In managing the longest running shop on the street so often compared to Paris’ Champs D’Elysees, Mr. Kurihara recalls fondly the days Washington Heights residents; primarily of officer and senior non-commissioned officer rank in the US military stationed in Japan during the 1945-52 Occupation formed the backbone of his family’s customers at the time.

One afternoon at the height of the Japanese summer, Mr. Kurihara (NK) sat down with TE’s Ed, Mark Buckton (TE) to share a few thoughts on the world of antiques in modern Japan.

TE: Mr. Kurihara, please tell us how Fuji-Torii ended up here on Omotesando in Harajuku.

NK: Well, my father had a store in Ginza. Before that, my grandfather had a store in Asakusa. We moved here in 1949 (showing image of the shop as it once stood).

TE: Why the word Brass on the side of the store at the time?

NK: At the time, brass candle stands and brass lamp stands were very popular with the foreigners here at that time so we carried many nice brass items.

TE: What was your grandfather selling back in Asakusa?

NK: Antiques, we are originally an antiques dealer. Also, the Ginza store sold antiques?

TE: Why did you move (from Ginza) to Omotesando?

NK: We had many nice customers based in Washington Heights, the old base dorms. Washington Heights was a place where the officers and SNCOs were based, no the GIs.

TE: How did you get into the family business yourself?

NK: The shop opened in 1949, but I was born in 1956. At first, the mentality was that sons would be sent to another store, so for a while I was sent to work in a store in Kyoto. The store belonged to a friend of my mother and it enabled me to study the antique business.

TE: What do you think your father would think of the business as it stands here today? Is it the same as in his own day?

NK: Yes it is. After World War II ended, many foreign people asked for specific items. My father saw an opening and so was able to help the customers. He also produced some specially made items (for those customers).

TE: Similar to the decorated glasses you started producing a couple of years ago? (pic?)

NK: Yes, many foreign misunderstand the world of antiques. It is not all about buying and displaying items. The antique business is about maintaining pieces so we can send those pieces to the future. So we can maintain them. I only sell to the customers who can enjoy (the piece in question) and also ensure that the pieces will be passed onto future generations.

TE: That’s an interesting comment. Can I ask what you think about the Japanese paper tycoon who, around 15-20 years ago purchased some famous multi-million dollar paintings and later expressed his intent to have them cremated along with his own body when he died? *

NK: I was very angry. It was crazy. He did not understand art. He just thought art equaled money. I have to tell you, Japanese antiques can generally fall into two different categories. One type is made for presentation. They are not intended for daily use. Of course they could be used for a short while but generally are only displayed on special occasions. At all other times they are kept in a storage house, only used or displayed for those special events. The other type (of antique) is made for daily use.

TE: What constitutes an ‘antique’ in your opinion? In the Japanese mind, how old does something have to be to be called an antique?

NK: One hundred years old. That’s an antique. It’s the same outside Japan too, but usually, I think the word antique refers more to something that is not for daily use so age is not that important.

TE: How has this area (Omotesando) changed in your lifetime? Omotesando really conjures up images of brand goods for young Japanese today.

NK: Everybody has gone now. (Fuji-Torii) is the oldest shop on this street. Also, we are the only store on Omotesando dealing in Japanese hand made goods.

TE: Have you had any famous customers?

NK: Mr. Koizumi, the former Prime Minister once bought one of our screens prior to going to Chile. The screen was to act as a gift from the Japanese nation to Chile. I remember the Foreign Ministry official sent here to buy the screen mentioned a lack of fear when purchasing an item because he knew we only deal in real Japanese goods made here in Japan. We also had Johnny Depp come in, he bought antique lacquer ware.

TE: In terms of nationality, what kind of make-up does your customer base have?

NK: We are about half and half – Japanese and foreign.

TE: What nationalities stand out in the foreign customers?

NK: We have a lot of English, American and Europeans coming in, in part as we serve as an official supplier to foreign embassies. I also have a good connection with the British School in Tokyo and several years ago the children from the school came here to see the Japanese pieces we stock. At the time we had two swords on display, but swords are not items made for killing (I taught them). Those owning swords had to train every day, and the most important thing they had to consider was just how to refrain from drawing their sword. That was the business of the samurai.

TE: Do you have some customers coming in from overseas?

NK: Yes, we do. Many are foreign residents living in Japan like yourself but some come in from overseas.

TE:  Do you have many customers from the mainland (of Asia)?

NK: Yes, we have many nice Chinese customers as China has no artworks. They only have two categories on the Chinese market, expensive antiques and items made for tourists. It is sad, but forty years ago, the Cultural Revolution destroyed their own culture.

TE: Perhaps two years ago you had a series of articles in The International Herald Tribune / Asahi Shimbun. During that time you wrote about the changing face of Japanese antiques, the imports from China etc. Did you get a lot of reaction after those articles were published?

NK: Many customers came in again and again as a result and we are now moving into Chapter Five in that series of articles (started in the IHT/Asahi at the end of July).

