1GR10xA

Apr 17-30, 2015 Japan’s Nº1 English Magazine www.metropolisjapan.com 

無料 PRICELESS 

ROMEO RISING 

THE STORY 

CONTINUES 

IN JAPAN 

CHECK 

OUR 

FAMILY 

SPECIAL 

THE BEAN SCENE 

TOKYO'S COFFEE 

CULTURE UNFILTERED 

CHILD’S PLAY 

OUTSTANDING OUTINGS 

FOR LITTLE ONES 

LUKE CATWALKER 

THE FORCE AWAKENS… 

FASHIONABLY

www.akaiclinic.com 

Cosmetic Surgery 

Laser Treatment 

Skin Care 

rejuvenate 

yourself with 

the best in beauty 

technology 

Quality of Akai Clinic 

At Akai clinic, we only use products and technologies 

approved by the FDA. 

SURGICAL TREATMENTS 

• EYELID SURGERY rejuvenation of upper and lower eye 

lid, tear trough, double eyelid surgery, blepharoptosis, etc. 

• NOSE SURGERY tip plasty, hump resection, deviated 

nose, ala reduction, augmentation or reduction 

rhinoplasty. 

• BREAST SURGERY augmentation, lift, reduction, 

reconstruction. 

• LIPOSUCTION WITH LASER ultra sonic assisted suction 

device. 

• LASER-LIPO minimal invasive facial and body 

contouring device with AccuSculpt (1444nm laser). 

• FACE LIFT forehead, brow, mid-face, neck lift, thread’s lift. 

•TISSUE ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES for facial 

rejuvenation, breast augmentation, AGA (PRFM, fat & 

stem cell injection, growth factor. 

• SKIN TUMORS skin cancer, cyst, mole, wart, scar 

revision. 

• GENITAL REJUVENATION SURGERY tightening of the 

vagina, reduction of labia minor and augmentation of 

the labia major. 

• HAIR TRANSPLANTATION SURGERY 

NON-SURGICAL TREATMENTS 

• LASER & REJUVENATION lasers, RFs, IPLs, plasma, 

Ultra Sound for wrinkle, sagging, drooping, open pores, 

rosacea, skin complexion, pigmentation, melisma with 

SOLARI, Aurora-Pro, INFINI, eCO2, Affirm, EndyMed, 

Portrait Plasma, SPECTRA, AccuSculpt, etc. 

• BOTOX & FILLERS allergan’s BOTOX, Juvederm, 

Radiesse etc. 

• ACNE & ACNE SCARS PLASMA fractional lasers (eCO2, 

Affirm), INFINI (fractional RF), iClear (photo dynamic 

therapy), microdermabrasion, chemical Peeling. 

• LASER HAIR REMOVAL all kinds of lasers available: 

Alex and long pulsed YAG, diode laser, etc. 

• TATTOO REMOVAL with Spectra (Q-YAG laser) for any 

color of tattoo. 

• CELLULITE, BODY CONTOURING & STRETCH MARKS 

cVela Smooth and EndyMed body (FDA Approved). 

• LEG VEIN, BROKEN CAPILLARY long Pulsed YAG or 

VenoCare. 

• RHINOLIGHT hay fever, Allergic Rhinitis. 

• SKINOLIGHT psoriasis, Alopecia Areata, Vitiligo, 

Atopic dermatitis. 

DR. HIDEMI AKAI 

is a board-certified plastic 

surgeon and an associate 

professor of the 

department of plastic, 

aesthetic and 

reconstructive surgery at 

Tokyo’s Showa University. 

Dr. Akai trained at 

Harvard Medical School 

and Massachusetts 

General Hospital before 

amassing over twenty-five 

years of experience. 

DR. KEIKO AKAI 

is also a board-certified 

plastic surgeon, and a 

dermatologist. 

The Akai Clinic offers a 

range of 

cosmetic-surgery 

procedures, laser 

treatments and skin care, 

using state-of-the-art 

equipment and the latest 

techniques. 

Additional fee for anesthesia is required. Please contact the clinic for more information. 

Other cosmetic procedures available. For fees and detailed information services, please refer to our homepage. 

We welcome email and phone inquiries. 

Omotesando 

KNK Bldg 3F 3-5-17, Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo. 

1-min walk from Omotesando stn, A3 exit. 

Tel: 03-5771-4114 Email: amc@akaiclinic.com 

Clinic hours: 11AM~8PM (Mon~Sun) 

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Dermatologist 

Yokohama 

Quadrifoglio 4F 5-14 Kinkocho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama. 

1-min walk from Yokohama stn, North East exit. 

Tel: 045-620-5745 Email: amc-skincare@akaiclinic.com 

Clinic hours: 11AM~7PM (Tue~Fri) & 10AM~5PM (Sat & Hol)

EDITOR’S 

LETTER 

inside 

APR 17-30, 2015 • #1099 

The Metropolis editorial team buzzed with caffeine this week as 

we trekked around Tokyo to find the best beans and brews in 

town for you. After the caffeine rush, we also caught up with After 

Romeo, a five-piece boy band from Los Angeles that’s making 

waves in Japan. Speaking of waves, chill to the relaxing sounds 

of Hapa—sure to transport you to the shores of Hawaii. Meanwhile, 

check out places to take your children this Golden Week. 

Alternately, make this springtime even better by supporting TELL 

in their present campaign to fight child bullying in schools, an 

escalating issue in Japan. You’ll be glad you did! 

8 

Just 

Romeo, Romeo: The L.A. pop outfit’s on the rise 

10 

Bean Spirit: The best coffee hubs around town 

Cover design: Kohji Shiiki. Photography: GO! Yanagawa, taken at V2 Tokyo. 

16 

Kidding: Hot spots for family fun 

GET PRINTED! 

SEND IN YOUR BEST PHOTOS FOR OUR MAY 1 ISSUE. DEADLINE APR 24. metropolisjapan.com/focus 

IN FOCUS 

Newlyweds having their photo taken in a garden in Shinagawa, by JP Obadina. Instagram: jibesy 

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

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

Fax 03-4588-2278 • www.metropolisjapan.com 

METROPOLIS is Japan’s No.1 English magazine, 

founded in 1994 and published for Japan’s 

international community. 

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(Arts) Samuel Thomas (Fashion) DESIGN Kohji Shiiki (Art Director) Davi Azevedo (Graphic Designer) Erin Hope (Design Intern) WEB Minh 

Douangprachanh (Digital Manager) PRODUCTION Helen Langford (Production Assistant) ADVERTISING Akane Ochi, Karl Nakashima, 

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03

upfront 

123RF 

LINGOIST 

FAMILY SECRETS 

Getting to know about someone’s family is always interesting, because 

it gives great insight into their lives—and serves as a great conversation 

starter. To get the scoop on family relations, use this lesson by Metropolis! 

JP Kyōdai wa imasu ka? 

EN Do you have any siblings? 

JP Naka wa ii desu ka? 

EN Are you close with her? 

JP Hai, ane ga hitori imasu. 

EN Yes, I have one older sister. 

JP Nakayoshi desu. 

EN Yes, very. 

K A N A C R O S S 

1 2 3 4 

A 

5 

B 

6 

7 8 

り 

9 

C 

10 

D 

Solution: 

A B C 

D 

ANSWERS AT meturl.com/kanacross 

Down 

1. Wisdom or intelligence 

2. Tourism 

3. Moon 

4. To walk 

6. Single 

7. Graveyard 

8. Understanding 

Across 

1. Subway 

5. Japanese currency 

6. Poison 

7. Violence 

9. Island 

10. Blackout 

Metropolis Members Club 

THIS WEEK’S WINNER! 

Gary Wolff won a Peeling Facial 

courtesy of Elana Jade 

UPCOMING PRIZE 

One lucky MMC member will win a Beauty Therapy 

Course courtesy of Watanabe Beauty Therapy 

(Formachika) 

Register for prizes & discounts 

www.metropolis.co.jp/club 

04

TO-DO LIST 

flower festivals 

3 

TOP 

UNTIL MAY 6 

Bunkyo Tsutsuji Matsuri 

Stroll around a 300-year-old azalea garden 

boasting over 3,000 varieties. Until May 6, 

9am-5:30pm, ¥200. Nezu Jinja. Nezu, 

Sendagi, or Todaimae. Tel: 03-3822-0753. 

http://j.mp/bunkyotsutsuji2015 

UNTIL MAY 24 

Flower Festival 2015 

Enjoy sakura, tulips, poppies, and more at 

Showa Kinen Park. Until May 24, 9:30am-5pm, 

¥80-410. Showa Kinen Park. Tachikawa. 

Tel: 042-528-1751. http://j.mp/flowerfest2015 

UNTIL MAY 6 

Nanohana Matsuri 

Enjoy 400,000 nanohana, or rapeseed flowers, 

along with shibazakura, or moss phlox, and 

pansies. Until May 6, all day, free. Hanadaka 

Tenbo Hana no Oka, Gunma Prefecture. 

Gunma-Yawata. Tel: 027-321-1257. 

http://j.mp/nanohana2015 

EDITOR’S PICK 

APR 25-26 

ROPPONGI ART NIGHT 2015 

Roppongi will burst at the seams with art, into the wee hours, for this year’s edition 

of Roppongi Art Night. Art installations and performances will be on view across 

the area, including the principal commissioned work, a giant, LED-covered, glowing 

art truck by Seiichi Saito. High atop the Mori Tower, the Mori Art Museum will keep 

its doors open all night long. Lectures by curators involved in the ongoing “Simple 

Form: Contemplating Beauty” exhibition are to round out the event. Dan Grunebaum 

Apr 25, 10am-Apr 26, 6pm, free (some programs require admission fees). 

Roppongi Hills, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Midtown, Suntory Museum of Art, 21_21 

DESIGN SIGHT, The National Art Center, and other spaces in the Roppongi area. 

Roppongi. Tel: 03-5777-8600. www.roppongiartnight.com 

Photo by YAMAKAMI Yohei 

APR 29-JUN 28 

STAR WARS 

VISIONS 

Feel the Force, through 

works inspired by the 

mega-hit franchise. 

Created by artists from 

around the world, these 

works have been handpicked 

by George Lucas. 

Apr 29-Jun 28, 

10am-10pm, ¥600-1,800. 

Sky Gallery within Tokyo 

City View in Roppongi 

Hills. Roppongi. 

Tel: 03-6406-6652. 

www.roppongihills.com/ 

tcv/jp/sw-visions 

《Regrets》MASEY 

APR 27-28 

ELLE VARNER 

American Grammy-nominated singersongwriter 

and multi-instrumentalist 

who released her debut album, Perfectly 

Imperfect, in 2012. Apr 27-28, 7 & 9:30pm, 

¥7,000-9,000. Billboard Live Tokyo. 

Roppongi or Nogizaka. Tel: 03-3405- 

1133. http://j.mp/varner2015 

© David Ruano 

MAY 2-3 & 4-5 

SPIRAL INDEPENDENT CREATORS FESTIVAL 

An art festival aiming to discover, foster, and support the next generation of 

creators by displaying their work. May 2-3 & 4-5, 11am-7pm, ¥700. Spiral Hall. 

Omotesando. Tel: 03-3498-1171. www.sicf.jp 

APR 24-26 

YO, CARMEN 

María Pagés, the Queen of modern 

flamenco, takes an innovative 

approach to Carmen. Apr 24, 7pm; 

Apr 25, 3pm; Apr 26, 2pm, ¥8,000- 

12,000. Bunkamura Orchard Hall. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-3477-9999. 

http://j.mp/yocarmen2015 

Courtesy of Beatink 

APR 18 

ADRIAN 

SHERWOOD: AT THE 

CONTROLS X 3 

The veteran British DJ and 

producer will present three 

distinct sets, including live dub 

remixes of Japanese indie darlings 

Nisennenmondai. Apr 18, 6pm, 

¥4,500 (adv). Daikanyama Unit. 

Daikanyama. http://j.mp/ 

sherwood2015 

05

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 

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Take to the track, dress 

up, or hit the mats for 

memories that you and 

your loved ones can share 

WEBSITE 

PRICES 

• Admission: ¥500, 1 ticket (7 min): 

¥2,100; 3 tickets, ¥5,200; 5 tickets, 

¥7,800; 8 tickets, ¥10,500 

• 1 child ticket (7 min), ¥1,600 (children must be in at 

least elementary school and over 115cm tall) 

• Group Race package (over 12 years old, five or more 

people): Mini Grand Prix ¥4,700 per person; Sprint 

Grand Prix ¥6,000 per person 

SPECIAL OFFER 

• Mention Metropolis and get free admission! 

2F Harbor Circuit, Chiba Sports Plaza, 13-26 

Dezuminato, Chuo-ku, Chiba 

043-441-3243 

Open Mon-Fri, 2-11:30pm, Sat & hols 

10am-11:30pm, Sun 10am-9:30pm 

Chiba or Chiba-Minato 

mail@harbor-circuit.com 

www.harbor-circuit.com 

HARBOR 

CIRCUIT 

Chiba 

Looking for 

an exciting 

activity for 

your whole 

family? Give them some thrills 

at Harbor Circuit in Chiba, 

where you can battle it out in 

go-karts—no driver’s license 

required! First time in a go-kart? 

There’s no need to worry as full 

safety guidelines are explained 

before each heat. For those 

with large families (five or 

more), Group Races let you burn 

some rubber while competing 

with family members. There’s 

also the simpler Mini GP option, 

and even a final 35-lap race— 

with five different plans to 

choose from. If you’re looking 

to hone your skills, prove yourself against a real-time ranking system. No matter how crowded it gets, 

everyone is guaranteed four rides; and afterward, you and your family can still be part of the race-day 

atmosphere by relaxing around the circuit with snacks. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll be screaming for more! 

06

MORE SPECIALS ONLINE → 

WEBSITE 

SERVICES 

• Sessions for Mat & Machine Private, Semi- 

Private, Group, and Maternity Private 

• For schedule, check website 

• To arrange private lessons, feel free to contact 

the studio 

• Trial group lesson ¥3,000 (tax included) 

No1 Gold Bldg. 3F, Taishido 1-12-23, Setagaya-ku 

080-6625-6351 

nine-seven8@mail.ru 

Sangenjaya 

www.natakara.net 

NATAKARA 

PILATES 

Sangenjaya 

Recover your physical and mental condition using the pilates method of fitness 

training, developed in the early 20th century. Natakara Pilates provides personal 

training in small groups, matched best to each individual. Far from the standardized 

training provided by big sports gyms, their method provides several kinds of exercises 

to build up the core of the body, abdominal muscles, back, and limbs using mats and special machines. Many 

people use pilates as a rehabilitation method because of its ability to align the tension and balance of the 

muscle, thus helping them learn the right position and practical movement. The studio is just a two-minute 

walk from Sangenjaya Station on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line. 

WEBSITE 

SPECIAL METROPOLIS DEAL 

• Mention Metropolis and get a 

¥500 discount off the quick plan 

(¥3,900 → ¥3,400) 

(Expires May 31, 2015) 

• Mention Metropolis and receive 10% off the fullscale 

plan 

• Oiran: ¥19,440 → ¥17,496 

• Maiko: ¥14,040 → ¥12,636 

• Feudal Lord & Samurai: ¥10,584 → ¥9,526 

(Expires May 31, 2015) 

5F Kabukiza Tower, 4-12-15, Ginza, Chuo-ku 

0120-137-753/ Fax: 03-3524-0313 

10am-6pm 

Higashi Ginza, Ginza 

www.studio-alice.co.jp/amusement/ 

kabuki/shop/ 

KABUKI PHOTO 

STUDIO 

Ginza 

Have you and your family ever wanted to dress up in traditional Japanese 

costumes? At Kabuki Photo Studio, you can in just five minutes—right over your own 

clothes! Transform into an oiran (courtesan), white or red shishi (lion), etc., and take 

home 2L-sized photos (with mount) at the same time for just ¥3,900. If you want to 

go deeper, the full-scale plan allows ladies to become the popular oiran or maiko (apprentice geisha), and men to 

become a feudal lord or samurai. Prices vary by costume: Oiran for ¥19,440; maiko for ¥14,040; and feudal lord or 

samurai for ¥10,584. Each comes with two 2L photos, and you can either take them home at the same time or have 

them sent to you (limited to shipping within Japan) in around two weeks.A third option is the exciting “Dressing Up 

As a Kabuki Actor” (¥27,864) that can only be experienced in the studio. While looking ready for the stage, you can 

also take a clear and beautiful picture with Ginza’s famous Kabukiza theater in the background as a souvenir for 

¥1,500. For those looking to try a kimono, children and adults can all dress up in the traditional garment for ¥5,400. 

WEBSITE 

SPECIAL OFFER 

• Special discount for Metropolis readers in each 

class. When booking your class, please mention 

the “Family Special.” 

080-8887-0285 

Mon-Sun 9:30am-7pm 

Meeting point: Tsukishima Station Exit 6 

takenobu_exp@icloud.com 

www.atelier-naoko.tokyo/en 

www.takenobu.tokyo 

TAKENOBU 

Tsukishima 

Enjoy Japanese culture with your family! Learn to cook Japanese food and how to 

create handmade presents. Atelier Naoko is a culture school for foreigners that’s 

located in Tsukishima, an island in Tokyo Bay filled with cool alleys, near the Tsukiji 

fish market and Ginza. New classes have started in April, and include a Tsukiji fish market tour with a sushi 

chef and making sushi, karate, calligraphy, and how to host a Japanese-style home party. You can also 

make presents of preserved flowers or origami. Since most classes are held in an ordinary house (that of 

Atelier Naoko’s owner), you can learn in a comfortable atmosphere with a nice view of the Sumida River. 

Just a five-minute walk from Tsukishima Station (Yūrakuchō or Ōedo lines). English and French spoken. 

07

cover story 

DURING ROMEO 

Los Angeles boy band craze goes cross-continental 

BY LAURIER TIERNAN 

Making waves in Japan with their infectious 

EDM-infused pop tunes and 

cute-as-a-button image are After Romeo, 

a hard-working independent 

boy band from Los Angeles. Comprising 

members T.C. Carter, Blake English, Devin 

Fox, Jayk Purdy, and Drew Ryan Scott, AR have 

come a long way from their humble YouTube 

beginnings, amassing fans (whom they call “Bromeos” 

for the men, and “Juliets” for the ladies) 

and being named by Billboard Magazine as a 

band that “could be the next One Direction.” 

As part of the April 1 release of their first album 

The Story Continues… on the Sony Records 

label in Japan, the fab five flew over to Tokyo 

for a promotional tour, and Metropolis wrangled 

a few minutes from their busy schedules to get 

the scoop. 

Please introduce yourselves and tell us what 

piece of the puzzle you bring to the group. 

T.C.: I'm T.C., and what I bring to the group is 

good energy on stage and good dance vibes. 

Jayk: My name is Jayk. I do a lot of the social media 

stuff for the band [on Twitter and Instagram: 

@AfterRomeo]. 

Drew: My name is Drew, and I like to twerk a 

lot—no, I don’t. [Laughs] I write a lot of the songs, 

and I like to work a lot. 

Devin: I am Devin. I love singing; it’s one of my favorite 

things to do, ever. I do a lot of the graphic 

design for the group, and I also speak the most 

Japanese. 

Blake: Hi, I’m Blake. Whenever we don’t have a 

choreographer, I work on choreography for the 

group for certain numbers for a show. I'm also 

dance captain whenever there is a choreographer 

working with us. 

Why did you choose the name “After Romeo”? 

T.C.: Everyone knows the story of Romeo and 

Juliet. We wanted to take that and put a little 

twist on it. And we wanted to show that we will 

be as dedicated to our fans as Romeo was to 

Juliet. So we are “after” Romeo. 

When you started your career in 2013, what 

made you decide to release singles instead of 

an EP or album? 

Drew: [Our first single] “Free Fall” was a song 

WE LITERALLY JUMP 

OFF STAGE TO GO 

SING TO OUR FANS … 

WE ALSO HUG THEM.” 

T.C. and I wrote with a DJ, and the DJ wanted to 

put it out. So we recorded the song, and shot a 

video for it. We were excited but we didn’t want 

to put it out because it was kind of expensive. 

We were thinking, “let’s save this for something 

important.” And Jayk magically… 

Jayk: The only way were were going to release 

it was if we could get on Vevo's homepage. I 

thought, ‘I’m going to cold call Vevo’; and I did. 

Then I sent the guy the video, and he called me 

back a couple of days later to say, “Good news, 

you are on the homepage of Vevo!” Blake, Drew, 

and I live together, so I knocked on their doors 

early in the morning and said, “Guys, just a little 

bit of news: We got the homepage of Vevo, so 

we're going to be releasing the music video.” 

Drew: We were like, “What? How?!” and he was 

like, “I called them.” [Laughs] Thank you, Vevo. 

What do you think appeals to Japanese fans, 

about your group? 

T.C.: We always sing live. 

Jayk: We always stop to take pictures. We literally 

jump off stage to go sing to our fans, and I 

think that’s a little different from Japanese acts. 

Drew: We also hug them, which is not something 

that’s happening culturally here. 

08

MEET THE 

GROUP 

BLAKE 

ENGLISH 

Hopeless romantic 

“Everything I create 

is a piece of me 

that I’m offering. If I 

didn’t put my all into 

it I wouldn’t just be 

ripping people off; 

I would be selling myself 

short.” 

