ALSO ONLINE AT WWW.WEEKENDERJAPAN.COM

VOL. 04 NO. 13 FREE JUL. 06 – JUL. 19 2007コミュニティー 　ライフスタイル 　ビジネス 　エンターテイメント

ESTABLISHED 1970 BY CORKY ALEXANDER

OUR FURRY FRIENDSTHE ANIMAL ISSUE

ANIMALS HEAD TO SCHOOL

KEEPING PETS IN TOKYO

BUYING INTO HORSERACING

GO ON SAFARI AT HOME OR ABROAD

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“The more people that wear the t-shirts, the more support that we will feel is being shown for us. Lindsay was a teacher who loved her life in Japan. She would have been first in the queue to buy and wear such a t-shirt for another victim. She had a strong sense of justice and would have done anything she could have to have helped others.”

-The Hawker Family

Twenty-two-year-old Lindsay Ann Hawker was teaching English in Japan when she was brutally murdered at the end of March this year.

She was last seen with 28-year-old Tatsuya Ichihashi and her body was discovered on the balcony

of his flat in Tokyo. He remains the Japanese police's only suspect and as we go to print, has still

not been found.

In support of Lindsay’s family and the Japanese police in their hunt for this man, Being A

Broad is launching a t-shirt campaign. We hope that enough people—men and women,

Japanese and foreign—will wear this t-shirt so that this man’s face is seen by as many

people as possible in Japan, on a daily basis.

The Japanese words on the t-shirt roughly translate to “Until this man is caught, I

won’t sleep at night”, which can be interpreted in many ways: perhaps you are

that bit more nervous at night knowing this man has not been caught; perhaps

you are a father and worried about your daughter; perhaps you are a husband

and worried about your wife; perhaps you want to make a statement against

all violent crime against women. For men and women, Japanese and

foreign, this t-shirt can have many meanings.

What wearing this t-shirt will definitely mean, however, is that you are

playing a part in assisting Lindsay’s family in keeping this man’s face

right where people can see it. Wear it at the gym, dropping the kids

off at school, going shopping, on the train, and just walking

around—wear it anywhere you will be seen by many people.

To order your t-shirt, or to give a donation to pay

for the production of t-shirts for others, go to:

www.being-a-broad.com

Caroline Pover-Foulkes

Founder, Being A Broad

In this issue of Weekender we take a look at the four-legged animal kingdom in Japan—

from the handbag-sized pets you can carry around, to the lions and tigers of a nighttime safari. Read about the regulations in Japan sur-rounding your pets, dine out with your dog, take a safari in South Africa or by the foot of Mount Fuji, put your dog on a treadmill, and learn about horses in Tokyo—surprisingly, they do exist! Whether you are an apartment dweller that has to be content with borrow-ing your friend’s dog on the odd occasion, or manage to keep pets here in town, we hope you find lots to enjoy this issue!

Helen Bottomley, Managing Editor

04 Feature Keeping pets in Tokyo

06 Movie Plus A look at movies to come

07 Diversions Upcoming events around town

08 Fine Dining Subtle Italian dining at Il Teatro

09 Travel Going on Safari at Kruger National Park

10 Investments Buying in to horse racing

11 Business Relocating with Crown

12 School’s In It’s a pet-filled day at school

13 School’s Out Kidding around with animals in Tokyo

14 Sports Horsing around town

15 Partyline New Lex Opening, RIJ, and Thai Airways.

17 Tokyo Flashback Rolling Stones

18 Crossword

FOUNDED IN 1970 BY MILLARD H. “CORKY” ALEXANDER

PUBLISHERCaroline Pover

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERRajiv Trehan

MANAGING EDITORHelen Bottomley

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTSDanielle Tate-Stratton, Marie Teather

TRAVEL & SOCIETY EDITORBill Hersey

FINE DINING EDITORChristine Cunanan-Miki

DIVERSIONS EDITOROwen Schaefer

DESIGN and LAYOUT Karin Ling

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Stephen Young

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kieron Cashell

CONTRIBUTORS Robert Estel, Carmen Roberts, Phil Gibb, Mary Christie, S.Z. Cairney, M. Halliday, Kerry Raftis

COVER IMAGE Kerry Raftis www.keyshots.com

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C A R R A B E M

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A E O S T A T E

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L A W R A T H K H

Answers from Crossword #6 (Weekender Jun 15)

VOL.04 NO.13 FREE JUL. 06 – JUL. 19 2007THINGS TO DO

May all your wishes come true at the Tanabata (Star) Festival—hang your wish on bamboo and then take in the star-like illuminat-ed branches at Tokyo Daijingu.

Visit the Hanamidori Cultural Center in Showa Kinen Park for an art exhibit entitled blank, by four artists specializing in photography, video animation, performance, painting, and poetry. www.b-blank.com

Head out to Narita and welcome in this year’s summer at the Narita Gion Festival. Celebrating the start of all things hot to come at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. This promises to be one hot and fiery festival.

Release your creativity or show off your artistic abilities at Artsy Bugs, a monthly meeting of art-ists, creators, and performers. Head to the Pink Cow to network, socialize, and share ideas. 7pm, ¥500. www.artsybugs.com

Hear Cio-Cio’s broken heart and relive the tragedy that is Madame Butterfly at the New National Theatre, Jul. 9–14, tel. 03-5351-3011. www.nntt.jac.go.jp

Be hit by an animal art attack of award-winning artist Atsuhiko Misawa’s vivid, lighthearted art at Nishimura Gallery, until Jul. 21. www.nishimura-gallery.com

Potter on over to Ueno to see centuries-old pottery, ceramics, and metal from Cambodia’s historical Ang-kor past at the Tokyo Na-tional Museum, www.tnm.go.jp.

Hail Japan! National pride is displayed through traditional dancing, martial arts demonstrations, and a collection of Japan’s finest lanterns at the country’s most controversial shrine at the Yasu-kuni Shrine Mitama Festival.

Take a bayside seat for hanabi with a view at the Yokohama International Fireworks Festival. 7:30pm.

Get your elbows out for the last chance to grab a bargain at the final day of the summer sale at Omotesando Hills. www.omotesandohills.com

Cheer on your favorite team in red at the Saita-ma City Cup. Arguably the best team in British football head over to Saitama to take on argu-ably the best in Japan—the Urawa Reds. Kick off 7pm at Saitama Stadium. Tel. 03-3498-9999.

Enjoy the soothing sounds of Canadian jazz vocalist Elizabeth Shepherd and her trio in-cluding Scott Kemp and Colin Kingsmore. Jul. 18–21, 7pm and 9:30pm, at the Cotton Club ¥6,300. Tel. 03-3215-1555.

Change your future and consider a career in law at Temple University’s School of Law Information Session tonight from 7pm. www.tuj.ac.jp

Treat yourself and your dearest to dinner at ROTI in Roppongi. Enjoy superb Californian cuisine and, of course, don’t forget to pick up the latest edition of Weekender.

Head to Temple University in

Mita on July 18 to listen to R. Taggart Murphy (Tag) speak about the US dollar’s role as the world’s premiere settlements

and reserve currency in an event entitled East Asia and the Dollar. He will also speak about the crucial roles played by Japan and China in perpetuating that role. He has promised to suggest a new conceptual frame-work that could help us explain some of the seeming anomalies that arise from that role. Tag is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, and

Learn About East Asia and the Dollar at Temple University. By Danielle Tate-Stratton

is now the Vice Chair of Tsukuba University’s MBA Program in International Business. In the interim, he worked in investment banking in Tokyo, New York, and London at Goldman Sachs, Chase Manhattan, and A.G. Becker. The event will take place from 6:30pm at Temple University’s Mita Hall. There is free entrance, but please RSVP before the event to icjs@tuj.ac.jp. A buffet dinner, ranging from ¥300 for dessert to ¥1,000–¥2,500 for the complete meal (¥1,000 for students), is available. For more information, visit www.tuj.ac.jp/icjs, email icjs@tuj.ac.jp, or tel. 03-5441-9800.

Sunday, Jul 8

Monday, Jul 9

Tuesday, Jul 10

Wednesday, Jul 11

Thursday, Jul 12

Friday, Jul 13

Sunday, Jul 15

Monday, Jul 16

Tuesday, Jul 17

Wednesday, Jul 18

Thursday, Jul 19

Friday, Jul 20

Saturday, Jul 7 Saturday, Jul 14

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� | The Weekender

FEATURE

The New Kid on the BlockNow so popular they outnumber the kids—Danielle Tate-Stratton explains how to get in on the pet-ownership craze.

Having a pet can be a great addition to your life,

whether it’s in your home coun-try or right here in Japan. The popularity of owning a pet—a dog in particular, is exploding across Japan. A recent study had the pet-dog population number-ing 12.5 million, double that of

1980, and dogs, most popular with the 30–40-year-old set, now outnumber children under 12!

They are often treated like the children they seem to be replacing—most dogs here are dressed better than the average person back home, and it would not be un-reasonable for a Tokyo pooch to expect spa treatments (for example, F by Design f + C in Nakameguro offers clay-packs and Chinese herb hot tubs, among other services. www.designf.co.jp) or a night in a posh hotel while their humans go away (check out the ¥20,000/night rooms at Narita Airport’s new Pet Inn Royal, http://tinyurl.com/33lw6h). Some pets travel around in Gucci totes, are wheeled around in baby-worthy bug-gies, and even sport designer haircuts and colors!

As with so many aspects of life in Japan, some things are fun to incorporate into the routines we bring from home, but sometimes, we just need to know what the rules and regulations are for living here! With that in mind, we’ve compiled the basic guidelines regard-ing importing, buying, and registering pets in Japan, and have thrown in some ‘just for fun’ information on wining and dining your pooch as well!