TE: You opted to release your articles in the generally construed left leaning Asahi Shimbun, when some might say your views are more right of center. Why not choose a newspaper deemed more right wing such as the Daily Yomiuri?

NK: I have to tell the truth to non-Japanese. Information released on Japan (today) is limited, so I have to tell the truth, but some of the media outlets in English, including the weekly magazines don’t give a correct image of the ‘real’ Japan.

TE: In the world of advertising now, how does Fuji-Torii bring in the custom? You do have a very interesting homepage (link below) but do you think the store will ever have to look towards online advertising as opposed to the in-print form?

NK: Hmmm, it is difficult today in advertising.

TE: What does Fuji-Torii mean? Why did your grandfather / father choose the name?

NK: In 1949, when my father moved here, there was nothing here, and (gesturing), in one direction we could see the Torii of Meiji Jingu and also Mount Fuji.

TE: I know you help promote and protect various forms of Japanese technique in producing pieces of art. Can you tell me about that? And, are the pieces you produce popular enough to attract younger people to work in these areas?

NK: Yes, they are very popular, (laughs) and one of our young artists once said to me “I cannot get married as I have no business” (when he first started) More recently, he said “I cannot get married – I’m too busy.”

TE: Lose lose! If you could promote one area of Japanese antique culture outside Japan, what would you choose?

NK: Hmmm. This is not only about money. This is culture and it must be taken (to) the future. These pieces contain the heart of the artist. I selected these things to take into the future. That’s the most important thing. Of course I have money, and can buy these things but I don’t buy them for me. I buy them for tomorrow’s people.

TE: Do you have a child who will take over the shop?

NK: I have a daughter, and she is interested in the antiques business.

TE: Is it important for you to have a family member take over?

NK: No, the family aspect is not so important, but (along with the antiques) this business must also move forward as well.

TE: Do you have any favorite pieces here in the shop?

NK: Everything I selected (personally) I have feelings for but we must move forwards with the techniques and the antiques.

TE: So you are talking about a combination of developing the new whilst respecting the old? Do you think that respect will still be here in 100-years time?

NK: I’m afraid. But in my lifetime, I want to keep (to maintain) the antiques, to keep the techniques (alive during my lifetime). I can do no more. Hmm, I am confident, but now, on this street, the Japanese equivalent of Fifth Avenue, only Fuji-Torii sells Japanese pieces.

TE: Last question for you. What, in your opinion, does the word beauty mean – in relation to an antique?

NK: Beauty means energy. The energy put into a piece by the artist who made it; his history, technique, everything, his concentration. That is beauty.

Link: www.fuji-torii.com

* the said plan was not realized and the paintings were eventually saved thanks to the horror expressed by many in the art world.

TE: Colin, as team leader of BEE Japan, can you let us know a little bit about yourself? The whos, whats and whys you have mentioned to no-one else?

CJ: I was the 1995 Culzean Country Park young naturalist of the year, I can make a fine soufflé, I was in the RAFVR (Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) for two years and learned how to fly aerobatic aircraft. I’m learning to juggle, I can’t draw anything and I’ve never been to America.

TE: What are your earliest cycling memories?

CJ: I actually remember the day I learned to cycle. We have a fairly large back garden, and I remember being put through my paces by my father at first. I was about five at the time. Once I had made enough cuts in the sod in the garden we headed off to the park down the road from the house. Instead of riding on the grass we picked the gravel road that runs along the side of the park. Needless to say there were some bumps and bruises that day but I got the hang of it eventually.
(Later) as a kid I cycled with my friends a lot. One of by best friends lived out in the country (about 1 hour away) by bike and we rode the back country roads a lot.

TE: Any major accidents along the way?

CJ: Nothing major (my brother, on the other hand, fractured his skull when he flew over the handlebars). (Personally), I do remember coming very fast down a hill and flying through a hedgerow when I was riding in the Carrick Hills near my hometown. The only damage was a skinned elbow.

TE: What brought you both to Japan and how did you first meet?

CJ: After graduating from Glasgow University with a degree in Aeronautics I wanted to do anything that was Aeronautics and so on the advice on a friend, I successfully applied for the JET Program to teach English in Japanese schools! That was 3 years ago. Colin Hood arrived 2 years ago and we soon discovered that when we get together weird things tend to happen. We’ve collaborated on many projects in our time here not least a radio show we produced for two years at Tannan FM – which saw us interviewing some local “characters” that included a man who claims he can sure cancer with just water, to the owner of a love hotel.

TE: Have either of you participated in the BEE Japan journey before?

CJ: No.

TE: Where do you stand in terms of public awareness and sponsorship at present?

CJ: We have quite a lot of local press attention. Fukui TV filmed us on the Echizen Coast in Fukui and produced a small piece for the news. In terms of sponsorship, BEE has a great group of sponsors that have been with us for a while – namely Patagonia, People Tree and Tengu Natural Foods. This year we added some new companies to the list including – jig.jp, Japan Cycling Association, Japan Hopper and Tokyo Explorer.