DEVIN FOX 

A huge Lana 

Del Rey fan 

After Romeo’s live at Tokyo 2015 

What are some of your favorite things about 

Japan? 

Devin: I love how polite all the Japanese girls 

are. They’re just so kind and always give you 

gifts when they see you, and they’re just so 

appreciative of everything. 

In the liner notes for your album, there aren’t 

any musicians listed. What’s the situation behind 

your instrumentation? 

Drew: The producer and myself always play all 

the instruments. 

Drew is one-quarter Japanese. Was this why 

the band chose to include so many references 

to Japan on the debut album? 

Drew: I write a lot of songs for J-pop acts, so it 

was a market that I understood naturally. 

Was your song “Thank You” based on personal 

experiences? Do you as artists find it 

important to promote healthy reactions to 

negativity? 

Drew: Our whole tour in America for the past 

year and a half was called The Bully Proof Tour. 

And we based that around going to schools, 

and sharing our stories of how the five of us 

were bullied growing up. Like Devin… 

Devin: I had a music video when I was 12 or 

13 that went viral, and it was all for hate. It had 

300,000 dislikes, and there were a bunch of 

comments telling me to kill myself. 

Blake: But that’s typical of what a ton of kids 

nowadays are going through, especially with 

social-media bullying. So we wanted to help as 

many kids as we could, and we needed to have 

a song that told that whole story. 

Do you have any parting words for your fans 

and for the other readers of Metropolis? 

Drew: To all the listeners out there, we’d like to 

know what your favorite song is on the album. 

So tweet us @AfterRomeo, or Instagram us @afterromeo 

and tell us what your favorite song is. 

T.C.: To all the readers of Metropolis, thank you 

for listening to the story about our album. 

Jayk: I love you very much, and thank you. 

Devin: Thank you so much for everything, and 

I can’t wait to see all of you guys that I haven’t 

met in person yet. 

Blake: I love you guys, and just continue to 

keep a look out on all of our social media: 

@AfterRomeo. 

Drew: In August, or maybe the end of July, we’ll 

be doing a very big concert; our first full concert 

in Japan. It’s going to have an hour-and-a-half’s 

worth of showtime: Full dancing, full singing. 

And we’re going to bring five lucky girls onstage. 

Check out our social media to find out 

how you can enter for a chance at that. 

Read the extended interview at http://meturl. 

com/moreromeo. 

WEB 

www.afterromeoworld.com 

www.facebook.com/AfterRomeo 

http://twitter.com/afterromeo 

http://instagram.com/afterromeo 

Photo by Davi Azevedo 

“If I didn’t have 

music, I would be 

lost in my life. When 

no one else gets me… 

it does.” 

DREW RYAN 

SCOTT 

Has over 600 pairs 

of shoes 

“The first song I 

ever sang was ‘Ben’ 

by Michael Jackson. 

I could literally sound 

just like him. I guess 

that was my first taste 

of it all.” 

JAYK 

PURDY 

Likes a girl with 

unique style 

“I saw Justin 

Timberlake singing 

and performing on 

an awards show, and 

from that point on I 

knew what I was put on 

this Earth to do.” 

TC 

CARTER 

Chris Brown is his 

idol 

“My mom always 

said performance 

was the way to be 

free and the best 

way to let who you 

really are shine.” 

09

food&drink 

CAFÉ ¥¥ EN/JP 

Streamer Coffee 

Company 

BY MOMOKO MOCHIZUKI 

Located a short walk from Gakugei-Daigaku 

Station, underneath the tracks of the Tokyu 

Toyoko Line, is Streamer Coffee Company, originally 

opened in 2010 in Shibuya. With three 

branches in the Tokyo area, Streamer Coffee 

is owned by barista Hiroshi Sawada, who won 

the 2008 Free Pour Latte Art Championships in 

Seattle. He was the first Asian to do so, and with 

the highest score in history. 

The interior of the Gohongi branch is spacious, 

with a simple, minimalist design. Seating 

options include spots at a large sharing table, 

couches, armchairs, and counter-style tables 

including an L-shaped surface surrounding the 

kitchen, from which you can watch the baristas 

work. From this vantage point, you might even 

find yourself admiring the sleek instruments 

used to create that perfect cup of coffee. 

Although prices are a bit on the steep side 

at ¥410 for an Americano and ¥680 for a latte, 

the quality of the coffee all but makes up for 

it—and the cool latte art is a nice perk. If you’re 

looking for something to munch on, doughnuts, 

brownies, cookies, and cakes are available, 

including a fun doughnut with a military-esque 

camouflage glaze. 

The café offers free wi-fi, and that, along with 

the chill atmosphere, makes for a great space 

in which to chat, work, read, or simply zone out. 

Make sure to stop by the “Kilo Shop” on the 

second floor on your way out, where you can 

browse through vintage clothes and accessories 

uniquely priced by weight. 

Definitely worth a visit, Streamer Coffee 

Company will no doubt get your java groove 

on, and you can walk out having had great coffee, 

and even a new, funky outfit. 

Open 7am-8pm on weekdays, 11am-8pm 

on weekends. 2-36, Chūō-cho, Meguro-ku. 

Gakugei-Daigaku. Tel: 03-6452-3145. 

Branches in Shibuya and Harajuku. 

http://streamercoffee.com 

¥¥ EN/JP 

CAFÉ 

MOCHA COFFEE 

BY MUBITA MAMBWE 

The history of coffee boasts a richness found in 

the best of brews. Centuries before coffee capitals 

were made of the likes of Seattle, Melbourne, 

and Vienna, the Mocha port city of Yemen was 

where it all started. Fifteenth-century traders 

would return from Ethiopia, where the plant is 

said to have originated, with coffee beans that 

locals would then cultivate. 

Called qahwa in Arabic (which originally 

meant “wine”), Mocha’s coffee is distinct in flavor, 

generally bearing a fruity aftertaste and a winelike 

fullness. And this is exactly what’s to be found 

at Mocha Coffee, a café that transports the history 

of Yemen’s brew to the streets of modern-day 

Daikanyama. 

Mocha Coffee itself is tucked behind other 

buildings—but a simple white sign out front bearing 

the shop’s name in English and Arabic makes 

it easy to locate. The green, seaside aesthetic 

also differentiates Mocha from its more commercial 

counterparts, which often attempt to emulate 

homey foreign coffee shops yet deliver a style 

that’s too polished to be cozy. 

Mocha’s interior is small yet refreshing. On a 

good day, sunshine pours in from the glass walls. 

The only downside is the lack of seating, with only 

minimal counter room and three tables inside. 

The café specializes in Mocha brews utilizing 

beans sourced from various Yemeni regions, 

served in small, fancy coffee cups that suggest 

the establishment functions more as a quick stop 

than an afternoon refuge. Nevertheless, the coffee 

boasts a quality that is unparalleled in Tokyo. 

The Mocha Anisi is a fruity concoction, brewed 

with beans from the Sana’a region in Western Yemen. 

Its aroma is fragrant and wine-like, and its 

flavor mild but full-bodied, subsiding to reveal a 

spicy aftertaste. 

For the sweet-toothed, the Mocha Kulani is 

a treat. A mild brew, the beverage emits a cinnamon-infused 

scent and a hint of bitter cacao in its 

flavor—but gives way to an aftertaste that’s sweet. 

A wide array of other special brews is on hand, 

ranging from the earthy to tangy and citrusy. 

In case your coffee gets lonely, pair it up with 

the delectable desserts on offer. 

The cakes range from standard fare, such 

as blueberry cheesecakes and dark chocolate 

cakes, to more exotic varieties, such as the spice 

cake and the orange pistachio. Baklava and fig 

mamool cookies are also sure to sate cravings. 

Prices are on the expensive side, but it’s worth 

it, given the superb quality and rarity of its offerings, 

making for a coffee break like no other. 

25-1 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-6427- 

8285. Tue-Sun, 12am-7pm. www.mochacoffee. 

jp/english.html 

10

DRIP 

ARISE 

TRIPS 

Exploring Tokyo’s 

evolving coffee 

culture 

BY HENGTEE LIM 

There’s perhaps never been a better time 

to get a cup of coffee in Tokyo. The scene 

has exploded over the last few years, and 

the increased quality of craftsmanship is 

evident in the likes of Hidenori Izaki—winner 

of the 2014 World Barista Championship—and 

Shuichi Sasaki, who took the World Aeropress 

Championship the same year. What makes this 

burgeoning scene fascinating is the mix of the 

traditional and the contemporary. Here, oldworld 

kissaten (tea rooms) and upstart third 

wave coexist, and variety abounds. 

The world of fashion has taken to coffee 

like steamed milk to espresso, and the expanding 

number of coffee-fashion hybrids and 

dedicated roasters is turning the Harajuku- 

Omotesando area into a hotbed of new coffee 

experiences. Café Kitsuné, Little Cloud Coffee, 

and Coby Coffee are good examples, 

where a cup is permission to loiter, 

lounge, and linger over could-be 

purchases. The coffee in these 

areas is as cool as it is caffeinated, 

but it’s also international. 

Together with The Roastery, the 

aptly-named local roaster, there’s 

Fuglen and Coutume from Norway 

and France, respectively. 

But to understand coffee in Japan, 

one needs to look to the kissaten, where 

coffee means aged beans, dark roasts, and a 

moment of respite from the outside world. The 

kissaten offers a snapshot of the past, where 

tradition is valued and the old ways observed. 

L’Ambre in Ginza, for example, is more than 

simply a coffee house—it’s a time capsule that, 

since inception, remains largely unchanged in 

both style and approach, offering a glimpse 

at the nostalgic tastes and times of an older 

Sarutahiko Atelier 

Woodberry 

Coffee Roasters 

L’Ambre 

Japan. The kissaten also show a depth of consideration 

rarely seen anywhere else. Chatei 

Hatou, for example, pick out individual cups for 

each visitor, and pre-warm both cup and saucer 

to ensure a pleasant experience. 

As the owners of the kissaten 

hang up their aprons and relax 

into retirement, a younger generation 

is picking up the torch 

and settling into the neighborhood 

shōtengai (shopping street) culture 

they fondly remember from their youth. 

These new cafés reflect the changing 

views of their younger owners. Sarutahiko 

Atelier, Paddlers Coffee, and 

Woodberry Coffee Roasters, to name a few, 

are encouraging communication and friendship 

through their open design and communal 

nature. But don’t think the coffee suffers for it— 

even NOMA’s own René Redzepi rated Switch 

Coffee, in the sleepy suburbs of Meguro, as one 

of his favorite coffee spots. 

The search for the perfect cup of joe also 

brings with it eccentricities unique to Tokyo. 

These are personalities that made coffee as 

much an expression of who they are as what 

they brew. Bear Pond Espresso in 

Shimokitazawa is famous both at 

home and abroad for a tireless, 

obsessive dedication to the perfect 

espresso. Owner Katsuyuki is 

talked of in equal parts reverence 

for his abilities, and disdain for his 

sometimes gruff nature. In the quieter 

suburbs of Mitaka, you’ll find 

Switch Coffee 

the tranquil, ritualistic Irukaya, a reservationonly 

coffee bar with a long list of rules and an 

even longer brew time. At these places, coffee 

acts as a conduit for that perfect moment 

of tranquility and enjoyment—whether that 

be short and sharp at Bear Pond, or long and 

drawn out at Irukaya. That two such places exist, 

centered around the same ingredient yet 

offering completely different experiences, is 

perhaps a testament to the versatility of the 

humble coffee bean. 

Together with all of this, a variety of coffeeroasting 

culture is taking root in residential 

Kiyosumi-shirakawa. Once home only to the 

Japanese Cream of the Crop, recently the area 

has seen New Zealand’s Allpress Espresso and 

San Fransisco’s Blue Bottle turn former warehouse 

spaces into café-roasteries and home 

bases for Japanese expansion. But among all 

the roaster wars and international expansion, 

it’s comforting to know that local community 

hubs like ARISE can still happily survive just 

around the corner from the famed Blue Bottle. 

In the end, coffee is a variety of things to 

a variety of people. From a simple morning 

pick-me-up to an art form, a ritual, a chance 

to connect and communicate, and even 

a window into culture. There 

might not be any comparable 

single product in Tokyo with 

this kind of diversity. 

Around every station and at 

every corner is a caffeinated 

experience with a story to tell, 

waiting to be discovered. 

11

1 DISH FROM ¥780 

1 DRINK FROM ¥500 

COURSES FROM ¥4,000 

NEW OPEN! 

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ENJOY DELICIOUS CRAB, CASUALLY. 

CARAT has the concept of 

allowing customers to enjoy 

eating crab, casually. The high 

quality crabs come directly 

from Rausu, Hokkaido. 

The restaurant is open 24/365, 

so please come to enjoy a nice 

dinner at the bar or in the 

café, or close out your day 

with some noodles! 

6-1-6 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 

Tel: 03-5413-3689 

http://carat-roppongi.com 

Open 24 hours 

Lunchtime: 11am~3pm 

Hibiya Line 

Roppongi 

Ōedo Line 

Roppongi 

Almond 

Family 

Mart 

Police 

Station 

Imoaraizaka 

Post Office 

Roppongi 

Crossing 

DON’T MISS AN ISSUE – SUBSCRIBE NOW! 

One year (24 issues) ¥3,600. Half year (12 issues) ¥1,800. 

One year corporate subscribers: 7-100 copies ¥22,560. 

Half year corporate subscribers: 7-100 copies ¥12,000. 

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A tavern with a market-like atmosphere, 

filled with fresh fish and delicious cuisine. 

Enjoy crabs shipped directly from Rausu, 

Hokkaido, and many other fresh fish, meat, 

and many other delicacies from all over 

Japan—all at a reasonable price. 

Have great times with great food! 

DRINKS AND FOOD FROM ¥399 

Nihon Sengyo Kokakurui Dokokai | 1F-3F 1-22-3 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku 

Tel: 03-5287-2568 | Open 24/365 days 

Shoku Doraku Ueno Branch | 6-12-12 Ueno, Taito-ku 

Tel: 03-6803-2348 | Open 24/365 days 

12

food&drink 

There’s a charm to Cafe 

Flattie, a tiny, Oceaniainspired 

neighborhood 

coffee shop in Kitasando. 

While offering little in terms 

of seating—the interior 

comfortably fits three to 

four by a counter just big 

enough to support your beverage—they have an extensive array of 

above-average drinks. The coffee selection boasts what is standard 

fare in Aussie and Kiwi cafés, but rarities in Japan. Their specialty is the 

flat white, but beers and wine from Australia and New Zealand are also 

available. Food selections are available at lunch. 3-33-6 Sendagaya, 

Shinjuku-ku. Kitasando. 

Japanese coffee culture is 

alive and well at Café Trois 

Bagues, a quintessential 

kissaten (Japanese coffee 

house). Opened in 1976 by 

the mother of current owner 

Noriko Miwa, this retro hub 

heralds the heyday of Japan’s 

cafés, offering a quiet, bluesy refuge as well as a wide selection of 

hand-, flannel-, and slow-drip coffees. Brewed using an array of imported 

and customized machinery, the offerings are delectable cups of java that, 

together with the laid-back atmosphere and friendly staff, make for a relaxed 

coffee break. Takada Megane B1, 1-21-1 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyodaku. 

Tel: 03-3294-8597. Jimbocho. 

Great coffee is to be expected 

at Paul Bassett, a 

café established by a World 

Barista Champion. Coffee 

aficionados can sate themselves 

at this Shinjuku coffee 

shop, which serves up 

exquisite cups of lungos, 

flat whites, and magics, as well as French press and Aeropress coffee. 

The more conventional lattes, cappuccinos, and drip coffees also bear 

the distinct flavor of the chain; though their espresso, meticulously 

brewed as only Bassett can, is the star. B1F Nomura Bldg., 1-26-2 

Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 03-5234-5090. Shinjuku West 

Exit. www.paulbassett.jp 

Allpress Roastery & Café, 

a New Zealand favorite, 

sets up shop in the quiet 

neighborhood of Hirano 

to serve up expertly made 

cups of Joe to Tokyoites. 

Brewed using carefully 

selected Arabica beans, 

Allpress offers everything from rich long blacks and creamy flat 

whites to macchiatos, cappuccinos, espressos, and lattes. Blended 

drinks (aka smoothies), fresh juices, and light deli snacks also on hand. 

3-7-2 Hirano, Koto-ku. http://meturl.com/allpressroasterycafe 

RECIPE 

COFFEE CUTLET 

RECIPE AND PHOTO BY RIEKO SUZUKI 

Yes, you may be feeling skeptical about the combination of meat, herbs, 

and coffee—but trust me and try this. The pork cutlet is not deep-fried, 

but pan-fried. Herbs, cheese, and hint of coffee add refreshing aroma 

to juicy pork. The richness of coffee sauce is perfect for cutlet and 

steamed vegetables. 

Cooking time: 1hr (active 40 min) 

Servings: 2 

PORK CUTLET 

• 2 slices pork loin 

• 1 tbs flour 

• 1 egg 

• 2 pinches salt and pepper 

• 40g bread crumbs 

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme 

• 1 tsp dried parsley 

• 1 tbs Parmesan cheese powder 

• 1 tsp ground coffee 

OPTIONAL 

Steamed vegetables of your choice 

COFFEE SAUCE 

• 1/2 tbs sake 

• 1/2 tbs mirin 

• 1 tbs water 

• 1 tbs soy sauce 

• 1 tbs rice vinegar 

• 2 tbs ketchup 

• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce 

• 1 tsp instant coffee 

DIRECTIONS 

1. Rub pork loin slices with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature 

for 20 min. 

2. In a shallow container, mix bread crumbs, thyme, parsley, cheese, 

and ground coffee. 

3. Sift flour on the pork, then dress with beaten egg and evenly cover 

with the bread crumbs, cheese, coffee, thyme, and parsley mixture. 

4. On frying pan, heat vegetable oil that’s about 0.5cm deep. Pan-fry 

pork on medium-low. Fry both sides for about 15 min until golden 

brown. Shift them on a paper towel to drain excess oil. 

5. In microwave-safe bowl, combine and mix all the ingredients for the 

coffee sauce. Microwave without cover until it boils. Take out and mix 

well. Put back in microwave and let boil again. 

6. Put pork and steamed vegetables (optional) on plate and cover with 

generous amount of coffee sauce. 

Rieko Suzuki 

Rieko blogs bilingual recipes at 

http://meturl.com/ruby 

13

ENJOY 

GOLDEN 

WEEK! 

April 29th - May 6th 

Plan your holiday with JapanTravel.com 

Explore Japan. Share your experiences. Earn rewards.

city life 

ASK METROPOLIS ANYTHING 

YOUTH SUPPORT 

Fighting bullying 

at schools 

BY VICKIE SKORJI, DIRECTOR OF TELL 

For the next two months, TELL is making 

noise about the cost of bullying—a source 

of concern both globally and in Japan— 

with particular attention to its impact on 

youth. 

Bullying can take many different forms— 

physical, verbal, or emotional—and can be direct 

or indirect. It involves unwanted aggressive 

behavior toward an individual that involves a 

power imbalance, whether real or perceived. 

Cyberbullying involves the use of cell phones, 

instant messaging, email, chat rooms, or social 

networking sites to harass, threaten, or intimidate. 

Whatever the form, the intent is to make 

someone else feel bad. Sadly, most children 

worldwide will experience some form of bullying 

while at school; and for many, it’s ongoing. 

Bullying is associated with such negative 

consequences as low self-esteem, school absenteeism, 

a drop in grades, mental health issues, 

and even suicide. 

A recent U.S. meta analysis of 491 bullying 

studies found a significant correlation between 

bullying and suicide ideations, along with suicide 

attempts—and it is stronger in youth (according 

to Gini and Espelage, 2014). 

Unlike conventional bullying, cyberbullying 

can happen 24/7. Messages and images can be 

posted anonymously and instantly distributed 

to a wide audience. It can be difficult to trace the 

source, and more so to delete inappropriate or 

harassing content once posted. 

In 2013, the Japanese Education Ministry 

reported nearly 200,000 cases of school bullying. 

Of these, nearly 1,000 were reported to the 

police, and 196 suicides occurred. Cyberbullying 

made up 4.7 percent of all reported cases, 

a 12-percent increase from 2012. The government 

also reported that, on average, students 

aged 10-17 spent 107 minutes per day on mobile 

devices, and more than two hours a day online. 

Nara University clinical psychologist Tokuhiro 

Ikejima says, “In Japan, bullying tends to happen 

between very close friends, and the situation 

is often worsened because bystanders do 

not try to intervene. The bullying often takes the 

form of social exclusion rather than violence.” 

Despite these challenges, countries across 

the world are scurrying to combat cyberbullying. 

In June 2013, Japan’s National Diet enacted 

an anti-bullying bill to prevent increasingly serious 

cases in reaction to a string of incidents that 

IN 2013, THE JAPANESE 

EDUCATION MINISTRY 

REPORTED NEARLY 

200,000 CASES OF 

SCHOOL BULLYING. OF 

THESE, NEARLY 1,000 

WERE REPORTED TO 

THE POLICE, AND 196 

SUICIDES OCCURRED. 

led to suicides and murder. 