Bringing Your Pet Into JapanFor some families who move to Japan, their accom-modation here is such that a pet is a viable option. This is great news for anyone who already has a four-legged member of the family! Unfortunately, bringing the family dog or cat into Japan isn’t as easy as simply booking their crate a space on the plane!

A main concern in Japan is rabies, so the import procedure varies depending on whether or not you are

coming from a designated area (rabies-free zone). If you are and fulfill all other requirements, quarantine can be completed in 12 hours. If you come from a non-designated area, your pet will either have to undergo a 180-day pre-export stay, or a quarantine of that length once you come into Japan.

All pets need a 40-day advance notification form, to be sent to the authorities in Japan, approved, and then sent back to you before you board the plane (Fido won’t be allowed on without it). Additionally, you need to make sure your pet is micro-chipped, posseses a certification of immunization against rabies, has an anti-body measurement test over a 180-day period (to make sure it has developed an immunity to rabies), and a country of export certificate. Of course, regulations vary depending on where you are coming from, what sort of animal you have (crocodiles, for instance and not surprisingly, require special permission to be kept as pets!), and a host of other variables. For detailed Eng-lish information, visit www.maff-aqs.go.jp/english.

What’s This About Microchipping?Microchipping is a requirement for all pets coming into Japan, but even for ones born and bought here, it’s a very good idea! Microchips are a small implant, about the size of a grain of rice, which are put just under the skin of your pet. (In dogs it’s usually on the back of the neck.) The chip is connected to a unique code, which can be used to identify your pet should it escape and lose its col-lar. In Japan, this is an especially good idea as lost dogs, according to Animal Ark (see right), are only given three to five days at a holding center before being sent to the gas chambers. If your pet strays far from home, having the ability to track you down without the help of regis-tration tags can literally be a lifesaver! There is a national registry in Japan, and once your vet implants the device (it’s quick, nearly pain-free, and non-surgical), you can pay to become a part of that database. To read more about microchips, visit http://tinyurl.com/26c99c.

Fifi Needs to Register at the Ward Office Too—Legalities of Owning a Pet in JapanAs with most places, dogs need to be registered here in Japan. You can register your family’s new addition at the ward office where you live, and this must be done with-in 30 days of you becoming the owner. Your dog only needs to be registered once, but should circumstances change (for instance if the dog changes owners, dies, or you move), then the ward office needs to be notified.

In Japan, your dog is required to have a rabies vac-cination every year, and the vaccine must be done be-tween April 1 and June 30. If the dog you purchase is over 91-days-old, you must have its first rabies vaccine done within 30-days of you purchasing it (you can reg-ister it at this time as well). In many areas, there are open vaccine days in April and early May where you can have your dog vaccinated in front of your ward office or in certain parks. Watch out for these times in newspapers, or look for the notification postcard sent out to certain areas. Once you get your dog vaccinated, the vet will provide you with a certificate. Take this to your ward office, pay a nominal fee, and get reissued with a yearly rabies tag. Your dog must wear the rabies and registration tags on its collar at all times.

With cats, things are a little bit more straightforward. Cat-owners are required by officials “to keep the cat in such a manner so as it won’t disturb other citizens.” Es-sentially, that means keeping your cat in a house, fixing your cat, and making sure that it is wearing a collar with

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Bringing your pet with you could be a great addition to your life in Japan.

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Jul. 06 – Jul. 19 | Vol. 0� No. 13 | �

FEATURE

an identifying name and address. When pets pass away, it’s undeniably sad for the

whole family, but your ward office can help you with ar-ranging for proper disposal. Options vary depending on your location, but can range from cremation to burial.

Petless in Tokyo?—Play with a Pet and Do Some Good!For many people here in Tokyo, having a pet is impossi-ble due to the size of their apartments and prevalent rules against having a pets in rented homes. Luckily, there is a great way to not only play with deserving animals but to help out a worthy cause as well. Animal Ark Kansai is a shelter in Osaka-fu (with an office in Tokyo), which works to rescue, care for, and then re-home abandoned and otherwise in need of a new home animals. They are mostly dogs and cats, but other creatures show up on the Ark’s doorstep from time-to-time as well. The unfortunate truth is that while pets in Japan can almost be treated bet-ter than the children, according to Animal Ark’s exten-sive English-language website, the pet shop business in Japan operates on a 10–20 percent turnover. Essentially, this means that they make a profit from selling about 10–20 percent of the animals, while the remaining 80–90 percent that are un-saleable are ‘disposed of’. Disposal methods include euthanasia, being sold to experimen-tal labs, and going to the hokensho, or gas chambers. Pet stores also make it easy for owners to abandon old dogs, with some having boxes where you can leave your old dog outside before going in to buy a new one.

While the situation can seem bleak, organizations like Animal Ark do a lot to help, and you can too—the Ark is always looking for volunteers to help with fundraising and promotion, as well as hands-on care. As a bonus to volunteers, Animal Ark covers the costs of your accommodation if you come to volunteer for more than a day. Jobs you may be assigned include: grooming, socializing, dog walking, giving medical checks, and cleaning or feeding.

For families who are able to have a pet at home, adopting one of the Ark’s animals is a responsible way to obtain a pet. Expect to visit the center and have an interview with the staff to ensure that you and your new pet are mutually suited to each other. For more information about the pet industry in Japan, the work Animal Ark does, and to browse through the incred-ibly cute profiles of dogs and cats up for adoption, visit www.arkbark.net/e/index.htm.

Pet Sitting—At Your Place, Not TheirsIt can be stressful for your pet to go to a kennel, but for expat families who travel back and forth to their home countries or for work several times a year, sometimes finding a place for your pet to stay can be hard. Luckily, Cat’s Paw Petsitter offers in-home (and in English) pet sitting for your dog and cat through-out Tokyo and into parts of Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama. Services include walking, brushing, feeding, etc. Visits last about an hour, and start from ¥2,500. Visit www.k5.dion.ne.jp/~catpaw/english.html for more information and to set up a booking.

Wining and Dining with FidoOnce you have your pet, they’ll want to join in with your daily activities as much as possible—here’s one way to do that! It’s no secret that in Tokyo, eating out is a wildly popular activity! Some estimates say that there are 80,000 places to eat in the 23-ku region alone. In Japan, whether or not your pooch can come

into a restaurant is up to the manager, so some might be OK with your dog on the patio or at your feet, but there are several restaurants that take doggie-dining to another level by actually catering to you and your pet! Largely concentrated in the Daikanyama area, these cafes often feature dog-friendly menu items, designer pet stores, outdoor terraces, and the opportunity for your stylin’ pup to be seen around town.

Don’t worry about your dog being relegated to kib-ble when you dine out—these cafes are geared towards high-class doggy dining! For instance, Deco’s Dog Café offers items such as the chicken roll with veggies and cheese—for both of you! (The dog-friendly version is designed for easy digestion.)

Next time you fancy a Saturday-afternoon outing of shopping and lunch, consider visiting one of these cafes and taking your furry friend with you! Even if you yourself don’t have a dog, visiting one of these cafes would give you the perfect opportunity to be around lots of pooches, and if you ask nicely, maybe even play with one of the canine diners!

Deco’s Dog Café11am–11pmTel. 03-3461-4551www.hot-dog.co.jpDogs of all sizes OK, dogs can go inside, water service, dog menu.

BUNO11am–7pmTel. 03-5456-1229www.alphacox.com/shop/index.htmlDogs of all sizes OK, dogs can go inside, water service, dog menu.

Dog Yard Café11am–8pmTel. 03-5728-6711www.birdie-net.com/shop-info/dyc.shtmlDogs of all sizes OK, dogs can go inside, terrace, water service, dog menu.

For a comprehensive (it’s in Japanese, but symbols give you key information) listing of pet-friendly cafes in Daikanyama that welcome your dog but don’t have dog-specific menus, visit http://tinyurl.com/yvuf8t.

Pet owning in Tokyo, despite its difficulties with space constraints and registration regulations, can be a lot of fun once you factor in dressing up your pet to the nines and heading to the dog park (check out Yoyogi Koen and Komazawa Koen for great off-leash areas) to check out the latest in doggy fashions. Have fun spoiling your pet—it’s never hard to do with all of the clothing and accessory shops around town! For in-stance, check out Pet Forest (www.petforest.co.jp) for your basic food, grooming, café, and yes, frivolous pet clothing needs as well, and have fun experiencing this great city with your four-legged friend!

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6 | The Weekender

DVDS TO WATCH

Toranomon

Happy hour 17:00-19:00Draught Beer ¥200 offCocktails ¥500 Tasty and authentic pub fareFish & chips ¥500Chicken & chips ¥500 1 minute from Toranomon station (Ginza line) Warm and Friendly atmosphere with English speaking staff.

New Toranomon Bldg.,1f, 1-1-18 Toranomon, Minato-ku. Tokyo 105-0001.Tel:03-5501-1536E-mail: Sali6532@sapporo-lion.co.jp Website: www.dubliners.jp

Shinagawa

Happy hour 14:00-19:00Draught Beer ¥200 offCocktails ¥500 Special set menu: ¥1,000 Fish & chips,Chicken & chips, orToasted sandwich Plus a half pint of Beer. Live Music: Every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 8pmPlease check our HP for full listings. Real pub atmosphereGreat sports, food + Craic! Shinagawa Grand Central Tower B1,2-16-3 Kounan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0075Tel:03-6718-2834E-mail: Sali6654@sapporo-lion.co.jpWebsite: www.dubliners.jp

Italy- Cansone, France- Chanson, Spain- Flamenco2 Traditional Irish music bands and Irish dancers.

Guinness special ¥700 per pint!

Check www.dubliners.jp for more info!

European Music FestivalJuly 21st 2007 at Dubliners’ Shinagawa

2pm –10pm Free Admssion!

