Latest news from our site

Food

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:19:37 +0100

Chedi Luang, Umeda and Kitahorie

Text : George Bourdaniotis
Photos : courtesy of Chedi Luang

When Chedi Luang opened 10 years ago, Thai restaurants in Osaka only served Bangkokstyle food. "We filled that gap," said supervisor, Chieko Suzumoto. "Bangkok cuisine is food-stall based, whereas Chiang Mai cuisine is the royal, restaurant-style Khantoke. Neighbouring countries — Laos, Myanmar and China — have an interesting influence on the regional cuisine." Chiang Mai, located 700km ...

Food

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:19:03 +0100

Hyatt Regency Osaka, Crab & Lobster Carnival

Text : Chris Page
Photos : courtesy of Hyatt Regency

"In starting up the Crab and Lobster Carnival, we were trying to achieve the same fun and casual atmosphere that we had with the summer rooftop barbecue," explained Hyatt Regency Osaka's general manager Mark Foxwell."

"So we moved the concept indoors from the roof for the winter and created a seafood theme rather than a grill theme — and in Japan nothing says winter warming like s...

Drink

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:18:05 +0100

Bar Zerro, Shinsaibashi, Osaka

Text: Matt Coslett
Photos: courtesy of Zerro

If you thought you knew Bar Zerro, guess again! Everyone`s favorite bar is going to start the new year off in style.

Situated right in the centre of Shinsaibashi, Zerro has always been the one of the most popular ways to start a night out. By mixing elements of a bar and club into one, it offers people the chance to start their partying in the best possible way. This year Zerro has a new look and will be o...

Club

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:17:27 +0100

3 (FRI)

GRAND CAFE

Suger (Hip Hop/R&B)• DJs: Imai, Kazunari, A-z, MC Ami

Open: 8pm • Admission: ¥2,000/1D • Where: Shinsaibashi • Tel: 06-6213-0031 • www.grandcafe.com

NOON

Timisoara (Techno) • DJs: Jimmer, Phonehead, Hara, Yaguchi

• Open: 7:30pm–11:30pm • Admission: 12,500/1D(WF: ¥1,000/1D, Foreigners: ¥1,500/1D) • Where: Umeda • Tel: 06-6373-4919 • http://www.noon-web.com

TRIANGLE

Qube.tv Show Case (Techno) • Live: Aoki Takamas...

Live

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:16:32 +0100

Feb 13

Operatic US Gothic Rock

Fallen, Evanescence's debut studio album sold over seventeen million copies and promptly earned the band two Grammys. Formed in 1995 in Little Rock, Arkansas by vocalist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody (who quit the band mid-tour in 2003) Evanescence were somewhat of a phenomenon when they exploded onto the music scene. Their emergence lead to a number of other female-fronted hard rock outfits of a similar style and image.

After a break, partly due no...

Films and Cinema

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:15:51 +0100

Feb 4

What do a green-suited kappa, a samurai hairdresser and a man dressed as a nun have in common? No, they're not all just otaku posing for pictures at Denden town's annual street festa — although, given the popularity of this series, they may well be this year.

Originally, they're all characters in Arakawa Under the Bridge, one of the quirkiest manga-inspired shows to come along in recent years. If you've seen any of the anime or TV episodes, and wondered what the hell's going o...

Lingo

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:15:11 +0100

Text: Wes Lang
Image: KS

Winter brings only one thought to my mind as the strong, frigid Siberian winds (kogarashi) penetrate through my multilayered body. Cold, cold, cold. If you're tired of hearing the constant echoes of samui (cold) reverberating through the crowded streets, then take note of these less uttered yet still important phrases.

While an alternative way to complain about the weather would be to use hiemasu ne (it's cold out here), try out the head-turning utterance...

Flea market

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:14:25 +0100

Osaka

Banpaku Garage Sale

Feb 12 (Sun)

Time: 9:30am–4:30pm
Admission: ¥350 (plus park entrance fee ¥250)
Where: Banpaku Park, Osaka
Access: Osaka Monorail Banpaku Kinen Koen station
Tel: 06-6362-6322

Takojizo Tezukuri Ichi

Feb 17 (Fri)

Time: 10am–4pm
Admission: free
Where: Takojizo Shopping Street, Kishiwada, Osaka
Access: Nankai Honsen Tacojizo station

Kadoma Tezukuri Ichi

Feb 18 (Sat) & 19 (Sun)

Time: 11am–6pm
Admission: free
Where: K...

Festival

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:13:48 +0100

Feb 3

IKUTA-JINJA, HYOGO

February 3 is called setsubun, meaning the day before the beginning of spring. And it is also the Lunar New Year's Eve. Bean throwing ceremonies are held at many temples and shrines on this day. People throw beans at ogres to cleanse all the evil sprits away and bring good fortune for the year to come. At the Setsubun Sai Festival soya beans, which are packed in small bags, are thrown by hundreds of people from the platform, and a large crowd scramble to catc...

Event

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:13:06 +0100

Until March 20

Provided by the Tourism Section of Nara Municipal Office

TOBIHINO in NARA PARK , NARA

This is a unique opportunity to see hundreds of wild deer being fed in a crispy cold but beautiful morning in Nara Park. At 10am a French horn plays a verse of the Pastoral Symphony to alert the deer and then hundreds of deer seem to appear from nowhere. Watch as the deer run towards the horn blower, as they are eager to be fed with acorns. It is astonishing to see how tame and well ...

Art

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:12:29 +0100

Feb 3-26

eNarts, Kyoto

Words Lie III marks the third solo exhibition of Keisuke Matsuda at eNarts, his first being in 2010 right after graduating from Kyoto City University of Arts. The title perhaps refers to Matsuda's use of art to recreate images that occur in his mind. "I want to express, in paints, the images that appear in mind, not in words," Matsuda notes. The exhibition title perhaps reflects this creative process. His paintings are abstract yet somehow remin...

News

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:11:48 +0100

Free round trips between Kobe and Kansai International Airport by boat? Seems a bit unlikely, but that's exactly what's on offer.

