Metropolis #1000 May 24-June 6, 2013

Japan’s Nº1 English Magazine www.metropolis.co.jp

#1000 May 24~Jun 6, 2013

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INSIDE

#1000

MAY 24-JUN 6, 2013

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07 FEATURE

ZEN OF SEN: METROPOLIS MILESTONES 03 THE SMALL PRINT 05 UPFRONT 10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 12 AGENDA 19 MOVIES 21 DINING OUT 24 CLASSIFIEDS & JOBS 29 HOROSCOPE & MEDIABOX 30 THE LAST WORD

FOR MORE INFO

METROPOLIS.CO.JP/EVENTS

Issues of Japan's No.1 English magazine as Metropolis joins the Mille High Club!

Thank you for 20 years of continued support!

COVER ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTI ROCHIN, WINNER OF OUR METROPOLIS 1000 ISSUE COVER COMPETITION

TARA NANGIA

The Small Print

the past year, saying he wanted to “stand out by doing something different.” ćć Heeding the advice of an advisory panel on education reform, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Japanese schools to make their English instruction “more suited for practical use.”

By Steve Trautlein

SHOOTING MY AGE “ IS NOT SOMETHING I TRY TO DO” —Golfing legend Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, 66, after carding a nine-under 62 in the first round of the Tsuruya Open last month

THE WAGES OF SIN

MILESTONES

a comeback on an uninhabited island near Hachijojima. ćć Meanwhile, a strong earthquake ruined a popular rock-climbing cliff on Miyakejima that was hailed as sparking interest in freeclimbing on the island.

HEAVY METAL

DEPT. OF IRONIC DISTURBANCES

ćć The SDF installed a Patriot anti-missile battery at its headquarters in downtown Tokyo, aka the most densely populated place on Earth. ćć A customs officer at Fukuoka Airport busted a pair of Japanese men for attempting to smuggle 8kg of gold from Thailand. ćć A “natural history study group” made up of citizens dedicated to the Izu islands say that the endangered black-footed albatross is making

ćć A 65m-tall wind power generator in Mie collapsed… after being hit by strong winds. ćć A Kobe University student who claimed that he accidentally fell off a river-rafting ride at Universal Studios Japan was exposed as a prankster after bragging about the feat on Twitter. ćć It was later discovered that the same genius had pulled a similar stunt eight times during

�

79 percent

Support rate for the resumption of a six-day week for public school students, according to a newspaper poll

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ćć Break out the party hats! Convicted murderer Iwao Hakamada has been certified by Guinness as the world’s longest-serving death row inmate. The 77-year-old, who butchered a family of four in Shizuoka in 1966, has been cooling his heels at Tokyo Detention House for more than 44 years. ćć It was reported that Japanese scientists have, for the second year in a row, succeeded in producing artificial rain by “spraying liquid carbonic acid onto the bottom of clouds.” ćć Authorities in Shizuoka and Yamanashi say they’ll start charging fees to climbers on Mt. Fuji this summer. ćć Officials from Tokyo and Taipei inked a deal allowing Taiwanese fishermen to do their thing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone around the Senkaku Islands.

SEARCH OVER 19 MILLION PHOTOS

�

26.3 percent

Increase in the number of overseas visitors to Japan in March compared to a year earlier, thanks largely to the stronger yen, according to the JNTO

ćć Who says crime doesn’t pay? Officials at the NPA estimate that about 70 percent of websites providing “illegal or harmful content” are also receiving advertising revenue. ćć A Saitama man was handed a suspended sentence for defrauding 15 people out of ¥11 million, which he said would be used for “developing and selling items to be used in a virtual city on the Internet.” ćć Officials in Kamakura are combining three local beaches—including the popular Yuigahama— into a single entity and selling the naming rights for a cool million yen. ćć Meanwhile, authorities in Akita are looking for someone to “assume control” of a hotspring hotel complex in the resort town of Yuzawa—for free.

DRAWING A CROWD ćć T he w idow of Barefoot Gen creator Keiji Na ka zawa donated a never-before-seen storyboard for the iconic manga to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. ćć As part of its “anime hero and heroine” series, Japan Post has announced that it will issue a set of Doraemon-themed postage stamps. ćć Red-faced officials at the Japan Coast Guard admitted that they may have failed to delete sensit ive nav igat ion i n for mat ion on a decommissioned patrol vessel that was sold to a demolition company. ćć What’s worse, the demolition company is run by a senior member of Chongryon, a proPyongyang group.

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¥5.4 trillion

Estimated cost to repair expressway bridges and tunnels nationwide over the next 100 years, according to industry groups

COMPILED FROM REPORTS BY AP, JAPAN TODAY, THE JAPAN TIMES, JIJI, THE TOKYO REPORTER, JAPAN PROBE, THE MAINICHI, THE JAPAN NEWS, AFP, REUTERS AND KYODO

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 03

10

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May there be many more!

Congratulations to Japan’s No.1 English Magazine for their 1000th issue!

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Open Mon-Sat, PM 6:00-AM 5:00. Roi bldg. 13F 5-5-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku TEL: 03-5474-0091. www.vanitytokyo.com

mona Saito by GIMME B SHEL 5-3-2 ldg 1F TER Tokyo Roppongi, Mon- 106-0032 Minato-ku F , Sun/la ri 6PM-4A M 6PM- st day of a 1 Congratulations to Metropolis on their 1000th issue! holida TEL： 2AM y 03-68 From mona by GIMME SHELTER – Always rocking out at 04-23 69 The Rolling Stones-themed dining bar!

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PEOPLE, TRENDS & MISCELLANY

sushi cats

T

Upfront

cover contest

he phenomenon of the Nekozushi, or sushi cat, is a body of pseudomyth accompanied by a hilarious bank of associated weirdness. Get postcard sets (¥1,050), individual postcards (¥315), or a photo book (¥1,470), for example, or go to town on a massive A3-sized print for ¥42,000 plus shipping. Which might be what real feline sushi might set you back. Browse the strange goods at http://nekozushi.shop-pro.jp, and check out http://nekozushi.tumblr.com for some truly eye-opening videos. Metropolis is giving away two picture books; email giveaways@metropolis.co.jp with your details and "Cat" in the subject line.

T

hanks to everyone who participated in our Metropolis 1000th-issue cover design contest! It was a tough choice but we chose Christi Rochin's design (http://christirochin.tumblr.com). Below are three runner-up designs from (L to R) Kim D. Sato, Robert Day and Ken Niimura. To view a gallery of the contest entries, visit us online at http://meturl.com/cover1000.

editor’s note COURTESY OF NEKOZUSHI

103

emoji

A

s we celebrate the significance of the number 1,000, learn some meaningful numerals (in Japanese) for digit-izing your text messages.

39: san kyu = thank you 084: o ha yo = good morning 114: ii yo = that’s fine/okay 194 : i ku yo = I’m going!

0833 : o ya su mi = goodnight 2110: fua i to = fight!/you can do it!

3914 : sa mu i yo = it’s cold!

4510: shi go to = work 4649 : yo ro shi ku = a pleasure 8110 : ba i to = part-time work 8181 : ba i ba i = bye bye 724106 : na ni shi tei ru = what’s up?

1122 ii fu fu = good (married) couple

tou san = dad

PHOTO BY MICHELLE MADDEN

(´┏o┓｀)

The Metropolis team at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo fountain

♡(*´∀｀*)人(*´∀｀*)♡

29

ni ku = meat ( ￣ (oo) ￣ )ﾉ

scene around town

E

F

or our 1,000th issue we celebrate some past highlights since launching as Tokyo Classified back in 1994 and transforming into Metropolis in 2001. We also want to thank all the readers and advertisers who’ve supported us for nearly 20 years. Expats in Tokyo are often pushed together by necessity, and that has led to an amazing richness of culture and collaboration. At Metropolis, we’ve always tried to aid that as much as possible, safe in the knowledge that if we get anything wrong—our readers will be the first to tell us.

So here’s to another 1,000 issues exploring the endless secrets of this fascinating city. Please keep reading, posting shady classified ads, writing letters and comments and being vocal in your criticism—so we can continue to be a vital part of this wonderful community we serve.

JEFF W. RICHARDS

ver dreamt of b e i n g on t he b i g screen—the one at the Shibuya crossing? Well now’s your chance.

PAS Communications is offering the chance to up your own Happy Message (Tel: 03-5216-3012; email: info@ pas-com.co.jp; www.pas.com) on one (or all) of the large TV screens above the Scramble. You can display one image for 15 seconds per hour (¥10,500) or two images for 7.5 seconds per hour (¥15,750). You can’t request a specific time, but will be notified of your time slot (usually two days in advance). Send your own image via email with a message (“Marry me,” “You have spinach in your teeth,” “Happy 1,000th issue Metropolis,” etc.). Register your order by phone, fax or email, at least seven days in advance.

Come raise a glass to the Metropolis millenial milestone at our party next week!

Fri, May 31, 7-10pm, free (¥500 drinks available). Le Baron de Paris. Nearest stn: Gaienmae or Omotesando. http://metropolis.co.jp/events

giveaway

BRIDGESTONE MUSEUM OF ART, ISHIBASHI FOUNDATION

THROUGH JAPANESE EYES: PARIS, 1900-1945 Metropolis is giving away tickets to the exhibition “Through Japanese Eyes: Paris, 1900-1945” at the Bridgestone Museum of Art. Japanese Western-style painters flocked to pre-WWII Paris to learn from the artists gathered there, refining their skills in a melting pot of creative minds. To claim one of the five pairs of tickets, tell us how your eyes see Tokyo. Send your answer along with your full name, postal address and “Paris” in the subject line to giveaways@metropolis.co.jp for your chance to win.

For more great prizes: http://metropolis.co.jp/giveaway #1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 05

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Feature

THEY SAID IT

Politicians, chefs, designers, athletes—the world’s biggest celebrities have given Metropolis a piece of their mind Compiled by Steve Trautlein #454 (D

e c 6 , 20

02 )

#460 (J “Designing yuppie trinkets is not in a lot of ways all that commendable… That’s the only reason I’m doing it really, because most of what is out there is crap, and I think there’s a huge amount of scope to be able to improve what exists now.” —Marc Newson, designer

eb 21, 2 #465 (F

003)

an 17, 2

003)

“[K]ids in Tokyo today [are] very shallow; they take things for granted, and they’re not street savvy. It’s sort of ironic for them to be wearing my clothing. I’m trying to show how they are incapable of being independent-minded.

They have no plans, no goals, because they’re just too comfortable.

Like bathing in lukewarm water.” —Nigo, fashion designer & entrepreneur 03) pr 11, 20 #472 (A

“The Washington Post wrote about me and said Ishihara is the Japanese devil incarnate. I’m very proud of it.”

—Shintaro Ishihara, Tokyo governor, “Devil May Care”

#534 (J

un 18, 2

004)

an 13, 2

#526 (D

0 0 6)

03) “I’ve got so many ideas at the moment, I scramble them down on paper so I don’t forget them. Because you’re only as good as your last plate.”

—Jamie Oliver, chef

#478 (M

0 ay 23, 2

03)

ec 17, 2

004)

“My friends from overseas always ask me why Japanese go home as soon as a show is over even though the night is still young. Japan may be an economic superpower, but we don’t enjoy real affluence.”

—Minoru Mori (19342012), construction magnate

#588 (J

ul 1, 20

0 5)

“I always thought Tokyo was a city run by teenage girls.”

—Sofia Coppola, filmmaker

#637 (J “People might criticize making children work, but helping adults is very common, normal, in Mongolia. This is something the children do of their own accord.”

—Asashoryu, sumo wrestler

ar 7, 20

“Young people want to be famous before they know how to cook, before they know how to treat people, before they know what hospitality means.”

—Wolfgang Puck, chef

“If you ask me if I am confident enough with my ability at this point, honestly I’d have to say I am not. I believe I can do better and I think I’ll gain a lot more confidence in my ability as time passes.”

—Hideki Matsui, baseball player

#616 (J

#467 (M

u n 9, 2 0

0 6)

“I’ve enjoyed having three stars and I’ll continue to enjoy them.

Somebody asked me yesterday what I would do if I lost one, and I said, ‘Fucking win it back!’

—Gordon Ramsay, chef

#648 (A “[Tokyo is] a very level playing field in terms of designers. Nobody has these massive egos here like they do in the West.” —Mark Dytham, architect

ug 2 5 , 2

0 0 6) “Magic creates an energy, a bond and a relationship between people. You don’t even need to speak the same language. Some people approach me and ask, ‘Can I do magic?’

I always tell them, ‘Of course you can—magic is in all of us.’” —Cyril, magician

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 07

Feature #678 (M

ar 2 3 , 2

007)

#721 (J

an 18, 2

008)

“Almost everyone steals my techniques.”

—Shoto Tanemura, ninja

#759 (O

ct 10, 2

008)

#740 (M

0 ay 30, 2

08)

“I have big breasts, but I am very slim and I didn’t want to waste that.”

—Sola Aoi, AV actress

#773 (J

an 16, 2

“Japanese men have been put under a spell by society, and they are cowards. It would be wonderful if they were able to adopt the charms foreign men have.”

—Aya Sugimoto, actress & dancer

009)

“Now, if I were to wear a kimono on stage when I sang, no one would take me seriously. I don’t think I’d look good in a kimono anyway.”

—Jero, enka singer

#788 (M “Japan’s interest rate has always been very low, almost zero, which is unbelievable in the capitalist system. This is in order to support the United States, and this shows how Japan is subservient to the United States economically.”

—Kazuo Shii, Japan Communist Party

0 ay 1, 20

9) “A lot of authors who write about Japan make the mistake of getting caught up in their preconceptions of what makes Tokyo special. They write about this mysterious Oriental city with strange food, men in white gloves, elevator girls.”—Barry Eisler, novelist

MUSIC & STAGE: A DEC

From vaginas and gaijin J-rap to rock festivals and J-pop's demise

By Dan Grunebaum

STAGE SMUT Who would have thought a play with the word “vagina” in the title would be a hit in Japan? Yet Eve Ensler’s influential feminist stage spectacle The Vagina Monologues touched a nerve when the New Voice Company debuted it in Japan in 2005 at a time when traditional gender attitudes were entering flux (May 6, 2005 issue #580). Japanese audiences also perhaps got more than they bargained for when they attended renowned (and gay) Canadian director

Robert Lepage’s tribute to Hans Christian Andersen for the Setagaya Public Theatre in 2006 (June 18, 2006 issue #638). The Andersen Project, created for the 200th anniversary of the famous Danish children’s writer’s birth, featured scenes depicting the hero as a compulsive masturbator.

GAIJIN J-RAP BOOM Before Japanese-African-American enka singer Jero became a star, Nice Guy Jin was having a go rapping in Japanese back in 2003. The trio of Dave Olsen and J and Scottie Novosel became a flash in the pan when “Hai Irrashai,” a cross-cultural satire set in a sushi shop, became the ending song for the long-running

08 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

anime show Ryo-san, and sold over 35,000 copies in the summer of 2003. The trio ultimately became the subject of controversy for their “white-fro” visual ripoff of African-American basketball stars (Dec 3, 2004 issue #558). But the Gaijin J-rap movement was just getting started. Kurofunedan—all students in the University of Memphis’ Japanese department who bonded over a mutual love for hip-hop and Japanese— followed Nice Guy Jin with 2008’s Abare Hodai (Jan 29, 2009 issue #772). Their ambition was not only to sell millions of CDs, but to bring member Ray Rodney’s family’s chicken wing franchise to Japan.

NEW RAVE GENERATION The first generation of raves in Japan launched in the ’90s on a wave of ecstasy-fueled Second Summer of Love electro-idealism imported from Europe. Events

#795 (J

une 19,

2009) “The people here think, ‘He’s a weird director; he’s crazy; he’s a pervert.’ But Strange Circus won an audience prize at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival. It seems in Berlin, my movies aren’t especially weird—regular people like them.”

—Sion Sono, filmmaker

STAR OF STARS

C

athryn Moe, our resi-

president after he said he would not.

dent astrologer, has been

I told BBC Radio Guernsey that Bill and

reading the skies for

Hillary Clinton would stay together

our readers for nigh on 17 years.

at the time of Monica Lewinsky. I told

Yet she has remained a woman of mys-

friends at a New Year’s party the dot-com

tery, communicating only through

tech bubble would burst in March 2000.

her forecasts. To commemorate our

... and incorrect?

1,000th issue, we asked her a few

I hoped if my Mother could get past

questions.

a particularly tricky Pluto transit she

How did you end up writing “It’s In The Stars?”

would live. She got past it, then a year

I had a weekly Horoscope column in

though. A Mother’s work is never done!

#809

9) “When Grotesque was released in Japan, I was kind of disappointed there wasn’t a more violent response.

So when the film got [banned] in Britain, I was actually happy about it.”

—Koji Shiraishi, filmmaker

later passed away. She’s still with me

Islands, UK. One day the phone rang and it was Tokyo call-

Do you have messages for Metropolis readers for this milestone issue?

ing! A man from the magazine had been on Guernsey, read

Being a member of Planet Earth reminds us how intercon-

my column and asked if I would write for you. Since then

nected we are and how much our thoughts and actions

I have been able to write for you from London, San Fran-

impact on each other. As Neptune continues in its sojourn

cisco, Builth Wells, Wales, Sydney, Brisbane, Scottsdale AZ,

through feeling-based Pisces we are developing our intuition,

Edinburgh, Scotland, and now Kauai, Hawaii. I am so glad

imagination and creativity to expand our emotional intelli-

and grateful to be plugged in and stay in touch. Have you

gence for adaptation and survival during 2015. Never, never

guessed I’m a Sagittarius? We love to travel!

give up. Surround yourself with positive encouraging people

What is your favorite part of writing “It’s In The Stars?”

and places that support your transformations. Remember

I imagine each of you reading your Star Sign. I wonder

the power is within you. You have an actual light and heart

where you are when you’re reading it, how you are feeling,

connection with a greater source that you are intrinsically a

and how it interacts with your thoughts and the activities

part of. Choose wisely your path of connectivity. I sincerely

of your week. I especially like to write when there is a lot of

thank each and every You who has read “It’s In The Stars” and

planetary energy in terms of the aspects (trines, squares,

I am grateful to share my Star Sign “messages” each week. I

conjunctions), and eclipses—like we’re having this month!

am excited to write there is a phone app in the works so we

Any memorable forecasts that were correct?

can connect more as we continue our journeys of expansion

Early in my career, I predicted Ross Perot would run for US

together.

the Guernsey Globe in the Channel

, 20 0 (Sep 25

Feature

Q&A

CADE OF DECADENCE RISE—AND RISE—OF THE ROCK FESTIVAL

By Metropolis issue 500, Japan already had Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic, Rock in Japan, and a host of other fairly large-scale rock fests. With the nation’s economy in the doldrums and the youth demographic plunging, we predicted this Golden Age of Rock was about to come to the end (Jun 29, 2007 issue #692). Well, we were wrong. Japan’s rock festivals have only gone from strength to strength, and a host of new events like Greenroom, Rising Sun, Taico Club, Arabiki, NanoMugen and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s No Nukes, as well as domestic do’s such as the MTV and Space Shower events, have emerged to join their ranks.

BLUE MAN, CIRQUE’S IN AND OUT

like Equinox, Anoyo, Rainbow 2000 and Vision Quest pioneered the outdoor dance party, drawing unwashed trance music hordes to Japan’s far-flung islands and mountainous interiors. But the first wave ended around the millennium, sometimes amid exhaustion, and in the worst cases amid drug-gang acrimony. The 2000s gave rise to a second wave of more controlled and finely tuned EDM fests along the lines of Labyrinth, Metamorphose and Rainbow Disco Club.

Japan has long been fertile territory for the stage spectacle, and overseas productions are always eying its lucrative market hungrily. After priming the stage with tours, Canadian circus giant Cirque de Soleil and avant-garde New York theater unit Blue Man Group at the end of the last decade teamed up with corporate Japan to open ambitious, high-tech theaters in the hearts, respectively, of Disney Resort and Roppongi (“Indigo Boys,” Aug 10, 2007 issue #698; “Cirque du Spectacular,” Oct 3, 2008 issue #758). Cirque’s Zed show and Blue Man drew regular crowds at first, but then came the Lehman Shock and the 2011 disaster.

With audiences thinning, they saw the writing on the wall and threw in the towel soon after.

DEATH OF J-POP It may be exaggeration to declare the death of an

entire country’s popular music, but the last decade hasn’t been kind to J-pop. Or at least not as the frothy confection, bubbling with creative style and insouciance, we knew it as in the 1990s and even the early 2000s. By the middle of the last decade plummeting sales, demolition by digital, and an aging demographic had decimated the ranks of Japan’s record labels, causing them to turn to the worst sort of idoru pap. Pizzicato Five, Cornelius, UA, Hikaru Utada, Denki Groove, Supercar and many other fantastic artists that had long given SMAP et al a run for their money gave way to Exile, Ayumi Hamasaki, and even worse, AKB48. The occasional tasty morsel from Perfume or Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (courtesy of producer Yasutaka Nakata) was the only consolation.

ROCK BABES AND GODS Our personal top musical moments of the last decade were not to be found at a concert or listening to a new album, but in editing the contributions to our “Pantheon of Japanese Rock Chicks (Aug 28, 2009 issue #805),” “Pantheon of Japanese Rock Gods (May 20, 2011 issue #895),” “Best Japanese Albums (May 18, 2007 issue #686)” and “Best Japanese Songs (Nov 26, 2009 issue #818)” features. There, we were able to share a love for Japanese music with many other rabid writers, fans, musicians and industry folk, and revel in astonishing artists from the past like iconic songstress Momoe Yamaguchi, Kyoto rabble-rousers Murahachibu and psychedelic guitar god Shinki Chen. We were also able to celebrate Japanese music of the moment at our very own Saiko Tokyo Live Music Showcase.

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 09

Arts & Entertainment ALL THE BEST IN ARTS & CULTURE ACROSS THE METROPOLIS art

The Chinese sage Lao Tzu famously said, “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” This testifies to the mysterious power of love, which, here in the East, has affinities with the idea of ki. This is perhaps the best way to view the art here, as expressions of a kind of primal universal energy that takes many forms.

