Issue 12: 100 Best Restaurants

Hello Tokyo…

Inside

Our surveys have proved it time and time again: what you, dear reader, truly desire is food. Gorgeous, mouth-watering, glorious food. Luckily, that’s exactly what Tokyo has plenty of – after all, it really is the gourmet capital of the world. Ever eager to please, we’ve undertaken the enviable (and waistline-obliterating) task of eating our way through countless platters of sushi, bowls of ramen and plates adorned with edible art almost too beautiful to touch to bring you our essential take on the very best restaurants in Tokyo. Flip to page 22 and prepare to be tempted.

October-December 2016

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Welcome to the iHome The best web-powered home appliances

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PHOTOS: FOOD, JAZZ: KEISUKE TANIGAWA. GEEK BARS: KISA TOYOSHIMA

All that jazz Tokyo’s grooviest jazz joints

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Unleash your inner otaku

Enter the unstoppables

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Where to watch Paralympic sports in Tokyo

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Get your geek on

PAGE 60 â FEATURES AND REGULARS

06 Tokyo Update 10 To Do 14 The infographic 17 Courtesy calls 22 The 100 best restaurants in Tokyo 38 Eating & Drinking 42 Shopping & Style 47 Art & Culture 50 Music 54 Nightlife 59 Film 60 Sport 62 LGBT 64 Travel & Hotels 70 Getting Around 74 You know you’re in Tokyo when…

Cover Art direction and food design: Steve Nakamura Photography: Naohiro Tsukada Chef: Takashi Aoki Time Out Tokyo Inc. 5-9-9-101 Hiroo, Shibuya, Tokyo, 150-0012 +81 (0)3 5792 5721 www.timeout.com/tokyo Advertising and general enquiries: info@timeout.jp

Consulting Editor Marcus Webb Editors Yukako Izumi izumi@timeout.jp Ili Saarinen ilisaarinen@timeout.jp Mayumi Koyama

koyama@timeout.jp Designers Yuki Masuko Chikako Fukui Staff Writers Kosuke Shimizu Kunihiro Miki Mari Hiratsuka

Shiori Kotaki Yasuhisa Shimbo Satomi Saruwatari Yusuf Huysal Staff Photographers Keisuke Tanigawa Kisa Toyoshima Administration

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Momo Ando Sales/Marketing Toru Ono Mao Kawakami Takahiro Takeuchi Distribution Takaki Matsuda Content Director

Commercial & Marketing Akiko Toya President/Publisher Hiroyuki Fushitani Chairman Hiroshi Hasegawa

Time Out Digital 4th Floor, 125 Shaftesbury Avenue, London,WC2H 8AD www.timeout.com +44 (0)207 813 3000

International Managing Director David Woodley CEO Noel Penzer Time Out Group CEO Julio Bruno Founder Tony Elliott

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Tokyo Update

City FAQ MAMMA MIA! – SHINZO ABE COSPLAYED AS MARIO IN RIO

It is a long-running Olympic tradition that the country next in line to host the Games concludes the closing ceremony with an artistic display, hinting at what’s to come.

With the ceremony in Rio edging to a close, the Olympic flag was passed on to Tokyo’s new governor, the kimono-clad Yuriko Koike, as the host of the 2020 Games. While a drizzle started to pick up and threatened to rain on her parade, things took an unexpected turn.

With the aid of a digital projection unspooling on the floor of the stadium, we were carried away to Tokyo and found ourselves sitting opposite prime minister Shinzo Abe in his limo. Apparently on his way to Rio and flustered about being late, Abe decided to metamorphose into Mario and dashed over to Shibuya Crossing, where he jumped into his iconic green pipe to speed across the world to Brazil. Back in the stadium, the world’s most famous video game plumber emerged out of a pipe, slid out of his overalls like a stripper at a hen night and materialised into a brilliantly deadpan Shinzo Abe greeting an ecstatic crowd.

After such a bonkers prelude, the 2020 opening ceremony promises to be like nothing the world has seen before.

TOKYO LOVES...

FABBING

Over the past decade or so, the popularisation of 3D printers and laser cutters has given birth to a new trend – digital fabrication or ‘fabbing’. For the uninitiated, fabbing is crossing the boundaries between the digital and the physical world by turning computer designs into reality. For an introduction to this fast-rising phenomenon, you only need to visit Shibuya’s FabCafe, a comfy spot up on Dogenzaka that lets customers design whatever their heart desires before bringing it to life. So go grab a cute marshmallow latte or some herbal tea and embrace your inner maker.

PHOTOS: FABBING: KEISUKE TANIGAWA. HOSHINOYA, WISE OWL: KISA TOYOSHIMA

à tinyurl.com/TOTfabbing

HOSHINOYA TOKYO

Can an authentic ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) experience really exist in the heart of the city? Strolling through Otemachi’s concrete jungle of high-rises, you’d be forgiven for thinking not. Indeed, the 19-storey tower edifice that urban ryokan Hoshinoya Tokyo occupies is a far cry from the squat wooden inns we love and cherish so much. However, once you step in through the entrance, you’ll be transported back to the Edo times of the 1600s – you are welcomed by staff clad in traditional kimono, the rooms are beautifully minimalistic and there are even hot spring baths available. All a short stroll from Tokyo Station. àtinyurl.com/TOThoshinoya

OWL HOSTEL

Sleep is for the weak at Hatchobori’s latest tourist hub, Wise Owl Hostels, a lively crash pad dedicated to everyone’s favourite wide-eyed bird of prey. The hostel gets its name from the resident concierge Hachi, a Belgian-born Eurasian eagle-owl, and that’s not the only wacky thing about this place. Below the seven floors of the hostel is an underground bar called Howl, where music by sound specialists Hidemaro Shimoda, Komatsu Sound Lab and Yosi Horikawa hoots (sorry) from the speakers. àtinyurl.com/TOTowlhostel Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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WHAT YOU SAID Here’s what you tweeted about the WTF moment…

‘Loved this!

Looking forward to Tokyo 2020 already!’

‘I’ve watched the Abe Mario video 10 times now and it still makes me smile’ ‘Japan’s 2020 Olympics is going to be LIT’ ‘This is nothing but political use of the Olympics’ ‘Here in Japan, even the prime minister is a cosplayer’ ‘A generation too late; should have dressed as Pikachu’ ‘Rio has turned MaRio!’

APP UP YOUR JAPANESE

WHERE IN TOKYO IS THIS?

Look no further for your linguistic sensei

JAPANESE (BY RENZO INC.) BEST FOR Searching for kanji Every issue we’ll show you a picture of a Tokyo location that you may or may not recognise. This issue: The wet walls of this sento are adorned with murals of Godzilla ploughing through hitherto tranquil scenes of mountains and lakes. à To find the answer visit tinyurl.com/TOTwhereintokyo12

Our favourite dictionary app features a slick design and a user-friendly interface, with a search bar including the usual kanji component and SKIP (System of Kanji Indexing by Patterns) tabs.

But what we love most about it is the handwriting search option, which does a good job of decrypting even our criminally illegible scribbling.

GET IT Free from the App store and Google Play.

TAE KIM’S GUIDE TO LEARNING JAPANESE BEST FOR Heading to fluency

ART AT HEART

This app is not for those seeking kawaii flashcards and games to help them learn Japanese. Designed like a book and divided into chapters,Tae Kim’s Guide is an indispensable aid for serious learners who want to consolidate their grammar while picking up essential vocabulary in context.

Fear not the conjugation table and take a chance on Tae Kim. GET IT Free from the App store and Google Play.

ATELIER SOUGEIKAN

àtinyurl.com/TOTsougeikan

SOBA TATTOO

Soba (buckwheat) noodles are a central part of both Japanese cuisine and the Tokyo cityscape, with hundreds upon hundreds of soba shops – many of them little more than stop-and-go stalls – studding the streets of our dear city. While most of you probably have never even given it a thought, soba allergy is actually a rather common ailment, albeit not a very well publicised one. Good thing there’s now a very easy way to check if you’re allergic to soba: the ‘soba allergy tattoo’, introduced in three different designs by the ubiquitous Fuji Soba chain, does the trick while also serving as a temporary skin decoration. The verdict is delivered 15 minutes after the sticker is placed on the skin: if the tattoo appears speckled with red spots, this unfortunately means you’re allergic to soba. àtinyurl.com/TOTsobatattoo

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PHOTOS: ATELIER SOUGEIKAN: KEISUKE TANIGAWA. SOBA TATTOO, GODZILLA: MARI HIRATSUKA

Ink is a thing of beauty at Atelier Sougeikan, a crafty nook in Asakusa that offers calligraphy lessons. Here you’ll get the chance to decorate an item of your choosing with your newly found skills and take your creation home with you.

Don’t worry if you make an absolute mess of it (like we did) – you can spruce up your botched attempt with their wide selection of stencils, paints and brushes. The price of a lesson per head is ¥3,900 if you’re going solo, ¥3,400 for groups of two to three people and ¥2,900 for groups of four or more. Each lesson takes around two hours, with slots available daily between 10am and 6pm.

GOOGLE TRANSLATE

BEST FOR Deciphering an izakaya menu It is true that Google Translate is not the most accurate translator out there and often works better as a beatbox machine (click ‘Listen’ after typing in a bunch of consonants). However, the app is a lifesaver when it comes to translating chunks of text, which you can scan using the camera function and manually highlight to isolate words.Though it’s best not to use this for decoding the lease for your new apartment.

GET IT Free from the App store and Google Play.

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

LOCAL LEGENDS

‘COFFEE ONLY’ READS the sign outside Café de l’Ambre, which has been keeping the Ginza hordes well caffeinated since 1948. Remarkably, it’s still run by the same man – Ichiro Sekiguchi, who turned 102 this May. A living legend in Japan’s coffee community, Mr Sekiguchi named his shop after the colour amber because ‘it’s the ideal shade of coffee, of course’.

Working as a sound engineer in the pre-war movie industry, Sekiguchi used to casually treat his colleagues to homebrewed coffee. His blends turned out to be fine enough to both charm his co-workers and make their creator reconsider his career path. A coffee nerd during his student years, Sekiguchi tells us he often visited bean wholesalers for fun, gradually picking up the knowledge that would become the basis of his business.

But setting up a coffee shop was no simple task after the war: Sekiguchi long struggled to obtain a license for his place, eventually securing the right to open an ‘alkaloid laboratory’ – which, after some wheeling and dealing, he transformed into Café de l’Ambre.

Now, this venerable establishment offers almost 50 different varieties of Joe, including brews made of aged beans that have been left to mature for at least a decade. And although beans are his true passion – ‘make no mistake: how they are roasted is what determines a coffee’s flavour,’ he stresses – Sekiguchi thinks of coffeesipping as a comprehensive experience. This attitude is what drove him to design his own roaster, mill, pots and cups, all of which can be admired at l’Ambre.

While somewhat concerned about the current state of the coffee industry – ‘the market has turned to mass production and proper beans are becoming hard to find’ – the pipe-smoking master isn’t about to give up. He’s happy about the ongoing revaluation of quality coffee, and equally pleased to share the secret to his longevity: ‘It’s about not getting stressed out,’ he says. ‘You know, the stressalleviating qualities of coffee have been well documented.’

#12: The godfather of coffee Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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NEW OPENINGS

CANTEEN STATION

Kanda was blessed with new life, funky vibes and tasty grub in early summer 2016, when a handful of colourful trucks rolled into the neighbourhood and set up this street food outpost just a few steps from the station. Set to host up to half a dozen food trucks, Canteen Station is open all day from Monday to Saturday, so you can both check it out on your lunch break and stop by for a post-work beer. à tinyurl.com/TOTcanteenstation

ONIGIRI STAND GYU!

Laforet Harajuku’s second-floor food court got a noteworthy new addition in September, when the Japan Onigiri Society (yes!) opened this gourmet rice ball stand inside one of teenage Tokyo’s most hallowed sites. Besides standard onigiri topped with salmon or ume, you’ll get to choose from healthy varieties made with brown rice instead of the usual white, and offbeat mixtures like coriander or matcha onigiri. à tinyurl.com/TOTonigirigyu

TEA & SPOON NANAYA AOYAMA

Shizuoka-based matcha sweets purveyors Nanaya – famed for their Premium No. 7 gelato that’s been certified as the ice cream with the world’s highest matcha content – have finally taken the next step and opened their very own shop in Aoyama. In addition to the fabled No. 7, Nanaya Aoyama stocks six other varieties of matcha ice cream ranked in order of richness, as well as other delights. à tinyurl.com/TOTnanaya

PHOTOS: ICHIRO SEKIGUCHI: YUKI NAKAMURA. CANTEEN STATION: KEISUKE TANIGAWA

TOKYO UPDATE

OPENING SOON…

CITY DISPATCHES

HENN-NA HOTEL

No amount of android affinity can prepare you for Henn-na Hotel (‘strange hotel’), operated by Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki prefecture and staffed by robots of all shapes and sizes. Now it really seems that the bots are taking over the world, with news that a second location in Maihama, Chiba is opening next March. à tinyurl.com/TOTrobothotel

SHINJUKU’S BAKED BRINGS THE SWEET TASTE OF NEW YORK TO TOKYO In 2005, chocolate shop owner Matt Lewis and web designer Renato Poliafito founded Baked in Brooklyn as an all-American bakery offering a sit-down experience à la European cafés. Following great success, they eventually opened a second location in Manhattan, drawing ever larger crowds of both locals and

tourists with their creations. Taking things one (or four) steps further, they recently decided to hop over the Pacific and set up shop in Isetan’s famous food hall, nestled in alongside their heroes Jean-Paul Hévin and Pierre Hermé.

SUMIDA HOKUSAI MUSEUM

Spending a day in Ryogoku is set to become even more of a necessity for tourists from this November. The neighbourhood, which already houses the Edo-Tokyo Museum and the Kokugikan sumo stadium, will see the opening of a museum dedicated entirely to Edo-era Sumida’s most famous son – ukiyo-e superstar Katsushika Hokusai. In addition to viewing displays of the woodblock print wizard’s countless masterpieces, you’ll get to learn about Hokusai the man and his life in Sumida.

à tinyurl.com/TOTbaked

TSUKIJI MARKET ISN’T SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES JUST YET

Tokyo’s historic and histrionic fish market was slated for relocation to Toyosu in November, but soon after assuming office as Tokyo’s first female governor in August, Yuriko Koike smelled something fishy and halted progress pending further investigation. A 2001 survey had found high levels of toxic chemicals in the soil at the Toyosu site, courtesy of a Tokyo Gas Co plant that previously occupied the premises, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government claimed it had re-filled the foundations with clean soil.

However, at a news conference held in September, Koike revealed shocking findings: more than a quarter of the 40-hectare compound lies naked, covered with nothing but cables and pipes for the new facilities. A decisive ground survey will be conducted in November, with results to be released in January.

à tinyurl.com/TOTsumidahokusai

PHOTOS: TSUKIJI: KEISUKE TANIGAWA. BAKED: YOUKA NAGASE

NAKAMEGURO TSUTAYA BOOKS

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This just isn’t fair anymore: neighbouring Daikanyama already has what’s basically the world’s greatest bookstore, and now Nakameguro is getting an offshoot of that same bibliophile nirvana. Set to open inside the new Nakameguro Koukashita complex at some point this autumn, it’ll consist of four interconnected but nominally separate spaces: ‘lifestyle and gifts’,‘ideas and inspiration’,‘events’ and a café and lounge fit for laidback browsing and sipping. à tinyurl.com/TOTnakametsutaya October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

TO

DO TIMEOUT.COM/TOKYO

What’s on in town October-December 2016

DON’T MISS

Music Shibuya Music Festival The streets of Shibuya will echo with music again. This year’s edition of the Shibuya Music Festival takes place all over the area, with genres represented ranging from classical and jazz to pop and traditional Japanese drumming. Take a stroll around the hood and you may very well find yourself jamming to some catchy live tunes. àOct 22-23. Shibuya 109 and other venues around Shibuya Station. tinyurl.com/TOTshibuon. Free.

OCTOBER THINGS TO DO

SHIBUYA NONBEI YOKOCHO FESTIVAL

Shibuya’s classic ‘Drunkard’s Alley’ is rumoured to be on the list of blocks to be torn down to make way for some new concrete monstrosity as part of the area’s ongoing ‘redevelopment’. It’s best experienced at this autumn festival, which packs everything from jazz performances to mikoshi parades, in addition to special offerings of food and drink at virtually all of the alley’s eateries. àOct 7-8. 1-25-10 Shibuya, Shibuya. tinyurl. com/TOTnonbei. Free entry.

FILM

FOREST MOVIE FESTIVAL

Started in Saitama’s Chichibu in 2014, Japan’s first all-outdoor film festival moved to the forests of Yamanashi last year, and will return to the Verdant Garden park again for 2016. Take a break from Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

School’s gymnasium and shop for sweets and baked goods at the many participating stores along Route 420 in Mishuku.

the city and watch movies under the night sky – everything from short films to full-length features will be shown through the night on screens set up around the area.

àOct 9-10. IID Setagaya Monozukuri Gakko, 2-4-5 Ikejiri, Setagaya. tinyurl.com/TOTsetagayabread.

Free entry.

àOct 8. 8056 Hakushucho-Shirasu, Hokuto, Yamanashi. tinyurl.com/TOTforestmovie. ¥8,800.

THINGS TO DO

TOKYO GRAND TEA CEREMONY 2016

Always wanted to learn more about the Japanese tea ceremony, but never found a suitable opportunity? Then you won’t have any excuses not to attend this event, at which everyone from first-timers to tea masters get together to enjoy the wonders of the green drink, in the form of standard ceremonies, outdoor ceremonies, first-timer workshops... you name it.

THINGS TO DO

SETAGAYA BREAD FESTIVAL

Setagaya’s super-popular Bread Festival returns and centres once again on the many renowned bakeries and bread shops around Setagaya Ward. Sample both local delicacies and bakery products from all over the country at the main event in Ikejiri Elementary

àOct 15-16. Hamarikyu Detached Garden, 1-1 Hamarikyu Teien, Chuo. tinyurl.com/TOTtea2016.

Prices vary; entrance ¥300, seniors ¥150.

FILM

MUSIC AS FILM

Innovative filmmaker Kei

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Shichiri presents his new project at Shibuya’s Uplink, where you can catch the premiere of ‘Music as Film’ – an avant-garde flick that fuses the techniques of late 19th-century cinema with the music written for Oscar Wilde’s controversial 1891 play ‘Salome’.

The voices and subtitles in the work are in both English and Japanese, making for an interesting linguistic experiment that’s sure to fire up your brain. àOct 19. Totsune Bldg 1F, 37-18 Udagawacho, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/TOTmusicfilm. ¥2,000.

FILM

DANNY ELFMAN’S MUSIC FROM THE FILMS OF TIM BURTON

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear composer Danny Elfman perform a potpourri of his infectious scores from movies by Tim Burton. For ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, Elfman himself will sing the role of Jack Skellington as in the film, while the programme also includes music from ‘Edward Scissorhands’, ‘Batman’, ‘Charlie

TO DO beer and exotic knickknacks.

and the Chocolate Factory’ and more.

àNov 9-13. Okubo Park Theatre Park, 2-43 Kabukicho, Shinjuku. tinyurl.com/TOTkebab.

Free entry.

àOct 22-23. Tokyo International Forum, 3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda. tinyurl.com/TOTelfman. S seats ¥9,800, A seats ¥7,800, B seats ¥5,800.

THINGS TO DO

MARUNOUCHI ILLUMINATION 2016

THINGS TO DO

TOKYO DESIGN WEEK

àOct 26-Nov 7. 1-1 Kasumigaokamachi, Shinjuku. tinyurl.com/TOTdesignweek. ¥2,500, college students ¥1,500, high school students ¥1,000.

THINGS TO DO

TOKYO RAMEN SHOW 2016

The greatest ramen makers from all over Japan gather in Komazawa Olympic Park again for every noodle-lover’s dream event. Slurp up regional specialities, try new soups and combinations created specifically for this occasion, and elbow your way around the area

Marunouchi Naka-dori, always one of the most popular Tokyo illumination spots, will be lit up with countless

àNov 10-Feb 19. 2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda. tinyurl. com/TOTmaruillu. Free.

with thousands of other ramen maniacs. àOct 27-Nov 6. 1-1 Komazawa Koen, Setagaya. tinyurl.com/TOTramenshow. Free entry.

NOVEMBER THINGS TO DO

KEBAB GRAND PRIX 2016

‘Japan’s best kebab’ might not be the most prestigious title out there for an ambitious Turkish chef to aim for, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find at least halfdecent döner at this celebration of all things Anatolian. In addition to the kebabs, the programme includes everything from a belly dancing contest to sales of Turkish

PHOTO FROM 2015

Japan’s biggest design trade show again unfurls at a custom-built venue in Meiji Jingu Gaien park.

This year’s edition will include highlights like the ‘Creative Life’ exhibition, which shows off the latest trends in product and industrial design, plus everything from live music to a ‘super robot’ show and student exhibits highlighting future stars.

champagne-coloured, lowenergy bulbs, making for a display that’s as environmentally friendly as it is stylish.

Celebrating its 15th year this year, the Marunouchi Illumination will also take over nearby Otemachi Naka-dori in 2016, bringing the total amount of LEDs in use to well over a million.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

TO DO THINGS TO DO

HANAZONO SHRINE TORI NO ICHI The first of this year’s two Tori no Ichi markets at Hanazono Shrine gets underway with a warm-up festival on November 10, though the main event is on the following day. There’ll be 60-odd stalls selling decorative kumade rakes, plus 200 other vendors hawking food and other festival knickknacks.

àNov 10, 11, 22 & 23. 5-17-3 Shinjuku, Shinjuku. tinyurl.com/TOThanazonotori. Free entry.

THINGS TO DO

KAGURAZAKA STREET STAGE O-EDO TOUR

The usually quiet and refined streets of Kagurazaka echo with music and revelry at this two-day celebration of the traditional arts. Performers will be strolling the neighbourhood and you can learn more about local history by participating in walking tours. àNov 12-13. Bishamonten Zenkokuji and other venues in Kagurazaka. tinyurl.com/TOTkaguraedo. Free.

from the northeast and learn how the region is recovering from the triple disasters of 3.11.

dancing by local geisha and amateur kabuki, you can look forward to a puppet show in the Hachioji style and ‘kage-e’, a form of shadow play also known as ‘Edo-era animation’.

