:
those between spaces, between the inside and the outside,
and even the boundaries between man and nature. How is
the increasingly permeable division between these opposites
changing the way we look at residential architecture?
The boundaries between various things can be called the
essence of architecture. Re-definition of the boundary leads
to a new architecture. Transparent partitions, such as glass
and acrylic, have revolutionized these boundaries. On the other
hand, it is possible to create openness and closeness, as the
exterior and the interior co-exist and are interrelated. This
creates the excitement and the richness of architecture.
Your practice is very much about experimentation. How
are new materials expanding the possibilities available to
designers in terms of space, mood and atmosphere?
New materials expand the possibilities of architecture
dramatically since materials are the fundamental parts that
compose architecture. This is proven by the fact that modern
architecture was born from iron, glass and concrete, which
were new materials at that time.
On the other hand, we can also produce wonder by using
traditional materials, such as stone and wood, with a new
perspective or a new concept of space. This amazement can
be greater than the one created by using new materials. These
two kinds of practices lead to the joy of creating architecture.
As part of your 2008 Monograph “Primitive Future”, one of
your 10 founding principles is “City as a house — house as a
City”. Following that simple, yet powerful statement, how is
Tokyo redefining the residential interior?
In Tokyo, houses and alleys are not separate but one
continuous place. A city is not a cluster of houses, it is rather
an extension of space, and the remote part of a city is a
house. Tokyo can be called a place composed of the gradation
between the city and the house, without them being separated
clearly from each other. The gradation, such as the infinite
color range between white and black, enriches living spaces.
If this gradation between a city and a house can be created
with an architectural space, it could be a new and rich living
space. House N is one trial to realize it.
Sou Fujimoto
Sou Fujimoto’s N House in Oita
IWAN BAAN PHOTO
WEEKENDER 23
Interiors Special
Designer products
that shine
Mayuhana by Toyo Ito
Shaped like a delicate cocoon “Mayuhana” is made from
glass fiber yarn and resin. Designed by one of Japan’s worldrenowned architects, Toyo Ito, winner the Praemium Imperiale
2010. Ito’s creative expression shines through the soft light.
(¥48,720 Web price)
For more info
Yamagiwa Tokyo Showroom, by appointment only
Tel: 03-3253-5124 (Japanese Only)
Tel: 03-3253 2132 (English)
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11:00-18:00 Weekdays
www.yamagiwa.co.jp
24 WEEKENDER
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Give your home a redesign this spring
Kartell Panier Table
Panier is a polycarbonate container with a transparent lid, its
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table, side table or as storage for such things as magazines.
Panier is available in a variety of colors. A thoroughly practical
yet eclectic object with an attractive and playful appearance.
Designed by award winning brothers Ronan and Erwan
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Vitra, Cappellini, Issey Miyake, Magis, Ligne Roset and Habitat.
(¥29,100)
Size: D61cm × H23.8cm
For more info
From MoMA store, see below for details
Eclipse Lamp
An intriguing lamp with a shade fabricated from a single
ribbonlike strip of plastic. Designer Mauricio Klabin created a
shade that can be adjusted to change the form and orientation
of its light. The metal frame has small, movable stabilizing
rings that allow the lamp to rest in multiple positions. Made
of steel, polyethylene, and polypropylene and also folds flat for
storage. (¥18,690)
Size: W43 cm x H35 cm
For more info
From MoMA store, see below for details
Porter Tray Table
This striking red number is exactly what it sounds like; a tray
combined with a table. Perfect for small spaces, this side table
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a sofa. Genius! The top doubles as a removable red plastic tray,
and the handle makes it easy to move the table wherever it’s
needed. Made of ABS plastic and chrome wire. (¥9,450)
Size: W46cm × H52cm
For more info
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Shibuya-ku. (Omotesando Station)
Tel: 03-5468-5801 • www.momastore.jp
WEEKENDER 25
Parties, People, Places
Qatar national day celebration
Roberto Cavalli fashion P.R. guru Elizabeth Hildebrand,
with TV personality Kyoko Spector
Jordanian Ambassador Demiyer Z. Haddad
Syrian second secretary Rania Alhaj Ali Qatar
Amb. Yousef Mohamed Bilal
Maali Siam and her daughter Dima andfriend Asia
A
s the old saying goes, “There’s no business like show
business,” and, from the looks of things, 2011 is going to
be a big year for film, music, dance and drama here in
Japan. I recently had coffee with busy actor Masaya Kato, and,
believe me, no one is better informed on what’s happening in
both the Japanese and South Korean worlds then he is. Masaya
is a true international actor and did a film in Australia with
Brooke shields and another with Jacqueline Bisset. He’s also
had a major role in a Chinese film with Jackie Chen and worked
with some of South Korea’s top actors on several projects. I
rerlly got to know him well when he was working with one of my
best friends, actress Diane Lane on a Japanese production here
in Tokyo. He recently starred in “Umizaru 3: The Last Message”,
a 3D film about the Japanese coast guard, and his next project
is titled “Unfair”, which was originally a very successful TV
series about a woman detective about five years ago. It was
later made into a two-hour, made-for-TV movie and then a film
for theatrical distribution. Masaya, as I said, keeps busy.
