January, 2010:

by Ry Beville

It’s like the Meiji Restoration all over again. Many Japanese micro-brewers want their product to be up to par with the delicious brews being produced in Europe and the United States. Some are taking every opportunity to travel to overseas breweries for hands-on training. Besotted sabbaticals indeed. Among these seekers are a few bright-eyed youths with big dreams—latter-day versions of the young Meiji envoys of samurai stock who were dispatched on lonely missions that sometimes fell into debauchery of literary proportions. These new guys do drink, but their purpose is as pure as organic hops. Hailing from the Yokohama Brewery, our Pilsner samurai, Suzuki Shinya, talks to us about his search for truth, justice and a damn good beer.

How old were you when you started brewing? I started when I was 24.

What sparked your initiative? I liked beer and the desire to make it myself just grew and grew. When I was 20, I drank Gotenba Kôgen beer and started to like craft beer. After I graduated from university—I was 22—I traveled around to various microbreweries and just got caught up in it all.

How did you come to be with Yokohama Brewery? I just came by chance once. At the time they weren’t looking for anyone, but then about a month later, they said someone was going to leave and that now was my chance to join. That was about four years ago.

As a 28-year-old, you’re young for a brewer, but I’ve heard you are rather experienced. Last year I went to the Czech Republic and Germany to study. I remembered a few Czech words and together with my bad English was able to communicate. At the Strahov Monastery Brewery in Prague, there is a man who visited the Yokohama Brewery in 1995 to advise in technique. I had never met him directly, but I sought him out. There, I studied Czech-style Pilsner brewing. I participated in the various aspects of brewing and inquired about all the recipes before coming back.

How long did you work each day? 8 hours.

I take it you got pretty drunk? (laughter) Yep, that’s right.

What are the qualities of a Czech-style Pilsner? It gets a kick from the Czech-grown Saaz hops and has a florid aroma. The malt also gives it a certain sweet character.

These days a lot of Japanese brewers have been going overseas to study. Doesn’t it seem a little like the Meiji era? It does indeed. Many of the micro-brewers in Japan started without knowing anything about the craft, but now, about 15 years later, only the good ones are still around for the most part. To make the beer even better, I really think we need to immerse ourselves in other cultures.

Yokohama Brewery: www.yokohamabeer.com

by Ry Beville

Anyone who frequents Noge-cho’s quaint and colorful backstreets probably knows at least one of Marco Paolo Molinari’s three Italian restaurants: La Botte, Piacere or La Casa di Marco. All are warm and inviting, serving good food at reasonable prices. Marco himself is an award-winning pasta and pizza chef who even beat one of the Iron Chefs (Morimoto) in a porcini mushroom battle!

In December, Marco opened his fourth restaurant—pizzeria Margherita—in Motomachi. Located on the quieter backstreet, this new restaurant offers many of the same good things as the older restaurants. The menu features an ample selection of pastas and pizzas, antipasto and desserts. Marco obviously can’t make all the food himself, but his assistant chefs are well trained. If you go to any of his restaurants, you have to try the pizzas. What I really like about this new place is that it has easy carryout—in medium and large sizes. I’ve always thought Japanese pizza delivery prices were crazy expensive but not here. Expect to pay less than 2000 yen for a decent size. The drink menu is fairly robust, with all the standard varieties of alcohol available, including some world wines.

The simple decor and warm tones make for comfortable, casual dining with friends, family or a date. The open kitchen with its big pizza oven is attractive, too, and adds to the ambience. Margherita can host parties according to your budget needs so don’t hesitate to ask. If you catch Marco there, ask him about the horses he likes—he’s an avid race fan.

住所: 中区元町４−１６１−８ M&K元町１F
Naka-ku Motomachi 4-161-8
M&K Motomachi 1F

TEL: 045-641-6030

営業時間/Hours:
Lunch: 12:00~15:00 (L.O. 14:30)
Dinner: 17:30~23:00 (L.O. 22:00)

定休日/closed: 火曜日（祝日の場合は営業） / Tues (unless a holiday)

The hardest part about writing this is not spoiling the surprises! Amazon is a unique, quirky experience and this will be impossible not to notice on entering; the door can only be opened through secret means. This is a great prelude to an idiosyncratic little world.

