1008 July 19-Aug 1, 2013 - Metropolis

Upfront
idol worship
Whether you like it
or not, you’ll no
doubt be familiar
with at least a handful of
artists or sugary pop groups
managed by Avex. They infiltrate
TV shows, commercials
for sodas and sweets, and are
to be found on every other billboard
in Shibuya and Harajuku.
Now you can see them all over nine days in two handy locations—Shibuya-AX
and Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Performers at A-Nation Island include Korean
hotties Super Junior, sizzling Crystal Kay and funky video-makers World Order.
Popular girls’ mags will hold fashion shows, and there will be stalls to browse and
spend money at a fair in front of Yoyogi Gymnasium. Entry is ¥500 and concerts
and other events are priced from ¥4,500 (adv)—buy online via http://a-nation.net.
feeling eel
U
nagi
or Anguilla japonica,
aka freshwater eel, comes
into its own in midsummer
with not one but two Unagi Days
(Doyo Ushi no Hi) on July 22 and
August 3. The day’s name translates
as “late season Ox Day”—harking
back to a time when the Chinese
Zodiac was often used to delineate
the passage of time. A custom of eating
foods beginning with “u” on the day has transformed into a modern commercial
success as folk bust their way into fine eel restaurants and snap up unagi bento for
lunch. But don’t just do it for the tradition. Freshwater eel is also rich in protein, vitamins
A, B1, B2, E, calcium, and fatty acids DHA and EPA. It’s also reported to combat
summer fatigue, boost stamina and turn your skin shiny and waterproof.
© FOTOLIA
art attack
Metropolis is giving away tickets
to these exhibitions for free. To
claim yours, send an email to
giveaway@metropolis.co.jp with your
name, age, gender, postal address, "Art
Attack" in the subject line along with your
favorite and least favorite thing about the
magazine.
The Beauty of Japanese Calligraphy
Stunning works by Fujiwara no Kozei and
more. Tokyo National Museum, until Sep 8.
Nearest stn: Ueno. www.tnm.jp/?lang=en
Birthday (1958); by Léonard Foujita,
Ghosts, Underpants and Stars
Pola Museum of Art
Interactive show where kids of all ages can run, touch, photograph and explore art
naturally. Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, until Sep 8. Nearest stn: Kiyosumi-
Shirokawa. www.mot-art-museum.jp/eng
Costumes Parisienes: La Collection de Shigeru Kashima No.3
French fashion plates from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Nerima Art Museum,
until Sep 8. Nearest stn: Nakamurabashi. www.city.nerima.tokyo.jp/manabu/bunka/
museum
Handsome Boys and Good-looking Men of Edo
Woodblock prints of the hotties of the day. Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art, until
Aug 25. Nearest stn: Harajuku. www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp/index-E.html
Leonard Foujita: Mon Paris, Mon Atelier
Japanese ink techniques used to create Western-style paintings. Bunkamura the
Museum, Aug 10-Oct 14. Nearest stn: Shibuya.
www.bunkamura.co.jp/english/museum
La Méditerranée dans les Collections du Louvre
An exclusive selection of works from Paris’ famous museum. Tokyo Metropolitan Art
Museum, until Jul 20. Nearest stn: Ueno. www.tobikan.jp
© ADAGP, PARIS & JASPAR, TOKYO, 2013 E0469
fan base
If you want to blow away the summer sweat,
there are other options available to you than
the free uchiwa given out by pachinko slaves or
electronics-store elves. Not only are you then staring
at advertising (and foisting it upon others)—but they
are also of a quite awkward shape to cart around.
Instead, opt for a pocket-sized fan (¥399) from
Dreams, whose tasteful design will cool your
aesthetic sensibilities even as you reduce
your temperature. Once you enter a
climate-controlled environment
transform your ventilator into
a bookmark or coaster, slip it into
a bag, or conceal it up your sleeve
to whip out at a moment’s notice.
www.dreams6-shop.com
COURTESY OF DREAMS INC
THE RACE IS ON!
Groups of 4 or more can
compete with each other
Mention Metropolis
for FREE ADMISSION
JR Sotobo line
Keiyo Highway
Admission
1 ticket (7 min)=¥2000, 3 tix=¥5000, 5 tix=¥7500
JR Keiyo Line
#1008 • WWW.METROPOLIS.CO.JP • 05