Darwin, Chrissy, Vasili and I went out to Shibuya one evening to observe the masses. There is a beautiful vantage point from the Starbucks at Shibuya crossing so we perched high above and watched the mayhem unfold. After watching people for many minutes we noticed one guy in particular that seemed to be approaching random women. We wondered what he could be saying to them. Thanks to Japanator for educating me about the ways of the nampa. Nampa is basically the art of picking up women. The pitch line has to be delivered fast and be interesting enough to cause the woman to stop what she’s doing. For the busy people in Tokyo this must be quite a feat. The guy we watched never was successful. 
I checked out Womb in Shibuya on Friday night solo. I got to see Apparat who I thought was pretty good live. I went out around 11:00pm and was packed in with late commuters on the Ginza subway line down to Shibuya. After squeezing myself out I made my way out into the bright lights and crowded streets of Shibuya. Darwin had made a copy on paper of a map that looked like the one below.
This is a pretty typical map in Tokyo as only the very major streets have names. Since the landmarks weren’t enough to help me find the club, I was able to find it after asking a couple of hip teenagers and some policemen.
I entered the first room which served food. For a moment I thought I may be in the wrong place because I saw no other floors. Seeing as the entrance was almost 40 dollars this would have been depressing. Luckily I was in the right place.
I put my stuff in the coat check (in Japan clubs you just rent your own compartment with a few coins like you would at a train station). In this area they also served beer from a vending machine. Since the staff don’t get tips I guess it doesn’t matter if you buy from the vending machine or from an actual person.
Upstairs I was treated to the main room which had excellent sound and an awesome video DJ. Tokyo is known for its video djs who mix images to go along with the music. I have to say its one of the most talented vjs I have ever seen.
The music was so so but I had a few funny experiences over the night. One when I was dancing a Japanese guy wanted to congratulate my enthusiasm by grabbing and vigorously shaking my hand and raising it in the air. The first time this seemed fun, after the third or fourth time it got a little old.
Another image I appreciate is the Japanese dj on the 4th floor who began his set with a humble bow. I found the bow to be a refreshing start to a dj performance.
Darwin and I checked out Pecha Kucha at Super-Deluxe in Tokyo. Basically its a chance for designers to talk about their work. The catch is they have to present their project in 6 minutes and 40 seconds using 20 slides.
We only stayed for about half of the presentations due to half of them being presented in Japanese and the fact that 6 minutes and 40 seconds feels like a long time if you’re totally uninterested in the project.
We created this snobby rating system to keep us entertained:
5 – I am inspired
4 – I’d buy it if it were for sale
3 – Filler
2 – What are you doing presenting here?
1 – What are you doing as a designer?
There was some really good stuff shown, and we actually found one of the student’s work more interesting than a few of the industry vets. No 1 and 5s were given.
Pecha Kucha started in Tokyo and has now spread to over forty cities. In general I think its a good idea and you should give it a chance in your city if its available. It seems like a great networking event and would probably be most enjoyable if you stand far enough back from the presenter so that you can chat during boring presentations.
On the weekends in Akihabara “musicians” come out to perform for the masses. Its definitely a strange scene. The Akiba neighborhood is generally known for its otaku (geek in English) who enjoy video games, anime etc. Near the main train station, performers can claim their space and hope to draw attention from the crowds milling about. Darwin took some footage of the following performers:
1) A girl performing Madonna’s “Like A Virgin”. We found the plethora of video cameras and the niche audience this performer has carved out quite amusing.
2) Girls that play real instruments! It was nice to see these two playing guitars rather than doing the standard karioke thing that most performers did.
3+4) Otaku gents showing off their moves. I found it oddly hypnotic and I was impressed how in sync the dance moves turned out to be.
5) My favorite performance. I doubt this is an original song but I love that nu-wave NRG style J-Pop. If my band can cover this, we will!
We spent a long time trying to find Zeniarai Benten Shrine in Kamakura. Legend has it that if you dip your money in the water at this shrine it will come back doubled to you. Since I have been having trouble selling my condo in Seattle I figured it was worth a dip. The next day my place sold! Now everywhere I look I am surrounded by peace and serenity.
A “gothloli” is a girl with a keen fashion sense to mix a gothic and lolita look to create something totally new. I’m not sure if the rest of the world is ready for Japan’s latest cultural export. If I had a kid I think I’d rather them be goth than lolita. These girls really create quite a spectacle in Harajuku. I like how they lug all sorts of things around in suitcases all day. Oh and I also love those tiny little hats they bandy about, “Kawaii!!”
We’ve eased our way out of tourist mode and started becoming more productive. Darwin has been working on a few design pieces, and I am keeping a schedule of producing one song a day. Speaking of which, I dug up this music video that I made from footage of our last trip to Tokyo in 2005. Hope you like.
I thought this ad for coffee was adorable. The english at the bottom says “Come on in! We’re small enough to fit in your palm. But working together we’ll make the best coffee you’ve ever had!”
I have no clue what this van is blaring around Tokyo all the time but it is LOUD! Here’s a short clip to demonstrate the decibel level.
Walking through the new Akiba Square Darwin and I were shocked by the sign before us, “Seattle Burger”. Darwin translated the outdoor menu and was surprised to find that they stocked a veggie burger since they are nowhere to be found in Japan. I figured we had to try it out for the Emerald City. Upon entering the establishment, the only thing that really made it Seattle was the Ichiro jersey hanging up in the place. We order our “vegetable burgers” and patiently wait. I took another look at the menu and became suspicious that our “vegetable burger” may in fact translate to lettuce and tomato on a meat patty. I was right, and moments later I ate my first meat burger in years. I have to say that it was delicious, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing to get another “vegetable burger” any time soon.
