deep kyoto

Yes! Jupiter has Hobnobs! Twixes too! I need never go back to England again!

Thanks and praise  to Sheila Campbell for passing on this important news!

If you are not already aware of it, Jupiter is a huge emporium of imported goods in the underground Porta shopping complex that lies in front of Kyoto Station. They have an impressive selection of confectionery and coffee, plus cereals, imported booze and ingredients for Mexican, Italian & Asian cuisine. Most importantly they have Hobnobs, the finest biscuits known to man.
Coming out of Kyoto station’s central exit, take the first flight of stairs down and walk east and then north. Jupiter is on the left corner opposite Lotteria. You can find a simple map here and clever little 3-D map thingy here. Jupiter is number 107 on the map.
Open everyday from 9:00 ~ 21:00
Tel: 075-361-5981

See also: In Search of Marmite – The Deep Kyoto Guide to Import Stores

A message from Jason Bartashius….

Volunteers Needed!

Starting this spring we will be matching volunteer English instructors with junior high and high school students from the Tohoku region. The lessons will be done online using Skype and will be free of charge. We wish to have volunteers with the following experience and credentials:

• A four -year university degree

• A teaching license or certificate

• One year experience teaching English in Japan to junior high or high school students

• Volunteers do not necessarily need to live in Japan. However, we hope all volunteers have at least one-year of experience living in Japan and are familiar with Japanese customs and culture.

If you would like to volunteer please email us your resume and a cover letter. The cover letter should include a detailed description of your experience teaching in Japan and reasons for wanting to volunteer. Mail to: afterschoollessons@gmail.com

After School Lessons For Tohoku Children: www.aslftc.com/

Thank you Jason!

Film-maker Petri Storlöpare answers questions at Urbanguild.

On Monday evening I attended the premiere of Petri Storlöpare’s documentary movie “A Life in Japan” at Urbanguild. In the movie, footage from all over Japan is accompanied by excerpts from interviews with 19 foreign residents of Japan. According to the film-maker, the objective is to let the viewer have a glimpse of Japanese life through foreign eyes. The participants explain how they first came to Japan, why they stayed, the problems they have encountered, the things they have learned, their loves, their hates, their hopes and their regrets. The movie lasts for 77  minutes, and though it is essentially just people talking, it is both entertaining and thought provoking. Alejandro Peña Flores from Mexico, speaks of how Japan has taught him something about honesty.  Duduzile Sibanyoni speaks of police harassment and how that resurrected for her memories of apartheid in her native South Africa. Canadian Micah Gampel relates his disappointment at being unable to save his favorite machiya townhouse from destruction at the hands of developers… For me, as a long time resident in Japan, there were many experiences I recognized and related to. But I think that “A Life in Japan” would be most useful for people who are considering moving here from abroad, or for Japanese who might be interested in getting a fresh perspective on their own country (the movie has Japanese subtitles).
Now, this movie received quite a lot of flak on Facebook recently, before anyone had even seen it, on the grounds that it wasn’t representative enough. Some people who viewed the trailer were concerned that the movie didn’t have enough women in it. Others accused the movie of being Orientalist, and being only concerned with the opinions of white men from developed countries. Well, having seen the movie for myself I can state that these fears were misplaced. At no point during the screening did I feel that the movie felt culturally or gender biased. Seven of the nineteen participants are women, and though they are slightly fewer in number than the men, it’s not something you would notice in terms of screen time. It should also be remembered that Petri Storlöpare made this movie by himself, at his own expense over a three year period, with no funding or sponsorship, so making a movie that was perfectly representative of the expat population here was not something he could ever have possibly done. By his own admission he wasn’t really trying to do that anyway.

The intention was not to try to give an objective all encompassing picture of Japan, but to let you experience it through personal opinions and experiences of different people. The interviewees had the chance to speak freely, within loose frames, about the topics of their choice.
From the website A Life in Japan

I asked Petri how he chose the participants, and he told me that he began by interviewing friends in Kyoto, and then friends of friends and then after he had been doing that for a year he realized he didn’t have enough women in the movie. So he cast his net further and traveled as far as Tottori and Kyushu in a deliberate effort to make a more balanced movie. As for the ethnicity of the participants, there are people from twelve different countries and six different continents. I think for one man’s individual project, that’s not a bad balance at all!

Well, I hope I have laid those concerns to rest. The movie should stand on its own merits. I enjoyed it myself, and most of the people who saw it with me on Monday seemed to respond positively. I would happily recommend it to anyone who is curious about life in Japan, or perhaps even as an educational tool. If you are curious about the movie, you can learn more about it and download it here.

Here’s that controversial trailer:

Ol' JET buddies Aidan O'Connor & Justin Giffin

Here’s the good word from Tadg on last Saturday’s fabulous fundraiser for Aidan’s bone marrow transplant,

I am privileged and proud to live a City like Kyoto but the bonus to that is the generosity and warmth of the expat community in Kyoto. Last night was another example of this warmth and generosity at The save Aidan fundraiser, where you raised over ¥300,000, staggering! Thank all of you who gave your music, your money and your time in supporting this most worthy. In the cold light of day I am truly blown away, thank you.