Mr. Hisanori Hiranuma, President of

Toho-Towa and Ms. Toshi Yamasaki,

Director, Head of Multimedia Busi-

ness Dept., Toho-Towa.

MOVIE PLUS WITH BILL HERSEY

It’s the summer holidays and the movie scene has been super busy. Warner Brothers did a monumen-

tal premiere for 300 in Meiji Park, 20th Century Fox brought in the cast of Die Hard 4.0, and Sony Pictures Entertainment had Director Quentin Tarantino here to promote Sukiyaki Western.

One of the big happenings on the local film scene recently was a press conference hosted by Toho-Towa at Tokyo FM to introduce their 2007–2008 Universal

Pictures lineup. Toho-Towa recently signed with Uni-versal to be their exclusive distributor in Japan.

In addition to short speeches by the two companies, there was a video presentation of congratulatory mes-sages from celebrities that included producer Frank Mar-shall and actors Tom Hanks and Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean). This was followed by trailers of the really excit-ing line up. These included The Bourne Ultimatum with Matt Damon, Atonement with Keira Knightley, Elizabeth: The Golden Age with Cate Blanchett, Charlie Wilson’s War with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, and Mr. Bean’s Holiday with Rowan Atkinson. Also included were Leatherheads with Renée Zellweger, Wanted with Angelina Jolie, The Mummy: Curse of the Dragon with Brandon Fraser and Jet Li, and the ABBA Musical, Mamma Mia!

Looking even further ahead, 2009 releases include The Wolfman with Anthony Hopkins, State of Play with Brad Pitt, The Changeling with Clint Eastwood, and a remake of the Hitchcock classic The Birds with Naomi Watts.

Mr. Hiro Matsuoka, Managing Direc-

tor, Toho-Towa and Mr. Jeffrey Brauer,

Senior Vice President, Universal Pic-

tures International.

Heart-Warming Animal Flicks for the Family. By M. Halliday

As an equally uplifting (and true) companion piece, try the British film Champions. Directed by John Irvin, Champions tells the amazing story of top jockey Bob Champion and the racehorse Aldaniti. Champion he-roically battled lung cancer while Aldaniti suffered sev-eral severe injuries that would normally leave a horse contemplating a future as sustenance for the likes of the heros of Nankyoku Monogatari. In one of the great moments in sports history, both man and horse not only survived, but went on to compete in the toughest steeplechase race in the world, the Grand National at Aintree (half the field usually falls at the massive fences and fatalities are commonplace). An interest in horse racing is not required to be touched by this beautifully made film. Excellent performances by all—a possible career high, in a career containing many highs, by John Hurt, ably supported by Edward Woodward, Ben Johnson, and Jan Francis. A heart-warming triumph of the will, sure to capture the joy of being alive on even the wettest Wednesday morning.

For those rainy-season days when the spirits crave a lift, settle down with Koreyoshi Kurahara’s in-

credible true story of canine survival Nankyoku Mo-nogatari (US: Antarctica). Made in 1983, it tells the true story of a Japanese scientific expedition to Ant-arctica in 1958 and, more specifically, the 15 sled dogs that were their main form of transport. Bad weather forces the scientists to return to Japan by helicopter, the plan being to return in a week. The dogs are left behind, chained up, with enough food for seven days. Unfortunately, the expedition is can-celled, leaving the dogs to fend for themselves and two of the scientists, now back in Japan, fretting over the dog’s fate. Spectacular scenery, good human per-formances—Ken Takakura, solid as ever, and Tsune-hiko Watase play the scientists who can’t forget their four legged friends—and a story-line that will pluck up a symphony on even the stiffest heart strings. If the plot seems familiar, the recent Disney release 8 Below is ‘inspired by’ Nankyoku Monogatari.

Mr. Masaharu Ina, Director, Head of Sales & Business Af-

fairs, Toho Cinemas Ltd. and Mr. Duncan Clark, Execu-

tive Vice President, International Distribution, Universal

Pictures International.

Mr. Hiro Matsuoka, Managing Director, Toho-Towa

and Ms. Kana Sato, Head of Marketing and Publicity

Dept., Toho-Towa.

Mr. Masaharu Ina, Director, Head of Sales & Busi-

ness Affairs, Toho Cinemas Ltd. and Mr. Duncan

Clark, Executive Vice President, International Dis-

tribution, Universal Pictures International.

Jul. 06 – Jul. 19 | Vol. 0� No. 13 | �

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DIVERSIONS BY OWEN SCHAEFER

Listings:• Architecture of Alvaro Siza (to Jul. 28). Exhibition featuring seven

of the Portuguese architect’s designs, examining them in terms of

context and material. Gallery-Ma. Nogizaka Metro Station. Admis-

sion free. 11am–6pm (to 7pm Fri.) Closed Sun. and Mon.

Tel. 03-3402-1010. www.toto.co.jp/gallerma

• “De qui s’agit-il ?” Henri Cartier-Bresson Retrospective (to Aug. 12)

Retrospective of work from the Magnum photographer considered

to be the father of modern photojournalism. National Museum of

Modern Art Tokyo. Takebashi Metro Station. ¥800. 10am–5pm (Fri. to

8pm) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-5777-8600. www.momat.go.jp/english

• Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture

(to Aug. 13) Work by 40 fashion designers and architects brought

together to explore relationships between the two arts. National

Art Center Tokyo. Nogizaka Metro Station. ¥1,000. 10am–6pm (to

8pm Fri., closed Tue.) Tel. 03-6812-9900. www.nact.jp

• Beauty and Glamor: Ukiyo-e Paintings of Japanese Women

from the Otani Collection (to Aug. 19) Colorful Japanese prints of

women from the collection. New Otani Art Museum. Nagatacho

Metro Station. ¥700. 10am–6pm. Closed Mon. Tel. 03-3221-4111.

www.newotani.co.jp/group/museum

• Le Corbusier (to Sep. 24) The furniture, paintings, sculptures,

and architecture of the renowned Swiss architect, in honor of what

would have been his 120th birthday. Mori Art Museum. Roppongi

Metro Station. ¥1,200. 10am–10pm. (Fri.–Sun. until midnight,

Tue. until 5pm) Tel. 03-6406-6100. www.mori.art.museum

• Melting Point (Jul. 21–Oct. 14) Installations from three fantas-

tic artists—Jim Lambie, Ernest Neto, and Kiyomichi Shibuya. To-

kyo Opera City Art Gallery. Hatsudai Station (Keio Line). ¥1,000.

Noon–8pm (to 9pm Fri. and Sat.) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-5353-0756.

www.operacity.jp

• Patterns of Plants (Jul. 27) Music composed by Mamou Fujieda,

generated using bio-electric fluctuations in plants, then played

on clavichord by Satoru Sunahara. Jiyugakuen Myunichi-kan.

Ikebukuro Station (JR, Metro). ¥3,500. 7pm. Tel. 090-3295-6912.

www.milestone-art.com

• Dance and Ancient Chants from Ogasawara Islands and Palau

(Jul. 31–Aug. 1) Interesting performance shows the crossover of

Micronesian and Japanese culture in the Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo

Kioi Hall. Yotsuya Station (Metro, JR). ¥4,000–¥5,000.

Various times. Tel. 03-5301-0950. www.arion-edo.org

He Who Laughs Last…Odd how some performances can come full circle. Funny even. And if you’re not sure what is and isn’t funny, perhaps The Last Laugh is the perfect place to start.

The play, which enjoyed a solid run in London’s West End, is the story of a playwright attempting to gain the seal of approval for his new comedy from a government censor—a man utterly without a sense of humor. The playwright must take it upon himself to explain why his play is funny.

It’s easy to see why The Last Laugh is funny. The touring show is bringing along two fantastic and pos-sibly familiar actors: Martin Freeman, best known for

his portrayal of Tim from the BBC’s The Office, and Roger Lloyd Pack of Only Fools and Horses fame. But despite its British cast, the play is actually not far

from home. The Last Laugh is an adaptation by Richard Harris of a play originally written by Japanese play-wright Koki Mitani in 1961 (Warau no Daigaku). And if you think Japanese comedy just doesn’t translate, the last laugh is definitely going to be on you.

The Last Laugh (Jul. 11–Jul. 22) Parco Gekijo. Shibuya Station (JR, Metro). ¥8,400. Various times. Tel. 05-7002-9992. eplus.jp/lastlaugh

McGee seems determined to bring a little chaos off of the street into the gallery, which is a challenging thing to reach for. Yet at the same time, he is sensitive—even over-sensitive—to the idea of street culture selling out and takes every opportunity to undermine himself and his work, lest he appear too serious. Is graffiti writing as art a challeng-ing idea? Certainly. But I entered this show ex-cited and came away…underwhelmed.

Barry McGee (to Sep. 30) Watarium Museum. Gaien-mae Metro Station. ¥1,000. 11am–7pm (Tue. to 9pm) Closed Mon. Tel. 03-3402-3001. www.watarium.co.jp

Barry McGee likes graffiti. He likes it a lot. At an art-ist’s talk in Tokyo he spent a gleeful hour showing slides of spray-painted walls and explaining the sub-tle nuances, various forms, and subdividing move-ments in the insular world of tagging. He spoke about throw-ups and acid-etching, and how to break into bus-shelter advertising (literally).

What McGee did not discuss—not even one word—was his own studio work. His repetitive pat-tern paintings and bold caricatures have won him fame, but McGee doesn’t like art to be pretty or easy. The main gallery hall, almost empty but for his trademark polygon patterns which cover every inch of wall-space, seems something of a wasteland. The other floors are dominated by a jumble of televisions and painted VCRs, multimedia works, wall paint-ings, humorous robotic sculptures, paintings, and photographs, all of which, together, become some-thing of an indoor urban landscape.

