Metropolis 1077 by Metropolis

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MARIA SHARAPOVA SWEET TALK ON FOX JAPAN

SCAT SWAP BILATERAL JAZZ FEST JIVE

TURKEY TIDBITS

SEE OUR THANKSGIVING SPECIAL!

HAPPY PILGRIM

THANKS

FOR THE LAUGHS COMEDY THAT CROSSES CULTURES

SAVORING JAPAN’S ORDERED CHAOS

CYNDI LAUPER HAS FUN

CHECK THE WATCH LIST

HAVE A FIBER-OPTIC TURKEY DAY IN TOKYO CLASSIFIEDS

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inside

NOV 14-27, 2014 • #1077

EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of Metropolis! And what more to be thankful for than laughter? If you’ve never taken a moment to find the funny in Japan, now’s the time. With rakugo, improv, stand-up, comedy workshops and even muscle-based mania, there’s certain to be something to tickle your funny bone!

Photo by Julio Shiiki

Rakugo Rocks: Comedy that busts down borders.

Speaking of bones, we’ve also got our wishbones ready with tips for bringing out the best at Thanksgiving. Or why not try visiting a local chef’s home to carry on the tradition of meal-based intercultural exchange? From food to fun, whatever your tastes, we can help you find the comfort spot at the end of your journey.

Turkey Time: Thanksgiving tips for Tokyoites.

Gabrielle with Jewels, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Image from private collection)

French Connection: Bunkamura dreams of France.

Cover design & Photography: Kohji Shiiki. Cover models: Katsura Sunshine (left) and Nakayama Kinni-kun. Turkey by Rieko Suzuki.

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Saga International Balloon Festa, by Aleisha Riboldi

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upfront SCENE AROUND TOWN

FUTUROPOLIS

OCT 30, 2014

METROPOLIS GLITTERBALL HALLOWEEN PARTY

LINGOIST LIFE IMPROVEMENT Thanksgiving turkey is good, but with cranberry sauce, it’s even better. Using the phrase “hō ga (adjective)” you’ll have no trouble telling people the best way to do things! JP

Kono owarai bangumi wo mita hō ga ii desu yo. You should watch this comedy show.

Cranberry sauce wo kaketa hō ga oishī desu ka? EN Is it better with cranberry sauce? JP

Atatamete tabeta hō ga oishī desu yo. It would be even more delicious if you heated it up.

JP EN

Ippai kaketa hō ga oishī desu yo! It’s better with lots of cranberry sauce!

K 1

あ

ANSWERS AT meturl.com/ kanacross

Down 1. Improv, 2. Hill or slope, 3. One part of a Japanese comedy duo, 6. Garden or yard, 7. Punch line, 8. Comfortable Across 1. Greeting or salutation, 4. Squirrel, 5. (Comedic) skit, 7. Comedy, 9. Position, 10. Skewer Solution: A

Metropolis Members Club THIS WEEK’S WINNER! Sacha Battrick won a ¥10,000 gift voucher courtesy of adidas

UPCOMING PRIZE One lucky MMC member will win a Zwilling Premium Quality Kitchen Knife courtesy of Zwilling

Check more photos on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MetropolisMagazine

TO-DO LIST

TOP

chrysanthemum festivals UNTIL NOV 24

UNTIL NOV 23

Kasama Chrysanthemum Festival

Bunkyo Chrysanthemum Festival

The oldest chrysanthemum festival in Japan, enjoy displays of kiku ningyō, or “chrysanthemum mannequins” (human figures formed from chrysanthemum blooms). Until Nov 24, 8:30am4:30pm, ¥400-800 (kiku ningyō). Kasama Inari Jinja. Kasama. Tel: 0296-73-0001. www.kasama.or.jp/english/

Enjoy various displays of 2,000 chrysanthemum plants. Until Nov 23, 6am-sunset, free. Yushima Tenjin. Yushima. Tel: 03-3836-0753. www.yushimatenjin.or.jp

UNTIL NOV 23 Sankeien Chrysanthemum Exhibition

Enjoy chrysanthemums in many shapes and styles, such as the kengai (cascading style), kotengiku (classic flower) and others. Until Nov 23, 9am-5pm, ¥200-500. Sankeien Garden. Negishi. (10-min bus ride from the station.) Tel: 045-621-0634. http://meturl.com/sankeiengarden

Courtesy of Beatink

NOV 28-30 Photo by Harper Smith

BEBEL GILBERTO Bossa nova princess promotes Tudo, her first album in five years. Nov 28, 7 & 9:30pm; Nov 29-30, 5 & 8pm, ¥8,500. Blue Note Tokyo. Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. http://meturl.com/gilberto2014

UNTIL FEB 22

EDITOR’S PICK NOV 19

HIKARI EXHIBITION Explore the relationship between light and the universe, the Earth and humans, and be awed by the beautiful world of illumination. Until Feb 22, ¥600-1,600. Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 9am-5pm, Fri 9am-8pm, closed Mon. National Museum of Nature and Science. Ueno. Tel: 03-3822-0111. http://hikari.exhn.jp

THE SUNSHINE UNDERGROUND

NOV 30

FESTIVIN 2014

Illustration by Mike Kanert

十二単風舞台衣装 (制作：農業生物資源研究所、浜縮緬工業協同組合、デザイン：田中秀彦＆大野知英(成安造形大学)、モデル：古田敦子)

Over 300 wines at the fourth incarnation of Japan’s largest natural wine festival. Nov 30, noon-3:30pm & 4:30-8pm, ¥7,000 (adv)/¥8,000 (door). Ebis303. Ebisu. Tel: 03-5771-8374. http://festivin.com

When does a band name an album eponymously? Apparently when they’ve reinvented themselves. The Sunshine Underground takes the “dance” in the English trio’s dance-punk formula and brings it to the fore. “I went through a big period of listening to ’80s/’90s synth-pop,” explains lead singer Craig Wellington. “This was a good opportunity to explore that.” The album is out on local indie imprint Vinyl Junkie, and the band touches down for their first Japan tour in four years next week. Dan Grunebaum Nov 19, 7:30pm, ¥4,800. Womb. Shibuya. http://meturl.com/sunshine2014

NOV 28-30

DICK WHITTINGTON

NOV 16

Tokyo Theatre for Children’s hilarious original take on the classic British children’s tale. Nov 28, 6:30pm; Nov 29, noon, 3pm & 6:30pm; Nov 30 noon & 3pm, ¥2,500-3,000. Theatre Bonbon. Nakano. http://tokyotheatreforchildren.com

Interact with fellow analog gamers and visit booths dedicated to board games, card games, simulation games and more. Nov 16, 10am-5pm, ¥500-1,000. Tokyo Big Sight. Kokusai Tenjijo. Tel: 03-5283-9955. http://gamemarket.jp

GAME MARKET

CHECK FOR MORE EVENTS ON P.22! 05

cover Photo by Mike Kanert

Katsura Sunshine performs for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Japan in Mori Tower, Roppongi

of death just before a character arrives at the afterlife’s unhelpful customer service window. Guessing the story, he says, is part of the fun. The story starts unannounced, with no further introduction than perhaps a knock at the door punctuated by the kon-kon-kon of the storyteller’s sensu fan on the table. The moment represents a seamless transition from stand-up (or rather, kneeling) comedy to tightly controlled physical theater, each scenario brought to life through nothing more than the deft choreography of body language and vocal intonation. Aside from his fan, a rakugo-ka is only allowed a tenugui hand-cloth as a prop— but connoisseurs will also watch for the dramatic moment when the performer removes his happi, or overcoat. Each story then concludes with an ochi, or punchline, often predicated upon a cleverly set-up pun.

SUNSHINE ON B HIS SHOULDER A Canadian shine on Japanese humor

“I

BY MIKE KANERT

professional in the 400-year history of Osaka’s kamigata rakugo style.

akugo developed independently in Osaka, Kobe and what was then Edo, now Tokyo. While the Edo style focused on o-zashiki—closed houses before an anonymous audience—the Osaka tradition was born on the busy streets of the merchant city. Storytellers would set up a low table, banging on it as they announced which famous story they were about to perform. These classic tales, called koten, are still performed today, along with an ever-growing repertory of sōsaku rakugo, or new rakugo. A modern rakugo performance is typically divided into a makura (literally, “pillow”) and hondai (main story). The makura, Sunshine explains, is nearly identical to a Western stand-up comedy routine. “You do your own material, you address the audience directly,” he says, talking a mile a minute with optional punctuation. “So you introduce yourself. Basically, you're trying to get the audience to like you. And you're also trying to get the feel of the audience to know which story to tell them.” The more experienced the storyteller, the longer the makura. The makura also acts as a bridge into the main story. The storyteller might, for example, lead into the classic tale of a man who gets a job wearing a tiger suit at a second-rate zoo by discussing his own trouble getting work—or, as Sunshine does, introduce a sobering discussion

Photo by Kohji Shiiki

could go to any master in the rakugo world and say, ‘I’m Bunshi’s deshi. My name is Sunshine. I love the way you do this story. Will you teach me?’ And they will teach you.” This, says Katsura Sunshine, is a core benefit of spending three to four years in apprenticeship to a rakugo-ka, a professional performer in the traditional Japanese art of comic storytelling. “Think of going to Bill Cosby and saying, ‘I’ll clean your room for three years if you give me the name Cosby and let me open for you, and teach me your comedy acts, and let me do some of your comedy acts, and let me introduce myself as your apprentice. And then all your fellow comedians, if I ask any of them, you’ll let them teach me some of their comedy and let me use that as well for my own shows.’ You've got to be crazy, right?” Yet in 2008, Sunshine did exactly that. In that year, Osaka Rakugo Association President Katsura Bunshi VI, then known as Katsura Sanshi, took in a 182-centimeter, blond-haired Canadian playwright named Gregory Robic. Within about a month, as per tradition, Sanshi gave his apprentice his own family name and part of his given name, thus creating the performer Katsura Sunshine (“Sunshine” is written as 三輝, or “three sparkles”). He is the first foreign professional rakugo storyteller since Kairakutei Black of the Meiji era, and the first foreign-born

y the mid-1990s, the man who would become Sunshine was already a successful playwright in Toronto. His musical adaptation of Aristophanes’ The Clouds had run in the city for 15 months prior to a cross-country tour. He came to Japan in 1999 to examine the traditions of Noh and kabuki, which he learned had structural similarities to classical Greek theater. He would find his true calling not in the universities where he taught drama for five years, however, but above his local yakitori shop, where one day the master invited him to an evening of rakugo after closing. Watching the performance, Sunshine says, “That just hit me. Like, this is it: This is what I was born to do.” Tying his accordion skills to a few Japanese jokes, he offered himself as an interstitial act in day-long rakugo sessions at Tokyo’s traditional yose theaters. As one performance led

to another, the storytellers he worked with suggested he simply learn a few stories and market himself as a foreign rakugo-ka. But Sunshine was entranced by the samurai-like tradition and formality of the dressing room, where one’s rank determined everything from order of appearance to who poured tea for whom. Watching the professionals, he says, “Each one had this certain something. And I was positive that they got it—it’s their manners, and their way of addressing the audience, and just their way of existing—I was sure there was something they got from three years or four years of shugyō (apprenticeship) that I’m not going to get just by getting someone to spend an hour with me to teach me a story and learning the moves.” It took eight months of importuning before Katsura Bunshi (then Sanshi) would take him in. Sunshine describes the subsequent four years of total subservience as a debt he can never fully repay.

MUSCLE EXCHANGE Pecs that breach borders

BY MIKE KANERT

f you’ve watched Japanese variety TV, it’s hard to miss him: short shorts, no shirt, Bon Jovi in the background and a whole lot of flexing. Yet behind his overthe-top smile and semi-autonomous pectorals, Nakayama Shoji—better known as Kinni-kun (a pun that roughly translates as “Muscle Boy”)—spent the better part of five years earning a kinesiology degree from Santa Monica College in California.

Photo by Kohji Shiiki

rom the outset, Sunshine was convinced his master’s repertory of original rakugo stories could work in English—or in any language. Even the makura, he notes, is almost identical to any other form of observational comedy. “But once you put the kimono on and say, ‘Hey, my name is Sunshine and this is the kind of apprenticeship I did to get here,’” everything changes, and audiences become intrigued. In 2013, he tested his theory with a tour of 20 North American cities. He’s now told English versions of rakugo stories on Canada’s CBC and CTV television networks, and this year spent the summer at Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As he works on a world tour, his dream is to have a long-running rakugo show in London and New York. “The reason I think there's a market for it abroad is because rakugo is very, very, very clean humor. A rakugo storyteller never wants to alienate any part of his audience. So it's not edgy. It's the opposite of edgy. It's like Bill Cosby.” And it’s also drop-dead funny. Parents thank him for allowing them to laugh out loud for 90 minutes alongside their kids. Sunshine is now hoping other foreigners will follow his example, and he’s excited about the possibility of someday taking in apprentices— or deshi—of his own. “Just give them a name, do the whole thing—I'd love to,” he exclaims. “I can't wait.” And he promises it’s not just because he doesn’t like folding his own laundry. Katsura Sunshine will be appearing in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oxford, Ljubljana and Paris over the next month. http://katsurasunshine.com/

When Nakayama started working out at the age of 17, Santa Monica’s iconic Venice Beach featured heavily in his bodybuilding magazines. “I wanted to try living there once,” he tells Metropolis in English. “I'd always been thinking that.” His work as a TV tarento gave him that chance in 2006, when he went to California for a televised sequence dubbed Kinniku Ryūgaku (“muscle exchange”), a play on the expression for language exchange, or gogaku ryūgaku. The series included two all-English comedy shows—the first after Nakayama had spent only four months in the country. “I was so nervous,” he recalls, sliding interchangeably between English and Japanese. “Usually when I come onstage in Japan, I say, ‘Dōmo’—it's like, ‘Konnichiwa.’ For my English show I'd decided to say, ‘Hello everyone.’ But I was so nervous I said, ‘Dōmo.’” “I panicked for a second,” he admits. “But I looked out at the audience and saw a large group of Americans and thought, ‘Ah, I messed up, I messed up.’ And I calmed myself down and it worked out.” He credits the achievement to the universality of his routine—arguably the most literal definition of physical comedy, with his muscles used as reference points in non-sequitur stories, or as supposedly “random” result generators like a slot machine. Returning to Japan in 2011, Nakayama has now added the role of language taskmaster to his schtick. He also brought back an affection for MADtv and Eddie Murphy’s 1980s standup comedy. “Foreign comedy basically comes from a different culture, so there are lots of things I can't understand,” he explains. “But Eddie Murphy’s stand-up breached that barrier. It was hilarious.” “My comedy style isn’t number one,” Nakayama says modestly, noting that he’s looking forward to trying English comedy again. “But it’s the only one—it’s different from everybody else. And that’s how I want to be.” He’ll be proving the point back in California on November 22, when he performs with veteran manzai duo Ten Dollar at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood. Aspiring bodybuilders can also check out Nakayama’s muscle-building protein at http:// theprotein.jp

cover

Bay turn four

BY RODGER SONOMURA

LINGO BOX Owarai (お笑い)= comedy Adoribu (アドリブ)= improv (comedy) Photo by Akinori Tanaka

LAUGH, ME HEARTIES! Pirates of Tokyo

“My greatest motivation is really to see the audience smile,” says Mike Staffa, the Pirates captain who sailed the group north from Osaka four Mike Staffa (left) and the Pirates at years ago. “I What The Dickens, Ebisu would like our he only bilingual improv comedy group audience members to come away from our in the Kanto region, The Pirates of Tokyo shows ‘getting it’—meaning they will get the Bay are a powerhouse of fast-paced im- comedy and humor, regardless of the lanprovised games and scenes alternating guage used.” between the completely outrageous and The Pirates caters to both the Japanesethe sincerely heartwarming. Audience mem- and English-speaking crowds, alternating bebers are treated to two laughter-packed hours tween languages onstage, allowing them to every month at What the Dickens in Ebisu. connect with a wide range of audiences.

New Material Night, where promising comedians can hone their skills every first and third Tuesday, and the Gamuso Show in Asagaya twice a month. Also on offer are theatrical workshops in English and Japanese. The Store expects to bring a theatrical long-form show called Mandlebrot’s Dreams—The Impro Laboratory to Tokyo next year. www.tokyocomedy.com

Mad Cows of Tokyo

Where to go for the ha-has Photo by John LaTorre

Tokyo Comedy Store Known as the granddaddy of Tokyo’s English comedy scene for over 20 years, the Tokyo Comedy Store (TCS) offers a variety of shows and workshops to complement its mainstage Improvazilla Musical Show at The Crocodile in Shibuya on the last Friday of every month. The Store also presents free comedy shows:

What happens when you get a bunch of comedians who like to tell funny jokes to each other until they can’t stop laughing? You give them a microphone and a chance to perform in front of an audience, and call them the “Mad Cows of Tokyo.” Funnyman John McBride says the satisfaction lies in making people laugh, so many of the Mad Cow performances are free. Contact for the next show. http://madcowscomedy.com

Konto (コント)= (comedic) skit Ochi (オチ)= punch line Dajare (ダジャレ)= pun

“We had a very busy 2014 with overseas tours to Singapore, Hong Kong and New York City, and next year is shaping up to be just as busy,” Staffa tells Metropolis. Not only do the Pirates have a monthly bilingual comedy show, they’ll also restart their all-English show in Shibuya in January 2015 to alternate with their bimonthly all-Japanese shows. “We also have plans for another round of improv shows set between our two Pirates groups, ‘Osaka vs. Tokyo,’ as well as expanding our corporate workshop offerings,” Staffa says. The Pirates will be celebrating their fourth anniversary in a rare Roppongi performance this month. Anniversary Show Nov 16, ¥2,500. SuperDeluxe. Roppongi. http://piratesoftokyobay.com

lively with punchlines and side-splitting energy. www.facebook.com/impromotive

6-dim 6-dim (“Roku-dim”) is by far the most talented band of inspired Japanese improvisers in Tokyo. With concise storytelling skills and spot-on characterizations, leadman Takeshi Wataru leaves audiences walking away smiling, wondering why they can see a little bit of themselves in each of these characters. http://6dim.com Photo by Tim Kosykh

TOKYO GIGGLE GUIDE

Manzai (漫才)= Japanese two-person comedy

Shimokita Comedy Boat Formed just over a year ago, the Shimokita Comedy Boat makes port once a month in its namesake district of Shimokitazawa. Helmed by veteran comedic actor Hiroshi Shimizu, the show offers a junction where English-speaking stand-up comedians from various countries including Korea, Taiwan and China can show their skills. Shimizu is also planning a full-on Asian Comedy Festival in the latter part of 2015. http://meturl.com/comedyboat

Impromotive All-Japanese Comedy Show The Impromotive All-Japanese Comedy Show is an exciting whirlwind of non-stop games and scenes that will keep you on your toes and falling out of your seats. Funnyman Seiko Mikami, who’s been running the selfdescribed circus for over 12 years, keeps the show

Impro5z 2 Educate Impro5z 2 Educate takes the concept of learning while laughing to a new level with monthly workshops and shows in Aoyama. Incorporating games based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) methods, the workshops aim to educate ESL students on the benefits of forward-thinking and spontaneous reacting, allowing them to communicate in new ways and have a lot of fun in the process. Regular Impro5zer Jeremy Eaton advises, “Leaving behind the baggage and preconceptions of our experiences—including negative self-talk—and mapped out with CBT is a cool revelation.” www.facebook.com/Impro5z

Enjoy gourmet steak, fish, seafood and a selection of world-class wines with a superb skyline view. Tokyo’s No.1 nighttime panorama Fresh fish direct from Tsukiji market High-quality Japanese steaks Selection of high quality wines from over 2,000 cellars worldwide Party & wedding catering English service & menu available 41F Shiodome City Center Bldg, 1-5-2 Higashi Shinbashi, Minato-ku

̶ Hana・Gakoi ̶

Yakult Panasonic

Shiodome City Center Nihon TV Tower

Matsushita Shiodome Eletric tower

LUNCH:

Mon-Sun 11:30am-3pm (LO 1:30pm)

DINNER:

Mon-Sun 5:30pm-11:30pm(LO 9:30pm)

Online Reservation:

www.fish-bank-tokyo.jp

03-3569-7171

The best Sushi and Yakitori Restaurant in Aoyama.

YAKITORI,SUSHI Meiji ST.

HANAGAKOI

Shibuya P.O.

Shibuya

HIKARIE

yam

ST.

Roppongi ST.

Shibuya police station

B1 Diamond bldg 1-1-8 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku Tokyo 〒150-0002

TEL 03-3498-3228

Lunch 11:30 ～ 14:00 Dinner 17:00 ～ 23:00 （L.O.22:00 Drink L.O.22:30）

www.failte.jp Spacious 5F terrace overlooking central Shibuya.

Enjoy our great selections of Irish and European brews.

Movember event Nov 16 (Sun), 6pm • Guinness ¥800 All day! More details

http://failte.jp

Tokyu Plaza

5F, Sede Bldg. 1-5-2 Dogenzaka, Shibuya

OPEN 5:30pm-2am (Mon-Sat) 3-11pm (Sunday & hols) tel:

03-3476-7776 09

food&drink Photo by Tommy Pham

Photo via Lead-off Japan., Ltd

Munching on pies is finally easy as … well, pie. Little Pie Factory opens its doors in Hiroo, serving up cute, bite-size versions of the world-famous pastry—allowing customers to try a variety of their flavors in one sitting. The Factory boasts 15 varieties of pie, ranging from fresh fruit delicacies to the meaty variety, but its mainstay is the essential apple pie, a buttery concoction that tastes like home. 1F Kosei Hiroo Bldg, 5-16-6 Minami Azabu, Minato-ku. Hiroo. Tel: 03-5791-3075. www. facebook.com/littlepiefactory

¥¥¥

If you’re one of those people who goes to an allyou-can-eat buffet and isn’t able to wait until it’s time to hit the desserts, then Sweets Paradise is the place for you. It’s a dessert buffet that offers a huge range of sweets, from cakes and puddings to chocolate fondue and ice cream. A few savory options are made available to get you started, including salad, pizza and Japanese curry. ¥1,530 for 90 minutes. More than 20 locations in Kanto. Check online for the nearest branch. www.sweetsparadise.jp

The coconut mochiko fried chicken (¥680) employs coconut and mochi flour to present a mature twist on the fast food staple, with a dash of lime offering the option for a refreshing level-up. And the soft shell garlic shrimp (¥900) drip so delectably, you’ll down the lot—head, tail, shell and all—before you have a chance to realize they’re gone. Desserts include a fantastically fresh, fruity and filling array of açaí bowls (¥980) and an unfortunately average Oreo cheesecake (¥680), which looks great but amounts to little more than a few Oreos jammed into a sour, vaguely cheesy mousse. The berry sauce offers a hint of salvation, but the dish would be much better chilled. The drinks menu, however, is like a day at the beach, featuring a variety of fun Hawaiian wines and beers as well as both ordinary and organic tipples. The amber-tinged Volcano guava wine

(¥700/glass) is as fruity as an orchard, while the Big Wave Golden Ale (¥890/bottle) tastes like a mandarin orange having sex with a lager. The frozen pineapple margarita (¥980) offers a superb smoothie lurking beneath a deadly pool of tequila. Sitting on soft chairs set beneath ceiling fans, you won’t notice the time go by—though you might also elect to take your pet out to either of the two small terraces, one of which is entirely non-smoking (there’s no smoking anywhere inside). And don’t forget to check behind the bar, where you’ll find a sizeable secret sofa lounge. 2F Arisugawa Mansion, 5-15-14 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku. Hiroo. http://hiroo.alohatable.com

Courtesy of Aloha Table Natural

RESTAURANT

Halloween may be over, but the party doesn’t have to be! Get into the spirit of Dia de los Muertos by way of, uh, spirits. KAH Tequila—which calls itself the Day of the Dead Tequila—honors the Mexican holiday with tequila made from the country’s blue agave. Bottled in festive traditional skulls, KAH comes in three flavors: The sweet Blanco, the spicier, fragrant Añejo, and the Reposado—55-percent alcohol for those who dare. Available in 50ml and 750ml bottles. www.lead-off-japan.co.jp

EN/JP

Natural Aloha in Hiroo BY MIKE KANERT

A quick surf around the corner from Hiroo station, Aloha Table Natural represents a more organic evolution of the multinational Aloha Table Hawaiian dining chain, which already boasts 19 branches in the Kanto area alone. Opened October 14, the cuisine is more Pacific than Hawaiian, with options including pork with kimchi (¥1,100), two kinds of Pho (¥9801,080) and three varieties of “summer” rolls (¥600 each) in addition to the requisite loco moco (¥1,280) and grilled beef steak (¥1,680), the latter accompanied by a strikingly smoky pillar of Hawaiian black lava salt. More than the mains, however, this is a place to visit for the appetizers, drinks and atmosphere, with tables aligned for easy group seating amid artistically weather-worn walls and oddly delightful easy-listening versions of reggae tracks and unexpected ‘70s classics like “House at Pooh Corner.” All of the appetizers are uniquely delectable, with the Island Tapas Sampler (¥1,890) allowing you to try the top four in a single dish. The lomi lomi salmon (¥680 individually) is classic cocktail party fare, a sashimi dish combined with cucumber, avocado, olives, red pepper and onion. The ahi poke (¥720) is a melt-in-your-mouth variant of tuna sashimi, subtly marinated in soy sauce and accompanied with kaiso (seaweed) that offers a surprising flavor treat best saved for last.

