News Sushi: Morsels of News from Japan and Beyond #33
It is Friday and that means it is time for the World Famous, soon to be Intergalactic Famous, News Sushi from our very own, Hamish Downie. Hamish brings us a decidedly different slant on Pop Culture as viewed through the lens of a non-native living in Japan.
Thank you Hamish, for your insights.
Editor Note Hi – Bad Editor here. I want to apologize profusely to Hamish for not paying attention… One of the plugins I am using has a two step process that I was only using one step of. This is our Guest Author plugin that assigns the “by line” to an article. Consequently, I was credited with ALL of the News Sushi posts. I have fixed that and they should all be credited to Hamish now. Mea Culpa!
NEWS SUSHI… listens
We have a fun new song from Towa…
NEWS SUSHI meets JUNKO SASAKI
Junko Sasaki is one of the fabulous people that I met while working in Tokyo, and I’m so happy to be able to interview her today.
[photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/d6PT7cA1CiCiqgxt9]
TGG: When did you first start making jewellery and what inspires you?
JS: When I was 24 years old, I entered jewellery school while working at a financial company. I think lots of Japanese ladies feel some insecurity about their future before 30. I wanted to have another place to express myself.
TGG: What kinds of materials do you like to work with and why?
JS: Metal!! I often use silver, copper, brass, gold and platinum to make jewellery and objects. I like the character of the metal. They look hard and cold, but I can change the shape and the color ever-changing by burning, hammering, cutting, melting.
If I burn the metal, it becomes soft. I can bend it into a ring. Hit the surface of it by hammer, it becomes hard again. If I melt metal, I can change the shape into something completely different.
when you have something precious jewelry from someone, but you can’t use it because the design is old, the size is too big or too small, that is for men or for male. Its OK. I can renew it without losing your memory.
TGG: What are you working on now?
JS: I’ve been making for next exhibition on October. I always make some art works concurrently. I made dog’s head by hammering. I’ll put enamel on the surface of it from mow. Then I’ve been making heart .it was made of copper. i’ll weld it in the dog’s head.
I stared to learn hammering technique this year. Hammering is the traditional technique. By hitting the metal plate by hammer, I make three‐dimensional object. It’s difficult for me to chose the good hammer and anvil for my object working on. There are over 100 hammers and anvils in the hammering studio.
The new thing want to try is making men’s jewelry. I want to design and make the original jewelry for each men around me I want to creature their characters and vibes for each jewelry. After I make it, I want to take 3 pictures. The jewelry pic, their portrait and their pic wearing on it. And I want to ask them what do they think of it?
TGG: Where can we buy your beautiful work? Also, how can we follow you on social media?
JS:【web】http://junkosasaki.com/
【tumblr】https://junko-sasaki.tumblr.com/
【instagram】@an_an_anno
TGG: Finally, what’s your biggest recommendation for people visiting Tokyo?
JS: How is Golden-gai in Shinjuku, Tokyo? I sometimes work at the bar as a barman in Golden-gai. You can feel deep Japanese culture at that place. The place is different sphere. Many people of the theater, actor ,actress , author ,creature come there. KURA KURA part2 is the best bar!! You can meet me there if you are lucky!
【KURA KURA part2】
1-1-9 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
http://tubakigumi.com/kurakura/index.html
TGG: Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed today! I can’t wait to see more of your work!
NEWS SHORTS…
Xena Warrior Princess is coming back to our screens (at least in Australia):
Did you know that women were also Samurai?
Link: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/a383aj/female-samurai-onna-bugeisha-japan
Can you imagine if this was your daily commute?
Would you like to go to one of the inspirations for the bathhouse in “Spirited Away”?
Get the lowdown on the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival…
The expat life in Japan sometimes makes one yearn for something that reminds one of home. So, we get these events at hotels and bars that promise to give lonely expats a taste of home. They forget that the most important part of any of these days is family. So, the food by itself is meaningless:
Learn all about where pearls come from…
Need a laugh? Writer Sheridan Jobbins provided the best one this week.
Irony's been drinking lately. https://t.co/pO0Yy7uoA5
— Sheridan Jobbins (@5oh19) October 5, 2018
And here’s your hot link of the week…
All the world needs…
And with that, it’s time to say…
Until next time.
Your thoughts and opinions are important to us, so please leave a comment in the section below the article, and if this is your first time visiting please be sure to read the Privacy / Terms and Conditions Of Use.
