kansai scene #157 june 2013

Kansai’s English Magazine

無料issue 157

June 2013

www.kansaiscene.com

Kansai Scene is proudly published and printed by Mojoprint

Dive into summer

Plus+ Kabuki for dummiesFireflies: summer lightsBiwa-canal, Kyoto’s lifeline

Wakayama watery wonderlandBottled blingAncient air con

+ Where To Go And What To Do — Local listings, news, maps and classifieds

Kansai scene magazine JUNE 2013 kansaiscene.com 3

DiscLaimeR Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. We take no responsibility for the quality or content of advertisements. Public and private parties appproached by those claiming to work for or on behalf of Kansai Scene should call this office to confirm the truth of any such claim, especially where money may be involved.

Features

Features

Water saved the city p10

Lights of the night p12

Kabuki 101 p26Travel

Paradise beneath the waves p08 Food and Drink

Pina Khana, Kobe p16

Yakitori ayamuya, Osaka p17

go_suke, Osaka p30Made in Kansai

Bottling up mother nature p14

Listings

Film p25

Book p29

Event calendar p32

Events p34

Art p38

Club p40

Flea Markets p42

Live Music p44

Business Finder p46

Classifieds p48

Maps p52

Publisher/Creative Director ..............Daniel LeeEditor ............................................. Carla AvolioSub-editor ...............................Donna SheffieldProduction Manager .................... Rie OkamotoAccounts Manager ........................Michiko Lee

Art ...................................................Colin SmithEvent & Festival ........................... Yuki UchiboriFilm ................................................ Adam MillerLive music ................................ Phillip JacksonClub ................................................Terumi Tsuji

interested in writing for Kansai scene? Please contact [email protected] after reviewing our writers guidelines: www.kansaiscene.com/write-for-us

COVER ARTIST: Robert N Moore

Robert is an artist/illustrator/designer based in Nagoya. Learn more about him on page 37 or check out his exhibition at Café Absinthe from June 5–30. Website: rob4artstuff.com

enquiriesgeneral [email protected] [email protected]. 06-6539-1717 Fax. 06-7635-4791address Osaka-shi, Nishi-ku, Shinmachi 3-5-7, Eiko Bldg. 2FWebsite www.kansaiscene.com

a BiT OF hisTORY Kansai Scene was founded by Peter Horvath and Nishikawa Keiko in 2000 and published by Jatin Banker between 2003 – 2011. Published monthly, KS provides English articles, information and listings for visitors and residents of the Kansai area.

Kansai scene is published monthly by mojoprint

Contents

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kansaiscene @kansaiscene

Kansai scene magazine JUNE 2013 kansaiscene.com4

Free rides for schoolkidsOsaka — Osaka subway celebrated its 80th year of service in May, and to celebrate, around 120,000 elementary schoolkids in the region were given free five-day passes. Osaka munici-pal Transportation Bureau wants to encourage more children to use the subway, and take advantage of the 50 percent discount kids their age get on the fares. Each year only around 0.8 percent of passengers are elementary schoolkids. While the bureau has been taking steps to improve its services, Osaka mayor Toru hashimoto has announced he already plans to privatise the subway by April 2015. www.kotsu.city.osaka.lg.jp/foreign/english

News & Openings

sing for your countryOsaka — If you’ve spent New Year in Japan, you must have caught the Red and White show on NHK. Usually, two teams of famous singers battle it out for audience votes and glory. Later this year, Osaka will be hosting its own international version. Foreigners will sing in Japanese and Japanese people will sing in foreign languages! If you’re a karaoke king or queen, or just want to belt out some anime classics with a few friends in front of hundreds of people, now’s your chance. The contest will be held on saturday august 31, 2013 at Osaka international center (Dai Hall)

For more details, contact Kazumi Miyazaki

[email protected] or Tel.

070-5653-1493 • www.yokosojapan.net

Bridges to BrazilKyoto — Billed as an Art Benefit to the Amazon, this art and culural event at the Kyoto international commu-nity house will show-case Brazilian art and culture, including live painting, capoeira, and music. Organiser and artist Walderedo De Oliveira hopes the event will provide a cultural bridge between the two countries as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup next year. Proceeds raised will be donated to the charity Survival Inter-national (survivalinternational.org) to help indigenous Amazonian tribes.

June 1 (Sat). 11am–8pm. Entry ¥1,000

June 2 (Sun). 11am–5pm. Free entry.

Don’t just eat it, plant it Ozo — Here’s a chance to get your hands, feet, and probably everything else, dirty in a Japanese rice field. On saturday June 8, the Peace and nature farm in Kita-ku are planting their next harvest of rice and the more hands there are to help, the merrier. The cost is ¥1,000 for adults, ¥500 for kids, limited to the first 50 applicants. Register by phone or e-mail, by June 5.

store.peace-and-nature.com/events/

Got some news?

KS is always on the lookout for

newsworthy events and new

openings around town.

Email your suggestions to

[email protected]

an intensely dramatic courseKyoto — If you’re into Japanese performing arts, and serious about trying it out, the annual Traditional Theater Training course at Kyoto art center was designed for you. Anyone can apply, as age, nationality and any prior experience of performing arts are not important. Just bring your willingness to learn. The course features three days of work-shops, then three weeks of intensive daily practice before a re-cital. Training includes Nihonbuyo, Noh and Kyogen. Course fees are around ¥70,000, and accommodation in Kyoto can be organised. The deadline for application is June 30th, and the course runs from July 19 to Aug 9.

www.kac.or.jp


French connectionsThe latest news for francophiles in Kansai,

by Stephan Ducoup

Bonjour!Welcome June, rain and music! Although June is the rainy season in Japan, back in France this month is all about music. June 21 is the first day of summer and also the World music Festival. First launched in 1982 by a french minister, this event has become a worldwide day of music where everybody from amateurs to professionals is free to play in the street. In Kansai, you’ll notice impromptu music happening every evening close to big train stations like Umeda. We francophiles will be singing in the rain this month, so please join us at some of our fun June events:

OsaKa:• French meeting at cafe Barbara, check link for the exact date (www.facebook.com/francekansai)

KOBe:• French meeting at Brasserie L’obabon in Moto-machi, Thursday June 13 from 7pm

KYOTO:• French music festival featuring jazz, rock, electronica and classical music at the French institute Kyoto, Saturday June 29, 1pm-9pm (www.ifjk.jp)• French Cafe Party at Kawa cafe, June 21 from 6pm

If you prefer to stay at home, don’t forget to check your new episode of the French-Japanese web drama PaRis aLeas on www.parisaleas.com

Ks Business mattersKS — Last month’s Business matters event featured an inspiring presentation by Peter Sterlacci about how to realise, create and protect brand YOU. The audience was treated to an incredibly professional and thought-provoking presenta-tion that challenged us all to re-assess both our online and offline personal branding strategies - or lack of them!

This month’s event The Write move will be on June 20th (Thu) at Fubar (see KS Shinsaibashi map C-3), and will fea-ture a seminar from Kansai Scene’s very own editor-in-chief, Carla Avolio, about how to start out as a freelance writer. She’ll talk about how to understand publications, how to craft a pitch, how to approach and deal with editors and more. This will be a practical, step-by-step guide for those who want to start making money from magazine writing.

www.kansaiscene.com/ksbusiness-matters

Poster thefts and complaintsOsaka, Sannomiya — It’s been an odd month for poster cam-paigns in Kansai. At Sannomiya’s subway terminal, a cam-paign to prevent suicides has been causing controversy, while in Osaka, some town renewal campaign posters have proved so popular they’ve been pinched. Last month, huge black and white text posters, featuring quotes from at-risk people, were put up in Sannomiya in a bid to prevent more Human Damage Accidents. The idea behind it was to make depressed people feel they aren’t alone and seek help. Phone calls to the city ward almost doubled when the posters first went up, but it was mainly from people wanting to say how negative they thought the campaign was. Over in Osaka, there’s a town renewal project being promoted by a picture of a man’s lower half, with a real loincloth attached, inviting the public to take a look. The public have taken it a bit further, however, and actually nabbed some of the posters, even cutting the wires they were hanging from to do so.

June 29. French music festival at the Institut Français du Japon, Kyoto

Peter Sterlacci giving a presentation at last month’s KSBM event

Networking opportunities

Seminars & presentations

Parties & events

A new group that aims to connect, inform and engage small business owners, entrepreneurs and individuals doing business in Kansai.

www.kansaiscene.com/businessmatters

Presentation & networking event:The Write Movewith Carla Avolio

June 20, Thu, 7:30–9:30pm@ FuBar, Shinsaibashi¥2,000 w/1d

More details and event registration:


Business Matters

The write move for you?Thinking about leaving the security of a salaried job to fly freelance? Kansai Scene’s own editor, Carla Avolio, shares her experiences as a freelance writer.Text: KS

KS: Why did you decide to go free-lance? Carla AvoIio: I left my job as a commu-nications manager at the University of Sydney when my husband got a job in Osaka. Initially, doing freelance writing was my way of working without need-ing to find an “actual” job in a Japanese organisation. But after my demanding, high-intensity job, I have so enjoyed the change of pace from freelancing that I’m not sure if I’ll ever go back.

KS: What are the biggest positives and negatives? CA: By far the best thing is the flex-ibility. You are your own boss. You can pick what projects to work on, how to structure your day, and what direction to head in for the future. There really is nothing more satisfying than to spend time researching and writing about something that interests you, and then to be paid for it at the end. Also, the fact that you can do it from anywhere in the world that has internet is pretty amazing. But you can’t escape the fact that it is also a lonely job. There is no office to go into where you can bounce ideas off people, and you generally have to find your own work. It can get quite tiring having to be so self reliant and self-motivated every day.

KS: How do you go about getting new work? CA: Most jobs require you to pitch an idea to an editor. You really need to be out there, day in, day out, selling your ideas and convincing people to publish them. Being able to craft a good pitch is so important to your success as a freelance writer.

KS: How do you work out your salary or rates?CA: Fees are usually done based on word count, and obviously the better publications will have higher rates per word. But my advice is that when you are starting out freelancing, don’t worry too much about rates. Just focus on finding a publication and writing the best story you can for them. That way you’ll have something in your bio to show the next editor.

KS: What about all the extra admin?CA: It is quite easy as a freelancer to write for publications around the world. Most bigger publications will be able to pay into foreign bank accounts. Because I always get paid into my Australian bank account, I only have to worry about tax in my home country.

KS: What’s an average day or week like for a freelance writer? CA: The weeks change a lot depending on the demands of each project, but I pretty much always do the following things: read, read and read the news to get story ideas; spend time at my desk researching and writing; interview sources; and go out in the “field”. This field work is the most fun because it can take you anywhere from behind-the-scenes at a zoo, to a fine dining res-taurant, to a resort on a tropical island.

KS: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve written about?CA: I’m a zoology major, so the best project for me was writing about the largest population of freshwater crocodiles in Australia. I spent a week living by a lake in the stunning Kim-

berleys with researchers. The experi-ence of hand-catching baby crocodiles was unforgettable.

The Write move: pursuing a career as a freelance writerCarla Avolio will be the guest presenter

at this month’s Kansai Scene Business

Matters event. Come and join us for

a practical seminar on how to start

making money from writing, followed by

a networking opportunity.

•Date: June 20 (Thu)

•Time: 7:30–9:30pm

•entry: ¥2,000 w/1d

•Venue: FuBar, Shinsaibashi, Osaka

For full details and registration, visit:

www.kansaiscene.com/

businessmatters

8

Travel

Paradise beneath the wavesIf you think great diving requires flying out of Kansai, here’s the happy news. Wakayama’s underwater world has all the goods of big-name international sites without the hefty price tag.Text and images: David Graham

“As the seasons change, every day is a different diving experience in Wakayama,” says Toshiya Iwasaki, chief instructor of nanki seaman’s club. “In the winter, visibility can be as much as 25 meters, with normally unseen, deep-water sea life coming up to div-ing depths. And in the summer, the Kuroshio current moves close to land, bringing with it tropical sea life from Okinawa and Philippines. It’s rare, but even mola mola, manta rays and ham-merhead sharks have been seen.”

Yes, he’s talking about Wakayama - Kansai’s holiday spot that’s best known for hot springs, abundant fruit and the beach-party town of Shirahama. But this mountainous prefecture also hap-pens to be one of Japan’s premier dive spots, which means that scuba-loving Kansai residents have a cheap and satisfying dive destination that’s only a car ride away.

It’s 9pm on a Friday night, and we’ve gathered outside on the Seaman’s back

porch. Sitting around the oversized hi-bachi with beers in hand, the charcoal glows red while lobster slowly cooks in its own shell on the grill.

I’ve just arrived at Kushimoto on the southern tip of Wakayama after wrapping up a day of work back in Kobe. Although I’ve chosen to take the pleasant four-hour drive through vil-lages and mountains along Wakayama’s coast, you could just as easily catch the Kuroshio express train from Shin-Osaka, which takes only three hours.

For this trip, to keep costs down, I’ve chosen to stay at the Seaman’s hostel-style lodgings. The second floor of the club house has two large rooms (one men’s and one women’s) with bunk beds for about 10 people in each room. The rooms are clean, comfortable and reasonable at ¥2,800 a night.

After finishing the lobster and beer, we’ve come up with a preliminary dive plan for the next day. It’ll be three dives, with the first being an advanced

level dive outside Kushimoto Bay, and the next two in the calmer waters of the bay.

The next morning, we’re up early, grabbing quick bites of toast and sips of coffee as we ready our gear for a 7:30am boat departure. We reach the first site, ninone, just little after 8am. Being early spring, it’s possible that plankton blooms from the warming waters can negatively impact visibility. But on this fine morning the water looks to be unusually clear, which only builds our excitement.

On entry and descent, we’re not disappointed. Visibility is 12 to 15 metres. Reaching the anchor at 12 me-tres, swarms of sea goldies and other brightly colored small fish dart about, flashing gold, blue and silver in the sun. With this abundance of colour, it’s hard to believe that we’re not diving in the Red Sea, Bali or Okinawa.

Today, only a slight current tugs at us, but the site’s normally strong


currents make it an advanced dive where sound skills in drift diving are a must. As we descend over the drop off and move along the wall, longnose hawkfish dart in and out of brilliantly-colored soft coral. At 30 metres we reach the sandy bottom where meter-long coral grouper swim lazily about. Down here we also discover several small rays tucked into the sand at the edge of a field of Garden Eels swaying in the gentle current.

For the second dive we head across the bay to Bizen, one of my favorite dive sites. With calm currents and an average depth of 17 metres, it’s well suited to both beginner and intermediate divers.

The site is a collection of mammoth, craggy boulders covered in beautifully colored soft coral. We dive down into the alley between two of these massive boulders. Above us, swarms of little sea goldies mix with schools of black and yellow Australian stripey, which remind us we’re diving in waters from the tropics. Below, the bright orange, stern-faced azahata groupers swim lackadaisically about, and vibrant neon blue and purple scarbreast tuskfin ap-proach us, hoping for a small crus-

tacean handout. As we exit the alley, bright silver bonito flash by, feeding on a school of sardines.

For the final dive we enter at glass World, a site known for its sea turtles that. With maximum depths of 12 me-tres and little current, it’s perfect for be-ginner divers. After swimming across a large patch of white sand we’re greeted by a field of huge fan coral. Drifting over the massive structure, we become so entranced by vibrantly colored eels coiled among the coral branches and fat lobsters clinging to the underside of coral fronds that we almost miss two napping sea turtles.

As we drift over the sleepy reptiles, the smaller of the pair is startled and shoots off like a torpedo. The larger one, however, is a little more curious and decides to swim lazily over to inspect our group, delighting us with numerous photo opportunities.

Driving back to Kobe, with the fiery orange sun setting behind the purple silhouette of Wakayama’s rugged mountains, I think there is nothing better than the feeling of just having witnessed the wonders of the underwa-ter world. And the thought that I’ll be home in time for dinner.