This also seems to be the intention of the curators,

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Love and hate battle it out at the Mori’s 10th anniversary show

who present artworks dealing with romantic love, familial love, love for humanity, and even otaku love, for which the exhibition includes films and holograms of the virtual idol Hatsune Miku. Interestingly, there is nothing on national love, although this is partly covered in works dealing with “Love in Losing,” referring to Japan’s 2011 earthquake.

With works ranging from classic oil paintings—Constable’s The Bridges Family (1804)—to contemporary

By C.B.Liddell

RICHARD PINHAS

French avant-guitar god’s anti-neoliberal sonics

By Dan Grunebaum

I

t isn’t easy being a guitar prophet. When Metropolis reaches Richard Pinhas, the storied French musician begs off the interview. He’s feeling rough, he says, after a concert with US noise rockers Wolf Eyes the previous weekend. Skip a day and Pinhas is in a better state. He’s at home in Paris watching a political documentary about the rise of China while practicing scales. Does the founder of groundbreaking ’70s French electronic rock band Heldon take a traditional approach to music study?

“There was no way to study guitar when I started in the ’60s,” he answers. “I started around 13, and became serious about playing guitar after seeing Hendrix—he was my main influence at the time.”

Perhaps because the electric guitar was still so

fresh then, particularly in France, Pinhas developed an approach eschewing traditional song forms, a method that flowered with Heldon. “At that time you had to learn by yourself because there was no one to teach you,” he recalls in serviceable if heavily accented English. “I finally learned to read and write music when it was needed to be professional in the ’70s and ’80s. But it was not important for a guy of my era.”

Heldon’s extended, hypnotic jams provided the French answer to the ’70s work of fellow experimentalists such as Brian Eno and Robert Fripp. Albums like Electronique Guerilla have come to be seen as landmark works, and brought Pinhas’s music to a new generation of avant-garde music aficionados.

“It’s strange that now Heldon is cataloged as noise or postrock,” he admits, “but I keep myself fresh playing with young musicians. Also, I have two sons in their 20s and 30s and they expose me to a lot of new stuff.

In France you don’t have a distinction of generations, a guy in his 60s can play with a guy in his 20s.”

Pinhas’s new outing, Desolation Row, is a dark affair where 18-minute opuses surge and ebb on waves of electronic and guitar noise. He says it’s the first part of a trilogy about the effects of neoliberalism on Western countries. “It’s been a very sad time, and I tried to express this in music,” he explains.

“Desolation Row is the first, the second will be Devolution, and the third will be The Fall. Every two months we are two times poorer—people sleeping in the

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PHOTO BY PATRICK JELIN

music

KUSAMA YAYOI, “LOVE IS CALLING”, 2013

A

t its worst, love can be an awkward emotion, and one that is liable to lead us to make fools of ourselves. Aesthetically too it has dangers. The very idea tends to evoke tacky and embarrassing images—pink hearts, cupids, chocolate boxes, petrol station flowers and hand-made Valentine cards.

Perhaps this is the reason the Mori Art Museum’s 10th anniversary celebration, an exhibition devoted to the theme of love, steered clear of St. Valentine’s Day; instead choosing to open in April. But why is “Love” the theme anyway? Is it just a lazy stab at easy popularity? Yes and no.

Since opening back in 2003, the Mori has presented an intriguing mix of populist and challenging art, and while this show leans towards the populist side, it is not all amour and Harlequin Romance.

There is also plenty of interesting content to challenge the mind as well as things to set the heart aflutter.

streets—we are not used to this. It’s as if we’re living a science-fiction nightmare. You can see something destroying the people, destroying the cities—it’s like a cancer.”

sports installations, this is a varied and ambitious show.

Some of the works impress, while others may leave you cold. Some of the best focus on maternal love.

Mako Idemitsu’s rather dated looking but entertaining video, Hideo, it’s me Mama (1983), shows a mother’s slightly obsessive love for her son channelled through the VHS technology of the day.

Exploring the other side of the equation, Tatsumi Orimoto’s work, in which he seeks communication with his senile mother through humour and physical contact, could be easily misunderstood, but I found it touching.

Laurie Simmon’s “Love Doll” series (2010), in which she bought a life-sized sex doll and used it the same way as a child’s doll, made some interesting points about gender differences: male objectification versus female infantilization.

My favourite work, however, was David Shrigley’s 2003 video that he made to accompany a song

by Brit pop band Blur. Rich in pathos and humour, the video reveals the subjectivity of love in a tragic but hilarious ending.

As for the big contemporary names at the show: Yayoi Kusama’s installation, “Love is Calling” (2013), was the usual predictable room of dots we have come to expect from the artist and her team of assistants, while Tracey Emin’s neon signs aren’t worth the cost of electricity in running them. Particularly tasteless was Damien Hirst’s Untitled (2000), a large pink love heart with dead butterflies trapped in the paint. I’m ashamed to say that when I saw this work it wasn’t love I felt welling up inside, but its exact opposite.

All You Need Is Love: From Chagall to Kusama and Hatsune Miku, Mori Art Museum to Sep 1.

See exhibition listings (Akasaka/Roppongi) for details.

Pinhas, who also holds a philosophy PhD, notes it’s typical for European musicians to express their political awareness in their music. This is perhaps less so the case in Japan—aside from musicians such as noise innovator and outspoken vegan Merzbow, with whom Pinhas will be touring Japan later this month. “ The intelligentsia, musicians, artists have been more politicized for centuries in the West,” he says, “but to be honest I don’t discuss politics with Japanese musicians. Generally they have bad English and are hard to understand. Also, we tour very quickly in Japan and prefer to talk music in the limited time we have. Some Japanese realize which system they are living under, but not in the mainstream.”

Despite his recent collaborations with Merzbow and Ruins’ Tatsuya Yoshida, who will also join the upcoming tour, Pinhas came to Japan late in life. “Japanese culture is very attractive for an old guy like me,” he says. “I suppose it’s the lack of ideology. I discovered Japan in my 40s, and your reaction is different. Japan has fantastic music, there are a lot of great bands making very different music from the USA and Europe—it’s another world.”

SuperDeluxe, May 30; Institut Français, May 31; Tower Records Shibuya, Jun 2; Club Goodman, Jun 6; Pit Inn, Jun 9. See concert listings (popular) for details.

ROAD TO BRAZIL

Japan looking to clinch World Cup spot against Australia

By Fred Varcoe

J

apan will face Australia at Saitama Stadium on June 4 in their penultimate World Cup qualifying match, needing only a point to confirm their ticket to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Following the Australia game, Japan will travel to Doha in Qatar to face Iraq in their final match. In all probability, the Iraq game won’t mean anything for Japan—but might mean a lot for Iraq. The Middle Eastern nation will probably need to win its remaining three games—against Oman and Australia as well as Japan—to qualify. Japan may see the opportunity for revenge, as it was a last-minute goal by Iraq 20 years ago— the “tragedy in Doha”—that stopped Japan qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. While Japan theoretically needs a point to confirm their spot in Brazil, they are in such a superior position in their group it would take a miracle to deny them—even if they lose their two remaining matches. Japan sits on top of Group B in the final round of Asian qualifiers with 13 points, a healthy +10 goal difference and two games to play. They are followed by Jordan (seven points, –6, two games to play), Australia (six points, 0, three games), Oman (six points, -3, two games) and Iraq (five points, -1, three games).

Oman definitely can’t catch Japan and Jordan can only do it in the unlikely even that they score 17 goals and concede none in their two remaining games (based on the current table). Realistically, only Australia and Iraq can catch Japan. But it’s almost impossible for both of them to do so. If Australia beats Japan on June 4 and Jordan on June 11, and Iraq beats Oman and Japan on the same dates, then Japan will still have 13 points, Australia will have 12 points and Iraq 11. But in the final round of matches on June 18, Australia will face Iraq, meaning only one of the two teams has a chance of leapfrogging Japan.

Thus, Japan is virtually certain to claim one of the automatic qualifying positions in the group. So the race for second is proving more interesting—and even the third-placed team could get to Brazil via a play-off.

Japan were prevented from qualifying on March 26

KEISUKE HONDA

by Jordan, who upset them to win 2-1 in Amman. Jordan also proved too plucky for Australia last year. The Aussies have had their usual confidence hit by that loss and by draws against Japan and Oman (twice) and will be desperate not to drop a point in Saitama. They will be helped by the fact that coach Holger Osieck used to work in Japan—in fact, in Saitama for the Urawa Reds—and the dent in Japan’s confidence after the loss to Jordan.

On the plus side for Japan, talismanic attacker Keisuke Honda will return after missing the game in Amman. Honda may not be captain, but he is the de facto leader of the team and critical in scoring and setting up goals. Full-back Yuto Nagatomo of Inter Milan is also likely to be back in the team.

Motivation shouldn’t be a problem for either side.

The Aussies need a result to help qualify and they still haven’t repaid Japan for their 1-0 extra-time loss in the final of the 2011 Asian Cup (itself payback for Australia’s 3-1 win over Japan in the 2006 World Cup). But Japan would like to clinch qualification at home and in style, and they need to deliver a positive performance after their tepid display in Amman.

Saitama Stadium on June 4 is sure to turn into a pressure cooker for this crunch game.

Japan vs. Australia @Saitama Super Arena, Jun 4. See sports listings for details

GROUP B STANDINGS TEAMS

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

PTS

Japan

6

4

1

1

14

4

10

13

Jordan

6

2

1

3

6

12

-6

7

Australia

5

1

3

1

6

6

0

6

Oman

6

1

3

2

6

9

-3

6

Iraq

5

1

2

2

4

5

-1

5

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 11

Agenda Listings Concerts POPULAR Team H

Jang Keun Suk Big Brother’s dance-music duo. May 24, 6:30pm, ¥9,800 (adv).

Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. www.l-tike. com

Ashley Scared the Sky

Post-hardcore metal band from Tokyo. May 25, 7pm, ¥2,300 (adv)/ ¥2,800 +1d.

Cyclone. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3463-0069. www. ashleyscaredthesky.com

One Ok Rock

Emo, rock and metal fusion.

May 23, 7pm; May 25, 6pm; May 26, 5pm, ¥5,800 (adv).

Yokohama Arena. Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama. Tel: 03-3405-9999. www. oneokrock.com/english

Loud & Metal Attack

Scandinavian metal bands Nightwish, Mokoma, Crashdiet and more. May 25, 3pm, ¥6,800 +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba.

Tel: 03-3499-6669. www. creativeman.co.jp/english

Iro Iro Vol.19

UK music site Louder Than War presents their next indie installment feat. Roku Shiki, Oh Captain! My Captain! etc.

May 25, 7:30pm, free +1d.

Akasaka Crawfish. Nearest stn: Akasaka. Tel: 03-35842496. http://meturl.com/ iroiro19

Romancers Space 4

Email your event information to listings@metropolis.co.jp See www.metropolis.co.jp for more listings

Brain, Man with a Mission and more. Jun 2, 3pm, ¥3,000 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. Tel: 03-3496-1785. www.noid-japan.com

James Blake

London-based weaver of tangled electronic webs. Jun 4, 7pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d. Studio Coast. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba.

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. smash-jpn.com

Helloween

Metal giants with guest Gammaray. Jun 5, 7pm, ¥8,500-9,500 (adv) +1d. Zepp Tokyo. Nearest stn: Aomi.

Tel: 03-3499-6669. Jun 7, 7pm, ¥8,500-9,500 (adv) +1d.

Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-3499-6669. www.creativeman.co.jp

The Salovers

Progressive metal. May 28, 7pm, ¥6,500 +1d. O-East.

Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. smash-jpn.com

Richard Pinhas

French guitar virtuoso with Merzbow and more. May 30, 7:30pm, ¥3,300 (adv)/ ¥3,800 (door) +1d. SuperDeluxe.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. www. super- deluxe.com. With Tatsuya Yoshida. Jun 9, 8pm, ¥3,000 (adv). Pit Inn. Nearest stn: Shinjuku Sanchome. www.pit-inn.com

Alternative Medicine

West Coast melodic rock with Where's Andy, Geeks and more. May 31, 6:30pm, ¥2,000 (adv)/¥2,500 (door) +1d. Milkyway. Nearest stn: Shibuya. http://altmedrock. syncl.jp

The Cherry Cokes

Celtic folk rock with a heavy metal twist. Jun 21, 6pm, ¥3,500 (adv) +1d. Liquidroom.

Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. liquidroom.net

Quattro Burning

Down Beat Ruler

Classic New York showtunes, performed by Greg Irwin, Donna Burke, etc. Dress code: business formal/black tie. Jun 7, 6:30pm, ¥9,000 (show only)/ ¥16,000 (dinner and show).

Tokyo American Club. Nearest stn: Kamiyacho. Tel: 03-34400616. www.gregirwin.com

Analogfish

Alt-rock crew. Jun 7, 6pm, ¥3,500 (adv) +1d. Club Quattro.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-. www.club-quattro.com

Love Psychedelico

Hostess Club Weekender

Kamelot

US hard-rock gamechangers.

Jun 21, 7pm, ¥9,000-12,500.

Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. www.udo.jp/ artists/vanhalen

Broadway

But By Fall

Experimental pop collaboration. May 26, 7pm, ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 (door) +1d. O-Nest. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3462-4420. www.shibuya-o.com/nest

Van Halen

Alt-rock outfit. Jun 6, 7pm, ¥2,800 (adv), ¥3,300 (door) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5720-9999. www.thesalovers.com

Alt-rock band Molice. May 25, 7pm, ¥2,000. Tora Tora Tora. info@themolice.com. http://meturl.com/molice4

Takako Minekawa and Dustin Wong

Missouri rock gods. Jun 20, 7pm, ¥6,000. Club Quattro.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. Jun 28, 7pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d.

O-East. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. smash-jpn.com

Ken Yokohama and The Birthday. Jun 28, 7pm, ¥3,800 (adv)/ ¥4,300 (door) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3477-8750. www. club-quattro.com

J-pop duo inspired by 1960s rock. Jun 8, 6pm, ¥5,800 (adv). Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www. lovepsychedelico.net

Tokyo pop-punkers. May 26, 7pm, ¥2,500 (adv) +1d. Shelter. Nearest stn: Shimokitazawa. Tel: 03-3466-7430. www. butbyfall.com

Story of the Year

Two-day fes feat. Travis, British Sea Power, etc. Jun 8-9, ¥7,900 (1 day)/ ¥13,900 (2 days) +1d.

Yebisu Garden Hall. Nearest stn: Ebisu. www.ynos.tv/ hostessclub

Guruguru Toiro

Quirky, loud and intriguing Japanese indie outfits. Jun 8-9, 1pm, ¥3,500 (1 day)/¥6,000 (2 days). Saitama Super Arena. Nearest stn: SaitamaShintoshin. Tel: 050-5533-0888.

Beyond The Blue

Battle of the bands with Five New Old, Pop Disaster and more. Jun 8, 1:30pm, ¥6,400 (adv)/ ¥6,900 (door) +1d.

Yokohama Bay Hall. Nearest stn: Motomachi-Chukagai. Tel: 03-3475-9999. www.bayhall. jp/sch/event/130608.html

Brahman

Hardcore punk from Ibaraki.

Jun 8, 6pm, ¥2,999 (adv) +1d.

Makuhari Messe. Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. www.l-tike. com

La’cryma Christi

Visual kei group. Jun 8, 5pm, ¥7,800 (adv) +1d. Akasaka Blitz. Nearest stn: Akasaka. Tel: 0570-084-003. www.l-tike.com

The Ska Flames, Oi-Skall Mates and more. Jun 29, 6pm, ¥3,500 (adv)/¥3,800 (door) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3477-8750. www. club-quattro.com

Gackt

Quirky and controversial artist.

Jul 4, 7pm, ¥8,600 plus service charge. Yokohama Arena.

Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama.

Tel: 050-5533-0888. http:// eplus.jp

Mongol 800

Okinawa rock legends. Jul 5, 6:30pm, ¥5,800 (adv).

Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. www.l-tike.com

No More Fuckin' Nukes

Hard-rock heavyweights Ken Yokohama, Brahman, Slang and more. Jul 14, 3pm, ¥4,000 (adv) +1d. Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku.

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. nomorefuckinnukes.com

Mo’ Let's Rock and Roll School

Mo’some Tonebender and The Pees. Jul 15, 6pm, ¥3,500 (adv)/¥4,000 (door). Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3477-8750. www. club-quattro.com

Buzz The Bears

J-rock. Jul 18, 7pm, ¥2,500 (adv) +1d. O-West. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3499-6669. www.creativeman.co.jp

SiM

Rock-punk reggae quartet.

Jul 21, 6:30pm, ¥3,300 (adv) +1d. Shibuya-AX. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-3444-6751. www.smash-jpn.com

Summer Madness

Magokoro Brothers and Andymori. Jul 24, 7pm, ¥4,200 (adv)/ ¥4,700 (door) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-3477-8750. www. club-quattro.com

Fuji Rock Festival

R&B pop princess. Jun 9, 6pm, ¥2,000 (adv) +1d. Loop. Nearest stn: Daikanyama. Tel: 03-34996669. www.creativeman.co.jp/ artist/2013/06jasmine

Mother of all Japanese rock fests. The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Skrillex, Vampire Weekend, Karl Hyde and more. Jul 26-Jul 28. Naeba Ski Resort. Nearest stn: Echigo Yuzawa. www. fujirockfestival.com

All night alt-music event in Nagano with Machinedrum, Prefuse 73, Moodman and more. Jun 1-2, from 3pm, ¥7,500-13,000. Kodama no Mori. Nearest stn: Yabuhara. www.taicoclub.com

Toshiki Kadomatsu

What I Got

Envy

Old school rock'n'roll and soul. Jun 16, 6pm, ¥4,800.

Yokohama Arena. Nearest stn: Shin-Yokohama. www.l-tike. com

Taico Club

Hardcore punk and post-rock veterans. Jun 1, 7pm, ¥2,500 (adv) +1d.

Liquidroom. Nearest stn: Ebisu. Tel: 03-3444-6751. www.smash-jpn.com

Noid Festival

Alt-rock festival with Egg

Jas Vegas

J-pop, AOR and R&B singersongwriter. Jun 14-16, ¥9,00011,000. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-34051133. www.billboard-live.com

The Bawdies

A Flood of Circle

Jun 16, 6pm, ¥3,150 (adv) +1d.

Zepp Diver City. Nearest stn: Daiba. www.red-hot.ne.jp

Orange Range and Good Morning America. Jul 30, 7pm, ¥3,200 (adv)/¥3,700 (door) +1d. Club Quattro. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3477-8750. www.club-quattro.com

Golden Bomber

Talk-of-the-nation comedic foursome with visual kei roots.

Aug 1-2, 6:30pm, ¥5,775 (adv).

Nippon Budokan. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. Tel: 0570-084003. www.l-tike.com

Rock in Japan Festival Zazen Boys, Hey-Smith,

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Mongol 800 and more. Aug 4. 10:30am, ¥11,500 (1 day)/ ¥22,000 (2 days)/¥30,000 (3 days). National Hitachi Kaihin Park. Nearest stn: Kaihinkoen.

Tel: 0180-993-611. www. rijfes.jp

CONCERT

YARON SILBERBERG

A-Nation Island

Music and dance festival with artists Kumi Koda, E-Girls, Scandal and more. Aug 3-11, ¥4,500-7,500 (adv). Yoyogi National Gymnasium and Shibuya-AX. Nearest station: Harajuku.

Zushi Fes

Beach festival with Totalfat, Scandal and more. Aug 9-11, ¥7,800 (one day)/¥23,400 (three days). Zushi Marina.

Nearest stn: Riviera Zushi Marina Mae or Kotsubo. Tel: 0570-550-799. www.mtvjapan. com/zushifes2013

Sonicmania

Summer Sonic pre-event with The Stone Roses, Pet Shop Boys and more. Aug 9, 10pm, ¥9,800 (adv) +1d/ ¥35,000 (weekend pass, adv) +1d.

Makuhari Messe. Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. Tel: 03-34996669. www.summersonic. com/2013/english

Summer Sonic

Metallica, Stone Roses, Muse, etc at one of the summer’s biggest fests. Aug 10-11.

Makuhari Messe. Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. www. summersonic.com

Backstreet Boys

Princes of pop. Oct 11-13, ¥9,500 (adv)/¥20,000 (premium seat, adv). Saitama Super Arena. Nearest stn: Saitama-Shintoshin. www. creativeman.co.jp

JAZZ/WORLD Bettye LaVette

US soul singer-songwriter. May 25, ¥6,500-¥8,500. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi.

Tel: 03-3405-1133. www. billboard-live.com

Fabrizio Bosso Quartet

Trumpet and acoustic jazz from Italy. May 26, Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www. cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Suoni Italiani

“Italian sounds” by Stefano Bollani. May 26, 7pm, ¥6,000.

Suntory Hall Blue Rose.

Nearest stn: Roppongi Itchome. www.newageproductions.it

Pat Metheny Unity Band

Yuki Futami With technical mastery and a taste for vintage modern jazz, 25-year-old Yuki Futami is Japan’s belated answer to Oscar Peterson. Before he heads off to New York’s Julliard, Futami will be gigging to celebrate his trio’s debut album, Banzai Oscar. First headed toward a classical career, Futami turned to jazz in high school. “I felt I had reached the limit due to the scarcity of jobs,” he told Metropolis. “But actually I think this is a good thing as only a real pro jazz musician can survive.” New York is beginning to figure strongly in Futami’s career; his new album has a song inspired by the city, “Take The 4.5.6 Train.” He explains, “The 4 line is marked 4.5.6 and it forks out as you travel north. We have various forks in the road in our lives and New York gave me inspiration in the next direction.”

Sometime, May 25, ¥1,000. Nearest stn: Kichijoji. www. sometime.co.jp. Naru, Jun 22, ¥2,500 (adv) +1d. Nearest stn: Ochanomizu. www.jazz-naru.com. Banzai Oscar is available on T-TOC Records.

