Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
ITALO DISCO SHOWA BOOGIE BAR IN SHINJUKU, TOKYO. RETRO 1970S & 80S JAPAN MUSIC CLUB, COOL UNIQUE DRINKING HOLES.
I am thrilled that you like my new fashion collaboration with Akumu Ink! Thanks to everyone who already ordered a cute/spooky shirt or hoodie (featuring me and Basil Farrow). Send me photos of yourself wearing the clothes, and I’ll put them on my blog!
The Japanese TV shoot is over, and I’m wrapping up the NYC nightlife escapades. You can look forward to David Bowie club kids, an all-girl spooky band shoot, and Gothic Lolita Punk store pics in the next week. Til then, here is a guest post from Cotton Bale (who you’ll remember from my Death Cookbook cupcake battle!)
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Like La Carmina, I am a huge fan of Italo Disco, particularly HiNRG, so after moving to Tokyo it was only a matter of time until I discovered its Japanese counterpart, Eurobeat. I started off listening to 80s and early 90s covers of Western disco songs, such as Wink’s version of Turn it into Love by Hazell Dean, Miki Asakura’s take on Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler, or BaBe’s Give Me Up by Michael Fortunati. At first the songs seemed too cheesy, but before long they grew on me.
Then one day I was in Shinjuku when suddenly I looked up to see a sign with what looked like J-pop album covers from the 80s on it. I stopped in my tracks and picked up a flyer from the rack near the entrance, which read: 70s and 80s bar, Showa Boogie, playing music from the 70s, 80s and early 90s. I was determined to go.
Soon after, I made it to Showa Boogie with a friend. As we walked down the steps to the basement bar, we were greeted by Japanese idol pop over the loudspeakers and 7” album covers on the walls. The inside was likewise decorated with idols on record sleeves and magazine covers. These were almost as good as the music itself.
There are only 12 seats and when we arrived shortly after 8pm, there were already seven other customers, all men in their 30s or 40s. Four salarymen were loudly debating the merits and demerits of the 80s as a decade. The three people running the bar were the same age and clearly fans of the music.
Two big-screen TVs at either end of the bar continuously played music videos. When you sat down, you got a sheet of paper on which you can write a request. I asked for Genki Don’t Stop by Noriko Sakai, but unfortunately, they didn’t have it.
They played quite a few songs by artists I know including Pink Ladies, Candies, Yoko Nagayama and Minako Honda. Some of the more memorable videos were Romantic ga Tomaranai by CCB and one from the Hikaru Genji tour Roller Panic (performed entirely on roller skates). However, they also played lots of great songs by artists I didn’t know. My Japanese friend recognized a number of them and said that his mother was a big fan of some. Every so often someone would say: “I had such a crush on her when I was a child” or “This really takes me back.”
There was a wide selection of drinks available at reasonable prices, most cocktails costing about 700 yen. Drinks come with snacks such as senbei, and you can order bar food. I had an awesome time at
Showa Boogie, and I will definitely be going back. If you are in Tokyo and love 80s music, I highly
recommend it, although you might want to take someone who speaks a little Japanese with you, as I am not sure if the staff speak any English.
Showa Boogie is located across from Closet Child, near exit D5 of Shinjuku Nishiguchi or a few minutes walk from the West Exit of JR Shinjuku Station.
Address: B1F Zenkou Bldg, 7-1-4 Nishi Shinjuku.
Phone: 03-5348-2383
Open from 7:30pm to 3am from Monday to Saturday, except on public holidays.
Song of the Day #285: Any of the Japanese Italo tracks linked above!
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HARAJUKU FASHION SHOW AT WASHINGTON DC TEXTILE MUSEUM: GOTHIC & SWEET LOLITA FASHION SHOW, COSPLAY, JAPAN STREET CHIC SEMINAR.
I’m jealous of those of you who live near Washington, DC — because there is currently an enticing exhibit of avantgarde Japanese fashion at the Textile Museum. Seminal pieces by Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto are on display. The show ends on April 11 — has anyone seen it yet?
Last Sunday, the museum had a special Harajuku Japanese Street Chic Demonstration & Fashion Show in conjunction with the current exhibit. I was kindly offered passes to the event; since I’m currently filming for the NHK documentary in NYC, my friend Chi attended and took copious notes.
The blue-wigged keynote speaker was Nick Ferris of the Alexandria, VA anime and gaming convention T-Mode. He spoke about the history of Harajuku and the significance of the Jingu Bridge. Notably, he said this subculture was an “escape from the structured and rigid culture” of Japan. The bridge is a meeting place; “[Harajuku] is really in the social context today…. People are really trying to express their individuality.”
Ferris continued: “Fashion has a way of bringing together people at Harajuku that doesn’t really happen anywhere else.” He cited the ‘free hugs’ and how youths become instant friends become when they see a costume they like.
He spoke about the different styles: Cosplay, Visual Kei, Aristocrat/boystyle, and Kawaii. Ferris talked in depth about the different spins on Lolita fashion — Classic, Punk, Wa, Qi, Hime, Sailor — and said, “the most popular subgenre of Lolita is Gothic Lolita.”
Next, three American girls took the mike and spoke about how they make Harajuku street style their own. Amelia Hyman (center, 15 yrs old) wore a Gothic Lolita dress inspired by Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts. Her outfit was mostly from Hot Topic, and she put the rest of the costume together herself. She is saving up for another one after her birthday in August.
According to Savant Thomas (right), “Harajuku is like walking into a wonderland of creative culture and artists.” Her dress and bag are from Harajuku, the bows in her hair she did herself, and her rings are from Hot Topic.
Amy Elizabeth cosplayed as Visual Kei singer Kaya. Her outfit is inspired by the Chocolat music video. She made 85% of the costume herself, and the rest she put together.
After, there was a fashion show of various street styles you’d see in Harajuku, such as Sweet Lolita.
Ferris made an intriguing comment about the future of Harajuku fashion. He speculates that the Great Recession will result in the simplification of outfits; he noted that Versace closed all its stores in Japan, and that the community has welcomed cheaper American stores such as the H&M, Zara, and Forever 21. “Ultimately though, Harajuku trends will continue be dictated by the whims of Harajuku youths, referring to the power of one individual to change fashion.”
I also thought it was interesting that many of the girls buy pieces from Hot Topic and other American retailers to create their outfits. I personally find it refreshing to hear from voices that aren’t brand or coordination elitists; these girls find DIY/creative ways to bring Harajuku style into their lives, even if they don’t have a large budget or brands.
Your thoughts on the Japanese fashion demonstration at the DC Textile Museum? I hope you are enjoying the guest reports; I have several fabulous ones of Tokyo and Kansai events coming up. And I’ll of course take you behind the scenes at my NHK TV shoot… you can keep track of the filming on my Twitter.
Song of the Day #282: D’erlanger – Angelic Poetry
LA CARMINA