Art of the Urban

number of singers and guitar players who are now cultural icons of Cuban identity.

One of these trovadors is Vicente Feliu, now bring-ing his guitar and legendary voice to Tokyo as part of the Tokyo Summer Festival. Feliu has composed for tel-evision and film, works as president of the Nueva Trova Movement, and promotes cultural exchange between Latin American countries. But most of all, he has a sound that is pure Cuba, and not to be forgotten.

Cuban’s Pride Vicente Feliu (Jul. 24) Musashino Civ-ic Cultural Hall. Mitaka JR Station. ¥5,000 (Students ¥3,000). 7pm. Tel. 03-5301-0950. www.arion-edo.org

Around the same time that protest songs were gaining popu-larity among tie-dyed hippies in the United States, a grassroots musical movement called Nueva Trova also began to evolve

in Cuba. Combining traditional songs and sounds with politicized lyrics supporting the revolution, Nueva Trova gained the support of the Cuban gov-ernment, and went on to establish the careers of a

The Voice of Cuba

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Christine Miki spends most of her time in res-taurants and airplanes, indulging her two great passions (food and travel). To keep up her credit card payments, she does market research for in-vestment firms. To humor herself, she wrote Tokyo Stories (www.tokyostories.net), a novel on expa-triate life. Someday, she is actually going to finish her second novel. Email her at:christine.cunanan-miki@weekenderjapan.com.

braised duck was excellently paired with a heavy sauce made from Norcia black truffles and Taleggio cheese.

For our main course, we had Leonardo’s special seafood ciambotto. Ciambotto roughly translates as soup with almost anything in it, and in his hometown, ap-parently people shrug and say “Ciambotto” when they make a mistake. His version was again similar to the French bouillabaisse but just lighter on the tomatoes and sans garlic. Lovers of strong tastes will probably be wishing for a dollop of garlicky mayonnaise, but those who like Italian with more finesse will certainly enjoy this light and refreshing dish as is.

With Leonardo’s style so untypical, it should not have surprised me that the tiramisu we ordered for des-sert would come as anything but. Indeed, a tiny pyra-mid of cream dusted lightly with chocolate and coffee powder was set before us with chocolate filling deep inside. It contained the pure goodness of cream and chocolate, with only a slight coffee aftertaste.

Interestingly, the Four Seasons at Chinzan-so now accepts dogs as accompanied guests in all its rooms, including its best suites. So those who are inclined to make a luxury weekend of it and who are reluctant to leave their pet behind, will be happy to know that Fido will be equally pampered as well. The hotel provides special dog food and water for its four-legged guests.

IL TEATROFour Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so2-10-8 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, TokyoTel. 03-3953-2222

FINE DINING BY CHRISTINE CUNANAN-MIKI

Almost on a spur of the moment, I recently booked a table at ll Teatro, the Italian restaurant at the Four

Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so. My friend and I were looking for a temporary change of scenery that would take us away from the heat, the crowds, and the ultra-modern new buildings that are sprouting up like mush-rooms and all starting to look alike, when I remembered this unusual oasis of lush greenery in Bunkyo-ku.

We went on a weekday night expecting to have the place to ourselves and were pleasantly surprised to find a full house at dinner, and even two seatings at many tables. The setting was formal—a palette of neutrals and blues, framed floral prints on the walls, a giant Murano chandelier in the middle of the room, and a lovely 14th century three-storey pagoda on view from afar for dra-matic effect—but the crowds were lively and some men had even taken off their jackets and ties.

Il Teatro in Tokyo is the sister restaurant of Il Teatro at the Four Seasons hotel in Milan, one of that city’s top res-taurants. However, Tokyo’s chef, Leonardo Di Clemente, comes from way down south in the boot of Italy, and his cooking reflects his experience of growing up in a simple town called Bisceglie right next to the Adriatic Sea. His forte is seafood and he uses very little butter, preferring to season his food with lots of olive oil and herbs. His cook-ing is so refined in taste compared to other Italian chefs and so much more in tune to the Japanese kaiseki style, that I would have sworn he was Japanese if I had not seen his name on the menu at the outset.

Dinner began with a mille-feuille of tuna tartar ac-companied by slices of boiled potatoes, a quail egg, some strips of green beans, slices of Sardinian bottarga (mullet), Sicilian grapefruit, and rolled anchovies; all then dressed with lemon juice. It was similar to France’s salad nicoise, but fresher and lighter. I initially tasted the tuna tartar alone and was surprised at its obvious blandness. Then I got the picture. The tuna tartar was the ideal medium to accompany the incredible sour-ness and saltiness of everything else.

We were also very impressed with two additional starters. Leonardo’s chilled tomato gazpacho, pungent and spicy, was the perfect summer soup. It came with a beautifully grilled scallop sitting on crunchy, baked, flat noodles that had been cut up to form a little bed. The San Marzano tomatoes he used were so flavorful that very little additional seasoning was necessary, save for a few herbs and lashings of vinegar and olive oil. Meanwhile, his pasta dish of ravioli filled with shredded

Il Teatro

The low-calorie menu is everything you would expect from a contemporary little cafe in this funky part of town, however one half of the menu is for your pooch’s eyes only. Venus was presented with a pumpkin and yogurt muffin, and pork and vegetable roast, followed by a sweet

potato scone for dessert. I deliberated over the Japanese-style pastas and the tongue-in-cheek selection of hotdogs before opting for the nutritious avocado and tuna rice bowl. The drinks menu includes creamy lattes and herbal teas, plus cake and ice cream desert sets, all priced at around just ¥500. Bowls of water are, of course, unlimited and free. For those special anniversaries in your four-legged friend’s life, parties at ¥2,500 a dog

and personalized birthday cakes can also be arranged, al-though they must be booked one week in advance.

Lunching at Deco’s Dog Cafe was an all-new and entertaining experience—shame the conversation was rather one-sided. Tel. 03-3461-4551 or visit www.hot-dog.co.jp.

A lunch date with your canine companion used to mean waiting for a weather permitting day, finding

a hospitable café with an outdoor table, then offering your prized pooch a measly bowl of water and worrying about how neglected he must feel while you tucked into your club sandwich. What a dog’s life it was back then, but a trip to Deco’s Dog Cafe in stylish Daikanyama has changed all of that.

Set behind the noisy rumblings of the Toyoko Line, the cafe’s leafy entrance and shady, all wooden interior is reminiscent of long woodland walks and offers a laid-back retreat for your hot, stressed-out city dog. Upon arrival, my luncheon partner Venus was greeted like a long-gone friend by the welcom-ing staff and other dog-owners alike. An appropriate bark, snarl, or wag of a tail to other already lunching pedigrees quickly established her place in the pack, and as she took a seat at the head of the table, I was given the menu from which to choose off on her lady’s behalf.

Every Dog Has its Day in Daikanyama. By Marie Teather

Jul. 06 – Jul. 19 | Vol. 0� No. 13 | 9

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When is the Best Time to Go?Generally speaking, South Africa is a year-round destina-tion. Summer rains fall between November and March with a peak rainfall in December and January. Winter is May through to August. The summer months, October to February, can be hot, while the winter months are cold at night but pleasant during the day. Best game viewing is during the dry season from March to August.

EquipmentBinoculars are essential—the bigger the binoculars, the better. The same goes for cameras—if you want good photos, take a camera with powerful lenses and huge zoom capacity. A point-and-shoot digital that fits into your back pocket just won’t cut it. Batteries and film are generally available in main centers, but it is a good idea to stock up before going into more remote areas and into the game parks.

Don’t forget sunglasses and a torch—sometimes pow-er goes off at night, even in the larger hotels and lodges.

Malaria ZonesKruger is considered malarial (while the Eastern Cape and Madikwe are popular with families because it’s not considered to fall within the malarial zone). Ensure you see your doctor well in advance, as medication needs to be taken a few days prior to traveling.

Don’t forget the mosquito repellent, with at least 25 to 50 percent DEET. Also check with your GP for other required or suggested vaccines like tetanus and hepatitis.

TRAVEL

The main aim for travelers going on safari is to spot the big five: lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant.Kruger National Park is a wildlife wonderland and is

considered one of the oldest and most reliable parks in terms of big game viewing. Kruger spans across 13,700 square miles of wilderness and boasts over 140 species of mammals and over 500 species of birds.

Although most people will have seen African an-imals in zoos, it is impossible to exaggerate how ex-traordinary and completely different it is to see these animals in their natural environment. Despite being surrounded by many safari trucks and cars crammed with visitors, it’s all part of the surreal experience in this enormous and humbling nature reserve.

Safaris and Getting Around KrugerGame drives are the best way to see the park as you can benefit from the expertise of your tour guide’s sighting alerts. You can book through various tour operators, hotels, or directly with Kruger National Park.

Many people don’t realise you can drive around most parks in South Africa in the comfort of your own hired car. Of course, you will miss out on the commen-tary from the guides, but it’s often easier for families. It’s made simple with well-marked maps offering excel-lent self-drive routes and opportunities. Pick up a map at any tourist information area or park shop.

I’d also recommend a night safari. Many animals will sleep during the day and come out at night when it’s cooler and there are fewer vehicles and tourists.

How Long Should I Stay? Most tour operators say around three to four days is ample time to soak in your surroundings and see the big five. Of course, there is no golden rule. African Link says they have noticed an increase in day trips, espe-cially among business travelers to South Africa.

