France and Japan have had a long history since the opening of the Yokohama’s port in the second half of the 19th century. In this month’s issue we celebrate France Month in Yokohama and introduce Simon Horrenberger, Director of the Institut français du Japon in Yokohama. Can you provide some background of the French cultural presence here in Japan? The French cultural presence in Japan, in its modern features, dates back to Paul Claudel who served as French Ambassador in Tokyo from 1921 through 1927. Although Claudel was a diplomat and laid the foundation of our cultural network in the…
Author: Seasider
This month’s Seasider steps back in time for glimpses of Yokohama’s heritage. We also expand our focus to Kawasaki: our northern neighbor boasts an idealistic lawyer working in tandem with a globally-minded Yokohama businessman. Together they offer solutions to 21st-century problems, contributing to a more cosmopolitan cityscape. Darkroom International’s Saitō reflects on fathers and daughters in a touching confession. On the lighter side, we haven’t forgotten food: juicy oysters and smoked venison are in season. Seasider’s transition to NPO status is progressing smoothly, providing new opportunities to begin a new year. You may notice that several of this month’s articles…
Mornings and evenings are chilly these days, but sunshine warms the crisp air by midday. The summer humidity is a distant memory. The year’s most colorful month is also France Month, celebrating all things French in our hometown. The French community and its contributions to Japan date back to the city’s birth in 1859. French influence can be seen in the development of cuisine, fashion, education, and the arts. Today French culture is still a vital part of life in Yokohama. Speaking of cuisine, this month we feature Donguri Kitchen in Koganecho, with natural, locally sourced ingredients–and the chance to…
King Pelican Fresh Malt Pub Tsurumi-ku Namamugi 1-11-12 Tel: 045-503-1950 Hours: 13:00~26:00 (Mon~Sat) web: kingpelican.jp Mugiya Tsurumi-ku Namamugi 3-2-27 Tel: 045-642-6323 Hours: 16:00~25:00 (Tue~Sun) web: facebook.com/mugiya2016 Steam Head Fries Tsurumi-ku Namamugi 3-15-24 Tel: 045-516-0310 Hours: 17:00~23:00 (Wed~Sun) Instagram: steamheadjapan The Namamugi neighborhood in Tsurumi-ku is at first glance unremarkable. Nestled between hills to the west and heavy industry on the reclaimed land to the east, it is pierced north to south by busy highways and rail lines. Paradoxically, it is notoriously difficult to reach by public transport, as express trains whiz past its local station without slowing down. It is…
What was your inspiration for establishing Bakumatsuya? A history buff, I have always been interested in Japan, especially the period at the end of seclusion (sakoku) and Perry’s arrival. I was lucky enough to pursue my passion and secured a one-year working holiday in Osaka during my early twenties. After returning to Sydney, I searched bookstores for Japan-related materials and came across an old book that looked like it was printed on cloth. It was actually a Japanese fairy tale in English that was woodblock printed on so-called “crepe paper”. This was the first book that inspired me to become…
My mother turned 84 this year. In June she fell in her room and broke her hip. After my father passed away, she joined a swimming club and took good care of herself. It must have been quite a shock for her to not be able to walk for a while because of the fracture. For a stretch there were days that she was depressed and didn’t socialize with anyone. Her strength waning, her muscles weakened, she stopped going to rehab. I received worried calls from her grandchildren. They pleaded with me to stay by her side as much as…
As we move into October, our excitement continues to grow for the imminent conversion of our magazine to NPO status. In addition to publishing the magazine and website, we’ll be engaging in an array of community activities, too. This will include sponsoring artists for public work or supporting neighborhood projects that seek to bring residents together. If you’re a business that would like to support us or cooperate in our activities, please reach out. If you’re an individual, you can provide support via our Patreon page (details below) or by simply attending any of the events. We’ll feature them in…
As revealed in the July issue, Yokohama Seasider Magazine has embarked on several significant initiatives including our transition toward Non-Profit Organization (NPO) status. One of our goals is to support the growth in community arts projects connecting local and international artists with Kanagawa residents. In this first of a series of articles, we interview contemporary artist Eitoku Sugimori concerning a public wall mural painting project in downtown Yokohama. How did you get involved with this project in Yokohama? Through online art news, I read about Yokohama’s community art projects such as Koganecho Art Bazaar. I checked further to see if there were any other…
Brewpub Libushi Bashamichi occupies the first floor of one of the historical neighborhoods’s renovated, brick buildings. In contrast to the facade, the bright, airy interior is one of modern elegance. Activity in the shiny new brewing area is visible through the glass behind the long bar. Libushi is an extension of Anglo Japanese Brewing (AJB), which was founded in 2014 in Nozawa Onsen, Nagano by Tom and Emiko Livesey. The name Libushi is simply a katakana reading of their family name. AJB brews a wide range of styles, as reflected in the variety pouring from Libushi’s 15 taps (½ pint…
The picturesque hills of Yamate-cho (“The Bluff”) are one of Yokohama’s prime tourist destinations. With sweeping vistas of the harbor far below, they abound with verdant parks and gardens, reconstructed Western-style houses, and a historic cemetery. In the 1860s, there was another attraction: the higher altitude promised relief from the pestilential swampland in the original Foreign Settlement, now Yamashita-cho. Attacks by rogue samurai, coupled with a catastrophic fire in 1866 and outbreaks of malaria, prompted foreign merchants and diplomats to petition the feeble Tokugawa authorities to open a second residential area close to the British and French army camps. The…