I think the final count actually came to ¥311,000. Well done to all involved in organizing this fantastic event. Not only was it a powerful testament to the community spirit of Kyoto expats and a fine tribute to Aidan himself – it was a great party too! The place was packed with local legends, the bands were hopping, the happy sauce flowing and by the time Jay Gregg and his Celtic All Stars hit the stage, people were bouncing about like pachinko balls (apologies to Barbara Stein for my own poor dancing skills). I spoke to Aidan briefly earlier in the evening and he told me how moved and encouraged he has been by the measure of support and good will he has received. There is still a ways to go before the campaign reaches the ¥3.5 million target though, so if you haven’t given yet please click here and if you have already given – then please click here again!

Here are some more piccies from a legendary night at Tadg’s:

See also: SAVE AIDAN!

I’m always on the look out for comfy little cafes where I can ensconce myself in a quiet corner and read a good book. Last Monday I went to Cocokara Cafe for the first time and found it suited me nicely. Cocokara takes its name from a desire to serve the needs of both the heart (心 kokoro) and the body (体 karada). To put your heart at rest they emphasize comfort. The interior is small, bright, cheerful and easy on the eyes and as they write on their website anyone from backpacker to work-shirking salaryman should feel comfortable here. For the body they put a big emphasis on a healthy menu. Butter, lard and white sugar are shunned, and instead there are lots of whole grain rice dishes with plenty of wholesome vegetables. Though they aren’t a vegetarian cafe per se, they do have  a lot of vegetarian options. I was in the mood for pasta when I visited, so I tucked into a plateful with mushroom and broccoli in a soya milk béchamel sauce.

A lovely big plate of hot & peppery pasta goodness.

All in all this is a nice little spot. I think I might take Mewby here this weekend, so we can try some of their non-dairy, low-calorie sweets. If I have one tiny quibble, it is that they should probably take their music selection off of repetitive loop. There’s only so many times I can listen to Carole King doing the Locomotion before I have to leave. Here’s a shot of the interior:

Cocokara Cafe + Dish is open from 11:30～21:00 （Last orders 20:00） every day except Sunday.
They also sell bento lunch boxes from 10:30 until they sell out.
You can find it on the east side of Higashinotoin just south of Nijo. Here is a map.
TEL 075-223-6787

Kyoto is the spiritual, artistic, and cultural center of Japan. It is also the home to a thriving tourist industry, attracting nearly five million visitors in 2009. It is the city that all visitors to Japan go to. Its 17 World Heritage Sites are spread throughout the city, easily accessible.
The city was laid out in checkerboard fashion, some 1200 years ago, following the example of the ancient Chinese imperial capital Xian. With mountains on three sides of the city, the inhabited areas of Kyoto tend to be flat but sloping slightly as you travel north – all of which means it is a wonderful city to cycle in.
From Cycle Kyoto

I suppose I’m shooting myself in the foot a bit by sending you all over to the competition, but I really do feel impelled to recommend Sanborn Brown’s very excellent website Cycle Kyoto. Here you will find everything you need to know about cycling in the ancient city with information on where to rent a bicycle and suggested itineraries for cycle routes. Even if cycling is not your thing, there is also a wealth of information on hiking routes, temples, shrines, cafes and museums. Sanborn has obviously put a lot of work into his website and it shows. His alternative cycle tours especially look fascinating. Check out his Literary Kyoto, Creepy Kyoto and City of Tea cycling routes. And for those overwhelmed by the huge number of shrines and temples in Kyoto, Cycle Kyoto offers an inspired solution: 88 temples in a half hour hike! I’m very impressed by this website.  Highly recommended!

Images used courtesy of Sanborn Brown.

It was a great night on Saturday when we went to see Dale Russ and Jay Gregg play at Irish Pub Gnome. We hadn’t been free to see them play the previous night at Tadg’s with Jay’s band Celtic Sounds, but it was nice to see the two of them play in this smaller, more intimate setting. I took the opportunity to video a few of the tunes, so here they are:

First a polka.

Next a lovely tune named “Lady Hamilton”. Read the rest of this entry »

Rob Mangold gave a short presentation before the show on IDRO Japan's work in Tohoku.

A very big congratulations to director John Gorman and the very brave students of Ryukoku University for their sterling production of the comedy musical Avenue Q. Praise should also go to Mika Matsumoto McLoughlin for her musical direction. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the show was and impressed by the students gutsy attitude in putting on a big song and dance performance entirely in English! Whoever designed and built the set deserves several pats on the back too. Of all the student performers though, Moe Wada, as Kate Monster, stood out for her very fine singing voice. Her performance of There’s A Fine Fine Line was amazing. However, when you consider that this was an amateur student production and that none of the performers were acting in their native tongue, I think everyone involved should be very, very proud of their achievement.

