Tsurugajo Castle in Aizuwakamatsu City.
By Kris Gravender (Fukushima-ken, 2002-06) for JQ magazine. Kris was one of eight American JET alums selected for the Tohoku Invitational Program sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Tourism Agency. This article was originally printed in the Oct. 21, 2011 issue of Chicago’s bilingual newspaper Chicago Shimpo.
What could I do? What could I really do? I was fighting the urge to return to Aizu simply because I knew the possibility for contracting some kind of cancer, but I felt I just had to do something. When the earthquake hit we knew it was bad, but the tsunami made everything worse. Then, to top it all off, Fukushima was becoming a “nuclear wasteland,” according to the news reports we were getting, and there was nothing we could do for the place we love.
My wife, being from Aizu, was distraught for weeks. She called her family, friends she hadn’t talked to in years, and even the local International Association, to get as much news as possible. Her aunt and uncle live in Sendai, and there was no communication from them, not to mention that her brother is a police officer and was being sent into the radiation zone to assist with evacuations. Eventually we were told everyone was safe and healthy, and yet this didn’t do much to make us feel better. We donated money, clothes, and food to the Red Cross, but it just didn’t seem to be enough to make us feel like we were helping.
Then I heard from a friend about a program the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was sponsoring for JET alums to return to their hometowns and tour, as long as they communicated with the outside world about what they saw, felt, and experienced. It was almost as if God was trying to tell me, “Here’s your chance.” My wife and I talked about it for days: If I go, what kinds of problems would I face; what would I do while I was there; could I go into the zone for just a couple of hours to see for myself what was happening; and a whole list of questions and ideas. No matter what the answers became, I knew I had to go.
JQ Magazine: Film Review – ‘Norwegian Wood’
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“The wintertime beauty of the Tonomine highlands in Hyogo prefecture is a sadly haunting visual expression of Naoko’s isolation and loss of life. One only wishes the characters were as compelling as the landscape in which they find themselves.”
By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) for JQ magazine. Lyle is entering a master’s program at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University (MIA 2013) and has been writing for the JET Alumni Association since 2004. He is also the goalkeeper for FC Japan, a New York City-based soccer team.
Haruki Murakami’s novel Norwegian Wood 「ノルウェイの森」 was published in Japan in 1987 and propelled the author to superstar status, especially among the nation’s youth. The novel was also an international success and the first English translation (there were eventually two) introduced Murakami to the U.S.
Unlike his other well-known works, such as Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Norwegian Wood eschews surreal and Kafkaesque sensibilities in favor of a more nostalgically sentimental narrative. It tells the story of love and loss from the vantage point of its 37-year-old protagonist, Toru Watanabe, looking back on his youth as a student during the 1960s.
As in Europe and the U.S., Japan at that time was a society in flux and the establishment was being challenged by idealistic student movements. Against this backdrop, Toru falls in love with the emotionally troubled and fragile Naoko, who sinks into a deep depression after the suicide of their mutual friend Kizuki. She leaves the university for a mountainous sanitarium and during her absence, Toru has a love affair with Midori. Eventually, Naoko succumbs to the darker nature of her illness and commits suicide, sending Toru into an emotional period of bereavement, after which he can commit emotionally to Midori and continue on with his life.
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with JUSTE Program Participant Kazumoto Takechi
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"I would like the duration of stay in this project extended as long as possible. Hopefully, this project will revolutionize Japanese English education just as the JET Program has changed the landscape of English language education in Japan."
By Sierra Soleil (Fukushima-ken, 2000-02) for JQ magazine. Sierra works at an ESL school in Manhattan. He enjoys teaching, writing, and riding his bike.
It’s been called the “Reverse JET Program,” which is a lot catchier than the Japan-U.S. Training and Exchange Program for English Language Teachers (JUSTE Program). A few of the East Coast JUSTE teachers made a special public appearance at the JETAANY Welcome Back Reception in November, and since then there has been some talk about exactly what this program is, and what these teachers are up to.
