RANmagazine Issue 7 September/October 2010

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RANMAGAZINE.COM

September / October 2010| ISSUE 7 |

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Publisher: TD HouchenChief Editor:Jason L. GatewoodCopy Editor: Larry Defelippi

Photography: Achim RunnebaumChief Designer: Adrien SanbornIllustrator/Designer: Adam Pasion

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CONTENTSSeptember / October 2010 - ISSUE NO. 7

cover photo: ANDY BOONEtable of contents photo: ACHIM RUNNEBAUM

Listen

B.I.O Presents -

Te Art of War

The Green Spot

Animals' Revenge?

When In RomeTe Sound of Wa

CreateDMO PPP's Vibrating Energy

Go

Cultural Dos & Don'ts in Tailand

FashionSee what's happening in Nagoya this fall.

RAN Comics

4

16

18

19

21

24

31

dep

artments

SuccessRAN tells the stories of four people

who are makin' it in Japan.

What is the Japanese Dream?

Is there one? We asked people

around Nagoya Station to nd out.

Teachers Do it on the Web

Check out the new series, English Teachers,

coming this September!

The Pagoda Diaries

Ferris Wheel

ESPYAn interview with the King of Nagoya

features

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15

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Listen

Saturday, September 11thThe landscape of Nagoya's burgeoning music scenewill undergo a seismic shift.Come check out art rockers, THE ART OF WAR anda host of other DJs and artists as they blow up thespot at Club Radix in Tsurumai.

Club Radix:www.radix.to052-332-0073

9pm - 6am2,000 in advance


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photos:

ANDY

BOONE

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If making a long-standing contribution to a community is the

mark of a man, Chris Zarodkeiwicz has plenty of marks. Hisrestaurant/sports bar creation Shooters, located in Fushimi,

smack-dab in the center of Nagoya, was the rst of its kindin the area, is famous by any standard, known by almostevery foreigner in the region, and has far surpassed being just a good place to get great food, its an establishment, anicon, like Yankee Stadium or Mt. Fuji-it aint going anywhereanytime soon.

But it doesnt stop there.Chriss real estate business Interlink has helped scores

of businesses and regular people to find adequate livingspaces here in Aichi. Cezars Kitchen, originally an offshootof Shooters, continues to feed delicious food to thousands ofinternational school children throughout Japans internationalschooling system. Recently, Chris has taken on a stake in theAquaAlpine Hotel, a posh boutique ski resort hotel locatedin Hakuba. You might think with all these accolades, Chris Zcould be a bit untouchable, one of those frozen business guyswith no time, no personality, no love.

Wrong.Chris dispels the age-old notion that nice guys nish last

by being a decidedly nice guy, approachable, friendly andsuccessful. Hes a family man, wife and two kids in tow, hesin great shape, has a disarmingly genuine and some might saygoofy raucous laugh, and when you get to know him, you

can feel his native New Jersey affable characteristics oozingoff him, just dont mention Bon Jovi. Hes down to earth, lowkey and chill, and takes great pride in his community. Hes theconsummate all-around Success Story, but hes also the kindof guy youd drink a beer and talk sports with. We did just thatand spoke with Chris to nd out just what makes him tick

td: Lets start with the locally-famous conversation greaser,how long have you been here and whyd you come?cz: Ive been in Japan 16 years. Prior to coming I had alwayswanted to live and work abroad. I had a friend who was hereand worked for a company that owned restaurants and he was

in need of staff. I was living in Toronto at the time and hired5 Canadians to come here and work. Then the same friendtold me they were planning to open another restaurant andasked me to come and manage it. The place was called SantaBarbara and I ran it for about a year and a half. At the time it

was the biggest foreigner establishment in Nagoya with good

food, two stories, an outdoor patio, and a great atmosphere.td: So, you had no plan to come to Japan before you camein other words, you didnt spend your life dreaming of Japan,you werent heavily into anime or Geisha or sushi, theopportunity came and you just went with it.cz: When I was working in New York for The HiltonCorporation I had requested an international transfer andhoped to be moved to some Spanish-speaking country, Spain,South America, etc. That was my dream. My language skillsat the time were not sufcient to get me to any of the Latincountries but I did eventually get transferred to Canada. I thinkI was looking for something a little more exotic though.td: So, youre from Jersey, Im from Brooklyn, some similaritiesbetween the two, did you ever go to Seaside Heights whenyou lived in Jersey? (Seaside Heights is a sort of sleazy bluecollar carnival-cum-amusement park located on the seashore,if youve seen the recent super cheesy yet somehow totallyentertaining Jersey Shore on TV, the show takes place in andaround Seaside Heights. Pub. Note)cz: I loved it as a kid and have taken my kids there a fewtimes on visits back to the statesIm a Jersey guy throughand through.td: Would you say youre Nagoyas Jon Bon Jovi?cz: (Half joking) Listen, dont ever say that. Its actuallysomewhat annoying. If you want to say anything about my

musical tastes related to New Jersey you can mention BruceSpringsteen, okay? Ask anyone in Japan what they know aboutNew Jersey and they mention Bon Jovi. Come on!td: I should know better. Gomen Nasai. So, you were workingin NY at the Hilton, they offered you a transfer to.cz: Nova Scotia. It was a great experience and I lived inHalifax, but when I was made the offer I didnt actuallyknow what or where Halifax was. I believe I thought itwas in Greenland.td: So, eventually you make it to Nagoya and..cz: So I was here for a year or so, managing Santa Barbaraand got to know most of the foreign community. I joined the

ACCJ, (American Chamber of Commerce Japan/at that timethe ABCN)-developed a network of people here and started toput together a business plan. From there I met my partners..td: What exactly is a partner? How do you meet yourpartners? I need a partner, how can I nd a partner Chris?

SUCCESS STORY 1:

| By TD Houchen |


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cz: I really like this part. So Im standing in Santa Barbara one

day and this young guy comes in and says hes from NanzanUniversity. He tells me his professor is doing a research paperon how to start a restaurant in Nagoya and I thought wowthats exactly what I want to do. So, I get the professorsinformation and call him. We both had the same idearegarding a new venture anddiscussed becoming partners.This part didnt really work out,but it got the process started.From there I made a businessplan, and started looking forinvestors. Eventually we split,he opened his own place, and I opened Shooters in Takaoka.td: So a partner sounds very important to the process, howdoes a person who wants to start a business nd this partner?cz: I think it all starts with a business plan or just an idea thatyou are passionate about. Once you have that then its allabout asking the right people. Finding people you can trust.In addition, the restaurant I had been working for at the time(Santa Barbara) was busy every day so I had a proven trackrecord and business experience. This denitely helps to ndthe right people. I currently have two great partners.td: So tell me this, what exactly did your business planconsist of?cz:A good plan includes what the concept is, who your

target audience is, how much initial investment is required,how long it will take for you to get a return on yourinvestment, all nancial forecasts, size, proposed location,and any other specics related to the business along with yourresume and background information.td: Did you know Shooters would be successful fromthe beginning?cz: I was at the old Dragons stadium watching a game withone of my old partners, and we were discussing what kind ofrestaurant we wanted to get involved in and we came up withthe idea of a Sports Bar. It was like a big light went on overour heads. I knew that was the concept. There were no sports

bars in Nagoya at the time except one place called Balls.They had Rock Em Sock Em Robot sitting on the barcounter and that was their sports. Today there are sports barson every corner. If you go inside its usually a coffee shop withbaseball on the TV. I had a pretty good feeling it would work.

