Highlights of my published clips and biographical information.

14. (article continues)

15. nikko’s Autumn Glory
I
n the spiritual stillness of Tochigi Prefecture’s One of the most photographed is Shin-kyo
wilderness creaks the essence of erstwhile Japan. Bridge, which elegantly spans the Daiya River. This
Sculptural trees and moss-covered statues make sacred vermillion bridge marks the gateway to
nikko a storybook setting of a bygone era — the nikko’s shrines and temples. Legend has it that
early-17th century to be exact. That’s when the snakes divinely appeared here to enable priest
grandson of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu rebuilt a sim- Shodo Shonin, founder of Buddhism in nikko, to
ple shrine honoring his grandfather, the final unifier cross the river.
of Japan. The grandiose Tosho-gu Shrine ever since Walking north from Shin-kyo, Rinno-ji is the first
has been the arresting jewel in nikko’s crown. temple to greet visitors. Its salient Three Buddha
nikko, which means sunlight in Japanese, lives up Hall is nikko’s biggest building, housing three
to its name year round. There’s no untimely season gilded Buddha statues. Leaving Rinno-ji through
to visit this popular daytrip from Tokyo, but there the west gate, a wide path leads to Tosho-gu. On
is a timely one — autumn. Come early november, a the way, a Five-Storied Pagoda pierces the canopy
blazing backdrop matches the beauty of nikko’s of cedars. Zodiac images adorn this colorful
architecture. Peak koyo season features flaming 36m-high structure that was engineered with
trees and bushes landscaped around red-lacquered prescience in 1819 as being able to withstand
shrines and burgundy temples. earthquakes.
The sun warmed my hands one crisp morning A stone torii marks the entrance to the lavish
visit. Underneath a blue and white patchwork sky, precincts of Tosho-gu. With more than a dozen
leaves radiated red, yellow, orange and green. Like buildings drawing upon Shinto, Buddhist and
theater spotlights, bursts of sunshine illuminated Chinese designs, the mausoleum is monumental in
the fall season in its most colorful moment, sharing size, yet meticulous in detail. Be prepared to spend
a stage with World Heritage Sites. time in line admiring the woodcarvings, notably the
46 / ACCJ Journal / September 2008

16. By Jeffrey Tanenhaus / Classic Journeys
There’s no untimely season to visit this popular daytrip from Tokyo,
but there is a timely one — autumn.
beloved monkeys above the Sacred Stables. These
wise primates depict the “hear no evil, speak no
evil, see no evil” moral tenet of Tendai Buddhism
familiar to Japanese of all ages.
More intricate craftsmanship is on display at
Yomei-mon (or Higurashino-mon). The Chinese-
influenced Gate of Sunlight (or Twilight) is dually
named because viewers could spend all day
admiring its 500 carvings of animals and spiritual
creatures.
West of Tosho-gu stands Taiyuin-Byo. Towering
cedars filter sunlight and shield this impeccably
designed complex from too many visitors. Here lies
the tomb of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa
Shogun who commissioned Tosho-gu for his grand-
father Ieyasu. Although intentionally more modest
PHOTOS JEFFREY TAnEnHAUS
than Tosho-gu, Taiyuin-Byo is just as impressive.
Wind down a day of temple-hopping with a walk
parallel to the small rapids of the Daiya River. A
leisurely path along the Kanman-ga-fuchi abyss
passes through a stone park lined with some 70
weathered statues of Jizo, the guardian deity of
children and travelers. Kegon-no-taki, a standout among Nikko’s 48 falls.
Other trails in nikko national Park reward even follow-up viewing. For color-changing updates in
the casual hiker. The road from nikko snakes up English, try contacting the Japan national Tourist
30 switchbacks to Lake Chuzenji, one of Japan’s Organization’s information center in Tokyo at
highest lakes with a touristy onsen hot springs. 03-3201-3331.
Steps from Chuzenji’s bus stop is Kegon-no-taki, the
best known of the area’s 48 waterfalls that plum- Getting there
mets 97m to a misty meeting with earth. Follow the The most direct and least expensive route to nikko
lake’s north shore (or hop on a bus) to Ryuzu Falls, from Tokyo begins at Tobu Asakusa Station. Limited
where vibrant thickets frame silky white rapids express trains arrive at Tobu nikko Station about
gliding over a natural staircase of boulders. two hours later after a transfer at Shimo-Imaichi
Farther north is spectacular Senjogahara, a (¥2,720). Each hour, a few buses to Lake Chuzenji
marshy plateau of golden grass populated with depart from nikko Station (¥1,100, 50 min). Tobu
wild birds. Hiking trails cut through open fields and Railways’ Marugoto nikko Free Pass (¥4,400)
forests of Japanese elm, birch and crabapple trees. includes round-trip rapid train service from Tokyo
Sacred volcano Mt. nantai presides over the plateau and unlimited travel on nikko-
from a distance. Low-hanging clouds shrouding Chuzenji buses over four
mountainsides add to the magical feeling of consecutive days.
walking through a landscape from the pages of
Nikko
national Geographic. Jeffrey Tanenhaus is a
High elevation causes leaves here to turn in freelance writer and
TOKYO
early- to mid-October, weeks before than in photographer based
nikko, which the foliage faithful could save for a in Buenos Aires.
September 2008 / ACCJ Journal / 47

