The 3-piece band The Jessica Stuart Few, which was also picked up in the January issue of this magazine. Launched four years ago by vocalist Jessica Stuart (henceforth abbreviated), who came to Toronto from Vancouver, the band is traditionally Japanese for its basic band shape of guitar, double bass (contrabass) and drums. It is the only artist group in Vancouver that incorporates the sound of the koto, a stringed instrument.
When she was 9 years old, she went to Japan with her mother who is a koto player.
TORJA (T): Why did you decide to go to Japan? Jessica (J): One of the reasons was her mother's intention to "learn kin in Japan for a year". T: After she went to Japan, was there any reason she thought "I want to play a kin!"? J: Just as I followed her mother who started taking kin lessons right after she came to Japan, I started learning kins right away, which was the first time I came into contact with kins. However, there is no motive for starting the kin, or any particular reason for starting it. I wonder why it was a kin (laughs) T: It may be related to the fact that my mother was a kin player. J: That's right. I wonder if her mother, who is close to her, was a wonderful artist and that she grew up with a lot of inspiration, is probably the reason why she chose her koto naturally. I feel that way.
Adolescent bitter memories and reunion with Koto
After a year of living in Japan, he returned to Vancouver at the age of 10. She then went on to junior high school, but Jessica, who was rare because she had lived in Japan and was the target of the bullying of her heartless classmates, she played a kin. I didn't play it anymore. After graduating from junior high school, she went on to high school and then to college. She then left Vancouver, which laid the foundation for her life, and changed her mind, she came to Toronto four years ago. That's where The Jessica Stuart Few was formed. T: Have you been playing kin since the band was formed? J: No, actually, I haven't played the kin since my bitter memories when I was in junior high school. When the band was first formed, I was playing the guitar instead of the kin. But when I started the band and became more involved in music, I couldn't help but feel like "I want to touch the kin again!" In addition to that feeling, if you mix the tone of the kin with the guitar or bass, it will surely be interesting! The idea has overflowed. T: So I tried to play the kin again in the band. J: Yeah. That's why I wanted to create originality and created a new scale by adding two scales to the basic pentatonic scale (pentatonic scale) of the kin. T: Interesting. By fusing the kin and the guitar in this way to create the sound, it seems that the possibilities of new music will be revealed. J: That's right. By doing so, I thought that I could create a unique sound while retaining the traditional Japanese melody. The sound produced by the current kin is fascinating and fantastic, and I love it because it sounds like creating another world.
Pride as an artist who knows Japanese culture
T: What is your stance on Japanese culture as a Canadian? J: I'm a Canadian born and raised in Canada, and I've only lived in Japan for a year. However, the culture I touched in Japan certainly permeates my body, and I love it as if it were my own culture. T: Then, as an artist who has learned Japanese culture, do you still have a strong desire to let non-Japanese people know about Japan? J: That's right. I have a strong pride that I am a "preacher" who incorporates the sounds of kins learned in Japanese culture into my favorite music and conveys the kin instrument itself and Japanese culture to thousands of people. After all there is.
Aiming for higher heights
T: Do you have any goals for your future music activities? J: I want to do more and more tours around the world, not only in Canada but also in Japan and Europe. T: Are you planning to go to Japan on a tour? J: For now, I'm thinking of staying alone in Japan for about 3-4 months next year instead of live, and I'm just thinking of buying a new kin or taking a kin lesson. T: Then the next time I go, it would be nice if I could have a live concert in Japan. J: I hope it happens. I want to give back what I got from Japan through music in Japan. T: And from there, you're spreading The Jessica Stuart Few to the world. J: Yes. I want to convey the Japanese culture that is rooted in me to people all over the world with the sounds, voices, and performances that I produce.
Raymond Levy (henceforth abbreviated title) who is studying archery at "Seikyukai" in Toronto while working at the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto. He traveled to Japan in 2007 under the JET Program (a project to invite foreign youth to provide language instruction, etc.) and stayed there for two years. What is the beauty and depth of Japanese culture that the archery I met there taught me?
Road to archery
TORJA (T): You started archery when you were in Japan. Raymond (R): When I went to Tottori prefecture as an English teacher in the JET Program. He happened to be invited by a friend to follow the practice of Kyudo. T: Then do you start in earnest? R: But I didn't mean to start at first. But when I got home after the practice, the teacher said, "Then, next week!", So I felt like I had to come again next week (laughs), so I started going every week. T: Then it feels like you've suddenly started. R: Yes, suddenly. Originally I was interested in Japanese martial arts. I didn't know much about what it was like. However, the teacher talked about the spirit of Kyudo during practice, which made me even more interested. That's why I went there for eight months, starting with the feeling that "it looks interesting and I should try it."
