2010, BAB February

Being A Broad February 2010 #53

The monthly magazine for international women living in Japan

our cover girl: TREEHOUSE MONTESSORI’S JENNY VYVIAL

CHEERING up despite SAD LIVING and LOVING in JAPAN RIJ’S beautiful ART OF DINING

WORKING for ABERCROMBIE & FITCH

our TOKYO GIRL gabbi bradshaw supports V-DAY

LESSONS LEARNED from 35 years in JAPAN

www.being-a-broad.com

We understand the importance of making your relocation experience as smooth as possible. After all, we’re not just relocating your possessions, we are helping to relocate what’s most precious in your life. Crown Relocations is a leading provider of domestic and international moving and settling-in services with over 180 locations in more than 50 countries.

E-mail us at tokyo@crownrelo.com or visit crownrelo.com/japan for details.

2010/KL/sh/br003

Call us at 03-5447-2301

IN THIS

ISSUE 4

We have another great issue this month, full of inspiring stories of the lives of foreign women in Japan, useful information to help you survive and thrive, and in the spirit of Valentine’s, we have two love stories in this issue. One is from a foreign woman who found love in Japan, and another who was brought to Japan by it!

Thanks very much to the almost 200 of you who have taken the time to complete our survey!

If you prefer to complete it in print, you can find it on page 21 of this issue, and fax it to our office. There are all sorts of prizes for those of you who include your email addresses!

And don’t forget that we’re having a clothes swap on February 27, from 3–5pm, in Ebisu in Tokyo. It’s ¥1,500 and includes a drink and dessert. All clothes left over will be given to the Salvation Army. Contact us at swap@ being-a-broad.com for a map.

6

7

8

9

being a broad news BAB events, La Leche League

our cover girl educator Jenny Vyvial

women of the world news from around the globe

things we love the little things we love in Japan

Tokyo girl

getting empowered for V-Day

• waxing at Nua • looking over the legacy of Sin Den

10 beauty

image: Kerry Raftis/www.keyshots.com

image: David Stetson

message from the founder

image: goodhousecreeper

6 our cover girl

12 health & wellness

13

beating the winter blues

learning

lessons gained from 35 years in Japan

we profile Poppy Calvert of A&F

getting help around the home from Workbusters

14 working

See you there!

Caroline Pover BAB Founder

15 house and home 12 health & wellness

the broads (and boys!)

16 women’s rights

17

18

Image provided by Wendy Overstreet

Publishers Caroline Pover & Emily Downey Editor & Designer Danielle Tate-Stratton Marketing Consultant Amy Dose Advertisement Designer Chris May BAB reps Kelsey Aguirre (Shonan) kelsey@being-a-broad.com Shaney Crawford (Tsukuba) shaney@being-a-broad.com Aiko Miyagi (Okinawa) aiko@being-a-broad.com Contributors Gabbi Bradshaw, Chris Patrick, Shana Graves, Alena Eckelmann, Fabio, Poppy Calvert, Karin Ling, Sorcha Chisholm, Sarah Matsushita, Stephanie Kawai, Wendy Overstreet, Kathleen Shigeoka Cover Model Jenny Vyvial Cover Photographer Kerry Raftis, www.keyshots.com Proofreader Jane Farries Printing Mojo Print Opinions expressed by BAB contributors are not necessarily those of the Publishers.

International Women’s Day in Japan

mothers cooking for your little one using local food

community RIJ’s beautiful Art of Dining event

19 real-life story

living and loving in Japan

a Canadian connection leads to love

your chance to tell us what you think

20 she found love in Japan

21 BAB survey

19 real-life story

Being A Broad magazine, editor@being-a-broad.com www.being-a-broad.com tel. 03-5879-6825, fax: 03-6368-6191 Being A Broad February 2010

3

BAB NEWS

From the BAB Message Boards: Member alimac asks: This must sound really strange, but I’ve been reading up on Japanese orphanages and I was wondering if it’s possible to volunteer at one.

I don’t speak very much Japanese, but I was wondering if I could be a volunteer English teacher or something. Maybe go there once or twice a week, do activities with the kids, and generally help out and spend time with children who don’t normally get very much attention. I just think it’s so sad that most Japanese don’t consider adoption and most of these kids will spend the rest of their childhood in an institution. Does anyone out there have any info about this sort of thing? BTW, I live

Subscriptions

Being A Broad January 2010 #52

The monthly magazine for international women living in Japan

our cover girl: ENTREPRENEUR ANNA KUNNECKE

stretching your CREATIVITY between a ROCK and a HARD PLACE: CRAIG MORREY’s story our TOKYO GIRL gabbi bradshaw FORGETS 2009 MENTORSHIP for NEW MOTHERS

4

becoming a WWOOFer in IBARAKI making the MOST of TEACHING REEVALUATING LIFE in TOKYO for 2010

www.being-a-broad.com Thanks for picking up this issue of Being A Broad. Like what you see? Then why not subscribe today? For just ¥4,500 you’ll get one year (12 issues) of Being A Broad delivered to your door. Email: editor@being-a-broad. com to subscribe today!

We now have the past several issues of BAB on our website and will be adding more soon. Check them out at www.being-abroad.com, and let us know what you think!

between Osaka and Kyoto, so I’d be looking for something in the Kansai area. Thanks!

Member ochre replies: If you are in Tokyo, why don’t you contact the Tokyo Voluntary Action Center on 03-3235-1171 or refer to their website? www.tvac.or.jp/page/ english_access.html Member BAB Tsukuba rep Shaney replies: I know there is an orphanage in Chiba called Nanohana no Ie, but I can’t seem to find any information about it online. Can anyone else locate it? Also, this article on TsukuBlog (http://blog. alientimes.org/2007/12/childrens-homeneeds-computers/) mentions an orphanage in Kyoto called Karyo-en. And here is one in Hyogo: www.kodomono-ie.org.

I think that the best source for information about local orphanages is local people. Try to ask Japanese people in your community. There is likely a children’s home in your own city or one close to you. Another place to ask would be your city or prefectural government. Your prefectural government likely has an international section with at least one employee who can speak English, so that could be a good place to start.

From what I have discovered in my own inquiries in the past, it seems that orphanages in Japan are often homes for children whose parents are unable to care for them, or for children who are victims of abuse, rather than primarily for children whose parents have passed away.

Good luck and I hope you find something suitable!

Editor’s note: For those in Tokyo, Wakaba-ryo is a children’s home very open to help from the foreign community. In fact, Hands On Tokyo regularly works in with them, which would be a great way to get in touch. www.handsontokyo.org/en To read similar posts or to offer your own suggestions, visit us online at www.being-a-broad.com/index. php/forums.

“My encyclopedia, my translator, my phone book, my best friend!”

—Western woman living in Japan

514–page book including everything you need to make the most out of your life: case studies of Western women working in almost 50 different types of jobs; anecdotes from many of the 200 Western women interviewed; profiles of 23 women’s organisations; and essential Japanese words and phrases. An essential book for any Western woman living in Japan.

Read about: • Coping with culture shock.

• Finding clothes and shoes that fit.

• Avoiding hair disasters.

• Cooking Japanese food.

• Telling a chikan where to go.

• Dating and the singles scene.

• Organising contraception.

• Getting married and divorced.

• Adopting a baby.

• Educating your child.

• Finding a job.

• Teaching gender studies in the Englishlanguage classroom.

• Coping with reverse culture shock when you leave Japan.

Alexandra Press, 2001, ¥3,000 (inc. tax) To order email info@being-a-broad.com

You can pick BAB up at the following locations: Shibuya-ku: • British School Tokyo • Boudoir • Sin Den

• Krissman Tennis • PAL International School • ROTI Rop-

• Nua Japan

pongi • Paddy Foley’s • Asian Tigers • ai International School

Minato-ku: • Suji’s • Nakashima Dentist • TELL •

Meguro-ku: Montessori Friends Kichijoji: Shinzen Yoga Koto-ku: Toho Women’s Clinic Bunkyo-ku: Joy to the World International School Suginami-ku: JUN International School Chofu-shi: American School in Japan

Nishimachi International School • Gymboree • Global Kids Academy • Mitsubishi UFJ Azabujuban • Tokyo Surgical and Medical Clinic • National Azabu • Segafredo • Tokyo American Club • Nissin World Delicatessen • Crown Relocations • Temple University • Hulabootie

Yokohama: Treehouse Montessori • St. Maur Saitama: Columbia International School Nagoya: St. George Academy Tsukuba: Through BAB Rep Shaney Shonan: Through BAB Rep Kelsey Okinawa: Through BAB Rep Aiko (To contact your local BAB Rep for a copy, simply send them an email. All contact details are on page three.)

LA LECHE LEAGUE

IN JAPAN

by Natasha Williams

Advice for Renegades, A Tip From Anna: Love Your Inner Freak Most of us spend a lot of time trying to fix what’s wrong with us—to round off our rough edges, so to speak. (New Year’s resolutions, anyone?)

Dave Rendall says that’s exactly the wrong tack to take. In his manifesto The Freak Factor: Discovering Uniqueness By Flaunting Weakness, he says that our supposed flaws are actually the key to our greatness. The trick is to see how your worst traits might serve you. Arrogant? Be

Breastfeeding is a healthy, natural way to nourish your little one. image: myllissa

F

or many millions of mothers around the world, breastfeeding is the method of choice for nourishing their babies and toddlers, and for good reason. According to the World Health Organization, “Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.” In addition, the group enthuses that colostrum, “the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy,” is “the perfect food for the newborn.” Yet more support comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which states that “Extensive research using improved epidemiologic methods and modern laboratory techniques documents diverse and compelling advantages for infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and use of human milk for infant feeding. These advantages include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological, social, economic, and environmental benefits.”

Here in Japan, breastfeeding has enjoyed an official resurgence in popularity since 1974, and in 1991, Japan established the first Baby-Friendly hospital in any developed country. Baby-Friendly hospitals are those where mothers are actively supported, both during pregnancy and following birth, to breastfeed through a multi-point program. This includes the education of parents and staff as well as policies such as not allowing pacifiers and allowing babies to room-in with their mothers. These hospitals, of which there are now 15,000 around the world, also limit the amount of free formula and other products provided by formula companies that they are allowed to use, and aid in the establishment of support groups for nursing mothers.

Perhaps one of the best-known support groups for breastfeeding mothers around the world is La Leche League International (LLLI), which has local groups in dozens of countries around the world, including several in Japan (Okinawa, Tokyo Central, Tokyo West, Wakkanai, and Yokosuka). In Japan, as with the rest of the world, their mission is “to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement,

information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.”

In Tokyo, LLLI offers mother-to-mother support, monthly meetings, telephone help from accredited leaders, a well-stocked library with books on breastfeeding, childbirth, and related topics, all in English, and also sells The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding in both English and Japanese, as well as other titles.

For the mothers of LLLI, the support they have received has certainly been beneficial, and their favourite aspect of the group varies, with responses including: “The knowledge that I am not alone in this,” “Support and lively discussions with other mommies,” “All the useful tips I hadn’t heard, even though I did a lot of research,” and “Getting positive reinforcement and educated responses from experts in breastfeeding.”