Jef Neve Trio

Jazz keyboardist from Belgium. Jun 1-2, 5 & 8pm, ¥5,000-¥6,000. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3215-1555. www. cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Nature Airliner

Neo-roots duo hosts acoustic folk and rock from the Kanto region. Jun 1, 7pm, ¥2,000 (adv). Akasaka Crawfish.

Nearest stn: Akasaka. Tel: 03-3584-2496. http://meturl. com/natureairliner

Yasuaki Shimizu and Saxophonettes

Original interpretations of classical pieces by all-sax group. Jun 2, 6:30pm, ¥4,000 (adv)/¥4,500 (door). Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum, Shizuoka. Nearest station: Mishima. Tel: 055-989-8787. www.vangi-museum.jp

Chick Corea

US jazz fusion guitarist. May 21-26, ¥12,500. Blue Note.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. www.bluenote. co.jp

US jazz and fusion legend with Stanley Clarke Trio. Jun 3-Jun 8. various times, ¥12,000.

Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-54850088. www.bluenote.co.jp

Hod O’Brien Trio

Edgar Winter Group

Jazz pianist from Chicago. May 29-31. 6:30 & 9pm, ¥7,000¥8,000. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Keiko Lee with Gerald Alston of The Manhattans Jazz diva in international collaboration. May 29-30. 7 & 9:30pm, ¥8,400. Blue Note.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. www.bluenote. co.jp

Irma Thomas

Soul queen of New Orleans.

May 29-30. 7 & 8:45pm, ¥6,800¥8,800. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-34051133. www.billboard-live.com

Cassandra Wilson

Grammy award-winning jazz musician from Mississippi.

May 31-Jun 2, ¥8,400. Blue Note. Nearest stn: Omotesando.

Tel: 03-5485-0088. www. bluenote.co.jp

Faith Evans

US R&B singer-songwriter.

May 31, Jun 1, ¥8,500-¥10,500.

Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-1133. www.billboard-live.com

US virtuoso multi-instrumentalist. Jun 5-6.

7 & 9:30pm, ¥6,500-¥8,500.

Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-1133. www.billboard-live.com

Mike Price Jazz Quintet Soothing tunes before the rainy season starts.

Jun 7, ¥2,500. Akasaka B Flat. Nearest stn: Akasaka.

Tel: 03-5563-2563. www. mikepricejazz.com

Nordic and Celtic Music Party

Traditional music, with fiddle and kantele workshops. Jun 8, noon, free. Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. Tel: 049-247-1423.

Karyn White

US R&B vocalist. Jun 8-9, ¥7,500-9,500. Billboard Live.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-1133. www.billboardlive.com

Fujitsu Concord Jazz Festival

Tribute to Norman Granz.

Jun 9-10, ¥10,000. Blue Note.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. www.bluenote. co.jp

Lewis Nash Trio

Prolific US jazz drummer with his band. Jun 11-12. 6:30pm and 9pm, ¥6,500-8,500. Cotton Club. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www. cottonclubjapan.co.jp

Indigo Jam Unit

Japanese jazz band. Jun 11, ¥4,900-6,900. Billboard Live.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405-1133. www.billboardlive.com

Snarky Puppy

Texas-based instrumental fusion band. Jun 11-12. 7 & 9:30pm, ¥5,000. Blue Note.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485-0088. www.bluenote. co.jp

After 7

Reunion of R&B group. Jun 12-13, 7 & 9:30pm, ¥6,5008,500. Billboard Live. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-34051133. www.billboard-live. com

CLASSICAL The World of Dragon Quest X

Popular video game music turned classical. May 25, 2pm, ¥4,000-5,000. Olympus Hall Hachioji. Nearest stn: Hachioji.

Tel: 042-655-0802. www. olympus.hall-info.jp

Before Zero

Songs from Carmen and more.

Classical event for pregnant women. May 25, 3pm, ¥1,0003,000. Philia Hall. Nearest stn: Aobadai. Tel: 03-3261-9933. www.smf.or.jp/kids

Lise de la Salle

Piano recital. May 26, 3pm, ¥1,000-3,500. Saitama Arts Theater. Nearest stn: Yonohonmachi. Tel: 0570-064939. www.saf.or.jp

La Mer and Petrouchka

Duo piano recital of Debussy's and Stravinsky's works. May 30, 7pm, ¥4,000-6,000. Kioi Hall. Nearest stn: Yotsuya. Tel: 03-5774-3040. www.japanarts. co.jp

Stradivarius Summit Concert

Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Stradivari Soloists perform Mendelssohn and more. Jun 1-6, 7pm, ¥8,000-12,000. Suntory Hall.

Nearest stn: Roppongi-itchome.

Tel: 0570-55-0017. www. ssc2013.com

Anne-Sophie Mutter

Violinist plays Mozart, Schubert and more.

Accompanied by Lambert Orkis on piano. Jun 4, 7pm, ¥5,000-15,000. Suntory Hall. Nearest stn: Roppongiitchome. Tel: 03-5774-3040. www.japanarts.co.jp

Lunchtime Concert Vol. 22

Members of the NHK Symphony Orchestra play Brahms and more. Jun 4, 12:10pm, ¥1,000. Saitama Kaikan. Nearest stn: Urawa. Tel: 048-858-5500. www.saf.or.jp/ saitama

Wiener Saengerknaben

The Vienna Boys' Choir sings Strauss, Schubert, etc. May 3-Jun 5, 2pm, ¥1,000-7,000.

Suntory Hall. Nearest stn: Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 0570-02-9999. Jun 14-16, 1:30pm, ¥1,000-7,000. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall.

Nearest stn: Shinjuku or Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5353-9999. www.wsk-japan.org

Moscow Soloists

Feat. Yuri Bashmet on viola and Daishin Kashimoto on violin, playing Mozart and Schubert.

Jun 5, 7pm, ¥4,000-7,500.

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Nearest stn: Shinjuku or Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5774-3040. www.japanarts.co.jp

Brahms und Japan: Eine Bruecke

Western classical music with Japanese traditional instruments. Jun 5, 7pm, ¥3,000-5,000. Kioi Hall. Nearest stn: Yotsuya. Tel: 03-32349999. www.kioi-hall.or.jp/en

Maxim Vengerov

Grammy-winning violinist and violist. Jun 12, 7pm; Jun 13, 7pm, ¥8,000-12,000. Suntory Hall. Nearest stn: Roppongiitchome. Tel: 0570-550-799. www.kyodotokyo.com

Daniil Trifonov

Piano recital of works by Chopin, Liszt and Seriabin.

Jun 14, 7pm, ¥3,000-6,000.

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Nearest stn: Shinjuku or Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5774-3040. www.japanarts.co.jp

156th Matinee Series

Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra plays Beethoven.

Jun 15, 2pm, ¥1,500-¥7,000.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space.

Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Tel: 0570-00-4390. www.geigeki.jp

Stage Vocaloid Opera: The End

Voyageurs Immobiles

Played by Compagnie Philippe Genty. Until Jun 4, 2 & 7pm, ¥7,500. Parco Theater. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3477-5858. www.parco-play.com

On and Off

Play by award-winning German playwright, Roland Schimmelpfennig. Until Jun 23, ¥3,150-5,250. New National Theatre Tokyo. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english

4 Stars: One World of Broadway Musicals

Lea Salona, Ramin Karimloo and others perform songs from Les Misérables and more. Jun 15-23, ¥8,000-11,500. Aoyama Theater. Nearest stn: Shibuya. kyodotokyo.com/4starsTokyo

Zou

Played by Ren Osugi, Megumi Okina and more. Until Jul 21, ¥3,150-¥6,300. New National Theatre Tokyo. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac.go.jp/play

Shochiku Oh Kabuki

Debut of new Kabuki performer, Matagoro Nakamura. Jul 3, 1:30pm, ¥4,500-¥5,500. Green Hall. Nearest stn: Sagami-Oono.

Tel: 042-742-9999.

Out of the East

Yamada Taichi's play about 19th-century Japanophile author Lafcadio Hearn. Jul 12-25, ¥5,000 (adv students), ¥7,000 (adv), ¥7,500 (door).

Haiyuza Gekijo Theater.

Nearest stn: Roppongi www.nihonnoomokage.com

Scheherazade

Ballet of the mythical Arabian storyteller. Jul 13-15, 2pm, ¥5,000-14,000. Bunkyo Civic Hall. Tel: 050-3776-6184. www.koransha.com/ballet/ shinzui2013

Women of Ireland

Full entertainment showcase.

Jul 19, 7pm. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.bunkamura. co.jp/english/orchard

The Little Mermaid

Disney and Shiki Gekidan’s production of Hans Christian Andersen tale. Until Aug 31, various times, ¥4,0008,800. Shiki Theater Natsu.

Nearest stn: Oimachi. Tel: 0120-489444. www.shiki.jp/ applause/littlemermaid

Dance A Gift From Malakhov Final

Operatic performance virtual artist Hatsune Miku and others. May 24, ¥5,000-10,000.

Bunkamura Orchard Hall.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. bunkamura.co.jp/english/ orchard

Artistic director and first soloist of the Berlin State Ballet performs original piece with international cast. May 25-26, 3pm, ¥5,000-16,000. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno. Tel: 03-5721-8000. www. nbs.or.jp/english

Nabucco

Node—The Old Man of the Desert

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera about the enslaving of the Jews. May 25-Jun 4, 6:30pm, ¥5,250¥26,250. New National Theatre Tokyo. Nearest stn: Hatsudai.

Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt. jac.go.jp/english

Hair

A fusion of dance and media art, from butoh dancers to computer programmers. May 26-28, ¥3,500 (adv)/¥4,000 (door). Kanagawa Arts Theater.

Nearest stn: MotomachiChukagai.

La Sylphide

The Tokyo Ballet performs one of the oldest surviving romantic ballets. Jun 15-16, 3pm, ¥2,000-8,000. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno. Tel: 03-5721-8000. www.nbs.or.jp/english

Salves

French dance troupe Maguy Marin performs a piece of calculated chaos. Jun 15-16, 3pm, ¥3,200-5,000.

Saitama Arts Theater.

Nearest stn: Yonohonmachi.

Tel: 048-858-5500. www. saf.or.jp

Don Quixote

Ballet of the Cervantes classic. Jun 22-23 & 29-30, 2pm, ¥3,150-10,500. New National Theatre Tokyo.

Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 0120-489459. www.nntt.jac. go.jp/english

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

The UK’s Royal Ballet Company. Jul 5-7, ¥7,00022,000. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.nbs.or.jp/english

Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray

A contemporary version of the classic Oscar Wilde novel. Japanese and UK productions available.

Until Jul 15, ¥6,000-10,000.

Bunkamura Orchard Hall.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. bunkamura.co.jp/english/ orchard

Swan Lake

The UK’s Royal Ballet Company. Until Jul 14, ¥7,000-22,000. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.nbs.or.jp/ english

Clubbing FRIDAY 24 Ageha

Ageha Japan Tour. Electro, house: DJs Taku, Yummy, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,000.

Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. www.ageha.com

Air

Plus Tokyo. Techno: DJs Lee Van Dowski, Wada, etc. From 10pm, ¥3,000.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. air-tokyo.com

Module

Techvane. Techno, house: DJs Saimura, Enuoh, etc.

From 10pm, ¥3,000 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. module-tokyo.com

Sound Museum Vision

Rad. Electro: DJs Osawa, Uemura, etc. From 10pm, (m)¥3,500, (f)¥3,000.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. vision-tokyo.com

The New Matrix Bar

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

Nearest stn: Roppongi. www. matrixbar.jp

The Room

International cast performs the Broadway classic. May 29-Jun 9, ¥9,000-12,000. Theatre Orb. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. hairmusical.jp

Children of Paradise

Kodo Legend

French Impressionist Dance

Village

Music and imagery of Parisian artists meets dance. Jun 7-9, ¥3,150-5,250. New National Theatre Tokyo. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 0120-489459. www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english

Fantastic. Hip-hop: DJs Hokuto, Kekke, etc. From 10pm, (m)¥3,000 w/1d, (f)¥2,000 w/2d. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban or Roppongi.

Tel: 03-6230-0343. www. villagetokyo.com

Trip Triptych

Womb

Japanese taiko performance.

May 29, 7pm, ¥4,500 (general), ¥3,000 (students). Green Hall.

Nearest stn: Sagami-Oono. www.kodo.or.jp

Cosi fan tutte

Mozart's tale of love, betrayal and fiancé swapping. Jun 3-15, 2pm, ¥4,200-23,100.

New National Theatre Tokyo.

Nearest stn: Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac. go.jp/english

Based on French film directed

by Marcel Carné. May 30-Jun 1.

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.t-bunka.jp/en

Modern dance. Jun 7-9, ¥3,1505,250. New National Theatre Tokyo. Nearest stn: Hatsudai.

Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt. jac.go.jp/english

Champ. Funky jazzy music: DJs Tominaga, Oibon, etc.

From 10pm, ¥2,500 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. theroom.jp

Tresvibes. Techno: DJs Praslea, Otsuki, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb.co.jp

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 13

Agenda Listings SATURDAY 25 Ageha

All seats non-smoking

The Wonderland. Trance, techno: DJs Lange, Yoji, etc.

From 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. www.ageha. com

Air

Saw. House: DJs Tomiie, Hector Romero, etc. From 10pm, ¥3,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com

Module

Relation. Techno DJs Sola, Kohey, etc: Live: Nto. From 10pm, ¥3,000. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.moduletokyo.com

Ruby Room

Drop the Sexy Bomb. House: DJ Noritraxx and more.

From 11pm, ¥1,500 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. rubyroomtokyo.com

Sound Museum Vision

Japan Music Conference.

House: DJs Akiyamania, Kaji, etc. From 10pm, ¥3,000 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. vision-tokyo.com

SuperDeluxe

Metome Release Party.

Electronica, experimental DJs Qurea, Muh: Live: Metome and more. From 5:30pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-5412-0515. www.super-deluxe.com

The Room

Jazztronica. House, jazz: DJs Nozaki, Shuya Okino(Kyoto Jazz Massive), etc. From 10pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.theroom.jp

Unit

Low End Theory. DJs Daddy Kev, Nobody, etc. From 11pm, ¥4,000. Nearest stn: Daikanyama. www.unit-tokyo. com

Village

Grand Slam. Hip-hop: DJs Nuckey, Kekke, etc. From 10pm, (m)¥3,000 w/1d, (f)¥2,000 w/2d. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban or Roppongi.

Tel: 03-6230-0343. www. villagetokyo.com

Womb

@disko Tour. Techno: DJs Ryukyudisko, Ishino, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,000(adv). Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb.co.jp

THURSDAY 30 Air

Source. House, techno: DJs Takuya, Goro, etc. From 10pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com

Module

Dj Yummy Release Party.

House: DJs Yummy, Kan, etc.

From 10pm, ¥1,500 w/1d.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. www. module-tokyo.com

The Room

Flash!! Hip-hop: DJs Shark, Suwa, etc. From 10pm, ¥2,000 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.theroom.jp

Village

Celebration. Hip-hop: DJs Sah, Yaz, etc. From 11pm, (m)¥2,000 w/1d, (f)¥1,000 w/2d. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban or Roppongi.

Tel: 03-6230-0343. www. villagetokyo.com

Chouf Ouchouf

by Groupe acrobatique de Tanger

MARIO DEL CURTO/ARTWORK FLAG

With a dash of acrobatic derring-do, a dusting of avantgarde theater, and a drop of Arab street life, this is nothing you’ve ever seen before. Chouf Ouchouf, which translates roughly to “Look—no look harder!” is a piece that brings Morocco’s Groupe acrobatique de Tanger together with Swiss directing team Zimmermann and de Perrot for a theater spectacle that crosses cultural and performing arts barriers with almost unseemly glee. They first joined together a decade ago; this is their second work, and their Japan debut forms part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre’s ongoing Theater Arts for Children and Teens festival.

Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Jun 6-9, 7pm, ¥1,000-4,000.

Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Tel: 0570-010-296. www.geigeki.jp/ performance/theater027

Air

Party Jam. All mix: DJs Muro, Daruma, etc. From 10pm, ¥3,000. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com

Module

& Wed-Sun 11am-8pm, closed Tue. 9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku. Nearest stn: Nogizaka. Tel: 03-3475-2121. www.2121designsight.jp

Embassy of Sweden

Maven. Techno, house: DJs Yoshitaca, Shintaro, etc. From 10pm, ¥2,000 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.moduletokyo.com

Artfully Connected. Mixed media. Until Jun 2, free. 1-10-3 Roppong, Minato-ku. Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-55625050. http://sweden.or.jp

Sound Museum Vision

Mori Art Museum

Hyper Society. All mix: DJs Tanaka, Hosomi, etc. From 10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)¥2,500 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.vision-tokyo. com

Womb

Ricardo Villalobos vs Zip. Techno, house: DJs Ricardo Villalobos, Zip, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya.

Tel: 03-5459-0039. www. womb.co.jp

UPCOMING Air

Groundrhythm. House: DJs Inoue, Shiraishi, etc. Jun 1, from 10pm, ¥3,000. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.air-tokyo. com

Module

Fly like a g6. House, techno: DJs Katsuya, Katsu, etc. Jun 1, from 11pm, ¥2,000 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.moduletokyo.com

Sound Museum Vision

Midnight Garage. Hip-hop: DJs Olive Oil, 5lack, etc. Jun 1, from 10pm, ¥3,000 w/1d. Nearest stn: Shibuya. www.visiontokyo.com

Unit

Vortex. DJs Djaydee, Masa, etc. Jun 1, from 11pm, ¥3,000.

Nearest stn: Daikanyama. www.unit-tokyo.com

Velours

Shoes Talk. DJs Tamra, Peli, etc.

Jun 1, from 11pm, (m)¥3,000 w/1d, (f)¥2,000 w/1d. Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-57784777. www.velours.jp

All You Need Is Love. Works from Chagall to Kusama. Until Sep 1, 10am-10pm (till 5pm on Tue), ¥1,500. Open Mon & Wed-Sun 10am-10pm, Tue 10am-5pm.

6-10-1 Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.mori.art. museum

Mori Arts Center Gallery

Harry Potter: The Exhibition.

Interactive theatrical event.

Audio tour available in English.

Jun 22-Sep 16, ¥1,000-2,500.

52F Roppongi Hills Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.roppongihills. com/art/macg

The National Art Center, Tokyo

California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way. Furniture, fashion, pottery and photography. Until Jun 3, ¥1,000. The Lady and the Unicorn. 16th-century tapestries on loan from Musée de Cluny in Paris. Until Jul 15, ¥600-1,500. Open Wed-Mon 10am-6pm, closed Tue. 7-22-2 Roppongi. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.nact.jp

GINZA/KYOBASHI/ TOKYO Bridgestone Museum

Through Japanese Eyes: Paris, 1900-1945. Meiji Restoration artists. Until Jun 9, ¥500-800.

Open Tue-Sun & hols 10am-8pm, closed Mon. 1-10-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.bridgestonemuseum.gr.jp

Craft Gallery, The National Museum of Modern Art

Exhibitions

Body x Body x Body.

Eye-opening anatomical exploration. Jun 25-Sep 1, ¥70-200. Open Tue-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm. 1-1 Kitanomaru-koen Chiyoda-Ku. Nearest stn: Takebashi. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.momat. go.jp/english

FRIDAY 31

AKASAKA/ROPPONGI

Ginza Graphic Gallery

Ageha

21_21 Design Sight

Womb

Profound Mind. Techno, house: DJs Kabuto, Kikiorix, etc. From 10pm, ¥1,500. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb.co.jp

Fever. R&B DJs Kaori, Hasebe, etc: Live: Jasmine and more. From 11pm, (m)¥3,500, (f)¥2,000.

Nearest stn: Shin-Kiba. www. ageha.com

14 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

STAGE

Womb

Circoloco Lifestyle. Jun 1, from 11pm, ¥4,000 (door). Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-54590039. www.womb.co.jp

Design Ah! NHK educational program. Mixed media.

Until Jun 2, ¥500-1,000.

Color Hunting. Directed by Dai Fujiwara. Jun 21-Oct 6, ¥500-1,000. Open Mon

Why Not Associates: We Never Had a Plan So Nothing Could Go Wrong. Photography. Jun 5-29, free. Open Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 11am-6pm, closed Sun & hols. 1F Ginza Bldg, 7-7-2 Ginza.

Nearest stn: Ginza. www.dnp. co.jp/gallery/ggg_e

Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

Great French Paintings from the Clark. Renaissance to 19th-century Western art. Feb 9. Until May 26, ¥1,500 (general). The Clark Collection. Renoir, Manet, Monet, and more. Until May 26, ¥500-1,500. Wed-Fri 10am-8pm, Tue, Sat & Sun/ hols 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 2-6-2 Marunouchi. Nearest stn: Tokyo. www.mimt.jp

Mitsui Memorial Museum

Kyosai: Noh and Kyogen Paintings. Hokusai's greatest successor. Until Jun 16, ¥600-1,200. 7F Mitsui Main Bldg, 2-1-1 NihombashiMuromachi, Chuo-ku. Nearest stn: Mitsukoshimae. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.mitsuimuseum.jp

National Film Center

Japanese Film Heritage. Works from the National Film Center.

Until Apr 3, ¥40-200. Titled Film Stills: Publicity Photos for Japanese Cinema. Until Aug 7, ¥200. Open Tue-Sun 11am-6:30pm, closed Mon. 3-7-6 Kyobashi. Nearest stn: Kyobashi. www.momat.go.jp

National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo

Francis Bacon.

20th-anniversary of Irish artist’s death. Until May 26, 10am-5pm (until 8pm Fri), closed Mon, ¥700 (HS), ¥1,100 (univ), ¥1,500 (gen).

Design Project for the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. Details about designs and creators behind Tokyo 1964 Olympics.

Until May 26, ¥130-420.

Unconsciousness of the City.

Painting, photography and more. Jun 4-Aug 4, ¥420. Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-8pm. 3-7-6 Kyobashi.

Nearest stn: Takebashi. www. momat.go.jp

HARAJUKU/AOYAMA Meiji Jingu Shrine Treasure House

The Tale of Genji Portrayed through Court Attire.

Fashion. Until Jun 30, ¥500.