AccomodationYou are spoiled for choice with the number of private camps and lodges that are on offer in the areas surround-ing Kruger National Park. There’s something for every budget. The beauty of Kruger is that the camps here have all you need for a low-budget DIY safari, with shops, res-taurants, and gas stations. There’s a wide range of cheap, self-catering accommodation ranging from fully-equipped family cottages to cosy two-person chalets to furnished sa-fari tents. Campsites have gas stoves and hot showers, and are quite comfortable. Cottages start at around ZAR 400 per day. www.krugerpark-direct.com

Going on SafariBy Carmen Roberts

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One horse expert says, “Investing in a racehorse is much like investing in a high-stakes game of roulette. If you get lucky and the horse turns out to be a winner, you will get your money back and then some. But the odds are against you. The great majority of racehorses do not achieve that kind of fame and earnings. You should only do it if you have money to burn and own-ing a racehorse has been a lifelong dream. But don’t do it expecting a definite or immediate return.”

Investors need to define their goals clearly. Some high-level partnerships buy the most expensive pros-pects to race with the intention of making them valu-able for breeding. These usually require investments of more than $20,000. For investors who disregard breeding potential, investments range from as little as $10,000 to $50,000 or more. Some require all the money in advance, while others allow for the monthly or quarterly payment of expenses.

Regardless of the form of investment—whole or part of the horse, a potential investor needs to find an experienced adviser, one familiar with the sector of the business in which the investor wants to place money. Someone successful in one area may not be familiar or successful in another. The most critical decision is choosing the right adviser, otherwise it could be a case of “only fools and horses”.

For many adventurous investors, a racehorse invest-ment combines the excitement of a thrilling hobby

with the very real possibility of making a profit.The love of horses and racing are the main reasons

many investors consider horseracing as an investment. There’s a wide range of money to be made—while

some horses are relatively inexpensive, Thoroughbreds can go for hundreds of thousands. The return on the investment is based on the number of purses won by the horse; often this can be up to ten times the cost. However, not all horses will realize such a return.

Unlike traditional investments, horses are living creatures that can get injured or sick. One way to dilute the risk is to join a syndicate whereby you own a leg rather than a whole horse. Some syndicates, however, require you to purchase part of every upcoming offer-ing so if you are not planning on building a stable full of horses be sure to check the small print.

Thoroughbred racing has the reputation of being a pastime for the extremely wealthy who can afford an extravagant, speculative hobby. Some even point to statistics indicating that the average owner loses money consistently. The key here is only invest your disposable income.

But while risk is a word heard often, racing can be compared to penny stocks, with the potential risk for each individual horse (or stock) being high, but the re-turn on investment for those that hit being high enough to make the risk worthwhile. Anyone who invests should value the fun of the experience; investing just for the pur-pose of making a profit would be foolish.

INVESTMENT

Investing in Racehorses

dog treadmill available from Japanese maker Belluna. This treadmill runs up to five kilometers per hour, so your dog won’t even have to leave the house. You can even control it via remote control from the comfort of your couch while your little one exercises away.

Of course, if you don’t mind letting Lassie out of the house, then by all means, don’t forget to give him his camera. Takara Tomy has released the “Wanderful Shot,” a camera that attaches below your pet’s head on their chest. (Following clever Japanese puns, wan is usually used as the cute nickname applied to dogs.) This camera can be operated not only by remote con-trol, but by a set timer. The pictures are then uploaded to either your pet’s blog (everyone has a blog these days), or to your cell phone. For those who want to see life through a canine’s eyes, or at least their eye level, this is the way to go.

Lastly, don’t forget to give your pet his doggy ped-ometer while he’s out and about taking pictures. Avail-able from Yamasa, this pedometer will set you back nearly ¥2,000, but at least you’ll know just how much exercise your doggy is getting.

With as many gadgets as these, your puppy will soon be the envy of the neighborhood. Now the only question is, will he have as much fun with them as you will?

While we tend to focus on gadgets for the two-legged, today we’re going to take a look at a few gadgets

for your four-legged companion. As you may have seen detailed in the news in June, more and more attention has been given to pets, as they too are fast approaching the retirement age. This has been shown by the open-ing of a pet care-home in Tochigi prefecture, which takes care of aging pets through calculated food, vitamins, and other care. The latest trends have shown that owners are treating their pets to such things as aroma therapy and acupuncture to help them with their daily life. But, for those with younger pets who haven’t quite felt the heavy paw of age, you can check for yourself how your pet’s health is doing.

Enter Japanese pharmaceutical and health goods maker Kao. For those who have been concerned that their little puppy is putting on the pounds, Kao has developed a body fat checker for dogs. Yes, you read that right. Ac-cording to Kao pharmaceuticals, 20–30 percent of Japan’s dogs are overweight and are in need of more exercise. By simply applying the checker to the dog’s lower back, you can check its body fat percentage and make adjustments to your pet’s diet and exercise from there.

Speaking of exercise, if you are one who doesn’t want to take your dog out for more than simply his natural deeds, then you may want to take a look at the

Keeping Fido HealthyGadgets for the four-legged among us. By Robert Estel

Kao press release at ww.kao.co.jp/corp/news/2006/1/n20060323-01re.htmlDog treadmill maker Belluna at www.belluna.co.jpWonderful Shot at www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/wonderfulshot/01_about.html Doggy Pedometer—www.yamasa-tokei.co.jp/p_wp500.html

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Jul. 06 – Jul. 19 | Vol. 0� No. 13 | 11

BUSINESS

Louis then goes on to say that these days, of the expats being assigned to Japan and Asia, a greater per-centage have some prior overseas experience. Specifi-cally, in Japan there are fewer ‘first-timers’ indicating that former teachers, those with Japanese spouses, or those who speak Japanese are more likely to be making their return. Positively, of Crown Relocation’s custom-ers in recent years, the number of women relocating to Japan with a ‘trailing partner’ seems also to be on the rise—a statistic supported by the the annual GMAC Global Relocation Trends Survey that in 2006 reported 20 percent of expatriates to be female, a significant jump from the historical 15 percent average.

Of the moving procedure itself and the differences of relocating in Japan, Louis jokes about the many ex-pats that become so immersed into Japanese culture

during their time here. When packing up to return home or to their new destination, many customers often demand that packing crews remove footwear be-fore entering their homes. “Of course, in most other countries you have to wear safety boots,” he laughs “but here we get round it by providing special covers for the feet. ”

Talking of the packers themselves, Louis notes that unlike the often burly lifters seen carting furniture around back home, packers in Asia, and par-ticularly Japan, tend to consider their occupation a skill, continuing to add those finishing touches when wrapping fittings and furnishings that would usu-ally be reserved for a department store. A packer working in the US is reported to always pleasantly enjoy opening up boxes sent over from Japan!

Needless-to-say, there are specific Japan-related relocation problems that need to be considered. The inevitable furniture being too big for a Japan-sized

entrance has obviously caused difficulties in the past. However, as most movers these days are clued up to potential dimensional problems and plan well ahead, its seems that even the biggest of pianos, sofas, and flat-screen TVs can easily be transported with a little forward planning—especially for those who plan to transport unusual furnishings, which in Crown’s ex-perience have included a tree house, windows, walls from former abodes, reptiles, parrots, and horses. What many customers do neglect to plan for, Louis men-tions, is the disposal of unwanted furniture. Unlike in their home countries, customers cannot simply throw out larger furnishings or appliances and so as word of caution, he advises to plan well ahead.

And what lies ahead for the future of the reloca-tion industry in Japan? Louis looks to the positive, noting Japanese companies are more open to making deals with foreign investment and that more joint ventures are taking place than ever before. Further-more, offering his insider’s knowledge of the huge shipping containers making their way from China to the US packed brim-full of manufacturing goods he adds; “so much is being built in Asia right now, I think there’s a great future for the international relocation business”.

For many foreigners before even moving to Japan, chances are that a rapid correspondence of emails

and phone calls will have long been exchanged with a relocation service provider. Often the first port of call and mentor for countless pre-move inquiries, it can eas-ily be assumed that the guys who quite literally have your big move in their hands, also have the answer to anything remotely related to Japan at their fingertips.

After chaperoning expats backwards and forwards since 1965 and with offices worldwide, Crown Reloca-tion is indeed the long-standing gem to turn to for all international moving queries, and the authority with an insight into global moving trends. Louis Pimentel, General Manager in Japan, offers his reflections of the changing influx of expats moving to and from Asia and how the relocation industry in Japan fits into universal moving practices.

Louis himself is no stranger to the challenges of relocating. After joining the company over ten years ago, Louis was primarily based in the Hong Kong headquarters before moving to the Philippines and then on to Tokyo in 2002. Speaking from his experience in Asia, Louis explained that the fi-nancial crisis of 1997 and the ensuing recession quick-ly brought about a massive downturn in the veloc-ity of relocation packages being offered to employees from destinations far overseas. And with 9/11 in 2001, the impact of both “changed the scenery for quite a

while”. Whereas in the bubble years the typical expat being assigned to Asia may have been a single man liv-ing it up on company expenses, the slow downturn in the economy saw for an increase in couples and small families taking up life overseas.

In his time in Tokyo heading up three Japan-based Crown Relocation branches, Louis has seen the con-tinuation of another recession-induced trend—this time a preference for Asian talent to receive reloca-tion treatment. Ten years previous, expatriate pack-ages came from US and European soils with the aim of hitting then-promising Far Eastern markets; how-ever as the economy stagnated, plans to set up over-seas divisions were stalled. Simultaneously the supply of quality Asian finance executives increased at a time when head-offices were, as the financial magazine CFO reported, “getting tougher about the returns they expect[ed] from their far-flung operations”. Speaking at that time, Kwan Cheep Wei, a Singaporean based director at the consultancy firm Watson Wyatt, added, “if companies have a choice between an Asian CFO with global exposure or a Western expat, all else be-ing equal, they’ll tend to go for the Asian. [He or she] is more likely to understand local markets and people and therefore add greater value to the bottom line”.

The Jewel in the Crown for Relocation Insight By Marie Teather

The slow downturn in the economy saw for an increase in couples and small families taking up life overseas.