26 WEEKENDER
PARTIES
PEOPLE
PLACES
WITH BILL HERSEY
PP aa rr tt ii ee ss, , PPeeooppl le e &, PPll aa cc ee ss
Algeria National Day
Yasmine Tsamados,
wife of the Greek
Ambassador, and
Nargiz Huseyn, wife
of the Azerbaijan
Ambassador
Author Mami Yamada, Algerian
Ambassador Sid Ali Ketrandji
and artist Masami Yamada
Fatima Al-Nowais (center) with Sanasissi Ketrandji (right)
Bahrain National Day
Outgoing Croatian Ambassador Drago Stambuk, tea
ceremony master Takanori Suzuki, Bahrain Ambassador
Dr. Khalid Hassan and musician Hajime Anzai
Oxford University Japan rep. David Malcolm Morris his
wife Rosalina with their daughters Lirit and Azeliea
The acting career of another good friend, Takumi Saitoh,
is also on the fast track. In addition to a long list of film and TV
credits, he often does stage plays. Takumi tells me most of his
days now are spent shooting early am to late pm on a new TV
series in which he plays a young doctor.
It was nice seeing young actor Osamu Mukai at Marc
Jacobs founder Robert Duffy’s unveiling of the company’s
Tokyo flagship boutique. Osamu, a long-time friend of the New
Lex is big news now, and Warner Brothers Japan has high
expectations for their soon to be released film “Paradise Kiss”
in which he stars.
On the music scene, super cool Pop idol Jin Akanishi is
really making waves since he’s left the group KAT-TUN. He left
the Johnny’s Jimusho group, went to the United States, studied
hard and really improved his English. When he came back to
Japan he decided to go solo, worked this out with Johnny, hired
some great backup dancers and went to Los Angeles for his
first concert. It was a big sucess, and in a matter of months, he
and his dancers went back to the states for a five-city concert
tour. After this, he and his group returned to Japan and did
concerts in several major cities here. Jin also hopes to do more
in films. Last year he had one of the leading roles in a Japanese
film titled “Bandage”. Just heard that he auditioned for and will
have a part in the American film “47 Ronin”, which stars Keanu
Reeves, and that the producers were having a difficult time
finding enough young japanese actors that speak good English
to fill all parts, so may have to hire a few South Koreans.
Whatever, it’ll be interesting. Lots more to write about, but for
now, time to move from the showbiz to the social scene.
Arab events galore
The last few months of 2010 were super busy and, as always,
I am a little bit more behind then I like to be. Our arab friends
really had a busy schedule, so let’s start with Algerian
ambassador Sid Ali Ketrandji and his wife Amal Nor’s people
packed reception on the occasion of Algeria’s 56th National
WEEKENDER 27
Parties, People, Places
Vietnamese delegation in Tokyo
Vu Ngoc Chau with Ho Chi Minh city people’s committee vice chairwoman
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong
Top percussionist Naoki of the Broadway show “Blast”, pop singer
Yumiko and Hawaiian guitarist Aaron out in Roppongi
Marc Jacobs’ Martin Webb with actor Osamu Mukai at CEO Robert Duffy’s
book signing in the brand’s new Aoyama flagship store
In & Around Tokyo
Vu Ngoc Chau, refined resort’s Paul Morris, HD’s vice chairman Nguyen
Thauh Quang, HD’s director Phan Ton and Viet Anh capitol partner
Toypharu Tsutsui
Bill and the boys
Actor Takumi Saito
Director M. Night Shyamalan
28 WEEKENDER
Parties, People, Places
Day. It was held on Nov. 1 in their beautiful new home in
Minami-Azabu. The house is the epitome of fine Arabic design
with lots of marble, graceful arches and bubbling fountains. It
was perfect for mixing and relaxing with the many interesting
friends of Sid Ali and Amal. Our sincerest congratulations on
the celebration and the Ketrandji’s new home.