As of April 1, 2015, Aichi Prefecture introduced 

a law banning the use of smartphones 

and mobile devices after 9pm for children aged 

6-15 years. The curfew aims to discourage children 

from spending an unhealthy amount of 

time on electronic devices, as well as reducing 

online bullying. 

However, laws are only one part of the 

equation; bullying is an issue that needs attention 

from the whole community. TELL understands 

that bullying is a serious concern 

in schools and communities, and when left 

unattended, can have a serious impact on a 

young person’s mental health, emotional wellbeing, 

and identity. Children left unsupported 

can develop unhealthy coping strategies leading 

to self-harm, isolation, and mental health 

problems that affect their ability to learn and 

develop healthy relationships. 

In February of this year, TELL launched our 

anti-bullying video contest, “Stand Up, Don’t 

Stand By.” The competition is open to middle 

and high school students, and raises awareness 

of the role of the bystander, stressing 

that bullying is something everyone can take 

a stand against. Bystanders can either be 

part of the problem or an important piece of 

the solution. 

Certain groups are more vulnerable to 

bullying than others, such as students with 

learning or developmental disorders, or with 

gender and sexual orientation issues. LGBTQ 

youth are more likely to experience physical, 

sexual, and dating violence than their peers, 

and two to seven times more likely to attempt 

suicide. 

On April 25 and 26, TELL will have a booth 

at the Tokyo Rainbow Pride Festival and march 

in the parade to raise awareness of the issues 

facing the LGBTQ community and particularly 

LGBTQ youth. 

On May 24, our annual charity walk and runathon 

is all about anti-bullying. We hope that 

schools, students, parents, and organizations in 

Japan will support our efforts, join our events, 

and help fight against bullying to make school 

a safe place for our youth. 

If you want to “Ask Metropolis Anything” about life 

in Japan, send your questions to askanything@ 

metropolisjapan.com, and we’ll find the most 

appropriate people to answer your queries. 

15

city life 

CHILD’S 

PLAY IN 

THE GTA 

A city-full of fun 

BY HELEN A. LANGFORD 

The Greater Tokyo Area isn’t just for grownups: 

A high concentration of museums 

and places to play makes it an excellent 

spot to entertain the smaller set. Consider 

the following as a starting point—a mere drop in 

the entertainment bucket. 

PLAY PLACES 

The wonderful world of indoor playgrounds 

provides hours of frolicking fun, a treasure trove 

of toys, and plenty of new otomodachi. 

Your local jidoukan (children’s play hall) 

should be first on the list when seeking a change 

of scenery. In addition to having a lot of toys and 

activities, they’re the perfect place to meet other 

young families in your area, both widening your 

little ones’ social circles and adding to your support 

system. What’s even better is that they’re 

usually free. 

Ask at your city hall for locations. 

For something a little fancier, Aneby Trimpark, 

a relative newcomer to the Tokyo entertainment 

scene, aims to entertain ankle biters to 

adolescents. Boasting all the usual playground 

equipment—plus trampolines, a gymnastics 

area, and pedal scooter track—it also holds lessons 

throughout the day for more structured 

play. Aomi. http://anebytrimpark.com 

Kid-o-Kid knows child’s play; it’s operated by 

Tokyo-based toy company BørneLund, after all. 

Bouncy surfaces, dress-up and make-believe 

areas, toys, and—of course—ball pits abound. 

And with 12 facilities in the Tokyo-Kanagawa- 

Chiba area, there’s sure to be one not too far 

away. See website for locations: www.bornelund.co.jp/kidokid 

Drop in to Kodomo no Yu, a hot-springthemed 

play area at Tokyo Skytree, for a unique 

take on indoor play. “Soak” in the onsen ball 

pit, get your matsuri on in the festival area, or 

try your hand at seasonal crafts and activities. 

Tokyo Skytree. http://kodomoku.com 

EDUTAINMENT 

Sure, kids learn when they play, but sometimes 

it’s nice to make learning the focus. Don’t fret 

about forcing dull days on your darlings; museums 

are about amusement as much as they are 

about academics. 

Make a beeline for Odaiba’s Miraikan before 

May 10 to catch the tail end of teamLab’s 

special exhibition. Parents and progeny alike 

will be spellbound by the digital art on display, 

and kids will have a field day seeing 

their colored pictures come alive on a giant 

screen. The upper floors of the Miraikan are 

also overflowing with interactive exhibits. 

Fune-no-Kagakukan or Telecom Center. 

www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en 

The Tokyo Toy Museum leans more toward 

entertainment than edification. It's housed in an 

16

old elementary school, and each 

room features a different set of 

toys and games. On the third floor, 

a spacious classroom is reserved 

for instructor-led crafting. 

Yotsuya-sanchōme. 

http://goodtoy.org/ttm 

Your kids need not be fire 

engine-crazy to enjoy the Tokyo 

Fire Museum. With a collection of 

historic equipment, kid-sized uniforms, 

and helmets—and even a 

few vehicles for the kids to hop into 

(including a helicopter!)—the Fire 

Museum keeps halflings happy 

while giving Mom and Dad a peek 

into Edo’s curious firefighting culture. 

Yotsuya-sanchōme. 

www.tfd.metro.tokyo.jp/ts/ 

museum.html 

The National Museum of Nature 

and Science (Kahaku) brings 

Tokyo Dome-sized amounts of 

… well … nature and science to 

inquisitive youngsters. Though 

it's under partial renovation until 

roughly July, there’s still more 

than enough on display to fill 

a day—not to mention Theater 

360, a 360-degree theater that 

screens short documentaries all 

day. Stargazers should check out 

the museum’s nighttime astronomical 

observations on the first 

and third Friday of each month. 

Ueno. www.kahaku.go.jp/english 

Parents of solar-system aficionados 

in the western Tokyo area 

need look no further than Fuchu’s 

Kyodo no Mori Planetarium, where 

several daily shows let kids reach 

their cosmos quota. Part of a museum/planetarium/park 

complex, 

where both terrestrial and extraterrestrial 

entertainment abound. 

Fuchū-Hommachi. 

www.fuchu-cpf.or.jp/museum 

Older kiddos will enjoy the 

Cup Noodle Museum down 

Minato-Mirai way. Though it’s 

brimming with the history of the 

instant snack, the hands-onnoodle-making 

areas are sure 

to take top spot where kids are 

concerned. Little siblings (3 years 

and above, and at least 90cm tall) 

can “make like a noodle” in the 

museum’s Cup Noodles manufacturing 

process park. 

Minato-Mirai or Bashamichi. 

www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/ 

english 

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17

fashion fix 

BY SAMUEL THOMAS, FASHION EDITOR 

ON TREND IN TOKYO 

ON POINT 

The Happening, a commune 

of avant-garde 

Japanese designers, 

is on target to be one 

of the most exciting fixtures 

on the Japanese 

fashion calendar—not 

that you can plan for 

this. So far, their guerrilla 

approach has led 

to them hijacking an 

official runway event 

during Tokyo Fashion 

Week with an impromptu 

presentation, 

and a public show that 

took place throughout 

the LaForet department 

store in Harajuku 

last season. Their latest 

project saw them erect a fashion caravan before sending it through 

the streets of Shibuya, Harajuku, and on to Bunka Fashion College in 

Shinjuku before finally coming to rest in Aoyama. 

The caravan itself was a pleasant pastiche of the electioneering 

vans currently making the rounds all over the metropolis. And with its 

promise of a more fashionable future, it’s arguably one that more of the 

city’s youth is set to turn out to vote for. In terms of the fashion proper, 

Koshiro Ebata’s Garter and new line Takuma, from one of the masterminds 

behind Harajuku shopping institution Dog, looked particularly 

promising and are names you’re likely to see championed in the future. 

SHOPPING 

STRATEGY 

Just in time for the Star 

Wars Visions exhibition 

that starts this month in 

Mori Tower at Roppongi 

Hills, Morita Tsuyoshi’s 

cult label Thunderbox has 

launched into spring with a 

Star Wars-themed collection 

channeling the fashion 

Force. The brand is one of 

Japan’s best proponents of 

geek chic, knowingly humorous 

but with enough 

fashion edge to ensure the 

look is more Harajuku than 

Akihabara. In the past, the 

label paid homage to Gunpei 

Yokoi with a Nintendo 

Game Boy-themed collection, and even taken on Katsuhiro Otomo’s 

Akira. In both cases, it blended literal motifs from the pop-culture subject 

matter with more subtle references in the very structure of the garment. 

The former combined 8-bit embroidery of Game Boy characters with 

STREET 

FOCUS 

Sometimes at Tokyo Fashion Week, the real action is on the streets—not the 

runways—as this week’s extravert fashionista can attest. It comes to something 

where the current season Mexican guarachero-inspired long-toed boots from 

Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garçons Homme Plus are not the star of an outfit, 

in this case eclipsed by some well-selected vintage pieces that tie the look 

together. For those wondering, the boots are apparently relatively easy to walk 

in, but it can be safely assumed that a rush-hour train is out of the question. 

biker jackets where the zips and pockets reflect the buttons and vents 

of the handheld. The latter took prints from the original manga and 

scattered them onto designs mutated in tribute to the path taken by 

the manga’s antagonist, Tetsuo Shima. 

In this collection, the standout piece has to be the Boba Fett-inspired 

shirt. It can just about evade the attention of the general public, but 

hardened fans will clock it on sight. Elsewhere, the collection has a 

nostalgic ‘90s streetwear vibe in tune with the street scene of the moment. 

So, fan or not, this is definitely worth a look. 

Photo by Samuel Thomas 

18

FASHION CALENDAR 

CHECK METROPOLISJAPAN.COM FOR THE LATEST FASHION CALENDAR. 

KAWAII 

CAMPING 

WITH 

NE-NET 

Photos by Samuel Thomas 

Kazuaki Takashima’s ever-cheerful brand 

Ne-net can be a confusing one for external 

viewers of the Tokyo fashion scene. 

Grounded in pure whimsy and a childish 

naivety, it’s at odds with the status-driven 

“you-can’t-sit-with-us” elitism that’s regrettably 

ubiquitous with the fashion scene almost everywhere 

beyond Japan. This season, the line’s 

unashamed joie de vivre extends past the clothes 

to the presentation of the collection itself, employing 

the novel method of mixing every aspect 

of the fashion system into one open showroom. 

Normally, the fashion business segments the 

presentation into three parts: The runway show, 

where the media see the collection; the exhibition, 

where buyers place their orders; and 

the photo shoot, where the seasonal 

visuals used to promote the collection 

at retail are captured and 

edited. This time, Ne-net threw 

everything together into one 

warehouse setting where models 

were styled and had their 

makeup applied in full view 

before walking through the 

audience and being photographed 

for the lookbook. 

At the same time, the buyers 

were writing orders, 

trying on clothes from 

the racks, and peeking 

over the shoulder 

of the graphic design 

team as they worked. 

The collection 

captured a jaunt up 

a mountain, taking 

outdoor essentials 

and channeling them 

through a distinctly 

kawaii lens liable to 

improve your odds 

of social, if not practical, 

survival fitting 

for Tokyo. 

19

movies 

BY DON MORTON 

featured movie 

WHIPLASH 

To what lengths must we go to bring out 

innate talent in the quest to be the best? 

What sacrifices must be made? A talented 

but naive 19-year-old jazz drumming 

student (an impressive Miles Teller) at 

a prestigious NYC music academy is 

challenged to rise to his full potential 

by a brutal, Machiavellian, perfectionist 

teacher/bandleader (an Oscar-winning 

J.K. Simmons). While the inspirationalteacher 

setup has been fairly beaten 

to death, the execution here is unique. 

You will not know where it’s going, and 

it will shatter your expectations. It turns 

the sentimental genre on its head and 

plays more like a sports movie, or even 

a psychothriller. Visceral, kinetic, and 

compelling, it was nicknamed “Full Metal 

Julliard” at Sundance. Don’t be expecting 

Dead Poets Society or Mr. Holland’s 

Opus. Writer/Director Damien Chazelle 

(someone to watch) never misses a beat 

or hits a sour note in this tightly paced, 

propulsive film. One of the best movies of 

the year, the title refers to a difficult bigband 

number that hinges on the drummer. 

It also describes what you might feel 

after surviving the intense and cathartic 

final scene. Big screen, please. For the 

sound. Japanese title: Session. (106 min) 

NEW 

THE GOOD LIE 

Four young Sudanese 

survive a brutal war, 

a monstrous trek to a 

refugee camp, and 13 

years there before being 

brought to Kansas City for resettlement. To this point, 

the movie is a moderately interesting, if highly sanitized, 

tale of survival. Then Reese Witherspoon appears in 

a supporting role as an employment counselor, and 

the movie sags. Reese does nothing wrong, and her 

misleading prominence on the poster will likely boost the 

film’s attendance, but her character reframes the focus to a 

white American point of view, when the African bookends 

of this worthy, good-hearted tale are far more compelling. 

Japanese title: Good Lie: Ichiban Yasashī Uso. (110 min) 

NEW 

DURAN DURAN: 

UNSTAGED 

Going in, I couldn’t 

name a single Duran 

Duran hit. (I can now, 

and realize why I was 

never a fan.) But it was directed for some reason 

by David Lynch, who used to make cool movies, so 

it was worth a look. What I was totally unprepared 

for was more than two hours of uninspired (BTW 

completely staged) concert footage of flaccid Brit 

new-wave drivel, mostly at the same tempo, overlaid 

by pseudo-artsy Lynchian images that kept flashing 

and waking me up. Okay, I realize this is totally 

subjective (but it’s fun to write), and I apologize to any 

remaining DD fans. But you deserve better. (121 min) 

NEW 

INHERENT VICE 

Paul Thomas Anderson, 

innovative maker of 

such very serious 

films as There Will Be 

Blood and The Master, 

tries on a comedy this time, beautifully adapting 

Thomas Pynchon’s 2009 sun-dappled beach-noir 

novel about a stoner detective (a spot-on Joaquin 

Phoenix) named Doc in early-70s El Lay. Think 

Raymond Chandler by way of Cheech & Chong. Josh 

Brolin’s great as Doc’s nemesis, the straight-laced 

cop “Bigfoot” Bjornson. It’s unpredictable, amusingly 

louche, strange, and deranged. And if it’s not always 

logical, well, don’t try to figure it out. Best to just lie 

back and let the low-key parody take you. (148 min) 

NEW 

BIRDMAN OR (THE 

UNEXPECTED VIRTUE 

OF IGNORANCE) 

This intellectually active, 

ensemble showbiz 

dramedy earned all the 

praise it’s getting. But despite the dazzle, the showy 

direction distracts from the narrative. Alejandro González 

Iñárritu makes this gimmicky joyride work because he’s a 

pro, but it still has a film-school, “look at me!” feel. None 

of the characters is particularly likable, giving the film little 

emotional punch. This will be remembered, if at all, as a 

brilliant technical experiment. Bottom line: It’s one of those 

films that are easier to admire than to enjoy. Worth seeing? 

Absolutely. Best Picture? No. Japanese title: Birdman 

arui wa (Muchi ga Motarasu Yoki-senu Kiseki). (120 min) 

NEW 

MAGIC IN THE 

MOONLIGHT 

I’m a fan. I think even 

mediocre Woody 

Allen movies are 

better than most of 

what’s out there—but that doesn’t mean they’re not 

disappointing. This one starts out strong. It’s 1928. 

Colin Firth is a stage magician and noted paranormal 

debunker who’s called upon to poke holes in the 

amazingly accurate prognostications of a pretty young 

clairvoyant (Emma Stone). But then he’s “converted,” 

falls in love, and the movie immediately loses steam, 

along with any magic it might have had. Threadbare 

and predictable, this one feels off-the-rack. The script 

could have used a third draft, or even a second. (97 min) 

NEW 

ROAD 

Some admire the 

tenacity of motorcycle 

racing champions who 

overcome horrid injuries 

and get back in the saddle 

to win again; and are genuinely surprised when some 

hero biker slams into a tree. Others might view the whole 

thing as madness or at least desperation, as what else 

can a biker champ do but keep going? This doc, narrated 

in the dulcet tones of Liam Neeson, centers on brothers 

Joey and Robert Dunlop, who for decades dominated 

the road racing circuit (done only on the open roads 

of Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man), their career 

highs, lows, and eventual deaths. I found it depressing. 

Japanese title: Road: Destiny of TT Rider. (102 min) 

Whiplash: © 2013 WHIPLASH, LLC All Rights Reserved; The Good Lie: © 2014 Black Label Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.; Duran Duran: Unstaged: © 2013 Magnus Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved; Inherent Vice: © 2014 WARNER BROS. 

ENTERTAINMENT INC,AND RATPAC-DUNE ENTERTAINMENT LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED; Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance): © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox; Magic in the Moonlight: © 2014 Gravier Productions, Inc.; Road: © 2014 

DoubleBand Films All Rights Reserved; The Two Faces of January: © 2014 STUDIOCANAL S.A. All rights reserved.; Kite: © 2013 Videovision Entertainment, Ltd., Distant Horizon, Ltd. & Detalle Films All rights reserved; Narco Cultura: © 2013 by 

Narco Cultura, LLC; Jimi: All is by My Side: © MMXIII AIBMS, LLC. All Rights Reserved.; Pride: © PATHE PRODUCTIONS LIMITED. BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION AND THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE 2014. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.; Jupiter 

Ascending: © 2014 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND VILLAGE ROADSHOW FILMS(BVI)LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 

20

More reviews: metropolisjapan.com/movies 

NEW THE TWO FACES OF 

JANUARY 

As his directorial debut, 

screenwriter Hossein 

Amini (Jude, Wings of the 

Dove, and Drive, but also 

NEW KITE 

Yasuomi Umetsu’s 

infamous 1998 ultracontroversial, 

childraping, 

super-violent 

anime cult fave about 

NEW 

NARCO CULTURA 

Across the river from 

low-crime El Paso exists 

hellish Juarez, ruled by 

Mexican drug cartels that 

either pay off or simply 

47 Ronin) takes on a Patricia Highsmith Oedipal triangle. 

It’s 1962. Chester (an underplayed, genuinely scary 

Viggo Mortensen) is a shady, middle-aged American 

businessman vacationing in Greece with his muchyounger 

wife (Kirsten Dunst). When he accidentally kills 

the PI sent to sniff him out, he enlists the help of their 

young Greek-American guide (Oscar Isaac), who is clearly 

attracted to his wife, and tangled webs are weaved. 

Literate, sexually charged, atmospheric, and smolderingly 

suspenseful. Japanese title: Girisha ni Kieta Uso. (98 min) 

an orphaned and abused schoolgirl-cum-assassin 

(India Eisley) gets a desexualized, toned-down 

live-action treatment here, but the exploitative 

attitude remains. The apparent hook is that 

Samuel L. Jackson is in it, but he usually seems so 

distracted it’s like he’s daydreaming about how 

he’s going to spend the paycheck. This dreary Sin 

City cheapo rip-off is mean-spirited just for the 

sake of mean-spiritedness. Obvious, repetitive, 

and just plain boring, this kite don’t fly. (90 min) 

murder anyone who resists them. Shaul Schwarz’s 

quietly subversive doc looks at the situation through the 

eyes of two contrasting men: An increasingly popular 

rapper who glamorizes the kidnappings and beheadings 

of the vicious mega-gangs, and a hard-working, often 

threatened crime-scene technician who investigates the 

city’s 3,000 annual murders, only to have his painstaking 

evidence ignored by his bribed superiors. Absorbing 

and depressing. Japanese title: Minagoroshi no Ballad: 

Mexico Mayaku Sensō no Hikari to Yami. (103 min) 

NEW 

JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE 

Don’t expect a jukebox 

musical based on Jimi 

Hendrix’s career, since 

his estate wouldn’t 

allow director John 

Ridley to use any of his music. But, paradoxically, 

that restriction may have resulted in a better biopic. 

Instead, this is an impressionistic look at 1966-67, the 

period in which he was discovered by Keith Richards’ 

girlfriend Linda Keith (a terrific Imogen Poots) and went 

from being sideman Jimmy James to the influential 

legend he remains today. OutKast’s Andre Benjamin 

aces the title role with intuition and flair. A cover of 

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” steals the 

show. Japanese title: Jimi: Eikō e no Kiseki. (118 min) 

PRIDE 

In 1984 gay activist Mark 

Ashton (Ben Schnetzer) 

organized “Lesbians 

and Gays Support the 

Miners,” to raise funds 

for the UK’s striking coal miners. LGSM’s donations 

were spurned by the national union, but accepted by 

a small Welsh local when the wrong (or right) person 

answered the phone. There ensues a series of cultureclash 

set pieces as a spirit of solidarity gradually 

overcomes fear and bigotry, and caricatures become 

individuals. Great cast. Manipulative? Sure. Feel-good? 

Absolutely. Preachy? Never. It’s the kind of movie that 

has audiences applauding and misty-eyed at the end. I 

did, and I was. Japanese title: Parade e Yokoso. (120 min) 

JUPITER ASCENDING 

Jeez, where to start? 

While this lumbering 

Dune rip-off is eye candy 

of the first magnitude, it 

fails on every other level. 

Mila Kunis, a delightful rom-com actress, is way out of 

her league as an action heroine. She spends most of 

her time being kidnapped, rescued, or making goo-goo 

eyes at a Spock-eared, green-goateed Channing Tatum. 