àNov 19-20. Toranomon Hills, 1-23-1 Toranomon, Minato. tinyurl.com/TOTshintora. Free.

àNov 26-27. Around the north side of Hachioji Station, Hachioji. tinyurl.com/TOTtamaculture. Free.

DECEMBER THINGS TO DO

RIKUGIEN AUTUMN LEAVES LIGHTUP

MUSIC

SWANS

Rikugien’s annual lightup returns when the park’s trees turn red and golden in the autumn night.

The view reflects beautifully off the water, creating a magical and unforgettable atmosphere. The park stays open until 9pm for the duration of the event and the cosy teahouses are open throughout. àNov 19-Dec 7. 6-16-3 Honkomagome, Bunkyo. tinyurl.com/TOTrikugienlights. ¥300, seniors ¥150.

MUSIC

JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ

A native of east London, Dev Hynes takes on Tokyo on the back of ‘Freetown Sound’, the new Blood Orange album that’s inspired by his parents’ immigrant stories, the Black Lives Matter movement and the hip hop, jazz and ballroom history of his adopted hometown of NYC.

Soulful, sensitive Swedish strummer José González returns for his first solo headline show in Tokyo in eight years. Though he’s probably still most famous for his downbeat cover of The Knife’s ‘Heartbeats’, González’s own material blends a love of alt Americana and Bert Jansch with his own Latino roots, and is thoroughly delectable.

àNov 22. Yebisu Garden Hall, 1-3-2 Mita, Meguro. tinyurl.com/TOTorange. ¥6,000.

àDec 1. WWW X, Rise Bldg 2F, 13-17 Udagawacho, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/TOTgonzalez. ¥6,500 adv.

MUSIC

THINGS TO DO

Uber-showman Ziek McCarter is the heart and soul of this San Francisco funk outfit known for their fiery performances and a sound that draws on the Bay Area’s legacy of groove. If you missed them at Fuji Rock, don’t let this chance go to waste.

Chichibu’s main event in December for over 300 years, this festival’s showcase attractions are two elaborately carved floats, which are pulled along and then hoisted up by men in mawashi loincloths. The climax of the festival is the incredibly popular fireworks display, which is particularly beautiful in the clear winter air.

MUSIC

BLOOD ORANGE

THINGS TO DO

JINGU GAIEN GINKGO FESTIVAL

This festival begins as autumn turns the surrounding icho (ginkgo) leaves yellow. Adding to its popularity are temporary stalls selling noted products from different regions of Japan – you’ll find these and other food stalls inside the Jingu Gaien softball stadium. àNov 18-Dec 5. Icho Namiki-dori & Jingu Gaien Softball Stadium, 2-3 Kasumigaokamachi, Shinjuku. tinyurl.com/TOTginkgo2016. Free.

THINGS TO DO

SHIBUYA STREET DANCE WEEK 2016 Japan’s biggest street dance bash returns with performances, open ‘dance battles’, classes and even a contest for high school dance teams. Wear a loose outfit and bring your best moves – this one’s sure to heat up the otherwise chilly autumn weekend.

CON BRIO

CHICHIBU NIGHT FESTIVAL

àNov 24. Duo Music Exchange, 2-14-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/TOTconbrio. ¥6,500.

àDec 2-3. Chichibu Shrine, 1-3 Banbamachi, Chichibu, Saitama. tinyurl.com/TOTchichibufest. Free.

àNov 19-20. Yoyogi Park and other venues. tinyurl. com/TOTstreetdance. Free.

THINGS TO DO

THINGS TO DO

Themes like tradition, innovation and Tohoku colour this new festival that takes place all over the Toranomon-Shinbashi area.

Don’t miss the Tohoku ‘festival parade’, feast on edible treats

Head out west for a hearty serving of traditional performing art: in addition to festival music,

TOKYO SHINTORA MATSURI

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

LEGENDARY TAMATEBAKO (TREASURE BOX) – TAMA TRADITIONAL CULTURE FESTIVAL 2016

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The apocalypse never sounded as good as when Swans play it.

Well over 30 years after they first started out, Michael Gira’s crushingly intense rock group are still on peak form: their wrenchingly beautiful new album ‘The Glowing Man’ was widely praised, raising expectations further for this Tokyo date. àDec 7. Tsutaya O-East, 2-14-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya. tinyurl.com/TOTswans. ¥6,000.

MUSIC

ALABAMA SHAKES

Neo-soul quartet Alabama Shakes return for more smokey old-time rock ’n’ soul, mixing up authentic and respectful R&B with bluesy arrangements that recall the Black Keys. It might seem impossible, but they have the chops that can make a cavernous venue like Studio Coast feel intimate. àDec 12. 2-2-10 Shinkiba, Koto. tinyurl.com/ TOTalabama. ¥8,500.

SHOPPING

SETAGAYA NO BOROICHI

Around 700 stalls line the street during the annual Setagaya Boroichi, a venerable flea market that’s been going on for more than 400 years now. The event attracts tens of thousands of visitors, making it one of the highlights on Setagaya’s yearly calendar. Don’t miss out on the ever-popular daikan mochi rice cakes. àDec 15-16. Boroichi-dori, Setagaya. tinyurl.com/ TOTboroichi2016. Free.

Yokohama Music Festival yokooto.jp

HEAR THE SOUND OF

Yokohama

Check out our top five picks of unmissable events taking place during the Yokohama Music Festival

September 22 - November 27, 2016

A music festival taking place in Yokohama every three years, the Otomatsuri invites you to discover and enjoy a wide range of music, performed everywhere from concert halls to the streets.

Yokohama Jazz Promenade 2016 Launched in 1993, the largest jazz festival in Japan turns the entire city of Yokohama into a stage, with events ranging from concerts at historical sites to street performances and club gigs. Spreading across around 50 venues, the Promenade features performers both young and old, famous and unknown, Japanese and non-Japanese, who play their tunes side by side throughout the weekend.

Internationally renowned artists join hands with amateurs for this ‘superuniversal’ festival, which welcomes everyone regardless of age, gender or physical condition.

à Oct 8 & 9. Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall and other venues across Yokohama. yokooto.jp/en/ program/0010-2. ¥5,000.

Sound Throughout the City Project On weekends during the Yokohama Otomatsuri, established and amateur artists alike come together for street gigs in parks and various venues to express ‘hospitality through music’. Participants include Yokohama-born pro singer May J. and gagaku (classical Japanese music) performer Hideki Togi. àSep 22-Nov 27. Queen’s Square, Grand Mall Park, JR Sakuragicho Station Plaza etc. arcship.jp/ machihiro. Free.

Fauré Quartett

Acclaimed by the great Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich, Germany’s Fauré Quartett will be taking on the Small Hall at Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall in October. Formed in 1995 by four graduates of the University of Music Karlsruhe, the Fauré Quartett is now recognised as one of the world’s foremost piano quartets, so all friends of classical music owe it to themselves to hear them

live. Here, the foursome will be performing Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ and Brahms’s Piano Quartet No 1.

City of shopping, culinary treats, art and beautiful scenery Yokohama

àOct 5. Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall Small Hall. yokooto.jp/en/program/35. ¥5,000.

Music in the Dark

If you’re looking for a slightly different musical experience, this is the event for you. Music in the Dark is held in a concert hall with all the lights turned off, and sees a wind and string orchestra composed of both sighted and visually impaired musicians playing in complete darkness.

Find out if removing the visual element truly adds to the auditory experience.

Yokohama can be reached within 30 minutes from both Haneda Airport and Tokyo Station.

àNov 3. Philia Hall. yokooto.jp/en/program/12-2.

S seats ¥5,000, A seats ¥4,000.

Ha-Ya-To Spanish Concert

This ambitious experiment brings together two traditional art forms that boast very different cultural backgrounds: Japanese taiko drumming and Spanish flamenco.

Taiko unit Ha-Ya-To, composed of three brothers, and dancer Kaori Shimamura are set to provide an exciting spectacle combining bold Japanese rhythms with Spanish passion.

Transportation From Haneda Airport: 22 minutes by Keikyu train to Yokohama Station

Transportation From Tokyo Station: 30 minutes by JR train

àNov 6. Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall. yokooto.jp/en/program/55.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

THE INFOGRAPHIC

Japan at the Rio 2016 Olympics

By Yusuf Huysal and Ili Saarinen

The Rio 2016 Olympics concluded with a bang, with Japan more than fulfilling its customary duty to conclude the closing ceremony as the next host of the games. In addition to throwing one hell of a party, which saw Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pop out of a large pipe dressed as Mario, Japan pulled an impressive feat by bagging more medals than ever in the nation’s Olympic history, which began with the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

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Having progressed from 38 medals and 7 golds in London 2012 to 41 medals and 12 golds at Rio 2016, the Japanese Olympic Committee is aiming for 20 GOLDS in Tokyo 2020 and are eyeing a podium finish in the medal table on home turf after coming in 6th place this year. Since the Japanese possess a work ethic that puts Max Weber to shame, they will most probably deliver on this ambitious promise.

15-46

346

The Rio Olympics have already been dubbed the Millennial Games, with Generation Z athletes stepping into the limelight and older competitors nearing the twilight of their careers. Japan’s youngest athlete in Rio was 15-YEAR-OLD swimmer NATSUMI SAKAI , while the oldest, quadragenarian equestrian TOSHIKI MASUI , showed he wasn’t ready to be put out to pasture yet at 46 .

In Rio, 346 Japanese athletes competed in 36 sports, with women constituting 48% and men 52% of Team Japan. While the men outperformed the women by winning 23 medals to 18, female athletes clinched seven golds compared to five victories by their male counterparts.

2.07.22 23° Swimmer IPPEI WATANABE broke the country’s sole Olympic Record at the Games in the men’s 200-metre breaststroke event.

While temperature readings for Rio in August averaged around 23°C , Tokyo, as our half-melted fellow residents very well know, has been historically Dantesque with a mean temperature of 28°C. At least it will be easy for athletes in 2020 to get their protein in the morning; they can just fry eggs on the clean pavements of our dear city.

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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The heroes of Rio brought back a historical high of 41 medals, including 12 golds. In total, 58 Japanese athletes got to stand on the podium – here they are in age order.

Kanami Nakamaki

Mima Ito

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The infographic

Most decorated medallist:

Gymnastics great Kohei Uchimura took home two golds, officially putting him at the top of the pile, but 22-year-old swimmer Kosuke Hagino walked away with the heaviest load: one individual gold and silver medal each, plus one bronze as part of the 4x200 freestyle team.

Youngest medallist:

Mima Ito, 15. Set a record for youngest table tennis player ever to win a women’s team medal.

Oldest medallist:

Saori Yoshida, 33. The wrestling legend failed in her quest to win gold at four consecutive Olympics, finishing second in the 53kg freestyle class.

Most historic medallist:

Her 13-year unbeaten streak may have ended earlier this year, but Kaori Icho came back to win her fourth gold medal in freestyle wrestling, becoming the first woman in any individual sport to prevail at four consecutive Olympics.

Women’s wrestling (freestyle, 53kg)

Saori Yoshida Women’s wr

Kaori Ichoestling (freestyle, 58kg) Men’s

le relay) uda i Mats 00 freesty Takesshwimming (4x2

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Judo, traditionally dominated by Japan, rebounded from the disappointment of London 2012 (7 medals, only one gold): Japanese judokas took home 12 medals in total, including three golds.

Kei Marumo

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Misaki M

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

TRANSCREATING TOKYO

Kabuki, then and now Takeo Funabiki looks back at the sorry state of kabuki in the 1960s

Tokyo’s streetcars were abolished and replaced by subways, I made the lengthy trip outlined above one last time. That was evidence of my fetishism for bygone days – a persuasion so strong that the year before, I had happily traded my ticket to the Beatles Budokan concert for kabuki ticket money.

EDO-TOKYO HAS GIVEN birth to three main forms of bodily entertainment: kabuki theatre, sumo wrestling and geisha ‘service’. Now that more than 300 years have passed since their inception, the original three may have been absorbed by new genres, but they continue to play a central role in the city’s cultural landscape. This column is the first in our new series that explores the past and present of Tokyo’s three arts of the body.

KABUKI – A RELIC OF THE PAST?

What was kabuki like when I first started watching it in the early 1960s? To put it simply, it was on the decline. Most of the major actors associated with kabuki had already moved into the film industry before the war and become very successful.

Still, these greats seemed to retain a deep affection for kabuki, patronising the art and even starting new kabuki troupes.

However, from the audience’s point of view, the actors appeared to already have jumped from the sinking ship that was kabuki and found their home in a new genre.

Even Enno Ichikawa, one of the heavyweights of modern kabuki, was making his TV debut in a woefully old-fashioned historical drama series when I first found out about him.

A PORTAL TO A DIFFERENT WORLD

So, were kabuki plays of the time boring? I certainly didn’t think so. Entering the darkness of the Kabukiza Theatre, the seats were all but empty, intermissions could last for ages, the show would go on even after 11pm, and when the Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

getting on the Toden streetcar in Shinjuku, I rode through Yotsuya, Hibiya and Ginza to HigashiGinza – a journey that could take up to an hour if one was unlucky with transfers. Along the way, I would feel as though I was slipping through both space and time.

In the mid-‘60s, the night before

city’s transportation network was knocked out, some patrons were forced to spend the night at the theatre. But for a kid like me, this misery had an attractive flavour – I felt like I was transported to a different world.

I would prepare myself for this ‘journey’ by taking the slow route:

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Watching a show at the Kabukiza in my high school uniform, old ladies would praise me for being so cultured at such a young age. Also, sometimes an older man would notice me from afar and invite me to have tea with him after the show.

Instead of being unpleasant, such propositions left me with a dark, pitiable impression.

Among these experiences, I remember one time when a stranger on a bus to Shinjuku started bragging to me about having access to kabuki stars.

When we reached the terminal, he asked me out for tea. I declined and immediately felt uneasy about my fellow passengers who had gotten off the bus in a hurry at the previous stop. These memories hint at the Higashi-Ginza area’s sorry state at the time.

Granted, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for kabuki in the ‘60s: new buds were already sprouting.

Nonetheless, the prevailing impression at the time was that kabuki was caught in a spiral of irreversible decline. I, for one, never hoped for it to prosper and was prepared to witness its demise just as I had witnessed the end of the streetcars. What eventually ended up happening will, of course, be the topic of my next column.

HANAKO/PIXTA

SIGNS OF DECADENCE

How to pay out like a Tokyoite

Courtesy calls

DO: PLACE IT IN THE TRAY

ILLUSTRATION: BUNNY BISSOUX

What Tokyo’s restaurants, shops and taxis all have in common – aside from a drunken salaryman zonked out in one corner after dark – is the ubiquitous tray next to the till, usually referred to as ‘koin torei’ (the Japanese transliteration of coin tray) or simply ‘torei’.

The official use is to maintain a desirable distance between you and the cashier – nobody in Japan wants to be seen grabbing your money – but you can also use it to avoid dropping your change and keeping the line waiting while you scrabble awkwardly after a ¥1 coin.

DON’T: RELY ON YOUR FLEXIBLE FRIEND

Despite the cavalcade of bullet trains, intelligent robots and high-tech toilets, Japan is still pretty analogue when it comes to money and cash invariably beats cards. So if you’re not too keen on leaving your watch – or worse,

Japan is an etiquette-driven society from the cradle to the grave and paying for things is no exception. To keep your zen while spending the yen, check out our list of dos and don’ts.

Yusuf Huysal

washing the dishes – as payment, then we suggest carrying hard currency with you at all times.

DO: PAY WITH YOUR PREPAID IC CARD

Although cash remains king, you can also pay using prepaid IC (integrated circuit) cards like Pasmo and Suica in almost every konbini and taxi, and even in some restaurants.

Simply tap your card on the reader and hope that the Yamanote line hasn’t drained out your balance.

DON’T: TIP

Japan is perhaps the only country where tipping can unwittingly turn into an insult. A price is a price here and good service is delivered without an expectation of reward or the incentive of a tip. Feel free to show your gratitude in other ways, though best not with a hug.

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DO: BETSU BETSU

Unless you’re willing to front the entire bill for a long night of debauchery with your friends, simply utter the magic words betsu betsu – the Japanese term for going Dutch – and the bill will be evenly split between the culprits. Bear in mind that some restaurants don’t allow this, especially if your party includes that annoying friend who wants to pay by card, so it’s better to ask beforehand.

DON’T: USE YOUR FINGERPRINTS (YET)

While pressing your finger down on the card reader would throw any cashier into confusion, the government is poised to try out new technology enabling tourists to pay with the touch of a finger. The plan is to have nationwide coverage up and running by 2020, so until then you’re going to have to make do with boring old cash.

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

LOCAL INSIGHT

Promotional feature

I, TOKYO

Rebekah Wilson-Lye Sake consultant and IWC sake judge.

International PR and promotions at Hidetoshi Nakata’s Japan Craft Sake Company Age: 41 What inspired you to become a sake professional?

The inspiration was my first sip of sake in Japan. I was served a cup of local Shizuoka sake, Isojiman – the aroma and flavour was a revelation! I never knew that sake could have such an elegant aroma and refined flavour. It also made me curious: how could something made from rice have such beautiful fruity notes? As there was very little information available in English in those days, I immediately began to taste, visit breweries, and learn as much as I could.

How does it feel being a nonJapanese sake consultant promoting sake in this country?

I am grateful to have been so warmly welcomed and supported by the people in the sake community – particularly the brewers, who have become my second family here in Japan.

Thanks to their guidance I have discovered sake is more than just a drink. It is an invisible thread that is interwoven through Japan’s rich cultural tapestry. But to be honest, as a sake consultant, I don’t view myself as being any different to my Japanese contemporaries.

Of course, being a foreigner does give me certain advantages in that I am able to do things that are a little outside the norm, and can communicate to both local and international audiences.

What is your most impressive project so far?

Without a doubt, the most exciting project I have been involved with is the Takashi Murakami x NEXT5 Sake collaboration.

After I developed the sake list for Murakami’s café, Bar Zingaro, in

2013, he asked me to hold regular sake seminars for his customers.

The first brewer to support my sake event was Yusuke Sato, the young kuramoto of Akita’s famed Aramasa Brewery. That led to me developing a relationship with the other members of NEXT5, a group of progressive Akita brewers.

It occurred to me that it would be wonderful to combine Murakami’s modern Japanese art with the sake of these progressive brewers. After two years the idea finally came to fruition, and we released the Takashi Murakami x NEXT5 Sake in July 2016. It was a dream come true!

How do you usually determine the quality of sake when you judge competitions?

When judging, I look for a sake which is well-balanced and has characteristics that best exemplify the style or grade it is being judged in. It’s important that there is a harmony between the aroma and flavour, and that the body and overall composition in the mouth are well calibrated.

But while technical excellence is an important consideration, the sake must also be delicious.

What do you recommend to try for sake beginners?

There are so many styles and varieties of sake that it can be a little overwhelming for a beginner to know where to start. I would recommend going to a restaurant which has a wide sake selection and knowledgable staff, and trying a tasting set which has a variety of flavours, aromas and styles. Just remember: taste is subjective – there are no rights or wrongs when deciding what your

favourite sake is. The best sake is the sake that you like best.

The sake industry has been facing decreasing consumption in recent years, yet you say we are in the ‘golden age of sake’.

The sake industry has indeed been in a deep decline since the 1980s, but over the past few years there has been a renewed interest in sake. And this turnaround is really due to the efforts of a small group of progressive brewers, who see the need to adapt and bring sake into the 21st century.

Also, sake exports are on the rise, and progressive brewers, who have travelled and have an international vision, are striving to connect with new audiences.

Sake is now being served on the menus of the world’s best chefs and recognised for its food pairing by international sommeliers.

We’re likely to think that Japanese sake only goes well with Japanese cuisine. Can you come up with any unlikely foods that pair well with sake?

Most people still think of sake as something to pair only with sushi, tempura and other

Japanese cuisine. However, sake is the perfect accompaniment to international cuisine and sometimes is even a better pairing than wine. As for unlikely food pairings, my favourite is sake and cheese. The reason is sake has seven times more amino acidity than wine – the acid that contributes to our sense of umami. And it is this amino-acidity that makes sake particularly well suited to other umami-rich food such as seafood, meat and…cheese!

Any ways to try a variety of sake without breaking the bank in Tokyo?

While export tariffs make sake ridiculously expensive abroad, sake is relatively cheap in Japan – in fact, I think it is underpriced.

These days, more and more stylish, casual eateries which specialise in sake are opening up around Tokyo – we really are spoiled for choice. But the best way to enjoy a wide range of flavours and styles is to attend a sake tasting event. Not only can you can drink your fill of sake for the price of the entry fee, you can also meet the brewers who make it.

à To keep up to date with sake events in Tokyo and around Japan, download the free Sakenomy app from www.sakenomy.jp. You can also use it to find information about a sake just by taking a picture of the label.

To find out how you can get NHK WORLD TV 24/7 in your country,

©NHK-TYO

I, GLOBAL Domo Explore the world of Japanese food NHK’s mascot introduces Tokyo to the world

PHOTO: TAKESHI NOGUCHI PHOTO: MANAO OKAMOTO

PHOTO: TAKESHI NOGUCHI

PHOTO: TAKESHI NOGUCHI

BUILDING ON ITS MANY POPULAR food programmes, NHK World recently launched a website called ‘Japanese Food’, which features a real bonanza of recipes and stories contributed by the nation’s home chefs. Sorted by many categories, such as ingredients and occasions, it’s a very effective resource not only for cooking but also for discovering new dishes and ideas. Ten new recipes are uploaded twice a week, so you’ll never get bored of browsing the site.

It’s easy to explore different recipes Pork

Vegetable

Sushi

Healthy

Quick

Party

Enjoy the content on TV and radio

| Easy | | Average | | Difficult | LEVEL

The website is designed to be very user-friendly, so you can quickly browse dishes by clicking on icons like those for ingredients and occasions.

For example, if you feel like a vegheavy dinner, click on the vegetables icon to show all the available veg recipes. If you’re planning a house party, click on the party icon to see a list of Japanese party dishes.

