It’s been four years since my father passed away. His faith ran so deep that every morning and night he recited sutras before his Buddhist altar. When I was younger and shared the bath with him, I was forced to recite the sutras before I could get out. In middle school, when I acted like a little punk, I got dragged to Mount Kôya, where we spent several days living with the ascetic monks. My father’s teachings were always tied to Buddhism. My rebellious nature toward him, far from weakening, grew so that I began to question religion deeply. To…
Author: Seasider
Outdoor music festivals have sprung up all over Japan with the success of Fuji Rock, but this one along Yokohama’s waterfront is our favorite. It’s more than just two days of music; it’s a complete beach culture festival with film, artwork, food, merchants and more. Music highlights include the return of Tommy Guerrero and Ray Barbee for the event, as well as Japanese post-rock jam band Special Others. Many exhibit areas in Akarenga are open to the public. Near Zo-no-Hana, there are even some areas where you can listen to select live performances for free!
Spring Valley Brewery, the new microbrewery restaurant launched by Kirin Beer, has several surprises. The lobby of the attractive building on the Namamugi campus has a beer book library. The bar counters are mounted with the curious American invention called Randalls, which ‘dry-hop’ draft beers; beer runs through cylinders filled with hops, giving the beers a fresh but bitter finish. The biggest surprise, however, was the great quality of the food. Of course the beer was good, but we just didn’t expect such fine eating. This is definitely not some generic chain restaurant operated by an industrial brewery. One must-try item…
Despite the Christmas-like name, you’ll find no trace of Santa or his elves at Jingle Beer & Dining. What you will find is a warm and inviting bar catering to a wide variety of customers from 20-somethings having a get-together to solitary middle-aged businessmen downing a few beverages after work. The bar is cheerfully lit and will likely put you in a good mood as soon as you enter. Jingle Beer boasts eight draft beers ranging from industrial lagers like Suntory Malts (¥600) to Japanese craft beers from Coedo and other smaller breweries. There was even an American craft beer when…
Baye McNeil, Yokohama resident, teacher, author, columnist… activist? Perhaps we’re all somewhat racist, but few people confront their own racism or that in society so determinedly and publicly as McNeil. A native of Brooklyn, New York, he came to Japan ten years ago and took a teaching job. He still teaches, but has made his mark lately as a writer and social activist of sorts. A couple of months ago, McNeil launched an online petition urging Fuji TV to drop a planned broadcast of a performance by Rats and Star, a Japanese doo-wop group that performs in “black face.” While…
This issue I’d like to introduce Ito Eiichi, whom we affectionately call Te’chan (“steel boy” for his love of “steel locomotives”). When I asked to see his portfolio, it was full of train photos, as I had expected. He talked passionately about the boiler of a special steam train among them. He wasn’t talking about the merits of the picture, but was going on about the subject of the train. When he talks about pictures, he becomes shy and is at a loss for words. That’s just how he is. It was trains, of course, that drew him into the…
Beer Garage 87 is the epitome of a neighborhood bar with its warm, welcoming feel. The place is predominantly standing room only with the exception of two comfy chairs in the back. Its rather dimly lit interior and jazzy background music complete the laid-back ambiance. Many patrons, both male and female, regulars and first-timers, showed up alone on a Friday night and the atmosphere was immediately social. Exuberant owner, Ryo Shimizu, was always ready with light banter and a kind word. Rarely without a smile, he tirelessly runs the shop by himself seven days a week. The beer selection is quite…
Bright and spacious with ceiling fans, like something from a tropical locale—the cheerful, friendly staff with colorful aloha shirts even greet you with, “Aloha!” Customers, meanwhile, are all smiles as they dig into their Hawaiian food, like the island’s famous pancakes. But this isn’t Hawaii, of course; it’s the Shinyamashita location of Eggs ‘n Things, just three minutes from Yokohama Chinatown station. As noted above, its famed dish is Hawaiian pancakes. A big dollop of whipped cream on top of four or five pancakes is the staple. We ordered the Hanohano pancake (¥1650), which commemorates the store’s 5th anniversary. In Hawaiian,…
Junko Hata grew up in nearby Fujisawa loving the smell of the coffee her father, who worked for a food trading company, often used to brew at home. As a kid, she would add lots of milk and sugar to remove the bitterness, but over time she came to appreciate the taste, especially after spending some extended time in the San Francisco area after university. She was impressed by not only the art of making coffee she witnessed there, but also the very social atmosphere of the local cafes. She was surprised by how people of all walks of life mingled, like…
Smile of Kids is a Yokohama NPO providing support for children who are suffering terrible illnesses and assisting their families as well. Its director, Hisato Tagawa, lost his own daughter, Haruka, to brain cancer at age six. He set up the NPO in August of 2003 out of gratitude to her hospital and also to advance the cause of childhood medicine, which is still lagging behind. The NPO operates Lila’s House (Lila-no-ie), a lodging facility beside the Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center for families of patients (the NPO built the lodge, too). It also runs music therapy activities for patients and…