Open daily 9am-4pm. 1-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya, Tokyo. Nearest stn: Harajuku.

Tel: 03-3379-5875.

Nezu Museum

Ceramics and Ukiyo-e Masterpieces from the Hagi Uragami Museum. Paintings and ceramics. Jun 1-Jul 15, ¥1,000-1,200. Tue-Sun, 10am-4:30pm. 6-5-1 MinamiAoyama, Minato-ku. Nearest stn: Omotesando. www. nezu-muse.or.jp/en

Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art

Fantastic Comics. Art by Katsuhika Hokusai and Kawanabe Kyosai. Until Jun 26, Free (JHS & under), ¥700 (HS & univ), ¥1,000 (gen). Open Tue-Sun 10:30am-5:30pm, closed Mon. 1-10-10 Jingumae.

Nearest stn: Harajuku. www. ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp

SHIBUYA/EBISU Bunkamura: The Museum

Antonio López. Key contemporary Spanish artist.

Until Jun 16, ¥700-1,500. Open Mon-Thu & Sun 10am-7pm, Fri-Sat 10am-8pm. 2- 24-1 Dogenzaka. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: 03-3477-9111. www.bunkamura.co.jp

Meguro Museum of Art

Kenichi Sawaki. Illustration.

Until Jun 9, ¥550-700. Open Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 2-4-36 Meguro. Nearest stn: Meguro. Tel: 03-3714-1201. www.mmat.jp

Parco Museum

Anzai Expo. Illustration, mixed media. 60th birthday tribute to Hajime Anzai. Until Jun 2, ¥400-500. Hatarakitai. Mixed media. Art by Shigesato Itoi, on “wanting to work.” Jun

6-17, ¥400-500. Open daily 10am-9pm. B1F Parco Part1, 15-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku.

Tel: 03-3477-5873. www. parco-art.com

The Watari-Um Museum of Contemporary Art JR: Could Art Change the World? Mixed media by French “photograffuer.” Until Jun 2, ¥800-1,000. Open Tue & Thu-Sun 11am-7pm, Wed 11am-9pm, closed Mon. 3-7-6 Jingumae. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. www.watarium. co.jp

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

World Press Photo. Winners of premier photojournalism competition. Jun 8-Aug 4, ¥400-700. Open Tue-Wed & Sat-Sun 10am-6pm, Thu-Fri 10am-8pm, closed Mon. 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku. Nearest stn: Ebisu. http://syabi.com

SHINJUKU/IKEBUKURO Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum

European Mode 2013. Fashion.

From rococo to the mini skirt.

Until Jun 8, ¥200-500. Mon-Sat 10am-4:30pm, Closed Sun and hols. Shinjuku Bunka Quint Bldg. 3-22-7 Yoyogi. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-32992387. www.bunka.ac.jp/ museum/text/english.html

Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery

Figurative Works of Tatsuoki Nambata. Abstract painting.

Until Jun 23, ¥200. Umekayo.

Photography. Until Jun 23, ¥600-1,000. Open Tue-Thu 11am-7pm, Fri-Sat 11am-8pm.

3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. www.operacity. jp/en/ag

Tokyo Toy Museum

Japan Native Toys Collection.

Until Sep 29, ¥500-700. Open Fri-Wed 10am-4pm. Closed Thu. Yotsuya Hiroba, 4-20 Yotsuya. Nearest stn: Yotsuya Sanchome. Tel: 03-5367-9601. www.goodtoy.org

UENO Edo-Tokyo Museum

The Flowering of Edo Period Painting. New York couple's 40-year collection of Japanese masterpieces. Until Jul 15, ¥650-1,300. Open Tue-Fri & Sun 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 9:30am-7:30pm, closed Mon & hols. 1-4-1 Yokoami. Nearest stn: Ryogoku. Tel: 03-36269974. www.edo-tokyomuseum.or.jp

National Museum of Nature and Science

Deep Sea. Earth's last frontier.

Jul 6-Oct 6, ¥300-600, plus special exhibition fee.

Written in the Bodies Lived at the Capital Edo. Skeletons, sketches and garments. Until Jun 16, ¥600. Open Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 9am-5pm, Fri 9am-8pm, closed Mon. 7-20 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno.

Tel: 03-3822-0111. www. kahaku.go.jp

The National Museum of Western Art

Raffaello. Painter and architect of the Italian Renaissance.

Until Jun 2, ¥1,500.

Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Painting, sculpture by the Old Master. Sep 6-Nov 17, ¥700-1,400. Open daily 9:30am-5:30pm. 7-7 Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. www. nmwa.go.jp

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Leonardo da Vinci—Portraits of a Genius. Illustrations and oil paintings. Until Jun 30, ¥800-1,500. La Méditerranée dans les Collections du Louvre.

Art and sculptures from the Louvre's Mediterranean collection. Jul 20-Sep 23, ¥600-1,500. 8-36 Ueno Park.

Nearest stn: Ueno. www. tobikan.jp

OTHER AREAS Hoki Museum

Feeling the Light and the Wind. Realist painting by Japanese artists. Until Nov 10, ¥750-1,500. Open Mon & Wed-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-5pm, closed Tue. 3-15 Asumigaokahigashi, Midoriku. Nearest stn: Toke. www. hoki-museum.jp

National Museum of Japanese History

The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and its Recovery Efforts. Images and talks by people from the area. Until Sep 23, ¥250-420. Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-4:30pm, closed Mon. 117 Jonai-cho, Sakura-shi. Nearest stn: Keisei-Sakura. www. rekihaku.ac.jp

Setagaya Art Museum

Art and Living: Takashimaya.

Department store as trendsetter. Until Jun 23, ¥500-1,000. Open Tue-Sun10am-6pm, closed Mon. 1-2 Kinuta-koen, Setagaya-ku. Nearest stn: Seijogakuenmae.

Tel: 03-3415-6011. www. setagayaartmuseum.or.jp/ index_e.html

Yokohama Museum of Art

Masterpieces of French Paintings. Artworks on loan from the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. Jul 6-Sep 16, Fri-Wed 10am-6pm. 3-4-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku.

Nearest stn: Minato Mirai. www.yaf.or.jp/yma

Sports BASEBALL Interleague

Tokyo

Yakult Swallows vs.

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.

May 25-26, 6pm, ¥500-4,500.

Meiji Jingu Gaien. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www. jingu-stadium.com Yokoham

DeNA BayStars vs. Chiba Lotte Marines. May 25-26, 2pm, ¥800-5,500.

Yokohama Stadium. Nearest stn: Kannai. Tel: 04-56611251.

Yomiuri

Giants vs. Orix Buffaloes. May 25-26, 6pm, ¥500-5,900. Tokyo Dome.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

Chiba

Lotte Marines vs.

Yomiuri Giants. May 31-1, 6:15pm, ¥1,800-4,800.

QVC Marine Field. Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. Tel: 043-296-1227.

Saitama

Seibu Lions vs.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

May 31-1, 6pm, ¥600-20,000.

Seibu Dome. Nearest stn: Seibukyujomae. Tel: 04-2925-1141.

Chiba

Lotte Marines vs.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Jun 2-3, 1pm, ¥1,800-4,800.

QVC Marine Field. Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. Tel: 043-296-1227.

Saitama

Seibu Lions vs.

Yomiuri Giants. Jun 2-3, 3pm, ¥500-5,900. Tokyo Dome.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

BOXING East Japan Rookie King Elimination

Jun 14, 5:45pm, ¥3,0005,000. Korakuen Hall.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

FIGURE SKATING Art on Ice

International stars put on a series of magical performances. Jun 1-2, 1 & 6:30pm, ¥8,00028,000. Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Nearest stn: Meiji-Jingumae. Tel: 0570-550-799. www. artonice.jp

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Jun 29, 5:30pm, ¥3,00010,000. Korakuen Hall.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999.

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MMA Krush.29

Jun 16, 6pm, ¥4,000-10,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-53518390.

VTJ 2nd

Jun 22, 4:30pm, ¥6,00050,000 +1d. Tokyo Dome City Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi.

Tel: 03-5800-9999. www. meetsport.jp/hall

MOTOR SPORTS Gran Turismo D1GP Rd. 2

May 25-May 26, 10am, ¥1,000-¥2,000. Suzuka Circuit. Nearest stn: Suzuka Circuit Inou. Tel: 059-378-1111.

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PRO WRESTLING New Japan: Best of the Super Jr May 24, 6:30pm, ¥4,0007,000. Korakuen Hall.

Nearest stn: Suidobashi.

Tel: 03-5800-9999. www. njpw.co.jp

Wrestling New Classic Tournament

May 24, 7pm, ¥3,000-7,000 +1d. Shinjuku Face. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-64412940. www.wnc-pro.com

Rise Up

WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE!

Jun 2, 6pm, ¥4,000-7,000.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-62803323.

Best of the Super Jr. XX

Jun 9, 6:30pm, ¥3,000-10,000.

Ryogoku Kokugikan. Nearest stn: Ryogoku. Tel: 03-36235111.

Michinoku 20th Anniversary

Jun 9, 12pm, ¥3,500-6,500.

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 019-687-2431. .

RUGBY Japan vs. Wales

Jun 15, 2pm, ¥600-5,500.

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Tel: 03-34013881. www.naash.go.jp/ chichibunomiya

Japan vs. USA

Jun 23, 12:10pm, ¥300-7,000.

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-3290. www.rugby-japan.jp/ticket

Tonga vs. Fiji

Jun 23, 2:10pm, ¥300-7,000.

Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-3290.

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Detail of The Last Image (2010)

Sophie Calle: For the Last and First Time French artist Sophie Calle has created two installations questioning how we perceive beauty, both on exhibit at the intimate Hara Museum in a quiet Shinagawa back street. The Last Image interweaves text and photographs relating to people who have lost the power of sight. Voir la mer captures on film the expression of people seeing the ocean for the first time. To the sound of waves, Calle's installations contemplate questions explored since her 1986 work The Blind: What is beauty? What does it mean to see? Calle has held major solo exhibitions and represented France at the Venice Biennale and other events.

Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, until Jun 30. ¥5001,000. Open Tue-Sun 11am-5pm, closed Mon. 4-7-25 KitaShinagawa. Nearest stn: Kita-shinagawa. Tel: 03-3445-0651. www.haramuseum.or.jp

www.rugby-japan.jp/ticket

SOCCER Japan vs. Australia World Cup Qualifier Jun 4, 7:30pm, ¥1,000-¥20,000.

Saitama Stadium, Saitama.

Nearest stn: Urawamisono. http://ticket.jfa.or.jp

J. League, Division 1

Kawasaki

Frontale vs.

Albirex Niigata. May 25, 3pm, ¥800-4,500. Todoroki Stadium.

Nearest stn: Musashikosugi.

Kashiwa

Reysol vs. Urawa Reds. May 26, 4pm, ¥2,300¥5,000. National Olympic Stadium. Nearest stn: Gaienmae.

Urawa

Reds vs. Vegalta Sendai. May 29, 7:30pm, ¥2,000-¥4,500. Saitama Stadium. Nearest stn: Urawamisono.

FC Tokyo vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Jul 6, 6:30pm, ¥500-6,000. Ajinomoto Stadium. Nearest stn: Tobitakyu.

Kawasaki

Frontale vs.

Kashima Antlers. Jul 6, 7pm, ¥800-4,500. Todoroki Stadium.

Nearest stn: Musashikosugi.

Omiya

Ardija vs. Sagan Tosu. Jul 6, 7pm, ¥2,000-5,000.

NACK5 Stadium. Nearest stn: Kitaomiya.

Ventforet

Kofu vs. Urawa Reds. Jul 6, 6pm, ¥2,000-4,000.

National Olympic Stadium.

Nearest stn: Gaienmae. ww.j-league.or.jp/eng

SWIMMING Japan Open 2013

Japan’s major swimmers. May 24-26, 9am, ¥2,000-¥4,000.

Sagamihara Green Pool.

Nearest stn: Kamimizo. Tel: 042-758-3151.

Festivals Tokyo Hotaru Festival

Over 100,000 LED lights set adrift on Sumidagawa with live music. May 25, 7pm, ¥1,000-3,000. Sumidagawa riverbank. Nearest station: Asakusa. www.tokyo-hotaru.jp

Satsuki Festival

Azaleas in bloom. May 29-Jun 3, free. Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.satsukikyokai. or.jp/satsuki_fes

Tennou Sai

Portable shrine procession and other events. Jun 3, 8-9, free. Susanoo Shrine. Nearest stn: Minami-Senju. www. susanoo.or.jp/tennosai

Agenda Listings Until Jun 23, 11am-6pm, free.

Tokyo Big Sight. Nearest stn: Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimon. http://global.mynavi.jp

Big Beach Festival ’13

www.bigbeach-fes.com Makuharikaihin-koen, Chiba Nearest Stn JR Keiyo Line Kaihin-Makuhari Stn Doors open at 10am and concert starts at 11am Tickets ¥10,500 (adv) Featuring Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx and others

20th Tokyo International Book Fair Publications in all categories.

Jul 3-6, 10am-6pm, ¥1,200 (door). Tokyo Big Sight.

Nearest stn: Kokusai-TenjijoSeimon. Tel: 03-3349-8519. www.bookfair.jp/en

SAT JUNE 1ST, CHIBA

Bazaars & Markets Shinjuku Central Park Flea Market

An ice wonderland to cool off at the onset of summer.

Ice bar, sculptures, games, performances, and more. Jun 9, 10:30am-4pm, free. Ueno Park. Nearest stn: Ueno. http:// meturl.com/icefest

Yokohama Odori Park Flea Market

Paris-Sai

May 25, 10am-4pm, free.

Yokohama Odori Koen.

Nearest stn: Kannai. www. recycler.org

An outdoor festival with music, film, food, and fun for the whole family. Jul 13, 4-11:30pm, free. The French Institute. Nearest stn: Iidabashi.

Tel: 03-5205-2500. www. institutfrancais.jp/tokyo

Forums & Expos

Island Lifestyle Show

Hawaii art, goods, etc. May 25-26, 10am-6pm, ¥800 (adv)/ ¥1,000 (door). Tokyo Big Sight.

Nearest stn: Kokusai-TenjijoSeimon. www.hawaii.jp

Japan’s largest outdoor antique market. Every first and third Sun, 8am-4:30pm, Tokyo International Forum Hall C. Nearest stn: Yurakucho.

Tel: 03-5805-1093.

Used Porsche Fair

Over 100 selected sports cars. Until Jun 2, 10am-6pm, free. Tokyo Big Sight. Nearest stn: Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimon. www.porsche.com/japan

Interior Lifestyle

Global high-design festival.

Until Jun 7, 10am-6pm, free (adv registration)/¥2,000 (door). Tokyo Big Sight. Nearest stn: Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimon. www.interior-lifestyle.com

International Tokyo Toy Show

Toys, stage shows, kids' park and more. Jun 15, 9am-5pm; Jun 16, 9am-4pm, free. Tokyo Big Sight. Nearest stn: KokusaiTenjijo-Seimon. www.toys. or.jp/toyshow

Mynavi Global Career Expo Summer

Job fair for worldly people.

Watch independent short films and mingle while sipping and scoffing. To show your film, email cowmail@thepinkcow. com. Happy hour 5-7pm.

Jun 4, 7pm, free. The Pink Cow. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.thepinkcow.com

Pause Talk

Oedo Antique Fair

Open forum where creatives can get together to discuss projects, ideas and cultural currents.

Every first Mon, Cafe Pause.

Nearest stn: Ikebukuro.

Tel: 03-6912-7711. www. pausetalk.org

Party and Purpose

Aoyama Marché

A casual get-together over dinner with people interested in personal development, organized by Tokyo Positive Thinkers.

Every third Wed, 8pm, about ¥2,000, Ikebukuro TGI Friday's. Nearest station: Ikebukuro. Tel: 090-44406391. http://meturl.com/ positivethinkerstokyo

Yasukuni Shrine Antique Market

3D Art Museum

Organic farmers’ market.

Every weekend. United Nations University. Nearest stn: Omotesando. Tel: 03-3456-0960.

Every Sun, sunrise-sunset.

Yasukuni Shrine. Nearest stn: Kudanshita. Tel: 03-3261-8326.

Fudaten Jinja Market

Every second Sun, 10am-4pm, Fudaten Jinja.

Nearest stn: Chofu. Tel: 04-2489-0022.

Be a part of the art. Until Sep 1, 11am-8pm, ¥700 (adult), ¥500 (child). VenusFort.

Nearest stn: Aoumi. Tel: 03-3599-0700. www. venusfort.co.jp

Sunday Spin

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

Community Open the Park

Challenge Guinness world

Bicyclists of all treads meet for slide shows, lectures, ride-planning, etc. Every second Wed, 7pm, free, The Pink Cow. Nearest stn: Roppongi. cowmail@ thepinkcow.com

Learning

Pink Cow Film Club

Every second Sun, 5:30am3pm, Nogi Shrine. Nearest stn: Nogizaka. Tel: 03-34783001.

Half-Fast Cyclists

Run for Africa

Earth Day Market

Nogi Shrine Market

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

Tokyo Street Hockey Association

Over 100 vendors. Jun 8-9, 10am-4pm. Akihabara UDZ. Nearest stn: Akihabara.

Jun 16, 10am-4pm, free.

Yoyogi Park. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 03-3469-6081. www.earthdaymarket.com

Stitch-n-Bitch

New night for aspiring comics and musicians.

May 27, 9pm, free. The Black Sheep. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. Tel: southpawopenmike@ gmail.com. http://meturl. com/blacksheepmike

Mottainai Flea Market

Farm-fresh veg from the north. Every Sat, 7-9am, Roppongi Hills East Court.

Nearest stn: Roppongi. Tel: 03-6406-5285.

Interior design, art and goods trade show for Christmasrelated imports. May 24-26, ¥500. Laforet Museum.

Nearest stn: Meiji-jingumae. www.batoma.com

Celebrating warm weather, and the power of the spoken word. Anyone who wants to share their work welcome. May 26, 7:30pm, free. Jamrock Cafe. Nearest stn: Harajuku. meturl.com/ writersblocmay26

Charity relay marathon event to raise funds for Child Africa Project. Jun 1, 10am, ¥4,000. Nissan Stadium. Nearest stn: Kozuke. Tel: info@mudef. net. www.runforafrica.jp

Ibaraki-ichi

Batoma Interior Exhibition

Writers Bloc, Tokyo Evening Musings 16

SouthPaw Open Mike

Vintage goods. May 25, 9am-3pm, free. Shinjuku Central Park. Nearest stn: Tocho-mae. Tel: 03-56112230.

Tokyo Pure Ice Festival

records, forest café, and more. Until May 26, 5-10pm, free. Tokyo Midtown.

Nearest stn: Roppongi.

Tel: 03-3475-3100. www. tokyo-midtown.com

Casual street-hockey group with regular meet-ups.

Every first, second and third Fri, various venues. Check website calendar for details. www.tokyohockey.com

Book Picnic

Writers who contributed to Forty Stories of Japan and Downunder Japan, as well as Japan On Foot writer Mary King for discussion and sunshine. May 26, noon, free.

Yoyogi Park. Nearest stn: Harajuku. Tel: 090-9153-5917. www.finelinepress.co.nz

Volunteers of Freedom

The legacy of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, by author Ken O'Keefe. May 29, 7pm, free.

Lakeland College. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3225-0425. lcj.lakeland.edu/lakelandlectures

Japanese Economy and BOJ's Monetary Policy

Seminar by Bank of Japan policymaker Dr. Sayuri Shirai.

May 29, 6:30pm, ¥3,000.

Swedish Embassy. Nearest stn: Roppongi-itchome. eijsjap@ gmail.com.

Washington & Oregon Wines

Wine seminar in international atmosphere with gourmet dinner. Jun 2, 5pm, ¥9,980 (adv). Legato.

Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: frenchwinetasting@hotmail. com. www.wineandcooking. info/en/winetesting.html

Seeking the Truth through Art and Science

The lives and works of Buckminster Fuller and Isamu Noguchi. Jun 14, 7-8:30pm, free. International House of Japan. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.i-house.or.jp/eng

Wine and Chocolate Pairing with Art

Learn how to pair wine with chocolate from Godiva, while enjoying art in a relaxing atmosphere. Jun 22, 7:30pm, ¥3,980 (early bird) /¥4,980

MBA Open Campus

Japan’s No.1 MBA. Experience a free trial class at one of our upcoming Open Campuses. Highly interactive and practical.

Courses available from July.

Next to Kojimachi Station, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. www.globis.ac.jp/events

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(door). Las Chicas, Shibuya-ku.

Nearest stn: Omotesando. www.doglegsmovie.com/event

Other Events Yokohama Dragon Boat Race

Annual boat race consisting of paddle-driven longboats.

May 25-26, 9am-4pm and Jun 1-2, 9am-4pm, free. Yamashita Park and its environs. Nearest station: Motomachi-Chukagai or Minato Mirai. Tel: 045-2611163. www.yokohama-dragon. com

Komazawa Oktoberfest

(adv). Atsukobarouh Arts Drinks Talk. Nearest stn: Shibuya. Tel: pat_japan@ hotmail.com. www. wineandcooking.info/en/ specialevent.html

First Aid and CPR Certification Course

This Primary and Secondary Care course also involves injury and illness assessments, bandaging and splinting for fractures, and comes with a two-year certification. Jun 23, 9:30am-5:30pm, ¥14,700.

Minato-ku Labor and Welfare Hall. Nearest station: Tamachi. http://meturl.com/ tokygaijinfirstaid

Film

Beer, sausage, music—prost!

May 31-Jun 9, 4-10pm, free.

Metropolitan Komazawa Olympic Park. Nearest stn: Komazawa-Daigaku. Tel: 03-3421-6431. oktoberfest.jp

Manpaku

Open-air world food festival in its 5th year. Until Jun 3, 10:30am-9pm, ¥400-¥2,000.

Showa Kinen Park. Nearest stn: Tachikawa. http://manpaku. jp/201305

Cosplay in Differ Ariake All night cosplay event for over 18s. Jun 7, 11pm, ¥2,000 (cosplay)/ ¥3.000 (non-cosplay). Differ Ariake. Nearest stn: Ariake-tennis-no-mori.