TE: How about your employers, friends and family, what do they think of your involvement with BEE Japan?

CJ: Our schools (we are JET teachers remember) have been great with support by encouraging us, and buying our T-shirts. Our families think we are mad but so far everyone has been nothing but supportive. I think that most people are more impressed by the physical feat more than the message we are trying to convey.

TE: Hand on heart, are your stated goals achievable or more of a statement designed to focus attention on the ways in which we can chip away at the bigger problems facing the environment?

CJ: That very much depends on how you choose to interpret our message. I hope people don’t think we are trying to say you should ride from Wakkanai to Kyushu every summer! What we are doing is attempting to demonstrate practical ways in which we can all make a change in our daily lives to lessen our environmental impact. We are going all out and are doing it all but if even just one person every day decided to carry their own chopsticks with them or use vending machines less then we will have achieved our aims. It would probably be easier to get a rise out of people if we banged on about what our governments should be doing but we really want people to think about what they can do today.

TE: Do you see the grassroots efforts you are looking to promote as having much of a knock-on effect in a top-down society such as Japan or will they be viewed simply as a gimmick?

CJ: I hope we aren’t viewed as a gimmick. Actually I don’t think our message is barmy enough to be viewed as a gimmick. What we have to say is quite sensible and these issues have a strong argument to back them up. I’ll be interested to see if people think our arguments are strong enough to impact their (own) thinking.

TE: When you sit down with a cool one down in Kyushu, how will you judge the trip to have been a success?

CJ: There are a couple of things that will make it a success in my mind. Firstly, if we all make it to Kyushu together as a team without any broken legs I will be quite happy. I’m a bit of a worrier so once everyone is safe in Kagoshima I will be happy. You know, it’s a long way and it’s going to be hot and dangerous at times. When you undertake something of this magnitude with a team of riders who have different levels of experience at touring by bike, I want to make sure everyone has a good time. Team spirit and a good sense of humour will get us through.
The BEE message is obviously very important. We are going to ask people to pledge their ideas about how we can make a change to the environment. This yearly ride is as much about educating other people as it about educating ourselves. I looking forward to hearing other people’s ideas, and if I’ve been changed by this bike ride then it will have been a success.

BEE Japan website :  http://www.beejapan.org/en/

Run by a man trained in the culinary hotspots of France, Belgium and Germany, Jun Honma (JH) is still the better side of forty and recently sat down with TE’s Enatsu Watanabe and Mark Buckton to discuss life, cakes and car washing!

TE: Please tell our readers a little about yourself. What took you into the world of all things ’sweet’?

JH: First, as a high school boy I wanted to be a tour conductor. Around me there were many people returning from overseas and that is probably why I wanted to go abroad. As a high school student I worked in a bakery, but I grew up in a local town without too many culinary options which is why I developed an interest in food.

TE: Are you from a family of chefs back in Fukuoka?

JH: No, (my father was in the engineering business) and I moved there in my fourth year of elementary school, but no-one remains in Fukuoka now.

TE: You did of course train in France, Belgium and Germany in your mid-20s. How did you feel as a Japanese man working in Europe? Any particular memories?

JH: When in Europe, I was a kind of apprentice but in being so, I, we all, were in a competition of sorts to be the best. When the French (students) went home, I stayed behind to practice things they could not do. The French often left earlier and usually had a quite relaxed attitude to work. After I finished work proper, I returned home and practiced decorative sweet forms and when my co-workers slept I kept on studying.

TE: Of the three countries you have studied in, in which did you feel the most comfortable?

JH: Hmmm, Belgium. France is good but French people, especially in Paris, can be stuck-up. It’s very different in Belgium. In Belgium it is easier to live (for me), more comfortable. However, my wife did say she couldn’t live in Belgium, it is boring and too dark, but (for me) living there was great.

TE: The images on your homepage alone made my mouth water, but how do you manage to avoid ‘testing’ everything, everyday?

JH: I don’t (laughs). We, I, have to test and check everything of course. First we check visually, and then with a little taste. Often it is only I, but sometimes my staff as well. We have to check if the taste is good, or not up to scratch so we can give the best to our customers.

TE: La Reine offers various types of roll cakes, petit gateaux, gateaux and cookies. Which would you say is your best seller?

JH: (thinks, smiles) Macaron I think. I want to promote the macaron now. It is colourful, and is selling well. I like the chocolate macaron the most. I like chocolate full stop. Even when visiting small shops I try and buy something made of chocolate.

TE: Away from sweets, what do you like to eat? Do you have any favorite restaurants in Tokyo?

JH: I like French food, but restaurants in Tokyo…..hmmm……I’m not sure about that. I like tempura too. I like lighter tastes now and tempura (can) be lighter. I also like more traditional dishes, the kind of home-made dishes (from the past)

TE: La Reine is based in Koenji in West Tokyo. Any plans for further branches?