Kyudo and archery are quite different
Kyudo and archery are distinguished as "Japanese bow" and "Western bow", respectively. Although they seem to be similar in that they use bows and arrows, they are actually fundamentally different.
T: I heard that Kyudo and archery are similar, but their purpose is quite different. R: Yeah. Kyudo and archery are the same in that they shoot an arrow at the center point of the target, but archery is meaningful to hit an arrow closer to the center point and earn points, while archery hits an arrow. It is really different in that it is meaningful to judge one's mental and physical condition by whether it is near or not near the center point and improve it. T: What is the state when it is close to the center point, and conversely, what is the state when it is far from the center point? R: It is said that if your mental and physical condition is not well unified, it will appear in Kyudo techniques like a mirror. So far away, you can interpret that something is missing in your body and mind. It is thought that approaching the center from there is a state in which the mind and body are enhanced and the balance between the two is becoming more uniform.
The beauty of the Japanese spirit learned from Kyudo
T: Kyudo is a traditional Japanese martial art, but do you feel any Japanese atmosphere from it? R: What I think about practicing Kyudo in both Japan and Canada is that Japanese people are always ambitious. In particular, the spirit of "working hard" is very important. It is said that the beauty of Kyudo is to realize the fusion of mind and body, and Japanese people practice by hitting arrows many times to achieve it, but even if it works well with some throws, I'm not satisfied there. I will do my best to reach higher heights.
I want to spread Kyudo more
Seikyukai is currently practicing Kyudo by renting a corner of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Center (JCCC). However, the number of people is increasing year by year, and the practice space is becoming an obstacle.
R: I want a large practice space. There is nothing I can't practice, but it's difficult to hit an arrow from a long distance because of space. I would like to create a large dojo where you can freely perform archery regardless of the season. T: If that happens, there will be more opportunities to hold events. R: Yes. If there is such a place, we can surely hold a seminar by inviting a Kyudo instructor or even the largest Kyudo seminar in North America. T: Then, the archery will spread not only to Canadians but also to people from other countries. R: By having a place where Kyudo can take root properly, I think we can convey the goodness of Kyudo to many people, not just Canadians, Nikkei, and Japanese.
Ken Valvur, who runs the only brewery in Toronto, "IZUMI-Ontario Spring Water Sake Company," has an interesting career. Originally working as a bank clerk in Canada, he went to Japan for work and then to London, but that triggered a big move in his life. We approach the origin of the encounter with sake that has driven Canadians.
From bankers to the food and beverage industry
TORJA (T): You used to work at a Canadian bank, didn't you? Ken (K): Yes. When he was working there, he was transferred to the Tokyo branch and stayed in Japan for two years. Then he moved to London and was surprised that Japanese takeaway foods such as sushi and bento were very popular with businessmen working in the Financial District of London. T: Do you want to use it in your business? K: Yeah. So retire. After returning to Toronto, I started a food business that provides sushi and lunch box take-out services.
Encounter with the famous sake "Masumi"
T: The Japanese food business and sake seem to be close, but a little far. How did you get to sake from there? K: When I participated in the huge food show "FOODEX" held in Japan, I met the brewers of Nagano's famous sake "Masumi". That was the reason why I went to Nagano. So I was allowed to drink Masumi's "sake". It just came out of the liquor squeezer. The moment I drank it, I was impressed by the depth and strength of the sake, no matter what the sake I had been drinking. I thought, "I wish I could make this sake in Canada ...".
Birth of Ontario Local Sake "Fountain"
T: Sake is called "raw", so it seems difficult to handle. K: Sake is not heat-treated at all, so freshness is vital. The only way to make it delicious is to serve it locally, where sake is brewed. So I came up with the idea of making it in Canada. T: You've taken the plunge. What is your knowledge of brewing? K: Yeah, pretty much. I had no experience at all. However, with the help of the kuramoto of "Masumi", I was introduced to Mr. Mori and invited to Canada. There, he taught me various knowledge about brewing and temperature control. With such cooperation, we started brewing sake in earnest in 2010 and finished three large-scale preparations, and we were able to successfully complete the "spring" with everyone's help. And it was officially opened in April 2011.
I want you to know the taste of real sake
T: Those who drank Izumi's sake for the first time would have been surprised by the difference in taste. K: It's very different from the imported liquor sold in Toronto. Of course, there are some sakes that are genuinely made in Japan, but the imported ones are often severely deteriorated due to long-distance transportation. There is a tendency to recognize the deteriorated taste as the taste of real sake. Therefore, the customers who came here for the first time and drank our sake are all surprised by the difference in taste. T: That's right. I also like sake and drink it a lot, but the taste of Izumi's sake is completely different from any of the sake I drank in Toronto. Somehow, the freshness is also different. K: I wanted many people to know that such differences in freshness and taste change the taste of sake so much. That's why I wanted to have a local brewery like this.