Recently, Kazumoto “Kaz” Takechi, a JUSTE participant at Rutgers University in New Jersey, took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his experience as a Reverse JET. Spoiler alert: the program is very new, and its future is not assured, especially with the budget restrictions caused by the problems in Fukushima. However, if Kaz’s attitude is at all typical of the other participants, JUSTE could be every bit as much of a game-changer as JET was.
Kaz got his MA in English education from Naruto University of Teacher Education in 2002, and works at Ishii Junior High School in Tokushima, Shikoku. He was nominated by the program as one of 96 Japanese teachers of English to spend six months in the U.S. through January of this year, and is the only JUSTE teacher from Tokushima. Before he got to my questions, Kaz started with a shout-out to his former ALTs:
“All of my ALTs have been great partners in the classroom. I am a very lucky teacher because I have met very wonderful ALTs during my nine years as an English teacher. I am really glad to participate in this article for ALTs.”
Where did the idea come from to send teachers to the U.S. in order to improve English education in Japan?
According to the Foreign Ministry Advance Institute Workshop held at Tokyo in May 2010, both Japan and the United States agree that the two countries need to foster mutual understanding at the citizen level in order to sustain and strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance. Based on this agreement, a summit conference between Japan and the U.S. was held in Yokohama on November 13, 2010. Details on how to strength our relationships were finalized during this conference. The JUSTE project is a direct outcome of this conference. The Ministry of Education further defined that the JUSTE project had two objectives. One is to foster and develop the English communicative skills of Japanese English teachers. The other is to develop Japanese English teacher pedagogical skills through TESOL classes offered at U.S. institutions.
Has this idea been around for a long time, or was it a recent initiative?
The Ambassador Plenipotentiary has wished that this project take motion for some time. He has consistently envisioned the necessity to give Japanese English teachers the opportunity to seek professional development, in English speaking countries such as the U.S., after they become certified English teachers in Japan. He has consistently suggested this to the government, and thanks to his wonderful efforts this project has finally materialized.
How would you assess the progress so far?
At this juncture, I am focusing on developing the skill sets that will contribute to the professional development of Japanese English teachers and ALTs when I return to Japan. I will be presenting to the English language teacher community as well as conducting demonstration lessons to assist in their professional development. Moreover, I will also write some articles about my experience in this project. Hopefully, I will inspire other English teachers and muster support for this project among supervisors and English language teachers. This is a challenge I am embarking on, but I have conviction that my actions will positively influence other English teachers and the future of Japanese English education.
JQ Magazine Needs New Writers for Winter 2012!
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As we welcome a new year, JETAA New York’s JQ magazine continues to provide content with an ever-expanding array of articles, interviews and features (see our recent stories here). We’re now looking for new writers (including new returnees and JET vets) from all JETAA chapters worldwide to write and share more material that we can post online to the widest JET readership on the web through our hosts at the global JET alumni resource site JETwit.com.
Below are story ideas grouped by JET participants and alumni (JET World) and those more on Japanese culture (Japan World). If you’re a JET or JETWit contributor from anywhere in the world, we welcome your interest or additional story ideas! Click “Read More” below to see our story ideas, and contact JQ’s editor Justin Tedaldi (magazine [at] jetaany [dot] org) to sign up.
JQ Magazine: In Kyoto, a New Year’s Day Disaster
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Rashaad at Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto.
By Rashaad Jorden (Yamagata-ken, 2008-2010) for JQ magazine. Rashaad worked at four elementary schools and three junior high schools on JET, and taught a weekly conversion class in Haguro (his village) to adults. He completed the Tokyo Marathon in 2010, and was also a member of a taiko group in Haguro.
New Year’s Day. A day some welcome in a crazed stupor while others might celebrate it in serenity. Or maybe confusion.
I would be spending my New Year’s Day on vacation in the Kansai region. Upon getting off the bus in Osaka, I had no idea what locales I’d explore. But my plans were nothing to be stressed about as I’d simply follow the recommendations of my Lonely Planet.