Each Japan-based chapter of LLLI meets once or twice a month, on varying days, and hosts “a regular continuing series of informal discussion meetings open to all women interested in breastfeeding. Babies and toddlers are always welcome.” In addition, the Tokyo Central branch offers monthly toddler meetings specifically geared towards mothers nursing toddlers and the unique needs of these families.

Whether you are looking for support in

general, or have specific questions or troubles with lactation, the LLLI Leaders, all of whom have been trained by the organisation, will be happy to help at the meetings, via email, or over the telephone. At any meeting you do go to, you’ll likely find friendly mothers from a variety backgrounds, all of whom are there to help give their babies the best possible start. As one mum says, “[I joined] a week before my due date because I was not getting positive feedback or information about being able to breastfeed after my baby was born, and I felt really vulnerable.”

Another started going to meetings “six weeks after birth, looking for breastfeeding advice and new mommy friends.”

No matter your reason for joining the group, the mums there already are very welcoming, with one mum saying: “Join the group, it is the best way to make friends with other mums going through the same things and, especially for foreign mothers married to Japanese, it is a great networking opportunity,” and another jumping in to encourage: “Come along! We are not all crazy hippies!” A friendly, knowledgeable group indeed, LLLI in Japan could be a great place for you to meet new mommies, learn more about breastfeeding, introduce your little one to some new friends, and find a great new community.

For more information about all of the chapters BAB in Japan, visit www.llli.org/Japan.html.

a leader. Unfocused? Brainstorm brilliantly. Shy? Be subversive. Living in Japan among dainty waifs, I once felt hulking and enormous. But then I realised that height is a sign of power, strength, and leadership; so now I wear heels and literally stand as tall as I can.

If you filed down all your spiky bits, you’d just be mediocre. When you embrace your inner freak, you have the raw fuel to be outstanding.

Anna Kunnecke is a life coach living in Tokyo. www.annakunnecke.com

Being A Broad February 2010

5

our cover girl

VYVIAL

of Treehouse Montessori School, cover photography by Kerry Raftis Full name: Jenny Aimi Vyvial Age: 48 Nationality: Japanese (but never brought up as a Japanese) Grew up in: Yokohama Time in Japan: 48 years Japanese level: Native Works at: Treehouse Montessori School in Yokohama as the Head of School How do you manage to balance everything in your life? I love my job of running a small Montessori school for the international community in Yokohama. Everything that I do at and for my school I love and this is where I spend most of my time. I start the day relatively early in the morning and from the moment I wake my time is spent as a housewife and a mother at home.

The time I spend at my school is as both head of school and as a regular teacher! My ability to multi-task is reflected well from juggling between my job and family. The only thing I miss dearly is the regular exercise that I haven’t been able to fit in my busy schedule. This is very unhealthy, and having stopped my exercise for a while now makes it difficult to get back on track. But I must admit, working with children is a lot of exercise in itself, which compensates for my lack of time spent at the gym.

What do you do to relax? I enjoy taking nice long baths to relax but what really works for me is when I escape to some exotic island and sunbathe at the beach. Dipping into the water and swimming after that is the best!

Best thing about being a foreign woman in Japan? Even though I am not a foreign woman, I consider myself as one because I have never been brought up as a typical Japanese.

However, people admire that I have a so-called ‘Japanese heart’ while maintaining a multicultural and open-minded outlook on life. Many people are interested in me for my unique background and this has resulted in making connections with BAB foreign and Japanese people.

images: Kerry Raftis/www.keyshots.com

6

JENNY AIMI

A Day in the Life: When you are a housewife, a mother, and businesswoman, there is little time left for yourself. My day goes by so fast that by the end of the day, I feel like I need just a few extra hours to sit down and relax for myself.

Every day I wake up and ask myself what I can do for people around me and for myself to end the day fulfilled and happy. My first task at home is to prepare breakfast and lunch for my two daughters who attend Yokohama International School. Ever since my children have been in school, I have upheld the

custom of making three obento boxes a day, including one for myself. After I send everyone out of the house, I take some time for myself to get ready for work—this is probably the only time I look at myself properly in front of the mirror. I work very close to home, so my commute is simple. I spend my time at work teaching, supervising teachers, overlooking the classrooms, and managing business affairs at the school. By the end of the day, I try to go home as early as possible, but often it is not until late that I arrive home. At times, in order to unwind, I take my daughters out for dinner and

try to spend some quality time having dinner together (even so, they are teenagers). They are my best friends and the best advisors I can ever get. I do not have time for maintaining my social life during the weekdays so I find my weekends are important for going out and socialising. My hectic weekdays are balanced with relaxing weekends with my family and close friends.

One other simple thing I do for myself at the end of the night is to listen to my favourite music and think positively about the following day...

WOMEN OF THE WORLD

compiled by Danielle Tate-Stratton

image:IFRC/Eric Quintero

Three women, Myriam Merlet, Anne Marie Coriolan, and Magalie Marcelin, who were all involved in creating important legislation for women’s rights in Haiti, were killed in the earthquake, a tragedy many are calling a step back for all women in the country.

image:gcraig3si

The body of a 16-year-old Turkish girl was recently found buried alive in a hole in her family’s chicken coop. Her father and grandfather allegedly killed the girl because she had befriended some boys. Though Turkey has recently tightened its laws related to honour killings, the practice prevails, especially in smaller towns.

image:Moiso Araya

The tragic earthquake in Haiti has led to specific problems for women, who are finding themselves increasingly at risk for rape, robbery, and other forms of harassment by men. Living in squalid conditions in aid camps, women are often attacked while bathing, robbed of their food while sleeping, or accosted in the street for their aid coupons, forcing relief agencies to organise decoy aid stations and the US military to try and protect the streets.

The US Department of Defense recently announced that, following a recommendation to do so from the Pentagon’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, it would begin providing emergency contraception on its military bases around the world.

In early February, Costa Rica elected its first female president, Laura Chinchilla Miranda, who will take office in May of this year. She was formerly a vice president and the minister of justice under President Oscar Arias. A conservative, she is against legalising the morning-after pill in Costa Rica, as well as gay marriage.

Though women’s ski jumping won’t be included as a sport in the Vancouver Olympics this year, 20 women have been chosen to work as forerunners, athletes who will jump the hill before the men’s competiton begins to ensure that it is in good shape and competition-ready.

Ruth Proskauer Smith passed away at the end of January at the age of 102. Smith was an abortion and contraceptive rights activist, and one of the founding members of NARAL—the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws— and received a lifetime achievement award from NARAL Pro-Choice New York and the National Institute for Reproductive Health in 2009.

Despite opposition from traditionalists, who call for a separate structure of male and female bishops and archbishops, the Church of England is going ahead with a plan to allow women bishops to be consecrated as soon as 2012. This decision means that England joins Scotland, Canada, Ireland, the US, and New Zealand in having or allowing female bishops.

The Hedge Fund Journal recently reported that some 50 percent of the top female hedge fund managers in the world are based in London. The report also showed that hedge funds managed by women had an average rate of return of just over 9 percent in the last decade, as compared to 5.28 percent for funds overall.

After 100 days at sea, 16-year-old Jessica Watson of Buderim, Australia passed the halfway point in her quest to become the youngest person, male or female, to circumnavigate the globe by sailboat.

She is making her journey unassisted, which means making no stops and taking on no additional supplies. You can read her exciting and near-daily blog at http://jessicawatson.com.au.

Scientists from British Columbia, Canada have shown that women with gout, a type of arthritis, are 40 percent more likely to have a heart attack than women without the disease. Interestingly, men with gout were just 11 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack.

Designer Diane von Furstenberg has recently created a humanitarian award for women and will be giving out the first four awards on March 13. Two already-announced recipients are Sadiqa Basiri Saleem, who established a learning centre in Afghanistan, and Danielle St. Lot, Haiti’s minister of commerce, industry, and tourism.

Each of the four women to receive the award will receive $50,000 toward their causes.

7

image: Peter Kovacs

Julianne McGregor, 27, is planning to hula hoop her way up Mount Kilimanjaro as she raises money for the World Cancer Research Fund.

Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri studied 64,047 pregnant women and found that in the group of women who were found to have fibroids (3.2 percent of the sample group), the rate of intrauterine fetal death (stillbirth) was significantly higher than in the group of women without, even after accounting for factors such as diabetes, tobacco exposure, race, and chronic hypertension.

image: pure9

Four Ukrainian women who were topless from the waist up recently entered a polling station during the Ukrainian presidential election and protested what they described as the end of democracy. The women were arrested because, officials say, they hadn’t applied for permission to protest and were disrupting the election.

The Utah State House voted 53–15 in favour of a law requiring women to have an ultrasound before they are allowed to have an abortion, though the images from the ultrasound would be displayed in a manner that allows women to choose whether or BAB not to view them.

Being A Broad February 2010

THE LITTLE THINGS

WE LOVE IN JAPAN a. I love my iPhone, for many, many reasons, but one of them is all of the applications that can help me with my (slow!) study of Japanese. One of my favourites is kotoba, a great English–Japanese dictionary. You can enter a word in English, kana, or roomaji, and it will bring up exact matches plus similar options. Choose the one you want to look at, and it gives you the meaning, reading, translation into one or two other (mostly European) languages, and a link to pages for each individual kanji that may be part of the word. These kanji pages feature pinyin and Korean readings, plus the on and kun yomi. You’ll also be told what the stroke count is, which grade a Japanese child would learn it in, what level of JLPT it shows up in, its frequency of overall use, and a few other interesting tidbits.

Best of all? This app is free! Visit your iTunes store to download.—DTS

b. I love trying new sports, and find that Japan is a great place to do so, since every team seems to be filled with incredibly eager leaders and a variety of enthusiastic, friendly players at every level. It seems that the Tokyo Netball Club, which is looking for players of all skill levels and from all countries, is no exception.

Playing weekly at the British School in Tokyo (Shibuya Campus), the club charges no membership fee and says that for beginners “We’ll email you the complete rulebook and have a veteran player take you under their wing while you learn.� For anyone who isn’t in tip-top shape (OK, for most of us!), there’s the option to play in a less physically demanding position until you improve your skills and condition. Wednesday nights are just for fun, so there’s no need to worry about being steamrolled by any over-enthusiastic competition while you try and get your bearings.

It’s a great way to get a fun workout!

Play occurs each Wednesday from 7–8:30pm.

For directions: www.bst.ac.jp/ourschool/ mapanddirections.—NW

c. I love the sound of the Hope at the Hilton Week, where you can hear a remarkable woman tell her amazing story of how she survived the killing fields and is now leading a team of women helping very poor families out of poverty. Kim (Ly) Phearly, Director of HOPE Cambodia, will share her story on February 15 at the Tokyo Hilton as part of a series of events during this annual week of events, March 14–21. This special lunch event in Tokyo will coincide with Charity Cut, where you will be pampered by a top stylist for only ¼2,000.

One hundred percent of what you pay will help Ly’s work in Cambodia.

The Charity Cut will be happening simultaneously at the Hilton Osaka and the Hilton Nagoya. To book a space now or for more information go to www.hope.or.jp.—LW

Charity Cut

blndY8\ce1

www.hope.or.jp

A “HOPE at the Hilton Week� event : March 14-21

2010

3 15 2 31 10 am - 6 pm

Hilton Tokyo 2F, Nagoya 2F, Osaka 1F 1

1 .

