1067-Metropolis

Sep 5-18, 2014 Japan’s Nº1 English Magazine www.metropolis.co.jp 

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BRANCH SCHOOLS: YOKOHAMA, AKASAKA-KIOI 

Kotohira 

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Exit 2 

Tokyo Mitsubishi BK 

Kasumigaseki Bldg 

Toranomon Crossing 

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Exit A12 

Chiyoda Line 

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Exit A3 

Mita Line 

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←Hamamatsucho 

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inside 

SEP 5-18, 2014 • #1067 

© 2014 Tf1 Films Production S.A.S StudioCanal S.A. 

13 

19 

24 

Home Run Hogs: Check out the vibes at Kanto’s major 

stadiums as the NPB playoff race heats up. 

Speed Dial: Call and Response Records founder Ian 

Martin reveals the ins and outs of Japanese indie. 

Next Stop: Liam Neeson adds another enjoyably 

imperfect actioner to his repertory. 

Cover design: Kohji Shiiki, photography: ©YDB 

GET PRINTED! 

SEND YOUR “BEATING THE HEAT” PHOTOS FOR THE OCT 3 ISSUE. DEADLINE SEP 22 metropolis.co.jp/features/photo 

IN FOCUS 

Awa Odori dancers in Koenji, by Jacob Novoselic 

8F Nishi-Azabu Sonic Bldg, 3-2-12 Nishi-Azabu, 

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031 Tel 03-4588-2277 

Fax 03-4588-2278 • www.metropolis.co.jp 

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03

upfront 

SCENE AROUND TOWN 

Photos by David Jimenez 

LINGOIST 

Aug 28. French Tuesdays’ Las Vegas Show Night at Ele Tokyo 

©Metropolis 

TEACHER’S PET 

The verb suffix “-te kudasai” turns a statement 

into a request, a gentle order or an instruction. 

It’s equivalent to “Please do (action)” in English. 

Just don’t use it with your boss or when 

you meet the emperor—there’s a whole separate 

set of humble expressions for superiors! 

INSTRUCTOR EDICTS 

JP Dozo suwatte kudasai. 

EN Please sit down. 

JP Namae wo kaite kudasai. 

EN Please write your name. 

Aug 28. Metropolis Getsumatsu event at Akita Pure Rice Sake Bar 

Photos by Jacob Novoselic 

STUDENT SUPPLICATIONS 

JP Mo ikkai itte kudasai. 

EN Please say it once more. 

JP Yukkuri itte kudasai. 

EN Please speak more slowly. 

Lesson by Alpha Japanese Language Institute. 

Learn hiragana and katakana free online at www. 

alpha.ac.jp/mob/ebooks/hirakata/ 

Aug 23-24. Awa Odori dancers in Koenji 

K 

A 

N 

A 

C 

R 

O 

S 

S 

Photo by Kohji Shiiki 

Photo by Mance Thompson 

1 2 3 

ぺ 

B 

4 5 6 

C 

2 

7 8 

2 

A 

9 

D 

Aug 21. Empire at Club eX in Shinagawa 

Metropolis Members Club 

THIS WEEK’S WINNER! 

Shane Lipscombe 

won a romantic dinner for two 

courtesy of 148@azabujyuban 

Aug 5. Kanagawa Shimbun fireworks in Yokohama 

UPCOMING PRIZE 

One lucky MMC member will win a 

Personal Training Session voucher 

courtesy of Club 360 

Register for prizes & discounts www.metropolis.co.jp/club 

Down 

1. Fluent 

2. To open 

3. Chair 

5. Study 

6. Friend 

8. Air 

Solution: 

Across 

1. Pair 

4. Easy 

5. No 1? 

7. Graffiti 

9. Baseball 

A B C D 

ANSWERS AT meturl.com/kanacross 

04

McDonald’s Japan 

announced that 

it has banned 

smoking in all 3,135 

of its restaurants. 

the small print 

BY STEVE TRAUTLEIN 

LINGO BOX 

Kitsuen wo kinshi suru 

( 喫煙を禁止する) = ban smoking 

Hisaisha ( 被災者 ) = 3/11 quake evacuee 

Ekusute (エクステ) = (eyelash) extensions 

Rakugaki ( 落書き) = graffiti 

Zangyo ( 残業 ) = overtime 

I CANNOT DENY THAT MY COMMENTS WERE 

DISGRACEFUL, AND I’M SORRY.” —Aichi municipal assemblyman 

Tomonaga Nagata, who suggested increasing Japan’s birthrate by giving 

newlyweds “condoms with holes in them” 

ONWARD, HO! 

⊲Officials ⊲ at the defense ministry say they 

plan to establish a “monitoring force” in outer 

space by 2019. 

⊲The ⊲ Japanese government bestowed names 

on 158 remote islets that “define the country’s 

territorial waters.” Needless to say, the move 

drew a rebuke from China. 

⊲Executives ⊲ 

at Toshiba say they’re ready to 

ship the first batch of vegetables grown in a 

former floppy-disk factory in Yokosuka. 

BOTTOMS UP 

⊲A ⊲ survey by Kirin has found that 2013 was the 

29th straight year during which global beer 

production hit a record high. 

⊲And, ⊲ for the 12th consecutive year, China remained 

the world’s top beer producer. 

⊲Members ⊲ of a government committee have 

found that employees of the Sukiya gyudon 

chain regularly work more than 100 hours of 

overtime a month. 

⊲The ⊲ welfare ministry is set to introduce a 

at a glance 

BY ADAM GARWOOD 

labeling system that’s intended to help consumers 

identify “healthy” prepared foods at 

supermarkets and conbini. 

AFTERSHOCKS 

⊲Officials ⊲ in Saitama say they were “unaware” 

that about 2,400 evacuees from Fukushima 

are taking shelter in the prefecture. 

⊲The ⊲ Reconstruction Agency revealed that 

more than 35 percent of the fiscal 2013 budget 

for rebuilding areas affected by the March 

2011 disaster went unused. 

⊲Authorities ⊲ at the land ministry say they want 

to make it easier for local officials to remove 

cars stranded on roads during disasters, even 

if the owners aren’t around. 

⊲Officials ⊲ in Kita-ku have spent about 

¥200,000 to remove graffiti from the Iwabuchi 

Floodgate, which was built in 1924 and has 

been designated a historic structure. 

ON THE WILD SIDE 

⊲The ⊲ Consumer Affairs Agency says it has re- 

stats 

87,900 Number of travelers from the 

U.S. who visited Japan in June—a 

record for the month—according to the 

JNTO 

74.8 Percent of Japanese people who 

say they oppose the rise in the 

consumption tax planned for October 

2015 

¥20 BILLION Fines levied by the 

Chinese government on Japanese 

automobile parts makers for violating 

antitrust laws—a record penalty 

ceived a rash of reports from people who were 

injured at unlicensed massage parlors. 

⊲Meanwhile, ⊲ 

the National Consumer Affairs 

Center says it’s been holding “around 100 

consultations a year related to eyelash extensions.” 

⊲The ⊲ MPD has begun deploying armed plainclothes 

officers on flights between Haneda 

and the U.S. 

⊲A ⊲ company in Yamagata has found success 

by recycling old baseballs and selling them to 

high schools around the country for less than 

half the price of new ones. 

AND FINALLY… 

⊲All ⊲ five of the Japanese teenagers who participated 

in the annual International Physics 

Olympiad, held this year in Kazakhstan, took 

home medals. 

⊲For ⊲ the first time, the government has 

launched a comprehensive survey on people 

who don’t have a family register. 

⊲The ⊲ operator of Tokyo Skytree says 7 percent 

of visitors to the facility are non-Japanese. 

⊲Bottom ⊲ Story of the Week: “Ichihara Zoo Celebrates 

Rare Event of Elephant Nursing Calf 

Not Her Own” (via The Asahi Shimbun) 

Small Print Updated Weekly 

→ METURL.COM/SMALLPRINT 

Compiled from reports by AP, Japan Today, The Japan Times, Jiji, The Tokyo 

Reporter, The Mainichi, The Japan News, AFP, Reuters and Kyodo 

05

Ends Sep 30 

September 

Mention Metropolis 

for FREE ADMISSION 

THE RACE IS ON! 

Groups of 4 or more can 

compete with each other 

Admission 

1 ticket (7 min)=¥2100, 3 tix=¥5200, 5 tix=¥7800 

¥47,000 

06

city life 

global village 

PLASTICS ACROSS THE PACIFIC 

From Oakland to Yokohama in 63 days 

BY MIKE KANERT 

VISUAL-KEI VITALITY 

Ruki, oft-begloved vocalist 

for visual-kei quintet the Gazette, 

is known as well for his 

fashion and makeup sense 

as he is for his velvet voice. 

So it comes as no surprise 

that he’s the mastermind behind 

new organic cosmetic line Vital Material. As 

might be expected of someone who wears a fair 

amount of maquillage for concerts and photo 

shoots, his line focuses on organic and harmonizing 

fragrances that are gentle and pleasing 

for the skin. Vital Material’s aromatic hand 

creams (50ml, ¥2,484) come in Jasmine, Bergamot 

and Damask rose scents, while Bergamotscented 

hand soap (300ml, ¥2,484) and lemon 

fragrance sanitary gel (50ml, ¥1,620) might be 

more suited to the non-makeup-minded. http:// 

vitalmaterial.com—Lisa Wallin 

ORGANIC AROMA 

F Organics Daikanyama is located inside an old, 

traditional Japanese house—so naturally, the 

interior is entirely Scandinavian. All the skin care 

products are certified organic, offering enticing 

aromas of rose, ylang ylang, orange and frankincense, 

with customers choosing their preferred 

scent before treatment. Massages and facials 

start at ¥10,800 for 60 minutes, while a quick 

pick-me-up from the Express Menu (¥5,400) 

includes a 30-minute head, back and leg massage—pinpointing 

the main problem areas that 

come after a hard day’s work (or shopping). You’ll 

leave feeling revitalized—but if you have the 

concentrated facial (90 min, ¥15,120), we can’t 

guarantee you won’t fall asleep before you’re 

done! Staff who speak some English are also 

available. http://f-organics.jp—LW 

Matthew Rutherford 

deploys the Avani net 

The Earth has five major 

gyres—the name given to the 

vast rotating systems of currents 

that churn through the 

oceans. The Pacific and Atlantic 

Oceans are moved by two 

major gyres each, while the 

last major gyre spirals through 

the Indian Ocean. Plastic and 

other artificial pollutants also 

accumulate in these gyres, 

making them key regions for 

environmental research. 

“Pollution throughout the 

oceans of the world is a problem that we all 

share,” says Nicole Trenholm of the Ocean 

Research Project, a U.S.-based science data 

collection service. On April 27, Trenholm and 

project founder Matt Rutherford set out on a 

sample-gathering expedition from Oakland, 

California, traversing 12,000 kilometers of 

ocean on their way to Japan. 

The team’s tiny 9-meter boat, loaned by 

W.D. Schock Corp., was christened Sakura. 

“The seeds of the sakura tree 

were once given to the United 

States, offering peace between 

our nations,” Trenholm tells Metropolis. 

“By sailing Sakura back 

to Japan, we reinforce this benevolent 

bond, but also foster a 

blossoming relationship in marine 

environmental research.” 

Trenholm and Rutherford 

planned a route that would pass 

through parts of both the North 

and South Pacific gyre systems. While most 

ocean research expeditions spend just a few 

weeks in a specific gyre location, this would be 

the first continuous marine plastics survey from 

one continent to another. 

Sakura was modified with a self-steering 

windvane that allowed her to steer herself with 

only small adjustments —and stocked with 5 

liters of emergency water and 80 days of freezedried 

food. “You can’t guarantee living off the 

sea by fishing your way across,” Trenholm says. 

“We did a lot of fishing but not a lot of catching.” 

Trenholm served as principal marine scientist 

and offshore sailor; Rutherford, the captain, 

was recognized in the 2014 Guinness Book of 

POLLUTION 

THROUGHOUT 

THE OCEANS 

OF THE WORLD 

IS A PROBLEM 

THAT WE ALL 

SHARE.” 

Photo by Nicole Trenholm 

World Records as the first person to complete a 

nonstop solo sailing voyage around North and 

South America. 

Samples were collected using a high-speed 

Avani net, a light aluminum frame with a crossshaped 

opening that skimmed the surface of 

the water, capturing plastic particles greater 

than 0.44 millimeters in size. Trenholm stored 

each haul in a 500-milliliter sample bottle, adding 

isopropyl alcohol to preserve it for analysis 

at the Baltimore Underground 

Science Space and the University 

of Tokyo’s International Pellet 

Watch program. Baltimore research 

is to focus on estimating 

the prevalence and abundance 

of floating plastic in the Pacific 

gyres, as well as identifying the 

dominant types of plastic and 

bacterial DNA collected. The 

Tokyo samples will be analyzed 

for persistent organic pollutants 

such as PCBs and pesticides. 

Sakura arrived in Yokohama Bay in the middle 

of the night on June 27, 63 days after setting 

out. She slipped in ahead of a low-pressure 

system with unfavorable winds that would have 

made landfall difficult. Rutherford hadn’t slept 

in three days. The adventurers then climbed 

Mount Fuji and visited Osaka before departing 

by plane on July 18, leaving Sakura in the hands 

of the local W.D. Schock dealer. Their journey 

complete, they now await a freighter transporting 

their samples back across the ocean from 

which they were culled, with the next task— 

analysis—set to begin this fall. 

http://oceanresearchproject.org 

07

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03-3806-6102 

info@akamonkai.ac.jp 

Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, closed Sat-Sun & hols 

Nippori 

www.akamonkai.ac.jp 

AKAMONKAI 

JAPANESE LAN- 

GUAGE SCHOOL 

Nippori 

Akamonkai Japanese Language School has two campuses and eight 

dormitories around Nippori in Tokyo. It boasts approximately 1,200 students 

who come from over 40 different countries. Akamonkai offers a wide range of 

classes for various levels, from college prep courses to business employment 

classes and short term courses—so no matter what your goal or level, they’ll 

help raise your Japanese ability in the most efficient way possible. In recent years, the college prep and 

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• Intensive Course: ¥18,000-170,000 

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• Private Lessons with a customized curriculum 

2-14-7 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku (Shibuya) 

03-3409-0391 (Shibuya) 

03-5348-7671 (Shinjuku) 

045-312-5759 (Yokohama) 

shibuya@arc.ac.jp 

Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-4pm, 

closed Sun & hol 

Shibuya, Shinjuku or Yokohama 

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WEBSITE 

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• Private lessons: ¥25,000 (60min x 10 lessons) 

• Materials fee: ¥4,000-5,000 

1-9-8 Azabudai, Minato-ku 

03-5563-2537 

azabudai@itf.or.jp 

Mon-Tue & Thu-Sat 10am-8pm 

Kamiyacho 

www.itf.or.jp/azabudai 

ARC ACADEMY 

Shibuya, Shinjuku and 

Yokohama 

ARC Academy, located in Shibuya, Shinjuku and Yokohama, was established 

in 1986 and offers various courses to meet students’s diverse objectives. 

The Intensive Course is designed to help people at any level learn Japanese 

systematically, focusing on speaking and listening. A cultural excursion is included 

each term, and afternoon activities are organized so that you can learn different aspects of Japanese culture. 

The course is available in flexible durations as brief as four days through to months and years. If you’re too 

busy to attend a regular course every day, or if you have a particular request for your lesson, private lessons 

are also available, and an individualized curriculum will be made according to your needs. Whether you’re 

looking to develop your basic conversational skills or business terminology, ARC Academy promises the best 

results. Friendly teachers and staff welcome your inquiries by email, telephone or in person. 

AZABUDAI 

JAPANESE 

Azabudai 

Azabudai Japanese Language 

Course offers practical lessons 

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students acquire communicative 

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Because an ability to use new 

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learning, class activities are based 

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And because learners know their 

mistakes will be corrected, they 

gain the confidence to speak 

freely and naturally. Beginner 

students at Azabudai are given a three-month starter course that introduces hiragana, katakana and simple 

sentences. Azabudai Japanese Language Course was established in 1982, and students come from a variety 

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school is located just six minutes from Kamiyacho station and ten minutes from Akabanebashi, Azabu Juban or 

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08

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Kotsu-kotsu to benkyo shimasu 

(コツコツと勉強します) = 

study diligently 

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22-9 Ekimae-Honcho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 

Kanagawa 

044-244-3200 

jpn@cbc.ac.jp 

Kawasaki 

www.cbcjpn.jp/english 

COLLEGE OF 

BUSINESS AND 

COMMUNICATION 

Kawasaki 

College of Business and Communication (CBC) is a prestigious vocational 

school renowned as a pioneer in language and business studies. Thousands 

of its graduates have gone on to success both in Japan and internationally. 

Located just one minute’s walk from Keikyu Kawasaki station, the location is 

perfect for international students traveling to and from work or home. CBC’s 

curriculum is designed to balance and improve students’s reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Those 

at an intermediate level or higher can take courses to prepare for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test 

(JLPT) N1 and N2, as well as courses in useful business Japanese. CBC also provides special kanji classes. 

Three-month and six-month courses are held for 22 hours a week. Students taking long-term courses receive 

commuting passes or discounts for long-distance JR tickets, and the school can help change your visa status to 

a study-abroad student visa. For details, please feel free to call or email the friendly, multilingual staff. 

WEBSITE 

SERVICES 


• Tuition (2 days/week): ¥18,000 

• Tuition (3 days/week): ¥30,000 

• Tuition (intensive course): ¥60,000 

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• Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) 

N1, N2, N3, N4 Saturday course 

• 2015 April term student visa registration open now! 

1-21-18 Yutenji, Meguro-ku 

03-3713-4958 

info@evergreen.gr.jp 

Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm 

Yutenji 

www.evergreen.gr.jp 

EVERGREEN 

Yutenji 

Evergreen Language School is located in the quiet residential area of Yutenji, just three 

stops from Shibuya on the Tokyu Toyoko line. Established 65 years ago, the school has 

seen more than 50,000 students from around the globe pass through its classrooms. 

Evergreen strives to create effective, enjoyable classes to help students learn both the language and culture of 

Japan. Private lessons allow you to choose special materials, and group classes offer the opportunity to learn 

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lessons designed to prepare you for studies at a Japanese university. Friendly and professional teachers help 

you build confidence while laying the groundwork for continued learning. Evergreen operates in Jiyugaoka on 

the Toyoko line and can even dispatch teachers to your home or company, which means fewer excuses not to 

make 2014 the year you conquer the Japanese language! 

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• JLPT N1-N4 preparation courses 

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7F Waseda Yobiko Bldg, 4-9-9 Takadanobaba, 

Shinjuku-ku 

03-5348-8951 

tjp22@athuman.com 

Mon-Sat 9am-6pm 

Takadanobaba 

http://hajl.athuman.com/e/ 

HUMAN 

ACADEMY 

Shinjuku 

Since the Human Academy Japanese Language School founded its Tokyo 

classroom in 1991, thousands of its graduates have gone on to use Japanese in their 

work and daily lives. The goal of HAJL is not only to teach Japanese, but also to help 

individuals use their language skills to create a bright, new future for themselves. 

It’s the school’s mission to help students attain the skills and tools necessary to navigate life in Japan—and 

beyond. With this in mind, HAJL offers classes that are not only easy to understand, but also engaging in a way 

that encourages involvement rather than generating boredom in the classroom. Many of the school’s successful 

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why not join Human Academy and start your own voyage beyond basic Japanese? 

09

EDUCATION 

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Nihongo noryoku shiken ni gokaku shimashita! 

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I passed my JLPT test! 

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Roppongi, Takanawa 

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0422-47-7390 

info@klschool.com 

Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-1pm 

Kichijoji 

www.klschool.com 

KICHIJOJI 

LANGUAGE 

Kichijoji 

If you’d like to study Japanese in a truly fun, personalized and dedicated environment, 

then look no further than Kichijoji Language School. Every day in class you have 

the opportunity to practice Japanese with friendly teachers and fellow classmates, 

making your language study enjoyable and exciting. With a solid curriculum and highly 

experienced teachers, Kichijoji Language School strives to support each student’s individual learning style. 

And with various course levels, advanced electives and private lessons, you have the ability to choose 

whichever course is right for your needs. At KLS, group courses consist of eight classes ranging from everyday 

conversation to academic and advanced-level communication. Private lessons will help clarify points learned in 

class, and are tailored to your particular needs and interests. Enjoy learning Japanese at a school known for its 

cozy “at-home” atmosphere—one that encourages students to ask any question or voice their comments freely. 

WEBSITE 

COURSES 

• Regular program (5 days/week) 

• Part-time program (1 or 2 days/week, early 

mornings, mid-mornings, evenings and 

Saturdays) 

• Private lessons (custom-tailored) 

1-21 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku 

03-3359-9600 

jli-info@nichibei.ac.jp 

Mon-Thu 9am-7:30pm, Fri 9am-5pm 

Yotsuya 

www.nichibei.ac.jp/jli 

NICHIBEI 

KAIWA GAKUIN 

Yotsuya 

If you’re keen on studying practical or business Japanese, Nichibei Kaiwa Gakuin 

Japanese Language Institute (JLI) is the place to be. At the basic level, you’ll practice 

intensive drills for practical conversation skills. At the intermediate and advanced 

levels, more sophisticated conversation and speech drills are an essential part 

of the program. Newspaper articles, TV news and JLPT preparation—as well as Japanese corporate-culture 

studies—are also covered. Students include businesspeople, corporate trainees, diplomats, family members 

of working expats, spouses of Japanese nationals and more, all with various cultural backgrounds. Founded 

in 1967 by the International Education Center (IEC), JLI is conveniently located in central Tokyo, a three-minute 

walk from Yotsuya station. In addition to Japanese lessons, IEC provides a variety of international exchanges 

such as the International Speech Contest in Japanese broadcast on NHK. Everyone is welcome to sit and 

observe classes. 

10

LINGO 

BOX 

Kanji wo sanbyakko oboemashita! 

( 漢字を300 個覚えました) = 

I’ve learned 300 kanji! 


WEBSITE 

SPECIAL OFFER 

• Beginner one-on-one lessons (1 hr) only ¥3,900 

until the end of September 

SERVICES 


• Beginner group lessons (three 2-hr lessons/mth): 

¥9,500/mth 

• One-on-one lessons (1 hr): ¥5,400 

4-18-7 Sakurajosui, Setagaya-ku 

070-5424-146 

soncho@pottery-tokyo.jp 

Group lesson: Wed-Fri 7:10-9:10pm, 

Thu 10am-noon, Sat 9-11am, 11:10am-1:10pm; 

One-on-one lesson: please ask. 

Sakurajosui (Keio line) 

www.pottery-tokyo.jp 

POTTERY TOKYO 

West Tokyo 

Fancy getting your hands dirty and enriching your life with a new hobby? Then it’s 

time to enroll in pottery school. Instructor Eriko Kuroda’s lessons aren’t just about 

molding clay—the whole process is fun and relaxing. You’ll be surprised by her 

knowledge of Japanese history, culture and traditions. She believes students should also learn the philosophical 

elements of the art of pottery—an angle many seldom consider. As one pupil says, “This experience changed my 

life in Tokyo. Now I always think about my pottery projects even if I’m in a coffee shop on a break from work—I 

draw on napkins! I love the moment when I touch clay with Eriko!” 

SINCE 1975 

新宿日本語学校 

SHINJUKU JAPANESE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE 

WEBSITE 

COURSES 

• Weekdays 

• Sundays 

• Evenings 

• Textbook provided free for the first term 

2-9-7 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku 

03-5273-0044 

jimu_sng_1975@sng.ac.jp 

Weekdays 9am-5pm, weekends 9am-3pm 

Takadanobaba or Nishi-Waseda 

www.sng.ac.jp/english 

SHINJUKU JAPANESE 

LANGUAGE SCHOOL 

Shinjuku 

Approaching 40 years of educational experience, SNG provides its 

students with a unique learning experience through the Ezoe Method. 

Differently shaped and colored cards represent the different parts 

of speech, enabling students to speak with confidence, construct 

complex sentences and understand formal and informal conversation. Our programs range from total 

beginner to advanced levels, with various specialized courses and class times to suit your needs. SNG has 

also launched a new digital learning program: Visual Learning Japanese. Grammar is explained with help from 

corresponding videos and online exercises using the Ezoe Method. With additional access to SNG grammar 

and vocabulary study applications, you can preview or review lessons and study anytime and anywhere! 

This novel teaching technique, combined with our traditional classroom methodology, creates a whole new 

experience in language acquisition. 

WEBSITE 

SPECIAL OFFER 

• Bring this copy of Metropolis and receive 

¥10,000 off any one service or class 

COURSES 

• Free trial lesson 

• Sunday SAT classes: ¥48,000/4-week class 

• SAT/ACT, SSAT/ISEE tutoring: ¥10,000/hr 

• Other tutoring subjects: ¥6,000-8,000/hr 

4F, 4-5-48 Minami Azabu, Minato-ku 

050-5891-9076 

info@tokyoacademics.com 

9am-9pm daily 

Hiroo 

www.tokyoacademics.com 

TOKYO 

ACADEMICS 

Hiroo 

Tokyo Academics is a private tutoring group whose tutors come from top 

global universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Oxford, Stanford, UPenn, 

Cornell and UC Berkeley. We aim to help students in Japan who want to enter 

American universities by providing SAT, ACT, SSAT and ISEE tutoring and 

admission consulting services. Our tutors have been teaching for more than ten years (including more than 

six years in the U.S.) and our extensive collection of teaching materials includes more than 60 different 

practice tests. Aside from our numerous resources and thorough teaching experience, our tutors have 

all gone through a rigorous selection process to ensure that we are not only qualified to teach but also 

pleasant to learn with. For the past few years in Tokyo, we have been consistently assisting students in 

getting into their school of choice, including Harvard, Yale, Brown, NYU, Amherst, UC Berkeley, Phillips 

Academy Andover and Exeter, among others. 