JH: No, no plans at present, but if I had the opportunity, I would look for a place with little competition. Also, it must be in an area in which the locals would want to eat cakes.

TE: No plans in Ibaraki (north of Tokyo)? (says Ibaraki resident EW hopefully)

JH: (laughs) No, sorry, not enough people there I think.

TE: According to your homepage, you also offer La Reine products online. Has this proven a profitable method of doing business given the delicacy needed in handling the deserts La Reine produces?

JH: It can be hard. Especially with cakes being destroyed during the process of delivery. Last year a lot of cakes were destroyed while being delivered (by a major delivery company) and I had to apologise to many people.

TE: There has been criticism in certain fields of Japanese people visiting Europe to learn an ‘art’ before returning to Japan to open schools etc and to then focus on making money without really trying to improve the art in question. Is this criticism justified and do you have any plans to return to Europe for further training or to work there in future?

JH: I cannot say I am not interested in (the business side) of course, but the income can help us improve the ultimate service offered to our customers. I have to enjoy my job, my staff too, so it isn’t all about the business – not exclusively. That is all part of the game. Also, I would love to go back to Europe again for a couple of months and to walk down the streets of Paris. Visiting Europe helps my imagination and with inspiration in producing cakes. Actually, there was an opportunity to open a shop in Belgium but it is a very costly undertaking and it wouldn’t be easy for a foreigner.

TE: Were you given the chance to design a cake or a cookie for any person in the world, who would you choose and what would you make?

JH: There really is no single famous person I would like to design a cake for. I always focus on the regular people. All my customers are equal. That kind of customer means a lot to me; to see them happy. Also, I really like making the effort to make something for those I am close to, my family or friends or customers. The taste is the same for everyone.

TE: Do you have any famous customers you can mention?

JH: An ex-sumo star, currently named Shibatayama Oyakata (formerly yokozuna Grand Champion Oonokuni) has been to the shop as well as a famous (Japanese) comedian duo named 99. Etsuko Ichihara too. That said, my main focus is always normal people. I put it all in there for regular customers.

TE: What do you do in your own free time?

JH: (laughs) I like washing my car……. Too many birds ‘drop’ onto my car all week so I have to wash it. Seriously though, I don’t really have any free time at all. I am always here (at La Reine). Every night I go home, but am thinking about the next day’s cakes. Hmmm, I like sleeping. That is refreshing!

TE: Last question then, and perhaps the most difficult. If you were banished to a desert island, which single cake, cookie petit gateaux would you take with you (if you had a refrigerator!)?
JH: (looks at his multi-coloured display case and thinks long and hard before sidestepping) Hmmm, something I made……I think.

Link - http://www.la-reine.co.jp

One of them – the real estate industry – in the eyes of most in Japan, would equate to a stuffy old world of contacts, insider dealings and a general, unwritten policy on being as unhelpful as possible to the resident, and visiting, foreign population.

All that, however, is changing; and leading the charge for international reform is Certified Real Estate Dealer, Sakiko Tanaka – a bilingual (Japanese / English), 31-year-young Japanese woman with one eye on the future of this vibrant city, the other on the wider world of international travel, increasing foreign residency and equality for all in the quest for housing.

As President of transborders, offering her service in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, based in the bustling neighborhood of Hongo in Tokyo’s Bunkyo-ku, Tanaka-san sat down with TE’s Mark Buckton on a humid afternoon in mid-June to discuss the state of play in things ‘real estate’ for those already here, and those about to make the trip.

ST – transborders President, Sakiko Tanaka TE – Tokyo Explorer

TE: First question, why do you speak such good English when so very few people in Tokyo can string together a sentence?

ST: I studied in Edinburgh in Scotland for a year.

TE: Why did you start this business – transborders?

ST: I started it as I wanted to do what I can for society, and looking at myself, being married to a foreigner, I knew I was in a position to do something that not many other Japanese could do – which was to help the international community find desired housing – not just any housing. Also, I know it is difficult for foreigners (coming here) to find housing, and that is why I started this business.

TE: Did you have any difficulties yourself (in Edinburgh) finding a place to stay?

ST: No, because I was living in a dorm at the time, and most exchange students had help from the university.

TE: What did you think of Scotland, and when were you there?

ST: I was there from 1996 to 1997 and I thought it was, is, beautiful. It was my first experience of doing everything in English.

TE: What was the biggest memory of your time in Scotland?

ST: The culture shock but I enjoyed it. I couldn’t really express myself, but had to cop, so that was really good.

TE: Scottish food – any comments?

ST: Bad! The only food I could say I liked was Indian food!

TE: What did you study in Scotland – at the university?

ST: Theology and philosophy.

TE: You returned to Japan in the late 90s, but how old is transborders and why is it in this location (north central Tokyo)?