Tel: info@cosplayheaven. jp. www.cosplayheaven.jp/ cosplayheaven.html

Warrior Dash

Future Shorts Film Festival

Award-winning shorts from all over the world, with performances and more.

May 24-25, ¥800 +1d. 3331 Arts Chiyoda. Chiyoda-ku.

Nearest stn: Suehirocho. www.3331.jp/schedule/en

In Memory of Film Figures We Lost in 2011-2012

International mud obstacle race. Jun 22-23, 8am, free (spectator)/ ¥1,000 (festival)/ ¥8,000 (adventure run).

Naeba Ski Resort. Nearest stn: Echigo Yuzawa. Tel: 03-45501199. Jun 15 & 16, 8am, free (spectator)/ ¥1,000 (festival)/ ¥8,000 (adventure run).

Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest, Kanagawa. Nearest station: Pleasure Forest Mae

Film screenings of movies featuring actors and actresses who recently passed away.

Until May 26, ¥100-500.

National Film Center. Nearest stn: Takebashi. www.momat. go.jp/english/nfc

Hello Kitty' Alice Festival

Bakuon Film Festival

Dance License

Film festival with shocking and explosive flicks, inc.

Natural Born Killers, Heaven's Gate, Carrie, etc. May 31-Jun 8, various times, ¥1,000-5,000.

Kichijoji Baus Theater. Nearest stn: Kichijoji. Tel: 0422-223555. www.facebook.com/ bakuonfilmfes

Party for the Right to Fight

Fundraising event to support groundbreaking documentary on disabled wrestlers. Live music, exclusive preview, and a live wrestling match. June 2, 6pm, ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥4,000

Room 806 - Roppongi

Hello Kitty's Adventures in Puroland. Spring celebration.

May 7-Jun 30, 10am-5pm, ¥4,000. Sanrio Puroland.

Nearest stn: Odakyu Tama Center. Tel: 042-339-1111.

Japan Street Dance Association certification event for all levels of hip hop and jazz dancers. Guest judge, Sol from Big Bang. Jul 13-15, all day, ¥5,350 (JSDA member)/ ¥ 7,895 (non-member). Avex Artist Academy. Nearest station: Harajuku. http:// jsda.info

TV Animation 50th Anniversary

See Astroboy’s studio.

Until Jul 15, 10am-6pm, free. Suginami Animation Museum. Nearest station: Ogikubo. Tel: 03-3396-1510.

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MOVIES

BY DON MORTON

More reviews and theater details: metropolis.co.jp/movies

Metpod

the second act, a young cop with a law degree is threatened by department corruption. The third part, which takes place 15 years later, is about two teens that unwittingly share a secret. While this part may not be quite as effective, it ties up the strings of the first two acts in a satisfying way. Sins of the fathers.

And if there are any flaws to this film, they’re due to ambition and vision, and that ’s okay. The characters are well drawn and immersive, the acting ’s flawless (by Ryan Gosling, B ra d l e y C o o p e r & E v a Mendes), the cinematography’s innovative (even the car chase) and for a story with such daring plot leaps, there’s a complete lack of artifice. This is a cinematic achievement that’s fresh and original, one that will stay with you. Cianfrance is emerging as a storyteller of the first rank. (140 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 25

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

D

erek Cianfrance follows up his brilliant Blue Valentine with this devastatingly good emotional roller coaster of a triptych. The first of three separate

THE POSSESSION

Fair to middling Exorcist knockoff if you’re among the few people wh o h ave n o t lo n g a g o g row n tired of the subgenre. The hook, I g ue s s , i s t h at t he p o s s e s s ive troublemaker here is a dybbuk, an evil Hebrew spirit. The Rabbi exorcist called in to, well, exorcise the demon is played earnestly, if without great gravitas, by Hasidic reggae superstar Matisyahu. I’m not making this up. At any rate, this eerily entertaining hokum plays with convincing realism to a point, and the pacing, construction and acting are good. Nice use of sound and creepy minimalist music. But mainly for horror buffs. (91 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 25.

EIGA: ©PHOTO: MASAYUKI YOSHINAGA ©PHOTO: TERUYOSHI TOYOTA; GAMBIT: ©2012 GAMBIT PICTURES LIMITED; BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK: © THE NEW YORK TIMES AND FIRST THOUGHT FILMS.; DRIFT: ©2012 WORLD WIDE MIND FILMS PTY LTD, SCREEN AUSTRALIA, SCREENWEST AND SCREEN NSW.; CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER: © C & J FOREVER, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; ANTIVIRAL: © 2012 RHOMBUS MEDIA(ANTIVIRAL)INC.; THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES: © 2012 KIMMEL DISTRIBUTION, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; THE POSSESSION: (C) 2012 BOX PRODUCTIONS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; EAMES: THE ARCHITECT AND THE PAINTER: © 2011 EAMES OFFICE, LLC.

but connected stories has to do with an itinerant, neer-do-well motorcycle daredevil who turns to bank robbery to provide for the one-yearold son he just found out he had. In

ANTIVIRAL

Exceedingly unpleasant, humorless satire from Brandon Cronenberg, spawn of David, posits a near-future cele br it y cu lt u re meta sta si ze d to a point where avid fans pay to be infected with viral souvenirs harvested from major celebs. Plot focuses on a technician/salesman (Caleb Landry Jones) in one such clinic who is methodically stealing his company’s copyrighted inventory by infecting himself with each new illness. Lots of needles piercing skin, and Jones spends a lot of time vomiting blood, so it would be redundant to call this stylish effort “sick.” Visually arresting , but ultimately aimless. (108 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 25.

BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK

“We all get dressed for Bill,” says A n n a Wi nto u r. S h e ’s t a l k i n g about legendary New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham.

This shy, spry, 82-year-old braves the streets of Manhattan every day on his venerable bicycle, snapping photo after photo, not unlike a war photographer, intensely focused on people on the street and what they chose to put on that morning. This quiet, modest man is contradictorily almost invisible yet a New York institution. All in all, he’s one of the most completely and purely happy people you will ever find. And this film will make you happy, too. (84 min)

NEW

DRIFT

Surf drama about the rise of the s u r f i n g g e a r i n du s t r y i n We s t Australia in the 1970s, striking a balance between the spiritual side of this elemental sport, man and mak in g enou gh money to keep doing it. It’s a tad predictable and perfunctory, but it’s also somehow, well, likable. While not stellar, the acting’s believable (many of the actors g rew up su r f i n g i n WA ).

Avatar’s Sam Worthington is funny as a nomadic hippie surf photographer, sometimes intentionally. The script’s tight and the surfing footage is most excellent. It could have been oh, so much worse (ref. the upcoming Chasing Mavericks). (113 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 25.

GAMBIT

It looks like it’s funny, from its retro, Pink Panther-like opening credits to its farcical setups, fart gags and lost-my-pants slapstick. But not far into this stilted remake of the 1966 Shirley MacLaine/Michael Caine flick you realize what’s missing: you’re not laughing. Brit art curator Colin Firth enlists American cowgirl Cameron Diaz to dupe his obnoxious boss (Alan Rickman) into buying a fake Monet crafted by Tom Courtenay.

These actors neither stretch their talents nor enhance their filmographies. Stereotypical Japanese businessmen notably offensive.

Scripted by the Coen Brothers. Hard to tell. Japanese title: Monet Game.

(89 min)

CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER

It’s always refreshing to come across a romantic dramedy that flaunts formula . This one starts with a likable married couple, clearly in love and best friends... and getting divorced. She’s Type A; he’s lovably schlubby, and she thinks she can do better. Excellent chemistry between co-writer Rashida Jones and SNL vet Andy Samberg. Then an irreversible plot twist results in Jesse’s ironically evolving into the guy Celeste thought she wanted . The characters are believable, the emotion is gut-wrenching (you know these two belong together) and the segues effortless.

And it’s even romantic. And funny.

Japanese title: Celeste Mugen Jesse.

(91 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 25.

EAMES: THE ARCHITECT AND THE PAINTER

You may never have come into contact with Charles and Ray Eames, but your butt most likely has. The architectural-school dropout and his wife the painter who rarely painted are most commonly associated with the ubiquitous “Eames chair.” But their influence goes way beyond that. Their iconic and groundbreaking mix of the practical and the aesthetic flowed out of their prolific design studio in Venice, CA. They made numerous short films and designed the IBM logo.

Their motto: “The best for the most for the least.” A must-see for designers. Japanese title: Futari no Eames: Kenchika Charles to Gaka Ray. (84 min) SHOWING FROM MAY 11.

eiga

movie news

cinematic underground

Five film gems for #1,000.

Nude Examines the exhilaration and heartbreak of the adult-movie industry and how AV stars create and inhabit their new identities. This evocative work leaves open whether or not it was worth it. An unexpected tour-de-force, and one of the best contemporary fiction pieces on becoming a porno actress—in any country.

Norwegian Wood Masterpiece of the famous Haruki Murakami novel from Vietnamese-French director Tran Ahn Hung and an all-Japanese cast featuring Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note). With highly nuanced performances, this meditation on death, loss and its emotional toll hits home. Ikechan to Boku Manga has become the most common source material for Japanese film, but the majority are aimed at children—and thoroughly banal. This story of a boy with a little blob named Ikechan defies the mold. Manages cute and meaningful at the same time. Air Doll (Kuki Ningyo) Follows an inflatable sex doll (Korean actress Doona Bae—Cloud Atlas) that develops life and goes out into the world. She experiences reality as a child and its insight into beauty and humanity—a thought-provoking and surreal work. Pyuupiru 2001-2008 Shot over seven years, we see an artist gain confidence in his art while undergoing a sexual transformation. An intimate portrait by documentarian Daishi Matsunaga on the search for an androgynous, idealized body—a must for those interested in art and sexual identity. Rob Schwartz

For many movie stars, Tokyo is an obligatory stop on i nter nat iona l promotional tours. But for Tom Cruise, Japan has become something of a home away f rom home. At a recent press con fe re nce to u nve i l his latest sci-fi epic Oblivion, a Japanese reporter pointed out that the 50-year-old actor/producer was on his 19th visit to the country. “For me, it is a dream to be here every time. I think everybody knows how I feel about the people and the culture,” Cruise reflected.

“I can’t believe it has been 19 times, and I hope to come 19 more times.” His packed schedule, though, means he is often on the ground in Tokyo for less than 48 hours. His costar Olga Kurylenko is giving herself a bit more time. The Ukrainian actress previously made a short stop in the country in 2008 to promote her role as a Bond Girl in Quantum of Solace. “This time, I’m taking 10 days to travel all around Japan,” she said.

Will Cruise ever come back for a longer stay? “It’s a beautiful country,” he said, recalling his shoot outside Kyoto in 2003 for The Last Samurai and adding that he would love to make another film in Japan. “Where we shoot would depend on the story and the architecture needed to tell it.”

Oblivion will open in Japan May 31. Kevin Mcgue

Shibuya’s Image Forum (2-10-2 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku; www.imageforum.co.jp) is marking the Japan release of the doc Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir by dipping into Polanski’s filmography and pulling out a few landmark films.

The program, running Jun 1-Jul 12, includes the Polish-language feature Knife in the Water (1962) that was nominated for an Oscar and is today considered one of the strongest directorial debuts ever, as well as Catherine Deneuve in psychological thriller Repulsion (1965) and Mia Farrow in atmospheric horror classic Rosemary’s Baby (1968; pictured)... Late director Keisuke Kinoshita is finally getting his due after passing away in 1998.

Although he did not achieve the international fame of his contemporary, Akira Kurosawa, he was once a well-known figure in Japan. To mark the centenary of his birth, the Berlin Film Festival presented a selection of his work back in February. Now ShinBungeiza in Ikebukuro (3F, 1-43-5 Higashi-Ikebukuro Toshima-ku; www.shin-bungeiza.com) is screening some of his 49 films, including Carmen Goes Home (1951), Japan’s first color film... Cinema Vera (1-5 Maruyamacho, Shibuya-ku ; www.cinemavera.com) is running a program of films by Kenji Mizoguchi through June 7.

The celebrated director is remembered for the ghost drama Ugetsu (1953) and gritty films featuring strong female characters. KM

COURTESY OF FOX BACKSTAGE PASS/MATHIEU BUGLET

© WILLIAM CASTLE PRODUCTIONS

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 19

Spacious 5F terrace over looking central Shibuya!

Enjoy our great selections of Irish and European brews.

Happy Hour All ¥500!!

We welcome all kinds of parties.

Please contact us.

Each branch has different hours.

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Mon-Fri (except Public holidays) Open-7pm. Heineken 1 PINT, The Premium Malt’s 1 PINT, Glasses of wine, Cocktails

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Open 5pm-Late 1-23-1 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT-PIZZA!

+ 1 drink

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03-3713-7067

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Ikebukuro

Shibuya

2F Dogenzaka Center Bldg.

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B1 Sannou Park Tower 2-11-1 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku 03-3539-3615 | sali2645@sapporo-lion.co.jp r.gnavi.co.jp/g008233/ Closed: Sat., Sun., & Holidays

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WWW.METPOD.COM 20 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

BITES

THE LATEST DISH ON FOOD & DRINK IN THE BIG CITY

Dining Out

custom

S

hortcake, long possibilities, with Afternoon Tea Tearoom’s Customized Cake, available at any Afternoon Tea Tearoom across Tokyo—locations in Atré and that sort of station-enveloping mall. For ¥1,470 buy a shortcake and a drink, but get this: your cake has three stages of customization. Choose one of three marinated fruit selections, sauces, and toppings— then decorate. Thus could you wind up (for example) with a mango cream shortcake topped with berries, drenched in peach sauce and sided by roast almonds.

Finally, submit a photo of your cakey creation to their photo contest, and you’ll be in the running for one of ten “Tea Free Passes,” which will get you free cuppas at any Afternoon Tea Tearoom from August 1 until December 31. Garner the most “likes” on the site for some cartons of premixed tea. www.afternoon-tea.net/photo

cause

S

upport refugees in Japan by learning to prepare their home country’s cuisine with this wholesome cookbook from the Japan Association for Refugees. Full color and bilingual, Flavours Without Borders presents about 45 recipes from 15 cultures around the world—along with the human stories of the people who provide them. Learn how to cook omelette with Chinese chives from Azerbaijan, Kurdish cucumber and yoghurt salad, Burmese-style noodles with kinako, and plenty more diverse dishes, with recipes adapted to the ingredients available in the stores on these shores. The book is targeted at raising awareness about the small number of asylum seekers permitted into Japan, and at raising money for the community, with all proceeds going to the cause. Available online since February (www.flavours-without-borders.jp), it is now also buyable from Amazon (¥1,575).

buffet

H © TSUBURAYA PROD.

Y

B

reak out the champers for a special occasion (like the 1,000th issue of Metropolis, for example), and do so in super splashy summer style with a new seasonal offering. Bubbly boffins Moet & Chandon have owned the Yarra Valley winery in Victoria, Australia since 1986, and that is the origin of the newly designed bottle of Chandon Brut (¥2,415). The marine-design bottle will prompt the urge to shower yourself with the stuff under the spring sunshine. But it might be even better to imbibe this sparkling Chardonnay with astringent citrus base, softened on top with pear and nectarine, and finished with roasted nuts and delicate spices. Available from June until the end of summer at liquor stores around the country.

ou can’t tell his age with that mask on, but Ultraman is turning 50. Still, his appeal to children is to be further cemented by a collaboration with Akagi Nyugyo Corporation’s ice popsicle character Gari-Gari-kun—the one with the beads of sweat and toothy grin. The limited-release-only Rich! Strawberry Au Lait and Jelly (¥126) is on sale at conbini around the land and comes in three different wrappers featuring Ultraman, Ultra Seven and Ultraman Zero. Look out for the kanji 当り(atari) which means you have won an exclusive Gari-Gari x Ultraman T-shirt (S/M/L/XL).

Other wacky Gari-Gari-kun flavors out at the moment include spring-like honey and lemon squash, and hardto-comprehend corn potage.

ilton Tokyo has teamed up with the South African Embassy to provide The Essence of South Africa, a lunch buffet from June 5-9 in the firstfloor Marble Lounge (6-6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; http://tokyo.hilton.com). For ¥4,600 per person (¥2,500 per child) sample the dishes of Lindsay Venn, the executive chef of Cape Town hotel Southern Sun The Cullinan, while your heart pulses to the live performance of percussive troupe Drum Café. The multicultural culinary offerings of the republic are referred to as “rainbow cuisine,” as you’ll appreciate with dishes such as grilled crocodile with dried cranberries, spiced ostrich carpaccio with kumquat relish, and superlative sweets like koeksisters, or braided, syrup-coated doughnuts. South Afircan wines are offered for an additional charge.

spiky

PHOTO BY JEFF W. RICHARDS

lolly

celebrate

S

nack-loving street urchins take note, uni-flavored chips (¥126) are in town. Made by Ozack, these fried potato discs can’t be said to taste a great deal like the spiky marine animals—perhaps good news for some of the more particular gaikokujin— but they do carry a distinct taste of fresh sea spray. Or maybe we just left the window open. The first echinoderm-flavored bar snack we’ve come across, which doesn’t actually include any real sea urchin, is clearly striking a chord with the public. Our local conbini has been sold out of the product every morning—and they can’t refill the shelves fast enough.

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 21

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5/31 (FRI) AC/BC NIGHT Vol.21 6/7 (FRI) HEARTLAND NIGHT 6/14 (FRI) JWM (JOHNNIE WALKER MUSIC) Thank you for coming to the Metropolis March Getsumatsu “Heineken × Brazilian Night” Party.

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THE LATEST DISH ON FOOD & DRINK IN THE BIG CITY

Dining Out

local flavors

OLD SCHOOL RAMEN

Three top ramen shops that hit the streets long before Metropolis Text and photos by Brian MacDuckston

M

odern trends in r a men a re a l l t he rage t hese days.

Yo u n g , F r e n c h t ra i ned chefs usi ng cer t i f ied organic ing redients in new and exciting ways could, though, just be the latest trend. But what about shops around long before anyone ever grabbed a copy of Metropolis?

same pots and pans. One thing is for sure—the ramen master, Mr. Sabuchan, is like a character out of an old black-and-white movie, noir-ishly chain-smoking out the back door between filling ramen bowls and frying rice. The concept of a bowl of simple shoyu ramen with fried rice on the side? Invented here. The half-fried rice with ramen is ¥720.

have inadvertently created the first round-t he-block ramen line for their affordable, comforting bowl.

T hese days, t he pr ice my have gone up w it h t he t imes (chukam en i s ¥1,050), but t he l i ne i s still persistent. A word of warni ng : t he l a yer of oi l on top i s near sca lding—be ver y caref u l!

HOPE-KEN

EIFUKUCHO TAISHOKEN

SABUCHAN

Eifukucho Taishoken (ET for short; 3-5-3 Izumi, Suginami-ku. Open d a i l y 11a m-1a m . Tel : 03-33215048) is one of those shops. Back in 1955 you could get a steaming hot bowl of their excellent niboshirich ramen for a paltry ¥35. Times were tough back then, and ET may

E a t i n g a t S a b u c h a n (2 0 2 4 Ka ndaji nbocho, Ch iyoda-k u.

Open Mon-Sat 11:30a m-3pm & 4:20pm-7:30pm, closed Sun. Tel: 03-3230-1252) is like taking a time machine to a Showa-era eater y.

Opened in 1967, we wouldn’t be surprised if they were still using the

restaurant review

HARUKOR

Tokyo’s only Ainu restaurant Text and photos by Jessica Kozuka

M

ost Tokyo residents a r e f a m i l i a r w it h Ok i nawa n f lavors, from goya champuru to awamori. But Ainu cuisine—from Hokkaido’s native culture—is less well known. Harukor, the only Ainu restaurant in the Tokyo area, offers an

insight.

In honor of the International Year of the World’s Indigenous People in 1993, an Ainu association in Tokyo collected donations to open Rera-Cise, a café-restaurant and performance space offering Ainu cooking and cultural offerings to the public. Sadly, Rera-Cise closed a few years ago, but the manager inherited the recipes and opened Harukor to keep the community flame burning.

When we stopped in on a Saturday night it was a full house, and everyone seemed to know everyone else.

People came and went, joining parties with cheerful greetings and passing seats on to others as they arrived.

Yet despite the busy atmosphere and cramped space, the waiter took time to answer our questions and explain the dishes. The menu is posted on the wall, much of it only in Ainu, and daily specials are written on a whiteboard.

Those who don’t speak Japanese should bring a friend—or be comfortable with ordering blindly.

According to the staff, Ainu people brew a traditional liquor in small batches, but Japanese law prevents

them selling it at the restaurant. We opted for Sapporo draft beer (¥400).

They also offer simple cocktails, sake and shochu (from ¥350).

We started off with ohaw (¥300), a simple fish soup packed with vegetables, strips of konbu and salmon. The interesting kampoca rataskep (¥500) is a dry mash that starts out with the sweetness of squash and corn and finishes with an astringent, almost medicinal flavor from its Amur cork nuts.

Ainu cooking uses a lot of game.

House specialty venison can be had in a variety of ways, even in dumplings, but purists should opt for the venison steak (¥1,300). Lightly seared with a perfect rare center, the meat’s natural taste is complimented by the acidic flavor of the side salad’s dressing.

A common ingredient which might be new to most diners is kitopiro, a wild leek with a strong garlic flavor sometimes called Ainu onion in Japan. We tried it in some dumplings (¥550), and found them so filling and complex, it was hard to believe they had no meat.

While we couldn’t work up the

Imagine a 20-year-old kid dragging a ramen cart around Kabukicho in the ’60s. This is what the founder did for 15 years before finally moving in to the Hope-ken shop (2-33-9 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku. Open 24/7. Tel: 03-3405-4249) in Setagaya. A landmark in the area, this bright yellow building is impossible to miss. Just follow your nose. The ramen here is intense. Half pure pork bliss and half hot oil. Go for the one with the wonton (wontonmen ¥950). Open 24/7/365.

courage to try mefun (¥600), a traditional dish with salted fish entrails, we felt we had tasted something unique and somehow elemental. The game and wild veggies harked back to a time when the human diet was more closely tied to the environment. You won’t find many deer to hunt or herbs to forage in Tokyo—but you can still eat them at Harukor.