17. PHOTOS JEFFREY TANENHAUS
Sapporo’s Gleaming Sideshow
A
row of warehouses along a canal ordinarily Icicles hanging from snow-laden eaves face a canal
wouldn’t inspire a detour from the brightest glittering with floating flames. Snow lanterns along
lights north of Tokyo, much less during an the promenade, complementing the gas street-
internationally acclaimed Snow Festival. Yet, there lamps, echo the glimmering water.
I was on a train leaving the big city, trading neon in An alternate route for Snow Gleaming is along
Sapporo for candlelight in Otaru. the abandoned tracks of the Temiya Line. As puffs
I arrived in a town stacked with snowballs—in of steam escape from lips and nostrils, visitors navi-
empty flowerpots, on icy steps, at street corners. gate a railbed that has been transformed into an
Bucket-shaped vessels of snow lined sidewalks. icy art gallery of snow-banked walls. Delicate piles
Uninformed visitors might speculate that Otaru of snowballs in creative configurations surround lit
was gearing up for an epic citywide snowball fight, candles. Curators patrolling with blowtorches atten-
but the actual purpose of this winter art was more tively keep wicks burning bright. The interplay of
benign. Come nightfall, candles inside thousands of fire and frozen water is dramatic in the darkness.
these snowball stacks and packed-powder lanterns While both Hokkaido festivals offer creative
twinkle throughout the town. tributes to Nature, embracing the outdoors in the
Otaru’s 10th annual Snow Gleaming Festival, dead of winter, the simplicity of Otaru’s Yukiakari-
February 8 to 17, illuminates a quiet fishing no-michi is more in line with traditional Japanese
port, and is worthy of a half-day excursion from aesthetics.
Hokkaido’s capital. The event has emerged as a Nonetheless, Sapporo’s snow sculptures, involving
more intimate alternative to Sapporo’s overlapping international teams, are striking in their level of
Snow Festival, February 5 to 11, where as many professionalism. Snow Gleaming, in contrast, is a
people as snowflakes crowd around colossal snow grassroots event staged by volunteers from the
and ice sculptures. community and beyond. Rather than corporate
The only giant forms in Otaru are its brick-and- names, emotive words like “love” and “melody”
stone warehouses dating back to the late-1800s, are unevenly chiseled into Otaru’s ice. The amateur
some since converted to restaurants and shops. creations—such as a pig with illuminated eyes,
70 / ACCJ Journal / January 2008