What’s more, the big news from Rob Mangold is that the performances raised a grand total of 120,395 yen to help IDRO Japan continue its fine work helping tsunami victims in Tohoku. Before the show Rob gave a brief talk detailing IDRO’s achievements thus far and its ongoing work helping people in northern Japan rebuild their lives. Here’s a summary of IDRO’s work so far from their website:

IDRO Japan has sponsored over 8 relief trips from Kyoto. During these trips IDRO Japan:

• distributed immediate relief supplies;
• distributed carpentry tools;
• distributed electrical appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators and microwave ovens;
• replaced glass windows in Funakoshi Elementary School,
• supplied 28 hot water heaters (another 22 on order);
• supplied 30 kerosene room heaters;
• supplied poly-tanks for kerosene;
• supplied kotatsu to those living in temporary housing units;
• supplied numerous power tools and equipment for volunteers to use;
• participated in local volunteer relief activities.

In addition to the water heater project and “tools for Tohoku” project, recently, IDRO has also helped renovate a unique Minka building in the town of Ohara that is over a hundred years old, to be used as a restaurant and hopefully help revitalize the local community. They have also given financial support to Elf Tree providing contamination (and fear) free vegetables from Kyushu for expectant mothers and babies in Fukushima. This is the kind of work that the money raised by this weekend’s production is going to support. If you would like to add your own support to this ongoing work then please visit the IDRO Japan website or contact them directly here: idrojapan@gmail.com

I have already written of the big event this month, the benefit Concert for Aidan O’Connor on Friday January 20th at Tadg’s on the 20th will feature three bands: Max Dodds & Trace Elements, Jay Gregg & Celtic Sounds, John Kuzel & Friends. All that entertainment plus a raffle & buffet to raise money for Aidan’s bone marrow transplant. Please check this previous post for details.

Here are some more upcoming events that are worthy of note.

Friday 13th January from 8.30 pm – Dale Russ (fiddle) & Jay Gregg (guitar & fiddle) and his band @ Tadg’s
No charge
As Tadg says, “Dale is one of the most admired and respected Irish Fiddle players in the World…This will be one of the premier gigs of 2012 in Kyoto.”
Access map here.

Saturday 14th January from 8pm – If you missed them the day before, Dale Russ & Jay Gregg play another gig @ Gnome
No charge (but tips please!)
Access map here.

Alternatively back at Tadg’s that same night, “The Fabulous Antonio” will be playing a Samba & Bosanova Extravaganza from 8pm. Says Tadg, “The Fabulous Antonio entertains, with his rip roaring Bosanova Band sound. If you have not seen Antonio and his band you are in for a treat… Come early, this gig always gets a great crowd!” This event also has no charge.

Tuesday January 24th from 8pm -DK favorites max dodd’s raw elements play ‘Shokudo Live’ @ UrBANGUILD
FREE!
Access map here.

Thursday 26th January from 8pm – Anders Trabjerg (button accordion). Anders is from Denmark but has been settled in Galway since 2000. He will play with Mayo Yanachi (fiddle), Jun Akazawa (bouzouki), Akio Kumamoto (flute), & Tomofumi Inoue (fiddle). @ Gnome
No charge (tips please!)
Access map here.

Saturday January 28th  – max dodds again, this time ｐlaying a Tohoku Relief Concert @ Norwegian Wood Cafe & Bar
Charge: ¥2000 (with 1 drink and 1 food)
Access map here.

Sunday February 12th opens 7pm / starts 7.30pm – Local folk legend & good friend Udonya Mentei @ Viva La Musica
Singer/songwriter Udonya Mentei’s shows are lively but rare – this show is not be missed!
No charge but tips please!
Access map here.

Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th open 6.30pm / start 7pm – Shakuhachi player & good friend, Yoshida Koichi’s Yugao @ Zac Baran
Tickets (in advance): 2500 / On the door: 2800 / Students: 2200
Access map here.
For further details check http://yugao-music.com

Yugao cellist William says,

Kyoto’s most eccentric fusion quartet YUGAO – shakuhachi, cello, piano, tabla – returns home from a brilliantly accoladed concert tour of Spain and France. Don’t miss your chance to hear this unique only-in-Kyoto sound synthesis, newly invigorated and inspired and fattened on olives and wine. With an opening haiku/calligraphy improv featuring guest artist Katerina Nazarova. February 25th and 26th at Zac Baran. Be there!

Here is some news from Japan International Poetry Society (JIPS) regarding publications and activities by Kansai’s resident poets:

The biggest news first. Kobe poet Yoko Danno, Kyoto poet Kiyoko Ogawa (and other poets from both Japan and overseas) are featured in a poetry anthology, the proceeds of which will be donated to help the Tohoku region. The book can be ordered here.

In addition, Kobe poet Yoko Danno has published online poetry recently here.

Kansai poets Danno, Keiji Minato and Tokihiko Araki have participated in a renshi published in Shampoo.

Kobe poet Yoko Danno and Kyoto poet Tanaka Atsusuke’s work is forthcoming in a special selection of poetry from Japan in the online poetry journal Big Bridge (publication date March 2012).

The next Japan Writers Conference will take place in Kyoto. Details forthcoming…

Many thanks to Jane Joritz-Nakagawa for the update!