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Kitty, 9, lounges with her two dogs—Marine, a three-year-old Weimaraner, and Ku-chan, an eleven-year-old Miniature Pinscher.

Takaaki, 9, speaks about his created pet: “This is my pet. My pet’s name is Sraim. It is a drag-on. It looks like this with short legs. I like my pet because he is strong.”

Riku, 6, talks about his creation: “This is my pet. My pet’s name is Fluffy. It is a bunny. It looks like this with little ears and a small body. I like my pet because it is cute.”

Haruhi, 10, explains her pet: “This is my pet. My pet’s name is Baludo. It is a dog. I like my pet because it is cute and so kind and friendly.”

12 | The Weekender

SCHOOL’S IN

Pets at SchoolGKA students bring their pets to class. By Danielle Tate-Stratton

and sudden changes in routines and environment.” Commented Vice Prinicipal of KIST, Mary Christie.

We humans identify Labradors as rescuers, help-ers, and companions. Luckily for us, Labradors have

been domesticated with humans over a long enough period of time that they accept us as part of their ‘pack’. Snowy the Labrador is not a passive dog, which means that when she interacts with humans she has body language that lets students know and understand that she is welcoming and happy to be with them.

Snowy comes from Tasmania in Australia and it is believed that she was the first school-based therapy dog to participate in a formalized program. Formalized means that a policy and protocol was developed with community consultation in-cluding an assessment by a trainer from the Royal Guide Dogs Asso-

ciation. Snowy has worked in alternate school settings and two other high schools in Australia. She celebrated her 14th birthday this June and has a boyfriend who she meets regularly in Shirakawa Park. His name is Michael and he is a Japanese born Black Labrador. Unfortu-nately, Michael is on a diet at the moment.

Snowy is a school-based therapy dog at K. Interna-tional School, Tokyo (KIST). Over the years, Snowy has helped the children at

KIST to learn how to care for dogs and also to reduce a fear of bigger dogs like Snowy— she’s a Labrador—which are rarely seen in Japan. After familiarizing themselves with Snowy inside the school gates, the children have demonstrated a feeling of famili-arity and comfort with other dogs in the local community.

Last week, the K1 children in-vited Snowy into their classroom as part of their “learning about how to care for living things” project. They fed Snowy, walked her outside the school, gave her water to drink, and played with her in the playground. Recently, Mrs. Green—the librarian who works closely with Snowy, made a special patchwork quilt from the drawings that the K2 class made of their four-legged friend when she was vis-iting their classroom.

“We use Snowy because she has the characteristics and temperament needed to work in a school setting. This means a high tolerance to noise and distractions, young children crowding around and touching her,

Weekender recently visited Global Kids Academy in Moto Azabu to meet the school’s mascot, Connie, and find out about some of the student’s

pets, both real and created.

Connie is a bilingual six-year-old Golden Labrador Retriever, who loves being with the children and going for walks in Arisugawa Park with own-er Michael, 13. She knows how to sit up and beg, shake hands, dances the mambo, and lets animal-loving children play with her when they come to Global Kids Academy.

Kitty, Marine, and Ku-chan

Riku and Fluffy

Takaaki and Sraim

Kitty’s dog

Dog Tails at K. International SchoolBy Mary Christie

Jul. 06 – Jul. 19 | Vol. 0� No. 13 | 13

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Don’t Be a Chicken When it Comes To SafariBy S. Z. Cairney

Visit Wan Nyan World near Keio Tama Center for dogs, dogs, and more dogs. Pet them, feed them, take them for walks, and even sit in a doggy res-taurant with them. www.wannyan-tama.com. Tel. 04-2311-0020Head to the Mutsugoro Animal Kingdom in Hachioji near Summerland for dogs, cats, pigs, and pony rides. Find out more (in Japanese) at www.tokyo-mutsugoro-oukoku.co.jp. Visit animals in a naturalistic 129-acre park at Tama Zoological Park. Species range from Malay-sian Sun Bears to Japanese Wild Pigs, and boast a large variety of furred and feathered creatures in between! Visit http://tinyurl.com/22um5l for information in English.

Visit Zoorasia Yokohama Zoological Gardens near Yokohama to see a wide variety of animals includ-ing lions, tigers, monkeys, and more, all living surprisingly close to Tokyo. Visit www.zoorasia.org/in.html for more information. Located in that most museum-filled of parks, Ueno Zoo offers families a fantastic opportunity to see some wildlife without leaving Tokyo. The oldest zoo in Japan, Ueno has over 2,600 animals from 464 different species! Visit http://tinyurl.com/37lax9 for information in English. Mother Farm in Chiba offers a chance to ex-perience life on the farm with cow milking, sheep-herding shows, a duck parade, and even a chance for your kids to race against pigs! www.motherfarm.co.jp/en Monkey Park near Mount Takao gives you and your kids an opportunity to interact with mon-keys as they run free around you. It’s open from 10am–4:30 pm, and costs ¥500 for adults; ¥230 for children. http://tinyurl.com/ypqv7o.Rent a pet for the day (or even by the hour) at Puppy the World in Odaiba. Chose from a variety of dogs (view pictures on the website beforehand—http://tinyurl.com/yw5lup), and take the pooches for a walk by Decks—a great way to test out pets with your child! Renting a puppy costs ¥1,890 an hour and ¥945 for every half-hour after that. You can take dogs out between noon–6pm, but you must be there before 3pm to sign them out. You can also enjoy a snack at Puppy’s Dining. Tel. 03-3599-3200 or visit www.puppytheworld.com for more information.

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Living in a heaving metropolis and surviving rush hour trains crammed to the maximum, I will for-

give you for that odd look you throw me when I ask “Fancy a nighttime safari?” Tokyo, with its high-rise structures, neon lights, booming announcements assaulting the poor eardrums at every corner, and dense population, is hardly synonymous with Out Of Africa. However, over thirty years ago, a Japanese industrialist went on a safari near Mount Kiliman-jaro and fell in love with the wildlife. This inspired him to build a ‘safari’ zoo complex at the foot of Mount Fuji.

Fuji Safari Park is designed to give the variety of wildlife that lives there as natural an environment as possible. You can take the ‘Jungle Bus’ tour or drive around in your own vehicle. At your leisure, peruse the wild and wonderful assortment of beasties that roam free, ranging from bears to zebras. Seasonal night safa-ris are also available for the more adventurous.

Dobutsu Mura and Fureai Hiroba hold smaller ani-mals that can be petted and played with. There are restaurants in the complex but you can take your own food. Baby cars can be rented for a ¥500 fee. Mummy and baby facilities are available (including breast-feeding rooms). The park is wheelchair and stroller friendly and open all year. Check out http://tinyurl.com/2t2nus for details in English, and in Japanese at www.fujisafari.co.jp.

Inokashira Park Zoo located in Kichijoji on the Chuo/Sobu Line doesn’t boast as exotic an array of creatures as Fuji Safari, but nevertheless is a popular destination for families liv-ing in the area. I’m sure you will be delighted watching the playful antics of the monkeys, squirrels, and raccoons, amongst other animals, that dwell there! Take a walk through the squirrel enclosure but mind you don’t have anything delicious tucked away in a pocket somewhere. It’ll be gone before you know it! There is also a guinea pig enclosure where you can go and pet the little cuties to yours or your child’s content. There is lots of open space for the kiddies to roam, along with a playground, rides, and cafe area. You can bring your own food if you want. Children 0–12 are free and adults ¥400. There is a pass valid for one year that you can buy for only ¥1,600, which is well worth it if you live in the vicinity. Inokashira Park is just across the road. All in all, a great day out. Have a look at www.tokyo-zoo.net/english under Inokashira Park Zoo for full details.

Those were just a couple of ideas to whet your ap-petite, but if you feel a Dr. Doolittle moment coming on this summer, here’s a few more to get your teeth into. Just make sure you’ve had your shots first!

Peruse the wild and wonderful assortment of beasties that roam free, ranging from bears to zebras.

Feeding the lions from the “jungle bus” at Fuji Safari Park.

Jungle bus at Fuji Safari Park.

1� | The Weekender

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SPORTS

It’s an Equine AffairHaving horses in your Tokyo life. By Danielle Tate-Stratton

Watch the Show at JRA Baji KoenOriginally built as the site for the equestrian com-petition in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, JRA Baji Koen in Setagaya is still a world-class facility. With large sand and grass jumper rings, a grand-prix dressage ring, racetrack (now used for flat-work and jumping), cross-country course, large indoor ring, extensive stabling, and more, there is always something going on! While you can’t ride here as all of the horses are show horses in training, it’s a great place to spend a day on the weekend when there are often shows go-ing on. Take the family, bring a picnic or buy some-thing from the snack-bar, and settle in to the stands to watch the riders and their mounts soar through the air or complete precision dressage tests—often called ballet on horseback. Take bus 24 from Shibuya Station and get off at the Nodaimae bus stop. Signs are all over the neighborhood. Tel. 03-3429-5101.

Given the size of the average dog (tiny) or backyard (even tinier; if it exists at all) in Tokyo, it might be sur-prising to find out that there are lots of ways to interact with a much larger animal—the horse. From a day

at the races to English-style riding lessons in Yoyogi Koen, there are plenty of ways to horse around town!

A Day at the MuseumVisit the Museum of Horses and Horse Racing, pre-sented by the Equine Cultural Affairs Association of Japan. The museum is located next to the Negishi Shinrin Koen and has various exhibits on art, his-tory, and racing. The third Sunday of every month is pony riding day for kids from 1pm, and every Satur-day, children can feed and pet ponies for a short time from 1:30pm. For more information (in Japanese) visit www.bajibunka.jrao.ne.jp.

