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RANMAGAZINE.COM
May / June 2010
| ISSUE 5 |

There'sSomethingHappeningHere
art・music・life

Nagoya Hea lt h a nd Lifestyle

 Forward
初 All
め
に
system
s
GO!
A
nyone who tells you putting together a bi-monthly
magazine is an easy task is blowing smoke. We bust
our balls to get this out to you every two, but we enjoy
the task. We took it upon ourselves, it’s a self-mandate, and we
dig doing it.
People ask me, “…how did you do it? How did you start?
What did you do? ..how did you do it…”
I tell them it started with an idea. Then it blossomed into
a project. Then it took shape as a reality. Now it’s in your
hands…
Life is like that. It begins as some concept, a wish maybe,
if enough energy is invested into that wish, it expands like
lungs. When that energy meets some quark of opportunity,
BANG, an explosion happens in sub-space and the thing
becomes real.
Spring arrives sort of like that too. It’s cold, interminably.
Your bones hurt, your spirit cries for warmth, your skin needs
to breathe, there are a million smiles to be had. Green grass,
outdoors, naked legs, life heats up, it’s good then. Spring is a
new chance at romance. The return of hope. Love is in the air,
breathe it in.
We banged out our first ROCK THIS TOWN in March,
made some money for less fortunate folks in Haiti, and blew
the doors off the HARD ROCK CAFÉ with Nagoya’s finest
musicians like no one’s business. RTT was a loud-ass WE’RE
HERE from the mouth of Nagoya to the world.
We’re doing it again. Soon. Details to follow…in early
July we’ve got the hottest FOURTH OF JULY BANG BANG
BOOGIE party you’ve ever been to. It’ll be on Facebook and
everywhere else. Sit tight..
What are you doing? What are you making? Planning
something? Show? Speak? Sing? Play?
Show it in RAN. We’re for you. We’re on your side. We are
Lady GaGa for you mon frère. Dozou. Come inside, we’re all
inside. IRRASHAIMASEN…welcome!
They say if you don’t have your health, you don’t
have anything. We agree. Health is golden . Nevermind
GoldenWeek, how about Golden Life.
We put this issue together thinking about how we could
help ourselves, and you, become healthier, but we did it in
RAN style.

Rock The Bells.

Get Up. Get Out.
Get Something.
TDHouchen, RANPublisher

2 |RAN|
 CONTENTS May / June 2010 - ISSUE NO. 5

48 NEW! - The Pagoda Diaries

features
Starting this issue, Edwin Putman shares with us his
book, The Pagoda Diaries, one piece at a time.

48 Queer Eye for the Tokai

48 Yu shares his thoughts on growing up gay in Aichi.

Fishy Business
Exploring the Yanagibashi Fish Market

48 Unit Yoga
48 Patience, Young Grasshopper
Martial Arts in Nagoya
cover and sakura photos: ACHIM RUNNEBAUM
cover model: DEYANIRA HAMADA
48 Are You Losing Your Religion?
RAN's guide to Nagoya's spiritual centers

48 The Green Spot

departments

Who's Afraid of Frankenfoods?

48 Deadly D's Final Word

Tradition vs Freedom, Group vs Individual,
Never the Twain Shall Meet

Publisher: TD Houchen
Chief Editor: Jason L. Gatewood
48 Create
Copy Editor: Larry Defelippi Elios Nishiwaki - Soile*
Photography: Achim Runnebaum
Chief Designer: Adrien Sanborn
Illustrator/Designer: Adam Pasion
48 Should I Stay or Should I Go?
CHEERS! Here's to home!

Send story ideas to:

editor@ranmagazine.com
48 When In Rome
Send photography Ishin Denshin - read the air
and illustration to:
submit@ranmagazine.com
To advertise, contact:
48 RAN Recommends
ad-sales@ranmagazine.com
Promotional Events/Co-Promotion: Taste
tdhouchen@ranmagazine.com
48 Inñuniq

www.
ranmagazine
.com 48 RAN ZOO
We couldn't get away with saying shit like this,
but animals can.

|RAN| 3
The G reen SPOT
環 | By Achim Runnebaum |
境
Who’s a fraid of
Frankenfoods?
"Learn from me . . . how dangerous is the acquirement of
knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his
native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become
greater than his nature will allow."
-from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Y
ou're probably wondering why I'm quoting Frankenstein
here in the Greenspot. Well, let's recap the gist of
the story for a second. In the book, a scientist tries to
meddle with nature and create the perfect human from various
different parts. Of course, things go awry and the creation
turned on its creator and chaos ensues. Folks, the same is
happening out there in the real world, only difference is, this
is not a fictional story, and the "monster" is not a humanoid
figure, but rather your food. That's right, every day, Scientists
are hard at work, meddling with nature, trying to create
Genetically Modified foods that will (at least on paper) cure
disease, give you more nutritional value per serving, inoculate
you against diseases, and even cure allergies.
Do you think I'm making all this up, or that it's not going
to happen in your lifetime? Think again. It's happening
now, chances are you've already eaten some form of GM
foods. So why, you may be asking at this point, is this such
a bad thing? Well, just like good 'ole Dr. Frankenstein didn't
anticipate the outcome of his experiment, there's a high
potential for all kinds of things to go haywire ecologically,
4 |RAN|
photo: ACHIM RUNNEBAUM; model: NINA MATSUSHIMA; image alteration: ADAM PASION
as well as genetically.
*What are genetically-modified foods?
The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified
organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants
created for human or animal consumption using the latest
molecular biology techniques. These plants have been
modified to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance
to herbicides or improved nutritional content.
Genetic Engineering can create plants with the exact
desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For
example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible
for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different
plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought
tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one
plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also
can be used. The best known example of this is the use of B.t.
genes in corn and other crops. B.t., or Bacillus thuringiensis, is
a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins
that are lethal to insect larvae. B.t. crystal protein genes have
been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its
own pesticides against insects.
Sounds outlandish, right? Think this won't affect you here
in Japan? Think again: In Japan, for example, an antistress
chocolate, using the hormone GABA, has had huge sales
success. For those of you who slept right through your
Biology or Chemistry classes; GABA or gamma aminobutyric
acid is an amino acid that reduces neuron activity and thus,
does not allow the nerve cells to become over-stimulated. This
in turn reduces stress. GABA has also been successfully used
for epilepsy, hypertension and a few other conditions. I don't
know about you, but I truly believe in the statement ,"Your
Body is your Temple"-- I, for one do not want any of that stuff
in my body without my prior consent.
The fun doesn't stop there though: In Japan, researchers
have developed a rice strain that would fight Vitamin A
deficiency. But (luckily), it hasn't made it to market yet.
All this sounds great, right? Well, here's some things that
Frankenfoods promise you:
Pest resistance, so it's easier to grow certain foods;
Disease resistance, so less chemicals will have to be used
for the upkeep of crops;
Cold tolerance, so the season for growing these foods can
last longer, yielding more returns;
Nutritional benefits (untested), such as higher doses of
Vitamin/Mineral content. And as such, the GM's are being
hailed as the solution to the world hunger problem...
Now, holster your wallets, and don't start running to the
nearest supermarket yet, because here are the things these
biotech companies won't tell you:
There's a serious Potential for harm to other organisms
(GM Corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly
caterpillars in a U.S. study, for example).
Potential of Gene Transfer to Non-Target Species. Oh, and
not to forget the unknown effects on human health in addition
to proven allergenic properties.
As one Scientist put it: "The genetically engineered
crops now being grown represent a massive uncontrolled
experiment whose outcome is inherently unpredictable. The
results could be catastrophic." -Dr. Barry Commoner, Harpers
magazine, February 2002.
In 2005, scientists found that GE enzymes used to speed
up fermentation in yeast were producing a 40 to 200 times
the amount methylglyoxal, a toxic and mutagenic substance.
(International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 30:
141-146.)
In the late 1990s studies conducted by Dr. Arpad Pusztai in
Scotland showed that potatoes, gene-spliced with a substance
called lectin from a snowdrop plant, caused major damage to
laboratory rats-suppressing their immune systems, damaging
vital organs, and producing what appeared to be a severe
viral infection in their stomach linings and digestive system.
After going public with his test results, Pusztai was fired from
his lab and denigrated by the biotech establishment. Despite
recommendations by the British Royal Society that Pusztai's
research should be continued, the British government and the
biotech industry have refused to provide the funds to carry out
these tests.
Of course, there's also the potential for the big guy,
cancer, particularly non-Hodgkin 's Lymphoma to come into
the picture. Not to mention the adverse effects Frankenfoods
have on the environment, such as polluting organic and non-
GE crops; damaging soil fertility; killing beneficial insects and
soil microorganisms; creating Superpests and Superweeds,
etc. But wait, there's more, if you act now, for the very low
price of 9.99 plus shipping and handling, you get all this, plus
we'll throw in an extra bonus for you: Aventis' Glufosinate,
a herbicide sprayed widely on GE crops, has been linked to
birth defects, learning disabilities, and abnormal behavior in
children.
It should come as no surprise that 80 percent of Germans,
78 percent of French and 70 percent of Japanese are less
likely to buy genetically modified foods. Even 63 percent
of Americans surveyed said they would be less likely to buy
those kinds of foods. However,
GM means big business: It is estimated that about 27
percent of total U.S. soybean acreage was planted with
genetically modified strains of the crop, and 23 percent
to 34 percent of corn-planted acreage produced modified
varieties. Now here comes the shocking insight: Japan is one
of the world's largest importers of genetically modified food
crops!!! This is due to the low self-sufficiency ratios in Japan,
and the increase of GM crop farming in certain exporting
countries. In addition, the Japanese food labelling system is so
partial and confusing that consumers are not able to make an
educated choice. ...In Japan, only a few foods, such as natto,
tofu and miso, are labelled. In addition, only the top three
ingredients need to be labelled, and the rest of the ingredients
are not covered by the GM labelling legislation. In Europe,
GM labelling is required if there is a presence of GM as low
as 0.9%, while the limit in Japan is 5%. For example, when
we import soybeans from the United States, they may be
contaminated by 1% of GM soybeans without any labelling
requirements. The same product sold in Japan would be
labelled as non-GM while in Europe, it would be labelled as a
GM food.
So the issue is right at our doorstep, folks. Because this
information is finally coming to light, there's been a huge
public outcry and many people are rallying against the import
of Frankenfoods. What does all this have to do with you? We
are what we eat, and also the masters of our fate. We are the
ones who should control what we eat, but that control has
been taken from us. Because of commercial interests, the
public is being denied the right to know about GM ingredients
in the food chain, and therefore losing the right to avoid them
despite the presence of labeling laws in certain countries.
Biological diversity must be protected and respected as
the global heritage of humankind, and one of our world's
fundamental keys to survival. It's time we take that control
back. We must take a stand against altering these foods,
which could potentially wreak havoc on the environment, our
bodies and our children's bodies.
Don't let the big companies tell you that it's all Ok. Do
your own research and equip yourself with the weapons of
information and knowledge. Don't believe all the hype from
the biotech companies, lest human health will continue to
suffer while they're making a profit.
More information and a petition
can be found at:
http://ran4.us/greenpeace-rice
|RAN| 5
 PAGODA
THE
DIARIES