On Dec. 2, United Arab Emirates ambassador Saeed Al
Nowais and his wife Zahra really went all out to make their
country’s national day one of the best ever. They chose the
Imperial as the venue, and the huge Peacock Room with its
ice carving of the UAE’s national emblem, long line of floral
congratulations and tents where guests relaxed over Arab
coffee, mint tea and an amazing variety of dates (I loved the
chocolate covered ones) made it all very special. The highlite
of the evening was the drawing of namecards guests had
dropped in a box when they arrived. Many won roundtrip tickets
on United Arab Airlines and Ethiad Airlines to Abu Dhabi
and Dubai. Have to admit, I was a bit envious. I’ve traveled to
the UAE five times and even drove through all of the seven
emirates. Believe me, each time was a great travel experience.
I took my former business partner, Tsukasa Shiga, who had just
come back from the F1 race in Abu Dhabi to the reception and
was happy he had the opportunity to thank Saeed for getting
him reservations at the new Armani hotel in Dubai.
On Dec. 15, the Kingdom of Bahrain celebrated their
national day, and ambassador Dr. Khalid Hassan also chose
the Imperial as the venue for his recption. Once again, it was
well attended, relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable. I especially
enjoyed the live Arab music by a very good Japanese group.
The only thing missing was the ambassador’s wife, Dr. Salwa
Almahroos, who was in Bahrain on family business. She, like
the ambassador, is a medical doctor. He specializes in pediatric
surgery, and she in diabetes, a growing problem in the Middle
East now. Both have helped me with my annual orphans party
at the Hilton Tokyo, and it’s amazing how much warmth and
love they show the children.
This was Qatar ambassador Yousef Mohamed Bilal and
his wife Jamila’s first year to host their national day reception
in Japan, and knowing the experience the Imperial hotel has
had, and based on advice from their friends, they held their
celebration at the Imperial. It was, as I knew it would be, a
truly nice evening. All the above parties had bountiful
buffets that featured roast lamb, other Arabic
specialities and both Western and Japanese
favorites. Many of the guests at each party brought
Portugese Ambassador Joao Pedro Zanatti
and his good friends Hiroo Segafredo
manager Komatsu and Daisuke Noguchi
their children and that always makes it even more special.
Each of the sponsors also offered their guests a wide
variety of books, magazines, maps and even dvds on their
countries, and after all these years, I really have a wonderful
collection of info on the Arab world. Thanks my friends for your
consideration once again. Our congratulations to all concerned.
Vietnam’s building boom seminars in japan
Vietnam’s prestigious HD Real, a huge housing-developement
real-estate company brought in a large group of their
top executives, bankers, investment consultants and city,
residences, hotels and resort developers to meet with leaders
in the same fields here. I couldn’t get to any of the programs
but did meet many of the participants at a dinner at the Park
Hyatt Tokyo. My thanks to long time friend Va Ngoc Chau, son of
the former Vietnamese ambassador to Japan, for the invitation
to the dinner. His father is currently ambassador in Geneva. I
will always remember him making it possible for me to visit his
beautiful country.
Paul Morris was also a special guest that evening. He’s
with refined resorts, who have some beautiful property in
Vietnam and around Asia. If you’d like to check into this, let me
know. From all reports, vietnam has a bright future, with many
opportunities for foreigners as they say it’s a good time for
property investments in Vietnam, a promising tourist paradise.
Check them out.
I’m really trying to get into doing more walking, and
through this, discovering all kinds of new-for-me, interesting
places all over the city. Starting now, I will pass these on to
you through the column from time to time. I think I and many
of my friends as well look better when we have a suntan.