18. By Jeffrey Tanenhaus / Classic Journeys
As puffs of steam escape from lips and nostrils, visitors navigate a
railbed that has been transformed into an icy art gallery of snow-
banked walls.
snout and hooves—give the effort a homespun
warmth. Even the candles are handmade. For me,
as my boots crunched on the snow-covered tracks, I
felt the small flames dancing in the shadows were
more magical than the color-filtered spotlights
trained on the behemoths in Sapporo’s Odori Park.
While Sapporo may have no rivals for nightlife
north of Tokyo, Otaru can satisfy visitors for the few
hours before wicks flicker to life. An empty stomach
steered me to Sushi-ya Street for a fill of Otaru’s
renowned raw fish, reputed to be among Japan’s
finest, with prices to match.
Fishing was once the lifeblood of the local
economy, and the modest municipal museum in a
former warehouse can get you acquainted with the
area’s seafaring history. The “Heritage of Herring”
is a telltale exhibit of how Otaru flourished.
Monochromatic photographs show netted fish
carpeting the piers, much like the current blanket
of white powder.
Fishing was not the only industry, though.
Artisans also settled here, firing bricks, ceramics and
glass in workshops that remain active. The fisher-
men’s need for lamps and floats spawned a glass-
making industry, and these items became popular
souvenirs with travelers. A market for utilitarian
glass products evolved into the creation of contem-
porary luxury pieces. Collectors can easily fill an celebration of artistic roots still thriving. I paused at
afternoon browsing the emporia. a heart-shaped stool by an upright piano fashioned
Otaru’s industrial success fueled its rise as an from snow. Musical notes were carved into the ice.
early financial capital, once nicknamed the “Wall The keys were frozen, but rumblings of Otaru’s past
Street of the north.” European-style stone-walled seemed to resonate into the sparkling night.
banks and shipping company offices from the The JR Hakodate Line serves Otaru, taking in
Meiji Era (1868-1912) are stately reminders of the nice views of the Sea of
past. Noteworthy is a former Bank of Japan branch Japan on its approach.
building by designer Tatsuno Kingo, famed for his From Sapporo, budget Otaru
red-bricked Tokyo Station. ¥620 and about 40
The abandoned railway tracks are symbolic of minutes, disembark
Otaru’s eventual decline in economic importance. at Otaru Station and
Inaugurated in 1880, the Temiya Line’s steam follow the flames.
locomotives ferried coal to Sapporo, along what TOKYO
was the third railroad constructed in Japan and Jeffrey Tanenhaus is a
Hokkaido’s first. freelance writer and
This snow-covered skeleton of an infrastructure, photographer, and a cold-
evoking a departed industry, now hosts a weather enthusiast.
January 2008 / ACCJ Journal / 71

19. PHOTOS JEFFREy TANENHAUS
Kurazukuri — architectural emblems of Kawagoe
Time Travel to Little Edo
Sweet Potato Paradise
N
icknamed “Little Edo,” a former castle town a dozen, including a former wholesale tobacco
lies less than an hour from central Tokyo, shop turned into the Kurazukuri Museum, front
but the time warp is more than a century Kurazukuri Street. Their design, however, proved not
along its main street. Saitama Prefecture’s Kawagoe to be fail-safe. A pit in the floor rekindles a fear of
retains distinctive period architecture lost from its fire and the need of a basement vault for valuables.
larger cousin once known as Edo, 20 miles southeast. A rickety city fire cart reminds visitors that it was
Kurazukuri Street is named for its warehouse- better to bury and flee than to await for outside
style kura buildings that have weathered time and assistance.
flame. Fire was once a constant threat to cities; Within sight of the museum, Toki-no-Kane rises
yet Kurazukuri’s 20.32cm-thick clay walls coated in 15.8m above black-tiled rooftops. The Bell of Time is
plaster emerged as flame-resistant alternatives to the city’s symbol that even graces the sides of some
the earlier wooden frames reduced to ashes by the vending machines. The tower’s privileged height
Great Kawagoe Fire of 1893. served well as a fire lookout post. Despite flames
Charcoal-color façades convey a feeling that consuming it three times over the past 350 years,
the kurazukuri had endured the same trial by fire. the Bell of Time remains the city’s pride. The latest
However, most were actually constructed by wealthy reincarnation dates from just after the Great Fire,
merchants in the inferno’s aftermath, as residential and remains the town’s most important timepiece,
shops for personal and commercial assets such as tolling four times daily.
grain, textiles and timber. The atmospheric streets aren’t just a treat for the
Kurazukuri are an extinct species in the Tokyo eyes. Tucked behind the row of kurazukuri lies
landscape, having succumbed to the Great Kanto Kashiya yokocho, an alley famous for its traditional
Earthquake in 1923 and intense World War II bomb- candy shops. After the 1923 earthquake crippled
ings. Once numbering more than 200, Kawagoe’s Tokyo, Kawagoe became a major confectionary
merchant houses have thinned to around 30. About supplier.
58 / ACCJ Journal / April 2008