O N U T
T E R D
T M I S
CHAP
TER 3
D AY A
S T E R
YE
| Story and pictures by EJP |

Y
ou don’t mince words. You don’t need to. All you need to
do—all you want to do—is tell the truth. This is a difficult
country. Sure, it used to be easier. More fun too. It’s like
an affair in that way—an illicit affair. It’s gotten more difficult
over time.
Can there be another nation in the world like this one, where
the more you learn about it the less welcome you feel?
The less you knew about your surroundings here the happier
you were in them, and you were happiest here when you didn’t
know anything at all. Now you know way too much, and you
long for those fun filled days when you didn’t. You long for that
ignorance. Because that’s another thing everybody says, and at
least in this environment, you believe it’s true—ignorance is bliss.
Yesterday was a difficult day. You finished work and headed
home on the train. It was your last day of work. It was finally your
summer vacation. You were tired. You’re always tired. Everybody
here is tired, it seems. You stopped off at a place called Mister
Donut. This is exactly what it sounds like, a cheap donut shop
with cheap coffee and Western music. It’s near your home and

6 |RAN|
you go there two or three times a week because it’s easy. You
always have a book to read or some work to do.
Your trip started today, and yesterday you were just looking
over some ideas. You know basically where you intend to
go, but you like to have options, and knowledge is the key.
Ignorance here is bliss. You know that. But bliss has an ugly
underside too, even if the ignorant can’t see it, and you like to
know things. You keep reading. You keep planning. You keep
preparing. Preparing is half the fun, after all. You were sitting
quietly at a table, reading your guide book, checking out train
schedules, consulting a map. You were minding your own
business. You always mind your own business. You never talk
to anybody.
In fact, you couldn’t talk to anybody if you wanted to,
not at Mister Donut anyway, because nobody ever sits near
you. You’re a gaijin. The place gets busy, and from time to
time every table is full but the one on either side of you. A
customer may come in, buy a couple of donuts, and looking
around for a place to sit, simply not see anything open. Oh,
he’ll see the tables next to you where nobody is sitting, but he
won’t see that they’re open, because sitting beside a gaijin is
out of the question anyway. It’s not about you, it’s about him.
He wouldn’t be comfortable there. Often, he’d rather stand
and wait for another table to open. Sometimes he’d rather
even leave than sit beside a gaijin. Who needs a donut that
bad, after all? Not when his entire reputation is at stake!
You try to ignore these people, realizing that you don’t
want to sit by them either. That would be easier to do, though,
if it was only a few people. It’s not. In Japan, or at least in
Nagoya, to any statistically meaningful degree, it’s everybody.
Some are more willing to sit near you than others, but nobody,
and you mean nobody, would choose of his own volition
to sit beside you if he had other options. That is, of course,
unless he wanted to practice his English. Or more likely,
unless she wanted to practice hers. But nobody who isn’t
interested in English—nobody who isn’t hoping to practice
a little English on you—is ever going to sit by you. That’s a
fact. It’s an unimportant fact, maybe, but a depressing one, at
least for you.
So yesterday, two women came into Mr. Donut together
and the only open tables were beside you. They stood in front
of one for a few seconds like a couple of kids at the edge of
the pool, debating, should they jump in or not, was it safe,
could they actually do it without embarrassing themselves,
without being looked at funny, without getting into some
kind of trouble? Could they get away with this without
feeling weird, without a sense of shame? And of course,
without drowning?
It was the only table available, except for the one on the
other side of you, so what was there to think about, one might
ask. But not one who’s been in Japan for very long. Anyone
who knows Japan at all knows what a difficult situation this
is for a Japanese person. It’s not that they hate you. Hate is a
word seldom heard in this country. The Japanese aren’t haters.
In fact, they are extremely kind and forgiving people. And as
everybody knows, they are peaceful. That’s not merely a myth.
It’s the truth. Yet they feel such an overbearing difference
between them and you that, even if they can’t explain it or
justify it, even if they can’t admit it, your very presence makes
them uneasy. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Sitting near
a gaijin, they feel somehow less Japanese. You’re an infidel,
and maybe they’re afraid that by association their own fidelity
may come into question. They don’t want to sit close to you
and, unless there’s no alternative, except for the rare oddball,
they won’t.
But in this case, yesterday, for these two hapless
women, there appeared to be no alternative. One of the
shop attendants rushed over and brushed off the table. He
pulled out a chair for one of them. He was really just trying
to put them at ease. Shi-kata-ga-nai, is what the Japanese
say in this situation, there’s nothing one can do. In fact,
this defeatist expression is so common here it rests on the
national psyche like a turd on the sidewalk. Indeed, it’s
among the first Japanese expressions you ever learned—
what can one do but grin and bear it? And that’s what the
young attendant was trying to convey to the two women. They
were just going to have to brace up and sit down next to the
unusually large gaijin.
Just then, though, as the one woman had already settled
herself down on the chair and the other was beginning to
slide onto the bench next to you, an older woman sitting by
herself one table removed, got up sprightly and said, “It’s OK.
You two can have my table. I’ll move over here,” then with no
further ado, she moved to the next table down, which she’d
unilaterally decided to share with the young woman already
sitting there reading a book.
So that’s what happened. The first two women slid to the
table the older woman had vacated for them, the old woman
sat down with the girl, and just like that, the problem was
solved. None of them was sitting next to you.
But let’s consider this entire affair for a minute, because
this is Japan, and any attempt to deny this phenomenon or
to downplay it is to misunderstand and misconstrue the very
nature of the Japanese ideology. You’re not saying they’re
bad. You don’t even think they’re bad. You love Japan. And
generally, you love the Japanese. But they are what they are,
and this is it. It’s not about good and bad. It’s about being
Japanese and not being. And the defining fact of the matter is
that you’re not!
We need to consider all the factors at play here: One.
Of all the customers who came into the shop after you’d sat
down, none of them chose to sit at either table next to you,
or even appeared to consider it, till after every other table
was full. Two. Whatever their reasons, the two women were
clearly reluctant to sit there, and only gave into the notion
after the manager pulled out the chair for one of them. Three.
The old woman at the other table, without being asked or
told a thing, was able not only to perceive the difficulty the
other two women were having, but to sympathize enough
with them that she was willing to give up her own seat over
the matter. Indeed, she considered this an act of kindness—
you know this because she would soon tell you so. Three.
The young woman reading the book understood the situation
well enough to allow the old lady—a complete stranger,
presumably—to share a table with her while the tables on
either side of you remained perfectly empty. Four. The tables
nobody wanted to sit at were both perfectly good tables with
two perfectly clean seats each, and they offered the same
amount of space as every other table in the room. They just
happened to be next to you. Five. You just happen to be a
gaijin. Six. This did not happen by agreement or conspiracy. It
happened automatically and, in this country, for better or for
worse, quite naturally. It happened because all four women
understood instinctively that this was best for everybody,
including you, supposedly, at least in all of their minds, for
surely none of them appeared to consider for a moment that
|RAN| 7
you might find all of this hullabaloo over seating arrangements
at the local donut shop the least bit strange, not to mention
outright fucking offensive.
You’re so used to this phenomenon by now that you
shouldn’t even care anymore. And though you still consider it
strange you certainly know it isn’t unusual.
You know you can’t change it, certainly not by getting
angry, but yesterday was a bad day. You did get angry. You
tried to keep quiet but you couldn’t. You said, “Excuse me
ladies, but explain this to me. Tell me why that table is so
much better than this one that you decided it was worth all
the trouble to move from this table to that one, a mere meter
away. No! It’s less than a meter! Tell me what’s wrong with
this table. I’m just curious, because this table looks exactly the
same as that one to me. So explain why all four of you have
gone to so much trouble so that you two can sit there and not
here. Because, to be perfectly frank, I think it’s because I don’t
look Japanese.”
“Chigaimasu.” That’s not correct.
“What’s not correct? You didn’t move? Or this table isn’t
the same as that one? Or I don’t look Japanese?”
“Chigaimasu.”
These ladies are fifty years old, at least, and all they can
think to say is “that’s not correct”?
Fuck a duck!
But it’s your own damn fault. You’re an idiot. You know
this kind of conversation cannot possibly go anywhere. You
should have just kept your mouth shut in the first place. You
can’t blame a dog for barking, and you can’t make him stop.
Everybody knows that but you. You never learn.
In fact, what chigaimasu really means, if one looks it up
in a dictionary, is “different”, and what the ladies are saying
is “the situation is ‘different’ than you think,” and what they
mean by this is you couldn’t possibly understand the situation
anyway. But you do understand it. They just don’t feel
comfortable around you. You aren’t Japanese. You probably
understand this better than they do. You just don’t like it as
much. But you’re stupid to fight it. You can’t possibly win.