Amazon is in the basement of an historic building on Kaigan Dori dating from 1950. The space that it occupies was originally a club reserved for the higher-ups at the American GHQ next door, including MacArthur himself. The mid-century flavor is well preserved here, but with some changes. Nearly everything in sight is antique or hand-made by the staff, reflecting the eccentric tastes of the antique-collector owner. Their sense of style is undeniably hip and seems to attract a like-minded clientele. The smaller dining rooms and the lofty, spacious bar are festooned with buddhas and jukeboxes, carnivorous fish, and ancient movie posters. To be sure, nothing about the place is boring (you’ll get another surprise at the bathroom “door”). This might sound suspect, but Amazon manages to be distinctive and creative without getting too garish.

Amazon Club delivers with a full menu of delectable pan-Asian dishes to go along with its healthy selection of drinks. Such a stylish place must be expensive right? Somehow, that isn’t the case. There is no charge and just about everything on the menu is under 1000 yen. If you are looking for a unique place to impress a date or just have lunch or a late-night drink, take a little walk on the wild side at Amazon.

住所: 中区海岸通３－９横浜ビルＢ１
Naka-ku Kaigan-dori 3-9
Yokohama Bldg. B1F
TEL: 045-664-6101
営業時間/Hours:
Lunch
+月曜日〜金曜日/Mon – Fri 11：30~14:00
Dinner
+日曜日〜木曜日/Sun – Thu 18:00~26:00
+金曜日〜土曜日/Fri – Sat 18：00~28：00

www.amazon-club.com

According to many scientists, green tea may be the single healthiest substance you can put in your body. Research suggests that it reduces your risk of certain kinds of cancer and heart disease. It contains an array of antioxidants and key compounds, most notably catechins, which account for around 25% of the dry leaf’s weight. The catechins in green tea also have antibiotic properties. When combined with regularly exercise, it can even slow some forms of aging. One professor of the Harvard Medicial School thinks catechins are so essential that they should be considered a vitamin. All we know is that a hot cup of green tea on a cold winter morning tastes great.

Green tea came to Japan from China. It was brought by the Buddhist priest Myôan Eisai (1141—1215), who introduced the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. Since then, its cultivation has thrived and neighboring Shizuoka produces 40% of the raw leaf. Its region of production and processing can vastly affect the flavor, though, so be discriminating when choosing.

Stores all over Yokohama have green tea, of course, but below we list several shops that we know of specializing in green tea. Enjoy!

はとり茶点 Hatori Tea Shop
中区本郷町２−４９
Naka-ku, Hongo 2-49
045-622-9257

三河屋茶店 Mikawaya Tea Shop
中区野毛町１−４
Naka-ku, Noge 1-4
045-231-0437
www.noge-net.com/mikawaya

春芳茶園 Shunpo Tea Garden
戸塚区戸塚町121-4
Totsuka-ku, Tsuka-machi 121-4
0120-05-6661
www.syunpou.com

nana’s green tea
(several locations)
www.nanaha.com

おもしろい商品 Interesting products
www.greenlife-kyoto.com/ochamill.html

日本茶インストラクター(NPO) Japanese Tea Instructor (NPO)
www.nihoncha-inst.com

showing concurrently at both Zaim Cafes

Jan 16th to the 31st

For nearly seven years after the economic slump of 2000, Fukahori raised goldfish, discovering in them their unique charm as well as inspiration for his goldfish series. He calls it “Goldfish Salvation.” Goldfish are normally associated with summer, so in 2005 he began exhibiting works whose theme was “Goldfish in Snow.”

Together with an older goldfish breeder, Fukahori launched a goldfish sanctuary and studio. Snow and goldfish, with their brief one-year life, seemed a natural combination to the artist. At the Zaim Café Annex exhibition, Fukahori will unveil his 2010 “Goldfish in Snow” works. In addition, Zaim Café Hodogaya Park will hold a joint exhibit entitled “Goldfish in Falling Leaves.” The main display includes a huge sculpture made of wood. Although it shares the goldfish theme, its three-dimensional nature allowed Fukahori broader range of interpretation of his subject. His inspiration for the work came when he was walking through a forest looking at the trees; the swaying branches seemed to him like the bones of swimming fish. His 1995 work “Fish Bone” formed the basis for what is now a series in his goldfish work.