1

e. I love Palette, a Sri Lankan restaurant in Ebisu, enough to eat there up to four times a week.

Their vegetarian lunch course is both authentic and delicious, and comes with a unique grilled coconut patty that is hard to find elsewhere. But the part I love the most is that the restaurant is run by an NPO group acting for people with disabilities! More here: www.npo-palette. or.jp/english/index.html.—UN

Get involved: BAB Survey Please take two minutes (literally!) to complete our online member survey here: www. surveymonkey.com/s/G2F6FDC. There are 30 simple questions and you can enter a draw to win all sorts of fun prizes from our sponsors.

Prizes include a fantastic manicure and pedicure from Boudoir, a luxurious hair treatment from Sin

image: toastforbrekkie

8

d. Daibutsu Korokoro is located in downtown Shibuya near to Zara.

I adore this izakaya for its zen-like furnishings and quirky layout. They also do the most amazing California Rolls you will have...EVER! With deep fried prawns, avocado, cucumber, rice, and more all packed into a seaweed roll that is triple the circumference of your usual sushi roll, it is easy to see that these people know their California Rolls and how to take them to the next level. They also serve other delicious dishes and drinks, all at reasonable prices. It is safe to say that you can have your party fed and watered for about ¼3,000-4,000 a head!—SJ

Have a haircut while helping the Poor! ` aZn` eK % BNK A J QS91 \ce K / > A ICG ) # K E O 91 j t hK " hq_ []eJ V U ND :1

Haircut by a TOP stylist for ONLY ÂĽ2,000*! echs`aZn`eJ1 QTiX\ce>11

1 z5xxx 4u1 BOOK NOW! D@ &Wu1 jthKhq_[]eJ VUND:1 1 at hiltonweek@hope.or.jp Prior booking through HOPE is necessary. jthKktoXfp`PC?L (*' M JA &?FB;:1 1

1

HOPE International Development Agency j t hsZrat g ^ mg o , $ ! 1 Email: hiltonweek@hope.or.jp TEL: 052-204-0530 / FAX: 052-204-0531 10am-4pm, Mon-Fri , -| }+1 yx =R { NH1

* Minimum donation.

A v\ce wL ~75666 H<0 ;CND:1

f. I love that people in Japan are recognising International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day this year, which is why I was happy to hear about the full day United Nations Public Symposium taking place at the Nikkei Hall in Otemachi, Tokyo and held in conjunction with Femmes@Tokyo. Several sessions will â&#x20AC;&#x153;identify key issues regarding gender problems in Japanâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;discuss the current situation of Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress towards gender equality and future agendas,â&#x20AC;? among other topics. For more information and to register, visit http:// tinyurl.com/yzk59bp. For more information about International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights in Japan, and another event happening on March 8, read Sorcha Chisholmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s article on page 16.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;LW

Den, vouchers from the Meat Guy, cooking lessons with You Can Cook, and an incredible interview and portrait session with artist Lynn Matsuoka.

For anyone who prefers pen to keyboard, we also have the survey on page 21 of this issue. Feel free to fill it out and fax it back to the number on the form. Thanks so much!

Do you have a little thing you love in Japan?

If you know of a product, place, restaurant, event, or service that our readers would love, please let us know! Send an email with 50â&#x20AC;&#x201C;150 words describing your item and a photo, if possible, to editor@being-a-broad.com and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll use your suggestions in a future issue of the magazine.

by Gabbi Bradshaw

Eve Ensler happily walking as part of a V-Day event.

images: vday.org

Tokyo girl

V-GIRLS 2010 I

n November of 2009, Sal9000 said, “I do” to Nene Anegasaki. Sal9000, a 27-year old Japanese otaku (geek) who lives in Tokyo, wore a white tux and black Buddy Holly glasses. The bride wore her usual school girl attire of a navy blue pleated skirt, sky blue knee socks, and a white trimmed sailor shirt with a swooping vneck that highlighted her voluptuous avatar bosom. The couple wed at a white-washed wed-

So, does that mean if you don’t want your partner to pee on you (like Carrie in the “To Pee or Not to Pee?” episode of Sex and the City), S&M Susan will? Personally, I don’t think Frigid Farrah or Mature Martha would allow it either.

And if he wants to discuss prostate cancer? Call on Mature Martha? She’ll know what to do. And at the company bonenkai party, Wild Wendy will surely make a good impression by slamming

ding chapel in Guam. Sal9000 said they would honeymoon in Guam and return to Tokyo for a proper wedding reception.

And where would a proper wedding reception be for a Japanese otaku and a video game character? An arcade? Because Nene Anegasaki is one of several characters from the Nintendo DS game LovePlus. And as reported by cnn.com (http://tinyurl.com/ydgreph) Sal9000 said that she is better than a human girlfriend because she changes to whatever he likes. I wonder, did Nene say “I do?”

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any wackier, in January of 2010 the “world’s first sex robot” debuted in Las Vegas (http://tinyurl. com/y89ad53). Mastermind Douglas Hines said, “She can’t vacuum, she can’t cook, but can do almost anything else, if you get what I mean.”

Hines continued on to say that she is a companion with personality. And like a ‘real’ person, she can listen, speak, feel touch, sleep, and is programmed to talk about what you like.

Because “Sex only goes so far—then you want to be able to talk to the person.” WTF? You can order different personalities on www.truecompanion.com, like Frigid Farrah, Wild Wendy, S&M Susan, or Mature Martha. You can choose her race, hair colour, and breast size. And as the website says, she is “always turned on and ready to talk or play.”

back a six pack of beeru. And when you want to just read a book yet still be pleasured, Frigid Farrah is your girl. Gross. Even grosser is that there is a “young unnamed doll with a naïve personality” available. Sounds like a pedophile’s wet dream.

But this technology is just not available in Sin City. Honeydolls are available in Japan in five flavours. Aki and Saori (who ‘accept’ oral sex), Cindy, Mari and ‘New!’ Kaze who has a ‘teen’ body. Maybe the unnamed Roxxxy doll and Kaze could be like Lojack tracking devices for pedophiles.

On www.honeydolls.jp, I found out that you can just buy the head of Aki or Saori if you wish, with the option to purchase the body later if you like.

As disturbing and insulting as this is to me, artificial intelligence expert and author of Love and Sex with Robots, David Levy, claims that robots will become “significant” sexual partners for humans. I wonder if they are programmed to ever say “no” or “enough”? And I wonder what these men will be like when they are with real women. Will they be able to understand sex is more than just a game?

To me, it feels like women are more objectified than ever. And what am I going to do about it? Celebrate V-Day. Started by Eve Ensler, playwright of the

challenge you to rescue a woman or girl who may not have a voice of her own because of fear, race, Iculture, money, or power.

successful Vagina Monologues, V-Day’s mission is “to end violence against women and girls.”

It is a vision, spirit, and catalyst. A demand to end rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation, and sexual slavery. It is a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community. It is an organised response against violence towards women and girls. Read about it at www.vday.org.

To me, V-Day is an act to stand up to the objectification of women and girls. We are more than a DS game or a robot or a sex toy or a body part.

Last year for Valentine’s Day I challenged you not to wait for Prince Charming to rescue you, but to rescue yourself. This year, I challenge you to rescue a woman or girl who may not have a voice of her own because of fear, race, culture, BAB money, or power.

Be a V-Girl! Join the fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and make a difference: • Organise a V-Day activity in Tokyo at www. vday.org.

• Attend the Until the Violence Stops event I’m organising to benefit an organisation listed below. Be sure to check out the March BAB for more details.

• Volunteer at the Tokyo Rape Crisis Center. http://tinyurl.com/yag84mk • Become a hotline volunteer at TELL. Run a 5k or 10k to raise awareness and funds. http://tinyurl.com/y9d74b4 • Advocate and volunteer at HELP Asian Women’s Shelter. http://tinyurl.com/ y9uy6ke • Check with Second Harvest of Japan to see how you can help mothers who have left violent homes to feed and support their family. http://tinyurl.com/y97573h • Join an activity sponsored by Asia-Japan’s Women Resource Center. www.ajwrc. org/jp

Being A Broad February 2010

9

beauty

NUA: WAX ON, WAX OFF

IT’S THAT SIMPLE

by Shana Graves

“As you walk into Nua you feel the warm and soothing ambiance...”

Image provided by Nua Japan.

W

ith Japan just a quick flight away from some of the most beautiful beach destinations in Southeast Asia, you have to make sure that you’re ready year round. Preparing for a beach holiday, for many, means taking steps to remove unwanted hair.

Celebrating its first year in operation this March, Nua Salon offers waxing services in many languages including English, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Before Nua’s grand opening in 2009, waxing, particularly Brazilian style, was relatively unheard of in Japan. Since then, waxing has seen a steady increase in popularity in Tokyo as more and more women turn away from shaving and embrace its benefits.

As you walk into Nua you feel the warm and soothing ambiance, with soft music playing, which makes customers feel at ease— particularly appealing to those who are new to waxing. First-timers can also let go of any negative images they may have of waxing.

Nua takes waxing to another level with their techniques—a less painful level. For many, the thought of waxing conjures up images of incredibly hot wax and their hair being

head out. In order for your technician to be able to give you a proper wax, your hair must be between half a centimetre and one centimetre in length—any shorter and the wax will not be able to attach to the hair properly. If you have been a regular shaver up to this point, Nua recommend

Nua prides itself on professional and hygienic service in a friendly environment that feels like “ your home away from home...”

10

ripped out in strips. Ouch! You will not find any wax strips at Nua as they are not used.

The Nua technique uses hard wax, which is applied directly to the area where you want hair removed. The wax is allowed to cool and harden—for approximately five seconds—and removed by a technician using a quick rolling technique. Technicians have three types of wax at their disposal, all of which are imported from Australia. The type of wax used depends on the needs and wants of the client. This technique means that any pain or irritation you experience during or after your wax session will be minimal. That being said, everyone has a different pain threshold and everyone’s skin reacts in its own way to irritations, so what is painful for a friend may not be painful for you.

The Nua team says: “Nua prides itself on professional and hygienic service in a friendly environment that feels like your home away from home. So there is no need to feel uncomfortable, even if you have never waxed before.” They add, “the benefits and pleasures of waxing far outweigh the pain factor.” If you are still feeling nervous about waxing, you can count on the staff at Nua to be very welcoming and to help ease your anxiety.

On the other hand, if you have been thoroughly convinced and are eager to try waxing, there are a few things to remember before you

waiting at least two weeks before coming in for a wax, as this will allow your hair to grow to an ideal waxing length and allow the skin to heal from any irritations. It is also a good idea to take a warm shower before your appointment, as the warm temperature opens up your hair follicles, allowing the waxing process to go much smoother. Don’t worry if for some reason you can’t run home

removed. Although waxing is their specialty, Nua also offers a number of other services including manicures, pedicures, eyelash perms, and tints.

Don’t be fooled, this isn’t a girls-only salon; men are also invited to come in for manicures, pedicures, and, of course, waxing.