Pointing at the one woman you said, “You were sitting
right here, your friend was sliding in right there at the bench,
then this old battle-ax—she moved over there to sit with a
perfect stranger, and you two moved right there. Now explain
that to me. I really want to know. Is that table actually better
in some way than this table right here beside me? Or is there
something about me that makes you uncomfortable? It’s not
because I’m a gaijin is it? You’re not that insanely xenophobic,
are you?” But of course they are. Everybody is.
“I’m sorry,” the one lady said. “Gomen-nasai.” This is the
way a child apologizes for spilling the milk or something.
“Yeah, sure, but that doesn’t explain anything, does it. I
want you to explain this to me.”
“I was just being kind,” the old lady who had moved
over said, suddenly, with a marginally angry edge, probably
unhappy about being called an old battle-ax.
“Yeah? Where’s the kindness in it? Tell me that,” you said,
addressing her now. “What makes you think these two ladies
8 |RAN|
are going to be happier sitting there beside you than they
would be sitting here beside me, because as near as I can
tell these tables are exactly the same. And how about this
woman?” you add, indicating the young woman who’d been
reading a book and minding her own business till all this
started, as, by the way, had you. “What makes you think she
wants you to sit with her? Is it just because you’re so kind?”
“Gomen-nasai,” the first woman said again.
“Explain it to me,” you demanded, standing up now,
looming over these poor women with ponderous bulk,
“because, if you don’t mind me speaking plainly, I think it’s
because I’m a goddamn gaijin!”
“Chigaimasu.”
“There’s no other goddamn explanation!” you screamed.
“You people are racist and you don’t even know it. You’re
dumb as a bunch of sheep!” Your situation was hopeless and
you did know it. This is Japan, and the gaijin is always wrong
here. In a situation like this, no Japanese person will ever
take the side of the gaijin. Facts become irrelevant. So does
logic. Most people will just look away, ignoring you, the noisy
gaijin, completely. And those who do look at you will look at
you like you’re crazy.
Maybe you are.
Japan is a difficult country. It can be difficult for a gaijin to
maintain his composure. Also, his sanity.
But a gaggle of old hens has a right to sit wherever they
want, after all. It’s none of your business where they sit. And
it’s not like they’ve done this intentionally to hurt you. This
isn’t a lynch mob. It’s just a few ladies eating donuts. They
have no desire to hurt you. They don’t even understand how
they’ve hurt you. Thus the insistent “chigaimasu”. That isn’t
correct. It isn’t what you think. These are the things they want
to say. It isn’t about you; it’s about them. But you know that
already. It’s an impossible situation for you. You tend to feel
uncomfortable around people who feel uncomfortable around
you. It would be easier if, in fact, they did hate you. But they
don’t. Hatred isn’t part of the problem. It doesn’t even come
into play. That’s the part they think you don’t understand. But
you do understand that part. It’s the rest of it that baffles you.
Once again the woman says “chigaimasu.”
The floor manager comes and puts a hand on your back.
You’ve been coming to this shop for six years now. He knows
you. He’s seen this kind of trouble before. There isn’t much
else he can do.
“You’re all racists,” you said. “This whole miserable
country. You’re all nasty racists!” and you left. But the only
one angry was you. The only one who’d said anything nasty
was you. The only one who’d sounded like a racist was you. In
short, the one and only belligerent jackass on the scene at the
donut shop yesterday was you. You. You. You.
So yesterday was a bad day. You went home. You finished
packing for your trip. Then you charged your camera batteries.
You cleaned out the refrigerator, reorganized your i Pod,
and picked up your room. You took out the garbage. All that
took about thirty minutes. You tried to read a book, but you
couldn’t. You took a pill. You went to sleep.
PAGODA
THE
DIARIES
 growing up gay in Aichi
| Story and photo by Adam Pasion |
A
new season has fallen on Nagoya hard and heavy like
a sweaty teenage boyfriend. The pistols and stamens
of spring are firing off plumes of pollen and wreaking
havoc on your olfactory system. It's a good time to be an eye,
nose and throat doctor. They say this is a good time of year to
spot love in the air as well. Can you smell it? No, not that hint
of semen wafting through the air, those are the dogwood trees.
Pop another antihistamine and take another whiff. It should be
there somewhere.
Aichi prefecture is known for its elaborate, if a bit
ostentatious weddings and hospitality, and the name itself
translates to something roughly akin to knowing love (or
was that love knowing?) so if there is any place conducive
to coupling off, this ought to be the place. That all depends
however on the definition of a couple and who is doing the
coupling. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues have
come a long way in Japan in the last few years, especially as
far as how they are portrayed in the media, but in the minds of
the average Nagoya citizen it may have a long way to go still.
On the surface it may seem like Japan is very tolerant of
GLBT issues. Records of homosexuality in Japan date back
to the early Heian era in literature such as “Tales of Genji”
in which the main character, frustrated at being unable to
seduce the woman he loves, settles instead for her younger
brother whom he finds “more attractive than his chilly sister.”
The practice of samurai warriors having sex with young boys,
called shudo is commonly referenced in many historical books
and even in ukiyo-e paintings by Hokusai and Hiroshige.
It was even common practice for buddhist monks who had
taken a vow of celibacy to practice nanshoku, a colorful word
for homosexual sex. Even in modern Japan pornographic
manga often has gay themes. Watching openly gay celebrities
like Akihiro Miwa or Chris Matsumura might give the
impression that Japan is an easy place to be gay, but outside
of the television studio it's a different story. Many gays and
lesbians in Japan never disclose their sexual orientation, and
in some cases even marry heterosexual partners to conceal
their secret. Japanese civil rights codes offer little to no
protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation
and popular comedians like Razor Ramon Hard Gay only
reinforce negative stereotypes. Many people don't distinguish
between gay and transgender. When I told a student that TR
Knight of “Grey's Anatomy” was gay, the response was “but
he doesn't wear women's clothes.”
If one thing is clear, it is that being gay in Nagoya is
anything but simple. To help shine a light on this fuzzy topic I
asked my friend Yu to talk about his experience growing up in
Japan as a gay man.
RAN: How does the foreign gay community get along with
the Japanese gay community in Nagoya?
Yu: Many Japanese gay people want to know where all the
foreigners are. I can only speak from my own experience, but
even on gay sites, its mostly Japanese. Maybe occasionally
somebody is half, or foreign born Japanese. Of course
there are big club events but there is sort of an unspoken
understanding that they are just for Japanese. There isn't any
sort of public point of interaction, no way to meet somebody
in a natural or genuine way. I know there are places where
a lot of gay foreigners get together, but not really any bright,
open place. That sort of genuine gay bar just isn't that popular
yet. I think if a foreigner went in to a Japanese gay bar he
wouldn't find it very interesting. A lot of Japanese really
admire foreigners, so when they see them its sort of like
“wow, how cool” and it ends there. Like a star just walked
in the room.
RAN: The foreigners don't hit on the Japanese guys?
Yu: Maybe they do but I think Japanese people don't know
how to respond. They get surprised and wonder if its a joke or
not. Maybe all they can say is “thank you” or something.
RAN: So communication is the big problem.
Yu: Even on foreign gay sites that have a Japanese page, I will
write my information: “Hi, I'm Yu. I like foreigners” but as I
am writing that I think to myself, “What the hell am I writing?”
Not tall guys or guys with short hair but just a race. But
there are a lot of guys who go on to the Japanese pages of
foreign sites, send e-mails, maybe chat on Skype or
something like that.
RAN: How is Nagoya's gay community different from other
parts of Japan?
Yu: I don't really know but I think the people in Tokyo come
from all over Japan, so each person is more of an individual.
For Nagoyans, their parent's house is here, there are lots of
people they know so the community is more hidden from
sight. There isn't anything like “Nichome” (A popular gay
district in Shinjuku) They can't really invent a new self for
themselves.
RAN: How do you think the people of Nagoya feel about
homosexuality?
Yu: More than Nagoya, Japanese people, people who have
never left Japan, get all their information from TV and mass
communication so they don't really make a distinction
between gay, bisexual or transgender. They watch TV and think
somebody like Haruna Ai is “gay” so for them to see actual
gay men, ordinary men who like men, is probably really rare.
They expect gay men to look or act like women in some way.
I always feel like that, so for me, even if that's not really what I
|RAN| 9
am like I might start acting like that. going to be that
Maybe you don't really feel that easy to find out.
way, you just heard that gay people I don't think even
do that so you start acting that way gay people can tell I
too. There is definitely a stereotype am gay. I know how
I think. to hide it. I think
RAN: So how do you as a gay everybody knows
man feel about people like how to act in a way
Haruna Ai or IKKO? that nobody will find
Yu: Personally I feel really out they are gay. Its
grateful to them. Its because of seriously hard even
those guys...those girls...that for Japanese people to
being gay became mainstream. tell. I think Japanese
Of course they promote the guys might think all
stereotype, for example gay foreigners look gay.
men being really feminine, They have mustaches
but because of them it or they try to look really
became much easier to be macho. Also a lot of the
gay. I think it's still hard to be foreigners who come to
lesbian though. Gay became Japan are really kind and