The storyline, glimpsed occasionally between the many, 

many battle scenes, is all but impenetrable. After this 

$175 million train wreck, it’s unlikely the Wachowskis will 

be entrusted with any more big budgets. Maybe they’ll 

have to resort to storytelling instead. Japanese title: 

Jupiter. (127 min) 

© 2015フジテレビジョン 

© IMAGE.NET © Metafilms 

eiga 

APRIL 

FOOLS 

By Rob Schwartz 

In Hollywood they would call 

this flick “high concept,” which 

is a hilarious term because it 

essentially means low concept 

or inane idea. “High concept” 

means you take one simple or 

silly notion and base a whole film on it. In this comedy, 

the theme is that the first of April is the one day you’re 

allowed to “lie”—that is play jokes on people. With a 

huge cast of 27 main actors split into seven different 

episodes, the pic flits about between stories and 

atmospheres. The main narrative focuses on Ayumi 

(Erika Toda), a cleaning woman at a hospital who 

suffers from a fear of people. The extremely shy lass 

has a one-nighter with doctor Makino (Tori Matsuzaka), 

who is a sex addict, and finds herself pregnant. Other 

scenarios include a pair of high school best friends, 

one of whom comes out as gay; a stupid kidnapper 

snatching an elementary school girl and botching it 

badly; a guy who left Japan 42 years earlier and finally 

comes home; and a junior high school kid who believes 

in aliens. TV director Junichi Ishikawa tries to make the 

whole mess entertaining, but it’s unclear if this just a 

bad April Fools’ joke. Unfunny and fairly absurd, there 

is little to keep the viewer glued to the screen. (120 min) 

movie news 

What most people know about Japanese country 

music could be inscribed on the head of a pin 

with room left over, as the saying goes. The new 

documentary Made in Japan aims to correct that 

with a portrait of Japan’s “first lady of country music,” 

singer-songwriter Tomi Fujiyama, who hit the charts 

in her homeland while still a teenager. In 1964, she 

became the first Japanese performer to take the 

stage at the Grand Ole Opry, where she followed 

Johnny Cash and got the only standing ovation of the 

night. At the doc’s premiere at the South by Southwest 

festival last month, director Josh Bishop revealed 

that filming took 11 years due to limited funds. He said 

the lesson he learned during production was that, 

“if you don’t give up, you eventually get what you 

want,” noting his subject has been singing country 

music for over 60 years. In the film, Fujiyama makes 

the trek from Nagoya to Nashville one more time at 

the age of 75, saying she hopes to still be playing 

guitar at the age of 100. The petite fireball walked 

the red carpet at the fest with actor Elijah Wood, who 

narrates the documentary, and basked in the new 

attention with an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. 

The Japan release has yet to be announced. Stay 

tuned to www.madeinjapandoc.com. Kevin Mcgue 

cinematic underground 

One of this year’s most talked-about Oscar snubs was 

Canada’s entry for Best Film in a Foreign Language 

being denied a nomination. Xavier Dolan’s Mommy 

(pictured) tells the story (in French) of a single mom 

struggling to bring up a troubled teenage son, and her 

encounter with a mysterious neighbor who wants to help. 

Playing from April 25 at Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho 

(2-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku; www.ht-cinema.com) and 

Shinjuku Musashinokan (3-27-10 Shinjuku; http://shinjuku. 

musashino-k.jp) … It is pretty safe to say few have seen a 

film like Ukrainian indie The Tribe. Set in a boarding school 

for adolescent deaf students, the dialogue is completely 

in sign language, with no subtitles. The no-holds-barred 

visual storytelling about the new kid in school being 

drawn into a world of organized crime and falling for the 

classmate he is assigned to pimp is a unique, challenging 

viewing experience. On from April 18 at Cinema Qualite 

(3-37-12 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; http://qualite.musashino-k. 

jp) and Eurospace in Shibuya (1-5 Maruyamacho, Shibuyaku; 

www.eurospace.co.jp) … Japan lost a legend when 

actor Ken Takakura died last November. Shin-Bungeiza 

in Ikebukuro (3F, 1-43-5 Higashi-Ikebukuro Toshima-ku; 

www.shin-bungeiza.com) pays tribute April 19-May 5, 

with 30 films, which, unfortunately, are not subtitled, but 

many are presented in new 35mm prints. Kevin Mcgue 

21

agenda 

WATCH LIST 

hot tickets 

JUN 10-11 

Pentatonix 

American a cappella five-piece group, 

who rose to fame on YouTube with 

their all-vocal rendition of Daft Punk 

hits, now touring the world. Jun 10-11, 

7pm. ¥7,500. Zepp Divercity Tokyo. 

Daiba. Tel: 03-3499-6669. 

http://j.mp/pentatonix2015 

Tickets on sale Apr 18 

JUL 18-AUG 30 

Mega Dinosaur Exhibition 

Featuring the restored skeleton of the 

Turiasaurus found in Spain, believed 

to be the largest dinosaur ever found 

in Europe. Jul 18-Aug 30, 9:30am- 

5pm. ¥800-1,600 (adv)/ ¥1,000-2,000 

(door). Makuhari Messe. Kaihin- 

Makuhari. Tel: 03-5777-8600. 

http://mega2015.jp 

Tickets on sale now 

AUG 4-5 

Disney in Concert: Alice in 

Wonderland 

Watch Tim Burton’s Alice on the big 

screen accompanied by live music 

performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic 

Orchestra. Aug 4-5, 7pm. ¥6,500- 

8,500. Tokyo International Forum 

Hall A. Yurakucho. http://j.mp/ 

disneyinconcert2015alice 

Tickets on sale from Apr 25 

SEP 2 

Maroon 5 

Adam Levine-fronted soul-pop sextet 

brings their catchy repertoire of hits 

to Tokyo, reminding Japanese fans 

that they will be loved. Sep 2, 7pm. 

¥12,500-25,000. Yokohama Arena. 

Shin-Yokohama. Tel: 0570-00-3337. 

http:// j.mp/maroon52015 

Tickets on sale May 2 

for free 

UNTIL MAY 6 

Tokyo Tower Koinobori 

333 koinobori, or colorful 

carp-shaped streamers will be on 

display in celebration of Children’s 

Day on May 5. Until May 6, all day 

(illumination 5:30-11pm). Free. 

Tokyo Tower. Akabanebashi. 

http://j.mp/towerkoi2015 

Concerts 

POPULAR 

Davina Robinson 

Powerhouse vocalist brings her 

take on rock, blues, and soul 

to Tokyo. Apr 18, 6:30-11pm. 

¥1,500 (adv)/¥2,000 (door). 

Yotsuya Lotus. Yotsuyasanchome. 

Tel: 03-5315-4781. 

http://yotsuyalotus.com 

Colm Wilkinson: Broadway 

and Beyond Japan 

Irish tenor, best known for 

originating the role of Jean 

Valjean in Les Misérables. Apr 

18, 6:30pm; Apr 19, 3pm; Apr 

21-22, 2pm. ¥7,000-12,000. 

Theatre Orb. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-3477-9999. 

http://j.mp/wilkinson2015 

The Piano Guys 

American musical group who 

gained popularity through 

YouTube, where they posted 

piano and cello renditions of 

popular songs and classical 

music. Apr 22, 7pm. ¥7,560- 

8,640. Bunkamura Orchard 

Hall. Shibuya. http://j.mp/ 

thepianoguys2015 

Peace 

English indie rock quartet 

who began to receive critical 

acclaim in early 2012 from 

publications such as The 

Guardian and NME, who 

compared them to The 

Maccabees, Foals, Wu Lyf, and 

Vampire Weekend. Apr 22, 

7pm. ¥5,000. Club Quattro. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-3477-8750. 

http://j.mp/peace2015 

Vandenberg’s Moonkings 

Band created by Adrian 

Vandenberg, a Dutch rocker 

best known as former guitarist 

of Whitesnake. Apr 23, 7pm. 

¥7,500. Liquidroom. Ebisu. 

Tel: 03-5464-0800. 

http://j.mp/moonkings2015 

Blossoms 

Mosaic five-piece band whose 

genre is ethereal nostalgic 

sonance. Apr 23, 7pm. ¥5,000. 

Astro Hall. Meiji-Jingumae. 

Tel: 03-3402-3089. 

http://j.mp/blossoms2015 

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis 

Three-piece band, 

comprising the siblings of the 

Durham family, whose music 

is heavily influenced 

by everything from R&B, 

swing, and jump blues, 

to country, Hawaiian, 

and rock ‘n’ roll. Apr 24, 

7:30pm. ¥6,000. Club 

Quattro. Shibuya. Tel: 

03-3477-8750. http://j.mp/ 

kittydaisylewis2015 

The Big Nothing: 

Musik Musica 

An event fusioning art, 

performance, space design, 

and live music. Apr 25, 

8:30-11pm. ¥1,500. Aube. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-2896. 

http://j.mp/nothingmusica2015 

European Rock Fes 

Featuring The Flower Kings, 

The Pineapple Thief, Atoll, and 

others. Apr 26, 4pm. ¥12,500. 

Tokyo International Forum 

Hall C. Yurakucho. Tel: 

050-5533-0888. http://j.mp/ 

eurorockfes2015 

Equilibrium 

German folk metal band 

combining elements of folk 

music, black metal, and 

symphonic metal, with various 

other influences. Apr 25-26, 

6pm. ¥5,500. The Doors. 

Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5350-5800. 

http://equilibrium-metal.net/en/ 

Fu-Ching-Gido Debut 

Album Release Party 

Tuba and drums gypsy rock 

band with support from 

vaudevillian charmer Baron. 

Apr 26, 6:30-10:30pm. ¥2,500 

(adv)/¥3,000 (door). Shibuya 

Gee-ge. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-6416-3468. 

http://fu-ching-gido.com 

Opeth 

Swedish heavy metal band 

who incorporate progressive, 

folk, blues, classical, and jazz 

influences into their usually 

lengthy compositions. Apr 

30, 7pm. ¥7,500. Ex Theater 

Roppongi. Roppongi or 

Nogizaka. Tel: 03-6406-2222. 

http://j.mp/opeth2015 

Epik High 

South Korean alternative 

hip-hop group known for 

combining different styles of 

hip hop, along with different 

musical genres. May 3, 6pm. 

¥6,800. Yokohama Bay Hall. 

Motomachi-Chūkagai. 

Tel: 045-624-3900. 

http://j.mp/epik2015 

Sheena Easton 

Grammy-winning Scottish 

star of music, film, and stage, 

whose baby takes the morning 

train. May 2, 6 & 9pm; May 4, 

4:30 & 7:30pm. ¥7,500-9,500. 

Billboard Live. 

Tel: 03-3405-1133. 

http://j.mp/easton2015 

Roppongi. 

Ned Doheny 

American singer, songwriter, 

and guitarist whose music 

defies exact categorization, 

being variously described as 

pop, funk, jazz, and AOR. May 

5, 4:30pm. ¥6,800-8,800. 

Billboard Live. Roppongi. 

Tel: 03-3405-1133. http://j.mp/ 

doheny2015 

Electric Zoo Beach 

EDM festival featuring Steve 

Aoki, Knife Party, R3hab, and 

others. May 6, 1pm. ¥11,000- 

22,000. Makuhari Kaihin Park. 

Kaihinmakuhari. 

Tel: 03-3499-6669. 

http://electriczoo.jp 

The Haunted 

Swedish metal band from 

Gothenburg formed in 

1996 consisting of Adrian 

Erlandsson, Jonas Björler, 

Marco Arco, Jensen, and Ola 

Englund. May 11, 7pm. ¥6,500. 

Club Quattro. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-3477-8750. 

http://j.mp/haunted2015 

Rock of Chaos 

Featuring Austrian death black 

metal band Belphegor and 

symphonic/extreme metal 

band White Empress. May 12, 

7pm. ¥6,800. Club Quattro. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-3499-6669. 

http://j.mp/rockofchaos2015 

JAZZ/WORLD 

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall 

Jazz trumpeter Alpert, who 

is the only recording artist 

to hit number one on the 

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop 

chart as both a vocalist and 

an instrumentalist, and 

his wife Hall, a Grammy 

Award-winning singer. Apr 

17 & 20, 7:30pm; Apr 18-19, 

6pm. ¥14,800-18,040. Blue 

Note Tokyo. Omotesando. 

Tel: 03-5485-0088. http://j.mp/ 

alperthall2015 

Richard Elliot 

Scottish-born saxophone player 

whose solo career took off with 

his remake of Percy Sledge’s 

“When a Man Loves a Woman.” 

Apr 21-23, 6:30 & 9pm. ¥7,500- 

9,500. Cotton Club. Tokyo. 

Tel: 03-3215-1555. http://j.mp/ 

elliot2015 

Hans Dulfer 

Dutch jazz musician who plays 

tenor saxophone, and father 

to fellow saxophonist Candy 

Dulfer. Apr 22-24, 7 & 9:30pm. 

¥8,500. Blue Note Tokyo. 

Omotesando. Tel: 03-5485- 

0088. http://j.mp/dulfer2015 

Antibalas 

Brooklyn-based afrobeat 

band that is modeled after 

Fela Kuti’s Africa 70 band 

and Eddie Palmieri’s Harlem 

River Drive Orchestra. Apr 

26, 5 & 8pm; Apr 27-28, 7 & 

9:30pm. ¥7,000. Blue Note 

Tokyo. Omotesando. Tel: 

03-5485-0088. http://j.mp/ 

antibalas2015 

Joey Calderazzo Trio 

Jazz pianist Calderazzo’s trio 

with Donald Edwards (drums) 

and Orlando LeFleming (bass) 

that has developed into one 

of the most adventurous 

outfits in jazz. Apr 28 & 30, 

6:30 & 9pm; Apr 29, 5 & 8pm. 

¥7,000-9,000. Cotton Club. 

Tokyo. Tel: 03-3215-1555. 

http://j.mp/calderazzo2015 

Dave Koz featuring Javier 

Colon 

American smooth jazz 

saxophonist Koz with 

acoustic soul singersongwriter 

and musician 

Colon. May 1, 7 & 9:30pm; 

May 2-4, 5 & 8pm. 


Omotesando. Tel:03-5485- 

0088. http://j.mp/koz2015 

Orquesta de La Luz 

Japanese salsa band who 

sings in Spanish, and is led by 

vocalist Nora. May 6, 4:30pm. 

¥6,000-8,000. Billboard Live. 

Roppongi. Tel: 03-3405- 

1133. http://j.mp/laluz2015 

The Funky Meters 

American funk band who 

performed and recorded 

their own music from the late 

1960s until 1977. May 9, 6 & 

9pm; May 10, 4:30 & 7:30pm. 



1133. http://j.mp/meters2015 

Kat Edmonson 

American singer-songwriter 

who, after years as a singer in 

the local club scene, released 

her debut album Take to 

the Sky in 2009. May 9-10, 

5 & 8pm. ¥8,000. Blue Note 


03-5485-0088. http://j.mp/ 

edmonson2015 

Rasmus Faber with Frida 

Swedish pianist, DJ, remixer, 

and composer. May 11, 7pm. 



1133. http://j.mp/faber2015 

Avishai Cohen Trio 

Trio led by Israeli jazz bassist 

Cohen with Daniel Dor on 

drums and Nitai Hershkovits 

on the piano. May 14-15, 7 & 

9:30pm. ¥7,800. Blue Note 


03-5485-0088. http://j.mp/ 

avishaicohen2015 

Caro Emerald 

Dutch pop and jazz singer 

whose debut album Deleted 

Scenes from the Cutting Room 

Floor set a new all-time Dutch 

chart record. May 18, 7:30pm. 

¥8,500-9,500. Akasaka 

Blitz. Akasaka. http://j.mp/ 

emerald2015 

Roy Haynes 

American jazz drummer 

Haynes’s 90th birthday 

celebration. May 16-17, 5 & 

8pm; May 18, 7 & 9:30pm. 



0088. http://j.mp/haynes2015 

Blue Mountain Boys 

Classic country and bluegrass. 

Every third Sat, 6:30 & 7:30pm. 

Free. Cafe Sepia. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-3406-1300. 

www.nagaremono.com/sepia 

CLASSICAL 

Pipe Organ Concert 

Enjoy classical and 

contemporary music. Apr 19, 

3-4:30pm. ¥1,500. St. Alban’s 

Anglican Episcopal Church. 

Kamiyacho or Roppongi. 

Tel: 03-3431-8534. 

www.saintalbans.jp 

Buzz Five Concert 018 

Japanese brass quintet 

composed of former classmates 

of Tokyo University of the Arts. 

Apr 20, 7pm. ¥2,000-3,000. 

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Ueno. 

Tel: 03-3828-2111. 

http://j.mp/buzzfive2015 

New Zuerich Orchestra 

Conducted by Martin Studer 

with performances of 

Rodrigo’s “Concierto Pastoral,” 

Doppler’s “Rigoletto Fantaisie, 

op.38,” and more. Apr 21, 7pm. 

¥4,000-8,000. Suntory Hall. 

Roppongi-itchome. 

Tel: 0570-55-0017. 

http://j.mp/newzuerich2015 

Game Symphony Japan 

Concert 

Conducted by Kenichi Shimura, 

and performed by Nobuo 

Uematsu, Tokyo Chamber 

Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic 

Chorus, and others. May 1, 

7pm. ¥6,500-10,000. Suntory 

Hall. Roppongi-itchome. Tel: 

0570-55-0017. www.suntory. 

com/culture-sports/suntoryhall 

NHK Symphony Orchestra 

Conducted by Vahan 

Mardirossian with pieces 

by Mozart, Beethoven, and 

others. May 4, 2:30pm. ¥3,300- 

7,300. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. 

Ueno. Tel: 03-3828-2111. 

www.t-bunka.jp/en/ 

Vienna Boys’ Choir 

One of the best known boys’ 

choirs in the world presents the 

Bruckner touring choir. May 5, 

2pm. ¥1,500-7,000. Suntory 

Hall. Roppongi-itchome. 

Tel: 0570-55-0017. http://j. 

mp/viennaboys2015suntory. 

May 22, 1:30pm. ¥5,800. 

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. 

Hatsudai or Shinjuku. Tel: 

03-5353-9999. www.operacity. 

jp/en/. May 23, 2pm. ¥5,900. 

Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall. 

Minatomirai. Tel: 045-682- 

2020. http://meturl.com/ 

minatomiraihall 

Clubbing 

FRIDAY 17 

APR 17 (FRI)-29 (WED) 

All mix/electro/house/ 

hip-hop/R&B. From 10pm, 

(m)¥3,000 w/1d, (f)¥1,500 

w/1d. Bring this copy of 

Metropolis and get entry 

discount: (m)¥2,000 w/1d, 

(f)¥1,000 w/1d. Valid 

until end of May. Guest 

artists: Apr 24: DJ Kaori. 

Apr 29: DJ Daishi Dance 

and more on other days. 

4F-6F Dr. Jeekahn's, 2-4 

Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku. 

Tel: 03-3464-0703. 

Shibuya. 

www.atom-tokyo.com 

Microcosmos 

Wild Card. Hip-hop: DJs 

Yanatake, Deflo, etc. From 

12am. (m)¥2,000, (f)free. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5784-5496. 

www.microcosmos-tokyo.com 

The New Matrix Bar 

Matrix Friday. Old-school 

hip-hop, west side, south side, 

all mix: DJ Ykk and more. From 

6pm. ¥1,000 (after 11:30pm). 

Roppongi. 

www.matrixbar.jp 

Air 

Roundhouse. House: DJs 

Marshall Jefferson, Remi, 

etc. From 10pm. ¥3,500. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5784-3384. 

www.air-tokyo.com 

Sound Museum Vision 

Juice. Hip-hop: DJs Zeebra, 

Hazime, etc. From 10pm. 

(m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)¥3,000 

w/1d. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5728- 

2824. www.vision-tokyo.com 

T2 

Shibuya Mixx. EDM: DJs Dantz, 

Daijiro, etc. From 10pm. 

(m)¥3,500 w/1d, (f)¥2,500 

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

8692. www.t2-shibuya.com 

Ageha 

Party Up. EDM, Top 40: DJs 

Fumi Yeah, Yu-Ki, etc. From 

11pm. (m)¥3,000, (f)¥2,000. 

Shinkiba. Tel: 03-5534- 

2525. www.ageha.com 

24

The Room 

Wah Wah. Rare groove: DJs 

Kuroda, Ryuhei, etc. From 11pm. 

¥2,500 w/1d. Shibuya. 

www.theroom.jp 

Club Asia 

Ray-Van. EDM, electro: DJs 

Fukushima, Chiba, etc. From 

11pm. ¥3,000. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-5458-2551. 

www.clubasia.co.jp 

Ucess the Lounge 

80. ‘80s music: DJs Ken-Bo, 

Ohishi, etc. From 11pm. ¥2,000 

w/1 d. Meiji-jingumae. Tel: 

03-6807-1588. www.ucess.jp 

Womb 

Fantastic Dance. EDM, house: 

DJs Daishi Dance, Verbal, etc. 

From 11pm. ¥3,500. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-5459-0039. 

www.womb.co.jp 

SATURDAY 18 

Microcosmos 

City Hunter. Hip-hop: 

DJs Alamaki, Keita, etc. 