Inspired to actually try your hand at cooking? You might want to start from the beginner’s recipes – indications of difficulty levels for each dish are displayed, allowing you to develop your skills without biting off more than you can chew.

Special features

WHAT’S MORE?

Making the Japanese Food site even more interesting are the regularly updated feature stories with recipes.

Brand new stories are published twice a week.

on your TV, computer or mobile device, visit nhk.jp/nhkworld

Chefs

All content on this website comes from NHK’s cooking programmes on TV and radio; some feature renowned Japanese chefs teaching you how to cook, while others offer a range of tips related to Japanese food. These are some of our recommended programmes that are also available on demand (VOD), so you can watch at a time that suits you and review if necessary.

1. Dining with the Chef (TV): Introducing you to the wonderful world of Japanese cuisine and its harmony of diverse ingredients.

In addition to the usual recipe listings, you can occasionally check out four versions of the same dish made by four different chefs.

2. Trails to Tsukiji (TV): The world’s greatest fish market is slated to move in the near future – this show helps you discover its tasty secrets while you still can.

Start here!

www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/food

Breaking through Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

20

Para-athletes more than make up for their missing limbs and impaired senses – in fact, they overcome such hurdles with a determination that goes beyond anything thought humanly possible.

Watching them in action is the only way to fully appreciate their strength.

Takao Ochi

Began photographing Paralympic sports in 2000 and set up KanPara Press, a website dedicated to Paralympic sport, in 2004. In 2014, he published the photo book ‘Amputee Venus’ on the theme of women with artificial limbs. à www.kanpara.com. www.ochitakao.com

Photographer Takao Ochi has made capturing Paralympic sports his life’s work, and has been documenting the transcendent power of paraathletes across a wide range of events since 2000. His stunning shots hint at how Tokyo will embrace both sport and diversity four years from now.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Tokyo’s 100 best restaurants Tokyo is the world’s best city for food. You already knew that.

But what about the best of the best? We scoured the city’s restaurants, from Michelin-starred palaces to cheap eats, to bring you our first top 100 list. The full rundown is on page 30, but let’s begin with a few of our very favourites...

Words Matthew Lee. Photography Keisuke Tanigawa and Kisa Toyoshima Supervised by Yumiko Inukai. Production Mayumi Koyama, Yasuhisa Shimbo and Satomi Saruwatari

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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UNAGI

Izumoya Run by the grandson of the original owner, Izumoya is a pocket of tradition and serenity amongst the high-rise towers of Nihonbashi. It is also a source of the highest quality eel-based meals in town. Although an extensive menu is available, most customers order the dish Izumoya became known for: grilled unagi over rice, served in a gorgeous lacquered box. The fish, brushed with Izumoya’s trademark sauce, grilled to a brownish-bronze hue and sprinkled with black pepper, is both salty and sweet, and compellingly moreish.

Top tip: Meal prices vary by where you sit – eel at a table starts from ¥1,728, while dining in a private room will set you back at least ¥4,320. à 3-3-4 Nihonbashi-Hongokucho, Chuo (Mitsukoshimae Station). 03 3241 2476. Mon-Fri 11am-2pm, 5pm-10pm (last orders 9pm). Sat 11am-9pm (8.30pm). Closed Sun & hols.

IZAKAYA

Sanshuya Sanshuya has been churning out simple, satisfying and affordable dishes since 1968. It’s as unostentatious as it gets, with straightforward furnishings and communal tables, yet its old-school izakaya aesthetics are endearing. Meals here begin with complimentary otoshi, a small dish of squid sashimi with fish liver, and typically move on to heartier dishes, with an emphasis on produce from the nearby fish market – whose workers file in from mid-afternoon.

Top tip: Arrive early and be prepared to queue at the start of winter’s oyster season: Sanshuya’s deep-fried clams are legendarily good. à 2-3-4 Ginza, Chuo (Ginza-Itchome Station). 03 3564 2758. From 11.30am, closed Sun.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

100 BEST RESTAURANTS

SEE MORE TIMEOUT.COM/ TOKYO

KAISEKI

Ohara Nobody can dispute Chef Ohara’s dedication to his craft. At dawn he’s at the Tsukiji fish market, and he’s still hard at work at midnight. In between, a lucky dozen customers get to experience some of Tokyo’s finest kaiseki – a Kyoto culinary tradition with an emphasis on freshness, balance and seasonality. With assistance from his wife, Ohara creates meticulous, measured dishes with incredible precision and artistry. The set menu at this Shinjuku eatery changes with the seasons but may include dishes such as soy sauce-dipped salmon roe, grilled ginkgo nuts or barracuda sushi. Functional decor and a lack of music allows Chef Ohara’s dazzling creations to take centre stage.

Top tip: Book early. There are only twelve seats and Ohara allows a maximum of three groups each evening. à Nakabayashi Bldg 2F, 1 Arakicho, Shinjuku (Yotsuya-Sanchome Station).

03 6380 5223. 12noon-1pm (Wed, Sat only), 6pm-8pm. Closed Sun & hols.

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

SUSHI

JAPANESE SEAFOOD

Miyazono

Ubuka

Miyazono barely has time to dream of sushi.

On most nights the chef works till 5am before heading to Tsukiji to shop for the next shift. He sleeps, briefly, and he’s back at his counter shortly after noon. A spell in the army prepared Miyazono for the gruelling itamae lifestyle (sushi is tougher, he jokes) and he’s a surprisingly chirpy chap given his punishing workload. Come to Miyazono to slowly soak up the artistry, theatricality, intimacy and gasp-inducing sushi. The shrimp sashimi is luxuriant in flavour while the nigiri – using hand-shaped mounds of rice mixed with brown or white vinegar, depending on the fish – is equally glorious.

Top tip: Although Miyazono works until the early hours, you have to arrive before 1am to get fed.

For seafood aficionados this tiny restaurant has become a place of pilgrimage. You need to book months in advance, and that’s because Chef Kato does magical things with crabs and prawns. The latter, prepared as sashimi, are extraordinary: the crustaceans from Yamaguchi prefecture, which are kept alive until the last possible moment, glimmer translucently on the ceramic tableware and are accompanied by tako (octopus) sashimi and wasabi.

Top tip: Arrive hungry and open-minded – there’s no à la carte menu, just a ¥8,800 tencourse tasting menu which changes regularly.

à 2-13-19 Nishi-Azabu, Minato (Nogizaka, Roppongi stations).

03 6427 4838. sushi-miyazono.com. Daily 6pm-3am (last orders 1am).

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à 2-14 Arakicho, Shinjuku (Yotsuya-Sanchome Station). 03 3356 7270. 6pm-11.30pm. Closed Sun & hols.

100 BEST RESTAURANTS SOBA

Honmura An When Koichi Kobari announced he was quitting Manhattan to take the reins at his late father’s Roppongi restaurant in 2007, New York fans of soba noodles went into mourning. It’s not hard to see why Kobari has found success on two continents – his handmade buckwheat noodles have the perfect degree of bite to them and are so sweetly flavoursome they can be slowly savoured entirely on their own. Despite the global acclaim and the ritzy locale, simple meals here are available for little more than ¥1,000.

Top tip: It’s a good bet if you don’t speak Japanese.

Everything is bilingual, including Kobari’s chatty hospitality. à7-14-18 Roppongi, Minato (Roppongi Station). 03 5772 6657. honmuraantokyo.com. Tue-Fri 12noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10pm. Sat, Sun & hols 12noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm. Closed Mon, 1st & 3rd Tue of the month.

ODEN

Kamata A well-advised pitstop on the Shinbashi salaryman barhopping circuit, Kamata offers a healthy antidote to all that drinking – hearty, warming traditional Japanese cooking with plenty of character. It’s an unassuming setting with laminated menus, TVs tuned to game shows and towel-warming machines plastered with stickers for Yebisu beer. But the cooking is seriously good. Chef Kamata works magic with ingredients including daikon radish, konjac (a native yam), tofu, soft boiled eggs, kombu seaweed, and minced and steamed fish cakes.

Oden is typically winter food, but such great grub at such low prices – a set meal for two costs ¥1,600 – makes this a year-round destination.

Top tip: Post-work bar-hoppers needn’t pause. Beer and sake is available. à 2-11-5 Shinbashi, Minato-ku (Shinbashi Station). 03 3502 5133. 5pm-11.30pm.

Closed Sun & hols.

CRAB

Kitafuku From the moment you remove your shoes to the final morsel of sweetly supple crabmeat, Kitafuku is an exhilarating eating experience.

A meal lasts at least two hours, which is the minimum time necessary for a live king crab to be deshelled, systematically dismantled – leg by leg, claw by claw – and feasted upon having been prepared in various ways: boiled, charcoalgrilled and sashimi. A meal at Kitafuku doesn’t come cheap, but you won’t find anything like this outside of Japan. It’s pure theatre.

Top tip: If you’re squeamish, be warned: you’ll see your dinner alive moments before you eat it. à Ginza 745 Bldg 3F, 7-4-5 Ginza, Chuo (Ginza Station). 03 6280 6368. kanikitafuku.com. 5pm-10pm.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

100 BEST RESTAURANTS RAMEN

Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta The prize: a Michelin-starred meal for under ¥1,000. The catch: you have to get to Sugamo before 8am to guarantee a reservation for that day. Is it worth it? Of course it is, because chef Yuki Onishi is a ramen perfectionist. To the hushed reverie of nine counter customers at a time, he prepares soup bowls with balletic grace.

The broth, made from a blend of soy sauces, is rich, complex and smooth. The soba noodles are firm and smooth with a clear, nutty flavour. And the pork is roasted to juicy perfection. Set those alarm clocks.

Top tip: There are strict rules to follow if you want the best ramen of your life: no photos of the kitchen and only one bowl per person. à 1-14-1 Sugamo, Toshima (Sugamo Station). 03 3943 1007.

11am-3pm, 6pm-9pm. Closed Wed.

YAKITORI

Tokoshima ‘The chicken, the whole chicken, and nothing but the chicken,’ could be the motto for this Sangenjaya poultry palace. Chef Tokoshima serves 20 different grilled chicken items, from the standard – breast, wings, thigh – to the startling. Anyone for ovaries and fallopian tube?

The chef oversees the minutiae of the yakitori process, from hatching through to butchery, seasoning and grilling. It’s a beautiful, elegant restaurant, with dark wood counter seating offering customers a close-up view of the master’s meticulous preparation of each and every kushi.

Top tip: Be adventurous. The chicken ovaries, known as ‘lanterns’, are buttery, burst-in-themouth delicious. Make sure to order if they’re on the menu. à Luna Park Sangenjaya 105, 2-8-10 Sangenjaya, Setagaya (Sangenjaya Station). 03 5486 3318. 5.30pm-11.30pm (last orders 10.30pm). Closed Sun (if Mon is a holiday, open Sun and closed Mon) & 1st Mon of the month.

CURRY

Land Land is a small Meguro restaurant with a huge ambition – to reinvent the Japanese curry. Mr Naito, the bearded, bespectacled chef-owner, wants to make Japanese curry as distinctive and highly regarded as its Indian or Thai equivalents. He’s certainly off to a good start. Naito’s aromatic sauce, made with chicken stock and a 15-spice mix, performs gymnastics on the tongue. The rice is topped with artistic panache – the vegetable and fruit curry involves flame-grilled courgette, sweet potato, fennel and edible rose petals, as well as a side of mashed potato. You’ll never look at a box of curry sauce mix the same way again.

Top tip: Great for a hot date – as long as your date finds the smell of onions and garlic attractive, that is. à 2F, 2-21-28 Shimomeguro, Meguro (Meguro Station). 070 5518 7621. 12noon-9pm (last orders 8.30pm). Closed Mon. Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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100 BEST RESTAURANTS YOSHOKU

Shunkoutei A Toshima shopping mall is the unpretentious setting for one of the city’s top exponents of yoshoku, a Japanese interpretation of Western food. Shunkoutei doesn’t stray far from the tried-and-tested, meat-heavy yoshoku formula – cutlets, steaks, stews and various fried items.

The difference here is in the quality produce – top-notch Aussie and Japanese beef is used, and there’s a greater focus on presentation than at most yoshoku joints. Chef Koga’s culinary panache is epitomised by his hanbagu – a crumbly, seriously juicy Hamburg steak served with roast potatoes and vegetables.

Top tip: Experiment with the eye-openingly cross-cultural range of condiments on offer. Gravy mixed with wasabi?

Dijon mustard with soy sauce? What’s there to lose? à 2F, 2-39-1 Mejiro, Toshima (Mejiro Station). 03 5927 1606. 11am-3pm (last orders 2.30pm), 5pm-11pm (10pm). Closed Mon (Tue if Mon is a holiday).

BURGER

Henry’s Burger There are only three food items on the menu: hamburger (¥650), double hamburger (¥900) and fries (¥250). This is a good thing. With the gimmicks out of the way, the focus is on the natural flavour of the wagyu beef, which is pounded on the grill before being topped with sliced cheddar that melts obligingly into the patty. The buns, custom-made for this Daikanyama hole-in-the-wall, hold their contents in place without overshadowing the beefy star of the show. Simplicity is the key to a great burger, and the eponymous owner, who spent much of his childhood in California, gets all the simple things right.

Top tip: There are only four seats, so best grab a takeaway and head to nearby Saigoyama park. à 1-36-6 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya (Daikanyama Station). 03 3461 0530. henrysburger. com. Daily 11am-8pm.

STEAK

Hugo Desnoyer Ebisu’s well-heeled carnivores can’t get enough of Paris’s bestknown butcher’s shrine to meat. This smart yet informal Japanese outpost of Hugo’s famed French chain worships cattle (and pork, to a lesser extent) at every turn – a counter is topped with huge slabs of raw beef on wooden boards, a chart by the entrance shows every cut of beef in a cow, and the chairs and stools are covered in cowhide. The steak tartare, a glistening patty of simply seasoned raw Japanese beef, might be the city’s finest. The steaks are also glorious – a French rib-eye has a perfectly charred crust, a blush of pinkness in its centre, the optimum quantity of fat, and is graced with a simple sprinkling of rock salt.

Top tip: Such magnificent hunks of pure beefy pleasure come at a price – upwards of ¥15,000 per person for a meal with drinks at dinner. à 3-4-16 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya (Ebisu, Daikanyama stations). 03 6303 0429. hugodesnoyer.jp/ boutique-ebisu. 11.30am-3pm (1F until 5pm), 6pm-11.30pm (last orders 10.30pm). Closed Mon (open 11.30am-6pm on Mon hols). Reservations essential.

27

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

100 BEST RESTAURANTS FRENCH

Les Chanterelles Yusuke Nakada sure loves mushrooms. They inspired the name of his Yoyogi-Hachiman restaurant, appear in most of the dishes, and there are ’shroom playing cards framed on the walls. Nakada formerly worked in a rural French restaurant famed for its creative use of fungi, and the experience clearly left its mark – this is brilliantly inventive cooking which showcases the incredible versatility of several mushroom varieties. Don’t miss his inspired pairing of mushroom tea and a foie gras macaroon, or his signature smoked salmon, served with boiled aubergine and roquefort sauce.

A meal here is, if you’ll excuse the obvious mushroom pun, magic.

Top tip: Don’t worry about the lack of menu. Nakada will prepare you a tailor-made meal after consulting you on your mood and eating habits. à 24-1 Motoyoyogicho, Shibuya (Yoyogi-Hachiman Station). 03 5465 0919. chanterelle.jp.

6pm-9pm. Lunch Sat, Sun 12noon-2pm. Closed Mon.

ITALIAN

Galeone An enormous wood-fired oven takes centre stage at this popular Meguro eatery. From its fiery interior emerge note-perfect pizzas (from ¥900): thin, light and crispy bases topped with fresh tomato paste, bubbling mozzarella, a drizzle of quality olive oil and a smattering of basil leaves. It’s tasty stuff, and it comes as no surprise that the chef trained in Naples, the spiritual home of pizza, but this cosy neighbourhood Italian has another trick up its sleeve.

A charcoal grill leaves its distinctive smoky imprint on a range of meats; the wagyu, cooked medium-rare, is a seriously toothsome treat.

Top tip: Snap up the lunch set menu, ¥3,000 for an appetiser, a pizza or pasta, grilled meat, a dessert and a drink. à 1-7-3 Nakane, Meguro (Toritsu-Daigaku Station). 03 6459 5139. 11.30am-3pm (last orders 2pm), 6pm-12midnight (11pm). Closed Mon (Tue if Mon is a holiday).

SOUTH INDIAN

Dhaba India The setting at Dhaba India is most alluring – the aroma of spice fills the air, colourful carpets hang from dark blue walls and the floors are tiled and turquoise – but the decor doesn’t come close to upstaging the food. The chefs, mostly from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, produce some of the finest Indian food in Japan. The curries on the beautifully presented set menu – nine items served on a banana leaf – pack quite some punch, and there’s a tandoor oven for grilled meats, vegetables and paneer cheese.

Top tip: The staff don’t dilute the cuisine’s authentic spicing for Japanese palates, so if you’re heat-sensitive you should request mild food when ordering. à 2-7-9 Yaesu, Chuo (Kyobashi, Tokyo stations). 03 3272 7160. dhabaindia.com. Mon-Fri 11.15am-3pm (last orders 2.30pm), 5pm-11pm (10pm), Sat, Sun & hols 12noon-3pm (2.30pm), 5pm-10pm (9pm).

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

28

100 BEST RESTAURANTS THAI

Thai-koku Senmon Shokudo Chef Nonaka spent six months travelling around Thailand ten years ago – and it changed his life. The self-taught chef is now committed to offering Tokyoites authentic Thai cuisine and the food you’ll find here is as good as you’d find at a Bangkok neighbourhood eatery. It’s a one-man show, with Nonaka doing everything himself, and the extensive menu – which covers salads, soups, curries, and noodle dishes – leaves you wondering how he pulls it off, especially when it gets busy. But pull it off he does, and with aplomb.

Top tip: The laidback vibe and long rows of tables make it ideal for group dining. à 2-12-15 Shiba Koen, Minato (Shiba-Koen, Daimon stations). 03 3438 2400. taikoku.jp. Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm (last orders 9pm). Closed Sun, hols and most Saturdays.

KYOTO/KOREAN

Aoya

There’s no better place for healthy home-cooking than this restaurant run by Yuki Aoyama, renowned for her carefully sourced, MSG-free food. She specialises in obanzai – Kyoto cuisine that places emphasis on balance, seasonality and sustainability – with a subtle Korean twist. Don’t miss her fantastic Korean-style hot pot, made without the usual sugar but with steamed soy beans for sweetness, and served with wholegrain rice. The setting, a dimly-lit twostorey traditional house, is every bit as nourishing as the food.

Top tip: Dinner time is usually just for members, but Aoyama says she’ll happily welcome anybody carrying a copy of Time Out Tokyo. What are you waiting for? à 1-15-10 Aobadai, Meguro (Nakameguro Station). 03 3464 1615. aoyanakameguro.com. 11.30am-5pm, 6.30pm-11pm (last orders 10pm). Closed Mon.

VIETNAMESE

Ecoda Hem With the authentically tiny plastic stools and national flag t-shirts strung up across the courtyard like bunting, you could almost be in Vietnam. This Ekoda restaurant’s superb bánh mì bolster the illusion; it helps that owner-chef Yumiko Adachi is a renowned expert (and cookbook author) on the baguettes stuffed with meat or fish, pickled vegetables and fresh chilli. Her bánh mì are perfect, with soft, squishy bread and grilled pork marinaded in lemongrass and specked with garlic. Note that the restaurant is also used for events, so some of the menu items may not be available at all times.

Top tip: Look out for craft beers. Ecoda Hem regularly gets in top microbrews from Japan and overseas. à 1-74-9 Asahigaoka, Nerima (Ekoda Station). 03 3953 0021. hem.ecoda.jp.

Mon, Thu, Fri 5pm-10pm, Sat, Sun 12noon-3pm (last orders 2pm), 5pm-10pm (9pm). Closed Tue, Wed.