Top left: Blue water diving, right: colorful fish dart among the corals Bottom left: squid, right: a curious sea turtle

Essentials

getting ThereBy train:

JR Kuroshio Express, which departs

roughly every hour from either Shin-

Osaka or Tennoji, takes approximately 3

hours to Kushimoto.

By car:

Follow the Hanshin Expressway to the

Hanwa Expressway, following it south

as it becomes the Yuasa-Gobo toll road,

then eventually Route 42. Follow Route

42 straight to Kushimoto. Approximately

three hours from Osaka, and four hours

from Kobe and Kyoto.

Diving servicesDive station (English spoken)

¥14,000 for two boat dives

642-1 Kushimoto, Kushimoto-cho,

Higashimuro-gu, Wakayama

Tel: 0735-62-7717

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.kushimoto.com

nanki seamans club (Japanese only)

¥18,000 for three boat dives

630 Kushimoto, Kushimoto-cho,

Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama

Tel: 0735-62-1258

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.aikis.or.jp/~nsc-2007

Lodgingminshuku nanki

¥2,500 per person with free WiFi. A

10min walk from Kushimoto station.

Tel: 0735-62-6155

Web: www3.ocn.ne.jp/~h21k

Urashima harbor hotel

¥5,400 per person. Spacious rooms with

an onsen on site to warm up post-dive.

Transfer service to and from Kushimoto

station is provided. All rooms are

smoking rooms.

Tel: 0735-62-1011

Web: www.urashimachain.co.jp/harbor

Further informationwww.fourthelement.jp/KansaiDiving

On Facebook join ‘Kansai Divers’

Or contact the author:

[email protected]

10

Feature

Water saved the cityHow a confluence of needs, invention, and genius brought new life to one of Japan’s most revered locations.Text and images: Alan Wiren

For centuries Kyoto was home to the emperors of Japan. Roads of tribute led there. She was a magnet for the exquisite and priceless from within and without the archipelago, along with essentials such as rice, salt, and firewood. But in the 19th century, three great fires ravaged the city, and when the imperial court was moved, in 1869, to the new capital city of Edo (later to become Tokyo), the tide of goods turned suddenly away. People of political influence and ordinary citizens began to flow steadily out of the city. Those who remained could see that a comprehensive plan to provide water, energy, and transportation was essential to revitalizing Kyoto as part of a rapidly modernizing Japan.

Even in moving away, Emperor Meiji had not turned his back on his former home. Both he and the mayor

of Kyoto were looking for a way to prevent the historically invaluable city from slipping into rural decay. The tactic they settled on had been rejected several times in the past. Building a canal between Lake Biwa and Kyoto had obvious merits, but the obstacles remained ominous. The five kilometer stretch from Otsu City, at the southern end of the lake, to northern Kyoto was, in itself, daunting. The cost would total 10 times the annual budget of Kyoto’s government. And there were moun-tains in the way.

The project might have washed out, once again, if not for the emergence of a genius with determination. Tanabe Sakuro had studied engineering, and in the practical part of his education, lost the use of his right hand. He responded by learning to write and do mechanical drawing with his left. When he com-

pleted his degree, he applied himself to the challenges of the canal and at 25 was commissioned as its chief engi-neer. One third of the cost was donated by the emperor. The rest was paid by the central government and local taxes. That left the mountains.

Tanabe’s solution was to send the water underground through brick lined tunnels. The tale of how he achieved the greatest Japanese engi-neering feat of his time is preserved in Kyoto’s Lake Biwa canal museum. Plans and sketches are displayed there detailing Tanabe’s project, along with photographs and artifacts document-ing his difficulties and successes.

There were no brickyards in Japan, so Tanabe responded by creating them. Pack animals were unavailable, so women volunteered to carry bricks to the tunnel sites. In the museum


you can find a copy of the text he wrote and used when teaching night classes to educate his workforce in unfamiliar technology.

A collection of brightly colored sake cups are examples of commemorative gifts made to celebrate completion of different phases of the construction, which continued from 1885 to 1890. Among them, a somber, black ink stone reminds us of the greater cost of grand endeavors. It is a memorial to a worker who died when one of the tun-nels collapsed during construction.

A short walk from the museum is the most striking feature of the still functioning canal. a roman-style aqueduct, also built from brick, stands just outside nanzenji Temple, attract-ing photographers from near and far, and serving as a backdrop in many a Japanese television drama.

From the top of the aqueduct you can walk along the canal to another of Tanabe’s constructions. From the beginning, the canal was designed to

accommodate wooden boats to carry goods and passengers along its route. It was not until three years into the construction that Tanabe was inspired to build Japan’s first hydroelectric power plant alongside it. Turning the waterwheels required a 36 meter drop. To get the boats over this hurdle, a small, two sided railway, called The incline, was built to allow two boats to exchange places from above and below. The Incline ceased operation 65 years ago. Now set with flagstones, it’s become a footpath lined with cherry trees that leads to a view of a fountain jetting above the surface of the broad waterway in front of the museum.

Electric power from Lake Biwa Canal transformed Kyoto from a city with a dark future into one lit up with streetlamps. It made possible Japan’s first electric railway that ran between Fushimi and Kyoto, facilitating trade between them, and it revitalized Kyoto’s textile industry. Although the two tons of water the canal brings

to the city every second is now used mostly for drinking water, fire fighting, and irrigation, and the power plant has been converted to a water treatment facility, the Lake Biwa Canal still now brings Kyoto the water of life.

Lake Biwa canal museumaccess: From exit 1 of Keage Station

on the Tozai Subway Line turn left

and bear right at the Y intersection.

The museum is a 5min walk from

the station.

Open: 9am-4:30pm, Mar to Nov; 9am-

4pm, Dec to Feb.

admission: free.

To reach the aqueduct, find the tunnel

through the brick wall running along

the street on the East side of Keage

Station. Follow signs to Nanzenji. The

aqueduct is just outside the main hall

of the temple in front of Nanzenin.

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12

Feature

Lights of the nightClouds of fireflies once lit the darkness of rural Japan. By a Shiga riverside, impassioned locals are working tirelessly to keep their light aglow.Text and images: Phil Colquhoun

Pulling into the station, Ominagaoka appears at first glance like any other rural Japanese town. But venture down one of its dark forest paths and you emerge into an eerie world where one of nature’s loveliest spectacles takes place over a fleeting period each June. Here, by the gently flowing river, the dim lights of countless float-ing creatures rhythmically pulse in the darkness.

These are Amanogawa fireflies. Beautiful yet vulnerable, they exist in a delicately balanced habitat of outstand-ing natural beauty that has been a government designated conservation area for over 60 years.

The amanogawa River really is one of the best spots in Japan to witness the annual spectacle of firefly breeding. And thanks to the ongoing efforts of locals, firefly larvae continue to hatch each June and a festival is held every year to coincide with this explosion of light. The insects are an integral part of this community and informal efforts have been made by generations of locals to preserve the population since 1926.

Although hard to imagine today, during WWII firefly numbers grew to such levels that a cessation of conser-vation activities was ordered for fear that the powerful glow emitted would attract allied bombers.

Not the most attractive of insects in daylight, the fireflies’ use of biolumi-nescence is really what sets them apart from other bugs of the night. This chemically produced light emitted from the abdomen is used rhythmi-cally, ranging from a constant glow to sudden flashes, mostly to assist finding a mate for the night. Studies estimate there are around 2,000 species of firefly worldwide; however, Luciola cruciata, or Genjibotaru, is found almost exclu-sively in Japan.

Since WWII, insect numbers have sadly dwindled, with a combination of construction, increased use of fertiliz-ers in farming, and the infamous Ise Bay typhoon in September 1959 bring-


ing fireflies to the brink of extinction. According to a 2004 study by the Ag-riculture Ministry’s Takashi Tsuda, the problem began when the fireflies’ food, the Kawanina (black snails), began to disappear. Next came the post-typhoon reconstruction, which lasted for five years and caused changes to the river’s course and flow, thus depriving the insects of optimum conditions needed for their life cycle.

Something had to be done and in 1972 by-laws were introduced to once again protect the insects and their environment. Some dedicated locals even took to hand-rearing fireflies in their own homes.

So, what’s the situation like today? Well, numbers are creeping back towards pre-war levels, thanks largely to the ongoing dedication of the local volunteer group. Sacks of charcoal are placed in the river to filter the water, efforts are coordinated with local farm-ers to ensure huge sheets are spread across sections of the river during fertilization of fields, and the river is dredged every 10 years to keep the water free of debris. Tomohiro Naka-gawa of the Maibara Council Tourism Department says that education is also key to protecting the area into the future. Nakagawa says: “Our volunteer

group visits local elementary schools each year and provides classes to the students and parents, giving advice on how to look after the area and preserve the amazing fireflies.”

Where the tributary Yurigawa River meets the Amano River, you may be lucky to see up to 1,200 fireflies on any one night, performing their silent courtship among the trees. Slowly floating by, they aren’t the most dif-ficult creatures to catch, but as their short lives permit only a few hours with which to find a mate and carry on the cycle, it’s best to just stand back, admire, and leave them to it.

The annual firefly festival occurs in the town of Ominagaoka on June 8, which marks the start of the watching season. A Hotaru (firefly) Parade will be staged by local elementary school-children at Rucchi Plaza in town, and will include a brass band and miko-shi (portable shrine). If you can’t make it on the 8th, don’t worry because the peak time for seeing fireflies lasts around two weeks. Also, an exhibition will be held throughout this period explaining the 80-year history of conservation around Amanogawa and the biology of the insects. There are various view-ing spots along the river and at nearby

green Park, all within a 5-10 minute walk away from the festival’s hub of Rucchi Plaza. Here you’ll find the exhibition and food stalls, plus every-thing you need to know at the event information desk.

The Amanogawa festival is unique in that it supports a real conservation project. Each June, it aims to put the spotlight on fireflies, educating visitors about the journey these insects have taken over the last century and how their numbers are intrinsically linked to human activity and understanding. At this particular show, the fireflies are the stars, and long may they remain so.

Getting there:

Catch the JR Biwako Line to Maibara and change to the JR

Tokaido Main Line bound for Ogaki. This is just an 8min ride

to Ominagaoka Station. From the station it’s just a 5min walk

to Rucchi Plaza adjacent to Santo library, just 800 metres

from the station exit across the river off route 244.

When to visit:The festival starts on June 8th. An exhibition will be open

throughout the duration of the firefly’s activity, which will

usually be 2 weeks from opening day. Peak viewing is

between 8-9pm.

Tips for your trip:Maibara Council have requested that visitors use public

transport to avoid congestion. Please visit responsibly to

minimize your impact on the area – take all your trash back

with you and resist the temptation to catch the insects!

Torches or camera flashes may disrupt the fireflies.

14

Made in Kansai

Bottling up mother natureThe waterfalls at Nunobiki are a popular tourist attraction in Kobe. As well as photographing them, you can now drink the waterfalls...for an eye-watering price.Text: Matthew Coslett • Images: Fillico

Unbeknownst to many Kansai resi-dents, the water that cascades down a waterfall near downtown Kobe is some of the most popular in Japan. Often simply called ‘Kobe water’, what flows down nunobiki waterfalls has tradi-tionally been held in such high esteem that it appears in the famous Tales of Ise. In these classic poems, there are a number of verses describing the water-fall’s “cascading gems”, which are said to have kept visitors enthralled. Lovers of sake may also know that Nunobiki’s water is one of the ‘big 100’ group of waters used for making the superior sakes. The world famous Nada-gogo sakes owe a large part of their success to the flavour that manufacturers claim comes from Kobe water. Naturally, as

the popularity of the water has contin-ued to grow, so too has the price peo-ple are willing to pay just to drink the water itself. In 2005, a company called Fillico spotted the gap in the market and began offering Japanese custom-ers the chance to drink part of their country’s history. With the price of some bottles costing over ¥10,000, the product is significantly more expensive than many wines and champagnes, yet it remains as popular as ever.

“I know of some famous cooks who come all the way to Osaka to get this water for their cooking,” says Reiko Wakisaka of Fillico. As senior manager, she has seen the product’s popular-ity expand from Kansai to the rest of Japan and beyond. “Some people have

even moved to live here just for the water,” she says. “Our president used to own a chain of restaurants and bars and he always chose Kobe water for these establishments. He often says that he wouldn’t consider any other product beside Kobe water to do business with.”

Reiko adds that Nuno-biki waterfall is especially well-known for having “delicious water”. This statement may baffle some people as most would assume that water tastes, well, like water. However,


recently there are signs that water may become the next designer drink of choice. Connoisseurs insist that water has many distinctive tastes and should be savoured like the finest wines. To encourage people to take a further interest in the topic, the Nestle Waters website lists 36 different descriptions of the experience of drinking water and how to distinguish them. There are even professional water tasters (or aqua sommeliers) who have made a lucra-tive career out of advising companies how to improve the flavour of their wa-ter products. So what does Fillico itself taste like? Unfortunately, this writer’s budget didn’t stretch to buying a bot-tle, but according to the promotional material, Fillico’s taste is both “smooth” and “refreshing”.

Because of the importance of having the right taste, Fillico use a water-bottling factory at Nunobiki itself to draw water directly from the waterfall. Then a specialized heat pasteurization technique is used instead of chemical pasteurization to make sure the water is safe and pure enough to drink. The heat pasteurization is preferred because it alters the taste as little as possible and also helps to maintain the miner-als, which are considered to promote flavour and good health.

From there the water is sealed in bottles ready to be sold. As Fillico is a luxury product, the bottle itself is one of the most attractive things about the brand. The exterior of each bottle is encrusted with swarovski crystals, with one of the most popular bottles

featuring crystals arranged into a glit-tering bottle top shaped like the former Roman Emperor Fredrich II’s crown. While this may sound unusual, Reiko explains that Fillico’s president often cites Friedrich II’s power, leadership, wealth and historical influence as his inspiration. “He was particularly impressed by the images of Friedrich II, which formed the basic idea for the design of our bottles.”

Being a Japanese brand, there have, of course, been special editions of this water designed to appeal to the unique demands of the home market. A hello Kitty special bottle bearing her face and a bow of crystals was released recently, and the RosaAngelo featuring a cheeky cupid on the bottle cap is naturally popular for weddings. “The beautifully decorated bottles can be loved by anyone,” Reiko says. “For many of our customers, the bottles may be a memento of their special occasion; a wedding, birthday, anniversary – any event. All the bottles are handmade and we even take name orders to make your bottle completely unique and customized for your special day.”

When I ask her about the future of the company, Reiko describes Fillico’s growth in the global market. The product has recently been adopted by Hollywood luxury lovers and has made appearances at numerous parties and celebrity bashes. In addition, the Middle East has been a surprising new market for the brand. “Our customers in these areas use our water for their special occasions like weddings,” Reiko

explains. “Since most of them are of the Islamic faith, they do not drink alcohol, so the water is preferred for their parties. They also really like our designs on the bottles.” Despite their popularity abroad, Reiko assures us that the company are not about to abandon their roots. “Fillico is con-nected to Kansai, because we started business in Kansai,” she says. “Kansai is Fillico’s home.”

Luxury in a bottle

While Fillico is one of the most

expensive water products in the

world, there is a surprisingly

large amount of competition in

luxury water.

Designed and marketed

specifically for the nouveau riche

hip-hop set, a 750ml bottle of

Bling h2O will cost between

¥4,000 and ¥6,000 depending

on how much ‘bling’ is

on the bottle.

10 Thousand Bc, the current

Canadian prime minister’s

drink of choice, is named for

the 10,000-year old glacial

ice from which it is made. It’ll

set you back about ¥1,000

for a 750ml bottle.

If glacial ice isn’t extravagant

enough, try drinking a bottled

iceberg. Taken from the floating

ice found off the coast of

Canada, Berg is available for a

comparatively reasonable ¥700

for 750ml.

The Fuji area in Japan has

long been an important

part of national identity.

And now water from this

iconic volcanic area, sold

under the name Finé, can

be yours for only ¥600 for

750ml.