11

EDUCATION 

SPECIAL 

ADVERTISING 

SECTION 

LINGO 

BOX 

Nihongo wo pera-pera ni hanasemasu. 

( 日本語をペラペラに話せます) = 

I can speak Japanese fluently. 


WEBSITE 

http://tokyopreschools.org/ 

TOKYO ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOLS 

Various Tokyo 

Greetings, 

The Tokyo Association of International Preschools (TAIP) would like 

to take this opportunity to wish all preschool students, families and 

educators in the greater Tokyo area and Japan a warm welcome. We hope 

the summer months have proven to be productive and engaging, and that 

more innovative and exciting educational opportunities are planned for 

your school year. 

TAIP is honored to be serving the preschool community here in Tokyo! 

We are looking forward to extending our continued support, professional 

development, public relations and networking opportunities to our 

member schools. We are excited to provide our community with various 

workshops for preschool teachers throughout the year. We will also 

continue to organize tours of international schools aimed at providing 

preschool/kindergarten directors a chance to visit and develop valuable 

connections within the international school community. Additionally, we 

will continue to offer other valuable elements for members, including 

informal “job-alike” sessions for teachers to exchange and discuss best 

practices; a dynamic TAIP website page of links to a variety of professional 

development videos and information aimed specifically at preschool 

education; and archived and live streaming of our own conference 

presenters. 

TAIP will continue to develop the association in the best interests of 

supporting international preschool education. We are always open to 

suggestions from member schools, and anyone interested in working 

more closely with the association as a member of our board of directors! 

Please feel free to visit our website and contact us directly. 

Warm regards, 

Kevin Maxfield 

President / TAIP 

MEMBER SCHOOLS 

• ABC International School 

• Aoba Japan International School 

• ASIJ ELC 

• Ayla International School 

• The British School in Tokyo 

• Canadian International School 

• Central Forest International School 

• Chateau School 

• Columbia International School 

• EtonHouse International Preschool 

• Gregg International School 

• Happy Days International School 

• Hello Kids Myogadani 

• Honey Tree Tots Cooperative Preschool 

• Horizon Japan International School 

• International School of the Sacred Heart 

• Jingumae International Exchange School 

• Joy to the World American International 

• J’s International School 

• Kailua International School 

WEBSITE 

• K. International School Tokyo 

• Keiki Intercultural Preschool 

• Kincarn International School 

• Komazawa Park International School 

• Kunitachi Kids International School 

• Learning Tree 

• Makuhari International School 

• Mitsui Gardens International Preschool 

• New International School 

• New World International School 

• Nishimachi International School 

• Ohana International School 

• Orange International Preschool 

• Poppins International Preschool 

• Seisen International School 

• Shikahama English Adventures International 

• Saint Alban’s Nursery 

• Summerhill International School 

• The Montessori School of Tokyo 

• Tokyo International Kindercare 

• Tokyo International School 

• Tokyo YMCA International School 

• Waseda International School 

• Willowbrook International School 

• Yoyogi International School 

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS 

• Cezars Kitchen K.K. 

• International Society of Educational and 

Cultural Exchange 

• Keyshots.com/East-West Photography 

• National Geographic Learning 

• Organization of Bilingual Parenting 

• RACH Inc. 

• RIC Publications 

• Scholastic Japan 

• Tokyo Bees 

• Tokyo CPR & First Aid 

• Yanagi Educational Group 

SPECIAL OFFER 

• Say you saw this ad in Metropolis and get free 

registration 

COURSES 


• Group lessons: From ¥41,080/month 

(Course materials fee not included) 

• Private lessons: From ¥3,402/hr 

• Student visa course: ¥380,000/6 months or 

¥660,000/1 year 

3F, 22 Sankyo Bldg, 2-2-9 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku 

03-5287-5636 

Japanese-tokyo@unitas-ej.com 

Shin-Okubo or Higashi-Shinjuku 

www.unitas-ej.com 

UNITAS 

Shinjuku 

Founded in 1983 by the Teikyo University Group, Unitas Japanese Language School is just 

a ten-minute walk from Shin-Okubo station or a three-minute walk from Higashi-Shinjuku 

station. All levels of students are welcome, from beginner to advanced, for group classes 

(Mon-Fri 9am-12:30pm or 1:30-4:30pm) and private lessons. Be sure to get exactly what you’re looking for! 

Unitas also has highly competitive class fees: group lessons start from just ¥41,080 per month. A student visa 

course is available for ¥380,000. 

For prospective students from Spain: 

Si estas con visado de turista y decides quedarte a estudiar, se pueden realizar los tramites del cambio de visa 

sin necesidad de regresar a tu pais. Si tienes cualquier duda, no dudes en preguntar, te asesoraremos en todo lo 

que necesites. 

12

cover 

ROOT, ROOT, ROOT 

FOR THE HOME TEAMS 

©Tokyo Yakult Swallows Baseball Club 

A Kanto area baseball primer 

BY TODD WOJNOWSKI 

Baseball and summer go together like edamame and a canned chu-hai. 

Or is that a hotdog and a cold beer? It doesn’t really matter, because you 

can find both the American ballpark classics and their Japanese cousins 

at stadiums across the Nippon Professional Baseball league. In the Kanto 

area, we're particularly blessed with five NPB teams located in and around 

Tokyo, each with its own personality and unique stadium experience. Here’s a 

rundown of the teams you can—and should—check out as the summer winds 

down and the playoff race heats up. 

©YDB 

© Seibu Lions 

By Todd Wojnowski 

CENTRAL LEAGUE 

TOKYO YAKULT SWALLOWS 

Meiji Jingu Stadium | Shinjuku 

Ward, Tokyo 

Tokyo’s more likable team plays 

its games in an exceptional, historic ballpark. 

Opened in 1926, Meiji Jingu Stadium has forgotten 

more baseball than you’ll ever know. It 

holds the distinction of being one of the few 

remaining stadiums in the world where Babe 

Ruth played, which happened during a landmark 

1932 exhibition game with a U.S. allstar 

squad comprised of the Babe, Lou Gehrig 

and friends. Today, Jingu is home to the 

Swallows’ Wladamir Balentien, who last year 

hit 60 home runs to break Japan’s singleseason 

record, which had stood since 1964 

[See “Diamond Dogs,” Metropolis #1016, Sep 

12, 2013]. Seeing Balentien hammer moon 

balls at the Shinjuku skyline can be worth the 

full price of admission. He’s not alone, either: 

Swallows’ batters (including 22-year-old phenom 

Tetsuto Yamada, who has 22 home runs 

and is batting a cool .340 at press time) have 

combined to lead the NPB in runs scored and 

batting average. There have been more than 

enough fireworks coming out of the batter’s 


box to make up for anyone who was too busy 

during hanabi season. 

Yakult fans have perhaps the most famous 

celebration in Japan: after every run they open 

up mini-umbrellas and sing “Tokyo Ondo,” a 

traditional festival song. The stadium experience 

at Jingu is also the most English-friendly, 

as the team’s marketing has been going out 

of its way to cater to fans who don’t speak the 

local language. Famous fans of the Swallows 

include novelist Haruki Murakami, who tells 

that he was first inspired to try writing a book 

while watching a Swallows game from Jingu’s 

outfield seats in 1978. 

GAIENMAE 


©Tokyo Yakult Swallows Baseball Club 

MAKE A DAY OUT OF IT 

Hop on a train in any direction, and you’re within 

just a few stops of bustling areas like Shibuya, 

Roppongi and Yoyogi Park. 

UPCOMING HOME SCHEDULE: 

Sep 5-7 vs. Yomiuri Giants, Sep 15-17 vs. Hanshin 

Tigers, Sep 23-25 vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp 

13

YOKOHAMA DeNA BAYSTARS 

Yokohama Stadium | Yokohama, 

Kanagawa 

The BayStars are like that really 

annoying high school friend who had rich parents. 

You put up with his endless chattering 

about Star Wars because you couldn’t give up 

the extravagant pool parties, big-screen TV for 

movie night and endless supply of ice cream. 

BayStars games are all about making the best of 

a bad situation. Since their inception, Yokohama 

has been the most miserable team in Japanese 

baseball —by far. To keep the fans from revolting, 

team ownership has become known for pulling 

out all the stops to put on a good show. Pregame 

DJs? Dance teams? A beer garden in front 

of the stadium? You bet. Anything to distract 

you from the on-field product. Since DeNa took 

ownership in 2012, it has been carefully trying 

to distance itself from the failures of the past. 

Yokohama Stadium has a modern, cosmopolitan 

air that feels more distinctly North 

American than other Kanto ballparks. The 

hardcore fans in the outfield are passionate, 

standing and cheering for the entire game. 

This season the BayStars have even rallied 

to a longshot at a berth in the Climax Series, 

so this may be the time to watch not just for 

the fun in the stands but for the play on the 

field as well. 

KANNAI, NIHON ODORI 

(The station bells play the BayStars’ fight song) 


The stadium is in a hip, busy area with lots to do. 

Chinatown, Yamashita Park and the Minato Mirai 

district are all within walking distance. 

UPCOMING HOME SCHEDULE 

Sep 5-7 vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Sep 9-11 vs. 

Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Sep 15-17 vs. Chunichi 

Dragons, Sep 23-25 vs. Hanshin Tigers 

©YDB 

YOMIURI GIANTS 

Tokyo Dome | Bunkyo Ward, 

Tokyo 

Most teams shed blood, sweat 

and tears in their pursuit of historic baseball 

glory. Not the Giants. Japan’s most (in)famous 

team simply opens its hefty wallet, coerces 

the best players in the country to Tokyo 

Dome and raises yet another championship 

banner to the ceiling. Ho hum. 

Without question, the kyojin are Japan’s 

most successful franchise, and it’s not even 

close. They boast 35 Central League pennants 

and 22 Japan Series championships, 

both tops by a large margin. Even their exports 

are great: outfielder Hideki Matsui was 

a multi-year all-star in Major League Baseball, 

and relief pitcher Koji Uehara was a big part 

of the Boston Red Sox’s MLB World Series victory 

last year. That success makes the Giants 

the default darlings for people without a local 

team and those not clever enough to cheer for 

anyone but the perennial favorites. The team 

is doing very well again in 2014 (yawn), and the 

boys are currently on pace to earn their third 

straight Central League title. They’re riding 

24-year-old pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, who 

has a 9-5 record and leads the Ce-League 

with a 2.58 ERA. 

Despite being Japan’s largest stadium, 

Tokyo Dome’s games are frequently sold 

out, and desperate folks who can’t stand to 

be left behind by the bandwagon can even 

buy standing-room-only tickets for ¥1,000. 

Adding to their record of notoriety, the Giants 

have been caught up in numerous scandals 

over the years, including illegal salaries that 

exceeded the NPB’s salary cap, constant 

rumblings about shady draft dealings and the 

2012 story of manager Tatsunori Hara paying 

¥100 million to organized crime associates 

who threatened to reveal his extramarital 

affair. Despite (or because of) all this, fans 

dole out equal measures of unbridled love or 

stomach-cramping hatred, and it seems nearly 

impossible that anyone could fall in the middle 

(except your humble writer, of course, who 

does an outstanding job of remaining neutral 

on all topics). 

SUIDOBASHI, KORAKUEN 


The Tokyo Dome also houses Japan’s Baseball 

Hall of Fame, which is very much worth a 

visit. The adjacent Tokyo Dome City is an 

entertainment complex complete with an outdoor 

amusement park, the LaQua spa and plenty of 

restaurants. 


Sep 12–14 vs. Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Sep 

19–21 vs. Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Oct 3–4 vs. 

Yokohama DeNa BayStars 

14

PACIFIC LEAGUE 

CHIBA LOTTE MARINES 

QVC Field | Chiba City, Chiba 

Blood! Guts! Roundhouse kicks to 

the head! These are all-too-familiar 

sights at the Chiba Marines’ QVC Field — well, 

for fans of the classic 1993 video game title 

Tekken, which uses the stadium as one of its 

combat locales. Though Marines games tend to 

be (slightly) more civilized affairs, you can say 

this for Lotte fans: they’ll never let you take a 

mid-game snooze. They’re an infamously loud 

and raucous crew, known for intimidating the 

opposing team and even their own players if 

they’re not performing up to par. Games at QVC 

Field generally have a really nice atmosphere, 

though the weather can be a bit unpredictable 

due to the stadium being right on the shore of 

Tokyo Bay. That means warm days can quickly 

become chilly evenings, and gusty winds often 

sail through. 

Definitely take time before or after the game 

to visit the Marines’ Museum beside the stadium. 

The museum is a reverent homage to 

the team’s history, which began in 1950 as the 

Mainichi Orions, who went on to win the inaugural 

Japan Series. The museum, which is free, 

has a great collection of old-time memorabilia 

and kid-friendly interactive displays. Wander 

around the Makuhari area a bit and you may 

come across Valentine Dori, the street named 

after beloved ex-manager Bobby Valentine, 

who led the Marines to the Japan and Asia Series 

championships in 2005. 

KAIHINMAKUHARI 


QVC Field is tucked between Makuhari Beach 

and the Makuhari Seaside Park, both of which are 

great places for throwing the ball around or having 

lunch before the game. The Makuhari area has a 

fair share of attractions, from an outlet shopping 

mall to the beautiful Mihama-en Japanese garden. 


Sep 5-7 vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, Sep 

8-11 vs. Saitama Seibu Lions, Sep 19-21 vs. ORIX 

Buffaloes, Sep 23-26 vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 

Fighters, Sep 28 vs. ORIX Buffaloes 

SAITAMA SEIBU LIONS 

Seibu Dome | Tokorozawa City, 

Saitama 

Hoero Lions! The pride of Saitama is 

the Pacific League’s historically best team, with 

21 league pennants, 13 Japan Series titles and 

an Asia Series championship in 2008 among its 

accomplishments. The reasons to check out a 

game start with the team’s stomping grounds. 

The Seibu Dome, originally built as an open-air 

stadium, is now covered by a domed roof that 

sits on giant legs perched outside the stadium, 

with a big gap between the roof and the stadium’s 

walls. That gives batters the bizarre opportunity 

to hit an out-of-the-park home run in 

a dome. The visual effect is neat, allowing fans 

to see the rain or swaying trees outside while 

being sheltered from the elements. It feels like 

being on a giant porch with 35,000 of your 

closest friends. 

The 2014 team has made an incredible 

comeback in the standings. A miserable start to 

the season led to the firing of the team’s manager, 

but since then the Lions have clawed their 

way back into contention and have an outside 

shot at sneaking into the playoff picture with a 

month’s worth of games left to play. 

Lions fans have a photo-worthy seventhinning 

stretch tradition, when the fans all release 

balloons while loudly singing the team’s 

fight song. Also, stick around after the game 

on certain days for a chance to go down onto 

the field to run the bases, play catch or practice 

fielding—Wednesday is “Women’s Night,” 

Thursday is “Salaryman Night” and weekends 

are “Family Days.” Stay away during the dog 

days of summer, though, as the heat and humidity 

tend to stagnate under the roof’s bubble, 

turning the stands into a sweatbox. 

Tickets are cheap and so are the concessions: 

a ¥500 beer is the best deal among the 

five Kanto teams. Notable Lions alumni include 

pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who dominated 

the NPB during the early 2000s before finding 

success in the North American major leagues. 

SEIBUKYUJO-MAE 

MAKE A DAY OUT OF IT: 

Pay no mind to the unflattering “Dasaitama” (“tacky 

Saitama”) nickname with which the prefecture has 

been tagged. There’s plenty of green and water 

around: pack yourself a picnic, take a stroll or a dip 

in the scenic lakes Tama or Sayama, and frolic in the 

parks to your heart’s content. 

UPCOMING HOME SCHEDULE: 

Sep 13-15 vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, 

Sep 16-17 vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, 

Sep 19-21 vs. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Oct 2 vs. 

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 

©Seibu Lions 

Before summer winds down completely, do as 

the Tokyoites do: go support the Kanto Five at 

the ol’ ball game! 

15

SEARCHING FOR 

JAPAN’S FACE 

OF FASHION 

Do you speak Chinese, English, French, Japanese or Spanish? Fashion One and 

Metropolis magazine are now looking for talented, genki hosts for Fashion One’s new 

Japan-based broadcasts. 

Send a CV, cover letter, photo and a link to any on-camera work to: 

fashionone@metropolis.co.jp 

Fashion One broadcasts original fashion programming to over 300 million people in 

44 countries worldwide. Apply now and join the fashion frontline! 

metropolis.co.jp/fashionone

fashion fix 

DESIGNING STUDENTS 

BY SAMUEL THOMAS 

Tokyo’s youth may be celebrated worldwide for their inventive and expressive 

street fashion, but talented fashion students here are unlikely to get 

the recognition they deserve as a designer while still in school—until now. 

Shining a light on potentially promising graduates is Gakuten, a new event 

created by the Harajuku-based team behind the successful Design Festa 

art and craft fair. The inaugural Gakuten held last month at Tokyo Big Site 

comprised a “Fashion Avenue” of mannequins, student fashion shows 

and booths selling students’ surprisingly professional-looking wares. 

The Harajuku Design Festa Gallery (www.designfestagallery.com) 

will be playing host to an ever-changing lineup of student trendsetters 

over the next year. Keep your finger on the fashion pulse of tomorrow by 

adding it to your rounds! 

ON POINT 

Despite being the most 

saturated fashion retail 

landscape on the planet, 

the actual shopping 

experience in Tokyo is 

rather repetitive, relying 

on a unique but ultimately 

fixed formula. Jolting the 

scene into life is Paryuco, 

a newly rebranded concept 

shop tucked away 

right in the heart of mainstream retail, Parco 

Part 1 in Shibuya. 

Previously known by the subtly different 

moniker of Pyaruco, it originally parodied the 

shopping environment of the department store 

around it (hence the name) with an open layout 

and video games for customers to play, not to 

mention some of the edgiest fashion going from 

the likes of Chloma—a brand that takes its cues 

from Japanese anime figure designs. The new 

Paryuco is a complete overhaul, bringing a flurry 

of changes designed to overtake the trendbased 

system of fashion found elsewhere in the 

fast-fashion empires of Forever 21 and H&M. The 

shop’s stock will change on a daily basis—as will 

the staff. Even the layout, lighting and music are 

set to be different every time you visit. 

SHOPPING STRATEGY 

Tokyo’s most publicity-shy designer, Keisuke 

Kanda (www.keisukekanda.com) has just enjoyed 

a fittingly low-key opening for his first- 

Photo by Samuel Thomas 

ever conventional shop 

a stone’s throw from his 

alma mater, Shinjuku’s 

Bunka Fashion College. 

Previously operating out 

of a converted snack bar in 

Koenji with erratic opening 

hours that deterred many 

shoppers, the new shop 

finally opens the world of 

Keisuke Kanda to a whole 

new generation of young 

Bunka students, whose only experience of the 

brand to date is most likely to be of the numerous 

fakes that litter the backstreets of Harajuku. 

Those after the real deal can look forward to 

seeing the endearingly cute, hand-stitched and 

washed-out pastels the designer built his name 

on. It’s also a rare chance to glimpse the men’s 

collection—relaxed basics that have become 

an unofficial uniform for the west Tokyo creative 

industry. As ever with this brand, absolutely no 

photos are allowed inside the shop, so you’ll 

have to visit it for yourself. 

Courtesy of Keisuke Kanda 

STREET 

FOCUS 

In Tokyo, no lifestyle should cut you off from 

cutting-edge fashion. Recently, there’s been a 

spike in the number of “weekend fashionistas” 

throwing off the salaryman suit come Friday and 

replacing it with a foray into something altogether 

more experimental for the weekend, even if the 

escape is only temporary. 

Our pictured part-time fashionista is an office 

worker by day, but has been known to pack 

a change of clothes to make a lighting-quick 

transformation when work is done. 

Photo by Samuel Thomas 

FASHION CALENDAR 

Sep 1 | Rain Forest from Mihara 

Yasuhiro 

Menswear heavyweight Mihara 

Yasuhiro launches the very first 

perfume in the brand’s history. 

The organic scent takes its 

inspiration from the Amazon 

rainforest, but also gives back— 

each ¥9,000 bottle includes a 

donation to the Present Tree 

preservation society. 

www.miharayasuhiro.jp 

Sep 5 | Ground Y by Yohji 

Yamamoto 

Tokyo fashion godfather Yohji 

Yamamoto eyes a younger 

clientele with Ground Y, a 

concept shop opening in Parco 

Part 1, Shibuya. Here you can 

find a number of Yamamoto’s 

accessibly priced lines including 

“by Y’s,” silver jewelry line 

“Gothic” and new basic lines 

with prices around ¥20,000. 

www.yohjiyamamoto.co.jp 

Sep 6 | Vogue Fashion’s Night 

Out 2014 

Vogue magazine’s annual 

excuse for shopping excess 

is with us for another year, 

offering in-store parties, free 

gifts and refreshments to fuel 

your shopping late into the 

night. www.vogue.co.jp/fno 

Sep 6-23 | The Art of 

Undercover 

Jun Takahashi’s label 

Undercover kick-started a 

new generation of street art in 

fashion back in the ’90s—and 

now those selfsame designs are 

set to appear in an art gallery. 

The retrospective takes in 24 

years of street art and graphics 

sure to remind many a Tokyoite 

of a misspent youth. www. 

parco-art.com/sp/museum/ 

Sep 15 | Ninja Sneakers from 

Marc by Marc Jacobs 

Taking its cues from a ninja in 

motion, Marc Jacobs delivers 

an eccentric sneaker with a 

cutting-edge wave sole that 

will quite literally put a spring in 

your step. Available in stealthappropriate 

monotone and vivid 

multicolor, they’re available 

in-store and online for a heady 

¥64,000. www.marcjacobs.jp 

17

arts&culture 

COMMUTER GAMER 

Reclaim lost gold, engage in 

cartoon shootouts or go viral all 

on your train ride home 

BY ADAM BOLTON 

Leo’s Fortune 

1337 & Senri ($4.99, iOS) 

A marimo with a 

moustache, seeking gold? 

Why not? 

In this physics-based 

platform game, gamers 

play as Leo, an explorer whose amassed family fortune is 

swiped from him. Search far and wide for the most elusive 

of thieves and reclaim his gold! 

This inventive, family-friendly puzzler offers plenty of 

challenges while keeping controls simple and motions 

fluid. The instantly iconic Leo—a green ball of fluff—floats, 

inflates, compacts, pushes and slides his way across five 

worlds (24 levels) of escalating trickery. With considerable 

replay value, plus additional challenges for the completionist, 

Leo’s Fortune certainly earned its Apple 2014 Design 

Award, and is worth every scrap of gold you can find. 

*Please note, Leo’s Fortune is currently unavailable on 

Japanese iOS stores. 

Ready 

Steady Play 

Cowboy Games (¥200; 

iOS, Android) 

Playing cowboys without 

the embarrassing costumes 

Designed for short 

bursts of entertainment, the addictive ’50s Spaghetti 

Western-inspired Ready Steady Play comprises three 

mini-games (with more planned) that find the player in quickfire 

shootouts against gun-toting hoodlums, racing through 

dusty plains on hobby horses or sharpshooting to keep 

tossed coins in the air. Playable with tap-and-swipe mechanics 

for shooting and reloading, and tapping in landscape 

mode for the hobby-horse run, the well-designed game 

offers solid bang for your buck and quick-fix replayability. 

Bio Inc. 

Biomedical 

Plague 

DryGin Studios 

(¥200; iOS, Android) 

A hypochondriac’s worst 

nightmare, now in game form! 

Bio Inc. takes an in-depth look at the human body as players 

control a disease fighting against doctors’s rescue efforts. 

The concept may sound morbid, but the intensively 

researched game offers meticulous and detailed insight into 

how diseases interact with the human body, and what effects 

can better it—or harm it. 

The game, played entirely on a single screen depicting 

the human anatomy from different viewpoints, has players 

selecting a risk scenario and then collecting viruses that 

further deteriorate the victim’s health while doctors strive 

to save the patient. More a game of strategy than biology, 

this is for people who enjoy self-diagnosis on WebMD. 

ART 

YOKOHAMA 

TRIENNALE 

Memory games and dystopian themes 

BY C.B.LIDDELL 

Yokohama Triennale is Japan’s big, 

international contemporary art event. 

Inspired by similar events such as the 

Venice Biennale, it’s held once every 

three years. 

Past triennales have been large, 

confusing smorgasbords of all sorts of 

“edgytarian” avant-garde art that tried 

to shock but instead bemused due to a 

general lack of cohesion. 

This year’s event, with artist Yasumasa 

Morimura serving as artistic director, 

rectifies this incongruity with an apparent 

string theme based on Ray Bradbury’s 

famous, dystopian novel-turned-film 

Fahrenheit 451, which depicts a future 

world where all books are burned. 

In the story, the knowledge and culture 

stored in books is partially saved by individuals 

memorizing particular titles and, 

in the process, becoming living books. 