29

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

100 BEST RESTAURANTS

The 100 best restaurants in Tokyo From hot new names to venerable oldies, these are the best places to eat in Tokyo right now – in no particular order KAISEKI & KAPPO …………………

SEKIHOTEI Seasonal, healthy and holistic kaiseki dining where you can enjoy the city’s ultimate broth soup à Omotesando, Gaienmae stations

OHARA

Meticulous, masterful, Michelinstarred kaiseki cuisine with plenty of the wow factor à Yotsuya-Sanchome Station

SUZUKI

Delicate and colourful meals prepared by an itamae with 13 years of experience in NYC à Shintomicho Station

HARAMASA

A low-key, high-quality Akebonobashi kaiseki experience à Akebonobashi Station

RYUGIN

Michelin 3-star restaurant in Roppongi, endeavoring to serve the best tastes of Japan

TORITON

AJIFUKU ASANO

TOKOSHIMA

à Oshiage Station

à Hiroo Station

à Sangenjaya Station

TEMPURA ……………………………

KONDO

HOT POT ………………………………

CHANKO KUROISO

TORISAWA

à Ginza Station

à Iidabashi, Kagurazaka stations

MOTOYOSHI

GENKAI

à Gaienmae Station

à Shinjuku-Sanchome, Shinjuku-Gyoenmae stations

The freshest Hokkaido fare on a conveyor belt right under the Skytree

Masterful tempura by a chef with 50 years of frying experience

Powerful tendon (tempura over rice) in historical surrounds

à Yotsuya Station

à Akasaka Station

SOBA……………………………………

HONMURA AN

Manhattan’s loss is Roppongi’s gain as soba pioneer Koichi Kobari returns home

IZUMOYA

Amazing old-school eel house amongst the high-rises of the financial district

à Roppongi Station

KANDA MATSUYA

Edo-style joint for the discerning slurper

à Shin-Nihonbashi, Mitsukoshimae stations

NODAYA

à Awajicho, Ogawamachi stations

Exclusive eels from Shizuoka à Iriya Station

MASUDA

TAMAI

à Omotesando Station

à Nihonbashi Station

SUSHI-SHO

ODEN … … ………………………………

KAMATA

Conger eel specialist with a gorgeous traditional space

à Shinbashi Station

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

30

Upscale, counter-only yakitori spot in Kameido à Kameido Station

TORITAMA

Secret haunt for chicken fans in the know à Shirokanedai, Hiroo stations

IZAKAYA ………………………………

SANSHUYA, GINZA Reliably excellent food at surprisingly tiny prices à Ginza-Itchome Station

SHINSUKE

Join the locals and treat yourself to an endless array of small dishes with sake at the bar à Yushima Station

YAMARIKI HONKAN

Old-school joint in old Tokyo – don’t miss out on the nikomi beef stew à Morishita Station

SANGYODO

The buri-daikon – yellowtail and daikon stewed in soy sauce – at this Shibuya seafood oldie is an undisputed classic à Shibuya Station

RAMEN …………………………………

WARITO

à Toranomon Station

à Ikejiri-Ohashi Station

UDON …………………………………

ONIYANMA

JAPANESE SOBA NOODLES TSUTA

Standing-only shrine to noodles – a quick but satisfying meal

The city’s number one ramen joint, and with the Michelin star to prove it

à Gotanda Station

à Sugamo Station

TANIYA

RAMEN KOIKE

à Ningyocho Station

à Kamikitazawa Station

YAKITORI ………………………………

KONJIKI HOTOTOGISU

Authentic Sanuki-style udon hut in Ningyocho

Amazing value comfort food in a low-key setting

Lose count of the ways to eat grilled chicken at this Sangenjaya yakitori joint

OSAKAYA SUNABA HONTEN

In business since 1872, this venerable soba joint also does excellent seasonal tempura

MAKINO

à Iriya, Inaricho stations

à Kyodo Station

Shabu-shabu and sukiyaki hot pot treats, plus plenty of smaller delights

Spectacular and memorable clawto-leg crab dining

à Roppongi, Nogizaka stations

The best standing-only spot for authentic sushi with sake

KOBORI

à Yotsuya-Sanchome Station

Unpretentious family-run fugu specialist with a fine line in crab hotpots

A former Jiro apprentice does things his own way in Aoyama

à Yushima Station

Seafood perfection well worth waiting for at the ultimate prawn palace

Glorious sushi from a supertalented young itamae

MIYAZONO

Sixth-generation sukiyaki restaurant preserving the tradition of this delicacy

SEAFOOD … … …………………………

UBUKA

à Ginza Station

One of the city’s finest sushi temples and a breeding ground of future masters

ECHIKATSU

à Minowa

SUSHI …………………………………

SUSHI AND VEGE JAPANESE CUISINE AOKI

SUSHI-SHO

Old-style feasts at a Shinjuku chicken hot-pot heavyweight

DOTE NO ISEYA

GINZA KITAFUKU

à Ginza Station

Vibrant chanko hot pot place run by a former sumo wrestler

Deeply delicious deep-fried seafood and vegetables in Aoyama

à Roppongi Station

Sushi spot with its own ‘vegetable sommelier’ and camembert rolls on the menu

Superb home-cooking by a former hotel chef in the backstreets of Hiroo

Chewy tsukemen dipped in a rich pork- and seafood-based broth

The rich dried sardine soup makes this ramen-ya stand out

An elegant fellow rising above the

100 BEST RESTAURANTS

à Hatagaya Station

OTHER JAPANESE ……………………

KIJI

YOSHOKU ……………………………

SHUNKOUTEI

à Tokyo Station

city’s ramen corps

DA OLMO

SANSEITEI

à Kamiyacho Station

à Higashi-Shinjuku Station

CONVIVIO

HASHIZUME

Heaven for coriander enthusiasts

Michelin-starred but cosy Italian dining in tranquil Kamiyacho

à Kyodo Station

à Kitasando Station

à Hiroo Station

BURGERS & SANDWICHES ………

AS CLASSICS DINER

FRENCH………………………………

CRAFTALE

KOREAN ………………………………

AOYA

à Komazawa-Daigaku, Toritsu-Daigaku stations

à Nakameguro Station

à Nakameguro Station

HENRY’S BURGER

LES CHANTERELLES

ICHIRYU

à Daikanyama Station

à Yoyogi-Hachiman Station

à Akasaka Station

BROZERS’

LA BLANCHE

THAI ……………………………………

THAI-KOKU SENMON SHOKUDO

à Ningyocho Station

à Shibuya Station

New-wave Japanese curries with innovative ingredients and the most moreish of sauces

KING GEORGE

ALADDIN

à Meguro Station

à Daikanyama Station

à Hiroo Station

ETHIOPIA

PARLOR EKODA

L’EFFERVESCENCE

à Ochanomizu Station

à Ekoda Station

à Omotesando Station

FRENCH CURRY SPOON

STEAK…………………………………

CARNEYA SANOMAN'S PURVEYORS

FLORILÈGE

Hearty cross-cultural comfort food in a relaxed setting à Mejiro Station

TOYOKEN

A former Imperial family favourite, now run by celeb chef Narisawa à Akasaka-Mitsuke Station

RENGA-TEI

The birthplace of tonkatsu cutlets à Ginza Station

SHISEIDO PARLOUR

Ginza icon serving up the finest yoshoku in town à Ginza Station

CURRY …………………………………

LAND

Health-concious curry – adjust the spice levels to your liking

French-style curry by a Frenchman, prepared with fond de veau

Top Osaka okonomiyaki in the heart of Tokyo

PAXI HOUSE TOKYO

Travel back in time to 1950s America and feast on enormous burgers

Memorable French finesse in a tranquil and chic setting

The bread alone is reason enough to visit this bakery and café

Colourful French dishes to entertain your eyes and palate

Hiroyasu Kawate’s stunning contemporary French cuisine

A French celebrity butcher’s Ebisu mecca for meat-lovers

HUGO DESNOYER

Crispy and juicy pork cutlets that pop in your mouth

One-of-a-kind French dishes offered by an experienced chef

Chow down on a beautiful sandwich over cocktails

ROJIURA CURRY SAMURAI

TONKATSU ……………………………

PONCHI KEN

Meticulously crafted and mushroom-heavy French cooking

Choose from 35 varieties at Ningyocho’s iconic burger joint

à Daikanyama and Ebisu stations

à Shimokitazawa Station

Beautiful, wildly imaginative new-wave French food by the river

California-style burgers from a tiny takeout eatery

à Nishi-Ogikubo Station

Hokkaido-born soup curry with ample veg

Delicate Italian dishes based on northern Italian cuisine

à Gaienmae Station

IBAIA

French bistro that uses vegetables harvested on their own farm

Aged Japanese beef cooked to perfection at this new Hiroo steakhouse

à Higashi-Ginza Station

AU COIN DU FEU

à Roppongi, Hiroo stations

Dishes full of seasonal feeling in a homely setting

NAKASEI UCHI

Eatery next to a butcher specialising in aged meat

à Nakameguro Station

Knife-cut noodles in a variety of styles

Chinese joint famed for its kneaded noodles

Wonderfully tranquil and unique eatery tucked away in Meguro

Akasaka Korean renowned for its authentic ox bone soup

Authentic Thai flavours and flair from a one-man cooking machine à Shiba-Koen, Daimon stations

CELADON

Neighbourhood Thai restaurant with over 70 authentic dishes à Hatagaya Station

INDIAN …………………………………

DHABA INDIA

Magnificent south Indian cuisine in a swoonsome environment à Kyobashi Station

OMOINOKI

A former hotel chef from India works his magic with local vegetables à Kagurazaka Station

VIETNAMESE …………………………

ECODA HEM Vietnamese coffees and Tokyo’s best bánh mì à Ekoda Station

à Ogawamachi Station

à Myogadani Station

GENTIL

SPANISH ………………………………

ESTACION

KATSUMAN

ITALIAN ………………………………

GALEONE

à Asakusabashi Station

à Kagurazaka Station

BISTRO DE LA CITÉ

ARDOAK

à Hiroo Station

à Yoyogi-Hachiman Station

CHINESE ………………………………

RENGE

TURKISH ………………………………

BURGAZ ADA

Brilliant pork cutlets and katsudon rice bowls à Awajicho Station

JAPANESE-STYLE MEAT ……………

NAKAHARA

A slice of Italy in Meguro with inch-perfect pizzas, pastas and grilled meats

PIZZERIA E TRATTORIA DA ISA

à Ichigaya Station

à Nakameguro Station

NIKUGATOU

SEIRINKAN

à Ningyocho Station

à Nakameguro Station

OZAKI YUKITAKA

PIZZERIA DA PEPPE NAPOLI STA”CA”

Wagyu and tuna – a match made in heaven à Azabu-Juban Station

SUMIBI MARUICHI

Fresh offal grilled over charcoal à Hatagaya Station

A charming Hiroo homage to 1970s Paris

à Toritsu-Daigaku Station

The daily special offers seven hearty slices of beef – each from a different part of the cow

Rare yakiniku joint specialising in lean wagyu cuts

Asakusabashi brasserie bringing Alsace food to a new audience

Pizza crafted by a chef with a Neapolitan award under his belt

There’s only one option on the menu at this Shanghai-style spot – a full course prepared by the head chef

Pizza perfection with only two toppings to chose from

à Ginza Station

RAIKA SEIRANKYO

Comtemporary upmarket Chinese restaurant famed for its shark fin soup

Cheerful pizzeria run by a chef from Naples

à Gaienmae Station

Homely Spanish eatery in Kagurazaka’s backstreets

Tiny modern Spanish restaurant with eight counter seats

The authentic taste of Ottoman cuisine à Azabu-Juban Station

PERUVIAN ……………………………

BEPOCAH Traditional Peruvian cuisine presented with contemporary flair à Harajuku Station

NOYASHICHI

Italian cuisine, izakaya vibes and an ‘80s rock soundtrack

Chinese dishes with a Japanese twist – the rice is cooked in a separate pan for each customer

VEGETARIAN …………………………

8ABLISH

à Daikanyama Station

à Yotsuya-Sanchome Station

à Omotesando Station

à Kamiyacho Station

FALÒ

31

Vegan restaurant in posh Aoyama, distinctively more trendy than earthy October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Love Tokyo Awards 2016 The Love Tokyo Awards 2016 see local experts from across the global Time Out network descend on Tokyo and join Time Out Tokyo’s own ace team in picking out the very best of the capital. Tokyoites, get ready to show the world what this city is really made of…

RESTAURANT・BAR・CAFÉ・SHOP・ACTIVITY PRODUCT・FACE OF TOKYO Selection details An expert panel will choose the winners from a list of nominees in each category.

Winners will be announced this winter.

Nominees and winners will also be listed on a special Awards site.

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THE PERFECT TOKYO SHOPPING EXPERIENCE A great shopping experience is about more than just finding what you need: it’s a combination of entertainment, new discoveries and satisfaction. Commerce in Japan has been a refined activity for centuries, and that time-honoured spirit remains alive even today.

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ISETAN SHINJUKU DISCOVER TOKYO’S LATEST TRENDS SUAVE SUITS AND LUXURY LEISURE

Making your way through the floors of this iconic department store requires plenty of self-control: you’ll be coming face to face with amazing products at every turn. Founded in 1886, Isetan Shinjuku has always been at the forefront of both fashion and innovation, and continues to count on the loyal support of a young client base sensitive to the latest styles and trends. Your first stop here should be Isetan Men’s, a separate building next to the main one. The second floor here is known as the International Creator’s zone and is home to the freshest boutiques and designer wear from around the world, so you’re sure to find something new and unexpected. And on the eighth floor you’ll find Isetan Men’s Residence, a hip space that goes beyond shopping for luxury gear by inviting you to have fun while picking out just the right item. The selection includes watches, cameras, audio equipment, fountain pens, fragrances and much more, as well as a men’s spa and a florist.

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The main Isetan building also offers a rich array of items and ideas. The Beauty Apothecary on the second basement floor goes beyond brand and category distinctions to present an exquisite selection of cosmetics and food. Meanwhile, Tokyo Kaihoku on the second floor is a conceptual space with a regularly rotating selection of items. It shines the spotlight on the latest brands and up-and-coming creatives to bring to life novel

collaborations that reflect contemporary Tokyo. But far and away the trickiest place to come out of without reaching for your wallet is the Foods Floor on the first basement level.

Easy to navigate and manned by an army of expert staff, it’s a real treasure chest of unique sweets and deli fare. Keeping your hands in check will be harder than it sounds. à Isetan Shinjuku. 3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku. 03 3352 1111. www.isetan.co.jp/int.

In association with Isetan Mitsukoshi Group

NIHOMBASHI MITSUKOSHI MAIN STORE WATCH TRADITION COME TO LIFE THE GOLDEN OLDIE

The flagship location of Japan’s most historic department store, Nihombashi Mitsukoshi occupies a building that’s been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Noteworthy details include the lion statues at the entrance and the pipe organ on the second floor balcony, but you’ll also find plenty of other architectural highlights throughout the luxurious space. On the sixth floor is the Mitsukoshi Theatre, which retains the gorgeous style of entertainment furnishings from the early Showa period (mid-1920s). As a place that fuses the traditions and present of Japanese culture, Mitsukoshi has a loyal crowd of regulars, many of whom have patronised the store for decades, but it is now also being discovered by young locals and international travellers interested in Japanese culture.

CUTTING-EDGE CRAFTS

One of the reasons for this newfound interest is the fifth-floor section featuring handicrafts from Tokyo. This space invites artisans to exhibit their works, many of which offer a contemporary twist on traditional Tokyo crafts. All items here are worth a closer look – our favourites include the traditional Matsuzaki dolls Omame-san (small dolls) and Maneki-neko (‘lucky cats’) by Kakinuma Ningyo, both fun options for decorating your home and wildly popular among people of all ages. à Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store. 1-4-1 Nihonbashi-Muromachi, Chuo. 03 3241 3311. www.mitsukoshi.co.jp/int.

GINZA MITSUKOSHI SHOP WITH ALL FIVE SENSES HOSPITALITY HIGHLIGHTS

Ginza is Tokyo’s most famous shopping district, and it’s here that you’ll find Ginza Mitsukoshi, a true area landmark. Refined shoppers have been frequenting this store for generations, always coming back for the world-class service and hospitality. It all starts with the small things: take the handkerchief corner on the ground floor, where spending a mere ¥32 (incl. tax) on a gift box with your purchase will get you a jaw-droppingly skilful performance of packing that results in an attractive wrapping that’s sure to delight the recipient. And at the scarf counter, you can ask the staff to show you the elegant tying technique known as the ‘Ginza Knot’.

Lined with luxurious products from both Japan and overseas, the cosmetics zone also features an information desk where expert advisors will help pick out the perfect item just for you.

FOOD BECOMES ART

Another unmissable part of Ginza Mitsukoshi is the food section, which is spread out across the second and third basement floors. This heaven on earth for gourmands stocks fresh fish, meat, fruit, sweets of both the Western and Japanese varieties, artistic deli fare and much more. Make sure not to miss out on the beautiful and delicious bento boxes: Masumoto’s ‘Fukumasu’ box contains miniature versions of several classic Japanese dishes, while Jiraiya’s ‘Tokugawa’ wows with onigiri rice balls stuffed with shrimp tempura. Take one of these gorgeous treats to a kabuki play or head up to the rooftop Ginza Terrace for a bento picnic. à Ginza Mitsukoshi. 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo. 03 3562 1111. www.mitsukoshi.co.jp/g/int.

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Shibuya

– the city’s best entertainment hub Make no mistake: first-time visitors may find Shibuya more than a little chaotic.

This stunningly vibrant neighbourhood is like a condensed version of the massive city around it, with every Tokyo delight imaginable squeezed into a single area.

Within a 500-metre radius, you get everything from traditional Japanese culture to the latest films, music and art, not to mention countless restaurants, bars and shops. Start your journey through the chaos of Shibuya at these unmissable spots.

1 Theatre

3 Sightseeing

4 Shopping

Step away from Shibuya’s neon jungle and appreciate Japan’s traditional performing arts here. The programme centres on Noh and Kyogen theatre, but also includes traditional music and rakugo (comic storytelling).

Entrance is free on days with no performances, so it’s worth visiting even if you aren’t an expert on the topic.

This iconic meeting spot in front of Shibuya Station has been beloved by locals and tourists alike for decades. With the station undergoing extensive redevelopment, Hachiko may also soon have to move from his familiar perch. See the loyal pooch while you still can, and consider picking up a 3D Hachiko postcard – the ideal souvenir – at the Taiseido bookstore or Tokyu department stores in Shibuya.

Shelves upon shelves of wares from all over Japan, both edible and not, greet you at this shop that’s somehow managed to pack the entirety of the country into one store. Every Japanese region is represented, allowing visitors with no time to explore the areas beyond Tokyo to get a taste of what they’re missing out on.

CERULEAN TOWER NOH THEATRE

àwww.ceruleantower-noh.com

2 Bar

BELLOVISTO

Those looking for an evening of classy entertainment can raise a glass to Tokyo’s gorgeous skyline at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel’s top-floor bar. The live piano music adds to the stylish atmosphere. àwww.ceruleantower-hotel.com/restaurant/ bellovisto

HACHIKO STATUE

in a distinctive and futuristic spherical shape and hosts mainly musicals. The short distance between the seats and the stage makes for a particularly dramatic theatre experience. Entrance is from the 11th floor. àtheatre-orb.com

D47 DESIGN TRAVEL STORE

àwww.hikarie8.com/d47designtravelstore

5 Theatre

TOKYU THEATRE ORB

Found inside the Shibuya Hikarie building, this theatre is built

In 2019

THE OBSERVATION DECK The area around Shibuya Station is slated to be under various degrees of construction until 2027. Perhaps the most significant change on the horizon is the erection of a 47-storey skyscraper. It’s set to feature an openair observation deck 230m above ground, allowing visitors to gaze out over the scramble crossing, Tokyo Tower and even the Skytree.

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SHIBUYA 109

A landmark hangout for fashionconscious high school girls and women in their early twenties, 109 is Shibuya’s most recognisable structure and has been towering over the area since 1979. It merits a visit even if you’re not into shopping for the latest ironic T-shirts, platform shoes and eyepopping accessories. àwww.shibuya109.jp

7 Restaurant

MIDORI SUSHI

This wildly popular sushi restaurant always sees lengthy queues snaking towards its entrance inside the Shibuya Mark City complex, but the superb location is only part of its charm.

Midori Sushi serves up high-quality fare at very reasonable prices, and menus in English are available.

with their own eyes. A whopping 500,000 people cross this intersection every single day – join them and marvel at how the throngs of people manage to drift across the intersection without (almost) ever bumping into each other.

10 Restaurant SHUNSAI

Excellent Japanese cuisine meets gorgeous views at Shunsai, a restaurant inside the Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu. Make sure you get a window seat and gaze out over the famed scramble crossing from 100m above ground. àwww.shibuya-e.tokyuhotels.co.jp/ja/ restaurant/shunsai

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hub – we recommend starting here and then making your way to the many smaller shops. àtowershibuya.jp

12 Shopping TOKYU HANDS

From daily essentials and quirky decorative items to bicycles, cosmetics, stationery and useful knickknacks for pet owners, the chaos of Tokyu Hands is like a retail symbol of Shibuya’s cultural jumble. After scouring it from top to bottom, take a break at the adjoining café.

In autumn 2018 SHIBUYA RIVER

Another noteworthy change is the upcoming restoration of the Shibuya River, set to flow free once again in autumn 2018. Aiming to create a new urban oasis, public and private actors are also coming together to build a 600m promenade along the river in the direction of Daikanyama.

àwww.tokyu-hands.co.jp

àwww.sushinomidori.co.jp

11 Shopping

TOWER RECORDS SHIBUYA

8 Bar

BAR GINZA PANORAMA SHIBUYA

An essential experience for train geeks, Panorama Bar is dominated by a model railway diorama that covers almost seven square metres and features a wide range of miniature trains speeding about – some very enthusiastic patrons even bring their own rolling stock for a test drive. Make sure to try one of the bar’s original cocktails, themed on the train lines serving Shibuya Station. àpanoramashibuya.com

9 Sightseeing

SCRAMBLE CROSSING

Everyone should see Shibuya’s world-famous scramble crossing

Tower Records is alive and well in Japan, and this humongous flagship store is packed to the brim with a seemingly endless selection of CDs, vinyl and much more. Each floor focuses on a different genre, and you can try before you buy at the ‘listening corners’ set up around the store.

Shibuya is known as a record store

13 Film UPLINK

In addition to multiplexes like Toho Cinemas, Shibuya has quite a few arthouse cinemas in the area around the Tokyu department store. Uplink, located in the trendy back streets of the area, ranks among the best and most popular. It screens interesting indie and underground hits alongside short films. àwww.uplink.co.jp

14 Art

NANZUKA

A standout among Shibuya’s many art galleries, Nanzuka highlights fresh and challenging contemporary art. Located near Shibuya Hikarie, it often features exhibitions of Japanese artists making it big overseas. ànug.jp

15 Music WWW X

Freshly opened in September as the second branch of WWW, one of Shibuya best gig spots, WWW X upholds the legacy of its parent venue with bookings that reflect the latest trends in Tokyo’s incredibly vibrant music scene.

Look out for this one to raise its profile further in the months to come. àwww-shibuya.jp

Eating & Drinking

To fall for Savour the sweet tastes of autumn with these delicious seasonal pastries.

By Mari Hiratsuka and Shiori Kotaki

THE RETURN OF CRISP DAYS and colder evenings mean

that autumn is well and truly here, but that’s no excuse to hibernate. The end of summer also means harvest time, and Tokyo’s cafés are full of sweet treats made with fruit fresh from the farm. From mouth-watering parfaits lavished with the pearls of fall to a Japanese take on the Mont Blanc cake, there are incredible experiences out there. Be quick though, the season doesn’t last for long.

FRUIT PARLOR GOTO This Asakusa fruit dealer has been in business since 1946 but increased its business exponentially a decade ago – which is when the Goto building was renovated and turned into a fruit-focused café specialising in decadent parfaits. Its minimalistic concrete walls and shiny wooden tables bear no mention of the shop’s illustrious history, but the menu is appropriately nostalgia-packed. This autumn’s seasonal special is the white fig parfait, made with local Tokyo produce. Called ‘banane’ in Japanese, this seductively sweet fruit combines nicely with the homemade ice cream and ample amounts of whipped cream. Another noteworthy option is the day’s special, which brings together all of the season’s most wanted fruit flavours. à 2-15-4 Asakusa, Taito (Asakusa Station). 03 3844 6988. tinyurl.com/TOTgoto. 11am-7pm, closed Wed (may also close irregularly).