Note: Harukor is relocating. We hadn't received the new address at press time, but it’s just 300m away .

J Japanese only

No nonsmoking seats

¥2,200 (per person with drinks)

15 including counter

Not your average dinner

Hard to navigate without Japanese

1-15-3 Hyakunin-cho, Shinjuku-ku.

Tel: 03-3366-6400. Nearest stn: Okubo

Open Mon-Fri 5pm-midnight, Sat-Sun 4pm-midnight

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 23

The majority of classified ads have moved online!

Our online classified ad system gives you more power to place and track your ads. All classifieds submitted for business purposes are considered commercial. Commercial and upgraded free ads can appear in any section.

To place Job ads, go to http://classifieds.metropolis.co.jp Or get in touch by email at commercial@metropolis.co.jp

CLASSIFIEDS

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.

Japanese National Insurance accepted. 5min walk from J R Ta m a c h i s t n . O p e n M o n - S a t . 03 - 5 4 4 2- 8 5 2 5 www.shibaura-dental.com/

Manhattan, haircut, color, H/L, etc., available. Contact Mika at a-hair.

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O N LY C U T Z O N E s a l o n provides a hair cut service for only ¥1000.

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Contact us at 03-3 8 821550. Open from 10am until 7pm, 7 days a week. http:// meturl.com/onlycutzone HAIR STYLIST FROM NEW YO RK , 17 years’ experience in

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2 FIND A PLACE 2.1 GUESTHOUSE GREAT LOCATION AND SUPER C LEAN! Private/s h a re d furnished rooms in Akasaka, Azabu-Juban, MinamiShinagawa, 30-second-2min walk from station. Cleaned every week. Free internet.

First-month special offer ¥49,000-¥56,000/m!

Utilities included. No key m o n e y ! 女 性 も 安 心！日 本 人 用シェアハウスも有。全 室インタ ーネット・ 家 具 付 個 室 。敷・礼 金 、仲 介 料 、水 道 光 熱 費 及 び 保 証人不要！ 090 -2405 - 0022 mail@bauhousetokyo.com www.bauhousetokyo.com

N A R I TA A I R P O R T C A R / MINIVAN TRAN SFER SERVICE . Cheaper than a taxi . English - speaking d rive r. M e e t a n d g r e e t .

Free baby seat. Luggage assistance . Dependable Safe - Ea sy- Q uic k Airpor t Tra n s fe r S e r vi c e . B O O K NOW! Email Reservation@ To k yo A i r p o r t e r. c o m . www.tokyoairporter.com

SAKURA HOU SE . Leading multilingual real estate a g e n c y i n To k y o s i n c e 1992. Over 1600 furnished apartments and guest/ share house rooms, from ¥52,000/m, utilities included. No key money/ guarantor/agent fee.

Contact us: 03-5330-5250 info @ s a kura - hou se .co m www.sakura-house.com

1.7 BUSINESS SERVICES

2.2 RENT UNDER ¥200,000

SUMIKAWA LAW OFFICE , a member of the Yokohama Bar As sociation , locate d in Kawasaki (next to Tokyo). We offer free email a dvice for vic tim s of car accidents. Contact us before reconciling with the insurance company. Lawyer Kei Sumikawa. Email: web@sumikawa.net http:// sumikawa.net

AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS & GUESTHOUSES IN TOKYO’ S P O P U L A R AREAS: Azabu, Roppongi, Asakusa, Kichijoji, Yokohama ¥49,000~/m. No key money/ guarantor/brokerage fee.

O ve r 1 0 0 g u e s t h o u s e s (internet, utilities included) and apartments. Call Oakridge : 03-3 502-23 51 oakridgehousing@gmail. com www.oakridge-housing. com

1.8 GENERAL SERVICES

LOVI N G BABY MA S SAG E .

Teaching mothers, fathers and other family members

F O N TA N A , e s t a b l i s h e d over 30 years ago. With a wide range of locations at competitive prices, our apartments and guesthouses are some of the best. Let our international team find you the perfect

classifieds.metropolis.co.jp

Issue 1002 Issue 1004 FRI, JUNE 7 FRI, JUNE 21 Deadline:

Deadline:

May 30, 3pm

June 13, 3pm

p l a c e t o l i v e i n To k y o . fo n t a n a @ g o l . c o m w w w.

TokyoCityApartments.net 03-3382-0151

I C H I G AYA G R E E N C O R P. Furnished 40m2 apartment, south/north facing, many trees, just renovated, sunny room, fresh air, peaceful, safe residential area, good n e ig h b o r s ¥ 120,0 0 0. N o key money, commission or maintenance fee. One month refundable deposit only.

Te l / f a x : 0 3 - 3 3 4 1 -7 8 7 5 itto@itto-jinnai.com www.itto-jinnai.com/green/ greencorp.html

I C H I I C O R P O R AT I O N .

Over 600 affordable, qualityfurni she d apar tme nts in central Tokyo locations. No key money/guarantor/agent fe e re quire d . N ew, clean apartments, simple contract system, full English support.

Call us today! 03-5437-5233 www.japt.co.jp

S E RVI C E D A PA RTM E NT S in a quiet residential area of Hiroo. Studios and suites. 4min from Hiroo s t n . R a te s : D a i ly ¥ 78 0 0.

Weekly ¥68 50 -/day.

Monthly ¥5900-/day. Over three months ¥4950-/ day. Tax, utilities included. f r o n t d e s k@ a z a b u c o u r t . com www. azabucour t . com/ 03-3446-8610

B U D G E T S T A Y .

Google “ Budget Stay,” or visit our website at http:// budgetstay.jp/qhm.

D o rm ito r y, 8 0 m fro m Tokyo Subway Shimo stn ¥20,000/m. Private room, 1 5 0 m f r o m To b u S h i m o Itabashi stn, 500m from JR Itabashi stn ¥35,000/m. 0706516-7597 (10am-10pm) C ENTR ALLY LO C ATED S E M I - F U R N I S H E D STUDIO APARTMENT in Wakamatsu-Kawada, Shinjuku-ku, deluxe, independent, 23sqm, w/ a i rco n , m i c rowave ove n , g a s stove, bed, computer table, fridge,

light fixture, curtains ¥92,000. apollojp@gol.com EMERGENCY HOUSING. Non-profit Megumi House is available 24/7 to help the emergency housing needs of the international community.

Since 1968. Donation for stay. Email for info. housinginjapan@yahoo. com RO P P O N G I S U M M E R S U B L E T, mid-May to mid-Sep. Fully furnished corner unit 2DK, washer/dryer, tiled bath, HS internet, printer, TV, aircon, kitchen bar, lots of sun ¥190,000/m.

Discount possible. dmorton@ attglobal.net

2.3 RENT OVER ¥200,000

TO K YO A PA RT M E N T S .

Corporate housing provider offering short and long-term a pa r tm e nts th roughout c e n t r a l To k y o . F u l l y customizable packages!

Serviced, furnished and unfurnished apartments, relocation service, furniture rental, and property sale s and management .

Please call 0120-957-520. www.tokyoapartments.jp

2.4 HOUSE SHARE M I NAM I -A SAG AYA RO O M AVAI L AB LE , private, five-mat, share lounge room, kitchen, etc., with foreigners and Japanese, furnished, internet, 8min walk to Minami-Asagaya stn, Marunouchi s u bway ¥ 5 2 ,0 0 0/m . U t i l i t i e s extra. Available June 10. Maciek.

03 - 6751 - 0 49 0 a s a g aya pa rk@ hotmail.com http://bit.ly/19wqMls ROOM AVAIL AB LE IN S HARED 3LDK APARTMENT in large, clean, comfortable, modern 3LDK apartment near Akabane, fully furnished, w/bed, closet, aircon, etc., great location near shopping center, river, onsen complex, 10min from Ikebukuro ¥50,000/m. Share with one Australian. nickjapan2002@ yahoo.com 09018591378

2.7 OFFICE SPACE

COMPASS OFFICES, MEGURO, S H I N AWAG A- KU. Fully furnished offices for 1-100 people, virtual offices and

Metropolis reserves the right to refuse, cancel or edit any ad without notice. Metropolis takes no responsibility for the quality of items or services advertised. Please carefully examine vendors or items offered before commitment. Please be careful when contacting and arranging to meet people.

Visit classifieds.metropolis.co.jp for complete listings.

24 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

meeting rooms. Flexible te rm s . Co - wo rki n g a n d mobile working in the largest business lounge in Tokyo.

Call 03-4540-1234, email jpsales@compassoffices.com or visit www.compassoffices. co.jp for more info.

3 EDUCATION 3.1 JAPANESE SCHOOLS JAPANESE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY. Our flexible, affordable Japanese lessons can help you reach your communication goals for eve r yd ay c o n ve r s a t i o n , passing the JLPT, or reading newspapers or books.

Individual or group classes at times and locations suitable for you. Contact Aoyama L a n g u a g e S c h o o l to d ay!

0 3 - 5 4 1 3 - 7 4 5 0 www.aoyama-school.com info@aoyama-school.com

3.5 LANGUAGE EXCHANGE Chinese and English. American male is a seeking a Mandarin Chinese-speaking individual for language exchange. E/J ok.

In person on the weekends around the Yamanote and/or Odakyu lines, or any time by Skype. warrior826@ezweb.ne.jp Chinese and English. I'm seeking an English speaker to exchange languages.

I'm a Taiwanese female working in Tokyo. websocietyr@gmail.com Chinese, English, Italian. Native Chinese speaker is seeking an Italian speaker for language exchange. dongjingtokyo2012@yahoo.co.jp English and Japanese. Japanese female seeks E/J language exchange in the Tokyo/Yokohama area. I really need to speak E! Help me! hana213@ hotmail.com English and Japanese. JF, 40s, seriously seeks language exchange partner or English conversation partner to brush up her English. Can anyone help me? Of course, I would be happy to help your Japanese if you like. Serious only, please. hydrangea2008@gmail.com English and Japanese. Hi! I'm a JF, early 30s, seeking a language exchange partner for studying E mainly, but other languages would be fine. Glad to help you study J. natsuki711@hotmail.co.jp English and Japanese. American male, been in Japan awhile, but I still cannot speak J well. If you can help me out, please drop me a line. I can help you with E. We can also be friends. mostfunparty@ yahoo.co.jp English and Japanese. Seeking a good language exchange partner in the Futako-Tamagawa or Tokyo area to help me learn J. I'll help your English.

Let's meet soon. sali925@yahoo.co.jp 090-1678-5644 English and Japanese. Can you teach me J and learn E from me in return? I have free time Mon-Fri daytime/weekend evenings. If you have free time, let's meet and help each other. mixnplay@ yahoo.com English and Japanese. I'm seeking a language exchange partner, preferably an American, 26-38, in or near Ichikawa City. I'm a JF translator, 35. gk24vbn8@ gmail.com English and Japanese. American English teacher seeking a language exchange partner with some good ideas to help me learn J. I can help with your English. Shinjuku preferred. Please mail me your schedule. mjsenseijp@ yahoo.co.jp English and Japanese. English male, 30s, friendly, humorous, seeks language exchange in Tokyo or Kanagawa. I live on the Denentoshi/Odakyu lines. Tokyo is ok. Photo necessary. mh.phil@yahoo. co.uk English and Japanese. Englishman, 50, seeks J language exchange partner.

Can speak J quite well, but would like

to get better. Can teach E in exchange.

Weekday evenings around Shibuya best. pandd10@gmail.com English and Japanese. Hello, I am a JF, early 40s, who uses E at work. I would like to improve my English. Please teach me E and I will teach you J. Central Tokyo is good for me. hellojapansan@yahoo.co.jp English and Japanese. Seeking a language exchange partner around the central and eastern Tokyo area to have good communication. I am a JM, 35, have lived in KL Malaysia. Feel free to contact me. takanyachima0929@gmail.com English and Japanese. Hello, I'm an experienced Japanese tutor seeking a language exchange partner. I can teach you J in E. Please teach me E. Thanks. polovakia@hotmail.co.jp English and Japanese. I am a JF, 34, living in Kawasaki. I need a friend to talk to me in E. Any nationality ok. If you would like to learn J seriously, I will help you. happylife01101112@yahoo.co.jp English and Japanese. Aussie guy, Japanese beginner, looking to share language, culture, friendship. Send me a message. bond_law@yahoo.com English and Japanese. Hi, I'm a JF, 27, living in Tokyo, working at a fashion trading company. I want to improve my English. I'd prefer a female native English speaker. Central Tokyo is good for me. hotcake31@hotmail.co.jp English and Japanese. I'm a JF, 40, who would like to meet in Shinjuku to improve E, maybe over industry articles, and gain more phrases. A professional in the entertainment area. kiyobum@ hotmail.com

Tokyo seeking a native Japanese for language exchange. Serious exchange partner only, M/F, any age ok. giozomi@ yahoo.co.uk Spanish and Japanese. Hola españoles! Necesito practicar español con vosotros! Por favor, escridme! Soy chica japonesa, 30s. Tokio central.

Gracias! chaqueta3000@yahoo.co.jp

3.6 LEARNING: GENERAL PACIFIC CULTURE CLUB offers you lessons in IKEBANA KOTO (a traditional Japanese instrument), calligraphy and wearing kimono.

One lesson ¥3000. Available in French and Spanish. Please contact P.C.C. at 03-3391-1578. keiko.pac@ gmail.com

3.9 TEACH ME! Chimichanga. Please teach me how to make good chimichanga or please tell me some sites where I can learn. Will pay for the lesson. mori.motoharu@ gmail.com English teacher sought by JF around Kichijoji on weekends. Please contact me! sepkay@hotmail.co.jp English teacher for children. I'm seeking a teacher for my 7-year-old and 4-year-old sons in the Azabu area, 4-6h/week. Basic English. Pay based on experience. Please mail me your CV. michael@hypotize.com +81-80-3350-4554 Italian and English teacher sought.

Yamanote line. dongjingtokyo2012@ yahoo.co.jp

English and Japanese. Hi, I am an Australian, 28, seeking a Japanese who would like to practice his/her English and teach me some J! Meet at a cafe, or even a bar. Seeking new friends! knowlifeproductions@gmail.com

Japanese teacher/friend. Hi, I am seeking someone to help me with everyday Japanese. Unfortunately, I am not sure what I can offer in return. I can pay for the classes if that helps. ja555@ rocketmail.com

English and Japanese. Seeking language exchange friends who live around Higashi-Nakagami and Tachikawa for E/J exchange. If you are interested, drop me a mail. smartguy@i. softbank.jp

Japanese. Need some help with my Japanese and kanji. I can help you learn English or pay you. I am friendly and like meeting interesting people. Let's be friends. funjamsession@yahoo.co.jp

English and Japanese. Hello! I'm a JM, 25, living near Shinjuku. I'd like to improve my English. splendidcram@gmail.com

Outside yoga group or private trainer sought. I prefer a midtown park. Can pay ¥3000/2h + train fare. Thanks! tokyomiffy@gmail.com

English and Japanese. Japanese female is seeking a North American female for J/E language exchange.

Around the Yamanote and Odakyu lines.

Let's speak J/E together! rikiboku523@ yahoo.co.jp

Seeking Hindi teacher. Can pay ¥2500 for a 1.5h lesson on Sat/Sun. Around Meguro would be best. Helpful if you have experience teaching a language. classifiedsemailaddress@ gmail.com

English and Japanese. I'm a JF, 33, born and currently living in Tokyo, seeking an E/J study partner. Prefer female around my age. Sometimes, let's have a beer. u_h_a@hotmail.com

Teach me to play the guitar. I have two guitars, but I can't play them. Can someone teach me how to play? Chiba or Tokyo would be good. I am Japanese, living in Ichikawa. moecotic@yahoo. co.jp

English and Japanese. Group language exchange every Wed, 7:309:30pm, 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 Filipino and Japanese. Filipino language speaker wanted by Japanese guy for exchange via Skype or at cafes in Yokohama or Yokosuka. I'm a complete beginner. I can speak advanced E and intermediate Sp. elsalvadorjapan@ yahoo.es French, English, Japanese. European man seeking a language exchange partner to improve his Japanese. I can teach you Fr or E. Let's enjoy sharing our cultures and interests. West of Tokyo preferable, but Yokohama or central Tokyo are ok. understanding_life@ hotmail.com French, English, Spanish, Japanese.

Hello, I'm a Japanese man, 20s, living in Tokyo, seeking someone who I can practice E, Fr, Sp with. I will teach you J in return. Please feel free to contact me.

Thank you. zeno77dst@hotmail.com German and Japanese. JF, late 30s, lived in Germany before, now seeking a German-speaking person. I am friendly and willing to help you speak J. Native speaker, please. port4m@yahoo.com Italian and Japanese. Italian professional living and working in central

日本語先生お願いします。 Hi, I'm seeking an experienced Japanese teacher who has taught the text げんき。 I'm almost finished the first text. Central Tokyo please. よろしく。 allonhodes@ icloud.com

4 HOUSEHOLD GOODS 4.1 FURNITURE & FITTINGS Bed, Ikea, iron construction, wooden base (200x140), w/spring mattress.

Pick up Monzen-Nakacho area. kiyokawa9773@gmail.com Chair, bench (L110xH85xW50cm), in good condition ¥1000. Pick up/ organize own delivery. ellajapt@gmail. com C h a i r. I k e a a r m c h a i r, r e d (W67xD85xH96cm; seat: W55xD50x37cm), new ¥4000. Pick up Monzen-Nakacho. kiyokawa9773@ gmail.com Closet, white (60x177x30cm), w/ sliding glass doors ¥2000. Pick up Shimokitazawa. aminimia@yahoo.com Counter, kitchen, white, in very good condition, plugs in and has an outlet on the top. New ¥20,000. Sell ¥4000. darrenhcook@hotmail.com Desk, very compact, in excellent condition, foldable study/office type

¥1500. savitasubramu@hotmail.com Desk, I k e a , f o r c o m p u t e r s (H122xD48xW80cm), w/three drawers, in very good condition ¥4000. Pick up Nishi-Azabu area. rfhickey@hotmail. com Sofa, Ikea, red, seats two, w/footrest, four y/o, new fabric available at Ikea ¥4500/obo. Pick up Yokohama, Motomachi area. marij333@yahoo.com Tea chests, th re e availa b l e , classic Japanese, great for storage (43.5x68xH47cm) ¥6000/each. Will deliver anywhere in Tokyo for return train fare from my station. pandd10@ gmail.com 080-1336-6466

4.2 APPLIANCES Appliance sale! Chest-high fridge/ freezer, two-door, newer ¥10,000.

Dishwasher ¥7000. Single bed, w/ mattress ¥8000. Chest-high pine dresser ¥8000. saito.kanako.gggg@ gmail.com Fridge, Sanyo, 440L, six-door, digital, newer, stainless steel, w/ice maker, as new ¥60,000. Delivery included within Japan. Washer ¥6000. Microwave/ oven ¥7000. yumichan3498@gmail. com Hairdryer, Koizumi KHD-1236, w/ Turbo and ion function, in good condition ¥1000. Kettle, in good, clean condition ¥1000. mizi2005@hotmail. com Washer, fast, clean, silent, works perfectly, a couple of scratches on the panel, as new on the inside ¥5000.

Pick up Sangenjaya. japanjohan@ yahoo.co.jp

4.3 SAYONARA SALE Sayonara sale! Sharp fridge, large, three-door, main door swings both ways; smallish Sharp washer/dryer; Ikea table, chairs, TV table, bed. Reasonable prices. Pick up Ichigaya by end of May. slushisushi@gmail.com 08034146391 Sayonara sale! Fridge, microwave, washer, gas stove, hot water boiler, food processor, blender, breadmaker, iron, hairdryer/curler, table and four chairs, dining set, foldable table, office chair, kitchen utensils, scales, sofabed, carpets, desk, mattress, paper shredder, guitar amp, etc. bleusimba@ gmail.com Sayonara sale! Sanyo fridge, new, three-door, silver, 260L (W60cm) ¥20,000. Deep freeze, one-door, chesthigh ¥12,000. Washer, microwave/ oven, dishwasher, aircon, single bed, etc. sayonara.house.sale@gmail.com

4.7 FOR FREE Chairs, wooden, foldable, two available; black foldable chair; in very good condition. Pick up near Ayase stn, Chiyoda line. mamad15@excite.com 090-4077-9347 Fish tank (60x30x35cm); lamps, for desks, several available. YokohamaMotomachi area. marij333@yahoo.com Monitor, Mitsubishi Diamondcrysta RDT177M, LCD, 17"; Canon printer ink, BCI 7e/9 series; Canon MX850 all-inone inkjet printer, need to change head. Pick up Shinjuku. karthikmg@ outlook.com

Plasma TV, Pana sonic Vie ra TH-42PZ80, full HD 1080p, in excellent condition, guarantee until Dec '13 ¥43,000. Pick up Kawagoe or pay delivery. valleysfield@gmail.com

4.6 FOR KIDS

Stroller, Maclaren Volo, clean, as new ¥12,000. Free delivery in Tokyo area. mizi2005@hotmail.com Various items. Jolly jumper, baby carrier, Mickey Mouse tricycle, carpet, storage. Details, photos available. profscott2000@yahoo.ca

7 GENERAL 7.2 FASHION

Sofabed, Ikea; etc. Photos available. doug8edwards@hotmail.com

Clothes, spring and summer, chic, in great condition, very clean, some are new or hardly worn, more than 50 pieces, size Japan 9-11 ¥8000. Sandals, accessories also available. birdandsky@ gmail.com

Table, stainless (approximately 1x1m), in very good condition. No delivery. benjamin.cheng.tokyo@gmail.com

5 HOBBIES&INTERESTS 5.3 MUSICAL EQUIPMENT Acoustic-electric guitar, Epiphone PR5-E, vintage sunburst color, in very good condition, one small scratch, w/ case ¥25,000. Pick up Senzoku stn, Tokyu Meguro line. deshayes.g@ gmail.com Pedals, Roland PK-7 MIDI foot controller, bass, 20-key, w/detachable expression pedal, some scratches on surface, in perfect working order ¥45,000. Tokyo. friedmanndave@ gmail.com Synthesizer, Roland JX-3P, vintage, analog, 100% functional, in nice cosmetic condition, w/optional PG200 programmer ¥50,000. Pick up Senzoku stn, Tokyu Meguro line. deshayes.g@ gmail.com h

5.5 GAMING Tokyo gamers. Love board games?

We do, too! Risk, A&A, chess, etc. We play on weekends. Friendly games, friendly people. Everyone's welcome.