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THANKSGIVING DINING TIPS

Photo by Davi Azevedo

TREATS

Sweet Serve BY MIKE KANERT

Tennis gumballs anyone? Since its 2012 launch, Maria Sharapova’s candy line, Sugarpova, has been serving aces. “It started with the name, Sugarpova,” she told Fox Backstage Pass during an exclusive visit on October 28, with Metropolis sitting in. “Then it came with my passion for gummies when I moved to the United States, and saw all the different gummy flavors that I never had seen in Russia before.” Selling 1.3 million bags in 2013 alone, she’s had hits with gummies shaped like lips (labeled “Flirty”) and high heels (called “Chic”). But the biggest sell-

ers have been her “Sporty” gumballs, fuzzy tennis balls that come in a variety of striking colors and flavors. The tennis powerhouse spent two years perfecting her product, making use of the marketing and development knowledge she’d picked up sitting in planning meetings with major labels like Nike. “The response has been overwhelming, especially in the Asian market,” Sharapova said, adding that more flavors are in the works. “Japan has been one of our biggest markets since we launched, and that’s why it was so important for me to come here and be able to represent it.” Available in shops such as Plaza, and online at Amazon. Each bag markets for ¥530.

• • • • • • • • •

CLINTON STREET BAKING COMPANY Clinton Street Baking Company brings a taste of New York to Tokyo, serving up the freshest international cuisine. The restaurant’s Japan location maintains its stateside base’s dedication to quality, but is distinct in using only the best Japan-grown ingredients, handpicked by owner and chef Neil Kleinberg. A Thanksgiving favorite is the Turkey Burger (only available Nov 26-27!), smothered in chipotle barbecue sauce and served with grilled red onion, coleslaw and a side of fries. Mention Metropolis and get 10 percent off! YHT Minami Aoyama Bldg, 5-17-1 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku. Open 8am-11pm. Omotesando. Tel: 03-6450-5944. http:// clintonstreetbaking.co.jp

1 medium-sized egg 30g panko (bread crumbs) 30g flour 1 tsp salt (1 tsp = 5ml) ½ tsp pepper 2 tbsp powder cheese (1 tbsp = 15ml) 40g shredded cheese 2 tbsp dried Italian herbs 2 tbsp cooking oil or butter

DIRECTIONS: 1.

RECIPE VEGETARIAN CHEESE ROLL

RECIPE AND PHOTO BY RIEKO SUZUKI

Vegetarians can also be thankful for something on this traditionally meat-heavy holiday. This recipe uses cheese and dried herbs rolled with tofu and okara (soy pulp) dough to make a great substitute for ham rolls. Start to finish: 20 min Servings: 4 • •

200g fresh okara 200g kinu (silken) tofu

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the shredded cheese and dried Italian herbs. Mix well by hand. Spread the mixture from step 1 into a rectangular shape on a piece of plastic wrap. Sprinkle the shredded cheese and herbs on top. Roll the spread-out mixture from front to back to make a tube shape. Then cut the tube into 3cm-thick slices. On a frying pan, heat the cooking oil or butter. Fry the 3cm sliced rolls on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Rieko Suzuki Rieko blogs bilingual recipes at http://meturl.com/ruby

CHILES MEXICAN GRILL Harajuku’s Chiles Mexican Grill offers a seasonal feast, including warm burritos with tender turkey breast marinated in spicy adobo sauce— oven-cooked for a unique taste for your burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and taco salads. Then wash it all down with delicious tequila cocktails or a variety of Mexican beers—just ¥500 during happy hour (4-8pm, Tue-Fri). Every Tuesday from 4-8pm, any spicy turkey order will get you 50 percent off a second helping. Bring this copy of Metropolis and receive 10 percent off of any main menu item from 3:30-6:30pm. Chiles Mexican Grill. 1 - 8 - 4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Open Mon 11am-4pm, Tue-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-8pm. Harajuku. Tel: 03-6434-9693. www.chilesgrill.com

FASHION CALENDAR Do you have what it takes for TV?

Looking for English & Chinese speakers Also Japanese, Spanish & French speakers

NOV 14 MIDWEST Designers Fair MIDWEST and MID by MIDWEST stores nationwide are offering an incentive for you to get your Christmas shopping done early in the form or a free cushion with all purchases over ¥20,000. What makes this special is that the cushions are made from the very same textiles stocked in store, so short of hacking up a beloved jacket or dress, this is the only chance you’re likely to have to decorate your home with an Anrealage or Roggykei cushion. http://fashioncore-midwest.com

NOV 14 Rita Ora x Adidas Originals Popular British singer-songwriter Rita Ora’s third collection for Adidas Originals is on sale this week. Inspired by street art, core items include a rose- and dragonflyemblazoned hooded sweatshirt, and beanies made to look as if they’ve been spray-painted with metallic graffiti. www.adidas.com/jp/originals

NOV 16 NOW IN JAPAN!

TOKYO CORRESPONDENT Fashion One broadcasts original programming to over 300 million people in 44 countries. We’re now looking for a Tokyo correspondent to join our worldwide operations. No fashion experience needed—just the right personality! Send your CV, cover letter, photo and/or video application, plus a link to any on-camera work to: http://www.fashionone.jp/casting

日本初上陸！

日本人テレビリポーターを募集しています！ファッションワンは世界44ヶ国、3億人以上に発信している番組です。履歴書と、プロファイル写真一枚を送って下さい。もしあなたが映っている動画やリンク先があれば、是非一緒に送って下さい。 http://www.fashionone.jp/casting

日本初上陆！

我们正在面向全球招募中文流利的电视台记者！你好，美女！想成为一名记者吗？我们会是你的第一选择！只要你拥有一副可爱的容貌，那就快快加入我们这支年轻的队伍吧！你只需要给我们发送你的简历和照片。 FACEBOOK等个人网页也欢迎! http://www.fashionone.jp/casting

BE SEEN. BE THE SCENE. metropolis.co.jp/fashionone

ISETAN MiRROR by Zawachin Monomane meiku (imitation makeup) guru Zawachin is touring Tokyo to promote her new line of makeup produced by Mitsukoshi Isetan label ISETAN MiRROR. Famous for being able to transform into anyone, from AKB48’s Tomomi Itano to One Direction’s Harry Styles, the star will be performing live demonstrations of her skills at a number of events. Check the link below if you want to see her transform in the flesh! http://meturl.com/zawachin

NOV 17 Iris Van Herpen for UNITED NUDE Avant-garde fashion impresario Iris Van Herpen has toned down her usually fantastical—but realistically unwearable, unless you happen to be Lady Gaga— creative talents to produce footwear in collaboration with UNITED NUDE. The Iris Bootie, rendered in black leather, would look just as good as an exhibit in an art gallery as worn, and at ¥100,000 plus tax a pair, you might well want to preserve your investment. www.unitednude.com

NOV 22 The Christmas Countdown begins at LaForet The 22nd marks the beginning of LaForet Harajuku’s gift-buying season, with no less than four limited shops opening to ensure you’re able to find a present for that deserving someone—or even yourself—on the big day. On top of that, all purchases over ¥10,000 qualify for a free, and suitably fashionable, Christmas card set. www.laforet.ne.jp

fashion fix

FEELING THE CHILL BY SAMUEL THOMAS, FASHION EDITOR

Looking for a fashionable way to warm up this winter? The rapidly dropping temperatures aren’t just a cue to dig coats out of storage to brave the elements outside, but also an exhortation to consider what to wear when hibernating at home. Fortunately, Tokyo’s room-wear scene has got off-duty fashionistas covered, with many mainstream brands offering fleeces and plush sweatsuits broadly in line with their core-brand styling to ensure fashion credentials aren’t

ON POINT

STREET FOCUS

Photo by Samuel Thomas

Long after the official Tokyo Fashion Week shows were over, the enfant terrible of Tokyo fashion, Nozomi Ishiguro, unveiled his collection not on a polished catwalk, but through the murk of a dance floor over at Club Diana in Yurakucho. The “Kawaii Hate Night” show proposed kawaii as this generation’s punk revolution, with Scandal’s all-female rock band Scandal Haruna Ono playing a set before taking to the runway as models in the show. The anisong (anime song) starlets were joined by a selection of street style icons—who in turn went on to DJ late into the night—personally selected from the streets of Harajuku by the designer himself. The fashion was a curious brew that you’re unlikely to find outside of the Tokyo street scene, hacking together a mix of manga imagery with cute frills, ribbons and the designer’s own love of asymmetry. In the case of Nozomi Ishiguro, “hacking” is the operative word: His clothes are assembled as jazz, with his satirically named “Haute Couture” atelier even going so far as to deliberately set the tension incorrectly on its sewing machines to ensure that every last stitch is artfully inconsistent.

overly compromised by comfort. Those looking forward to an avant-garde way to stay toasty would do well to look to underground label Hatora and its wearable Kotatsu Parka—which, as the name suggests, is a traditional Japanese kotatsu up to four people can zip themselves into and out of as required. At ¥255,000 (without tax) it’s a big purchase, but for a kotatsu you can wear around the house, it doesn’t get much better.

SHOPPING STRATEGY

Individuality is a difficult quantity to come by now that armies of social media twitchers are set to identify and dissect any outfit or item, allowing anyone to get the look of all but the most underground—or else prohibitively expensive— brands. However, the Tokyo street scene is always capable of taking new fashion ground, whether it’s plumbing the obscurities of vintage fashion, or, as above, incorporating children’s toys into an outfit—in this case, a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy worn as a choker.

Photo by Samuel Thomas

Photo by Kohji Shiiki

Tennis legend and model Maria Sharapova was in Tokyo recently to promote her Sugarpova line of cute confectionary. While visiting Fox Backstage Pass for an exclusive interview at their Harajuku offices, Maria was surprised to hear that she was a local style icon. She had these words for the women of Tokyo: “I love their style. I think it’s so eccentric. Maria Sharapova will appear on Fox Fashion is a very personal, indiBackstage Pass. vidual thing, and I think that’s what http://meturl.com/foxbackstagepass makes Japan unique in a way—it’s because the girls will really play with that, and it's almost like costume if you look at it from the outside world. But to them it’s a creation, and it’s

quite beautiful, and I enjoy just walking around the streets and seeing everyone’s individual style. It’s very inspiring when I work with Nike and when I think of collections and what we’re going to do for my outfits, when I wear [them] on court. So it’s always fun being able to browse and admire their style.” One can only wonder if Tokyo fashion will go on to influence Sharapova over time, and it’s certainly another reason to keep an eye on her career both on and off the court.

www.dubliners.jp

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city life

TURKEY DAY IN TOKYO Get the good ol’ gobble-gobble BY HELEN LANGFORD

Observing favorite family holidays from home can prove problematic, particularly if you aim for authenticity. But don't despair—prepare! Your own Thanksgiving gathering, that is.

TRADITIONAL TURKEY DIY Turkey or chicken? Hunting down a turkey in Tokyo can be tricky, but stores are starting to stock the big birds earlier in preparation for Christmas.

You can also ask them to order one for you. This takes a few days, and whether the fowl is frozen or not will depend on the store (and affect your prep time), so confirm before ordering. Chickens can be had for cheap, but the birdies are often itty-bitty. You can also try online at The Flying Pig (www.theflyingpig.com), The Foreign Buyers’ Club (www.fbcusa.com) or The Meat Guy (www.themeatguy.jp) to see what they have. Your oven is likely but a shadow of what you grew up with, so pick your poultry with caution. Side dishes shouldn’t hold you back; the only difficulty will be deciding which variety of sweet potato best approximates the taste of home (hint: try annō imo—sources say it’s the best). Thanksgiving in Tokyo might also be a chance to broaden a basic dinner into a fusion feast: Sauté some shiitake in butter for a special side-dish; for dessert, place a few persimmon slices on plates for color or serve persimmon flan alongside the pumpkin pie.

guest a dish (sweet, savory, veggies, etc.) and host them at home. Living in Lilliputian lodgings? Many neighborhoods have community centers where rooms can be rented cheaply (check your local women’s hall, or fujinkaikan, to start). Just make sure that food is allowed and know that any attached kitchenettes will likely be just the kitchen sink.

BEDAZZLE YOUR ABODE Between the fall foliage and ¥100 shops, you should be able to convert your casa into a cornucopia of Thanksgiving-themed comfort. A few leaves here, a felt turkey there, and an overflowing horn of plenty fashioned from cardstock can give you Thanksgiving perfection.

OVEN-FREE OBSERVANCE

Buying a bird and all the trimmings can break the bank. But Thanksgiving isn’t just about poultry, it’s about giving thanks—and you don’t need a roast for that. Potluck parties are a perfect way to celebrate without killing your credit. Assign each

Want to give thanks with your little ones, but not up for slaving away in a cramped kitchen? Head out to hotels like the ANA InterContinental (Nov 26-30; www.anaintercontinental-tokyo. jp/e), The Four Seasons (Nov 22-27; www. fourseasons.com/tokyo) and the Grand Hyatt (Nov 27-29; www.tokyo.grand.hyatt.com), all of which welcome diminutive diners as well as their guardians. Roti Roppongi (Nov 27-30; www.roti. jp) welcomes wee ones at early sittings, and also has Thanksgiving dinner available for take-out.

also make a bit of money. KitchHike has since expanded from its original six countries to encompass 25, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Korea, Turkey, Italy, Brazil and the U.S. Since these are real, home-cooked meals, each one requires a reservation. If your selected cook isn’t available on the desired date or fails to respond within 48 hours, you won’t be charged, and refunds are possible up to three days prior to your booking.

Payment is only possible through PayPal— and be aware that there’s a roughly 26 percent “service fee” hidden on top of the list price, so don’t kid yourself that this is a meal on the cheap: You’re doing this for the experience. If you’re worried about dining satisfaction, just check the other user reviews or read diner stories at the KitchHike magazine (http://blog. kitchhike.com/en/). Book here: https://en.kitchhike.com/special

SPEND NOT, THANK LOTS

Photos courtesy of KitchHike

try it out

KITCHHIKE Thumbs out for dinner BY MIKE KANERT

Feel like you’ve spent ages in Japan without getting to taste an actual home-cooked meal? Why not try KitchHike, a one-meal homestay that lets you and your friends book a single meal at a host’s home in a variety of locations in Japan? This online service allows users to book lunches and dinners ranging from $10-50 per head (it’s tourist-oriented, so prices are listed in USD), with most falling in the $20-30 range. The friendly cooks offer a set, limited variety of dining options that you can peruse, and users are free to view hosts’s profiles and pose questions on the way. Bookings for up to ten people are usually available for lunch and dinner. And not to worry—there’s even a specific allergy tab in the booking flow. Most hosts are just food-loving locals who want to share their cuisine with people from other cultures. Founded in May 2013, the idea emerged from a quartet of Tokyo-based marketers and IT engineers who were looking for a simple way to bridge cultural and linguistic divides that could

city life called “jams,” for which each team picks a “jammer,” or scoring player, to snag points by lapping members of the opposing team. Teams assist their own jammer by hindering the one on the opposing team—essentially playing offense and defense at the same time. “It does take athletic individuals, [and] it is a contact sport … But you surprise yourself,” says former ZKK president Sally Santiago (skater name: Bouta HurtYa). Begley adds, “We come in all shapes, sizes and colors.” Both Begley and TEXT AND PHOTO BY ALY LAWSON Santiago agree most women get involved to get in shape, It’s not old-school roller-skating, and not entirely do something new and give their confidence a like the movie Whip It. Local female roller derby boost. Proclaims Santiago, “It gives you a differteams possess punky edge and athleticism, mi- ent sense of self.” nus the drama. Lady derby is played by approximately 1,250 “There’s no clothes-lining,” says Zama Killer amateur leagues worldwide, governed by the Katanas (ZKK) president Naomi Begley (skater Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). name: I AMRAAM). The ZKKs compete with a Rules and safety are sacred, with trained referees, number of local women’s teams, including Tokyo non-skating officials (NSOs) and players pitching Roller Girls (TRG), Yokosuka Sushi Rollers (YSR) in to securely and accurately tape down the rope and Yokota Scary Blossoms (YSB), all of which are that either reinforces or delineates the derby always on the lookout for new skaters. track at bout sites. “There are rigorous rules as “Anybody with the interest, dedication and well as written and physical tests,” says Santiago. ability to acquire the proper gear can join us,” Many teams run a special introductory sessays TRG’s Patricia Hellga (skater name: Ham- sion for beginners, focusing on the fundamentals merhead). Bouts consist of shorter matchups needed to pass the WFTDA basic skills test. In

ROCK ‘N’ ROLLER DERBY Local teams search for fresh skaters

ASK METROPOLIS ANYTHING

Dear Want to Help, There are so many people who are struggling to survive in Japan—from the homeless to the elderly, people with disabilities, people affected by disasters and children in orphanages. Reaching out and wanting to help is a great way of making a difference in people’s lives. I can hear that you are concerned about what is socially and culturally appropriate.

Photo: 123RF

Dear Metropolis, I pass by a group of homeless men on my way to work every morning. One of the gentlemen and I often exchange nods when I walk by. I would really like to do something for this particular man, but I don’t know if it would be offensive. How should I go about it? Are there any organizations I can donate things or money to, or volunteer at? I want and need to do something, but what options are available?—Want to Help

This is a great question. Too often, people race straight into helping without stopping to consider what the person really needs, what is respectful and what skills or information they themselves might need. Often with the best intentions, volunteers can find themselves creating more stress for both themselves and the person or group they want to help. Connecting with an NPO or organization that provides volunteer opportunities, training

addition to running a weekly basics session, TRG also offers a monthly “fun skate” event. “We just get together to skate for fun and then go for food and drinks after,” says Hellga. “Once the skills test is passed, the new skater can bout.” The teams are close, each a community of comrades that extends beyond the rink. “It’s really probably one of the most team-oriented sports you’ll ever see,” says Santiago. YSB’s Nina Duritsky (skater name: Chu-Hi Samurai) adds, “We can beat each other up and give hugs afterward. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” “We’re all trying to bring derby to the greater public and give it greater visibility,” Hellga says, adding that their main challenge is space in Tokyo versus funds. “Up to this point, all of our league's bouting has happened on military bases—for which we are so grateful. At the same time, I think that finding an off-base venue is key to spreading derby in Japan and getting seen by the public at large.” In fact, most gym floors are of a high enough grade for derby, and the skate wheels are smooth and don’t damage these floors, no matter how heated the bout gets. The fall schedule includes a number of tournaments, fundraisers, double-headers and all-star bouts. There’s also a junior league for ages 7-17, and the teams are always on the lookout for refs and NSOs. No experience necessary—the team will gladly teach you how to skate. www.facebook.com/TokyoRollerGirls www.facebook.com/YokosukaSushiRollers www.facebook.com/YokotaRollerDerby www.facebook.com/ZamaKillerKatanas

and support is important. There are increasing volunteer opportunities in Japan for the English-speaking community: organizations such as Second Harvest (http://2hj.org/english/), which provides food to the homeless and elderly; O.G.A. for Aid (www.ogaforaid. org) provides opportunities in Tohoku; and Hands on Tokyo (www.handsontokyo.org/ en) and of course TELL are just a few options. At TELL, our volunteers frequently comment that their lives have been changed in so many positive ways they never imagined simply by becoming a volunteer and helping others. I’m sure this gentleman you pass by would be more than grateful for any food or warm clothing as the winter approaches. Answer courtesy of TELL. If you need to talk, they’re here to listen. Call the TELL Lifeline at 03-5774-0992 from 9am-11pm, 365 days a year. Or visit their website at www.telljp.com If you want to “Ask Metropolis Anything” about life in Tokyo, send your questions to askanything@ metropolisjapan.com and we’ll find the most appropriate people to answer your queries.

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movies

BY DON MORTON

featured movie

BOYHOOD Director/writer Richard Linklater is rarely in a hurry. His “Before” trilogy spanned 18 years. In this more ambitious marvel, he records a 12-year period in the life of a boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane), from age six to 18, shooting for a few days each year. So during the film’s nearly three hours, time becomes visible as we literally watch the lad grow up. Now, this would just scream “gimmick!” if there weren’t so much more going on. Mason’s sister Samantha (the director’s daughter Lorelei) goes through her own changes, as do actors Patricia Arquette (terrific) as Mason’s long-suffering single mom, and Ethan Hawke as his nice-guy but inconsistent dad. And finally, if you look for it, you can even see Linklater’s direction evolve into today’s more confident, relaxed style. Of course it’s a coming-of-age story, but it skips over such things as graduations, first kiss, first bike, etc., because when you come down to it, life is those mundanely meaningful things that happen between posing for family photos. Bottom line, this is as close as one might come to capturing on film how people remember growing up. Great use of pop music. Japanese title: Rokusai no Boku ga Otona ni Naru made. (165 min)

NEW

THE DOUBLE In a s t y lized, sci - f i adaptation of an 1846 Dos toyevsk y novella, Jesse Eisenberg plays an office worker so unremarkable that he barely exists. His daily routine of being almost universally ignored by his coworkers and pining for the pretty girl in the copy room (Mia Wasikowska) is suddenly derailed by the appearance of a new recruit who’s his exact double, except he’s aggressive, charming and upwardly mobile. This little brainteaser from Richard Ayoade (channeling Gilliam, Kaufman, Lynch and even Kafka) works best as an acting exercise, watching the talented Eisenberg effortlessly switch between the two. Japanese title: Warau Bunshin. (93 min)

NEW

THE GUEST Director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barret t’s (You’re Next) films take familiar horror setups and tweak them just enough to keep me guessing. A man appears at the Peterson home claiming to be an Army best-bud of the family’s dead-in-combat son. This manipulative, magnetic character is disarmingly polite and has the uncanny ability to be what he needs to be for each family member. But he’s a brooding time bomb. Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens absolutely nails the complex and subtle title role. It’s a fascinating slow burn with a subversive political subtext and hints of the violence to come. (99 min)

SABOTAGE Members of an elite but ethically questionable DE A undercover unit made up of tough-guy clichés (played by overqualified actors and headed by Arnold Schwarzenegger) are being killed off in a variety of cinematically grisly ways. This sloppy, ultraviolent whodunit from David Ayer (End of Watch) is so pointlessly gory I call it “action torture porn.” Though it’s Schwa-chan’s most “serious” performance in recent memory, the film, which is not without its scuzzy merits, might have worked better with a less iconic has-been. There’s a difference between intriguing plot twists and just being jacked around. (109 min)

SHORT TERM 12 “Wow,” I said as I left the screening of this meticulously crafted little miracle. Rarely have I been so effortlessly and unpretentiously moved. This is an unforced, character-driven and emotionally authentic look at the lives of those who undertake the day-to-day care of institutionalized, selfdestructive kids between psychiatric appointments and foster homes. Subject doesn’t thrill you? Go see it anyway. The central character is Grace (a breakout role for Brie Larson), who handles her charges with skill and perspicacity while hiding her own mounting problems. This movie will make you a better person. Japanese title: Short Term. (96 min)

PARANOIA Ambitious hotshot tech genius (a charisma-free Liam Hemswor th, aka “Mini-Thor”) is fired by a highly competitive cell phone manufacturer, but rehired to infiltrate a rival company and steal a high-tech thingy. The film’s main hook is the participation of both Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman. Can that be bad? Fagheddaboudit. They’re just there to chew some scenery and collect a paycheck. Air Force One this ain’t. And why ask the guy who makes fluff like Legally Blonde and The Ugly Truth to direct an industrial-espionage action-thriller? Pointlessly constructed, dreary, contrived and vapid. Japanese title: Power Game. (101 min)

DEVIL’S KNOT In 1993, three eight-yearold boys were murdered in the Tennessee woods. Though three teenagers were convicted (wrongly, and released in 2011), the crime remains unsolved. It has already been the subject of four documentaries and a book or two. So the real mystery is why gifted Canadian director Atom Egoyan (Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter) would feel the need to make this detailed yet shallow, police-procedural dramatization. Despite the presence of Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth and Alessandro Nivola, and a nice Southern Gothic ambience, this remains an inert, unsatisfying effort. (114 min)

NEW

Boyhood: © 2014 boyhood inc./ifc productions i, L.L.c. aLL rights reserved.; The Double: © Channel Four Television Corporation, The British Film Institute, Alcove Double Limited 2013; The Guest: © 2013 Adam David Productions; Sabotage: © 2013 DEA Productions, LLC All Rights Reserved.; Short Term 12: © 2013 Short Term Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved.; Paranoia: © 2013 PARANOIA PRODUCTIONS, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; Devil’s Knot: © 2013 DEVILS KNOT LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet: © ÉPITHÈTE FILMS – TAPIOCA FILMS – FILMARTO - GAUMONT - FRANCE 2 CINÉMA; The Hundred-Foot Journey: © 2014 DreamWorks ll. Distribution Co. All Rights Reserved.; Son of a Gun: © 2013 SOAG Holdings Pty Ltd, Screen Australia, ScreenWest Inc. and Screen NSW; Cuban Fury: © STUDIOCANAL LIMITED / THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE / CHANNEL FOUR TELEVISION CORPORATION 2013. All Rights Reserved.; Nymphomaniac Vol. II: © 2013 ZENTROPA ENTERTAINMENTS31 APS, ZENTROPA INTERNATIONAL KÖLN, SLOT MACHINE, ZENTROPA INTERNATIONAL FRANCE, CAVIAR, ZENBELGIE, ARTE FRANCE CINÉMA.