A.K. LABO Autumn just isn’t long enough to eat your way through the lineup of seasonal tarts, pies and other delicious goodies that await at A.K. Labo.

If you only have time for one, best make it the grape tart. The fresh fruit cuts through the alluring custard below and indulgent whipped cream above to create a perfectly balanced treat. The shop is located a bus ride from Kichijoji Station – take the Kanto bus to Seikei Gakuen-mae. If you walk back, then you can have two right? à 3-28-11 Nakacho, Musashino (Kichijoji Station). 0422 38 9727. 10am-7pm, closed Wed, 1st & 3rd Thu of the month.

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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TSUKI NO HANARE There’s no finer place to spend a long autumn evening than Tsuki no Hanare in Ginza. The Gekkoso art store is approaching its 100th anniversary and celebrated by opening this relaxing café-comebar on its rooftop earlier this year. Climb the stairs up to the fifth floor and through the doors into a completely different world. Surrounded by garden trees, you can enjoy the crescent moon-shaped lemon cake as you view the real thing above. Made entirely with organic ingredients, the cake is served with honey, fresh cream and a fruit sauce that changes with the seasons. With free jazz concerts nightly, there’s even more to savour. à Gekkoso Bldg 5F, 8-7-18 Ginza, Chuo (Shinbashi Station). 03 6228 5189. tinyurl.com/TOTtsuki. Mon-Fri 12.30pm-11.45pm, Sat 12.30pm-11.30pm, closed Sun and hols.

MONT-BLANC

PHOTOS: FRUIT PARLOR GOTO, MONT-BLANC: KISA TOYOSHIMA. TSUKI NO HANARE: KEISUKE TANIGAWA. A.K. LABO: YUKI NAKAMURA

Famed for – and named after – its glorious Mont Blanc, this Jiyugaoka classic is one of Japan’s most loved cake purveyors. A traditional Mont Blanc is a ball of meringue covered in whipped cream and sweet chestnut, but the shop’s first owner, Chimao Sakota, put a Japanese twist on it using a cream infused with candied Japanese chestnuts, thus producing a golden ‘mountain’ and a taste sensation. The recipe has remained unchanged throughout the years and while there are plenty of other delectable treats on offer, trying any of them before tasting the main attraction would be blasphemy. à 1-29-3 Jiyugaoka, Meguro (Jiyugaoka Station). 03 3723 1181. Daily 10am-7pm.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

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David Stanley Hewett Artist and fashion designer Age: 49

LOCAL INSIGHT

Over several thousand years, the Japanese people have developed a unique aesthetic, which has attracted people from across the globe. In this series, we introduce you to creatives active in Tokyo, and ask them how their professional and private lives have been affected by the spirits and sensibilities of Japan.

You have worked with ceramics, traditional painting and folding screens. What inspired you to study and practice the traditional Japanese arts?

I began studying ceramics in the US at 14 and was drawn to Japanese ceramics through an encounter with Takatori pottery in a US gallery. I originally came to Japan to study with a Japanese ceramics teacher and never looked back. I became enthralled with Japanese craftspeople’s attention to detail and discipline, and found that this high level of workmanship can be found across many artistic disciplines.

More than any one craft or art style, I think I am attracted to the aesthetic and sense of pride that Japanese artisans bring to their work.

What do you find most interesting about Japanese aesthetics?

Does your work adhere strictly to the traditional style, or do you incorporate external themes as well?

I am attracted to the minimalist nature of many Japanese traditional crafts and art schools.

There are no unnecessary movements or steps in the processes, and I find that efficiency and refinement inspiring. So much can be expressed in a single brush stroke or impression on the side of a tea bowl. In my own work, I combine both traditional materials and techniques with abstract techniques and themes that draw on my own experiences in art, martial arts and military experience with the US Marines.

I am especially drawn to the code of Bushido and stories of samurai throughout history.

What is it like working as an artist in Japan? Was it very hard to get recognised?

Japan is a great place to create art and a tough place to make a living as an artist. I have been lucky enough to have been asked over the years to paint large commissions for many of the major hotels in Tokyo.

I am constantly exhibiting at the Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya and Daimaru galleries and that helps keep my art in front of collectors and designers. Once

you are a trusted name and are known by the community, it is much easier. However, it takes more time in Japan to build relationships and trust.

What is your impression of Casio’s latest MT-G model?

It’s big and heavy; I like it a lot.

Because of my experience in the Marines, subliminally I am likely to choose something that reflects toughness and solidity.

In that sense, this MT-G fits me perfectly. As for the design, I can see the sensitivity, sense of perfection and patience of the manufacturers in this watch.

Japanese craftsmanship places value not only on the completed products but also on processes, which I admire and have focused on in my art.

when I return from a trip overseas to Japan is eat sushi.

When you travel around the world on business, what do you miss the most about Japan?

After living in Japan for 25 years, I am very aware of the great service and attention to detail that we experience living in Japan. I also miss Japanese food very much when overseas. The first thing I do

Finally, what are your future goals?

My new clothing line will be launched in early 2017. It will be designed by me and all made in Japan by amazing craftspeople.

I am starting with T-shirts, polo shirts, button-down shirts and men’s jewellery, and will expand from there.

A ROUGH SURFACE

Who said all watches should be smooth and bright? The latest MT-G oozes toughness; it’s designed to look like a small celestial body, a comet travelling through space.

The bezel and case band have a rough texture that resembles that of an extraterrestrial rock.

Refined toughness Among the finest watches in Casio’s iconic G-Shock line, the new MT-G has been equipped with a bold new design while retaining its signature toughness

GPS HYBRID RADIO WAVE SOLAR

This hybrid time reception function pulls in GPS satellite radio waves from any location on Earth and standard time radio waves from any of the six transmission stations that exist worldwide. It’s the world’s first twin hybrid system that makes optimal use of these two advanced reception systems, and acquires accurate time data for your current location anywhere in the world.

MANUFACTURED AND assembled at Casio’s own factory in Yamagata prefecture, the MT-G is a symbol of delicate Japanese craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology, and represents the infinite dimensions of space.

MTG-G1000RS-1A: Resembles a burning meteorite in black and red (¥200,000 plus tax)

MTG-G1000RS-2A: Resembles a comet travelling in the sky in vibrant blue (¥200,000 plus tax)

CORE GUARD STRUCTURE

A structured metal frame with firm parts protects the inner case. A fine resin shock absorber is inserted between the bezel and the case, and Alpha Gel around the module alleviates the impact of any shock.

For more information on Casio’s latest timepieces and where to purchase yours, visit casio-intl.com

Shopping & Style

Welcome to the iHome

BLINCAM, THE WEARABLE CAMERA Everyone wants to capture life’s most precious memories on camera, but the moment can be lost before you get your smartphone out of your pocket. Enter Blincam, a glasses-mounted camera which takes shots with the literal blink of the eye. Inventor Shota Takase came up with the idea when he wanted to take natural, candid photos of his children – and made it happen via a successful Kickstarter campaign. Blincam hooks up to your phone via bluetooth, so you’ll never miss an unplanned photo opportunity again.

Connect your fridge to the web as Jun Takayanagi explores the latest smart gadgets set to hit the Japanese market IOT (THE INTERNET OF THINGS) technology promises a completely

new playing field in which almost anything can be connected to the web and set to transmit and receive data. The trend has now hit the home, with consumer electronics that may well be smarter than we are.

Here are the most interesting IoT contraptions and smart gadgets set to change your life.

à¥21,384. www.blincam.co.

FAMILY HUB, THE FUTURISTIC FRIDGE No longer do you need to stand in a supermarket wondering how many mushrooms are left in the fridge, or get up for breakfast only to find that you are out of milk. Samsung’s Family Hub is here and thanks to in-fridge cameras and selfscanning technology you can check up on stocks on the go or even let your chiller automatically order replacements when supplies run low. There’s also a 21.5-inch, 1080p monitor that can show recipes, play your favourite cooking programme or pipe in music while you do the washing up. Set to go on sale in America first, the Family Hub’s Japan release date hasn’t been confirmed yet but when it does the future will have well and truly arrived.

PLANTY, THE SMART POT Just about everyone is responsible for the death of at least one house plant because they either weren’t home to take care of it or simply didn’t know how. But what if you had something that told you when the soil is too dry, when the plant is too cold or too hot, and if your green baby is getting enough natural light? With Planty, you can say goodbye to botanical blunders. By hooking the Planty pot up to its smartphone app, you can confirm conditions at any time and even water the plant when you’re not at home. You can also share information with friends and family over the app, making for a communal growing experience, while it gives you constant pointers about how to take care of your plant. The future, it turns out, is bright green.

àPrice TBC. Manufactured by Samsung (news.samsung. com/global/samsung-reinvents-the-refrigerator).

à ¥21,384. Available at Hands-Aid (www.hands-aid.jp).

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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MORNIN’,THE ALARM CLOCK CURTAIN When we are having trouble waking up in the morning or feel tired during the day, a common culprit is ‘sleep inertia’, caused by forcing ourselves suddenly out of deep sleep. Mornin’ aims to combat this through sunlight. Installed onto any curtain rail, the device works by opening and closing curtains at times set via the integrated smartphone app. Rather than shocking yourself awake with sound, you’ll instead be gently nudged into consciousness by sunlight. Which sounds like a far more pleasant way to start the day. à¥3,985. Manufactured by Robit (robit.co.jp).

ALCHEMA,THE INTERACTIVE CIDER BARREL In America, Alchema has won praise for democratising cider-making. Creating the perfect apple- or grape-based booze was once only possible with the knowledge and technique of a craftsman, but Alchema uses technology to automate the complex process. Just pick up an Alchema barrel, fill with water, ingredients and yeast, and then monitor and adjust the mixture with the settings in the app. The sensors in the barrel take all of the vital data from the liquid inside, and users are notified of their progress through the app. It’s not clear if Japan’s strict home brewing laws will allow Alchema to turn Tokyo into a city of cider-makers, but plans are already in place to adapt the technology to make miso and other fermented foods. So be it musty bubbly or mung bean paste, home fermenting is here to stay. à¥42,120 (release date TBC). Manufactured by Alchema (alchema.com).

SOUND TABLE, THE MUSICAL DESK Designed to declutter Tokyo’s cramped apartments, Sound Table packs the power of a state of the art sound system into a stylish table. You can use the integrated smartphone app to set the table to play your favourite music at a predetermined time, or take advantage of the location info function to have it play the perfect song for the weather outside. à¥84,800 (plus tax). Manufactured by Kamarq (kamarq.jp).

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Shopping & Style

In with the new

Karimoku 60 Turning out exquisite handmade furniture since 1940, Karimoku 60 is an institution.

The company’s creations are all made from domestic wood and designed to suit Japan’s smaller homes. Their iconic K Chair’s (from around ¥35,500) design has stayed the same since 1963 and remains the company’s flagship product. If you live in Tokyo, the Shinjuku store is the perfect place to find your crib’s new centrepiece.

Make like the leaves this autumn and change, with our guide to the best shops for making over your life. By Kunihiro Miki and Satomi Saruwatari

àShinyon Curumu Bldg 1F, 4-2-23 Shinjuku, Shinjuku (Shinjuku Station). 03 5919 2890. www.karimoku60.jp. Daily 11am-8pm.

Tokyo Bike Time to ditch that old boneshaker and get yourself a bike made for the city. Since starting life in 2002, Tokyo Bike has become an international sensation: the brand’s simple, stylish two-wheelers (from ¥60,000) are designed to tackle Tokyo’s hilly terrain and countless traffic lights, emphasising comfort and stability over speed. The company operate stores in trendy neighbourhoods like Koenji and Nakameguro, but Tokyo Bike HQ is a majestically converted former liquor store in Yanaka. Here, you can rent one of their bestsellers and pedal your way around the picturesque neighbourhood. à4-2-39 Yanaka, Taito (Sendagi Station). 03 5809 0980. tokyobike.com. 11am-7pm (Sat, Sun & hols 11am-6pm), closed Wed, Thu. Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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Shopping & Style

Kama-Asa Shoten No matter whether you’re simply looking to gear up your kitchen or have designs to open your own restaurant, you’ll find everything you need in Kappabashi, Tokyo’s ‘kitchen town’. Even among the hundreds of stores dealing in pots, pans, store signs and, erm, plastic food, KamaAsa stands out. The walls of the knife floor are decorated with kitchen knives displayed like samurai swords and any one of them will be among the very best blades you’ll ever handle. Choose from around 80 types and have your pick inscribed with the text or sign of your choice – at no extra cost. When your knife goes dull, bring it back to the shop and, for a small fee, they’ll return it to cutting-edge glory. à2-24-1 Matsugaya, Taito (Asakusa, Tawaramachi stations). 03 3841 9357. kama-asa.co.jp. Daily 10am-5.30pm.

Pass the Baton Need a new look? Tokyo’s coolest thrift shop stocks the most random knickknacks in a city full of random knickknacks. Taking the recycling ethos further than your average vintage store, Pass the Baton pledges to sell only items that ‘reflect the personality of their former owner’. Most of the products have custom notes attached telling their ‘stories’ and imparting fun memories shared by the previous owner. The selection exudes a sense of careful curation, and a part of the shop’s profit is donated to charity. àOmotesando Hills West Bldg B2F, 4-12-10 Jingumae, Shibuya (Omotesando, Meiji-Jingumae stations). 03 6447 0707. pass-thebaton.com. Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun & hols 11am-8pm.

àYaesu Chikagai, 2-1 Yaesu, Chuo (Tokyo Station). 03 3271 3317. liquors-hasegawa.com. Daily 10am-8pm.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

PHOTOS: TOKYO BIKE, LIQUORS HASEGAWA: YUKI NAKAMURA

Liquors Hasegawa Looking to toast the new you? You’ll need something a bit better than your regular tipple. Located in underground shopping mall Yaesu Chikagai, right by Tokyo Station, Hasegawa carries a truly extraordinary selection of sake, shochu, craft beer, whisky and other types of hard liquor. With exotic bottles of single malt decorating its shelves, the shop feels almost like a museum to booze – and even better, it’s interactive. If you’re thinking of splurging on a vintage bottle, the staff may let you try before you buy: a ‘tasting cup’ can be had for ¥100-¥700.

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Tradition and innovation coexist in Seiko Presage watches

LOCAL INSIGHT

A TECHNOLOGICAL FRONTRUNNER SINCE 1913, when it became the first local company to manufacture a watch in Japan, Seiko is now a globally renowned brand with over 100 years of history. Throughout the past century, Seiko has dedicated itself to upholding tradition and a spirit of craftsmanship. Follow the chart below and learn how Seiko’s mechanical watches combine the old and the new.

TRADITION

Throughout history, Japanese innovators have come up with and perfected many technical skills and technologies. These include Urushi lacquer, found in products ranging from luxury items to daily essentials.

Fully displaying the beauty of black lacquer, Urushi is more than just glossy surfaces: it’s supremely durable, as evidenced by the lacquered artwork found at many of Japan’s old temples.

This combination of beauty and durability also applies to another material: enamel, valued around the world for its toughness and used in Japan especially for jewellery.

Its smooth surface and lustre speak directly to the aesthetic sense of the Japanese.

Both Urushi lacquer and enamel require time, money and technical expertise to realise, but are exceptional materials that help special items last and stay beautiful longer.

PROGRESS

Just holding on to traditions passed down over a century will not bring results in the present.

Mechanical watches used to be considered imprecise, but Seiko has taken that historically significant but imperfect device and sought to improve its technology.

The Trimatic mark, which combines three of Seiko’s original technologies – Diashock, Magic Lever and Spron – is a symbol of this progress. Trimatic technology and the Trimatic logo are guarantees of the excellent quality of Seiko’s mid-range watches.

DIASHOCK

A shock-resistant structure developed by Seiko to improve the durability of its watches, Diashock maintains the stability of a watch’s vital, most delicate parts.

MAGIC LEVER

Seiko’s Magic Lever is a specially constructed mechanism that dramatically increases the winding efficiency, powering the mainspring without letting any energy go to waste.

SPRON

No matter how efficient the winding process is, it won’t work well if the mainspring is weak. Spron, an alloy developed by Seiko to ‘never break, never rust and never tire’, is used in both the mainspring and hair spring, making sure your watch never grows old.

RESULT

ENDURANCE

If you’re looking to see a 100-year-old watch, visit the Seiko Museum.

The enamel dial of this timepiece, a pioneering Seiko creation and Japan’s first mechanical watch, remains beautiful to this day.

Building on the legacy of this precision instrument, the height of engineering at the time, requires protecting its history.

Seiko’s traditional mechanical watches owe their long lives and beautiful lustre to lacquer and enamel craftsmen, who in turn draw on a history far longer than that of handheld timepieces. And the addition of Trimatic technology ensures that the shine of these orthodox watches never fades.

Innovation truly requires tradition; one may even say that tradition presages innovation. Seiko’s Presage series of watches embodies this philosophy, with the SARX029 featuring a stunning black colour produced by an Urushi lacquer master, and the SARW011 shimmering in a pure white tone that can only be created by a true virtuoso of enamel. Make one of these watches your own and experience the harmony of Japanese tradition and cutting-edge technology.

Seiko Presage Enamel Dial Model / Automatic with manualwinding mechanism SARW011, ¥100,000 (plus tax) Stainless steel case / Curved sapphire crystal glass / Crocodile band / Case size 40.5mm

Seiko Presage Urushi Lacquer Dial Model / Automatic with manualwinding mechanism SARX029, ¥110,000 (plus tax) Stainless steel case / Curved sapphire crystal glass / Crocodile band / Case size 40.5mm

Art & Culture The prince Kazutaro Nakamura is leading Japan’s traditional performing arts into an exciting new age. Ayako Takahashi meets the rising star LITERALLY TRANSCENDING

gender roles, Kazutaro Nakamura might be best known for his onnagata (female) characters, but the 26-year-old kabuki actor is also capable of taking on tachiyaku (male) roles. Captivating audiences with his dignified bearing and dashing looks, Kazutaro is a real thoroughbred of traditional Japanese performing arts: his grandfather is ‘Living National Treasure’ Sakata Tojuro IV, while his parents are kabuki great Nakamura Ganjiro IV and Azuma Tokuho II, head of the Azuma school of traditional dance.

The multi-talented Kazutaro has taken his trade beyond the kabuki stage as well, recently appearing in the contemporary play ‘Sandaime Richard’. This 2016 production was helmed by acclaimed Singaporean director Ong Keng Sen. ‘Performing the classics is the foundation of kabuki,’ says Kazutaro, ‘but in the past few years I’ve had more opportunities to appear in modern works as well. Unlike in typical kabuki performed only by men, I’ve been able to work together with female dancers and actors from modern theatre, and taken on things like Western dance, flamenco and

PHOTO: KEISUKE TANIGAWA

of kabuki

a couple in love. A grandfather and his grandchild playing a man and woman in love without seeming off is something you’d only see in kabuki. It lets me experience the joy of sharing the stage with a respected veteran actor, as well as the joy of acting with my grandfather.’

His grandfather has been influential in advancing Kamigata kabuki, the style that originally flourished in Osaka and Kyoto during the Edo era. The borders may have been blurred between it and Edo kabuki, which developed in Edo-Tokyo, but Kazutaro’s family retains its reputation as a central player in the history of Kamigata kabuki.

‘When you think of kabuki, it’s often a hero making his appearance and striking a pose, or a beautiful onnagata in a gorgeous costume. But there’s more to it than that: in Kamigata kabuki, the stories are often closely linked to the everyday lives of common people,’ he explains. ‘It could be a lovers’ suicide pact in the neighbourhood or the murder of a merchant’s spoiled son. Themes like these feel relevant even for modern audiences. Of all the kabuki actors today, less than 20 percent are Kamigata actors, so I

songs. This is opening up new paths for me.’

‘Sandaime Richard’, for example, was an international production with cast and staff coming together from Japan, Singapore and Indonesia to create a mixture of three languages, modern music, lighting and video.

‘Ong Keng Sen takes traditional Asian performing arts and puts them in a modern perspective,’ says Kazutaro. ‘Rather than simply following tradition, I got the impression he gathers many elements together and enjoys the collisions and fusion that result from this.’

Kazutaro’s grandfather Tojuro is now 84, but his performances continue to enthral audiences with their vitality. ‘Being able to take the stage with my grandfather makes me truly happy,’ says Kazutaro. ‘This January, we played

‘A grandfather and his grandson playing a man and woman in love is something you’d only see in kabuki’ 47

hope to take good care of that piece of culture.’

Starting last year, he has been working to widen the appeal of kabuki as the host of Kabuki Kool, an NHK World programme aimed at introducing kabuki to an international audience.

‘I get messages from a surprising number of places around the world,’ says Kazutaro. ‘Someone even sent a photo saying, “I tried doing kabuki make-up myself.” I’d be happy if people took an interest in kabuki and actually came to see a performance. As a first step, I’d like as many people as possible to learn what it is.’

At the same time, Kazutaro wants to continue taking on new challenges. ‘Within kabuki, of course I want to do my best with classical performances,’ he says, ‘but I also have thoughts like, “Could we create a new kabuki performance based on this animation?” I would like to always be on the lookout for new ideas, and keep thinking about the future.’

à See Kazutaro Nakamura in ‘Sandaime Richard’, performed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre from Nov 26-Dec 4. geigeki.jp/ performance/theater117.

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Art & Culture

ESSENTIAL EXHIBITIONS

New shows to see

MIYATA KOHEI, TEMPLE OF AVALOKITESVARA WITH THOUSANDS HANDS(1970, THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, KYOTO)

© COD.ACT PHOTO: XAVIER VOIROL

Follow in the footsteps of contemporary art giants, check out Edo-era comics and appreciate nakedness for art’s sake at autumn’s best art events

HITO WO BAKA NI SHITA HITO DA / UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI/C.1844-1847

Celebrating two decades of putting animation and manga on the same level as ‘serious’ artwork, this year’s Japan Media Arts Festival promises to be very special indeed. The anniversary exhibition features memorable entries from the past 20 years and a pop-up library stocked with the full series of all the past winners in the manga category. à3331 Arts Chiyoda, Oct 15-Nov 6. 6-11-14 Sotokanda, Chiyoda. 03 6803 2441. tinyurl.com/ TOTmediaarts. 11am-7pm.