And others. Shortly after checking into my hostel in Osaka, I met an American college student on a homestay in Tokyo. She had come to town for the same reason I had. So quite naturally, we started to talk about places worth visiting in the Kansai region. Fortunately for me, she was familiar with several tourist spots in the area.
I definitely knew about Kyoto’s infinite number of shrines, but I wasn’t sure which ones to visit. However, my compatriot recommended Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, and Fushimi Inari-taisha.
So I was off to Kyoto the next day. I crossed the first two locales off my list, but I didn’t have time to fit in Fushimi Inari-taisha. No worries—I had two more days in the region. My biggest concern was finding something to do other than going to bed at 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Fortunately, four other Yamagata Prefecture ALTs who were taking a road trip to Hiroshima stopped in Osaka that night, so I had some friendly faces to ring in the new year with.
JQ Magazine: JET Turned Laborer – Giving Back as a Volunteer in Post-Disaster Japan
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Rachel at work "gutting," or removing drywall panels and screws, in the stairwell of Wakadaisho, a sushi restaurant undergoing renovation in Ofunato, Iwate.
By Rachel Vigil-Garcia (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02) for JQ magazine. Rachel works at the American Center for Learning in Chula Vista, CA. Contact her at ray3vigil13 [at] yahoo [dot] com.
Eight months have passed since a huge earthquake and tsunami crippled Northeastern Japan with mind-numbing destruction. In March, news video beamed entire towns going under, with cars and homes lifted in the deluge. But today, why does it seem like so many have begun to forget about this disaster? I know the JET and JET alumni community are an exception to this. Still, I hope that by sharing my recent experience I can encourage sustained support to that wonderful island nation and its ever-gracious inhabitants. It’s much too early to be letting Japan’s victims and survivors, and the hard work ahead, fade into the background.
When news of the events of March 11 reached my living room in San Diego, it took hours for the magnitude and scope of the tragedy to sink in. I sat, scrolling through unbelievable Internet images with an eerie sense of irony as my mind brought me back 10 years. Suddenly, it wasn’t March 11, but September 11. I wasn’t in San Diego. I was on a tatami mat in my apartment in Koriyama, as a JET in Fukushima. The 9/11 terrorist attacks gripped the world in complete surprise. I was glued to NHK and local Fukushima TV, wondering how something so awful could be going on back home while I was thousands of miles away.
The realization of this strange twist of events compelled me to take action this summer. I was an ALT in Japan during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Ten years later I felt the same helplessness and fright for Japan, a nation not mine by birthright, but one that had become a second home. With growing conviction and a sense of obligation, I vowed to find an organization accepting U.S. civilian volunteers. I was determined to help Japan recover and rebuild.
JQ Magazine: Book Review – ‘Life After the B.O.E. the Book’
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"This whimsical compilation of cartoons that appeared previously in JETAA publications worldwide is likely to hit the funny bone of both former and current program participants alike."
By Sharona Moskowitz (Fukuoka-ken, 2000-01) for JQ magazine. Sharona works at a literary agency in New York City. She is interested in fresh, new voices in fiction and creative nonfiction.
Flexibility and a sense of humor have long been predictors of a successful JET participant. And with good reason. After all, let’s face it: life in Japan for a gaijin can range from the frustrating to the absurd to the downright hilarious, often within the same day.
The malleable young JET is expected to smile and wear a variety of hats placed upon his or her head in the name of “international exchange.” For most JETs, it’s what happens in between the lines of the job description that makes the experience so meaningful.
Who better to capture the flexible thinking and sheer comedy of the JET experience than a former participant himself? JET alum and professional illustrator David Namisato (Aomori-ken CIR, 2002-04) showcases some of the more memorable aspects in his new book Life After the B.O.E. This whimsical compilation of cartoons that appeared previously in JETAA publications worldwide is likely to hit the funny bone of both former and current program participants alike.