mainstream but lesbian hasn't
become mainstream yet so
that stereotype still has a
long way to go. There aren't
any female public figures or
entertainers that have come
out as lesbians. Even though
it's not perfect, I am really
grateful to them that gay people can appear on television.
RAN: Do you feel misunderstood? Is it frustrating for you?
Yu: I used to think it was really frustrating. When somebody
would attack me I felt like, “What?!” but if you look at the
individual, it has nothing to do with being gay or not. If
somebody stereotypes me I say “You don't understand because
you are not gay” which is sort of the same thing. You can't
possibly understand a world that you don't know anything
about so your reaction is to attack it.
RAN: Have you ever been teased or discriminated against?
Yu: Being told I act like a woman has become totally normal
for me. Its like a greeting to me now, like that's how people
say “Hi” to me. Some of that stuff I have just gotten used to,
but I could never really get close to other men. I have no
problem making friends with women but its hard to make
friends with other men. But if I have lots of female friends,
other men think I am some kind of player or something and
they complain about that. It's not like that, you know these
are just friends. But I was always really tall so I never got
teased that much. Also because I had a lot of female friends,
the boys didn't really pick on me because they didn't want
the girls to stop liking them. Maybe I just never cared enough
about it. I never got picked on much but I did wrestle with it
a lot.
RAN: In English there is a word called gaydar. It's supposed
to be like RADAR but used by gay people to detect other gay
people. I have heard from many foreigners that their gaydar
doesn't work in Japan. Everybody seems like they might be
gay to them. Is it hard for Japanese men to tell who is gay and
who isn't?
Yu: Its extremely hard. Seriously I have no idea who is gay
or not just by looking. Unless somebody tells you, they are
almost never found out. It's always been there, and I have
just been acting this whole time. I am 28 now and for me its
like this is the 28th year since I became an actor, so it's not
Yu
friendly.
RAN: Can you talk a little
about your experience
coming out to your family
and friends?
Yu: I don't think my
parents were really
surprised so much as
shocked. So shocked they
didn't even know what they
were shocked about. Its like if somebody throws a baseball
at you and you see it coming as it hits you in the face, all
you can say is “Ouch.” But when I came out to my parents it
was like somebody threw the ball at them from behind. They
weren't prepared for it at all. Its was like “What happened?
Where did this blood come from? What should I do? Will it
get better on its own?”
I wanted to tell them, but I didn't really think about what it
would mean. It's not like the world would change if I told
them. It's not like it would make them happy, not even like it
would make me happy to tell them. I honestly didn't think it
would change anything at all. Like telling them “Today I got
some chocolate at school.”
RAN: But in actuality your relationship changed after that?
Yu: I think my parents will never forget that day for the rest
of their lives. For that I feel really sorry. Maybe it would have
been better for them to just let them continue not knowing.
I mean it wasn't hard for me before. I felt like nothing would
change by telling them, and honestly my life didn't really
change that much by coming out. My friends all just sort of
said “Yeah I already knew.”
RAN: So your friends already knew but you think your parents
had no idea
Yu: Either they didn't know, or they didn't want to hear it.
RAN: If the laws in Japan changed and it became legal for
same sex couples to marry, do you think your parents would
come to the wedding?
Yu: I think they would go for me, but I probably wouldn't ask
them to. Its enough for me just that they know the truth. I
don't hope for anything more than that.
RAN: But if you got married would you want your parents to
be close to your husband?
Yu: I didn't want my parents to have to think about things any

10 |RAN|
differently than they would if I had been straight. Your son is
introducing you to somebody so you have to be close to him,
that kind of thing is just too troublesome. Their life is their life
and I don't want my life to affect theirs.
RAN: What do you think is the hardest thing about being gay
in Japan?
Yu: This is just me, but I grew-up without ever really being
taught the words “painful,” “hard,” “depressing” and so on. I
mean regardless of me being gay or not, I really cannot recall
any times in my life that I would describe as “hard.” Of course
there were times when I liked some guy who wasn't gay,
something like that but I never felt like it was really difficult or
felt like I wanted to die because of it. Although it was definitely
tough for me to accept the fact that I was gay. “I want to be
straight! I want to be straight! When am I going to get over
this?” stuff like that.
RAN: Have you actually felt that way before?
Yu: Absolutely. “I want to be straight, when am I going
to be straight?”
RAN: Why is that?
Yu: I don't feel this way now, but before I thought gay sex was
really disgusting. Its all hot and sweaty. I always had this image
in my head of it being sweltering hot and sticky.
RAN: This is absolutely going into the article.
Yu: When I was a high school student that is what I really
thought, “Ah that's gross.” I was disliked by the boys in my
class, and there was always this thing that I could never talk
about. And in my high school nurses office I was reading this
book about gender and stuff. It said something like “Sometimes
high school boys like other men, but this is an illness.” You
know “Its an illness but it will get better with time. Its a
temporary problem. There is no cause for alarm.” This kind of
book is just there in most high school nurse's offices. So for
somebody like me who wanted to be straight, I saw this book
and thought, “Oh it's normal. One day I will get better.” But
of course it's not about getting better or not. Of course that
kind of hardship I can say I have had. Besides that, I guess its
hard that I can't just walk around town with my boyfriend.
We can't go on dates during the day. Other people have much
more difficult experiences, being told by their parents to go
see a doctor, or to get out of the house. I think I am a really
lucky case.
RAN: Do you think a lot of people are just hiding
their sexuality?
Yu: A lot of them are. Until you are 20 years old, you know,
until you leave the house you can't come out about it. There
are also a lot of people that never come out, a lot of people
who just get married and have a secret life. If I think about
things being hard then everything becomes hard. But that is
what everyone wants to hear. In an hour long conversation
the happy parts are finished in 5 minutes, and the rest of the
time its like “You know so-and-so is such a ….” For example
the gay people who show up on television have to talk about
how difficult their life is. They have to create tough situations
for themselves. Nobody wants to see a guy like me on there
where everyone says “Wow you've enjoyed a really happy life
until now haven't you.”
RAN: Even in this interview I never asked about what the
happiest part of being gay in Japan is.
Yu: Tiger Woods isn't going to get in the papers by talking
about how happy he is.
RAN: Any final comments for the readers of RAN?
Yu: I am available.
Deadly's Tips
恋
愛

Tradition vs Freedom,
関
係

Group vs Individual...
Never the Twain Shall Meet

| By Deadly D |

S
o much has been said and written about this that I'm
not going to dwell on it here. Japan is very proud of its
traditions, as it should be, as are most other countries.
Each of us, however, is raised in our separate culture with a
traditional set of assumptions about the way things should
be that very often has nothing to do with logic or reality.
"Older" cultures like the Germans, English, Indians and
Japanese don't have as much trouble dealing with traditional
ways of thought as do the cultures that arose out of more
rebellious individualistic backgrounds like Australians, New
Zealanders, Americans, Latinos and Filipinos. In Japan this
is compounded by their much talked about and studied
group mentality. In fact, Japan may be the only country on
earth where everyone insists that they are all the same, a
stereotype. In Japan the word unique is a scathing criticism,
denoting one's stubbornness, selfishness and refusal to work
harmoniously with the group. People from individualistic-
oriented cultures like Australia and the US prize their own
uniqueness, often going to somewhat silly extremes to
prove how special each one of them is. No one wants to
be thought of as merely normal in these countries. In Japan
normal is the place to strive for.
This all comes from the respective history of each
country:
Japanese group culture comes out of its past as an
agricultural rice-growing nation of small villages. Everyone
lived together for centuries in the same small village where
everyone knew everything about everyone else. In order
for them to tend the rice fields, and keep out of danger, the
villagers had to all work together. Anyone who stepped out
of line posed all kinds of problems for everyone else. Any
strangers that came to the village were potential enemies,
so strangers were never to be trusted. Hence, even today, a
Japanese person's loyalty is to his immediate group and he
shows his loyalty by conforming to the group's needs and
subjugating his own. That is why Japanese are famous for
saying: "I can't do that! I'm Japanese!"
Newer countries like Australia and America began as
"frontier" cultures where individuals strode off into uncharted
territory and tried to make a new life for themselves. Often
they were fleeing from bad conditions or despotic rulers
back home, so they tended to be anti-authoritarian right
from the start. Add to this that, in order to survive, they had
to do everything for themselves: clearing the land, building
a house, hunting, farming, making their own clothes,

12 |RAN|
defending themselves from enemies. Anyone who was not able to adapt and find
his or her own answers didn't survive. The traditional ways from the old countries
made no sense in their present environment, so new solutions to difficult problems
were highly prized. In their isolated environments, any strangers that happened by,
if they weren't enemies were potential friends. So you ended up with people who
are fiercely independent, hate being told what to do and have little tolerance for
old outmoded ways of doing things. That's why they are fond of saying things like,
"It's a free country, mate.".
Realize that your partner may see the world as a precisely laid out, step by
step roadway versus your idea of a vast playground where you can go anywhere
you choose. If you and your significant other are going to get along, you've got
to recognize what each other's natural response is going to be when solving any
problems that arise. In fact, understanding your own point of view and where
it came from may be the most helpful part of this. Realize that your way is not
the only way. You've got to be flexible, especially with issues you might feel the
most strongly about. If you can achieve this, then an inter-cultural relationship,
instead of creating overwhelming obstacles, can provide you both with even more
possibilities and choices to solving problems than either of you could ever come
up with on your own.
Which brings me to the final and most important thought. Sit down and talk
about your goals for the future. It is amazing how many marrying couples never
do this. It's a good idea no matter what culture you come from. But because of
the differences in the assumptions and expectations of different cultures, this is
the most important thing you can do before those forever-after promises are made.
If you want to have a detached house full of rug rats, three dogs, vacations to the
Greek Isles and to retire in a beach hut on Bali, and she wants the salary man life
style in a Japanese mansion with one kid and to go shopping every day for name
brand products, there is trouble brewing on the horizon. Sit down and seriously
tell each other what you want out of life. Replies like "I just want to be with you,"
are not to be trusted. If the person has absolutely no idea what they want, then
realize that you are getting engaged to a pickle-head and act appropriately. This
can be the best part of the whole process, or it can be the point where you bail
out, depending on how you handle it.
So, there you have it. While I realize that a lot of this sounds pretty negative
and that an awful lot of broad generalizations have been made here, well, I am
writing from the experience of myself and my friends. Sometimes generalizations
are the only way we can talk about groups of people.
However, the saving grace of humanity is that, while you can talk in broad
generalizations when referring to large groups of people, there are always going to
be exceptions among individual human beings. While most international couples
I know have had these problems, there are a few that are doing just fine after
figuring things out their own way. Some of these inter-cultural couples have some
of the happiest relationships I know of. But in almost every case, both partners
are unusual people who can be flexible and understanding on an every-day basis.
They like the challenge and surprise of melding together two cultures to create
their own private one, and neither insists on doing things their own way. Overall,
I would not recommend an inter-cultural marriage for the common person on the
street. But if you really have an understanding heart and if you can be flexible and
love the adventure of learning about new ideas and practicing new ways of doing
things, it might be just the thing for your greater happiness.
One more suggestion: Find something, almost anything that you both share
and have in common. You are coming from places with different histories, music,
pop culture references, jokes. There needs to be something between you that's
fun. Find an enjoyable activity that you can share and spend time doing together,
whether it be mosh pit dancing at punk rock shows, cheering for Mongolian sumo
wrestlers, or a love for Puffy and J-Pop. There needs to be times when you both
understand and enjoy what's going on, when you have something you both enjoy
discussing and planning for, when the sight of your inscrutably different mate gives
you joy and anticipation of fun things to come.
Any comments, barbs, questions, vitriolic denials, free gifts of money are
welcomed by Dirk and the editors of this magazine.