In connection with this event, there is a “stamp rally” where guests who visit both locations can receive a special postcard of the work. A stamp seal has been prepared at both locations, so simply stamp it on the designated spots of the provided card. The two Zaim Café locations are a little far from each other, but we think you will enjoy both! (Please note that there are a limited number of the postcards)

Artist Bio

1973 born in Aichi Prefecture
1995 graduated from Aichi Geidai University’s Art College; design major
1999 quit his day job and began working as an artist
2006 began giving annual solo exhibits at Gallery IDF
2007 launched his goldfish sanctuary and studio
2007-8 exhibited at Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair
2008-9 exhibited at Shanghai Art Fair and Taiwan Art Fair
2009 solo exhibit in Munich, Germany
2009 exhibited in Belgium’s Line Art Fair

Zaim Cafe Hodogaya Park
4-2 Hanamidai, Hodogaya-ku
zaimcafe.com/hg-park
045-489-9555
10:00–21:00 (closed Mon)

Zaim Cafe Annex
1-51 Ishikawa-cho, Naka-ku
www.zaimcafe.com/annex
045-308-8481
12:00–21:00 (closed Mon)

by Vincent Trivett

In 1862, a painter named Shimo’oka Renjo (下岡蓮杖) made history by setting up one of the first photography studios in Japan. He chose Noge as his location. Yokohama is making history again with a particularly exciting event for anyone interested in photography. This month, Dark Room International (DRI) in Noge kicks off the first Yokohama Photo Festival!

The festival will celebrate and examine photography as an art and a part of society. The event will mostly take place in the Red Brick Warehouse No 1 and at the Noge Hana Hana space, where DRI is also located.

The festival is comprised of several different events. Perhaps the most exciting one for photographers will be the “Open Portfolio Review”. Renowned photographers such as Hosoe Eikoh (the chairman of the review), gallery curators, editors, and other experts will be critiquing portfolios of amateur photographers (previously selected on a first-come, first-serve basis). The portfolio review will be open for public viewing on 1/17. Also, an exhibition and slideshow from previous portfolio reviews in Japan and several other countries will be on display from 1/13-1/17.

The “Noge Photo Village Workshop” will be a discussion with local citizens and photographers, and will include renowned guests like Herbie Yamaguchi. The discussion will be focused on what photography can do for the community as a whole. At “Photographic Conversations,” 20 respected photographers will each take 25 minutes to discuss their work and their ideas about photography.

This event is a great chance to find inspiration in the work of others. Visitors can rub shoulders and intellectually spar with some well-respected artists. For more specific information regarding venues, times, additional events, and the growing list of special guests, please consult the bilingual (Japanese/English) website at http://yokohamaphotofestival.org.

In the following pages, we introduce the biographies and work of three of the festival participants. Hosoe Eikoh will chair the portfolio review committee, Herbie Yamaguchi will be conducting one of the Noge photo-village workshops, and Susan Burnstine’s work will appear in the slideshow screenings.

Portrait (c) Jean-Baptiste Huynh

Hosoe Eikoh

Hosoe Eikoh (1933), one of Japan’s most recognized photographers, works tirelessly to support photography appreciation in the general public, especially among youth. He has been the director of the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts since its opening in 1995, and is the chairman of the portfolio review at this festival. His well-known works include iconic images of the novelist Mishima Yukio, a series of haunting photographs of avant-garde dancer Hijikata Tatsumi, and the book “The Butterfly Dream,” which honors legendary Butoh dancer Ohno Kazuo.

Portrait of Herbie: Ry Beville

Herbie Yamaguchi

Herbie Yamaguchi (1950~) eschewed the life of a salary man and instead traveled to London with a camera in his youth. As fate would have it, he squatted in an apartment room beside the not-yet-famous Boy George and met many punk and new-wave musicians of the time, such as Joe Strummer of the Clash. His circle spread and he was eventually photographing artists like Steve Winwood, Jimi Hendrix and U2. In the decades since returning to Japan, Herbie has extensively photographed some of Japan’s brightest pop and rock icons. His other photography features a quieter side of suburban life, with scenes of people in neighborhoods like Tokyo’s Daikanyama. Herbie is always visible at his exhibitions, surrounded by admirers with whom he freely shares stories, advice and encouragement.

(An English interview with Herbie appeared in the Mar/April 2009 edition of Koe Magazine: www.koemagazine.com)

Susan Burnstine

Susan Burnstine is an award-winning fine art and commercial photographer originally from Chicago now based in Los Angeles. Susan is represented in galleries across the United States, widely published throughout the world and has also written for several photography magazines, including a monthly column for Black and White Photography Magazine (UK). She was nominated for the 2009 Santa Fe Prize for Photography and is the winner of various awards, including B&W Magazine’s 2008 Portfolio Spotlight Award.

www.susanburnstine.com
www.filmwasters.com