The Yokohama Triennale wants to 

apply this concept to artists in our modern 

world, which the curators see as a 

confusing place overflowing with data 

and memory, wherein art can draw on 

both the known and the unknown. At 

least that’s the concept. 

The exhibition focuses on themes of 

oblivion, the forgotten and the discarded—which 

appears to be another way of 

giving contemporary artists carte blanche 

to do what they normally do. 

One of the typical artists included is 

Michael Landy, from the Young British 

Elias Hansen, It ain’t 

what it seem, 2012 

Artists movement of a couple of decades 

ago, who’s perhaps best known for his 

performance piece Break Down (2001), 

in which he destroyed all his possessions, 

and Art Bin (2010), a large transparent 

garbage bin into which the public was 

invited to throw pieces of art with which 

they were dissatisfied. 

Another keynote artist is Spaniard 

Dora García, whose performances 

comment “inconclusively” on works of 

literature or the exhibition itself. For example, 

one of her works involves someone 

sitting with a laptop, typing a text 

describing the behavior of visitors to the 

exhibition. For this show, she’s doing a 

work based on Bradbury’s novel. 

Another participant who fits easily into 

the exhibition’s concept is Elias Hansen, 

who marries blown-glass sculptures with 

deteriorating found objects in search of 

a supposedly poignant contrast. 

Much of contemporary art’s obsession 

with “freedom for freedom’s sake” 

and breaking the rules that once created 

genuine beauty is the same impulse that 

spawned the ugliness and materialism of 

the modern world. In the garbage heap 

we’ve created, however, there will always 

be glimmers of beauty. The concept chosen 

for this triennale seems to be a wistful 

recognition of this ideal. 

Yokohama Museum of Art, Shinko Pier 

Exhibition Hall, until Nov 3. See exhibition 

listings (other areas) for details. 

Courtesy of the artist and Maccarone, NY. Photo by Jeffrey Sturges. 

18

Photo by James Hadfield 

INDISPENSABLE ALBUMS 

Jebiotto 

JAPAN BEAT 

CALL AND 

RESPONSE 

RECORDS 

Cutting-edge J-indies label turns 10 

BY DAN GRUNEBAUM 

51. Hikashu Super, 

Hikashu (1981) 

This album gathers a lot of the 

best tracks from the first couple 

of years of what is probably my 

favorite Japanese band ever. 

Hikashu represents one of the 

most original, trailblazing groups of 

the new wave era. 

2. Atsureki, 

Friction (1980) 

Arguably the best Japanese punk 

album (though Meshi Kuuna by Inu 

runs close), Atsureki is effortlessly 

cool and fizzes with spiky energy. 

3. Futurama, 

Supercar (2000) 

Supercar was one of the bands that 

defined early 2000s Japanese rock, 

and while lots of people prefer their 

shoegazey 1998 debut Three Out 

Change, this album soundtracked 

my early years in Japan. 

British expat Ian Martin began “stalking” Japanese 

rock bands a decade ago, and soon founded 

Call And Response Records with a mission to 

bring undiscovered music from the archipelago 

to a wider audience. Martin talks music with 

Metropolis. 

How did you first come across Japanese rock? 

Just from growing up in Britain in the ’90s with 

Shonen Knife, Cornelius remixing Blur, Melt 

Banana; that sort of thing. But the actual ground 

scene came through this band called The Students 

who I started stalking at their shows. Seeing 

their gigs at empty venues, I felt I had to put 

on my own gigs. After doing that for a year, it felt 

natural to start a label. 

What do you hope to achieve through Call And 

Response Records, and why should people 

listen to the new albums by Futtachi and Jebiotto? 

I just want to get the music I release out to the 

kinds of people who will like it. Looking at these 

releases’s contrasts helped clarify what links 

the music that appeals to me. I love music like 

Futtachi’s, that takes something avant-garde 

and draws you in; or Jebiotto’s, that takes something 

really pop and sabotages it. That tension 

between discord and harmony is the key. Making 

the audience work a bit [to like the music] is 

showing them respect, and they’ll appreciate the 

result more. Once musician and audience reach 

toward each other, there’s a “call and response.” 

What have you learned in a decade of running 

Call And Response? 

You can’t please anyone all the time and you 

can’t please everyone any of the time. Whatever 

you do, things will go wrong. Find glimmers of 

light and cherish them. 

You’re writing a history of Japanese rock: What 

are the most important differences between 

Japanese and Western rock? 

There are broad differences between Japanese 

and Anglo-American pop in the number and 

sequencing of chords, the vocal delivery. The 

biggest difference, however, is the structure of 

the industry. In Japan, management companies 

have all the power, with the artists as salaried 

employees. Together with the labels, TV companies 

and advertising agencies, they make 

a sort of cartel. This makes the industry less 

prone to change. The structure that promotes 

popular music and the kinds of challenges facing 

talented artists trying to break in are where the 

big differences lie. 

What are the biggest misconceptions about 

Japanese music? 

The idea that Japanese music is just a “copy” of 

Western music is rubbish. Japanese rock and 

pop have had a lively domestic tradition since 

the ’60s, and the influence of overseas acts has 

shrunk to near-irrelevance by now. 

4. A Long Vacation, 

Eiichi Ohtaki (1981) 

Happy End and Haruomi Hosono 

are pretty much the godfathers 

of all modern Japanese rock. But 

it’s Ohtaki who I think made the 

greatest single contribution with this 

gorgeous, Beach Boys-influenced, 

multilayered pop masterpiece. 

5. Sashitai, 

Hyacca (2007) 

In 2006, my life was a mess and I 

took a trip to Fukuoka to get away 

from it all. I got drunk with some 

musicians there and woke up the 

next day with this plain white demo 

CD in my pocket, containing the most 

perfect postpunk/pop/noise ever. So 

I tracked down the band, offered to 

release it and never looked back. 

Who do you tip to be the next Japanese act to 

go big internationally? 

I think we’re going to see a lot of idol-style acts 

trying to reach overseas audiences—although 

trying to transfer a very Japanese promotional 

model to overseas markets that operate differently 

seems problematic. Frankly, there’s really 

no one in even semi-mainstream Japanese pop 

and rock that I think deserves overseas success. 

20000V, Sep 27. See concert listings (popular) 

for details. http://callandresponse.jimdo.com 

19

agenda 

WATCH LIST 

EDITOR’S PICK 

OCT 12-NOV 14 

RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY 

The Austrian energy drink’s dance music fest touches 

down in Tokyo. This year’s first-ever Asian RBMA 

promises a full month of music events, workshops, 

public lectures and exhibitions featuring over 250 

artists. Visionary producer James Holden will join 

the likes of Luke Vibert at Liquidroom for the two-day 

Electronic Music of Art Festival, while Queens hiphop 

godfather Marley Marl will perform alongside top 

producer Just Blaze for the Red Bull Music Academy 

Special at Harlem’s Red Zone. Other highlights 

include South London low-end maestro Coki, who 

will mount the stage with fellow Digital Mystik, Mala, 

while sound artist Ryoji Ikeda will offer a large-scale 

public light installation—plus much, much more. —Dan 

Grunebaum 

Oct 12-Nov 14, various prices, times and venues. 

www.redbullmusicacademy.jp 

SEP 23-NOV 3 

HISHIDA SHUNSO: A 

RETROSPECTIVE 

Works by a Meiji period painter and 

innovator of nihonga. Sep 23-Nov 3, 

¥300-1,400. 3-1 Kitanomaru-koen. 

Takebashi. Tel: 03-5777-8600. 

www.momat.go.jp 

Photo by Alexandre Noclain 

SEP 28 

KAZE 

Kaze (“wind”) is a new international jazz 

group that brings together fearlessly 

innovative pianist Satoko Fujii and her 

husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. Plus 

Christian Pruvost on another trumpet 

and Peter Orins on drums. Sep 28, 

8pm, ¥3,000 w/ 1d. Pit Inn. Shinjuku 

Sanchome. Tel: 03-3354-2024. www.pitinn.com 

王昭君 1902 ( 明治 35) 年重要文化財善宝寺 

SEP 14-15 

MEN IN PINK TIGHTS 

Ballet Eloelle presents a fresh and funny take on 

classical dance. Sep 14-15, 2pm, ¥5,000-7,500. 

Bunkamura Orchard Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 050- 

3776-6184. www.bunkamura.co.jp 

Akumanoshirushi 

SEP 20-21 

NEZU MATSURI 

One of the three biggest 

annual Shinto festivals in 

Tokyo. Sep 20-21, all day, free. 

Nezu Jinja, Bunkyo-ku. Nezu. 

Tel: 03-3822-0753. www. 

nedujinja.or.jp 

hot tickets 

SEP 30-OCT 1 

X Japan 

One of Japan’s most influential rock 

groups throughout history. Sep 

30-Oct 1, 7pm, ¥10,000-13,000. 

Yokohama Arena. Shin-Yokohama. 

Tel: 045-474-4000. 

www.xjapanmusic.com 

Tickets on sale now! 

SEP 30-NOV 16 

Tokyo Olympics and the 

Bullet Train 

In commemoration of the 50th 

anniversary of the Tokyo Olympic 

and Paralympic Games. Sep 30-Nov 

16, ¥670-1340. 1-4-1 Yokoami. 

Ryogoku. Tel: 03-3626-9974. 

www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp 


OCT 4 

画像提供 : 根津神社 

Carnival on Ice 

Figure skating superstars Evgeni 

Plushenko, Patrick Chan, Miki Ando 

and many more take to the ice. Oct 4, 

7pm, ¥6,000-24,000. Saitama Super 

Arena. Saitama-Shintoshin. 


OCT 11-13 

MON PÈRE, GIACOMETTI 

Contemporary dance troupe Okamura & Company explores the 

relationship between a son and his artistic father suffering from 

dementia. Oct 11-12, 1 & 6pm; Oct 13, 1pm, ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 

(door). Kanagawa Arts Theater. Motomachi-Chukagai. www.kaat. 

jp/english 

OCT 11 

Narita Hanabi Taikai 

Boom factor: 10,000. Award-winning 

fireworks for their unique designs 

and performances. Oct 11, 7pm, free. 

Inbanuma area (Chiba). Narita. 


NOV 8-NOV16 

The Sleeping Beauty 

New production of a classical 

masterpiece arranged by Artistic 

Director Noriko Ohara. Nov 8-9, 2pm; 

Nov 11, 6:30pm; Nov 13 & 15-16, 

2pm, ¥3,240-16,200. New National 

Theatre Tokyo. Hatsudai. Tel: 

03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac.go.jp/ 

english 


20

Concerts 

POPULAR 

Delay 2014 

Indie psychedelic rock band 

Ogre You Asshole with 

Manners. Sep 5, 7:30pm, 

¥3,600 (adv) +1d. Shindaita 

Fever. Shindaita. Tel: 

03-6304-7899. doobie-web. 

com/event/140905oya.php 

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 

Indie rock from the U.S. Sep 

6, 6pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d. 

Club Quattro. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-3444-6751. www. 

smash-jpn.comAmerican 

indie rock. Sep 6, 6pm, 

¥6,000 (adv) +1d. QVC Marine 

Field. Kaihin-Makuhari. 

Tel: 043-296-1227. www. 

smash-jpn.com 

Dorothy Little Happy 

Idol quintet from Sendai. Sep 

6, 5:30pm, ¥3,900 (adv) +1d. 

Zepp DiverCity. Daiba. 

dorothylittlehappy.com 

Yokohama Reggae Sai 

One-day festival with Mighty 

Crown, Risky Dice and more. 

Sep 6, 4pm, ¥3,000 (adv) 

+1d. Yokohama Bay Hall. 

Motomachi-Chukagai. 

Tel: 045-624-3900. www. 

yokohamareggaesai.com 

Sid 

Visual-kei quartet. Sep 6, 6pm, 

¥6,000 (adv) +1d. O-East. 

Shibuya. l-tike.com 

BoA 

Queen of K-pop. Sep 6, 6pm; 

Sep 7, 4pm, ¥7,500 (adv). NHK 

Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 0570-550- 

799. www.kyodotokyo.com 

Acoustic Folky Roots 

Summer Close-Out 

Johnny Barefoot, The Lotus 

Duo and others. Sep 6, 

7:30pm, ¥1,000 +1d. Akasaka 

Crawfish. Akasaka. Tel: 

03-3584-2496. meturl.com/ 

acousty1 

Bridge Park Picnic No. 1 

Hip-hop artists Jidori, ManYuh, 

Beatjackers and Zach H. Sep 7, 

6:30pm, ¥1,520 (adv)/ ¥2,000 

(door). Akasaka Crawfish. 

Akasaka. Tel: 03-3584-2496. 

crawfish.jp 

Animate! 

Latin sounds from Puerto 

Rico, Brazil and more. Sep 7, 

3:30pm, ¥7,600-8,600 (adv) 

+1d. Zepp DiverCity. Daiba. 

meturl.com/animate14 

LM.C 

New century electro-rock 

duo. Sep 7, 5pm, ¥5,658 

(adv). Hibiya Outdoor Theater. 

Hibiya. Tel: 03-3591-6388. 

www.diskgarage.com 

Kreva 

Solo pop-rap and hip-hop 

artist. Sep 7, 6pm, ¥7,908 

(adv). Nippon Budokan. 

Kudanshita. 


Monster Box Vol. 2 

Girugamesh, Lunkhead, Kanojo 

in the Display and others. Sep 

7, 6pm. WWW. Shibuya. 


Flat Earth Society 

Belgian big brass band with 

Polygon Head. Sep 8, 7pm, 

¥5,000 (adv) +1d. Club Quattro. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-3477-8750. 

www.smash-jpn.com 

Crossfaith 

With We Came As Romans, 

While She Sleeps and Crystal 

Lake. Sep 9, 6pm, ¥3,800 (adv) 

+1d. Club Citta. Kawasaki. 

Tel: 0570-02-9999. 

www.creativeman.co.jp 

Trigger Fes: Summer 

The Whoops, Ladbreaks, 

Lunchu and others. Sep 10, 

noon, free. Yoyogi Park. 

Harajuku. Tel: 03-3469- 

6081. triggerfes.jp 

Swing Out Sister 

British sophisti-pop group. Sep 

10, 7pm, ¥9,800 (adv) +1d. Ex 

Theater Roppongi. Roppongi 

or Nogizaka. www.ex-theater. 

com 

Hero’s Night 

Ash Da Hero, The Hitch 

Lowke and others. Sep 11, 

6pm, ¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 

(door) +1d. WWW. Shibuya. 

Tel: 050-5533-0888. 

www-shibuya.jp 

Hawaiian 6 vs Up Up Girls 

Japanese punk meets female 

idol group. Sep 11, 7pm, 

¥3,900 (adv)/ ¥4,400 (door) 

+1d. Club Quattro. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-3477-8750. l-tike.com 

Labyrinth 

Clinical beats and 

psychedelics. Sep 13-15, all 

day, ¥17,000 (adv). Naeba 

Ski Resort. Echigo-Yuzawa. 

www.mindgames.jp 

One Ok Rock 

Kanzen Kangaku dreamers. 

Sep 13, 5:30pm; Sep 14, 

5:30pm, ¥6,000 (adv) +1d. 

Yokohama Stadium. Kannai. 

Tel: 03-3405-9999. 

www.sogotokyo.com 

Penicillin 

Old-school visual-kei rockers. 

Sep 13, 6pm, ¥6,500 (adv) +1d. 

Club Quattro. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-3477-8750. 

www.siren-enterprise.com 

Babymetal 

Metal dance and vocal girly 

group. Sep 13, 5:30pm, ¥6,500 

(adv) +1d. Makuhari Messe. 

Kaihin-Makuhari. 

www.red-hot.ne.jp 

Scandal 

All-girl rock quartet. Sep 

14, 6pm, ¥4,500 (adv) +1d. 

Akasaka Blitz. Akasaka. 


Tomomi Itano 

J-pop singer and former 

AKB48 member. Sep 15, 

6pm, ¥5,800 (adv) +1d. Zepp 

Tokyo. Aomi. 

tomomiitano.jp 

Moi dix Mois 

Musical project founded by 

former Malice Mizer member 

Mana. Sep 15, 6pm, ¥5,400 

(adv) +1d. Club Quattro. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5720-9999. 


Perfume 

All-girl electro-pop trio from 

Hiroshima. Sep 17, 6:30pm. 

Yoyogi National Gymnasium. 

Meiji-Jingumae. 


Boyz II Men 

American R&B vocal group 

with emotional ballads and a 

cappella harmonies. Sep 19, 

7pm; Sep 20, 6pm, ¥8,500- 

9,500. Tokyo International 

Forum Hall A. Yurakucho. 

Tel: 0570-550-799. 

www.kyodotokyo.com/b2m 

JAZZ/WORLD 

Tokyo Jazz Festival 

Herbie Hancock, Jaga Jazzist 

and others. Sep 5, various 

times, various prices. Various 

venues. tokyo-jazz.com 

Molly Johnson 

With Oscar Peterson tribute. 

Sep 5, 6:30 & 9pm, ¥3,600. 

Cotton Club. Tokyo. 

Tel: 03-3215-1555. 

www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp 

Christian McBride Big Band 

Three-time Grammy Award 

winner. Sep 5, 6:30 & 9:30pm; 

Sep 6, 5 & 8pm, ¥8,500-40,000. 

Motion Blue. 

Tel: 045-226-1919. 

www.motionblue.co.jp 

Bashamichi. 

Tokyo Jazz 

French jazz quarter. Sep 7, 5 

& 7pm, ¥3,600. Cotton Club. 

Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. 

www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp 

Morgan Heritage 

Reggae. Sep 8, 7 & 9:30pm, 

¥5,800-7,800. Billboard Live. 

Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405- 

1133. www.billboard-live.com 

Daisuke Kawai 

Performing songs by Joe 

Zawinul. Sep 9, 7 & 9pm, 

¥4,500-24,000. Motion Blue. 

Bashamichi. Tel: 045-226- 

1919. www.motionblue.co.jp 

The Quartet Legend 

Featuring greats Kenny Barron, 

Ron Carter, Benny Golson and 

Lenny White. Sep 9-10, 6:30 & 

9pm, ¥9,000-10,000. Cotton 

Club. Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215- 

1555. www.cottonclubjapan. 

co.jp 

Minagawa Marina and 

Ishida Ya 

Violin and piano performance. 

Sep 11, 8 & 9:30pm, ¥2,500. 

Softwind. Roppongi. Tel: 

03-6808-7337. www.softwind. 

jp 

Terakubo Elena Quartet 

Performed by Elena Terakubo 

and others. Sep 12, 7 & 9pm. 

Motion Blue. 

Tel: 045-226-1919. 

www.motionblue.co.jp 

Bashamichi. 

New Acoustic Camp 

Music festival with Johnsons 

Motorcar, Overground Acoustic 

Underground and others. 

Sep 13-14, all day, ¥9,000 (1 

day, adv)/ ¥15,000 (2 days, 

adv). Minakami Kogen Resort, 

Gunma. Minakami. http:// 

newacousticcamp.com 

CLASSICAL 

21st Euodia Praise Concert 

Euodia Orchestra & Choir plays 

Tchaikovsky, Brahms and more. 

Sep 5, 6:30pm, ¥2,000-5,000. 

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. 

Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 

03-5353-9999. operacity.jp 

Keisuke Toyama 

Piano sonatas; Mozart, 

Beethoven and Liszt. Sep 6, 

6pm, ¥3,000-4,000. Suntory 

Hall. Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 

0570-55-0017. www.suntory. 

co.jp/suntoryhall 

Saito Kinen Festival 

Until Sep 6, various times, 

various prices. Various venues 

across Matsumoto city, 

Nagano. Matsumoto. 

www.saito-kinen.com 

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi 

Cello recital. Sep 7, 1:30pm, 

¥3,000-4,300. Muza Kawasaki 

Symphony Hall. Kawasaki. 

Tel: 044-520-0100. www. 

kawasaki-sym-hall.jp 

Tokyo Metropolitan 

Symphony Orchestra 

Concert No.774 

Conducted by Jakub Hrůša. 

Sep 8, 7pm, ¥2,000-7,500. 

Suntory Hall. Roppongiitchome. 

Tel: 0570-55-0017. 

www.suntory.com/culturesports/suntoryhall 

Friendship Concert 

Kanagawa Philharmonic 

Orchestra. Sep 9, 10:30am 

& 1:30pm, ¥500-1,000. 

Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall. 

Minatomirai. Tel: 045-682- 

2020. www.yaf.or.jp 

A Taste of Opera 

With Daisuke Oyama, Hana 

Yamada and Rei Yamada. Sep 

10, 12:10 & 7pm, ¥500. Muza 

Kawasaki Symphony Hall. 

Kawasaki. Tel: 044-520- 

0100. www.kawasaki-symhall.jp 

Nobuyuki Tsujii 

Conducted by Marc Minkowski. 

Sep 11, 7pm, ¥8,000-12,000. 

Bunkamura Orchard Hall. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5353-9522. 

www.bunkamura.co.jp 

Visual Organ Concert 

No.130 

Free admission. Sep 12, 

11:45am. Tokyo Opera City 

Recital Hall. Shinjuku or 

Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5353-9999. 

www.operacity.jp 

Yu Kosuge Piano Recital 

Piano Etoile Series Encore 

Volume 3. Sep 13, 3pm, 

¥1,500-4,000. Saitama Arts 

Theater. Yonohonmachi. Tel: 

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

Yasukazu Uemura Concert 

Flute orchestra. Sep 14, 3pm, 

¥3,500. Yokohama Minato 

Mirai Hall. Minatomirai. Tel: 

045-682-2020. www.yaf.or.jp 

Stage 

Idomeneo 

Mozart’s opera recounts the 

story of Helen of Troy. Sep 

12, 3pm; Sep 13, 3pm; Sep 

14-15, 1pm, ¥2,000-18,000. 

New National Theatre Tokyo. 

Hatsudai. Tel: 03-3234-9999. 

www.nikikai.net 

Disney on Ice: 

Dare to Dream 

Cinderella, Snow White and 

Rapunzel skate into our hearts. 

Until Sep 15, various times, 

¥2,900-6,000. Saitama Super 

Arena. Saitama-Shintoshin. 

Tel: 0570-084-636. 

www.disney.co.jp/onice 

Parsifal 

Richard Wagner’s last 

completed opera. Until Oct 14, 

¥1,620-32,400. New National 

Theatre Tokyo. Hatsudai. 

Tel: 03-5352-9999. www.nntt. 

jac.go.jp/opera 

Yama 

Folktales from Yamagata 

brought to the stage by theater 

group Doubtful Sound. English 

with Japanese subtitles. Oct 

8, 7:30pm; Oct 9, 7:30pm; 

Oct 10, 7:30pm; Oct 11, 2:30 

& 7:30pm; Oct 12, 2:30 & 

7:30pm, ¥2,500 (student)/ 

¥3,000 (adv)/ ¥3,500 (door). 

Tiny Alice. Shinjuku 

Sanchome. Tel: 03-3354-7307. 

http://doubtfulsound.asia 

Don Giovanni 

Operatic portrayal of a 

playboy’s inhibited and 

philandering life. Oct 16 & 24, 

6:30pm; Oct 19, 22 & 26, 2pm, 

¥4,320-23,760. New National 

Theatre Tokyo. Hatsudai. Tel: 

03-5352-9999. www.nntt.jac. 

go.jp/english 

Once 

Tony Award-winning musical 

about true love found on the 

streets of Dublin. Until Dec 

14, various times, ¥13,000. Ex 

Theater Roppongi. Nogizaka. 

www.once-musical.jp 

Dance 

Ochiatteiru 

All-female dance company 

presents its latest creation. 

Sep 5, 7pm; Sep 6, 2 & 7pm; 

Sep 7, 3pm, ¥3,000-4,500. 

Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. 

Ikebukuro. Tel: 03-5391- 

2111. www.geigeki.jp 

Hear My Sole 

New York-based tap dancer 

Kazunori Kumagai’s solo show. 

Sep 12, 7pm; Sep 13, 2pm, 

¥4,000-8,800. Bunkamura 

Orchard Hall. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-5353-9522. 


Niku no Uta 

10 female dancers perform 

butoh dance. Until Sep 

21, various times, ¥2,500 

(adv)/ ¥3,000 (door). B1, 

Dairakudakan Kochuten. 

2-1-18, Kichijoji-Kitamachi. 

Kichijoji. dairakudakan.com 

Carmen 

Retelling of Bizet’s opera in 

ballet form, under the direction 

of Tetsuya Kumakawa. Until 

Oct 26, various times, ¥6,000- 

18,500. Bunkamura Orchard 

Hall. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5353- 

9522. www.bunkamura.co.jp 

Clubbing 

FRIDAY 5 

Ageha 

Agepa. All mix: DJs U5, Hokuto, 

etc. From 11pm, (m)¥3,000, (f) 

free. Shinkiba. www.ageha. 

com 

Air 

Vein. Techno, electro: DJs Kagula, 

Tsuyuki, etc. From 10pm, ¥3,000. 

Shibuya. www.air-tokyo.com 

Daikanyama Unit 

Weekend Ravers. DJs Gammer, 

Scott Brown, etc. From 11pm, 

¥4,500. Daikanyama. 

www.unit-tokyo.com 

Module 

Mh Dining. House, techno: DJs 

Taar, Bashoo, etc. From 9pm, 

¥1,500 w/1d. Shibuya. 

www.module-tokyo.com 

Origami 

Cityboy. Techno: DJs Truncate, 

Ree K, etc. From 10pm, ¥3,000. 