From 12am. ¥2,000 w/1d. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5784- 

5496. www.microcosmostokyo.com 


Saturday Night Fever. Hip-hop, 

R&B, reggae: DJ Ykk and 

more. From 6pm. ¥1,000 (after 

10pm). Roppongi. 

www.matrixbar.jp 

The Room 

Magic. House, disco: DJs 

Kawasaki, Endo. From 9pm. 



Air 

Cats. House, techno: DJs 

Gonno, Kawasaki, etc. Live: 

Kink. From 10pm. ¥3,500. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5784-3384. 


Sound Museum Vision 

Seeds. Techno, house: DJs 

Mike Shannon, Sodeyama, 

etc. Live: Akufen. From 10pm. 

¥3,500. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-5728-2824. 

www.vision-tokyo.com 

T2 

Shibuya Mixx. EDM: DJs 

Ikezawa, Shu, etc. From 

10pm. (m)¥3,500 w/1d, 

(f)¥2,500 w/2d. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-5428-8692. 

www.t2-shibuya.com 

Ageha 

Spring Special. Techno, 

progressive: DJs Stephan 

Bodzin, D-Nox & Beckers, 

etc. From 11pm. ¥4,000. 

Shinkiba. Tel: 03-5534- 

2525. www.ageha.com 

Club Asia 

Rendezvous. R&B, disco: 

DJs Taiki, Master Key, etc. 

From 11pm. ¥3,500 w/1d. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5458-2551. 



Golly Gosh. Bass music, 

grime: DJs A taut Line, 

Void Crew, etc. ¥2,000 w/1 

d. Meiji-jingumae. Tel: 

03-6807-1588. www.ucess.jp 

Womb 

Session. EDM, house: DJs 

Joseph Capriati, Ohnishi, 

etc. From 11pm. ¥3,500. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. 


FRIDAY 24 

Microcosmos 

Kagula Birthday Bash. Bass, 

trap: DJs Kagula, Blue Cosmic 

Monkey, etc. From 12am. 


Tel: 03-5784-5496. www. 

microcosmos-tokyo.com 


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 

Air 

Sushi. House, electro: DJ Reset 

and more. From 10pm. ¥3,000. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5784-3384. 


The Room 

Champ. Funk, jazz: DJs 

Tominaga, Oibon, etc. From 

10pm. ¥2,500 w/1d. Shibuya. 


T2 

Shibuya Mixx. EDM: DJs 

Yoshimasa, Shu, etc. From 

10pm. (m)¥3,500 w/1d, 

(f)¥2,500 w/2d. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-5428-8692. 

www.t2-shibuya.com 


Disco Jockey. Disco, 

house: DJs Jin, Yan, etc. 

From 10pm. ¥2,000 w/1 d. 

Meiji-jingumae. Tel: 03-6807- 

1588. www.ucess.jp 

Ageha 

Fever. Hip-hop: DJs Kango, 

Sn-Z, etc. From 11pm. 

(m)¥3,000, (f)¥2,500. 

Shinkiba. Tel: 03-5534-2525. 

www.ageha.com 

Club Asia 

Steam Party in Tokyo. House, 

techno: DJs Kyoko, Hayashi, 

etc. From 11pm. ¥3,000. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5458-2551. 


Womb 

S-Sense. Hip-hop: DJs Lakim, 

The Whooligan, etc. From 

11pm. ¥3,500. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-5459-0039. 


Daikanyama Unit 

Joy Orbison & Will Bankhead. 

Dance music: DJs Joy 

Orbison, Will Bankhead, 

etc. From 11:30pm. ¥3,500. 

Daikanyama. Tel: 03-5459- 

8630. www.unit-tokyo.com 

Dance 

La Chauve-souris 

Combining elements from 

musicals and revues, this 

humorous and charming 

repertoire is fully enjoyable for 

those not usually accustomed 

to ballet performances. Apr 21 

& 23, 7pm; Apr 25, 1 & 6pm; 

Apr 26, 2pm. ¥3,240-10,800. 

New National Theatre Tokyo. 

Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. 

http://j.mp/lachauvesouris2015 

Sleeping Beauty 

Performed by the Matsuyama 

Ballet Company with music by 

the Tokyo New Philharmonic 

Orchestra. May 3-4, 3:30pm. 

¥4,500-13,000. Bunkamura 

Orchard Hall. Shibuya. 

Tel: 03-3477-9111. http://j.mp/ 

matsuyamabeauty2015 

Stage 

Voca People 

Israel-based ensemble 

performing vocal theater 

that combines a cappella and 

beat boxing to reproduce the 

sounds of an entire orchestra. 

Apr 14-26, various times. 

¥5,200-8,300. The Galaxy 

Theatre. Tennouzu Isle. Tel: 

03-5769-0011. http://hpot.jp/ 

vocapeople/english/ 

Mr. Show 

A show only for women, be 

entertained at Korean revue 

“Mr. Show” where attractive 

men perform for your viewing 

pleasure. Apr 22-26, various 

times. ¥4,000-20,000. Akasaka 

Blitz. Akasaka. 

http://j.mp/mrshow2015 

Tact/Festival 2015 

Showcasing overseas stage 

performances mainly from 

France, including Claire Ruffin’s 

L’insomnante, José Montalvo’s 

Asa Nisi Masa, and Corpus’ Les 

moutons. May 3-6, various times. 

¥500-2,500. Tokyo Metropolitan 

Theatre. Ikebukuro. Tel: 

03-5391-2111. www.geigeki.jp 

Tokyo Dageki Dan 

Japanese taiko performing 

group’s 20th anniversary 

performance. May 9, 1pm. 

¥3,500-5,000. Setagaya Public 

Theater. Sangenjaya. 

http://j.mp/dagekidan2015 

La Traviata 

Verdi’s mid-period masterwork 

which tells the story of the pure 

love of a courtesan, Violetta, 

and her sad end, against a 

backdrop of Parisian splendor 

and sophistication. With staging 

produced by Vincent Boussard, 

who is famous for his use of 

color and sophisticated staging. 

May 10, 13, 16, 23 & 26, 2pm; 

May 19, 7pm. ¥5,400-27,000. 

New National Theatre Tokyo. 

Hatsudai. Tel: 03-5352-9999. 

http://j.mp/latraviata2015 

Exhibitions 

ENDING SOON 

Happy at Hundred 

Featuring works by German 

photographer Karsten 

Thormaehlen, of 100-year-old 

men and women. Until Apr 18, 

10am-5pm. Free. Toranomon 

Hills. Toranomon. 

Tel: 03-6406-6665. 

http://toranomonhills.com/en 

Love Birds 

An exhibition of artwork by Jad 

Fair, an artist and musician, 

featuring his new paper-cuttings 

with a motif of birds. Until 

Apr 26, 1-7pm, closed Mon & 

Tue. Free. Hiromart Gallery. 

Edogawabashi. Tel: 03-6233- 

9836. http://j.mp/lovebirds2015 

TDC Exhibition 

Ginza Graphic Gallery’s annual 

exhibition showcasing the 

results of the Tokyo TDC Awards 

held by the Tokyo Type Directors 

Club. Until Apr 28, 11am-7pm, 

closed Sun & hols. Free. Ginza 

Graphic Gallery. Ginza. 

http://j.mp/type2015 

Joel Plunkett: Afterimage 

An exploration of our 

conceptions, perceptions, 

and experiences. Until Apr 28, 

10am-7pm, closed Sat, Sun 

& hols. Free. UltraSuperNew 

Gallery. Harajuku or 

Kitasando. www.joelplunkettart. 

com 

Pictorialism: Prelude to 

Modern Photography 

An exhibition focusing on one of 

the most important movements 

in the historical development of 

modern photography. Until Apr 

30, 10am-7pm. Free. Fujifilm 

Square. Roppongi. 

Tel: 03-6271-3350. 

http://j.mp/pictorialism2015 

ONGOING 

Great Fake Exposition: 

Cultural History of Fakes 

and Imitation 

Showcasing fake and 

imitation articles, and 

the relationship between 

them and their genuine 

counterparts. Until May 6, 

9:30am-4:30pm, closed 

Mon. ¥450-830. National 

Museum of Japanese History. 

Keisei-Sakura. http://j.mp/ 

greatfakeexposition2015 

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Friday, April 24 

7pm - 1am 

Free entry 

インターナショナルパーティー・入場無料 

PINT BEERS FROM ¥500 

COCKTAILS FROM ¥700 

GLASS WINE FROM ¥550 

Celebrate Dubliners’ 

13 th Anniversary at 

DUBLINERS’ SHIBUYA 

2F, Dogenzaka Center Bldg. 

2-29-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku 

Tel: 03-5459-1736 

www.dubliners.jp 

MORE INFO: meturl.com/apr15 

JapanTravel 

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Join us in introducing Japan to the world! 

Japan Travel is seeking a talented 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

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WE BUY AND SELL 

METALS & JEWELRY! 

・Valuable used Canadian Gold Maple Leaf and 

Viennese Gold (1 toz ~ 1/10 toz) in stock! 

・Refurbished platinum and other metals, 

New jewelry and craft jewelry also available. 

・Free value appraisal. 

Metropolis readers receive a free gift 

with purchases of ¥20,000 or more 

Loja de Ouro 

金のみせ 

Ishikawacho station 

0120-5610-68 

10:00-18:30 / 

Closed Sundays and Mondays 

Since 1949 

* One month intensive 

* 2 & 3 days a week 

* Private & Corporate 

* Business Japanese 

4/2 Values 

1 toz: ¥163,300- 

Reference price of new 

items: ¥169,811 

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YUTENJI 03-3713-4958 JIYUGAOKA 03-3723-4785 

We can help you with: 

• Visa & Immigration Procedures 

• Mixed Marriage, Naturalisation 

and Refugee Status 

• Establishing a Company & 

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• Accounting Services, Acquiring 

Business Licences 

• Preparation/Translation of 

Legal & Business Documents 

• Other Legal & Business Matters 

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WADA Legal & Administrative Office 

For information: 

Tel: (03) 3345-7977 

FAX: (03) 3345-5377 

J-STAR PATENT, TRADEMARK & IMMIGRATION OFFICE 

May 2015 Membership Fee 

Hiroshi Oogai, 

Patent attorney 

Immigration lawyer 

Reasonable prices. 

Free first time consultation 

We can support you with: 

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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 

26

Gabriel Orozco: 

Inner Cycles 

Mexican artist known for 

works that manipulate existing 

objects or rules to transform 

them into something else, 

which intervene with common 

scenes to invite new thoughts. 

Until May 10, 10am-6pm, 

closed Mon. ¥600-1,100. 

Museum of Contemporary Art 

Tokyo. Kiyosumi-shirakawa. 

www.mot-art-museum.jp/eng 

Irises and Red and White 

Plum Blossoms: The Secret 

of Kōrin’s Design 

Showcasing works by 

Ogata Kōrin, a Japanese 

painter of the Rinpa school 

who developed an original and 

distinctive style characterized 

by a bold impressionism 

with an absolute disregard 

for naturalism and the usual 

conventions. Apr 18-May 

17, 10am-5pm, closed Mon. 

¥1,000-1,200. Nezu Museum. 


2536. http://j.mp/korin2015 

Kataoka Tamako 

Japanese-style painter who 

uses vivid colors, boldly 

deformed shapes, and 

paintings using powerful 

brushwork. Apr 7-May 17, 

10am-5pm, closed Mon. 

¥300-1,200 (adv)/ ¥400-1,400 

(door). The National Museum 

of Modern Art, Tokyo. 

Takebashi. Tel: 03-5777- 

8600. http://tamako2015. 

exhn.jp 

Osaka Expo ’70 Design 

Project 

Held under the theme of 

“Progress and Harmony for 

Mankind,” the 1970 Osaka 

Expo (Japan World Exposition) 

is remembered as a national 

event in Japan in the years of 

spectacular economic growth. 

This exhibition presents 

a complete picture of the 

design work for the 1970 

Expo. Until May 17, 10am-5pm 

(until 8pm on Fri). ¥130-430 

(free admission on Apr 

5 & May 3). The National 

Museum of Modern Art, 

Tokyo. Takebashi. Tel: 

03-5777-8600. http://j.mp/ 

osakaexpo2015 

Best of the Best 

The last exhibition before the 

museum closes for renovation 

on May 18, showcasing 

160 works of modern and 

contemporary Western art. 

Until May 17, 10am-6pm 

(until 8pm on Fri), closed 

Mon. ¥500-800. Bridgestone 

Museum of Art. Tokyo. Tel: 

03-5777-8600. http://meturl. 

com/bestofthebest2015 

Intimate Impressionism 

from the National Gallery 

of Art, Washington 

Works by Renoir, Manet, 

Monet, and others chosen 

by Ailsa Mellon, daughter of 

Andrew Mellon, founder of the 

National Art Gallery. Until May 

24, 10am-6pm (until 8pm on 

Fri), closed Mon. ¥1,400 (adv)/ 

¥500-1,600 (door). Mitsubishi 

Ichigokan Museum. Tokyo. 

Tel: 03-5405-8686. 

http://mimt.jp/english 

Hiroshige and Kiyochika 


Utagawa Hiroshige, known 

as the last great master of 

the ukiyo-e tradition, and 

Kobayashi Kiyochika, an 

ukiyo-e artist of the Meiji 

period in commemoration 

of the 100th year since 

his death. Until May 28, 

10:30am-5:30pm, closed 

Mon. ¥700-1,000. Ukiyo-e 

Ota Memorial Museum 

of Art. Harajuku. Tel: 

03-3403-0880. http://j.mp/ 

hiroandkiyo2015 

Measuring: This much, that 

much, how much? 

This exhibition aims to 

illustrate the types of units that 

are used to measure a variety 

of things and phenomena, 

and to give them a sense 

of familiarity that they may 

not already have. Until May 

31, 10am-8pm, closed Tue. 

¥500-1,000. 21_21 Design 

Sight. Nogizaka. Tel: 

03-3475-2121. http://j.mp/ 

measuring2015 

Louvre Museum 

With works by Vermeer, 

Rembrandt, and others. Until 

Jun 1, 10am-6pm, closed Tue. 

¥800-1,600. The National Art 

Center, Tokyo. Nogizaka. 

www.ntv.co.jp/louvre2015/ 

english 

The Beauty of Asian Art 

Showcasing prehistoric 

and ancient masterpieces 

from China, Korea, and 

Southeast Asia. Apr 11-Jun 

14, 10am-5pm, closed Mon. 

¥700-1,000. Idemitsu Museum 

of Arts. Tokyo. www. 

idemitsu.com/museum/honkan 

The Great Amazon 

Featuring over 400 exhibits 

and a 4-K theatre experience 

where you can travel to the 

Amazon through a 355-inch 

screen. Until Jun 14, 9am-5pm 

(until 8pm on Fri), closed Mon. 

¥600-1,600. National Museum 

of Nature and Science. Ueno. 

Tel: 03-3822-0111. http://j.mp/ 

thegreatamazon2015 

The Ceramic Works of 

Rouault and the Fauvists 

Introducing ceramic works 

created by some of the great 

French artists of the early 20th 

century, including Georges 

Rouault and Henri Matisse. Apr 

11-Jun 21, 10am-6pm, closed 

Wed. ¥500-1,000. Shiodome 

Museum. Shimbashi. Tel: 

03-5777-8600. http://meturl. 

com/panasonicmuseum 

The British Museum 

Exhibition: A History of the 

World in 100 Objects 

This exhibition explores 

human creativity covering two 

million years, from prehistory 

to modern times through 

100 items from the British 

Museum’s collection. Apr 

18-Jun 28, 9:30am-5:30pm 

(until 8pm on Fri), closed 

Mon. ¥800-1,300 (adv)/ 

¥1,000-1,600 (door). Tokyo 

Metropolitan Art Museum. 

Ueno. Tel: 03-3823-6921. 

http://j.mp/100objects2015 

Utrillo and Valadon 

Showcasing pieces by 

Utrillo, a French painter who 

specialized in cityscapes; and 

his mother Valadon, an artist 

whose drawings and paintings 

mostly included female nudes 

and portraits, still lifes, and 

landscapes. Apr 18-Jun 28, 


¥650-1,000 (adv)/ ¥800-1,200 

(door). Sompo Japan Museum 

of Art. Shinjuku. 

Tel: 03-5405-8686. 

www.sjnk-museum.org/en 

Sayoko Yamaguchi: The 

Wearist, Clothed in the 

Future 

This exhibition will trace the 

career of Yamaguchi, who, as 

a top model, embodied the 

mysterious beauty of the East, 

and conquered the world of 

fashion during the 1970s and 

’80s. Until Jun 28, 10am-6pm, 

closed Mon. ¥600-1,100. 

Museum of Contemporary Art 

Tokyo. Kiyosumi-shirakawa. 

www.mot-art-museum.jp/eng 

Time of Others 


18 artists of the younger 

generation in Asia/Oceania 

whose practices offer keys 

to engaging with the time 

of others. Until Jun 28, 


¥600-1,100. Museum of 

Contemporary Art Tokyo. 

Kiyosumi-shirakawa. 

http://j.mp/timeofothers2015 

Naruto Exhibition 

Experience the spectacular 

world of manga master 

Masashi Kishimoto’s iconic 

Naruto. Apr 25-Jun 28, 

10am-8pm. ¥500-1,800 

(adv)/ ¥800-2,000 (door). 

Mori Arts Center Gallery. 

Roppongi. 

http://naruto-ten.com 

Masks: Beauty of the 

Spirits 

By laying bare the true 

fascination of masks, this 

exhibition explores its true 

essence and what it means 

to us in today’s world, 

through masterpieces from 

the Musée du quai Branly 

in Paris. Apr 25-Jun 30, 

10am-6pm, closed the 

second and fourth Wed of the 

month. ¥600-1,200 (¥100 

discount to those who come 

wearing designs or patterns 

inspired by masks or faces). 

Tokyo Metropolitan Teien 

Art Museum. Meguro. Tel: 

03-3443-0201. http://j.mp/ 

masks2015 

Simple Forms: 

Contemplating Beauty 

This exhibition brings 

together around 130 

“simple forms” from around 

the world, and across 

the ages found in nature, 

primitive art, folk art, and 

traditional cultures. Apr 

25-Jul 5, 10am-10pm (until 

5pm on Tue). ¥1,500 (adv)/ 

¥600-1,800 (door). Mori Art 

Museum. Roppongi. Tel: 

03-5777-8600. http://j.mp/ 

simpleforms2015 

Tokyo Story 2015 

Showcasing works by artists 

who participated in Tokyo 

Wonder Site’s Creator in 

Residence program. Apr 

18-Jul 26, 11am-7pm. Free. 

Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo. 

Ochanomizu, Suidōbashi, 

or Hongō-sanchōme. Tel: 

03-5689-5331. http://j.mp/ 

tokyostory2015 

Fukagawa in the Snow: 

The Reappearance of an 

Utamaro Masterpiece 


Utamaro, one of the most 

highly regarded ukiyo-e 

practitioners, especially 

for his portraits of beautiful 

women, or bijin-ga. Apr 

3-Aug 31, 9am-5pm. ¥1,800- 

2,800. Okada Museum of Art. 

Kowakidani. Tel: 0460-87- 

3931. www.okada-museum. 

com/en 

UPCOMING 

What is Realist Painting? 

Exploring the diversity 

and potential of realist 

painting through 54 works 

of landscapes, figures, 

and more. May 21-Nov 15, 

10am-5:30pm, closed Tue. 

¥900-1,800. Hoki Museum. 

Toke. www.hoki-museum. 

jp/en/ 

The Maestro of 

Conception, Kenzan is 

Here 

Born in a cultivated Kyoto 

family, Kenzan was raised 

in a context of great artistic 

refinement. As a potter, he 

introduced new designs 

based on painting and 

literature to the world of 

ceramics. May 27-Jul 20, 

10am-6pm (until 8pm on Fri & 

Sat), closed Tue. ¥800-1,100 

(adv)/ ¥1,000-1,300 (door). 

Suntory Museum of Art. 

Roppongi. http://j.mp/ 

maestrokenzan2015 

Sports 

BASEBALL 

Yakult Swallows vs. DeNA 

Baystars 

Apr 17-19, 6pm. 

¥500-27,500. Meiji 

Jingu Baseball Stadium. 

Gaienmae. Tel: 03-3404- 

8999. www.yakult-swallows. 

co.jp 

Yomiuri Giants vs. 

Chunichi Dragons 

Apr 28-30, 6pm. 

¥300-12,400. Tokyo Dome. 

Suidōbashi. Tel: 03-5800- 

9999. www.giants.jp/en 

Yakult Swallows vs. Toyo 

Carp 

May 1-3, 6pm. ¥500-27,500. 

Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium. 



co.jp 

Yomiuri Giants vs. Toyo 

Carp 

May 12-14, 6pm. 

¥300-12,400. Tokyo Dome. 

Suidōbashi. Tel: 03-5800- 

9999. www.giants.jp/en 

Yakult Swallows vs. 

Hanshin Tigers 

May 12-14, 6pm. 

¥500-27,500. Meiji 

Jingu Baseball Stadium. 



co.jp 

Yomiuri Giants vs. Yakult 

Swallows 

May 15-16, 6pm; May 17, 

2pm. ¥300-12,400. Tokyo 

Dome. Suidōbashi. Tel: 

03-5800-9999. www.giants. 

jp/en 

SOCCER 

FC Tokyo vs. Sanfrecce 

Hiroshima 

Apr 18, 4pm. ¥600-6,200 

(adv)/ ¥800-6,500 (door). 

