May, 2010:

by Vincent Trivett

Yokohama is aptly seen as the traditional gateway to Japan, the funnel through which Japan welcomed foreign ideas, technology, and people. Sometimes we forget that the port is also a point of embarkation. This makes Yokohama an appropriate home for the Japan Overseas Migration Museum, which celebrates the history of Japanese that left their home islands to start new lives and new communities across the oceans.

The story of Japanese overseas migration began in the 19th century when farmers started to trickle into Hawaii to work on sugar plantations. The early migrants were some of the first modern Japanese to leave their country. The work was intense, but some were able to save enough money to return to their villages to live well and tell their stories. As the migrant life became more popular, Japanese started settling the western United States and Canada. Many came to the New World as laborers or as students seeking skills that they could use to help along the modernizations of the Meiji period. Immigration into the United States was effectively halted in response to public opposition to widespread anti-Japanese sentiment, and later, war and internment. Japanese migrants then began to seek their fortunes in Latin America, where they introduced very useful Asian crops such as pepper and formed successful urban and agricultural communities that still exist today.

The history told here is a people’s history. Although the Japanese Diaspora has born many notable leaders such as Patsy Mink and Alberto Fujimori, the exhibition here focuses on the daily lives of a people in a different context. Visitors really get a sense of what sorts of lives these migrants and the subsequent generations of Nikkei lived, struggled, and prospered in their chosen homes.

The museum is free to enter. All exhibits are extensively explained with adequate historical context in both Japanese and English with some parts offered in Portuguese and Spanish. There is enough information here to enthrall even the most seasoned history buff. The museum is housed on the second floor of the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s Yokohama office, so if the exhibit dredges up some wanderlust in you, you can head downstairs for information about becoming an Overseas Volunteer.

Japan Overseas Migration Museum

Address 住所:
Naka-ku Shinko 2-3-1
中区新港２−３−１
Tel: 045-663-3257

Hours/営業時間: 10:00-18:00
（入館は17：30まで/last entry at 17:30）

Closed Mondays and Dec. 29-Jan. 3. When Monday falls on a holiday, the museum will be closed on Tuesday. Admission is free.

by Ry Beville

The Kannai area is known for its abundance of live jazz clubs and perhaps the biggest and best of them is Kamome. Owner Sasaki Motoyoshi opened his establishment 6 years ago after many of his friends—all renowned jazz performers—encouraged him to do so. Kamome now hosts live events almost every night and the charge for most are only 3000 or 3500 yen—quite reasonable in Japan for performances of such high quality. Some of my favorite shows are the jam sessions, where you never know who is going to show up or what kind of music you are going to get. International musicians also play at Kamome on occasion (see the events page for some of our picks each month).

In addition to seeing some of the best jazz performers in Japan on any given night, you can also get some great food at Kamome for a decent price. Starters are under 1000 yen, while other dishes range between 1000 and 1400 yen. If you want to splurge, go for the steak at 2300 yen, otherwise, the quiche, scallops & cream, and pasta dishes are all recommended. Get a salad if you just want to eat light. Kamome has an ample drink selection that, once again, is quite reasonably priced. Beer and shochu start as low as 600 yen, while cocktails and wines are slightly higher. Bottles of champagne are available if you have a bigger budget or special occasion.

The sound quality of Kamome is, as it should be, excellent. The interior is elegant but simple, with comfortable chairs and even sofas to lounge on. I also like that you are so close to the performers. On jam nights, they might just be sitting beside you until they take the stage.

Kamome

Address/住所:
Naka-ku Sumiyoshi-cho 6-76
中区住吉町６−７６
Tel: 045-662-5357

Hours/営業時間: 18:00~, Sat/Sun (土•日) 19:00~
Always open (Except for private parties)

http://www.yokohama-kamome.com

The Noge district is a maze of cozy eateries, small bars and secret haunts. If you went to a different place each day, you would probably need a couple of months to hit them all. How to choose?

Why not start with a friendly one: Agua de Beber. The master, Matsuo Yutaka, is as friendly and smiley as can be, and speaks fairly passable English, too. His passion, besides pouring drinks and engaging his customers in conversation, is memorabilia, especially Elvis. In front of his entrance, in fact, there is a large cut-out figure of the King (and, curiously, a British flag in the window). Inside, you’ll find the shelves behind the counter with much of the same: Elvis matchboxes, images of Marilyn Monroe, stacks of classic rock CDs and many old books. The place almost feels as if it has been locked in time since the 50s, and there is music to match.

The small counter seats roughly ten, though there are comfortable couches in the back where you can lounge with a small group. Some customers prefer just to stand. The clientele tends to be older (but not always), perhaps because the main drinks are aged whiskey and other liquors, starting from only 700 yen. Beer is also available for 700 yen. Of course, Matsuo can make sweeter drinks for those with such tastes. Decent food and snacks are available as well. Overall, the place is casual and comfortable, the perfect spot to unwind after work, have a drink with a date, or pass the time with friends. Alone? No need to worry at all. If Matsuo doesn’t keep you company, one of the friendly guests will.