Haven’t been to Guam, the Philippines or Thailand the last few
months, but thanks to Dale at National Azabu, I found a great
tanning studio that’s just a 10-minute walk from the Grand
Hyatt. It’s called 82F and is located in the Sambu building at
1-12-5 Nishi-Azabu in Minato-ku. I usually walk up Roppongi
dori from Roppongi Hills toward Shibuya to the big crossing
where there’s a police box on one corner and Kozo Hasegawa’s
huge Gonpachi Japanese restaurant across the street.82F is
just a few buildings toward Roppongi from Gonpachi. They’re
open noon until 9 pm, Tuesday through Friday and 10 am to 7
pm Saturday and Sunday (Closed Mondays; 03 34051407). Ten minutes under a great tanning machine
is just ¥1000. Ask for Mitsuo Hoshino. Satisfaction
guaranteed.
Russian models Natasha and Arina
Lena Chikada and Sharon Yamano
WEEKENDER 29
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practicability and relaxation, with a large kitchen
space, for you to truly enjoy home cooking.
For a free inspection tour of all our facilities:
Sales office: 0120-319-982 (free dial) Front office: 03-3445-2811
URL: www.apartments33.co.jp
To search for more properties in Tokyo, go to
weekenderjapan.com/apartmentsearch
WEEKENDER 31
Bulletin Board
WEEKENDER
B ulletin B oard
COMMUNITY
Polaris Project Monthly Seminar “You Know Human
Trafficking?” at Body Shop Shinjuku on Saturday,
January 29
Japan is often called a destination country for human
trafficking victims, but it is difficult to remember it when
you live your daily lives in Japan. But human trafficking is
occurring daily, even if the Japanese media rarely reports
such incidents as “human trafficking.” The seminar will
invite Ms Fusae Oshita, Gyoseishoshi lawyer who consults
migrant women on visa issues, naturalization, marriage, and
divorce, and who has been a strong advocate and supporter
for human trafficking victims. Eighth Seminar: Human
Trafficking from Overseas: Victimization Hidden in Everyday
Life. Date: Saturday, January 29, 2011, 4pm-6pm; Venue:
The Body Shop Shinjuku, 3rd Floor, The Body Shop Room
(max 30 seats) JR Shinjuku East Exit (3-minute walk), Tokyo
Metro Shinjuku San-chome A5 Exit (1-minute walk), http://
www.mapion.co.jp/c/f?uc=4&pg=1&ino=BA799518&gr
p=bodyshop; Speaker: Fusae Oshita, Gyoseishoshi lawyer,
Tanpopo Law Office Ms Oshita set up her office after working
at an NGO supporting migrant foreign women. She has been
a supporter of human trafficking victims since the 1990s.
Admission Fee: ¥1,000 (¥500 for students; please present your
student ID at the door); Registration: Please fill in the form
online (in Japanese) at: http://my.formman.com/form/pc/
jtlfbc6KYEZPZFJm/
Next Seminar: Saturday, February 26, 2011, 4pm6pm The Body Shop Shinjuku, 3rd Floor, The Body Shop
Room Speaker: Akihiko Morita, Professor of Shokei Gakuin
University “Anti-Child Pornography Policies: Now and
Future”
CONTACT: [email protected]
American Football
My name is Fernando, I was born in New York City, and I live in
Yokohama. Anyone who wants to learn how to play American
Football is welcome to email me. I`m 37 years old, and I used to
play sports in High School and College.
CONTACT: [email protected]
Serving the Tokyo community with
postings and classified sales since 1970
navi with remode control, ETC, TV, DVD, MD player; Black
inside with 18 inch Msport alumy wheel, 2000 cc , key less
entry ... and more. Price ¥770,000 ... but with out shaken only
¥690,000 ...
CONTACT: Malek at 080-3512-6101 (Softbank)
FOUR WHEELS
week and want to add some more days to that. I will be happy
to respond to one time or last minute reservations too if my
schedule allows. ¥1,200 per hour plus transportation. I am
completely fluent in Japanese, a permanent resident in Japan
and an experienced driver.