Omotesando. Tel: 03-6434- 

0968. meturl.com/origamiclub 

Sound Museum Vision 

Undercover of the Night. All 

mix: various DJs. From 10pm, 

(m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)¥3,000 

w/1d. Shibuya. 

www.vision-tokyo.com 

T2 

Shibuya Mixx. EDM: various DJs. 

From 10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/2d, 

(f)¥2,500 w/2d. 

Tel: 03-5428-8692. 

www.t2-shibuya.com 

Shibuya. 

The New Matrix Bar 

Matrix Friday. Old-school 

hip-hop, west side, south side, 

all mix DJ Ykk and more. From 

6pm, ¥1,000 (after 11:30pm). 

Roppongi. www.matrixbar.jp 

The Room 

Breakthrough. Hip-hop: DJs 

Jin, Ladi Dadi, etc. From 10pm, 


www.theroom.jp 

Womb 

Sterne. Techno: DJs Phil Weeks, 

Ishino, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,500. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. 

www.womb.co.jp 

SATURDAY 6 

Ageha 

Weird Clash. Techno: DJs 

Ishino, Westbam, etc. From 

10pm, ¥5,000. Shinkiba. 

www.ageha.com 

Air 

Beats in Space. House: DJs Tim 

Sweeney, Joakim, etc. From 

10pm, ¥3,500. Shibuya. 

www.air-tokyo.com 


Future Terror. DJs Morphosis, 

Nobu, etc. Live: Charles 

Cohen. From 11:59pm, ¥3,500. 

Daikanyama. 


Module 

Kinselas. House, techno: DJs 

Maar, Tom Piper, etc. From 

10pm, ¥3,000 w/1d. Shibuya. 

www.module-tokyo.com 


Independent. Techno: DJs 

Sharam, Nakamura, etc. From 

10pm, ¥3,500 w/1d. Shibuya. 


T2 

Shibuya Mixx!! EDM: DJs 

Shu, Ten, etc. From 10pm, 

(m)¥3,500 w/2d, (f)¥2,500 

w/2d. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5428- 

8692. www.t2-shibuya.com 

The New Matrix Bar 

Saturday Night Fever. Hip-hop, 

R&B, reggae: DJ Ykk and 

more. From 6pm, ¥1,000 (after 

10pm). Roppongi. www. 

matrixbar.jp 

Womb 

06s. Drum‘n’bass: DJs Marky, 

Aki, etc. From 11pm, ¥3,500. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. 


THURSDAY 11 

Air 

3h. Techno, house: DJs Sano, 

Paradice, etc. From 10pm, 



T2 

Happiness. World mix: various 

DJs. From 10pm, (m)¥2,500 

w/2d, (f)¥1,500 w/2d. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5428-8692. 

www.t2-shibuya.com 

The Room 

In the Jungle Groove. Afro 

beats: DJs Osada, Sato, etc. 

From midnight, ¥2,000 w/1d. 

Shibuya. www.theroom.jp 

Womb 

How High. House, techno: 

DJs Ryosuke, P-Yan, etc. From 

10pm, (m)¥1,500, (f)free. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. 


FRIDAY 12 

Ageha 

Asobinite. Electro, house: DJs 

Nakata, Komuro, etc. From 

11pm, ¥3,500. Shinkiba. 

www.ageha.com 

Air 

Round House. House DJs Luke 

Solomon, Remi, etc. From 

10pm, ¥3,500. Shibuya. 



Disco no Kamisama. Disco: 

DJs Nishidera, Fujii, etc. From 

10pm, ¥3,500. Daikanyama. 



Girls Festival. Hip-hop: DJs 

Kango, Hokuto, etc. From 

10pm, (m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)free. 

Shibuya. www.vision-tokyo. 

com 

The Room 

Destination. Broken beats, 

deep house: DJs Oka, Sayuri, 

etc. From 11pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. 

Shibuya. www.theroom.jp 

Womb 

Lost Dope. Techno , house: 

DJs Scuba, Nobu, etc. From 

11pm, ¥3,500. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-5459-0039. www. 

womb.co.jp 

UPCOMING 

Origami 

Huit Etoiles. Nu disco: DJs 

Sleazy McQueen, Takimi, etc. 

21

Sep 13, from 10pm, ¥3,500. 

Omotesando. Tel: 03-6434- 

0968. meturl.com/origamiclub 


Edm Union. EDM: DJ Moguai 

and more. Sep 13, from 10pm, 



The Room 

Jazztronica. Jazz, house: DJs 

Nozaki, Shuya Okino (Kyoto 

Jazz Massive), etc. Sep 13, from 

10pm, ¥2,500 w/1d. Shibuya. 

www.theroom.jp 

Womb 

Fantastic Dance. EDM, house: DJ 

Daishi Dance. Sep 13, from 11pm, 

¥3,500. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459- 

0039. www.womb.co.jp 

Exhibitions 

AKASAKA/ROPPONGI 

21_21 Design Sight 

Image-Makers. Mixed media 

portraying a world of images 

and fantasy. Until Oct 5, 

¥500-1,000. Open Mon & 

Wed-Sun 11am-8pm, closed 

Tue. 9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku. 

Nogizaka. Tel: 03-3475-2121. 

www.2121designsight.jp 

Fujifilm Square 

Great Railway. Works by railway 

photographer Seiya Nakai. 

Sep 12-Oct 1, free. Open daily 

10am-7pm. 9-7-3 Akasaka, 

Roppongi. Roppongi. 

Tel: 03-6271-3350. http:// 

fujifilmsquare.jp/en 

Mori Art Museum 

Lee Mingwei and His Relations. 

Mixed media artist with 

an interactive style. The 

completion of his works 

relies on the participation 

of his audience. Sep 20-Jan 

4, ¥500-1,500. Open Mon & 

Wed-Sun 10am-10pm, Tue 

10am-5pm. 6-10-1 Roppongi. 

Roppongi. Tel: 03-5777- 

8600. www.mori.art.museum 

Mori Arts Center Gallery 

Takehiko Inoue Interprets 

Gaudi’s Universe. Japanese 

artist’s take on one of Spain’s 

architectural geniuses. Until 

Sep 7, ¥800-1,300. 52F 

Roppongi Hills Tower, 6-10-1 

Roppongi. Roppongi. 

meturl.com/macgaudi 

Suntory Museum of Art 

The Radiance of Stillness and 

Motion: Bohemian Glass. 

Exclusive pieces from the 

Museum of Decorative Arts 

in Prague. Until Sep 28, 

¥800-1,300. Open Wed-Sat 

10am-8pm, Sun-Mon & hols 

10am-6pm, closed Tue. 

9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku. 

Roppongi. www.suntory. 

co.jp/sma 

The National Art Center, 

Tokyo 

The Birth of Impressionism— 

Freedom in Painting: 

Masterpieces from the 

Musée d’Orsay. Impressionist 

masterpieces from Paris. Until 

Oct 20, ¥800-1,600. Open 

Wed-Thu, Sat-Mon 10am-6pm, 

Fri 10am-8pm, closed Tue. 

7-22-2 Roppongi. Nogizaka. 

www.nact.jp 

Wako Works of Art 

Nellie. Photography and film 

by Fiona Tan. Until Sep 27, 

free. Open Tue-Sat 11am-7pm, 

closed Sun-Mon. 3F Pyramid 

Bldg, 6-6-9 Roppongi. 

Roppongi. www.wako-art.jp 

GINZA/KYOBASHI/ 

TOKYO 

Bridgestone Museum of Art 

Time and Painting — 24 

Episodes. 160 works ranging 

SEP 6-21 

Ito wo Kashi 

Mami Itagaki portrays the 

lives of people through 

sculptures using material 

from the Paulownia tree. The 

expressions and gestures 

of those portrayed are 

nostalgic and loving, and 

speak to you as you observe 

them. Free. Open daily 

from 12pm-7pm. 2-12-4 

Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku. Tel: 

03-6419-7229. Nogizaka. 

http://www.nanatasu.jp/ 

from ancient art to Rembrandt, 

Renoir and Monet. Until Sep 23, 

¥500-800. Willem de Kooning: 

From. Open Tue-Sun & hols 

10am-8pm, closed Mon. 1-10-1 

Kyobashi, Chuo-ku. Tokyo. 

Tel: 03-5777-8600. www. 

bridgestone-museum.gr.jp 

Ginza Graphic Gallery 

So French. Posters by Michel 

Bouvet. Until Sep 27, free. 

Open Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 

11am-6pm, closed Sun & hols. 

1F Ginza Bldg, 7-7-2 Ginza. 

Ginza. meturl.com/sofrench 

Idemitsu Museum of Arts 

National Treasures of the 

Munakata Shrine: The Sacred 

Island of Okinoshima and Holy 

Treasures from the Shrine. 

Historical items from a sacred 

island in Fukuoka Prefecture. 

Until Oct 13, ¥700-1,000. 

Open Tue-Thu 10am-5pm, Fri 

10am-7pm, closed Mon. 9F 

Teigeki Bldg, 3-1-1 Marunouchi. 

Tokyo. www.idemitsu.co.jp/ 

museum 

Mitsubishi Ichigokan 

Museum 

Félix Vallotton—Fire Beneath 

the Ice. Swiss painter influenced 

by Japanese woodcuts. Until 

Sep 23, ¥800-1,600. Wed-Fri 

10am-8pm, Tue, Sat-Sun & 

hols 10am-6pm, closed Mon. 

2-6-2 Marunouchi. Tokyo. Tel: 

03-5405-8686. www.mimt.jp 

Mitsui Memorial Museum 

Noh Masks and Costumes— 

Look, Learn and Compare. 

Discover the meanings behind 

the different styles of masks and 

extravagant stage-wear. Until 

Sep 21, ¥500-1,000. 7F Mitsui 

Main Bldg, 2-1-1 Nihombashi- 

Muromachi, Chuo-ku. 

Mitsukoshimae. Tel: 03-5777- 

8600. www.mitsui-museum.jp 

National Film Center 

Le Monde Enchanté de Jacques 

Demy. Behind-the-scenes 

photographs from works by 

French New Wave director 

known for The Umbrellas of 

Cherbourg and other films. Until 

Dec 14, ¥70-210. Open Tue-Sun 

11am-6:30pm, closed Mon. 

3-7-6 Kyobashi. Kyobashi. 

Tel: 03-5777-8600. www. 

momat.go.jp 

Pola Museum Annex 

Playing with Sound. Interactive 

installations by sound artist and 

designer Yuri Suzuki. Until Sep 

23, free. Open daily, 11am-8pm. 

3F Pola Ginza Bldg. 1-7-7 Ginza. 

Ginza-itchome. Tel: 03-5777- 

8600. www.po-holdings. 

co.jp/m-annex 

The National Museum of 

Modern Art, Tokyo 

Hishida Shunso: A 

Retrospective. Works by a Meiji 

period painter and innovator 

of nihonga. Sep 23-Nov 3, 

¥300-1,400. Celadon Now: 

Techniques and Beauty Handed 

Down from Southern Sung to 

Today. Modern ceramic art. Sep 

13-Nov 24, ¥300-900. Open 

Tue-Thu & Sat-Sun 10am-5pm, 

Fri 10am-8pm. 3-1 Kitanomarukoen. 

Takebashi. 

Tel: 03-5777-8600. 

www.momat.go.jp 

HARAJUKU/AOYAMA 

Nezu Museum 

Cool and Breezy: Summer 

Greetings through Paintings 

and Ceramics. Artworks and 

messages conjure a sense 

of cool respite from the heat. 

Until Sep 7, ¥800-1,000. 

Tue-Sun, 10am-4:30pm. 6-5-1 

Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku. 

Omotesando. 

www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en 

Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial 

Museum of Art 

Specters, Ghosts and Sorcerers 

in Ukiyo-e. Traditional 

prints of ghastly ghouls and 

creepy critters. Until Sep 25, 

¥600-900. Open Tue-Sun 

10:30am-5:30pm, closed Mon. 

1-10-10 Jingumae. Harajuku. 

www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp 

SHIBUYA/EBISU 

Bunkamura: The Museum 

Visual Deception II: Into the 

Future. Art that plays tricks on 

the spectators’ eyes. Until Oct 

5, ¥500-1,500. Open Mon-Thu 

& Sun 10am-7pm, Fri-Sat 

10am-9pm. 2-24-1 Dogenzaka. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5777-8600. 


Meguro Museum of Art 

George Nelson—Architect, 

Writer, Designer, Teacher. 

Mixed media works by one 

of the founders of American 

Modernism. Until Sep 18, 

¥800-1,000. Open Tue-Sun 

10am-6pm, closed Mon. 

2-4-36 Meguro. Meguro. Tel: 

03-3714-1201. www.mmat.jp 

SHINJUKU/IKEBUKURO 

Bunka Gakuen Costume 

Museum 

Beads of the World. Bead 

embroidery jewelry and trinkets 

from all over the world. Until 

Sep 13, ¥200-500. Mon-Sat 

10am-4:30pm, closed Sun & 

hols. Shinjuku Bunka Quint Bldg, 

3-22-7 Yoyogi. Shinjuku. Tel: 

03-3299-2387. www.bunka. 

ac.jp/museum/text/english.html 

Sompo Japan 

Museum of Art 

Normandie: L’Estuaire de 

la Seine—L’Invention d’un 

Paysage. Paintings by Eugène 

Boudin, Raoul Dufy and others. 

Sep 6-Nov 9, ¥700-1,100. 

Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm, closed 

Mon. 42F Sompo Japan 

Bldg. 1-26-1 Nishi-Shinjuku. 

Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5405- 

8686. www.sompo-japan. 

co.jp/museum 

Tokyo Opera City Art 

Gallery 

The Way of Painting. Works by 

new artists from 2000 onwards. 

Until Sep 21, ¥800-1,000. 

Open Tue-Thu 11am-7pm, 

Fri-Sat 11am-8pm. 3-20-2 

Nishi-Shinjuku. Hatsudai. 

www.operacity.jp/en/ag 

UENO 

Edo-Tokyo Museum 

When Marnie Was There x 

Yohei Taneda. Set design and 

illustrations from the latest 

Studio Ghibli film. Until Sep 

15, ¥650-1,400. Open Tue-Fri 

& Sun 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 

9:30am-7:30pm, closed 

Mon & hols. 1-4-1 Yokoami. 

Ryogoku. Tel: 03-3626-9974. 

www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp 

The National Museum of 

Western Art 

The Rings of the Hashimoto 

Collection of the National 

Museum of Western Art. Circular 

bands of cultural significance. 

Until Sep 15, ¥700-1,400. Open 

daily 9:30am-5:30pm. 7-7 Ueno 

Park. Ueno. 

www.nmwa.go.jp 

Tokyo Metropolitan Art 

Museum 

Art as a Haven of Happiness. 

Mixed media. Rich harmonies 

and vibrant colors by artists 

born with Down syndrome. 

Until Oct 8, ¥400-800. 

Ancient Egyptian Queens and 

Goddesses: Treasures from The 

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 

New York. 200 masterpieces, 

including jewelry made for 

Pharaoh Hatshepsut and 

images of deities. Until Sep 23, 

¥1,000-1,600. 8-36 Ueno Park. 

Ueno. www.tobikan.jp 

Tokyo National Museum 

National Treasures of Japan. 

Artifacts gathered across 

various genres and periods. 

Oct 15-Dec 7, ¥900-1,600. 

Open Tue-Sun 9:30am-5pm. 

13-9 Ueno Park. Ueno. www. 

tnm.jp 

Ueno Royal Museum 

Hokusai: From the Museum 

of Fine Arts, Boston. One of 

Japan’s most famous ukiyo-e 

artists of the Edo period. 

Sep 13-Nov 9, ¥400-1,500. 

Open Sat-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri 

10am-8pm. 1-2 Ueno Park. 

Ueno. www.ueno-mori.org 

OTHER AREAS 

Hakone Museum of 

Photography 

Mt. Fuji. Katsura Endo’s 

portrayal of the ever-changing 

symbol of Japan. Permanent 

exhibition, ¥300-500. 

10am-5pm, closed Tue 

(9am-9pm Sat from May to Aug). 

1300-432 Goura Hakonemachi, 

Ashigarashimogun, Kanagawa. 

Gora. Tel: 046-02-2717. 

www.hmop.com 

Hara Museum of 

Contemporary Art 

Art Scope 2012-2014: Remains 

of Their Journeys. Results of a 

Daimler Foundation-created 

artist exchange between 

German and Japanese artists. 

Until Oct 13, ¥500-1,100. Open 

Tue-Sun 11am-5pm, closed 

Mon. 4-7-25 Kita-Shinagawa. 

Kita-Shinagawa. Tel: 

03-3445-0651. www. 

haramuseum.or.jp 

Hoki Museum 

Hito Omoi, Hito Omou. 

Painting. Lifelike portraits by 

contemporary artists. Until 

Nov 16, ¥900-1,800. Open 

Mon & Wed-Thu 10am-6pm, 

Fri-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 

10am-5pm, closed Tue. 3-15 

Asumigaokahigashi, Midori-ku. 

Toke. www.hoki-museum.jp 

Makuhari Messe 

Space Expo 2014: The Great 

Challenge of NASA/JAXA. 

Extraterrestrial exploration 

from 1897 until modern times. 

Until Sep 23, ¥900-2,500. 2-1 

Nakase, Mihama-ku. Kaihin- 

Makuhari. www.m-messe.co.jp 

Miraikan 

Toilet!? Human Waste & Earth’s 

Future. A playful explanation 

on “what goes in must come 

out” and how it affects the 

environment. Until Oct 5, 

¥600-1,200. 2-3-6, Aomi, 

Koto-ku. Telecom Center 

station. Tel: 03-3570-9151. 

www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en 

Okada Museum of Art 

Spirit of China: Masterpieces 

of Jade. Exquisite works of art 

made from ornamental rock. 

Until Sep 30, ¥1,800-2,800. 

Open daily, 9am-5pm. 493-1 

Kowakudani, Hakone-machi. 

Kowakidani. Tel: 0460-87- 

3931. www.okada-museum. 

com/en/ 

Pola Museum of Art 

Finding Modigliani: From 

Parisian Avant-garde to 

Classicism. Oil paintings and 

sculptures by the Italian artist. 

Until Sep 15, ¥700-1,800. 

9am-4:30pm. 1285 

Kozukayama, Sengokuhara, 

Hakonemachi. Gora. 

www.polamuseum.or.jp 

Setagaya Art Museum 

Looking East: Western Artists 

and the Allure of Japan 

from the Museum of Fine 

Arts, Boston. Mixed media, 

including Claude Monet’s 

“La Japonaise”. Until Sep 15, 

¥500-1,500. Open Tue-Sun 

10am-6pm, closed Mon. 1-2 

Kinuta-koen, Setagaya-ku. 

Seijogakuenmae. Tel: 

03-3415-6011. www. 

setagayaartmuseum.or.jp/ 

index_e.html 

Shoichiro 

Dead Animals. Symbolic 

photography by Richard 

Misrach. Until Sep 20, free. 

Open Tue-Sat 11am-7pm, 

closed Sun, Mon & hols. B1F 

Sansho Bldg. 3-2-9 Nihonbashi. 

Nihonbashi. Tel: 03-3275- 

1008. www.g-sho.com 

Sports 

AMERICAN FOOTBALL 

X League 

●●Nojima Sagamihara Rise 

vs. Tokyo Gas Creators. Sep 

6, 2pm, ¥1,100. Kawasaki 

Stadium. Keikyu Kawasaki or 

Kawasaki. Tel: 044-244-2931. 

●●Fujitsu Frontiers vs. 

Hurricanes. Sep 7, 2pm, ¥1,100. 

Kawasaki Stadium. Keikyu 

Kawasaki or Kawasaki. Tel: 

044-244-2931. 

●●All Mitsubishi Lions vs. Taiyou 

Cranes. Sep 14, 11am, ¥1,100. 

Kawasaki Stadium. Keikyu 

Kawasaki or Kawasaki. Tel: 

044-244-2931. 

●●Obic Seagulls vs. Bulls 

Football Club. Sep 14, 2pm, 

¥1,100. Kawasaki Stadium. 

Keikyu Kawasaki or 

Kawasaki. Tel: 044-244-2931. 

BASEBALL 

Central League 

●●Tokyo Yakult Swallows vs. 

Yomiuri Giants. Sep 5-7, 6pm, 

¥500-4,600. Meiji Jingu Gaien. 

Shinanomachi or Gaienmae. 

Tel: 03-3401-0312. 

●●Yomiuri Giants vs. Yokohama 

DeNA BayStars. Sep 12-14, 

6pm, ¥300-6,100. Tokyo Dome. 

Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800- 

9999. 


Hanshin Tigers. Sep 15-17, 

6pm, ¥500-4,600. Meiji Jingu 

Gaien. Shinanomachi or 

Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-0312. 

●●Yomiuri Giants vs. Tokyo 

Yakult Swallows. Sep 19-21, 

6pm, ¥300-6,100. Tokyo Dome. 


9999. 


Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Sep 

23-25, 1pm, ¥500-4,600. 

Meiji Jingu Gaien. Nearest stn: 

Shinanomachi or Gaienmae. 

Tel: 03-3401-0312. 

Pacific League 

●●Chiba Lotte Marines vs. 

Tohoku Rakuten Golden 

Eagles. Sep 5-7, 6:15pm, 

¥800-4,900. QVC Marine 

Field. Kaihin-Makuhari. Tel: 

043-296-1227. 


Saitama Seibu Lions. Sep 

8-11, 6:15pm, ¥800-4,900. 

QVC Marine Field. Kaihin- 

Makuhari. Tel: 043-296-1227. 

●●Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 

Fighters vs. Fukuoka Softbank 

Hawks. Sep 9-11, 6:30pm, 

¥500-5,000. Tokyo Dome. 


9999. 

●●Saitama Seibu Lions vs. 

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. 

Sep 13-15, 1pm, ¥600-4,600. 

Seibu Dome. Seibukyujomae. 

Tel: 04-2925-1141. 

●●Saitama Seibu Lions vs. 

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 

Fighters. Sep 16, 6pm, 

¥600-4,600. Seibu Dome. 

Seibukyujomae. Tel: 

04-2925-1141. 


Orix Buffaloes. Sep 28, 6pm, 

¥800-4,900. QVC Marine Field. 

Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. 

Tel: 043-296-1227. 


Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 

Fighters. Sep 23-26, 1pm, 

¥800-4,900. QVC Marine Field. 

Nearest stn: Kaihin-Makuhari. 

Tel: 043-296-1227. 

BASKETBALL 

National Basketball League 

●●Toshiba Brave Thunders vs. 

Link Tochigi Brex. Oct 10, 7pm, 

¥1,000-5,100. Todoroki Arena. 

Musashi Nakahara. Tel: 

044-798-5000. 

●●Hitachi Sunrockers vs. Chiba 

Jets. Oct 11, 3pm, ¥700-3,500. 

Yoyogi National Gymnasium. 

Meiji-Jingumae. 

●●Hitachi Sunrockers vs. 

Toshiba Brave Thunders. Oct 

24, 7:15pm, ¥700-3,500. Tokyo 

Metropolitan Gymnasium. 

Nearest stn: Sendagaya. Tel: 

03-5474-2112. 

BOXING 

Kadoebi Boxing 

Sep 10, 5:45pm, ¥5,000- 

15,000. Korakuen Hall. 


9999. 

Hopeful Fight 

Sep 17, 6pm, ¥3,000-10,000. 

Korakuen Hall. Suidobashi. 

Tel: 03-5800-9999. 

Shoot Boxing 

Sep 20, 5:30pm, ¥4,000- 

10,000. Korakuen Hall. 


9999. 

Dynamic Glove 

Oct 4, 5:45pm, ¥4,000-20,000. 

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: 

Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800-9999. 

Dangan112 

Oct 10, 5:45pm, ¥4,000- 

10,000. Korakuen Hall. Nearest 

stn: Suidobashi. Tel: 03-5800- 

9999. 

FIGURE SKATING 

Japan Open 

Oct 4, 1pm, ¥4,000-23,000. 

Saitama Super Arena. 

Saitama-Shintoshin. 

KARATE 

All Japan Championship 

Oct 25, 11am, ¥4,000. Tokyo 

Metropolitan Gymnasium. 

Sendagaya. Tel: 03-5474- 

2112. 

MMA 

UFC 

Sep 20, 2:30pm, ¥9,800- 

100,000. Saitama Super Arena. 

Saitama-Shintoshin. 

Shooto 

Sep 27, 6pm, ¥5,000-10,000. 

Korakuen Hall. Nearest stn: 


9999. 

Rise 101 

Sep 28, 5:30pm, ¥4,000-6,000. 


Tel: 03-5800-9999. 

22

Pancrase 261 

Oct 5, 2:30pm, ¥6,500-10,500. 

Differ Ariake. Ariake-tennisno-mori. 

Tel: 03-5500-3731. 

PRO WRESTLING 

New Japan 

Sep 5, 6:30pm, ¥6,180-8,240. 


Tel: 03-5800-9999. 

Noah 

Sep 6, 6pm, ¥4,000-7,000. 

Differ Ariake. Ariake-tennisno-mori. 

Tel: 03-5500-3731. 

Dragon Gate 

Sep 9, 6:30pm, ¥3,240-6,480. 


Tel: 03-5800-9999. 

RUGBY 

Japan vs. New Zealand 

Nov 8, 2pm, ¥500-10,000. 

Chichibunomiya Rugby 

Stadium. Gaienmae. Tel: 

03-3401-3881. 