To show their appreciation for their clientele, Nua frequently offers special promotions and campaigns. For instance, they offer a VIP point card to all their clients. This free membership card allows clients to earn points each time they visit Nua. For every ¥1,000 spent on products and services, card holders earn one point. If you earn 10 points you can obtain a ¥1,000 discount off your next appointment. With 20 points you can receive a discount of ¥2,000. If your birthday hasn’t already passed, you can take advantage of Nua’s birthday campaign, which gives customers

benefits and pleasures of waxing far outweigh the pain factor.” “the

for a shower before your appointment. You can shower at the salon. Nua just asks that you arrive ahead of schedule.

At Nua, waxing treatments include the standard leg, arm, underarm, upper lip, eyebrow, and bikini areas, but this salon also expands its services to include a variety of Brazilianstyle waxing. Before researching, I knew very little about Brazilian waxing. I was under the assumption that if you were going in for a Brazilian wax you were getting all of your body hair removed. Although Dare to Bare is one method, it’s not the only one. Nua gives customers many choices when it comes to Brazilian waxing. Barely Bare leaves you with a small triangle of hair. The Nua Brazilian leaves you with a small strip of hair at the front (also known as a landing strip). The French Kiss is when all of your hair in the front is

ten percent off when they book an appointment within seven days of their birthday. Make sure to keep an eye on the Nua website for more promotions and campaigns in the future.

Waxing is definitely not for everyone, but the people at Nua certainly make a great case for it, making even the most devoted shavers (myself included) question their hair removal practices. If you happen to be in the Omotesando area, why not stop in and take a look around the salon? The staff would be more than happy to show you BAB around and answer any questions.

For more information on Nua, visit www. nuajapan.com. To inquire further about waxing or to book an appointment tel. 036804-5285 or e-mail info@nuajapan.com.

Image provided by Kit Pancoast Nagamura.

SIN DEN: THE LEGACY

by Sin Den customers, Fabio, and the Sin Den team, compiled by Alena Eckelmann

W

ho hasn’t heard of Sin Den? This famous hair and makeup salon’s specialty is you—international women. Although Tokyo has thousands of hair salons, there aren’t actually many stylists that understand Western hair. You probably have your very own story to tell about a terrible haircut and some horrible colouring; years of suffering under the hands of stylists who don’t know what to do with your hair in the first place and then get it all wrong.

The saviour arrived in town in 1994, when an Australian named Den Sinden put an end to the misery and opened Sin Den, the first international hair salon in Tokyo. Later, the business was taken over by two Western women, Estelle Viscovich and Elissa Galbraith. Back then, they set up at Las Chicas and the salon’s interior was a fiery red. Over the years, the ownership, location, and the look of the salon has changed. Sin Den now presents itself in a stylish blackand-white design and is run by Fabio Alfano.

What has not changed, however, is the excellent Western hair competence of Sin Den’s stylists, both Westerners and Japanese with international experience. They have trained with the most respected stylists and at the best hair salons (Toni & Guy, Trevor Sorbie, and Errol Douglas, to name just a few) and in the trendiest cities of the world, such as London, New York, Paris, Sydney, Milan, etc. At Sin Den they use their first-class, international skills to transform each customer into a prince or princess.

Take the latest arrivals, Chihaya Tamura (stylist) and Roberto Perozzi (master stylist). They know their trade inside out and are active on the avantgarde circuit, attending shows and doing work for magazines and photo sessions. Roberto was the winner of Best Avant-Garde Hairdresser of the Year by British Hairdressing Awards in 2003.

Although they know how to make models look their best (look at Roberto’s blog and you’ll know what I mean: http://robertoperozzi.blogspot. com), they are not aloof at all. Western women of all backgrounds and hair qualities have entrusted their hair to Sin Den, and over the last 15 years this salon has acquired hundreds of loyal customers.

I spoke to some of them to find out what makes them came back to Sin Den again and again.

Xenia Rexnik (university teacher, Tsukuba): I have been a Sin Den client for almost five years now. I remember very well first discovering Sin Den because I looked terrible by then. It was like frog-princess first seeing her saviour—instead of kissing me they did my hair, but the effect was exactly the same as in the fairytale.

I was still looking for the right hairstyle for myself at that time. However, it turned out to be quite a challenge to find a hair salon where they would take responsibility for what you ended up with on your head. Finally, I saw Sin Den’s advertisement in BAB. I have always thought that hairstyling is about creativity and it was really refreshing to see a completed creative concept behind the name of the salon and its slogan: “wickedly good hair.” Not like the others, you know: a random English word for the name and “we are the best this and that in Tokyo.”

When I first came to Sin Den, Fabio Alfano, the stylist who has been working with me ever since, asked me how I wanted my hair. I answered: “Dark and short,” dreading that he would ask me to elaborate just like everybody else had done. I had no idea which of the millions of dark hues and short shapes I should choose for myself. Instead of asking anything else, Fabio started telling me what there was for me, my face shape, hair structure, eye colour. He was doing what a real artist does—creating an original, unique style that would perfectly suit one particular person.

This time the lucky person was me! What else can I say? For five years I have enjoyed looking my best in auburn, celtic-red, blonde, and several other hues and varying hair lengths. Fabio has it all under control. If this is not happiness itself, it is something very close to it...

Luciana Ghizzoni (professor at Tokyo University of the Arts since 1986): I have been living in Japan since 1973 and I had been looking for a good hairdresser for years. I didn’t like the colour of the hair dye (too dark for my features) and also the style of the haircuts. In spite of changing my hairdressers regularly, I could not get what I was looking for. This all changed when my daughter met a new friend almost ten years ago. She had beautiful blonde hair done by Sin Den. In the first Sin Den, I didn’t like the dominant red colour of the interior and having to lie on a kind of catafalque to have my hair washed.

Sin Den is now brighter and has an intellectual touch thanks to its clients, writers, and artists. I love to see books on bookshelves. And I finally found an Italian hairstylist who knows what to do with my hair even before I try to explain.

Kit Pancoast Nagamura (author of The Ultimate Japanese Phrasebook and The Backstreet Stories for The Japan Times) When I first walked into Sin Den more than a decade ago, then owners Estelle Viscovich and Elissa Galbraith were snipping amidst taxidermy pheasants and mounted scorpions in the outré red interior they had chosen to paint their international salon. The place felt a bit like a den of sin, at first, but I found the clientele too interesting to ignore and the haircuts superb. Like a salon in the old French meaning of the word, Sin Den was alive with chatter between artists, businessmen, fashionistas, housewives, and the occasional boisterous female impersonator. We all needed good hair. Today, Sin Den has toned down

its colour scheme and stored the animal artifacts, but the atmosphere is similarly dynamic and recently has an Italian eccitazione about it, thanks to stylists Fabio and Roberto. I have never booked in at Sin Den and not met someone interesting, because the layout is open and friendly and the stylists enthusiastic and supportive. It’s a monthly treat to meet someone new as staff bring hot drinks and magazines or offer brilliant head massages. Finally, the salon is aware of and involved in local arts, so going to Sin Den can be a bit like getting your hair styled while sipping a café latte at an exhibition. Have I cheated and skipped off to other salons over the years? Yup, I admit it. I have found most sterile by comparison, often with stylists more interested in their own ideas than in listening to yours. I have always come (crawling) back to Sin Den where my whole head gets the best treatment, from the inside out.

Linda Werszier (model): I’ve been visiting Sin Den since the Las Chicas days...I think it must be about ten years now? I must admit, (because I travel a lot) I have not always been faithful and have dabbled in a few other salons in the past. However, I always find myself coming back to Sin Den. Usually after some disaster that another hairdresser has caused, such as unwanted shades of orange, green, and yellow, or extremely thinned-out whispyrazored hair. It is not easy to achieve the perfect, natural blonde look, but the Sin Den team really does know the difference between Western and Asian hair. The salon is great, the staff are lovely, and I always walk out with the perfect hairdo.

Jeannette Ohmae (musician): For the past 15 years Sin Den has been the hair salon of choice for the Tokyo foreign community. Recalling life in Tokyo some 30 years ago, I felt surrounded by a sea of black hair wherever I went. When the overseas travel boom began in the ‘80s, women started to experiment with hair colour. If I look around today, the crowds of black-haired shoppers are now interspersed with various shades of brown, some blonde, and increasingly noticeable grey. Over the years, my own hair changed from blonde to mousey brown. Trips home to visit family in the US led me to experiment with bottled blonde colours, first more out of curiosity and then later out of desperation.

Having once changed my hair colour, it was impossible to stop. Unfortunately, everything that I tried came out with a red tint. It was with immense relief and joy that I surrendered my tortured hair to a salon that knew how to treat and re-create a more BAB healthy and natural looking me.

Check out Sin Den’s website at www.sinden. com. For a free consultation or an appointment, please e-mail hair@sinden.com, or tel. 033405-4409.

Being A Broad February 2010

beauty

Sin Den has been styling international clients such as Kit Pancoast Nagamura, shown, for years.

11

by Shana Graves

W

hen it’s cold outside and cold in your apartment, it’s hard to find motivation.

For some of us, simply getting out of bed is a challenge, let alone finding the enthusiasm to do anything that could be considered productive.

This is the beginning of a disorder that thousands of woman struggle through each winter: seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or, as it is more commonly known, the winter blues. Symptoms of SAD range from mild—oversleeping, overeating, craving carbohydrates—to more severe, such as withdrawal from friends and family. These symptoms often lead to depression and a negative mindset, which causes a lack of desire for social interactions, thus initiating a vicious cycle. The key is to be aware of your symptoms and break the cycle before it can repeat; if not, symptoms can last several weeks.

Angela has been living in Japan for nine years and, like clockwork, at the beginning of January she starts feeling lethargic as the days get shorter and colder. Although she had experienced mild symptoms during the winters when she lived in her home country of Canada, it wasn’t until recently that she realised she had been experiencing SAD: “I think I recognise it now because the ‘winter blues’ have been labelled in recent years.”

“Cold winter days generally leave something to be desired...” image: goodhousecreeper

health & wellness

YOU VS. WINTER: CONQUERING SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

me feel good, e.g., writing. If my symptoms are more severe, I try to take a mental health day, which I highly recommend. You should be taking advantage of your vacation days and using one or two of them to take care of yourself before you get sick. On particularly apathetic mornings, instead of ingesting a pot of coffee to wake myself up, I use a peppermint-scented body wash.

In Japan each season is marked by some sort of flower or tree blooming. This seems to help me “ get through ‘the blues.’ I look forward to plum and cherry blossoms blooming.”

12

Living away from home brings with it a large number of emotional challenges to overcome.

If you happen to be highly susceptible to moodrelated disorders, winters in Japan can wreak havoc on your psyche, especially when you start feeling homesick. “I think it has gotten worse here in Japan because of being away from my family and the familiarity and comfort of living in my own cultural environment,” Angela says. “I get ‘Japan Rage’ more frequently in the winter, and am more sensitive to Japanese attitudes or intolerance towards foreigners or anything that is different.”

Angela also admits to experiencing a variance in her moods, “I want to stay inside and “hibernate,” I do not feel like socialising then, and feel guilty for having all these symptoms.”