I think if you start a business, you have to be totally focused

and committed. There is no failure or alternative to makingit work. Thats the philosophy I had at the time and I believethats what I still believe in. I cant ever imagine failing. Thereare a million excuses or reasons out there why a businessmight fail. I think you just need to have your blinders on if you

start thinking like that.td: What do you think of theclimate for business NOWin Nagoya?cz: Over the last 6 months Ithink things have denitelyimproved. Towards the end of

last year it was a pretty challenging time for many businessesin Nagoya. As an entrepreneur I think if you have a great ideait is a good time and place to get something started.td: Sounds like lots of what youve been able to achieve hascome from relationships..cz: Yes, denitely. Nagoya has a reputation for being prettyconservative. I think if you show commitment to living anddoing business in Nagoya then the relationships will comethat help you achieve your goals.td: Staying here long term? Denition of success?cz: Long term well see?? I love New Jersey. Love the homestate of Bon Jovi(joke). I also love Nagoya but when it comesto retiring and thinking long term I like to imagine myself

somewhere thats warm all year.My most successful moments are when I feel like Im notchained to my business, when I feel free, and can choose thethings that I want to get involved in. I also think being able tobalance work, family and personal is a very big key to reallybeing successful.Personally my greatest success is my two children.td: If you could be Mayor of Nagoya for a week, what mightyou change about it?cz: (Drums his ngers on table for an inordinately longamount of time-then-) I like Nagoya. If I could make a fewchanges I would have more grass in the parks and more

benches on the streets. Other than that its a great place toraise a family. My kids have gone to good schools, there is agreat community spirit in the area and its a fantastic place todo business. I like it here. Nagoyas cool. Not Bon Jovi cool,but cool

. . .you have to be totally focusedand committed. There is no failureor alternative to making it work.


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Prisca is a rebrand.She exudes charm, charisma, confidence and character

through her voice, her talent, her presence and heraccomplishments. Shes a fixture on the Nagoya scene invarious areas, teaching, performing, cultural activities andthrough her very existence. She takes on all comers and takesno shit from anyone.

Shes unafraid to tackle challenges and exemplifies theidea of the self-made woman who has pushed herself beyondlimits of any kind, environmental, racial, economic, self-imposed or otherwise. When I rst saw Prisca, she was singing

hot jazz at a local jazz club named Star Eyes in Kakuozan. Iwas mesmerized, and Im not even that big a jazz fan.To sayI was blown away is an understatement, she tore through herset as if she were a human cyclone, sexy, sassy, sensuous,blazing.

Since then, Ive come to learn more about this exotic,educated and personable woman, whos energy is boundless.Whether singing, teaching, conducting Tae Bo classes orgenerally dispensing her effortless but dynamic chutzpah onall around her, Prisca is a force to be reckoned with. Priscastake no prisoners personality is a welcome hot blast of realitythat stands apart from the controlled, packaged and cookie-

cutter personalities one is used to around these parts. Onething that becomes immediately obvious when speaking toPrisca is that she doesnt bite her tongue, she lets her thoughtsow easily and sometimes, she stings.

td: Where are you from Prisca?pm: My parents are from South Africa, they left duringApartheid and moved to Zambia, I was born in Zambia, but Iconsider myself to be a South African.td: How long in Nagoya?pm: 23 years. I went to Kent State in Ohio, I was studyingarchitecture there, then, the UN headquarters asked me ifId like to come and work for the UN as a research fellow

here in Nagoya-Id had a scholarship from the UN for the lasttwo years or sothe (Nagoya) deal was originally for only 6months, but that was extended a few times, then I decidedto get a Masters in Development Economics at NanzanUniversity.td: Lots of folks seem to come here with a plan to stay a shortwhile, but many folks end up staying much longer, why doyou think that is?pm: Well, I can guess, people discover they want to makemoney, they either accomplish their goals or they dont,or, maybe they fall in love. In my case, I had an apartmentwaiting for me in Italy, but, I decided I wanted to do my

Masters here. People have different reasons.td: Have you ever wanted to go back home since staying hereso long?pm: Well, where is home really for me? I never lived in SouthAfrica, I dont consider Zambia my home, I dont consider

America my home, people ask me if I will stay here forever,my husband is Japanese, God has a plan. Im still set on goingto Italy, there was a lovely man there, Robertotd: Tell me about Roberto..pm: (Heavy sigh) Oh Roberto, do you know Roger Moore, thedouble O seven agent, Roberto was like that, sexy, dashing,and he knew he was dashing.td: How did you meet him?pm: I had decided I wasnt going to hang around any of theAmerican students when I was in Italy, because, well, youknow Americans, you know, those Americans.

td: Prisca, you know, Im American, whats wrong withAmericans?pm: Theyre clique-ish, I think Americans lack condence,showing off and standing out is what Americans are moreaccustomed to doing, they dont really want to blend in. Youknow, they ugly Americantd: Sure. Sure. Enough. So, what else, youre doing yourmasters in Nagoya, and..pm: Well, I always knew I wanted to sing. When you knowyou know. I was on TV when I was a kid, when I was 14, Iwas selected to record a song for the Zambian president, butmy parents gave me an ultimatum, they said if I wanted to

sing, they wouldnt pay for my education. So, when I came toNagoya, I immediately started to prepare to sing. Jazz was bigwhen I got here, so I put it into my mind that I would sing. Myfriends took me out to Jazz places, and I could see myself onstage. At that time, there were lots of beautiful Jazz clubs herein Nagoya.td: So back then, Nagoya had a different, more vibrantnightlife..pm: When the bubble burst, the places started folding. Backthen, there werent many gaijin bars, there werent manyforeigners, if you saw a foreigner, youd run up to them tosay hello, ask them where they were from, now, foreignersdont speak to each other. There are so many foreigners now,

theres no group anymore. Nagoya has become much morecosmopolitan. You can count the jazz places now, but then,20 years ago or so, there were all these glamourous, gorgeousjazz clubs.td: Tell me about more about your history here, and whatsallowed you to get the level of notoriety you have now.pm: I had a TV program, I was an MC on a Saturday TVprogram, a music show called IKE IKE DJ BATTLE, I was apersonality on that show, I was on several other TV shows,this year Ive been on TV four times, I love the cameras andthe whole thingyou cant separate who I am though, thesinging, architecture, education, TV, its all me, the most

important thing is my education though. Peoples faceschange when they realize my educational background, myfamily background. They look at me differently when they ndout Im not just a singer. I also go to Tokyo regularly as anambassador, I meet very interesting people, Nelson Mandela,

SISTAHS ARE DOING ITFOR THEMSELVES!PRISCA MOLOTSI

SUCCESS STORY 2:

| By TD Houchen |


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its all very much a part of me.td: What role do you think you play in the community here?pm: Well, we all know the role of a woman is not what itshould be. I give people inspiration. My mantra is believe inyourself and whatever it is you are trying to achieve, you canachieve it. Success isnt only money in the bank. I know I amnot perfect. Success means if I have a dream and it becomesreality, and people enjoy what Ive done, thats success. Iremember about 8 years ago, I was about 85 kilos, I hadthese Billys BootCamp tapes, I put those tapes in, and I tried

working out. I liked Billys spirit, and I told myself Id meethim one day, and that Id teach Tae Bo, even though I was notin the best shape. Now, lo and behold, here I am, just workedout with Billy this past summer, a certied instructor in TaeBo, went to Billys wedding, and when I teach my classes andsee my students are happy and sweating and theyre sayingtanoshii!, isnt that success?td: Nice. How would you recommend a foreigner carrythrough his or her idea towards success?pm: Well, youve got to remember that we are guests in thiscountry. You cant come here and think the world revolvesaround you. Japanese dont like that attitude that some

foreigners have that the world revolves around them. Theycan decide at any moment to kick all foreigners out, were notJapanese, dont forget that.The rst thing is that youve got to identify your target. Whoare you targeting? The biggest group is Japanese. You cantalienate them. Youve got to be loved by them, and they willsupport you. Many people alienate them. If you really wantto succeed, youve got to realize who you have to be ongood terms with, and that is the Japanese. The second thingis, youve got to work on whatever your dream is. Small

steps. But work hard on it. People want to dive in and dothis and that, then they make enemies, etc. Youve got to testthe waters, Ive had to pay lots of money, gone to court andthings like that, be very careful, watch who you do businesswith. Separate business and friendship. Put things in writing.Take it seriously. Ive gone to court, Ive been burnt. Do thingslegally and professionally. Another thing is, make sure yourlegal standing as far as your visa is concerned is taken care of.People come here on a teaching visa, and think they can do

anything, and they cant. Watch that. But if you really have agood idea, you should believe in it, dont listen to people whosay it wont work, because if you allow your subconscious tosay it wont work, youre wasting your time.td: Great advice. Tell me about your future here, whats inyour plan for the next few years?pm: Id like to do a real concert tour. Id like to get mypersonal trainer license, Im studying for that, its really hard,like being back in high school, all the muscles and stuff, Illhave it by the end of the summer. My big dream is to have aSouth Africa-Japan NGO sort of organization to bring in artistsand things like that. I want to take my musicians from Japan