More reviews: metropolisjapan.com/movies

THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. SPIVET A precocious Montana kid, unbeknownst to his parents (including the always-entertaining Helena Bonham Carter), hops a freight to Washington, D.C. to accept a prestigious award for his perpetual motion invention (they don’t know he’s just 10), and grooves on the passing purplemountains-majesty of an idealized America (it was filmed in Canada). Made in English by Amélie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, this may be a bit twee for some, and his acceptance speech in D.C. is over-the-top manipulative. Still, it offers the most inventive use of 3-D since Hugo. I enjoyed it, but I have a high tolerance for whimsy. Japanese title: Tensai Spivet. (105 min)

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY Culinary culture clashes occur when an Indian restaurateur (Om Puri) opens a place in a quaint French town directly across the lane from a classical French eatery overseen by the haughty Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). Fine so far. But the central conflict is resolved about halfway through when they all realize that, well golly, they’re not so different after all, and then it’s all sweetness and light. In this age of Transformers trash, there’s nothing wrong with a little sweetness and light. It’s just that for a movie about food, especially Indian fare, this innocuous crowd-pleaser is pretty bland. Japanese title: Madame Mallory to Mahō no Spice. (122 min)

SON OF A GUN A young man (an unbelievably bland Brenton Thwaites) is provided protec tion during his brief stint in prison by a notorious criminal (a just plain unbelievable Ewan McGregor) in return for helping the older man escape when he gets out, after which they steal some gold or something. I’m not sure what the makers of this little Aussie flick were trying to do. If it was to stuff every possible prison-life/break, heist, car-chase and gangster cliché into one overlong movie, it works fine. It’s relatively coherent for all that. It’s just that it’s all been done before, often and better. Facile ending. Japanese title: Guns & Gold. (108 min)

THE EQUALIZER D e nze l Wa s h i n g to n’s a retired CIA wet ops guy who just can’t help but rescue a teenage hooker from her cartoonishly evil Russian pimps. This pulpy vigilante fantasy is directed by Anton Fuqua, who has, since 2001, been dining out on Training Day (which earned Denzel an Oscar) but has produced mostly dreck since then. It would have helped if anything in it were remotely believable. It works well as a kick-ass, sadistic righteous-revenge flick if that’s what you’re looking for, but I found the protagonist to be so superhero invincible that any hope of suspense is sabotaged. Should have been more fun. (133 min)

CUBAN FURY Prompted by the arrival at his company of a pretty new boss (Rashida Jones) who’s into salsa dancing, Bruce (Nick Frost), a now-overweight child salsa prodigy who 25 years ago was bullied into quitting, seeks out his childhood dance teacher (Ian McShane) to get his groove back. A training montage occurs. A big dance contest looms. Chris O’Dowd’s a smarmy ladies-man coworker. Yes, this Brit-com date movie is pretty formulaic, but hard to dislike. And while there’s not a lot of fury or other strong emotion in evidence, it remains an amiable if somewhat flat-footed, forgettable entertainment. Japanese title: Comeback! (98 min)

NYMPHOMANIAC VOL. II A l a s , L a r s v o n Tr i e r seems to have run out of narrative in this second half of Joe the selfdescribed nymphomaniac’s autobiography, and falls back on graphic S&M and a kind of homage to himself, goofing on his own oeuvre. Hardcore unpleasantness and heavier provocations replace (mostly) the uncharacteristic humor of the first film, and while Vol. I could stand alone, this unfocused, over-plotted and more sinister second half could not. Hated the ending. Still, while von Trier goes to great lengths to provoke, he is never less than compulsively watchable. See Nymphomaniac: Vol. I review in issue 1073. (122 min)

NEW

eiga

Many have bemoaned the lack of originality in Japanese cinema over the last 15 years. A few, however, such as Yosuke Fujita, have proven to be an exception. By Rob Schwartz His hilarious and touching debut Zenzen Daijōbu (Fine, Totally Fine, 2008) picked up the Audience Award at the New York Asian Film Festival and secured distribution in many international territories. His new work is equally as forlorn, funny, touching and tantalizing. The title character, Fuku-chan, played by actress Miyuki Oshima (who grabbed the Best Actress Award at the Montreal International Film Festival for her efforts), is a bashful thirty-something man who lives alone in the dumpy Fukufuku-sō and leads the collection of resident losers there. He has no life outside of his job and hobby, and his goofy buddy Shimacchi (Yoshiyoshi Arakawa) is forever failing to set him up with women. When successful photographer Chiho (Asami Mizukawa) suddenly appears, we start to learn about Fuku-chan’s girl-induced trauma. With a perfect knack for deadpan humor, absurd situations that feel all too real and an insight into the pathos of the human spirit, Fujita unspools another masterpiece. This Japan-U.K.-Italy-Taiwan-Germany coproduction (a first) is simply a must-see, and one of the best Japanese films since … Fujita’s last flick. English title: Fuku-chan of FukuFuku Flats. (110 min)

FUKUFUKUSŌ NO FUKUCHAN

movie news

With so much interest in Japanese manga and anime overseas, it can sometimes be difficult to keep hot properties at home. The Parasyte (Kiseiju) franchise is a case in point. The sci-fi tale of a high school student whose right hand is taken over by an extraterrestrial parasite began life as a manga serialized from 199095. The U.S. edition flipped layouts for left-to-right reading, and the hand-alien’s name had to be changed from “Righty” to “Lefty.” After three separate English editions, Hollywood came calling, and in 2005 it was announced that Transformers producer Don Murphy would be making a big-budget film with Jim Henson Studios providing the creatures. That project was never realized, however, and the movie rights eventually reverted to Japan, where Always: Sunset on Third Street director Takashi Yamazaki was handed the property. “A big Hollywood film would have had to simplify the story too much for a wide audience,” Yamazaki explains. “I chose to separate the story into two films. The second one will deal more with philosophical issues about human existence. That would have been lost in the Hollywood version.” Yamazaki hopes his version will appeal to fans of the manga. “I think it can play at festivals, but I am not sure about a wide release overseas. But if it turns out to be a big hit in Japan, perhaps Hollywood will remake it.” Parasyte Part 1 opens November 29. Kevin Mcgue

cinematic underground

Waseda Shochiku (1-5-16 Takadanobaba, Shinjukuku; w w w.wasedashochiku.co.jp) continues its run of double features of classics and recent hits with Lost in Translation and Her from November 15 and a Hitchcock double feature of North by Northwest (pictured) and Rear Window from November 22 ... The international co-production of Midsummer Night ’s Tango reveals that tango music’s most ardent fans are not in Argentina, but half a world away in Finland. Offbeat filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki is interviewed and makes the case that the dance genre actually started in Scandinavia. On from November 22 at Eurospace in Shibuya (1 -5 Maruyamacho, Shibuya-ku; w w w. eurospace.co.jp) ... Cinema Vera (1-5 Maruyamacho, Shibuya-ku; www.cinemavera.com) will offer a rare glimpse inside North Korea, with a documentar y double feature running November 15-28. The Parade by Polish director Andrzej Fidyk captures an enormous event in 1988 and North Korea: The People as They Are was edited in Japan from footage secretly shot over the last decade … Laputa in Asagaya (2-12-21 Asagaya Kita, Suginami-ku; www.laputa-jp. com/laputa/) will run a Setsuko Hara retrospective November 23-January 24. The actress dubbed “the eternal virgin” retired in 1963, but is reportedly still alive at 94. KM

arts&culture

builds on this impulse. The Tokyo band, which also includes keyboardist/vocalist Shimpei Watanabe and drummer “Kemono” (“beast”) Keika, was looking to create music that demands more of the listener. “Compared to the last album, this one is not only catchier,” they say. “It’s also difficult to say exactly what kind of music it is.” Listeners may recognize a bit of the thrashy blend of guitar rock and electronica that characterizes bands such as Japan’s Boom Boom Satellites. But The Mornings’ music has a headier quality—something akin to their heroes Radiohead—that makes it equally as suited to headphones as to the mosh pit. “VSCOM,” for example, begins with Kraftwerk-era synth bloops before launching into Keika’s formidable drumming. Dub-ified vocals from Watanabe are chopped into fragments before Keika drops in with a singsongy, almost J-pop refrain. And then, without warning, it ends. “From the first 11/8 meter sampler phrase, I aimed for something that sounds a bit like an electronic, kaleidoscopic version of the Matrix soundtrack,” says main songwriter Watanabe.

“The rhythm has abrupt changes and tricky drum and bass, but it’s not intended to sound tricky or make you feel uncomfortable. We put a lot of time into arranging this song. Especially in the last violent climax of the song, the previous parts all come together in an unexpected way.” The Mornings turned to noted Japanese dubstep producer Goth-Trad to helm the production of Idea Pattern. “We had cosmic images in mind,” they say. “In order to bring out that atmosphere, we felt the only way to do it was to work with a cutting-edge electronic music producer.” The band says it was the right choice. “It wasn’t only that Goth-Trad understood our intention and gave form to it, but also that he understood the potential of songs that even we ourselves didn’t have a sense of. He’s very detailed and makes good decisions; we got a sense of why he’s respected as a producer worldwide.” With the band members holding down serious day jobs as copywriters, corporate planners and IT headhunters, The Mornings are a determined lot to stay together for ten years. What have they learned in a decade on Tokyo’s often soul-sucking “live house” scene? “Most of the bands that started around the same time have broken up,” Watanabe says, laughing at the question. “I just turned 30, around the age when many give up. A lot of people make music for commercial success, and when that doesn’t happen they stop. “For us now at 30—I have a kid and our drummer is also married—it will be harder for us to balance our lives, and there will be tradeoffs. If we’re going to sacrifice, then we want to make music that will go down in history in some way. “You never know if you’re going to sell records, so you may as well do something special.” Idea Pattern release party Nov 19, 7:30pm, ¥2,500. Shimokitazawa Shelter. Shimokitazawa. http://themornings.biz

erful and energetic than ever. The Festival boasts performances from renowned musicians representing Japan and the Philippines’ jazz worlds, with this year’s lineup including Benisuke Sakai, Tsuyoshi Takayama and Tetsuro Kawashima, as well as Boy Katindig, Noel

Cabangon and big band J Phil Connection from across the Pacific. Echoing among them is the ever-passionate voice of Japan-based Filipino artist Charito, who conceptualized the concert series as a means to unite both countries. “I've been blessed to experience jazz transcending borders,” she says. “I strongly believe in collaboration, and this pushed me to initiate this huge project.” The Festival was first held in Shibuya in 2012, where audiences were graced with music from such world-class talent as Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Terumasa Hino, Sitti and Mon David—and of course Charito, who performs each year.

JAPAN BEAT

IDEAS BUILT TO LAST The Mornings search for something permanent BY DAN GRUNEBAUM

The Mornings are a band of ideas. It’s no coincidence they’ve named their brand-new album Idea Pattern. But when Metropolis first speaks with them, it’s last winter and the trio is busy rehearsing at a friend’s Asagaya studio for a gig celebrating the band’s tenth anniversary. “At first, we didn’t know what we were doing—we just did what we wanted. We were naive college students,” says singer/guitarist Junya Kishino. “We’d always wanted to do something original, but we didn’t have the ability to pull it off. I think our skills have finally reached the level where we can do what we want to.” Emerging out of the post-hardcore scene, the band’s early material was intended to be cathartic. “On our first album, work stresses were a big theme,” Kishino continues. “I come from punk and hardcore, so there’s some of that influence in the first album. But on the second album, the ideas are more imagistic. I always think, if people listen to music with their eyes closed, what would come to mind? Then I write based on what that might be.” The Mornings’ third album, Idea Pattern,

MUSIC

SWINGIN’ IN AUTUMN Tokyo, Manila and all that jazz BY ALMA REYES

Those seeking nights of swinging, dancing and bebop-hopping need look no further than the Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival, which is back in town this month. The vibrant cross-cultural celebration of music grooves into its third year, more pow-

Images from private collection

ART

FRENCH KISS Japan’s love affair with France continues BY C.B.LIDDELL

Tucked away behind Shibuya’s Dogenzaka love hotel zone, the Bunkamura is an oasis of refined Eurocentric culture, with operas, cello concertos, French cuisine, fine wines and exhibitions of art that caters to the middle-brow tastes of Japan’s art lovers. While curators elsewhere in Tokyo will occasionally gamble on bringing something more edgy, obscure or avant-garde to our metropolis, the Bunkamura likes exactly what its audience knows, and knows exactly what its audience likes—namely the grand “Royal Road” of European art, an avenue that stretches from academic art to the now-friendly and familiar experiments of the early 20th-century avant-garde. This is exactly the route the latest exhibition at the Bunkamura maps out with the show “The Dream of French Paintings: From Impressionism to École de Paris.” The selection of works starts with Impressionists like Monet and Renoir, then proceeds through Post-Impressionists like Cézanne and Bonnard, the Fauvist-influenced art of Maurice Vlaminck and Raoul Dufy, and more Expressionist works like those by Georges Rouault and Marc Chagall. It’s very much a case of “the usual suspects.” But what gives this show an edge of intrigue is that it was sourced from a mysterious “Japanese personal collection.” Like a master criminal or a Bond villain, the collector apparently preferred to remain anonymous. There was much of what you would expect from any respectable collection covering this area: A few excellent paintings as well as several

grim-looking circus performers on display, putting a slightly nightmarish tinge on the exhibition’s dream theme, as do the rather murky Vlaminck landscapes. Eiffel Tower, 1923-24 or 1930, Raoul Dufy For Japanese collectors, Parisian art compromises in quality—because, has always had someafter all, collecting big-name art thing of a vacation along the Royal Road can be an exfeel, and this is one of pensive business. the reasons why MauMonet’s The Cliff at Aval, Étretat, Gabrielle with Jewels, c. 1908-10, Pierre-Auguste Renoir rice Utrillo, essentially Sunset (1883) presented a fairly iconic Impressionist canvas of the distinctive a postcard painter, is so popular here. There headland in Normandy that the artist loved to are several of his deserted Parisian cityscapes paint, while the shimmering lightness of Renoir’s on display to inspire the semi-talented Sunday brush was ably demonstrated in Gabrielle with painter brigade. Quickly fast-forwarding over the creepily Jewels (c. 1908-10)—although I have a limited “kawaii” work of Marie Laurencin, the main Japafondness for his sumo-sized odalisques. The main danger with any exhibition like this nese twist at the exhibition is a selection by Japan’s is a descent into the clichéd and obvious. But main contribution to the École de Paris, Léonard because it was all assembled in accordance Tsugouharu Foujita. His ethereal paintings of womto the tastes of a single Japanese collector, it en and children, especially his astounding Merhas a lot of small, unexpected twists that keep maid (1940), painted shortly before he returned to Japan for World War II, give the best example of things interesting. Apparently, Japanese collectors didn’t get how Paris looked through Japanese eyes. the memo about clowns being creepy—nor the Until Dec 14, ¥500-¥1,400. Bunkamura The one about serial killer John Wayne Gacy’s Pogo Museum, 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku. Shibuya. http://meturl.com/dreamfrench paintings—as there are several of Rouault’s

“The idea had been in my head for the last five years after seeing how much help is needed to create a better situation for learning musicians, especially in the Philippines,” the crooner tells Metropolis. “This festival is dedicated to the cultivation of young, talented artists who can take part in performances with professionals. We also hold workshops, initiate music scholarship funds and provide equipment and educational support.” 2013’s jamboree at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila showcased the likes of Makoto Ozone, Kengo Nakamura, Tess Salientes and Jeannie Tiongco—while jazz pianist Yuki Arimasa, who taught at the Berklee College of Music, has collaborated with numerous world-

renowned artists and is also performing at this year’s festivities. “Filipino artists are so musically talented,” gushes Arimasa. “That creates a perfectly wonderful atmosphere for the festival. When different energies of artists are mixed around and stimulate each other, we can find these nerves to be fresh and new in our inner selves. It’s so wonderful for Japanese musicians to be in the international scene, and to receive inspiration that we could not easily find by playing only in Japan.” Charito adds that Filipinos have a newfound affinity for standard jazz. “We never got to know how jazz grew and progressed to the more contemporary creative side that

The Cliff at Aval, Étretat, Sunset, 1883, Claude Monet

it is now. But thanks to the recent jazz boom in Asia, more musicians are now trying to find their own sound and originality—and jazz is back and here to stay.” The Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival OPM and Jazz. Nov 28, 6:30pm, ¥4,500. Shinjuku Ushigome Tansu Civic Hall. Ushigome-kagurazaka. Club Session. Nov 29, 8pm, ¥4,500. Body & Soul. Omotesando. TMJAF Workshop for Young Musicians. Nov 30, 1pm. Akasaka Civic Hall. Aoyamaitchome. Thanksgiving Jazz Concert. Nov 30, 6pm, ¥2,000. Akasaka Civic Hall. Aoyamaitchome. http://tmjaf.tokyo. info@tmjaf.tokyo

agenda

WATCH LIST Concerts POPULAR Jason Mraz

Coffee house singersongwriter. Nov 14, 7pm, ¥8,000 (adv). Tokyo International Forum Hall A. Yurakucho. www.smash-jpn. com 1EyEDMan

Tokyo-based group with catchy Brit-pop/rock tunes and lyrics. Nov 14, 7pm, ¥3,000. Tsutaya O-Nest. Shibuya. Tel: 03-3462-4420. l-tike.com/ Knot Fest Japan

Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Korn and others. Nov 15-16, 11:10am9:30pm, ¥14,000 (1 day, adv)/ ¥27,000 (adv, 2 days). Makuhari Messe. KaihinMakuhari. www.knotfestjapan. com

Zettai Blend No.5

DieByForty, Rock n’ Flow, MissTress and AstroAttack (Kobe). Nov 22, 7pm, ¥2,000. The Crawfish. Akasaka. Tel: 03-3584-2496. http:// crawfish.jp The Manhattan Transfer

American harmony vocal chorus group taking varied musical styles and creating unique American pop. Nov 22, 5pm, ¥6,800. Katsushika Symphony Hills. Aoto. Tel: 03-5670-2233. http://meturl. com/transfer2014 Yes

English prog rock with symphonic undertones. Nov 23-24, 5pm; Nov 25, 7pm, ¥8,000-9,000. Tokyo Dome City Hall. Suidobashi. Tel: 0570-09-3333. http://meturl. com/yes14

worldapart.co.jp/hzettm/ Glory Gospel Singers

New York-based ensemble who have performed at Carnegie Hall and have appeared on stage with Diana Ross, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. Dec 21, 2 & 6pm, ¥2,000-7,000. Shibuya Public Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 03-3402-9911. www.tate.jp Japanese sound artist who often uses frequencies at the edge of human hearing range. Dec 21, 5 & 7:30pm, one performance ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 (door), both performances ¥5,000. Laforet Museum. Meiji-Jingumae. Tel: 03-3475-0411. www. laforet.ne.jp The Ska Flames

Post-hardcore band from Yokohama. Nov 15, 6:30pm, ¥3,800 (adv) +1d. Club Citta. Kawasaki. Tel: 050-55330888. www.clubcitta.co.jp

Japanese ska band who has performed with legendary musicians such as Prince Buster and The Skatalites. Dec 23, 5:30pm, ¥3,500 (adv)/ ¥3,800 (door) +1d. Duo Music Exchange. Shibuya. Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. skaflames.jp

Bartender’s Choice, Vol. 4

Tomoyasu Hotei

Countdown Japan 14/15

Tokyo singer-songwriters hand-picked by Crawfish bartender, featuring Aimee Blackshleger, Martin Leroux, Lensei and more. Nov 15, 7:00pm, ¥1,500. The Crawfish. Akasaka. Tel: 03-3584-2496. http://crawfish.jp

Japanese rock icon. Nov 30, 5:30pm, ¥7,800 (adv) +1d. NHK Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 03-3465-1751. http://l-tike. com

Featuring Japanese artists Back Drop Bomb, Sanbo Master, Scandal and more. Dec 28, midnight; Dec 29, midnight; Dec 30, midnight; Dec 31, midnight, ¥10,50031,000. Makuhari Messe. Kaihin-Makuhari. http:// countdownjapan.jp

9mm Parabellum Bullet

Rock in Opposition Japan 2014

Originally a movement of progressive bands united in their opposition to the music industry that refused to recognize their music, feat. artists Picchio Dal Pozzo and Present. Nov 15-Nov 16. 3pm, ¥14,000 (seated)/ ¥10,500 (standing). O-East. Shibuya. Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. rockinopposition-japan.com The Ben Folds Orchestra Experience

Ben Folds plays his pop hits arranged for orchestral performance. Nov 17-18, 7pm, ¥10,000-11,000. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5353-9522. http://meturl. com/ben14

Loft Music & Culture Festival

A Flood of Circle, Radio Caroline, The Birthday and more. Nov 30, 1:30pm, ¥3,969 (adv) +1d. Club Citta. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-2468888. www.loft-prj.co.jp/ loftfes Country Yard

Japanese punk-rock group who have been supporting acts for bands No Use For A Name, The Get Up Kids and Rufio. Dec 6, 1pm, ¥2,800(adv) +1d. Yokohama Bay Hall. MotomachiChukagai. Tel: 03-34446751. http://meturl.com/ countryyard2014 Tahiti 80

French indie pop band. Dec 9, 7pm, ¥6,500. Liquidroom. Ebisu. Tel: 03-3499-6669. http://meturl.com/tahiti2014

The Sunshine Underground

English indie dance band plays a variety of pop, alternative and electronic music. Nov 19, 7:30pm, ¥4,800. Womb. Shibuya. Tel: 03-54590039. http://meturl.com/ sunshine2014

Folk artist, poet and one half of legendary duo Simon & Garfunkel. Dec 10 & 12, 7pm, ¥9,000-10,000. Shibuya Public Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 0570-09-3333. http://meturl. com/garfunk14

The Inspector Cluzo

Gasconha Rock Tour 2014. Nov 20, 7pm, ¥5,600 (adv) +1d. Club Quattro. Shibuya. Tel: 03-3444-6751. http://meturl. com/theinspectorcluzo2014

Man with a Mission

Wolves in men’s clothing play rap/rock. Dec 20, 5pm, ¥4,700 (adv) +1d. Saitama Super Arena. Saitama-Shintoshin. www.creativeman.co.jp

Fusion Festival

Featuring guitar legends Issei Noro, Kazumi Watanabe and Lee Ritenour. Nov 20, 7pm, ¥6,800-7,800. Toyosu Pit. Shin-Toyosu. Tel: 0570-550799. http://meturl.com/ fusion2014

JAZZ/WORLD

H Zett M

Japanese keyboardist and producer formerly part of the jazz instrumental band Pe’z. Dec 20, 2 & 7pm, ¥4,000. Mori no Hall. Hashimoto. Tel: 042-742-9999. www.