‘MANGA JOURNEY: TRACES FROM EDO’

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

àSaitama Art Station and other venues, until Dec 11. tinyurl.com/TOTsaitrie. Hours vary by programme and venue.

àCrafts Gallery (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo), until Dec 4. 1-1 Kitanomaru Koen, Chiyoda. 03 5777 8600. tinyurl.com/TOTcraftarts.

10am-5pm, closed Mon (except Oct 10) and Oct 11.

between Edo humour and the comic appetites of modern Japan.

CHOI JEONG HWA 'BREATHING FLOWER' 2011

Travelling through 230 years of Japanese comics, this exhibition starts with the popular art of the Edo era and traces the development of ‘people’s drawings’ all the way up to the early Showa period (circa 1940).

Stars of the show promise to be the comic work by ukiyo-e greats like Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Nihonga (traditional Japanese painting) titan Kyosai Kawanabe.

Highlighting manga’s origins as entertainment for the masses, the exhibition also draws parallels

course from pioneers Kenkichi Tomimoto and Gonroku Matsuda to the avant-garde artisans of today, Craft Arts allows you to compare the new materials and techniques of the 21st century with those of past masters.

àHibiya Library & Museum, until Nov 16. 1-4 Hibiya Koen, Chiyoda. tinyurl.com/TOTedomanga. Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun & hols 10am-5pm, closed Oct 17.

‘CRAFT ARTS: INNOVATION OF TRADITION AND AVANT-GARDE’

‘SAITAMA TRIENNALE 2016’

Recapping the history of postwar crafts through the work of 83 artists, this eye-opening exhibition is a must for the ceramically minded. Charting a

Looking to emerge as an artistic destination in its own right, the city of Saitama – which is less than an hour’s train ride from

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central Tokyo – is launching its first international art festival this year. The Saitama Triennale 2016 focuses on the theme ‘Envisioning the Future!’ and promises an interactive experience based on installations, video work, theatrical plays, dance and much more. Local residents and artists have teamed up to organise many of the music events, lending credence to the Triennale’s mission of getting everyone in the community involved.

ANIMITAS, 2014 PHOTO: ANGELIKA MARKUL COURTESY THE ARTIST AND MARIAN GOODMAN GALLERY

‘JAPAN MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL: 20TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION’

‘CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI: ANIMITAS – LES ÂMES QUI MURMURENT’

One of the giants of French contemporary art, Christian Boltanski has spent his career

Art & Culture an outdoor shoot of models in the altogether. ‘La Maison de rendezvous’ consists of 77 works shot on the empty premises of the Hara Museum and features 33 models jumping, rolling, crawling or just idly standing by. It’s the season’s most titillating art show in Tokyo, that’s for sure.

THE HOST AND THE CLOUD: © ADAGP, PARIS 2016 FOR THE WORK OF THE ARTIST. PHOTO OLA RINDAL

creating huge installations out of everyday items like clothing, photographs and cookie tins.

His ‘Animitas’ series consists of Japanese wind chimes that play an endless tune to the memory of lost souls. Remarkably, given the Japanese themes that have run through his entire career, this is the 72-year-old’s first solo show in Tokyo.

àHara Museum of Contemporary Art, until Jan 9.

4-7-25 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa. 03 3445 0651. tinyurl.com/TOTkishin. 11am-5pm (Wed until 8pm, except Nov 23), closed Mon (except Oct 10 & Jan 9), Oct 11 and Dec 26-Jan 4.

àTokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, until Dec 25.

5-21-9 Shirokanedai, Minato. 03 3443 0201. tinyurl. com/TOTboltanski. 10am-6pm (Nov 25-27 until 8pm), closed Oct 12 & 26, Nov 9 & 24 and Dec 14.

‘10TH ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE OF NAM JUNE PAIK – 2020: WHO IS THE ONE GRINNING ?+?=??’

A pioneer of media art, Seoulborn Nam June Paik was a true cosmopolitan, living, working and studying in Japan, Germany and the US, where he established the genre of video art and explored a stunning range of creative impulses. Perhaps the most influential artist to ever come out of Korea, Paik is remembered for unique works like a life-size robot made from old-school TV sets to portray the evolution of robotics.

This extensive retrospective includes installations, video, paintings, drawings and more – a total of 230 pieces created from the ’70s to the late ’90s.

‘PIERRE HUYGHE – UNTILLED HOST’

Louis Vuitton’s Hors-les-murs (‘over the walls’) project aims to get the extensive art collection of the French luxury brand’s Parisbased foundation out into the real world. Omotesando’s Espace Louis Vuitton is giving Tokyoites a taste of the goodness with this exhibition centred on two scifi-inspired documentaries by Pierre Huyghe, an artist known for poetic projects that encompass video, sculpture and landscaping.

Huyghe likes to surprise his audience, so best keep your wits about you.

àWatari-Um Museum of Contemporary Art, until Jan 29. 3-7-6 Jingumae, Shibuya. 03 3402 3001. tinyurl. com/TOTnamjune. 11am-7pm (until 9pm Wed), closed Mon (except Oct 10, Dec 5, 12, 19 & 26, Jan 9), Oct 11-14 and Dec 31-Jan 3.

àEspace Louis Vuitton Tokyo, until Jan 9. Louis Vuitton Omotesando 7F, 5-7-5 Jingumae, Shibuya. 03 5766 1094. tinyurl.com/TOThuyghe. 12noon-8pm.

ⒸKISHIN SHINOYAMA 2016

One of Japan’s most in-demand photographers for decades, Kishin Shinoyama hasn’t always seen eye to eye with the authorities. The Tokyo-born veteran, best known for his celebrity portraits and expressive nudes, was even found guilty of ‘public indecency’ and ‘disrespecting a place of worship’ in a high-profile 2010 case involving

FOREST OF CAGE / REVELATION OF THE FOREST, 1993

‘KISHIN SHINOYAMA: LA MAISON DE RENDEZ-VOUS’

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Music

Growing old, staying bold Kunihiro Miki talks to Yoshie Nakano and Masaki Mori of Ego-Wrappin’, who are celebrating two decades of making music together this year

FORMED IN OSAKA IN 1996 , Ego-Wrappin’

– vocalist Yoshie Nakano and guitarist Masaki Mori – are marking their 20th anniversary this year. That’s an exceptional feat for a band that have made progress all on their own, evolved musically and managed to reach an extremely diverse audience while remaining commercially viable. While some of their songs are hits, widely recognised in living rooms across Japan as the theme songs of popular TV shows, they also have many more discerning fans, including music industry heavyweights.

The duo’s longevity could be attributed to their reluctance to stand still. Ego-Wrappin’s music is constantly evolving, leaping from jazz to rock, Showa-era folk to soul, but all cut through with a natural pop sensibility that appeals to the masses.

The genre-hopping is not a carefully crafted career move – it comes to the band naturally.

‘When working with Nakano, there’s nothing conceptual,’ says Mori, who composes the band’s songs in addition to playing the guitar.

‘It’s not like I say “Let’s get together and ska.”

That’s because Nakano has the natural talent to

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

give any music her own twist. The possibilities feel limitless.’

Mori’s ideas sound simple for a man responsible for the general direction of the band. ‘I’m fascinated by the mood that lies outside of the manners [of rhythm and harmony, or the conventions of ska, rocksteady and jazz]. I think it can be the personality of the performers, or the way they compose themselves, that makes the mood.’

In 2013, the band who made a career of surprising people pulled off their most startling reinvention yet. That year’s album ‘Steal a Person’s Heart’ saw the poetic abstractness and wordplays of the band’s earlier albums stripped away and replaced with more direct and honest expressions of sadness and shock. ‘The earthquake of 3.11 was a huge influence,’ says Nakano, who writes the band’s lyrics. ‘We were born after the war and don’t know what it was like, but the aftermath led to the kind of divisions that war would. I think we should never forget that event. The terrible situation on the ground left a strong impression. I guess I grew up a bit as

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a result of that earthquake. [Since then] I have found that I’m better at expressing intimate emotions such as love.’

Nakano, true to her identity as a singer as well as to her emotions, is complemented by Mori and his careful consideration of the band’s future – a relationship that maintains the subtle balance between the two. Nakano’s entire way of being hints at a certain discomfort with society. Her words ‘I fear that the space between white and black is increasingly being excluded.

PHOTO: KEISUKE TANIGAWA

‘That’s because she has the natural talent to give any music her own twist.’

Grey should be allowed to be grey,’ expressing her frustration with daily life, aptly capture her perspective that’s turned into beautiful lyrics and melodies, giving Ego-Wrappin’ a distinct flavour that remains difficult to pin down.

Now a main stage staple at Fuji Rock, the nation’s most influential music festival, EgoWrappin’ are celebrating their 20th birthday in style – with huge gigs in Taiwan and at the Budokan, which in some ways remains Japan’s most revered concert venue. Even after two

decades, the band have no plans to retire. ‘We need to keep creating music that we think sounds cool,’ says Mori. ‘That’s the only way to keep going: release, release, repeat.’ ‘I hope our music ages well,’ adds Nakano. Although she jokes that they might not fare so well. ‘We may end up sleeping for 30 minutes during a gig...

The crowd will be like, “Look, Mori’s sleeping!” I think that’s the ultimate goal of entertainment.

An audience waiting for the performer on stage to wake up.’

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Music

All that jazz Not sure where to get your groove on in Tokyo and surrounds? Let James Catchpole show you the way

THE JAZZ SCENE SPREAD throughout the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo, Kawasaki, Yokohama, Chiba, Saitama and the various satellite cities) is diverse and exciting, but can be intimidating to the uninitiated and often hard to navigate. There are easily over 50 jazz gigs on any given night, while great vinyl is played at hundreds of other jazz bars across the city. Knowing where to go to find what you are looking for takes a bit of investigating. Below is a small sample of six unique, must-visit jazz spots that provide a bit of everything for the dedicated fan.

PHOTOS: EIGAKAN, DOWNBEAT: KEISUKE TANIGAWA. JAZZ SPOT INTRO, MEG: KISA TOYOSHIMA

Jazz Spot Intro

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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Eigakan

Music Paper Moon

A jazz bar for the hardcore aficionado, Paper Moon is located on the third floor of a dilapidated building in Ikebukuro near Rikkyo University. Open since 1975, it’s dark, dusty, and makes no attempt to provide decoration beyond a few old concert posters near the entrance. Yet it’s one of the best jazz bar experiences in town, totally authentic and at ease with itself. Owner Yamamoto-san has run the joint since it opened and is a warm, friendly host, happy to talk music for hours. His huge vinyl collection greets you as you walk in, covering all genres, including a lot of Japanese jazz (a rarity in the country’s mostly foreignfocused jazz bars). Paper Moon is as close as it gets to being a Showa-era jazz dive in the 1970s, all seats at the L-shaped counter, all ears tuned in to the music. For serious fans that makes it a bit of heaven.

DownBeat

àUmemoto Bldg 4F, 3-29-2 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima (Ikebukuro Station). 03 3985 0240.

Jazz Spot Intro

Intro is narrow and cramped, even by Tokyo standards where almost every bar is small and ‘intimate’. A basement jazz bar just minutes from Takadanobaba Station on busy Wasedadori, Intro is a perfect neighbourhood hangout that always welcomes newcomers. There is live music three to four nights a week, but it’s more of a casual ‘drop in and play’ affair than a polished gig experience. This adds to the charm though and anyone from students to famous professionals can be found there jamming on any given night. Keep an eye out for the sax player Inoue-san; he’ll take a solo or two and then run over to serve customers before jumping back into the band; he’s also happy to spin your selection of the vinyl on the shelf behind the bar. Just note that some people may find Intro a little claustrophobic. à2-14-8 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku (Takadanobaba Station).

03 3200 4396. www.intro.co.jp/intro.

Eigakan

One of the most distinctive jazz spots in the Tokyo metro area, ‘Eigakan’ means movie theatre in Japanese. The owner Yoshida-san

has a background in documentary films and originally rented the space so he and his pals had a spot to project films in. Over time it slowly transformed into the beautifully cluttered jazz bar it is today. In addition to the fine audio system, there are many film and photo books on the shelves for customers to browse, and some vintage film camera equipment spread around the bar. If you love both art cinema and jazz, then you will adore an evening at the Eigakan. à5-33-19 Hakusan, Bunkyo (Hakusan Station). 03 3811 8932. www6. ocn.ne.jp/~eigakan. Mon-Sat 4pm-11.30pm, closed Sun & hols.

Pit Inn

Pit Inn in Shinjuku is a must-visit for any jazz fan in Tokyo. It has history, ambience and a consistently excellent lineup of the best domestic and foreign jazz musicians nightly.

Unlike some bigger-name jazz clubs around the world, Pit Inn maintains a focus on the music. All seats face the stage, menus are minimal and the reverential atmosphere is not conducive to business talk or idle chitchat. Pit Inn is also unique in that it has almost daily afternoon live sessions from 2pm, one of the finest ways to spend a wet afternoon in the city. If you have only one opportunity to see a live jazz gig in Tokyo then Pit Inn should be the venue.

DownBeat

DownBeat opened in 1956 and maintains its old port-side, dark and edgy jazz vibe. DB is hard to find – look out for the red awning – but once you are in you’ll be greeted with a bar counter that hooks around in an L shape; facing the door is a small booth with turntables and loads of neatly stacked vinyl, and to the left a larger rectangular space with booths facing two speakers. The music spun covers the entire history of jazz so be prepared for anything. There are occasional live events on the weekends, but the place is best experienced analogue late at night, alone with a drink, immersed in the music. Don’t even think of going there for conversation: the music is loud, especially in the left side room. àMiyamoto Bldg 2F, 1-43 Hanasakicho, Naka, Yokohama (Sakuragicho Station). 045 241 6167. www.yokohama-downbeat.com.

à2-12-4 Shinjuku, Shinjuku (Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Sanchome stations). 03 3354 2024. www.pit-inn.com/index.html.

Meg

Jazz kissaten (cafés) used to be everywhere in Japan when vinyl was expensive and the ritual was to spend a few hours in a café listening to the latest releases while nursing a coffee or tea. Many of these great cafés have long gone, but Meg continues the tradition; sipping a coffee while listening to jazz come out of Meg’s famous, incredible-sounding red speakers, is a uniquely Japanese jazz experience. Meg also hosts regular record sharing events on weekends, and transforms into a small live joint most nights of the week. Check the website for details. à1-31-3 Kichijoji-Honcho, Musashino. 0422 21 1421. www.megjazz.com.

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Meg

à James Catchpole runs Tokyo Jazz Site (tokyojazzsite.com), a comprehensive guide to the city’s jazz joints, as well as the weekly OK Jazz Podcast.

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Nightlife Meet the masters Have your drink mixed by some of Tokyo’s true bartending greats.

By Tamasaburau and Ili Saarinen

TOKYO’S DRINKING scene is one of the best in the world, with boundary-breaking cocktail bars taking mixed drinks to new heights, while traditional izakayas bring you back down to earth in the best possible way. But to really take your drinking to the next level you need to brave a ‘master’s bar’. Here you’ll meet veteran Tokyo barmen who have earned their stripes over the decades and are, above all, maestros of bar etiquette – how to dress, what to talk about and how to savour some of the finest cocktail artistry on this earth. The bars listed below are no casual boozers: they’re temples to the craft of bartending, and will reward a rightful drinker handsomely – as long as you remember these three rules: 1) Keep your voice down – these ‘masters’ won’t hesitate to refuse loud drunks.

2) Note the dress code – wear at least a collared shirt.

3) Prepare to pay a cover charge of ¥1,000-¥2,000.

Nervous yet? Good. Now get ready to discover the finer side of drinking in Tokyo.

Bar Oak: Hisashi Sugimoto

Hotel bars usually aren’t very inspiring places, but the Tokyo Station Hotel’s version isn’t like most hotel bars. Moved to its Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

current location after a six-year renovation completed in 2012, it incorporates red bricks and wood in the décor and is manned

by Hisashi Sugimoto, who’s been with the hotel since 1958.

This master mixes up his signature Tokyo Station cocktails from 5pm three to four days a week. If you don’t want Akio Watanabe to queue, best be there at Est! the moment the doors open for the chance to grab a counter seat and watch up almost half a century. That’s not close as Sugimoto works his magic. to say Est! is some outdated relic: Once you’re halfway through his Watanabe’s signature shaker move showpiece drink, squeeze some looks like he’s warming an egg in his lime into the mixture: the taste hands, but produces contemporary change is supposed to symbolise a masterpieces like the Luna Rossa train leaving the station. and Golden Daiquiri originals.

Impeccably balanced, they’re tasty à The Tokyo Station Hotel 2F, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, enough to merit broader attention, Chiyoda (Tokyo Station). 03 5220 1261. www. but have so far remained Est!-only tokyostationhotel.jp/restaurants/oak. Daily concoctions – perhaps because 5pm-12midnight. only Mr Watanabe can execute them correctly. Trying to make out Est!: Akio Watanabe the labels on the rare bottles hidden Yushima’s finest old-school bar behind the counter is also part of was named by scientist, inventor the experience at Est!, as is sharing and discerning drinker Kinichiro a joke with the jovial master.

Sakaguchi, but the heart and soul of the place has always been à 3-45-3 Yushima, Bunkyo (Yushima Station). bartender Akio Watanabe. Now 03 3831 0403. 6pm-12midnight, closed Sun. well over 80, but as active as ever, this veteran barman has served Radio: Koji Ozaki literary greats including Yukio Radio is quite unlike any other Mishima over a career spanning watering hole in Aoyama.

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Koji Ozaki at Radio

Every detail at Radio is a result of bartender Koji Ozaki’s strict aesthetic and you won’t want to disrupt the harmony (read: wear your Sunday best, keep your voice down). This is also one of the few serious Tokyo bars to prohibit smoking, mainly because the cocktails are supposed to

be enjoyed with all five senses.

Ozaki has been in the business for over four decades and is an attraction all by himself: prepare for painstakingly prepared mixtures, best enjoyed quietly at the counter with only the master’s commentary for company.

Nowadays, Ozaki himself divides his time between Tokyo and Kyoto, only manning the counter around ten nights per month while leaving day-to-day management to his many apprentices. à 3-10-34 Minami-Aoyama, Minato (Omotesando Station). 03 3402 2668. www.bar-radio.com.

6pm-12midnight, closed Sun & hols.

Tenderly: Yuko Miyazaki

Born and raised in Omori, friendly bartender Yuko Miyazaki trained under the venerable Takao Mori before opening Tenderly, her

own shrine to classic cocktails where she shares her wisdom at bimonthly bartending classes.

The joint is developing a citywide reputation for the quality of both its drinks and its events, which include moving rakugo (traditional comic storytelling) performances.

Visiting during sakura season?

Be prepared to queue up from before 5pm if you’re looking to score one of the coveted window seats overlooking the nearby park and its huge cherry trees. At all other times, the main attraction is Miyazaki’s Adagio, a blend so perfect it’s said to have brought some patrons to tears. Best pack some tissues… à Omori-Kita Park Bldg 2F, 1-33-11 Omori-Kita, Ota (Omori Station). 03 3298 2155. 5pm-1am (Fri until 2am, hols until 12midnight), closed Sun.

Yuko Miyazaki at Tenderly

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

PHOTOS: BAR OAK, TENDERLY, RADIO: KEISUKE TANIGAWA. EST!: KISA TOYOSHIMA

Hisashi Sugimoto at Bar Oak

Nightlife

Get your geek on Tokyo’s otaku (geeks) are a complex breed, with as many different obsessive types as there are Pokémon. After tracking down the stamping grounds of five different herds, earning their trust and infiltrating their habitat, we now reveal to you their favourite watering holes. By Yusuf Huysal

Video game geeks – 16Shots

A dark haunt full of mysterious character (and mysterious characters), 16Shots feels, appropriately, like the kind of place that only exists in video games. Located on a quiet Shinjuku backstreet, this is a temple to the joys of 8-bit. The bar has a playable 1983 Nintendo Entertainment System – considered by those in the know to be the greatest of all time – an extensive library of games and even Pac-Man wind-up toys which you can race along the bar. While you’re putting away a few beers, you can thumb through esoteric cheat books or watch the mesmeric reel of old game commercials projected on the rear wall. You’re also encouraged to bring your own handheld game and nestle in among fellow otaku; the bar is said to be frequented by famous video game developers, so you might be sitting next to the person responsible for your relaxation (or sometimes, fuming frustration). à 2-3-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku (Shinjuku-Gyoenmae Station). 03 6379 4335. 16shots.jp. Mon-Thu 7.30pm-3am, Fri, Sat 7.30pm-5am.

Closed Sun.

16Shots Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

Train geekery at Kiha

Train geeks – Kiha

The second floor of Kiha, the after-work hangout of Tokyo’s toritetsu (train geeks), is decked out like the inside of a Tokyo subway car, down to the most minute detail. The luggage racks, handles, ads, station signs and route maps are all authentic and combine to recreate an environment so real that your brain might be tricked into thinking the carriage is moving on occasion, especially if you’ve had a few. Instead of the usual pub grub, Kiha serves up a variety of canned foods including fish in brine, salted pork and corn – nostalgic snacks eaten on trains before bento boxes became the norm. Wash them down with their selection of regional one-cup sake and admire the memorabilia adorning the walls. You can even try on some of the stationmaster uniforms if you want to look like a true trainspotter, or a

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Village People band member. à 1-6-11 Nihonbashi-Horidomecho, Chuo (Ningyocho Station). 03 5651 5088. kiha-sake.com. Mon-Sat 6pm-11.30pm. Closed Sun & hols, irregular hours Sat.