Alternately, head to Plaza Equus in Shibuya to ex-perience the free racing museum. Run by the JRA, the museum includes a saddle room, gallery of memorable horses, racing book library, small shop, and huge screen to watch races on. Although the signage is mostly in Japanese, you can still see real saddles, lots of pictures, videos of important races, and enjoy the décor—it has been done up to look like an English manor house. www.equus.jrao.ne.jp

Have a Day at the RacesSpending a day at the races can be a fun outing for the whole family. While you may not want to have Junior betting on the field, chatting about whom you think is go-ing to win and cheering for your favorite horse or jockey is very exciting! Race days tend to have several races on the card, so there are plenty of opportunities to watch the horses turn down the back-stretch. In between crazed sprints for the finish, head to the saddling paddock to see the horses up close and chose your favorite, grab some snacks, and if you wish, place a bet—this is one of the only legal ways to bet here in Japan. There are a plethora of ways in which to place a bet, starting from the simplest method of choosing the horse you think will win and putting

money on that one. For more complex betting, you can chose a variety of different scenarios such as the

quinella (choose two horses to come first and second), or trifecta (choosing three hors-es in the correct order to place first, second, and third). To head to the races without leaving town, visit Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu-shi. Admission is just ¥200 on race day (typically week-ends), and the racetrack fea-

tures an 11m x 60m big screen, turf and dirt tracks, and newly refurbished grandstands. For more infor-mation about racetracks, racing in Japan, how to bet, and when the big races are, visit the Japan Rac-ing Association (JRA)’s extensive English website at www.japanracing.jp.

Ride Your Steed in Yoyogi ParkThe Tokyo Riding Club is located at the Shin-juku end of Yoyogi Koen and is a great place to get on a horse without getting out of the city. Although les-sons aren’t offered in English, those with ex-perience are welcome to rent one of the school’s horses and children can

be involved with pony rides. Pony rides take place from 10–11:30am and 3–4:30pm and are open to those 4–12 years old. The ride is fifteen minutes long, and is accompanied by a chance to brush the ponies. At 11:30am and 4:30pm kids can feed the ponies carrots (cut into long thin pieces, please!). If you decide to ride, boots and helmets can be rented for a very reasonable ¥300, and lessons range from a set of beginners lessons (three times in a month) for ¥24,000 to private lessons for ¥6,700 each. For more information or to book a lesson, call 03-3370-0984.

Pho

to b

y D

arle

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Bra

in

Jul. 06 – Jul. 19 | Vol. 0� No. 13 | 1�

Actor Masaya Kato and Tak Norris. The New Lex Manager Takahiro Masuda and Mika Kano.

PARTYLINE WITH BILL HERSEYAt the New Lex—Edo Opening

Panama Ambassador Alfredo Martiz Fuentes with his wife Carla, and Haiti

Ambassador Jean-Claude Bordes. Steven Haynes with his super dad Oliver and mom Claire.

Hilton Tokyo’s Mihoko Kobayashi and Miho

Kobayashi.

Rob Simpson with actors Josh Jackson and David Den-

men here shooting the film Shutter. Rohan Monga and Frank Streigl.

Japan’s top boogie woogie piano players broth-

ers, Moriya and Keito Saito with Kabuki theater’s

Simon Yoshizumi.

Generally speaking I like to drive, and am certainly happy about that. With a full schedule of events

all over our city, almost every day, it would be impos-sible to get to as much as I do if I didn’t drive, or have a driver—and that’s not about to happen. Just having a car doesn’t solve all the problems. Once you get there you need a place to park, and the powers that be have gone all out to make Tokyo one of the most difficult cities in the world for the average car owner. The sad part of it is that those behind all the rules and regu-lations don’t have to worry. Most have drivers, own buildings, or have connections with those who do. It really seems strange in a country where the automobile business is so important that they make it so difficult for the average working man to have a car.

I realize it’s not nice, but I have shouted not nice things at those guys—and the occasional girl—in lime green who keep walking all over Tokyo taking photos of cars, measuring distances with a tape measure, and sticking those ¥15,000 tickets on cars, vans and trucks, and just about everything except those huge luxury cars that are owned by those who could well afford to pay. I do feel a little bit guilty when I do it as I real-ize that it’s a job for the many—and I do mean many parking-law enforcers, it is just that this type of law en-forcement is so inconsistent and selective and let’s face it, Tokyo doesn’t have enough parking. This means the people who own parking spaces/lots can up the price, and that many businesses where there isn’t parking lose business. I know of several small restaurants shops, etc which have had to close because of this.

In the early stages of the newly enforced parking laws, they were tagging Fed-Ex, laundry and a variety of other vehicles who just parked long enough to do their job. In addition to the fine, points were deducted from the drivers’ licenses which sometimes meant the loss of the license and the drivers way of making a living. I have heard there’s been some wheeling and dealing going on and apparently some delivery companies are paying to avoid their drivers being ticketed. If this is true, it makes you wonder where that money is going.

I am well aware that there are parking problems and of course laws all over the world, but as usual in cases like this, our Japanese friends really go overboard. I’m sure if all the delivery trucks were ticketed that stop for a short

time to make their deliveries in many major cities around the world, there would be a strike. It’s amazing what stop-ping these services would do. The average Japanese with their “accept-all” mentalities don’t really get into protest-ing that much, and in many ways, suffer for that.

Let’s move on to our city’s social scene and nice things. I’m happy, as always, to report the annual Refu-gee International Japan (RIJ) charity event was a huge success. This was the 17th year for RIJ’s biggest fund-raiser, “The Art of Dining”. The always gracious, always chic HIH Princess Hitachi joined in the ribbon cutting and took time out of her busy schedule to talk with each of the 21 participants about their table settings. Another super-chic lady—Lady Fry, wife of the British Ambassa-dor, was director of this year’s exhibition. If you have been to the Queen’s birthday celebration at the British Embassy, you know she really knows what she is doing when it comes to table settings, ikebana, and art.

Participants this year included long-time friend Lisa Akikawa. Lisa was in several films many years ago I helped do publicity for. Now she’s a well-known bead embroidery artist.

Kudos to the British School—their kids looking like they’re right out of a Harry Potter film—they put a lot of time and effort into their settings. Daniele Yoshiko-shi used the Cote d’Azur where she and her husband Koichiro have a beautiful country home as the inspira-tion for their beautiful setting.

It was nice meeting Tom Wedgewood (8th genera-tion of the legendary porcelain makers) and his wife Yumiko. I always remember back in Perrysburg Ohio, one of my grandmother’s (God Bless her soul) cher-ished possessions was a Wedgewood soup bowl.

Our sincerest congratulations to the members of RIJ and their friends who worked so hard to make the Art of Dining the big success that it was.

There was a large turnout as well at the Apostolic Nunciature when Archbishop Alberto Bottari de Cas-tello hosted a reception on the occasion of the second anniversary of the pontification of his holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Once guests congratulated the host they moved into the garden to talk with friends, enjoy the bountiful buffet, and the midday break. They had put up tents just in case it rained, but the weather stayed nice. Of course, that meant someone had to tell the host

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16 | The Weekender

Wallop Bhukkanasut Executive Vice President of Thai Air-

ways International and Outgoing Thai Airways General

Manager Japan M.L. Bhudhisarn Varavan (“Buddy”).

Tec Air Svc.’s Mr. Kanazawa, Thai Airways In-

ternational Japan Marketing Manager Iwao Ka-

wabe, and President of Tec Air Svc. Mr. Sakata.

“Buddy” Varavan, United Airlines Vice President

Pacific Mark F. Schwab, and Chairman of ANA Air-

lines Sales Mr. Kitabayashi.

United Airlines Vice President Mark Schwab, “Buddy” Varavan, his

sister, Antika Waravarn vice president of Bangkok Airways.

Connie Barker, “Buddy” Varavan, Park Hyatt General Manager Robert Barker, his sister Jane

Hood, visiting from London, and Cathay Pacific G.M. of Japan, James Ginns.

Lady Fry, Princess Hitachi, and Daniele

Yoshikoshi.

PARTYLINE WITH BILL HERSEYRefugees International Art of Dining

British Ambassador Graham Holbrook Fry, with British School chil-

dren, and their teachers.

“somebody up there likes you.” I heard that twice!Over at the Grand Hyatt, Thai Airways Interna-

tional Public Co. Ltd hosted a grand reception on April 5. In addition to saying sayonara to M.L. Bhudhisarn Varavarn, who has been general manager here for three and a half years, the event was to introduce his suc-cessor Wiwat Piyawiroj, but unfortunately his arrival date had to be changed; I’m looking forward to meet-ing him soon. Buddy Varavarn, as he’s known to his many friends here, was a graduate of St. Mary’s, spoke in Japanese, and had a great deal of know-how about doing business in Japan. Guests at the party included the top airline, hotel, and travel business executives. It was nice seeing United Airlines’ Mark Schwab, as well as meeting other Star Alliance members.

The Park Hyatt’s General Manager, Robert Barker, was there with his gorgeous and outgoing wife Con-nie, and a beautiful lady, his sister Jane Hood, who was visiting from London. I also enjoyed talking with the Four Seasons Hotel’s Hiro Kobayashi. Sorry a photo that I took of him was out of focus.

Ran into Thai Airways Marketing Manager, Iwao Kawabe, at the super successful (about 300,000 people) Thai festival at Yoyogi Park recently. He told me that Buddy is busy settling into his new home and job as Thai Airways Director in the UK, and Wiwat is doing the same here in Tokyo. We wish them both all the best.

Thanks to Haitian Ambassador Jean Claude Bordes, I had an enjoyable break with some very interesting Japa-nese during Golden Week. This took place in a house art gallery near Shibuya. Others there included artists, producers, and actors. I especially enjoyed talking with a fine young actor about Mongolia. He had been there

recently working on Kadokawa’s epic film on Genghis Khan. Alin Solan had produced an excellent buffet of Haitian food, which everyone enjoyed. I was also happy to share the artistry of six Haitian painters Jean Claude had given me during his first tour of duty here. They’re at the top of my list of favorite prized possessions.