Tel: 03-3406-1300. www. nagaremono.com/sepia

Stanton Moore Jazz Trio

Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival

Kawasaki Shinkin Bank Presents

Thanksgiving Jazz Concert for the benefit of young musicians’s education and scholarship funds, with Tetsuro Kawashima, Tots Tolentino and others. Nov 30, 6pm, ¥2,000. Akasaka Civic Center Civic Hall. Aoyama-itchome. Tel: 5413-2711. http://tmjaf.tokyo

Lunchtime and night concert. Nov 14, 12:10 & 7pm, ¥500. Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-520-0200. www. kawasaki-sym-hall.jp

Rock drummer widely known as a founding member of Galactic. Nov 21, 6:30 & 9pm; Nov 22-24, 5 & 8pm, ¥7,0009,000. Cotton Club. Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. http:// meturl.com/moore2014 Natalie Cole

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014. Nov 22, 2pm, ¥4,00010,000. Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-520-0200. www. kawasaki-sym-hall.jp Winger/Slaughter

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014. Nov 22-23, 5pm, ¥9,500. Club Citta. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-246-8888. www.clubcitta. co.jp Hiromi

Piano solo live. Nov 23, 2 & 3pm, ¥2,000. Softwind. Roppongi. Tel: 03-68087337. www.softwind.jp Hiroko Kokubu with Fried Pride

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014. Nov 24, 2pm, ¥3,500. Plazasol Kawasaki. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-874-8501. www. plazasol.jp

Tokyo Big Band 2014: The Last

Pianist-arranger Jonathan Katz leads a 19-piece ensemble. Dec 3, 7:30 & 9pm, ¥4,000 (adv)/¥4,500 (door). Akasaka B Flat. Akasaka. Tel: 03-55632563. http://bflat.biz Ayuka & Sayoko “4rd Live”

Duo comprising harpist Ayuka and Sayoko on violin. Dec 5, 8 & 9pm, ¥2,500. Softwind. Roppongi. Tel: 03-68087337. www.softwind.jp Martin Taylor

British jazz guitarist best known for his solo fingerstyle performances. Dec 6-7, 5pm, ¥6,600-9,000. Cotton Club. Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. http://meturl.com/taylor2014 Martin Taylor and Alison Burns

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014. Nov 25, 7pm, ¥3,500. Plazasol Kawasaki. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-874-8501. www. plazasol.jp

British jazz guitarist Taylor with jazz singer Burns. Dec 6-7, 8pm, ¥6,600-9,000. Cotton Club. Tokyo. Tel: 03-32151555. http://meturl.com/ taylorburns

Kazumi Watanabe

Freddy Cole

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014. Nov 26, 7pm, ¥3,500. Plazasol Kawasaki. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-874-8501. www.plazasol. jp

American jazz singer and pianist and brother of musician Nat King Cole. Dec 8-10, 6:30 & 9pm, ¥7,500-9,500. Cotton Club. Tokyo. Tel: 03-32151555. http://meturl.com/ cole2014

Koyama Taro Group

Nelson Rangell

Smooth jazz saxophonist. Nov 12-14, 6:30 & 9pm, ¥7,0008,000. Cotton Club. Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. www. cottonclubjapan.co.jp Taeko Moriyama

Japanese jazz drummer. Nov 14, 7 & 9pm, ¥4,200-22,800. Motion Blue. Bashamichi. Tel: 045-226-1919. www. motionblue.co.jp Toshihiro Nakanishi and Sumire Kuribayashi

“Jazz Instruments.” Nov 15, 7 & 8pm, ¥3,200. Softwind. Roppongi. Tel: 03-68087337. www.softwind.jp Acoustic Life Op.1

Art Garfunkel

Nov 30, 2pm, ¥3,000-5,000. Showa University of Music. Shin-Yurigaoka. Tel: 044-953-1121.

Ryoji Ikeda

J-rock group that has penned several anime and drama opening tunes. Nov 30, 5pm, ¥5,500 (adv). Tokyo International Forum Hall A. Yurakucho. www. aquatimez.com

Aqua Timez

2:30 & 4pm, ¥1,000-4,300. Tokyo TUC. Akihabara. Tel: 03-3866-8393. www.tokyotuc. com

National tour in support of album release. Nov 16, 6:30 & 7:45pm, ¥2,500. Softwind. Roppongi. Tel: 03-68087337. www.softwind.jp

Yukiarimasa and Hara Tomonao

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014. Nov 27, 7pm, ¥3,500. Plazasol Kawasaki. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-874-8501. www.plazasol. jp Dramatic Jazz Night

With musicians Akiko, Ayumi Koketsu and others. Women who attend will receive a special present. Nov 27, 6:30pm, ¥3,800-4,200. Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. Ikebukuro. Tel: 03-35905321. http://meturl.com/ jazznight2014

Jim Hall Tribute Project

Senzoku Get Jazz Orchestra

New album and release concert. Nov 19, 7 & 9pm, ¥4,200-22,800. Motion Blue. Bashamichi. Tel: 045-2261919. www.motionblue.co.jp

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014. Nov 28, 6:30pm, ¥3,000-5,000. Senzoku Gakuen University. Mizonokuchi. Tel: 044-8562727. www.senzoku.jp

Tetsuya Tatsumi Big Band meets Eero Koivistoinen

Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition Final

Featuring Finnish jazz musician and saxophonist Koivistoinen, recipient of the Yrjö prize of the Finnish Jazz Association in 1967. Nov 20, 7pm, ¥3,000. Za-Koenji. Koenji. Tel: 03-3223-7500. http://meturl. com/tatsumibigband. Nov 24,

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014. Nov 29, 2pm, free. Showa University of Music. Shin-Yurigaoka. Tel: 044-9531121. Original Pentabox

Montreux Jazz Festival 2014.

Clémentine

French singer-songwriter based in Japan who also was a regular on NHK’s French TV. Dec 12, 7pm; Dec 13, 8pm, ¥7,800. Blue Note. Omotesando. Tel: 03-54850088. http://meturl.com/ clementine2014 Till Brönner

German jazz musician, trumpet player, singer, composer, arranger and producer. Dec 14, 5 & 8pm; Dec 15-16, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥8,500. Blue Note. Omotesando. Tel: 03-54850088. http://meturl.com/ bronner2014 Edda Magnason with Niels Lan Doky Trio

An “Homage to Monica Zetterlund,” Sweden’s legendary jazz singer/actress. Dec 20-21, 5 & 8pm, ¥8,000. Blue Note. Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. http://meturl. com/magnason2014

CLASSICAL

The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine

Conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Nov 15, 2pm, ¥4,0008,000. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5353-9999. http://operacity.jp Orchestra Festival 2014

Performed by College of Music. Nov 16 & 24, Dec 6 & 7, 3pm, ¥1,000-3,000. Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-520-0200. www. kawasaki-sym-hall.jp Himiko

Memories of the Sun Goddess. Nov 18, 7pm, ¥5,000-9,000. Suntory Hall. Roppongiitchome. Tel: 0570-55-0017. http://meturl.com/suntoryhall Lunchtime Organ Concert

Vol. 108, performed by Satoko Kawagoe. Nov 20, 12:15pm, ¥500. Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. Ikebukuro. Tel: 03-5391-2111. www.geigeki. jp/english Chisako Takashima

12 Violinist: Colors. Nov 21, 6:30pm, ¥5,500-6,000. Suntory Hall. Roppongiitchome. Tel: 0570-55-0017. http://meturl.com/suntoryhall NHK Tokyo Children Chorus

Subscription concert, no. 43. Nov 22, 6pm, ¥3,000-3,500. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5353-9999. http:// operacity.jp Yamato String Quartet

20th anniversary concert. Nov 23, 7pm, ¥4,000. Suntory Hall. Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 0570-55-0017. http://meturl. com/suntoryhall The Horn Quartet Concert 2014

Performed by Mayumi Anzuchi, Tsutomu Isohata, Jo Kishigami,and Takeshi Hidaka. Nov 25, 7pm, ¥2,500-3,000. Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall. Shinjuku or Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5353-9999. www. operacity.jp NHK Symphony Orchestra

Subscription concert No.1795. Nov 26-27, Dec 17, 7pm, ¥3,600-8,800. Suntory Hall. Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 0570-55-0017. http://meturl. com/suntoryhall Leo Nucci

Blue Mountain Boys

Classic country and western and bluegrass. Every third Sat, 6:30 & 7:30pm, free, Cafe Sepia. Shibuya.

Baritone recital. Nov 28, 7pm, ¥8,000-19,000. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5353-9999. http://operacity.jp

hot tickets

DEC 4 Tenacious D

American comedy rock duo composed of Jack Black and Kyle Gass pay tribute to the best songs in the world. Dec 4, 7:30pm, ¥6,000. Studio Coast. Shin-Kiba. Tel: 03-3499-6669. http://meturl.com/tenaciousd2014 Tickets on sale now

Michiyoshi Inoue

With New Japan Philharmonic and violinist Kyoko Takezawa performing Brahms. Nov 29, 3pm, ¥2,000-6,000. Saitama Kaikan. Urawa. www.saf. or.jp The 20th PROST Symphony Orchestra

Regular concert. Nov 30, 2pm, ¥800-1,000. Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-520-0200. www. kawasaki-sym-hall.jp

DEC 22-25 Dee Dee Bridgewater

Three-time Grammy Award- and Tony Award-winning American jazz singer with The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra. Dec 22-25, various times, ¥10,800. Blue Note. Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. http://meturl. com/deedee2014 Tickets on sale now

Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

DEC 24 JAN 20 Christmas Special Classics Cyndi Lauper

Kiev Ballet performs segments from The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Dec 24, 7pm, ¥5,0008,500. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 050-3776-6184. www.koransha.com Tickets on sale now

NOV 27 (THU)-DEC 9 (TUE)

Subscription concert, no. 780. Dec 8, 7pm, ¥2,2007,500. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Ueno. Tel: 03-3828-2111. www.t-bunka.jp/en

Tel: 03-5353-9522. www. bunkamura.co.jp Aida

Opera performed by the National Opera Theatre of Ukraine. Dec 7, 2pm, ¥7,00018,000. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 03-53539522. www.bunkamura.co.jp

Classical Music Concert

For junior high school students. Dec 9, 10:25am, ¥500. For primary school students. Dec 5, 10:20am, ¥500. Suntory Hall. Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 0570-55-0017. http://meturl. com/suntoryhall

The legendary pop icon still wants to have fun. Jan 20, 7pm, ¥10,500-12,500. Nippon Budokan. Kudanshita. Tel: 0570-550-799. http://meturl.com/lauper2014 Tickets on sale from Nov 15

Don Carlo

Verdi’s historical grand opera starring Escobar, Werba, Farnocchia, Ganassi & Siwek. Nov 27 & Dec 3, 6:30pm; Nov 30, Dec 6 & 9, 2pm; ¥3,24021,600. New National Theatre Tokyo. Hatsudai on the Keio New Line. www.nntt.jac.go.jp/ english/

Tao Drum Rock: The 33 Samurai

Drum entertainment spectacle from Tao, a team of trained athletes and expressive artists. Dec 9, 7pm; Dec 10, 1 & 7pm, ¥5,200-7,200. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 0570-550-799. http://meturl. com/drumtao

Kanagawa Phil Fresh Concert

Milan Cathedral Choir

Conducted by Shigeo Genda. Dec 1, 2pm, ¥1,000-5,000. Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall. Minatomirai. Tel: 045-6822020. www.yaf.or.jp

Christmas concert conducted by Claudio Riva. Dec 9, 7pm, ¥5,000. Tokyo Cathedral. Gokokuiji. Tel: 03-32349999. http://l-tike.com/

Sarah Brightman

Paavo Järvi

English classical crossover soprano singer. Dec 1, 8, 11 & 12, 7pm, ¥13,000-15,000. Tokyo International Forum Hall A. Yurakucho. Tel: 03-3402-5999. http://meturl. com/sarahbrightman

Brahms symphonic chronology. Dec 10, 11, 13 & 14, 7pm, ¥5,000-13,000. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 03-53539999. http://operacity.jp

Ojo-Tokuro-sama. Choreographed by Ikko Tamura. Dec 13-21, Weekdays 8pm; weekends 3pm, ¥2,500 (adv)/¥3,000 (door). Dairakudakan Kochuten. Kichijoji. Tel: 0422-21-4984. www.dairakudakan.com

Oboe Recital

The Flying Dutchman

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Dec 2, 7pm, ¥3,000-7,000. Suntory Hall. Roppongiitchome. Tel: 0570-55-0017. http://meturl.com/suntoryhall

Performing White Christmas, Three Romances and more. Dec 11, 12:10pm, ¥1,000. Saitama Arts Theater. Yonohonmachi. Tel: 0570-064-939. www.saf.or.jp

Dresdner Kapellsolisten & Maki Mori

Yutaka Sado & WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

Christmas concert. Dec 3, 7pm, ¥4,000-8,500. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5353-9999. http:// operacity.jp

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Dec 12, 7pm, ¥9,000-20,000. Suntory Hall. Roppongiitchome. Tel: 0570-55-0017. http://meturl.com/suntoryhall

Tokyo Igin Concert

DEC 2 &19-23

Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Eternity

Taiko performance. The third work directed by artistic director Tamasaburo Bando. Dec 2, 6:30pm, ¥6,500. Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall. Kawasaki. Dec 19, 7pm; Dec 20-23 2pm; S-seats ¥7,000, A-seats ¥5,000, students ¥3,000. Bunkyo Civic Hall Dai-Hall. Korakuen or Kasuga. Tel: 0259-86-3630. heartbeat@ kodo.or.jp. www.kodo.or.jp

Koro-Andante 5th College of Music Orchestra Festival 2014

Performed by Kunitachi College of Music and Toho Gakuen School. Dec 6, 3pm, ¥1,000-3,000. Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-520-0200. www. kawasaki-sym-hall.jp Ave Maria in Christmas

St. Petersburg Chamber Ensemble Divertissement performance feat the three major Ave Marias by Bach, Schubert and Caccini. Dec 6, 11am; Dec 12, 7pm; Dec 20-21, 11:30am & 3pm; Dec 24, 1pm, ¥4,500. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Dec 22, 2pm, ¥4,500. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Ueno. Tel: 050-3776-6184. www. koransha.com Seiya no Trumpet

Women’s choir performs their 17th regular show. Dec 15, 6pm, ¥1,200. Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall. Minatomirai. Tel: 045-6822020. www.yaf.or.jp Radek Baborák & Aleš Bárta

Collaboration of horn and organ. Dec 16, 7pm, ¥1,0004,000. Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. Ikebukuro. Tel: 03-5391-2111. www.geigeki. jp/english Yutaka Sado & WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Dec 18, 7pm, ¥5,000-16,000. Tokyo International Forum Hall A. Yurakucho. Tel: 03-32349999. http://meturl.com/ sado2014

Stage

Trumpeter Wim Van Hasselt accompanied by pianist Vital Stahievitch perform pieces by Bach, Chopin and Rosso. Dec 6, 6:30pm, ¥4,000. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Dec 11, 7pm, ¥4,000. Omiya Sonic City. Omiya. Tel: 050-37766184. www.koransha.com

The Pirates of Tokyo Bay celebrate four years of laughs. Nov 16, 7:30pm, ¥2,500. SuperDeluxe. Roppongi. Tel: 03-5412-0515. http://meturl. com/pirates2014

Symphony of Thousand

The Csárdás Princess

10th anniversary concert opening. Dec 7, 3pm, ¥5,40015,000. Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall. Kawasaki. Tel: 044-520-0200. www. kawasaki-sym-hall.jp

An operetta in three acts by Emmerich Kalman conducted by Keiko Mitsuhashi. Nov 22, 3pm; Nov 23, 24 & 26, 2pm, ¥2,000-18,000. Nissay Theatre. Hibiya.

Bilingual Comedy Anniversary Show

Dairakudakan Butoh

Wagner opera about the legend of the ghostly ship condemned to wander the oceans forever, performed in German with Japanese supertitles. Jan 18, 21, 25 & 31, 2pm; Jan 28, 7pm, ¥1,620-21,600. New National Theatre Tokyo. Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5351-3011. www.nntt.jac. go.jp/english/

Dance

for free

NOV 16 Christmas Boutique & Bake Shop

Come shop for Christmas decorations and gifts. Nov 16, 9am-2pm, free. Franciscan Chapel Center. Roppongi. Tel: 03-34012141.

Carlos Martínez. Dec 5, 7pm; Dec 6, 3pm, ¥5,000-¥15,000. Kanagawa Arts Theater. Motomachi-Chukagai. www. kaat.jp Don Quixote

Performed by the Bolshoi Ballet and the Bolshoi Orchestra. Dec 6, 12:30 & 6:30pm; Dec 7, 2pm, ¥7,000¥22,000. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Ueno. Tel: 03-3828-2111. www.t-bunka.jp Cinderella

The National Ballet of Japan presents a Christmas classic. Dec 14-23, various times, ¥3,240-10,800. New National Theatre Tokyo. Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac. go.jp/english

Clubbing FRIDAY 14 Ageha

Scream. Top40, EDM: DJs Marc Panther, Otoguro and more. From 11pm, (m)¥3,000, (f)¥2,000. Shinkiba. www. ageha.com Air

Reboot. Techno: DJs Qhey, Mayuri and more. From 10pm, ¥3,000. Shibuya. www. air-tokyo.com Liquidroom

Senshyu Raku. Techno, house: DJs Carl Craig, Floorplan and more. From midnight, ¥3,000. Ebisu. Tel: 03-5464-0800. www.liquidroom.net

Singin’ in the Rain

Musical adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name. Until Nov 24, various times, ¥6,500-13,000. Theatre Orb. Shibuya. Tel: 0570-02-9999. http://singinintherain.jp/en/

New production of a classical masterpiece arranged by artistic director Noriko Ohara. Nov 15-16, 2pm, ¥3,24016,200. New National Theatre Tokyo. Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac. go.jp/english Swan Lake

Air

Poker Flat. House, techno: DJs Steve Bug, Gonno and more. From 10pm, ¥3,500. Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com Daikanyama Unit

Tokyo in Dub. Dub: DJs Fat Freddys Drop, Jah Shaka and more. From 11:30pm, ¥3,500. Daikanyama. www. unit-tokyo.com Origami

Jimpster. House: DJs Jimpster, Calm and more. From 10pm, ¥3,500. Omotesando. Tel: 03-6434-0968. http://meturl. com/origamiclub Sound Museum Vision

Girl. Electro, EDM: DJs Marc Panther, Mitomi and more. From 10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)¥1,000. Shibuya. www. vision-tokyo.com The New Matrix Bar

Saturday Night Fever. Hip-hop, R&B, reggae: DJ Ykk and more. From 6pm, ¥1,000 (after 10pm). Roppongi. www. matrixbar.jp The Room

Jazztronica. Jazz, house: DJs Nozaki, Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive) and more. From 10pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Shibuya. www.theroom.jp SUNDAY 16 T2

Karizma. House: DJ Karizma and more. From 10pm, ¥3,500. Omotesando. Tel: 03-64340968. meturl.com/origamiclub

Global Allmix Party. All mix: DJs Shu, Passion and more. From 10pm, (m)¥2,500 w/2d, (f)¥1,500 w/2d. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5428-8692. www. t2-shibuya.com

Sound Museum Vision

The Room

Girls Festival. Hip-hop: DJs Zeebra, Kango and more. From 10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f) free. Shibuya. www.visiontokyo.com

Groovy Rock Caravan. Rock, ska: DJs Onuki, Fujii and more. From midnight, ¥1,500. Shibuya. www.theroom.jp

The Sleeping Beauty

Tel: 03-3234-9999. www. nissaytheatre.or.jp

DJs Dexpistols, Ram Rider and more. From 9pm, ¥3,500. Shinkiba. www.ageha.com

Origami

Tony Award-winning musical about true love found on the streets of Dublin. Nov 27-Dec 14, various times, ¥13,000. Ex Theater Roppongi. Roppongi or Nogizaka. www.once-musical.jp

Performed by the Bolshoi Ballet and the Bolshoi Orchestra. Nov 20, 7pm; Nov 24, 5pm; Nov 26, 1 & 7pm, ¥6,300-¥21,000 (members) ¥7,000-¥22,000 (gen). Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5353-9522. www.bunkamura.co.jp

The Umbrella Goes West

La Bayadère

The New Matrix Bar

Solo butoh performance by Kudo Taketeru. Dec 2-3, 7:30pm, ¥3,000 (adv)/¥3,500 (door). Space Zatsuyu. Shinjuku. Tel: 090-88465379. www.kudo-taketeru. com

Performed by the Bolshoi Ballet and the Bolshoi Orchestra. Dec 3, 6:30pm; Dec 4, 12 & 6:30pm, ¥6,300¥21,000 (members) ¥7,000¥22,000 (gen). Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Ueno. Tel: 03-38282111. www.t-bunka.jp

Matrix Friday. Old-school hip-hop, west side, south side, all mix: DJ Ykk and more. From 6pm, ¥1,000 (after 11:30pm). Roppongi. www.matrixbar.jp

Ageha

The Room

Air

Destination. Broken beats, deep house: DJs Oka, Sayuri and more. From 10pm, ¥2,000 w/1d. Shibuya. www. theroom.jp

Resonation. House: DJ Takkyu Ishino. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com

Once

Little Women

An original adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel performed by the Tokyo International Players. Dec 4-5, 7pm; Dec 6, 1 & 7pm; Dec 7, 3pm, ¥2,500-4,500. Echo Theater. Ebisu. www. tokyoplayers.com Turandot

Performed by the National Opera Theatre of Ukraine. Dec 5, 6:30pm; Dec 6, 2pm, ¥7,000-18,000. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Shibuya.

Chantecler Tango

Tango musical set in 1940s Buenos Aires at the luxurious Chantecler Cabaret performed by the Mora Godoy Tango Company. Dec 4-7, various times, ¥6,500-10,500. Theatre Orb. Shibuya. Tel: 03-34779999. http://meturl.com/ chantecler

Womb T2

Shibuya Mixx. EDM: Various DJs. From 10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/2d, (f)¥2,500 w/2d. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5428-8692. www.t2-shibuya.com

Womb

Sterne. Techno: DJs Pan-Pot, Ishino and more. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb. co.jp

Spanish National Dance Company

SATURDAY 15

Classical and contemporary program directed by José

Ageha

Electro Dash. All mix, EDM:

EDM Sunday. EDM: DJs Hikaru, Mizukami and more. From midnight, (m)¥2,500, (f)free. Shibuya. Tel: 03-54590039. www.womb.co.jp FRIDAY 21

Big Party. All mix, EDM: DJs Kaori, Taku and more. From 11pm, (m)¥3,000, (f)¥2,500. Shinkiba. www.ageha.com

Daikanyama Unit

Club Snoozer. DJs Tanaka, Yogurt and more. From 11pm, ¥3,500 w/1d. Daikanyama. www.unit-tokyo.com Sound Museum Vision

Hysteric Glamour 30-Year Anniversary. House: DJs Emma, Nori and more. From 10pm, ¥2,000 w/1d. Shibuya. www.vision-tokyo. com

The Room

Wah Wah. Rare groove: DJs Kuroda, Ryuhei and more. From 11pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Shibuya. www.theroom.jp Womb

Dig. EDM, hip-hop: DJs Arthur Bray, Kingmck and more. From 11pm, ¥3,000. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb. co.jp UPCOMING

Roppongi. Roppongi. www. tim-burton.jp Roppongi Hills

Berlin x Tokyo. Two-day design, art, culture and music exhibition. Nov 29-30, 10am-11pm, ¥1,500. Roppongi Hills, 6-chome, Minato-ku. Roppongi. www. roppongihills.com Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan

Universal Sounds of Orchestra. Techno, trance: DJs Son Kite, Nobu and more. Nov 22, from 11pm, ¥4,000. Shinkiba. www.ageha.com

The Beauty of Chanoyu Kettles. Explore 400 years of Chanoyu Kettle history. Until Dec 14, 10am-4:30pm, closed Mon, ¥500-800. 1-5-1 Roppongi-itchome, Minatoku. Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 03-5777-8600.