The best way to prevent or treat winter blues is to change your attitude and force yourself to do things. Of course, this is always easier said than done. Although my symptoms are relatively mild, I also experience the winter blues. The best treatment for me starts when I become aware that it is, in fact, the weather that is bringing me down. Once I am aware of my attitude, I take time to think about the positive things in my life.

I then focus on an activity or hobby that makes

The stimulating aroma awakens all of my senses and forces me to face the day head on. Ginger and citrus scents are also known to be excellent energy boosters.

For Angela, being aware and taking control of her moods and giving herself things to look forward to are especially helpful: “I make myself go outside during daylight hours, especially on the weekends.

Plan a vacation. Take time off work before I get too stressed...In Japan each season is marked by some sort of flower or tree blooming. This seems to help me get through ‘the blues.’ I look forward to plum and cherry blossoms blooming.”

Mayo Clinic experts suggest several treatment types but reccomend making a personal effort before resorting to external treatment sources.

Making sure you get outside, particularly when it’s sunny, is a great way to enhance your overall mood.

Luckily for those of us living in Tokyo, at least, the winter days are generally sunny. This makes it much easier to recover the drive to get out and do things.

If your job or lifestyle makes it difficult to get outside often, try to make your office and home more comfortable and brighter. Keep curtains and blinds open, allowing as much light in as possible and, if you can, situate your workspace close to a window.

Cold winter days generally leave something to be desired and are even less appealing for exercise. Being physically active not only helps keep those pesky extra kilos off, but just getting out makes you feel good mentally as well. When I say ‘physically active,’ I’m not suggesting you run five kilometres a day—I’m a pretty lazy person—but I’m recommending exercise that is fun so it doesn’t feel like you’re being healthy.

For example, it is very possible to enjoy winter sports throughout Japan. In Tokyo and the surrounding area, there are several facilities for skating as well as skiing and snowboarding.

Indoor skating rinks can be found in the Shibuya area at Yoyogi National Stadium and Meiji Jingu Gaien, and a manmade outdoor rink is set up every winter in Yokohama. You can also get your exercise by visiting one of the two indoor ski and snowboard parks in Tokorozawa, Saitama. If you have never tried winter sports, now is as good a time as any to try new activities, and visiting new places tends to boost your mood.

Relaxing activities such as yoga, massage therapy, and meditation are also likely to help alleviate symptoms of seasonal depression.

Yoga classes are held regularly at various studios throughout Japan, with options including child and parent classes. To find classes near you, visit www.yogafinder.com.

There are lots of prevention and treatment options available for those who suffer from the winter blues. Try them out and see what works for you. Simply being in the presence of positive people can enhance your mood. So, when all else fails, surround yourself with positive, uplifting people as much as possible.

For more information on seasonal affective and other mood disorders, visit www.

BAB mayoclinic.com.

LESSONS

by Alena Eckelmann and Chris Patrick

C

hris is an Englishwoman whom I first met in London ten years ago. I was looking for a new job and applied for work at the Europe Japan Centre (EJC), a business research and consulting firm that advises Japanese clients. Most of my colleagues had been on the JET programme teaching English in Japan, but Chris, the head of the company, had come to Japan well before JET was established. At that time there were not many foreigners around, and definitely not many foreign women.

I asked Chris to kindly share some of her many experiences with BAB readers: Importance of planning: “What a nice surprise!” The very words are an anathema in Japan, where surprises, by their very nature, are

y latest connections with Japan are in relation to the Condor Trust for Education, a charity that...

M enable[s] children from no or low income families in Ecuador to go to school.

not nice. Most Japanese people, I quickly learnt after arriving in Tokyo for the first time 35 years ago, prefer life and all its minutiae to be planned both carefully and well in advance.

My first job in Japan was as a teacher of English in a language school in Tokyo. One evening after class I suggested we go for a drink. The entire group of young women was silent and looked with sudden interest at the classroom floor. Fine, I thought, they don’t want to go out.

It was only several weeks later that I discovered the truth. Several women couldn’t be home late without making arrangements, and if everyone couldn’t come for a drink, noone wanted to come. The group subsequently sorted things out and invited me for a drink after class. “Lovely,” I said, “shall we go to the bar next door?” But everything had been planned— we were going to another bar, which the class had booked in advance and where everything was laid out and ready.

Planning applied to the bigger things in life, too. One of my female students told me she would be getting married in two years time. “Congratulations,” I said. “Who are you marrying?” “I don’t know yet,” she replied, “but I’ll be 24 then and that’s when I plan to get married.” I’m not sure if it worked out, but given her formidable determination I’m confident it did.

Working with business clients: Experiences such as these were useful when I returned to England several years later to set up the Europe

and dealt with potential problems, and finally made the donation. The move was a great success and contributed to the company’s reputation for innovation.

Women in business: In the meantime, most Japanese women were no longer planning to get married at 24. Increasingly, we found ourselves working with women in positions of responsibility, although almost none were at the very top of their companies. Even so, on business trips to Japan in the early days I still found that most Japanese people meeting me for the first time would be expecting to meet a man.

One day I was phoned at my hotel by a Japanese manager I was planning to meet later that morning. When I answered the phone and said my name, I heard him say to a colleague beside him, “Okusan, ka na?” (it must be his wife)—probably not a nice surprise for him. But unlike some of the Japanese women we were working with, who often complained about their unequal treatment, I was never aware of being treated less favourably than male colleagues, at least once the initial shock wore off.

And for us at the Europe Japan Centre, working on projects with Japanese women was often far easier than working with Japanese men.

Their professionalism and determination usually shone through the sometimes absurdly detailed requirements of Japanese corporate life, and many Japanese women became friends as well as business partners.

Chris with two of the children The Condor Trust is supporting in Puyo near the rain forest. image: provided by Chris Patrick.

Alena Eckelmann recently had the chance to talk with Chris Patrick about her 35 years of experience in Japan.

Japan Centre, a company that provides business research and advice for Japanese companies.

It’s not that Japanese people don’t want to do new things, it’s just that they things be carefully planned to avoid problems.

For several years, we advised an energy company on its relations with investors in the UK. At the time, nearly all Japanese companies were giving electronic gizmos as presents to investors who attended their meetings. This struck me as strange, as the purpose of the meetings was to assure investors that the company spent money wisely. Why not prove the company’s prudence by donating to a worthwhile cause instead of handing out flashy gifts?

My Japanese colleagues in London liked the idea, so we set about planting the idea at the head office in Japan. Well in advance we planned carefully, found that the Alternative Energy Centre needed funds and that this fitted well with the company’s environmental aims, considered

learning

JAPANESE

Fundraising for charity: My latest connections with Japan are in relation to the Condor Trust for Education, a charity that I set up six years ago in the UK to enable children from no or low income families in Ecuador to go to school. Although we do most of our fundraising in Europe, I was keen to see what we could do in Japan, too.

Fundraising for charities is not well established in Japan and trying to raise money would, I knew, be something of a challenge.

We began three years ago when an excolleague and contributor to Being A Broad, Alena Eckelmann, generously volunteered to run the Tokyo Marathon to raise funds for the Condor Trust. Enthusiastically, we contacted all of our Japanese friends to ask for their support, and some responded magnificently. One friend even invited a large group of her own friends and colleagues to an evening meeting where we explained about the charity. Several of the people who attended gave generous donations. Another friend later sent a substantial donation to support one child for a year.

In general, though, raising money in Japan has so far been hard-going. People are often surprised and uncomprehending. ‘Why are you trying to help children in Ecuador?’ they ask. ‘What has this got to do with us?’ We are not giving up, though.

Main lesson: Working with Japanese people over so many years has taught me at least two things: be determined, and plan and prepare. Perhaps if we continue to do this, in another few years the donations will start to roll in. And what a nice BAB surprise that would be—for everyone!

For more information about the Condor Trust and the work they do in Ecuador, visit www. condortrust.org.

Being A Broad February 2010

13

working

WE PROFILE: POPPY CALVERT of Abercrombie & Fitch Ginza

Male models greet shoppers, some of whom have lined up for ages, at the door of A&F Ginza. images: Poppy Calvert

Name: Poppy Calvert Nationality: British Qualifications: English Literature BA (Hons.)

Job title: Operations lead Employer: Abercrombie & Fitch Ginza Time in this job: Three months Job description: Amongst the long-established and ever so regal fashion houses of Ginza there is a new resident turning heads in town.

Abercrombie & Fitch, the all-American clothing retailer, opened its doors on December 15, attracting queues over 800 people long within the first few hours. The purpose-built building is eleven stories high, making it the tallest in Ginza; a bass beat can be heard down the street, the scent of Fierce, A&F’s signature colonge, can be smelled all the way to Shinbashi (it’s pumped through the ventilators), and shirtless models greet you at the door. “And this is supposed to be a clothing retailer?” I hear you ask. Yes, it is, and this is where I work.

Abercrombie & Fitch has been around for over a century, outfitting everyone from Roosevelt to JFK. Today, the primary target is 18 to 22-year-olds and there are over 300 stores globally, making it a multi-billion dollar business.

In the Ginza store alone there are around

he all-American clothing retailer opened it’s doors on December 15, attracting queues over T 800 people long within the first few hours. opened. Bringing a huge foreign brand into Japan is a massive job and it’s been a very exciting experience to be a part of.

General Requirements: Like other foreign fashion brands that have recently come to Japan, Abercrombie has a really international feel, and this isn’t just reflected in the brand itself, but also in the models, management, impact team, stylists, and even overnighters. The staff have come from all over the world. I have met some amazing personalities from equally amazing backgrounds, all with something individual and interesting to offer. You have to be a people

person to work here as it’s 90 percent of the job. To work in operations, multi-tasking is essential. I also have to use my patience, initiative, and always remember not to panic when it gets too crazy.

two Abercrombie recruiters. I was desperately struggling to find work in Japan (and we all know how hard that is, especially if your Japanese is rubbish—which mine is) So I jumped at the chance and had my interviews shortly afterwards.

Best thing: The best thing about my job is the international environment that I work in. When I first arrived in Japan, I worked in an Englishspeaking office and knew no Japanese, so my social life and work life was really limited to English-speaking expats. My English friends and I would often discuss how difficult it is to meet new people in Japan when language is a barrier.

Now I work with people from nearly every continent and every single day I learn something new, which I would never have known had I not started working here. I never thought that I could meet people from so many different cultures in one place in Japan; the fact that it’s my workplace is an absolute bonus.

Worst thing: My Japanese language skills are a work in progress and aren’t yet the best, so it’s

Japanese requirement: For all managerial roles, both Japanese and English is required. For all other positions it is possible to get by with just English or Japanese, but bilingual abilities are, of course, an advantage.

General conditions: The flagship is only in its early days, so there is still a long way to go, but at the moment Abercrombie is a pretty cool place to work. Anyone who steps into the store should get a feel-good vibe, and the general consensus in any business tends to be that a happy workplace filters down from good management. I suppose that after over one hundred years, and three hundred stores later they must be doing something right!

How she found this job: Sheer luck; I was actually stopped in the middle of Shibuya crossing on a night out with some friends by

difficult to work to my full potential. Dealing with phone calls can prove difficult, and I often have to rely on others to help me out. However, since working here my Japanese has actually improved hugely, so eventually I should get there.