SOCCER 

Kirin Challenge Cup 

Japan vs. Venezuela. Sep 9, 

7:20pm, ¥1,000-8,200. Nissan 

Stadium. Kozuke. 

Tel: 04-5477-5000. 

SUMO 

September Grand 

Tournament 

Sep 14-Sep 28, various times, 

¥2,200-37,200. Ryogoku 

Kokugikan. Ryogoku. Tel: 

03-3623-5111. www.sumo. 

or.jp/en 

TENNIS 

Toray Pan Pacific Open 

Sep 13-Sep 21, various 

times, ¥1,000-21,000. Ariake 

Colosseum. Ariake. Tel: 

03-3529-3301. 

Rakuten Japan Open: 

Sunday 

Sep 28, 12pm, ¥2,500-4,000. 

Ariake Coliseum. Ariake. Tel: 

03-3529-3301. 

Rakuten Japan Open 

Sep 29-Oct 5, various times, 

¥1,000-13,500. Ariake 

Coliseum. Ariake. Tel: 

03-3529-3301. 

Festivals 

Top League 

●●Suntory Sungoliath vs. 

Canon Eagles. Sep 5, 7:30pm, 

¥2,350-3,600. Chichibunomiya 

Rugby Stadium. Gaienmae. 

Tel: 03-3401-3881. 

●●NTT Shining Arcs vs. Toyota 

Shuttles. Sep 6, 4:40pm, 

¥300-3,600. Chichibunomiya 


Tel: 03-3401-3881. 

●●Toshiba Brave Lupus vs. 

Kubota Spears. Sep 6, 7pm, 



Tel: 03-3401-3881. 

●●Toshiba Brave Lupus vs. 

NEC Green Rockets. Sep 

12, 7:30pm, ¥2,350-3,600. 



03-3401-3881. 


Ricoh Black Rams. Sep 13, 

6pm, ¥300-2,100. Nippatsu 

Mitsuzawa Stadium. 

Yokohama. Tel: 045-311- 

2016. 


Kobelco Steelers. Sep 

19, 7:30pm, ¥300-3,600. 



03-3401-3881. 

●●Canon Eagles vs. NTT 

Docomo Red Hurricanes. 

Sep 20, 7pm, ¥300-3,600. 



03-3401-3881. 

●●Ricoh Black Rams vs. 

Coca Cola Red Sparks. Sep 

20, 4:40pm, ¥300-3,600. 



03-3401-3881. 

●●Ricoh Black Rams vs. Toyota 

Verblitz. Oct 19, 11:40am, 


Rugby Stadium. Nearest stn: 

Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-3881. 

●●Suntory Sungoliath vs. NTT 

Docomo Red Hurricanes. 

Oct 19, 2pm, ¥300-3,600. 


Stadium. Nearest stn: 

Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3401-3881. 

Hagi Festival 

30-meter long tunnel of bush 

clover grown on a bamboo 

frame is in full bloom. Until 

Oct 19, all day. Mukojima 

Hyakkaen Garden. Higashi- 

Mukojima. Tel: 03-3611-8705. 

http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en 

Fukuro Festival 

Mikoshi shrine parades, 

taiko drum shoes, lion dance 

performances and more. Until 

Oct 12, all day, free. Ikebukuro 

Westside. Ikebukuro. 

www.yosakoitokyo.gr.jp 

Oeshiki Festival 

Commemoration of the 

anniversary of St. Nichiren’s 

death. Sacred lantern 

procession and more. Until Oct 

13, from 6pm, free. Ikegami 

Honmonji Temple. Ikegami. 

http://honmonji.jp 

Kiba no Kakunori 

Square log rolling event on 

water. Oct 18-19, various 

times, free. Kiba Park. Kiba. 

http://meturl.com/kibakaku1 

Forums & Expos 

Smile Women Festa 

Lifestyle forum with 

information on beauty, 

dining and work. Sep 13-14, 

10am-5pm, free. http:// 

smile-women-festa.com 

Community 

College Women’s 

Association of Japan 

September Luncheon 

Lunch and talk by guest 

speaker Japan Times columnist 

Alice Gordenker. Sep 10, 11am, 

¥4,500 (reservation via email 

required). Tokyo American 

Club. Kamiyacho. info@cwaj. 

org. www.cwaj.org 

Park Yoga 

Enjoy a free yoga session 

overlooking the magnificent 

Yokohama waterfront. Sep 

14, 9am, free. Yamashita 

Park. Motomachi-Chukagai. 

Tel: 045-681-1860. www. 

facebook.com/event.yoga 

Learning 

Celebrity Wine Tasting 

Wine seminar with a delicious 

buffet in an international 

atmosphere. Sep 6, 6:30pm, 

¥5,980 (adv). LB8 Hachiman 

Bldg, 16-2 Daikanyama, 

Shibuya-ku. Daikanyama. 

www.wineandcooking.info/en/ 

specialevent.html 

Japanese Class 

Educator specialized in 

teaching Japanese as a foreign 

SEP 20 - NOV 29 

Phone Counselor 

Training Program 

Fall 2014 

12-week training beginning 

Sep 20 then every Tue and 

Thu 6:30-9:30pm in Minami 

Aoyama. Omotesando. 

Online program also available. 

For more info: training@telljp. 

com or www.telljp.com 

OCT 8 - DEC 10 

You don’t need to be alone 

when grieving the death of 

a loved one- we are here for 

you. Interested in joining us? 

Every Wed 7-8:30pm, Wesley 

Center, Minami Aoyama. 

Omotesando. Email: 

training@telljp.com 

language gives you the keys to 

communicate smoothly. Until 

Sep 30, 7pm, ¥35,000 (full 

course). The French Institute 

of Yokohama. Kannai. www. 

institutfrancais.jp/yokohama 

Other Events 

Tokyo Grand Tea 

Ceremony 

A unique opportunity to 

experience the many different 

styles of serving Japanese 

tea. Register by Aug 31. Oct 

11-Oct 12, 9:30am-4:10pm, 

¥700. Hamarikyu Gardens. 

Tokyo. www.tokyo-grandtea-ceremony2014.jp 

Tokyo Girls Collection A/W 

Japan’s biggest prêt-à-porter 

fashion event. Sep 6, 3pm, 

¥6,300-8,300 (adv). Saitama 

Super Arena. Saitama- 

Shintoshin. http://girlswalker. 

com/tgc/14aw 

Yona Yona Beer Garden 

Craft beers and BBQ plates 

abound. Until Sep 7, Mon-Fri 

5-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-10pm, 

free. Ark Karajan Place. 

Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 

03-6406-6663. www. 

yonayonabeerkitchen.com 

Musashino-Kuni Sake 

Festival 

Sake event with over 

140 sake types available 

for sampling. Sep 13, 

11am-4pm, free (reservation 

required). Okunitama Shrine. 

Fuchu-Honmachi. http:// 

meturl.com/musasfes 

Horror Hide-and-Seek 

Haunted house with a creepy 

kids’ game theme. Ages 6 and 

up. Until Sep 15, 10am-4pm 

(scary)/5-9pm (super scary), 

¥820. Tokyo Dome City. 

Korakuen or Suidobashi. 

Tel: 03-3817-6001. http:// 

kakurenbo.info 

Shitamachi Drama Festival 

Theatrical arts event that spans 

across Tokyo’s old downtown 

area. Until Sep 15, various 

times, various prices. Various 

venues in Taito-ku. Asakusa. 

www.shitamachiengekisai.com 

Belgian Beer 

Weekend Tokyo 

12 days of beer, food and 

music in a great setting. Until 

Sep 15, 4-10pm (Mon-Fri)/ 

11am-10pm (Sat, Sun & 

hols), ¥3,100. Roppongi 

Hills. Roppongi. www. 

belgianbeerweekend.jp/en 

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• Tax Consulting 

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Pristine showering facilities 

Takashi Kasai CPA Firm 

4-1-2-302 Honcho, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo 

support@kasaicpa.com 

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All of this for only ¥88,000! 

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MORE LISTINGS ONLINE → METURL.LISTINGS 

23

movies 

©2014 Inoue Santa / “Tokyo Tribe” Film Partners 

Image.net 

©Paramount Pictures 

eiga 

movie news 

cinematic underground 

TOKYO 

TRIBE 

By Rob Schwartz 

Sono Sion has been the go-to 

Japanese auteur for twisted, 

cooler-than-thou violent, 

sexual and sexually violent 

flicks for a while now (eat your 

heart out, Takashi Miike). Last year, his Why Don’t You 

Play in Hell premiered at the prestigious Venice Film 

Festival and picked up the Midnight Madness audience 

award at the Toronto fest. Sono’s films often 

have a comic book edge (for something really grotesque, 

check out his Cold Fish) so it’s appropriate 

that this work is based on the 2-million-selling manga 

Tokyo Tribe 2 by Santa Inoue. Described by the director 

as a “rap musical,” the characters do indeed rap, as 

well as dance, fight, maim and kill. Set in Tokyo of the 

near future, the city is reduced to gang warfare. Mera 

(Ryohei Suzuki) is the head of the Bukuro Wu-Ronz 

“tribe.” Hostilities with rival gang the Musashino Saru 

escalate and their leader Tera (Ryuta Sato) is killed. 

Eventually Mera must take on Kai (rapper Young 

Dais). Shot with actual rappers and stuntpeople as 

the actors—some of whom were enlisted through an 

open audition on YouTube—the action does have a 

fluid and rhythmic feel. If you want your Sin City with 

a little more color, rap and Japanese swords —not to 

mention massive gang fights —this is for you. (116 min.) 

One of the towering figures of Japanese animation, 

Hideaki Anno, will be honored at this this fall’s Tokyo 

International Film Festival with a major retrospective. 

The timing is apt: this year marks the 30th anniversary of 

the start of Anno’s career. Back in 1984, Hayao Miyazaki 

was so desperate to get the film Nausicaä of the Valley 

of the Wind finished on time, he put an ad in a magazine 

seeking additional animators. Anno was still in his 

early 20s and had been booted from Osaka University 

of Arts, ironically for spending too much time on an animation 

project. He sent in some drawings that caught 

Miyazaki’s eye. Today, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio 

Suzuki recalls that once the young man was given the 

important task of creating the God Warrior character for 

the film’s end, he never left the studio until the work 

was done, even sleeping under his desk. By the end 

of 1984, Anno had co-founded his own studio, Gainax. 

“That was three decades ago,” Suzuki says, “and now 

there is no one in Japan now who doesn’t know of him.” 

The main reason for that recognition is the Evangelion 

series, which has become a global export. But Anno has 

worked in a wide variety of fields. “The World of Hideaki 

Anno” will showcase over 50 live and animated features, 

TV episodes, commercials and more. 

The Tokyo International Film Festival will run October 

23-31. Kevin Mcgue 

With so many theaters switching to digital projection, it 

can be easy to forget the pleasures of watching an actual 

film. Cinema Vera (1-5 Maruyamacho, Shibuya-ku; www. 

cinemavera.com) reminds us with a program of classics 

shown from 35mm prints, September 13-October 

3. The celluloid lineup includes Billy Wilder’s Sunset 

Boulevard (pictured) and Witness for the Prosecution, 

The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape and much 

more... The Back to the Theater program is continuing its 

mission to get you to see contemporary classics on the 

big screen. From September 5, The Professional, which 

gave a 12-year-old Natalie Portman her start, will be on 

at Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho (2-7-1 Yurakucho, 

Chiyoda-ku; www.ht-cinema.com), and Ghostbusters 

marks its 30th anniversary at Toho Cinemas Nihonbashi 

(2-3-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku; www.tohotheater.jp). 

Upcoming titles include Fargo and Trainspotting 

(www.bttt.jp)... Japanese audiences have a seemingly 

unquenchable thirst for uplifting films and in recent 

years, France has been fulfilling the demand. Following 

on the feel-good hit Untouchables is The Finishers, currently 

screening at Shinjuku Musashinokan (3-27-10 

Shinjuku; http://shinjuku.musashino-k.jp). The inspired 

by a true story flick follows an ex-athlete reluctantly 

bonding with his wheelchair-bound son by joining the 

Ironman Triathlon together. KM 

featured movie 

BY DON MORTON 

NON-STOP 

Here’s one you’ll never see on an airline. It’s the 

moderately suspenseful if credulity-stretching tale of 

an alcoholic, over-the-hill U.S. Air Marshall who has 

issues. The man’s falling apart. And he’s armed. But 

we trust him immediately and completely because he’s 

Liam Neeson. Someone lurking among the passengers 

on his JFK-Heathrow red-eye flight is messing with his 

mind, texting snide threats to kill a passenger every 20 

minutes if a $150-million ransom isn’t paid. As a bonus, 

the mystery messenger has cleverly planted evidence 

pointing to Liam himself as the perpetrator of his/her 

heist. And the passengers are getting testy about 

being kept in the dark about all this. Kind of interesting 

how the plane’s very seating configuration affects the 

plot as the whodunit progresses. But the film suffers 

from glaring plot holes, too many red herrings and not 

a few dull stretches. Call it a serviceable thriller you’ll 

forget tomorrow. All told, it’s among the more enjoyable 

efforts in the actor’s ongoing period of quickie 

actioners. Also Julianne Moore and Michelle Dockery. 

Japanese title: Flight Game. (106 min) 

24

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

BY DON MORTON 

NEW 

I, FRANKENSTEIN 

Apparently the producers 

of that Underworld 

noise thought the ludicrous 

idea that Dr. 

Frankenstein’s monster, 

still living in the Modern Age, would be a great basis for 

a superhero story. But instead of crafting a thoughtful 

film about a lost soul in a strange land, they plunge him 

into a secret war between demons and gargoyles that 

could spell the end of humanity, yada yada. They left out 

the brains. Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy and Miranda Otto 

do what they can to raise the level of this overwrought 

lineup of fake battle scenes, though I suspect their main 

challenge was to keep a straight face. (92 min) 

NEW 

THE LEGEND OF 

HERCULES 

Remember when Renny 

Harlin made good action 

movies? Like Die Hard 

2 and The Long Kiss 

Goodnight? It’s a long way down to this made-up, inherently 

phony, cut-rate 3-D, sword-and-sandals silliness. 

Most disastrous is the musclehead Kellan Lutz in the title 

role (though remarkably well barbered and stubbled for 

a slave gladiator), and the charisma-impaired supporting 

cast serves mainly to make him look less bad. This cost 

$75 million? Not at all engaging in any way but simply 

strewn with hilarious nuggets for lovers of really kitschy 

bad movies. Wait for The Rock’s Hercules in October. 

Can’t be worse. Japanese title: The Hercules. (98 min) 

NEW 

BRICK MANSIONS 

I think it’s fair to say that 

this mind-numbingly 

generic, pointless turkey 

would never have 

escaped Direct-to-DVD 

Land were it not for the untimely death of its star. Paul 

Walker plays (surprise!) an undercover narc infiltrating 

a housing project so violent it’s been sealed off by the 

military. It gets worse. The reigning drug boss (RZA) has 

a neutron bomb (!). He’s threatening to blow up Detroit 

and kill 3 million people. I didn’t know that many people 

still lived there. Lacks style, substance, intelligence, 

logic, plot and suspense. Only plus is parkour creator 

David Belle’s astounding antics. Japanese title: Full 

Throttle. (90 min) 

NEW 

STORIES WE TELL 

For her third directorial 

effort, Sarah Polley tries 

on a documentary about 

her mother, who died 

when Sarah was 11. She 

interviews family members in an attempt to get a better 

picture of what made Mom tick. But this is much more 

than talking heads. Each viewpoint is slightly skewed. 

It soon morphs into a dramatic investigative mystery, 

and ends up being nothing less than an examination of 

storytelling and truth itself. You’ll enjoy this most if I tell 

you little. This is brave filmmaking, but Polley approaches 

her emerging material with a strong sense of personal 

ethics. Well done! Japanese title: Monogataru 

Watashitachi. (108 min) 

NEW 

ZULU 

This police procedural 

offers little new to the 

genre, but the acting, 

production values and 

ever-fascinating backdrop 

of South Africa’s Cape Town bring it up to the 

entirely watchable level. Forest Whitaker and Orlando 

Bloom (not my favorite actor, but he does well here) are 

mismatched cop buddies tracking down a new drug 

that’s killing off African youths. It’s fairly unflinching in its 

brutality and paced like a roller coaster, but it finds time 

to promote the concept of the necessity of forgiveness. 

Directed by Jérôme Salle and adapted from a novel by 

Caryl Férey. Japanese title: Cape Town. (110 min) 

NEW 

HOW I LIVE NOW 

Kevin Macdonald’s 

clumsy marriage of a YA 

romance and a harrowing 

WW III survival saga is 

far from original. But the 

ever-surprising Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, Hanna) provides 

the glue that makes it all work. A snotty American 

teenager is unloaded for the summer with her English 

cousins (including the dishy George MacKay). She eventually 

lowers her barriers and comes to see this fragile, 

unsupervised group of kids and teens as the family she 

never had. Then someone nukes London and the film 

morphs into a fashionably begrimed thriller, in which the 

story effectively adheres to her POV. Well worth seeing. 

Japanese title: Watashi wa Ikiteikeru. (101 min) 

NEW 

LUCY 

Euro-schlock producer 

Luc Besson latches on 

to and runs with the 

debunked urban legend 

that humans use only ten 

percent of their brains’s capacities. The result is a pulpy, 

preposterous, action-packed yet mildly contemplative 

and never predictable blend of 2001 and Charly, with a 

dash of The Matrix. Pseudo-science aside, it also happens 

to be a total blast. Does a superb job of feigning 

depth. Scarlett Johansson’s spot-on in the title role of a 

party girl forcibly drafted as a drug mule who suffers a 

massive dose of a new mind-expanding drug and turns 

into an existential superhero. Insanely fun. (90 min) 

PROMISED LAND 

For a while, Gus Van 

Sant’s examination of the 

controversial natural gas 

extraction method known 

as “fracking” seems like 

an even-handed effort to understand the complex 

issue. A plentiful domestic energy source or an ecological 

nightmare? Then the filmmakers blow all this skillfully 

forged ambiguity that lent the movie a certain tension. 

There’s a crucial reveal, minds are changed, and it 

becomes what you feared it might be: a message movie. 

In a way, it’s more effective as a lesson on Machiavellian 

corporate tactics than it is as an anti-fracking screed. 

Matt Damon, John Krasinski and Frances McDormand. 

(107 min) 

TRANSFORMERS: AGE 

OF EXTINCTION 

This fourth Transformers 

entry is a movie of superlatives: 

longest, lamest, 

loudest, least coherent, 

etc. The story’s insulting, the people are background 

decoration, the product placement’s shameless 

and ubiquitous, and the thing goes on forEVER. 

Recommended only for children and adults with the 

attention span of a poodle. No detectable plot. Put a 

trash bin over your head and have someone beat on 

it for three hours. Save you the price of a ticket. I call 

myself the guy who goes to all the movies so you don’t 

have to, but I’m not subjecting myself to any more 

Transformers movies. (165 min) 

HOMEFRONT 

In this wan collection 

of action-movie tropes, 

retired DEA agent Jason 

Statham, trying to cope 

with single parenthood 

in rural Louisiana, runs afoul of the local creeps and 

kicks some serious meth-head ass. Nothing new here, 

but for those who like their thrillers old-school and free 

of surprises or inspiration, it’s briskly paced and moderately 

suspenseful. The macho, F-word-heavy script 

is a bit clunky, written as it was by Sylvester Stallone 

from a novel by Chuck Logan. The cast, which includes 

a misfiring Winona Ryder, a scenery-chewing Kate 

Bosworth and (yawn) James Franco, is uniformly forgettable. 

(100 min) 

SUNSHINE ON LEITH 

Jukebox musicals are 

highly subjective. This 

relentlessly perky effort 

bends a soapy story 

around the music of the 

Proclaimers, famous outside Scotland for “I’m Gonna 

Be (500 Miles),” a boisterous, crowd-sourced version 

of which breathes some badly needed life into the 

film. Unfortunately, it’s the finale and too late. Alleged 

plot has three couples dealing with mostly manufactured 

bumps on the road to everlasting love. Cloying, 

superficial and more than a wee bit twee. Best enjoyed, 

obviously, by Scots and Proclaimers fans. The city of 

Edinburgh provides some great backdrops for all the 

schmaltz. Japanese title: Sunshine Utagoe ga Hibiku 

Machi. (100 min) 

GODZILLA 

After the universally 

reviled 1998 Roland 

Emmerich turkey, this 

time Hollywood got it 

right. It’s a little slow 

getting started, but once it gets up to speed, English 

director Gareth Edwards’ (Monsters) creature feature 

is plenty exciting. This is no SFX-driven studio factory 

job; it emphasizes character and tension over mindless 

and repetitive spectacle. And while it’s about battling 

behemoths, it’s told from a human perspective. Aaron 

Taylor-Johnson is capable if not stellar in the hero role, 

and having Bryan Cranston in the cast certainly doesn’t 

hurt. The post-production 3-D is useless. (123 min) 

Non-stop: © 2014 TF1 FILMS PRODUCTION S.A.S STUDIOCANAL S.A.; I, Frankenstein: © 2013 LAKESHORE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LLC AND LIONS GATE FILMS INC.; The Legend of Hercules: (C)2013 HERCULES PRODUCTIONS, INC.; Brick 

Mansions: © 2013 EUROPACORP - BRICK MANSIONS PRODUCTIONS INC.; Stories We Tell: ©2012 National Film Board of Canada; Zulu: ©2013 ES KW AD-PA THÉ PRODUCTION - LOBSTER TREE - M6 FILMS; How I Live Now: © The British Film 

Institute/Channel Four Television Corporation/ HILN Ltd 2013; Lucy: © 2014 Universal Pictures; Into the Storm: © 2014 VILLAGE ROADSHOW FILMS (BVI) LIMITED; The Promised Land: © 2012 Focus Features LLC. All Rights Reserved; Leviathan: 

©Arrete Ton Cinema 2012; The Queen of Versailles: ©2012 Queen of Versailles, LLC. All rights reserved.; Godzilla: © 2014 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. & LEGENDARY PICTURES PRODUCTIONS LLC; Transformers: Age of Extinction: © 

2014 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. HASBRO, TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. 

25

food&drink 

©ふなっしー 

Photo by Jeff W. Richards 

Häagen-Dazs Minicup Pumpkin 

The Japanese calendar declares that the season 

for gluttonous eating is upon us. Fall approaches 

in spirit amid the lingering heat of 

summer, and Häagen-Dazs Japan is at the 

ready with two new ice creams. Halloween and 

Thanksgiving come early with the new pumpkin 

(¥284, out September 8) flavor, while the 

waguri (Japanese chestnut, ¥284, out now) offers 

a taste of fall in Japan. What better way to 

welcome the new season than with a mini-cup 

of autumn harvest? Available at convenience 

stores and supermarkets nationwide. 

Two years ago, Whisky Live—the annual celebration 

of the distilled beverage—added the 

Tokyo International BarShow to its lineup, and 

the mix has met with unblended approval. In 

addition to sampling quality blends and single 

malts, aficionados can try cocktails mixed by 

award-winning bartenders or try their hands at 

the Cocktail Proficiency test on the event’s final 

day. Sep 20-21, Tokyo Dome City Prism Hall. 

¥5,000 (one day)/¥9,000 (both days). Tickets 

at select best bars and Yahoo! Tickets (http:// 

tickets.yahoo.co.jp). Korakuen. —Jeff W. Richards 

Just when you thought you were safe from 

Funnasyi—the yellow municipal mascot of the 

city of Funabashi—Shibuya Parco is hosting 

FunaCafe, a snackery themed after the pearshaped 

character. Why not nibble the Funassyi 

Goren (a play on nasi goreng, the Malay and 

Indonesian term for fried rice, ¥1,490), follow 

up with a Hyahaa Pudding Parfait (¥1,166), and 

smother yourself in a pear-flavored Funassyi 

Smoothie (¥842)? FunaCafe is open until Sep 

30 at Guest Cafe & Diner, 7F Shibuya Parco 

Part 1. Shibuya 

SPORTS DRINKING 

Alco-Haul: The 

Sporting Art of 

B.Y.O.B. 

BY YUKARI SAKAMOTO 

For those of us accustomed 

to police-grade 

body searches on the way 

into a sporting event, it’s 

stunning to discover that 

many Japanese sports 

arenas turn a blind eye to 

fans slipping in with their 

own alcohol and munchies. Of course, it’s not a 

boozy free-for-all and some caution is required. 

But with a little preparation, you can enjoy your 

refreshment of choice without having to look 

over your shoulder—or pay stadium prices. 

Here are some tips on packing your own 

goodies to Tokyo sports events. 

MAEGASHIRA MALTS 

The easiest place to smuggle in your own 

food and drink is at a sumo tournament, such 

as at the Kokugikan in Ryogoku. Security officers 

here don’t check bags upon entry so 

pretty much anything goes here. 

We like to spring for one of the 

masuseki (tatami box seats) 

down close to the dohyo (ring), 

where there’s enough space 

for us to unpack a picnic basket. 

Our wine, cheese, sliced 

meats and bread always get 

admiring glances from neighboring sumo fans. 

Alternatively, do it Japanese style 

and fill your bag with some cup sake, 

sembei (rice crackers), saki-ika (dried 

and shredded squid), edamame or 

omusubi (rice balls). 

YEBISU YAKYU 

Baseball stadiums are a little trickier 

for beverage bringing, since 

glass bottles and aluminum 

cans aren’t permitted into most venues. 