Pina Khana

•address: 652-0035 Hyogo-ken,

Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ku, Nishitamondori,

1-3-31 1F (3min from Hankyu

Kosoku-kobe Stn, or 8min from JR

Kobe Stn). Parking available.

•Tel: 078-576-7838

•Open: Lunch 11am–3pm, Dinner

5pm–10pm

•Price range: ¥787–¥4,000

•go to dish: Butter Chicken Masala

•Best bit: Mint chutney. Slap it on the

tandoori chicken and enjoy

•Worst bit: Location. Great if you live

in the area, but a little out of the way

otherwise

Food and drink

masala magicAfter enormous success in the ‘90s, Pina Khana are spicing things up again with the opening of a new branch in Kobe.Text and images: KS

Pina Khana Kobe opened its doors in March this year, the latest incarnation of a chain of restaurants that at one time could be found up and down the country. Meaning literally wine and dine in Hindi, the Pina Khana brand has been nurtured by its founder Ravi Sharma, a 60-something entrepreneur whose adventures in Japan began way back in 1970.

After a stint as a hotelier and fashion retailer, his foray into the restaurant business began in 1990 with a tiny 40m/sq establishment in Osaka’s Kappa Yokocho, an arcade of hole-in-the-wall eateries tucked behind Hankyu station in Umeda. From this small place was born a recipe for success that Ravi used as a template to rapidly launch Pina Khanas all over Japan during the ‘90s. Most have since ceased operations, however, with the last remaining ves-tige to be found at the Universal City branch. Until now that is.

The spacious, open-plan interior of restaurant number 25, Pina Khana Kobe, contains many of the details one might find in Indian restaurants the world over - Ganesh statues, indian textiles, screens show-ing Bollywood movies, and... wait a minute, is that a gramophone? Antiques and cu-riosities accumu-lated by Ravi over 40 years help add to the ambience,

but the functional table settings and laminated menus remind us that we’re here to dine, not to browse.

Two chefs busy themselves behind a long wooden counter under Ravi’s watchful eye. We’ve ordered the indian Thali set for two, a generous selection of three curries, tandoori chicken, rice, salad, naan bread, poppadoms and dessert. A veritable feast, and at just ¥2,980 it’s great value.

The Saag Chicken (spinach and chicken curry) is mild, yet incred-ibly moreish, a perfect foil to the rich, creamy sauce of the Butter Chicken Masala and the complex blend of a zil-lion spices that is the Keema curry. All three curries mop-up exceedingly well with the freshly baked naan bread and there is plenty for two people. Drinks are extra, but an iced-cold Indian Kingfisher or Golden Eagle lager pairs well with curry, as does a soothing lassi when things get a little too spicy.

The homemade mint-chutney that accompanies the succulent Tandoori Chicken is a real treat. It isn’t often that

the entire serving of any one condi-ment gets polished off, but this tangy sauce will have you reaching for more, and more. As with everything else on the menu, I am reassured that the recipe has re-mained unchanged for 20 years.

For many that have enjoyed din-

ing at a Pina Khana before, this new Kobe location will provide a wel-come chance to enjoy such perennial favourites as Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese curry) and Butter Prawn Masala once again. For everyone else looking for some top-notch indian dining in Kobe, you won’t be disappointed to seek it out.


Kansai Seen

Life through the lens of Kansai based photographers


herons and cranes of the Kamogawa river

A great variety of wildlife can be found along the Kamogawa river in Kyoto, incuding many species of herons, eygrets and cranes (collectively known as sagi in Japanese). They gather to feast on the young ayu and other fish that can be spotted in the shallows.

Photographs by

Stuart Gibson

stuartgibson.aminus3.com


Language

it never rains, but it pours

The rainy season is upon us. Like all sea-sons in Japan, tsuyu can be relied upon to come knocking right on schedule and when it comes, you best be prepared with kasa (umbrella) and kappa (rain jacket) close to hand. You will inevitably

get caught out however and will find yourself having to ex-plain in Japanese just what kind of rain you got soaked with. Shower yourself with these watery expressions and you’ll never feel out of your depth again.

expressions

雨は嫌ですね Ame wa iya desu ne

It’s no fun when it rains

良く降りますね Yoku furimasu ne

It’s raining a lot (today/recently)

今日も雨みたいですね Kyo mo ame mitai desu ne

Looks like it will rain today too

傘を持っていくのを忘れないでね Kasa o motteiku no o wasure-naide ne

Don’t forget your umbrella

ビショビショになった Bisho bisho ni natta!

I got soaked!

Types of rain

小降り Koburi Spitting

小雨 Kosame Light rain

大雨 Ooame Heavy rain

バケツをひっくり返したような雨 Bakettsu o hikkirukaeshita you na ame

Torrential rain (bucketing down)

しとしと降る Shitoshito furu Prolonged shower

雷雨 Rai-u Thunder storms

にわか雨 Niwaka ame April showers (stop and start, repeat)

Vocab

梅雨 Tsuyu The rainy season

傘 Kasa Umbrella

長靴 Nagagutsu Wellies/gum boots

カッパ Kappa Rain coat

虹 Niji Rainbow

海外生活日記

What’s it like living in...indonesia?

In Bali, Island of the Gods,

Kazue is fulfilling her destiny of starting

a nursery where children can play and

fully express themselves. KS asked her

all about it.

バリ島で何をしていますか。保育園の活動と母業です。保育園で、ひとりでも多くのこどもとママの笑顔を守りたい！ママが笑顔ならパパも笑顔！そうやって笑顔の輪を広げていきたいです。バリ島へ住むきっかけ。東洋医学に興味を持ち、フリーランスの商業デザイナーからセラピストに転身し、心斎橋でアロマヒーリングサロンを経営していました。ある日、サロンに立ち寄ったバリ島をよく知るデザイナー仲間が「来週、バリにまた行くねんけど行く？」、「行くわ」

「えっ！」「行くで！」と。初めてのバリ、飛行機のタラップを降りた瞬間に何かに絡めとられたような気がします。ここが私の住まうところだと「帰ってきた」と感じたのです。それから3か月後、サロン移転や労働ビザの取得し移住しました。バリで保育園をされているんですね！2010年に長男を日本語補習校のプレイグループに入れたことが、教育を考えるきっかけでした。翌年3歳になる息子には、土曜日午前中のみの補習校の授業か現地幼稚園の選択肢がありました。幼稚園では小学校入学までに読み書きや計算を習得させるため、遊びよりも勉強に重点を置いていました。こどもを遊ばせたい！―これが園を立ち上げることになったきっかけです。現在は保育士さんや現地の日本人の親御さんたちの協力を得て運営しています。多くの人々が、この保育の方法も選択肢のひとつ、と考えてくれる日を願っています。また、バリには日本で被災し、避難されてきた方もおられるようなので、情報交換の場所にできないかと思案中です。普段は何語を話していますか。家族とはインドネシア語、こどもとは日本語です。学習方法は王道の

「辞書」を使って調べること、友達を捕まえて「喋って、喋って」攻撃。（笑）親戚にはバリ語しか話せない人も多いので、バリ語も勉強中です。海外で子育てをしてよかったこと・困ったこと。おおらかさと、みんながこどもを大好きなこと。ぐずっている子みると、だれかれなくかまってくれます。大きな声で話していても、嬉しそうに見守ってくれます。困ることは、医療の遅れと迷信、宗教にまつわること。熱が出ても薬を飲ませるより、葉っぱを貼るとか．．．。バリ島での生活、ここが好き！自然がいっぱい！ヒンズーの教えもこころが落ち着きます。スピリチュアルなことが、当たり前のこととして、みんなの日常に溶け込んでいることが楽です。

Follow Kazue

Blog: http://ameblo.jp/baliganesha-rakuen

Interview by Sarasa Kitano

22

sumibi jidori & Bishu ayamuya炭火地鶏・美酒あやむ屋

•address: Osaka-shi, Fukushima-ku,

Fukushima 5-17-39

•Tel: 06-6455-7270

•access: a few minutes walk from JR

Fukushima, Hanshin Fukushima and

JR Shin-Fukushima stations.

•Open: Monday to Saturday 5:30pm–

11pm. Last order 9:30pm.

•english: limited on menu, very little

spoken

•Price: ¥300 flat entry fee per person;

skewers start at ¥180 a piece; VISA

card accepted

•go to dish: liver pâté with baguette

•Best bit: the best yakitori in Osaka

•Worst bit: course menu not

recommended for the squeamish

Food and drink

Best bird in townOsaka’s only Michelin-starred yakitori restaurant takes the humble chicken to celestial heights while keeping prices down to earth.Text and images: Barry Louie

Why, you may ask, would an unpreten-tious, 20-seater yakitori joint be on everyone’s radar? Because in 2009, this establishment became Osaka’s only Michelin-starred yakitori restaurant. With its single star, Ayamuya has prov-en that Osakan street food can hold its own alongside the haute cuisine of Tokyo, and has given Kansai diners an-other place that serves seriously good food at reasonable prices.

On a recent visit to Ayamuya, I asked owner/chef Takumi Naganuma why he thought his restaurant was included in the Michelin guide. The Michelin judging criteria tends to be both subjective and secretive, so Naga-numa said he could only speculate that he was recognized for his commitment to quality and consistency.

Using only free-range chicken grilled over Wakayama charcoal, Naganuma offers four set courses, ranging from the 7-kushi (skewer) course (¥2,200) to the 10-kushi Omakase (up-to-the-chef) “B” course (¥4,900). Both Omakase A and B courses have otsukuri moria-

wase, a selection of several types of raw chicken sashimi (¥1,600), plus grilled vegetables like shishito (green peppers, ¥350) and yamaimo (mountain yam, ¥400).

But if you dislike surprises, organs (gizzards, male gonads and the like), or unrecognizable parts, it’s best to skip the set courses and order a la carte, where you’ll find yakitori standards such as negima (thigh meat with spring onion, ¥340), teba (wing, ¥280), tsukune (meatball, ¥240), and yakioni-giri (grilled rice ball, ¥250). Depending on the cut of chicken, choose from shio (salt), tare (standard yakitori mari-nade) or supaisu (a piquant dusting reminiscent of garam masala).

The drinks menu is compact, but impressive: Suntory Premium Malts on tap, premier cru champagne, Belgian beers, various shochu, and a short, but representative wine list with new and old world selections.

Of all the items sampled on my visit, the highlight was the creamy, Calva-dos-infused chicken liver pâté (¥950)

served with slices of toasted baguette. Allow the ramekin to warm to room temperature and mix the yellow butter in before spreading onto the bread. My companion and I wrestled with each other for the last smear of pâté.

Because Ayamuya is so popular, and seats so few, plan ahead to get in. It’s best to reserve a seat by phone (Japa-nese only), but if you pop your head in as the first wave begins to leave, around 8:30-9pm, you may just be able to cruise right in without waiting.

While popular chain-shop To-rikizoku may offer the cheapest yakitori in town, Ayamuya has become the gourmet benchmark for yakitori in Osaka. So head over to Fukushima and add a Michelin-starred restaurant to your Facebook page. Your wallet will hardly notice.


Film previews

The great gatsbyJune 14 • 142 mins • Drama • Director: Baz Lurhmann

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire

It’s a book many said could never be brought to the silver screen, but that hasn’t stopped Hollywood profiting from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, The Great Gatsby, time and time again. Although Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation is one of the most anticipated films of 2013, it is in fact the 5th cinematic release of the novel, the first harking back to 1926. There have also been a number of television movies, and even an operatic take on the narrative that graced the boards in 1999.

Set in the summer of 1922, the story is narrated by World War I veteran turned New York-based bonds salesman, Nick Carraway (Maguire). Written in 1925, the original story was set during an extravagant decade during which an eco-nomic crash seemed as likely as an alien invasion. With themes of lavishness and opulence, eccentric wealth is personified by the dashing Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio), who has a passion for parties and beautiful women, namely the stunning Daisy Buchanan (Mulligan).

With the book unknowingly set before the great depression, the film has the po-tential to hold up a harsh looking glass to our own current dire economy and the elaborate consumerism that drove it into the dirt. Instead (and perhaps rightly so), the film concentrates on the razzle-dazzle of the book, with DiCaprio swaggering perfectly in the shoes of Gatsby, swigging champagne and charming everyone on and off screen. Maguire may seem like a strange choice for Carraway, but he holds his own as the intrepid narrator, but with such an amazing supporting cast, he is just another cog in the machine.

The machine does run smoothly, however, with the two-hour-plus running-time flying by. The film appeases bookworms to a degree, but it has its sights set on a wider audience, many of whom may not have heard of the book, let alone read it. In short, like the vast majority of book-to-screen adaptations, Lurhmann’s latest of-fering is a watered down version of the original. But for a cinematic medium, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Jun 14

G.I. Joe: Retaliation. © 2012 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

g.i. Joe: RetaliationJune 8 • 110 mins • Action • Director: Jon M. Chu • Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne PalickiFor the very few loyal fans who waited years for this sequel, the franchise hasn’t matured like a fine wine, but festered like a bad cheese. Jon M. Chu, the man responsible for the horrifying Justin Bieber documentary, Never Say Never, takes the reins as director. Although center stage on the poster, Bruce Willis is only in the latter half of the movie, but Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson does what he does best and is the only good thing about this action flop. In short, the G.I. Joe department are blacklisted and they must fight Cobra and bureaucracy simultaneously.

garden of Words 言の葉の庭May 31 • 46 mins • Romance • Director: Makoto Shinkai • Starring: Miyu Irino, Kana HanazawaAn anime for grown-ups, Garden of Words is a slow paced movie with a focus on romance and mystery. Young shoemaker Takao, meets Yukino in his backyard while practicing his trade. By chance, fate, or pure luck, the two meet on a regular basis, but only on rainy days; but with the rainy season soon coming to an end, what will happen to their budding relationship? At just 46 minutes long, the film is a short and sweet sample from writer/director, Makoto Shinkai.

It’s Me It’s Me. © 2012 J Storm Inc.

it’s me it’s me 俺俺May 25 • 119 mins • Comedy • Director: Satoshi Miki • Starring: Kazuya Kamenashi, Yuki Uchida, Ryo KaseSatoshi Miki had a tricky task, adapting the script from Tomoyuki Hoshino’s awesome novel and directing it as well. A book that won the 2010 Kenzaburo Oe Prize, it follows a scam artist who prays on the elderly, calling them up and saying “it’s me, it’s me,” in the hope of wangling a bank transfer. But a snowball effect of losing your own identity and stealing another reaches the very edges of Japanese society, making this a comedy and modern commentary that’s well worth a trip to the flicks.

© 2

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Don’t forget you can find a list of local cinemas (and what’s playing) online at:

www.kansaiscene.com/cinemas/

26 Kansai scene magazine JUNE 2013 kansaiscene.com

Feature

Kabuki 101Curious about the larger-than-life drama and costume of kabuki shows, but too scared to commit? Doing a little pre-theatre prep work will pay rich dividends for the overall experience. KS puts together a crash course to get you started.Text: Sam Evans • Images: Courtesy of Shochiku Co.

Those ghostly white faces, the eerie sound effects, and the ap-parently completely random yells from the crowd... yep, the traditional Japanese performance art of kabuki can at first seem a bit perplexing, if not downright strange, to the average gaijin. But take a closer look, and you’ll see that this 400 year-old art form is in fact a wonderfully entertaining insight into Japanese culture. For those yet to experience its magic, we’ve put together a crash course to help in appreciating the wildly popular and enduring spectacle that is kabuki.

Kabuki’s roots can be traced back to 1603 when shinto priest-ess Izumo no Okuni began performing a new style of dance drama in the dry riverbeds of Kyoto. People were immediately drawn to her dynamic method of storytelling and the salacious themes that were explored and often extended off-stage, as many of the exclusively-female performers offered services beyond the dramatic variety. Following the Tokugawa shogunate’s relocation from Kyoto, word soon spread to Edo where kabuki exploded onto the social scene, finding popularity in Yoshiwara; the city’s registered red light district. Here the art brought together people of all classes in a way that had never been seen before, and thea-tres became iniquitous social stages where Edoites came to see and be seen in all the latest fashions.