Issues affecting her as a woman: I haven’t really had any issues affecting me as a woman working at Abercrombie as such. The number of women compared to men is actually much higher, so it may be the men in this instance who have issues in feeling slightly outnumbered!

Recommended resources: http://jp.abercrombie.com Other jobs done in Japan: When I first arrived in Tokyo over a year ago I worked for Weekender for six months, and then left to enroll in Japanese language school. I also do some BAB writing for Being A Broad.

thought that I could meet people from so many different cultures in one place in Japan; the fact that Iit’snever my workplace is an absolute bonus.

800 staff members—it takes an awful lot of people to run such a huge store. My position at Abercrombie is operations lead, which means I work closely with management to make sure all of those people are in the right place at the right time, and with human resources to ensure that enough staff are scheduled. I started working as an operations lead six weeks before the store image provided by Poppy Calvert.

14

ringing a huge foreign brand into Japan is a huge job and it’s been a very exciting experience to be B a part of.

THE RESCUE

by Karin Ling

image: Ben Ward.

Overwhelmed with packing and moving? Let Workbusters help you out!

W

hen I first moved to Japan four years ago, I furnished my apartment with sayonara sale cast-offs. In a recent attempt to clear some space in my now cluttered apartment, I understood why people were so happy to send me off with their perfectly good furniture. In Japan, dealing with big items (moving it, getting rid of it) is a headache. For all the responses to my furniture giveaway ad, only one person managed a solution, taking my bouncy chair and ottoman away on the metro. Meanwhile, I have gotten random advice about old men with recycling trucks and stickers from the combini, but with my limited language skills, I feel more defeated than inspired.

Two people who sympathise are transplanted Brits Charles Goodall and Richard Whitehead.

In response to the general dissatisfaction with local services, they started up Workbusters as a one-stop solution to the removal, clearance, and cleaning needs of Japan’s foreign community.

When Charles moved from his own small Hiroo apartment to a house in Saitama, he felt that convenience for these services was sorely lacking. His Japanese wife had gotten the local movers in for a quote. It turned out to be a surprisingly frustrating experience.

“Japanese removal companies operate with a more rigid time frame than we were used to.

We also had such a hard time pinning down a price from them. There were so many addons.” The company marked up the quote for a weekend move, and then again because the apartment was located up on the fifth floor (despite the available elevator). Another factor was the weight of items. “We had a lot of clothes and books, but very few pieces of furniture in our little apartment. And yet, to figure out the quote, the company had two guys in our place for three hours. They measured and re-measured our furniture. They lifted things. It got so disruptive that even our baby started getting upset.”

Charles actually knows a thing or two about packing and trucks. Back in England, he had eight years of experience in the antique furniture trade and house clearance business. Not only did he know it didn’t have to be that hard, he knew he could do better to serve those in the same predicament.

Recently, Workbusters helped a family in Yokohama downsize to an apartment from a three-bedroom house. There was a fair amount of furniture to disassemble and move and a lot to take to the dump. By the time the house was prepared for the move, Workbusters had yellow Post-it notes on all the boxes and furniture: kitchen, living room, dump. Charles is a man of efficiency and common sense. “Packing a removal van is not a random process. As I walk through the house to make a note of the inventory, I figure out how each piece of furniture will fit in the truck. I know what needs to be dismantled and how to distribute the weight safely for transport.”

Though in Japan “foreigner-friendly” rarely means “best offer,” Workbusters’ quote for the job turned out to be half the price quoted by a local Japanese company. Furthermore, the customer got the job taken care of through one company instead of two or three.

“When I give a quote, it’s simple. It’s for the job. It’s based on how many trucks worth of goods need to be moved and how many journeys I have to make.” For Charles, it’s not about what floor you’re on, how many hours it might take, or what day of the week you want to move.

“Convenience and flexibility are our strongest selling points. Also, the Tokyo expat community is a small one, and we want to keep our prices consistent and fair.”

Most importantly, though, you can be sure that Workbusters will not make your baby cry.

Charles has come a long way since that initial, painful encounter with the movers. With Workbusters, he has put together a team capable of providing the kind of services you would

naturally hope to find with just one phone call.

Co-director of the company, Richard Whitehead is personally responsible for the driving. He is a long-time Tokyo resident at ease with maneuvering three-ton trucks through narrow alleys. His credentials? Four years as a double-decker bus driver in London.

To help you get your full housing deposit back, Workbusters offers cleaning services. They have access to all the heavy-duty machinery needed to tackle years of household grime. They also have a specialist on the team with a license in plumbing, heating, and electric repairs. For clearance services, Workbusters has access to a commercial dump. Even the gardener on board is certified in landscaping, available for anything from weeding to putting in a patio.

Most significantly, Workbusters operates with a good share of insider’s knowledge (thanks to research carried out by Charles’ wife). They know the cost of moving in different wards in Tokyo and keep their rates and services competitive.

After speaking with Charles, I think back to my own cramped apartment. My only regret now is that there’s no longer a reason to put off spring cleaning.

For information on Workbusters’ range of services, call Charles on 080-9100-2909, Richard on 080-5444-7868, or email workbusters@ BAB japan.com.

Wisdom from Workbusters: Here are three points to keep in mind when moving in Japan.

1. The doorways and windows here tend to be a lot smaller than in other countries. That’s why a lot of furniture in Japan is built in-situ.

For removal, these need to be broken down enough to be movable without causing damage.

Charles says, “to avoid expensive accidents, make sure your furniture is protected with the correct use of furniture ties and coverings.”

2. Due to the threat of earthquakes, Japanese buildings are not made to last. As you move your furniture, be aware that your hardwood floors and walls are less solid than you think.

And whatever you do, don’t drag your refrigerator across the kitchen floor.

3. If you have a surplus of furniture, know that there is a market for antiques and quality items made from solid wood. Charles has noted an evolving trend: “The Japanese have a culture of buying everything brand new. Only recently has the younger generation realised the ecological and price benefits of buying used, often good quality items at a fraction of the normal retail cost.” (For an appraisal, give Workbusters a call.)

Being A Broad February 2010

house & home

WORKBUSTERS TO

15

women’s rights 16

INTERNATIONAL

WOMEN’S DAY

by Sorcha Chisholm

S

ince 1975, March 8 has been officially observed by the United Nations as International Women’s Day. It is traditionally marked with an official message from the UN Secretary General, and in 2010 the message is “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities, Progress for All.” International Women’s Day was originally founded for two reasons: one, to recognise that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms requires the active participation, equality, and development of women. Two: to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security. For the women of the world, the day’s symbolism has a wider meaning: it is an occasion to review how far we have come in our struggle for equality, peace, and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network, and mobilise for meaningful change.

I would like to address two areas of women’s inequality here in Japan. The first deals with the lack of opportunity for women in the workplace.

The other is the exploitation of women in the sex industry. These issues are written from a personal perspective, after having lived in Japan for six years. These points of view are subject to argument.

Japanese women are still, to a great degree, subjugated by an oppressive male-dominated system that deems them fit largely for sexual objectification, procreation, and domestic maintenance. Little by little, this is changing as more women are opting for an education that enables them to pursue a career and be financially autonomous. More than ever, Japanese women are entering the workforce and opting not to have children straight away. The rapidly declining birthrate is perhaps the most telling sign of Japanese women’s newly found independence, as many women simply do not want to fit into an archaic stereotype any longer.

This year’s message of equal rights and opportunities resonates particularly loudly in this case. If Japan’s leaders want women to have more babies to offset the ageing population, the fundamental root of the problem must be met: they need to provide real opportunities for women to have both a career and a family. As it stands, Japanese women are often expected to leave their jobs after getting married, as children are assumed to be their next all-encompassing duty. The lack of women occupying corporate and political positions in Japan is a testimony to this persisting cultural attitude.

The Japanese government is trying to entice couples into having more children with their “cash for kids” payout scheme, but it is a temporary solution to the core problem of gender inequality.

n 2010 the message is “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities, IProgress for All.” Traditional attitudes of “husband as breadwinner” still persist, although many companies are being forced to employ more women and even send more women up the corporate ladder in order to avert a stagnated economy. Even if Japanese women do enter the workforce, they are more often than not only offered work as an ‘OL’ or ‘Office Lady.’ This requires nothing more than serving tea or doing mundane tasks around the office. The work is a temporary ‘career’ for the woman until she fulfils her duty as a wife and mother. In most Western countries, where women enjoy better opportunities for satisfying employment, there are usually maternity leave incentives and childcare options, but here in Japan maternity leave is almost unheard of and childcare is expensive and difficult to obtain.

In order to achieve greater equality for Japanese women, the government and the corporate sector need to offer them more flexibility in their chosen career and to provide better childcare assistance to families with a double income. Women shouldn’t have to choose between having a job or having a family.

They should be able to have a job and a family.

The other issue of inequality in Japan looks at the way women are exploited in the sex industry. While most of us can only dare to imagine what goes on behind the closed doors of infamous red light districts like Kabukicho in Shinjuku, the reality, it seems, is much darker than we’d like to know.

According to the UN, over 12 million people worldwide are trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Unlike other developed nations, Japan is not fully complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Although it is apparently making significant efforts to comply with these standards, Japan is still a transit and destination country for women and children from China, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and, to a lesser extent, Latin America for sexual and labor exploitation1.

Many of the trafficking victims are coerced into commercial sexual exploitation in strip clubs, sex shops, hostess bars, private video

rooms, escort services, and mail-order video services. NGOs reported that in some cases brokers use drugs to subjugate victims. Women also voluntarily migrate to work in Japan but are later coerced into exploitative conditions.

Women are usually held in debt bondage for $26,000 to $43,000 for their living expenses, medical care, and other necessities2. There has also been a significant amount of internal trafficking of women and girls who are trafficked for sexual exploitation3.

Although steps are being taken to prosecute trafficking offenders, a multi-billion dollar industry such as this won’t go away overnight. In order for the UN Secretary’s message to really ring true this year, we all should start making a noise about it. If we don’t, it will just keep on running in the same vicious cycle and no one will make any BAB progress at all.

If you want to help promote this important day, get involved! The Pink Cow in Shibuya will be hosting an International Women’s Day event with live performances, women’s support networks, and of course yummy food and drinks at hand.

Where: The Pink Cow Shibuya (www. thepinkcow.com). When: Monday, March 8, 6–11pm. Cost: ¥2,000 (includes one drink discount).

All ticket sales will be going towards the Polaris Project to help end human trafficking. www.polarisproject.org If you are involved with a women’s service and would like to distribute information at the event please contact me at flyingsorcha@ yahoo.com.au.

Sources: 1. Polaris Project Japan: Human Trafficking 2. 2006 US Department of State Human Rights Report 3. 2006 US Department of State Human Rights Report

TABLE FOR AN INSPIRING DAY

by Sarah Matsushita

all images: Takeshi Yuzawa

Some of the beautiful displays from 2009.

R

efugees International Japan (RIJ) will present a feast for the eyes at the 20th anniversary of its exhibition, Art of Dining, on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 from noon–8:30pm at The Westin Tokyo.

Opened in previous years by special guest HIH Princess Hitachi, Art of Dining will showcase imaginative and culturally diverse table designs by 21 designers from artistic, diplomatic, culinary, and business circles.