Agua de Beber

Address 住所:
Naka-ku Hanasaki-cho 1-22 Rodan Bldg. 1F #2
中区花咲町１−２２ ロダンビル１F２号
Tel: 045-263-0902

Hours/営業時間: 7:00-26:00
定休日/Closed: 日曜日/Sun

Outdoor concerts have become all the rage in Japan, due in part to the enormous success of Fuji Rock. But anybody who has ever been to that gargantuan festival knows that it’s just too much: too many people, too many bands, too much hassle. It’s exhausting. Thankfully, other organizers have realized this and launched smaller, more sustainable regional festivals. One of the best is in our city!

The Green Room Festival comes to Yokohama again on May 22nd and 23rd, this time to the Akarenga area. Highly acclaimed rock-hip-hop-reggae groovers Blue King Brown headline, though the line-up features well over a dozen other good acts, including reggae artist Rickie-G from Yokosuka, jam-band Dachambo, surf-style guitarist Keison and the internationally celebrated Japanese jazz-punk band Soil & “Pimp” Sessions. Get your tickets soon; last year one of the days sold out.

If you are looking to get out of Yokohama, there are two other nearby festivals that we recommend. The very next week, on the 29th, Sense of Wonder is held at a gorgeous outdoor park in Kasama City, Ibaraki. The line-up for this day-long extravaganza is quite indy-style and eclectic but guaranteed to stimulate. Notable acts include Boredoms, Ino Hidefumi, PE’Z, Ogre You *sshole, and the Zazen Boys. As with most outdoor festivals, there will be a number of interesting booths with art and other goods.

Finally, June 5th and 6th, the Itadaki festival is being held just south of us in Shizuoka. Both days start early (9:30) and run late with a long list of excellent performers. Ego-Wrappin’ and the Gossip of Jaxx polish off the first day, while Yokohama’s own Special Others, featured previously in the Yokohama Seasider, finish the second day with their high-energy post-rock jazz act. Those who missed nbsa at Yokohama Bayhall in April can catch them again here.

For more details on these events, please check their respective websites.

Green Room: http://www.greenroom.jp
Sense of Wonder: http://s-o-w.shop-pro.jp
Itadaki: http://www.itadaki-bbb.com

by Ry Beville

I grew up around cats and even have two now, so I’m quite familiar with their unique personalities and quirky qualities. They will play with just about anything they can get their paws on. They slink around furniture. They take off running without warning and seemingly without reason. They sleep in the strangest places and in the strangest ways. What’s great about cats is that they are unpredictable, independent and, in my experience, much smarter than people give them credit for. Altogether, they make for pretty complex creatures. Impersonating a cat, then, is not so simple. It takes some pretty talented humans to do it.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical Cats, based on a book by T.S. Eliot, has been thrilling audiences in 20 languages around the world for decades. It opened in the West End in 1981 and one year later on Broadway, where it ran for 18 years—a long-run record. Count the 21-year run in London as another record, until Les Misérables broke it in 2006. Cats has won many awards and its song “Memory” is so famous that many who have never even seen the musical are familiar with it. So what’s the secret to its success? It’s as unusual as a cat.

Indeed, even the construction of the musical is a little unusual. There are moments of spoken verse that are accompanied by music. And the genres of music are rather wide ranging: pop, jazz, rock, even hymns. The set is a huge junkyard that never changes during the entire show. The costumes, too, are eye-catching. The story is so strange I am not even going to try to recount it in any detail; I will only say it is about an old cat who will choose another cat to be reborn into a new life. When I first saw it over a decade ago in New York, I think what mesmerized me most were the movements of the actors and actresses and how well they captured the feel of cats. Needless to say the singing was beautiful throughout.

In Japan, Gekidan Shiki took an early stab at the production, way back in November of 1983. The facilities were located in Tokyo, near Shinjuku’s west exit. Its first year saw over 400,000 visitors! Since then, the musical has been performed in numerous cities and theaters throughout Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Shizuoka, Hiroshima and Sendai. On November 11th of last year, Cats finally came to Yokohama and is hosted at the Canon Cats Theater in the Minato Mirai 21 area. On April 25th, Cats had its 7486th performance, thereby surpassing Broadway’s 7485! By any measure, Cats is Japan’s first true long-running performance.

Tickets will only be available through the 31st of August; the extended shows run until November 28th. Tickets can be conveniently ordered through the Cats website. Some limited English support may be available by telephone. There is an array of seats to choose from, with some tickets starting as low as 3000 yen. There are some family-seating areas as well, where tickets for children are discounted. Enjoy the show!

Gekidan Shiki: www.shiki.gr.jp
(scroll to the bottom for the English link)

西区高島１−２−３
Nishi-ku, Takashima 1-2-3
03-5776-6730 (Tokyo main office)