From this point kabuki experienced many changes: from be-ing temporarily driven underground by disapproving shoguns to the switching of emphasis solely to male actors through a ban on women. Despite the controversy that once surrounded the ban, however, the emphasis on male actors, or onnagata, is a tradition that persists to this day. Today kabuki, literally meaning “song dance skill”, remains extremely popular and is the most viewed of all the traditional Japanese performing arts.

The unique style of kabuki comprises exaggerated and ex-tremely stylised acting with elaborate costumes to match. This


is important because, much like our Shakespearean plays, kabuki is an old art form performed in an archaic tongue, which even the most exquisite-ly cultured of natives may sometimes struggle to understand. The makeup worn by the different characters also helps to reinforce the narrative and is the most instantly recognisable aspect of the spectacle. Character appearance, however, is just one of many conven-tions in kabuki. Equally unique to the art form is the stage itself, which houses more effect-creating intrica-cies than one would care to shake an ame-uchiwa (that’s the beaded fan used to mimic the sound of rain incase you didn’t know) at... I’ll stop there with the witty references and fill you in.

The revolving stage, or mawaributai, allows the quick changing of scenes, often during a brief period of darkness (chompa) before a transfixed and hope-fully not too nyctophobic audience. Pioneered in the Kyoho era, the ma-waributai is rotated on wheels by stage assistants, although modern theatres now mostly rely on the convenience of electrical power.

Adding to the art’s spectacular nature, kabuki actors often enter the stage via extraordinarily dramatic means. The senri, for example, allows characters to emerge from below the stage, sometimes while attached to ca-bles to create a flying effect, or chunori (think Peter Pan meets Memoirs Of A Geisha). The hanamichi, literally mean-ing “flower path”, is a raised walkway

used for when characters emerge from behind the audience. Such entrances often result in shouts from audience members, but don’t take this to be a sign of disrespect. On the contrary, if the well-dressed Japanese guy sitting next to you suddenly leaps out of his seat and starts yelling, rest assured that he is chanting an actor’s yagao (traditional troupe name) in a show of adoration...either that or he just spilled hot sake on his lap.

Kabuki programs are all-day affairs, but you can purchase a ticket for just the matinee or evening show (each still being four hours) if you don’t feel like staying for the long haul. The day is usually split up into three plays sepa-rated by intervals in which spectators typically discuss the play while con-suming traditional food and drinks.

If you’re still mystified why so many people pay to be locked in a theatre for 11 hours straight, this is how Osaka resident and kabuki-enthusiast, Yuko Hamamoto, explains her passion for the artform: “The things that I enjoy most about kabuki are the ways in which the actors perform the stories. The costumes are beautiful and the dancing is fascinating and creates a great atmosphere for the audience to enjoy.”

Yuko Abe, of the Minamiza kabuki theatre in Kyoto, says it’s the perform-ers’ distinct skills that makes kabuki so appealing. “Their acting styles are truly unique and cannot be seen in any other art form. You can enjoy the

actors’ flamboyant and exaggerated gestures, dancing, and dialogue used in the performance.”

And how has this art form, which has kept the same format for hundreds of years, stood the test of time to be popular even today? Abe explains “People can find the source for the true Japanese art form in kabuki and that is why so much effort has been made to defend its tradition. One can travel back in time just by seeing kabuki.”

So what are you waiting for? Get to one of Kansai’s two very own world class kabuki theatres; the minamiza in Kawaramachi or the shochiku-za on Dotonbori and experience kabuki for yourself.

Where and when to see kabuki in Kansai

Kyoto minamizaEast side, Shijo-ohashi-bridge, Higashiyama-ku,

Kyoto

Access: City bus to Shijo Kawaramachi. Hankyu

railways: Kawaramachi station exit 1, 3min walk.

June: Kiyoshi & naomi concert (comedy)

July: Tokyo story (drama)

august: OsK girls’ Opera (opera/musical)

september: Kouka (drama)

October: amaterasu (drama)

november: Kabuki museum

December: Kaomise Kabuki

Osaka shochiku-za9-19, Dotonbori 1-chome, Chu-ku, Osaka

Access: Osaka city subway, Namba exit 14,

1min walk.

June: Ooku (drama)

July: July Kabuki

september: Untitled play (drama)

October: October Kabuki

november: shochiku comedy (comedy)

More details:

kabuki-bito.jp/eng

Far left: Famous contemporary Kabuki actor 海老蔵 (Ebizo) Ebizo strikes a pose as the character 荒獅子男之助 (Arajisshi Otokono) Above: Take a peek backstage and walk along the hanamichi on one of the special Kabuki Museum tours Bottom right: Edo period ukiyo-e print depicting a scene in a kabuki play


Books

a David of a book to Japan’s goliathA self-avowed geek reinvents the cultural guidebook genre for readers of the Internet age in this insightful and eye-catching tome.Text: Catherine Jao

At just 160 pages, this slim book doesn’t seem to offer much at all. How-ever, we all know how the saying goes.

Unlike many travel guidebooks out there that focus extensively on the places to see and things to do, A Geek in Japan focuses instead on trying to better understand Japan and its people. Spinning off from the author’s hugely successful blog, www.kirainet.com, this book is written by Hector Garcia, a Spaniard with a highly inquisitive mind and a gift for photography. Garcia has been living in Japan for more than 9 years, and he comes across as a foreigner who has been actively immersing himself in Japanese culture, trying to figure out and answer the many niggling questions any visitor to Japan eventually finds himself asking as they travel around the country.

“Japan is completely different from the West,” he writes. “It’s like living in an alien country.” However, by living, studying and working here, he learned to gradually understand this country he now calls home. “I’ve always liked to write about what I learned since I was a kid using notebooks,” he continues. “Using a blog format was a natural step for me to share what I learn with everyone. It’s also a very good format to learn from people, since most of the time the people commenting know more than me about what I write.” After establishing himself online, Gar-cia decided to foray into the word of books. With starting material from the best of his posts and culled from his

various experiences, A Geek in Japan combines short yet insightful articles with eye-catching photography, which makes for an easy read.

He gives a brief overview on fairly standard topics such as Japan’s history, its traditional arts and disciplines, and uses the last two chapters on visiting Tokyo and tips for travelers visiting Japan. But the book’s more interesting bits are found in the middle chapters covering life in Japan and its popular culture. What’s the deal with their interest in blood types? What are their daily lives like? What is it like working for a Japanese company? Where did manga and anime come from? All these satisfying questions are answered, and while it does get repetitive in some parts, this doesn’t take away from the unique information he imparts, and the refreshingly straightforward obser-vations he shares with the reader.

For all those who have already had a taste of Japanese culture, yet are left with wanting to understand more; or for visitors and Japanese pop culture fans who want a more in-depth look into the heart of Japan, there’s defi-nitely something to be picked up from this book.

hector’s favourite modern culture spots in Kansai

Kyoto international manga museum

As far as museums in Kansai go,

Hector says it doesn’t get better

than this.

www.kyotomm.jp/english

1st nintendo building

Video game addicts can make a

pilgrimage to Kyoto to see Nintendo’s

very first building. Check Hector’s

website for the location’s Google

map link.

www.kirainet.com/english/first-

nintendo-building

Village Vanguard (Osaka)

Manga maniacs need look no further

than Village Vanguard, found dotted

in many locations around Kansai. This

one’s conveniently located inside the

Loft building in Umeda.

www.loft.co.jp/shoplist/umeda

Free Stuff!One lucky KS reader

can win a copy of A Geek in Japan.

To enter the draw email your name

to: [email protected]

by June 17.

Mark the subject

‘A Geek in Japan’.

•Title: A Geek in Japan: Discovering the

Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea

Ceremony

•author: Hector Garcia

•Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

•isBn: 9784805311295

•Price: ¥1,800

•Format: 190.5x254mm 160pp paperback


gO_sUKe•address: Osaka, Kita-ku, Sonezaki-

cho 2-5-24, Chuo building, 3/4F

•access: 7min walk from Osaka/

Umeda train stations. From the

ground floor look up for the big

awning

•Opening hours: 6pm-5am, 365

days a year

•Price Range: Food (appetizers,

salads and pizzas) ¥100-1480;

Drinks ¥200-15,000

•go to dish: any pizza

•go to drink: test tubes for a trip

back to high-school science class

•Best bit: fun and lively atmosphere

•Worst bit: they don’t open for lunch

Kansai scene Promotion

The social networkA warm, friendly vibe - courtesy of a wood-fire oven and communal seating - sets this Napoli-style pizza joint apart from the rest.Text: Daniel Tang • Images: GO_SUKE

A freezing cold Norwegian winter wouldn’t be the first association one makes with Beer & Pizza gO_sUKe, but the connection is important in understanding the motivation behind Umeda’s new casual dining bar.

Manager gosuke asada’s inspi-ration for great pizza traces back to junior high school, on his first individual trip abroad to Norway for a ski camp. His English was limited, and his Norwegian coaches couldn’t speak Japanese either. “I was very nervous,” he remembers. After arriving in Oslo, Asada found himself waiting for a train to the ski camp, isolated and hungry. Waiting for him, in turn, was pizza to satiate his physical hunger and placate his emotional qualms. “That pizza was so delicious,” he says. “I had eaten pizza before, but I thought that was my best encounter with pizza at the time.” Asada understands broader contexts of a meal all contribute to its experi-ence. He’s combined this with a lifelong interest in social spaces, in the hope of creating a unique place for visitors.

Back at his restaurant, his proposal for guests is, therefore, a simple one: come in, have great food and drinks, and prepare to be social. The social aspect is adroitly achieved through the open-plan layout of the bar’s first floor: large tables and benches dominate the room, enabling guests to mingle with ease. The use of real wood – for furni-ture and fuel for the pizza oven – adds a rich, palatable dimension to the mix.

Upstairs is a slightly different affair: the music is less upbeat, the décor more sophisticated, and the lighting more soft and intimate. One large table encourages shared seating, empha-sising Asada’s ideals. It’s the perfect setting for a party or work event, considering that use of the amenities (projector, mic and screen) incur no extra charge. Asada doesn’t want price to get in the way of having a memo-rable experience (no table or entrance charge either), a belief reflected in the food and drinks.

The dough base for their 10 offerings of Napoli-styled pizza is made from

100% imported Italian flour. Each pizza uses high quality ingredients and they’re freshly made and cooked in a custom-built, wood-fired oven Their most popular pizza is a simply delicious combination of Italian ham, a mix of five herbs, and cheese (¥1,480 for regular size).

On the drinks front, GO_SUKE’s selection has something for almost everyone. In addition to standard beers and spirits, the menu features 40 organic wines, a variety of original cocktails and fun beverages such as their test tube concoctions (¥1,800). A standout service of the bar is its bottle policy: buy a bottle of spirits and they’ll keep it without charge for six months, throwing in free ice and soda water for the duration of its existence. Now that’s the GO_SUKE experience.


Feature

Buckets of coolFighting Kansai’s aggressive summer heat in an eco-friendly way is easy. All you need is a bamboo ladle, bucket of water, and a little wrist action.Text: Adam Miller

With summer fast approaching, the sweating hordes will no doubt flock to the air-conditioned paradises of shop-ping malls, cinemas and the frozen sections of their local supermarkets. But there is a more traditional and eco-friendly way to keep cool this sum-mer, a technique that has been around since the Edo Period and is still widely practiced nationwide to this very day.

Uchi Mizu is the simple act of using a bamboo ladle and bucket to sprinkle water on the street outside your shop or house, usually while wearing a fetching yukata. It may seem primitive, but the water does not only cool the surface of the sidewalk (which is often paved with concrete, a serial offender for absorbing and storing heat), it also sucks cool air downwards as the water

evaporates, much the same as our own natural defense against heat, sweating.

The evaporation may only cool the air by a couple of degrees, but the effects are clearly noticeable, not least because the air being drawn to street level can also alleviate the aggressive humidity that plagues the Kansai area every year.

Traditionally, the custom was just another example of how important community spirit is to Japan; as shop owners would not only wet the entrance to their own shop, but those next door as well. The water also helped keep the streets clean and so more inviting to potential customers. It may seem basic, but leaving food scraps on the floor on a scorching summer day does not only look dirty, it

can cause a stench to frighten off even the most determined of shoppers.

Although it was once a common practice for shop owners, today, domestic Uchi Mizu has had a spike in popularity, as it is seen as a more envi-ronmentally friendly way to cool down the area surrounding your home. Some may think it is rather wasteful to pour perfectly good water on the floor, but the official English website (not perfect English, but English nonetheless www.uchimizu.jp/language/en), suggests that you either collect rainwater, or reuse bath water. They are also quick to point out that it can be beneficial to everyone, no matter their living ar-rangements: “It works not only on road surfaces, but also on roofs, verandahs, walls, both in sunny places and shade.”


This month in Kansai

061ART

Tokyo Type Directors club exhibition 2013Details p.38

2EVENT

Kagi no Jamaki imazato no JamakiDetails p.34

3ART

Yumiko morisue: Wandering along the RoadDetails p.39

4ART

Dialogue of garden Details p.38

5EVENT

agata FestivalDetails p.35

6CLUB

minilogue “Blomma” Release Party @circusDetails p.40

7EVENT

Belgian Beer Weekend Osaka 2013Details p.35

8CLUB

cyber Japan presents Bikini night summer 2013 @grand cafeDetails p.40

9EVENT

azuchi nobunagaDetails p.35

10EVENT

Water clock FestivalDetails p.35

11CLUB

Pure Osaka 8th anniversary @circusDetails p.41

12EVENT

candle night at Osaka city Details p.36

13ART

great French Paintings from the clarkDetails p.39

14CLUB

Tightrope Dancing @circusDetails p.40

15EVENT

Tahara Firefly FestivalDetails p.35

16LIVE

chick corea and stanley clarkeDetails p.44

17LIVE

LauDetails p.45

18ART

Yu Kiwanami: appetite for PaintingDetails p.38

19EVENT

Whale WatchingDetails p.34

20ART

art salad 7Details p.39

21LIVE

crazy Ken Band @namba hatchDetails p.44

22EVENT

Kyoto antique FairDetails p.36

23ART

glass Design from Finland, the Land of Forests and LakesDetails p.38

24LIVE

monday michiru @Billboard Live OsakaDetails p.45

25LIVE

Van halen @municipal central gymnasiumDetails p.44

26EVENT

music Festa nara 2013Details p.35

27ART

Robert n. mooreDetails p.39

28CLUB

DJ harvey 2013 Platinum Tour of Japan @circusDetails p.41

29EVENT

Rainy day water funDetails p.36

30EVENT

Fête de la musiqueDetails p.36


Hauling huge straw jamaki serpents in Nara

Kagi no Jamaki imazato no Jamaki 鍵の蛇巻き今里の蛇巻きFRee Yasaka-jinja and surroundings in Tawaramoto-Cho, Nara • Jun 2A unique coming-of-age ritual where local boys aged 15 and over parade around the village carrying enormous jamaki serpents made of straw to prove their manliness. The heads of the snakes can weigh more than 200kg!Admission: free • Access: Kintetsu Railway Ishimi stn; 20min walk

Whale Watching - Provided by Wakayama Prefecture

Whale Watching ホエールウォッチングNanki Marine Leisure Service, WakayamaEveryday until OctoberTake part in a whale-watching tour, led by a veteran captain, off the coast of the Kii Peninsula.Admission: ¥6,800 adults • Access: JR Kinokuni line Ukui stn • tb-wakayama.jp/detail/index_119.html

hawaii Flower & culture exhibition ハワイ花と文化展Sakuya Konohana-Kan, OsakaJun 4–16

An exhibition featuring Hawaiian plants, hula dancing and music performances on both Sundays.Admission: ¥500 adults, concessions • sakuyakonohana.com

Umekita Talkin’ about 梅北トーキンアバウトFRee City Attraction Research Station in Knowledge Capital, OsakaJun 6Owner of Irish pub Blarney Stone and lecturer at Kinki University, Tom O’Neil, talks about Ireland and his life in Japan.Admission: free • Tel: 06-6205-4545 • facebook.com/MidosujiTalkinAbout

Pecha Kucha night OsakaJun 8 Trois Dix organic restaurant, OsakaPechaKucha comes to Osaka. Presenters use a 20x20 format (20 slides, each for 20 seconds) to introduce their work, ideas and interests.