This doesn’t mean you’ll be stopped at 

the gates, however. At the Seibu Dome 

in Saitama, for example, the staff will give 

out plastic cups to those who’ve elected 

to bring their own cans of brew, and 

Photos by Yukari Sakamoto 

you can enjoy watching 

guests crack open a can 

and pour its contents into 

a cup—if not several cups— 

before entering the stadium. 

If you don’t want to forcibly 

relocate your libations, try 

packing soft-paper boxes of 

wine or sake, which are widely 

available in many supermarkets 

and convenience stores. Each pakku (beverage 

box) will usually contain 180ml of your favorite 

tipple, complete with a small straw for easy 

access. Some liquor shops also carry wine in 

squeeze packs (also ideal for hiking), which we 

like to put into the freezer the night before. Not 

only are they frosty all day long, they also act 

as coolers to keep our snacks nicely chilled. 

GUINNESS ELBOW 

Another helpful tip is to shop closer to home— 

or at least far from the arenas. 

Waiting until the last minute to do 

your conbini run can lead to frustration, 

as most of the the shelves are 

picked clean just before a match. 

Your best bet is to do your shopping 

just before getting on the train. 

Finally, pack a few oshibori (wet 

towels) and some plastic bags for 

your trash, then go have a grand 

old time. Watch the camaraderie grow as you 

share a few goodies with your fellow sports 

fans nearby. And then follow in the footsteps 

of Japanese fans at Brazil's World Cup games 

and make sure you clean up after yourself when 

you leave. 

26


While brand-spanking new Gagana Ramen 

has its requisite standard and spicy soups, 

the real draw for punters is the aburi horumon 

tsukemen. It’s made with kuroge wagyu—beef 

offal from the renowned Japanese 

black cow. It’s delicately heated before being 

popped in the soup, giving it a crunchy-butjuicy 

texture and divine aroma. It’s not everyone’s 

cup of soup but for the offal-initiated, 

it’s a treat worth the ¥880. 1F Tobu Sunlight 

Mansion, 3-33-17 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshimaku. 

Ikebukuro. 

¥¥¥ EN/JP 

RESTAURANT 

Roppongi Gets 

its Batter Up 

BY MIKE KANERT 

Missing out on crispy batter, thick chips and 

mushy peas? Look no further than Malins Original 

British Fish & Chips, located an easy stumble 

from Roppongi’s Tokyo Midtown. While not 

necessarily the first time fish and chips have 

graced Japan’s shores, Malins is the first to be 

certified by the National Federation of Fish Fryers 

(NFFF), a century-old British fish and chips 

trade association. 

Indeed, Malins is not a nihon-grown institution 

but an export straight from the U.K.— 

as made immediately evident by the Scottish 

brogue of the shop’s ebullient chief chef, Phillip 

Raeside, who arrives in Roppongi straight off 12 

years at a shop in Kilmarnock, Scotland (that’s 

in East Ayrshire just southwest of Glasgow, for 

the geographically curious). 

The decor references the more southern bits 

of the British Isles, however, with shots of the 

Thames and Camden Town adorning the bright 

walls, while Malins’ NFFF certificate occupies 

a place of honor on the gleaming wraparound 

Any sweet tooth would delight in Tokyobased 

sweets brand Li Pore’s selection of 

tangy tarts and take-home cakes—but the 

shop's mainstays are actually its fruit punches. 

Colorful and served in kitschy floral jars, the 

beverages are as cute as they are healthy, 

from the blueberry-infused Melon Soda Punch 

(¥496) to the plainly named Fresh Fruit Punch 

(¥410 medium, ¥864 large)—a melange of 

seven fruits and a lemon juice-based syrup. 

Available at B1F Shinjuku Isetan Main Bldg. 

Shinjuku-sanchome. 


countertop—right next to the napkins and 

ketchup and within reach of a jar of pickled 

eggs (display only, sadly). 

While much of the shop is British, the 

fish is all sourced right here. The menu 

offers three main set options, starting with 

an ample helping of finger cod with fresh, 

thick chips and appropriately mushy peas 

at ¥1,242. And if you’re feeling really peckish, 

you can challenge yourself to a gutbusting 

hunk of cod with the usual sides 

for ¥1,620 after tax. 

The batter is light and airy with just 

the right amount of crunch, and the small 

set offers the option to exchange fish 

cake, pie or battered sausage for the finger 

cod—and if that’s still not enough choice for 

you, you can just go à la carte. Steak, chicken 

and vegetable pies are promised in the future, 

but Raeside says they’re still wrangling with 

customs regulations. 

That hasn’t kept the British beer from flowing, 

however, and bottles of standards such as Fuller’s, 

Bass and Samuel Smith lager, stout and pale 

ale can all be found at the till for ¥648-702 each. 

The Sarson’s Malt Vinegar is also imported, and 

while tartar sauce isn’t put in your hands as a matter 

of course, it’s readily available upon request. 

Malins is open 22 hours a day, from 11am to 

9am. While the focus is on take-out, there are 

eight seats available on-site as well. With the 

chatty staff speaking plenty of English, it’s a 

good spot to start the night or cap it off—or just 

swing by for lunch anytime you’re in the area, 

and they’ll make you feel right at home. 

1F Powerhouse Roppongi Bldg, 7-12-3 Roppongi, 

Minato-ku. Roppongi. www.malins.jp. 

TOP TEN 

OKINAWAN NUMBER 

BY LISA WALLIN 

What says summer better than the sparkling 

waters and white sands of Okinawa? As the 

season ebbs out, why not check out one 

of Tokyo’s top 10 Okinawan restaurants as 

ranked by Tabelog users? 

1. Ryukyu Chinese Tama (Shibuya) 

2. Dachibin (Koenji) 

3. Umi Naibi (Nerima-Kasugacho) 

4. Kanda Kichi (Kanda) 

5. Adan (Shirokane-Takanawa) 

6. Little Okinawa (Shinbashi) 

7. Taketomijima (Higashi-Ginza) 

8. Uminchu (Nerima) 

9. Urizun, Shibuya Hikarie branch (Shibuya) 

10. Okinawa Soba Yanbaru (Shinjuku-Nishiguchi) 

SMOKE-FREE 

BUBBLE BASE 

BY BRAD STEPHENSON 

Since opening earlier this year in Harajuku, 

Chun Shui Tang has quickly become 

a popular destination for trendy 20- and 

30-somethings looking for somewhere 

more sophisticated than the average Tokyo 

coffee house. With its fresh take on Taiwanese 

interior design, huge selection of bubble 

tea and tofu desserts (approximately 

¥500 each!), friendly service, smoke-free 

interior and free Wi-Fi connection, it’s easy 

to see how this tea lounge has become 

so popular so quickly. 4-28-11 Jingumae, 

Shibuya-ku. Meiji-Jingumae. 

Find more smoke-free cafés at 

www.25cafes.com 

Photo by Brad Stephenson 

27

FRI, SEP 26, 7-LATE - FREE ENTRY - ¥500 DRINKS 

Get your Neapolitan on in Nakameguro! 

Italian Sporcaccione 

1-8-29 Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-6416-1123 

MORE INFO: metropolis.co.jp/events 

Enjoy gourmet steak, fish, 

seafood and a selection of 

world-class wines with a 

superb skyline view. 

Tokyo’s No.1 nighttime panorama 

Fresh fish direct from Tsukiji market 

High-quality Japanese steaks 

Selection of high quality wines 

from over 2,000 cellars worldwide 

Party & wedding catering 

English service & menu available 

Yakult 

Panasonic 

Shiodome City Center 

Matsushita 

Shiodome Eletric 

Nihon TV tower 

Tower 

LUNCH: 

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

DINNER: 

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

Online Reservation: 

www.fish-bank-tokyo.jp 

41F Shiodome City Center Bldg, 1-5-2 Higashi Shinbashi, Minato-ku 03-3569-7171 

Happy Hour All ¥500!! 

Mon-Fri (except Public holidays) 

Open-7pm. Heineken 1 PINT, 

The Premium Malt’s 1 PINT, 

Glasses of wine, Cocktails 

̶ Hana・Gakoi ̶ 

The best Sushi and 

Yakitori Restaurant 

in Aoyama. 

Enjoy our great selections 

of Irish and European brews. 

Spacious 5F terrace 

over looking 

central Shibuya! 

More details 

http://failte.jp 

Tokyu 

Plaza 

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

OPEN 5:30pm-2am (Mon-Sat) 

3-11pm (Sunday & hols) 

tel: 03-3476-7776 

Shibuya 

Meiji ST. 

Shibuya P.O. 

HIKARIE 

Aoyama ST. 

Roppongi ST. 

Shibuya police station 

YAKITORI,SUSHI 

HANAGAKOI 

B1 Diamond bldg 

1-1-8 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku 

Tokyo 〒150-0002 

TEL 03-3498-3228 

Lunch 11:30 ~ 14:00 

Dinner 17:00 ~ 23:00 

(L.O.22:00 Drink L.O.22:30) 

28

Metropolis and its subsequent 

Classifieds section are 

printed every other week. The 

upcoming publication dates 

and corresponding deadlines 

for print are as follows. This 

does not affect the online 

Classifieds, where ads are 

visible immediately after they 

are approved. 

FRI, SEP 19 ISSUE 

Deadline: Sep 10, 3pm 

FRI, OCT 3 ISSUE 

Deadline: Sep 25, 3pm 

Blog post 

Gina1712 / Pixabay 

the official metropolis classifieds blog 

http://metropolis.co.jp/classifiedblog 

Everyone loves a good outdoor barbeque, but what are you 

to do when your place lacks not only deck and porch, but 

veranda as well? Luckily for us, Tokyo’s parks understand, 

and many of them will not only allow you to barbeque on their 

grounds, but will rent you the necessary accoutrements. For 

more info, visit the blog: http://meturl.com/barbequetokyo 

Think the Classifieds is just ads? Think again! Visit the blog for saucy ads of yore, ideas to make your 

ads pop, updated prices (hello, free vehicles ads!) and plenty more Classifieds goodness. 

http://metropolis.co.jp/classifiedblog 

1 AT YOUR SERVICE 

1.1 HEALTH 

BILINGUAL US-LICENSED 

PSYCHIATRIST RYUKO 

ISHIKAWA, MD, extensive 

clinical experience in 

Japan and overseas. 

Family relationship 

conflicts, cross-cultural 

human relationship issues 

(couples, individuals). 

Medication assessment 

w/diagnostic interviews. 

Fees on sliding scale. 

Weekly seminars 

available (anxiety, 

relationship issues) for 

¥3000-¥7000. 5min from 

Omotesando stn. www. 

cliniczhc.com/en/ Contact 

at ryupsy@gmail.com 

or direct 080-5199-9271 

(until 7pm). Appointment 

required. 

SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY 

(physical therapy) 

care in Hiroo. 

Native English-speaking 

therapists specializing 

in sports injuries, 

p o s t - o p e r a t i v e 

rehabilitation, back/neck 

pain, running related, 

headaches, orthotics, 

ergonomic consultations 

and women’s health. 

www.tokyophysio.com 

03-3443-6769 

1.7 BUSINESS SERVICES 

THINKING ABOUT 

ADVERTISING WITH 

METROPOLIS? Platinum 

¥32,400. Gold ¥27,000. 

Silver ¥21,600. Prices 

include one photo. Bronze 

¥2000 (photo + ¥2000). 

Prices are for 40 words, 

one print issue, two weeks 

online. For details, visit 

the Tokyo Classifieds blog 

- http://metropolis.co.jp/ 

classifiedblog/ - or email us 

at commercial@metropolis. 

co.jp. 

LAW OFFICE IN KAWASAKI 

(next to Tokyo), member 

of the Yokohama Bar 

Association. Legal service in 

English for traffic accidents, 

divorce, inheritance, 

bankruptcy, business cases 

(contracts, establishing a 

company, trademarks, etc.) 

and other legal problems. 

Email: web@smkw.biz www. 

sumikawa.net/ 

VISA COUNSELING: 

female immigration lawyer 

handles your visa case. 

Permanent residency, 

naturalization, eligibility 

(inviting your spouse/ 

children/workers from 

your country), extension/ 

change of visa status. 

Consultation ¥5000. OFFICE 

LIFE (Miho Fujibayashi). 

Tel: 090-8330-0670 Email: 

mailto@officelife.jp Website: 

http://officelife.jp/en/ 

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. Specialists 

in branding, web design, photo/ 

video production. Drawing A 

Crowd: a new approach in design. 

Get in touch. info@drawingacrowd. 

co 

1.8 GENERAL SERVICES 

SMILE STAND: Japan’s 

first and only stylish rental 

photo booth. An exciting 

addition to any party, 

event, etc., and the best 

way to get crazy, fabulous, 

professional photos. With 

this ad ¥55,000~. info@ 

highland-tokyo.com https:// 

vimeo.com/44976943 www. 

smile-stand.com 

FURNITURE RENTAL. Create 

customized furnished 

apartments with our 

furniture rental service. 

Furniture packages 

arranged by our qualified 

interior designers to 

accommodate various 

sizes and styles. We also 

offer apartment leasing 

consultation. Please call 

0120-957-520. www.smartrental-tokyo.com 

2 FIND A PLACE 

2.1 GUESTHOUSE 

GREAT LOCATION & SUPER 

CLEAN. Private furnished 

rooms in Roppongi, Akasaka, 

Azabu-Juban and Minami- 

Shinagawa, all 2min from 

stn, ladies-only floor 

available, weekly cleaning 

service, free internet, aircon, 

fridge. From ¥49,000/m. 

No key money/guarantor/ 

agent fee. 090-2405-0022 

mail@bauhousetokyo.com 

KANAMACHI GUEST HOUSE. 

Brand-new furnished share 

rooms, separate male and 

female floors, all rooms 

w/digital locks, aircon, 

fridge, 1min walk from 

Kanamachi stn, Chiyoda 

line ¥40,000/m. room@ 

airay-apartment.net 

03-5876-4575 www.airayapartment.net/ 

2.2 RENT UNDER ¥200,000 

ICHIGAYA, IN CENTRAL TOKYO. 

Furnished, 25sqm, w/south 

and north balconies, cherry 

blossom trees in Japanese 

garden, sunny and quiet, 

5-7min from Akebonobashi 

and Ushigome-Yanagicho 

subway stn, very convenient 

to Yotsuya/Shinjuku by bicycle 

¥100,000-. Tel/fax: 03-3341- 

7875 itto@itto-jinnai.com 

www.itto-jinnai.com/green/ 

greencorp.html 

ICHII CORPORATION. 

Over 600 affordable, qualityfurnished 

apartments in 

central Tokyo locations. No 

key money/guarantor/agent 

fee required. New, clean 

apartments, simple contract 

system, full English support. 

Call us today! 03-5437-5233 

www.japt.co.jp 

PRIVATE FURNISHED 

A P A R T M E N T S . 

Odakyu line: Mukogaoka- 

Yuen/Yomiuri-Land-Mae, 

20/30min from Shinjuku. 

Keikyu line: Hatcho-Nawate, 

15min from Shinagawa. 1K~2LDK 

¥58,000/m~¥120,000/m. Tel: 

044-933-7000 Email:mh@ 

minowagroup.jp www. 

minowagroup.jp/minowahomes 

SERVICED APARTMENTS in 

a quiet residential area of 

Hiroo. Studios and suites. 

4min from Hiroo stn. Rates: 

Daily ¥7800. Weekly ¥6850-/ 

day. Monthly ¥5700-/day. 

Over three months ¥5130-/ 

day. Tax, utilities included. 

frontdesk@azabucourt. 

com www.azabucourt. 

com/ 03-3446-8610 

0 

2.3 RENT OVER ¥200,000 

TOKYO APARTMENTS. Your 

one-stop housing solution 

throughout Tokyo. Providing 

serviced, furnished and 

unfurnished apartments, 

for both long- and shortterm 

stays. Also providing 

relocation services, 

furniture rental, property 

management and sales. 

Please call 0120-957-920. 

www.tokyoapartments.jp 

SPACIOUS, WESTERN-STYLE 

HOUSE, less than 30min to 

Shibuya, 4LDK, office space, all 

rooms internet- and TV-ready, 

Bose speakers, Secom security 

system, lots of storage space, 

solar panels, two parking spots, 

good for families with children. 

noemi.sato@gmail.com http:// 

meturl.com/spacioushouse 

2.4 HOUSE SHARE 

HOUSE SHARE IN NORTHERN 

TOKYO. Private tatami room, w/ 

balcony overlooking the river and 

forest, in a 3LDK Japanese-style 

house, 20min by train to Shinjuku 

from Wakoshi stn ¥50,000. Bills 

included. jrp65k2ej@i.softbank.jp 

3 EDUCATION 

3.1 JAPANESE SCHOOLS 

PRIVATE/SMALL JAPANESE 

LESSONS. Curriculum 

specially tailored to your 

needs. Monthly tuition 

system: ¥2500~/50min. 

¥3300~/80min. Monthly 

group conversation class, 

"Nihon-go Café" ¥1500- 

/50min. Located next to 

Yoyogi-Uehara stn, Chiyoda/ 

Odakyu line. info@lsmaru. 

co.jp http://www.lsmaru. 

co.jp/ 

TO ADVERTISE IN 

METROPOLIS, Japan’s 

No.1 English magazine, 

log on at www.metropolis. 

co.jp/classifieds or email 

your commercial ads to 

commercial@metropolis. 

co.jp. 

3.5 LANGUAGE EXCHANGE 

Danish, German, Japanese. Hej and 'N 

Tag! JF, 30s, seeks Danes and Germans 

to help her with languages in Tokyo/ 

Kanagawa through fun conversations 

over cups of coffee or just hanging out. 

Please be nonsmokers, late 20s-30s. 

codename107113@live.com 

English and Japanese. JF, late 30s, 

seeking a language exchange partner, 

M/F ok. My English level is advancedintermediate. 

I'm available after work 

on weekdays or on weekend afternoons 

around the Yokohama area. I like climbing 

mountains, bouldering, traveling. 

japanese_english0624@outlook.jp 

English and Japanese. UK male seeks 

language exchange partner. We can meet up 

in central Tokyo. Hopefully you are younger 

than 45. moosehoose32@yahoo.com 

English and Japanese. Hi! I'm Shogo! I 

want to speak E to practice. Do you want to 

speak J? Let's teach each other. Oh, I'm living 

in Shibuya. shogo9130@gmail.com 

English and Japanese. I'm a JF. I want 

to improve my English, so I'm seeking a 

language exchange partner. We can meet 

in Shinjuku, etc. sepkay@hotmail.com 

English and Japanese. Western man 

seeking help with Japanese. Good 

education, articulate. Machida/Sagami- 

Ono area. Not interested in traveling far. 

ms2013spk@yahoo.com 

English and Japanese. Hi, I'm a JF, 25. I 

want to be an English-speaking hairdresser 

in Tokyo, around Shibuya-ku. I need female 

friends who are native English speakers. I 

can teach you J. besamejajaja@hotmail. 

com 

English and Japanese. Group language 

exchange every Wed, 7:30-9:30pm, at 

coffee shops around Ginza. Most members 

are 20s and 30s. We switch languages every 

30min. Fun events on weekends. Free to 

join. ando.andy@gmail.com 

German and Japanese. JF seeks Ger/J 

language exchange partner. Seit Sechs 

Monaten lerne ich Deutsch aber ich spreche 

Englisch. F/M ok. If interested, drop me a 

line. gardenstate2005@hotmail.com 

German, English, Japanese. Help me 

with German... Bitte. Seeking a native 

German speaker to help me. My German is 

pretty basic. I can speak E and J, and I'm 

friendly. Danke! taeko.okamoto@gmail. 

com 08038751318 

Italiano e giapponese. Italiano e 

giapponese. Salve, sono una studentessa 

giapponese di 21 anni, sto cercando chi 

parla l'italiano. Ho studiato l'italiano in 

Italia per 1 anno e sono appena tornata in 

Giappone. Vorrei mantenere il mio l'italiano. 

cesareborgia17@gmail.com 

Spanish and Japanese. 母国語はスペ 

イン語です。スペイン語に興味があ 

る方居ましたら?ご連絡下さい。 

maldonado_4649@yahoo.co.jp 

3.6 LEARNING: GENERAL 

DRUM LESSONS IN ENGLISH from 

an experienced Berklee College 

of Music graduate with 15 years 

of teaching experience. Private 

studio with professional gear. I 

can also travel to your residence. 

Located in Ikejiri, 5min walk from 

the station. simpsondrumstudio@ 

gmail.com 090-9465-4488 

3.9 TEACH ME! 

Female web designer. Foreign male 

seeking web designer. Nonsmoker. Meet 

in Ueno/Tokyo/Shinagawa area, two or 

three times/month. In return, I'll teach 

you English and pay ¥1000/meeting. 

Strictly professional, so don't worry! jj08@ 

drivehq.com 

Want to learn Italian. I studied back in high 

school for a very brief time, and I do speak 

English and French, which might help. I know 

basic Italian words. Want to learn more now. 

assassin.wolves.films@gmail.com 

4 HOUSEHOLD GOODS 

4.1 FURNITURE & FITTINGS 

Carpet (190x190), in good condition. 

mizi2005@hotmail.com 

Furniture sale! One y/o, in great 

condition: spacious three-drawer 

dresser, Ikea ¥3000. Bookshelf ¥2500. 

Panasonic mini fridge ¥12,000. Semidouble 

sofabed ¥15,000/obo. Pick up 

between Sep 10 and 20 Gakugei-Daigaku 

area. reneedo26@gmail.com 

Rack, disassembles, in good condition 

¥500. mizi2005@hotmail.com 

4.2 APPLIANCES 

Fan, adjustable, in good condition 

¥2000. mizi2005@hotmail.com 

Fridge, National NR-B142J, black; LG 

WF-C47PW washer; both work well 

¥7000/each/obo. Pick up Ebisu. ec7hwnsc@asahi-net.or.jp 

Iron, Hitachi, cordless, as new, w/cover, 

manual ¥2500. mizi2005@hotmail.com 

Rice cooker, Zojirushi, as new ¥4000. 


Rice cooker, Rinnai Commercial Gas 

RR-S100GS, uses city gas 12A/13A, brand 

new, 10 cups, never used, w/5m gas cable 

¥13,000. kurtcommon2000@yahoo.com 

090-1424-1703 

4.3 SAYONARA SALE 

Sayonara sale! Kids toys; Hitachi TV, 

HDMI, 32"; washer; fridge; tricycle; 

sofa; table; cabinets; Nintendo Wii; 

furniture; appliances. shausri@gmail. 

com 08093688933 

4.6 FOR KIDS 

Stroller, Graco, double/twin, easy to 

fold, good for two infants/toddlers, used 

three times, as new. jeremy.white@ 

bakermckenzie.com 080-3519-5335 

Various items. Tricycle, books, blocks, 

remote-control toys, etc. shausri@gmail. 

com 08093688933 

4.7 FOR FREE 

Stools, two available, for counters, 

modern, w/stainless steel legs, cherry 

wood seats (H72/85xdiameter 43cm), in 

good condition. Tabata stn. freestuff@ 

hamihami.net 

5 HOBBIES&INTERESTS 

5.2 SPORTS EQUIPMENT 

Golf bag, Le Coq Sportif GOLF, w/ 

shoe pocket, as new ¥2000. Pick up 

Shinjuku-ku. likeme4u@hotmail.com 

Kickboxing, judo, ski wear sets. 

Kickboxing set: gloves, bandage, leg 

protectors, two pairs of short pants ¥1000. 

Adult judo set, suitable for around 175-185cm 

¥1000. Ski wear set, suitable for around 170- 

180cm ¥2000. yannu@hotmail.com 

29

Call today to book an appointment with some of the city’s 

best in-room massage therapists! 

Service menu: 

Aromatherapy treatment 

Lymph drainage treatment 

Reflexology 

Shiatsu 

90min. ¥15,000 

120min. ¥20,000 

150min. ¥24,000 

180min. ¥29,000 

Tokyo’s 

No.1 

Relaxation 

Massage 

Open: 6pm-5am Tel: 03-5206-5134 www.tokyo-refle.com/en/ 

Snowboard equipment. Burton Motion 

snowboard (154cm), 15 y/o, in good 

condition; Burton boots (25cm); bindings 

¥5000. kevjdunn@gmail.com 

5.3 MUSICAL EQUIPMENT 

Recording gear. Two AKG C1000 

condenser mics, in great condition, 

hardly used ¥9000/each. ¥15,000/ 

both. Tascam VLX5 monitors, great for 

home mixing ¥15,000/both. Samson 

3A MediaOne monitors, small but quite 

decent ¥4000. jarvis.clay@gmail.com 

09065682626 

5.4 BOOKS/CD/DVD 

Various language and guide books. 

Japanese study books, French and 

English books, guidebooks, etc. List 

available. yannu@hotmail.com 

5.5 GAMING 

PlayStation 3 games, some French, 

some English: Skyrim, Call of Duty: 

Modern Warfare 1 and 2, Ridge Racer 7, 

GTA 4, GTA: Episode of Liberty City, UFC 

2009, Uncharted 2 ¥2500/all. yannu@ 

hotmail.com 

PlayStation 3, peripherals, games. 

PlayStation 3; two wired and two wireless 

controllers, w/charging deck; two motion 

controllers, w/charging deck; Motion Eye; 

games (Biohazard 5 and 6, Uncharted, 

Resistance 3, Diablo 3, NBA Jam, etc.) 