20. By Jeffrey Tanenhaus / Classic Journeys
Weeping cherry trees in the gardens of Kita-in Temple are especially
elegant, while hydrangeas, azaleas, maple and plum trees take turns
coloring the premises in the later months of the year.
human admirers by
walking 15 minutes
north, to where a
towering torii gate
marks the entrance of
Hikawa Shrine. Generous
shade from zelkova
trees — a symbol of
Saitama — adds to the
sense of sanctuary.
Lilting flute music lured
me into the shrine
dedicated to the god
of marriage, where,
Illuminated cherry blossoms line the Shingashi River. Rakan are expressive statues.
sure enough, a Shinto
wedding was underway.
Like many places in Japan, Kawagoe claims a The bride’s white kimono glowed like a spotlight
gastronomic specialty. Here, in Sweet Potato City, among the entourage of musician priests, atten-
the candy, chips, ice cream, beer, udon and soba dants and family members.
noodles incorporate this celebrated ingredient. The procession retreated to private quarters,
Tuberous root enthusiasts can pay homage at leaving me alone to wander the grounds freshly
the world’s only Sweet Potato Museum, or pick sanctified. I followed a path to the Shingashi River,
up a trowel during potato-digging excursions in which runs behind the temple. In late-March, cherry
September. trees form a pinkish-white canopy over the stream, a
Beyond the historic core of sweet scents and soft contrast to the blackened kurazukuri. Daylight
sturdy shops, the grounds of religious sites take was fading now, and lanterns strung through the
center stage during sakura season. Weeping cherry trees glowed among the delicate petals. The Bell of
trees in the gardens of Kita-in Temple are especially Time struck six — and the spirit of Edo resonated.
elegant, while hydrangeas, azaleas, maple and
plum trees take turns coloring the premises in the Getting there
later months of the year. Frequent trains to Kawagoe Station make this satel-
Kita-in is the only place to see the original lite of Tokyo easily accessible. From Ikebukuro, the
rooms from Tokyo’s Edo Castle (now the Imperial Tobu Tojo Line, an extension of the yurakucho Line,
Palace) that the ruling shogun donated after a takes only 32 minutes (¥450). The Seibu Shinjuku
temple fire, and before another blaze destroyed Line rapid express trains (52 minutes, ¥480 from
the castle. Kita-in also hosts the animated lineup Seibu Shinjuku Station) serve Hon-Kawagoe Station,
of Gohyaku-rakan — 500 disciples of Buddha slightly closer to the
whose statues capture the full range of human attractions.
emotions. Should craving for adventure strike
in the middle of the night, legend has it that, Jeffrey Tanenhaus is a
among the rows of rakan (careful counting freelance Kawagoe
reveals 540), one statue will feel warm. If located writer and TOKYO
and then revisited the next day, its stone face photographer
will have morphed into a likeness of its finder. based in
you can lose the crowd of statues and their Buenos Aires.
April 2008 / ACCJ Journal / 59