Admission: ¥1,000/1d • Access: Nishi-ohashi Stn, exit 4. • www.pechakucha.org/cities/osaka

Kansai Balinese Dance Festival

Kansai Balinese Dance Festival 第5回関西バリ舞踊祭FRee Kishiki-Jinja, OsakaJun 8An exhibition of Balinese dance performed by Japanese dancers.Admission: free • Tel: 072-422-0686 • indonesia-corner.com

art Festa shobuichi アートフェスタ　勝負市FRee Hanashoubu-Tori Street, Shiga

event Listings

Events

Rice planting Festivalお田植え祭Taga-Taisha Shrine, Shiga

Welcome this year’s rice season by experiencing the splen-dour of an ancient religious festival held to please the gods. Every year on the first Sunday of June, members of the Taga-Taisha shrine perform dramatic agricultural rites to ensure good rain and harvest. See girls wearing crimson sashes and sedge hats wade knee-deep into flooded fields to plant rice seedlings while accompanied by traditional folk songs and drum dances. Enjoy the comedy of classical performing arts and the solemn ritual of oyushiki, the splashing of hot water before and after the rice planting work, which are said to strengthen the seedlings and produce a good harvest.

Time: 2pm • Admission: ¥500 • Access: Omi Railway Tagataisha-

mae stn; 10min walk • Tel: 0749-48-1553 • tagataisya.or.jp

Jun 2

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Belgian Beer Weekend Osaka 2013ベルギービールウィークエンド大阪2013FRee Umeda Sky Building, Osaka

Prepare to get your drink on when the great belgian beer love-in comes to town. Hailing from a country that produc-es over 1,100 different varieties of beer, this festival brings 63 different brews across 10 categories – Pilsners, Golden Ales, fruit beers, Trappist beers made by monks, and more – to Umeda Sky Building for five days only. Along with the beers, there will also be yummy Belgian snack food (hello mayo-slathered frites) plus live music throughout the day. Guests can purchase ¥3,100 “starter sets” which come with an original glass and 12 beer/food “coins.” Pre-sales tickets also available (more info via website).Admission: free • Access: JR Osaka stn/Hankyu/Hanshin

Railway Umeda stn/Subway Midosuji line Umeda stn; 10min

walk • Tel: 03-5829-6878 • belgianbeerweekend.jp/2013/osaka

agata Festival相生ペーロン祭りFRee Agata-Jinja, Kyoto

It may have slightly strange ceremonies and be held abnor-mally late at night, but the centuries-old Agata Festival is nonetheless a hugely popular event that attracts over 100,000 people each year. From nine o’clock at night, browse the 700 stalls lining the approach to the Agata shrine where a solemn ritual will be performed in total darkness. Then, see burly men shake and spin a bonten palanquin (a carriage that royal people were carried in) at break neck speed in a procession around the neighbourhood.Time: 9pm • Admission: free • Access: Keihan Railway Uji stn;

8min walk • Tel: 0774-21-3014

Jun 5–9

event Listings

Jun 8 & 9An arts and craft fair with food stalls, live music and much more. Admission: free • Access: JR Biwako line Hikone stn; 20min walk

Azuchi Nobunaga - Provided by Biwako Visitors Bureau

azuchi nobunaga Festival 第29回あづち信長まつりFRee Azuchi Castle Ruins, ShigaJun 9A procession of costumes from the samurai period, a large market of local products, and much more.Admission: free • Access: JR Biwako line Azuchi stn; 25min walk

Water clock Festival 漏刻祭FRee Omijingu Shrine, ShigaJun 10A festival to commemorate the dawn of the modern system of measuring time.Admission: free • Access: Keihan Railway Omijingu-mae stn

Okoshiya Festival おこしや祭FRee Nishinomiya-Jinja, HyogoJun 14An annual summer festival with a parade of portable shrines decorated with quinces.Admission: free• nishinomiya-ebisu.com

music Festa nara 2013 ムジークフェストなら2013FRee Various locationsacross Nara CityJun 14–30A large-scale music event with over 100 concerts being staged in

temples, shrines, restaurants, hotels and other venues across Nara.Admission: most concerts are free• naraken.com/musik

Tahara Firefly Festival 田原ほたるまつりFRee Tahara NosankakoCentre, KyotoJun 15A festival to celebrate the annual firefly spectacle on the banks of the Tahara River, with food stalls, a soba noodle making workshop, and more.Admission: free • Access: Kita Kinki Tango Railway Amanohashidate stn then a 40min taxi to the venue.

Future shorts Film Festival, KobeQueen of Hoot, Kobe Kitano Jun 15Spring edition of this popular Independent short film festival.Admission: ¥2,000 (6 screenings + 1/d). Access: 15min walk from Sannomiya sta. • www.wasabicreation.com

Ocean surf challenge in shirahama 2013 第14回オーシャンサーフチャレンジin 白浜 2013FRee Shirahama Beach, WakayamaJun 16A competition of water rescue skills demonstrated by trained lifeguards.Admission: free • Time: 8am–3pm• Access: JR Kinokuni line Shirahama stn bus to Shirahama

Pipe Organ concert パイプオルガンコンサートBungei no Sato, ShigaJun 16A pipe organ concert held at the Bungei no Sato cultural complex to commemorate the powerful 16th century lord, Oda Nobunaga.Admission: ¥1,800• bungei.or.jp

Time Week 2013 時のウィーク2013FRee Akashi-Koen Park, Hyogo

Jun 5


Jun 16An annual celebration of ‘Time Week’ held in Akashi (the meridian point from where time is measured in Japan) with food stalls, a flea market and live music.Admission: free • Access: JR Kobe line Akashi stn; 5min walk

Yuri Festival ゆりまつりFRee Isagawa-Jinja, NaraJun 17An ancient ritual, which offers lilies to the Gods, featuring an elegant afternoon procession.Admission: free • Access: Kintetsu Railway Nara stn; 5min walk

Ks Business matters networking eventFubar, ShinsaibashiJun 20KS editor Carla Avolio will give a practical seminar on how to start making money from writing.Admission: ¥2,000 w/1d Time: 7:30–9:30pm • Access: 10min walk

from Midosuji subway Shinsaibashi Sta.

Takekiri eshiki 竹伐り会式Kurama Temple, KyotoJun 20A dynamic performance where mountain priests cut broad bamboo trunks in half with one slash.Admission: ¥200 • Access: Eizan Railway Kurama stn• Tel: 075-741-2003

Kyoto antique Fair 京都大アンティークフェアFRee Pulse Plaza, KyotoJun 21–23One of the largest antique markets in Japan with 330 dealers and 150,000 items from home and abroad.Admission: free • Access: Subway Karasuma line Takeda stn bus to Pulse Plaza

Ajisai concert. Image provided by Biwako Visitors Bureau

ajisai hydrangea concert 紫陽花コンサートFRee Chomeiji Temple, ShigaJun 22An annual concert held in the temple’s garden, which will be full of hydrangeas in bloom.Admission: free •Access: JR Biwako line Omi Hachiman stn bus to Chomeiji; 20min walk

Fête de la musique 音楽の祭日2013 in みんぱくFRee The National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka

Jun 30 A world music concert featuring musical instruments and performers from all over the globe.Admission: free • www.minpaku.ac.jp

Oliver!Canadian Academy, Rokko Island, Kobe June 30National Theater of Young Artists presents Oliver! the musical story of the world reknowned Oliver Twist.Admission: ¥1500–2500 adultsAccess: Take JR Kobe line to JR Sumiyoshi stn, or Hanshin line toUozaki stn. Change to Rokko Liner to Marine Park, then 5min walk east. • nationaltheater.jp

event listings cont.

Rainy day water fun水のめぐみ館アクア琵琶FRee Mizu no Megumi-Kan Aqua Biwa, Shiga

What better thing to do on a rainy day in June than find out how it feels to be in a torrential rainstorm that’s almost six times as bad as the Japanese record! Head to aqua Biwa in Shiga where you’ll learn all about irrigation, water use and the history of Japan’s largest lake, Biwa, and Osaka’s largest river, the Yodogawa. With exciting films, hands-on games like the 600mm/hour rainstorm simulator, and impressive facilities, learning about Kansai’s famous waterways has never been more fun.Time: 9:30am–4:30pm (Closed weekends and public holidays)

• Admission: free • Access: Keihan Railway Ishiyama stn bus to

Nango Araizeki • Tel: 077-546-7348 • www.aquabiwa.jp

candle night at Osaka city1,000,000人のキャンドルナイト＠Osaka City 2013 SummerFRee Jun 5 at Chayamachi, Jun 12 at Nishi Umeda

Ever wondered what Osaka would feel like if we just turned off the lights? On two separate nights this month, the city’s busiest hub will do just that. The area will be plunged into rare darkness for two hours as the lights of shops and offices are switched off and replaced with the warm glow of candle-light. The illumination event, which will see 20,000 candles and paper lanterns lighting up the streets of Umeda, features live music, night markets and food.Time: 6pm–10pm (postponed to the next day if it rains)

• Admission: free • Access: JR Osaka stn/Subway/Hanshin

Railway/Hankyu Railway Umeda stn • candle-night-osaka.jp

Jun-DecJun 5 & 12

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Find more listings online at: www.kansaiscene.com/listings


Art

From recovery to cover starThis month’s cover artist Robert N. Moore first came to Japan for health reasons, but the place restored his creative spirit as well as his body.Interview: Colin Smith • Images: Robert N. Moore

Nagoya-based artist and musician Robert n. moore first came to Japan not for artistic inspiration, but to save his failing health. In 2007 he was 25, a freelance designer in Nashville with plenty of top-name clients and security, but a punishing schedule to match.

He explains: “Back then, I’d wake at 5:30am to design T-shirts, work full-time as an art director, design CD jackets at lunchtime, take classes at night. I was drinking coffee straight from the pot and Heineken by the keg. I had neglected my body. My throat was lacerated – I couldn’t eat, and doc-tors thought I’d need a new esophagus. I learned the world’s top throat doctor was in Nagoya, and came for non-invasive surgery.”

While in recovery, Moore found a job and hooked up with a guitarist, Takashi Terada, who shared his passion for blues-rock music. He decided to stay and network, but just one year later Japan’s economy crashed.

He says: “Ironically, after surgery I could physically eat, but couldn’t afford food! So I sold off my music equip-ment. Since then, though, I’ve built back everything and much more by clearly visualizing my goals and pursu-ing them with determination, passion and expectation. At this point I’m independent, with my own art studio, clients and even sponsors.”

Moore now owns his own com-pany, imagine Design. Before going independent with this in 2011, he worked for various companies doing advertising, illustration, graphic and concept design. This month’s KS cover shows off his “Japanesque” style, which depicts Japanese themes with an out-sider’s sensibility.

He explains: “When I first arrived in Japan I worked doing Japanesque T-shirt designs, and started a T-shirt company, but I didn’t want to be limited to this area or those themes. In recent years I’ve expanded. I work

by hand or incorporate software, do-ing portraits, architectural renderings, and graphic design. These days I’m also into acrylic and water-color painting, but I can’t settle on just one medium!”

With his artwork and designs rapidly spreading all over Japan, Moore’s future is looking better than ever.

exhibitionRobert N. Moore’s new work, in

an unprecedented style, will be on

display at café absinthe (1-2-27

Kitahorie, Yotsubashi Bldg. 1F, Nishi-

ku Osaka) from June 5 to June 30.

The opening party is on Friday June 7

from 7pm.

View more of Robert’s work on his

website: www.rob4artstuff.com

[email protected]


Art

Dialogue of gardenBorderless Art Museum NO-MA, Omihachiman, Shiga

Housed in a venerable converted townhouse and its environs, in a historic preserved district of Omihachiman, Shiga, this is one of Japan’s few art venues dedicated to Art Brut, also known as Outsider Art. This is art by people with mental disabilities and other socially marginal-ized groups. The museum seeks to negate the “borders” between these people and mainstream society by presenting their work as equal with that of non-disabled artists.The current exhibition, Dialogue of Garden, presents work by eight artists with varying backgrounds—some Art Brut creators, some not—dealing with the topic of dialogue. Dialogue can be external or internal, and here artistic creation is viewed as an in-depth dialogue with the self. The work includes paintings, three-dimensional works, video, and installations.This exhibition premise is an intriguing one, and the museum’s unique vision and picturesque premises make it well worth a trip to Omihachiman. While visiting, stroll by the canal that winds through the historic district, containing well-preserved merchants’ residences and rare examples of pre-war Western-style architecture.

Apr 27–Aug 11 • Work in various media including that by Japanese Art Brut creators

Open: 11am–5pm; closed Mon (when Mon is a national holiday,

open Mon and closed Tue)

Admission: ¥500

Access: JR Omi-Hachiman Stn

www.no-ma.jp

Kyoto

La Kermesse Heroique (1935 film)

mOmaK FilmsThe National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto • Jun 15 & 16 Screenings of classic French films La Kermesse héroïque (1935) and Les enfants du paradis (1945) (Sat), and Picasso documentary Le Mystère Picasso (1956) and noir psycho-thriller Les Diaboliques (1955) (Sun).See website for schedule • ¥500 per film, purchase tickets on day of

show • Access: Tozai subway line Higashiyama Stn or Kyoto Kaikan Bijutsukan-mae bus stop www.momak.go.jp

Tatami mat heaven at the Kyoto University of Art and Design

Taku satoh: gojiyu ni agatte otsukai kudasai (Please enter and Use Freely) FRee Kyoto University of Art and Design Entrance Lounge Apr 2–Aug 29

An open environment welcoming visitors to revel in a vast expanse of hand-crafted tatami-mat flooring.Open: 9am–5pm; closed Aug 16 • Admission: Free • Access: Eizan Railway Chayama Station• www.kyoto-art.ac.jp/en

Yu Kiwanami: appetite for PaintingFRee Imura Art Gallery KyotoMay 18–Jun 22Figurative paintings combining manga-esque graphic clarity with the painterly naturalism and narrative content that characterize the artist’s newer work.Open: 11am–7pm; closed Sun, Mon and hols • Admission: Free • Access: Keihan Jingu-Marutamachi Stn • www.imuraart.com

Osaka

Tokyo Type Directors club exhibition 2013ddd gallery • May 14–Jun 28 Outstanding, cutting-edge typographic works from an international exhibition held by the Tokyo Type Directors Club.Open: 11am–9pm, until 6pm on Sat; closed Sun, Mon and holsAdmission: Free • Access: Subway Namba Stn • www.dnp.co.jp/gallery/ddd

glass Design from Finland, the Land of Forests and LakesThe Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka • Apr 20–Jul 28

art Listings

Until aug 11

KSPick

Above: Dialogue of Garden exhibitionBelow: Untitled by Mineaki Ishihara


art Listings

Finnish glass and ceramic works from the late 18th century to the present day (Tomb Figures and Burial Ware of Ancient China runs concurrently).Open: 9:30am–7pm, until 6pm on Sat; closed Mon (when Mon is a national holiday, open Mon and closed Tue) • Admission: ¥500 Access: Keihan Nakanoshima Line Naniwabashi Stn or Keihan / subway Yodoyabashi or Kitahama Stn www.moco.or.jp

Robert n. mooreFRee Café Absinthe • Jun 5–Jun 30New work, representing a stylistic shift, from Japan-based artist, designer and illustrator (see cover of this issue and interview on page 37).Open: 11:30am–3am Mon-Thu; 11:30am–5am Fri and Sat; 2pm–3am Sun • Admission: Free • Access:

subway Shinsaibashi or Yotsubashi Stn • Access: Subway Osakako stnwww.absinthe-jp.com/cafe-absinthe

art salad 7 FRee SoHo Art Gallery • Jun 18–23SoHo Art Gallery's annual Anniversary group art exhibition featuring over 50 artists from all artistic backgrounds and various nationalities. Open: 12pm to 7pm Tue–Sat, 12pm–5pm Sun. Opening party June 18 6pm–9pm. • Admission: Free • Access: • 1 min from Exit #3, Tanimachi-9-Chome Subway station (Sennichimae and Tanimachi lines)• www.soho-art-gallery.com

hyogo

collection ii 1950s-1970s /Jacket Design of the showa era 1950s-1970sAshiya City Museum of Art And History • May 21–Jul 18Modern prints by internationally recognized Kansai-born artists Takesada Matsutani and Kumi Sugai, and a show of record covers, both from the 1950s–1970s.Open: 10am–5pm; closed Mon (when Mon is a national holiday, open Mon and closed Tue)Admission: ¥300 • Access: Hanshin Ashiya Stn• http://ashiya-museum.jp

great French Paintings from the clarkHyogo Prefectural Museum of Art Jun 8–Sep 1From the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in the US, about 70 works by renowned 19th-century French painters never before shown in Japan. Open: 10am–6pm, until 8pm Fri and Sat; closed Mon (when Mon is a national holiday, open Mon and closed Tue) • Admission: varies depending on exhibition • Access: Hanshin Iwaya, JR Nada or Hankyu Ojikoen Stn • www.artm.pref.hyogo.jp

Jun 3–22

Find gallery access details and more listings online at: www.kansaiscene.com/listings

Yumiko morisue: Wandering along the RoadFRee Gallery Hosokawa

Yumiko Morisue uses delicate techniques to apply subtle yet profound changes to natural objects and everyday items. Her past work has involved minutely modifying such things as toothbrushes, coasters, books and false eyelashes to strip them of their original purpose and reinvent them as surreal and humorous mental puzzles.In the current exhibition, she uses embroidery to the fill spaces in the delicate networks of objects such as a strainer and the veins of a leaf, creating exquisite jewel-like minia-tures brimming with the mystery that underlies the everyday.

