#MOFA

INTERVIEWS

I flew to a distant land because I wanted to share Japanese culture with people on the opposite side of the earth.

August 31 2017

Interviewed by Isao Tokuhashi Edited by Daniel Penso Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   Mayuko Ban Fashion Designer My Eyes Tokyo has heard stories from people of various nationalities and fields for 11 years. However, we have not met people involved in the fashion industry yet. But, finally, we met a Japanese fashion designer, Mayuko Ban. Ban started her career as an ethnic clothing designer after graduating Bunka Fashion Graduate University in 2009. In 2011, she submitted a work to Soen Prize, which is considered to be the first step up the ladder of a professional fashion designer in Japan. Her work

Features

Ceremony of the 10th Japan International MANGA Award

March 03 2017

Reported by Isao Tokuhashi Photos by Yutaka Toyama Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   The season of “Nobel Prize of manga” also came this year. The Japan International MANGA Award was set up in 2007, a desire of Mr. Taro Aso, the Foreign Minister then. Mr. Aso thought, “We want to give a ‘Nobel Prize for Manga’ as people from its birthplace to the young standard-bearers of Manga abroad”. In 2017, they marked the 10th anniversary of the award. 296 works were submitted from 55 countries/regions – the largest number ever. Moreover, works were exhibited from Estonia, Kuwait, Democratic Republic of Congo,

Features

Ceremony of the 9th International MANGA Award

March 31 2016

Reported by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Do you know the “Nobel Prize for Manga”? The International MANGA Award was set up in 2007 with a desire of Mr. Taro Aso, then Foreign Minister. Mr. Aso thought, “We want to give the ‘Nobel Prize for Manga’ as people from its birthplace to the young standard-bearers of Manga abroad” In 2016, they marked the 9th anniversary of the award. 259 works were submitted from 46 countries. The ceremony, which was held at Iikura Guest House on February 26, honored 14 best works, 3 nominees awarded the Silver Award and 1 nominee

INTERVIEWS

Sake is an entry into a great experience in Japan.

January 26 2016

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   Andre Bishop Sake Samurai/Owner of Japanese restaurants & bars   The 2nd Kyoto interview is with Andre Bishop, “Sake Samurai” from Australia. His attachment to Japanese food and sake developed into owning his own Japanese restaurants and bars in his country. He has much knowledge of sake, but he wanted to learn how to make sake. In March 2015, Andre met Maho Otsuka, a toji (杜氏, Chief Sake Brewer) who worked for “Japan Brand Public Diplomacy Program” as a sake expert, in Australia. She held a seminar on climate, culture

INTERVIEWS

I want to tell the depth of sake to the world.

January 22 2016

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   Maho OtsukaToji (Chief Sake Brewer)   We’ll introduce you to 2 people who are involved in “sake”. One is a female toji (杜氏, Chief Sake Brewer), another is a “Sake Samurai” from Australia. First of all, let us share the stories of Maho Otsuka, a chief sake brewer of a 370 year-old brewery called “Shotoku Shuzo (招德酒造)”. Otsuka has been working at the brewery in Fushimi, a sake brewery town in Kyoto, as a toji since 2005. In March 2015, she worked for “Japan Brand Public Diplomacy Program” as a