The Bay Shuttle plies the 30-minute trip across Osaka Bay from Kobe airport (Kaijo Access Terminal) throughout the day in under one-third the time of the equivalent rail journey — and including all the fun of a boat trip.

In order to qualify for the free trip you have to be a nationality other than Japanese. Apart from that, the shuttle operator...

Education

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:10:41 +0100

Parenting for expatriate or international parents is full of extra challenges, not least of which is how to encourage bilingualism in your children. KS looks at an often overlooked option.

Text: John Nevara
Photo: KS

To be educated at an international school or not to be, that is the question many international kids and their parents face.

However, quite a few parents have decided on a third option — enroll their kids in Japanese school, while also signing them up for Saturday, we...

Travel

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:09:53 +0100

Rio isn't the only word in carnivals. The carnival culture in Trinidad and Tobago may be less well known but is just as exciting.

Text & Photos: Emerald Huang

Carnivals, most associated with Rio de Janeiro, are the largest street parties on the planet. This colourful, energetic and spectacular festival comprises upbeat music, extravagant costumes and thousands of people in organized parades. Not far from Brazil, however, there are two small islands where carnivals are celebrated ...

Getaway

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:09:01 +0100

KS ventures to the subtropical island of Yakushima to explore the primeval forests and discover what makes thousand-year-old cryptomeria trees so lovable.

Text & Photos: Natalie Emmons

When was the last time you gave a tree an affectionate squeeze? When was the last time you even saw a tree? I'm not talking about a flimsy manicured stub that was only planted to complement the concrete jungle engulfing it. I'm talking about a naturally grown tree with a colossal trunk, sturdy bran...

Special

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:07:58 +0100

With Asahi's Nishinomiya Brewery closing its doors, this may be the perfect time to take a factory tour and experience the art of brewing beer.

Text & Photos: Natalie Emmons

As temperatures plunge and scarf sales skyrocket, you may find yourself in search of an activity that alleviates your cabin fever without the added bonus of a post-nasal drip. If you haven't made a New Year's resolution forbidding consumption of copious amounts of barley-derived beverages, look no further tha...

Culture

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:06:10 +0100

Out with the evil! In with the good!

Text: Alan Wiren
Images: Ks

What is the best way to prepare for the lunar new year in Japan? Why not throw roasted soybeans at your relatives? One caveat: this only works on February third. And keep in mind they are not really your relatives when you are pelting them. They will have donned oni (Japanese for "demon") masks to represent evil spirits. In addition, you must chant "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" while you are throwing the beans. This m...

Lifestyle

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:04:02 +0100

Japan's traditional cuisine is a paradigm of meat-free eating, yet the modern country is less than friendly to vegetarians. So, is it possible to maintain a vegetarian eating style here? You bet — but with thought.

Text: Helen Marvell
Photo: KS

When I first arrived in Japan I had no concept of what it was going to be like to live a vegetarian lifestyle here. I spent the first few weeks eating mainly yellow, beige and white foods (rice, fries, bread, cheese), which resulted in the flu an...

Feature

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:02:00 +0100

Osaka's farmers' markets offer the best of organically grown food stuffs while connecting the visitor with the city's down-to-earth community.

Text & Photos: Joan Lambert Bailey

Osaka is home to some of Japan's most famous and distinctive foods: okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and kitsune udon, while others contend it is a gastronomical heaven with restaurant streets like Dotonbori and Shinsekai. Yet, sprouting up weekly around this food mecca are a handful of farmers' markets where visitors ca...

Food

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:36:26 +0100

Ikeda-ya, Kyoto

Text & Photos : Phillip Jackson

"Shinsengumi!" roared Kondo Isami, leader of the Shogun's special Kyoto police force. The panicked proprietor of the Ikeda-ya inn scrambled up the staircase closely followed by Kondo and three of his swordsman Okita, Nagakura and Todo. The Ikeda-ya had been the chosen location for an anti-bakufu (Shogun) meeting to discuss what course of action to take over the recent capture and torture of a fellow rebel by the Shinsengumi.

Accord...

Drink

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:35:36 +0100

Baru Zaru Tenma, Osaka

Text & Photos: Alan Wiren

Last May, a new bar was squeezed in under Osaka's Loop Line tracks that lead away from Tenma Station toward Umeda. Through the window you can see fish, so fresh their eyes are like jewels staring back at you, piled together on ice next to crisp, green veggies and plump, brown mushrooms.

The Tenma branch of Baru Zaru is the newest of a chain with two other locations in Kobe. You can find it just off the shopping arcade by looking ...

Club

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:34:41 +0100

Jan 21

Universe

Juno Reactor was originally formed by Ben Watkins as an art project in 1990 as a means to collaborate with other artists to create experimental music and non musical soundtracks that would work with installations, art pieces and film projects like the Matrix series. Watkins remains central to the project, along with his collaborations with a constantly changing ensemble of musicians from across the world, including Amampondo, a traditional percussion act, Billy Ido...

Live

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:33:18 +0100

Jan 13

NWOBHM Classic Rock

In February 1980 an album showcasing young bands at the forefront of the new wave of British heavy metal was released. The album was Metal for Muthas, and Praying Mantis featured on the album alongside Iron Maiden, Samson, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Ethel the Frog, Sledgehammer and Angel Witch.

Now on their 30th Anniversary Metalmorphosis Tour (marking thirty years since the release of the acclaimed album Time Tells No Lies) the band is still lead by founding m...

Films & Cinema

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:31:46 +0100

Jan 14

It may have a Japanese title, but don't be fooled — this isn't a historical piece on the art of Japanese puppetry. Nor is it set in Japan, though we do get to hear a little Japanese. Instead, it's in a futuristic city called Little Westworld — a name that's surely a nod to the 1973 movie where robots in a Wild West theme park go berserk. Guns have been outlawed, so swords, axes and fancy kung fu rules the streets. There's no government, so society has formed ultraviolent gangs.

I...