and bring them to South Africa, Zambia, let my people theresee the musicians from here. Hugh Masakela produced mysecond album, Id love to bring him here and work with him.Id like to write a book. Ive got volumes of stuff Ive written.Ive always wanted to write a memoir, about my life and my

familys life.td: Tell me something you really like about Nagoya.pm: The people. When I go to the states, I really miss thepoliteness of the people here. I have many friends here whosupport me. I love Nagoya because if I have a dream I canmake it a reality here.td: Thats a big one for me too, here, I can seem to DO whatI think of, but if Im in New York or LA, there are too manydistractions for me to be able to actually DO what I think of.Here, if I have a good idea, I have been able to DO lots of

things that in the states, I was only able to THINK about.pm: When I go back to South Africa, I see lots of my veryintelligent friends, and theyre struggling..here, I can do whatI think of. Im not bitter because Im able to do what I thinkof doing here. People will be negative around you. Successis being able to cut that off and know you can do what yousay you can do. Negativity will creep into your subconscious,even if people dont mean to be negative.td: I can attest to that, lots of people told me RAN wouldnever work, LOTS of people, but I put it into my mind that itWOULD work, and here we are. I knew it was a good ideawhen it came to me, but I knew I couldnt do it myself. I asked

people for help, advice, etc, and several people at-out toldme dont do it, its too much work, itll never work, somepeople seemed angry that I even had the idea, same with thefestivals and stuff Ive done, Im glad I didnt listen to them.pm: If you rely on other people to get your condence, youcan forget it. People often ask me, why dont you move toTokyo, Tokyo is where its at.., I dont believe that, I thinkTHIS is where its at, its at wherever you ARE. People thinkif you are from the big city, then youve made it big. Lots ofmusicians will move to Tokyo and then do shows in Nagoya,

but charge more money JUST BECAUSE they are from Tokyo.Its rubbish. Thats why these Nigerians here go around saying,(in a thick Nigerian accent)-Oh, Im from LA mon, but theyrenot, they think they have to pretend to be from somewhereelse. Be who you are. Its important to remember and carryaround who you are. Dont be embarrassed about who youare and what youve done. Its your portfolio.td: What would you consider to be your majoraccomplishments?

pm: My three cds, one of which was produced by HughMasakela, meeting Nelson Mandela, getting my Masters inJapanese, just being here today is an accomplishment. Livingin so many countries growing up, being a mom, bringing myson up, I dont want my son to be put into a little box..td: If you were president of Japan, what would you change orimprove upon?pm: People should think for themselves, think outside the box.They always want to be the same, at Nanzan where I teach,they always ask me what my mantra is, I tell them to believein themselves, its scary, but thats the one thing they need tolearn to do. No matter what it is, think outside the mold. I tell

my students to question me, I make mistakes all the time, I tellthem to challenge me. Dont take what I say at face value, askme questions. When people start to think for themselves, theycan question their surroundings and the political system here,which is terrible, and then changes can be made.


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MyBarisafriendlyestab

lishmentlocatedintheheart

ofSakae,directlyacrossfromtheTVTower.Its

been

aroundfor6plusyears,andasthenamesugge

sts,its

yourbar.Peoplefromallwalksoflifestopinfo

rthedelicious

food,orthegreatdrinks,thelow-keybutupb

eatandstylish

atmosphere,tomeetoldfriends,tomakenewfriends,or,to

takeinthegorgeousscenery.

Thatsceneryincludesagorgeousall-femalesta

ff,presided

overbyMyBarownerTamaraMaeda,nativ

eArgentinian.

Tamara,alongwithhersistersand longtime

partnerJason,

went intobusinesshopingtocreateanestabl

ishmentwhere

guestswouldfeelwelcome,andcouldalso

shakeoffthe

stressesthat goalongwith living inaconcr

ete jungle like

Nagoya.

Now,MyBar isaNagoya landmark.Tama

ra andher

staffhavecreatedadistinctiveenvironment

whosebrandis

instantlyrecognizable.Shehastakenanidea,

addedthought,

desire,andaccomplishment,andnowhas

asuccessstory.Let

hertellit

td:HeyTamara,MyBarisdoingreallywellinN

agoya..

tm:WeveallworkedhardtomakeMyBaras

uccess.

Thankyou.

td:HowlonghaveyoubeeninNagoya?

tm:IvebeeninNagoya10years!

td:WhydidyoucometoNagoya10yearsago

?

tm:ImhalfJapanese,myfamilyliveshere.Ioriginall

ycame

tovisitmyfamily,andIsawtheopportunitiesNagoyaoffered

me.IcamefromSantaFe,Argentina,SantaFei

snorthwest

ofBuenosAires.Ihadsomegoodexperiences

whenImoved

here.WhenIcame,IcouldonlyspeakSpanish,

noJapanese

orEnglish.ThepeopleImetthroughworkingat

afewplaces

taughtmehowtospeakJapaneseandEnglish.N

agoyapeople

arethenicestpeopleyoullmeet,thatsthemai

nreasonI

decidedtotaketheopportunitytoopenMyBar

,itmeantI

couldtalktopeopleeverydayandjusthavefun.

td:Whendidyoudecidetoopenyourbar?

tm:Ihadworkedinvariousestablishmentsaro

undNagoya.

Then,thesituationarosetoope

nmyownplace,soItookthe

MYBARISYOURBARTAMARAMAEDA

SUCCESSSTORY3:

|ByTDHouchen|


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opportunity! I had made some goodcontacts which helped me a lot. I lovemeeting new people and having fun, sohaving a bar was a good idea for me.td: How exactly did the opportunity cometo you?tm: A friend introduced the opportunityto me. The bar had been designed forthe owners of the building and they were

looking for some people who wanted to buythe establishment. They knew Jason and Iwould be great owners because of our uniquepersonalities.td: What do you think are some characteristicsof a successful business owner?tm: Patience. To deal with all the things thathaving your own business throws at you. Theability to ask questions to everyone you dobusiness with, you cant learn unless you askquestions, and a laid back attitude that things willcome around. Sometimes in this business, you

have the good the bad and the ugly, but you haveto know it will get better, hold on and know it willwork itself out.td: How is it being a foreign woman doing businessin Japan?tm: Well, being a woman in Japan itself is difcult.At rst, people didnt take me seriously. Now, whenpeople see the result of how well My Bar is doing, theysee I have good business sense. Its all worked out well,nding sponsors, hiring a top chef, nding great staff.As the years have gone on, Ive educated myself on theindustry as well as the tastes of Nagoyans, and what theywant, this has helped with my success. So maybe being awoman has helped, you know the saying, women love totalk but women are great listeners too.td: What are some great things about having your ownplace?tm: I enjoy having my own place, and being my own boss,and designing a bar how you think will be the best place forpeople to have social gatherings. I also like feeling at homein a foreign country, and it allows me exibility as a businessowner. I put in long hours and I have to care about everyaspect of the place. I wouldnt change or trade a thing I havebeen through, it has all helped me to become the businessowner I am today.

td: What are some goals you have for the future?tm: My goals seem to change as I grow with this industry. Iveopened an upscale Japanese Lounge called Diva in Nishiki.Ill be opening a gourmet hot dog cart called Mr. Frank soon.As for My Bar, Id like to maybe open a location in Tokyo. Iwant to expand my business, and make My Bar a memorablename for Nagoya, a place for foreigners and Japanese to meetin Nagoya, and enjoy a cocktail and eat some delicious foodtogether. Basically, I want what any business owner wants, tobe able to let the business run itself and then have the freedomto do what I want. If that is to travel, learn kickboxing, or goback to school, whatever I choose.

td: Tell me your thoughts on Nagoya as a place to open abusiness..tm: Well, there are seasonal factors that play a role in ourbusiness, and certainly, the economy has affected everyone.We are seeing less foreigners coming to Nagoya for business,

but we are still a great hang-out spot for foreigners. We haveto improve our Japanese clientele.td: What advice would you offer to someone thinking ofopening their own business in Nagoya?tm: Hire great staff, they make your place.td: Your personal plans for the future?tm: Maybe Ill become a roadie, tour with Bon Jovi, thatwould be great, to tour the world listening to great music.

td: For sure. What are some things you really enjoy aboutliving in Nagoya?tm: Nagoya has a great ex-pat community. The other foreignbusiness owners support each other, we are there for eachother. Lots of support here. Even though we are in competitionwith each other, we stay friendly and help each other out. Weinteract on a regular basis.td: What has been the most memorable moment for you sinceopening your business?tm: I would have to say opening night, and since then, despitesome ups and downs, its been a great time.td: Whats in the future for My Bar?

tm: We have our anniversary coming up the weekend ofSeptember 9, 10, 11, plus, weve got the usual Halloween/Christmas events. Were working on a new menu, and werealways looking for ways to get new customers in, whilekeeping the old ones happy.