32. By Jeffrey Tanenhaus
T
he Japanese obsession with nonsensical
English goes far beyond those cutely
wrongheaded phrases you see on t-shirts.
Even the domestic auto industry, which ranks
among the world’s finest, is guilty. Native
speakers must wonder if marketing departments
consulted a random word generator instead of an 3. Mazda Bongo Brawny
English dictionary. For Asian consumers,
Fun Fact:
however, style trumps substance. The sound of
Bongo series in production for 40 years.
the word is what matters, not its literal
Looks Like…
definition. A vehicle can roll off the assembly
Refrigerator on wheels.
line branded as Brawny (Mazda), Sunny
Corporate Marketing Ploy:
(Nissan) or even Prairie Joy (Nissan) and remain
Go bongo in our brawny, baby.
desirable. Below are the top 5 bizarre-sounding
What We Like About It:
models cruising the roads of Japan, and not
Function over form: roomy interior has excellent
heading to an English-speaking showroom near
load capacity for whatever you pleasure.
you – at least not without an alias.
1. Daihatsu Naked 4. Daihatsu Midget II
Fun Fact:
Fun Fact:
Seats one full-size person or II midgets.
Weighs 810 kg (without shoes and socks).
Looks Like…
Looks Like…
The runt of a pickup truck litter.
Design team should head back to drawing board.
Corporate Marketing Ploy:
Corporate Marketing Ploy:
Small enough to park inside a studio.
Driving is better in the buff.
What We Like About It:
What We Like About It:
Detached bug-eye headlights are trendy
Sexy, uncensored chassis.
throwback to Model T.
2. Mitsubishi Guts 5. Toyota Noah
Fun Fact:
Fun Fact:
90% recyclability rate.
Available in “light rose mica metallic.”
Looks Like…
Looks Like…
Just another top-heavy Japanese truck.
One big-ass ark turned mini-van.
Corporate Marketing Ploy:
Corporate Marketing Ploy:
Less wimp, more Guts for you macho truckers.
Modern luxury meets biblical strength.
What We Like About It:
What We Like About It:
Temptation to run red light, lean on horn and
Capacity to transport four pairs of humans in
yell “no Guts, no glory” at pedestrians caught in
event of catastrophic typhoon flooding.
crosswalk.

37. JEFFREY A. TANENHAUS
WWW.JTANENHAUS.COM
TANENHAUS@GMAIL.COM
J effrey Tanenhaus is a freelance writer, editor and photographer. His work includes
travel destinations, restaurant reviews, architectural features and humor pieces that
have been published in Time Out New York, Time Out Buenos Aires, The Japan
Times, Asahi Weekly and The Jerusalem Post, among others.
Jeffrey is looking to parlay his communication skills – developed through journalism and
living abroad – into further stimulating and creative freelance assignments. Worldly
curiosity accounts for Jeffrey’s first-hand knowledge of 45 countries and three languages.
He most recently spent seven months in Buenos Aires studying Spanish and Argentine
literature and film at the prestigious University of Buenos Aires.
South America’s mellow rhythms were a shock coming from hyperkinetic Tokyo where
he taught English for two years. Landing in the world’s largest city alone, illiterate and
unemployed, Jeffrey assembled a new life from scratch.
Communication barriers inspired him to blog about eye-opening cultural differences and
humorous episodes in the classroom with the rowdiest, lowest-achieving junior high
school students in the megalopolis. Paid freelance assignments followed from Japan’s
leading English-language publications.
The sudden flight to the Far East was a result of pent-up wanderlust after two years as a
high-level paralegal at Flemming Zulack Williamson Zauderer LLP where he was rehired
after a summer internship in college. He worked with medical experts across the nation
who produced reports crucial to the asbestos products liability litigation. Jeffrey also
engineered an advertising campaign to solicit clients for the launch of new litigation
services by designing the ad copy and negotiating with representatives of New York and
Florida newspapers and radio stations.
The stability of corporate life followed a perilous escape from tropical sands at the largest
resort in the South Pacific. Although hired as a land and sea sports instructor, Jeffrey’s
role unexpectedly expanded into crisis management when a super-typhoon packing winds
of 160 mph slammed into Guam, shredding the hotel tower in which he and guests were
trapped for six hours.
Inspiration for launching himself to a far-flung island came from a senior thesis on
destination marketing in the Caribbean. “The Paradoxical Packaging of Paradise”
examined promotional literature from three islands to evaluate how each distinguished
itself. The study uniquely showed how national histories stained with the atrocities of the
slave trade can be re-imaged into paradises for foreign consumption. His findings earned
the thesis high honors.