As I previously mentioned, after 27 years, the Lex-ington Queen has reopened under new management—the progressive Kaguwa Company—and under the new name, New Lex—Edo. Kaguwa put a lot of money into completely renovating the club and it looks really good. Drop by and check it out for yourselves.

PeopleLooking forward to hearing about Jan Vulevich’s (US Embassy) trip back to Mobile, Alabama for her high school class’ 20th reunion. I am sure that was fun. The nice girls at my local 55DPE shop must have gotten tired of my teasing them about the photo albums they had on display. The albums read “Lovely caskets for your splendid memories”. Seems our Japanese friends would rather use funny—if sometimes ridiculous Eng-lish—than pay a foreigner a little bit to help.

One of my pet peeves is guests using someone’s party to promote their own projects. There’s one lady who always overdoes this. Her purse is full of flyers and she keeps busy passing them out to anyone and every-one wherever she goes. She’s as bad as some of the guys pushing club flyers on the streets of Roppongi; actually it’s worse because these are private parties.

MissedWhat is always one of the social events of the year—

Thai Airways Varavan-San Bids Sayonara

RIJ Special Advisor Chid Waller, RIJ President Jane

Best, Director, Art of Dining’s Lady Fry, and Co-

director Nobuko Takeuchi.

Madalena Judice Zanatti (Por-

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Tom and Yumiko Wedgewood

(Wedgewood porcelain).

Lady Fry, Princess Hitachi, and wife of the Danish

Ambassador, Lise S. Frederiksen.

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INTERNATIONALCLINIC

Bead embroidery artist, TV person-

ality, and actress, Lisa Akikawa.

Jul. 06 – Jul. 19 | Vol. 0� No. 13 | 1�

Mexican Ambassador Miquel Ruiz-Cabanas, the

host Archbishop Alberto Bottari de Castello, and

Iraq Ambassador Ghanim A-Al-Jumaily.

French Ambassador Gildas Le

Lidec and his wife Christiane.

Segafredo Zanetti Espressowww.segafredo.jp www.segafredo.it

Pat Scroope, now living in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, work-

ing with an NGO. Spent 1� years at International School

of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo with Suzanne Gordon (Aus-

tralian)—International School of the Sacred Heart.

Segafredo’s Noriko Ojima, Ilija Naumovski, and Hi-

royuki Komatsu with Moroccan student Driss Ait.

PARTYLINE WITH BILL HERSEY

Personal trainer Mark McDonald and “Magic

Mu”. To find out more about Magic Mu, visit

www.magicmu.info.

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to meet all, and really get to know two, of the artists from the world’s most famous

rock band—The Rolling Stones.The Lex staff was really excited the

first night that Mick Jagger came to the club. I was really surprised when he showed up well past midnight, looking, as always, fashionably cool. He stayed about an hour, talked with other cus-tomers, and really seemed to be enjoy-ing it all. As he was leaving, I asked him about photos. He laughed, shouted “picture time” and clowned around a bit while he posed with the club staff.

One night during another tour he dropped by and sat with a group of models. One English girl who was a little older and a lot more aggressive than the others really was hitting on him. He wasn’t paying that much at-tention to her and after an hour or so, he left by himself. I learned later that she dropped by his hotel where she spent the night. A couple of months after that one of those British gossip rags ran a front-page story titled I was Mick Jagger’s All Night Snack in Tokyo. Ac-cording to her, she was covered in bite marks when she left the hotel the next day.

A couple who knew the girl told me her boyfriend had convinced her she should write the story. She was paid about $20,000 for it and

the use of one of her modeling photos.A year later, Mick Jagger came into

the club about 2am and was really sur-prised to see Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler there. They had a happy reunion and spent well over an hour just hanging out together.

“We’ve both been in the music business a long time and this is the first time we have ever partied together like this” Mick told me.

Another time I was able to host a party for Stones member Ron Wood. He was in Tokyo doing live-house shows with Bo Diddely and they partied at the Lex after their shows. Ron’s very pretty wife was here with him and he also had an exhibition of his sketches of mostly musicians at a local gallery.

Members Keith Richards and Char-lie Watts never made it to the club, but

thanks to the guys at Udo Artists International I got to meet them several times backstage at their concerts and in the huge hospitality room they had after the shows. Charlie is the quiet one in the group and Keith al-ways seems to be in his own world.

Mr. Vivek Kothari, President Diya

Restaurant, his wife, and Maestro

Zubin Mehta at Diya Indian Res-

taurant, Roppongi Hills.

Mrs. Preeti Kothari, Indian Ambassador

H.K. Singh, Madame Mrinalini Singh,

world renowned maestro Zubin Mehta,

and his wife.

Tokyo Flashback: The Rolling Stones

At the Irish Tokyo Tower All Green Light-

ing Party—Tourism Ireland staff.

the laid back and enjoyable annual garden party hosted by Mitsuo, Lilo, and their son Helge at their beautiful home on the hillside in Tochigi ken. It’s a day of nice people, excellent home-cooked food, and relaxing in the Maruyama’s spacious Californian-style home, or in one of the gazebos by the pool in their huge garden. We all need to get away from the city once in a while, and the Maruyama’s residence is country living and nature at its best. I did go to the colorful Asia–Pacific Ladies Friendship Society 2007 Festival and Charity Bazaar and will have a rundown and photos later.

Sorry I couldn’t be at the check sharing party they

held June 14 at the Hotel East 21 Tokyo. Proceeds from the bazaar go to worthwhile projects in the 21 partici-pating countries.

On the 29th, Luxembourg Ambassador Michele Pranchere Tomassini hosted a reception at Luxem-bourg House for a special exhibition of the cooperative works of Luxembourg painter T. W. Marque and Japa-nese photographer H. Yamaguchi.

Michele and her family will be leaving Japan soon. She’s done a fantastic job as Luxembourg’s top repre-sentative here and will really be missed. More on this exceptional lady later.

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Vatican Reception—A Beautiful Day

Polish Ambassador Marcin Rybicki, Bulgar-

ian Ambassador Blaqovest Sendov, and

Czech Ambassador Jaromir Novotny.

Yoko, Haitian Ambassador Jean-Claude

Border, actor Yusuke Hirayama, Hatian

Alin Solan, and “Add Z” President

Masami Aritake.

Father Donal Doyle (Sophia Uni-

versity), and Iceland Ambassador

Thordur Aegir Oskarsson.

Singh’s Dinner for Zubin and Mrs. Mehta at Diya Indian Restaurant In and Around

Rolling Stones star Mick Jagger with Bill Hersey.

1� | The Weekender

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Across 1. Ways. (6) 4. Quadrupeds walk on these. (3,5) 9. Animal baby batch. (6)10. Popular pet rodents. (8)12. Neat. (4)13. Local name for Prague. (5)14. Disney pet-dragon owner. (4)17. Animal doctor. (12)20. Ivory source. (8,4)23. Some primates. (4)24. Stopping mechanism. (5)25. Small bird on old UK farthing. (4)28. Clumsy. (8)29. Usually coiffured dog. (6)30. Air on TV. (8)31. Cut off the call. (4,2)

Down 1. Family member. (8) 2. Including the latest information. (2,2,4) 3. Rams’ Mrs. (4) 5. Some large turtles. (12) 6. Aquarium inhabitants. (4) 7. Not level. (6) 8. Method. (6)11. Pop’s Mom n’ Pop. (12)15. Turbot-like fish. (5)16. Nasty like a feline. (5)18. Canine night watchman. (5,3)19. Superficial. (8)21. Bug’s breed. (6)22. Dog house. (6)26. Obi-Wan portrayer Guinness. (4)27. Hindu spiritual disciplines and exercises. (4)

#7

The rainy season, now finally upon us, is a perfect excuse to head to the cinema and take in the lat-

est flick. Instead of heading straight for the current must-see blockbuster, take in the International Refugee Film Festival, taking place around Tokyo July 18–26. The festival is the perfect way to increase your cultural con-sciousness while viewing sev-eral films about the world of the refugee.

Now in its second year, the Refugee Film Festival fea-tures award-winning docu-mentaries and films about the lives, trials, and triumphs of people forced to leave their homes as a result of persecution and war. The UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) in Japan organizes the festival, in conjunction with partners such as the Goethe Insti-tute and sponsors such as Canon. The films will be screened, for free, at four locations in Tokyo and dis-cussions with question and answer sessions will fol-low each movie.

Tokyo Screens Refugee Films. By Danielle Tate-Stratton

The list of over 20 films (check the website for full details—coming soon) includes stories about citizens liv-ing through the Iraq War (Iraq in Fragments), the Tsunami Generation created when 200,000 died in the 2004 disas-ter, a mother who travels to Germany to try and find the

child she thought she’d lost in the Bosnian war (Warchild), and a family of Somali subsist-ence farmers fleeing to Amer-ica (Rain in a Dry Land). Also watch for Shooting Dogs, the closing-night selection, which is a true story about a Catholic priest and an idealistic young English teacher who find

themselves caught in the 2004 genocide in Rwanda. For more information about this event, sure to be

thought-provoking, heartrending, and occasionally uplifting (try The Refugee All-Stars or Sugihara: Conspir-acy of Kindness for a more hopeful viewing experience) visit www.refugeefilm.org/en.

* Please look for crossword answers in our next issue of Weekender.

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RefugeeFilmFestival

Shooting Dogs / Distributor: SYNERGY×AVEX ENTERTAINMENT© BBC, UK Film Council and Egoli Tossell 200�

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