Jun 3–Jun 22 • Modified readymades, transformed primarily

through embroidery

Open: 12:30pm–8:30pm; closed Sun

Admission: Free • Access: Subway Yotsubashi Stn or JR / subway

/ Hanshin / Kintetsu Namba Stn

www.galleryhosokawa.com

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Jun 28–Jul 22

Takehiro Terabayashi: Life iiFRee Yoshimi Arts

Takehiro Terabayashi’s supremely photorealistic oil paintings make us take a second look at the mundane, mass-produced metallic elements of everyday infrastructure, such as refuse containers, mailboxes and sinks. These devices once symbolized the miraculous cleanli-ness and convenience of modern life, which we now take for granted. Seeing these objects depicted with the same lovingly meticulous approach as used in classical paintings of vases of flowers, cornucopias of fruit, and fainting maidens, enables the viewer to appreciate them in a new light and turn a fresh gaze on the landscape around us.

Jun 28–Jul 22 • Photorealistic oil paintings

of seemingly banal objects

Open: 11am–7pm every day during exhibition

Admission: Free

Access: Subway Higobashi Stn

www.yoshimiarts.com

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June

7 (Fri)

circusFeiern (Techno) • Live: Vid aka Egal3 • DJs: Shirakawa, Fumi + more • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

JouleVuuv Japan presented by teiOnclub (Trance/Techno) • Acts: Bio-Tonic, Hydro Generator, Dominik Tyliszczak, Takatsugu Wada, 44, Akai + more • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6214-1223 • club-joule.jp

UnionUnion of sound (house) • DJs: Keiji Shimazaki, Liqued Brothers, Masaaki • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥1,000/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6251-2242 • club-union.jp

8 (sat)

circusBigted presents almost Thirty (Drum’n’Bass/Techno) • DJs: Dom Pang, Kunimitsu, Toyo b2b Rasty, BigTed, Z.Z.Z • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥1,000/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

grand cafeDaishi Dance present midnight! (house) • DJ: Daishi Dance • Open: 8pm • Admission: ¥3,000/1D (Before 9pm: ¥1,500/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6213-0031 • grandcafeosaka.com

Onziemecyber Japan presents Bikini night summer 2013 (house/electro) • DJs: Mitomi Tokoto, Ypy, Flash, Silverfox, Tune • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥3,000/1D (Girls in bikinis: ¥FREE) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6243-0089 • onzi-eme.com

Troop cafeseditional Jazz (house) • DJs: Kawasaki, Kohji Matsuda, Takashi “Wubqun” Yoshida, tatsuo.y + more • Open: 10pm • Admission:

¥2,500/1D • Where: Kobe • Tel: 078-321-3130 • troopcafe.tumblr.com

Unionelements (house/Techno) • DJs: Yashima, Junichi Kuwata, Shirakawa, Airi • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥1,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6251-2242 • club-union.jp

9 (sun)

circusspark star (Techno) • DJs: Ryukyudisko, Starbros, kk Fu-Tsuka, Loe • Open: 6pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D (ADV: ¥2,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

14 (Fri)

circusTightrope Dancing (house) • DJs: Pepe Bradock, Ageishi, Tetsuo • Open: 8pm • Admission: ¥3,000/1D (Before 9pm: ¥2,500/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

JoulecLR Osaka 2013 (Techno) • DJs: Drumcell, Shine, Alex Einz, Dan Elliot, ModuLight, DK-Baseline + more • Open: 8pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D (WF: ¥2,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6214-1223 • club-joule.jp

Union4Rapture (house) • DJs: Masaaki, Nagisa • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥1,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6251-2242 • club-union.jp

15 (sat)

circuscircus showcase (Techno) • DJs: Tasaka, Kihira Naoki, Yoshiki • Open: 8pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

grand cafeBassworks Orange (house/Techno) • DJ: Nao Nomura, Oakaman, Masanori Mikami • Open: TBA • Admission: ¥2,000/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6213-0031 • grandcafeosaka.com

club Listings

Club

circusJune 6 (Thu)

Minilogue “Blomma” Release Party (Techno) • Live: Minilogue •

DJs: Yasuhisa + more • Open: 7pm

• Admission: ¥3,000 (ADV: ¥2,500) • Where: Shinsaibashi

• Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

The Swedish techno duo Minilogue, who have finally released their long-awaited new album “Blomma” under Co-coon Recordings, are back in Osaka with their latest live set. Marcus Henriksson and Sebastian Mullaert, aka Minilogue/Son Kite, got together in the late 90s and became one of the most respected electronic music acts. Because the duo don’t stick to any stylistic niche, it can be difficult to define their sound: house, techno, ambient, trance, and lately jazz, all play equal parts in their creations. The most marked demonstra-tion of their musical universalism was with their 2008 debut album ”Animals” under Cocoon. Since then, they’ve released

June 6

a string of Eps on labels like Mule, Wagon Repair, Traum Schallplatten, and their own imprint Minilogue.Although the show is on a Thursday night, their live set starts from 9pm so you can still catch the last train home.


Triangleinside Force presents Team Work feat. Force of nature & R.m.n (house) • Acts: Force of Nature, Kza, The Backwoods, R.M.N. aka Rising Moon, Ageishi, Tetsuo + more • Open: 7pm • Admission: ¥3,000/1D (ADV: ¥2,500/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6212-2264 • triangle-osaka.jp

Uniongrooveroom (house) • DJs: Chu*, Sawa, Masato, Fujio • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6251-2242 • club-union.jp

16 (sun)

circusgotham city - DJ zinc + mc Tippa Japan Tour 2013 (Drum’n’Bass) • Acts: Zinc + MC Tippa, A-1, Hiroshi aka Fu1, Eyez, An • Open: 6pm • Admission: ¥3,000 • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

TriangleTiago Japan Tour 2013 (house/Techno) • DJs: Tiago, Ackin’, Daisuke Kakimoto, Norio + more • Open: 7pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6212-2264 • triangle-osaka.jp

21 (Fri)

circusQube TV presents Binh (Techno) • DJs: Binh + more • Open: 8pm • Admission: ¥2,500 (ADV: ¥2,000) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

Unionfor relax (house) • DJs: mottsu, Futta-Man, yusuke sadaoka • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥1,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6251-2242 • club-union.jp

22 (sat)

circusagile feat. marcel Dettmann x DJ nobu (Techno) • DJs: Marcel

Dettman, Nobu, Monashee • Open: 7pm • Admission: ¥4,000 • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

grand cafeespecial Festival (Jazz/crossover/house) • Acts: Kawasaki & The Magic Sessions, Tres_man fea. Tomoko Nakashima, Jazz Collective, Shacho from Soil & Pimp Sessions, Yoshihiro Okino + more • Open: 7pm • Admission: ¥3,500/1D (ADV: ¥3,000/1D) • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6213-0031 • grandcafeosaka.com

Onziememidnight Request (house/electro) • DJs: Dexpistols + more • Open: 9pm • Admission: TBA • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6243-0089 • onzi-eme.com

Unionfierce! (house) • DJs: Suguru Sakai, Naoki Takami, Yuzo, Nao Ikeda aka Chunli • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥1,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6251-2242 • club-union.jp

28 (Fri)

circusDJ harvey 2013 Platinum Tour of Japan (house) • DJs: Harvey+ more • Open: TBA • Admission: TBA • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6241-3822 • circus-osaka.com

UnionJust ego (house) • DJ: senda • Open: 9pm • Admission: ¥1,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6251-2242 • club-union.jp

29 (sat)

grand cafemu (house/Techno) • DJs: Alyn, Kohsuke + more • Open: 8pm • Admission: ¥2,500/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6213-0031 • grandcafeosaka.com

Pure Osaka 8th anniversary June 7 (Fri)–13 (Thu). Closed Sun. 9pm–late.

June 7: What’s Poppin’ • June 8: Crazy Pure

• June 10: Monday Hearts • June 11: Glamorous

• June 12: Red Alert • June 13: Priceless (Reggae)

One week of parties and mayhem as club Pure Osaka celebrates its 8th anniversary. The usual all-you-can-drink offer operates on Friday and Saturday night but for the parties every other night of the week, there is a cash-bar system. But with free entry for foreigners from Mon–Thu there is no excuse not to join the party!

June 7–13


Left: DJ Hokuto from Tokyo will play on June 8 (Sat). Right: Guest dancers including Pieter will turn up the heat on June 7 (Fri)


June / July

Osaka

millibar marcheMillibar, OsakaJune 2 (Sun), July 7 (Sun)Organic vegetables, artisan breads and other tasty wholefood treats at this small, monthly market held at a funky restaurant in Shinmachi.• Time:11:30am–4pm • Admission free • Access: 5min walk from Hommachi or Nishi-Ohashi Stn • www.artniks.jp/millibar

nakazaki styleNakazaki Community Hall, OsakaJune 2 (Sun)Arts and crafts market held in Nakazaki-cho with about 30 stalls, including food vendors. • Time: 11am-6pm • Admission: free • Access: Tanimachi Line Nakazakicho 2min walk. Hankyu Umeda 10min walk • www.nakazakistyle.jimdo.com

hattori Ryokuchi Recycle FairHattori Ryokuchi Park, ToyonakaJune 2 (Sun)A big flea market packed with 200 stalls selling secondhand clothes, accessories and more.• Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: 10min walk from Ryokuchikoen stn • www.garagesale.co.jp/kaijyou/hattori.html

Tonbori marketDotonbori Riverwalk, OsakaJune 2 (Sun), July 7 (Sun)Thirty stalls lining the Dotonbori canal selling handmade goods & crafts.• Time: 11am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: Namba stnwww.swapmeet.ne.jp/info/tonbori

Osaka marche “hommamon”Odona Yodoyabashi, OsakaEvery Wed.Organic fruit & vegetables and other local produce on offer at this weekly market held in front of the Odona shopping building on Midosuji Avenue.• Time: 2pm–7pm • Admission: free • Access: Yodoyabashi stn• www.odona.jp/honmamon

arts & crafts market in namba JinjaNamba Shrine, OsakaJune 15 (Sat)

Handmade goods, organic vegetable and plants for sale from 50 stalls in Namba Shrine.• Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: Midosuji Line, Yotsubashi Line, Chuo Line Hommachi and Midosuji Line Shinsaibashi • www.freemarket-go.com/kaijou_nanba.htm

Tenma natural marketCasa de la Temma, OsakaJune 16 (Sun), July 21 (Sun)Organic vegetables, coffee, bread and accessories market held every 3rd week of the month at a small restaurant in Tenmabashi.• Time: 11am–5pm • Admission: free • Access: 1min walk from JR Temma stn• www.temmadarts.blog86.fc2.com

cosmo Tower charity Flea marketCosmo Tower, Nanko, OsakaJune 16 (Sun)Handmade goods, second hand stuff and more at this indoor, 100-stall market in the Trade Center Building.• Time: 11am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: Newtram Nanko Port-town Line Tradecenter-mae stn • www.swapmeet.ne.jp/info/cosmotower

shitennoji Temple Flea marketShitennoji Temple Grounds, OsakaJune 21 (Fri) & 22 (Sat), July 21 (Sun) & 22 (Mon)Used and handmade clothes, japanese ceramics, tableware, accessories and antiques for sale from 300 stalls at this popular temple market in Tennoji held on the 21/22 of each month.• Time: 8:30am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: 5min walk from Shitennojimae stn, Tanimachi Line • Tel: 06-6771-0066 • www.shitennoji.or.jp

swapmeet in hanahakukoenHanahaku Park, Tsurumi-Ryokuchi, OsakaJune 29 (Sat) & 30 (Sun), July 28 (Sun)Secondhand clothes, household goods, toys and curiosities for sale from 150 stalls.• Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: ¥300 (adults), ¥100 (children) • Access: Nagahori-Tsurumiryokuchi Line, Tsurumi-Ryokuchi stn • www.swapmeet.ne.jp/info/hanahaku

minatomachi River Place Flea marketMinatomachi River Place, Namba, OsakaJune 30 (Sun), July 28 (Sun)One hundred stalls selling secondhand stuff and more by the river in Namba. • Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: Namba stn • www.freemarket-go.com/kaijou_minatomati.htm

Kyoto

handicraft market in Umekoji Park Umekoji Park, KyotoJune 2 (Sat), July 6 (Sat)Popular handicraft market taking place on the first Saturday of every month.• Time: 9am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: Kyoto stn 15min walk or take bus 33, 205, 208 to Umekojikoenmae• Tel: 075-771-1631 • www.tedukuri-ichi.com/umekoji

Kyoto city hall Flea marketShiyakushomae, KyotoJune 16 (Sun), July 7 (Sun)Secondhand stuff and more at this sprawl of 180 stalls in front of the Kyoto City Hall.• Time: 10am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: Tozai subway line to Kyoto Shiyakusho Mae stnwww.plusone.ne.jp/fm/fm_index.html

hyakumanben handicraft marketChion Temple, Kyoto

June 15 (Sat), July 15 (Mon)An amazing variety of handmade goods on sale at this large temple market held on the 15th of every month.• Time: 8am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: Bus to Hyakumanben or 10min walk from Keihan Demachiyanagi stnwww.tedukuri-ichi.com/hyakumanben

Kobo-san marketToji-Temple, KyotoJune 21 (Thu), July 21 (Sun)Traditional antiques and bric-a-brac at this popular temple market held on the 21st of every month.• Time: 5am–sunset • Admission: free • Access: JR Kyoto stn 15min walk, Kintetsu Toji stn, 10min walk• Tel: 0774-31-5550 • www.touji-ennichi.com

Tenjin-san marketKitano Tenmangu ShrineJune 25 (Tue), July 25 (Thu)Great range of antiques, second hand clothes, and goods on offer at this colorful market held on the 25th of every month. •Time: 7am–4:30pm • Admission: free • Access: 1 min walk from Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop, bus 50 or 101 from Kyoto Station

hyogo

Kobe shinkaichi art “ennichi”Minatogawa Park, KobeJune 16 (Sun)Art, handicrafts and food stalls.• Time: 11am–4pm • Admission: free • Access: 5 min walk from Shinkaichi stn.www.shinkaichi.or.jp/art

Flea markets

Temple markets such as this one at Toji temple in Kyoto, provide a wonderful browsing experience for the casual shopper. Everything from antique kimono, ceramics, contemporary handicrafts and plants and flowers are on sale.