|RAN| 13
Fishy Business: Exploring the
Yanagibashi Fish Market

Yanagi-bashi Ichiba is located between

Nishiki-dori and Sakura-dori just one block west
of Kokusai center, across the street from Eiden.

Operating hours are 4~10am, Monday-Saturday.

The market is closed on Sundays and national

holidays.

14 |RAN|
outlined photos: ADRIEN SANBORN solid photos: ACHIM RUNNEBAUM
| By Adam Pasion |
I
t's four o'clock in the morning, a strange nexus of parallel
worlds. The night owls are waiting for the first train home
while zealous businessmen are trying to squeeze one more
hour into the morning. Far off in the distance the belts of the
printing press are churning and coughing out the morning
edition, and just down the street a few cabbies are sharing a
smoke while they have the vomit and cigarette ash vacuumed
from their upholstery. This time that belongs to neither the
night nor the day reveals an interesting cross-section of
the service industry and answers the question: who serves
the servers? Whether your day is just ending at 4am or it's
just beginning, its unlikely that you will find any place as
vibrant as the central fish market in Yanagi-bashi, just east of
Nagoya Station.
The shutters start clanging open around four and the big
burly fishmongers begin making preparations for the morning
delivery, cleaning up yesterday's catch, sharpening knives
and scrubbing tables. The sleepy morning is shaken out of its
slumber at five however by the arrival of the trucks carting in
pounds of fresh fish, most of it still very much alive. The knives
start-up in a slicing frenzy as fat slabs of tuna are hoisted on
the table with big meat-hooks. Thousands of little eyes stare
up from styrofoam crates packed full of flounder, yellow-tail,
spanish-mackerel, sea-bream, pike and amberjack. You'll find
row upon row of spitting oysters, clams, scallops, abalone,
and any other mollusk under the sun. It's a world of squirming
tentacles, writhing eels and flying fish heads, and the best
prices you will find anywhere in this town. At any rate, its a
hell of a way to bring in the dawn.
Contrary to their rough and gritty appearance, the vendors
with an ever smoldering cigarette between their lips and
a two-hundred pound albacore in their hands were warm
and friendly, if just a little intimidating. Most weren't able
to speak any English, but a word of Japanese and they were
more than happy to explain every fish on their table. The
shoppers began to show-up just before six and it was evident
that most of these restaurateurs and sushi-chefs were on a first
name basis with the vendors. Many of them had their orders
already prepared before they said a word. Its quite clear that
to make it in the sushi game you have to shine the right shoes.
Most of the politics of their dealings were lost on me, but
seeing the hustle and bustle happening hours before I would
normally wake-up was a great glimpse at the back-end of this
fascinating industry.
On average Japanese people enjoy the longest lifespan of
any country in the world, and it should come as little surprise
that this is largely due to a diet rich in seafood. Organizations
all over the world are encouraging people to eat more fish.
The American Heart Association has published countless
reports indicating that eating fish lowers triglyceride levels (fat
in the bloodstream), reduces irregular heart beats (arrhythmia)
and may even lower blood pressure. Eating fish as little as
once a week can help prevent a stroke by reducing blood
clots and inflammation. Other organizations such as the
Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
report that fish is the best source of Omega-3 fatty acids
which have innumerable health benefits. These fatty acids are
used by the body to sustain healthy brain tissue and increased
doses can substantially help prevent Alzheimer's disease,
dementia, and even depression. Omega-3 fatty acids are also
highly recommended for expectant mothers or women who
are breastfeeding, as they can help children develop better
eyesight, prevent premature birth and make young children
less likely to develop asthma. The message is simple, go eat
more fish.
Of course every silver lining has its cloud, and in the
case of fish that cloud is mercury. High levels of mercury can
have harmful affects on the nervous system as well as impede
the development of young children. Although omega-3 fatty
acids can help relieve rheumatoid arthritis, mercury can
have the opposite effect, causing muscle and joint pain. Fish
high in mercury can also increase the risk of a heart attack.
And you thought Jaws was dangerous in the water! Fortunately
its quite easy to avoid dangerous levels of mercury. A simple
rule of thumb is, the bigger the fish, the better the chance of
higher mercury levels. Shark, swordfish and several species
in the tuna family such as marlin or blue fin, like the kind
used for sashimi are among the chief offenders. Even those
big fish are generally okay for most people, but they should
be avoided by pregnant or nursing mothers and children
under five. With all the mercury coated light bulbs that are
buried in the Nagoya city dump we'll all be mad as a hatter
soon anyway, so you may as well enjoy that negi-toro in the
meantime.
Yellow-fin tuna, albacore and the skipjack tuna (that's
katsuo for those Japanophones) are dangerously over fished,
and several types of dolphin are often caught in the nets of
fisherman trolling for mahi mahi and other types of tuna.
For those with ethical concerns and reservations perhaps the
fish market is not the place for you.
|RAN| 15
16 |RAN|
 UnitYOGA | By Marie Langlois |
Y
oga has a long history dating back centuries and was
first noted down by the scholar and teacher Patanjali in
'The Yoga Sutras' in the second century B.C.
It has been described in many ways but is essentially a
science with a practical and methodical set of techniques to
bring peace and harmony not only to the practioner but those
around him/her as well. It's a practice to still the restless mind
in an effort to realize one's true and deepest nature, learning
to let go of attachments and ridding oneself of all the desires
that mentally and emotionally cripple mankind. In simpler
terms, it's a moving meditation, using your breathe as a guide,
to get you where you want to go. You never force or push but
with dedicated practice, eventually, your breathe will take you
there or very close to it. The focus is always on breathe control
and learning to be comfortable and breathe with ease in
uncomfortable positions. When you can do this on your mat
in class, the idea is that you take it out there into the world,
because yoga is also very much about being a good person in
general, having good intentions and doing your best, even in
extremely trying circumstances. It's about emptying your mind
of all the toxic thoughts that run wild in there and making
space for new and positive energy. Yoga is not so much about
having a flexible body as it is about having a flexible mind.
You compete with only yourself and do your personal best.
Bio-mechanics will dictate flexibility levels, but flexibility is
not a gauge of how well you're doing in your practice. Your
peace of mind is.
People often ask me how long it will take them to do 'such
and such' a yoga posture. Whether or not you can ever do it is
irrelevant. The fact that the intention and focus is there is what
matters. Some people are naturally very flexible which means
they will have to go further to make space within themselves.
Physical flexibility in itself doesn't automatically bring on
peace of mind. I've known a lot of unhappy gymnasts and
ballerinas in my life and met many of them doing yoga to
heal physical injuries and emotional wounds from torturing
themselves for years doing those things.
The body is your vehicle to enjoy life. That much is
clear to everyone and most people participate in some form
of exercise to keep it strong and in good working order.
On the other hand, how much time do most take to clean
themselves out internally? Yoga takes you on an inward
photos: ACHIM RUNNEBAUM; model: NEA FERRIER
journey to rediscover or maybe discover for the first time
who you really are, to connect with yourself on every level.
It brings on much greater self-awareness and a whole new
level of consciousness. Yoga is your vehicle to unite body,
mind and spirit.
The health benefits from doing yoga are many. Due to
the fact that it boosts the immune system, it has been shown
to help prevent Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, Alzheimers
and Type II Diabetes. It is also known to be helpful in
treating cancer, arthritis, asthma, allergies and migraines to
name only a few. It reduces stress, anxiety and depression,
regulates moods, improves endocrine function, the ability
to concentrate, memory, calmness and lowers cholestral
through increased blood circulation. The entire aging process
is delayed because yoga stimulates the detoxification process.
Posture, strength, stamina, blood pressure, sleep , tolerance to
pain are all improved as well.
There are so many different kinds of yoga classes, that it
shouldn't be too hard, given you put in a little effort, to find
a class at a time that suits you, a style that you enjoy and a
teacher you connect with. Give it a try. You never know what
you might find out. When the breathing starts, miracles can
happen. It may very well be the single best thing you ever do
for yourself in this lifetime. Namaste!
Places to do Yoga in Nagoya:
A short list
My Soul 8 Yoga Studio - Hisaya Odori
This is the only studio in town with a full-time
Australian Yoga Teacher as well as myself. The
owner, Hirano-san and the main receptionist,
Kato-san both speak fluent English, are gaijin
friendly and very helpful.
Viaura Yoga Studio - Sakae
(Marie and Alina)
The owner, Adachi-san and main manager,
Aoyama-san speak limited English but are very
friendly and helpful.
Phylex Yoga Studio - Ueda (Marie)
The manager of this studio Mukae-san (Rie)
is fluent in English, gaijin friendly and helpful.
Energy Body - Hisaya Odori
The owner, Kanae-san can speak basic English
but is not there most of the time.