Lingo

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:30:51 +0100

Text: Wes Lang
Photo: KS

It's winter, you need a hot drink and sometimes the vending machine coffee just won't do. Walk five minutes and you'll probably trip over a Starbucks, Tully's or Dotour, where you're soon faced with a rather difficult decision: which overpriced beverage to order. While the majority of staff are versed in rudimentary English, you can get a lot more bang for your yen if you try out some of the phrases that follow.

If you order straight from the menu then you...

Flea market

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:29:55 +0100

Osaka

Bentencho Flea Market

Jan 11 (Wed) & 15 (Sun)

Time: 10am–5pm
Admission: free
Where: ORC200 Hiroba 2F, Osaka
Access: JR/Chuo Line Bentencho station
Tel: 06-6281-0770

Kochikura Ichi

Jan 14 (Sat)

Time: 10am–5pm
Admission: free
Where: Nijyushisekki Kanmaki Takatsuki, Osaka
Access: Hankyu Kyoto Line Kanmaki station 3min walk, JR Shimamoto station 10min walk
Tel: 072-686-1112
www.relife.co.jp/24sekki.htm

Banpaku Garage Sale

Jan 15 (Sun)

Tim...

Festival

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:29:05 +0100

Jan 8

TOKOJI TEMPLE, HYOGO

This ritual is traceable back to the 14th century. Although the masks, which are worn by participants today, were carved in 1842, they are historically invaluable. Ta-asobi is held to pray for a rich harvest, and oni-oi is for removing misfortune. Firstly, participants give a performance to depict farmwork. Following this, a red ogre and a skin ogre enter the outer area of the temple hall. The red ogre strikes a major pillar of the hall with his torch meanw...

Event

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:28:09 +0100

Until Feb 28

HIMEJI OTEMAE-KOEN PARK, HYOGO

Kinoshita Circus, which has been voted as one of the three best circuses in the world, comes to Himeji. This troupe features traditional Japanese acrobatics as their speciality. With stunning and intricate aerial acrobatic techniques, the performers will thrill and excite you. Brave stuntmen will make you hold your breath as they ride in the cage of death. Also, there will be exotic animal shows with elephants, giraffes and zebras. Feroci...

Art

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:27:16 +0100

Jan 6-14

PHOTO CREDIT: 1972年「劇中劇A」77×77cm 素材：紙・コンテ

Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto

In commemoration of Sasao Syuhei's passing in 2010, the Kyoto Art Center will exhibit some 65 works spanning 50 years by this Kyoto-based artist. Sasao first gained attention by his works in conte (charcoal crayons) in the 1970s, abstract largescale drawings where motifs are built by minute dotting and details. His later Plane Copper series continue an exploration of line and drawing, at...

News

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:26:31 +0100

In February last year, long-term Kansai resident Aidan O'Connor was diagnosed with leukemia.

Aidan tells us, "It's been a roller coaster and you never know what is going to happen next. Basically I have had to put my whole life on hold. I have been lucky in that the chemotherapy was not too unpleasant but I have spent almost five months in isolation, which can get you down. Not being able to experience my son starting to talk was the hardest thing."

There is a good chance of a healthy adult ...

Live

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:16:21 +0100

With their unusual influences and limit less reserves of originality, Beirut are an emerging band that's catching a lot of attention … and they're on their way to Osaka. KS manages a quick word with them before they get here.

Text: Wes Lang
Photo: Kristianna Smith

After the catastrophic events of March 11th last year, the number of overseas musicians touring Japan plummeted, leaving live music aficionados in a bit of a concert-deprived lull. Even the usual big-name Fuji Rock and Summ...

Art

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:15:23 +0100

Getting art out of the studio and into the public realm is a dream of many artists, and the Osaka Canvas Project realises that desire by turning Osaka into one big art space.

Text: Tomoko Ishii
Photos: Courtesy of Osaka Canvas Project

Maybe you remember the telephone box with goldfish swimming inside at Nakanoshima Park last October. Or did you see the humongous figure of a child in spacesuit-like attire, standing in the middle of the WTC building? These works are all part of the Osaka Ca...

Outdoors

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:14:42 +0100

The All-Mount ain Rokko Trail from one end of the Rokko chain to the other presents a daunting hike. But how about running it?

Text & Photos: Jean-Yves Terreault

The Mt. Rokko range, hugging the city of Kobe against the Inland Sea, has an integral part in local culture. The mountains, featured in the Hanshin Tigers anthem, are imbedded in the identity of Kobe, much like the Seine in Paris or the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Webs of trails intersect the range, attracting day-trip...

Travel

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:13:48 +0100

Ko Phayam is a Thai is land free of the razzmatazz of modern commercialism, where the visitor chimes with the sun and the sea away from the clang of the tourist trap.

Text: Chris Rowthorn
Photos: Proydao Charearnsri & Amanda Wännman

If you've lived in Japan a long time, you've probably also been to Thailand — perhaps several times over the years. And, if you've been to Thailand recently, you can't have failed to notice that Thailand is developing — fast. This is a good thing for ...

Special

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:13:02 +0100

The history of Kumano Kodo is the history of ancient Japan. In making the place accessible to visitors from the 21st century, Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau has reinvented the art of local promotion.

Text: Sally McLaren
Photos: Albie Sharpe

"We've become experts in disaster management", says Brad Towle, the International Tourism Promotion and Development Director of the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau. Towle, originally from Canada, has been instrumental in helping to make one of the...

Tradition

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:12:12 +0100

Forget Christmas, New Year is the big holiday in these parts . And with January, a new animal of the Chinese bestiary. So, who are these annual animals and what are they about?

Text: Adam Miller
Image: KS

Every New Year, Japanese people exchange cards, most of which will be decorated with images of the year's animal symbol — this year, the dragon. These animals come the Chinese zodiac, an ancient order of twelve animals, each with their own unique personality, which may or may not defin...

Health

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:11:24 +0100

In modern times, fasting has gained an image of something mainly practiced by religious or spiritual groups. But new research is showing an approach known as intermittent fasting may offer significant health benefits.