The fountain uses Muskoka's natural water for brewing. The water quality is very similar to that of the Fushimi region of Kyoto, and because it is soft and deep, it is said that sake is rich.
Infiltrate the value of sake
T: I hope that the taste of such "real sake" will be conveyed and the value of sake will be recognized more. K: Sake itself is gradually spreading to Canada. Unfortunately, there are many people who do not know the real taste. And few people buy a challenge to an unknown taste. Therefore, the value of sake is not stable. I want to repaint it. T: This "spring" is also the only brewery in Canada, so it plays a big role in that. K: That's right. I am confident that the value of sake will change if more customers and restaurants get to know the sake of Izumi and understand the difference in taste. It is natural that we will continue to make sake locally, but if we can find a route to spread sake to other countries while maintaining the freshness of sake, it will be a further step in spreading the taste of sake. Probably.
Ivan Fonseca (henceforth abbreviated title), who grew up eating vegetarian food under the influence of a family who was devoted to Buddhism, has spent his childhood in an environment deeply related to Japan. Under the influence of his grandfather, he is currently selling kitchen knives and whetstones, and re-sharpening and repairing them at the company "Tosho Knife Arts", which was established to convey the goodness of Japanese knives. What is the respect for his kitchen knife that he got from the Japanese spirit and his enthusiasm for it?
Influence of his grandfather, interest in kitchen knives
TORJA (T): What was your grandfather doing? Ivan (I): My grandfather was an architect. He was using Japanese-made construction tools. T: How do you get to a kitchen knife from there? I: I've been cooking since I was little. At one point I realized that the steel of the kitchen knife I was using in the kitchen was made in Japan and was the same material used for the tools used by his grandfather. From there, I gradually became interested in steel and kitchen knives. T: That interest helped you to start studying blades such as steel and swords, and sharpening knives in earnest. I: That's right.
How to handle kitchen knives as a chef
I heard that Mr. T: Ivan has been working as a professional chef for many years. I: Yeah. While working as a chef, the kitchen knife is the one I touch the most. Therefore, it has always been a long time since I was made to think deeply about how it should be. T: For example? I: How should knives be treated, and should we pay more respect to knives? T: It's deep. What are the factors that lead to that idea? I: Many chefs have to devote their time to work from morning till night all day long. When that happened, unfortunately, the sight of throwing a knife into the sink as it was was a daily occurrence, and I was made to think about various things. T: I heard that the handling has become a little messy because of my busy schedule. I: Yeah. If you handle it like that, the kitchen knife is delicate and will soon rust or be damaged and the blade will spill. T: When I think of cooking with that knife, I feel sick on the side of eating, even if the taste is the same. I: That's right. It's a kitchen knife that produces the food we need to live. With that in mind, kitchen knives are closely related to our lives. That is why I want you to treat kitchen knives more carefully. Unfortunately, in my experience, Canadian chefs seemed to have few such ideas.
Japanese spirit for kitchen knives
T: Is there a difference in the stance on kitchen knives between Japanese chefs and Canadian chefs? I: In my experience, most Japanese chefs respect kitchen knives. For example, the one that impressed me the most was my friend's chef. He always thought that a knife was an integral part of his hand, and he never touched it with his dirty hands. Because he thought that the kitchen knife would suck up the dirt on his hand and stay there. He treated the kitchen knife with surprising care, paying homage to it as a part of his body and the creation of "life", rather than just as a cooking utensil. I was really impressed. T: Many Japanese people have that kind of spirit. I: Yeah. On the other hand, unfortunately, there are quite a few Canadians who handle kitchen knives with that kind of spirit.
I want you to know the story
T: Is that kind of experience alive when you launched Tosho Knife Arts? I: That's right. The establishment was made with the desire to have more people understand how to handle kitchen knives correctly. Also, it's a kitchen knife, a whetstone, and I want you to know that there is a story there. T: What is the story? I: For example, a honyaki knife is completed after about 50 to 60 steps. The enthusiasm and soul of the craftsmen are contained in it. In addition, grindstones are mined from the soil layer created by the accumulation of microorganisms and soil that died from the eruption of a volcano long ago. Therefore, some grindstones have that layer clearly floating. In other words, kitchen knives are not just steel plates, and whetstones are not just stones, they are built on history and stories. T: I see. Knowing such history and stories will make you want to treat kitchen knives and whetstones more carefully. I: That is what we are aiming for. I am proud that it is my mission in the future to get to know such stories and encourage more people to use kitchen knives and whetstones carefully for a long time as part of the story of my life. I am.