CONTACT: Makayla at 080-3179-2532
T
PETS
For Sale! ¥230,000
Nice Nissan Skyline GTS Automatic transmission. JCI due in
April 2011. Owned by American civilian with Y plates. Some
scratches and dents here and there but mechanically sound
condition. Less than 132,000 km with timing chain and
water pump replaced at 103,000 km. Vehicle is nice and runs
smooth. Please call to arrange a meeting. I live in Isehara but
if you are serious I can deliver the vehicle as far as Tokyo.
CONTACT: 080-3271-6996
Blue Foldable 6 speed bike
I am selling a small blue Foldable 6 speed bike that i purchased
from Don Quixote about 2 months ago. I used for going to
school and back as it was cheaper than riding the train. Now
I will soon go back to America and it would cost too much to
bring. I live in Kugahara Ota-ku... Tokyu Ikegami line, but i can
meet at either Gotanda, or Kamata for pick up. I also purchased
a bicycle bag for the bike I think i paid ¥2,300 at donQ but im
only asking 20 for it as it would serve no purpose for me to keep
without the bike.
CONTACT: Mark at 080-4117-0647
2 beautiful mama charis for sale
Hey there, I have 2 beautiful mama charis for sale. One is silver
with a basket the other one is beige and red has two baskets
(very handy if you go to do big grocery shoppings). Very good
condition. Price is ¥7000 each. If you wanna buy both, we can
negotiate on the price. Please call ASAP. As we are moving next
Tuesday.
CONTACT : Maria at0909 9781385
1994 Classic Range Rover Vanden plas FOR
JPY500,000
140,000km ,4,300 cc, CD DVD Player, TV, SDcard reader,
AUX, I Pod connector, Leather seat, ABS, Airbags, Sun roof,
Power steering, Power windows ; Engine,Trance missions
are in good condition; Roof paint is fading; Powere seat is not
working (drivers seat); SHAKEN valid until DECEMBER 2011
Please contact Kimura
CONTACT: 080(4183)1193
TWO WHEELS
Save An Animal Today
Adopt or sponsor orphaned dogs, cats, and other
animals rescued both in Tokyo and Osaka at Animal
Refuge Kansai. ARK animals need you! To adopt or
foster a pet, please email [email protected] or
call(050)1557-2763.www.arkbark.net
space in the garage for some new toy’s. Loads of aftermarket
parts to many to list,, welcome to come and view ... offers
around ¥550,000; Can arrange export ...
CONTACT: Tony at 090-4426-8291
Classic Yamaha Bobber
This is a very cool looking Bobber Built by the one and only SR
builder fastbike. Welcome to come and view price ¥650,000
ono Happy X-Max and a Happy New Year.
CONTACT: 090-4426-8291
Cute cat
This friendly young cat loves people! She is spayed and
vaccinated and used to be kept indoors. If you are a responsible
adult who can give her a permanent home, please get in touch!
CONTACT : [email protected]
Persian Chincilla Cat
Looking for a good home for silver persian chincilla cat, 1 year
old, very affectionate. Litter & food bowl included.
CONTACT: cheri. mimi@yahoo. com or 080-4290-3590.
Street Cat
Sakuragicho/Yokohama. Lovely friendly street cat needs a
happy home. We’ll catch, clean her and pay for a health check
at a vet.
CONTACT: zoo57@yahoo. com
ROOMS/SHARED
Build attractive Japanese and stand out from the crowd!
Newly refurbished sharehouse in Nakano area. All the
flatmates are fun. Live with them!
Rooms: We have one private bed room currently available:
2F, Japanese 8 tatami room, ¥70,000+Management
fee(¥7,000)+Utilities(split among residents)/month. House:
It’s a 3-story house and we use the 2nd and 3rd floors: 6 bed
rooms, comfortable living room with big flat screen TV and
sofas, and gorgeous view of the city from the roof top. Wireless
internet, washing machine, bike parking space are included.
On the way to the station, there is a Shotengai(shopping
streets) with local small shops and restaurants. Access:
13min walk to Nakano-Shinbashi station(Marunouchi line),
15min walk to Hatagaya station(JR Keio line) to Sasazuka
station(JR Keio line) which is only one station from Sinjuku.
Easy access to Shinjuku(5min), Shibuya(16min) and
Ikebukuro(20min)!!!
CONTACT: 03-3670-1392; [email protected]
We can meet your
very specificand
needs!stand
Call now!