Text: Kym Hutcheon
Photo: KS

Intermittent fasting (IF) has in fact been around for thousands of years and basically refers to the practice of not eating for regular periods each day, week, month, etc. However, recent studies are showing IF can produce a range of benefits inc...

Profile

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:10:24 +0100

Writing novels, creating a taxon-omy of monsters, broadcasting, inspiring filmmakers: one writer's childhood of daydreaming has produced a prolific adult.

Text & Photos: Brendan Wong

Yoshikazu Takeuchi is a remarkable individual. For someone who barely attended school as a child and never received any formal qualifications, he has enjoyed great success as a writer and a radio personality.

Last November, Takeuchi released his latest book, Ultraman Visits the Grave(Urutoraman no Hakamai...

Feature

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:09:18 +0100

2011 is now behind us. Future generations will see the Tohoku earthquake, tsunami, and the subsequent explosions and meltdowns of the Fukushima reactor as a turning point for Japan. The questions, though, is: in which direction?

Text: HL Stone
Photos: KS

On Friday, March 11, 2011, Prime Minister Naoto Kan and the Diet were dealing with a major crisis. At least by the standards of Tokyo's petty and dangerously insular Japanese politicians, bureaucrats, and media.

Earlier that week, Se...

Drink

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:34:53 +0100

Space Station, Amemura,Osaka

Text: Patrick St. Michael
Photos: Patrick St. Michael, & courtesy of Space Station

Space Station was the name of Matt Bloch’s childhood hometown arcade, a place he describes as dimly lit save for the glow of the game machines. When he had an epiphany to open a bar in Osaka combining the worlds of drinking and retro gaming, he paid respect to the place that got him into video games in the first place.

Open since the spring of this year, Space Statio...

Food

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:34:04 +0100

Text & Photos : Wes Lang

El Zocalo, Kita-horie, Osaka

Finding good Mexican food in Japan is quite a challenge, and discovering tasty California-style Mexican next to impossible. That all changed in the summer of 2010, however, when a small, family-run eatery by the name of El Zocalo opened its doors in the fashionable Kita-horie district of south-central Osaka.

“We opened El Zocalo because we love burritos,” proclaims Rie Shinkawa, one-half of the dynamic duo that started th...

Club

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:33:12 +0100

Dec 10

Club Karma

On December 10th, Club Karma welcomes German techno producer Rajko Müller, aka Isolée. Starting out with a love for synthesizers, drum computers and synth pop in Frankfurt in the 1980s, Rajko stumbled across the city’s club culture and eventually into techno and house. A career synonymous with Frankfurt’s Playhouse label emerged, and tracks such as the timeless ‘Beau Mot Plage’ and albums like Rest or We Are Monster established Isolée as one of electronic music...

Live

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:32:19 +0100

Dec 12

Thrash Metal Mosher’s Classic Line-up Reunion

It’s thirty years since Scott ‘Not’ Ian put together the band Anthrax (deciding the name to be ‘sufficiently evil’) in New York. Three decades later, with multiple Grammy nominations, Gold and Platinum albums, over ten million in sales and multiple line-up changes, the band are still going strong. They’re arriving in Japan hot on the heels of a successful tour with fellow metal stalwarts Testament.

The band were, alo...

Films & Cinema

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:31:07 +0100

Dec 1

Ah, Belgium. The tiny wedge of land crammed between France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. Famous worldwide for its delicious beer, chocolate and waffles — and one quiffed news reporter with his faithful white dog.

This curious reporter, Tintin and his fox terrier, Snowy, first appeared in a Belgian newspaper in 1929. They were created by Georges Rémi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. Tintin’s adventures became so popular in Belgium they quickly outgrew the ...

Lingo

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:30:08 +0100

Text & Photos: Wes Lang

The old saying ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch’ applies in this culture as much as any other place on earth, and there are a number of social rules governing when and how to give and receive gifts. This custom, known in Japanese as kashikari, permeates nearly every sector of society, from the closest relative to the most distant acquaintance. A good rule of thumb would be that if you ever receive a gift from someone, expect to give somethi...

Festival

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:29:15 +0100

Dec 4

Photo provided by Biwako Visitors Bureau

TAROBOGU AGA-JINJA SHRINE , SHIGA

Aga-jinja is called Tarobo after the name of the tengu (a Japanese mythical creature) who protects this shrine. The shrine has been well known as a truly spiritual place from the olden days. Mountain priests still visit it for religious training today. The Ohitaki Sai is an annual ceremony held for worshippers wishing for better fortunes. On this day over 100,000 gomagi (pieces of wood with prayers written on...

Event

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:28:14 +0100

Until Dec 25

UMEDA SKY BUILDING, OSAKA

The popular Christmas event, which attracts 700,000 visitors annually, will take place again this year. The venue is bursting with seasonal produce from Germany including a beautiful antique merry-go-round, twinkling huts called Hutte, Mulled wine, German sausages, Krippe (nativity scene) and many other things. This is the place where everybody can be totally immersed in the German Christmas atmosphere. Live music will be performed on a special stage ...

Flea market

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:27:15 +0100

Osaka

Domyoji Tezukurino Ichi

Dec 4 (Sun)

Time: 10am–2pm

Admission: free

Where: Domyoji (temple) Fujiidera, Osaka

Access: Kintetsu Minami Osaka Line Domyoji station, 3min walk

http://tedukurinoichi.com

Retro Soko

Dec 11 (Sun)

Antique toy

Time: 11am–4pm

Admission: free

Where: Namba Shrine, Osaka

Access: Midosuji Line Honmachi station, 5min walk

Tel: 06-6213-2929

Ten-Mart

Dec 15 (Thu)

Time: 10am–5pm

Admission: free

Where: Osaka Tenmangu (shri...

Art

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:26:02 +0100

Dec 8–20

Matthew Fasone

Spectrum Gallery, Osaka

This is the third solo exhibition of Osaka-based Matthew Fasone and will feature selected works from his Excavation series. Originally from New York City, Fasone usually paints in encaustic but this time will show his collage works made entirely with materials found on the street, namely paper and cardboard. The works have a primitive look and the discarded materials may remind viewers of traditional Japanese wabi sabi aesthetics. The mater...