ST: I started the company two years ago, and chose this area because it is near Tokyo University (‘s main campus).

TE: Are there many non-Japanese students at Tokyo University?

ST: Yes, it used to be number one in terms of foreign students, but now Waseda (university) has more.

TE: Do many of the foreign students stay in dorms?

ST: No, 80% of the international students live in private housing.

TE: Do many of the students live near here? In Bunkyo-ku?

ST: Not really. This area is very expensive so many of the students cannot afford to live here. Most live around 30 minutes away by train.

TE: Do you have a main ‘focus area’ in which you try to locate most of your clients?

ST: No, we operate all over Tokyo as we are an agency certified by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government so we have access to 600,000 housing listings. That means, we can cover, technically, any part of Tokyo, but we often place students and researchers relatively close to here. We do have inquiries from banks, securities companies and the like, but they prefer to live in Ebisu, Meguro, Shinagawa etc.

TE: Many long-term foreign residents will be aware of, or would have seen signs saying ‘no foreigners’ in real estate offices – often below signs for ‘no pets.’ Have you had any clashes in this regard with landlords?

ST: We do – all the time. We do have a network of internationally friendly landlords, if the tenants can afford the rent of course. Also, when we have questions, we want to introduce the right housing to the clients, but we don’t want to force housing on the client if they don’t really want it so we try to negotiate (in terms of locations) with property managing firms – and that is difficult.

TE: Do the clients from overseas focus more on price range or housing types?

ST: We do have many types of questions coming in. For example – those mailing from abroad have no idea what to expect, and what Tokyo is all about so they do sometimes have hard to meet expectations.

TE: What price ranges can you offer your clients – those walking through the door?

ST: Generally, students from Asia spend around 50,000 yen per person, while many western students spend 80 – 100,000 yen per person. For overseas researchers, a little more than that and couples, more still.

TE: Do you have a pet policy?

ST: We don’t but (some of) our owners do.

TE: How do you feel about the so called ‘key money’* I have read that it is illegal, to charge key money, but that it is a law that no-one bothers to enforce. Have you had any troubles?

ST: Yes, all the time. But that is the reason I started this company, to help people through this. I sued to be a paralegal, a compliance officer in a publicly listed Internet company in Tokyo.

TE: Are you originally from Tokyo?

ST: No, I am from Osaka, but I came here when I was 18 as my university was here.

TE: Any plans to return to the Kansai area?

ST: I think most of my friends are here now – or overseas. So, I think I’ll stay here or move abroad.

TE: Will you ever branch out into Osaka, or overseas?

ST: I’m not sure about Osaka but Kyoto is a really big student town, so owners cannot ignore students. So they have a network to try and help foreign students, but because of that they don’t really need us. As for overseas – no plans for at least the next five or 10 years.

TE: Let me ask you the biggie now then, what is your main goal here at transborders? What do you want to achieve above all else?

ST: To help foreigners and Japanese be equal in as far as the search for housing goes.

TE: In that regard, what is your main language of operations – offering Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean as you do?

ST: English, then Chinese. Actually 60% of the foreign students in Japan are Chinese now. We don’t really use Japanese unless we talk to the (building) owner.

TE: One thing that I often hear about is the supposedly returnable deposits not actually being returned. Why is that? Why do real estate agents remove some of the deposit?

ST: We do have a legal regulation in Tokyo that agencies must explain, ahead of time, what is done with the deposit when they move out. So, if that is not agreed upon, there is no need to move in. Cleaning rates and payment for accidents are explained in that document. That is a legal (requirement) – (to explain the conditions)

TE: I have never heard that in the places I have lived / rented!

ST: When preparing for someone to move in, we have to prepare 3 documents – one is the lease agreement, another is the ‘important issues summary’ document, and the third is the ‘Document based on the Tokyo Legal Regulations of Boarding and Agreement Between Owners and Leasers’ – often called ‘Tokyo Rule’ for short. It was introduced four years ago to help avoid such issues as this, and other fees associated with living in rented housing.

TE: OK, last Q – would you rent – from yourself?

ST: (grins) No, I would buy. I don’t want to pay my salary to anyone (for no come-back). I would buy. I do have some strong personal opinions about foreigners (not being able to buy and how unfair it is) but that is somewhat political and away from the point.

TE: Sakiko – thank you for this honest insight into the world of real estate, and especially for parting the clouds and offering up a silver lining for the international community. Best of luck in the future.

* Literally a non-refundable gift of one or more month’s rent payable to owners ahead of being permitted to move in.

Transborders, Inc - http://www.transborders.co.jp/

Fujimoto is looking at preserving her own culture by way of her foreign students ‘reversing’ their influence and thus leading the Japanese themselves to develop an interest in this ancient instrument.

As someone who has himself dabbled in learning the instrument, TE’s Editor, Mark Buckton (MB) spoke to the bi-lingual Shamisen Sensei Kumiya Fujimoto (KF) at her classroom near Tokyo’s shitamachi downtown district of Ueno.

photos: Mark A Buckton

MB: Kumiya, you use the name ‘Kumiya Fujimoto’, but is that a stage name, a performing name or is it your real name?