Each cartoon presents a different familiar scenario. There is the moment of sudden awareness when it becomes all too clear to the ALT that he or she is more of an exotic show-and-tell object than a real teacher, a realization that can be disappointing, underwhelming, or just a huge relief, depending on who you ask. Read More
JQ Magazine: JETAANY Artist Showcase Unites Fukushima, New York
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Sculpture by Lisa Benson. (T. Brooks)
By Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, 2006-11) for JQ magazine. Carolyn is co-author of the blog MadSilence–a cross-cultural blog written with her father–and a current culture/education related job-seeker in the New York area available for full-time or consulting work.
“At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge,” said the gentleman, taking up a pen, “it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for [those in need], who suffer greatly at the present time….We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices.”
—Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, brackets by author.
It was in the generous spirit of the holiday season that over 150 guests, including former New York City mayor David Dinkins and a visiting delegation of dignitaries from Fukushima, joined together Dec. 1 for a reception and silent auction to show support for Tohoku as it continues to struggle after the Great Eastern Earthquake last March. The event, organized in partnership by the Consulate General of Japan in New York and the New York chapter of the JET Alumni Association (JETAANY), was held at Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki’s residence on the east side of Central Park.
JETAANY utilized its extensive network to get 14 artists involved, displaying and auctioning off more than 30 pieces of art including sculpture, prints, paintings and antique ceramics. The artists and donators really showed the scope of people who have connections with Japan, ranging from JET Program alumni and parents to Japanese expats and students. All in all, the auction raised $700, and with other donations received that night totaled more than $1300. Read More
JQ Magazine: Georgia JETs’ Ganbare Tohoku Shows Social Media Savvy
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JET alumni Emily Duncan and Mellissa Takeuchi presenting at Georgia’s annual JapanFest, Sept. 17, 2011.
By Emily Duncan (Hyogo-ken, 2005-08) for JQ magazine. Emily is a graduate of the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia.
When I was a JET, I worked at Himeji Nishi Senior High School and enjoyed my time there immensely. I would love to return to Japan, if only for a visit.
Since a transcontinental, transpacific trip is a bit too much of a stretch for my wallet right now, I, like many of you, have an application essay ready for the day that JNTO begins their campaign for the 10,000 free flights to Japan (should the Diet rethink approving this plan for next spring, of course).
On March 11, 2011, I was asleep when the massive earthquake struck northeastern Japan (after all, it was about 1 a.m. in Atlanta). When I awoke, there was an e-mail news alert on my phone. I spent a chunk of time that morning trying to call friends in the Himeji area, but everyone was fine as they live about an hour west of Osaka. Plenty of room between them and disaster.
The rest of the day—the rest of the weekend, really—I spent occasionally checking in on the progression of events in Japan through news sources online. I reached out to the JETAASE and the Japan-America Society of Georgia with fundraising ideas. But neither group had decided upon a plan of action.
Impatient, I called my friend, Mellissa Takeuchi, fellow Hyogo-ken JET alum, to brainstorm. We thought of ideas for fundraising, but the one immediate and tangible takeaway from the conversation was that we should establish a Facebook page to catalogue the ongoing narrative of the Tohoku Earthquake, the tsunami disaster and the ensuing recovery effort.
Alan (far right) with 1992-94 Kamaishi JETs (L to R: Kevin McCallum, Yves Lacasse, Kathryn Morris,) on top of Mt. Shiroyama, Ohtsuchi, 1992.
By Alan Mockridge (UK JET, Iwate-ken, 1992-94) for JQ magazine. Alan was one of 14 JET alums selected for the Tohoku Invitational Program sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Tourism Agency. He is a co-owner of Intralink, which provides business development services for U.S./European companies wishing to do business in/with Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. Post-JET, he lived in Japan for 13 years before moving to Santa Clara, California in 2008. Intralink employs half a dozen fluent Japanese speaking JET alums in its Tokyo office.
Until a friend at university who I was studying German with suggested we apply for the JET Program as a year out after graduation, I could not even have located Japan on the map. On my application form I answered the question, “Do you have a placement request?” as “Somewhere rural.”
I got my wish. I was placed in Ohtsuchi, a fishing town of less than 15,000 people on Japan’s northeast Pacific coast, where I taught English as an assistant language teacher in three senior high schools: Ohtsuchi, Kamaishi Kita and Yamada. The experience changed my life but although I have remained intimately connected with Japan over the past 17 years, my direct links to these schools have naturally faded over time. That changed in the early hours of March 12, 2011 (PST).