News

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:23:48 +0100

In early September the powerful and slow moving typhoon Talas (number 12) swept through Kansai dumping an enormous amount of rain, especially on the mountainous Kii peninsula. In some places up to 1,800mm fell in a span of three days. Massive flooding caused damage to both infrastructure and humans. For the important tourism industry this was the second blow this year after the earthquake in northeast Japan in March. The area has recovered quickly and regional governments are ...

Film

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:19:37 +0100

Last Message is not only a plea to never to forget the tragedy of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, but a tribute to the strength and spirit of the survivors.

Text: Justine Lane
Photos: Courtesy of Zak Baney

In the nine months that have passed since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, we must have seen thousands of images of the devastation in the media. You fear that viewers — that you yourself — might become desensitized to those terrible scenes in the video clips and p...

Places

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:18:59 +0100

The traditional shopping arcade is a great place for catching a sense of everyday life in this country and Osaka’s Karahori arcade in particular captures the very old and the very new.

Text: Sam Bett
Photos: Shota Nakagawa

Travelers and commuters leaving any of Kansai’s major train stations cannot wander far before encountering a covered shopping arcade, or shotengai. To a westerner, these arcades seem like a mix between a shopping mall and an old-fashioned marketplace, but to ...

Travel

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:18:11 +0100

ONLY OPENING ITS DOORS TO INTERNATIONAL TOURISM SINCE 1988, VIETNAM’S POPULARITY AS A TRAVEL DESTINATION HAS BOOMED. KS VOYAGES TO ONE SUCH DESTINATION, HOI AN, AN OLD SEAFARING CITY COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THE LEGACY OF VIETNAMESE PAST.

Text & Photos: Bonnie Carpenter

Discovery, I believe, is one of the reasons we travel and on a stem-to-stern railway journey of Vietnam last year, this writer discovered the small fishing village-turned-tourist town of Hoi An. And what a discove...

Consumer

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:17:27 +0100

Rinku Town: the last stop before Kansai International Airport is a thoroughly modern town chocK-full of shopping and entertainment .

Text & Photos: Alena Eckelmann

Take the Nankai Airport Line running between Namba and Kansai International Airport and you will pass through Rinku Town. You might be in a hurry to get on a plane flying back home for Xmas or to some Asian destination for a well-deserved yearend break but there are some good reasons why

Rinku Orai Kita

Built on...

Getaway

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:16:49 +0100

KS JOURNEYS TO MT INUNAKI IN IZUMISANO TO EXPERIENCE MOUNTAIN WORSHIP, WHERE SHINTO AND BUDHISM ARE SEAMLESSLY BLENDED TOGETHER.

Text & Photos: Bonnie Carpenter

“I should have gone to the gym more often. I should have gone to the gym more often.” This became my personal mantra as twenty-two of us from a variety of nations and occupations slogged up Inunaki-san in order to experience one of Japan’s most esoteric forms of Buddhism: Shugendo.

The sect was founded over 1,300 ye...

Profile

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:16:02 +0100

A young man from Kyoto is reaping domestic and international prizes for his guitar work.

Text: Brendan Wong
Photo: Katsuhiko Nakasako

25-year-old Akihiro Tanaka knew from an early age that he had a talent and a passion for music.

The Kyoto-born acoustic guitarist began playing the piano when he was six years old and took up the electric guitar when he was 13.

His inspiration was his musical heroes, the Japanese hard rock duo, B’z. “When I saw the B’z on TV, it looked like their...

Culture

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:15:16 +0100

NHK’s annual Red and White Song Contest is not just a musical extravaganza, it’s a national institution and it’s heading into its 62nd year.

Text: Sally McLaren
Image: KS

An annual ritual, public broadcaster NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦), literally the “red and white song battle”, is a four and a half hour long live music show that ushers in the New Year. It’s a gaudy mix of frequently off-key singing, cross-dressing and tear-soaked performances. Despite al...

Update

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:14:35 +0100

Bring your homeland’s holiday cheer to life in your Japanese kitchen.

Text & Photos: Alan Wiren

For many foreign residents in Japan, the winter season brings memories of holidays. We may harken back to gathering with friends and family to indulging in the delectable, traditional foods of our home countries. Well, just because you’re far from your native land, doesn’t mean you have to give up those (sometimes guilty) pleasures. You may have to get the recipes from Mom and D...

Special

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:13:57 +0100

Artists have long been fascinated and inspired by the art of non-artists including that of disabled people. While the established artists have been feted for the work inspired by this source of ideas, we often overlook the art of the disabled people themselves, for whom creation is a deeply important means of self-expression.

Text & Photos: Jean-Yves Terreault

For those unfamiliar with the concept, outsider art (from the French art brut) is typcally applied tocreations done outside...

Society

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:13:17 +0100

On November 27th, the Osaka mayoral and gubernatorial elections took place. Most attention was on former Osaka governor Toru Hashimoto . KS looks at one of the most charismatic and controversial public figures in Japan today.

Text: HL Stone
Photos: KS

“Only the mob and the elite can be attracted by the momentum of totalitarianism itself. The masses have to be won by propaganda.”
— Hannah arendt

In the three years and eight months he served as governor before quitting to run in the...

Feature

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:12:36 +0100

Among Kansai’s many museums, there is one that regularly gets OVERLOOKED — UNDESERVEDLY so , because its subject is crucial to understanding the history of this TRADE-CENTRED region. It is the Osaka Maritime Museum.

Text & Photos: Sam Bett

For anyone interested in Osaka’s history as port city, the Osaka Maritime Museum is the place to learn how the ancient harbor of Naniwa has grown over the centuries into a global center of maritime commerce. This museum is first class: its spac...

Feature

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:11:37 +0100

A record of the past is a stepping stone to the future

Text & Photos: Alan Wiren

The 10th of December is internationally recognized as Human Rights Day. That might be an extra incentive, but a visit to the Osaka Human Rights Museum is a worthwhile experience no matter when you go. It is good to set aside an afternoon to visit. The collections are extensive and there are video monitors scattered throughout where you can see and hear people tell the stories about their cultures, how they...