BuildOnlyattractive
Japanese
out from
the crowd!
Only We can meet your very specific
Located in the bustling neighborhood of Shibuya,
We Japanese Language School prides itself on innovative
needs!
Callservice
now!and effective, results-driven training
customer
for professional types.
Experienced instructors offer customized lessons to meet
Located
in the
bustling
neighborhood
Shibuya, We
learners'
specific
business and
communication of
aims,
so you're guaranteed to acquire the Japanese you actually
Japanese
Language
School
prides itself on innovative
need for
your working
life.
And We
Japaneseand
Language
School isresults-driven
offering
customer
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effective,
training
Start-up Campaign from November 1st to November 20th,
or until seats aretypes.
filled. Experienced instructors offer
for professional
Reserve your spot while you can!
customized lessons to meet learners’ specific busiAccess：3 minutes walk from Shibuya station, across from
ness and
communication aims, so you’re guaranteed to
OIOI (MARUI). 4F, 1-22-8 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku Tokyo.
acquireTel：03-5489-6480
the Japanese you actually need for your working
life.A great
way to check out We for yourself is to take a
www.we-japan.com
free trial lesson! Have a great time while experiencing
the school atmosphere and meeting We teachers and
students. We also offer intensive courses (4 days a
week) for those who would like to improve their Japanese skill rapidly! Please contact the school for more
details! Access 3 minutes walk from Shibuya station,
in front of OIOI Department Store. 4F, 1-22-8 Jinnan,
Shibuya-ku Tokyo.
CONTACT: (03) 5489-6480 www.we-japan.com
CHILDCARE
BMW 318 i black 2004 with 2 years shaken
2004 Black BMW 318 with new 2 years shaken; Panasonic
32 WEEKENDER
Yamaha SR400 Cafe Racer
1999, 13,000 km, Shaken 23/7; Very nice Cafe racer SR400;
cost over ¥1,000,000 to buy and build ... need to make some
Babysitter
Responsible and reliable childcare provider is offering
babysitting service on weekdays, evenings and weekends.
I have years of experience working with children and can
provide excellent references from people I have worked with
both in the US and Japan. I am loving and caring and I make
the time I spend with kids in my care FUN. I am currently
babysitting for two families on a regular basis during the
All postings on our website are free.
Premium postings will be printed in
the Weekender and available online.
For more information contact our
sales team at:
(03) 6846-5615 or
[email protected]
Find more classified ads online at
classifieds.weekenderjapan.com
http://www.footyjapancompetitions.com/
NS
ITIO
PET
COM
Cup Round 2 Fixtures
Hibernian FC
Kanto Celts FC
British FC
Zion FC
Robert Walters Clash
YC&AC
Panache Panthers
King George FC
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
Albion Old Boys
JETS 2nds FC
El Diego FC
BFC Vagabonds
IFG Pumas FC
Dutch FC
Sala FC
FC International
Matt Wallace keeps his eye on the ball
against Yas Makita’s Variatore FC
Shots from the Pitch
Plate Round 2 Fixtures
Real Celts FC
Barbarians FC
Imperio FC
Guarana Republic
Robert Walters Geckoes
JETRO FC
Lions FC
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
Saitama Jets FC
YC&AC 2nds
Musketeers FC
British Embassy
Shane FC
Stoneds FC
Swiss Kickers FC
SLATE / FOOTY JAPAN ALL STARS
FJ New Year 7’s 2011 Champions
Pete McGill scores for Hell Cats against
Footy Japan in the group rounds.
‘Football Fun For All’
F.A. Qualified, British Coaches.
Boys & Girls Aged 3 ~ 12 y/o. All Abilities.
Safe, Friendly, International Environment.
Fun Football Games, Skill Development.
Locations in Tokyo & Yokohama.
Regular Sessions on Weekdays & Weekends.
For more information please visit: www.footyjapan.com/bfat/
BEFC’s Will Ryan lets loose a cannonball
as YCFC’s Dickie Philo can only watch.
Pumas Keeper Kieran Hallahan out-jumps Hibs’
Raffa De Marchi & defender Andrew Saunders .
To see more Weekender archives and full issues, go to
34 WEEKENDER
www.weekenderjapan.com/archives