Ajinomoto Stadium. 

Tobitakyu. Tel: 042-440- 

0555. www.fctokyo.co.jp 

Yokohama FC vs. V-Varen 

Nagasaki 

Apr 19, 2pm. ¥600-4,700. 

NHK Mitsuzawa Stadium. 

Yokohama. Tel: 04-5311- 

2016. www.yokohamafc.com 

FC Tokyo vs. Sagan Tosu 

Apr 22, 7pm. ¥600-6,200. 



0555. www.fctokyo.co.jp 

Yokohama F. Marinos vs. 

Shonan Bellmare 

Apr 25, 3pm. ¥1,000-5,300. 

Nissan Stadium. Kozukue. 

Tel: 04-5477-5000. 

www.f-marinos.com/en 

Tokyo Verdy vs. 

Thespakusatsu Gunma 

Apr 26, 1pm. ¥600-14,500. 



0555. www.verdy.co.jp 

Yokohama FC vs. 

Tokushima Vortis 

Apr 26, 1pm. ¥600-4,700. 

NHK Mitsuzawa Stadium. 

Yokohama. Tel: 04-5311- 

2016. www.yokohamafc.com 

Tokyo Verdy vs. 

Yokohama FC 

Apr 29, 1pm. ¥600-14,500. 



0555. www.verdy.co.jp/ 

index.html 

Yokohama F. Marinos vs. 

Sanfrecce Hiroshima 

Apr 29, 7pm. ¥1,000-5,300. 

Nissan Stadium. Kozukue. 

Tel: 04-5477-5000. 

www.f-marinos.com/en 

Festivals 

TRADITIONAL 

Mt. Takao Annual Spring 

Festival 

Special display of an image 

of Buddha, a goma fire 

ritual, and costumed kiddies. 

Apr 19, 11am. Takao-san 

Yakuo-in. Takaosanguchi. 

www.takaosan.or.jp/english/ 

index.html 

Meiji Shrine Spring Grand 

Festival 

Bugaku, Noh, and other 

traditional performances. 

Apr 29-May 3, various 

times. Meiji Jingu Shrine. 

Harajuku. www.meijijingu. 

or.jp/english/index.html 

Kurayami Matsuri 

(Darkness Festival) 

Mikoshi are paraded in 

darkness, while gardeners 

have booths to sell their 

wares. Apr 30-May 6, various 

times. Okunitama Shrine. 

Fuchu-Honmachi. Tel: 

042-362-2130. http://meturl. 

com/matsurikurayami 

INTERNATIONAL 

Cherry Blossom Fair at 

Tokyo International 

School 

International food, games, 

prizes, arts and crafts, and 

more. Apr 18, 11am-3pm. 

Free. Tokyo International 

School. Mita or Tamachi. 

Tel: 03-5484-1160. 

www.tokyois.com 

Greenroom Festival ’15 

Art and music festival with 

a focus on ocean and beach 

preservation with artists The 

Wailers, Lotus, Mama’s Gun, 

The Growlers, and more. May 

23-24. ¥9,800 (one day)/ 

¥17,000 (2 days). Yokohama 

Red Brick Warehouse. 

Minatomirai. Tel: 045-211- 

1515. http://greenroom.jp/ 

english 

Forums & 

Expos 

Pet Expo 

An event for pet lovers and 

pets with activities, such as 

a sports day event for dogs 

and a cat show. May 3-5, 

10am-5pm. ¥600-1,000 

(adv)/ ¥800-1,300 (door). 

Makuhari Messe. Kaihin- 

Makuhari. www.pethaku.com 

Interpets 

An event for pet owners and 

lovers, Interpets is the largest 

trade fair in the Japanese pet 

market. Apr 3-5, 10am-5pm. 

¥1,500. Tokyo Big Sight. 

Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimon. 

Tel: 03-5530-1111. 

www.interpets.jp/2015/en 

Plarail Expo 

An event where children and 

parents can enjoy Plarail (a 

toy train and plastic track 

system made by Tomy) 

products together. Apr 

29-May 6, 10am-4:30pm. 

¥700-900 (adv)/ ¥800-1,000 

(door). Makuhari Messe. 

Kaihin-Makuhari. 

www.m-messe.co.jp/en/ 

Comedy 

New Material Night 

Standup, improv, and trying 

out new stuff. Apr 21, 8-10pm. 

Free. Double Tall Cafe. 

Shibuya. Tel: 03-5467- 

4567. http://tokyocomedy. 

com/new_material_night 

Community 

Charity Run & Walk: DAN 

DAN RUN 2015 

Charity run/walk to help 

refugees who have fled to 

Japan. May 17, 9am-1pm. 

¥4,000 (10-km run)/¥3,000 

(5-km run)/¥3,000 (3-km 

walk); discounts for children/ 

groups. Hibiya Park. Hibiya. 

Tel: 03-3501-6428. 

http://meturl.com/dandanrun 

Half-Fast Cyclists 

Bicyclists of all treads meet 

for slideshows, lectures, 

ride-planning, etc. Every 

second Wed, 7pm. Free. The 

Pink Cow. Roppongi. 

Tel: 03-6434-5773. 

www.thepinkcow.com 

Stitch-n-Bitch 

Meet fellow knitters, 

crocheters and sewers to talk, 

share ideas, eat, drink and 

create. Every first and third 

Tue, 7pm. Free. Cafe Respekt. 

Shibuya. www.meetup. 

com/TokyoStitchandBitch 

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art 

School 

Burlesque models pose for 

artstars and sketching newbies 

alike with arty socializing. 

Every third Wed, 7-10pm. 

¥2,000 w/ 1d. Studio and 

Space IVVA. Meiji-Jingūmae 

or Harajuku. www.facebook. 

com/Dr.Sketchy.Tokyo 

Learning 

Champagne & Sake 

Seminar 

Learn about Champagne and 

sake, and enjoy a French-style 

dinner. Apr 25, 7-10:30pm. 

¥14,980 +tax (adv). Stellato. 

Shirokanedai. Tel: 03-3442- 

5588. http://meturl.com/ 

monthlywine 

Other Events 

Midtown Blossom 2015 

Celebrate Spring in Tokyo 

Midtown with Martini Blossom 

Lounge (12-8pm) and enjoy 

the lighting up of the Sakura 

trees (5-11pm). Until Apr 19, 

12-11pm. Various prices. Tokyo 

Midtown. Roppongi. 

Tel: 03-3475-3100. 

www.tokyo-midtown.com/en 

Manpaku 

Food festival with local food, 

world food, desserts, and 

more. May 14-Jun 1, 10:30am- 

9pm. ¥400-700 (adv)/ ¥500- 

800 (door). Showa Kinen Park. 

Tachikawa. 

Tel: 042-528-1751. 

http://manpaku.jp 

Writers’ Bloc, Tokyo: 

Evening Musings 

A celebration of the spoken 

word. Apr 25, 7:30-9:30pm. 

Free. Loco Popo. Yotsuya. 

www.facebook.com/ 

writersbloctokyo 

MORE LISTINGS 

ONLINE → HTTP:// 

METURL.COM/ 

LISTINGS 

27

1 AT YOUR SERVICE 

1.1 HEALTH 

GENERAL DENTISTRY. 

American dental school 

graduate, 20 years’ 

experience in hospital 

dentistry, over 2000 

dental implants, native 

English speaker; 3min 

from JR Harajuku Stn, 

parking available. Will 

fill out insurance forms. 

info@trustdental.jp 

www.trustdental.jp/english 

03-3402-1501 

I N N E R 

BALANCE. 

Traditional 

oriental 

treatment of 

acupuncture 

and moxibustion. 

Also body 

massage 

and reflexology. Mobile 

service to your home or 

office. Email Takahito at 

innerbalance123@gmail.com 

or see http://tmasuda.wix. 

com/inner-balance. 

ENGLISH-SPEAKING ADA- 

CERTIFIED DENTAL CLINIC 

in Toranomon Hills offers a 

wide range of preventive, 

corrective and cosmetic 

dentistry. Superior service 

focused on customer 

satisfaction and convenience. 

Open until 10pm. Modern 

dentistry at its best. www. 

rmdcc.com/english/ 

0120-648-071 

COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH 

COVERAGE FOR EXPATS, 

DIPLOMATS, TEACHERS. 

Inpatient and outpatient care, 

emergencies, surgery, meds, 

checkups, dental, lab tests, 

MRI and more. Thirty-day 

money-back guarantee. Quick, 

easy application; convenient 

payment options. Enroll today! 

info@earthhealthcare.jp 

www.earthhealthcare.jp 

078-351-7300 

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@metropolisjapan. 

com. 

SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY 

(physical therapy) care in Hiroo. 

Native English-speaking 

therapists specializing 

in sports injuries, 

post-operative rehabilitation, 

back/neck pain, running 

related, headaches, orthotics, 

ergonomic consultations 

and women’s health. 

www.tokyophysio.com 

03-3443-6769 

T H I N K I N G A B O U T 

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, 

email us at commercial@ 

metropolisjapan.com. 

1.2 HAIR & BEAUTY 

CURLY HAIR SPECIALIST IN 

TOKYO. English-speaking 

Kiyoko, highly experienced 

in NY’s curly hair salons, 

takes care of curly hair at 

her salon, Nepenji, in Ebisu. 

Reservations: 03-3793- 

2357 or info@nepenji.net 

http://english.nepenji.net/ 

index_en.html 

MEN’S BARBERSHOP IN 

ROPPONGI WELCOMES 

FOREIGNERS. Englishspeaking 

assistant will get 

your haircut right. Haircuts 

¥4800. With shave ¥5800. 

Kids’ haircuts ¥4000-¥4400. 

First-time discount ¥1000. 

http://oazo.biz/top 03-5545- 

7797 oazo7797@yahoo.co.jp 

1.7 BUSINESS SERVICES 

IMMIGRATION LAWYER AT 

NIPPASHI OFFICE supports visa 

and naturalization applications, 

company establishment and 

branch office installation, 

including commercial 

registration, as well as 

inheritance procedures in Japan. 

Metropolis and its 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, MAY 1 ISSUE 

Deadline: Apr 23, 3pm 

FRI, MAY 15 ISSUE 

Deadline: Apr 30, 3pm 

Free consultation available in 

English, Español and Japanese. 

Tel: 03-6264-8446 

n p @ n i p p a s h i . c o m 

http://nippashi.com 

IMMIGRATION SERVICES 

IN ENGLISH. Yokoyama 

Administrative and Legal 

Office will support all your 

visa needs: extension, 

status change, permanent 

residence, naturalization. 

Free consultation in 

Kinshicho available by 

reservation. Contact us at 

03-5626-4139 or yokoyamaoffice@r8.ucom.ne.jp. 

http://meturl.com/yokoyama 

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 

2 FIND A PLACE 

2.1 GUESTHOUSE 

CREA-UN UENO. Furnished 

private rooms, w/digital 

locks, near Asakusa, Ueno, 

Skytree. Safe area, femaleonly, 

rooftop garden w/ 

nice view, BBQ space, free 

bicycle. From ¥56,000/m. 

Utilities included. No key 

money/guarantor. crea-un. 

sakura@ko-bo.com http:// 

www.sakura-ko-bo.com 

03-6912-0692 

2.2 RENT UNDER ¥200,000 

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 

RENTAL APARTMENTS, 

HOUSES, CONDOS AND 

STUDIOS in Yokohama, 

Kawasaki, Tokyo, and near 

US military bases. Englishspeaking 

staff will guide you 

through the renting process. 

For a stress-free search, contact 

Rent Life. 045-470-3214 www. 

rent-yokohama.com/english 

e-yokohama@r-life.co.jp 

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 

0 3 - 3 4 4 6 - 8 6 1 0 

2.4 HOUSE SHARE 

ROOM IN APARTMENT IN 

YAMATO. Seeking someone, 

preferably female, to share 

apartment in Yamato-shi, 

Kanagawa-ken, on Sotetsu/ 

Odakyu Line ¥35,000/m. fikori@ 

yahoo.com 

2.6 BUY/SELL PREMISES 

HOUSE FOR SALE IN USAMI, 2LK, 

two toilets, wood stove, large 

sundeck, lockup garage, two 

floors (35sqm each), freehold land, 

overlooking Usami Bay surf beach 

¥4.5 million. Negotiable. Private 

sale by owner. fletcher@snow.ocn. 

ne.jp 090-9819-1558 

3 EDUCATION 

3.2 JAPANESE TEACHERS 

TO UNDERSTAND NATURAL 

JAPANESE CONVERSATION. Free 

podcast for listening practice. 

Still don't understand what 

native Japanese speakers are 

saying? Check the free Japanese 

podcast to enhance your listening 

comprehension! www.facebook. 

com/JapaneseListeningAdvanced 

torachan786@gmail.com 

3.5 LANGUAGE EXCHANGE 

English and Japanese. Open-minded 

Japanese female, 23-40, sought for 

language exchange and socializing. 

Serious only. Call Bobby at 090-5589- 

6864 or 080-8118-4073 or email 

mybaby-precious@docomo.ne.jp. 

English and Japanese. Arrgh! It's hard 

to learn J. Every day I study—it makes 

my head spin! London guy wants to meet 

someone for drinks after work/study 

where we can mix J and E. Basic E ok. 

whatmakes.udance@gmail.com 

English and Japanese. Hi, my name 

is Hiroki. I'm 27, Japanese. I'd like to 

learn E because I'm going to work in San 

Francisco this summer. In exchange, I can 

teach you J. Let's exchange languages! 

hirokim02@gmail.com 

English and Japanese. Japanese, 22, 

seeking someone who wants to learn J 

and teach me E. I'm not a professional 

teacher. Prefer meeting at a cafe or 

anywhere for conversation. How about 

Shibuya? sayaka_htky_1@yahoo.co.jp 

English and Japanese. Hello. I'm a 

Japanese female seeking a language 

exchange partner. We can meet up 

around the Tokyo area and talk using 

both languages. Feel free to contact me. 

psyduck054@aol.jp 

English and Japanese. Hello! I am a 

nonsmoking Japanese female. I was 

in Canada for two years, however my 

English is not great and I keep forgetting 

it. I'd prefer a female partner because 

I'm shy. Thanks! maplebees@gmail.com 

English and Japanese. Hi, I'm Eri. I'm 

a native Japanese speaker. I was born in 

Tokyo and grew up there, too. I'm 26. I'm 

a sales assistant at a printing company. 

ex-jmw0-27@ezweb.ne.jp 

English and Japanese. I'm Shuto, 24, 

seeking someone who wants to learn J. I 

want to learn to speak E. I manage a store. 

Please mail me if you'd like to learn J. 

shu-to.0529@i.softbank.jp 

English and Japanese. Hi! I'm a 

Japanese living in Tokyo. I'm seeking 

a language exchange partner who can 

teach E. In exchange, I'll teach you J. I'm 

outgoing, and have lots of hobbies (like 

music, travel, movies, etc.). Let's learn 

and have fun! hirokim02@gmail.com 

English and Japanese. Seeking a 

serious language exchange partner, no 

romance. I'm a JF, 30. I'd like to meet 

weekdays after work. If you're interested 

in a serious exchange, let's give it a try. 

kotetsukunwanko@excite.co.jp 

English and Japanese. JF seeks an 

exchange partner in the daytime on 

weekdays at Kawasaki Stn. tome.harukasoushi@ezweb.ne.jp 

French and Japanese. Frenchman, 31, 

living in Yokohama, working in Tokyo. I 

would like to improve my Japanese and 

can help you with your French in return. 

Mostly available on weekdays after 

work. See you soon. joji.kikukawa.jp@ 

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 

Mandarin and English. British expat 

living in Tokyo. I want to speak some basic 

Mand. I know nothing, so I need someone 

who can speak E and teach me the basics. 


日本語と英語。僕はイギリス人 . 

毎日日本語を勉強してる. でも 

言語交換にいつも失敗しちゃう. 

juicysummer@gmail.com 

3.6 LEARNING: GENERAL 

IKEBANA (JAPANESE 

TRADITIONAL FLORAL 

ARRANGEMENT) is a powerful 

means of self-expression. 

Trial lesson, including all 

materials ¥4000. No Japanese 

necessary. Certification, 

diploma can be earned. Three 

classroom locations in Tokyo. 

Website: www.atelier-soka. 

com/english/index.html 

Email: smile@mika-otani.com 

3.9 TEACH ME! 

TRANSLATION FOR ENGLISH 

LESSONS. Working towards 

becoming an English-to-Japanese 

translator, but need help polishing 

my English. Can translate simple 

documents in exchange for 

English lessons. michiane256@ 

gmail.com 

Teach me English in exchange for 

karate. Do you want to learn real karate? 

I can teach you one of the major styles 

of traditional Japanese karate. We 

can exchange for your English lesson. 

gnbkaijpn@gmail.com 

4 HOUSEHOLD GOODS 

4.1 FURNITURE & FITTINGS 

Cabinet, teak, large, for TVs, in very good 

condition ¥29,000. Firm. Minato-ku. 

mmcaproni2010@yahoo.co.jp 

Sofa, Italian, sits three, black leather, 

uniquely crafted bowed sides ¥50,000. 

W/delivery within Tokyo ¥60,000. Okubo. 

sebre@mac.com 

Stand, teak, for TV or books 

(L125xW41.5xH75cm) ¥5500. paola@ 

yogasan.net 03-6751-1664 

4.2 APPLIANCES 

Heater, Koizumi KCH-0840/P, almost 

new, in very good condition. Cash 

only. Pick up Aoyama-Itchome. Photos 

available. p.wisetwongsa@hotmail.de 

080-4863-0505 

Laminator, w/pouch film ¥4000. 

tsuneokobayashi@hotmail.com 

4.3 SAYONARA SALE 

Sayonara sale! Plant pots, air 

humidifier, photo frame, Japanese study 

books. Cheap. Details available. yannu@ 

hotmail.com 

Sayonara sale! Dance Dance Revolution 

kit, w/DVD ¥1000. iPad Air 16GB, Wi-Fi, 

silver, hardly used ¥35,000. Firm. 

moonquake07@yahoo.co.jp 

4.6 FOR KIDS 

Karate gi and belt, for kids 3-12 

years old ¥300+. gnbkaijpn@gmail. 

com 

Potty-training seat, green, frogshaped, 

cushioned, w/handles, 

never used ¥2000. Wooden walker 

(H51xW35.5xD34.5cm), w/various 

toys attached ¥5000. Pick up Keio/JR 

Hashimoto Stn or nearby. chinami35@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

Windbreaker, Puma, size 130cm, 

black, in good condition ¥1000. 

Gloves, cap and muffler. Cheap. Pick 

up or chakubarai. Photos available. 

housetsu@gmail.com 

4.7 FOR FREE 

Fridge, National NR-B171J-R 

(480x584x1293mm); table, easy to 

assemble. Near Nezu Stn, Chiyoda 

Line. msa.japan@hotmail.com 

090-9109-5326 

Washer, LG, drum-style, old but still does 

the job, hot water function does not work. 

Pick up only Sangenjaya. japanjohan@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

5 HOBBIES&INTERESTS 

5.4 BOOKS/CD/DVD 

Cookbook, Nigel Slater's "The 30-Minute 

Cook," UK version, paperback, brandnew 

¥3000. Pick up Hashimoto Stn. 

chinami35@yahoo.co.jp 

Movies, Italian, 50 available, w/ 

Japanese subtitles ¥20,000/all. Not 

for sale individually. tocco_di_classe@ 

hotmail.com 

28

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

6 VEHICLES 

6.1 CARS, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES 

Benz C180 Wagon Kompressor, '05, 

Avantgarde limited edition, black, ETC, 

leather seats, Exon lights, aluminum 

wheel, 120,000km, shaken until May '16, 

all taxes paid ¥500,000. Firm. No dealers 

or auction sites. alinjap@yahoo.com 

6.3 BICYCLES, PARTS, & ACCESSORIES 

Bikes, two available, in good condition: 

mountain bike ¥8000. Marukin shopping 

bike ¥4000. ¥10,000/both. spa179@ 

hotmail.com 090-3804-4043 

Electric bike, bought July '14 in 

Akihabara, almost as new, w/receipt, 

manual and charger ¥50,000. msa. 

japan@hotmail.com 09091095326 

Mamachari, three-speed, durable, two 

y/o, in excellent condition ¥8000. Can 

deliver up to four stations from Ueno. 

msa.japan@hotmail.com 09091095326 

Trailer, Adventure A1, for up to two 

children, seat folds for transporting 

cargo, max load 36kg, folds flat with 

quick-release wheels, 10.8kg, as new, 

hardly used ¥20,000. Can ship. morrison_ 

brian@yahoo.com 080-3474-0313 

7 GENERAL 

7.1 PHONES 

Mobile phone, prepaid ¥3500. 

gnbkaijpn@gmail.com 

7.2 FASHION 

Clothes, men's: brown coat ¥1000. 

Long-sleeved, LL Bean, size L, gray ¥300. 

Raincoat, Cecilene, size M, ivory ¥600. 

Pick up or chakubarai. Photo available. 

housetsu@gmail.com 

Sneakers. Geox fashion sneakers, size 

US 11/EU 44, new, unopened. New $150. 