Feature

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:10:01 +0100

Kansai abounds in museums, from the venerable to the upstart, from the solemn to the frivolous, from the stately to the eccentric, and encompassing seemingly everything from high art to takoyaki. KS takes a look at some of the less well-known at the start of an ONGOING series about the region’s depositories of HERITAGE.

Text & Photos: Constance Ishikawa

Step into any major city and chances are you’ll find a museum that exudes grandeur, one that’s the main touristy talk of the tow...

Drink

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:26:53 +0100

Text: Jeff Lo
Photos: KS

If you’ve lived in Japan as an expat long enough, you begin to get used to keeping yourself from getting used to things. New haunts come and then go again; friends leave and promise to return, but never do. Familiar faces, therefore, are nice to have around. Enter(or rather, welcome back) Murphy’s Irish Pub, the plucky Shinsaibashi pub — Japan’s very first Irish bar, by the way — now celebrating 20 years of giving foreigners and Japanese locals a friendly pl...

Food

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:26:17 +0100

Text: Justine Lane
Photos: courtesy of Caliente

Not many people go to Cuba. Let’s face it; it’s not exactly the easiest country in the world to travel to. But no need to worry about that — a new restaurant in Kobe is bringing the best of Cuba to Kansai — music, mojitos, cigars and good food. Throw in a splash of bright colour, a palm here or there and the odd photo of Che and what more could you want?

Caliente, a few minutes’ walk from Sannomiya station, opened in September and i...

Club

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:25:42 +0100

Nov 12

Onzieme, Osaka

A pioneer of the progressive house sound, Dave Seaman is set to return to Osaka to celebrate his latest Renaissance: Masters Series release. As the first editor of clubber’s bible Mixmag, the founder of Audio Therapy label, an award winning producer/DJ, and a re-mixer for Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, U2 and many more, Dave Seaman remains at the top of his game, keeps touring the world, and still loves what he has been doing for more than two decades. If you are lo...

Live

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:24:48 +0100

Nov 5

UK Classic Rockers

Thirty-four years ago bassist Rick Savage formed a band called Atomic Mass in Sheffield, England. Via a chance meeting at a bus stop, Joe Elliott was drafted in on vocals, bringing with him the band name Deaf Leopard. Steve Clarke stormed his audition by playing the epic ‘Freebird’ in its entirety and by the end of 1978 Rick Allen had been requisitioned as permanent stickman. The name was tweaked to Def Leppard and by 1979 they were being heralded by DJ John Pee...

Films & Cinema

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:23:38 +0100

Nov 5

Jackie Chan is surely one of the most versatile guys in the movie industry. By turns an actor, action choreographer, filmmaker and martial artist, there can be few people who’ve never heard of this talented multi-tasker.

Famed for his aerobatic martial arts and comic roles, he’s carved his own place as a Hollywood legend since the 1970s when he landed a role as a stuntman in Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury and Enter The Dragon. Though he’s been an actor since the age of eight, it was...

Lingo

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:22:55 +0100

Text: Wes Lang • Images: KS

Do you sometimes wonder where your supermarket produce comes from? After the catastrophic events of this year, it might be a good idea to learn these expressions in order to make a more informed choice.

The most important kanji related to food origin is 産 (san), which basically means to be born. Crops grown and harvested in Japan are referred to as kokusan (domestic products). In the shops, kokusan fruits and vegetables usually include the prefecture of origi...

Flea market

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:22:18 +0100

Osaka

Inochi Tsumugu Watashitachi

Natural organic market & lectures

Nov 3 (Thu)

Time: 10am–4pm

Admission: free

Where: Shitennoji (Temple),Osaka

Access: Subway Tanimachi Line Shitennoji station, 5min walk

Tel: 06-6761-8789

http://inochitumuguwatashitachi.jimdo.com

Garden Party 2011

Gardening shop, workshop, concert, sweets & food.

Nov 5 (Sat) & 6 (Sun)

Time: 9:30am–4:30pm

Admission: ¥300

Where: Higashi no Hiroba Banpaku Park, Osaka

Access: Osaka Monora...

Festival

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:21:29 +0100

Yabusame Shinji

OMIJINGU SHRINE, SHIGA

Nov 3

Yabusame is the art of shooting arrows, Japanese style. In this shrine, the Takeda School of Horseback Archery performs it for an annual ritual to please the gods. Yabusame is a colourful and exciting event where archers on horseback will shoot arrows at targets. Both archers and horses will dress richly in ancient-style costumes, and go through a series of solemn steps before they let the arrows fly. An exciting and colourful display of Japan...

Event

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:20:47 +0100

Nov 5 & 6

Oik e-dori street in Kyoto City

Oike-dori is a major street that runs east and west through the heart of Kyoto city. There are many historic places and major buildings along this wide street, and this event will mark its importance to the city. This two-day outdoor event will be held between Kawaramachi-dori street and Horikawadori street. Various sports events, jugglers and musicians will entertain visitors and shops will be providing outdoor seating. Artworks from local co...

Art

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:20:03 +0100

Kyoto Design Award Exhibition

Kyoto Prefectural Office (Old BLDG.), Kyoto

Nov 8–13

The Kyoto Design Award celebrates design excellence in a wide variety of design fields including architecture, package, graphic, fashion and product. Run by the Kyoto Design Association (KDA), this exhibition will feature both prize-winning works, as well as those that received notable mention. Works are divided into two categories: proposals and finished works, and criteria is based on new design visions...

News

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:19:27 +0100

Japan’s government is trying to revive post-Fukushima tourism by flying in visitors.

Tourism in Japan has suffered greatly since the March 11 Tohoku disaster. International visitors have been staying away through fears of radiation and further natural disasters, while domestic travellers have been staying at home out of a sense of decorum and in order to save resources. According to the Japan nNational Tourism Agency, JNTO, inbound numbers were down 63 per cent in April and more than 30 per...

Film2

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:18:25 +0100

Film enthusiasts can look forward to a cinematic showcase of Europe an films when the 18th Osaka Europe an Film Festival opens this month.