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|RAN|12

Some stories beg for a cinematic treatment. The rags-to-riches tale of some young man or woman who rises fromseemingly impossibly difficult surroundings to become

world famous, wealthy, respected, admired, successful.Some people have re in their hearts from the moment theyenter this world, and in turn, the world makes way for them.Their stories inspire us to push forward, go further, dig deeper,keep going.

The word champion is synonymous with the wordsuccess, have you ever heard of an unsuccessful champion?Unlikely. A champion personifies success, the lone warriorwho rose above, conquered others as well as himself, andnow stands at the summit of human achievement. This personcan be rightfully recognized as a hero, one who leads byexample, and one for whom success follows and awaits in hisevery endeavor. These folks reek inspiration and an aura ofhope surrounds them. They are living, breathing, and walkingincandescent sources of life, hope, and power, and meetingthem can change your life.

What do you get when you mix the raw passion, power,energy, and spirit of Africa, with the sustained, focused anddeliberate perseverance of Japan? A successful champion of

life-and that champions name is Martin Mubiru. Martin is a25-year old Ugandan professional boxer living in Nagoya,dealing with all the adversities of being a foreigner in ahomogenous society, trying to make ends meet, raising afamily, while pursuing his goal of becoming a world boxingchampion in his bantam weight class, having people trying toliterally knock his head offand you thought it was difcultriding the subways and teaching the abcs. Martin doesntallow negatives to distract him, and his goal is well withinreach, just ask him..

td: Where in Africa are you from Martin?

mm: Im from Uganda. I lived rst in Fukuoka, then I came toNagoya. I came to Nagoya two years ago, I reached Fukouka,and lived there for one year. My manager brought me fromAfrica, after I won a medal for boxing in the Commonwealthgames in Melbourne. I am a bronze medalist.

td: How long have you been boxing?mm: I have been in the system for 15 years, boxing for thatlong.td: Why do you think Nagoya is a good place to continueyour career as a boxer?mm: Well, in Nagoya, Ive got many good people behind me,where I was in Fukuoka, I had no friends, could not get a goodlife, I was only with Japanese always, here, I can meet manygood people, many different people, black people, foreigners,I couldnt train well in Fukuoka, here, its good, I can meetmany people, Nagoya supports me.td: Is there a lot of support for boxing in Nagoya?mm: Yes. I have a lot of support here. When I ght, my friendsare there, they support me, in Fukuoka, I fought alone, here, Ihave my people who support me.td: What made you want to become a boxer?mm: Wow. I watched Iron Mike Tyson. From watching him,I felt I could be a boxer too. What he was doing was great,it made me feel I should be a boxer too. I give big respect toIron Mike.td: What are your goals in boxing?mm: I want to be world champion. I want to get the WBC

championship, when I get that goal, I will thank Jah, that is mygoal and my dream.td: Are there any world champions that came from Nagoya inboxing?mm: I know one guy, a Mexican guy, who was worldchampion, boxing out of Nagoya, but I heard when he wentback to his country, he died. Im sorry for that.td: If you can accomplish your goal, how would you feel?mm: It would be great. It means I not only represent mycountry, but I also represent Nagoya city. I would be veryproud.td: Tell me about your history boxing in Uganda..

mm: I used to train under Ayub Kalure, he was a greatchampion from Africa, he fought Marvin Hagler and was ahero in my country. I met him in Uganda, its a small country,the gym I trained at in Uganda was a famous gym though,many many people used to train there. Ayub was a trainer in

WalkLikeAChampion.

TalkLikeAChampion.

THEGHETTO

CHAMPIONMARTINMUBIRU

SUCCESSSTORY4:

| By TD Houchen |

On Tuesday, October 19th,in Tokyo's Korakuyen Stadium,

THE GHETTO CHAMPION willace Korean Champ KimuraHayato (ranked #7 in the OceanPacic Boxing Federation).This ght is the MAIN EVENT!Come on down to Tokyoand REPRESENT for one ofNAGOYA's FINEST.


13/32

|RAN| 13

that gym, KBG, Kampala boxing gym.td: Where do you train here in Nagoya?mm: I train at Chunichi Boxing Gym. Its in Ueda Koen.Boxing is a very painful game. When I dont have a ght, Itrain two times a day, when I have a ght, I train three timesa day. I wake up and go for a run very early, roadwork. Then,I do my small jobs. Then in the evening, I enter the gym andtrain more. I do skipping 5 rounds, shadowboxing 5 rounds,punching bag 5 rounds, sparring 6 rounds, and other things in

the gym. Its very hard.td: How do Japanese accept an African boxer in their countrywho is knocking their guys out? Your record is 8 wins and 1loss right?mm: Well, they have to accept it. They have to face it man.They have to support me. This is how the game goes, I haveto hit, and they have to hit me. What I do to the opponent, ifit is not me rst who does it, the opponent will do it to me.Even if they dont like it, I have to do it. Japanese make strongghters, they are strong, but I feel I am stronger. Japanesemake champions, and Im sorry for this, but they lose, thebantamweight belt was taken away from Japan, and I want

to be the one who brings it back to Japan. I think Japaneseghters are strong, but they are not smart ghters. The trainersteach them to just go go go, dont rest, dont stop, just go,punch punch punch. Me, I train smart. I know when to rest,watch, punch, stop, I rely on my own skill.td: How do you get power to ght in a society that sometimesmarginalizes you as a human?mm: It gives me power. We are all human beings, I see some

who like me, some who dont, but I do what I have to do. I ama ghter.td: Tell me your feelings about Nagoya..mm: I like Nagoya, I can meet many foreigners here, stayinghere in Japan, it can be a hard life for foreigners. I lived inFukuoka for one year, with only Japanese. Not talking toanyone, it was tough, just staying in the house. They didnt talk

to me much, some come and feel my body as if I am dirty orsomething, maybe because I am African, but here in Nagoya,I am happy. I meet different people, it makes me proud, I feelgreat here.td: What is success to you?mm: Success to me means I get what I have been dreaming ofall the time. My dream is my success. As I told you, my dreamis to get that belt, the WBC championship. My dream is to bea champion.td: Do you think it will be easier for you to get your successhere, or in your country?mm: Its easier here. All my weight ghters are here, they are

around here. My country is very far. Here, I am very near tothe champions, I can visit their gym and see them, it makesme see that I am very near to the champion. I am watchinghis movements, his steps. I can see him clearly. It shows meI can become the champion too. It isnt so far away. It is the

guidance of Jah who helps me. What I am doing is a veryhard thing, I need blessings to make my dream come true. Ifyou are reading this, please send me your blessings and yourpower, I need it.td: Tell me a little about your personal life here in Nagoya..youve got something youre very proud of besides yourboxing career..mm: Yes. I have a newborn baby. Im happy that in Nagoya,I managed to get something. I have a family here now. I have

a new son, his name is Eddie Rogers, hes a boxer too, hismother is Japanese. He makes me ght harder, I have a boxerwho is watching me, watching my moves, so, I want to getthe belt to show it to him when he grows up, so he knowshis father was a hero, so he can be a hero too. I gave him myfathers name. I plan to stay in Nagoya, because now I havea family, but I will return downtown, to Africa, to show mypeople. My people sent me here for a reason, they sent mehere to be a champion, I have to get a belt and take it backto Africa, and show them. I started boxing in 1999, I was aschool champion. I conquered all the Ugandan tournaments,so that makes me a Ugandan champion. I went to the

Olympic qualiers. I won a medal in Melbourne in 2006, afterthat, I made my plan to come to Japan and ght professionally.My amateur career was nished after I got the bronze medal.Now, I have 8 ghts professionally, 4 knockouts, one loss. Theloss was an African title ght, I didnt think I lost that ght, Ithink the judges cheated me, I didnt get knocked down, butthe judges gave my points to the opponent. So, if you watchthat ght on YouTube, you can see I didnt lose that ght. It

was an African WBA title ght, and my opponent was a bigman, but I dont think I lost the ght. So, in my heart, I haveno losses, I am not a loser.td: So, you call yourself The Ghetto Champion, why thatname? What does it mean to you?mm: I grew up in Africa, the safari, the ghetto. The peoplewanted me to box, I had my ghetto people behind me, maybe

4 thousand people, life there was very hardbut they grewme up to be a champion, they told me I would one day bea champion since I was young. So, whatever I am doing, Iam doing for those people, I am their champion, The GhettoChampion. I am working hard to make them happy.