Monster geeks – Daikaiju Salon

Be it the yokai – supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore – or Godzilla and its countless kaiju eiga (beast movie) spawns, monsters have titillated the Japanese imagination for decades. A shrine to Japan’s friendly and not-so-friendly monsters, Daikaiju Salon is the brainchild of horror aficionado and sexploitation auteur Takao Nakano, director of such fine B-flicks as ‘Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy’ and ‘Big Tits Zombie’.

Fittingly located in the alternative otaku mecca of Nakano, the monster maniac den is populated by rare collectibles of all shapes and

Nightlife

Daikaiju Salon

Incubator

sizes, some of which were invented by resident ‘monster artist’ Pico-Pico. After you have squeezed your head into a disconcertingly warm and wet monster head for the obligatory pic, knock back a few gloopy cocktails in this real-life Mos Eisley Cantina. à 1-14-16 Arai, Nakano (Nakano Station). 03 5942 7382. tinyurl. com/TOTdaikaiju. Tue-Fri 3pm-11pm, Sat, Sun 1pm-11pm. Closed Mon.

Science geeks – Incubator

Anikara Hero

Ever wanted to drink those possibly lethal, bubbly concoctions you made in science class?

You can pretend to do just that in Incubator, where a developmental biologist is in charge of mixing the drinks, wine is served in test tubes and edibles are grilled over a spirit lamp.

Don a white coat for the full mad scientist look before swigging from an erlenmeyer flask and snacking on dehydrated figs using tweezers.

Chemistry classes were never this fun.

Karaoke geeks – Anikara Hero

Occupying the fifth floor of an inconspicuous building on an Akihabara backstreet, the Anikara Hero bar offers you a karaoke experience that will blast your singing skills from zero to hero. Admittedly, the small bar is a rather modest affair, but what it lacks in frills it more than makes up for in thrills. After you find your go-to tune in their extensive library and take your place on the stage under the spotlight, the in-house cheerleaders (in full cosplay) will get in formation and begin to thump out a rhythm with their tambourines.

Don’t worry about those high notes in the chorus – their hearty cheering is guaranteed to add an extra octave to your vocal range. à 1-5-7 Sotokanda, Chiyoda (Akihabara Station). 03 5207 2773. anihero.com. Mon-Fri 5pm-11pm, Sat, Sun & hols 3pm-11pm.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

PHOTOS: KIHA, INCUBATOR: KEISUKE TANIGAWA. ANIKARA HERO, 16SHOTS: KISA TOYOSHIMA

à 7 Arakicho, Shinjuku (Yotsuya-Sanchome Station). 03 5925 8832. facebook.com/incubator.sc. Mon-Sat 6pm-2am. Closed Sun, hols & 1st Mon of the month.

Promotional feature

LOCAL INSIGHT

METAL THEATRE Kabukicho theatre gets a very modern makeover at Robot Restaurant. Words Yusuf Huysal

SHINJUKU’S KABUKICHO DISTRICT derives

its name from a kabuki theatre that was planned for construction in the late 1940s.

Although the project was never realised due to financial troubles, the name stuck and the spirit lives on in the neighbourhood’s infamous Robot Restaurant. Kabuki theatre is known for its highly stylised drama and outrageous costumes, and can etymologically mean an ‘avant-garde’ or ‘bizarre’ show.

Robot Restaurant is precisely that, while also dragging kabuki’s traditional elements into the digital age.

The Restaurant – though calling it that is as misleading as the euphemism ‘gentleman’s club’, as taste is the one sense that won’t be dazzled – offers you a rollercoaster ride through all things ‘crazy Japan’. In a frenzied 90 minutes you’ll witness a cavalcade of skirmishing robots, with each new outrageous addition to the pageant further stretching the physics of robotics to breaking point. Laserbeaming eagles and fire-breathing metallic dinosaurs engage in a seemingly endless tagteam battle metres away from your seat, while you enjoy your konbini-quality bento box amid a flurry of smoke machines, flashing lights and pyrotechnics.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the battling bots are from the same workshop as the slick, streamlined androids we are accustomed to seeing in Japanese commercials and department stores.

On the contrary, part of the spectacle is the rickety huffing and puffing of the robots, as if in protest at their thrice-daily stint circumambulating the runway to blaring J-pop. Though we doubt machine oil would be any help to them, lubricating your own gears with some alcohol will surely crank up the fun factor.

HOW TO BOOK: Robot Restaurant is open for three shows

daily, starting at 5.55pm, 7.50pm and 9.45pm (with an additional show at 4pm on weekends and holidays), and the format is changed every few months to keep things fresh. You can reserve your spot a couple of days ahead by calling the number below between 9am and 10pm. The entrance fee is ¥8,000, excluding food and drinks. Note that the schedule might change due to maintenance. Shinjuku Robot Bldg, 1-7-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku (Shinjuku Station). 03 3200 5500. www.shinjuku-robot.com. 4pm-11pm daily.

Bring the discount coupon on page 57 with you to Robot Restaurant and get ¥2,000 off your bill.

A feast for the eyes

Film

Five films to get you in the mood for Japanese food.

By Mari Hiratsuka YOU MAY HAVE WORKED up an appetite reading our roundup of Tokyo’s 100 best restaurants, but what about tasting some washoku in cinematic form?

These delicious films allow you to visually feast on the joys of Japan’s food culture.

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011)

OUR LITTLE SISTER (2015)

Family, food, love, work, life and death are all on the menu in ‘Our Little Sister’. This irresistible, light-filled family drama from writer-director Hirokazu Koreeda (‘I Wish’, ‘Still Walking’) brims with small but powerful moments and slips down as easily as the many meals it shares with us.

Especially memorable are the scenes of the sisters enjoying marine delicacies like shirasu

‘Family, food, love, work, life and death are all on the menu’

(C) 2011 SUSHI MOVIE,LLC.

The 90-year-old Tokyo restaurateur Jiro Ono works relentlessly to serve sushi which meets his own super-exacting standards – for which his customers brave daunting prices and the near-impossibility of booking one of ten counter seats.

Ono’s life and work are captured in this evocative documentary.

The exquisite nigiri slices gleam with freshness, and the doc tells you everything you need to know about how to prepare the perfect serving of sea eel or gizzard shad.

Jiro and the gang from ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’

(whitebait) sandwiches, fried mackerel and chikuwa (fish paste cake) curry. An intimate, warm embrace of a film, it radiates joy and harmony while stirring up a hunger.

‘The Family Game’ is a subtle satire on the obsession with corporate and academic success, which blends striking visual compositions, pithy dialogue and absurdist humour. Here, family meals become an exercise in excruciating awkwardness.

The opening scene of the four family members sitting side by side at a narrow table sticking limbs into each other’s faces while noisily slurping their food might not be the best advertisement for Japanese table manners, but speaks volumes about the nature of family frustrations in ’80s Japan.

KAMOME SHOKUDO (2006)

The first Japanese film to be shot entirely in Finland, this whimsical delight depicts the interactions between Japanese expat Sachie and the local townspeople of Helsinki. Sachie’s long-futile attempts to serve onigiri (rice balls), the ‘soul food’ of Japan, to the locals are depicted with a friendly, empathetic sense of humour. The actual café where the film was shot has gone on to become an unlikely tourist attraction.

AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON (1962) A film that was to become legendary director Yasujiro Ozu’s final work, ‘An Autumn Afternoon’ portrays the delicate emotions of an aging widower salaryman and his daughter,

THE FAMILY GAME (1983)

One of director Yoshimitsu Morita’s most famous films,

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who is approaching the age when she’s ‘supposed’ to get married.

Scenes of eating have always been pivotal in Ozu’s films and ‘An Autumn Afternoon’ is no exception. The scenes set in a traditional Japanese restaurant and a tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) diner raise smiles, but it is our hero’s first experience of eating conger eel – a typical Kyoto dish representative of the taste of summer – that is the most affecting.

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Sport

Enter the unstoppables Kyoko Hoshino rounds up the best places to watch Paralympic sports in Tokyo

SPURRED ON BY the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, interest in Paralympic sports is growing around the world, with many fans already having discovered their favourite events and athletes. Tokyo is set to host the Paralympics in four years, but there’s no need to wait that long to watch the athletes in action: a wide range of Paralympic sporting events are being held around Japan throughout the year. Here, we highlight some of the top official Paralympic events taking place in and around Tokyo this autumn: all are free to attend and open to everyone. Prepare to be amazed.

BLIND FOOTBALL

In this version of five-a-side football, teams consist of four visually-impaired outfield players and one fully-sighted goalkeeper.

The outfielders wear eye masks, relying on sounds from the specially made ball, the voices of Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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their teammates and advice from a guide behind the opponent’s goal to find their bearings. The rules are very similar to regular five-a-side matches, except there are no throw-ins or corners, so it’s just non-stop action.

The Eastern Japan League is a tournament featuring teams based in the area around Tokyo.

This year, the league year goes on until December, with the top two teams set to face off for the championship in spring 2017. à Blind Football Eastern Japan League 2016, Oct 1: Round 4, Keio University Hiyoshi Campus. Oct 22: Round 5, Koishikawa Arena. Nov 5: Round 6, Machida Gymnasium. Nov 6: Round 7, Shinagawa Central Park. Nov 19: Round 8, University of Tsukuba Sekisho Field. Dec 11: Round 9, Fussa Baseball Stadium. www.b-soccer.jp/9699/news/ higashinihon2016.

GOALBALL

Goalball – a sport in which each throw is effectively a shot at goal – is regarded as the most exciting sport in the Paralympics and is

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAPAN GOAL BALL ASSOCIATION

played in more than 100 countries worldwide. Each team consists of three visually-impaired players who must wear blackout masks so the playing field is level. The athletes then take turns rolling a ball that contains bells into their opponent’s net, which spans the

‘Wheelchair rugby is a fullcontact affair in which flesh and metal merge to form living cruise missiles’

entire edge of the pitch. Defenders listen to the ball and the attackers’ footsteps to determine the position of the ball before using their bodies to block incoming shots. Meanwhile, those attacking use deft footwork to conceal the sound of their steps and bounce the ball off the edges of the arena to get around unsuspecting opponents. Sound is integral to the game, so the events are played in silence – but with such skill on display you’ll be watching with bated breath anyway.

a pure competition of strength in which athletes show off their upper-body prowess, and it has become very popular around the world. Events are grouped based on gender, weight and degree of disability: amputees compete in different ranks with weight added according to the extent of amputation.

The All-Japan ParaPowerlifting Championship is held once a year. There are both general and junior events, including powerlifting for the visually impaired, an event that is not part of the Paralympics. à All-Japan Para-Powerlifting Championship. Dec 3. Nippon Sport Science University Tokyo Setagaya Campus, Setagaya. www.phouse.jp.

VISUALLY IMPAIRED JUDO

Paralympic judo largely follows the same rules as standard judo, with classes divided by weight and gender. The main difference is that because the athletes are visually impaired, they begin the match grabbing each other. If they let go, a call to halt goes up, and they interlock again before resuming the match. Instead of moving around looking for openings, they grapple in a persistently locked position, so, in addition to excellent technique, the athletes must have incredible levels of mental endurance and

à 2016 Japan Goalball Championships. Nov 26-27. Ome Gymnasium, Ome. www.jgba.jp.

PARA-POWERLIFTING

Para-powerlifting events see athletes with paralysis or amputation of the lower extremities lying down on special platforms to bench-press up to three times their own bodyweight.

Unlike traditional bench pressing, the competitors’ feet do not make contact with the ground. This is

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stamina. There are numerous occasions where the tables are turned right before the bell, and most matches remain exciting down to the last second. The AllJapan Visually Impaired Judo Championship is held annually at the Kodokan Judo Institute, considered the foremost judo site in the nation. Athletes from the Rio Paralympics are expected to appear. à All-Japan Visually Impaired Judo Championship.

Nov 27. Kodokan, Bunkyo. www.judob.or.jp

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY

Also known as murderball, wheelchair rugby is a full-contact affair in which flesh and metal merge to form living cruise missiles. Played on a basketball court, the sport sees two teams of four try to carry the ball past a goal line to score while their opponents do what they can to stop them. Wheelchair tackles are permitted, with the sharp crashes and loud sounds helping to create a spectacular atmosphere.

The Japan Championship will bring together teams that triumphed in local tournaments held this summer and earlier in autumn. Several of the players set to appear will be returning to their teams for the first time after Rio. à Japan Wheelchair Rugby Championship. Dec 16-18. Chiba Port Arena, Chiba. www.jwrugby.com.

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Activist cinema

LGBT

'Hush!': ©2001 SIGLO

How the history of ‘queer’ films in Japan reflects society’s changing attitude to LGBT issues.

By Genya Fukunaga

LGBT FILM FESTIVALS are no longer a rarity in Japan. Led on by the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (known as Rainbow Reel Tokyo from this year on), which has been running since 1992, the circuit now includes cities from Aomori to Kagawa: as of 2016, there’s a total of six ‘queer’ film festivals being held annually around the country.

The fact that Japan has the distinction of hosting so many festivals might lead one to assume that films with ‘queer’ themes have been broadly accepted here.

Unfortunately, the opposite is true: the number of domestically produced LGBT films is extremely low, and even internationally acclaimed movies have virtually no chance to be shown in general cinemas.

It’s for these reasons that sexual minorities have been busy building a film festival community, working to unearth Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

plus one’ arrangement, which the characters – and viewers – struggle to put into words.

In ‘Hush!’, the gay couple are cruelly denounced by their relatives, hinting at society’s view of homosexual relationships as ‘abnormal’. Meanwhile, the woman has a history of multiple abortions, making all three protagonists fall outside the social category of ‘respectable people’. However, as the story nears its end, we witness their triangle turning into a ‘queer family’. It’s this depiction of a family existing beyond social systems and norms, thereby making it unstable and fragile, that makes ‘Hush!’ so fascinating.

Hashiguchi’s newest work, ‘Three Stories of Love’, has won several awards – including the 2016 Kinema Junpo Award for Best Japanese Film of the Year – and is well on its way to equalling the status of ‘Hush!’.

‘Three Stories’ is distinct from

‘queer’ films from both Japan and elsewhere and making them publicly available in order to foster understanding of LGBT issues. In such a sense, these film festivals are more than mere screenings – they’re a form of social activism.

Ryosuke Hashiguchi, one of the few Japanese directors to focus on ‘queer’ issues, has been making movies since the early ‘90s and is often praised as a singular talent. Having debuted in 1993 with ‘A Touch of Fever’, a film about young male prostitutes, Hashiguchi released the widely acclaimed ‘Hush!’ in 2001, becoming a household name both in Japan and abroad.‘Hush!’ begins with two gay men becoming a couple, but a heterosexual woman soon starts causing discord in their relationship. She begs them, ‘Not to marry you or go out with you.

I just... want a child,’ initiating an unorthodox ‘gay couple

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Hashiguchi’s other films in that LGBT life is only one of the many themes it explores – a subtle indication that the existence of sexual minorities is now becoming more accepted as a ‘normal’ part of Japanese society.

One of the issues confronting queer activism in Japan today is society’s ambivalent understanding of discrimination.

As the gay movement picked up speed during the ‘80s and ‘90s, there were many voices claiming that Japan was a society relatively tolerant of homosexuality – a view that also implicitly questioned the significance of the social movement itself.

However, the extreme scarcity of ‘queer’ films in Japan speaks to the fact the country has a history of completely ignoring the existence of sexual minorities. In this context, directors who have pursued LGBT themes have been working with limited budgets and often independently, and it’s for the purpose of getting these films out into the open that so many film festivals have been established. This history explains why Japanese ‘queer’ films remain rarities, but also hints at why many of them are so rich in both themes and social significance.

à ‘Three Stories of Love’ will be screened at the Shimokitazawa Film Festival in October (Oct 8-10, Shimokita Liberty and Tollywood, shimokitafilm.com). It is also available to rent across Japan.

Five reasons to visit Moshi Moshi Nippon Festival 2016 in Tokyo 1. It’s great for experiencing Japanese culture Try your hand at calligraphy, play a traditional Japanese instrument or wear a kimono – there’ll be plenty of ways to get in touch with the local culture, including having your face painted to look like that of a kabuki actor.

Sign up here *Entrance is free even without registration on November 24 and 25 msmsnippon16-1.peatix.com

2. You’ll get to eat heaps of delicious Japanese food It’s not all about sushi and ramen: check out the wide range of delicacies available in the open-air food area, and get ready to discover flavours you didn’t even know existed.

5. You get in for free!

Entry to the festival is free for foreign nationals who have registered in advance, so remember to bring your passport or residence card on the day. The sign-up process is really easy – start by scanning the QR code on the left. Then you can start getting ready for a hearty serving of Japanese pop culture at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium....

4. The gigs are top-notch A star-studded lineup of idols and other artists takes the stage at Moshi Moshi every day: last year saw performances by the likes of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Capsule. Thanks to a special ‘priority area’, nonJapanese fans get to enjoy the lively shows right in front of the stage. Look out for this year’s lineup here: www.moshimoshinippon.jp.

Get our maps and mag in Shibuya Stop by the Shibuya Station Tourist Information Centre

3. You can get in touch with your kawaii side Last year’s festival highlighted kawaii culture, with plenty of visitors dressing up like Lolita girls wearing mountains of frills and pink petticoats. That trend is sure to continue in 2016, with the programme even including a kawaii-themed fashion show.

You can now get your copy of Time Out Tokyo magazine delivered – we ship internationally too!

Please visit time-outtokyo.myshopify. com.

Pick up our maps and magazine at one of these venues: Stations: Select Toei Subway stations Tourist information centres: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Headquarters Shibuya Station Tourist Information Centre Tokyo City Air Terminal Ginza Mitsukoshi Tourist Information Desk and more tourist information centres Airports: Haneda Airport Narita International Airport Shops: Tsutaya Tokyo Roppongi Books Kinokuniya Tokyo Tower Records Shibuya and more shops

SHIBUYA INFORMATION CENTER: KEISUKE TANIGAWA

Restaurants: Time Out Cafe & Diner Hard Rock Café Tokyo (Roppongi) All Hub pubs in Tokyo and more restaurants

TIME OUT READERS will know about our popular series of free maps: pocket-sized guides to the multifarious delights this city has to offer. They’re hard to miss these days – as well as our ever-popular ‘101 things to do in Shibuya’ edition and the comprehensive ‘88 things to do in Tokyo’, we’ve come out with maps for nearly all the top areas including Roppongi, Shinjuku, Nihonbashi, Marunouchi, Koenji and Ginza.

All of these publications, along with issues of our magazine, are available to pick up at Shibuya Station’s tourist information centre, conveniently located in the underground passage on the second basement floor of Shibuya Station. The Englishspeaking guides will help you stock up, provide sightseeing tips, and assist you in navigating the bowels of the cavernous station itself.

Each edition squeezes the best of the capital into a compact pamphlet, complete with a city map, and we’ve included everything from offbeat art galleries and otaku meccas to ancient shrines and hipster hangouts.

We’ve also recently expanded the series to include places beyond Tokyo, launching special maps for those of you heading to Ise-Shima or Sapporo in Hokkaido – both make for a great mini getaway.

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Hotels that have Les Clefs d’Or Japan member concierge: ANA InterContinental Tokyo The Peninsula Tokyo Palace Hotel Tokyo Park Hyatt Tokyo Mandarin Oriental,Tokyo Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel Grand Hyatt Tokyo Conrad Tokyo Hotel Okura Tokyo The Ritz Carlton Tokyo Prince Park Tower Tokyo and more hotels Note: If you can’t find the map you’re looking for, this probably means we’ve temporarily run out of stock. Please be patient while we work on the next print run.

Please direct any advertising queries to sales@timeout.jp.

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Travel & Hotels

Welcome to wine country Megan Waters discovers the finest vineyards within easy reach of Tokyo

ALTHOUGH IT’S FAR from the

first thing most visitors to Japan think about, the country is increasingly producing beautiful wines that are grabbing gongs at international wine competitions.

It’s the relative new kid on the block, with production starting in the Yamanashi area at the foot of Mount Fuji in the 1870s thanks to two young returning expats who studied wine in France. However, it didn’t become popular in Japan until around 1964 with the arrival of the Summer Olympics and the introduction of a more Westernised diet.

Japanese winemakers traditionally use two native grape varieties: Koshu, a very light white grape with floral notes similar to Chardonnay, and Muscat Bailey A, a red fruit with a full-bodied nose and a delightful cherry sweetness.

Wines are produced throughout the country at over 200 wineries, the major areas being Yamanashi and Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island. Here are our picks of the best wineries near Tokyo.

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

NAKAIZU WINERY HILLS

Nestled deep in the hills of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka prefecture, this quaint winery is surprisingly owned and operated by entertainment giant Shidax Corporation – known for its chain of karaoke joints. With its faux chateau and tranquil setting overlooking lush vineyards, the area could be mistaken for California’s Napa Valley or the Bordeaux region of France if it wasn’t for Mount Fuji looming in the distance. The chateau houses a wine-tasting room, a terrace cafeteria, a restaurant, shops, a barbecue area, as well as an onsen and a hotel. Nakaizu produces 12 wines, with its takes on Chardonnay, Merlot and Riesling the most popular. Join the tour to learn more about the wine-making process (reservation required), or explore the meticulously tended vineyards alone – not usually allowed at most wineries.

Station, take the free shuttle bus to the winery.

1443-27 Shimoshiraiwa, Izu, Shizuoka. 0558 83 2310. www.shidax.co.jp/winery (Japanese only).

COCO FARM & WINERY (KOKOROMI GAKUEN)

Located north of Tokyo in the heart of Tochigi prefecture – best known for the ancient shrines and temples of Nikko – Coco Farm & Winery was founded in 1969 as a rehabilitation centre for junior high school students with cognitive disabilities. The students cleared the mountain by hand and cultivated about 600 young vines. On a visit to California, the students learned about wine-making and produced

à Getting there: Nakaizu Winery Hills is about two hours from Tokyo. Take the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen from Tokyo Station and transfer to the local Izu-Hakone Line at Mishima Station. At Shuzenji

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‘The area could be mistaken for California’s Napa Valley, if it wasn’t for Mt Fuji in the distance’

à Getting there: Honda Winery is about 2 hours 30 minutes from central Tokyo. From Tokyo Station, take the bullet train to Koriyama Station and transfer to the Ban-Etsusai Line to Inawashiro Station. The winery is a five-minute walk.