Text: Mai Niimi
Photos: courtesy of OEFF

Eisereine Hall (Hotel Eisereine Osaka) in Dojima, Osaka will host its annual film festival from the 18th to the 23rd. According to Patrice Boiteau, this year’s event will be the best. “Apart from the very attractive programme of new long features, many new initiatives be brought to the audience,&rdqu...

Film

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:17:34 +0100

The setting of a film that encapsulated the experiences of Japan’s war generation.

Text: Ron Duwell
Photos: Ron Duwell & KS

Deep in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan, amongst the thousands of islands scattering the horizon, a small community of roughly 2,000 people resides on the island of Shodoshima. While famous nowadays for its annual olive harvest and being a beautiful vacation spot to see autumn colours, the island holds a much deeper meaning in the hearts of an aging generation in Japa...

Art

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:16:40 +0100

Somewhere between Kansai and Kazakhstan Peter Ford’S photographic journey began. Start yours in this year’s Kameraoke Photo Competition.

Text: Celia Polkinghorne
Photos: As Credited

One stormy evening in the hills above Kobe, the sun retreated behind a ridge of dark, shadowy storm clouds that rolled majestically across the sky. The sleepy sunrays peeked through the cloud bed creating a patchwork of dusky pink and orange light on the glassy ocean surface below. It was there th...

Getaway

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:15:51 +0100

Kansai’s spectacular nature meets the region ’s rich history in Kumano Kodo, where ancient pilgrim trails provide the modern hiker with the best ways to experience this Unesco world heritage site.

Text & Photos: Matt Malcomson

To the south of the great cities of the Kansai plain rise up the mountains and forests of the Kii Peninsula. This remote, seemingly impenetrable and mysterious land of peaks, rivers and small villages clinging to the sides of steep valleys stands as a barrier...

Travel

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:15:06 +0100

Columbia suffers something of an image problem internationally, but travelling there it is possible to have the adventure without the danger.

Text & Photos: Emerald Huang

How did I find myself crossing the border on foot from Venezuela to Colombia without an exit or entry stamp in my passport? I may be one of the luckiest girls in the world. After all, here I am, typing away while sipping a cup of divine Colombian coffee.

In the past decade South America has gained significant popularity ...

Community

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:14:16 +0100

Kansai Scene talked with David Jack from the Kansai Bangladesh Project, A Local Kansai NPO.

Text: George Bourdaniotis
Photos: Courtesy of Kansai Bangladesh Project

The culture of south Asia is ancient, but Bangladesh has existed as an independent country since 1971. Since then, its development has been beset by natural disasters and political instability, and it has attracted humanitarian assistance from a huge number of sources with an equally large variety of approaches. One such organi...

History

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:13:32 +0100

Japan’s society has always been hierarchical and status conscious. However, class distinctions are not immutable — KS looks at how events in the Edo pe riod marked the start of slow but radical changes.

Text: Daniel Olsson
Images: KS

The Tokugawa period (1603–1868) is widely regarded as one of the most stable periods in Japanese history. Certainly in comparison to the Warring States Period that preceded it, and the Meiji Era that followed, the quarter of a millennium under the T...

Health

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:12:42 +0100

Looking for an English speaking gynaecologist? Ishida Women’s Clinic has started an English-language service , which will bring some security and reassurance to women in need of a doctor who speaks their language .

Text: Justine Lane
Photos: courtesy of Ishida Women’s Clinic

No matter how good your Japanese is, there are some things you just feel more comfortable doing in English. Like a pap smear, for example. Trying to conjugate verbs while the doctor is poking and prodding your del...

Tech

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:11:54 +0100

November in Japan! The air is crisper; the food, more delicious; and TV commercials with talking , cellphone-peddling dogs are harder to avoid than ever.

Text: Jeff Lo
Images: KS

Indeed, the Fall season is in full swing — as is the annual holiday race between Japan’s Big 3 keitai (cell phone) companies to snag as many new customers in the next few months as possible. As titans DoCoMo, SoftBank, and AU ready their new phone lineups, new customers campaigns, and talking dog tchotchk...

Update

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:09:54 +0100

It will happen to everyone, but what if it happens here, today?

Text: Alan Wiren
Photos: KS

North Americans kick the bucket. Australians fall off the perch. The English end up brown bread. It is not something that most people dwell upon, but we will all die someday and somewhere, and that somewhere could be Japan. Wherever you pass on, of course, your earthly troubles are over, but if your friend, relative, or loved one is a legal alien and dies in Japan, just what happens next? Unless yo...

Feature2

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:08:24 +0100

Chances are GM foods won’t be a major topic of conversation the next time you eat out but more than likely, they will still be very much on your plate.

Text: Kym Hutcheon
Images: KS

According to a number of opinion polls, Japanese consumers are strongly opposed to genetically modified (GM) foods and, unusually in a country not exactly known for political activism, have been very willing to take to the streets or file lawsuits to make their point. The depth of this feeling was evident i...

Feature

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:05:10 +0100

This year’s Fukushima nuclear crisis has unleashed a lot of important questions, among which is: how safe is our food?

Text: Sally McLaren
Photos: KS

Ten years ago, I interviewed Minamata fisherman, disease sufferer and activist Masato Ogata about the effects of the toxic waste dumping by Chisso Corporation on the west coast of Kyushu. Minamata disease was officially recognised by the government in 1968, but Chisso had been releasing untreated effluent containing methyl mercury into the...

Places

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 06:37:05 +0100

“The best kept secret in Nara,” goes the advertising for guesthouse and restaurant Yougen do — and as it’s an exceptional experience in accommodation or dining ,KS is sharing that secret .

Text: Chris Page Photos: courtesy of Yougendo

When UK-native Christian Greenaway and his Japanese wife Shu set about refurbishing and remodeling a one-hundred-and three-year old house in Oji to create Yougendo, guesthouse and dining bar, they created something that captured the feeling of an older ...