.The Ghetto Champion goes in, left, right, left, andhis opponent is DOWN FOR THE COUNT, 7-8-9-10..THATS IT! ITS OVER! THE GHETTO CHAMPIONIS THE NEW BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION OFTHE WORLD!!!! He has taken on all comers,including FEAR, ALIENATION, PROCRASTINATION,

CONFUSION, and LONELINESS to emerge a TRUECHAMPION

Id like my story to read somewhat like this, wouldnt you?tdh


14/32

|RAN|14

Miko Ikemura (19)Job: MassuistMy Dream: Own a clothing shopWhats the Japanese Dream?: Japanese seem to beworrying more about protecting the country and theirlivelihood; so maybe the dream should be making agood future for yourself.Katea (27)

Job: NoneMy Dream: want to havechoices for myprofessional life.Whats the JapaneseDream?: I think Japaneseonly think about work,work, and work andneed to start making theirdream about their familiesand childrens future.

S. Suzuki (37)Job: Company WorkerMy Dream: Im single, so Iwant to nd a good girl andstart a family.Whats the Japanese Dream?:People are worried abouta lot of things in the worldthese days. More Japanese areunderstanding that we livein a big complex world. SoI think most people want to

understand that world and livepeacefully.

Hajime Goto (35)Job: TradesmanMy Dream: I want to make sure my

children have a safe, happy future.Whats the Japanese Dream?: We havelimited resources and must dependon others for energy. Finding a cleansource of power that doesnt affect theenvironment should be our dream.

BeingbornandraisedintheUSA,Iwasforce-

fedtheAmerican

Dreamsincebirth--youknow,Nicehome,2

cars,beautifulwife,

2.5kids, successfulcareerwithavacation

every summerand

retirementpackage.Andits justthat,adream...Butthis

iswhat

mostAmericankidsgrowupbelieving;thatallthingsarepossible

andanyonecanbeanastronaut,doctor,pre

sident,ormore.We

hereatRANwantedtoknow, istherea suc

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peoplehereinJapan?WhatdothepeopleofJap

anhopetoachieve

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andmycameraand

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nkofwhereagaijin

couldaskquestions inbadJapanesewitho

utthe cops getting

suspicious...NagoyaStationduringrushhour.

Haruko Inoue (48)Job: College ProfessorMy Dream: I want to make sure my research iscompleted before I retire.Whats the Japanese Dream?: Does it really exist? Do Japanese peoplecollectively have a dream? With this economy, maybe its time to stopdreaming and start doing!

Akito Inoue (12)Job: 6th grade elementary school studentMy Dream: Not sure yet... Im a kid, remember?!Whats the Japanese Dream?: Everyone should do whatever possibleto make their life happy.

| Story and photos by JL Gatewood |


15/32

|RAN| 15

Each year, hundreds of people come from the aroundthe world to teach English in Japan. Some do it for theexperience, others for the money, and then there are those

who come because they simply want to be teachers. In the fall

of 2010, Nameless Media and Productions will do it on thenet, exploring the billion-dollar industry of overseas Englisheducation with their new dramedy web series, EnglishTeachers. Set in a bustling Japanese city, English Teachers tellsthe story of Tom Kellerman, a young teacher who left his homein Topeka, Kansas and set out on a soul-searching journey thatleads him across the globe to the

BeYes! School of English. Making his search more difcult ishis rag-tag group of colleagues whose questionable teachingskills seem to be even worse than their social skills. WithEnglish being a competitive business, Tom and his BeYes!cohorts struggle to nd their way through language barriers,cultural challenges, and the everyday obstacles of being anEnglish teacher.

Anthony Gilmore, the creator/director of the series andpresident of Nameless Media and Productions, is proud to bebringing this rst-of-its-kind story to the booming web seriesgenre. This is an idea that Ive had for awhile, says Gilmore,

But the timing has never been right to move forward withproduction. After months and months of hard work, werenally going to be able see that idea on the screen. There isstill a lot of work to be done, but were all very excited.

The production will be brought to life with the help ofan international cast and crew. The talented cast of EnglishTeachers is made up of both new and familiar faces fromtelevision and film. Jonathan Sherr, who recently starredopposite Mao Inoue in My Darling is a Foreigner, plays therole of Tom. Actress, singer, and model Ananda Jacobs playsthe role of Jodi, a fellow teacher and Toms potential love

interest. Rounding out the cast is Michael Kruse as the agingslacker Mark, Michael Walker as the wanna be ninja Neville,and Gaetano Totaro as the training tornado known simply asRoberto.

With the web series genre quickly becoming a mainstayin popular media, it is an exciting time to be bringing theworld of English teachers to the laptop audience. A web seriesallows the viewer to experience a variety of unique comedyand dramas rarely seen on the sometimes stale television dial.With impressive talent

both in f ront

of and behind the camera, the highly anticipated EnglishTeachers production will be just as much fun to make as it willbe to watch.

Ive been able to work with such a great team, commentsGilmore. The writing staff have delivered great scripts andhave been quite entertaining to work with. The art departmentis really working hard to make the BeYes! world come tolife, and the production manager, producers, and interns areworking around the clock to make this show happen. Wellbe shooting on a pair of Canon 5Ds and working with a top-notch local DP, lighting technician, and sound technician.

English Teachers will post their rstepisode towards the end of September at:

www.englishteachersseries

.comSo tune in and take notes. There will be ashort quiz afterwards.

Teachers Do It

on the Net| Story and photos by

Anthony Gilmore |


16/32

|RAN|16

The G reen SPOT

During the early part of this year, like I do almost everyyear, I went home to visit my parents in Jamaica. Mytrips there are pretty much the same really spend the

first few days thawing out from the bitter Japanese winters,catch up on some much-needed sleep, go to the beach, andof course, enjoy some good home cooking. Over the years,however, the home cooking has changed a lot, comparedto when I was a child. Back in the day, it was barbecuedchicken or spare ribs, fried sh, curry goat, ackee and saltsh,rice and peas, and of course, manish water, which is a soupcooked with goat intestines and vegetables - a favourite atany gathering. Some of you might not be familiar with thesedishes, and might even be a bit put off by the manish water,but believe me when I say this, these meals are out of thisworld. Just writing about them now makes my mouth water.

So how has that good home cooking changed? Well,the food still tastes great, but the ingredients have certainlychanged. About 15 years ago, my mum became a memberof the Seventh Day Adventist church, and during the courseof her studies, she became a vegan. Besides not eating pork,which is frowned upon in that denomination, members areencouraged to be vegetarian. I suppose, its part of the whole

health and temperance philosophy to further enlightenment.So now, when I go home, its tofu this and veggie that. Inever minded the changes, because the food is always sogood, and I always seem to lose weight after a trip home,and besides that, I was never far away from a restaurant or

family members house to get my regular Jamaican cooking, ifneeds be.

Anyway, this time round, my mum insisted that I watch a

DVD called EATING, produced by The Rave Diet & Lifestyle.Here we go again, I thought, More stuff from mum aboutthe virtues of a vegetarian diet. Hadnt I done enough? Ayear earlier I had given up dairy when I nally had to admit(despite my mum telling me for years) that my lifetime ofsinusitis was due to my consumption of dairy. I drank milk(liquid meat) like it was water, and I snacked on cheese allthe time. Since giving up dairy I have not had a cold. Nolie. She was right all along. So after reluctantly agreeing towatch the EATING documentary, I can honestly say that I wasblown away. Im known for being impulsive at times (Howdo you think I got to Japan?), and I decided in that instance,

that I was going to become a vegan. It was as simple as that.I was convinced. The research was too compelling to deny.In addition to watching EATING, I also watched Fast FoodNation and Our Daily Bread. They were the nal few nails inthe cofn, regarding animal-based diets.