When I saw the first earthquake and tsunami news reports coming out of Iwate my memories came racing back. I realized that I had lost contact with most of the teachers and townsfolk who had befriended me. There had been no e-mail or cell phones when I left in 1994, and gradually my New Year’s cards started to go undelivered from around 2008 as teachers were moved to different posts further and further from the coast. I decided I had to find them all again, just to tell them that I had not forgotten their kindness. Read More
JQ Magazine: JQ&A with Author/JET Alum David Namisato on ‘Life After the B.O.E. the Book’
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"The JET Programme mantra is “Every Situation is Different,” but so much of the frustrations and the joys that we encounter are very similar. I wanted a vehicle for us to laugh together." (Illustration courtesy of David Namisato)
By Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08) for JQ magazine. Rick manages the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY)’s Twitter page and is the creator of the JETwit column Tadaima!
It’s probably happened to you over the last few years; you’re sitting at work, or maybe at home and an old buddy of yours from JET forwards you a link. You open it, and it’s a hilarious comic about life as a JET skillfully drawn with a mix of humor and nostalgia that pretty much makes your day. Life After the B.O.E. by David Namisato (Aomori-ken CIR, 2002-04) has given many a JET Alum a good laugh. If you’re anything like me, you’ve thought, “If this was a book, it would be a perfect Christmas present for those guys I still keep in contact with.” Well, David is happy to oblige.
David has now published a book of those comics, and we were lucky enough to catch up with him and pick his brain about it. With his comics popping up on other sites, it seems even a wider audience is getting into David’s work. In this exclusive interview, we ask him about his time on JET, his inspirations, and what he’s looking to do in the future.
What made you decide to publish this book?
I wasn’t planning to do a book initially, but a conversation with Lynn Miyauchi, JET Program Coordinator at the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle, about the benefits of having a printed book (having something to read in your hands, something you can give as a gift) changed my mind.
So how did you get into art? Were you inspired at all by Japanese art/manga/etc.?
I drew a lot throughout childhood and dreamt of being a comic book artist. I grew up on a healthy diet of manga.
What brought you to Japan?
I was in the process of dropping out of animation school, and didn’t want to do anything art-related. I thought of some of the other skills I had, and I thought that the JET Programme would be an excellent way to transition myself in to a completely different career path.
Amber Liang and Sean Harley explain the art of getting a job without ever asking (i.e., informational interviews). (Steven Horowitz)
By Carolyn Brooks (Ishikawa-ken, 2006-11) for JQ magazine. Carolyn is co-author of the blog MadSilence–a cross-cultural blog written with her father–and a current culture/education related job-seeker in the New York area available for full-time or consulting work.
JET alumni from all walks of life gathered this weekend at the Nippon Club in New York City to talk about something important to us all: jobs and how to get them. The Career Forum is a much-anticipated event, with JETAA New York providing a varied and well-planned series of presentations for recent returnees and new career searchers alike.
“We hold this event annually to help the recent returnees get settled back in New York, provide job hunting advice and techniques for highlighting the JET experience on their resume, and give them the opportunity to meet alumni and recruiters in their possible career fields,” said JETAANY president Monica Yuki (Saitama, 2002-04). The Career Forum achieved all those objectives with flying colors, as well as giving us recent returnees a taste of home, which for many of us suffering from reverse culture shock was as welcome as the career advice.
Evan Hyman (Osaka, 1995-96) started the presentations off with a bang, sharing the 10 most important lessons he’s learned in his 14 years since JET. Over the years he’s worked in marketing and planning with some of the world’s largest companies (including Pepperidge Farm and Johnson & Johnson), but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t encountered the same road bumps that new jobseekers do. Some of his advice included practical matters like “Network, network, network!”; “Utilize as many recruiters as you can”; and “Your job search will be determined by the economy”; but it was his more personal advice that really struck me.