Two players already. Central Tokyo. tokyo_mm31@yahoo.com

6 VEHICLES 6.1 CARS, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES

Raincoat, Cecilene, size M, ivory white ¥1000. Pick up or delivery by chakubarai.

Photo available. housetsu@gmail.com

8 COMPUTERS 8.2 HARDWARE Desktop, mini, Lenovo, Core 2 Duo, A4 size, 4GB RAM, 1TB, DVD-R/W, Win 7 Pro, E/Office '07 ¥39,000. masui41@live.com Film, zero-bubble, anti-fingerprint, for iPad 2, five available ¥1000/each. mizi2005@hotmail.com Keyboard, Mac, new, aluminum, full-sized, Japanese ¥4000/obo. mbekiares@gmail.com Keypad, Logicool diNovo Mini, Bluetooth ¥15000. nrad_bob@hotmail. com Laptop, Dell E6400, 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo P8700, 8GB, 80GB HDD, 7200RPM, E/ Win 7 Pro, Office '10, 14", 6.6lbs, two eight-hour batteries, backlit keyboard ¥33,000. masui41@live.com Laptop, Dell D505, w/1400MHz processor, 60GB HD, 512MB RAM, DVD player, E/Office '07 ¥12,000. pete@ chronowalk.com 090-3417-8791 Monitor, Acer, LCD, 21.5", G225HQ, resolution 1920x1080, aspect ratio 16:9, DVI and VGA inputs, original packaging ¥10,000. Pick up Saginomiya or Nakamurabashi stn. ohpopshop@ gmail.com Monitor, Dell, flatscreen, 15", good as secondary monitor for laptop ¥3500. pete@chronowalk.com 090-3417-8791 SSD, OCZ Vector, 128GB, bought from Amazon Japan, still in box. New ¥17,000.

Sell ¥10,000. Firm. jimrogers0101@ gmail.com

JCE AUTOS - THE A U T O M O B I L E PROFESSIONALS. Specializing in car buy-backs, door-todoor shipping, long-term car storage and any other carrelated matters. If you need assistance with your car, we are here to help. Tel: 03-68683366 or 090 -9362- 5098 inquiries@jce-autos.jp www.jce-autos.jp

Playmat, Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym, for birth and up, hardly used ¥900. Pick up around GakugeiDaigaku stn, Toyoko line. boureyxx@ aol.com Playtime. Would like to get together with other UK/Western dads around Mizonokuchi, Setagaya, MusashiShinjo area one Sat/month for playtime together. My son is 5, bilingual and loves soccer. ukmusic_8@hotmail.com

Stand, rear wheel, used once, no scratches, as new. New ¥8000. Sell ¥3500. birdandsky@gmail.com

Bag, men's, business, faux leather (52x30x11cm), used once. New ¥6000.

Sell ¥1200. Pick up Gotokuji or COD delivery. e-ri-no@excite.co.jp

4.4 TV & HOME THEATER

LCD TV 32", Samsung, works perfectly ¥15,000. Pick up Shinagawa. kiwiballer@gmail.com

Hybrid bike, Australian import, large, best for someone 1.8m+, cross between road and mountain bike, in very good condition, 24 gears, suspension, w/ lights and lock ¥50,000. Near KitaSenju. chobbs19@yahoo.co.uk

Range, gas, two-burner, works perfectly; coffee table, large, brown, some scratches, could easily be refinished, but ok as is. darrenhcook@hotmail.com

Sayonara sale! TV, sofa, tables, carpets, lights, etc. Tsukishima area. Details, photos available. profscott2000@yahoo.ca

DVD player, almost new ¥2000.

Shinagawa. mizi2005@hotmail.com

6.3 BICYCLES, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES

PO R SC H E 911 (9 6 6) 4 S , R I G H T- H A N D D R I V E , steel gray exterior, all leather interior, original Carrozzeria navi system, ‘03 model, 66,000km, in pristine condition ¥4million/ obo. Email: cars@micklay. com www.youtube.com/ w a t c h? v = 5 Z a u Xu G c e w 8 090-3805-7141

10 HELP! 10.2 SUPPORT FREE PROFESSIONAL C O N S U LTAT I O N F O R FO REI G N RE S I D ENT S , w/ l aw ye r s , a d m i n i s t ra t i ve procedure specialists, e d u c a to r s , e t c . E n g l i s h , Chinese, Korean, Tagalog and Spanish interpreters available. Sat, June 15, 1:304:30pm (reception closes at 4pm), Itabashi Green Hall, 36-1 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku. http://www.itabashi-ci.org/ NEED TO TALK? We’re here to listen. TELL LIFE LINE: free English-language a n o n y m o u s counseling, daily from 9am-11pm, by trained volunteers: 03-5774-0992.

TELL COUNSELING CENTER: affordable multilingual p sychothe rapy by accre dite d Western-trained professionals, a CIGNA International Provider: 03-4550-1146. TELL website: www. telljp.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TokyoLifeLine.

#1000 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 25

Many more Classified ads online! Please visit classifieds.metropolis.co.jp

Sending money overseas?

THE JAPAN HELPLINE, 24 hours a day, from anywhere, about anything.

From emergency assistance to simple questions. Visit www.jhelp. com/ and press “help,” or call 0570-000-911. To volunteer or support, please contact team@jhelp. com. www.jhelp.com/

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WEST PAPUA: ONE SOUL , ONE PEOPLE. Fifty 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/ davidhalpern@7ymail.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 Infertlity support group. TTC Tokyo is an infertility support group in Tokyo which provides informal opportunities for women and men experiencing infertility to connect with one another.

Please visit our website for more info. www.ttctokyo.org

12 SOCIAL SCENE 12.1 LET’S PARTY

SHINSEI BANK, LIMITED / No.10 Registered financial institution of Kanto Local Finance Bureau / Member of Japan Securities Dealers Association and 2013-05 the Financial Futures Association of Japan JAPAN I NTE R NATI O NAL PARTY - 10TH ANNIVERSARY. Sat, May 25, 6:30-9pm, Devi Fusion (Roppongi). Japan’s biggest international party.

250 people expected. All-youcan-drink and free snacks.

J a p a n e s e m e n : ¥ 4 0 0 0.

Othe rs : ¥3000. M obile : getyourfriend.com/mobile/ jiparty@hotmail.com http:// www.getyourfriend.com/ 090-1735-5405

Since 1949

今年は"にほんごをもの"にする EVERGREEN LANGUAGE SCHOOL

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA R T Y @ LEAFCUP. Come join us and have fun. Men ¥3000.

Foreigners/women ¥2000.

All-you-can-drink-and-eat.

Shibuya and Omiya: May 25 and June 8. Iidabashi and Yokohama: June 1 and 15. For more info: www.leafparty. com

weekends in Tokyo? Please introduce yourself (age, nationality, where you live, experience). umek2002jp@ yahoo.co.jp

MY TOKYO PARTY INTERNATIONAL PARTIES. Make new friends and h ave a g o o d t i m e a t o u r friendly parties. Next parties are May 25 and June 8, 2 . 5 hours, all-you-cand r i n k ¥ 2 0 0 0 . Yo u t u b e : m y t o k yo p a r t y We b s i t e : www.mytokyoparty.com

13 CLUBS & INTERESTS 13.1 SPORTS

AMERICAN FOOTBALL .

Nihon Unisys Bulls, X league Central Division, seeks fit players w/ US college football experience for all positions.

P r a c t i c e e ve r y S a t / S u n from 10am-3pm (including meeting) in Tokyo/Saitama (time & venue subject to c h a n g e). At te n d a n c e a t 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/ ALL-NATIONALITY TOUCH FO OTBALL . N o n - co nt a c t tag 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 http://ameblo. jp/tokyo13warriors AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS . Japan ANZAC S Rugby League team is seeking Rugby League players for Japanese Rugby League official games from Apr to Sep. Everyone welcome.

Contact for more details. japananzacs@gmail.com AIKIDO IN ENGLISH. Seidokan Aikido of Tokyo invites you to practice a modern style of aikido in an international environment.

Sat, 1-3pm, Itabashi-ku, Toei Mita/ Saikyo line. We welcome men and women, foreign and Japanese. dojo@tokyoseidokan.com www. tokyoseidokan.com 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 . Ve r y u n i q u e new sport from Scotland. Using a tambourine -like instrument as a sports racquet, players hit a shuttlecock! We play two or three tim e s/m onth on we e ke n d s in Meguro with many socials. Join us!

More details: www.tamjapan.org/en/ info@tamjapan.org 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. Interested in futsal on

International football club. Fivea-side, 11-a-side, on grass fields. Two or three practices/matches on Sun. All nationalities welcome. Happy and friendly club! We have many socials. djnorio0417@yahoo.co.jp Jogging Yokosuka. SJM seeking friends to jog 3-5km in Yokosuka, mornings preferred, but depending on the day, other times could work, too. ジョギング仲間募集横須賀 . elsalvadorjapan@yahoo.es 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 Seeking local soccer/football team.

Seeking local soccer/football team to join for weekend fun. Have years of experience playing football in France, mainly in a college league. Must be around Tokyo/Chiba areas. Any info is appreciated. u_suckers@i.softbank.jp Volleyball Club Intervoll. Japanese and foreign volleyball players gather in Takadanobaba to enjoy playing. Have volleyball experience and want to play volleyball in a friendly atmosphere? intervollclub@yahoo.co.jp http:// intervoll.sakura.ne.jp/

13.2 LEISURE MCARTHUR HEIGHTS. Take a break where General Douglas McArthur did! One hour from Tokyo by car or direct train. Beautiful cabins on the ocean, w/onsen, beach, shopping. mcarthurheights@yahoo.com Japan Outdoor Adventure Club for people living in/visiting Japan.

Group trips almost every weekend.

Membership is free and everyone is welcome! info@tokyosnowclub.com http://www.tokyosnowclub.com Tokyo International Adventure Club. Come hike, ski, board, bike, climb, run with Tokyo's all-volunteer outdoor club. jeremy.bricker@gmail.com http:// www.iac-tokyo.org

13.3 ARTS Love Shakespeare? Amate ur 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/ Stand-up comedy. Interested in doing or watching stand-up? Check out The Mad Cows of Tokyo for free shows, free workshops and events.

If you like laughing, you'll enjoy it! bignightout@madcowscomedy.com www.madcowscomedy.com

13.4 MUSIC Acoustic sounds. CSNY, Doobies, Eagles: any players out there? Me = guitar, flute, harmonica, percussion.

Have a small studio, good gear. Seeking that musical partner. Yokohama area only, please. Original ideas as well. strungup66@gmail.com Drums wanted around Yokohama.

Seeking a drummer who could help us release a CD and perform a show as a support member. We play rock and have rehearsals around ShinYokohama. m_a_b1998@yahoo.co.jp Keyboardist sought by band. We play originals and covers. Need someone who can play funk, fusion and Latin. christianpelissero@yahoo.fr Keys, guitar wanted. Cover band, w/ female vocalists, seeks keyboardist or one more guitarist to share leads and fill out our sound. We cover artists such as Alanis Morissette, Pretenders, No Doubt, Corinne Bailey Rae, Sheryl Crow. bassplayerintokyo@gmail.com Latin jazz pianist sought by a group of Latin jazz/world musicians, with violin

and percussion. unicornio@nifty.com

together. yinandyan2002@yahoo.co.jp

Skate punk guitarist wanted. We play melodic hardcore and punk. You can listen to our songs at our Facebook page. If you're interested, email us. twelvesunday@gmail.com http://www. myspace.com/agcpunk

Jazz-playing friends. JM seeks jazz players for fun. I've been playing the alto sax for a couple of years. Still amateur, but want to play with others. yossynet@ra2. so-net.ne.jp

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 090-35983072 for more info. daginia@gmail.com http://www.diamondway.jp/ Reiki share. Non-profit Reiki share group. We meet twice/month in the Ueno area. Other healing modalities are ok, too.

Email for info. inarichoureiki@gmail.com Tai chi in the park. Spring is here and it's a good time to get introduced to tai chi chuan. Learn and practice with other like-minded people. ddh@gol.com http:// www.gpytcjapan.com 03-3487-3011 Zen meditation. 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

14 PERSONALS 14.1 FRIENDS AFL. Anyone want to watch all the games of the AFL? I found a cool place that shows the games, but would like someone to talk to about the AFL. If interested, let me know. tokyo_mm31@ yahoo.com Clubbing friends in Tokyo. British male, mid-30s, seeking friends, M/F ok, to go clubbing with in Tokyo. I like all genres of electronic music. Clubbers of any age, nationality are welcome. clubs_ in_tokyo@outlook.com Drinks on weekends/weekdays. JM, 26. Let's go for drinks. M/F ok. I have a few places in mind. I want to go with foreigners to speak English. Thank you/ merci/gracias! blackpix12@yahoo.co.jp English/German-speaking friends?

Hello, I'm a JM, 26. I want friends from foreign countries to go out with on weekends. I go to Shibuya/Shinjuku usually. Feel free to send me a message.

Thank you. akaiyuuwaku@gmail.com Experienced Minami Alps hiker?

Want to climb a couple of the big mountains in the Minami Alps this summer and am seeking an experienced hiking buddy to join me. Details available. furoido2000@gmail.com Female friends. SJF, 40s, seeking female friends, 40s, in Tokyo. Let's go to onsen, travel, dinner/lunch or do some activity together. Japanese ladies also welcome. parmigiano_reggiano_03@ hotmail.com Fun in Tokyo. Can never have enough friends. Japanese female, 30s, seeks nice and fun-loving female friends for dining out, bars, parties, travel. Let's have fun

Tokyo/Yokohama area for friendship and more. Must be open-minded, sweet and lovely. Let's have fun and more fun. all4yababy@hotmail.com Could you be the one? Successful and funny American male desires a clever, funny, level-headed partner. Seeking something long-term. If you are serious, cute and clever, then please drop me a line. mostfunparty@yahoo.co.jp

Karaoke. I'm a JF living in Yokohama seeking other females who love singing and want to go to karaoke with me. I have free time during the day and sometimes at night. Any nationality ok if you speak English/Japanese. i_love_nature_77@ yahoo.co.jp

Cute single girl. I've been seeking you for a while. I live near Futako-Tamagawa on the Denentoshi line. If you are single and in the neighborhood, look me up.

Who knows? We could be soulmates, or at least neighbors. mjsenseijp@yahoo. co.jp 070-5451-1960

Let's hang out. Japanese female seeking female friends to hang out.

Prefer nice people to enjoy good times together. I like parties, travel, going to bars, restaurants. Let's have good times! funblueflower2013@yahoo.co.jp

European lady sought by English and French-speaking JM, 36. I love traveling, guitar, tennis. prokisser@hotmail.com

Married friend? I'm a married female, 27, seeking married female friends. I live close to Tokyo, like chatting, shopping, cooking. My hubby is from Africa.

Looking forward to meeting you! u_ suckers@i.softbank.jp

Feminine, normal JF. English guy, single, 30s, seeks an attractive, feminine, normal JF, under 40, for a serious relationship. p.h414@yahoo.co.uk French gentleman in Tokyo, 36, looks 30, slim, clean, nonsmoker, welleducated, seeking fun with a Japanese lady and to share French pleasure together. Let's exchange face photos and meet first for a coffee. benwolf@ mail.com

Seeking friends. Hi, I'm a JF seeking friends. I like sports, and to chat, drink, etc. If you are interested, please contact me. I live in Kichijoji. sepkay@hotmail. co.jp Seeking otaku/cosplaying friends.

Danish female, 30, seeking cosplay/ anime/manga fan friends. Show me otaku Tokyo! liuwina@gmail.com

We can help you with: • Visa & Immigration Procedures • Mixed Marriage, Naturalisation and Refugee Status • Establishing a Company & Branch Office • Accounting Services, Acquiring Business Licences • Preparation/Translation of Legal & Business Documents • Other Legal & Business Matters

Japanese man seeking female to hang out with. I work in the Marunouchi area. I look forward to hearing from you. 日本人 も！ aqua.stagno@gmail.com

14.2 MEN LOOKING FOR WOMEN

JM seeking international friend.

JM, 175cm, 65kg, seeking international friend for going out in Tokyo. My hobby is playing the alto sax. Contact me. yossynet@ra2.so-net.ne.jp

MARRIED FRIENDS. Kind-hearted Canadian , 52 , in a loving but non-sexual marriage (very special circumstances!), seeks a married friend in a similar situation. I'm m a r a t h o n f i t , i n t o yo g a a n d meditation, love art, film and literature. Email friends first. androgoner@gmail.com

JM, 78kg, 180cm, near Kichijoji, likes Japanese and Mexican food, movies, travel, parks, music, seeks a girlfriend. bigsunshine@mail.goo.ne.jp Lady. European guy, 31, blond, blue eyes, seeking a JF with free time to explore Tokyo and have fun together, weekdays ok, weekends fine. I have a steady job, but a flexible schedule. Please message with self-introduction if interested. tokyofantastic@yahoo.com

Adorable single French guy, 30s, 177cm, good-looking, living in central Tokyo, working in advertising, likes travel (Bali, Thailand), onsen, movies, swimming every day, is seeking a nice Japanese girlfriend. I'm such a nice guy and I'm waiting for you! cdgnrt@yahoo.fr

For information: Tel: (03) 3345-7977 FAX: (03) 3345-5377

Long-term relationship with a mature woman. UK male, late 20s, always been attracted to older women, is seeking a special lady for a long-term relationship.

No one-night stands or married women, please. nick_1985@hotmail.co.uk

Artistic and good-looking SJM, 30s, seeks an attractive foreign lady with the same interests, like movies, books, music and going to cafes. Let's meet up for coffee and maybe more. Reply w/photo. lovehotellover@yahoo.co.jp Black American guy seeking Western lady. Interested in meeting a Western lady. Not a fetish guy or against local ladies. More about communication expectations and sharing similar values.

Easygoing businessman, 40, simple chance to chat without any guarantee. youngwizdom@gmail.com Chubby. A very quiet and shy African guy living in central Tokyo seeks a Japanese lady with some weight, 50-70kg, for a relationship. Serious only. No jokes or funny emails, please. strike4me@yahoo.com

http://www.wada-lats.com/ E-mail: info@wada-lats.com 3-5-3-1402 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023

J-STAR PATENT, TRADEMARK & IMMIGRATION OFFICE Reasonable prices.

Free first time consultation

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

We can support you with:

Seeking a mature lady. Serious, fun, easygoing SJM seeking a Caucasian lady, 50s. Why don't we explore Tokyo together? I'm into reading, movies and swimming. Spring is in the air, so let's enjoy it! opentheuniverse@hotmail.com

Establishing a Company & Branch office

Seeking friendly, romantic, longterm relationship. Single US citizen, 32, sleepless in Tokyo (around Ikebukuro stn), 6', athletic, fair-skinned, but not white. Professional and seeking a romantic date leading to a long-term relationship. zuhair_shiraz@yahoo.com

Cool black guy seeks girlfriend. Cool, sexy dude seeks an attractive young woman of any nationality in/around the

Visa and immigration Intellectual property rights (Patent, trademark, copyrights)

Patent attorney Immigration lawyer

Exit 4, Nagatacho stn Supreme Court

Imperial Palace

Aoyama Ave

Other Legal & Business matters Hiroshi Oogai,

Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka

www.j-star.jp

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National Diet Library

608 Kitano Arms 16-15, Hirakawa-cho, 2-Chome, Chiyoda-ku ,Tokyo, 102-0093

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JOBS FEMALES WANTED AT AN ELITE MEMBERS’ CAFE IN EBISU. Seeking women interested in drinking or having dinner with our male members.

Must be over 18, speak Japanese, have proper ID and etiquette. Models, attractive looks a plus. Nothing suspicious and no sexual contact. ¥5000-¥20,000/h. Please contact in Japanese at 03-6412-7755 or ebisu_ limited_cafe@yahoo.co.jp.

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, TOKYO. A fine hotel located near Tokyo stn is seeking bilingual waiter, waitress or bartender.

To apply, send your E/J resume, w/photo, to recruitment. tokyo@shangri-la.com (www.shangri-la.com)

ONLINE SCHOOL, WORLD PLANET, seeking English teachers to teach Japanese students via Skype. Work from home even after returning to your country. Lessons from 25min. Call 090-9396-4993 (8am-5pm) or email hamada-mi@trustec-e.co.jp. http:// www.trustec-e.co.jp/talk-planet/ ZAMA AND YOKOTA AMERICAN BAS E B EAUTY AN D BARB E R SHOP seeking experienced barbers, hairstylist, nail stylist and massage therapist for full-time positions. Call for an interview. 090-1769-2781 ec12907168@yahoo.co.jp SUMMER CAMP TEACHER WA N T E D I N S H I N J U K U , J u l y 1-Aug 9. Hours: Mon-Fri, 9:30am1:30pm. ¥200,000. Transportation paid. Requirements: native English, currently residing in Japan, experience teaching children (5-7 year olds). Please send resume, cover letter and recent photo. aloriequeen@yahoo.co.jp

Seeking fun SWF lover. I'm mature, sporty, in good shape, can speak Japanese, seeking someone who wants some real fun, 24-40. Lunch or dinner together with a glass of wine/beer near Tokyo/Chiba. My treat. pxttdzxus@i. softbank.jp Seeking mature girlfriend. Hi! SWM, 33, kind, interesting, funny, is seeking a lady, 40-?, for romantic dates and hopefully to settle down with. I've always found mature women beautiful and interesting company; hoping to meet the right one. se25kawasaki@ yahoo.com Seeking Ms. Right. American male seeking beautiful, decent, outgoing

To advertise: commercial@metropolis.co.jp

14.3 WOMEN LOOKING FOR MEN

03-4550-2929

C H AT H O S T S & T E AC H E R S WANTE D BY LEAFCUP @ Tokyo, Iidabashi, Shibuya, Yokohama, Omiya.