Air

Suntory Museum of Art

A1. House, techno: DJs Efdemin, Moodman and more. Nov 22, from 10pm, ¥3,000. Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com

Koyasan 1200th Anniversary: Treasures of the Sacred Mountain. Figures carved by some of Japan’s most celebrated Buddhist sculptors, including Unkei and Kaikei. Until Dec 7, ¥800-1,300. Open Wed-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun-Mon & hols 10am-6pm, closed Tue. 9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku. Roppongi. www.suntory. jp/sma

Ageha

Daikanyama Unit

Confidence. DJs Christian Fennesz, Craig Richards and more. Nov 22, from 11pm, ¥4,000. Daikanyama. www. unit-tokyo.com Origami

Just Realize. Techno: DJs Sepp, Ryosuke and more. Nov 22, from 10pm, ¥3,000. Omotesando. Tel: 03-64340968. http://meturl.com/ origamiclub Sound Museum Vision

Power. Electro: DJs 80kidz, Dexpistols and more. Nov 22, from 10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)¥2,500 w/1d. Shibuya. www.vision-tokyo.com The Room

Magic. House, crossover: DJs Kawasaki, Endo and more. Nov 22, from 9pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Shibuya. www.theroom.jp Womb

Satoshi Tomiie. House, techno DJs Tomiie, Tamura and more. Nov 22, from 11pm, ¥3,500. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb.co.jp

Exhibitions AKASAKA/ROPPONGI 21_21 Design Sight

The Fab Mind: Hints of the Future in a Shifting World. Focuses on the aspirations and activities of those who seek to understand and resolve social issues through design. Until Feb 1, 11am-8pm, closed Tue, ¥500-1,000. Open Mon & Wed-Sun 11am-8pm, closed Tue. 9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku. Nogizaka. Tel: 03-34752121. www.2121designsight.jp Mori Art Museum

Lee Mingwei and His Relations. Mixed media artist with an interactive style. The completion of his works relies on the participation of his audience. Until Jan 4, ¥500-1,500. Jacob Kirkegaard. Sound and video installation on Fukushima by Danish sound artist. Until Jan 4, 10am-10pm / Tuesdays 10am-5pm, ¥1,500 (general) / ¥1,000 (uni/high school) / ¥500 (4 years-junior high). Open Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-10pm, Tue 10am-5pm. 6-10-1 Roppongi. Roppongi. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.mori. art.museum Mori Arts Center Gallery

The World of Tim Burton. Widely regarded as one of cinema’s most imaginative and visual filmmakers. Until Jan 4, 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 11am-11pm, ¥800-1,800. 52F Roppongi Hills Tower, 6-10-1

The National Art Center, Tokyo

The Japan Fine Arts Exhibition. Featuring Japanese and Western paintings, sculptures, applied fine arts and writing. Until Dec 7, 10am-6pm, closed Tue, ¥700-1,200. Masterpieces from the Kunsthaus Zurich. Japanese exhibition of one of the best art museums in Switzerland boasting a world-class collection of modern art. Until Dec 15, 10am-6pm, closed Tue, ¥800-1,600. 17th Domani: The Art of Tomorrow. In support of the Japanese government’s overseas study program for artists, with a wide range of works from paintings, engravings, photography and pottery to casting, animation and installations. Dec 13-Jan 25, 10am-6pm, until 8pm on Fri, closed Tue, ¥500-1,000. Open Wed-Thu, Sat-Mon 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-8pm, closed Tue. 7-22-2 Roppongi. Nogizaka. www.nact.jp GINZA/KYOBASHI/ TOKYO Bridgestone Museum of Art

Willem de Kooning: From the John and Kimiko Powers Collection. Dutch-born American artist and one of the founders of abstract expressionism. Until Jan 12, ¥500-800. Open Tue-Sun & hols 10am-8pm, closed Mon. 1-10-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku. Tokyo. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.bridgestone-museum. gr.jp Ginza Graphic Gallery

Persona 1965. A look back at the 1965 “Persona” graphic design exhibition with artists Kiyoshi Awazu, Shigeo Fukuda and others. Until Nov 27, 11am-7pm, until 6pm on Sat, closed Sun & hols, free. Ryoji Arai. Japanese illustrator who won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2005 for his contribution to “children’s and young adult literature in the broadest sense.” Dec 3-25, 11am-7pm, closed Sun, free. Open Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 11am-6pm, closed Sun & hols. 1F Ginza Bldg, 7-7-2 Ginza. Ginza. http://meturl.com/ ginzagraphicgallery Idemitsu Museum of Arts

Ninsei, Kenzan and Crafts of Kyoto. Featuring the ceramic works of artists Nonomura

Ninsei and Ogata Kenzan. Until Dec 21, Mon-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-7pm, closed Mon, ¥700-1,000. Open Tue-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-7pm, closed Mon. 9F Teigeki Bldg, 3-1-1 Marunouchi. Tokyo. www.idemitsu.co.jp/museum Megumi Ogita Gallery Showcase

Sadie Rebecca Starnes: Given. American painter whose works are influenced by family histories of American natives and Native Americans, diasporic literature and alizarin crimson. Nov 14-29, 12pm-7pm, closed Mon, Sun and hols, free. Tue-Sat 11am-7pm, closed Mon & Sun. 4F, 5-4-14 Ginza. Ginza. www.megumiogita.com National Film Center

Le Monde Enchanté de Jacques Demy. Behindthe-scenes photographs from works by French New Wave director known for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and other films. Until Dec 14, ¥70-210. Open Tue-Sun 11am-6:30pm, closed Mon. 3-7-6 Kyobashi. Kyobashi. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www. momat.go.jp The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Celadon Now: Techniques and Beauty Handed Down from Southern Sung to Today. Modern ceramic art. Until Nov 24, ¥300-900. Narahara Ikko: Domains. One of the leading photographers of post-war Japan. Domains focuses on human beings in a monastery in Hokkaido and a female prison in Wakayama, both isolated from the external world. Nov 18-Mar 1, 10am-5pm, closed Mon, ¥130-430. Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-8pm. 3-1 Kitanomarukoen. Takebashi. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.momat. go.jp HARAJUKU/AOYAMA Laforet Museum

Yuni Yoshida: Imaginatomy. Japanese graphic designer/art director known for her intense, captivating images. Until Nov 24, 11am-9pm, free. Laforet Harajuku 6F, 1-11-6 Jingumae. Meiji-Jingumae. www. laforet.ne.jp Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art

Utagawa Kunisada: 150th Anniversary of His Death. Collection of prints by one of the great ukiyo-e masters. Until Nov 24, ¥700-1,000. Open Tue-Sun 10:30am-5:30pm, closed Mon. 1-10-10 Jingumae. Harajuku. www.ukiyoe-otamuse.jp SHIBUYA/EBISU Bunkamura: The Museum

The Dream of French Paintings: From Impressionism to Ecole de Paris. Select works by Monet, Chagall, Cézanne, Foujita and more. Until Dec 14, ¥500-1,400. Open Mon-Thu & Sun 10am-7pm, Fri-Sat 10am-9pm. 2-24-1 Dogenzaka. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.bunkamura.co.jp SHINJUKU/IKEBUKURO Hiromart Gallery

Natural Base. Oil and watercolor exhibition by Claudia Ahlering. Until Nov 30, 1-7pm. Open Wed-Sun 1-7pm, closed Mon-Tue. 1-30-7 Sekiguchi, Bunkyoku. Edogawabashi. www. hiromartgallery.com

Nakamuraya Salon Museum of Art

Born Here, Yet to Be Born Here. Showcasing the various artists who have gathered at the Nakamuraya Salon over the years. Until Feb 15, 10:30am7pm, closed Tue, ¥300. 10:30am-7pm, closed Tue. 3-26-13 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. Shinjuku. www. nakamuraya.co.jp/museum/ Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery

Zaha Hadid. Iraqi-British architect, and first female recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004. Until Dec 23, 11am-7pm, closed Mon, ¥1,000-1,200. Open Tue-Thu 11am-7pm, Fri-Sat 11am-8pm. 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku. Hatsudai. http://operacity.jp

Toke. www.hoki-museum.jp Miraikan

Shake! Art Exhibition. Digital art produced by TeamLab, an "ultra technologist" organization that merges science, technology, art and design, with an interactive Future Park. Nov 29-Mar 1, 10am-5pm, closed Tue, ¥900-1,800. 2-3-6, Aomi, Koto-ku. Telecom Center. Tel: 03-3570-9151. www. miraikan.jst.go.jp/en

¥4,000-7,000. Korakuen Hall. Suidobashi. Tel: 03-58009999. www.all-japan.co.jp Asuka Project

Nov 27, 6:30pm (opens at 5:30pm), ¥2,000-5,000. Korakuen Hall. Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999. New Japan Pro Wrestling

Jan 4, 4pm (doors open at 2:30pm), ¥3,500-20,500. Tokyo Dome. Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999. http:// meturl.com/prowresspirit

The Container

UENO

Change Room. Canadian artist Robert Waters’ exhibition. Until Nov 16, Open Mon-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat-Sun 10am-8pm, closed Tue, free. Mon-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat-Sun & hols 10am-8pm, closed Tue. Hills Daikanyama, 1-8-30 Kami-Meguro. Naka-Meguro. www.the-container.com

Edo-Tokyo Museum

Tokyo Fuji Art Museum

Tokyo Olympics and the Bullet Train. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Until Nov 16, ¥670-1340. Open Tue-Fri & Sun 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 9:30am7:30pm, closed Mon & hols. 1-4-1 Yokoami. Ryogoku. Tel: 03-3626-9974. www. edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp

Genius and Ambition: The Royal Academy of Arts, London 1768-1918. Oil paintings by Turner, Constable and others. Until Nov 24, ¥400-1,300. Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon. Yano-machi 492-1 Hachioji. Hachioji. Tel: 042-691-4511. www.fujibi. or.jp/en

Big Japan

Nov 22, 7pm, ¥3,150-6,300. Korakuen Hall. Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999. DDT

●●Nov 30, 12pm (opens at 11am), ¥3,000-5,000. Korakuen Hall. Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999. ●●“Boyz.” Dec 10, 7pm (opens at 6pm), ¥3,000. Shinjuku Face. Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3419-0536. SOCCER JEF United Chiba vs. Toyama

Nov 15, 4pm, ¥550-5,200. Fukuda Arena. Soga. Tel: 043-208-5577. www.j-league.or.jp/eng

Tokyo Gallery + BTAP The National Museum of Western Art

Ferdinand Hodler: Towards Rhythmic Images. Paintings by one of the best-known Swiss artists of the 19th century. Until Jan 12, ¥800-1,600. Open daily 9:30am-5:30pm. 7-7 Ueno Park. Ueno. www. nmwa.go.jp Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

The Renaissance Golden Age: From Botticelli to Bronzino. About 70 works by the great Renaissance masters, courtesy of the famed Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Until Dec 14, ¥1,000-1,600. Uffizi Gallery. An exhibition tracing the development of Florentine art from the 15th to the 16th century through works from the collection of the world-famed Uffizi Gallery. Until Dec 14, 9:30am-5:30pm, closed Mon, ¥800-1,600. 8-36 Ueno Park. Ueno. www. tobikan.jp Tokyo National Museum

National Treasures of Japan. Artifacts gathered across various genres and periods. Until Dec 7, ¥900-1,600. Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-5pm. 13-9 Ueno Park. Ueno. www. tnm.jp OTHER AREAS Hakone Museum of Photography

Mt. Fuji. Katsura Endo’s portrayal of the ever-changing symbol of Japan. Permanent exhibition. Until Nov 4, ¥300-500. 10am-5pm, closed Tue (9am-9pm Sat from May to August). 1300-432 Goura Hakonemachi, Ashigarashimogun, Kanagawa. Gora. Tel: 046-02-2717. www.hmop.com Hoki Museum

Hito Omoi, Hito Omou. Paintings. Lifelike portraits by contemporary artists. Until Nov 16, ¥900-1,800. Hiroshi Noda. “Living to Paint: Realism from the Entire Psyche.” Nov 21-May 17, 10am-5:30pm, closed Tue, ¥900-1,800. Open Mon & Wed-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-5pm, closed Tue. 3-15 Asumigaokahigashi, Midori-ku.

Jin Sha Solo: Salute to Masters. Featuring 15 works of Chinese artist Jin Sha, from paintings and prints to sculptures. Until Nov 22, Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 11am-5pm, closed Mon & Sun, free. Tue–Fri 11am–7pm & Sat 11am–5pm, closed Sun, Mon & Hols. 7F, 8-10-5 Ginza. Shinbashi. Tel: 03-35711808. www.tokyo-gallery.com Yokohama Museum of Art

James McNeill Whistler. The leading art figure of Japonism. Dec 6-Mar 1, 10am-6pm, closed Thu, ¥600-1,500. Fri-Wed 10am-6pm. 3-4-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku. Minato Mirai. www.yaf. or.jp/yma

Sports

Tokyo-V vs. Gunma

Nov 15, 1pm, ¥600-14,500. Ajinomoto Stadium. Tobitakyu. Tel: 04-24400555. www.j-league.or.jp/ eng J. League, Division 1

●●F-Tokyo vs. Niigata. Nov 22, 5pm, ¥600-6,200. Ajinomoto Stadium. Tobitakyu. Tel: www.j-league.or.jp/eng. ●●Kawasaki-F vs. Hiroshima. Nov 29, 2pm, ¥800-2,300. Todoroki Arena. MusashiNakahara. www.j-league. or.jp/eng ●●F-Tokyo vs. Yokohama F-M. Dec 6, 3:30pm, ¥600-6,200. Ajinomoto Stadium. Tobitakyu. www.j-league. or.jp/eng

BASKETBALL

Festivals

Basketball Japan League

Kuroshio Yosakoi Matsuri

●●Yokohama B-Corsairs vs. Rizing Fukuoka. Nov 15, 6pm (doors open at 4pm), ¥1,000-9,500. Sky Arena. Sobudai-Mae. http://bcorsairs.com ●●Yokohama B-Corsairs vs. Bambitious Nara. Nov 29-30, 6pm (doors open at 4pm), ¥1,000-9,500. Hiratsuka Gymnasium. Hiratsuka. http://b-corsairs.com ●●Yokohama B-Corsairs vs. Gunma CraneThunders. Dec 6-7, 6pm (doors open at 4pm), ¥1,000-9,500. Sky Arena. Sobudai-Mae. http://bcorsairs.com ●●Yokohama B-Corsairs vs. Oita Heat Devils. Dec 27-28, 6pm (doors open at 4pm), ¥1,000-9,500. Hiratsuka Gymnasium. Hiratsuka. http://b-corsairs.com

Participate in mochi making, a cabbage eating contest and more. Nov 30, 10am-6:30pm, free. Choshi City Hall. Choshi. Tel: 047-925-5889. www.kuroyosa.com

FIGURE SKATING Stars on Ice Japan Tour 2015

The world’s best skaters performing solo and group skates. Jan 17-18, 1pm (doors open at 12pm), ¥7,000-28,000. Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Meiji-Jingumae. www. starsonice.ca PRO WRESTLING All-Japan Pro Wrestling

Nov 16, 12pm (opens at 11am),

Swedish Christmas Bazaar

Swedish food, drinks, handicrafts and folk music. Nov 30, midnight, ¥500. Swedish Embassy. Roppongi-Itchome. Tel: 03-5562-5050. http://meturl. com/swedishchristmas Hagoita-ichi

Vendors sell wooden paddles to “bounce back evil.” Until Dec 19, Sensoji. Asakusa. Tel: 03-3842-0181. http:// meturl.com/sensojihago

Forums & Expos Organic Expo 2014

Discover new and innovative products in the area of food, natural cosmetics, natural textiles and natural products at the only organic trade show in Japan. Nov 20 & 22, 10am-5:30pm; Nov 21, 10am-5pm, ¥1,000 (free with online registration). Tokyo Big Sight. Kokusai-tenjijoseimon. Tel: 03-3512-5675. http://organic-expo.jp/en

Community Grief Support Group

Hosted by TELL every Wed. For more information, contact training@telljp.com. Oct 8-Dec 10, 7-8:30pm, free. Wesley Center. Omotesando. http://meturl. com/griefsupport2014 Pause Talk

Open forum where creatives can get together and discuss projects, ideas and cultural currents. Every first Mon, Cafe Pause. Ikebukuro. Tel: 03-6912-7711. www. pausetalk.org Party and Purpose

A casual get-together over dinner with people interested in personal development, organized by Tokyo Positive Thinkers. Every third Wed, 8pm, about ¥2,000, TGI Friday’s Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro. Tel: 090-44406391. http://meturl.com/ positivethinkerstokyo Stitch-n-Bitch

Meet fellow knitters, crocheters and sewers to talk, share ideas, eat, drink and create. Every first and third Tue, 7pm, free, Cafe Respekt. Shibuya. www.meetup. com/TokyoStitchandBitch Half-Fast Cyclists

Bicyclists of all treads meet for slide shows, lectures, ride-planning and more. Every second Wed, 7pm, free, The Pink Cow. Roppongi. Tel: 03-6434-5773. cowmail@ thepinkcow.com Tokyo Street Hockey Association

Now You Can Recharge in Roppongi 24/7/365

Casual street hockey group with regular meet-ups. Every first, second and third Fri, Various venues. Check website calendar for details. www.tokyohockey.com

Hotel

¥9,720 (¥8,100IBIS for men).

Tel: 03-3796-2411 relaxtokyo.com

Metropolis Promo

60 & 120min courses now ¥1,000 off 30min course ¥500 off

Mos Burger Almond

Soba shop

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School

Takoyaki shop

Burlesque models pose for artstars and sketching newbies alike with arty socializing. Every third Wed, 7pm, ¥2,000 w/1d. Studio and Space IVVA. Meiji-Jingumae or Harajuku. www.drsketchytokyo. wordpress.com

Police box Roppongi-dori

COURSES Body care 30 min: ¥3,150 60 min: ¥6,300 (Early bird 6am-2pm ¥5,250) 120 min: ¥12,600

Learn the basics of writing overseas resumes. Nov 20, 7-8:50pm, free. Shinmei Iki-Iki Plaza. Hamamatsucho. Tel: 03-3436-2500. http://machigai. com/seminar

of Tokyo’s most well known flower forums. Decoration flowers, bonsai and more. Until Nov 23, all day, free. Hibiya Park. Hibiya. Tel: 03-35016428. http://meturl.com/ tokchrys1 Pixiv Matsuri

Illustration Workshop with Romain Hugault

Drawing or illustration experience required. Nov 27, 10:45am, ¥2,500 (general)/¥2,000 (member). The French Institute of Yokohama. Kannai. http:// meturl.com/hugaultworkshop

A celebration of illustrators and illustrations with live music, a cosplay contest and more. Oct 31-Nov 24, 10am-11pm, ¥500-1,200 (adv)/ ¥500-1,500 (door). Tokyo City View. Tel: 0570-000-777. http://matsuri. pixiv.net Art Rink

TCS Improv Workshop

The weekly Tokyo Comedy Store In the Moment improv workshop, all levels welcome. Beginner intensives on weekends throughout the year. See website for more details. Every Wed, 7-9pm, Our Space Studio. Hatagaya. Tel: 03-5770-7401. www. tokyocomedy.com Nihonga Class

Regular classes and one-day workshops on basic Japanesestyle painting techniques. All classes in English and Japanese. Weekdays 6pm, Sat 11am & 3pm. Email for details on flexible class times, 4B Maruoka Bldg, 5-49-7 Jingumae. Meiji-Jingumae. www.mariatanikawa.com

Other Events Tokyo Sweets Collection

Enjoy sweets made by Japan’s top pâtissiers with live entertainment including a Sweets Fashion Show. Nov 15, 1:30 & 6:30pm, ¥6,800. Club Ex. Shinagawa. Tel: 0570-550-799. www. tokyosweetscollection.com Light Up the Life of a Refugee Child Concert

A concert by children to highlight the plight of refugee children around the world with music, singing, dancing, hand bells and a brass orchestra. Nov 18, 6:30pm, ¥4,000 (minimum donation). Suntory Hall Blue Rose. Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 03-5500-3093. http:// refugeesinternationaljapan.org

Ice skate while enjoying art. Until Feb 22, Sunset until 10pm, ¥500; skate rentals ¥500. Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. Minatomirai. Ballet Gents Christmas Dinner Show

Enjoy a nice dinner and a performance by the K Ballet Company’s top dancers. Dec 15, 6:30pm, ¥25,000-30,000. Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. Mejiro or Edogawabashi. Tel: 03-3943-3908. http://meturl. com/gentschristmas Tokyo Skytreetown Dream Christmas

Christmas market and illuminations. Nov 4-Dec 25, 11am-10pm. Tokyo Skytree. Oshiage or Tokyo Skytree. http://dreamchristmas2014.jp Midtown Christmas 2014

Illuminations, Marché de Noël and other Christmas events. Until Dec 25, 11am-9pm; Dec 17-25 until 10pm. Tokyo Midtown. Roppongi. Tel: 03-3475-3100. http://meturl. com/midtownxmas2014 Baccarat Eternal Lights

Ebisu Garden Place Christmas illuminations. Nov 8-Jan 12, Ebisu Garden Place. Ebisu. http://meturl.com/ baccarateternal Department-H

Underground party hosted by drag queens. Every first Sat night of every month. BYOB. Until Dec 5, 12am, ¥3,000(dress code)/¥4,500 (w/flyer)/ ¥5,000 (door). Tokyo Kinema Club. Uguisudani. Tel: 03-3874-7988. http:// department-h.com

Beaujolais Nouveau Party Sunday Spin

Hula-hoop it up in Yoyogi; no need to bring your own. Drop in or out at any time. Every fourth Sun, Yoyogi Park. Harajuku. Tel: 03-34696081. http://meturl.com/ hoopinginjapan

Oil massage (daytime only) 60 min: ¥8,400 120 min: ¥16,800

Learning

Build a Smarter Body Build a flexible and healthy physique and enjoy eating, work, hobbies and sports more than ever before. PERSONAL TRAINING STUDIO 4F Laguetto Aoyama, 3-14-2 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo

03-6440-0505 bodydirector.com

Learn to Write Your Resume in English

Chocolate and Wine Pairing Party

Nov 15, 6-8:30pm, ¥3,980 + tax (adv). Sakura Hall. http://meturl. com/otherwine French Cheese Seminar

French lecture on four cheeses to pair with French cider. Nov 15, 10:30am, ¥3,500 (general)/¥3,000 (member). The French Institute of Yokohama. Kannai. http:// meturl.com/cheesecider Multicultural Cafe 2014: Let’s Make Fillings of Monaka

Making wagashi, Japanese sweets, while exchanging culture. Nov 19-Jan 31, Six times between Nov and Jan, various times, ¥1,000 (one time). Shinjuku Bunka Center. Higashi-Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3350-1141. http://meturl. com/multicultural2014

Be among the first to sip this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau. Nov 20, 12:30 & 6pm, free entry, but charge for drinks. The French Institute of Yokohama. Kannai. http:// meturl.com/beaujolais2014 19th Annual Connoisseurs’s Auction

Highlights of the evening include an exclusive French wine tasting, live and silent auctions of connoisseur items, an autumn feast, entertainment and raffles for fabulous prizes. Registration required. Nov 21, 5:30pm, ¥20,000. Embassy of France in Tokyo. Hiroo. Tel: 03-45501191. http://tellauction.com/ Tokyo Filmex 2014

A film festival known for presenting cutting-edge, attention-grabbing films. The 2014 program includes Journey to the West, Next to Her and others. Nov 22-30, various times, ¥1,300-1,800. Yurakucho Asahi Hall. Yurakucho. Tel: 03-32840131. http://filmex.net/2014/ en/ Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Chrysanthemum Exhibition

100th anniversary of one

Shibuhouse Party

All-night house party with the Shibuhouse residents on the 22nd of every month, 7pm-7am. ¥1,000 w/ food & drink. Contact shibuhouseinfo@gmail.com for address/directions. Shibuya. www.shibuhouse.com. Japan Idol Festival

With Links, Chu-Z, Ultra Girl and more. Jan 25, 3pm, ¥4,500. Shinjuku Blaze. Shinjuku. Tel: 0570-550-799. www. kyodotokyo.com/JIF Nitro Circus Live

A wild, action-fuelled stunt show using motorcycles, bicycles, skateboards and more. Mar 7, 5pm; Mar 8, 2pm, ¥7,000-15,000. Tokyo Dome. Suidobashi. Tel: 0570-550799. http://nitrocircus.jp/

MORE LISTINGS ONLINE → METURL. COM/LISTINGS

Metropolis and its subsequent Classifieds section are printed every other week. The upcoming publication dates and corresponding deadlines for print are as follows. This does not affect the online Classifieds, where ads are visible immediately after they are approved.

to Yotsuya/Shinjuku by bicycle ¥100,000-. Tel/fax: 03-33417875 itto@itto-jinnai.com w w w.itto -jinnai.com/green/ greencorp.html

English and Japanese. JF, 40, seeking a language exchange partner or English conversation partner to improve my English for work. I would like to help your Japanese (casual or formal). We can meet up around Narita. Serious only. luvinusarah@yahoo.co.jp

FRI, NOV 28 ISSUE Deadline: Nov 19, 3pm FRI, DEC 12 ISSUE Deadline: Dec 4, 3pm

1 AT YOUR SERVICE 1.1 HEALTH I N N E R BALANCE. Tr a d i t i o n a l oriental treatment of acupuncture a n d moxibustion. Also body massage a n d r e f l e xo l o g y. M o b i l e ser v ice to your home or of f ice. Email Takahito at innerbalance123@gmail.com or see http://tmasuda.wix. com/inner-balance.

COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH COVE R AG E FOR E XPATS, D I PLO M AT S , TE AC H E R S . Inpatient and outpatient care, emergencies, surgery, meds, checkups, dental, lab tests, MRI and more. Thirtyday money-back guarantee. Quick, easy application; convenient payment options. Enroll today! info@e ar thhe althcare.jp w w w.ear thhealthcare.jp 078-351-7300

SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY (physical therapy) care in Hiroo. Native English -speaking therapists specializing in sports injuries, p o s t - o p e r a t i v e rehabilitation, back/neck pain, running related, headaches, orthotics, ergonomic consultations and women’s health. w w w.tokyophysio.com 03-3443-6769

STRESS REDUCTION. Stressed? Seeking relief? Develop coping skills in the eight-week Stress Reduction and Wellness Program. Begins Jan 18, ‘15. Learn mindfulness meditation, deep breathing and more. Free orientation sessions Dec 14 and Jan 11. tokyostressreduction@ gmail.com tokyostressreduction. org 080-3662-7844

THINKING ABOUT ADVERTISING WITH METROPOLIS? Platinum ¥32,400. Gold ¥27,000. Silver

¥21,600. Prices include one photo. Bronze ¥2000 (photo + ¥ 20 0 0). P r i ce s a r e f o r 4 0 wo r d s , o n e p rin t i s s u e, t wo weeks online. For details, v i s i t t h e To k y o C l a s s i f i e d s blog—http://metropolis.co.jp/ classifiedblog—or email us at commercial@metropolisjapan. com.

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. Specialists in branding, web design, photo/ video production. Drawing A Crowd: a new approach in design. Get in touch. info@drawingacrowd.co

1.8 GENERAL SERVICES

PRIVATE FURNISHED A P A R T M E N T S . Odakyu line: MukogaokaYu e n / Yo m i u r i - L a n d - M a e , 20/30min from Shinjuku. Keikyu line: Hatcho-Nawate, 15min from Shinagawa. 1K~2LDK ¥58,000/ m~¥120,000/m. Tel: 044-9337000 Email:mh@minowagroup. jp w w w.minowagroup.jp/ minowahomes

1.7 BUSINESS SERVICES

FURNITURE RENTAL. Create customized furnished apartments with our furniture rental ser vice. Furniture packages arranged by our qualified interior designers to accommodate various sizes and styles. We also of fer ap ar tment leasing consultation. Please call 0120-957-520. www.smartrental-tokyo.com

S E RV I C E D A PA R TM E NT S in a quiet residential area of Hiroo. Studios and suites. 4 min from Hiroo stn. Rates: Daily ¥ 7800. Weekly ¥6850 -/day. Monthly ¥5700-/day. Over three months ¥5130-/day. Ta x , u t i l i t i e s i n c l u d e d . frontdesk@azabucourt. com w w w.azabucour t . com/ 03-3446 -8610

VISA COUNSELING: female immigration lawyer handles your visa case. Permanent residency, naturalization, eligibility (inviting your spouse/ children/workers from your country), extension/ change of visa status. Consultation ¥5000. OFFICE LIFE (Miho Fujibayashi). Te l : 0 9 0 - 8 3 3 0 - 0 6 70 Email: mailto@officelife.jp Website: http://officelife. jp/en/

2 FIND A PLACE 2.1 GUESTHOUSE

CREA-UN UENO. Furnished private rooms, w/digital locks, near Asakusa, Ueno, Skytree. S a f e a r e a , f e m a l e - o n l y, rooftop garden w/nice view, BBQ space, free bicycle. From ¥56,000/m. Utilities included. No key money/guarantor. crea-un.sakura@ko-bo.com http://www.sakura-ko-bo.com 03-6912-0692

0 TOKYO APARTMENTS. Your one-stop housing solution throughout Tokyo. Providing s e r v ice d , fu rni s h e d a n d unfurnished apartments, for both long- and shortterm stays. Also providing relocation services, furniture rental, property m anagement and sales. Please call 0120-957-520. www.tokyoapartments.jp

2.5 PLACE WANTED KANAMACHI GUEST HOUSE. Brand-new furnished share rooms, separate male and female floors, all rooms w/d i g i t a l l o c k s , a i r co n , fridge, 1min walk from Kanamachi stn, Chiyoda line ¥40,000/m. room@ airay-apartment.net 03-5876-4575 www.airayapartment.net/

2.2 RENT UNDER ¥200,000

I M M I G R AT I O N L A W Y E R AT N I P PA S H I O F F I C E s u p p o r t s visa and naturalization applications, company establishment and branch off ice installation, including commercial regis tration, as well as inheritance procedures in Jap an. Fre e co n sul t at io n available in English, Español and Japanese. Tel: 03-6264 8446 np@nippashi.com http:// nippashi.com

English and Japanese. Japanese male seeking language exchange friends who can meet at a cafe around Shinjuku. Native English speaker with teaching experience preferred. I have good skill and certification for teaching Japanese to speakers of other languages. inoue. language.exchange@gmail.com

ICHIGAYA, IN CENTRAL TOKYO. Furnished, 25sqm, w/south and north balconies, cherry blossom trees in Japanese garden, sunny and quiet, 5 -7min from Akebonobashi a n d U s h i g o m e -Ya n a g i c h o subway stn, very convenient

English and Japanese. JF, 40s, seriously seeks language exchange partner or English conversation partner to brush up her E. Can anyone help me? Of course, I would be happy to help your Japanese if you like. Serious only, please. daphneodora@hotmail.co.jp English and Japanese. I’m a Japanese guy, 40, E/J language exchange expert with eight years’ experience. I live in central Tokyo. I need a native English speaker’s help to make my English more natural. hiki4se7ga0@yahoo.co.jp English and Japanese. Group language exchange every Wed, 7:30-9:30pm, at coffee shops around Ginza. Most members are 20s and 30s. We switch languages every 30min. Fun events on weekends. Free to join. ando.andy@ gmail.com

2.3 RENT OVER ¥200,000

LAW OFFICE IN KAWASAKI (nex t to Tokyo), member o f t h e Yo k o h a m a B a r Association. Legal service in English for traffic accidents, divorce, inheritance, bankruptcy, business cases (contracts, establishing a company, trademarks, etc.) and other legal problems.Email: web@smk w.biz w w w. sumikawa.net/

English and Japanese. Japanese female, 40s, seeks an English exchange partner. Weekdays during the day near Kawasaki stn. tome.haruka-soushi@ ezweb.ne.jp

English and Japanese. Native English speaker is sought by Japanse male in Kokubunji. Weekday evenings or anytime on weekends. I would like to talk with you at a cafe or via Skype. Serious but fun. seigow@hotmail.com

1.2 HAIR & BEAUTY

MEN’S BARBERSHOP IN ROPPONGI WELCOMES FOREIGNERS. Englishspeaking assistant will get your haircu t right . H aircu t s ¥ 4 8 0 0. W i t h s h a v e ¥ 5 8 0 0. Kids’ haircuts ¥4000¥ 4 4 0 0. F i r s t- t i m e d i s co u n t ¥ 1 0 0 0 . h t t p : //o a z o . b i z / t o p 0 3 - 5 5 4 5 - 7 7 9 7 o a z o7 7 9 7 @ yahoo.co.jp

English and Japanese. Japanese female, early 20s, seeking a language exchange. Nihonbashi area after work preferred, but open to weekends, too. lovin2012_life@yahoo.co.jp

Apartment required in Chiba. Hello, I am starting a new job in the Kobukecho area of Chiba on Jan 1, and I am seeking an apartment. Thanks. japan@ roughsmoke.com

3 EDUCATION 3.5 LANGUAGE EXCHANGE Danish, German, Japanese. Hej and ‘N Tag! JF, 30s, seeks Danes and Germans to help her with languages in Tokyo/ Kanagawa through fun conversations over cups of coffee or just hanging out. Please be nonsmokers, late 20s-30s. codename107113@live.com English and Japanese. Hi there, I’m seeking language exchange partners around central Tokyo on weekends. I can speak reasonable English, but recently, I have little opportunity to speak it. I’m a Japanese female, 40s. Serious only—but should be fun! hydrangea2008@gmail.com English and Japanese. I love joking in E and playing with words. I want to be able to do the same in J. So far, my Japanese is as funny as day-old ramen. You must be open-minded! uk84@outlook.com

French and Japanese. Fr and J daily exchange in Otemachi. winds_fr@ hotmail.com French, English, Japanese. Frenchman seeking a language exchange partner to improve his Japanese. I can teach you Fr or E in return. Beginners/advanced welcome. Let’s enjoy sharing our cultures and interests. dhalexisfr@gmail.com French, English, Japanese. Hello! I’m a native Russian speaker, 23, working as an E/Fr teacher, seeking a Japanese speaker to help me improve my Japanese. I’m a beginner. Not far from Ichikawa-shi, Chiba. julia_kuzhnetsova@mail.ru German and Japanese. JF seeks Ger/J language exchange partner. Seit Sechs Monaten lerne ich Deutsch aber ich spreche Englisch. F/M ok. If interested, drop me a line. gardenstate2005@ hotmail.com Italian and Japanese. Would like to learn basic It from a native speaker who wants to practice J. Possibly near Shibuya on weekday evenings after 7pm. unicornio@nifty.com Italian and Japanese. Seeking a casual friend to study J. I can teach you It. I’m 43, in Shibuya, can teach you at your place early mornings until 10:30am. Let’s meet to get to know each other. maxtokyo@rocketmail.com 145 090-6486-9050 Italian and Japanese. JM, 40s, interested in Italian cars, art, culture and food, is seeking a language exchange mate in Tokyo. I work on weekdays, so weekends/holidays are convenient for me. youdidntsaythat@yahoo.co.jp Korean and Japanese. Japanese male, 41, seeks a native Korean speaker for Kor/J exchange. I like music, reading, cooking. I hope we can learn from each other and have some fun. astralsky@ excite.co.jp Mandarin and English. Chinese female, well-educated, friendly, seeking a native English speaker available to meet after 7pm on weekdays around Shinjuku stn. Serious study only. language88exchange@gmail.com

Russian, English, Japanese. Hello, I’m a native Russian speaker. I arrived in Tokyo to study Japanese at a language school, but I want to improve my Japanese more. If you’re learning Russian, I can help you, too. segasf@ rambler.ru Spanish and Japanese. Native Spanish speaker (Latin American preferred) sought for language exchange. Meet in Tokyo area once/week. Serious learners only, please. tempstadesjp@gmail.co

3.6 LEARNING: GENERAL

IKEBANA (JAPANESE TRADITIONAL FLORAL ARRANGEMENT) is a powerful means of self-expression. Trial lesson, including all materials ¥4000. No Japanese necessary. Certification, diploma can be earned. Three classroom locations in Tok yo. Website: www.atelier-soka.com/english/ index.html Email: smile@mikaotani.com

3.9 TEACH ME! Chat in Japanese with coffee. I'm a scientific researcher seeking people to practice Japanese in Machida or SagamiOno. Can pay ¥1000-¥1500/h + coffee. In return, I can also teach you English for free. heirolls2@gmail.com Expert Python/C++ programmer (local). Can pay ¥1000/h, plus coffee. Must be fluent in English or Japanese. Master’s or PhD student (engineering) is ideal. Must be able to meet in Tokyo. yatri_in_town@ yahoo.co.jp Help me, please. British man, my Japanese is awful. I can’t speak and it’s making me unhappy. I want a strict Japanese teacher. I don’t want a language exchange. Two hours/week. Can pay about ¥1000/h. helpmyjapanese@ outlook.com Hjaelpe mig med dansk! Leder efter dansker i Tokyo eller Kanagawa. Jeg taler lidt dansk og vil gerne laere mere! Jeg kan hjaelpe dig med japansk. JF, 30s, ikke-ryger. b2jw13@hotmail.co.jp Ikebana lesson (sogatsu). Would like private ikebana instruction at my hotel Dec 4-9 in Ebisu. Must be qualified instructor with knowledge of sogetsu ( 草月). Broken English ability is ok. likeme4u@hotmail.com PhD s tudent in engineering? Tokyo only. Majoring in wireless/ communication or related area? Help me with simulation. Must be able to use Matlab/Simulink and know how to validate hypothesis with simulation like Monte Carlo, etc. Will pay ¥2000/h. yatri_in_town@yahoo.co.jp Reasonable English lessons. Japanese male, 30, seeks native English teacher who could teach me on weekends along the Odakyu line. Please introduce yourself. umek2002jp@yahoo.co.jp Teach me martial arts or yoga. I’m a Japanese man in Tokyo. Please teach me for free. Hope to hear from you soon. kamikaze_vibe@hotmail.com Wine teacher in Tokyo. Teach me about French wine in Tokyo on weekends. Prefer a native teacher with teaching experience and a wine qualification. Will pay for your time. frenchwinetasting@ hotmail.com

4 HOUSEHOLD GOODS 4.1 FURNITURE & FITTINGS Bed, air, full-sized double (approximately H60cm), built-in air pump, w/remote, inflates in 3min ¥4500/obo. tripeler@ yahoo.com 080-6581-4724 Hutch, w/shelves, drawers, glass-door cabinet (W170xD45xH73cm), light tan wood, attractive ¥4500/obo. tripeler@ yahoo.com

Sofabed, deep blue (L178xW90xH30cm) ¥4500/obo. tripeler@yahoo.com

4.2 APPLIANCES Air purifier, Venta LW, size 24, Germanmade ¥12,000. Pick up Shinjuku. likeme4u@hotmail.com Deep fryer, Tefal, home-use, new in box, safety features ¥3000/obo. tripeler@ yahoo.com Fridge, National nr-b17 1j-r (480x584x1293mm) ¥7000. Pick up near Nezu stn, Chiyoda line. msa.japan@ hotmail.com Fridge, Mitsubishi MR-E45P, 445L, warm stainless, clean, five y/o, ice maker, eco, French doors, fits narrow, from Bic Camera. New ¥156,800. Sell ¥65,000. martin@klnow.com Fridge/freezer, Sanyo SR-B18J, 175L (fridge 123L, on top; freezer 52L, in three drawers), silver, ‘05, good for one-two people, in excellent condition ¥10,000. View Shinjuku. Can arrange delivery for extra cost. metropolisclassified@ jungletelegraph.net Fridge/warmer, Twinbird HR-4707, micro-sized, holds six regular cans, rounded retro look, new in box ¥2000. tripeler@yahoo.com Futon dryer (布団乾燥機), Sanyo, still in box ¥3000. Pick up Shinjuku. likeme4u@hotmail.com Humidifier, Fujitsu AH-56D ¥3000. Pick up Shinjuku-ku. likeme4u@hotmail.com Juicer, Sharp Juicepresso EJ-CP10A, less than two y/o, w/five year warranty. New ¥29,380. Sell ¥18,500. Pick up near Mejiro stn, Zoshigaya stn, Fukutoshin line, or Gakuinshita, Arakawa, by early Dec. anaherrerahernandez@gmail.com Trouser press, Toshiba, stand-up, as new ¥3000. Pick up Shinjuku. likeme4u@ hotmail.com

4.3 SAYONARA SALE Sayonara sale! European-style sofa set, w/two sofas and four cushions. New ¥320,000. Sell ¥80,000. End tables ¥2000/each. PC desk, oak ¥4000. Kotatsu, w/heater ¥4500/obo. And more. takecareletsgo@yahoo.com Sayonara sale! Bialetti coffee/espresso machine, w/steamer, less than one y/o ¥9000/obo. European-style sofa set, w/two sofas and four cushions, nine m/o. New ¥320,000. Sell ¥80,000/ obo. Black leather sofa, tables, etc. takecareletsgo@yahoo.com Sayonara sale! Kerosene heater, 12-tatami, two y/o; two small electric heaters; Hitachi vacuum; pots and bowls ¥10,000. pop10eye@gmail.com Sayonara sale! Kids' beds ¥10,000. Front-loading washer/dryer ¥40,000. K itchen cupb o ard, dining s et , miscellaneous items. Pick up TX line before Dec 15. dechlan@hotmail.com Sayonara sale! Aquos TV, 31", w/table ¥35,000. National washer/dryer ¥8000. Haier and LG fridges ¥5000. Folding bed, w/mattress ¥1000. Square table, w/two chairs ¥2000. Lamp, w/remote ¥13,000. And more. mabmpchan@yahoo.co.jp Sayonara sale! Receptacle, new ¥1500. Tableware, new ¥400. Pick up or chakubarai. Photos available. housetsu@ gmail.com

4.6 FOR KIDS Bed, Ikea, adjustable size, hardly used, in very good condition ¥3000. Pick up Yoyogi. karthikmg2@gmail.com 090-9305-2680 Car seat, Stokke iZi Go X1 by BeSafe, w/ISOFIX, bought ‘12. New ¥60,000. Sell ¥25,000. Details available. svend. haakon.kristensen@gmail.com Crib, Ikea Sundvik. New ¥13,000. Sell ¥2000. Pick up near Suidobashi. kaeruchan927@gmail.com Various items. Clothing, books, toys, room drawers, bedsheets for newborns, pregnant women and 4-year-old. Pick up Mejiro stn, Zoshigaya stn or Gakuinshita by early Dec. Details available. anaherrerahernandez@gmail.com 09088571974

Windbreaker, Puma, size 130cm, black, in good condition ¥1000. Pick up or chakubarai. Photo available. housetsu@ gmail.com

4.7 FOR FREE Analog TV 14", w/remote. Pick up Tokyo area. Photo available. acapulco58@ hotmail.com Clothes, for baby: white jacket, size 50-80cm ¥300. Pink jacket ¥500. Baby clothes. Pick up or chakubarai. Photos available. housetsu@gmail.com

5 HOBBIES&INTERESTS 5.1 CAMERAS Digital camera, Canon PowerShot S2 IS ¥10,000. Pick up only. Photo available. housetsu@gmail.com

5.2 SPORTS EQUIPMENT Exercise bike, Life Fitness 95Ri. New ¥350,000. Sell ¥150,000. Firm. Try before you buy. raymondspencer@ hotmail.com 080-4736-2647 Golf bag, tote, Le Coq Sportif Golf, w/ shoe pocket, as new ¥2000. Pick up Shinjuku-ku. likeme4u@hotmail.com

5.4 BOOKS/CD/DVD Japanese learning materials. Pimsleur Japanese I, II, and III, in original package, as new, each set contains 16 CDs, booklet, guide ¥24,000/all. mita.yama@hotmail.com

5.5 GAMING PlayStation 3, Japanese version, 60GB, games use Blu-ray discs as media format, powerful cell processor, dynamic RSX graphics chip, backward compatible to original Sony PlayStation ¥25,000. Photo available. tokyogriff@gmail.com 090-6013-1396

5.6 COLLECTORS Beer glasses, from various Japanese microbreweries, new, collection of 12 ¥5000/ all. ¥500/each. Krombacher Pils glass boot, 1.5L ¥2500/obo. tripeler@yahoo.com Sewing box, antique, traditional Japanese pawlonia wood, w/secret drawer, in good condition ¥6000. Firm. Pick up only Omotesando. Photos available. mmcaproni2010@yahoo.co.jp

6 VEHICLES 6.1 CARS, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES Roof rack, Thule, basic (two bars), w/ locks, no attachments, for cars without rain gutters on roof ¥4500/obo. tripeler@ yahoo.com

6.3 BICYCLES, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES Mamachari, no gears, in good condition ¥4500. Can deliver to up to two stations from Shibuya. ms.notone@gmail.com Road bike, small, 26" tubular tires, for small rider 145-165cm, 12-speed, barend shifters, needs new paint job. New ¥110,000. Sell ¥10,000. tripeler@yahoo. com 080-6581-4724

Dress, Jenevi (Shibuya 109), mini, black, w/blue detail, Japanese free size, in great condition ¥500. Pick up Koto-ku or meet central Tokyo. larajuku1997@gmail.com Flip-flops, Olukai brand, XL, made in Hawaii, never worn. New ¥6000+. Sell ¥3000. Pick up Shinjuku. likeme4u@ hotmail.com Hair dye, red, from the UK, expires May ‘15 ¥500/bottle. Pick up Nakano. madamixx@ yahoo.co.jp Raincoat, Cecilene, size M, ivory ¥600. Pick up or chakubarai. Photo available. housetsu@gmail.com Ties, Versace, two, in original gift box ¥3000/each. ¥5000/both. Pick up Shinjuku. likeme4u@hotmail.com

7.3 MISCELLANEOUS Christmas tree, multi-colored, fiber optic (120x55cm), in excellent condition, w/AC adapter, extra lamp, ornaments, decorative lamp chains (two 32-bulb, one 100-bulb chain boxes) ¥9000. mamad15@excite.com File folders, size B1, three available ¥750/all. Pick up or chakubarai. Photo available. housetsu@gmail.com

7.4 ITEMS WANTED Bicycle sought for a reasonable price. 自

転車を安く売ってくださる方を探しています。 umek2002jp@yahoo.co.jp

8 COMPUTERS 8.2 HARDWARE Laptop, Latitude E6400, 250GB HD, 8GB RAM, Win 7 Pro, w/Japanese backlit keyboard, DVD-R/W ¥20,000. nrad_bob@ hotmail.com Laptops: Sony Vaio VGN-C71B/ W, 1.66GHz, 2GB RAM, 120GB HD, Win 7, loose graphics card; Lesance, 1.50GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 20GB HD, Win 8, power cord (jiggle to recharge). andyfuga@gmail.com

7.1 PHONES iPhone 5 16GB, SoftBank, white, in great condition, screen always used with protector, w/all accessories ¥27,000. kizuki.buy@gmail.com

7.2 FASHION Clothes, men’s: brown coat ¥1000. LL Bean long-sleeved shirt, size L, gray ¥300. Pick up or chakubarai. Photos available. housetsu@gmail.com Dress, Heaven and Earth (Shibuya 109), gray, w/chain detail and matching gray tank top, Japanese free size, in great condition ¥500. Pick up Koto-ku or meet central Tokyo. larajuku1997@gmail.com

WEST PAPUA: ONE SOUL, ONE PEOPLE . Fif t y- one years ago, West Papua should have been an independent country. Since 1969, West Papua has been invaded and the people robbed of their rights, culture and country. Help support West Papuans’ desire to be free. http://tapol.gn.apc.org/ markhelp2@gmail.com ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS TOKYO. If you have a problem with drinking, we can help. English-speaking meetings daily. 03-3971-1471 inquiries@aatokyo. org http://aatokyo.org HIV Peer Support group and workshops. Get together with people in the same boat as you, who understand. Held in a safe, considerate, 100% confidential setting to discuss what’s on your mind, ask questions and make new friends. info@peersupporttokyo.com www. peersupporttokyo.com Infertility support group. TTC Tokyo is an infertility support group that provides informal opportunities for women and men experiencing infertility to connect with one another. Please visit website for more info. admin@ttctokyo. org www.ttctokyo.org

11.1 PERSONAL MESSAGES

10.1 HELP ME Atheist show needs hosts. We promote positive atheism, knowledge, common sense, skepticism and so forth. Similar to Atheist Experience on YouTube. assassin. wolves.films@gmail.com Climate expert needed to talk about the human impact on the environment. assassin.wolves.films@gmail.com Need to locate vendor/business. I need to source a business that can supply custom graphics/vinyls, and the same/another one that can supply custom T-shirts. East Tokyo or Chiba. Any ideas? japan@roughsmoke. com

WRITE A MESSAGE FOR YOU R S PEC I A L SO M EO N E ! Write any thing, from bir thday messages to proposals. http:// classifieds.metropolis.co.jp.