Make an offer in yen. hrmanu@gmail.com 

7.3 MISCELLANEOUS 

File folders, B1, three available ¥750/ 

all. Pick up or chakubarai. Photo 

available. housetsu@gmail.com 

Sink unit, Noritz, new, hardly used 

¥30,000. successinjapan@gmail.com 

090-7704-8687 

7.4 ITEMS WANTED 

Benz C class wagon, '08-'10 model, 

black or white. No dealers or auction 

guys. alinjap@yahoo.com 

8 COMPUTERS 

8.2 HARDWARE 

Monitor, widescreen ¥2000. gnbkaijpn@ 

gmail.com 

10 HELP! 

10.1 HELP ME 

FREE ENGLISH-TO-JAPANESE 

TRANSLATION. Working 

towards becoming a translator 

and need practice with simple 

documents. Have experience 

working in law office, 

accounting, HR, advertising and 

sales. michiane256@gmail.com 

Climate expert needed. Need a 

guest speaker to appear on a YouTube 

streaming show. assassin.wolves.films@ 

gmail.com 

MiniDV HDV tape reader. Does anyone 

have a camera or deck with which I could 

read and capture MiniDV HDV tapes? 

assassin.wolves.films@gmail.com 

Professional oil massage wanted. 

Seeking a professional or student 

masseur. Can pay ¥7000/90min or 

exchange English or Italian. Serious 

only. No shiatsu—only aroma oil 

massage. Thanks. alinjap@yahoo. 

com 

Sponsorship. Ten years’ experience 

in cafe/bar work, including working at 

international hotels. I’d like to open 

a cafe/bar, but need sponsorship. 

Individuals and companies are welcome. 

Please, if interested, let us come to an 

agreement. samueladonkor@gmail. 

com 090-6152-6274 

10.2 SUPPORT 

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 

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 

HIV Peer Support group a n d 

workshops. Get together with people in 

the same boat as you, who understand. 

Held in a safe, considerate, 100% 

confidential setting to discuss what’s 

on your mind, ask questions and make 

new friends. info@peersupporttokyo. 

com www.peersupporttokyo.com 

Infertility support group. TTC Tokyo 

is an infertility support group that 

provides informal opportunities for 

women and men experiencing infertility 

to connect with one another. Please visit 

website for more info. admin@ttctokyo. 

org www.ttctokyo.org 

10.3 LOST FRIENDS 

Seeking Mindy. Is Mindy Mack, a 

petite blonde teaching assistant from 

LA, still in Tokyo? Any info appreciated. 

m106819151-tsky@yahoo.com 

11 MESSAGES 

11.1 PERSONAL MESSAGES 

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:// 

metropolisjapan.com/ 

subscription. 

WRITE A MESSAGE FOR 

YOUR SPECIAL SOMEONE! 

Write anything, from birthday 

messages to proposals. http:// 

classifieds.metropolis.co.jp. 

11.2 CUPID'S MESSAGES 

HAPPY 38TH BIRTHDAY, YOTCH! 

Thank you for always being with me. 

Since you became my husband, my 

life has gotten so much easier and 

happier. I hope you stay healthy 

and that I die before you do. 

With love, Akane 

12 SOCIAL SCENE 

12.1 LET’S PARTY 

J APAN INTERNATIONAL 

PARTY - SPRING FESTIVAL. 

Sat, Apr 25, 6:30-9pm, Bar 

Quest (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 

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 

INTERNATIONAL PARTY 

AT LEAFCUP. Come join 

us and have fun. Men: 

¥3000. Foreigners/women: 

¥2000. All-you-can-drinkand-eat. 

Iidabashi and 

Yokohama: Apr 18 and May 2. 

Shibuya: Apr 25 and May 9. 

www.leafparty.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 

Sat/Sun from 10am-3pm (including 

meeting) in Tokyo/Saitama (time 

and 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 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 

All-level tennis group in Tokyo. 

Serious and motivated tennis players 

sought by active tennis group to join 

their weekly sessions in central Tokyo. 

We have advanced and intermediate 

groups on weekday evenings. Beginner 

and low-intermediate also welcome. 

No entrance or membership fees. 

Reasonable participation fees. tokyo. 

tennis@yahoo.fr 

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 www. 

geocities.jp/mune_albat/page4.html 

Baseball player. Japan Amateur 

Baseball team is seeking players for 

baseball games and practices. We play 

every Sat and Sun in Yokohama City. 

Everyone welcome. Email for details. 

starbay5555@yahoo.co.jp 

Don’s Half-Fast Flash-Mob Weekend 

Urban Bicycle Rides. halffastcycling@ 

hotmail.com 

Football/soccer players. Tokyo 

Redstar, Setagaya League 1, is seeking 

soccer players. Practice almost every 

Sat/Sun in Tokyo. Players in a spirit of 

fair play welcome. saito987@hotmail. 

com http://tokyoredstar.com 

Futsal in Tokorozawa. Sun night 

futsal? Mostly 30-45 year olds, every 

Sun evening, non-league, but mildly 

competitive. Come and play for exercise 

and fun! Any age and nationality ok. 

futsalintokorozawa@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 

Futsal team. Intermediate futsal team 

in Tokyo seeking people who can enjoy 

the game with others. Please introduce 

yourself (age, nationality, where you 

live, whether you belong to another 

team). umek2002jp@yahoo.co.jp 

Gaelic football in Japan. Japan Gaelic 

Athletic Association is always seeking 

new members, M/F ok. No experience 

necessary. Great way to meet new 

people and get fit at the same time. 

japangaa@gmail.com www.facebook. 

com/japangaa 

Quality football. Interested in playing 

football at the weekend and training 

midweek? Want to enjoy a few beers 

after a good run out? If you consider 

yourself a quality player, please drop 

us a note. bfcvagabonds@gmail.com 

Samurai and ninjutsu martial arts. 

Free training group for samurai and 

ninjutsu fighting arts. Vigorous, but safe 

and intelligent, one-on-one, or small 

group training depending on the day. 

Spiritual refinement is a key element. 

rootarty@gmail.com 

Seeking Japanese archery 

companions. Let’s do kyudo near 

Tokyo. Once/month for three hours, 

weekends only. See website for details. 

datemasamune216@yahoo.co.jp http:// 

jmty.jp/tokyo/com-spo/article-qa3g 

Table tennis in Minato-ku. Hi, 

our international team is seeking 

experienced players. You need to be 

living or working in Minato-ku and 

commit to play ten times/year on 

Sundays (all day). No beginners, please. 

fgrideau@gmail.com 

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 

Volleyball Club Intervoll. Japanese 

and foreign volleyball players gather 

in Takadanobaba to enjoy playing. 

Have volleyball experience and want 

to play in a friendly atmosphere? 

intervollclub@yahoo.co.jp http:// 

intervoll.sakura.ne.jp/ 

Women’s soccer club. Five-a-side, 

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 

WEEKEND AWAY? Inn By The Sea 

Kamakura, a 4min walk from 

Hase Stn, offers child-friendly 

accommodation near the 

Daibutsu, Hase Temple, 

Yuigahama Beach and many 

other Kamakura landmarks. 

Find us on Facebook at 

InnByTheSeaKamakura. 

innbytheseakamakura.com 

innbythesea@yahoo.com 

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 

Tokyo ET contact group. Join us 

beneath the stars as we endeavor 

to make contact with ET visitors and 

their craft. Our next ET contact event 

will be on Apr 18/19 on Mount Mitake, 

Tokyo. nakanosky@gmail.com www. 

meetup.com/Tokyo-ET-Contact-Group/ 

events/193113322/ 

Japanese home cooking. Japanese 

housewife offers free home cooking 

lessons to females at her house near 

Kawasaki Stn on weekdays during 

the day. Free, but you pay the cost of 

ingredients. tome.haruka-soushi@ 

ezweb.ne.jp 

Tabletop roleplaying games. I'm 

looking to form a group of Englishspeaking 

tabletop roleplaying 

gamers to meet on Sun or every 

other Sun in Tokyo. No experience 

necessary. Contact me if interested. 

super64advance@yahoo.com 

Tokyo Extreme Weekenders. For 

those who like to escape into nature 

to enjoy four seasons of adventure and 

activities with like-minded people, our 

purpose is to have fun and fulfilling 

weekends. Subscribe to mailing list 

for latest details. tokyoweekenders@ 

gmail.com http://tokyoweekenders. 

jimdo.com 

13.3 ARTS 

Love Shakespeare? Amateur group in 

Tokyo, meeting once/month to celebrate 

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

to listen. All nationalities welcome, no 

experience necessary! rchrd_schwartz@ 

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

group/Shakespeare-sama 

13.4 MUSIC 

A capella/singers. I want to meet 

people who sing well, can harmonize, 

are interested in a capella, and can meet 

once/month in Tokyo. Doo wop, Nylons. 

I'm a baritone-tenor, but can sing bass 

vox-perc, too! alansmollen@gmail.com 

Bassist wanted around Yokohama. 

We mainly play rock music and have 

rehearsals in Shin-Yokohama. Any kind of 

player is welcome, so feel free to contact 

us. m_a_b1998@yahoo.co.jp 

Female singer wanted. I'm a drummer 

and I can write songs on the piano. I want 

to make a friend and I want a great singer! 

If you think you are a good singer, please 

email me. kosuke1016@hotmail.com 

Seeking a capella singer and 

voice percussionist. We're 

two a capella singers, with 

great singing experience, 

living in Tokyo, seeking alto, 

tenor and voice percussionist. 

Rehearsals in Shinjuku and 

Shibuya. We'll start with 

Pentatonix songs. konpeiioi@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

Singer sought to make a new duo. 

Japanese male guitarist in the Tokyo 

area. Let's play and make music together! 

Beginners welcome. I like pop/rock. riku_ 

hiroxx@hotmail.com 

13.5 MIND, BODY, SPIRIT 

Diamond Way Buddhism Tokyo. Do 

you want to explore your own mind? 

Guided Buddhist meditation every Sun, 

6pm, near Azabu-Juban. International 

practitioners, beginners welcome, 

Japanese spoken. Please call 090-3598- 

3072 for more info. daginia@gmail.com 

www.diamondway.jp 

Evening Buddhism study circle. 

Theories of the Lotus Sutra and practical 

application to life led by Dominick 

Scarangello, PhD, at Ikuseikan, 3min 

from Tokyo Metro Nakano-Fujimicho Stn. 

1-15-1 Wada, Suginami-ku, Tokyo. Free. 

ibc-information@memoad.jp http:// 

www.ibc-buddhism.info/Dominick.html 

03-5341-1230 

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 www.tokyotraders.com 

13.9 INTERNATIONAL 

Intercultural activities. JII (Japan 

Intercultural Iwnstitute) 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 

29

Many more classified ads online! Visit classifieds.metropolis.co.jp 

J O B S 

To advertise: 

commercial@metropolisjapan.com 

03-4588-2277 

The most exciting tailor in Tokyo 

- We offer classic and avant-garde garments, shoes and accessories 

- We speak English, German and Japanese 

- Designer who studied at GIEVES & HAWKES is of your assistance 

- We accept credit cards and ship overseas. No reservation required 

- Suits from ¥80,000, shirts from ¥8,900, plus tax 

Central Aoyama 1F, 4-1-3 Minami-aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062 

Mon, Tue, Fri 12:00-20:00/Sat, Sun 11:00-20:00/Wed, Thu Closed 

Tel: 03-6438-9563 Email: info@loudgarden.com 

www.loudgarden.com | www.facebook.com/loudgarden.tokyo 

CHAT HOSTS AND TEACHERS WANTED 

BY LEAFCUP in Tokyo, Iidabashi, 

Shibuya, Yokohama. Seeking 

enthusiastic, proficient English, 

French, Spanish and/or German 

speakers who can teach and lead 

lively conversations. ¥1000-¥1500/h. 

Apply online: hr@leafcup.com 

www.leafcup.com/job.php 

JOIN US IN INTRODUCING JAPAN TO 

THE WORLD. Seeking energetic, 

bilingual individuals with a passion 

for travel and interest in tourism. 

We offer excellent career paths and 

promotion prospects and are an 

equal-opportunity employer. Our 

workplace is conveniently located 

2min from Roppongi Stn. Positions 

available include account manager, 

designer, developer, project 

manager. Visit our jobs page for 

details. To apply, please send your 

resume to info@japantravel.com. 

http://en.japantravel.com/jobs 

JAPANTRAVEL INTERNSHIP. 

JapanTravel.com is seeking 

E/J bilingual interns to join the 

largest tourism website in Japan. 

Multiple opportunities in content, 

sales/marketing and web/design. 

Work in an exciting, global 

environment in Roppongi. 

Transportation and business expenses 

provided. No salary, minimum three 

months, chance for full-time position. 

Please send your resume (E/J) to 

info@japantravel.com. 

WANT TO HELP CREATE METROPOLIS? 

We’re seeking social media, web, and 

editorial interns. Great opportunity 

to gain experience in a multimedia 

company! To apply, send intro 

letter, CV and relevant clips to 

editor@metropolisjapan.com. 

STAY IN JAPAN WITH HIGH EARNING 

POTENTIAL AND VISA. We are seeking 

highly driven individuals who want 

to sell vehicles to Americans on 

US Military bases in Japan. Must 

be a US citizen. Visa provided, 

plus health insurance and training. 

First year income guarantee: 

$2700/m. Annual potential: 

$100,000. jklose@militarycars. 

com www.militaryautosource.com 

82-10-5398-4267 

ZEROTTA ADVANCE NEEDS 

IT ENGINEER IN TSUKIJI. 

ゼロッタアドバンス株式会社概要 :IT 業界のベンチ 

ャー企業、コンサル・設計・構築・運用までを一貫 

して対応募集職種 : 技術系仕事内容 :ユーザサ 

ポート( 英語 ) 応募資格 : 日英バイリンガル・基本 

的なWinPC/サーバスキル勤務地 : 築地勤務時 

間 : 裁量労働制標準労働時間 :8 時間 00 分 / 日 

給与 : 月給 25 ~60 万円 ( 歩合制、賞与 2 回 / 年 (2ヵ 

月分 )インセンティブあり) 手当て: 社会保険制 

度、交通費支給あり連絡先 :soumu@zerotta. 

co.jp 

WINE SALESPERSON sought to call on 

hotels, restaurants and bars to offer 

our high-quality wines at incredible 

prices. Candidates should be 

confident, J/E bilingual, passionate 

about wine, love fine dining and travel, 

have experience in sales, wine or both. 

Full-time (Mon-Fri, 10:30am-7:30pm). 

Position available immediately. Please 

send cover letter and resume to 

winejob@metropolisjapan.com. 

メトロポリスはバイリンガル( 日英 )の営業スタッフ 

を募集しています。是非、私達の広告マーケティン 

グチームに加わりませんか! 応募条件 : 責任感を 

もって勤勉に取り組める方、協調性があり、意欲を 

持って主体的に働ける方を募集しています。営業経 

験のある方は歓迎します。フルタイム (Mon-Fri, 

9:30am-6:30pm) で働ける方に限りま 

す。jobs@metropolisjapan.com 

Nihongo 倶楽部いんたぁなしょなる. 

Nihongo Club International is a volunteer 

group to help foreign people learn 

Japanese at the Tokyo Volunteer Action 

Center in Iidabashi. Every Thu, 7-9pm. 

nci_tokyo@yahoo.co.jp 

14 PERSONALS 

14.1 FRIENDS 

American couple seeking Japanese 

couple for fun times! Inquisitive American 

couple, mid-30s, seeking Japanese 

couple for friendship and exploring 

Tokyo. Please be fit, fun and willing to 

try new things! 日本語 ok! cook_on_ 

wheels@yahoo.com 

Interested in Britain? Professional British 

guy working near Marunouchi is seeking 

interesting people to hang out with after 

work for drinks. Any nationality ok. Prefer 

someone with an interest in the UK. I'm late 

30s, speak some Japanese and Korean. 

englishmobile@outlook.com 

JF seeking female friends. I'm 

30, seeking female friends who 

can hang out for dining, drinking or 

something else. Any nationality is fine. 

kotetsukunwanko@excite.co.jp 

JF seeking new friends for drinks after 

work, cafes, movies or something like 

that. Not seeking romance or one-night 

stand. Only serious and nice people, 

please. shooting20star@hotmail.com 

Kichijoji. British guy living in Kichijoji. 

I am seeking some people also living in 

Kichijoji to hang out, have drinks, etc. All 

my friends are in central and it would be 

cool to know someone more local. Any 

nationality. onzeetop@gmail.com 

Not Japanese? UK chap, internationally 

traveled, working near the Imperial 

Palace, seeking international people 

for drinks and chats after work. Any non- 

Japanese nationality ok. Tell me your 

story in a few lines when you contact me. 

greenteais.yummy@gmail.com 

Seeking friends in central Tokyo. JF, 

early 30s, seeks friends to hang out with 

in central Tokyo. atkm92@yahoo.co.jp 

Sunday friends. Western guy, enjoys 

hiking, relaxing at beach, kayaking, 

seeking friends with free Sun to enjoy 

places like Izu, the lakes, shrines, onsen, 

picnics. かんたんなにほんごだい 

じょぶ。Say hello. scorpiosrealm@ 

hotmail.co.uk 

30

Tokyo Stn. Male, English, living and 

working in Tokyo, seeking easygoing 

people for drinks, chats after work 

around Tokyo Stn, Shimbashi, etc. This is 

not for language exchange. Please tell me 

about yourself when you reply. m3_3m@ 

outlook.com 

14.2 MEN LOOKING FOR WOMEN 

SEEKING A SUGAR DADDY? 

Safely meet rich and elite 

men while having fun and 

making money. We are a 

members-only dating club 

with strict rules. Foreign and 

Japanese executives, lawyers, 

celebrities. Not an escort 

club. No charge for female 

members. 0120-675-858(E) 

international@universe-club.jp 

http://universe-club.jp/en/ 

women 

Aroma massage. Would you like a nice, 

relaxing aroma oil massage? Amateur 

masseur seeks mature massage partners 

to practice on. I can meet anywhere 

in central Tokyo. I speak English and 

Japanese. amamassage@hotmail.com 

California man seeking nice JF. SWM, 

45, outgoing, successful, good-looking. 

I live in Santa Monica near the beach. 

I would like to meet a nice JF, 35-45. 

dancsurf@hotmail.com 

Caring and cute JM seeks attractive, 

hearty, nonsmoking Western female for 

friendship. I simply would like to share 

fun, interesting and great experiences 

with you. If you feel the same way, just 

drop me a line. jinzaixyz@yahoo.co.jp 

Chinese woman wanted. English guy, 

doesn't like Japanese women much, 

seeking a Chinese living in Tokyo. 

I'm nice. Contact me. summerfunk@ 

googlemail.com 

Cute and interesting JM for SWF. 

Seeking attractive Western female with 

a nice smile. If you are interested in 

chatting over coffee or nice food, please 

contact me. I am looking forward to your 

message. Just try once. juniperten2013@ 

gmail.com 

Educated man. I am 28, 180cm, fluent 

in Japanese and a researcher who is 

working on epilepsy. I'm seeking a kind 

woman, 20-35, for a good, long-term 

relationship. alinihon@yahoo.co.jp 

French guy in California seeking JF. 

Successful Frenchman, 46, seeking a 

JF for long-term leading to marriage. I 

enjoy the beach, surfing, concerts and 

restaurants. If you plan to travel to 

LA, I can show you around. dancsurf@ 

hotmail.com 

Fun-loving American businessman 

in Tokyo. Hi, I am seeking a fun-loving 

woman to meet while I am in Tokyo. How 

about dinner and drinks after work? I 

come to Tokyo often. Email me, please. 

daltexguy34@yahoo.com 

Girlfriend. Japanese man, 45, decent, 

cultured, with a good sense of humor, 

seeking a lady of any age, Japanese or 

foreign, to enjoy friendship. gnbkaijpn@ 

gmail.com 

Handsome Italian man seeking sexy, 

feminine and fun to be with! Let's go 

and explore new places and enjoy life. 

You must be financially independent. 

I'm seeking a partner, not a daughter. 

No childish girls—real women, please. 

sugartokyo4@yahoo.com 

Japanese male seeks a new friend. 

Is anyone seeking a good relationship 

here? I don't want affairs; I want a real 

relationship with a special female. I'm a 

SJM, cool and honest, not a party animal, 

love freedom. getloud999-hello@yahoo. 

co.jp 

Love don't cost a thing. I'm black, you're 

Japanese; I'm male, you're female— 

let's build a relationship based on trust 

and sincerity. I don't need your money, 

you don't need mine. Distance is not a 

barrier! Let love lead... Serious only. 

keneticology@gmail.com 

Marriage. Single man living and 

studying in Tokyo seeking marriage with 

a gentle and kind woman. faraponne@ 

gmail.com 

Mature and sophisticated Japanese, 

some have said charming, seeking an 

elegant, passionate, kind SWF. I dream 

about wild nights as well as sharing the 

simple pleasures of love. Is that you? 

imak1_2_3@yahoo.co.jp 

Mature and sophisticated non- 

Japanese, some have said deluded, is 

seeking an elegant, passionate and kind 

SHF (“So Humorous Female”). I dream 

about wild nights as well as sharing the 

simple pleasures. ja22y@outlook.com 

Pasta and wine. Freshly cooked pasta, 

a glass of wine, soft romantic music 

playing in the background. What more 

could I need? A woman to share this 

evening with. Tall English male seeking 

you, if you're serious. Nonsmokers only. 