Jonetsu Yoga - Issha
A few of the teachers can speak English very
well. Body & Soul - Mizuho Undojo Higashi
The owner of this studio Uemura-san, is fluent
in English and around much of the time.
Nana Iro - Osu Kannon
Alina teaches here and of course speaks
English very well. There are also severall Hot
Yoga Studio's around the city and Alina teaches
at 2 of them.
There is a site called 'Nayoga', all in Japanese of
course, but it has a comprehensive list of all the
yoga studios in Nagoya.
|RAN| 17
Patience, Young Grasshopper
Martial Arts Nagoya in
| Story and photo by Achim Runnebaum |
D
aniel had a hard time at school. He'd just moved to a
new city, didn't know anyone yet and managed to piss
off the school bully on the first day. As he was about to
receive another beating, an enigmatic old man comes to his
aide and saves the day by laying down the law of the fist on
the bully and his gang. Nobody expected this tattery old man
to have such formidable Karate skills.
His name: Mr. Miyagi
His profession: baddest geriatric karate master this side of
Hollywood..
For most of us, that was probably the first exposure to a
"Japanese" person. Ok, all wax on, wax off jokes aside, you
know when you were a kid, that movie inspired you to stand
on one leg and wait for an (apparently unsuspecting) bully
to run right into your jumping front heel kick, thus saving the
day and winning the heart of the bully's former g-friend. So
where are all the real-life Mr. Miyagi's hiding? Do you have
to hike into remote areas to find some hermit living in a small
hut, wash his car, paint his fence, and devote your entire
essence to this "master" in order to know real Martial Arts, or
can you do it in Nagoya as well? Just what is the difference
between Karate and Kung Fu anyway? Read on and find
out....grasshopper.
Let's start with the Art of Karate ( 空 手 ). This ancient art
has its origins in Okinawa. It was developed from indigenous
fighting methods mixed with Chinese Kempo. Through this
mixing of styles, various punches, kicks, knee and elbow
strikes, and grappling moves were incorporated into the style.
Nowadays, it's one of the most famous and popular styles
of martial arts in the world. Karate schools are almost as
abundant as Pachinko Parlors in Nagoya, but if you seek a
competent master of the art, look no further than Seijin-kan
Showa Kyoshitsu Ken'yu-ryu (*see contact info below).
Aikido ( 合 気 道 ) is pretty much synonymous with
Steven Segal for most people who grew up in the early
90's...nowadays his name either inspires admiration, or
disgust, or both. Back in his hayday, however, this badass
master of the Urban Beatdown was one of the coolest cats on
the block. His graceful and lightning fast moves, and tough
guy persona inspired fear in the bad guys, and awe in the
viewers and helped to promote this art in the west.
While Karate has very distinct moves that are executed
with a lot of force, Aikido is a style that aims to blend with
the motion of the attacker and redirect his/her force rather
than opposing it head-on. This "gentle" style was developed
by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies,
philosophy and also as an expression of his personal
philosophy of universal peace and reconciliation. This style
is characterized by throws, strikes, grabs, pins, and blending
with the attacker's energy. If you feel like being tossed around
and doing your best impression of a ragdoll, There are many
different Aikido dojos in Nagoya that cater to foreigners,
18 |RAN|
however, one of the most revered ones is Aikido Kimori Dojo,
to which people from all over teh world come for training.
The Sensei, Toshiharu Sawada is a true 7th Dan Master with
many years of professional experience. When asked why they
train in this particular style and joined this particular dojo,
some students mentioned that the training is just plain fun,
and that it has helped them ground themselves in their lives
because there's such a spiritual aspect to the art.
Of course, no summary of Japanese Martial Arts styles
would be complete without mentioning what is probably
one of the most secretive styles, shrouded in mystery and
misconceptions - Ninjutsu ( 忍術 ). What used to be one of the
most guarded secrets of Japanese stealth assassins, is now one
of the biggest cultural exports Japan has to offer. From comics,
movies, all the way to internet podcasts, this mysterious
mainstay of Japanese history has stealthily infiltrated many
areas of popular culture all over the world. Just what is the
allure of angry men dressed in black pajamas, otherwise
known as Shinobi? Is it the outfits? The mystical aura of the
style, or the intimidation factor? Feel like trying to sneak into
one of the ninjutsu dojos, and battling it out with some real
Ninjas? Well, you're in luck, This mythical style can now
be experienced by anyone with a bit of time, a good health
insurance plan, and a loose wallet. Here's more info: http://
hisexperience.jp/culturalactivities/ninja.html
It is widely believed that the origins of many martial arts
styles can be traced back to China more than 4,000 years ago.
Many martial arts styles, like so many other things, are made
in China, where the famous monks of the shaolin temple
managed to study the movements of animals and develop
various styles of armed or empty-handed combat based on
their observations. These Styles are called Kung Fu ( 功 夫 ) ,
which stands for hard-work; and it's an accurate description
of what's in store for you. Definitely not for quitters, or people
who eshew a bit of pain. In Kung Fu, you generally don't start
counting until you've hit about 1000 repetitions. It is said that
many of the martial arts styles in the world have their origins
in Kung Fu. These styles are characterized by quick, flowing
movements that try to emulate some kind of animal, such as
the Tiger, Crane, Snake, Leopard, etc. There is also a heavy
emphasis on Weapons techniques. All-in-all, there are 18
basic weapons to master, depending on the Style. There are
about as many different styles of Kung Fu as there are Pachinko
Parlours in Nagoya, so I'll refer to them as just Kung Fu in this
article. Being of Chinese Origin, there aren't many Kung Fu
groups in Nagoya, but the one I belong to meets almost every
Saturday evening at Tempaku sports center. We practice the
Kung Fu style of Praying Mantis, which is characterized by
emulating the movements of the mantis: hands form mantis
hooks to grab and trap an incoming attack, deflect incoming
blows, and strike vital pressure points. This style uses the
whole body in harmony to quickly throw the opponent off
balance. It is definitely one of the most challenging styles I've training will push you to your physical and mental limits and
ever practiced, so it will take a while for beginners to become beyond. Most martial artists will tell you that it's 80% in your
proficient in this style. Bring your Japanese skills though, as head and only 20% physical. If you're up to the challenge, get
this group doesn't generally cater to the gaijin community. off your lazy ass and discover your own warrior spirit within.
Certainly one of the most unique styles Nagoya has to offer With enough practice you too will be able to someday tell a
is the Brazilian Style of Capoeira, which looks almost like a young wanna be martial artist that washing your car is all part
dance. That's actually the origins of the style: After Portugal of the training....
discovered Brazil in the 1500's, many African slaves were sent
there for work. These slaves wanted to preserve some of their
culture and hid certain African Martial Arts moves in a kind Aikido Kimori Dojo
of Warrior's Dance, which eventually evolved into what we 2-10-1 Nichinomiya Kasugai,
today know as Capoeira. In a typical class, the players will Aichi-ken Japan 486-0958
form a circle (a roda), sing songs, play instruments, and spar Phone: 0568-36-9400
each other in a highly acrobatic, dance-like fashion without http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~kimori
actually making any contact on the other person's body with
their strikes. English Karate
The focus here is on Acrobatics, Kicking, Striking, Seijin-kan Showa Kyoshitsu, Ken'yu-ryu,
Takedowns and Sweeps, all wrapped up in non-stop, Tenri-kyo Mihari Bunkyokai 1F 5-28 Orido-cho
constantly flowing movements. Next to renting the movie Showa-ku Nagoya
"Only the Strong", the best way to learn Capoeira is to get your Tuesday and Friday 7:30pm-9:00pm
butt down to Sakae and start practicing your Jenga with the (4,000/month)
Abada Capoeira Team in Nagoya. Mr. Kenji Sugie (052-751-4032) Tell him Kikuko's
Training in any of these styles is a great way to interact website. Japanese English Chinese
with Japanese people, make some new friends, learn valuable
skills, and get in shape mentally, physically, and most of all
spiritually. With the spring already peaking out and summer
Kung Fu
(read, beach parties) just around the corner, now is an http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~su-san/
excellent time to beef up a bit and get rid of all that winter
blubber that you so lovingly call love handles. A word of Capoeira
caution though, sore muscles and bruises are a normal part of http://www.geocities.jp/abadasakae/
the training, so if you easily complain or give up when things Aula/calendar.html
get tough, join a yoga class instead, because martial arts

ACCJ / NIS Home of the

Walk-A-Thon WORLD CUP 2010

After Party at
Showing all games LIVE!!!
Reserve Now!
Come fill out a bracket before
to win a Special Grand Prize
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Mon to Thu : 5pm-1am / Fri : 5pm-3am
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Nagoya-shi, Naka-ku, Sakae
Sat : 11:30am-3am / Sun : 11:30am-1am 2-9-26 Pola Building 2F Tel. Sports Bar & Grill

|RAN| 19
 創造
Create

http://www.myspace.com/soilelios
soile*
What is Creativity?...

Creativity never stand alone.

There is community and people trying to lead an
enjoyable lives. That's why I would like to diffuse a
message of "bottom of reality" through my work.

3 years ago, I went to Australia to find new horizons.