As the event is open to the public, guests can enjoy the unique interior design on display while helping to raise money and promote awareness of the plight of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs).

This year’s group of designers hails from a range of disciplines, including TV producer Kyoko Spector co-presenting with Mayari Ishibashi, Futaba-ryu ikebana master Horiguchi Shoko, and renowned artist Misaki Ando, along with Colombian Ambassador Patricia Cardenas, and representatives from the embassies of Afghanistan and Botswana.

Previous designs have featured themes such as Wa & Roman, a Fijian feast, and a Mongolian nomad’s ger, and have included stunning handmade pottery and tapestry.

Art of Dining has raised more than ¥150 million since its inception and will continue to support projects for refugees around the world. A section of this year’s event will include information on the over 60 million displaced people worldwide and detail how RIJ is making a difference.

“We are grateful to the designers and event committee who have volunteered their talents to draw over 1,000 guests each year. Their contributions help Refugees International Japan fund projects that allow those displaced by conflict

to rebuild their lives, regain their self-respect, and work towards a safer future—through education and dealing with social issues and environmental degradation. The event demonstrates the community spirit of so many people,” says Jane Best, CEO of Refugees International Japan.

Commemorative calendars have been designed especially for the 20th anniversary event, featuring beautiful photos of past table designs by an array of Japanese and international designers. The calendars also provide examples of how money raised from previous events has helped refugees worldwide.

Led this year by Chair Anne Good, the Art of Dining event is organised by a group of women from the foreign and Japanese communities in Tokyo and is a great opportunity to meet people from around the Tokyo area. Organisers are always on the lookout for new talent and ideas to augment their volunteer team, welcoming additional volunteer help in all areas, both before and on the day of the event. They are particularly keen to hear from foreign and Japanese people with skills in marketing and corporate fundraising (especially in the Japanese business sector). If you would like to help in any capacity, or would like more information, please email anne@ refugeesinternationaljapan.org.

Tickets may be obtained at the door with a donation of ¥3,500, or in advance from the RIJ office. Tea and coffee will be available for purchase. Attendees are eligible for exciting door prizes such as tickets for Virgin Atlantic

community

TOKYO ARTISTS SET THE

Airways, stays at the Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo and The Westin Tokyo, and dinner vouchers for the Conrad Tokyo, ANA InterContinental Tokyo, BAB and Suji’s.

Art of Dining Details: Refugees International Japan (RIJ) presents the Art of Dining Charity Exhibition on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 from noon–8:30pm; opening ceremony: 11:30am.

Location: The Westin Tokyo, Yebisu Garden Place, Kaede Rm B1 ( JR Ebisu Station seven minutes, Hibiya Line Ebisu Station ten minutes). www.westin-tokyo.co.jp/access/ index.html#en Aim: Charity art exhibition with 21 designers to raise awareness of refugees worldwide.

Admission: ¥3,500 at the door or through Refugees International Japan.

Contact: tel. 03-5500-3093, fax: 035500-3094, or email: enquiries@ refugeesinternationaljapan.org.

Calendar: ¥700, for details email: anne@ refugeesinternationaljapan.org.

About Refugees International Japan: RIJ is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising funds to assist refugees who have lost everything as a result of war and conflict. In the past 30 years, its supporters have raised over $7.5 million that has been distributed to more than 500 refugee projects in over 50 countries worldwide. RIJ channels project funds through experienced organisations already working with refugees in the field, ensuring that assistance goes quickly and directly to where it is most needed. It was recently named winner of “Best Local CSR Initiative” by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

Find them online: www.refugeesinternationaljapan.org Twitter: RefugeesJapan Facebook: Refugees International Japan

Being A Broad February 2010

17

by Stephanie Kawai (cookbook recipe coordinator—Baby Stroobant)

T

he process of weaning babies can be a huge challenge, and it’s made even harder when you are in a foreign country with food ingredients you are very unfamiliar with. While readymade baby food is widely available in Japan for babies from around four to six months onwards, often it can be hard to understand the labelling and a lot of mothers simply like the idea of preparing something themselves for their little ones.

That is why a group of mums at Tokyo Mothers Group got together and began compiling a list of recipes that focused on using ingredients commonly found in Japan, that were easy to make and that a hit with very young (and, let’s face it, often fussy) eaters.

Here, we’ve selected three of the most popular recipes our group of mums put together.

18

Fisherman’s Pie

By Kuremi (Suitable for babies nine months and older) The following recipe makes more than one serving.

Ingredients: • two pieces fish fillet (any type of white fish) • three medium potatoes, peeled For Sauce: • 200 ml (one cup) soymilk • three tbsp plain flour • one tbsp butter, unsalted Preparation: Place potatoes in a pot, add enough water to cover the potatoes and boil over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat, mash, and set aside.

Place the fish fillet in a steamer and steam for five to ten minutes or until cooked.

Remove from heat, mash lightly, discarding all bones. Mix fish with soy white sauce and place in an ovenproof dish. Spread mashed potatoes on top and bake in a toaster oven on high setting for five minutes or in a standard oven at 180°C for ten minutes or until fish is cooked through.

For Sauce: In a saucepan, combine soymilk, flour, and butter and heat the mixture on low fire. Simmer and whisk continuously until sauce thickens.

Sweet Potato and Apple Mash

By Stephanie (Suitable for babies six months and older) Ingredients: • 1/2 small to medium-sized sweet potato • 1/2 large apple Preparation: Peel the sweet potato and apple and bake or steam them together until they are tender.

When ready, puree in a blender to desired consistency, adding water to thin if necessary.

The mash can be stored in individual portion containers and frozen until needed. Makes about eight portions.

Banana Tofu Puree

By Kuremi (Suitable for babies six months and older) Ingredients: • one tbsp silk tofu • one tsp banana, mashed Preparation: Place tofu in a pan of boiling water and cook for one to two minutes. Remove tofu from pan and chop into small cubes. Put tofu and banana into a blender and purée until the desired consistency is reached. For older babies, just mash tofu and banana in a bowl and serve.

Potato Dango Yaki/Potato Pancakes (Dango Style)

By Pascale Kim (Suitable for babies nine months and older) Ingredients: • half a potato • half tbsp minced beef (without fat, if possible) • one egg, beaten • one tsp olive oil Preparation: Peel potato and soak in a bowl of water for approximately 20 minutes. Place potato in a pan and add enough water to cover. Boil over medium heat until soft.

Remove from heat and mash while it is still hot. Once potato has cooled, add beaten egg and mix well. Take one teaspoon full of batter and roll it into a ball, then flatten it to make a small pancake. Heat a pan with olive oil and cook the pancake until golden brown on both sides. Continue process until all batter is used up.

Time Saver: You may make several pancakes and cook them in batches, instead of one by one. If you cook them simultaneously, make sure the pancakes don’t stick together.

image: barron

image: GreenWhiteOrange

mothers

TOKYO MOTHERS GROUP COOKING FOR LITTLE ONES

Sushi for Toddlers

By Stephanie (Suitable for toddlers of 16 months and older) Ingredients for rice: • 1/2 cup cooked rice • 2 teaspoons of sushi vinegar Preparation: Put the rice into a wide bottomed bowl and leave it to cool for a little while. Then sprinkle the sushi vinegar over the rice and gently fold it in with a spoon.

For sushi fillings (a selection of toddler favourites): • Strips of avocado • Strips of cucumber • Natto (fermented soy beans) • Mashed, cooked salmon For preparing sushi: • Bamboo mat • Nori sheet (dried seaweed) • Bowl of water • Preparation Preparation: First, place the nori sheet onto the bamboo mat. Then put the rice onto the nori sheet in a long strip along the middle and press it down so that the whole sheet is covered in a thin layer of rice. Keeping your fingers wet will help spread the rice more easily.

Add the fillings of your choice along the middle of the rice-covered sheet and then start rolling. To roll, take the bamboo mat edge in both hands and use it to roll the nori sheet part way. Pressure is needed to keep it rounded and packed. Continue to roll until the end and place the finished roll on cutting board. Cut the sushi into bit-sized pieces and serve.

We have a vast array of other recipes, a lot of which have a greater emphasis on special only-found-inJapan ingredients. For more information about these, you can contact Tokyo Mothers Group at coordinators@tokyomothersgroup.com.

Alternatively, if you have a recipe you wish to contribute, we’d be more than happy to have it. As we are planning on creating a cookbook of sorts with everything we have so far, we really welcome additional ideas.

BAB In the meantime, Happy Eating!

IN JAPAN

by Wendy Overstreet

Wendy and her husband enjoying time together in Japan.

all images provided by Wendy Overstreet

Just following the birth of their son.

real-life story

LIVING AND LOVING

L

oving and living in Japan has been the most interesting, inspiring, and challenging experience I have ever had. And I wouldn’t change it for the world. My journey to Japan all started in New York City in 2004—no, sorry—2005. I was going to meet a friend at a party. As the party carried on around me—lights, smoke, dancing, the works, I noticed a handsome stranger sitting down beside me, trying

him. All we needed was each other and we could conquer all. I tell you, love is blind, blind, blind.

We had no money; he was a student of English and 24 years old! I was 28. Alas, I like a challenge.

I live for them.

Since I wasn’t working and he was a drop-out student, our budget was tight. But he had a cute smile. And long hair. Could I be so lucky? Caring

ut my key to success for staying happy and ‘in love’ in Japan is to embrace our differences.

B Learn from them. Laugh at them. to make simple conversation. Nothing harmful, very friendly. I was not really in the mood for chit-chat, so I pretty much ignored this long-haired foreigner. As the party was wrapping up, I bumped back into Mr. Samurai with a smile, and we exchanged numbers.

We made plans to meet later next week.

Now, I am not good with getting to places on time, but he waited for me for 30 minutes on the corner of St. Marks and Lafayette Street in the middle of a New York winter. Nice guy. We went to a Japanese restaurant and there was something strange; butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t eat.

This guy was cute, funny, had a great smile, great fashion. Could I be so lucky?

We wandered around the East Village for the rest of the night, going from bar to bar, and then we went back to our original meeting place, where the manager gave us free drinks, because “your energy together is so great.” Cheers. We ended the night like a good boy and girl, but we definitely had sparks.

I am going to be honest. My Japanese husband has a tendency to overdo things. I know I am not perfect, but after a few months, he moved into my neighbourhood (stalker!). A few more months went by and he moved in with me and my roommate (stalker on a mission!). And then a few more months passed and he asked me to quit my job and change my cell phone number. And I agreed to it all. It’s not like he forced me. It takes two to tango. We were in love.

It was all about him. Him with me, me with

and friendly. Could I be so lucky? No money, No job…Could I be so…oh sod it, love is blind…To make a long story short, nine months later we were pregnant, handing in the signed paperwork at the government office—it’s called getting married—and living in Nagoya. Honeymoon period: O-V-E-R. I’d never been to Japan before. Never been to Asia before. This should be interesting. Now, as a New York City girl I was used to getting my laundry picked up and dropped off. I am

A

Meanwhile, he was working hard. So I committed myself to working hard at making miso soup and rice for breakfast and learning Japanese. My cooking was limited, to say the least. I had no idea what all those Japanese people did with those abnormally large vegetables like daikon, hakusai, burdock root, and leeks.