I just want to clarify what I mean when I say vegan. Avegan is like having a black belt in vegetarianism. Im not one

of those people who says, Im a vegetarian, but I eat chickenand fish. Im a vegetarian, and I also dont eat any by-products of animals or sh. That excludes cows milk, cheese,butter, eggs, and caviar (or Ikura) from my diet.

EATING showed the connection between the major

They call these diseases the animals revenge -

their way of killing us for killing them.

Revenge?Revenge?Animals'Animals' | Photos and story by Mark H. Campbell |


17/32

|RAN| 17

diseases (heart disease, cancer and diabetes) and an animal-based diet, these are credible doctors talking about theirresearch, as well as their own experiences with ill health, andsharing how they cured themselves by converting to a plant-based diet.

Before this DVD, I was ignorant to a lot of things. I alwaysheard about high cholesterol, and saw NO CHOLESTEROLwritten on the packaging of many foods I bought back in mysecond home, London. But what was it really? I discoveredthat cholesterol is basically the build up of sludge in ourarteries, formed from animal-based foods, which eventuallyrestricts the flow of blood and oxygen, and will most likelylead to heart attacks, or strokes, if not addressed. Heartdisease, a disease that was almost non-existent at the start ofthe 20th century, is the highest killer in America and the UK,and the second highest killer in Japan. I also discovered thatchicken and sh having much less cholesterol than red meatis a huge myth. Its only marginally less. And would it surpriseyou to know that shrimp has six times more cholesterol thanbeef?

The thing that drove it home for me with regardto cholesterol was when I heard that it causes erectiledysfunction in men. What!? If you think about it though, itmakes perfect sense really. Cholesterolleads to poor blood ow, which meansthat my nearest and dearest friend,whom Ive known all my life, could havebeen put out of commission, simplybecause I was partial to a two pieceand fries at KFC. Hell no! I dont wanthim dying before me. But seriously, thewhole thing of cholesterol is no joke.

Did you know that one cancer cell isproduced in EVERY SINGLE HUMANSBODY EVERY DAY? We cant stop it.Its Mother Nature. The only way toght the production of cancer cells is tohave a strong immune system. A plant-based diet gives our immune system thearmour to go to war with cancer. Ananimal-based diet provides no defencewhatsoever. Cancer, the second highestkiller in the UK and US, and the highest killer in Japan isspiralling out of control. In Japan, there is the obvious lungcancer (they love them some cigarettes over here boy), but

stomach, colon, liver, and pancreatic cancer are also wipingpeople out at alarming rates.

They call these diseases the animals revenge- their way ofkilling us for killing them. Research shows that a lot of meatpeople are buying in their local supermarkets already hascancer in it. Cancer develops in these animals because theyare pumped with steroids to fatten them up, they are forcedto eat things that their bodies are not designed to cope with,including themselves (cannibalism), and these diseases arepassed on to us. Im no doctor, but Im no fool either.

My diet might come up in conversation at times, andpeople ask me if I feel any better with the change. Its hard

to say really, but I suppose I dont feel any worse. Have youfound religion, some people jokingly ask. Its impossibleto grow up in Jamaica and not have some religion in you. Ihave energy. I work out. My clothes fit better, and my lovehandles are disappearing. Getting older and having a slowing

metabolism is no surprise, so becoming a vegan came inthe nick of time. The sceptics are always quick to tell methat I need meat for protein, but I can get protein from nuts;beans; soya milk; even broccoli. Its always funny to me thatthe sceptics, who are always quick to put me down for mylifestyle change, are often overweight. Do I miss eating meat,sh, and all their by-products? Of course I do. Do you thinkrecovering alcoholics never have cravings for a drink? It takes

self-control, and those who know me personally, know that Ima control-freak.

I have to watch what I eat. Three of my grandparents diedfrom leukaemia, heart disease, and diabetes. I have diabeteson both sides of the family, so Im all about prevention. Notcure. By default, Ive even become an environmentalist tosome degree. It turns out that more land is cleared to growfood for animals than for humans, so by me cutting out meat,I have saved a few acres along the way. Its all about the ecobaby!

The biggest challenge for me is eating out, in and aroundNagoya. Ill go to some places and the so-called vegetable

soup has ham floating around in it, or is made with fish ormeat stock. Salads come with ham as standard, and almostalways have a big dollop of mayonnaise. It was difficult

enough telling restaurants before thatIm allergic to shellfish, now I have towhip out my iPhone 4, use the kotobadictionary to tell people in restaurantsthat Im a zettaisaishokushugisha. Afterthe initial eeeeehhhhhhh, they calmdown, and try to accommodate me, asbest they can.

Many restaurants are probably not

open to the idea of including vegetarianor vegan dishes on their menus, becausethey assume that there just isnt enoughdemand for these alternatives, but if morepeople ask, things will change. There just arent many choices available forsomeone with strict dietary requirements,but I have managed to find a few: CasaBlanca (Moroccan) in Takaoka. Sarmale(Romanian) in Shin Sakae. Yagya (Japanese/

Asian Izakaya) near Nagoya Station will customize somedishes. I even get food in Hard Rock Caf. They do a lovelyveggie burger that still tastes great without the cheese and

lemon mayonnaise. This may come as a surprise, but evenOutback (that famous steak restaurant) did a tomato saucevegetable pasta that was excellent. Polan no Hiroba, anorganic restaurant in Issha, has some tasty food for vegans.Their portions are a bit too small for a growing lad like me, butthey do some excellent muffins made with no milk or eggs.Freshness Burger located in Yaba-Cho, Fujigaoka, and Centrair.Is also very good, and they do three vegetarian burgers. ....myfavourite is the 3-bean burger. Out in Nagakute, my mateTsuyoshi runs Skillet Diner, serving up an array of Americandishes. Most dishes are not suitable for vegans, but he willmake excellent tomato sauce vegetable pasta on request.

Finally, if you want to make the change, do it graduallyand expect some opposition from friends, families andrestaurant staff. As in any recovery program, keeping a strongwill and not swaying from your convictions under adversity,should keep you from falling off the wagon.


18/32

|RAN|18

When In Rome

illustration:ADAMP

ASION

The term "wa" ( ) literally means peace or harmony,and is the fundamental building block of Japanesesociety. It is elusive, ethereal, and almost always hidden

behind insincere smiles, nods of afrmation, the often uttered"chigaimasu", and promises never intended to be kept.

What is Harmony? According to the dictionary, it iscompatibility in opinion and action, and is the mantra ofJapanese society. Preserving the harmony is the one and only

goal in Just about every interaction in Japan. Don't be fooled,it is easier to dene the sound of one hand clapping than tofully understand this concept, but hopefully this article willshine a little light on what Wa means.

You might have passed level 1 of the JLPT, have the lyricalenka stylings of Jero (He's the rst and so far only black enkasinger) when you go to Karaoke, can quote entire passagesfrom Genji no Monogatari (The Tales of Genji), and caneven catch flies with your chopsticks, but when it comes tointeracting with the Japanese, most people have the graceof an elephant let loose in a porcelain store. Even for theJapanese, Wa is sometimes difcult to grasp, but fear not, we

will try to lift some of the mystery for you. Keep reading.....At some point during your stay in Japan you might havenoticed that people here tend to talk around a problem,whether it's in the ofce, in a relationship, or even at the barafter work. They do this to preserve the harmony betweenpeople, especially in their immediate surroundings and theirin-group. Why do they do this? It's all about not losing face orbringing shame or discomfort upon another person, especiallyin ones in-group.

This concept is so deeply ingrained in the Japanese psychethat it's very natural, almost subconscious for the Japanese,but as unnatural as daikon ice-cream for anyone who wasntraised in Japan. For example, you might be invited to a party

in the following way: "I know you're probably very busy withyour life, but if it's not too much trouble (and the moon is ashade of blue) could you possibly stop by a little party afterwork? But I understand if you can't make it because you're toobusy or too tired to come."