Live

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 06:37:05 +0100

Question: What do the Osaka Museum of History, The Blarney Stone Irish Pub, Japan Travel Advisor, UK guitarist and YouTube star Dale Campbell, and the Swissôtel Nankai Osaka have in common?

Answer: A firm belief, that Osaka needs the Kansai Music Conference.

Text: Alexander Michaelson ∙ Photos: courtesy of the Kansai Music Conference

In a decade when the word ‘indie’ has lost the clear meaning it once had, the Kansai Music Conference (KMC) lets good music get personal again: it is no...

Health

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:18:12 +0100

Detox has become one of the most overused words on the planet , co -opted by marketing types to sell everything from fancy shampoos to tropical holidays. But what does it really mean to have a toxic body state and can you fix it?

Text: Kym Hutcheon Photos: KS

Type ‘detox’ into any search engine and you will discover thousands of products claiming semimiraculous benefits. Usually, however, because they are created by skilled copywriters, the blurbs for these products are fairly vague abou...

Film

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:18:12 +0100

Best known for his defining samurai movies, Akira Kurosawa was also a master at a very American genre.

Text: Ron Duwell • Images: KS

Japan’s premiere filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s Hollywood inspired approach to bringing Japan’s fabled warriors to the big screen has earned him a reputation as history’s leading maker of samurai cinema. The signature imagery of heroic duels or large-scale battles filmed against a monochrome sky has resonated with every generation of cinemagoer since. Whi...

Science

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:51:29 +0100

KS meet s the scientists who put the flavor in your favorite foods.

Text: Matt Coslett Image: KS

Close your eyes and imagine the taste of a hamburger straight out of the takeaway. Now imagine the taste of the strawberry milkshakewith it. Next, the chicken nuggets. If you are anything like most people, these flavors should come quickly and vividly into your mind. You would probably be amazed to discover that all of those flavors that you are now imagining so strongly do not actually exist. In...

Outdoors

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:51:29 +0100

Over a hundred years ago, and Englishman based in Kobe brought alpinism to Japan and Japan’s mountains to the world.

Text & photos: Tom Fay

As the grey gloom and clouds of the rainy season gradually fade away and are replaced with the blue skies and oppressive heat of the Japanese summer, the hiking season in Japan swings into full flow. With backpacks slung over shoulders and the familiar chime of bear bells, hikers from all over Japan and beyond flock to the mountains of the Japanese...

Event

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Oct 1–16 & Oct 22–Nov 13

UMAMI KYURY O-KOEN PARK AND NARA PARK, NARA

Japanese novelist Naoya Shiga once said, “There is no delicacy in Nara.” Luckily for us, this kind of foodie\event proves him very wrong. The festival consists of two separate events held in Umami and Nara Park. The first event begins at Umami Kyuryo-koen Park on October 1st. Real Italian dishes with vegetables and ingredients produced in Nara will be served throughout the event. The second event, held in Nara...

Festival

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Sep 10 & 11

MOZU HACHIMAN SHRINE, OSAKA

The sumptuous futondaiko (a portable shrine) is so heavy it is carried by 70 men, who walk slowly and in rhythm along with taiko drums and a choir of children. The crowd of people make a great commotion repeatedly every time the heavy futondaiko moves magnificently. It is the highlight of this festival which is held annually to pray for a good harvest and for admiring the full moon. On the 10th, 18 futondaiko enter Hachimangu in turn. On the 11th...

Living

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Planes, trains and thumbs: hitchhiking is an often overlooked means of traveling around Japan.

Text & photos: Baudewijn Pronk

The roll bars are there for safety, “no matter what happens” my new bosozoku (motor gang) friend says. Somehow I don’t feel much safer at all sitting next to him in the souped-up Nissan 180SX. I struggle to put on my seat belt as he races onto the Tomei highway towards Tokyo. When I finally get the belt fastened there seems to be an awful lot of slack in it ...

Art

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Biennale Kobe 2011 opened October 1 and runs through November 23. KS previewed the exhibitions, talked with the organizers and took a sneak peek at the preparations.

Text: George Bourdaniotis Photos: Takashi Nawafune

Biennale Kobe began in 2007, the 10th anniversary of Great Awaji-Hanshin Earthquake with the mission of discovering and cultivating emerging artists, promoting the cross-pollination and fusion of arts and culture, and contributing to urban development. The organizers selected ve...

Books

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

People Who Eat Darkness: The fate of Lucie Blackman by Richard Lloyd Parry. Published by Jonathan Cape, 2011.

Text: Sally McLaren ∙ Images: courtesy of Richard Lloyd Parry

In the early summer of 2000, 21-year old Lucie Blackman, a former British Airways flight attendant, and her best friend arrived in Tokyo. They’d heard that bar hostessing was an easy way to earn money quickly. They arrived on a tourist visa and weren’t planning to stay a long time. Two months later, on a hot Saturday...

Travel

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Bali: island paradise, tourist trap, treasure trove of art and culture, surfer hangout, nature preserve? What is Bali about? KS asks the big question.

Text & photos: Jeff Lo

We are lined up at the International Departures gate of Ngurah Rai International Airport, waiting with a smallish crowd to pay the 300,000 rupee (around ¥3,000) tax that will allow us to clear Customs, and leave Bali. A youngish, tatted-out dude in front of us takes off his headphones and tries a bit of conversation...

Travel

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Thailand’s magical Loi Krathong Festival is one of the most enthralling spectacles in Asia.

Text: Chris Rowthorn Photos: credited on photos

One of the most magical sights in Asia is the Chao Praya River in Bangkok on the evening of the Loi Krathong Festival. Held on the night of the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar (November 10th this year), this festival is often referred to as the Thai Festival of Light. Starting at dusk, Bangkok families and couples make their way ...

Sport

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

With Japan’s national football teams — both the women and the men — asserting themselves internationally, the country’s fans look forward to the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 World Cup with anticipation and excitement .

Text: Alan Gibson Photos: KS

It’s an important time for Japanese football as the level of awareness in the national teams rises around the world. What us locals have known for years is now becoming common knowledge the world over Japan is becoming a force in world foot...