Met new people, met new friendly people. One of
them gave me an oportunity to paint on a 25m wall.
It was a show room for a car dealer. He kindly offered
a job to me even though I had no professional resume
in there. I painted day and night. 8 days a week.
The art piece was a success. I then realized
that in order to influence people the most
important thing is to act. To make things
happens takes lots of time and work.
It's the people around me who supported me
and let me accelerate. The people around me
is a mirror of my inner self. I need them
there for keeping a good and free mind that
doesn't tie me down, a mind that can be
tolerant.

When you enjoy your day to day life,

art is a filter for atmosphere and
communication, it makes me happy.
I like the direct emotion from the
people I meet and the best way
where I can transmit this, it is in
public spaces. For that reason,
this August I will expose in
various hot places.
I am happy to meet new
people and would love it
if I could see you there.
Please scan the top right
QR for more information.

PEACE
20 |RAN|
art and words: ELIOS NISHIWAKI

ve r y b o d y k n o ws your name
e
e s y o u w a n t to go where
“..sometim ng fr om
me….” -them
e so
g la d y o u c a
ays
and they’re alw
| By TD Houchen |
S
o here I am, taking an extended leave of absence away
from my home away from home away from home, Planet
Japan. I’ve been in the States for almost two months
now, longer than at any other time since I moved to Japan
7 years ago.
Feels weird here. I don’t feel quite so 'American' anymore,
but I also am most definitely not Japanese. I’m sort of
Americanese or Japan-Americanese-ish, something hybrid. I
told you I feel weird.
I’ve been considering “leaving Japan for good” for what
seems like an eternity, after almost 7 years in Japan, or
probably anywhere, at my age, or anyone’s age maybe, after
7 years it becomes an almost-impossible task leaving your
adopted country, picking up what you’ve accumulated over
those years, saying goodbye to friends, whittling your life-
in-Japan down to nothing and trekking back ‘home’ with 7
years worth of memories, experiences, images, emotions, and
'stuff', all stuffed into a few suitcases and duffel bags, tying up
all the loose ends and all that. All ex-pats over time develop
a nagging voice in our heads that says, “When are you going
home? You know you’ve got to go home at some point..
when?”. This voice is sometimes louder than other times, and
even in the best moments in Japan, or, wherever you may have
emigrated, this voice can still be heard, “Go home, why aren’t
you going home yet? When are you going home…?”
So I came ‘home’, and home isn’t the same, or, I’m not the
same, or both. And it’s weird.
You come back ‘home’ to find your friends aren’t doing
what they were doing when you left, if you can even find
them. Their lives have gone forward, yours has too,
but in a completely different direction. You’re
happy to see them, and they’re happy
to see you, but, there’s something
‘different’ about you both. They’ve
got things to do, places to go, they’ve
picked up new friends and habits you
don’t recognize. Maybe their entire
personality has changed, maybe yours
has, you’re not sure. You feel like a bit of
an intruder in their new world. You both
so desperately want to connect and return
to the past friendship you had, but you both
know it’s impossible, your friendship is now mostly
nostalgic, like an old record, it’s still real, still exists,
illustration: ADAM PASION
but doesn’t have the same value or presence-of-the-
moment it once had. It’s a bit sad, exactly like an old
love song you hear on the radio, bittersweet, makes
you smile and wince at the same time.
Of course, you can make new friends, but while
you’re living in a foreign country, no one thinks,
“man, I sure would like to go back home so I can
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
行
, く
か
the TV show
“Cheers”
行
か
な
い
か
find some new friends”, that negates the whole desire to go
home, after all, this is exactly what you’ve accomplished by
coming to a NEW country. You want your old friends back,
and though they’re still there, they’re gone too, at the same
time. Weird.
There’s a sense of, “What am I supposed to be doing
here?” I suppose it disappears after a while, you develop a
life, make new friends, find a job, a place to live, you make
a new 'route' for yourself, but as of now, I don’t know quite
what that route is, or will become. I’ve been doing or trying to
do all or most of the same stuff I was doing before I came to
Japan, and none of it is really quite 'clicking'. My old haunts
don’t stimulate me as much anymore, my old vices don’t get
me as 'high' as I remember. As a matter of fact, I’m turned off
by most of what I used to do, I suppose I’ve “grown”, but what
have I grown into? I have no idea really, I feel more than a
little lost actually, confused and between worlds. Limbo. I’m
back 'here', I mean, 'home', but, I don’t quite know what to
do here.
But I’m searching. And I’m finding it’s very hard work to
break out of the same routine I remember doing when I was
here before. It isn’t that this routine was/is unproductive, it’s
that it just doesn’t work anymore. It’s as though the streets I
used to travel all lead to dead ends. It’s all perfectly familiar,
and at the same time, it offers no satisfaction. Imagine, again,
a favorite record you used to play all the time, it used to give
you boundless joy, imagine breaking that same record out
now, you might still enjoy it, but could you play it over and
over again like you used to? Nah, one listen would be enough,
then you’d neatly put it back into it’s box, and move on
to something else. Being ‘back home’ is like that, “I’ve
been here before, I used to really like it here, I had so
much going on, but now…..”
What exactly?
This is what I came back here for, searching for
that 'what to do next' thing. I haven’t found it yet. If I
were 25, it might be easier for me to get used to being
back home, I’m not 25. I’m finding that I’ve invested
my entire life into my new home on Planet Japan. My
emotions, my energy, my dreams, wishes, hard work,
tears, triumphs, promises, tragedies, friendships,
relationships, hopes, they all reside on
Japanese soil.
But here I am, back ‘home’, looking to find
myself, again.
They say you can never go back home.
Damn skippy.
Maybe if I click my heels three more times…
Miss you guys...
tdh
|RAN| 21
 Are You
R e l i g i o n ?
Losing Your

Divine American Religion

B
ob Dylan blew through here Study Group
a few weeks back singing that Contact: Roy
very line, about how no matter 090-9268-1469
how important, famous, rich, wealthy,
powerful, popular, or otherwise special
you may think you are, there’s always
someone you’ve got to bow down All Nations Fellowship (Christian)
to, someone who calls upon you to Contact: ‘Shohei’
supplicate yourself, a power higher 050-5534-2007
than yourself. Allnationsfellowship.net
Japan is an essentially secular anfjapan@gmail.com
country, unlike many western countries
wh e r e r e l i g i o n p e r m e a t e s l i f e by
means of history, culture, media, or all
three. Here, religion is virtually absent Meito Christ International Church
from daily conversation, however, if (Interdenominational)
you’ve got a need to worship, pray, or Contact: Pastor Charles Fredrickson
otherwise seek the Divine, here are a 052-771-5267
few places and/or organizations that will www.meitochurch.org
welcome you.
Search, and ye shall find.

Nagoya Mosque (Muslim)

052-486-2380
http://nagoyamosque.com

Nagoya International
Baptist Church (Calvary Baptist

“..you’re gonna have Church)

Contact: Tim Melton

to serve somebody..” 052-801-8064

www.nibc.japanforchrist.com
-Bob Dylan www.cbcnagoya.japanforchrist.com

Nagoya Seventh-Day
Adventist Church
Ichibaku Church (Independent) Contact: Pastor Hiroyuki Yoshida
052 701 4221 052-731-4605
art: ADRIEN SANBORN

Mikokoro International Catholic Gospel Bible Study

Church of Jesus Christ Contact: Mr. Tan
Center Nagoya
of Latter-day Saints 090-2922-2828
052-971-0334
052-732-5176 wwjtesther@yahoo.co.jp
www.mikokoro.net

22 |RAN|

| By TD Houchen |
H
ow many times have you witnessed this phenomenon;
A young Japanese couple are on a date somewhere,
you know it’s a date because they’re holding hands,
or something akin to holding hands. You’ve been watching
them for what seems like an eternity, they’ve exchanged
more than a fair share of what appear to be romantic glances,
but that’s all they’ve exchanged, what I mean to say is, they
haven’t spoken a word to each other the entire time you’ve
been watching them, nevermind the fact that you shouldn’t be
watching, you just want to learn..
They seem to somehow know what the other is thinking, in
fact, this “silent knowing” has a name in Japanese, it’s called
Ishin Denshin, it’s a zen phrase, which makes it automatically
kind of cool, and it’s related to telepathy, more coolness,
however, in Japan, this power to read minds is not relegated to
late night TV shows or barnyard psychiatry, it’s standard fare to
be able to comfortably get along in society, sort of like saying
“please” and “thank you” in Western society. Again, even if
you don’t know, you should act like you know, this is key.
Very loosely translated, ishin denshin means, “total
transmission of one’s secrets through one’s spirit”, it’s a fancy-
shmancy way of saying Japanese
people have learned the deft art ...it will save your ass in
of knowing how to behave or not
behave, what to say and/or not uncomfortable or otherwise
say, and how to slip and slide
through apparently treacherous important situations
social terrain simply by “reading
the air”, they admonish you to and you do need to learn...
learn to do this also, mind-to-mind
communication, it will save your ass in uncomfortable or
otherwise important situations and you do need to learn, but-
How?
Again, in many, if not most, circumstances in Japan, it’s
what is NOT spoken that is important. Language is mostly
illustration: ADAM PASION
a tool employed to maneuver through situations with as
little as possible being actually said, like Kenny Rogers once
sang, you’ve got to know when to hold ‘em/know when
to fold ‘em….
Westerners, Americans in particular, pride themselves on a
certain ability to engage in “straight talk”, direct expression of
whatever one wishes to convey, it isn’t often pretty, but it gets
When In Rome
郷
に
入
れ
ば
the job done. Sort of. Sometimes. Maybe..
Japanese, as with most things, are a much more subtle
bunch, direct communication turns them off and is seen as
a sort of oafish, childish way of communicating one’s intent
or meaning. Vagueness, aimai, is preferred to precision. This
propensity to be vague owes itself to Japanese wanting to
allow meaning and clarity to emanate between people, as
opposed to it directly going from one to another, meaning,
intent, desire, it’s all implied, suggested, or hinted at.
Sounds…vague.
You learn to read the air by watching and listening, both
for what is being said and for what isn’t being said. You pay
close attention to behavior and try not to spill all the beans all
at once, and also, you never expect all the beans to be spilt all
at once either. You think a whole lot about what is being said
and what is expected of you in any particular situation.
Often, this boils down to having to guess what another’s
meaning or intention is. You may be asking yourself, “why
do they put themselves through so much anguish? Why not
just say what they mean?”, I’m asking myself this same thing
day in day out, the answer is..vague. They like being vague.
Period. That’s it. They don’t want to hurt
anyone’s feelings, including their own,
so they practice vagueness and ishin
denshin creates the space for them to
be vague and unclear.
Look, it’s a simple choice to be
able to enter smoothly into and out
of society, work, relationships, social
gatherings, etc. Learn to read the air.
Don’t say or do anything ‘stupid’, which amounts to, probably,
most of what you’d normally say or do back home.
Don’t be so clear, and don’t expect anyone else to be so
clear with you either, what are you, some kind of moron? Be
vague, it’s better for everyone involved.
Learn to read the mind of the one you are communicating
with, it’s kind of like a non-physical version of aikido,
you’re grappling with unspoken words, concepts, ideas and
intentions, but you’re doing it well..
I can read your mind, you want pancakes, no, wait, I
want pancakes, someone somewhere wants pancakes, ishin
denshin tells me so.
|RAN| 23
 i n g
afe - Nagoya~