This situation doesn't appear all that important at themoment but if you responded with something along thelines of: "Maybe I'll stop by if I'm feeling up to it," youhave just confirmed your attendance to that party and areexpected by the Japanese code of conduct to make it there,lest you take the full brunt of your Japanese friends' or co-workers' displeasure at your inconsiderate rudeness for

standing them up.Your interactions with Japanese women will also be

peppered with "Wa" since Japanese women are generally veryindirect about their true feelings. To uncover what they arereally saying

listen carefully to the exact words they are using try to read between the lines of those words ask simple questions to get specic information out most of all, look at her body language for subtleclues about her intended meaning.

Got it? Ok, let's do a quick test to see if you reallyunderstood the gist of it. Imagine an interaction between youand a girl (or guy) you're seeing. You might ask her: "Are weexclusive, or are you seeing other people?"

Most likely, she will not look at you directly and give youthe typical "shy eyes." Does this mean:

A) "I like you, so I'm not seeing other men (but I'membarrassed to say I like you)"... or

B) "I really want to see other guys (but I don't want tohurt your feelings by telling you)."

In either case, she will probably avoid direct eye contactwith you. So what's your choice?

If you answered A.....Good job, you did pay attention!Her slight smile will reveal that she's really just shy. In the

case of option B), she will probably not smile at all. Very slightdifference, but a huge difference in meaning. These subtledifferences can be a source of endless frustration for non-Japanese so you have to develop mystical, Uri Geller likemind-reading abilities in order to really understand the innermysteries of Japanese social interactions, which for most of usis a goal just as unattainable as nding the Holy Grail.

If there is any message to be taken away from this it's thatin Japan, not only do you have to understand the languagewell enough to know what they're saying, but you have toalso read between the lines and look for very subtle clues ofbehaviour to get to the true intended meaning. I will leave

you with a little bit of parting advice: In your interactionswith Japanese people, keep in mind that you're not in Kansasanymore, and try to do as the Romans would do. Or, youcould just unleash your inner elephant......but be prepared forthe consequences.

| By Achim Runnebaum |

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21/32

|RAN| 21

Part of the pleasure of international travel is discovering

different cultures, and Thailand is no exception.Ignorance is no excuse for causing offence, so heres the

low-down on some important dos and donts for visitors tothis lovely country.

Respect RoyaltyThe king of Thailand is highly respected, and showing anysign of disrespect can lead to jail. This includes the obvious,like standing when the Royal anthem is played at the cinema,to respecting all images of the king, including his face oncurrency. If you drop a coin, do not stamp on it to stop itrolling, and avoid controversial questions about the king,however well intentioned.

Using Body LanguageWestern society thinks nothing of patting a child on the head,pointing with the foot or kissing and hugging in public. Theseare highly offensive gestures in Thailand. The head is seen asthe highest part of the body and should not be touched, andpointing with the foot, the lowest and dirtiest part of the body,is rude. If you sit on the oor, make sure you curl your legsunder you.

Modest dress is required, particularly when sightseeing. This

does not just mean avoiding low-cut tops and short shorts, butalso covering the upper arms and avoiding open-toed shoes.It goes without saying that topless sunbathing on the beacheswill not be tolerated.

Buddhist TemplesAs well as covering up for temple visits, shoes must be leftoutside to show respect for the Buddhas. Buddhist monkscannot have any contact with women, so any gifts must behanded to a man who can pass it to the monk.

RespectLosing face is an integral part of Asian culture. Showingdisplays of anger or raising your voice will mean you getnowhere fast in Thailand. Whether you are haggling a price,disciplining your children or taking issue with a tuk-tukdriver, keep your cool, maintain a respectful tone and smilethroughout.Finally, show respect by learning a few words of Thai, such asthank you and the local wai greeting. You will be rewardingwith a beaming smile, adding to the pleasure of yourwonderful experience in Thailand.

Go

CULTURAL

DOS&DONTSINTHAILAND | By Aaron Christie |


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Your foot feels better. Whatever it was, youve walked itoff at the Meiji Restoration Museum. So you forgo thestreetcar and hike back to the station. It takes about 20

minutes. You know right where the Starbucks is, and you pointyourself in that direction, as if on autopilot. Since they arrivedin Japan in 1996 youve been single handedly keeping theentire chain of coffee shops aoat. Never mind that you donteven like coffee. You go to Starbucks because you dont likecigarette smoke, and before Starbucks began operating herethere wasnt a single no-smoking restaurant in Japan. Well,

none that you knew of. And certainly none that permeatedthe entire culture like Starbucks does now. In fact, when youfirst arrived in Japan, it led the world in per capita tobaccoconsumption. This is something the Japanese even appearedto take pride in. If you had a dollar for every time somebodytold you this back then, you could afford to take up smokingyourself. Not that you would.

Cigarettes were cheap here thenthey still are. JapanTobacco Inc. was largely owned by the state and had a nearmonopoly on the product. Smoking was state sponsored andstate encouraged. Everybody smoked. All men, that is. Veryfew women did. This has changed rapidly over the past ten

years, on both countsfewer Japanese are smoking, but ofthose who do smoke, more are womenbut Starbucks wasthe rst place in Japan where a guy could sit down for a rest,and rest assured that he wouldnt be smoked on. So it still hasyour business. Never mind that now there are plenty of non-smoking establishments and even more establishments withnon-smoking sections. In fact, the Japanese are only fourth inthe world right now in terms of cigarettes consumed per adult.They trail Greece, Hungary, and Kuwait, three places youllprobably never go.

And speaking of that, tobacco is yet another product thatrst arrived in Japan with the Portuguese at Kagoshima, thoughhistorians are not sure exactly when. It was possibly on the

ship that brought Saint Francis Xavier on July 27, 1549. Itsknown that the people of Kagoshima didnt know what it waswhen they first saw the sailors on that ship smoking it. Andits also known that tobacco was in fairly wide use in Japansoon thereafter. So theres quite possibly a connection. Itsthe rst product of the Americas to receive wide acceptancein Japan. Others that would arrive soon afterwards includewatermelon, corn, pumpkins, red peppers, peanuts, beans,peppermint, potatoes and lemons. Also spinach. You have towonder why anybody would go to all the trouble of carrying aspinach plant half way around the world. But somebody did.All of these came a few decades later, though, during the Edo

period, when Japan was supposedly closed off to the outsideworld. Another presumably American import of the early yearswas syphilis. Its first historical reference in Japan, though,dates from 1512. This is several years before any Europeantraders are known to have set foot here. Its arrival is a mystery.

What is known, though, is that the disease didnt occur herebefore 1500. The reason this is known is that a man namedTakao Suzuki published a book in 1998 called Looking at theJapanese Through their Bones. Well, thats your translation ofit. It was really called hone kara mita nihonjin, but how boringdoes that title sound for something this fascinating? He studiedskeletal remains from archaeological sites around Japan andobserved no signs of syphilis caused pathologies prior to thatdate. He also found that, within a couple of centuries, half theadults in Edo had the disease. It seems syphilis caught on here

almost as fast and as furiously as smoking did.Its late afternoon and theres a music ensemble setting up

to play in the square in front of the store. About thirty collegeage kids in red shirts are preparing to sing. You want to asksomebody whats going on, but you never do. You hate to sayanything to anybody. Youre afraid of Japanese people. Youreafraid of what theyll say back to you. So you walk aroundthem and head for Starbucks. White shirts, green aprons, beigewalls, black coffee, or green tea latte. You feel like a clich.

But youre addicted. Not to the product. To the place.What a business plan. Youre 1100 kilometers from home.

Youre on your own. Theres nobody even watching you. You

can do anything you want. And youre going to Starbucks.Never mind that this is something you could do anytimeanywhere, including a little spot a mere 500 meters from yourhome in Nagoya! You remind your self to buy stock in thiscompany when you get home. Maybe you can get back someof that 520 yen you spend here every day.

And just then somebody taps on your shoulder. Its an oldman. No wait. You shouldnt say that. Its an elderly fellow. Itsa retiree. So apparently you were wrong when you believednobody was even watching you. He was.

Where are you from? he asks.Fuck a duck!You wish you had a dollar for every time youve been

asked where youre from. But at least his grammar is correct.Usually this question comes out, Where from? or worse yet,Are you from?

How in the world does a guy answer that question andkeep a straight faceAre you from?

Yes, I am.No Im not, are you?Maybe this inadequacy with the English language here

wouldnt be so exasperating if it wasnt for what you do toearn a living. You teach English.

