Defected celebrates a decade on the dance floor
In the decade since Defected Records released its first single, Soulsearcher’s “Can’t Get Enough,” the label has become a byword for soulful house in Britain and has grown to be one of the biggest independent record labels on the international dance scene. On April 28, the label will bring some of its top artists to Tokyo to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a night of uplifting, classic and funky house at superclub Ageha. Perhaps the secret of the label’s success lies in its business model: None of the artists represented by Defected are actually signed to it. The label simply buys selected tracks by artists and releases them — meaning the only risk to the label is that head Simon Dunmore loses his ear for a great tune. Over the last decade, that hasn’t happened. With nearly 200…

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05/23-06/01. Hibiya Oktoberfest 2008 in Hibiya Park.
No, it’s not October yet, but this big ten-day festival will feature plenty of imported German beers, German, German wines, plus live musical entertainment from German bands….

When a girl just refuses to commit
Let me tell you what’s wrong with most chick flicks: They’re hard on real chicks. Here we are, overworked and stressed, between relationships or roughing one out, jilted and depressed or stable and bored. What we want is a little excitement, some peace and maybe a tiny bit of vindication. And granted, the chick flick typically gives us all that — but usually all that does is make things worse. What with all those thin, gorgeous characters and their spacious apartments, idealized (if eventually unfaithful) boyfriends and clever sidekick girlfriends, not to mention the kind of wardrobe (size XS of course) that Lindsay Lohan would steal in a flash, you wind up feeling more damaged than healed.

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Summer fun during Golden Week
The Hotel New Otani Tokyo will open its outdoor pool during the Golden Week holidays, from April 29 to May 5.
Covering 2,000 sq. meters, the garden pool Maitai is 25 meters long with a 3-meter-deep diving pool and a 50-cm-deep children’s pool.

Teenage rivalry with real girl power
Women warriors have been a feature of Japanese films for decades, from Meiko Kaji’s revenge-bent heroine in “Shurayuki Hime” (Lady Snowblood, 1973) — a major inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” — to Haruka Ayase’s sword-wielding shamisen player in “Ichi” (2008).
Hardly any of their exploits, however, have been based on any sort of reality. Also, their fans have been mostly men who, for whatever reason, like watching glinty-eyed beauties slice up bad guys.

Review - Tanyu Kurumaya: Shiodome
Cochin - the free-range chicken that’s the pride of Nagoya - is the bird of choice at this friendly yakitori shop, but there’s plenty more here to attract the discerning diner. Explore the menu and you’ll be rewarded with great little regional dishes from around the country. Oysters from Miyajima, kiritampo stew (made with mushrooms and grilled rice) from Akita, Berkshire pork from Kyushu, and some excellent oden, one of Tokyo’s own specialties. There are nice udon noodles, kamameshi rice, and premium filet of beef grilled right at the table. Plus beautifully fresh and flavorful sashimi to start things off, and some well-chosen regional sake to wash it all down….

Review - Spice Cafe: Sumida-ku
Oshiage, in the northeast corner of Tokyo, isn’t exactly a food-lover’s destination, but we think it deserves a spot on the gourmet map simply because it’s the closest station to Spice Cafe. The chef here is a veteran of a hotel restaurant in Kerala, India, and he prepares authentic, first-class curries in this cozy little hideaway. Word is out, though, and most tables are reserved for both lunch and dinner every day….

New - 82 Ale House: Akihabara
Very close to Akihabara station, this bustling bar from the ubiquitous Hub chain is a convenient place for a casual drink and snack after a day of electronics shopping or manga browsing….

Brews News #88
Reviews of Cafe Flower (Yokohama), Kobe-area bars part 2 in the September/October issue of our Japan beer newsletter.

Review - Nagamine: Ginza
Vegetable kaiseki is the unusual specialty at Nagamine, a relatively new restaurant in Ginza that’s run by a long-established vegetable wholesaler based in nearby Tsukiji. With no meat or seafood to distract one’s attention, the vegetables really stand on their own merits, and Nagamine showcases the most beautiful and most flavorful produce of the season. At Y5250, the vegetable menu offers a chance to experience a different take on kaiseki at a very reasonable price….

Halley’s Comet, first international radio broadcast, tsunamis lash coastline, Japan tops creditor list
100 YEARS AGO
Telegraphic reports about Halley’s Comet from several districts say:

Nara still boasts its ancient lure
In a geographical battle for the hearts and minds of Japanese people, Kyoto would win hands down as the wellspring of so much of their culture for which they feel such reverence.
But while Kyoto certainly has its magnificent fistfuls of historical treasures, it also happens to be Japan’s seventh-biggest city, and a journey from one of its celebrated sites to another often involves a long bus ride through cityscapes of spectacular drabness.

Brews News #93
Reviews of Brusca (Kagurazaka), and IPAs at Popeye in the June/July issue of our Japan beer newsletter.

Brews News #92
Reviews of Berg (Shinjuku), Grande Biere report in the April/May issue of our Japan beer newsletter.