KF: Kumiya Fujimoto is my stage name.

MB: How old were you when you were given the Fujimoto name.

KF: I was about 13-years of age.

MB: How old were you when you first took up the shamisen?

KF: I first played aged six, so about 18-years-ago now.

MB: Why did you turn to the shamisen in such a modern, oftentimes deemed forward looking nation?

KF: My grandmother was taking shamisen lessons and my mother ha played when she was younger, so I guess I followed in their footsteps.

MB: Is the shamisen something of a family tradition then?

KF: Partly. Most of the female members in my family have had some experience with the shamisen, but it wasn’t forced upon us.

MB: You play and teach in an old townhouse (here) in Ueno, northern Tokyo. Why do you base yourself here?

KF: My grandmother is still living here so I can check on her and when I bring people here, I can ‘read’ them as it is an old place – around 70-years old now. So, in effect, I can kill 2 birds with one stone. Also, being able to use English and combining ht with the shamisen is ideal for me.

MB: Are the majority of your students today Japanese or foreign born?

KF: Today most are non-Japanese.

MB: Is that something you are happy about?

KF: Yes, I am. Being foreign, I can really draw their attention to the shamisen, and given time, I hope that their own interest in the shamisen, in Japanese culture, will help draw more Japanese towards their own culture.

MB: Are you teaching any ‘famous’ students?

KF: I am teaching a Japanese singer with an American background, who will appear in a musical.

MB: How old were you when you first started teaching shamisen and hold did you feel?

KF: I started teaching last year and I was nervous but more excited that my dream (to teach the shamisen) was being realized.

MB: Why do you speak English when so many in Japan find it so hard, even with six years of compulsory education?

KF: (laughs) because of the movie Titanic. (laughs again!) I loved that movie and became interested in English.

MB: Have you had any experience studying English overseas?

KF: Yes, I went to Australia when I was 16, turned 17 there and stayed for six-weeks. When there, I enjoyed playing shamisen in my host school in several classes – as part of the Japanese class.

MB: Did you have the proverbial ‘butterflies’ when you played publicly in Australia?

KF: Yes! Yes!

MB: Do you still feel nervous when you teach?

KF: (nods)

MB: Why?

KF: Well, as long as I’m taking money to teach the shamisen, I have to be 100% professional of course, so I think it is right to be nervous.

MB: Have you ever had any tricky moments when teaching?

KF: Hmmm, yes, (grins) when one student asked so very many questions about the shamisen, its history, make-up, role in Japanese culture. I had honestly never anticipated many of them. (here, Kumiya is referring to her teaching of TE Ed - MB)

MB: When have you felt happiest while teaching?

KF: Every time I teach I feel happy, but once when I heard the simple comment from a female student who said “It’s fun to play with you” I really liked that.

MB: You yourself study under a Japanese teacher – Hidemitsuya Fujimoto – but why is that necessary given that you are a teacher, and why this particular teacher?

KF: Fujimoto-san used to teach my grandmother, and my aunt too, but to understand shamisen is to understand Japanese culture as we will never judge ourselves perfect – that’s why we keep studying.

MB: Do you perform in public?

KF: I perform once a year as part of a ‘Fujimoto school review.’

MB: Would you like to perform before a large audience.

KF: (blushes) I don’t know. There are some famous performers but………

MB: I understand you may have to move soon – from your base in Ueno – but if so, where will you go?

KF: That’s still up in the air as I want to retain the atmosphere offered by this old house. I really don’t know.

MB: If people read this interview / article, what is the best way to contact you if they want to learn shamisen?

KF: The best way is probably via my homepage and e-mail – in English or Japanese both OK.

MB: If you could use this piece to reach out and send a message to those interested in the shamisen, perhaps tourists with a limited time in Japan perhaps, what would you say?

KF: I would ask them to consider shamisen as a truly unique part of any trip to or stay in Japan, and if they have any desire whatsoever to learn about the instrument, to let me know and I will be happy to teach them all I can.

Kumiya Fujimoto can be contacted via her homepage at http://shamisen-sensei.com

Music by Kumiya Fujimoto >>> shamisen.mp3

** Look for an in-depth article on the cultural history of the shamisen in a future issue of Tokyo Explorer**

In a recent interview with TE’s guest interviewer, Enatsu Watanabe(EW), Wakanoho as he is commonly known let us in on his first impressions of Japanese food, his sumo ‘team’ and how he would deal with TE Editor, Mark Buckton were they to meet on the dohyo.

EW: Wakanoho-zeki, how do you feel about you rapid rise to the upper echelons of sumo despite being so young?

WT: I’m very relieved that I’ve been able to get to this level while being so young. Being young it is easy to remember the things I have learnt so far, but if I had started sumo when I was a child, I’d have risen faster.