Lesson #9 was “It can take a really long time to realize what you want to do.” Mr. Hyman’s had some jobs that, while lucrative and attractive, just weren’t for him. It was those jobs that helped him find his “sweet spot” and learn skills that got him the jobs he liked. No experience is ever wasted! Lesson #5, my personal favorite, was “Have a passion for what you do!” If you work at a job you’re not interested in, you’re not going to do your best work, so find your passion and see how you can use it in a career. Read More
Kirsten Phillips strikes a Yosakoi pose.
By Sierra Soleil (Fukushima-ken, 2000-02) for JQ magazine. Sierra works at an ESL school in Manhattan. He enjoys teaching, writing, and riding his bike.
The first weekend of November marked the ninth annual Japan Arts Matsuri (JAM) in New York, this year at the Theater for the New City in the East Village. With about 30 volunteers and a handful of business sponsors, JAM put on an excellent show for roughly a thousand people over the three exciting days.
The entryway and lobby of the theater was crammed with tables selling everything from okashi and yakisoba to clothes and handicrafts, though most people in the know went directly for the Sendai miso cream puffs, and for good reason. There were even two carnival games: a simple one involving throwing a plastic katana at prizes, and an incomprehensible one where people poked little cookies with needles for some reason. Nearly every table was also raising money for earthquake/tsunami relief.
Every day of the three-day matsuri had music and dance performances, but Saturday was Talent Night, where performers could compete for a special invitation to perform at next year’s JAM. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Talent Night, which was good, because it was as wildly erratic as any cross-section of modern Japanese music and dance should be. The first act I caught was Robin’s Egg Blue, a cheerful acoustic pop group. They were followed by a band called Firesign, which was meant to be metal, though any spell they cast dissipated immediately when, as they left the stage, one of the emcees decided to reassure us that they were all very polite in person. After that there were modern and traditional dances, a gospel singer, a karaoke cover of Cee Lo Green’s smash hit (the “Forget You” version, of course), and a fascinating collaboration between a belly dancer and a beatboxer.
The show was billed as being like Amateur Night at the Apollo, and there was some resemblance. The acts were short, and before each intermission the audience chose their favorite via applause. Looking at the lineup, it occurred to me that JAM’s offering was a lot more diverse than anything I’ve seen at Amateur Night. One of the matsuri’s goals is to share Japanese culture with Americans, and the lesson to take from Talent Night is that culturally, the Japanese really are into everything. It also occurred to me that the power to vote by cheering for a performer we liked meant a lot less without the power to impeach them by booing.
I came to Talent Night specifically to meet with JET alumna Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08), a member of the Yosakoi Dance Project 10tecomai. The first impression she makes is everything a JET is supposed to be: energetic, cheerful, with a kind of wide-eyed enunciation that makes everything sound exciting. She went directly from teaching in Japan to teaching special education in New York, and it immediately seems like she would be good at it.
JQ Magazine: Film Review – Sion Sono’s ‘Cold Fish’ an Antisocially Acquired Taste
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“In the end, Sono really does ask us about our humanity, and what life is about. Sure, he takes the bloody, abusive, rape-filled path, but he does touch on some solid stuff. It’s a lot of big questions wrapped in a gory, misogynistic, boob-exposing gift box.” (Courtesy Salient Media)
By Rick Ambrosio (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08) for JQ magazine. Rick manages the JET Alumni Association of New York (JETAANY)’s Twitter page and is the creator of the JETwit column Tadaima!
I was hungry, real hungry after work and was about 20 minutes early to the New York Museum of Art and Design near Columbus Circle to see the movie Cold Fish 「冷たい熱帯魚」, so I walked a block to Good Burger and grabbed an overpriced hamburger. As I arrived back to the museum, I sat next to Shree (name changed to protect the innocent) who was midway through a burrito. With minutes left before the movie started, we headed into the museum and down some wooden steps to the theater. Walking in I was pretty surprised; we were only accompanied by seven or eight other patrons. Little did I know that it was a blessing in disguise…fewer people to feel awkward around after the movie.