But with patience and perseverance, I have learned what I can tolerate and what I can’t. It took me a year to leave my ku on my own and now I have a car. And I have learned not to tell the sushi chef that I don’t like anything ‘fishy.’ Hint: choose ‘stinky,’ instead. I have sterilised my home five times at the New Year since coming to Japan.

Making friends with my neighbours has been a lifeline. Being accepted by my in-laws has been a blessing. My husband makes his own breakfast and doesn’t need a bento.

My husband and I have had our ups and downs, highs and lows. Who hasn’t? Our relationship has victimised us both. We have choked each other, thrown things at each other, cursed, cried, and written each other off as no

ll we needed was each other and we could conquer all. I tell you, love is blind, blind, blind.

used to cleaning my house once week, if that, and I am used to getting my dinner delivered from around the corner. Bagels, Mexican, Thai, margaritas, roast beef on rye…goodbye. Time for a total awakening.

Japanese wives are sometimes called mitsuyubi wives. Well the ‘good’ ones anyway.

They wait on their husbands like they are home kings. Did I know that Japanese wives are supposed to cook two times a day plus a bento for the husband, for goodness sake!? Clean the floor every day, for goodness sake!? And do the laundry 1920s style—no dryer—nearly every day? No. Did I know that my husband was the type of person to live a stereotypical lifestyle and expect me to be a mitsuyubi wife? Hell no!

Well, maybe I had overlooked some minor clues. Luckily, I like sushi.

good. But it has also made us stronger and surer of each other. We have hugged, kissed, laughed and smiled, danced, and written stories together.

But my key to success for staying happy and ‘in love’ in Japan is to embrace our differences. Learn from them. Laugh at them. I don’t wait for the high moments and live in the low anymore, but I live day to day accepting my surroundings and my choices.

My husband now has three of his own companies and I work together with him. We still argue. But we kiss and make up too. I know that right now, my place is supporting my family and trying every day to live comfortably and peacefully in this beautiful country. And it does take effort. Every day. In every way. And as long as I keep trying and keep growing, every day just BAB keeps getting better and better.

Being A Broad February 2010

19

LEADS TO LOVE

by Kathleen Shigeoka

A recent Octopus-hunting trip to the beach.

Kathleen and Atsushi enjoy their first Golden Week on a beach in Tsunoshima. images provided by: Kathleen Shigeoka

she found love in Japan

A CANADIAN CONNECTION

A

bout this time five years ago, I was packing and getting ready to come to Japan to teach English for a year. My family was happy for me. They knew it would be an awesome adventure, but I could tell that they were already counting the days before I returned. I said goodbye to my friends, who said that I would probably find a man, get married, and never come back. I told them they were nuts. I just always wanted to teach English overseas and thought that, since turning 30, it was now or never.

Coming from the small town on the east coast of Canada, I was a bit overwhelmed when I arrived late at night in Osaka and checked into a hotel on Doutonbori Street. Some fellow teachers and I set out to explore. I understood

was a thrill. But for me, that socialising meant overindulging on…a couple of occasions. One of those nights was a work function the January after coming to Japan. A male coworker brought along his friend, Atsushi. Now, much of the night is a blur, but I will tell you what I do remember.

I remember him, after the introductions, talking to me about such great Canadian institutions as the Canadian Tire department store and Tim Hortons coffee (Atsushi had lived in Vancouver for a few years after university). This is what first caught my attention. I remember later that night being across the dance floor from Atsushi and thinking, ‘Wow. He has some, umm, interesting moves.’ To this day, we do mean impressions

nothing. Trying to take it all in was way too much.

Despite the culture shock, I never questioned my decision to come to Japan. Rather, I was excited to see what would come next.

Osaka was not to be my home. The next day, I took the Shinkansen from Osaka to Yamaguchi Prefecture. That was definitely more my pace! I think now how lucky I was to have been placed there. I don’t know how long I could have lasted in a big city such as Osaka. The adventures pretty much started from day one. For example, have you ever had a couple of naked Japanese men on the beach approach you to take their picture? All gaijin in Japan have stories. It was largely due to these ‘stories’ that I fell in love with Japan. That and the fact that I really felt that my personality fit in with the Japanese people that I had met. I could never imagine becoming disillusioned with the country as some of the other teachers I knew had done.

Another great aspect of being in Japan was the socialising. I found such a great freedom to be myself and meeting people from all over the world

of our dancing that night. Before leaving, I apparently asked for his contact information.

Embarrassingly enough, he had to enter his name in my keitai himself. Something had happened to my hand-eye coordination.

Believe it or not, he did contact me again and we met a couple of times in a group. Our first oneon-one date was on Valentine’s Day. No pressure.

He pretty much booked a whole restaurant for us to have dinner at. It was so sweet. From that day on, he continually showed me how thoughtful he was. He endeared himself to me immediately.

Atsushi seemed so serious at first, but then would do something so wildly quirky to make me laugh, how could I not fall in love? I was soon on the phone with my family telling them that I may have found ‘the one.’ I must say, I was not really prepared for their disappointment. I think they knew before I did that I would not be coming home anytime soon.

However, family was, and still is, the most important thing for both Atsushi and I, so we had some introductions to make. I met Atsushi’s

rom that day on, he continually showed me how thoughtful he was. He endeared himself to me F immediately...how could I not fall in love?

20

parents for the first time in May, less than three months after our first meeting. My Japanese friends and students had me so uptight about that first meeting. They told me that in Japan, you don’t introduce your parents to your boyfriend or girlfriend unless you have plans for marriage. It would be too embarrassing if anything happened to the relationship. We made the two-hour trip by car to his parents’ house, with Atsushi pulling over several times because I was hyperventilating. Even though my Japanese was so poor, the meeting went great. It just proved to me that actions are worth so much more than words.

After getting his parents’ approval, we made the trip to Canada that December. I think Atsushi had more of a time than I did. Not only did he have my parents’ approval, he had my brothers, sisters, and all their children to impress, and they had all made the trip to the airport to meet us. What can I say? They absolutely loved him right away.

We decided that there was no sense waiting, and we got married the following April. I quit my job and moved an hour away to the town where he worked. We found a house near the sea, which makes me feel I am always connected to my family back in Canada. Our son, Kaito (meaning ocean person), was born two years ago. Throughout my pregnancy I took the time to study Japanese, but I still managed to tell the nurses in the hospital that I wanted to eat my baby, instead of that my baby wanted to eat. Atsushi speaks English very well, but there are still times (especially if we are having a disagreement) when I feel bad that we have to do the bulk of our conversing in English.

My next goal is to pass Level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and to be able to speak Japanese at home. In the meantime, I have found in Atsushi that person who knows my heart and vice versa. We have the willingness to work on communication, which I have found is far more important than what culture you are from or what BAB language you speak.

YOU THINK?

Thanks very much to everyone who has already completed our BAB survey online! If you’d like to do so there, you can find it at www.surveymonkey.com/s/G2F6FDC. For those who prefer to use pen and paper, we’ve included the survey here. Fill this in, either by circling the answer most applicable to you or filling in the blanks, and then scan and email to info@being-a-broad.com or fax: 03-63686191. To show our appreciation, some lucky participants will win one of several great prizes from our sponsors. Thanks for all of your help and continued support of the magazine!

1. Where are you from?

• Japan • Different part of Asia • Africa • North America • South America • Europe • Australasia 2. What age group are you?

• under 25 • 25–35 • 35–45 • 45–55 • 55+ 3. What is your gender?

• female • male 4. Are you: • Single • Not single but not living with partner • Living with a partner • Living with a partner and children • Single parent 5. Are you coming to Japan, already here, or have you left?

• Coming soon! • Already here • Left 6. If in Japan, what prefecture do you live in?

7. If you live in Tokyo, what ward do you live in?

8. How long have you been in Japan?

• N/A (Not here yet!) • Fresh off the plane • Less than 1 year • 1–2 years • 2–5 years • 5–10 years • 10+ years 9. How long do you plan on staying in Japan?

• Just passing through • 1–2 years • 2–5 years • 5–10 years • 10+ years 10. Do you speak Japanese?

• No • Conversational • Intermediate • Advanced/fluent 11. What industry are you in?

• Education • Recruiting • Banking/finance • Consumer retail/trade/services • Sales, marketing • Computer/electronics/programming • Other (please specify) 12. What is your position?

13. What is your total monthly household income?

•Less than 500,000 yen • 500,000–1 million yen • 1 million–2 million yen • 2 million–3 million yen • 3 million–5 million yen • 5 million + • Other (please specify) 14. How long have you been reading Being A Broad?

• Have never read it! I’m just part of the online community • Just started reading in the past 6 months • 1–2 years • 2–3 years • I remember reading the very first issue back in 1997 15. How do you get your hands on Being A Broad every month?

• I am a subscriber • I pick it up locally • From a friend • Have trouble finding it every month 16. If you pick it up locally, where do you get it from?

17. How many people read your copy of BAB?

18. What is your favourite thing/section of BAB?

19. Do you like the advertisements grouped together in the back?

• Yes • No • Indifferent 20. What new topics would you like to see BAB cover?

21. What would you like to see change about Being A Broad (the magazine, website, events, etc.)?

23. We’ve had various BAB events such as clothes swaps, girls’ night out, brunches, and seminars. What other kind of events would you like BAB to coordinate?

BAB survey

WHAT DO

24. How often do you travel on leisurely weekends or holidays?

• Every weekend • Once a month • Several times a year • Annually • Rarely • Other (please specify) 25. What do you like to do while on holiday?

• As little as possible • Shopping • Anything active (golfing, biking, skiing, camping, etc.) • Sightseeing • Eating the local cuisine 26. What other women’s magazines do you read?

27. What other Japan-based magazines do you read?

• Tokyo Families • ACCJ Journal • Metropolis • In Touch • Kaleidescope • Weekender • Outdoor Japan • Japanzine • Other (please specify)

28. Any other magazines?

29. Do you belong to any or attend any events by women’s organisations in Japan?

Which ones?

30. Do you use our discussion board?

• Yes, it’s the first place I go to get advice • Yes, I go there for advice and to give advice • No • How do I sign up?

31. Would you prefer to read the magazine in print or online?

• Print • Online • Indifferent 32. Thank you for completing our survey!

If you would like to be randomly entered to win a prize from one of our sponsors, please note your email address below.

22. How often do you attend Being A Broad events?

• Whenever I can • One every month or two • 2–3 every year • What events?

Being A Broad February 2010

21

PRINTING:

FOOD & DINING:

22

Being A Broad Resources

FOOD & DINING

FOOD & DINING:

TAILORING:

23

RELOCATION:

Being A Broad February 2010

Being A Broad Resources

PARENTING: BEAUTY:

PRINTING:

24

GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL

SCHOOLS

IN JAPAN www.internationalschoolsguidebook.com

Being A Broad Resources

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY:

HEWETT ART

www.davidstanleyhewett.com

BUSINESS:

25

Being A Broad February 2010

Being A Broad Resources

LOVE & LIFESTYLE:

FITNESS & OUTDOORS:

26

Being A Broad Resources

HEALTH & BEAUTY:

27

Being A Broad February 2010