EW: Did you ever think you’d have reached the makunouchi (top) division so quickly?

WT: No, but I really wanted to fight the best rikishi (wrestlers) in sumo so I am glad to be able to do so now.

EW: What has been your best memory since coming to Japan and starting in sumo?

WT: (laughs) Everything was, is a first for me – meeting the best rikishi in the sport, the grand champions etc. Even losing (bouts) is enjoyable

EW: Any bad memories of life in sumo or Japan so far?

WT: Nothing really bad, but I do have a bit of a bad back recently.

EW: Yourself, Roho and Hakurozan (Russian brothers also competing in sumo) have all successfully reached the top division in professional sumo, but do you think your success is leading to an increase in interest in the sport back in Russia?

WT: No, no-one really knows sumo in Russia yet. There are many fans, but not many people actually doing sumo as a sport. So far, a Russian (Roho) has made the rank of komusubi so it isn’t so high. If we can take sumo on tour to Russia, that will really help, and it will definitely become more popular.

EW: Speaking of Russia, do you often have the chance to visit?

WT: I have been recently, but my family laughs at my hair now and says I look like a girl. Fortunately I have a few Russian friends here so I feel good (in Japan).

EW: Have your family had the chance to come here, to visit you in Tokyo?

WT: My father has been before and my mother will come this month – after the tournament.

EW: Where will you take her?

WT: I think we’ll go to Disneyland and to Tokyo Dome’s Korakuen entertainment area.

EW: Will you take her to a baseball game at Tokyo Dome?

WT: (laughs) No, I think baseball is boring.

EW: Back to sumo. How do you feel just before a fight, especially a big fight with someone like the yokozuna?

WT: I feel good, but I am always thinking of how to win. With the yokozuna it is different; Compared to fights against other rikishi, there is a different sense before going against the yokozuna.
photo: Mark A Buckton

EW: Can you hear your own fans cheering for you?

WT: Yes, I can hear them but sometimes I hear nothing as I am so focused. At other times I can hear people shouting Wakaaaaaaannooooooooohooooooo. At first I used to look around but when I did my sumo was affected and wasn’t so good so now I try not to look around.

EW: Do you have any contact with the fans?

WT: I know a Japanese lady who often attends. She has many pictures of the Russian rikishi and comes to see (us) as lot.

EW: What do you like to do in your free time?

WT: I am now learning piano again – I used to play when a boy - but it is hard with such big fingers. It’s hard to push one key at a time.

EW: When you first came to Japan, how did you feel about Japanese food?

WT: Disgusting! At first I ate only yakiniku with the other Russian rikishi but later when I tried other (types of) Japanese food I didn’t like it – yakiniku was / is best.

EW: How about now?

WT: Nowadays I like yakiniku, sushi and Chanko (an all in one pot dish often eaten by rikishi)

EW: Not limited to Japanese food, but what is your favorite food and drink?

WT: I love my grandmother’s food in Russia – lots of meat. Also, I love Coca Cola. I remember the first time I went to a foreign country and took a can back to my home. The next day I went to school and opened it in front of my friends. They were all so surprised at such a delicious drink.

EW: Who are your closest friends in sumo?

WT: Roho, Hakurozan, Kokkai (from Georgia). They are like my team. We always practice and eat together. Of the newer guys, I am also close to Aran (Russia), Tochinoshin (Georgia) and Baruto (Estonia).

EW: What language do you all use?

WT: Russian mainly with a little Japanese mixed in as sometimes Japanese terms and phrases are easier and better match a situation than Russian. I did study English at school in Russia, but have forgotten it all.

EW: Does friendship go out of the window when on the dohyo?

WT: Well, sumo is fun so winning and losing is not a big issue – with regards to going against my friends.

EW: Do you like watching other sports in Japan?

WT: I like judo and wrestling, and supporting a Russian wrestling friend in his Olympic bid.

EW: What is your favorite part of Tokyo?

WT: (opens arms) Here. Ryogoku. I love my local area. When I come back from other tournaments I always like coming back here. This is my home. Korakuen too, near Tokyo Dome. I like the roller coasters there.

EW: Are you ‘small’ enough to fit in the roller coaster seat? (Wakanoho is 195cm and 165 kg)

WT: (laughs) Nah, I have to squeeze myself into the chair.

EW: Are you recognized when you go out?

WT: Not as Wakanoho. As a rikishi I am recognized and people point and stare. I’m not so famous yet. Not like (grand champions) Asashoryu and Hakuho or (Mongolian rikishi) Ama.

EW: On the subject of popularity – and your own with the ladies - any girlfriend out there?

WT: (grinning) Not yet, but I am searching. I am always searching – everywhere!

EW: Do you see sumo as a job or a lifestyle?

WT: It’s not really a job. It is something I like doing. At first it was a job but now I love it.