Oh yes, the movie. How do I write about Cold Fish? It’s a little difficult. I suppose I can do it like this:
Cold Fish is a film directed by the controversial Sion Sono (whose month-long, eight-film retrospective wraps this week at MAD) and stars Denden and Mitsuru Fukikoshi. The film is based on real murders that took place in Fukushima. The story begins well enough: A timid man named Nobuyuki (Mitsuru Fukikoshi) with a rebellious daughter (Hiraki Kajiwara) and a hot trophy wife (gravure idol Megumi Kagurazaka) is feeling disconnected and regretful. They own a tropical fish shop. Through an awkward circumstance they meet Mr. Murata (Denden) and his attractive wife (Asuka Kurosawa), both of whom also own a tropical fish shop.
From there, shit just gets weird. That’s the only way I can explain it, folks. And it wasn’t just because the film cut out four times while we watched it. (Apparently, there were Blu-ray issues…through most of the movie. The museum might want to buy a new player before they hold another festival.) Anyway, Mr. Murata decides to bring Nobuyuki on as a partner, but not before hiring his daughter at his shop and sleeping with his wife (who apparently enjoys rough treatment, to put it mildly).
As Nobuyuki is introduced as the new partner, the old partner finds himself exiting the business via a poisonous death. This is where things kick into the next gear, and Murata forces Nobuyuki to assist with the disposal of the body. The whole body disposal process is presented with great detail. I’m serious about this part—after watching this movie, I am fairly confident that anyone could make a dead body disappear.
The plot then dives deeper and deeper into the dark comedy that is Murata’s utter disregard for human life and the director’s utter disregard for your stomach. By the way, did I mention that this film is very graphically violent? If you aren’t into that kind of thing, find another show; this movie revels in its ability to test what you can deal with gore-wise. If you enjoy severed heads and genitalia being tossed around a bathroom, you’ve found your dream movie.
JQ Magazine: Concert Review – DREAMS COME TRUE in New York City
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(Courtesy Chimera R. Productions)
By David A. in Virginia, special to JQ magazine.
Japanese mega-band DREAMS COME TRUE (ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー a.k.a. ドリカム) made a very rare U.S. appearance at the Highline Ballroom in New York City on October 9, the first of two shows that sold out within days of their announcement in July. Many thanks to fanpage DCT Joy for notifying its members of this wonderful event. For those of us not in New York, Los Angeles, or Seattle, we otherwise might not have known about it.
At dusk, around 6:30, the line already was down the block for admission to the inconspicuous Highline Ballroom in Chelsea. On this unseasonably warm October Sunday evening, the anticipation was palpable, the “DCT Joy” bringing alive the night. One walks upstairs to the ballroom, spare and easy to navigate. The management asks those seated on the floor of the “pit” to stand so that the crowd can fill the room.
First of all, a big shout-out to Justin Tedaldi (Kobe-Shi CIR, 2001-02) at JQ magazine. This reviewer cannot thank you enough. Also, thanks to Reiko from the DCT organization for her kind words.
Prior to the show, the house PA played a recording of some of DCT’s most well-known melodies, such as “Ano Natsu no Hanabi” and “Ureshii! Tanoshii! Daisuki!”, performed on soft bells.
Promptly at 8:00, introductions were made first by a woman in Japanese, to great enthusiasm from the audience; then a man said, “New York City! Are you ready for DREAMS COME TRUE?!” “A theme of the WONDERLAND” played as the fifteen-piece band-and-dance ensemble walked on stage, followed by Masato Nakamura (中村 正人). Although the Highline Ballroom has a standing capacity of 700, with a few dozen dinner tables on the balcony, the roar from the crowd was as if they were in an arena. With the theme concluded, Miwa Yoshida (吉田 美和) arrived, with her hair tied back and wearing a loose-fitting, light pink outfit; and, with her familiar exclamation “DREAMS COME TRUE in WONDERLAND….!!!”, the band launched into a heavy version of “Nando Demo,” as the crowd danced, waved, and cheered, encouraged by Miwa in all of her boundless energy.