Plus-size woman. Japanese man, 

40s, gentle, open-minded, romantic, 

seeks chubby girlfriend for a long-term 

relationship. Any age, nationality ok. 

Please do not hesitate—you are a lovely 

woman. gnbkaijpn@gmail.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 large Japanese girlfriend. 

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

romantic, positive, seeks overweight 

girlfriend for long-term relationship in 

Tokyo. Serious only, please. bbalajan@ 

yahoo.com 

Seeking mature JF. Cool guy, 40s, 

positive, romantic, honest, a gentleman, 

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

relationship. nnazila73@yahoo.com 

Seeking Parisienne. Affluent and 

excellent Japanese architectural 

engineer is seeking an attractive 

Parisienne who can speak English. I 

visited Paris two years ago and would 

like to know more about the city. Give me 

the hot info on Paris now. imak1_2_3@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

Seeking some fun with a SJM? Cool, 

tall, witty Japanese male is seeking some 

fun with a single white female in Tokyo. 

We can start from friends. You're single; 

I'm single—life is too short. Why waste 

time? kemkekilab@gmail.com 

Single, handsome, caring and witty 

Japanese male seeks a nice Western 

or Japanese female for friendship and 

possibly more. Nonsmokers preferred. 

If you are interested in exciting and 

happy times with me, email me now! 

cioinjapan@gmail.com 

Tall for small. Tall WM, slim, 

professional, seeking small JF, openminded, 

normal, loves ice cream. Should 

I meet you? summerfunk@googlemail. 

com 

Western girl? Let's start from friends! 

Sick of creepy JMs hitting on you in the 

street, looking at "charisma men" who 

only go for Japanese girls, and being lost 

in translation? Cool Japanese man right 

here for you. larcenciel800@gmail.com 

14.3 WOMEN LOOKING FOR MEN 

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 (English) 

international@universe-club.jp 

http://universe-club.jp/en 

AMERICAN, CANADIAN, 

EUROPEAN OR JAPANESE MAN, 

45 +, kind, financially secure, 

decent, sought by attractive, 

cheerful, nice lady for friendship or 

a serious relationship. I am serious, 

and I hope to meet a really nice 

man. I believe in love. Write with 

photo. plaisirssucres@hotmail.com 

Happy relationship. I am seeking 

a good, long-lasting relationship, 

hopefully leading to marriage. If you 

have the same thing in mind, please let 

me know. I am a Japanese female, 40. 

risarisacarino1717@yahoo.co.jp Happy 

relationship 

Love the outdoors? I love hiking, 

cycling, camping, snowshoeing. I'm 

seeking a strong man to share the 

outdoors with. From Oregon, USA, 

47, now in Kanagawa. I desire a real 

connection with a native English 

speaker. Nonsmoker and unattached, 

please. lab@cyber.email.ne.jp 

Mountain view. If you are fond of 

the aurora, stars, snow, mountains, 

animals, the other dimensions... we 

might have a chance. I am a SJF, 50, fit, 

open-minded, artistic, intelligent and 

love all the above. oriontopleiades@ 

gmail.com 

Perfect season for a new start! 

Working single mother, 30s. Too busy 

to find a date, yet would like to go out 

with a gentleman, 40s-50s. Casual 

first, but hopefully leading to a longterm 

relationship. bluemermaiduk@ 

yahoo.com 

Rare discovery! Warmhearted, 

attractive, positive, slim SJF, enjoys 

cooking, hiking, working, art, seeks 

gentle, attractive, successful Caucasian 

in central Tokyo who wants to raise 

a loving family. What's important is 

trust, respect and stimulating each 

other. Photo necessary. sorosoroaitai@ 

yahoo.co.jp 

Rebirth our lives. Seeking love and a 

relationship, eventually partnership. 

Japanese female, people say attractive 

and sweet yet intriguing and unique, 

seeking a well-educated, active, smart 

gentleman with a positive outlook on 

life. Singles only. I am 40s. amrita_ 

banana2014@yahoo.co.jp 

Seeking new love. Attractive JF, 30s, 

just out of a relationship. I want to meet 

someone new. Serious only, please. 

keiko2011tokyo@yahoo.co.jp 

14.4 GAY & LESBIAN 

LOVE-SONG LOVER. Romantic, 

mature guy seeking another 

nonsmoking guy for friendship, 

interesting activities around town, 

maybe more. Tall, dark brown 

hair, average build. Sense of 

humor along with independence 

important. Happy to exchange face 

photos and chat first. ming@zar. 

att.ne.jp 

Friends and fun. Japanese guy, 27, 

170, 65, good-looking, seeking friends 

and fun in/around Tokyo. Please reply 

w/face photo and stats. Thanks. kcv@ 

hotmail.co.jp 

Lesbian friends and girlfriend sought 

by JF, nonsmoker. Hope to make good 

friendship and more. My English isn't 

great. Serious females only! No couples. 

maplefrozen@gmail.com 

Seeking bi female to go to Tokyo 

Rainbow Pride with American couple. 

He is straight, she is bi. 日本語 ok! 

cook_on_wheels@yahoo.com http:// 

tokyorainbowpride.com/ 

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 

TRANCE PARTIES. Attractive 

couple (European/Japanese) is 

seeking one or two women to join 

us for dinners and trance parties. 

All expenses paid—just enjoy. 

tokyopleasure6@gmail.com 

Each 

branch 

has 

different 

hours. 

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 


We 

welcome 

all kinds 

of parties. 

Please 

contact us. 

www.dubliners.jp 

DUBLINERS’ SHIBUYA 

13 th ANNIVERSARY PARTY 

Fri, April 24 | All Day 

Join Metropolis for their 

April Getsumatsu Party from 

7pm to 1am! 

Pints of 

draught beer 

¥500 

(Guinness, Kilkenny, Yebisu) 

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 

31

RELATIONS 

THE PROBLEM WITH PET NAMES 

BY GRACE BUCHELE MINETA 

I love using “pet names” with my husband. For all of you who don’t know, 

a pet name is an affectionate (albeit slightly ridiculous) way of addressing 

someone you’re romantically involved with. They’re very popular among 

high school and college-aged couples in America—but for some reason, 

they never caught on in Japan. I call my husband “hun,” “sweetheart,” 

or “babe,” and he calls me “honey,” “pretty girl,” and “boo-chan.” Roll 

your eyes all you want; I think it’s adorable. 

愛称で呼んだらダメかしら? 

私は夫とお互いを愛称で呼び合う事が大好きです。愛称とは恋人などのあな 

たとロマンチックな関係を持つ人を愛情を込めて呼ぶ呼び方の一つです。愛 

称はアメリカの高校生や大学生カップルの間では非常に人気ですが、何故か 

日本ではあまり広まっていません。私は夫の事を「hun」「sweetheart」や 

「babe」と呼び、夫は私の事を「honey」「pretty girl」や「booちゃん」と 

呼びます。どうぞ私達の事を笑いたかったら笑ってください。私は愛称はス 

テキだと思ってますので。 

■ Grace Buchele Mineta is an author who blogs and draws comics 

about her daily life in Japan at www.HowIBecameTexan.com. 

♥ Love ¥ Money ♣ Luck 

horoscope 

BY CATHRYN MOE 

ARIES 

Mar 21-Apr 19 ♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

TAURUS 

Apr 20-May 20 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

GEMINI 

May 21-Jun 20 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

CANCER 

Jun 21-Jul 22 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

Everything’s all jumbled up and you’re 

taking the hits as they come, yet feeling 

like you’ve hit your stride. The truth 

is, whatever project you’re championing, as the 

south node conjuncts the Aries Moon on Friday, 

you’ve done this all before, probably in a past 

life. You may feel it’s ridiculous that you have to 

come in and save someone, an organization, or 

an institution when you’ve warned them all along. 

But it’s the north node that settles your spirit; your 

soul grows by leaps and bounds this week. 

LEO 

Jul 23-Aug 22 ♥♥♥♥♥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ♣♣♣ 

There are times when, as Taurus the 

Bull, you charge forward. There are 

others when you sit comfortably and 

just appreciate. This is a week to sit only to rest, 

as you salvage what you can of beliefs and love 

worth saving. There’s not a moment to waste 

as the Moon connects with the south node and 

then Uranus. Taureans given the role of caretaker 

will also be expected to communicate the 

importance of tending to self and others. Venus 

is gearing up to write you a check. 

VIRGO 

Aug 23-Sep 22 ♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

This could be a quirky week for you, 

more in the spirit of adventure than 

weird. Neptune conjuncts Vesta 

exactly in your house of partnership. You may 

start out wondering why someone is so subtly 

attractive, then realize they hold a storehouse 

of wisdom and caring. Since you’re in line to 

discover a treasure trove, open up your spirit 

and request what you think will make your life 

smooth, beautiful, and happy—you may just get 

what you ask for. 

CAPRICORN 

Dec 22-Jan 19 ♥♥♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

Venus in your sign makes you beautiful 

inside and out. It’s OK to treat 

yourself to that special haircut or 

wardrobe accessory—in fact, others may expect 

you to. There’s a focus on comfort, security, and 

a desire to discuss it, but with the Moon in conjunction 

with the south node and Uranus, you’re 

likely to be jumping through hoops of others’ 

making. If you have a secret desire to curl up with 

a book or a Kindle, know that everyone needs a 

cozy escape sometimes, and take the initiative. 

LIBRA 

Sep 23-Oct 22 ♥♥ ¥¥¥ ♣♣ 

A great week to fall in love with a 

philosophy that lets you live the 

way you want to. Venus in your solar 

ninth house makes it easier to accept what 

your soul is whispering. Beauty and love are 

her domain, and she wants you to experience 

this wherever you are. Travel is a great way to 

see things with new eyes, and finances may 

strengthen to pay for it. Things are wild in the 

area of partnership and it could be useful to 

have a few extra beliefs on hand. 

Pallas Athene has just entered your 

partnership sector. You could meet 

someone quirky and delightful, as 

long as the unusual doesn’t put you off. Pluto 

is thundering through this sector of your chart 

anyway, daring you to do what you want, not 

what you should. It’s also possible someone’s 

trying to get the upper hand, using a dominant 

or “superior” position to get the better of you. If 

so, remember to open your protective covering 

only with strong backup present. 

SCORPIO 

Oct 23-Nov 21 ♥♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

Scorpios are sexy and mysterious, which 

makes you enticing. You may live for 

privacy and hold onto a few secrets, but 

only because you are the guardian of when it’s 

time to release certain knowledge to the general 

populace. What do you think about this being “the 

week”? The Moon, south node, Uranus, and the 

Sun are going to pull a few surprises because 

that’s how freedom rings. While you can’t control 

others’ actions, you sure can enjoy the results of 

your own. Congratulations! 

As a leadership sign, you’ve been 

in tough situations before, so you’re 

probably not surprised they’ve come 

around again. You’re now more prepared, as 

the subtle distinctions and obvious maneuvers 

of others have been revealed. With Juno and 

Jupiter in Leo, you can roar with more conviction 

as this financial goddess and thunderbolt 

god stand beside you. You may have noticed 

resources are thin, so be sure to enjoy what you 

have with your usual generous nature. 

SAGITTARIUS 

Nov 22-Dec 21 ♥♥ ¥¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

AQUARIUS 

Jan 20-Feb 18 ♥♥ ¥¥ ♣♣♣♣ 

PISCES 

Feb 19-Mar 20 ♥♥♥ ¥¥¥¥ ♣♣♣ 

Sagittarians love to shoot their arrows 

to the sky, but you might not have been 

expecting to actually hit a star. With 

Saturn in your sign, you may be feeling a bit shy, 

just when you’re asked to step out and speak 

for a cause. This is a coming-of-age period for 

Sag, regardless of how long you’ve been on the 

planet. At whatever level you resonate, you’re 

being handed the baton. You can turn it down, 

only to discover they’ll just keep coming. Accept 

the one that makes your heart sing. 

You may not enjoy the crumbling 

and chaos, but there are measures 

still asking to be addressed before 

the shaking stops. You can’t help having others 

come to you for advice, even if you’re not feeling 

on top of any pedestals at the moment. The Moon, 

south node, Uranus, and the Sun all congregate 

galactically to open a door you weren’t expecting. 

Communications are slippery but the mystical is 

ever more obvious and available to you. 

Ceres in your sign is asking you to sit 

down and rest a moment. You can balance 

out your week without losing all 

the opportunities flying past. The main thing to 

consider is what is being expressed by the current 

transit of the Moon, south node, Uranus, and 

the Sun. What you hear, read, and say is likely to 

change from moment to moment. Knowing this, 

you can sift out what you need to remember and 

act on, and what you can let the heavens take 

care of. Find your niche and recline. 

Neptune connects with Vesta precisely 

in Pisces this week. Don’t let 

your ability to dream big or your desire 

to help others keep you from asking for what you 

want and need. The truth is, you’re intimately 

connected with the universe, and it’s this which 

makes your requests resonate in a sympathetic 

field. The Moon adds feeling to the south node, 

Uranus, and Sun combination on Friday. Blend 

and stir the magic that is intrinsically yours. 

32

Under a pilot program in Osaka, taxi 

drivers who score a Grade 2 on the Eiken 

English proficiency test will be allowed to 

decorate their cabs with stickers that say, 

“International Visitors Taxi.” 

the small print 

BY STEVE TRAUTLEIN 

LINGO BOX 

Ikeisei ( 異形成 ) = Dysplasia 

Mahi shita ( 麻痺した) = Paralyzed 

Bōryoku ( 暴力 ) = Violence 

Teiden ( 停電 ) = Blackout 

Kankō ( 観光 ) = Tourism 

THE FACT THAT THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES 

CHILD POVERTY AS A NATIONAL ISSUE IS A BIG STEP” 

—Aya Abe, a professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University, on a newly-launched 

fund to help improve the lives of poor children 

STRANGE DAYS 

⊲Investigators ⊲ 

with Chubu Electric Power Co. 

are at a loss to explain what caused a blackout 

that left nearly half of all households in Nagano 

Prefecture without electricity last month. 

⊲Government ⊲ 

officials say a Japanese tour 

company’s decision to take a group of sightseers 

on an excursion to northern Niger is 

“incomprehensible.” 

⊲The ⊲ foreign ministry had cautioned citizens 

to avoid the area because of activities by Islamist 

militants. 

NOT ALL FUN & GAMES 

⊲A ⊲ court in Fukuoka awarded ¥200 million to 

a man who was paralyzed when he fell from 

the shoulders of high school classmates during 

a sports-day activity in 2003. 

⊲The ⊲ man, now 29, was injured while taking 

part in a game called kibasen, in which teams 

of students stage “mock cavalry battles.” 

⊲Authorities ⊲ at the health ministry have added 

196 diseases—including muscular dystrophy 

and a bone affliction called dysplasia—to their 

at a glance 

BY ADAM GARWOOD 

list of illnesses for which sufferers can receive 

financial assistance. 

⊲The ⊲ payments now cover a total of 306 diseases 

that affect 1.2 million people. 

FOREIGN(ER) AFFAIRS 

⊲Officials ⊲ at the justice ministry say that, for 

the first time in more than two decades, the 

number of foreign residents who overstay 

their visas is rising. 

⊲The ⊲ officials say about 41,000 foreigners are 

currently violating their visa status, which is 

still way down from the peak of 299,000 in 1993. 

⊲A ⊲ tourism promotion group in Asakusa held a 

drill designed to help visitors from abroad deal 

with being “far from home during a disaster.” 

About 700 people took part. 

⊲Authorities ⊲ at the environment ministry have 

banned exports of Asian brown pond turtles. 

They say the critters from Okinawa are being 

threatened by overhunting. 

RISING UP, RISING DOWN 

⊲Authorities ⊲ at the National Police Agency an- 

Check out Adam’s works at http://meturl.com/adam3 

stats 

5.3 MILLION Units of Toyota’s iconic 

Crown luxury sedan that have been sold 

since the model’s introduction 60 years 

ago 

31,377,000 Visitors to Tokyo Disneyland 

and Tokyo DisneySea in 2014—a record 

41 Percentage of government subsidies 

allocated for March 11 disaster 

reconstruction that have been used as 

planned 

nounced that they had investigated a record 

59,072 cases of domestic violence last year. 

⊲They ⊲ say the number was so high because 

they’ve expanded the scope of investigations 

to include unmarried partners who live 

together. 

⊲The ⊲ number of stalking cases reported last 

year—22,823—was also a record. 

⊲Headline ⊲ of the Week: “Facial Recognition 

System Sends Warning E-mails to Families of 

Pachinko Addicts” (via Japan Today) 

AND FINALLY… 

⊲As ⊲ part of a ¥3 billion fundraising effort, administrators 

at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto— 

designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site— 

have leased part of the grounds to property 

developers, who are planning to build condos. 

⊲Two ⊲ Japanese scientists were among the 

six winners of the 2015 Canada Gairdner International 

Awards, which recognize achievements 

in medicine and which come with a prize 

of $10,000 (Canadian). 

⊲According ⊲ to the agriculture ministry, the 

amount of land devoted to community farms 

has increased 40 percent over the past decade. 

⊲The ⊲ three prefectures with the most such 

farms are Kanagawa (589), Tokyo (475) and 

Aichi (343). 

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 

33

the last word 

Finding 

Your 

Village 

Because it’s too hard 

being a mom on your own 

WANT 

TO HAVE 

THE LAST 

WORD? 

Send your article to: 

editor@ 

metropolisjapan.com 

BY HELEN A. LANGFORD 

Mama tomo (friends): there was a time 

when those two words would send me 

running for the nearest exit. Friendship 

based solely on child possession 

seemed so silly. How could that possibly 

be enough? 

I pictured deadly dull “play dates,” 

where conversations revolved around 

such thrilling topics as poop, weaning, 

and the other unpleasant 

stuff involved in 

raising kids. No, thank 

you. 

Of course, that attitude 

was part of my BC 

(Before Child) life, back 

when I was the perfect 

mother (it’s easy prechild). 

I would be fine on 

my own, and surely my 

husband’s occasional 

presence would fill my 

adult-conversation 

quota. 

But then something 

unexpected knocked 

me flat. I gave birth to 

… a baby—a real, live, 

crying, not sleeping, 

what-the-heckshould-I-do-with-itfor-12-hours-each-day, 

holy-jesus-mary-andjoseph-it-just-ateincense-now-whatshould-I-do 

baby. I was 

lonely. And so very, very lost. 

I started dreaming of mama tomo. 

At the park, I would sneak a glance 

at groups of moms laughing away (at 

poop-related stories, I’d jealously 

think—how I long for those stories now!) 

while their kids played. But I had no idea 

how to approach them. Complicating 

matters was nervousness about my 

Japanese. Would I hinder conversations, 

needing extra or slower explanations? 

No, I just couldn’t make mama 

tomo. I was destined to be a lone-wolf 

mother. 

Until one day, my infant daughter 

stared down a Western woman at the 

park with her kids. She came over for a 

chat, and introduced me to the wonderful 

world of mama tomo and mothers’ 

groups. I haven’t looked back since. 

That woman changed not just my 

life, but my daughter’s as well. And 

while I don’t see her often, I owe her 

so much. All of my mama tomo, all of 

my daughter’s friends, my sanity, and, 

yes, happiness and contentment as a 

mother—they’re ours because of her, 

because of the world of support she 

and others welcomed us into. 

Mothers’ groups offer shoulders to 

cry on, an outlet for venting, smiling 

Illustration by Christi Rochin 

WHETHER CYBER-BASED 

OR FACE-TO-FACE, 

MOTHERS’ GROUPS ARE 

A GODSEND.” 

faces as each other’s children blow out 

birthday candles. There are cheers of 

“you can do it!” and the ever-important 

“I know what you’re going through; I’ve 

been there, too.” 

Whether cyber-based or of the 

face-to-face variety, mothers’ groups 

(fathers are usually welcome, too) are a 

godsend. And it turns out that language 

really isn’t much of a barrier after all. 

I belong to four mothers’ groups 

now, and many of my dearest friendships 

were born therein. There are 

the local groups, huge Tokyo-based 

ones, and even Japan-wide Facebook 

groups. Most are welcoming of anyone 

and everyone, though some focus on 

foreign-born moms and dads only. 

Yes—that’s important, too. 

For all the fantastic friendships I’ve 

built with Japanese moms and their 

kids, there is something to be said for 

belonging to a group where I can vent 

about some of the more challenging 

aspects of being a foreign mother in 

Japan. Being able to do that without the 

risk of offending my Japanese friends is 

a relief because, let’s face it, no matter 

where a person lives (home country 

or not), there are going to be things a 

person doesn’t like about the place. 

Being able to talk freely about those 

parts—and get advice on how to deal 

with them positively—is a blessing. 

Making new friends is never easy, 

but as the saying goes, it takes a village 

to raise a child (and protect a person’s 

sanity—for some reason, that got left 

out of the original). And it turns out that 

having kids is a perfectly legitimate 

place to start friendships. So, if you’re 

lonely and overwhelmed, look for us 

online, at the park, around town. Let 

your mama (and papa) tomo be your 

village. I promise you’ll be welcomed 

with open arms. 

■ Helen A. Langford is a writer, editor, innkeeper, 

and recent convert to oya-ko socializing. 

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

34

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