June/July

Rock, Pop & Funk

T-Square

T-squareZepp, OsakaJune 15Pop-rock-fusion • 5pm • ¥6,800• Tel: 06-7732-8888

scoobie DoTaku Taku, KyotoJune 15Funk • 6:30pm • ¥3,000• Tel: 075-351-1321

greg LakeMuse, OsakaJune 18Prog Rock • 7pm • ¥8,000• Tel: 06-6245-5389

White ashMusic Zoo Taiyo to Tora, KobeJune 20Rock • 7pm • ¥3,000

• Tel: 0570-02-9999

Theatre BrookJanus, OsakaJune 21Funk Rock • 7:30pm • ¥5,250• Tel: 06-6214-7255

crazy Ken BandNamba Hatch, OsakaJune 21Pop-Funk • 7pm • ¥6,300• Tel: 0570-02-9999

Koda KumiOsaka Jo Hall, OsakaJune 21–22Pop • 21st-7pm/22nd-5pm • ¥7,800 • Tel: 06-6341-3525

Van halenMunicipal Central Gymnasium, OsakaJune 24–25Rock • 7pm • ¥TBA• Tel: 06-6576-0800

Dicky Betts & great southernBillboard Live Osaka, OsakaJune 26Rock • 6:30pm/9:30pm• ¥7,400/¥8,900 • Tel: 06-6342-7722

happy BirthdayJanus, Osaka

June 30Pop • 5:30pm • ¥3,500• Tel: 06-6214-7255

sadieClub Quattro, OsakaJuly 5–6Kei Rock • 5th-7pm/6th-4pm• ¥4,200/¥4,725 • Tel: 06-6341-4506

FLiPClub Quattro, OsakaJuly 7Rock • 6pm • ¥3,000/¥4,000• Tel: 06-6311-8111

LisaZepp, OsakaJuly 8Pop • 7pm • ¥5,500/¥6,000 • Tel: 06-6341-3525Toshinori Yonekura

seiko matsudaOsaka Jo Hall, OsakaJuly 10–11Pop • 6:30pm • ¥8,900/¥22,000• Tel: 06-7732-8888

The TelephonesNamba Hatch, OsakaJuly 13Electronic Rock • 6pm • ¥3,500• Tel: 0570-02-9999

earthshakerTaku Taku, KyotoJuly 14

Rock • 5pm • ¥2,800/¥6,300• Tel: 075-351-1321

Nana Mizuki

nana mizukiOsaka Jo Hall, OsakaJuly 14–15Anime-Pop • 14th-6:30pm/15th-4pm • ¥7,000 • Tel: 06-6357-4400

Jazz & Blues

chick corea & stanley clarkeSankei Hall, OsakaJune 16Jazz Fusion • 4pm • ¥7,500• Tel: 06-6341-8888

new York standards Quartet ft. alex sipiaginRag, KyotoJune 19Jazz • 7:30pm • ¥3,000/¥4,500• Tel: 075-255-7273

Live Music

June 16

Live music Listings

KSPick

As part of a thirteen date tour of Japan, Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke visit Osaka for one night only (they will also be joined by drummer Marcus Gilmore on the Tokyo leg).Fans will be well aware that keyboardist Corea and bassist Clarke are no strangers to each other and have collaborated on numerous occasions since the 1970s.Both musicians have CVs to die for when it comes to music credibility. Chick Corea started his journey playing alongside Stan Getz, Herbie Mann, Blue Mitchell, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.Last year Corea released the album The Mothership Returns, a live compilation of tracks from the jazz rock supergroup Return to Forever, which included both Clarke and Corea. He also released Hot House with Gary Burton, The Con-tinents (jazz quintet and orchestra) and a tribute album to the late Bill Evans, which featured Evans trio member Eddie Gomez.

Iconic Jazz fusion keyboard and bass partners • Sankei Hall,

Osaka • Jazz Fusion • 4pm • ¥7,500 • Tel: 06-6341-8888

chick corea and stanley clarke


LauLau, meaning natural light in the Scottish dialect Orcadian, is the three piece award-winning folk outfit of Kris Drever (guitar, vocals), Martin Green (accordion, piano) and Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle).In between a busy UK touring sched-ule, Lau come to Japan to play four dates promoting last autumn’s Race the Loser album. Only their third studio release (Lightweight and Gentlemen 2007, Arc Light 2009), the trio are push-ing the boundaries of the folk genre by going beyond the confines of their own instruments and using ambi-ent electronics and processed drum sounds. Would a folk purest approve? Surely they would, because music is all about creativity, expression and throw-ing conformity to hell! On the album O’Rourke states: “We’ve never wanted to repeat ourselves... we’re folk musi-cians but firstly we’re musicians with a love of different styles.”

Award-winning Scottish Folk Trio

• Club Quattro, Osaka • Folk • 7pm

• ¥5,500/¥6,000 • Tel: 06-6311-8111

July 7June 17June 18

greg LakeAs lead vocalist and bassist with King Crimson and co-founder of the trio Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Greg Lake’s name is set in stone as a member of the progressive rock hierarchy.Born in Poole, England in 1947, Lake first came on to the music scene as a fresh faced nineteen-year-old in 1966. Nearly five decades later, the singer-songwriter and producer is going around the globe with his Songs of a Lifetime Tour. The tour sees Lake playing songs and sharing stories from his time with King Crimson, Emer-son Lake and Palmer, plus his own solo work.On choice of instruments Greg Lake states: “I am both a bass guitarist and a guitarist... because King Crimson didn’t need two guitarists, I took over playing bass.”

Ex-King Crimson Prog Rock Stalwart

Muse, Osaka • Prog Rock • 7pm • ¥8,000

• Tel: 06-6245-5389

FLiPThankfully, modern Japanese music isn’t all about J-pop. FLiP, a four piece all-girl rock outfit from Naha, Okinawa, are a relatively new act. Despite having formed in 2005, it wasn’t until 2010 that the group released DEAR GIRLS, their first mini-album on a major label, after attending a Tokyo audition represent-ing Okinawa. This was followed by 2011’s full length disc Michi Evolution and the 2012 XX emotion to further spread the word of this promising young group.With Sachiko leading on vocals and guitar, Sayaka on bass, Yuko on guitar and drummer Yuumi; FLiP have a raw punk edge to their sound that quickly gets audiences bobbing up and down. Live, they are full of energetic power using the stage to its fullest and pump-ing the crowd to ferment. If you’re a fan or just looking for something new, this is the gig of the month.

All-girl Japanese Rock Four-piece

Club Quattro, Osaka • Rock • 6pm

• ¥3,000/¥4,00 • Tel: 06-6311-8111

monday michiruBillboard Live Osaka, OsakaJune 24Club Jazz • 6:30pm/9:30pm• ¥5,500/¥7,000 • Tel: 06-6342-7722

JujuOsaka Jo Hall, OsakaJuly 3Jazz Vocal • 7pm • ¥6,800• Tel: 06-6341-3525

Folk

Tomobe masatoSun Hall, OsakaJune 15Folk • 7pm • ¥3,500/¥4,000• Tel: 06-6213-2954

Tomobe masatoTaku Taku, KyotoJune 17Folk • 7pm • ¥3,500/¥4,000• Tel: 075-351-1321

LauClub Quattro, OsakaJune 17Folk • 7pm • ¥5,500/¥6,000• Tel: 06-6311-8111

The cherry cokes plus othersBig Cat, OsakaJune 29Folk Punk • 2:30pm • ¥3,500• Tel: 06-6357-4400

Others

PushimZepp, OsakaJune 22Reggae • 7pm • ¥5,500• Tel: 06-6341-3525

Emi Meyer

emi meyerClub Quattro, OsakaJune 24

Female Vocal • 7:30pm• ¥5,000/¥5,500 • Tel: 06-6311-8111

Rokko sun music Festival 2013 ft. Bonobos/caravan/Johnsons motor car/nona ReevesRokkoJuly 14Various genres • 12pm• ¥3,000/¥6,000 • Tel: 0570-02-9999



Kansai Business Finder > for maps see kansaiscene.com/business-finder

Wining & Dining

absintheMediterranean Restaurant Cafe/BarNishi-ku, Kita-horie 1-2-27 South Yotsubashi Bldg. 1F OsakaTel: 06-6534-6635 Url: www.absinthe-jp.com

asbinthe solaarRoof Top Restaurant Cafe Bar & Beer GardenChuo-ku, Namba 5-1-18 Namba Dining Maison 8F OsakaTel: 06-6633-1445 Url: www.absinthe-jp.com/absinthe-solaar

himalayaIndian RestaurantKita-ku, Umeda 1-2, Osaka Eki-mae, Dai-2 Bldg. B1 OsakaTel: 06-6545-6116 Url: www.meera.jp/en/himalaya

meeraIndian RestaurantKita-ku, Umeda 1-3-1, Osaka Eki-mae, Dai-1 Bldg. B2 OsakaTel: 06-6348-0134 Url: www.meera.jp/en/

Outback steakhouseAustralian Themed SteakhouseKita-ku, Umeda 2-1-24 Shinsakurabashi Bldg. 1F Osaka Tel: 06-6457-7121 Url: www.outbacksteakhouse.co.jp

murphy’s irish PubFirst Irish Pub in JapanChuo-ku, Higashi-shinsaibashi 1-6-31 Lead plaza 6F Osaka Tel: 06-6282-0677 Url: www.murphysosaka.com

FubarRestaurant and BarChuo-ku, Shinsaibashi-suji 1-5-2-2F Osaka Tel: 06-6245-3757 Url: www.fubarosaka.com

captain KangarooFood, Sports & Rock ‘n’ RollKita-ku, Sonezaki-shinchi 1-5-20 Okawa Bldg. 1F OsakaTel: 06-6346-0367 Url: www.roo-bar.jp

chedi Luang horieTraditional Thai foodNishi-ku, Kita-horie 1-7-11 OsakaTel: 06-6535-1515Url: www.chedi.jp

chinese cafe eightChinese CuisineChuo-ku, Soemon-cho 7-2 Luz Shinsaibashi 5F OsakaTel: 06-6125-5338 Url: www.chinesecafe8.com

Dublin BayIrish PubChuo-ku, Dotonbori 2-1-5-B1 OsakaTel: 06-6213-1122 Url: www.irishpub-dublinbay.com

zerroThe Place to be...Chuo-ku, Shinsaibashi-suji 2-3-2, Queen’s Court Bldg 1F Osaka Tel: 06-6211-0439

The Blarney stone shinsaibashiThe Irish Pub in the Heart of OsakaChuo-ku, Higashi-Shinsaibashi 2-5-27 Kohda Bldg B1F Osaka Tel: 06-6484-2220 Url: www.the-blarney-stone.com

The Blarney stone UmedaThe Irish Pub in the Heart of OsakaKita-ku, Sonezaki 2-10-15 Sonezaki Center Bldg. 6F Osaka Tel: 06-6364-2001 Url: www.the-blarney-stone.com

coolabahSports CafeChuo-ku, Nishi-shinsaibashi 2-16-13, Housen Bldg. 1F Osaka Tel: 06-6213-5153 Url: www.coolabah.jp

ali’s KitchenPakistani & Arabic CuisineChuo-ku, Shinsaibashi-suji 1-10-12-B1 OsakaTel: 06-6553-2292 Url: www.aliskitchen.jp

Trois DixMacrobiotic & slow food restaurantNishi-ku, Kitahorie 1-22-4 OsakaTel: 06-6648-8336 Url: locoplace.jp/t000094365/

go_sukeBeer & Pizza restaurant and barKita-ku, Sonezaki-cho 2-5-24, Chuo Bldg. 3/4F, OsakaTel: 06-6312-3387 Url: facebook.com/beerpizzagosuke

méxicoMexican restaurant and barChuo-ku, Dotonbori 2-1-8, Zelkova III 5F, Osaka

Tel: 06-6212-6766

education

Kobe YWcaGlobal Network of WomenChuo-ku, Ninomiya-cho 1-12-10 Kobe Tel: 078-231-6201 Url: www.kobe.ywca.or.jp

Osaka YWcaGlobal Network of WomenKita-ku, Kamiyama-cho 11-12 Osaka Tel: 06-6361-0838 Url: www.osaka.ywca.or.jp

arthur murray Dance schoolDance StudioChuo-ku, Minami-senba 3-5-28 Osaka Tel: 06-6245-1731 Url: www.arthurmurray.co.jp

marga Language serviceJapanese Language SchoolChuo-ku, Onoe-dori 5-1-27-8F KobeTel: 078-271-6446 Url: www.marga.jp

Doshisha Business schoolDiscover the Doshisha Global MBADoshisha UniversityKarasuma-Imadegawa, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto Tel: 075-251-4600 Url: gmba.doshisha.ac.jp

Osaka abacus associationLet’s learn Abacus!Minatoku, Yunagi 2-13-7 OsakaTel: 06-6572-6877 Url: https://sites.google.com/site/osakasoroban/

shops & services

mojoprintFull Color PrintingNishi-ku, Shinmachi 3-5-7, Eiko Bldg. 2F Osaka Tel: 06-6539-1717 Url: www.mojoprint.jp

Brastel RemitSend money overseasSumida-ku, Yokoami 2-6-2 Tokyo Tel: 0120-983-891 / 03-6869-4851 Url: www.brastelremit.jp

TnT-PcEnglish PC SupportNishinomiya-shi, Maruhashi-cho 6-8-1F Nishinomiya Tel: 0798-65-7555 Url: www.tnt-pc.com

miyabi int’l gyoseishoshi Law FirmVISA Lawyers in OsakaKita-ku, Nishitenma 1-8-9 Viequ tower #2406 OsakaTel: 06-4981-7439

Yuko Tamaki accounting OfficeAccounting & Tax ServicesChuo-ku, Tanimachi 1-7-3-8F, OsakaTel: 06-6809-1955Url: www12.plala.or.jp/ytaccounting/indexeng.html

international solution groupInvestments, Real Estate, Taxes - US and JapaneseChuo-ku, Tanimachi 1-3-17 suite 1001 OsakaTel: 06-6949-0144email: [email protected]

creamy KidsInternational Modeling AgencyKita-ku, Umeda 1-2-2 Osaka Eki-mae, Dai-2 Bldg. 2F Osaka Tel: 06-6347-7705Url: www.pre21.com/creamy

Pakmail amagasakiWe Ship Anything, Anywhere!Tsugiya 2-2-28 Amagasaki Tel: 06-6492-8950 Url: www.pakmail-ama.com

Pakmail esakaWe Ship Anything, Anywhere!Suita, Esaka-cho 1-23-17 Osaka Tel: 06-6330-8988 Url: www.pakmail-osaka.com

sweatshop UnionT-Shirt Print Shop

Naniwa-ku, Sakuragawa 4-5-19 Osaka Tel: 06-4394-8850 Url: www.sweatshopunion.jp/eng

shinmei Law OfficeBusiness LawyerKita-ku, Nishi-tenma 4-11-22, Hanshin-shinmei Bldg. 501 Osaka Tel: 06-6362-8013 Url: www.shinmei-law.com/e

Kansai scene magazine JUNE 2013 kansaiscene.com 47exeo internationalInternational Dating PartiesKita-ku, Umeda 1-1-3-3F Sky Lounge Mariage Osaka Tel: 050-5810-3977 Url: www.exeo-international.com

accJ KansaiAmerican Chamber of Commerce in JapanKita-ku, Dojima-hama 1-1-8, Dojima Park Bldg. 5F Osaka Tel: 06-6345-9880 Url: www.accj.or.jp