38. Jeffrey graduated Cum Laude from Dartmouth College where he double majored in
geography and government, which he also studied in Prague and London. When on
campus, he wrote prolifically for the nation’s oldest college newspaper, The Dartmouth.
His more than 140 stories included interviews with distinguished visitors like Presidential
candidates of election 2000. He was then tapped as editor to turn around the paper’s
floundering Arts & Entertainment section.
Interest in public relations arose from a stimulating marketing internship with the 1998
Goodwill Games, an Olympic-style competition sponsored by Turner Sports. As the
youngest member of the mobile marketing team, his rewarding connections with New
Yorkers on the street enabled him to operate on the front lines of a PR machine with
sustained enthusiasm.
In his spare time, Jeffrey enjoys Argentine literature and Buddhist philosophy, and
religiously follows the Utah Jazz, Toronto Blue Jays and Tokyo’s Yakult Swallows. He
can also be found pointing out local landmarks from the top of double-decker tour buses
looping around Manhattan.

39. JEFFREY A. TANENHAUS
WWW.JTANENHAUS.COM
TANENHAUS@GMAIL.COM
SUMMARY
• Writer and photographer with professional experience in Japan, Argentina and the U.S.
• Non-native fluency in Spanish • Conversational Japanese • 45 countries visited
• 100-page thesis researching destination marketing of Caribbean islands
• Dartmouth College B.A. Cum Laude with high honors in geography
WORK EXPERIENCE
WRITER AND PHOTOJOURNALIST Aug. 2005 - present
• Freelance contributor to magazines and newspapers in the U.S., Japan, Argentina and Israel,
including Time Out New York, Time Out Buenos Aires, The Japan Times and The Jerusalem Post
• Professional photographer specializing in travel-related writing and camera work
• Designed own website to promote published articles and photos at www.jtanenhaus.com
• Chronicled Japanese experiences inside and outside of the classroom through personal blog
ENGLISH TEACHER, Junior and Senior High Schools, Tokyo Apr. 2005 - Apr. 2007
• Devised and implemented lesson plans and interactive games to reinforce curriculum
PARALEGAL, Flemming Zulack Williamson Zauderer LLP, New York Jan. 2003 - Jan. 2005
• Created advertising campaign for launch of new litigation services
• Represented firm at citywide asbestos group meetings
SPORTS INSTRUCTOR, Pacific Islands Club, Guam Sept. - Dec. 2002
INTERN, The White House Office of Presidential Personnel, Washington, DC Jun. - Aug. 1999
• Drafted memoranda to the President seeking his approval of political appointments
• Compiled biographical information and prepared press releases
MARKETING INTERN, The Goodwill Games, New York Jul. - Aug. 1998
• Promoted major international sporting event through mobile field marketing
EDUCATION
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, Hanover, NH, Class of 2002
• B.A. Cum Laude with high honors in geography
• Double major in sociopolitical geography and government (international relations)
• Honors thesis: The Paradoxical Packaging of Paradise: destination marketing of 3 Caribbean islands
• Semester abroad at London School of Economics researching political science in the UK
• Semester abroad at Charles University in Prague studying geopolitical landscape of Czech Republic
• Arts & Entertainment Editor and Staff Writer of 140 articles for The Dartmouth daily newspaper
UNIVERSITY OF BUENOS AIRES, Argentina Oct. 2007 - May 2008
• Courses in advanced Spanish and Argentine literature and film

40. The Paradoxical
Packaging of Paradise
Destination marketing and the re-imaging of history
on three Caribbean islands through
state-sponsored tourist brochures
By Jeffrey A. Tanenhaus
Curaçao Puerto Rico Saint Kitts & Nevis
Honors Thesis, Department of Geography
Dartmouth College
Susanne Freidberg, Advisor
Spring 2002

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