12 SOCIAL SCENE 12.1 LET’S PARTY

Sponsorship. Ten years’ experience in cafe/ bar work, including working at international hotels. I’d like to open a cafe/bar, but need sponsorship. Individuals and companies are welcome. Please, if interested, let us come to an agreement. samueladonkor@gmail. com 090-6152-6274

10.2 SUPPORT

N E E D T O TA L K ? W e ’ r e h e r e to listen. TELL LIFELINE: free, anonymous English counseling daily from 9am-11pm by trained vo l u n te e r s: 03 - 57 74 - 0 9 92 . TELL COUNSELING: affordable multilingual p s yc h o t h e r a py by a cc re d i te d Western-trained professionals, a CIGNA International Provider: 03-4550-1146. TELL website: www. telljp.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TokyoLifeLine.

THE JAPAN HELPLINE, 24 hours a d ay, f ro m a ny w h e re, a b o u t anything. From emergency

in a friendly atmosphere. E ve n t s i n To k yo (G i nz a , Azabu, Roppongi) and Osaka. ¥1500- ¥2000. http://english.gaitomo.com/ info@gaitomo.com SUBSCRIBE TO METROPOLIS AND NEVER MISS AN ISSUE. One year (24 issues) ¥3600 (corporate subscribers, 7-100 copies ok ¥22,560). Half year (12 issues) ¥1800 (corporate subscribers, 7-100 copies ok ¥12,000). Bank transfer or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, D in e r s Club). D e t ail s at http://metropolisjapan.com/ subscription.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA R T Y AT LEAFCUP. Come join us and have fun. Men: ¥3000. Foreigners/ women: ¥2000. All-you-candrink-and-eat. Iidabashi and Yokohama: Nov 15 and Dec 6. Shibuya: Nov 22 and Dec 13. www.leafparty.com

13 CLUBS & INTERESTS 13.1 SPORTS

J A PA N I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA R T Y— N E W L O C AT I O N SPECIAL. Sat, Nov 22, 6:30-9pm, Bar Quest (Roppongi). Japan’s biggest international par t y. 250 people expected. All-youcan-drink and free snacks. Japanese men: ¥ 4000. Others: ¥3000. Mobile: http:// getyourfriend.com/mobile/ jiparty@hotmail.com http:// w w w.get your frien d.com / 090-1735-5405

J O I N TH E B I G G E S T, B E S T, M O S T P O P U L A R I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA R T Y ! Great people, drinks and food! Meet new friends and party with nice people

All-level tennis group in Tokyo. Serious and motivated tennis players sought by active tennis group to join their weekly sessions in central Tokyo. We have advanced and intermediate groups on weekday evenings. Beginner and low-intermediate also welcome. No entrance or membership fees. Reasonable participation fees. tokyo. tennis@yahoo.fr Don’s Half-Fast Flash-Mob Weekend Urban Bicycle Rides. halffastcycling@ hotmail.com Futsal players wanted by a very friendly international team. Practice is in Tokyo and Kanagawa on Sat. Details available. fkkyn468@ybb.ne.jp Futsal team. Intermediate futsal team in Tokyo seeking people who can enjoy the game with others. Please introduce yourself (age, nationality, where you live, whether you belong to another team). umek2002jp@yahoo.co.jp Interested in tai chi? Then why not start now? Take a step to counter the stresses of daily living. Practice is in Toyama Park on Sun mornings, near Takadanobaba stn. chifact@gmail.com New players sought, especially goal keeper and strikers, for regular futsal, 11-a-side, socials. Any nationality ok. kantocelts@gmail.com www. kantoceltsfc.com Quality football. Interested in playing football at the weekend and training midweek? Want to enjoy a few beers after a good run out? If you consider yourself a quality player, please drop us a note. bfcvagabonds@gmail.com Samurai and ninjutsu martial arts. Seeking people interested in training in old-style Japanese fighting arts. Effective and intelligent, but safe training approach. rootarty@gmail. com

11 MESSAGES

10 HELP!

Tandem, custom-made, racing type, front rider 160-180cm, rear rider 150170cm, w/new saddles, two wheelsets, carrying bags ¥200,000. tripeler@ yahoo.com 080-6581-4724

7 GENERAL

assistance to simple questions. Visit www.jhelp.com/ and press “help,” or call 0570 - 0 0 0 -9 11 . To volunteer or support, please contact team@jhelp.com. www. jhelp.com/

AMERICAN FOOTBALL. N ihon Unis ys Bulls , X league Central Division, seeks fit players w/ US college football experience for all positions. Practice every Sat/Sun from 10am-3pm (including meeting) in Tokyo/Saitama (time & venue subject to change). Attendance at practice must be over 60%. Please contact for tryout info and send your profile to team admin. bullsxleague@gmail.com http:// www.unisys.co.jp/football/ A L L - N AT I O N A L I T Y TO U C H F O OT B A L L . N o n - c o n t a c t t a g rugby (OZ tag) and Rugby League players. We play every Sat from 10am in Tatsumi. M/F and beginners welcome! Good exercise and fun! Many other activities, such as BBQs and drinking parties! Email for details. tokyorugbyleague@ hotmail.com ht tp: //ameblo.jp/ tokyo13warriors A M AT E U R R U G B Y L E A G U E PLAYERS. Japan ANZACS Rugby League team is seeking Rugby League p layer s for Japanese Rugby League of f icial games from Apr to Sep. Everyone welcome. Contact for more details. japananzacs@gmail.com FUN WITH TOUCH RUGBY! Join us for social or competitive touch rugby every Sat at 2:30pm by Ariake stn, Yurikamome line. Any age, sex, level ok. Please email for details. funwithtouch@gmail.com http://www. funwithtouch.com/where-we-play/ PLAY RUGBY. The Tokyo Crusaders are a friendly but keen international rugby club. Devoted to the game and its social side, the “Cru” welcomes all players and supporters. Established in 1990, the Cru plays in the Shuto League 1st Division. http:// www.facebook.com/tokyo.crusaders www.tokyocrusaders.com TA M B O U R E L L I . U n i q u e n e w sp or t from S cotland . Using a tambourine-like instrument as a racquet, players hit a shuttlecock. We play two or three times/month on weekends in Meguro with many socials. Join us! More details: www. tamjapan.org/en/ info@tamjapan.org

Table tennis in Minato-ku. Hi, our international team is seeking experienced players. You need to be living or working in Minato-ku and commit to play ten times/year on Sundays (all day). No beginners, please. fgrideau@gmail.com Seeking Japanese archery companions. Let’s do kyudo near Tokyo. Once/month for three hours, weekends only. You need to bring or buy your own equipment (bow, arrow, globe). See website for details. datemasamune216@ yahoo.co.jp http://jmty.jp/tokyo/ com-spo/article-qa3g?posted=true Women’s football club. Five-aside, 11-a-side, on grass fields. Two or three practices/matches on Sun. All nationalities, experience levels, beginner s welcome. Happy and friendly club! We have many socials. djnorio@hotmail.co.jp

13.2 LEISURE SKIING AND BOARDING IN HAKUBA. Snow package: Dec 19-Mar 31; departs Ikebukuro Fridays at 7:30pm (11:30pm arrival); t wo night s, one dinner, t wo breakfasts, round-trip private bus, two-day ski pass, live music party ¥26,900. 0261-75-5155 info@more-resort.com http:// hakuba-hotel-accommodation. com MACARTHUR HEIGHTS. Ta ke a b r e a k w h e r e G e n e r a l Douglas MacArthur did! One hour from Tokyo by car or direct train. Beautiful cabins on the ocean, w/onsen, beach, shopping. housinginjapan@yahoo.com Japanese home cooking. Japanese housewife offers washoku home cooking at her house near Kawasaki stn on weekdays during the day. The lessons are free; you just pay the cost of ingredients. tome.haruka-soushi@ezweb.ne.jp Tokyo ET contact group. Join us beneath the stars as we endeavor to make contact with ET visitors and their craft. Our next ET contact event will be held in Chichibu,

Saitama Prefecture, on Nov 22/23. nakanosky@gmail.com http://www. meetup.com/Tokyo-ET-Contact-Group/ events/193113322/

develop intercultural competencies and meet other interculturalists. yuko. bolick@japanintercultural.org www. japanintercultural.org

Tokyo Snow Club. A ski/snowboard club for anyone living in, or visiting Tokyo. We go on big group trips every weekend in the winter. Powder, live music events, and parties in snow. Membership is free! info@tokyosnowclub.com http://www. tokyosnowclub.com 050-5806-5616

Nihongo 倶楽部いんたぁなしょなる. Nihongo Club International is a volunteer group to help foreign people learn Japanese at the Tokyo Volunteer Action Center in Iidabashi. Every Thu, 7-9pm. nci_tokyo@yahoo.co.jp

13.3 ARTS Love Shakespeare? Amateur group in Tokyo, meeting once/month to celebrate our love of the Bard. Come to read, or just to listen. All nationalities welcome, no experience necessary! rchrd_schwartz@ yahoo.com http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/Shakespeare-sama/

13.4 MUSIC Bassist wanted. Danish female singer seeking serious bassist. Rehearsals in Ikebukuro, minimum three times/month. We do covers and originals. Live gigs, serious debut plans. Pop/rock. 日本語大丈夫. liuwina@gmail.com www. soundcloud.com/liuwina 080-4374-2109 Blues rock band seeks bassist and drummer. I've been playing in pubs/bars in Tokyo. Seeking a bassist and drummer who can play gigs once/twice a month. I am an English-speaking Japanese. Let's have fun after work. mr.ardun@ gmail.com

13.5 MIND, BODY, SPIRIT Diamond Way Buddhism Tokyo. Do you want to explore your own mind? Guided Buddhist meditation every Sun, 6pm, near Azabu-Juban. International practitioners, beginners welcome, Japanese spoken. Please call 0903598-3072 for more information. daginia@gmail.com ht tp:// w w w. diamondway.jp/ Reiki events. This group is for people who are interested in Reiki and spirituality. For more details about our upcoming events, please visit our webpage. info@reikibyyuko.com http://www.reikibyyuko.com/reikievents.htm Tai chi in Yoyogi Park. Yoyogi Park is open again. Come learn and practice Guang Ping Yang Taiji Chuan with likeminded people. Early morning practice is best. ddh@gol.com www.gpytcjapan. com 03-3487-3011 Tibetan Buddhist meditation in Tokyo. Part of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. This school puts special focus on meditation practice. Regular guided meditations Sun from 7pm. findlay65@gmail.com http://w w w.meetup.com/ TibetanBuddhist-Meditation-In-Tokyo-Japan/ 080-4389-8818 Tokyo Dialogue. We have been meeting in the heart of the concrete jungle called Tokyo for 10 years to create an oasis of calm reflection and listening. findlay65@gmail.com http:// tokyodialogue.wordpress.com/ Zen meditation (Zazen). You’ve always thought it would be interesting to try it—why not now? Join us Fri evenings at Tokuun-in in Ueno. Make arrangements in advance by email, and check our home page. tokyozazen@jcom.home. ne.jp www.wgthorpe.com 色ー度カフェ. ボランティアヒー

リング。任意の助けのための私に連絡してください。 winds_fr@

hotmail.com

13.6 RELIGIOUS Seeking a Baptist church without judgmental people, many English speakers, and where everyone is in normal clothes? Contact me and let’s meet at Higashi-Shinjuku stn, exit A2, Sun at 10:30am. paytyt@gmail.com

13.9 INTERNATIONAL Intercultural activities. JII (Japan Intercultural Institute) is a non-profit, member-run organization that sponsors activities (seminars, cultural events, conferences) for those wanting to further

14 PERSONALS 14.1 FRIENDS Aerial partner. Anyone want to study aerial silks or ring together as training partners? We can exchange conditioning techniques, work out together. Dance, yoga, gymnastics, or ballet background would be great to help me increase my flexibility. kokoryta@hotmail.com American gentleman seeking friends. I can speak Japanese, enjoy various activities and dining out. I'm openedminded, 5'9", 175lbs, have dark blond hair, blue eyes. tommtgyi@gmail.com Anyone from Denmark? JF, 30s, lived in Denmark before, wants to learn more of the language and culture. Is there anybody who can meet somewhere in Tokyo? Nonsmoker, late 20s-30s preferred. Glaeder mig til at hoere fra dig snart! codename107113@live.com Canadian dude seeks friendship. I’m in Kinshicho seeking friends to help with visa/living issues, friendship. M/F ok. I will be going back to Canada in Dec unless I can apply for a work visa. I’m interested in world travel. nekobot14@ gmail.com Coffee in Machida. Would anyone from Western countries (especially northern Europe) like to have a cup or two of coffee together with an English-speaking JF, 30s, in/around the Machida area? Please be nonsmokers, late 20s-30s. b2jw13@ hotmail.co.jp Diving buddy. JF, around 40, is seeking a scuba diving buddy. I've been into it since I saw a big turtle at the Great Barrier Reef. Just registered for my OWD license (very beginner). Let's explore Izu, Fiji, Guam together! mahavidya111@gmail.com Expand my horizons. JF hopes to meet English speakers (including nonnative) who can share nice friendships. I’d like to expand my horizons through new points of view from foreign people. Shall we have some tea? Nonsmokers, under 35 preferred. polkadots.1466@ gmail.com In Tokyo. JF, 34, seeks English speakers who like to see streets and architecture in Tokyo. If you're interested in friendship with me, please contact me. Non-native speakers also ok. Nonsmokers, punctual people preferred. shipyard212@yahoo. co.jp Let's be friends. Hello! I'm seeking friends in Tokyo.I'm Asian, but anyone is welcome. I'm 22, like to hang out with different kinds of people. Just message me—I'm always available! aguilarjohn93@gmail.com Seeking friends in central Tokyo. JF, early 30s, seeks friends to hang out with in central Tokyo. atkm92@yahoo.co.jp Seeking illustrator friends. Tokyobased children's story writer from Canada seeks illustrator friends for possible collaboration. My influences include Kenji Miyazawa, Nankichi Niimi, St. Exupery and Oscar Wilde. Let's work together to get published in Japan or overseas. Japanese ok. androgoner@ gmail.com Seeking non-Japanese friends. JF, 40, lived/worked overseas, fluent in E/J, seeking non-Japanese, business-minded, preferably Mandarin/Cantonesespeaking friends. Strictly friendship only. Sex doesn't matter as long as you love to talk about business ideas. yurinyc@ yahoo.com

14.2 MEN LOOKING FOR WOMEN JAPANESE MAN SEEKS A SPANISH OR LATIN WOMAN. I am single, 175cm and speak English and Spanish. Call 080-3319-6436 or email copa2002mundo@gmail.com.

SUBMISSIVE SJM, 36, cute, is seriously seeking a woman who is into, or interested in, dominating men. I am so submissive, with seven years’ experience, that I am happy to take whatever and serve you in any way. slaveintokyo@gmail.com

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Artistic American guy, 38, my father spoke German, born in America, lived near Santa Monica. Now near Tokyo Tower. Athletic, love artistic expression, restaurants, fashion, R&B. Please live or work in central Tokyo and be openminded. tokyotwr10@yahoo.com Attractive black male seeking attractive and sexy girlfriend, single/ married, fun to be around, seeking intimacy. I'm 36, intelligent, 183cm, athletic, from NY, working in IT, living in Ota-ku. I enjoy movies, running, relaxing. Please send your photo. goldfinger726@gmail.com British male, 31, friendly, tall, slim, seeking a nice girl to hang out with. Nationality/race unimportant, but should be 20-35 and have a nice personality. Interested in music and film: you should be, too. shiodomebye@gmail.com

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Caring and cute JM seeks attractive, hearty, nonsmoking Western female for friendship. I simply would like to share fun, interesting and great experiences with you. If you feel the same way, just drop me a line. jinzaixyz@yahoo.co.jp Chinese, Singaporean, Indian...? British guy, 30s, seeking non-Japanese women to hang out with, maybe more. It may seem obvious, but please only contact me if you have time to meet. No Japanese seeking marriage with a gaijin, please! greenteais.yummy@ gmail.com Cute, interesting JM for SWF. Seeking attractive Western female with a nice smile. If you are interested in chatting over coffee or nice food, please contact me and let me know. I am looking forward to your message. Just try once. juniperten2013@gmail.com Discreet and passionate lady wanted. Seeking a MJF for a discreet and intimate relationship. I’m a kind, respectful, welleducated MWM, mid-40s, nonsmoking. Please contact me and let’s see if we connect. Thank you. theroyaljoker@ yahoo.com European seeking young Japanese woman. Elegant, kind, refined, athletic European man seeks a cute, fun, young Japanese woman. If we connect, it could lead to a serious relationship. ol24107@ gmail.com Food, wine and romance. Attractive, physically fit, romantic, passionate SWM, 40s, seeking romantic, elegant, attractive Japanese woman for a serious relationship. Cooler weather is here— let's explore restaurants, weekend getaways and great times together. herbsandspices1712@gmail.com

PAccounting • Auditing • IPO Consulting • Due Diligence

Frenchman seeks woman. French gentleman, smart, funny, handsome, seeks woman. I'll love you like no man has ever before. I live in Minami-Azabu. Write me—you won't be disappointed. dhalexisfr@gmail.com

More Than Twenty Years Experience

Ginza/Otemachi. Seeking a sparkling personality to match mine. A woman with interest in the UK preferred, 26-31, nationality irrelevant. Only contact me if you have time to meet weekdays around 7pm in Ginza/Otemachi. englishmobile@ outlook.com

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Girlfriend. Japanese man, 45, decent, cultured, with a good sense of humor, seeking a lady around my age (35-55), Japanese or foreign, to enjoy friendship, fun and relaxation. tsuneokobayashi@ hotmail.com Handsome American man seeks Japanese lady. I'm an American gentleman, 5'9", 175lbs, dark blond hair, blue eyes, seeking a sincere, loving relationship with a special lady. I can speak Japanese. tommtgyi@ gmail.com Handsome, sexy man seeking hot older woman in Tokyo or Yokohama. I love mature ladies (40s, 50s). A nice, tall, handsome gentleman is waiting, hoping to meet you. 日本語可能です。 maldonado_4649@yahoo.co.jp

Senior Editor Vacancy! We’re growing! Details on this and other positions here! http://metropolisjapan.com/jobs/

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CHAT HOSTS AND TEACHERS WANTED BY LEAFCUP in Tokyo, Iidabashi, Shibuya, Yokohama. Seeking enthusiastic, proficient English, French, Spanish and/or German speakers who can teach and lead li vel y conversations. ¥1,000 - ¥1,500/h. A p p l y o n l i n e : h r @ l e a f c u p .co m www.leafcup.com/job.php

Handsome, sweet, smart Japanese man seeks WF who seeks secret happy events in her spare time in Tokyo. Single/ married ok. Shall we begin to talk? I think this opportunity will be a great one for us. followupforme14@gmail.com Happening bar partner. Businessman, mid-30s, athletic, easygoing, pleasant personality, seeking partner to enjoy fun, free world of happening bars. I am an experienced member and will cover all expenses. Clean, safe. Staff ensures female participants' respect, privacy. Daytime ok. anant.kumar.tokyo@ gmail.com Hike, movie or just a walk in the park. Hi, my name is Michael. I'm a single white male, 48, in good shape, seeking a partner to do these things with. duncansaru63@yahoo.com Italian or Spanish? British guy seeking Italian or Spanish woman living in Tokyo. Have drinks, some fun. Send me a message and tell me about yourself. summerfunk@googlemail.com Japanese male, 42, single, seeks sincere, warm, open-minded white female for friendship and romance. I am generous, nonsmoking, like traveling, reading, philosophy and enjoying my life. ruby12ax7@gmail.com JF wanted. Hi, young white guy, 28, is seeking a good-looking young Japanese woman. strikamrad@gmail.com

Offering you “Authentic Pilates” Metropolis Campaign

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Magazine

は、バイリンガルスタッフを募集しています。経

METROPOLIS, JAPAN’S NUMBER ONE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MAGAZINE, is seeking motivated bilingual (E/J) sales executives, support staff and interns to join its advertising and marketing team. Send E/J resume to jobs@metropolis.co.jp.

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Let’s meet. SJM, mid-40s, attractive, sincere, open-minded, slim, seeks someone special. It would be no less than a miracle to find someone, but suppose I give up searching? Then, there will be nothing. That is why I’m here. toshinoris1012@yahoo.co.jp Long-distance relationship with a SJF. Seeking a SJF who wants a serious relationship leading to settling down with a family and kids. If you're interested, please reply. No gamers. Serious only. And if you're racist, don't write me. pjoseph74716@hotmail.com Married Caucasian man for married w o m a n. G e n t le m a n, l a te 4 0 s , attractive, cultured and polite, seeks similar woman. vbcfgt@hotmail.com Married needs help. Fr iendl y Caucasian MM in central Tokyo seeks discreet and sincere JF for romantic and intimate encounters. I am mid-40s, well-educated, respectful, nonsmoking. Please contact me and let's see what happens. theroyaljoker@yahoo.com

があれば尚可。能力：コミュニケーション能力、協調性、日本語に堪能、ビジネスレベルの英語力。条件：平日9:30-18:30 待遇：面接にて。jobs@

metropolis.co.jpまで、履歴書・職務経歴書（和文／英文）をご送付下さい。書類選考の上、ご連絡させて頂きます。

M ETROPOLIS I S S E E K I N G A N E /J BILINGUAL INTERN to join the most successful English-language advertising team (Restaurants & Bars) in Japan. Great opportunity to learn about advertising in an exciting environment. No pay, but transportation provided. Please fax your E/J resume to 03-4588-2278 or email knakashima@metropolisjapan. com

Massage for curvy lady. Tall, elegant, refined Caucasian businessman, fit, mature, experienced, offers deep, relaxing and sensual full-body massage with aromatic oil to curvy Japanese lady. Totally safe and discreet—just relax and enjoy—followed by dinner. teton001@hotmail.com Mature and sophisticated Japanese, some have said charming, seeking an elegant, passionate, kind SWF. I dream about wild nights as well as sharing the simple pleasures of love. Is that you? imak1_2_3@yahoo.co.jp Mature man for mature woman. Attractive, mature European man, 50, seeks a Japanese lover. I prefer somebody around my age (40s-60s). I am highly cultured and like Japanese ladies very much. vbcfgt@hotmail.com Me, you and our secret. I'm married, 30s, white. I love my wife as I'm sure you love your husband, but sometimes we need some extra love. Let's meet and see what happens. maxtokyo@ rocketmail.com MWM seeking MJF. Caring, educated, good-looking MWM, 40s, seeks married woman for relaxing relationship. If romance is lacking in your marriage and you're sincere and mentally/ emotionally stable, please get in touch. kimonalex4@gmail.com Nice gentleman seeks a mature Japanese woman, 50+, to enjoy special sweet moments together, with respect and good manners. vbcfgt@hotmail. com Nice Japanese for nice woman. Japanese man, 40s, 175cm, gentle, calm, kind, caring, decent, with a good sense of humor, seeking an attractive woman of any nationality living in Japan. kissynamio@excite.co.jp Older Japanese women are so beautiful. As Japanese women age, they become more and more beautiful. I love ladies in their 50s and 60s. vbcfgt@ hotmail.com Only the lonely. Western man, blond, green, 183cm, fit, 80kg, seeking a secret relationship with a lonely JF. Let's share our desires privately and enjoy physical pleasures. Please be clean, serious. Meet first. ghobatic@yahoo.com Pocchari JF? I'm an African currently residing in central Tokyo. I'm seeking a pocchari Japanese lady for a serious relationship. No jokes, please. Serious

emails only. Age is not a problem—it's just a number. strike4me@yahoo.com Questions! Are you seeking a tall guy? Are you too stressed and in need of some fun? If yes, reply to me. jsn334@ gmail.com Romance with an older lady. Very nice and sexy gentleman seeks an older, or much older, woman to have nice dates and a romance. feeltokyo@yahoo.co.uk S for M. English male S needs Japanese female M. New or experienced ok. What gives you pleasure? summerfunk@ googlemail.com Secret dating for enjoyable moments. Married Scandinavian WM seeks JF for discreet relationship in Tokyo. Wish to share enjoyable moments, a stressfree time for both of us to enjoy. I am a nonsmoker, charming, fit, good at sensual massage. lifeistobeenjoyed@ yahoo.com Seeking Caucasian woman for companionship, maybe le ading to something more serious. Let's explore Tokyo together. I'm Turkish, 43, divorced, 194cm, short black hair with some white, nonsmoking, social drinker, generous, permanent resident of Japan. I live near Machida, Odakyu line. pisces030771@hotmail.com Seeking female swimming mate. I seek a female swim mate for occasional practice after work and on weekends. I am a JM, 40, working in central Tokyo. Western female under 45 preferred. youdidntsaythat@yahoo.co.jp Seeking fun. SWM, 28, French, seeking people who want fun like me. My life is stable, but boring and stressful. I need excitement for my mental health balance. If you feel the same way, contact me, please. reydajp@yahoo. co.jp Seeking German female for sauna date. Japanese male, early 40s, young-looking, is seeking a German female for a sauna date. I just visited sauna in Germany and was really impressed. I want to do it privately. youdidntsaythat@yahoo.co.jp Seeking girlfriend. Cool guy, 40, kind, seeks mature JF, 40s-50s, for romance in Tokyo. Let's meet up for coffee and talk. Serious only, please. munesan50@ yahoo.com Seeking heavy girlfriend. WM, early 40s, kind, sweet, passionate, seeks a warmhearted, heavy lady for romance.