Travel

World expressKobe’s Popular Travel AgencyChuo-ku, Kotonoo-cho 5-3-5, Green Chapeau Bldg. 104 Kobe Tel: 078-222-5050 Url: www.wexp.co.jp

gs TravelBest Fares in OsakaChuo-ku, Higashi-Shinsaibashi 1-13-21, Wadayoshi Bldg 302 Osaka Tel: 06-6281-1230 Url: www.gs-travel.com/en

H.I.S. • No.1 TravelWe go the extra mile for youKita-ku, Umeda 3-4-5, Mainichi-Intecio 15F Osaka Tel: 06-6133-0273 Url: www.no1.his-west.jp

Real estate & accommodation

Takani co. Ltd.Total Solution for House-huntingYodogawa-ku, Nishimiyahara 2-3-35 Osaka Tel: 06-6396-6770

mayflower houseGuesthouseChuo-ku, Izumi-machi 2-1-15 Osaka Tel: 0120-881-456 Url: www.osaka-mayflower-guesthouse.com/en

Oriental Process Apartments for RentIkuno-ku, Tsuruhashi 1-1-36 Osaka Tel: 080-1422-4679 Url: www.orientalprocess.com

entrance JapanShared houses across OsakaKita-ku, Shibata 1-14-8-9F Osaka Tel: 06-6136-3330 Url: www.entrance-japan.com

TOaFurnished / Non-Furnished lofts for rentNishiyodogawa-ku, Tsukuda 1-1-36 Osaka Tel: 06-6471-8136 Url: http://passage.sunnyday.jp

DreamersFurnished / Non-Furnished lofts for rentNishiyodogawa-ku, Tsukuda 1-1-36 Osaka Tel: 06-6471-8136 Url: http://passage.sunnyday.jp

health & Beauty

ishida Women’s clinicWomen’s Health Care in OsakaAsashi-ku, Shinmori 2-1-26 Osaka Tel: 06-6951-9701 Url: www.ishida-clinic.jp/en

hair art & make up BOYHair and Make UpChuo-ku, Higashi-Shinsaibashi 1-2-23-5F Osaka Tel: 06-6252-7630 Url: www6.ocn.ne.jp/~boy

Oriental Dental clinicEnglish Speaking Dentist Chuo-ku, Nakayamate-dori 3-4-7, Oriental Medical Dental Bldg. 4F Osaka Tel: 078-321-2717 Url: www.oriental-shika.com

K studio new YorkEnglish Speaking Beauty Salon Kita-ku, Toyosaki 5-2-22-2F OsakaTel: 06-6371-9033 Url: www.ksny.jp

To list your business in the Kansai Scene Business Finder contact [email protected] for more details.


Classi�eds

Place your ad online at:

kansaiscene.com/classifieds

employment

> educationFRienDLY, exPeRienceD naTiVe engLish Teacher for June Best Eikaiwa, Maizuru, needs F/T experienced NATIVE English teacher for June. Comfortable teaching children. Must drive & be eligible for working visa. Monthly Salary 250000 yen, subsidized apartment & utilities, 7 weeks paid holiday. Reply with CV,references & photos: [email protected] www.best-eikaiwa.com/

JaPanese hOme insTRUcTORs in Osaka COCO Juku Jr. is seeking Japanese Home Instructors as franchisees (Keihan, JR-gakkentoshi line).Must be cheerful&thoughtful for children,English qualifications(TOEIC600+)are preferred. More info,pls visit our HP&join our Setsumeikai, Kyobashi. http://jr.cocojuku.jp/fc/ Mail: [email protected]

hiRing naTiVe engLish TeacheRs We are now hiring part time/ full time teachers with teaching credentials in both our Ashiya and Kyoto locations. Please send us your CV with photo and references. Starting at 2,500 yen/hr. plus transportation fee for a part time position. For further details, please contact: [email protected] www.yse-edu.net

seeKs PassiOnaTe/ DeDicaTeD TeacheRs (Kobe) Kobe(city centre, 3mins from JR Motomachi/4mins from Hankyu Sannomiya) located language school seeks P/T teacher for adult one:one lessons on Tuesdays, Saturdays, Sundays @2000-3000yen/hour. Working VISA & Teaching experience & University degree required. Email CV to [email protected] www.wingseikaiwa.com

URgenT RecRUiT OF engLish Teaching Job Small yet friendly growing school in Senrioka seeks PT native English teachers for Tue&Fri for kids & adults. Starting

1,500-2,300 yen/h depends on exp. Here is the detail. Tuesday 13:30 - 21:00 Friday 13:30 - 20:30 Either of them will be fine. Plz contact us to [email protected]

eng TeacheR/camP LeaDeRs WanTeD School location; 3min walk fm Makino staion Keihan line. Eng teacher position; Friday (from Aug) or Saturday. 2,500~/c. Summer camp; July 31st(wed)~Aug 2nd(Fri) have fun with kids in nature! 35,000yen~. send me your CV with your picture at [email protected]. http://impact-flare.com/

naTiVe engLish TeacheR RecRUiTmenT For Children in Osaka Sakai city From 1 time 3 times per week. Students:2 to 4-year-old children. Time:9:30am-2:30pm. Salary:1800-2200 yen per hour. If you are kind,bright and love children,please contact us. Please send resume to [email protected] We are looking forward to seeing you. www.vacation-es.jp/

TeacheRs WanTeD schOOL in Ashiya/Okamoto is looking for FT/PT English and French teachers ASAP.University diploma is preferable.Must be native speaker with valid visa Payment:2700-3000yen per hour and transportation. Contact us by [email protected]

JaPanese engLish TeacheR neeDeD We're looking for a Japanese teacher to teach Eng. grammar/conversation for Jr High & H.S. students on Mon/Tues evenings. We're located close to JR Senrioka & Hankyu Settsu-shi station. 1,300-1,800yen/h + trans. fee. Send resume w/recent photo to [email protected] or call 06-6330-8161

Kansai cORPORaTe cLasses ces is seeking professional, experienced English instructors for p/t and semi-f/t corporate classes and Intensives in Shiga, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Kobe for positions starting immediately. P/t hourly rates 3,500-4,500 yen per hour. For more info, please forward resume with to [email protected]

Kihs LOOKing FOR TeacheR PT English Teacher able to teach on Mon & Fri afternoons near Tennoji-station in Osaka. Qualification: TESOL etc. Teaching experience a must. Payment: 3,000yen per 45-minute lesson & Transportation (5 lessons per week). Please send your resume to Takeshi Takimoto (email: [email protected]) www.tg-group.ac.jp/kihs/

naTiVe engLish TeacheR neeDeD! Needs to be available on Mon/Wed/Fri AM & PM from Sept. to March. Around 13hrs / week. Highschool in Akashi (nearest stn: JR Uozumi). Payment based on 10-min rate based on educational background and teaching

experience. Male or Female OK. No age restriction. Contact (Mr.)Harada 078-241-7204 [email protected]

naTiVe engLish TeacheR WanTeD in Osaka Native English teacher wanted! After school for kids (age6-8) near Minami-morimachi station. Work hrs:M-F 4:00am-6:00pm. Hourly wage of 1800-2200JPY. Starting from July. Requirements: Valid Visa, happy-spirit, passion&love for kids. Please send us your recent pic and resume to [email protected]

> generalPaRT-Time: nighTcLUB hOsTess スタッフ募集 Looking for Female hostess staff (weekend staffers a plus!). Nightclub will offer English-only service. Basic Japanese ability & proper visa required. Will provide transportation after shift ends. ¥1500/hr ~ please call 080-6188-3645 [email protected] Let's talk in English with customers!

For RentBenTenchO aPaRTmenTs aVaiLaBLe 1DK 55000yen/month semi furnish 1DK 70000yen/month fully furnish 2DK 75000yen/month semi furnish 2DK 80000yen/month semi 2LDK 90000yen/month unfurnish 6min walk from Bentencho subway and JR Loopline stations. No Key money, No guarantors, No agency fees, 3month min. stay required Alex 09037030314 http://www.abhousingosaka.com [email protected]

KOBe: nO KeY mOneY No agency fee Bigger than most. Sharing OK. With washer, fridge etc. Two big sunny apartments, 3LDK Sumiyoshi: 63m² ¥98,000 3LDK Kobe University: 61m² ¥98,000 Eng or Jpn. 090-9286-1216 [email protected]

OsaKaKO aPaRTmenTs aVaiLaBLe 1R 55000 semi furnish 1LDK 75000 semi furnish 2DK 65000 unfurnish 2DK 75000 semi furnish 2DK 85000 fully furnish 2LDK 90000 unfurnish 1min walk to Osakako subway station. No key money, No guarantors, No agency fees, Minimum 3month stay required Alex 09037030314 www.abhousingosaka.com [email protected]

sTUDiO aPT FOR RenT Furnished Studio Apt in Osaka.JR Mitejima Riverside residence. Only 7min to Osaka Umeda by JR. Convenient & Safe. No key money.No Commission. Furnished:Y58,000-63,000. Non-Furnished:Y53,000-58,000. Call Passage Mansion - John:090-2591-9960 [email protected] http://passage.sunnyday.jp

Room/Flat sharePenThOUse aPaRTmenT in KOBe! 124-square-meter flat with gorgeous city, mountain Osaka Bay views has opening. Modern everything (ex. 2-person bathtub, surround-sound movie system, etc) Non-smoker, considerate people only please. Central Kobe, close to most major train/subway lines. 45000 + bills. Rooms on blog all furnished now [email protected] www.kobeliving.blogspot.jp/

shaReD accOmmODaTiOn FOR RenT in Osaka 【Wagokoro】Rent ¥45,000~, 9.72m2~, 8min walk from JRSenrioka st. 【Marche Awaza】Rent ¥46,000~, 7.29m2~, 7min walk from Awaza st. No key money, deposit or guarantor. Furnished. Initial cost: 1st month’s rent & dealing charge(15,750). Contact info: 06-6136-3330 / [email protected]

Flat / house shareLOOKing FOR hOUse shaRemaTe in Himeji Looking for house sharemate in Himeji, furnished room available ¥45000/month (include utilities, wifi). 15mins to Himeji station by bus or bike. Nice and quiet residential area, also close to supermarket. Tidy person only. Email for more information: [email protected]

shaRe hOUse memBeR WanTeD!! 【TENNOJI】JPY42000~, 8mins walk from st. 【SHINFUKAE】JPY35000~, 5 mins walk from st. 【Nada】JPY48000~, 4mins walk from st. No guarantor nor key money. With common use utensils. Contact info: 06-6222-3123 / [email protected]/ http://dreamers-jp.com/

health

KanDa meDicine in KOBe SHIATSU, ACUPUNCTURE and MOXIBUSTION Okamoto stn. on Hankyu Kobe-line, or Settsu-motoyama stn. on JR Kobe-line Open everyday except Sunday and Public holiday 6am - 8pm 5,000 yen

Kansai scene magazine JUNE 2013 kansaiscene.com5050/ session Tel: 078-412-5385 iPhone 090-9692-8758 [email protected] SHIATSU COURSES are also Offered. ENGLISH SPOKEN www.zenonecompany.com/en/health/

courses and classesLeT's haVe FUn LeaRning Japanese together Our teachers have been trained for at least 420 hours and or are officially licenced. Teachers are all professional. We can introduce you to Japanese teachers in your area in Japan without any introduction fee. Choose a convenient location for you and we will come and teach you Japanese. [email protected] www.brightstartjapanese.com/

eventsFRee aBacUs cLass FOR FOREIGNERS FREE ABACUS CLASS for FOREIGNERS offered by O.C.C.I. and Osaka Abacus Assoc. to promote int'l goodwill. Individualized lessons taught in Japanese or English. Saturdays 10-12 am. Course material provided for free. Near Sakaisuji-Hommachi and Kitahama. Call: Moritomo Ken 06-

6572-6877 https://sites.google.com/site/osakasoroban/

announcementsBiLingUaL chRisTian chURch neaR Utsubo Park! Come to Mustard Seed Christian Church! Music, kids program (Sunday only), and bilingual (English and Japanese). Anyone can come. Meets Sunday mornings and Monday evenings. See website for information.. www.mustardseedosaka.com

OsaKa BOOK gROUP's meeTing We'll talk about Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" on June 2, starting around 12.30 at Cafe Garb. Let's have a nice book-themed Sunday afternoon! [email protected] www.facebook.com/masanaka

inTeRnaTiOnaL chRisTian chURch in KOBE SUNDAYS at 10:30AM, only minutes away from SANNOMIYA station. Our BILINGUAL (English/Japanese) services are centered around vibrant small group discussions. www.nakamajapan.org

PetsBe a heRO TO cats! Japan Cat Network is looking for loving homes for rescued cats and dogs. Foster or adopt to find a friend and save a life! Meet available pets at japancatnet.com

For saleOsaKa saYOnaRa saLe. BeaUTiFUL FURNITURE AT ROCK-BOTTOM PRICES. Sofa, spacious desk, chairs, coffee table (kotatsu), washing machine, fridge, and lots more. All in near-perfect condition, less than one year old. Leaving Osaka in July, everything must go! www.alexjordan.org/sayonara. Contact: [email protected]. Pickup: Nagai station

50cc caFe RaceR anD Bianchi bike for sale in Kyoto! 1997 Honda Dream 50. Very rare and fun to ride! 60's Honda CR110 replica. Also, Bianchi Pista Via Brera. Single speed non fixed bike. Cream color. Email me for more info! [email protected]

4gB hP DesKTOP TOWeR + Sayonara Sale!!! HP desktop tower (4GB RAM, 500GB HD, 3 yrs old) - ¥30,000 + Sayonara Sale. Please visit my blog page for

descriptions, photos and prices. http://tambasayonarasale.blogspot.jp/ Thanks

saYOnaRa saLe manY KiTchen/hOUsehOLD Items!!! Sayonara Sale. Many kichen/household items, inculding furniture. Prices cheap/negotiable. Please visit my blog page for descriptions, photos and prices. http://tambasayonarasale.blogspot.jp/ Thanks

OtherLOOKing FOR DiscUssiOn PaRTneRs Hello! If you are interested in talking about psychology, philosophy, education (particularly in Japan) or men and women, please contact me! I love talking about those things. [email protected] www.facebook.com/brian.connelly.75

sorry…Due to space restrictions we are unable to print all classified ads.see kansaiscene.com for more classifieds online, including personals!

We design. So you don’t have to.From bar flyers and business cards to company brochures and logos — let our creative team take care of it all.See www.mojoprint.jp/design for more details or contact us today.

050-5805-6312 or 06-6539-1717 [email protected]

Visit doshisha.vpweb.com.au;or email course instructor Michael Rasmussen at:

[email protected]

Beginning July 2013Doshisha University, Imadegawa, Kyoto

Participation is free.

eight 2-hr session program for foreign residentsto reduce depression, anxiety and stress

increase clarity of awareness and attention

Mindfulness-BasedCognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Kansai Scene Ad4_Kansai Scene Ad 2013/05/11 17:45 Page 1

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HotelOkura

Starbucks

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Junkudo

Kyoto City Hall

GionKaikan

Yasaka Jinja

GionHotelMinamiza

Theatre

JomoGas

Daimaru

FujiDaimaru Takashimaya

Marui

Yam

atoj

i-dor

i

Kei

han

Line

Pont

ocho

Han

amik

oji-d

ori

Shirakawa-dori

Shirakawa river

Kiy

amac

hi-d

ori

Sanjo-dori

Kaw

aram

achi

-dor

i

Shin

kyog

oku

Shot

enga

iTe

ram

achi

Sho

teng

ai

Gok

omac

hi-d

ori

Fuya

cho-

dori

Tom

inok

oji-d

ori

Yana

gino

banb

a-do

ri

Saka

imac

hi-d

ori

Tozai Subway Line

Hankyu Line

Bal

Mina

OPAWorld

MovixKyoto

Shin KyogokuCine Lalibe

Oike-doriShiyakushomae

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Sanjo

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oG

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kansai scene #157 june 2013

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