Music and Movies in the Month of January, 2014

The year started with a nice vocal jazz show at the Cotton Club on January 3rd with the lovely Hilary Kole.

Followed by a new EDM event, Electrox, at the Makuhari Messe the next day.

Went to the newly opened EX Theater Roppongi for a Maia Hirasawa show in the middle of the month.

Then just the night before I was flying to Paris, my first visit of the year to Blue Note Tokyo to check out the Average White Band.

And I saw a few films this month as well though not all the ones I really wanted to see.

The Best Offer

The Sapphires

Wadjda

And a screening of a new Japanese film, Wood Job! at the distributor’s screening room.  I rarely see Japanese films but this was work-related.

What did I enjoy the most?  If I had to choose just one, The Best Offer.  Such a cleverly plotted film.  The official trailer:

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Off to Paris, France.

Then onward to Cannes tomorrow.

January Sushi: Shinnenkai #8

Just as I thought we were running out of time to do a January sushi outing, we made it in time for the first sushi night out this year last night.  And technically it’s not a shinnenkai because my friend and I have gone out this month already two other times but this is the first of the monthly event, so I guess that qualifies as a shinnenkai.

Kozasazushi

And that was my final “shinnenkai” post!!

Shinnenkai 2014 #7

Well, this one was fabulous.  I got together with someone I look up to; someone I met and worked with when I was still in college.  She was such a role model.

We had kept in touch all these years but never really got together until last week when we went out for a big French dinner in Ginza that turned out to be excellent and very filling.

Salle à Manger

Shinnenkai 2014 #6

This was a Japanese night out in the Arakicho district of Tokyo with two other ladies to which I was really looking forward as one of them had in the last four months or so returned from Kiev, Ukraine.  She would have to have interesting stories to tell.

Kondo