Seeking enthusiastic and proficient English, Korean, French, Spanish and/or German speakers who can teach and lead lively conversations. ¥1000-¥1500/h. Apply online: www. leafcup.com/job.htm O R G O G L I O D E L C A S A LTA I TA L I A N R E STAU R A N T i s s e e k i n g k i tc h e n s u p p o r t s t a f f , d i s hw a s h e r, a n d s e r v i c e s t a f f .

English and Japanese conversation skills necessary. ¥1000-¥1200/h.

10am-12am (6~7 hours). 1F Hiroo Bldg, 3-12-40 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.

Contact : 090-2776-3182 or donorgoglio@gmail.com www.orgogliodelcasalta.com SHOP STAFF WANTED AT WATCH S HOP I N G I NZA . We work w ith high-class watches. English and Japanese skills (speaking and writing) re q u i re d . F u l l-t i m e , ¥2 2 0,0 0 0, w/com mut i n g ex p e n s e s . Ple a s e contact 03-3835-1909 (Japanese) or recruit@909.co.jp.

AZABU SKI N C LI NIC is seeking a bilingual (E/J) receptionist to be responsible for consultations, translations, etc. Further details: w w w. a z a b u - s k i n c l i n ic .co m / english/common/recruitment.html info@azabu-skinclinic.com 03-5798-4861 MEDIA ADMINISTRATION STAFF. Metropolis is seeking a motivated Japanese national with excellent English-language skills to provide administrative support in a dynamic multinational media and marketing office located in Nishi-Azabu. Office administration experience required.

Ability to multitask, highly organized, excellent people skills. Responsible, outgoing, with the ability to work with a great team of different nationalities and backgrounds. Send your E/J resume to akane@metropolis.co.jp.

girl. I'd love to go on fun dates, have a great conversation, laugh and miss you when you are not with me. Could you be the one? funjamsession@ yahoo.co.jp Seeking serious girlfriend. Nice guy from Europe, 40s, seeks only one serious girlfriend, 30s-40s, in Tokyo.

I like movies, music, dining out, nice drinks at nice places. Let's share great times. sinohe45@yahoo.com Serious relationship. Nonsmoking white European, 33, sincere, fun, likes music, watching movies, going to the seaside, seeks serious relationship. 日 本語でも大丈夫です. parisatokyo2011@ gmail.com

SJM for SF. Bilingual SJM, 27, seeking SF, any nationality ok, for having fun dates. If you're interested in art and design, that would be a big plus. If not, I'm an easygoing person who's open to trying new things. sinstim@gmail.com SJM seeks SWF. If you're seeking fun times with a SJM in Tokyo, please contact me! I am tall, polite, funny, sincere and good-looking. Let's start from friends! faqmaxell@gmail.com So many things to do... why don't we do them together? SWM, 30s, seeks an artistic, slightly nerdy woman to share fun time at movies, exhibitions, concerts, and in more private situations. domix.m@tiscali.it

28 • DOWNLOAD OUR PODCAST AT • PODCAST.METROPOLIS.CO.JP

SINGLE? Then this is for you.

Singles-only dating parties 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, ¥2000. info@exeo-international.com

L AV I S H DAT E S A N D INDULGENT NIGHTS - WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES for elite foreign males to meet elegant Japanese females.

Start with a luxurious dinner date,take the night wh e re yo u wa nt it to g o.

Fresh, young women join our club every day. Try our free one-month trial offer: f ir st d ate i s o n u s! 0120 675-858 (E) international@ u n i ve r s e - c l u b . j p h t t p : // universe-club.jp/en SEEKING ONE PLAYMATE. MWF, 41, beautiful, blond, slim, lovely disposition, huge heart, seeks a tall married male, preferably Japanese or Japanese-American, who can court her, love her, make her feel special, and most importantly, satisfy her in the bedroom. in2deepintokyo@hotmail.com Attractive SJF, mid-30s, enjoys onsen, hiking, picnics, cooking, seeking longterm relationsip with SWM who's genuine, interesting and intelligent enough to make nice conversation.

Let's make a lot of fun times in our lives. usagidrop@inter7.jp Beach life together. SJF, mid-30s, loves the ocean and relaxing time, seeks a man to share that with. You: intelligent, sensible, good-mannered SWM, 25-45, with nice future plans (family and work). Only genuine descriptions get a reply. himawarigirl@ inter7.jp I am seeking my key. Chubby Japanese female, mid-30s, living in the Yokohama area. I am seeking someone who can treat me well. Black man preferred. happylovemusic0808@ gmail.com Interested in meeting a witty, sassy, but totally genuine woman? Giving anything loving and beautiful is my utmost pleasure. I hope I can share it with you. Japanese, very pretty, brainy, fit, 43, seeks educated, mature business professional. Single only. orange77perfume@yahoo.co.jp Japanese seeks... JF, mid-20s, honest personality, seeking dating, a relationship, with a SM, 28-33. Please send me an email with your basic info.

Let's talk first over a cup of tea. aiko. tsuchida17@yahoo.com Mountain lover. If you love the mountains, we might have a chance.

I live in the upland forest in a cute log house. Late 40s, spiritual, artistic, fit, relaxed. Seeking a long-term relationship with an interesting man. marikok08@gmail.com Multiply happiness. Affectionate, caring, fun-loving, professional, multilingual JF seeks a mature, sophisticated gentleman, 35-45, for a meaningful long-term relationship.

Enjoy traveling, water sports, nice dining, music, art, reading? We can

multiply happiness by sharing it! icedcoconutmilktea@hotmail.com

14.5 ESCORTS

Music lover. Japanese female in Tokyo, educated, cultured, pretty, nonsmoking, seeks single man without kids, native English speaker, for a longterm relationship possibly leading to marriage. My interests are reading, classic rock, comedy, etc. citrinee3@ yahoo.com Must be dreaming. SJF, late 30s, tall, enjoying a stylish life, seeking a real, open-minded, fashionable SWM with a taste for the finer things in life. Would love to share your passionate life. Longterm relationship would be perfect! clair_de_pleine_lune@yahoo.co.jp Nature life together. SJF, mid-30s, is seeking a special man for a lot of fun times together. If you love walking in nature, beaches and forests, we will definitely enjoy each other's company. I'm waiting for your message. himawarigirl@inter7.jp Relaxing time under trees. SJF, mid-30s, seeking a warmhearted and intelligent SWM for a long-term relationship. I'm a plain-yet-attractive girl who wants to make a nice family someday, so please reply only if you are eligible. hakone2011@inter7.jp Seeking black partner. Charming, caring, intelligent, fit, open-minded single Japanese nonsmoker seeks educated, marriage-minded black man, around my age (37-42), for a steady relationship, hopefully to be life partners. No military/teachers, please. caledoniamis@gmail.com Seeking romantic date. JF, 30s, seeks a handsome SWM for romantic dates after work in Tokyo. Talkative, intelligent, with a nice smile, please. I am tall and said to be pretty. Europeans are most welcome! chaqueta3000@ yahoo.co.jp Serious relationship. I'm a positive and open-minded SJF, early 40s, seeking a serious Caucasian boyfriend.

I like movies, travel, nature, wine and dining out. Reply w/photo, please. hellojapansan@yahoo.co.jp Simply beautiful. Boyfriend sought to share and celebrate life. Seeking someone who is compatible with an attractive, educated and sensitive woman, 44. before_sunrise_2009@ yahoo.co.jp SJF for long-lasting relationship.

SJF, mid-30s, mentally mature, genuine and cheerful, enjoys the outdoors, art and food, is seeking an intelligent SWM, 25-45, who can make interesting conversation, have dates on weekends.

No info, no reply. sommer@inter7.jp Take it slowly. Hi, divorced SJF, 39, into traveling, camping, onsen, reading books, eating out, BBQs, watching DVDs, catching up with friends. Get in touch and tell me about yourself.

Prefer to build a good friendship first. ppirbi777love@yahoo.co.jp Wanted: made in the UK. Single gentleman, 37-47, good heart, sought.

I'm "made in Japan," 38, lived in London for a few years, am interested in modern art, classical/rock/pop music, cinema, travel. Your photo gets mine. kjtje0p26@gmail.com Wildly feminine. Japanese, 40-ish, feminine face and body, seeks a sensitive, masculine, single mature professional. I'd like to be your princess to be pampered and your servant to be devoted to you. I am excellent at being both. the10thwavehi@yahoo.co.jp Your lovely partner. SJF, beautiful, friendly, educated, 40-ish, comfortable to be with, lovely to look at, fun, exciting to talk to and good to have next to you. SJF seeks a single native Englishspeaking business professional. Serious only. sw1441temptation@gmail.com

14.4 GAY & LESBIAN Bi-guy seeking another guy for first male-male experience. I will be bottom and you top. I can return the favor. I can invite girlfriend to watch us. bluehills79@hotmail.com Feminine white male, 34, 178cm, 74kg, living in Tokyo, seeking straight male boyfriend. k.sweetdream@yahoo.com

24 HOURS/7 DAYS. Sweet, young Japanese and European girls available only for VIP executives. Are you a lonely gentleman? She is waiting…

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BY CATHRYN MOE

Horoscope

♥ Love ¥ Money ♣ Luck

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

This week is a breeze compared to last.

At least, there’s a ray of sunshine even as the lunar eclipse falls in your house of long journeys and in-laws. The next three to six months will be very telling. What you choose to do, how you spend your time and how you don’t shows the path of your trajectory. At the same time, your ruling planet Mars helps you go for the money. You may as well. It’s your turn.

Never underestimate the power of Mars in your Sign to get you through this week. The lunar eclipse wobbles through your sector of joint resources with a partner. It shuts down the normal flow and makes you wonder what’s up. From this temporary void comes a space to fill with an appreciation that sustains you. The next three to six months complete this pattern.

Stop to catch your breath, you’ll need it. The lunar eclipse in your sector of spouses helps you get a handle on why they’re bouncing off the walls this week.

Single Geminis are not immune to the romantic possibilities inherent with this eclipse. Following your intuition and your heart is the place to start.

Otherwise, you’ll be lost in a cloud of mist that never lifts.

Feeling all over the place? And yet here you are. The temporary block of light during the lunar eclipse this week is a blessing. It helps you access the surge of energy hiding in the shadows. You have the ability to take your dreams into the realms of the manageable. You’re going to be making a commitment fueled by your unusually high levels of enthusiasm during the next three to six months.

LEO

VIRGO

Aug 23, 24~Sep 22, 23 ♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣

Sep 23, 24~Oct 22, 23 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Recovering from last week’s Pluto/ Uranus square, enjoy the lunar eclipse in your sector of creative expression and romance. As the energy has a moment of reflection out of its usual projection, there’s a freedom to see and feel what wasn’t there before.

Take advantage of what’s presented to you. Notice the details. Hear what is being said. There is more love beneath the surface than you may realize.

What do you know, Virgo? The lunar eclipse this week peaks your interest in life at home. What you do there, what you can change, rearrange… or do you just want to move. The next three to six months show what’s leaving in your life and what’s here to stay. Notice a lightness of being as you take yourself to places you really want to be. Following your bliss is a key. You don’t have to know why your heart leaps.

Clear the decks you are going on a trip.

Inner or outer, you’ll be glad to get rid of the ballast so your balloon can rise above the fray. The lunar eclipse in your sector of news and communications pushes buttons at work. You’d like to know what direction to plan for but don’t be surprised if your efforts feel more like herding cats. You’re likely to hear from someone from your past or far away.

It’s just one eclipse after another these days. You may enjoy them as you live for mysteries (that only you reveal). The lunar eclipse in Sagittarius this week falls in your financial sector. Shore yourself up for the next six months if possible. If not, be practical while still stashing away treats for yourself. You’ll be growing towards the light of material security which brings a sexy situation into focus.

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

The lunar eclipse in your sign may fool you into thinking everything’s gone quiet in your life. Nothing could be further from the truth. There were a few bumps to smooth out in the road with the eclipses of the past few weeks. This time the ball is in your court.

It’s worth catching. Watch for inspiration to come from films, music and thoughts of travel far and wide. Attention to details will net you top results.

The aftermath of last week’s PlutoUranus square is still something to contend with. You have become adept at valuing your insights. You sense when to take time out and listen only to yourself. With all the focus on your sector of work—paid and volunteer—you can safely justify changing your mind occasionally. A partner wants to support you in your quest. Let them feel good about themselves.

With Juno, the goddess consort, in your sign, you have someone to stand beside you. Step out from behind where you are hiding and show what you have to offer. If the cat’s got your tongue you don’t have to say it out loud. You can take someone’s hand, share a smile, hold out a flower, but this is the week to act. Mars in your sector of where you live will give you a little push. Or a big one!

You know how to swim in the depths better than any other sign. Right now as emotions flow you learn to trust.

It’s too soon to make sense of what once was. This week hold the note that is true to you. Inspiration is everywhere and if you care about your future you have to start right now. It’s time for Pisces to take a risk. You have to believe that dreams do come true. Take the first step.

March 20, 21 - April 19, 20 ♥♥♥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ♣♣♣

July 23, 24~Aug 22, 23 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Nov 22, 23~Dec 21, 22 ♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣♣

Apr 20, 21~May 20, 21 ♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Dec 22, 23~Jan 19, 20 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣

Metropolis Mediabox

Regarding “By Way of the Inland Sea,” (The Last Word, May 10): How ponderously dull. Perhaps it’s for the best that the old vanguard die out and take these young pretenders with them.—Johnny Rabbit The inflated sense of self-importance oozing out from the words of this pretentious piece of writing makes me— almost—want to laugh (or cry).—Yank On the rare occasion Metropolis

publishes something thoughtful and intellectual: cue nonsensical, ungrammatical, embittered criticism.

Proving the author’s point, really. RIP Japan’s expatriate writing community, which can’t even get behind something as fundamental as eulogizing Richie.—RHC Richie’s writing was always clear and understandable. Is there anyone out there that writes about Japan today in such a manner? Part of the problem is the lack of publishers and venues for writers about Japan.—Jaycasey

GOODBYE UK Regarding “Sayonara Tokyo,” (The Last Word, Apr 25): Good luck back in the UK.

June 21, 22~July 22, 23 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥¥ ♣♣

Jan 20, 21~Feb 18, 19 ♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

facebook.com/MetropolisMagazine LOUISE ROUSE

LATERAL VIEWS

May 21, 22~June 20, 21 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣

Oct 23, 24~Nov 21, 22 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣

Feb 19, 20~Mar 20, 21 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣

twitter.com/MetropolisTokyo

I spent seven years at an int’l school and university in England. I have countless unforgettable memories of England. It is hard to share what I love about the UK here in Japan, but these memories will stay with me forever. Thanks for loving and understanding my country.—miya

WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED How long have you been reading Metropolis?

• Since before it was Metropolis. Keep ‘er going!—Michael O. Hora • 11 years—and contributing for about nine years.—Karla Yukari Sakamoto • Since 1993 when I first got to Japan, it was Tokyo Classified and only a few pages.—Amy Betar • Since 1994 when it was Tokyo Classified and it was in a broadsheet style with advertisements! It has gotten so much better since!—Kesang Klesen • In 1994 when I first got to Japan.—

Timothy Coulby • Used to read it when it was good.— Peter McEntyre • Since the start (Tokyo Classified). I mean hello! Before the internet took off, this is how you got UR “what’s on” info.—@Metroluxebc • Since Nov/Dec 2003, though can’t remember what issue # that was!—@ tokyofox • Nine years, though to be honest I don’t read so much now.—@sheepchase • I found out about you in 2012 and have loved the magazine ever since.—@Curiousiko • Since 2004. お疲れ様でした… — Marcello Caçapa Pietrantonio • Since the days it was Tokyo Classified and I first set foot in Japan... so on and off for 19 years.—Janelle Truman • A couple weeks. I’m visiting Japan for the first time in 30 days, so I’m trying to learn as much as possible.

—Ben Wyatte

Metropolis wants to hear from you. Send your comments to letters@metropolis.co.jp. Note that letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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The Last Word

Want to have The Last Word? Send your article to: editor@metropolis.co.jp

GAIJIN EVOLUTION The Bubble had been punctured, but it didn’t def late quickly. Even after the late-’90s Asian financial crisis, Koizumi’s era saw a new flood seek ing riches in Japan’s f inancial Big Bang. The savings of Mrs. Watanabe were to be invested by Roppongi’s alpha males.

And then came the collapses of Lehman Brothers and NOVA language school—and finally the 2011 disaster and notorious flight of the “f lyjin.” The resulting decline of ready employment and fast cash not only sapped the foreign population,

English, and can integrate more quickly into Japanese companies.

They also help fill the tech-sav v y ra n k s of t he Goog le a nd Apple crowds who have replaced t he Roppong i Hi l ls ba n kers, or a re themselves tech entrepreneurs.

If Bubble-era expats were seekers of the profit and spiritual kind, along with some slackers, today has brought forth the post-crash strivers and thrivers.

Born of troubled Western economies that make the ’80s look like a joyride, this tribe is a rather levelheaded bunch. Instead of partying through wads of cash in Roppongi, they may have a ¥300 beer at a standing bar in Shibuya before heading home for a quiet evening of social networking.

Not just schoolteachers, resident Westerners may also be parents and

but also changed its makeup.

Wester n t went y-somet h i ngs l a nd i ng at Na r it a tod ay of ten already speak Japanese. Thanks to the internet and the “Cool Japan” phenomenon, they know a lot more about Japanese culture. Less a land of Oriental mystery, it’s the world of t he Mu ra ka m is (Ha r u k i a nd Takeshi), Ichiro, Miyazaki—and a thousand expat blogs.

Though fewer in number, young Westerners frequently arrive with marketable skills aside from native

PTA members. Pricy international schools are not for them. The crises that peeled off the less committed left a hard nut of well-integrated gaijin married to locals. It seems that we onetime seekers and slackers may even have ended up strivers and thrivers ourselves.

Nova, Lehman and Fukushima left more of the reduced group acculturated and/or biracial—even if they’re still only a sliver of Japan’s popu lat ion. I m m ig rat ion pol icies have been redesigned to make

From seekers and slackers to strivers and thrivers

By Dan Grunebaum

TARA NANGIA

R

ewind two decades to the first issue of Metropolis in 1993. Japan was a jug ger naut—about to roll to Number One on an unstoppable export machine.

My time here tracks this magazine’s existence, so for the 1000th issue let me hazard a few thoughts about the changes in the Western population that constitutes our readership.

Like many new expat arrivals, I knew little about Japan other than it was the land of sushi, Sony, and Kurosawa—and that its economy was red hot. I alighted at Narita and within a week joined a small army of eikaiwa sensei in one of history’s more quixotic efforts at linguistic exchange.

The economy was booming, the biru flowing, and it wasn’t hard for young Western grads to enjoy some Eastern soul searching and adventure, while profiting off the backs of Japan’s hardworking sararimen and long-suffering housewives.

Japan’s Western population was exploding. Yes, there were a few karate students and Zen disciples among us. But the main draw for most was easy wages earned in a rising currency.

things easier, with streamlined visa procedures and no more re-entry permits. Japanese companies are even making noises about employing more foreigners. With more local hires and fewer expat packages, strivers and thrivers, married to locals or not and occupying a wider sphere of jobs, are going native like never before. Many are learning how to live more economical and tidy existences—like their Japanese neighbors.

If Japan can pave the way for these new 21st-century strivers to thrive, they could provide a source of innovation—and children—for its demographically challenged future.

So where are the seekers and slackers? A few still reach Japan, but more are to be found where the action is—in China or other booming BRIC-type destinations.

Nearly twenty years of Metropolis have seen changes in Japan’s gaijin population. Will Abenomics ref late the economy enough to draw in a new wave? Will the promise to double the number of JETs be met? And how will the next 20 years reshape an expat community living in an aging and declining, yet still alluring country?

Direct your Google Glass 5.0 ahead to Metropolis #2000.

INSTEAD OF PARTYING THROUGH WADS OF CASH IN ROPPONGI, THEY MAY HAVE A ¥300 BEER AT A STANDING BAR IN SHIBUYA BEFORE HEADING HOME FOR A QUIET EVENING OF SOCIAL NETWORKING.” ■ Dan Grunebaum is the arts and entertainment editor of Metropolis—and has been for 15 years

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

METROPOLIS is Japan's No.1 English magazine, founded in 1994 and published for Japan’s international community.

METROPOLIS is the only English-language magazine in Japan certified by ABC, Audit Bureau of Circulations.

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CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Neil Butler EDITORIAL Jeff W. Richards (EDITOR-IN-CHIEF) David Labi (EDITOR) Lisa Wallin (EDITORIAL ASSISTANT) Anna Cock Gibson (PROOFREADER) Kyle Hedlund (CONTENT MANAGER) CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dan Grunebaum (ENTERTAINMENT) Don Morton (MOVIES) Fred Varcoe (SPORTS) DESIGN Kohji Shiiki (ART DIRECTOR) Louise Rouse, Adriane Morard (DESIGNERS) Tara Nangia (INTERN) PRODUCTION Helen Langford (PRODUCTION ASSISTANT) ADVERTISING Akane Ochi (DIRECTOR OF SALES) Karl Nakashima (SALES MANAGER) Miyuki Miyama, Dai Tanaka, Kanae Mochizuki, Michael Dougherty (SALES EXECUTIVES) Tamako Sugiyama, Naoya Sun, Kimi Idonuma, Shoichiro Sato, Tao Kawase, Grace Kwon (INTERNS) ADMINISTRATION/ACCOUNTING Emi Sakuyama, Michiko Anezaki, Jeanette Komatsu (ADMINSTRATION/CLASSIFIEDS) IT Guilhem Malfre (IT AND WEB DEVELOPER) MEDIA Kamasami Kong (MANAGER)

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