3-7 Chiyoda, Inawashiro, Fukushima. 0242 62 5500. www.hondawinery.co.jp.

TOMI NO OKA WINERY

their first harvest from a tiny cottage located at the foot of the mountain. The vineyard now employs over 150 disabled workers who get advice from winemakers in Japan and around the world. Enjoy a tour of the grounds (reservation required) or, for a bargain ¥500, sample some of their 20 wines, made from the grape varieties of Muscat Bailey A, Riesling Lion, Norton and Petit Manseng. Try their Koshu Fermented on Skins 2011 – a powerful spicy white wine that isn’t white at all, but a deep copper colour. Don’t miss the winery’s annual Harvest Festival, held on the third Sunday of November.

The ¥3,000 entrance fee gets you a selection of local wines to enjoy while listening to live music.

Owner Mr Honda started making wine after retiring from his position as a resident high school teacher, and his rich and vibrant merlot made from locally grown fruit has ensured his second career is a success. As well as tours and tastings, the winery allows visitors to turn their own fruit into wine. You need to make a reservation in harvest season (which is early autumn) and then they will ferment your fruit and turn it into a unique wine for you.

Visitors with a wedding, birthday or other special occasion coming up can design and create custommade labels to attach to the winery’s own wines.

à Getting there: Coco Farm & Winery is located 90 minutes from Tokyo. Take the Tobu Isesaki Line to Ashikaga Station from Tokyo’s Asakusa or Kita-Senju stations. Transfer to taxi or bus direct to the winery.

611 Tajimacho, Ashikaga, Tochigi. 0284 42 1194. www.cocowine.com/contents/english.

HONDA WINERY

Located at the foot of Mount Bandai in Fukushima prefecture, Honda Winery is one of Japan’s smallest vineyards and is known for its unusual technique of fermenting and maturing their wine in 23-litre glass barrels instead of in a traditional tank.

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Owned and operated by Japanese brewing and distilling giant Suntory, Tomi no Oka is one of Japan’s top wineries and regularly produces award winners. Situated in Yamanashi prefecture with spectacular views of Mount Fuji, the winery was established way back in 1909 and is a member of the Koshu of Japan wine organisation that aims to promote and improve the quality of the Koshu grape and garner recognition for this Japanese variety. Tour the vineyards and wine cellar, and enjoy a glass or six of their delicious offerings, all made using 100 percent domestic grapes. Try the Tomi Noble Doll, celebrated for its sweet and full-flavoured taste, or the Tomi 1997, which won gold at the 2003 Les Citadelles du Vin international wine and spirits competition – a historic first for Japanese wine. The on-site restaurant is great too – enjoy the delicious Koshu Fuji Sakura pork and those glorious views. à Getting there: Tomi no Oka is about 1 hour 45 minutes from central Tokyo. Take the JR Chuo Line direct to Kofu Station. The winery is a 15-minute taxi ride from here, and a free shuttle bus service runs three times daily on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

2786 Ohnuta, Kai, Yamanashi. 0551 28 7311. www. suntory.co.jp/factory/tominooka (Japanese only).

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Travel & Hotels

Pitch perfect Making the great outdoors great again, glamorous camping (do we really have to call it glamping?) has ushered out flimsy tarps, lousy sleeping bags and chemical toilets and brought in safari-style tents, queen-size beds furnished with crisp linen and even hot spring baths. What are you waiting for? Get out there.

By Noriko Maniwa IT MAY HAVE THE pun-averse and camping

purists up in arms, but glamping is here to stay.

With resorts popping up at some of Japan’s most iconic locations, there’s never been a better time to sleep al fresco. So whether it is waking up to the perfect view of Mount Fuji or splashing around in the emerald waters of the Seto Inland Sea that floats your boat, here are five spots to savour.

Hoshinoya Fuji Hoshinoya Fuji is where it all started: this luxury resort introduced Japan to glamping and Japan fell in love. Created by an all-star group of specialists including architects, landscape designers and lighting technicians, it’s designed for those looking to experience all the positives of camping without having to sweat for the pleasure. All accommodation here has magnificent views of Mt Fuji, while the spacious communal terrace is the spot to grill some red meat or drink around the bonfire. Only guests are allowed to enter the premises, making the atmosphere peaceful and quiet. If you are feeling active you can indulge in horseback riding around the foot of the sacred peak or an early-morning canoeing session on Lake Kawaguchi. The rest of us are happy to kick back and soak in that view. à1408 Oishi, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi.

0570 073 066. hoshinoyafuji.com.

FBI Located on Awaji Island in Hyogo prefecture, FBI – First-class Backpackers Inn, no relation to its American namesake – is a fancy tent village for campers with thick wallets. You can go swimming in the Seto Inland Sea and enjoy an evocative beach campfire in the evening.

Accommodation options include a tent larger than the apartments of most Tokyoites, a twoperson teepee on the seaside, and cottages that look like they’ve been ripped from the pages of a fashion magazine. Prices start from ¥28,000 for the cabins, which have space for up to six people. à2359 Goshikicho-Torikaiura, Sumoto, Hyogo. 0799 34 0900. fbi-camping.com/awaji.

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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Travel & Hotels

The Farm Chiba’s The Farm is only an hour and a half away from central Tokyo but feels a million miles from the metropolitan heave. Part of a Ministry of Agriculture project that aims to ‘energise producers’ in the countryside, The Farm hosts a number of agricultural activities and events to introduce the public to the joys of living off the land and everything you eat is grown on site. You can choose to stay either in a tent or a cottage, either way you’ll have access to the on-site onsen. After a long day out on the farm, there’s nothing better than a hot spring bath. à1309-29 Nishitabe, Katori, Chiba. 0478 70 5551. thefarm.jp.

Wild Magic The Third Park You can now go glamping in central Tokyo – at Toyosu’s ‘outdoor park’, Wild Magic. The stylishly designed 1.6-hectare site has the look of a theme park and stocks all the equipment you’ll need for an evening of grilling – from cutlery and knives to meat and vegetables. Their American-style smoked steak with original garlic spice seasoning is especially delicious. à6-1-23 Toyosu, Koto (Shin-Toyosu Station). the-third-park.com.

Hatsushima Island Resort The island closest to central Tokyo, Hatsushima can be accessed only by boat – it’s a 25-minute ride from the Atami port, close to Atami Station on the Tokaido line.

Hatsushima Island Resort is equipped with terraced mega tents and trailers with en suite bathrooms and private decks, while the barbecue menu is heavy on seafood including succulently fresh scallops and lobster. At night you can gaze up at the stars, and in the early mornings watch the sunrise from the Shima no Yu baths. The hot spring here bubbles up from 40m underground and is rich with rejuvenating minerals. If you like to mix the call of the wild with your creature comforts, then Hatsushima is for you. àHatsushima, Atami, Shizuoka. 0557 67 2151. pica-resort.jp/ hatsushima.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Stay strong, Kumamoto Two powerful earthquakes hit Kyushu’s Kumamoto prefecture on April 14 and 16, killing at least 49, injuring thousands and forcing many local residents to abandon their homes. Historic Kumamoto Castle also suffered extensive damage. The recovery process is well on its way, but serious challenges still remain. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this disaster.

Visit forkumamoto.yahoo.co.jp for more information on how you can help the disaster victims.

TOHOKU UPDATE

Helping hands Nick Narigon visits Miyagi to see how charity Hands On Tokyo is helping the area to rebuild after the triple disaster of 2011

ON MARCH 11 2011 the Saito

family lost everything. Despite their home in the Miyagi prefecture village of Yamamoto surviving the earthquake that rocked the country that day, the tsunami that followed in its wake demolished the two-storey farmhouse along with the family’s crops, greenhouses, tractors – and livelihood. ‘The family was safe,’ farm owner Kazoo Saito recalls.

‘That was the one thing that brought us comfort.’

Five years later, the rocks are cleared, the greenhouses have been rebuilt and the family’s crops are thriving once again.

The turnaround is largely thanks to Hands On Tokyo, an organisation dedicated to pairing charitable foreigners with volunteer opportunities in the country.

After the triple disaster of 2011 – nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima followed the earthquake and tsunami – the organisation initially focused on just sending supplies, but soon realised what the area really needed was people. Volunteers started arriving in Miyagi every week, to clean up debris and provide free food through pop-up cafés. ‘We were there to provide encouragement and to let people know that they have not been forgotten,’ says Naho Hozumi, Hands On Tokyo’s project manager for disaster services.

‘We were there to let people know that they have not been forgotten’

Hands On Tokyo volunteers tending to a garden in Tohoku

Today, Hands On Tokyo has organised more than 80 volunteer projects in the region and continues to send volunteers monthly. Approximately 2,200 volunteers, aged between 14 and 65 and hailing from all over the world, have lent a helping hand.

‘You develop relationships with families that are trying to rebuild their lives,’ says Jay Ponazecki, who has volunteered regularly with Hands On Tokyo since 2011. ‘The people are so positive in light of everything, that it really gives you perspective: there is simplicity in the message that there is incredible power in a smile.’

Ponazecki recalls helping an Ogatsu resident manicure a flower garden at the entrance of the fishing village, the population of which dropped from 4,300 to 900 after the tsunami. The garden is now blossoming and is intended to create a happy memory for returning residents.

‘The last time we went up there we focused on the lavender plants,’ says Ponazecki. ‘They harvest the lavender and sell potpourri in a

shop they set up. It truly is a labour of love.’

This summer, Hands On Tokyo organised a weekend trip with children from a Tokyo children’s home. They travelled to MinamiSoma in Fukushima prefecture – a town where residents were recently permitted to return to their homes after having been forced away due to concerns over radioactivity – and helped a 68-year-old music teacher clear her yard of five-and-a-half years’ worth of weeds. ‘It’s been great for us to offer the children, who tend to be recipients of help for all of their lives, the opportunity to see what they can do for society,’ says Hozumi. ‘It’s just amazing how confident they get after the activity.’

‘The people of Fukushima feel like they have been forgotten.

Just showing up is a powerful message,’ says Ponazecki. ‘When we met Saito-san during the first growing season, he was shy and a little embarrassed to ask for help.

Now he jokes. He smiles. To some extent, you see the person he was

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before the tsunami.’

Saito and his wife, children and grandchildren still live in temporary housing, but five years after starting again from zero, this harvest will bring a bounty of produce. ‘The volunteer work by everybody from Hands On Tokyo has been an immense help. We are so grateful,’ says Saito. ‘They always come with so much energy and lots of smiles. The smiles make us happy, and help us to move forward.’

To learn how you can help, visit handsontokyo.org.

October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

Getting Around A streetcar named Toden Slow down and explore the city like the Tokyoites of old.

Words Yusuf Huysal

LONG BEFORE HIGH-TECH trains zipped to

and fro in the subterranean bowels of Tokyo, a canopy of streetcar cables sprawled the city’s streets. While their rails have long disappeared from sight, we’ve tracked down Tokyo’s two remaining trams and other oldschool forms of transport to take you on a journey through history.

Toden Arakawa Line

In its heyday, the tram network known as Toden comprised 41 routes. When transportation eventually moved underground and forced the streetcar system into decline in the 1960s, the Arakawa Line’s commuters rallied behind their beloved trams and successfully campaigned to keep the line alive. As the sole survivor of the Toden system, the Arakawa Line operates between Minowabashi and Waseda stations, passing by landmarks such as the Zoshigaya cemetery, Jizo-dori shopping street, Arakawa amusement park and Joyful Minowa Shotengai. During the 50-minute, 30-stop ride, you’ll travel back in time to a part of Tokyo relatively unchanged since the war, populated by old souls quietly living out the rest of their days in their quaint houses and dusty shops that smell of sweet nostalgia.

A one-way ticket costs ¥170 (¥165 with IC card) for adults and ¥90 (¥82) for children.

For unlimited travel, buy a day pass for ¥400 (children pay ¥200). àwww.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/eng/services/streetcar.html Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

Tokyu Setagaya Line

Tokyo’s only other streetcar still in operation is the Tokyu Setagaya Line, opened in 1925 as a branch route of the Tamagawa Line, which connected the surrounds of the Tama River to Shibuya before all but one of its cable cars were scrapped in 1969. The 10-stop journey from Sangenjaya to Shimo-Takaido takes 20 minutes, snaking through sleepy backstreets at a leisurely pace. Before taking the tram from Sancha, take a stroll in Setagaya Park and climb atop the area’s tallest building, Carrot Tower. The skyscraper, which unfortunately looks nothing like the vegetable, has a free observation deck on its 26th floor, commanding a breathtaking view of Tokyo (against a backdrop of Mt Fuji on a clear day).

Once on the tram, make a stopover halfway at Gotokuji to pay the eponymous temple a visit, which is where the world-famous manekineko (‘beckoning cat’) statuettes originated.

A one-way ticket is ¥140 for adults and ¥70 for children, with an unlimited day pass setting you back a mere ¥320. àwww.setagaya-line.com

Tokyo Shitamachi Bus

Unlike the city’s two surviving trams, which are venerable artefacts from the Showa period, the Tokyo Shitamachi Bus was actually built in 2008 but made to appear vintage with its retro-futuristic design and large curvilinear windows, with a metallic body that is ready to rust and look the part. The bus offers

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a comfortable sightseeing experience in downtown Tokyo, departing from Tokyo Station and Ueno en route to Kinshicho. While the end-to-end journey takes less than an hour, you can disembark at any station to explore the area like a true flâneur and catch one of the next buses running at 20-minute intervals. The route is dotted with must-see places, including the department store Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, otaku mecca Akihabara, Ueno Park and Tokyo Skytree. One ride costs ¥210 for adults and ¥110 for children. You can alternatively get a Toei Bus day pass for ¥500 (¥250 for young ’uns), which is valid on other Toei buses too. àwww.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/bus/shitamachi/english/index.html

Rickshaw

To see how Tokyoites got about before the industrial revolution came knocking, climb aboard a jinrikisha (hand-pulled rickshaw) in Asakusa. Dressed in traditional wraps and zori sandals, your shafu (rickshaw puller) will be your guide and chauffeur, wheeling you back in time to the Edo era. The Ebisuya rickshaw company offers one-block tours alongside half-hour, one-hour and two-hour rides around Sensoji Temple and the Sumida River. To experience a real time warp, book the two-hour trip, where you’ll be carted to the foot of the modern engineering marvel that is the Tokyo Skytree aboard technology from 1869.

Tours begin as early as 9.30am and, taking the old-school ethos to heart, end at sunset. àebisuya.com/en/branch/index.html#branch_kaminarimon

Getting Around

Going Goingunderground? underground?

Welcome to the world’s most efficient transport system

Welcome to the world’s most efficient transport system

Getting Around 71 For your full, up-to-the-minute guide to Tokyo October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo visit www.timeout.com/tokyo 77

Getting Around

TOKYO’S BEST

Skate spots Where to perfect your kickflips and board slides this autumn. Guide: Yusuf Huysal

WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED that skateboarding will be part of the Olympic programme at Tokyo 2020, the decision threw some skaters off balance. Isn’t the idea of competition at loggerheads with the expressive ethos of the sport? While the debate rages on, we highlight the city’s vibrant skate culture for those who hope to boost their skills ahead of the Games. Behold, Tokyo’s best skating joints.

1.

MIYASHITA PARK

Long one of the most neglected corners of Shibuya, Miyashita Park had become a magnet for the homeless before it was controversially redeveloped by Nike, with new facilities including a skate park. The overhauled Miyashita (plans to rename it ‘Nike Park’ were ultimately dropped) has certainly won over the city’s skaters.

Legendary skateboarders P-Rod and Lance Mountain were involved in designing the park, which boasts a slick concrete bowl and stair sets including a photogenic 7-step.

Wearing a helmet is mandatory and they can be borrowed from the club house free of charge. General admission for two hours is ¥200 (¥100 for elementary and junior high school students).

à 6-20-10 Jingumae, Shibuya (Shibuya Station). 03 3498 6231.

9am-10pm daily. www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp/est/park_miyashita. html.

2.

HLNA SKYGARDEN

Located on the roof of the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza mall in Odaiba, HLNA Skygarden is by far the most scenic skate park in the city, commanding breathtaking views of Tokyo Bay. The park is well equipped with a variety of obstacles including quarter pipes, manny pads, a decent-sized mini half pipe and several stair sets with handrails. If you’re feeling hungry, pop over to Wahoo’s Tacos for the signature fish tacos or ‘wet’ burritos, voluminous enough to get even a banged-up boarder back on his or her feet after a tough morning session. The park also offers lessons for beginners and advanced skaters taught by Tokyo’s pros. Over 16s skate for ¥420 per hour (¥1,050 for three hours); 13-15 year olds for ¥210 per hour (¥530), children below 12 are free.

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

à DiverCity Tokyo Plaza 7F, 1-1-10 Aomi, Koto (Tokyo Teleport Station). 03 5579 6991. 10am-10pm daily. hlna.jp/skygarden.

3.

MURASAKI PARK TOKYO

Murasaki Sports Park, affectionately (and aptly) nicknamed Amazing Square, could well be Japan’s premier skate park.

In addition to boasting an impressive repertoire of street and transition obstacles spread out over a large outdoor area, the park contains a huge four-metre vert ramp.

If you’re not experienced enough to ride this behemoth, you can hone your skills in the flat area reserved for beginners and kids.

Amazing Square also has an indoor area with wood flooring complete with a fun box, manny pads, hubbas and stairs.

à 19-1 Senju-Sekiyacho, Adachi (Keisei-Sekiya, Ushida stations). 03 5284 3693. Mon-Fri 3pm-9.45pm (¥864), Sat 1pm-9.45pm (¥1,080), Sun and hols 1pm-8.45pm (¥1,080). www.murasaki.co.jp/shop/kanto/303.html.

4.

KOMAZAWA SKATE PARK

Located inside the Olympic Park constructed for the 1964 Games, Komazawa Skate Park is a laidback meeting spot for Tokyo’s skaters. The park has easy-going banks where youngsters and beginners hang out as well as launch boxes, quarterpipe hips and a row of mini half pipes where seasoned skaters take turns to show off their tricks. Benches and manny pads cater to all the street skaters out there. Entrance is free.

à 1-1 Komazawa Koen, Setagaya (Komazawa-Daigaku Station).

From 10am daily, closing hours vary by month (earliest 4.30pm, latest 7pm).

5.

SETAGAYA SKATE PARK

Known to locals as SL Park, Setagaya Skate Park is divided into two areas, with one area composed of a narrow runway with a rollin on one end, a basic funbox in the middle, and a quarter pipe on the rear end. The other area is more spacious and features a flatrail, a manny pad and plenty of curb to grind on.

First-time users need to register at the second floor of the administration building, which is located next to the park pool. Bring your helmet as it’s mandatory to wear one and the park doesn’t provide any. Free entrance.

à 1-5-27 Ikejiri, Setagaya (Ikejiri-Ohashi Station). 03 3412 7841. Daily 9am-5pm. www.city.setagaya.lg.jp/ kurashi/106/157/690/d00028266.html.

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October – December, 2016 Time Out Tokyo

You know you’re in Tokyo when…

What could be better than chasing your own tail? Chasing your own tail in a designer bonemotif gilet, a diamanté-trimmed collar and a pair of fierce doggie aviators, of course – the very pinnacle of canine élan. They don’t often express it, but deep down every dog wants to be fabulous. And if you’ve ever walked down the streets of Ginza, you’ll already be familiar with the ultimate accessory: the dogstroller, in which owners parade their pets in cushioned splendour. Walkies is so last season.

By Benjamin Boas TOKYO IS A wonderful city to live in but it can be tough for pet owners. Occasionally it feels like there’s barely enough room for humans, and finding places to live where pets are allowed can be problematic. But despite all the kawaii in popular culture, for some there’s no substitute for a reallife furry clump of cuteness in their home, and not having enough room to swing a cat doesn’t stop Tokyoites from idolising their pets…

REAL-LIFE POKÉMON

With Pokémon Go leading smartphone users through all the nooks and crannies of Tokyo, perhaps it’s a good time to consider starting a collection of some of the most time-honoured pets for Japanese children: insects. No, really. Kids in this country catch butterflies, bell crickets and other bugs in the summer and autumn and then keep them as pets.

And of course, just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to join in the fun. In fact, rhinoceros-beetle collecting is so popular in some areas of Japan that fighting competitions are arranged – with a tidy profit for the champion’s owner!

PHANTOM PETS

So the lease on your apartment doesn’t allow pets. But ‘pet’ is such an outmoded and condescending term – and the tenancy contract doesn’t specifically refer to ‘non-human dependent companions’, so technically you’re in the clear. But to be on the safe side, it’s still a good idea to keep it on the down low from your landlady: invest in a supply of fragrant air-fresheners; obtain a spacious handbag with air-holes; and train your quadrupedal flatmate to respect local noise ordinances – as well as the human method of marking one’s territory (by paying the rent on time, rather than the other thing).

ANIMAL CAFÉS

If, like many Tokyoites, you can’t find enough spare hours, money or space to take on a pet full-time, you can always pop in to one of the city’s abundant animal cafés. Here you can get your fix of furry cuddles free from responsibility and commitment – and there’s a lot on the menu. In addition to its legendary cat cafés, Tokyo boasts establishments where you can pay by the hour to pet dogs, owls, snakes, rabbits and goats. Not all at the same time, though. That would be barking.

UNCONVENTIONAL BREEDS

Donkeys, rabbits and giant tortoises have all been spotted being taken for walks on the streets of Tokyo. Pet stores often trade in exotic animals – bear in mind that ‘exotic’ here includes the humble hedgehog – but you might want to avoid these spots as some have been known to sell endangered species, or those unsuited to being kept in domestic environments. Instead just marvel at the menagerie on the streets, and visit a dog or cat shelter for your own pet requirements.

The animal-rescue network Animal Refuge Kansai (ARK) is a good place to start: www. arkbark.net/en

In the next issue of Time Out Tokyo…

Available across Tokyo from January 2017

Love Tokyo Awards

The results are in – we reveal the very best of Tokyo

Time Out Tokyo October – December, 2016

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ILLUSTRATIONS: KENTO IIDA

PIMPED-OUT PUPS

Your pet’s the star