And this old fellow does too, or at least he did. He was a jr. high school English teacher in Kagoshima for forty years,

which you think should have bored the life out of him a longtime ago, but oh no. He wants to tell you all about it. Ofcourse, hes a sweet man who got up and went to work everyday of his life. He raised kids. Now theyre raising kids. Hetakes care of his wife. He wants to tell you all about the time

| Story and pictures by EJP |

FerrisWheelFerrisWheel


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PAGODAD IAR I ESTHE

he took her to Oklahoma.You try to excuse yourself. Yes, Oklahomas a great place.

Take care.He tells you they went to Texas too. They saw the Grand

Canyon.You tell him you were just on your way to have a coffee,

but . . . He tells you he loves America. His daughter went toschool in Wisconsin. She married a guy from New York. Hesan English teacher too. Youre already standing in line to order,

and there he is. Hes followed you into the shop. Hes stilltalking to you. What can you do?

Would you like to join me for a coffee? you ask him. Itseither that or just be rude. But hes too sweet to be rude to.Never mind that hes boring you to distraction.

No thank you, he says.Then as soon as you get your coffee he sits down at your

table with you. Hes been to seventeen states. But hes neverbeen to the South. He wants to go to Disney World with hiswife. He wants to see an alligator. He wants to see a swamp.Yet somehow you get the feeling he really doesnt. Rather,these are just words he has recently studied, alligator and

swamp.But you know how he feels. Hes studied English all hislife, and now he rarely gets the opportunity to speak it. Andcome to think of it, you havent seen another gaijin since yougot to Kagoshima. For him, youre a rare commodity and thisis a rare opportunity to use English. But that doesnt meanhe isnt driving you crazy. This is about as far away from thebig population centers of Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, andTokyo as a guy can get and still be in traditional Japan. Therearent as many opportunities to speak English here. So hespracticing. This used to happen to you all the time. Not somuch anymore. Not in Nagoya. These days, in Nagoya youcant throw a rock without hitting a gaijin, not that anybody in

Nagoya would ever throw a rock anyway. Hed have troubleeven nding one.

Every Japanese person in Nagoya already knows more thanenough gaijin. Youre all old hat. Youre stale bread. All youregood for is English. Even this old fellow knows that much.

And hes taking advantage of it.Youve had a thousand experiences like this. Its just part

of being a gaijin. But you know how to stop it if you wanttojust speak a couple of sentences to him in Japanese. Thatwould chase him away in a heartbeat. In Japan, for peoplewho pride themselves on their English ability, and for a lot ofother people too, its a loss of face to speak to a white person

in Japanese. But at the end of the day, youre too polite to dothat. You have too much respect for your elders. And besides,youve kind of started to like the fellow.

The sun is just setting over the city. Its beautiful and youwant to watch it. You ask if hes ever been up in the Ferriswheel, just above you on top of the building. He says no.

Well, Im going to ride it. Would you like to join me?No.With a running dialogue through his entire family, then

your entire country, hes kept you company through one tallcoffee, a chocolate chunk cookie, and the distinct impressionthat your lack of sleep is sneaking up on you. And in thatwhole time he hasnt asked one single question about you. Infact, you might as well not even be there. You have hardly gota word in edgewise. And thats probably just as well, because

you dont really know what to say. The only things you couldthink of to ask him are How old are you, anyway? andWhere were you during the war?

From the Ferris wheel you look out over the city. The viewis gorgeous. The sky is orange, purple and gold behind biggray clouds still lingering after the earlier rain. In the otherdirection, the light is dancing on Sakurajima, Kagoshimasactive volcano, smoking, even now, in the middle ofKagoshima Bay.

Actually, all of Kagoshima bay is the caldera of an ancientvolcano. Looking at a map, this is easy to see. The caldera is20 km across, and the south end of it opens to the sea. It wasformed by a huge eruption some 22,000 years ago. It blew ashas far as far away as Aomori prefecture on the northern tip ofHonshu, where you intend to be in a couple of months, andits been active on and off ever since.

The ongoing record of volcanic ash makes it easy forscientists to approximate the age of things around here. Thisparticular eruption spread a 22,000 year-old layer of ash overthe entire country that Japanese archeologists can use to agethings they nd in the midst of it. And there are many other

layers from many other eruptions. This is one of the worldsmost volcanic countries, after all. And isnt it amazing, thethings scientists can do! Reflecting on this makes you wishyou had a real job and did real work, meaningful work,scientic work. But then again . . .

Sakurajima is the modern active vent of that ancientvolcano. It used to be an island in the middle of the bay, but itwas connected to the mainland by a lava ow in the eruptionof 1914. That was the most recent plinian eruption here. Therehave been others of course. There was a big one in 1779 andone in 1471. The rst one in recorded history was in 963.

Most recently the vent has been spewing ash prettyregularly since 1955. When cross country hiker Alan Booth

arrived here in the 80s he reported that there was ash coveringthe city, especially around the area of Saigo Takamoris laststand, his shrine, and his grave.

The ash supposedly made the earth on the island ofSakarajima exceptionally fertile, and thousands of farmerslived there in earlier times. Those farmers grew many of theareas famous mandarin oranges, which supposedly grew wellin the ashen soil.

The 1779 explosion threw up a volcanic cloud of ashand smoke more than ten kilometers into the air and turnedthe ocean around it a brilliant purple. It killed 130 people,destroyed over 500 homes, and wiped out over 21,000

mandarin orange trees. The destruction was so bad that theShimazu clan were unable to make their regular year-end giftof oranges to the shogun.

You tell all of this to the old fellow. Yes, hes still there,sitting across from you. Hes the type who wont take no foran answer, even when the no comes from him. Youre surehe hasnt understood a single word youve said, though heprobably knows it all anyway. It doesnt matter. He seems tobe enjoying the ride, so never mind. Hes been to the PetriedForest in Arizona. It rained the whole time he was in SanFrancisco. He saw the Golden Gate Bridge.

It turns out hes 73 years old. During the war he was righthere in Kagoshima. He was a child. He remembers watchingthe bombs fall on the city.

It doesnt matter, he says. He loves America anyway.


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Fashion


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|RAN| 25| By Ami Pasion |


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Acore member of the Evil Dots Crew, a prolific street

artist, and owner and operator of 8Gallery in Sakae,ESPY (imagine a spy like James Bond) is a founding

father of Nagoya's burgeoning graffiti scene. Armed with aspray can as his weapon of choice, ESPY assaults the wallsof the city from one end to the other and when he isn't outwall bombing he you can nd him the same way I found him,behind the counter at his own art gallery near Yabacho.

RAN: So what sort of things do you get your inspiration from?ESPY: My style is heavily inspired by manga and horrormovies. That's probably the main inuence, but there is a lotof inspiration from skateboard culture as well. In the 80s with

the big skateboard boom I got a lot of inspiration from that.I draw more on the inuence of tattoo artists and other artforms than I do from other grafti writers.RAN: I can sense that. You use pictures a lot more thanwords.ESPY: Yeah, originally grafti is all about lettering but as faras Japanese culture goes, the alphabet is not our culture. Thething that has spread from Japan all over the world is anime,so I thought that was a good place for me to start.RAN: What do you think about the Nagoya art scene,especially related to grafti?ESPY: The amount of kids doing tags is always going up anddown. I think there are a lot of younger guys out there who

are really good though. As far as our crew EDC, we got guystogether with really different styles so I think we have a reallygood balance.RAN: What is it like compared to other places?ESPY: Out in Osaka there is a crew called CMK and we arereally close with them, practically like the same crew. Besidesthem though I think Osaka is really tight knit and solid.Tokyo also has a lot of great artists and a lot going on. Forme one of the big inuences from Tokyo, he does grafti andskateboards and everything is ESOW. He was a big inuencefor me.RAN: Do you have any message for the foreigners living in

Nagoya?ESPY: Nagoya has a lot of different things to offer, like foodculture and whatnot. I imagine there are a lot of people outthere who like this sort of art too and I would be happy tohave them come and check out the shop.

S| Interview and photos by Adam Pasion |


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BANG BANG BOOGIE 2010

Thanksforcoming!Thanksforcoming!photos: ADAM PASION


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Lars Martinson is the author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part One,which is available from amazon.co.jp .


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RANmagazine Issue 7 September/October 2010

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Transcript of RANmagazine Issue 7 September/October 2010