¥35,000/obo. sequick@hotmail.com 

PlayStation Portable, w/five games 

¥2500. PlayStation 3 games, eight 

available ¥2500. Details available. 

yannu@hotmail.com 

5.6 COLLECTORS 

Baseball Hall of Fame coins, brandnew, 

in case, two available, both are 

PROOF: 2014 National Baseball Hall of 

Fame Proof $5 gold coin; 2014 National 

Baseball Hall of Fame Proof silver dollar. 

chinastockwatch@gmail.com 

6 VEHICLES 

6.2 MOTORBIKES, PARTS, 

& ACCESSORIES 

Helmet, Shoei Z-7, almost new, used 

twice, white, size M ¥30,000. yannu@ 

hotmail.com 

Suzuki Address V125G, seats two, 

6600km, one owner, kept in garage w/ 

roof, bought in '07, in excellent condition. 

Pick up Tokyo. sweetviera7@gmail.com 

6.3 BICYCLES, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES 

Road bike, size 52, full carbon (weighs 

6.8kg), custom-built, Shimano 105 and 

Dura Ace components, spider saddle, 

single front chainwheel, 1500km 

¥50,000. Pick up Shimokitazawa, 

Yoyogi-Uehara, Sazasuka stn. Test ride 

ok. chlorix@hotmail.com 08044684460 

7 GENERAL 

Tablet, MS Surface Pro 3, bought in US 

last month, unpacked, 128GB, i5 Core, 

w/original packing and accessories 

¥100,000. amit.ranjan1@gmail.com 

10 HELP! 

10.1 HELP ME 

Cat-sitter sought for 12 weeks for 

clean, sweet, healthy Birman cat. He 

gets lonely, so he will have to be looked 

after in your home. All food and cat 

litter provided. Will pay reasonable fee. 

hinokitsuki@gmail.com 

Models wanted for photo project. 

Seeking open-minded people for art 

photo project in Tokyo. Anyone - M/F, any 

race/age welcome. Provide prints for your 

time. Great opportunity to be part of a 

unique art exhibit. Serious only, please. 

alcove2009@yahoo.co.jp 

Sponsorship. Ten years' experience 

in cafe/bar work, including working at 

international hotels. I'd like to open 

a cafe/bar, but need sponsorship. 

Individuals and companies are welcome. 

Please, if interested, let us come to an 

agreement. samueladonkor@gmail. 

com 090-6152-6274 

Want to open small, Melbourne-style, 

coffee shop. Melbourne-trained barista 

who wants to open a small espresso 

café seeking advice. Please contact me. 

gordon.j.jones@gmail.com 

10.2 SUPPORT 

NEED TO TALK? We’re here 

to listen. TELL LIFELINE: free, 

anonymous English counseling 

daily from 9am-11pm by trained 

volunteers: 03-5774-0992. 

TELL COUNSELING: 

affordable multilingual 

psychotherapy by accredited 

Western-trained professionals, 

a CIGNA International Provider: 

03-4550-1146. TELL website: 

www.telljp.com. Follow us 

on Facebook and Twitter @ 

TokyoLifeLine. 

THE JAPAN HELPLINE, 24 hours 

a day, from anywhere, about 

anything. From emergency 

assistance to simple questions. 

Visit www.jhelp.com/ and press 

“help,” or call 0570-000-911. 

To volunteer or support, please 

contact team@jhelp.com. www. 

jhelp.com/ 

a safe, considerate, 100% confidential 

setting to discuss what’s on your mind, 

ask questions and make new friends. 

info@peersupporttokyo.com www. 

peersupporttokyo.com 

Infertility support group. TTC Tokyo is 

an infertility support group that provides 

informal opportunities for women and 

men experiencing infertility to connect 

with one another. Please visit website 

for more info. admin@ttctokyo.org www. 

ttctokyo.org/ 

10.3 LOST FRIENDS 

Seeking Mindy. Is Mindy, a petite blonde 

teaching assistant from LA, still in Tokyo? 

Any info appreciated. m106819151-tsky@ 

yahoo.com 

11 MESSAGES 

11.1 PERSONAL MESSAGES 

WRITE A MESSAGE FOR 

YOUR SPECIAL SOMEONE! 

Write anything, from birthday 

messages to proposals, and so 

much more! Contact us through 

our website at http://classifieds. 

metropolis.co.jp. 

12 SOCIAL SCENE 

12.1 LET’S PARTY 

JAPAN INTERNATIONAL 

PARTY - AUTUMN SPECIAL. 

Sat, Sep 27, 6:30-9pm, Devi 

Fusion (Roppongi). Japan’s 

biggest international party. 

250 people expected. All-youcan-drink 

and free snacks. 

Japanese men: ¥4000. 

Others: ¥3000. Mobile: http:// 

getyourfriend.com/mobile/ 

jiparty@hotmail.com http:// 

www.getyourfriend.com/ 

090-1735-5405 

7.1 PHONES 

Phone/fax, good send-and-receive, 

approximately one-hour non-stop talking 

battery power when fully charged for 

handset, in good overall condition ¥3000. 

Free delivery. mizi2005@hotmail.com 

7.3 MISCELLANEOUS 

Portable navigation, CiVi, as new, w/ 

box, manual, all accessories ¥8000. 


7.4 ITEMS WANTED 

Clothes for baby boy, from newborn up. 

lelanis@hotmail.com 

8 COMPUTERS 

8.2 HARDWARE 

Laptop, Latitude i5, 6GB RAM, 250 

SSD, Win 7 Pro, w/Japanese keyboard 

¥38,000. Tokyo. nrad_bob@hotmail.com 

MacBook, 13" screen, 1.8GHz, 2GB 

memory, 500GB HD, DVD drive no longer 

works, battery is old (computer must 

stay plugged in) ¥25,000. ianbayne@ 

gmail.com 

WEST PAPUA: ONE SOUL, ONE 

PEOPLE. Fifty-one years ago, 

West Papua should have been an 

independent country. Since 1969, 

West Papua has been invaded and 

the people robbed of their rights, 

culture and country. Help support 

West Papuans’ desire to be free. 

http://tapol.gn.apc.org/ markhelp2@ 

gmail.com 

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 

TOKYO. If you have a problem 

with drinking, we can help. 

English-speaking meetings daily. 

03-3971-1471 inquiries@aatokyo.org 

http://aatokyo.org 

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS. 

Eating too much? Obsessed with 

food? Maybe purging, too? Come 

join us as we recover together. 

Meetings Sat, 10:30am, and Tue, 

6:30pm. Skype meetings five 

nights/week. Contact: oatokyo@ 

gmail.com www.oaintokyo.org 

HIV Peer Support group and workshops. 

Get together with people in the same 

boat as you, who understand. Held in 

JOIN THE BIGGEST, 

BEST, MOST POPULAR 

INTERNATIONAL PARTY! 

Great people, drinks and food! 

Meet new friends and party 

with nice people in a friendly 

atmosphere. Events in Tokyo 

(Ginza, Azabu, Roppongi) 

and Osaka. ¥1500-¥2000. 

http://english.gaitomo.com/ 

info@gaitomo.com 

13 CLUBS & INTERESTS 

13.1 SPORTS 

A MERICAN FOOTBALL. 

Nihon Unisys Bulls, X league 

Central Division, seeks fit players 

w/ US college football experience 

for all positions. Practice every 

30

The majority of classified ads have moved online! classifieds.metropolis.co.jp 

Sat/Sun from 10am-3pm (including 

meeting) in Tokyo/Saitama (time 

& venue subject to change). 

Attendance at practice must be 

over 60%. Please contact for tryout 

info and send your profile to team 

admin. bullsxleague@gmail.com 

http://www.unisys.co.jp/football/ 

ALL-NATIONALITY TOUCH 

FOOTBALL. Non-contact tag rugby 

(OZ tag) and Rugby League players. 

We play every Sat from 10am 

in Tatsumi. M/F and beginners 

welcome! Good exercise and fun! 

Many other activities, such as 

BBQs and drinking parties! Email 

for details. tokyorugbyleague@ 

hotmail.com http://ameblo.jp/ 

tokyo13warriors 

AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE 

PLAYERS. Japan ANZACS Rugby 

League team is seeking Rugby 

League players for Japanese 

Rugby League official games 

from Apr to Sep. Everyone 

welcome. Contact for more details. 

japananzacs@gmail.com 

FUN WITH TOUCH RUGBY! Join 

us for social or competitive touch 

rugby every Sat at 2:30pm by 

Ariake stn, Yurikamome line. Any 

age, sex, level ok. Please email for 

details. funwithtouch@gmail.com 

http://www.funwithtouch.com/ 

where-we-play/ 

PLAY RUGBY. The Tokyo 

Crusaders are a friendly but 

keen international rugby club. 

Devoted to the game and its 

social side, the “Cru” welcomes 

all players and supporters. 

Established in 1990, the Cru plays 

in the Shuto League 1st Division. 

http://www.facebook.com/tokyo. 

crusaders www.tokyocrusaders. 

com 

TAMBOURELLI. Unique new 

sport from Scotland. Using a 

tambourine-like instrument as a 

racquet, players hit a shuttlecock. 

We play two or three times/month 

on weekends in Meguro with many 

socials. Join us! More details: www. 

tamjapan.org/en/ info@tamjapan. 

org 

Badminton club in Tokyo. Small 

international group seeks players from 

abroad. If you know basic footwork, 

strokes and play seriously, you could 

definitely enjoy playing with us. 

mune2006@hotmail.co.jp http://www. 

geocities.jp/mune_albat/page4.html 

Basketball in the Yokohama area. 

Want to play b-ball in the Yokohama 

area? Mostly Japanese players play 

intermediate games every Mon and Wed 

night at a local school's gym. Feel free to 

come. Please contact for further details. 

satoru.nicolas@gmail.com 

Futsal players wanted by a very 

friendly international team. Practice is 

in Tokyo and Kanagawa on Sat. Details 

available. fkkyn468@ybb.ne.jp 

Interested in tai chi? Then why not start 

now? Take a step to counter the stresses 

of daily living. Practice is in Toyama Park 

on Sun mornings, near Takadanobaba 

stn. chifact@gmail.com 

International football club. Five-aside, 

11-a-side, on grass fields. Two 

or three practices/matches on Sun. 

All nationalities welcome. Happy and 

friendly club! We have many socials. 

djnorio0417@yahoo.co.jp 

International futsal, five-a-side, on 

weekends in Tokyo. Friendly club, all 

nationalities welcome. djnorio0417@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

Tennis in central Tokyo. Active group of 

tennis friends in central Tokyo welcomes 

serious/motivated new players. We play 

on weekday evenings and weekends. 

Different levels (sorry, no beginners), 

fun training sessions and games with 

great people from all over. tennis. 

tokyo@yahoo.fr 

To advertise in Metropolis, Japan’s 

No.1 English magazine, log on at www. 

metropolis.co.jp/classifieds or email 

your commercial ads to commercial@ 

metropolis.co.jp. 

Triathlon training partner. I have 

this crazy idea to attempt 

an Ironman race next year. 

I have no experience other 

than a few marathons. 

Anyone interested in training 

with me? M/F ok. It could be a 

good adventure. klemmer1@ 

yahoo.com 

Women's football club. Five-aside, 

11-a-side, on grass fields. Two 

or three practices/matches on Sun. 

All nationalities, experience levels, 

beginners welcome. Happy and friendly 

club! We have many socials. djnorio@ 

hotmail.co.jp 

13.2 LEISURE 

MACARTHUR HEIGHTS. 

Take a break where General 

Douglas MacArthur did! One 

hour from Tokyo by car or direct 

train. Beautiful cabins on the 

ocean, w/onsen, beach, shopping. 

housinginjapan@yahoo.com 

Join Japanese Sake Club in Tokyo! 

Anyone interested in enjoying Japanese 

sake with new people who can use the 

Japanese language for communication? 

We started this group to meet lots of 

Japanese sake lovers. Looking forward to 

exploring Japanese sake together! info@ 

dayspa-grace.com http://www.meetup. 

com/azabujuban-sakeclub/ 

13.3 ARTS 

Indie scene fans. I'm seeking friends 

who are into Western and Japanese 

indie/underground/alternative music, 

art, film, comics, fashion, etc. Let's hang 

out in/around Tokyo. analogderez1@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

Love Shakespeare? Amateur group in 

Tokyo, meeting once/month to celebrate 

our love of the Bard. Come to read, or just 

to listen. All nationalities welcome, no 

experience necessary! rchrd_schwartz@ 

yahoo.com http://groups.yahoo.com/ 

group/Shakespeare-sama/ 

13.4 MUSIC 

Jazz jam session in Tokyo. Pianist, 

singer, bassist, saxophonist, trumpeter, 

flutist sought by Japanese guitarist. 

I'm playing jazz standards in Tokyo. 

k.chiba106@gmail.com 

You're right! We can play guitar and 

sing a song! Seeking singer or singersongwriter. 

I'm a Japanese guitarist. I 

play electric and acoustic guitar. Please 

let me play your songs. Let's make music 

together. Gigs in Tokyo. kamikaze_vibe@ 

hotmail.com 

13.5 MIND, BODY, SPIRIT 

BEGINNERS TAI CHI AND 

QI GONG COURSE starts 

Thu, Sep 18. Regular 

practice brings better 

health and increased 

levels of energy. http:// 

www.taichinews.com/ 

international/tokyo-japan 

mari@mequantaichi.com 

Diamond Way Buddhism Tokyo. Do you 

want to explore your own mind? Guided 

Buddhist meditation every Sun, 6pm, near 

Azabu-Juban. International practitioners, 

beginners welcome, Japanese spoken. 

Please call 090-3598-3072 for more 

information. daginia@gmail.com http:// 

www.diamondway.jp/ 

Zen meditation (Zazen). You've always 

thought it would be interesting to try it 

- why not now? Join us Fri evenings at 

Tokuun-in in Ueno. Make arrangements 

in advance by email, and check our home 

page. tokyozazen@jcom.home.ne.jp 

www.wgthorpe.com 

13.8 PROFESSIONAL 

Tokyo Traders Club. International 

club for traders and investors. Discuss 

opportunities in stocks, commodities and 

forex. Many regular events, including FX 

trading workshop. New to trading? No 

problem: beginners also welcome. 

You can also learn to trade. Join free! 

info@tokyotraders.com http://www. 

tokyotraders.com/ 080-5681-1321 

13.9 INTERNATIONAL 

Intercultural activities. JII (Japan 

Intercultural Institute) is a non-profit, 

member-run organization that sponsors 

activities (seminars, cultural events, 

conferences) for those wanting to further 

develop intercultural competencies 

and meet other interculturalists. yuko. 

bolick@japanintercultural.org www. 

japanintercultural.org 

14 PERSONALS 

14.1 FRIENDS 

Costco friends. 横浜金沢シーサイド. 

Are you a member of Costco Kanazawa 

Seaside who goes to shop sometimes? 

Japanese male, fluent in English/ 

Spanish, wants someone with whom 

to enjoy shopping, chatting or jogging. 

elsalvadorjapan@yahoo.es 

Danes wanted. JF, 30s, into Denmark 

like crazy! Nogen dansker i Tokyo eller 

Kanagawa at moedes til kaffe og hjaelpe 

mig at laere dansk lidt? Please vaere 

ikke-ryger, late 20-30s. Glaeder mig til at 

hoere fra jer! codename107113@live.com 

Fellow Japanese learners. English guy 

in Tokyo learning Japanese. I'm seeking 

other people who are also learning 

Japanese to hang out with, share 

language tips and resources, and share 

occasional frustrations. My Japanese 

isn't great (yet!). vint.snap@gmail.com 

New here. Feels weird to try finding 

friends online, but with work, study 

(Japanese), exercise, I thought this could 

be a way to meet new people. I like going 

out, travel, photography, and have a very 

English sense of humour. onzeetop@ 

gmail.com 

Seeking new friends. Hi! I'm an active 

JF seeking new friends with the same 

hobbies. I love to dance, cook, sing, 

travel, snowboard, etc. I also want to 

learn English. Let's share our hobbies 

and exchange J/E together. riyariya@i. 

softbank.jp 

Strolling through Tokyo. JF seeks 

English speakers who are interested in 

taking a walk with me around Tokyo. 

Shall we have friendship (not romance) 

through exploration? Non-native 

speakers also ok. Nonsmokers, punctual, 

under 35 preferred. gbsrs@hotmail.co.jp 

You and some friends? English guy 

looking to meet a group of friends after 

work for drinks. If you want to talk English 

and Japanese and enjoy some beer or 

wine, contact me. 日本語も大丈夫 . 

uk84@outlook.com 

中央線 . 中央線のビール友達を 

探してる。僕がイギリス男です。 

日本語でも英語でも大丈夫です. 

e.rolpxei@gmail.com 

黄 . Bright, cheerful, outgoing English 

male seeks new people for drinks on 

these hot summer evenings. Happy to 

meet more than one person, so if you're 

shy, bring a friend. Nonsmokers, 22-30 

only. 日本語 ok. advenchures+1224@ 

gmail.com 

14.2 MEN LOOKING FOR WOMEN 

SUBSCRIBE TO METROPOLIS 

AND NEVER MISS AN ISSUE. 

One year (24 issues) ¥3600 

(corporate subscribers, 

7-100 copies ok ¥22,560). 

Half year (12 issues) ¥1800 

(corporate subscribers, 7-100 

copies ok ¥12,000). Bank 

transfer or credit card (Visa, 

Mastercard, Diners Club). 

Details at http://metropolis. 

co.jp/subscription. 

J O B S 

To advertise: 

commercial@metropolis.co.jp 

03-4588-2277 

AUTO PARTS EXPORTER seeks order 

management to control order 

and goods in stock. Japanese not 

essential. Requirements: age 20-33, 

native-level English, strong work 

ethic, visa, international driving 

permit. Full-time. Salary: ¥250,000/m. 

Probation period ¥200,000. Bonus: 

twice/year. Social insurance/pension 

will be deducted. Location: Chiba-shi. 

Email: fumy44@pom.vc 

ART MODEL NEEDED. Nude model 

sought for sophisticated art project. 

Willing to offer attractive modeling 

fee. Serious only. This is not porn. 

Privacy is 100% respected. Mail: 

strikeapose@nifty.com 

ADMIN INTERN. Metropolis is seeking 

an E/J bilingual intern for two or 

three days/week (general admin 

duties, editing, various other 

tasks). Students welcome. No 

pay, but transportation provided. 

jobs@metropolis.co.jp 

JAPANESE MAN seeks a Spanish 

or Latin woman. I am single, 

175cm and speak English and 

Spanish. Call 080-3319-6436. 

copa2002mundo@gmail.com 

SUBMISSIVE SJM, 36, cute, is 

seriously seeking a woman who is 

into, or interested in, dominating 

men. I am so submissive, with 

seven years’ experience, that I am 

happy to take whatever and serve 

you in any way. slaveintokyo@ 

gmail.com 

Attractive French businessman living 

in Tokyo seeking a Japanese female, 

25-40. I'm seeking a beautiful single 

or married/involved Japanese woman 

for a discreet, fun, passionate time. 

guillaume_kun@yahoo.co.jp 

Attractive Japanese male for SWF. 

Seeking attractive Western female 

with a nice smile. If you are interested 

in chatting over coffee or nice food, 

please contact me and let me know. I 

am looking forward to your contact. 

juniperten2013@gmail.com 

Big black guy for you. I want to give 

beautiful ladies lots of fun. Satisfaction 

guaranteed. Skilled, very experienced, 

well-muscled, no strings attached. Find 

what you've been missing. tokioitelive@ 

gmail.com 

British gentleman. Hello, I am an 

Oxbridge-educated British-Australian 

gentleman seeking a single Japanese 

lady for friendship and marriage. I will be 

in Tokyo and Kyoto in Nov and would like 

to have an email exchange beforehand. 

stjdavid@googlemail.com 

British man, 40, blue eyes, white, 

medium build, fun, kind, educated and a 

smart dresser. I believe I am quite goodlooking. 

I am new to Japan and seeking a 

Japanese female for friendship. Married 

ok. yokohama123@outlook.com 

Can we be friends? Married man for 

housewife. Can we exchange emails and 

meet sometimes for a coffee together? 

Serious but slightly lonely married 

gentleman here. vbcfgt@hotmail.com 

Casual daytime fun? North American 

MWM, 30s, educated, professional, 

fit, attractive, kind, seeks attractive 

Japanese/Asian lady for passionate 

casual romance (not just friends) in 

Tokyo. Let's meet regularly in the 

daytime - sorry, no evenings. Coffee first. 

tokyodreamin@gmail.com 

Daytime. I need someone to awaken 

some desire during the day. Frustrated, 

bored and seeking some mad passion 

with nothing attached. Slim, decentlooking, 

mid-30s, all yours... for a few 

hours. artoistk@hotmail.com 

Discreet and mutually beneficial 

friendship sought with an open-minded 

woman who has a great attitude and can 

provide a girlfriend-type experience. I’m 

a very open-minded and down-to-earth 

middle-aged Asian. Please reply with 

your photos and contact info. I’m a wellcultured 

and traveled gentleman who 

wants some naughty fun. paul00702@ 

yahoo.com 

Down-to-earth SJM, not handsome, not 

rich, clumsy, early 40s, seeking a woman 

of a similar age for romance or marriage. 

Kanagawa preferred. elsalvadorjapan@ 

yahoo.es 

Gym rat seeking another gym lover. 

American living in Tokyo wishing to meet 

more people, possibly find someone to 

have a relationship with. I love weight 

training, am very buff, and want to meet 

an athletic woman. captaincharisma_v1@ 

yahoo.com 

Handsome American man seeks 

Japanese lady. I'm an American 

gentleman, 5'9", 175lbs, dark blond 

hair, blue eyes, seeking a sincere, loving 

relationship with a special lady. I can 

FOREIGN TRAVEL AGENCY IS SEEKING 

JAPANESE STAFF to be part of its Tokyo 

team, to assist inbound travelers 

on-site and in the preparation of 

their trip, and other development 

and administrative tasks. The person 

should be a native Japanese speaker, 

fluent in English, and have basic 

knowledge of accounting. Starts fall 

‘14. Please email us for an interview. 

job@japan-experience.com 

OPERATION MANAGER NAQUINGS has 

an operation manager position open. 

The employment scheme includes 

three stages: 1. Provide us with your 

resume. 2. Display your readiness to 

work for NaquinGS at the interview 

with our managers. 3. Show your best 

professional and personal skills and 

prove you are the best candidate for 

us. If you have any questions related 

to employment, contact our managers 

in the HR department. NaquinGS.com 

METROPOLIS is seeking motivated 

bilingual (E/J) sales executives, 

support staff and interns to join its 

advertising and marketing team. Send 

E/J resume to jobs@metropolis.co.jp. 

speak Japanese. tommtgyi@gmail.com 

Hi, there. こんにちは。暇なときに 

話したり、お茶したり出来る人を探 

しています。 alkali_ion_no_omizu@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

I will make you happy. Japanese 

businessman, 40s, handsome, 

warmhearted, living in Koenji, seeks a 

girlfriend for a serious relationship. I 

need you. I will make you happy mentally 

and physically. akutsut@yahoo.co.jp 

090-2765-0607 

Intimate encounter. Very goodlooking, 

tall, safe, sane male seeking a 

lady to hang out with for movies, great 

food, wine. Let's see where this leads us. 

canadiangesture@gmail.com 

Kind, fun Australian for relationship. 

Hi, I am from Melbourne, Australia. 

Now in Shibuya and seeking someone 

single and open to a long- or short-term 

relationship. No playgirls, please - the 

heart is not a toy. markjamesbutcher@ 

gmail.com 

Lazy weekends together? Seeking 

attractive and curvy girlfriend, 160cm+, 

who is fun to be around and seeking 

intimacy in the Tokyo area. I'm a caring 

Afro-American male from NY, 36, 183cm, 

shaved head, athletic build, working in IT. 

Interested? goldfinger726@gmail.com 

Let's enjoy life. SWM, American, 40s, 

1.7m, average build, Tokyo resident, 

seeking a woman, 20s, open-minded, 

fun, cute, down-to-earth, fashionable, 

with an interest in museums, traveling. 

Western or Japanese preferred. 

alwaysready4u2009@gmail.com 

Let's get dinner or drinks. Hello, I'm 

originally from New York. I love Tokyo, 

going out, meeting new people. I'm 

adventurous, laid back, friendly and 

a bit quiet - but not shy. I'm into art, 

music, movies, literature. mikenyus@ 

hotmail.com 

31

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

TOKYO FURNISHED APARTMENTS 

NO 

key money, deposit, 

agent fee, guarantor 

URL: www.tokyoeasyrent.com/en TEL: 03-5437-5233 

WADA Legal & Administrative Office 

For information: 

Tel: (03) 3345-7977 

FAX: (03) 3345-5377 

Hiroshi Oogai, 

Patent attorney 

Immigration lawyer 

We can help you with: 

• Visa & Immigration Procedures 

• Mixed Marriage, Naturalisation 

and Refugee Status 

• Establishing a Company & 

Branch Office 

• Accounting Services, Acquiring 

Business Licences 

• Preparation/Translation of 

Legal & Business Documents 

• Other Legal & Business Matters 

http://www.wada-lats.com/ 

E-mail: info@wada-lats.com 

3-5-3-1402 Nishi-Shinjuku, 

Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023 

J-STAR PATENT, TRADEMARK & IMMIGRATION OFFICE 

Reasonable prices. 