m
Hard Rock C

c o
2010 ・

r
~March 5,

ha n k s f o
T d making it such a success!
an

5 photos in the upper-right: ACHIM RUNNEBAUM; all others: YOSHIAKI FUJIWARA ( FUNKY )

O N !
G SO
I N
C OM RAN presents
NAGOYA BANG BANG

BOOGIE!
the SUMMER PARTY EVENT of 2010!!

Watch this space and visit our

FACEBOOK PAGE for details.

24 |RAN|
 recommends fitness clubs in Nagoya. Got your health?!

Chukusa-ku Tel: 052-532-4121

Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays)
Chikusa Sports Center
Yamate121 Hoshigaoka Chukusa-ku 464-0808 Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)
Tel: 052-782-0700 Extra features: pool, playing field, archery
Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays) http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/biwajima_sc/index.html
Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)
Extra features: pool, playing field, archery Naka-ku
http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/chikusa_sc/index.html Naka Sports Center
Sakae 1-30-10 Naka-ku 460-0008
Kita-ku Tel: 052-232-2327
Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays)
Kita Sports Center
Jyouganji 6-12 Kita-ku 462-0021 Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)
Tel: 052-917-0501 Extra features: pool, playing field
Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays) http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/naka_sc/index.html
Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)
Extra features: pool, playing field, archery Meito-ku
http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/kita_sc/index.html Meito Sports Center
Itakacho Takabari 307-12 Meito-ku
Rainbow Kurokawa Sports Training Center Tel: 052-705-4948
Shumizu4-17-17 Kita-ku 462-0844 Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays)
Tel: 052-982-2770 Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)
Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays) Extra features: pool, playing field
Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends) http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/meito_sc/index.html
Extra features: playing field, sauna
http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/kurokawa/index.html Tempaku-ku
Tempaku Sports Center
Nakamura-ku Ueda 3-1502 Tenpaku-ku 486-0051
Nakamura Sports Center Tel: 052-806-0551
Nakamurachou 43-1 Nakamura-ku 453-0053 Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays)
Tel: 052-413-8021 Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)
Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays) Extra features: pool, playing field, archery
Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends) http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/tenpaku_sc/index.html
Extra features: pool, playing field, archery
http://www.jpn-sports.com/nakamura/index.html Minato-ku
Inae Sports Center
Higashi-ku Noseki 5-1-10 Minato-ku 455-0845
Higashi Sports Center Tel: 052-384-0300
Daikominami 1-1-10 Higashi-ku Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays)
Tel: 052-723-0411 Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)
Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays) Extra features: playing field, archery
Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends) http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/inae_sc/index.html
Extra features: pool, playing field, archery
http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/higashi_sc/index.html Nanyo Pool
Fujimae 4-701 Minato-ku 455-0855
Showa-ku Tel: 052-303-2015
Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays)
Showa Sports Center
background image: ACHIM RUNNEBAUM

Fukiage 2-6-15 Showa-ku 466-0000 Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)

Tel: 052-733-6831 Extra features: pool, playing field
Open: 10:00-20:30 (weekdays) http://www.nespa.or.jp/shisetsu/nanyo_pl/index.html
Gym: 10:00-18:00 (weekends)
Extra features: pool, playing field
http://oshirase.net.city.nagoya.jp/showa_sc/index.html
Couldn't find something in your area?
Check out this website for more locations:
Nishi-ku
Biwajima Sports Center http://www.net.city.nagoya.jp/
Biwajima 1-1-2 Nishi-ku 451-0053 info/index006.html

|RAN| 25

Taste
味
わ
う
| Story and photos by Adam Pasion |
N
estled into a sleepy back street near Kurokawa station,
one little building stands-out from the otherwise
drab and colorless cityscape. The appropriately
named Green Fellow Building can be spotted easily by its
characteristic canopy of vines that wind their way up to the
5th floor. The staircases are lined with dozens of potted plants
and at the crown of the building is a spacious rooftop garden.
The building teeming with flora appears to be a life form unto
its own and the tenants of the building match in spirit and
mind, complete with a holistic relaxation space, a yoga studio
and on the first floor, the eclectic cafe Inñuniq.
At first glance Inñuniq looks like the type of place you
would expect to find in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury
district or Manhattan's East Village but certainly not in
Nagoya's Kita-ward. Upon entering, the first place your eyes
go to is the matrix of twisting vines hanging from the ceiling
followed by a wooden crate full of garden fresh produce
immediately at your feet. The dining room is well lit with
natural light pouring in from a sliding glass door that leads to
the outdoor patio and gardens. In the back of the restaurant
is a small shop purveying all manner of organic goods from
cosmetics to herbal supplements.
Before reviewing the food its important to explain the
selling point of this cafe, that being that everything is 100%
organic. If you are like me you might be a little leery of words
like “farm fresh” or “organic” which are often buzzwords
thrown about by marketing execs to push a few more units
of product x, but in this case I assure you they mean it. Not
only is everything organic, but its practically all homegrown
by the staff themselves. Each staff member actually trucks in
their own hand reared vegetables, herbs and spices from their
personal gardens. They make their own miso paste, curry and
even brew their own soy sauce. Its actually staggering to
think about the amount of time they put into a dish from seed
to fork, and yet the prices are incredibly reasonable.
Taking that into consideration, the menu is light, which
is appropriate for a cafe of this size. Lunch included a vegan
friendly plate of vegetables including fresh sliced burdock
root (gobo) lightly covered in olive oil and herbs, diced carrot
salad, steamed green onion, and daikon pickles. The best part
26 |RAN|
In ñu ni q
of this portion of the meal was the taro, with a crisp skin that
snaps when you bite into it. This was complemented by a
hot bowl of miso soup, which was cured by hand and I don't
want to imagine how long that must take. The broth was very
mild, and to those accustomed to Nagoya's potent red miso
it might seem a bit watery, but it was full of tasty cauliflower
which made up for that. Also accompanying the main
course is a bowl of mixed grain rice which was flavorful and
hearty spotted with flecks of brown rice which made it look
aesthetically pleasing as well. Two types of homebrewed curry
followed, one with a slight citrus twist and the other more
conventionally spicy.
But even for those whose appetites are satiated this place is
a great spot to simply sit and sip some freshly brewed organic
coffee. For those not into coffee (both of you) there are plenty
of other delectable libations to whet your palate. Unwind
with a soothing herbal tea, or enjoy my personal favorite – a
soymilk chai tea. You really can't go wrong on the drink menu
here, everything is percolated to perfection and the prices are
exceptionally reasonable, plus you don't have to feel like you
just cheated a poor coffee picker out of a days wages when
you drink fair trade.
On a closing note, there are certain details that one
shouldn't mention in a food review to preserve journalistic
integrity, but I feel I would be remiss in my duties if I failed
to report that the day after I ate at Inñuniq I enjoyed perhaps
the healthiest bowel movement I've had in fifteen years. It
was as if a decade of accumulated preservatives, additives
and yellow-5 were finally detoxed from my body. Respect
the world, respect the Earth, and do right by yourself – go try
Inñuniq.
Inñuniq is open from 7am to sundown, Tuesday though
Saturday and Mondays from 11am. Lunch service is available
from 12 to 3pm. Close Sundays.
Inñuniq
Green Fellow 1f
5-10-8 Shimizu, Kita-ku, Nagoya
-- Just a 6 minute walk from
Kurokawa station on the Meijo line.
 U R C O M I CS
Y O
HE R E !
RAN Magazine is now considering
new comics to include in future
issues of RAN. If you would like to
have your work considered, please
send digital submissions to
submit@
ranmagazine.com
and get your comics published.
 ウォーカソン

walkathon
国際チャリティフェスティバル2010
International Charity Festival 2010

19th 5/23
Supported by Nagoya American Consulate, City of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture 後援：在名古屋アメリカ領事館、名古屋市、愛知県

2010 鶴舞公園
TSURUMAI PARK
10:00

The Walkathon is a non-smoking event.

ウォーカソンは終日禁煙です。
大人 2000円、小学生1000円

The Walkathon is an annual event that helps

raise money for and awareness about local
charities in the Chubu area.
ウォーカソンは中部エリアの地元慈善団体への関心を高め、
www.NagoyaWalkathon.com
募金の呼びかけを目的としたイベントです。 みんなで地域の為に ∼Supporting the People in our Community∼