EW: Last one then, imagine you, at 195cm and 165kg were to be on the dohyo and about to go against Mark (Buckton) – the 168cm / 75kg Editor of Tokyo Explorer, what technique would you try and use?

WT: (laughs). I’d keep my eye on him. It is difficult to fight smaller rikishi and I often lose as they move about so quickly. (laughs again) Yeah, I’d keep my eye on him and move forward slowly!

Mr. Takeshita – the man in question – has been doing the job for the last 3 years because, he says, he would like to pay back some of the kindness shown to him during his time in the U.S.A.

Mr. Takeshita is an excellent English speaker, works on a purely voluntary basis and is a great source of information. He was born and raised in Ginza, so he knows the area well. I asked him about the Ginza of his childhood compared to the Ginza of today, and he recreates the scene on a Saturday 60-years ago.

Then, the ground floor of the Wako department store opposite the police box was a café frequented by American soldiers, and the famous Matsuya department store was the PX (post / base exchange) clothing shop, specializing in clothes for the families of servicemen. “It’s a bit different now,” he says, casting an eye around at the glitzy shop fronts, billboards and video screens.

According to Mr. Takeshita, he deals with around 80 enquiries from visitors each day, but that number is increasing as Tokyo draws an ever-larger number of people from all over the world.

If in doubt, if in Ginza on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday – Mr. Takeshita is your man.

The opening of that first maid café in 2001 unleashed a trend that has since seen approximately 30 more maid cafes open in Akihabara alone, not to mention spin-offs running the gamut from maid hair salons to maid foot massage and more recently “butler cafes” designed with a female clientele in mind.

The success of maid cafes is a small but highly recognizable part of the continued growth of the country’s otaku consumer market, a market comprised of 1.72 million consumers and worth 411 billion yen annually according to the most recent research conducted by the Nomura Research Institute in October 2005. But why all the fuss about themed cafés with generally overpriced fare where the staff call you ‘master,’ flirt a bit and occasionally spoon feed the customers?

For social commentator Tomoko Inukai the answer is simple – the rise of maid cafés is down to “the fetish for young women among Japanese men,” and the cafes’ ability to “offer a chance for men often oppressed in their daily life to escape into a fantasy world.” So, have these cafes simply tapped in on the desires of a generation of socially inept males seeking to fill the female voids in their lives with the company of innocent-looking and servile young women? There might be more to it than that.

photo: Rob GossAt Cure Maid Café where it all began, manager Katsunori Hazama suggests it is less about male sexual fantasy and more about relaxation. “Our shop’s concept is Iyashi (healing), so we offer organic tea, gardening, relaxing music, and a cosy space where customers can relax,” he says. “We don’t have any over-the-top games,” although a lot of cafes do give customers the option of playing janken (Rock-Paper-Scissors) and other games with their maids at a cost.

Relaxation and comfort is a far cry from the somewhat sleazy image maid cafés have been given in the media, but Hazama’s reasoning that they serve as a place to unwind is echoed by Sakurai at another Akihabara café, CosCha, where janken is on the menu. “The main reason people like maid cafes is that the distance between staff and customers differs from normal cafés,” Sakurai says. “Familiar shop, familiar faces, chatting in a cosy atmosphere - we think this is one reason why customers keep coming back.”

If men are into maid cafes for reasons of escapism, relaxation or self-indulgence, what about female customers? Although the majority of customers are men in their 20s and 30s, the number of women visiting maid cafes is continuing to rise.

“Recently we have a lot of female customers,” says Cure Maid’s Hazama, “About 35 percent.” That figure is not uncommon, and in maid cafes across Akihabara calls of “welcome home, mistress” are increasingly heard alongside the familiar “welcome home, master” - the maid café answer to the traditional welcoming call of Japanese shops and restaurants, “irrashaimase.”

To understand why women have taken to a fad apparently targeted at young men is in part to understand why women are queuing up to work as maids. And queuing up they are. At Mia Café, Hiroyasu Terajima says somewhere between 300 and 500 women apply for each job vacancy on the back of seeking something more glamorous than a run of the mill job, and yet being realistic. “I think compared to hoping to be a stewardess or TV announcer, becoming a maid is more attainable,” he says.

Of course, just as not everyone who works at Disney is a Disney fanatic, not every maid is an otaku. Moe from Mia Café, every inch the epitome of the maid image with her black and white pinafore, big dark eyes and hair draped around her face, is adamant about that. “It’s just a normal part-time job,” she says explaining that she found it by chance while looking for part-time work. “Whether people work at Disneyland or at a maid café, it’s just work.”

That may be disappointing for a diehard otaku to hear, but it is a sign that maid cafes and the otaku they were designed to serve are becoming more and more mainstream. As the media begins painting otaku in a sympathetic light and as the image of otaku as kind-hearted introverts like the character Tsuyoshi Yamada in Densha Otoko begins to replace that of the sad loner, cafes that were once an otaku domain are now very much open to the public – just like any other theme restaurant.

Rob Goss