Seeking SJM. Middle-aged Caucasian woman seeking a single Japanese man, 40-55, 170-185cm, university-educated professional, in central Tokyo, for friendship, activity partner and long-term relationship. kolucy1231@gmail.com

太った女性を大好き. 私は日本語を少し話す. nihon4eva@gmail.com

Seeking Japanese girlfriend, 30-40. Kind, caring, single American gentleman in Tokyo, 45, well-educated (medical professional), seeking an attractive Japanese female for a long-term friendship. met4b@aim.com Seeking large Japanese girlfriend. Canadian guy, 40s, open-minded, gentle, romantic, positive, seeks overweight girlfriend for long-term relationship in Tokyo. Serious only, please. bbalajan@ yahoo.com Seeking mature and busty lady. Goodlooking Caucasian businessman, elegant, tall, well-built, mature and sensual, seeking a mature, busty Japanese lady, sensual, for a relaxing evening followed by a nice dinner. bellebite10@hotmail. com Seeking mature JF. Cool guy, 40s, positive, romantic, honest, a gentleman, seeks a JF, 40s-50s, for a long-term relationship. nnazila73@yahoo.com Seeking Parisienne. Affluent and excellent Japanese architectural engineer is seeking an attractive Parisienne who can speak English. I visited Paris last Dec and would like to know more about the city. Give me the hot info on Paris now. imak1_2_3@yahoo.co.jp Seeking partner. White guy, slender but muscular, divorced, working for a global company, seeks a special lady.. I am passionate and driven, but I need a partner. Please send me your thoughts (and a photo, if possible). steamstream69@gmail.com Seeking passionate affair. Kind, married, passionate, fun-loving, successful, nonsmoking, well-traveled male is looking to spoil, adore, cherish a married/attached woman for a longterm one-on-one discreet relationship. enjoylife_321@yahoo.com Seeking romantic love leading to marriage from any lady who's is interested in my ad. Email, w/photo. smartguy@i.softbank.jp Seeking serious, chubby JF. European guy, 40, open-minded, easygoing, honest, faithful, seeks a JF who can meet up soon (not too many emails) for a longterm relationship. Let's meet up over coffee and talk. niman429@yahoo.com Serious, long-term. SWM, 34, welleducated and traveled, with a stable job, seeks true love. If you are 20-30s, warm and caring, and seeking a serious long-term relationship, then please drop me an email. Serious only, no games. No Roppongi girls, please. Lasagna5577@ yahoo.com Single, handsome, caring and witty SJM seeks a nice Western or Japanese female for friendship or possibly more. Nonsmokers preferred. If you are interested in exciting and happy times with me, email me now. cioinjapan@ gmail.com Sophisticated and cute SJM, 40s, in Kanagwa, seeks interesting, warmhearted Western lady for friendship or possibly more. If you seek a genuine and ideal JM, please just drop me a line. Let's start with communication. toshinoris1012@yahoo.co.jp Traveling in Asia? Elegant, tall Caucasian executive, charming and sexy, living in Asia, seeking Japanese lady to meet in Hong Kong or Singapore for fine dinner and more. You must be sensual, preferably busty, any age, ready to have fun. bracbig@hotmail.com UK lady. SJM, 30s, tall, slim, lover of books, films, and music, seeks an attractive British lady with the same interests. hurryondownboy@yahoo.co.jp WM in Tokyo seeking a pretty girl, 18-35. I am tall, white, with blue eyes. I speak Japanese. chrischrisjapan34@yahoo.com

14.3 WOMEN LOOKING FOR MEN TO ADVERTISE IN METROPOLIS, Japan’s N o .1 E n g l i s h m a g a z i n e , log on at www.metropolis. co.jp/classif ieds or email yo u r co m m e r c i a l a d s to commercial@metropolisjapan. com.

S I N G L E S - O N LY D AT I N G EVENTS EVERY FRI NIGHT for foreign men and Japanese women. Leave the event with a new date! Always more women than men. FREE if signing up in advance! Otherwise, ¥2,000. info@exeo-international.com www.exeo-international.com

LAVISH DATES AND INDULGENT NIGHTS—WE CR E ATE O PP O RTU N ITI E S for elite foreign males to meet elegant Japanese females. Start with a luxurious dinner date,take the night where you want it to go. Fresh, young women join our club every day. Try our free one-month trial offer: first date is on us! 0120-675-858 (E) international@ universe-club.jp http://universeclub.jp/en Discover fun things in Tokyo together? Travelers welcome—I can show you around! Let's discover nice things: dining, spas, music, vacations, etc. JF, late 30s, friendly, slim, tall, seeking a classy, intelligent gentleman for dating. amynakagawa@outlook.jp European man for serious relationship. I’m a SJF, 30s, seeking a European gentleman as I’m interested in the culture. Email me for more info. Serious and genuine people who know how to introduce themselves only. framboisier@ inter7.jp Fresh start. JF, attractive, elegant, cultured, 30s, seeks someone who can pos sibly ha ve a long -term relationship, not marriage-minded though. He should be single, goodlooking, Caucasian, 20s/30s, live in Tokyo. Let's enjoy city life together. bmens9182@yahoo.co.jp Friendship first. JF, attractive, educated, mature, early 30s, seeks a sincere, goodlooking Caucasian, 20s-30s, in Tokyo. winterwhite26@yahoo.co.jp Japanese female, 31, nice smile, fun, back from London, seeking fun, well-educated, laid-back, caring gentleman in central Tokyo for a longterm relationship—if we like each other. Otherwise, we can be just friends. mkflower123@gmail.com JF seeks WM to date on weekends. Attractive and intelligent bilingual SJF seeks SWM to date on weekends. I like both the arts (especially music) and the outdoors, so someone with those interests preferred. Cat lover is a big plus. queenqetesh@gmail.com Love traveling. Attractive, feminine, bilingual, professional JF, enjoys traveling, scuba diving, music, reading, dining out, finer things in life, seeking a mature, sophisticated gentleman, 35-45, for a meaningful relationship. Would love to multiply happiness by sharing. icedcoconutmilktea@hotmail.com MJF seeking MWM or SWM for discreet relationship, but not just intimacy. Would like to meet after work in central Tokyo. I am late 40s, mature, gentle, openminded, seeking someone to release my stress and frustration. sakuratree1999@ hotmail.com Seeking independent traveler. SJF, 40s, seeks a man who can travel alone, i.e., carry his own backpack, not rely on a tour. I am a bit tired of city boys; seeking someone who loves natural things. kitty333@mymelody.com Seeking single man. I'm a JF, 40, seeking a single gentleman, 40-50, from continental Europe. blenda0406@ yahoo.co.jp

Sexy apron, lovely dish gloves and pretty face. Got your attention? Fit Japanese, educated, great cook, reaching mid-40s, seeks single professional, late 30-mid-60s, native English speaker, up for nice dishes, laughs and sharing your world with me. enfant7bythesea@yahoo.co.jp Someone special. SJF, 40, seeking a SWM in Tokyo for a serious relationship. I’m attractive, slim, well-educated, nonsmoking, enjoy dining out, shopping, sports, traveling in my free time. summer183@hotmail.co.jp Start this autumn. SJF, 30s, seeking a gentleman, 25-50, for a long-term relationship starting with sharing autumn activities such as hiking, nice food, sunbathing and onsen trips. Please be smart enough to make nice conversation. jennie@inter7.jp This is it... SJF, mid-30s, openminded, loves to laugh, listen to music (especially R&B), chill out indoors, seeking a boyfriend. I hope we can be serious. Cat-loving black man preferred. happylovemusic0808@gmail.com

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14.4 GAY & LESBIAN Friends and fun. Japanese guy, 27, 170, 65, good-looking, seeking friends and fun in/around Tokyo. Please reply w/face photo and stats. kcv@hotmail.co.jp I am new here. Decent, discreet Japanese, 170, 65kg, average body, clean. I'm waiting for your reply! Thanks. ns_jmate@live.jp

14.5 ESCORTS ESCORTS have gone online. To f i n d a l o v e l y l a d y co m p a n i o n , v i s i t h t t p: // classifieds.metropolis.co.jp/ category/personals/escorts.

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14.6 AND OTHERS

J-STAR PATENT, TRADEMARK & IMMIGRATION OFFICE Reasonable prices. Free first time consultation We can support you with: Butt feti. Hello, Japanese women. I have a bottom fetish and I am interested in seeing your lovely derrière. If you have fantasized about showing your beautiful round behind, now is the time to do it. Please think about it. jsn334@gmail.com Daytime fun. Hi, I'm a white guy, early 30s, seeking a married lady for secret encounters. I'm good-looking—I hope you are, too. I will keep our secret. Ciao. maxtokyo@rocketmail.com Slap and tickle. Are you a Japanese female who likes rough play with a smart professional guy? Are you tired of the same weak guys who can't excite you? I am seeking a woman who likes to be swanked. jsn334@gmail.com

Visa and immigration Intellectual property rights (Patent, trademark, copyrights) Establishing a Company & Branch office Other Legal & Business matters Hiroshi Oogai,

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Tel: 03-5216-6890 Fax: 03-5216-6891 Email: hiroshioogai@j-star.jp

Seduce my girlfriend in Tokyo. Seeking foreign man to flirt with and seduce my girlfriend at bars. We occasionally go out for drinks at bars and she likes having foreigners flirt with her. She’s Japanese, sexy, easy to talk to. j_player_special_x@ yahoo.co.jp

15 JOBS 15.1 JOB WANTED NEED A BABYSITTER? My name is Merinda Masuda. I’m 16, great with children and give them 100% attention. Trustworthy, responsible, loving, can do housework while children sleep. Seeking work in central Tokyo. Availab le mos t evening s , S at evenings and Sun. merindababysitter@gmail.com

RELATIONS THE CULTURE OF COMEDY BY GRACE BUCHELE MINETA

Humor is one of those things that just can’t be taught. It’s not universal; it’s cultural. In fact, I quickly realized the drastic, inherent differences between American humor and Japanese humor when I scored tickets to a live taping of The Colbert Report in New York. While I was excited, my husband confessed that when we watched it on TV, he just laughed when I laughed to make me feel better... The roles were reversed years later, when we were traveling through Osaka and my husband wanted to go to one of those Yoshimoto live comedy shows. Comedy really is cultural.

喜劇の文化お笑いのセンスというのは学ぼうと思っても学ぶことが出来ないものだ。なぜならそれは世界共通ではなく、国によってお笑いの文化の違いがあるから。ニューヨークで「The Colbert Report」のスタジオ観覧チケットが当たった時、私はいかにアメリカと日本のお笑いが違うということを実感した。夫は最近になって二人で初めて「The Colbert Report」の番組をテレビで見ていた時、笑い所を知らず気を遣って私が笑った箇所で自分も笑うふりをしていたことを告白した。数年経った今、旅行先の大阪で吉本喜劇を見ていた時は逆の立場で私が夫に笑いを合わせていた。お笑いは本当に文化によって異なるものだ。 ■ Grace Buchele Mineta is an author who blogs and draws comics about her daily life in Japan at www.HowIBecameTexan.com.

horoscope BY CATHRYN MOE

♥ Love ¥ Money ♣ Luck

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

May 20-Jun 20 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣

Jun 21-Jul 21 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣

A power ful week, should you choose to play. The temptation to join in may pull on every part of you. For reluctant Aries spiritual leaders, warriors, pioneers ... you have the strength of your conviction—it’s simply the timing that may have you in a quandary. Act now or hold off? Uranus is turning everyone on their heads. You still have a chance to sneak off to greener pastures, but maybe only a few moments to do the right thing.

The stars back you up to bring power to your choices: Trust your sudden insights. Uranus electrifies your solar twelfth house and guides you to a partnership. Several of your dreams are about to be answered—Juno lightens your domestic duties while Vesta paves the way. With Mercury plowing forward opposite your sign, you have a chance to see the mechanisms of your actions. You may have to retrace a few of your steps to get where you want to be.

If you want your week to be filled with rich overtones and the meaning of life, throw your energy into work, health and helping others: Four planets—the Sun, Saturn, Venus and Mercury—fill this sector of your chart with a depth that’s not often available. Asteroid goddess Pallas Athene rounds out the group, making your choices resonate with a wise overtone that others envy. Romance is retrograde—partnerships bring a mature quality into play.

All of life is temporary, but it still matters. What you do, say, and think is still on review. At any point along this continuum, you can change the course you create. It’s tempting to feel frustrated when Pluto opposes your sign and squares both your home life and career. However, the soul you’re infusing with matter-made experiences is being filled with light even as you read this. Direct your attention to a comfortable resolution and the resources you need will find you this week.

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Sep 22-Oct 22 ♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Oct 23-Nov 21 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ As if Scorpio weren’t burning through emotional fires, you’re also infused with the planetar y weight of the zodiac—Venus, Saturn, the Sun, Pallas Athene and Mercury are all in your sign. It may feel as if you’re the sieve all parts of the universe have to sift through. Luckily, you’re able to sense the undercurrents. Take the opportunities presented to you at this time. It may seem like they’ll hang you up, but they’re the foundation you’ll need to reach your goals when the tide comes in.

Mar 20-Apr 18 ♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣

Jul 22-Aug 21 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣♣

Apr 19-May 19 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Aug 22-Sep 21 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣

CANCER

Change is in the air for everyone this week, in large part due to Uranus pushing for reform. However, things can go smoothly for you because this planet is in a helpful trine aspect to your sign, dear Leo. It creates something similar to a form of protection around you—even in the midst of chaos. Juno, Jupiter and Dark Moon Lilith back this up, so your desires can be heard in the light you prefer. Romance takes on a mature overtone.

When stuff gets kicked up, it takes a Virgo to handle it. That’s because you can see the details to reason in the midst of all the commotion. Right now, Venus, Saturn, the Sun, Pallas Athene and Mercury are in your communication sector: They want answers, and they will go to the depths to get to the final point. They will also back you up as your sign has a sweetness to it and no Virgo should go this alone. Healing continues in romance so you can make a break for it if you choose.

You may have to go below the surface to see through the veil. Venus, Saturn, the Sun, Pallas Athene and Mercury are all in your solar second house of income, and what you have sensed and tried to negotiate for some time is beginning to surface. The balance you seek is on its way in. There will be surprises with someone unexpected coming to your rescue—there may well be more than one. Don’t worry, you don’t have to make up your mind who you like best just yet.

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

Jan 20-Feb 17 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Feb 18-Mar 19 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣

You are an inspirational, big-picture fire sign. But are there enough hours in the day and days in the week to actualize all that you can imagine? With your ruling planet Jupiter in your solar ninth house of long-distance travel, you have the ability to move further and faster than there are hours in the day. Opportunities are everywhere, but the trick is to prepare for your future, which is about to pop into hypergear. Don’t look back—you can do this.

Mars has passed Pluto in Capricorn, and the immediate push for action is over—you can take a breather and chill. Recent revelations may show you will never be the same ... but then, there is reason to celebrate. Pluto in your sign has asked you to give up so much of what you have. At the same time, this paves the way for more to come in. Once the open space has been created, expect to see a rush of energy that fills every empty pocket and fills your cups to overflowing.

You don’t have to be cutting-edge every moment—you probably will be anyway, but you don’t have to make it happen. In following your instincts, your heart and your obligations, you naturally attract what you need in every given moment. It may not seem to be the case, but truly, your angels are working overtime, which they are delighted to do—that’s their job! Aquarians can coast a bit with partners who are into big things. Single Aquarians: You’re fancy-free as always.

It’s your job to be the best you that you can be. With Neptune conjunct Chiron in your sign, healing the wounded heals you too—so if you need time for yourself, it’s completely understood. Your emotional and psychic muscles are growing and flexing. Your sense of mystery and compassion entwine for the greater good—play, yummy foods and music enhance your ability to be there when the rains threaten to stop others in their tracks. Enjoy what’s offered this week.

Nov 22-Dec 20 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Dec 21-Jan 19 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

PISCES

The summit of Mt. Fuji got its first snowfall of the year on October 16, about two weeks earlier than usual.

LINGO BOX Bakuhatsu (爆発) = explosion Hatsu-yuki (初雪) = first snowfall

the small print

Ninchi-shō (認知症) = dementia Shōhi-zei (消費税) = consumption tax

BY STEVE TRAUTLEIN

IT WAS THE SAME SATISFYING TASTE AS BEFORE.” —Hiroshi Matsuno, who took a bullet train from Kyoto to attend the reopening of famed noodle shop Kanda Yabusoba, which had been gutted by a fire last February

THE CRIME FILES ⊲A ⊲ court in Yokohama handed a two-year prison sentence to a local man who used a 3-D printer to manufacture handguns. The presiding judge said the man’s actions threatened to make gun control laws “toothless.” ⊲Cops ⊲ in Saitama responding to the sound of an explosion at an apartment complex discovered a metal tube that “appeared to have been used as a shell launcher.” ⊲Police ⊲ in southern Thailand arrested a local man for killing a 79-year-old Japanese expat who had been missing since September. The suspect’s girlfriend had withdrawn nearly ¥2.5 million from the victim’s bank account. ⊲Headline ⊲ of the Week: “Chief of Kanagawa Police Molestation Division Arrested for Groping Teen” (via Tokyo Reporter)

ON THE MOVE ⊲Six ⊲ months after JR Central submitted an environmental impact assessment for its proposed maglev line between Tokyo and Nagoya, the transport ministry gave the project its blessing. ⊲Land ⊲ minister Akihiro Ota traveled aboard a Coast Guard ship to make a “survey” of one of

the islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan but controlled by Russia. ⊲U.S. ⊲ military personnel began dismantling the so-called Elephant Cage, a massive antenna array at the Misawa Air Base in Aomori that had been used to target radio communications from the Soviet Union and China during the Cold War. ⊲Reporters ⊲ at NHK and Mainichi Shimbun won the 2014 Kikuchi Kan Prize for their coverage of dementia sufferers who have wandered away from home. The annual award recognizes “achievements in Japanese literary culture.”

OFFICIAL BUSINESS ⊲For ⊲ the first time since the March 11 disaster, the government has set no power reduction targets for local municipalities this winter. ⊲Government ⊲ officials are considering a plan to offer tax breaks to companies that hire reserve members of the Self-Defense Forces. ⊲Law ⊲ enforcement authorities in Fukuoka have taken a novel approach to fighting organized crime: They’ve released a manga that depicts the dangers of life in a yakuza gang. ⊲Officials ⊲ at the Consumer Affairs agency say

at a glance BY RODGER SONOMURA

Hōjin-zei kōjo (法人税控除) = corporate tax break

stats

10,896 Cases of violence committed by children at elementary schools during the 2013 academic year—the first time the number has topped 10,000, according to the education ministry

2,860 Number of public schools around the country that are “at risk of being affected by a tsunami,” according to a government survey

Percent of Japanese people who oppose a government plan to legalize casinos, according to a newspaper poll

that, since April 2010, two kids have been killed and 32 others injured in accidents involving kick scooters. ⊲The ⊲ agency also slammed the operators of shabu-shabu chain Kisoji for labeling cheap cuts of meat as Matsusaka beef.

BOTTOMS UP ⊲Japanese ⊲ marine biologists have found an Okinawan deep-sea crab that “survives solely on bacteria growing on its body hair.” ⊲To ⊲ celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of mystery writer Edogawa Rampo (18941965), a Tokyo publisher has commissioned five contemporary novelists to create short stories in the vein of Rampo’s “Boy Detectives Club” series.

HELL NO! ⊲A ⊲ whopping 73 percent of respondents to a newspaper survey said they oppose a plan to raise the consumption tax from 8 to 10 percent next October. ⊲And ⊲ just 1 percent said they are “better off” since the tax was hiked from 5 to 8 percent this past April. ⊲In ⊲ what’s being described as a rare move, more than 130 municipal assemblies across the country have adopted statements urging the repeal of the state secrets protection law.

Small Print Updated Weekly → METURL.COM/SMALLPRINT Compiled from reports by AP, Japan Today, The Japan Times, Jiji, The Tokyo Reporter, The Mainichi, The Japan News, AFP, Reuters and Kyodo

the last word

Escalator Etiquette WHY I CHOSE JAPAN BY WENDY NGUYEN, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Illustration by Christi Rochin

NO MATTER HOW BUSY, TIRED OR STRETCHED PEOPLE HERE ARE FOR TIME, A LEVEL OF PATIENCE ALWAYS REMAINS.”

WANT TO HAVE THE LAST WORD? Send your article to:

editor@ metropolisjapan.com

Over a year ago, I decided 2014 was when I was finally going to make the move to Japan. While going through my old books, I came across a diary that I had kept when I first visited Tokyo as an 18-year-old. One of the last entries had been written on a park bench in Harajuku and read, “One day, I’m going to make this city my home.” When I started telling family and friends that I would be moving to Japan, the most common question was, “Why Japan?” My answer was simple, and it didn’t involve anime, temples, or even sushi. It wasn’t motivated by any deep-rooted desire to “lose myself” in a different culture, nor was it because I simply “fell in love” with the country and couldn’t see myself being anywhere else. My reason for moving to Japan can be summed up by two key things I witnessed while I was traveling in Tokyo for the first time: train etiquette and escalator queues. We’ve all heard the expression, “packed like a can of sardines.” Well, I hadn’t seen it in the flesh until I found myself riding the Tokyo subway during the peak hours of approximately 6-8pm. During this time you’ll witness hundreds of commuters cramming into the trains as though their lives and the lives of all their loved ones depended on it. You’ll see salarymen squeeze into spaces so tight you didn’t even think you could wiggle a toe in there, but somehow they manage

to maneuver right through and prove you wrong (I’ve decided it has something to do with how Japanese people are efficient at everything, including the use of tiny spaces). However, as awful as this might sound, I’ve found that being on these trains is actually the pleasantest of unpleasant situations. If you had trains this cramped in any other part of the world, you would probably choose to walk ten miles rather than subject yourself to the indecency of such a situation. However, in Japan I discovered that although the trains were full, younger passengers still offered their seats to seniors (maybe not always, but still sometimes). People still tried as best they could to keep out of your personal space, and those reading newspapers would fold them up into tiny squares to limit the area they took up. Even though the situation is less than ideal, the way in which Japanese people are always self-aware, and the regard they have for people around them, makes circumstances like this tolerable and somewhat humbling as an outsider. Getting off the train, I found another unexpected sight: a long line of people waiting to go up an escalator. I was used to finding long queues outside popular clubs or new restaurant openings, but when I first saw this phenomenon in Tokyo, I thought there had been a breakdown or an accident that was forcing everyone to walk single file on one side

of the escalator. Upon reaching the top I realized there wasn’t anything jamming the line—people actually just chose to stand on one side to avoid blocking others who wanted to walk up faster. Having just seen people risking their lives in order to squeeze onto a train, you would think these people had somewhere to be or were at least in enough of a hurry to push ahead of the line. Watching everyone standing patiently you kind of feel like their effort of squeezing onto the train was almost in vain. But what I realized was that no matter how busy, tired or stretched people here are for time, a level of patience always remains—especially when it comes to dealing with other people. Drunk old men may challenge the point, but when I look around at everyone else, I see they’re the exception, not the rule. In a society where people are known to be overworked and hard-pressed for time, Japanese people don’t let it show in the way they treat others. So when friends and family ask me why I chose Japan, I tell them I wanted to live somewhere, even if just for a short while, where people were just a bit more self-aware, a bit more patient, and a bit nicer, even if it’s in the most seemingly ordinary way. ■ Wendy Nguyen is Social Media Manager with Metropolis. You can see her work every day on our Facebook page and Twitter feed. www.facebook.com/MetropolisMagazine @MetropolisTokyo

The views expressed in “The Last Word” are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the position or opinions of Japan Partnership Co. Ltd. or its partners and sponsors.

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