Free first time consultation 

We can support you with: 

Visa and immigration 

Intellectual property rights 

(Patent, trademark, copyrights) 

Establishing a Company & 

Branch office 

Other Legal & Business matters 

www.j-star.jp 

Grand Prince 

Hotel Akasaka 

Akasaka 

Mitsuke 

stn 

Aoyama Ave 

Akasaka 

Excel 

Hotel 

Tokyu 

Exit 4, 

Nagatacho stn 

Supreme 

Court 

National 

Diet 

Library 

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

Tel: 03-5216-6890 Fax: 03-5216-6891 

Email: hiroshioogai@j-star.jp 

Imperial 

Palace 

Nice gentleman seeks a mature Japanese 

woman, 50+, to enjoy special sweet 

moments together, with respect and good 

manners. vbcfgt@hotmail.com 

No English? 銀行で働いてるイギリ 

ス人が日本の女の子探してる。英 

語分からない女の子欲しい。 vint. 

snap@gmail.com 

NZ guy seeks serious girlfriend. 

Seeking serious-minded woman for 

a lasting relationship. My dream is to 

marry a Japanese woman. I have never 

been married and have no children. I'm 

clean and a nonsmoker. shenzhenau@ 

yahoo.com 

Pretty black/African woman sought for 

a long-term and passionate relationship 

full of pleasure. I am a well-educated 

professional, currently working at a 

well-known international company, with 

a caring and loving heart. karlimarko@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

Proposal for SWF in Tokyo. Attractive 

SJM seeks attractive, spiritually 

mature, thoughtful SWF for a meaningful 

relationship. Shall we begin to talk? I think 

this will be a great opportunity for us. 

followupforme14@gmail.com 

Romantic Hawaiian gaijin seeking 

SJF. Romantic, mature single man, 40s, 

seeks SJF, 20-35, for dating, shopping, 

travel. Let's travel by car or jet for fun 

and enjoyment. Possible free Guam or 

Hawaii trip and long-term relationship. 

hermanb1@yahoo.com 

Seeking a warmhearted lover. 

Professionally and financially very 

successful, accomplished, loving married 

male from America is seeking a kind, 

caring, nonsmoking lady for a one-onone, 

long-term, discreet affair. Let us enjoy 

each other! nicefunguy_321@yahoo.com 

Seeking chubby, serious JF. European 

guy, 40, open-minded, easygoing, honest, 

faithful, seeks a JF who can meet up soon 

(not too many emails) for a long-term 

relationship. Let's meet up over coffee 

and talk. niman429@yahoo.com 

Seeking curious woman. Hi! I'm male, 

tall, slender, cultured, humorous, 

creative, seeking a woman, 30s-40s, 

who would like to explore tantra and the 

more imaginative/psychological aspects 

of sexuality. Write me, and I'll explain in 

more detail. edwinspr144@gmail.com 

Seeking friends to explore Omotesando. 

Hi, seeking friends to go to coffee shops, 

restaurants, bars in the Omotesando 

area. Recently moved back to Tokyo. I 

am American, a bit quiet, a gentleman. 

edampaul@gmail.com 

Seeking large Japanese girlfriend. 

Canadian guy, 40s, open-minded, gentle, 

romantic, positive, seeks overweight 

girlfriend for long-term relationship in 

Tokyo. Serious only, please. bbalajan@ 

yahoo.com 

Seeking married JF. Nice guy, 40s, 

gentle, romantic, open-minded, seeks 

to share great time with a married JF in 

Tokyo. First, let's meet up over coffee and 

talk. benjaminbenjamin12@yahoo.com 

Seeking mature JF. Cool guy, 40s, 

positive, romantic, honest, a gentleman, 

seeks JF, 40s-50s, for a long-term 

relationship. nnazila73@yahoo.com 

Seeking mature woman in Yokohama/ 

Tokyo. Cool guy, 30s, positive, romantic, 

gentleman, honest, with many hobbies, 

seeks JF, 熟女 ok, 30~55, for a long-term 

relationship in Yokohama/Tokyo. 日本語 

ok。maldonado_4649@yahoo.co.jp 

Seeking woman in Kanagawa. Hi there, 

I'm seeking a lady in Kanagawa. I'm a Latin 

guy, 40s, 181cm, 88kg, very talkative and 

friendly. I hope to meet someone here. 

mahalo.oahu.surfnsea@ezweb.ne.jp 

Sense of humor is a must! Creative white, 

bearded British man slowly learning 

Japanese, with a love for rock music 

and horror films. I'm always laughing - 

even if my jokes are terrible. What's the 

worst joke you know? simondbrewer@ 

googlemail.com 

Simple, sincere, serious. Black guy, 

42, educated, intelligent, businessman, 

seeks JF or Western woman for a long-term 

relationship. meetmrserious@yahoo.com 

SJM for relationship. I am a caring 

SJM, 40s, seeking a SWF who is sweet, 

caring, passionate, outgoing, in the 

Tokyo/Kanagawa area. Hoping to start a 

relationship that might turn into something 

serious. toshinoris1012@yahoo.co.jp 

This M4W section sucks! It’s the same 

women who reply to every message. They 

get angry if you ask their age. They want 

marriage now. Someone young, happy and 

adventurous, reply to me, please! I’m the 

only Brit. the.only.brit@gmail.com 

Traveling in Tokyo or Yokohama? SJM, 

30s, wants to show an attractive foreign 

lady around Tokyo, Yokohama or Kamakura, 

and later have dinner together - and maybe 

more. lovehotellover@yahoo.co.jp 

You're beautiful, smart, sexy - I hope you 

know that. If you're feeling unappreciated 

at home, let's meet up one afternoon 

and inject some excitement into one 

another's lives. Just our secret. Gentle, 

passionate British professional, 41. 

letspleasuretokyo@gmail.com 

逗子海岸 or 三浦海岸 . バチャ 

ータとメレンゲ、サルサしたい女 

性歓迎 ~ 私 ( 男性 )は基本 ok。 

elsalvadorjapan@yahoo.es 

14.3 WOMEN LOOKING FOR MEN 

SINGLES-ONLY DATING 

EVENTS EVERY FRI NIGHT for 

foreign men and Japanese 

women. Leave the event 

with a new date! Always 

more women than men. FREE 

if signing up in advance! 

Otherwise, ¥2000. info@ 

exeo-international.com www. 

exeo-international.com 

LAVISH DATES AND 

INDULGENT NIGHTS - WE 

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES 

for elite foreign males to meet 

elegant Japanese females. 

Start with a luxurious dinner 

date,take the night where you 

want it to go. Fresh, young 

women join our club every day. 

Try our free one-month trial 

offer: first date is on us! 0120- 

675-858 (E) international@ 

universe-club.jp http:// 

universe-club.jp/en 

Are you from New York? Pretty woman, 

30s, seeking Mr. Right. I have a good 

personality, good heart and a good job in 

Tokyo. I hope you are good-looking, and 

have a good job and heart. Waiting for our 

encounter. nvyu12@yahoo.com 

Compatibility and chemistry. 

Personality matters, I agree, but good 

looks excite men and I would never argue 

with their nature. Beautiful, educated SJF 

with a great sense of humor and healthy 

appetite, slightly over 40, seeks a single 

professional American. caligreen2000st@ 

gmail.com 

Cool Japanese beauty, cute, single, 40s, 

seeks a single Caucasian or internationalminded 

single Japanese, caring, tolerant, 

outgoing, for a long-term relationship. 

No long distance. Serious only. 

happycamper2465@gmail.com 

Fresh start. Attractive, cultured JF, 30s, 

seeks a good-looking young boyfriend 

who can possibly have a long-term 

relationship. He should be Caucasian, 

nonsmoking, cultured. No one-night 

stands. nanaironohana24@yahoo.co.jp 

Japan-loving French guy. SJF seeks a 

French guy who loves living in Japan, 30s, 

for a serious relationship, possibly leading 

to marriage. I am caring, curious and openminded. 

Serious only. vinrouge735@ 

gmail.com 

JF seeking husband. Seeking SWM for a 

serious relationship leading to marriage, 

settling down with a family and kids. Me: 

SJF, 30s, kind, in good health, beautiful 

smile. rykya614@i.softbank.jp 

Live, laugh, love. Seeking a gentle, 

open-minded, highly-educated man for a 

long-term relationship. Feminine, unique 

woman with captivating eyes, 40s. amrita_ 

banana2014@yahoo.co.jp 

Mature SJF seeks casual date in 

Minato-ku. Seeking a nonsmoker, 50-70s, 

to go to gardens and museums. I like Arabic 

and European movies, music (heavy metal, 

classical and ethnic), cooking and different 

cultures. No photo available. altoids301- 

szka@yahoo.co.jp 

Seeking friends or more. I'm 28, working 

hard, can't find time to meet someone. 

I don't have much time. Seeking SWM, 

30-40. Could you find me? butterfly. 

saya0324@gmail.com 

Seeking single man. I am a single 

Japanese, 40. I like to hang out with 

my friends, listen to music, go running. 

I'm seeking a SWM. I like older men. 

blenda0406@yahoo.co.jp 

Serious only. SJF, 30s, seeking SWM for 

serious relationship. Me: tender, caring, 

good sense of humor, brought up in a 

happy home. I like music and cooking. If 

interested, please email me. rykya614@i. 

softbank.jp 

Share relaxing time together. Seeking 

a sensible, intelligent single man for a 

long-term relationship. I'm a JF, 20s, 

from central Tokyo. May I have your basic 

info? We can meet for drinks and get to 

know each other first. aiko.tsuchida17@ 

yahoo.com 

Start as friends. I'm a SJF, 40s, seeking a 

serious relationship in Tokyo (not friends 

with benefits). My friends say I'm positive 

and funny. I want to start as friends and see 

where things go. aubin-euclid@softbank. 

ne.jp 

Successful doctor. JF doctor, 20s, in 

Tokyo, with clinical experience in the US, 

seeks passionate professionals who can 

inspire me with surprises. People say 

that I'm cute and a perfectionist. Let's 

get together and make a difference. 

juliemassee@yahoo.com 

With you, fun outings, dining, hanging 

out at home - all are exciting and 

comforting. With me you feel relaxed 

and happy. Authentic Asian beauty (SJF), 

intelligent, mid-40s, wants a mature 

single native English-speaking partner. I 

am worth your time. highheels.sweets@ 

gmail.com 

Your perfect complement. You will have 

a beautiful best friend, good chef, sexy 

flirt and great listener to your dreams or 

even problems. Stunning, fit, fun-loving, 

educated SJF, 40+, seeks a sincere single 

gentleman who works and plays hard. 

enfant7bythesea@yahoo.co.jp 

14.5 ESCORTS 

ESCORTS have gone online. 

To find a lovely lady 

companion, visit http:// 

classifieds.metropolis.co.jp/ 

category/personals/escorts. 

14.6 AND OTHERS 

Master, please teach and lead me. I am 

a SJF, 41, seeking a master to teach and 

dominate me. I'm a beginner, but am very 

interested. asa.yu98@gmail.com 

15 JOBS 

15.1 JOB WANTED 

NEED A BABYSITTER? 

My name is Merinda 

Masuda. I’m 16, great 

with children and give 

them 100% attention. 

T r u s t w o r t h y , 

responsible, loving, can do 

housework while children sleep. 

Seeking work in central Tokyo. 

Available most evenings, Sat 

evenings and Sun. 

merindababysitter@gmail.com 

Network administrator/engineer. 

Overseas experience of 15+ years, 

seeks challenging job for installation, 

configuration, maintenance, setting-up, 

optimization, and management of 

servers, computers, laptops. Windows, 

Linux, Unix, Mac. Support in English, 

Japanese, French and Spanish. 

garciarjpn@yahoo.co.jp 

32

♥ Love ¥ Money ♣ Luck 

horoscope 

BY CATHRYN MOE 

ARIES 

Mar 21-Apr 19 ♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

Time to put yourself first. Neptune 

contributes to waves of feeling, 

complete with spills and emotional 

overload. What you’re going through prepares 

you for leadership as intensity becomes the 

norm. Mercury enters your work force area on 

Friday. Schedule plenty of workouts, yoga or 

meditation so the details don’t overwhelm. You 

are strong and focused. 

TAURUS 

Apr 20-May 20 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

This week you’re sought after as the 

sexy one. Venus enters your house 

of romance on Friday. Someone’s 

birthday may be involved. By Tuesday there’s a 

surprise that comes through a dream or a pastlife 

connection. Accept gifts if offered (unless 

you’re in politics). An open-door policy lets you 

take on new vistas and challenges. A partner 

is coming on strong and it may be they have 

a point. Ouch. 

GEMINI 

May 21-Jun 20 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

Mercury, your ruler, sharpens wits, 

especially at home, and you come 

out the winner. You love a fast 

repartee, and others had better be quick with 

their comebacks because you’re the designer 

of every clever phrase. If you’re overstretched, 

it’s because you’re well-liked and everyone 

wants you. Midweek, you’re flying through your 

schedule. Reveal your secret desires and see if 

they show up romantically just for you. Then see 

if you can keep them that way. 

LEO 

Jul 23-Aug 22 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

You just lost Venus from your sign, but 

hold on—she moves to your money 

sector Friday. Excellent transit! Nothing 

to lose and everything to gain. She adds to 

your bank account for almost a month. Do ask 

for what you want, do cash it quickly. Tuesday, 

you can blaze through opportunities to spend. 

Thursday, you may pull back and choose a bit of 

security. Both are worthwhile. Jupiter’s in your 

first house. Watch calories or walk a lot. 

LIBRA 

Sep 23-Oct 22 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣ 

You can laugh at the view from your 

Libran scales as our world tilts crazily 

and then rights itself. Someone 

has to be able to see the humor and yet stick to 

the plan. Your ruler Venus transits to your solar 

twelfth house on Friday. This goddess gives you 

a glimpse of the big picture and your part in it. 

You do see how important you are to everyone, 

don’t you? If not, pull your energy out of a dinner 

party and watch the lackluster descend. Entice 

and tease this week. It will pay off. 

SAGITTARIUS 

Nov 22-Dec 21 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

Your intuition and sense of timing 

are accurate. Very Sagittarian, your 

arrow hits the center of the target. It 

may rankle that you were the first to know and 

not everyone remembers, but you still get to 

benefit from having that visionary edge. Venus 

moves into a square aspect with your Sun on 

Friday. This is testing, but since you know about 

it, you can skirt around it or go right through 

(whichever seems truest in that moment). If you 

want this, it can be yours. 

AQUARIUS 

Jan 20-Feb 18 ♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

You’re a bit in the clear if you want to 

make a run for it. Or if you’d rather, 

observe and make mental notes. 

Venus transits to increase stability through others 

or from large organizations. Starting Friday, 

it’s OK to receive as it’s part of your astrological 

heritage. Simultaneously, you may have to deal 

with hearing a bit of news as it moves in one 

direction and then the other. Use your instincts 

as your personal radar. There’s relaxation to be 

found in new love. 

CANCER 

Jun 21-Jul 22 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

Venus leaves your finance sector 

and enters your circle of communication. 

The advantages far outweigh 

the disadvantages. She does this on Friday. 

There’s a solidity and stability entering your life. 

Others ask your views and they mean it. How 

you say what you say determines the level of 

comfort and even luxury that may be ushered 

into your life. Tuesday and Wednesday, there’s 

a bit of rushing about at work. By Thursday, it’s 

time for a breather. 

VIRGO 

Aug 23-Sep 22 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

Venus enters Virgo on Friday. She’s 

the goddess of all things beautiful. 

She loves beauty and enhances your 

personal aura. She attracts material comfort 

from the nether realms to where you’re sitting 

(or walking, running, flying to…). Being the 

counterpart of Mars, she once also signified 

war. Which translates to standing up for what 

you believe. In a beguiling, gorgeous sort of 

way, of course. 

SCORPIO 

Oct 23-Nov 21 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

There’s a beam of light with your name 

on it. In fact, it has rather magical properties. 

Thoughts are things and you’re 

held accountable for them. Think only of what 

fills your heart with love and you’ll be on the fast 

track to a joyous week. There may be a person 

who’s testing you, partly because they respect 

you and can see your strength. Venus transits 

to combine gifts, get-togethers and best friends 

beginning Friday. 

CAPRICORN 

Dec 22-Jan 19 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

Let luck find you. With Jupiter 

firmly ensconced in your solar eighth 

house, you’re the recipient of legacies 

and inheritances and refunds from large 

organizations. Make sure all your addresses, 

post office boxes, and residential locations 

are known. You’re a marvelous person and the 

universe has been opening itself just for you. 

You’ve probably been feeling a weight on your 

shoulders. It’s about to be released. Flex your 

muscles. Get a massage. 

PISCES 

Feb 19-Mar 20 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

Venus bestows blessings in an 

important relationship. This goddess 

highlights what they are, starting 

Friday. Things you’ve been curious about can 

become real. Wednesday and Thursday, there’s 

inspiration at every turn. You may find yourself 

in uncharted territory (or literally going down a 

different road). Trusting in your angels lets you 

off the hook to rearrange your schedule and 

follow a new path. That way you can enjoy a pot 

of tea and a treat. You deserve it. 

Don't waste time and money 

on so-so dental care. 

Invest in the best.Your teeth deserve it. 

Tel: 03-3796-2411 

relaxtokyo.com 

COURSES 

Body care 

30 min: ¥3,150 

60 min: ¥6,300 

(Early bird 6am-2pm ¥5,250) 

120 min: ¥12,600 

Oil massage 

(daytime only) 

60 min: ¥8,400 

120 min: ¥16,800 

03-6435-0993 

www.tsuruki-mita.org/english 

3-2-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 

Clinic hours: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm 

Closed: Thu, Sun and National Holidays 

Now You Can Recharge 

in Roppongi 24/7/365 

Metropolis Promo 

60 & 120min courses now ¥1,000 off 

30min course ¥500 off 

Strong, beautiful, flexible 

Transform your body & soul at 

BASI PILATES! 

Offering you “Authentic Pilates” 

Metropolis Campaign 

Admission Fee: ¥15,750 ¥0 

Trial Machine Private Lesson: ¥10,000 ¥8,400 

Package 3 Machine 

Private Lessons 

Hotel 

IBIS 

Mos 

Burger 

Almond 

Soba shop 

Takoyaki shop 

Police box 

Roppongi-dori 

¥30,000 ¥18,000 

Machine Private Lessons available at our Roppongi studio 

Lessons in English available 

Studios in Roppongi, Ginza, Nakameguro and more 

03-6425-7054 • roppongi@basipilates.jp 

www.basipilates.jp/english/ 

33

Operation 

Overlord 

IF GOOGLE IS GOD, 

WHY CAN’T HE HEAR 

ME IN TOKYO? 

WANT 

TO HAVE 

THE LAST 

WORD? 

Send your article to: 

editor@metropolis.co.jp 

BY TANA PHILLIPS 

Google is God. That’s how I felt when I 

first moved to Japan. Dropped my keys 

somewhere in a grocery store; the translation 

app helped me explain my panic 

to the staff. Those personnel—who moments 

before had been staring at my 

red-faced pantomiming, completely bewildered—suddenly 

and amazingly were 

now down on their hands and knees 

looking under stalls. They found my keys, 

by the way, and I said thank you exactly 

the way Google told me to. Trying to 

make dinner and unsure of what exactly 

that vegetable was, I typed “hairy potato” 

into Google and learned everything 

there was to know about the taro root. My 

smartphone keeps Google perpetually 

nearby, exactly where I need “him.” 

Then, of course, you have Google 

Maps, a feature so necessary for survival 

that even Apple tried—and failed—to 

rip it off. Google, with their Street View 

teams cruising around in cars with 

360-degree capable cameras mounted 

to the roofs and trekkers with backpackmounted 

cameras, can take you almost 

anywhere in the world. Want to explore 

the White House, Versailles or the Louvre? 

No need to throw clothes over those 

holey underwear of yours; just take a 

the last word 

Google-sponsored tour. Want to see 

the Great Barrier Reef but are deathly 

afraid of water and/or sharks? Check it 

out on Google Earth and stay 100 percent 

dry and nibble-free. Want to climb Mt. 

Fuji but have no idea how 

you’re going to haul yourself 

up an enormous mountain? 

Google already did it, and 

you can see the entire climb 

and steal enough pictures 

to thoroughly convince your 

friends you actually went. 

Google is God. So why, 

oh why, can it not figure out 

the streets of Tokyo? 

On my way to a Ginza office 

building this weekend, 

I walked out of the closest 

recommended metro exit. I immediately 

pulled up Google to see how far away 

and in what direction the office was. Sixteen 

minutes by car? What had I done 

wrong? I switched the app to walking 

directions; one minute away. The building 

was literally across the street from 

where I stood. I know what you’re thinking: 

I tried to make excuses for Him, too. 

But there were no one-way streets, no 

traffic or construction to contend with. 

Illustration by Christi Rochin 

Google just momentarily went insane. 

There was the time Google tried to 

convince me the Robot Restaurant was in 

the middle of a large store. And the much 

more aggravating time I told Google to 

take me to one of my saved pins—my 

home—and instead it took me several kilometers 

in the opposite direction. It then 

stubbornly repeated that I had “arrived” 

while I sat in the parking lot of a Family 

Mart trying to reprogram it. I understand 

these are all pretty harmless problems, 

and probably common in other cities and 

countries around the world, but Tokyo 

poses its own unique set of challenges 

for Google. 

There’s nothing more frustrating than 

driving into a tunnel with multiple branches, 

exits and general feats of deranged 

engineering than to have your guide 

decide that instead of driving in a tunnel, 

you’re floating around in Tokyo Bay 

or perhaps sitting in the cosmetics department 

of a nearby department store. 

How about when you’re traveling on the 

freeway? Even though you’ve been using 

Google the entire time and not deviated 

from its instructions, thereby leading you 

to believe that it should have a pretty 

firm handle on your location, 

it suddenly decides 

you’ve transported yourself, 

Portal-style, through 

THERE WAS 

THE TIME 

GOOGLE TRIED 

TO CONVINCE 

ME THE ROBOT 

RESTAURANT 

WAS IN THE 

MIDDLE OF A 

LARGE STORE.” 

the concrete and steel to 

Roppongi dori below. It 

then insists you make 

a turn at the next intersection, 

which, if you attempt 

it, would send you 

hurtling into someone’s 

fourth floor apartment. 

As with most believers, 

I simply pray to my 

benevolent and omnipotent Google— 

thanking it for the gifts it has already 

bestowed— asking ... no, demanding 

more and better gifts. 

And until then, I will continue to remind 

myself: this God works in mysterious 

ways. 

■ Tana Phillips blogs about her 

(mis)adventures in Japan and her far more 

harrowing adventures raising four kids at 

japanicked.com 

The views expressed in “The Last Word” are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the position or 

opinions of Japan Partnership Co. Ltd. or its partners and sponsors. 

NEXT ISSUE 

FEMM FATALE: PLASTIC 

MAKES PERFECT 

LADIES’ FASHION 

& BEAUTY SPECIAL 

ROADMAP 

TO FERTILITY 

34

Each 

branch 

has 

different 

hours. 

We 

welcome 

all kinds 

of parties. 

Please 

contact us. 

www.dubliners.jp 

WHERE THERE ARE 

NO STRANGERS, 

ONLY FRIENDS 

YOU HAVE YET 

TO MEET! 

Shinjuku 

2F Shinjuku Lion Hall 

3-28-9 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku 

03-3352-6606 | sali3292@sapporo-lion.co.jp 

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g209300/ 

Ikebukuro 

B1 Sun Gorou Bldg. 

1-10-8 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku 



Shinagawa 

Shinagawa Mitsubishi Bldg. 

B1F Grand Passage 

2-16-3 Kounan, Minato-ku 

03-6718-2834 | sali6654@sapporo-lion.co 


Shibuya 

2F Dogenzaka Center Bldg. 

2-29-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku 

03-5459-1736 |sali6581@sapporo-lion.co.jp 


Akasaka 

B1 Sannou Park Tower 

2-11-1 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku 


r.gnavi.co.jp/g008233/ 

Closed: Sat., Sun., & Holidays 

Seamus O'hara 

7th Anniversary 

18th & 20th September 

Draft Beer 1 pint ¥500 

(Guinness, Kilkenny, Bass Pale Ale, Sapporo) 

Magners Irish Cider 

Bottle ¥800yen –> ¥650yen 

Pint bottle ¥1000 

20th(sat) 20:00 - 23:00 

Live! The Mutiny 

Irish Punk /Rock/ Folk 

Open 6pm Close 2am 

www.seamus-ohara.com 

1st Anniversary Party 

Italian Bar at Musashikoyama 

23rd September 

from 6pm till 11pm 

¥3000 

All you can drink and Buffet 

(Draft beer , Wine, Cocktails etc..) 

Reservation required 

leonbiancojp@gmail.com 

B1F Matsuda Building 

Meguro 3-12-3 

Meguro-ku, Tokyo 

Tel/ Fax: 03-3760-6179 

Hotel 

Claska 

Seamus 

O’hara 

Lawson 

Royal Host 

Tama Univ. 

Meguro HS 

Ootori 

Jinja 

Meguro River 

Sunday 

Mart 

Nearest stn: 

JR Meguro 

15 min walk on Meguro-dori 

from JR Meguro stn West exit 

Police 

Box 

MUFJ 

Bank 

Tokyu Metro 

Meguro stn. 

JR Meguro stn. 

Police Box 

3-21-6 Koyama, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 

3min walk from Musashi-Koyama sta. 

(Tokyu Meguro line) 

Tel: 03-6328-9363 

leonbiancojp@gmail.com

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