by joostay
Not in an “oooh I’m sexy” kind of way, more like a “my boxers are stuck to my ass” kind of way. Now that summer has kicked in it doesn’t drop below 30, and it hit 36 last week when I was teaching in the molten depths of Chiba. (It was actually abo…
Categories: Uncategorized
by joostay
Exploring Tokyo on my BMX is my favourite pastime. I love getting lost on purpose, discovering new areas and generally feeling free. I know, I know… that sounds a bit cheesy – but there genuinely is something alluring about packing a bag and set…
Categories: Uncategorized
by joostay
Gig organisers getting a visit from the park police… Random people to share random beers with… A guy playing a didgeridoo while sitting on a skateboard… Reflections… A double bass standing tall amongst the trees… Brazilian drummers getti…
Categories: Uncategorized
by joostay
When I was a kid I had a big book of fables. My favourite was about Dick Whittington and his cat who were lured to London by rumours that the streets were paved with gold. In Ginza, they are paved with Louis Vuitton handbags and men who dress like…
Categories: Tokyo Days • Tags: alleyways, ginza, guidebook, japan, shopping, tokyo
by joostay
I’ve seen – and played – some weird gigs in my time. In 2002 my old punk band hilariously shared the stage with horrible sex-fiends Rockbitch, and we even unwittingly played the pub owned by UK mass murderer, Steve Wright. Other standout gigs incl…
Categories: Art Music & Culture
by joostay
HERE MATE I saw this programme on TV the other day and it was about that there TERNER PRIZE and you know what modern art is REALLY STUPID it’s just some guy randomly slinging paint on a canvas and anyone can do it and I COULD EVEN DO IT MATE but I…
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Uncategorized
by joostay
I lost my nana two days ago. She died peacefully back at home while I was 6,000 miles away in Tokyo. She wouldn’t have wanted me to mourn. So I went to Zushi. I bought some beer. I bought some whisky. I listened to some tunes. I watched the sun co…
Categories: Travel: Inside Japan
by joostay
Japanese people have crap teeth. True? Well, kind of. Some say it’s due to a lack of fluoride, while others say it’s the result of a genetic defect that has got progressively worse over the years. Whatever the reason, you do see a hell of a lot of…
Categories: Uncategorized
by joostay
Besides discovering cider and blackcurrant, one of my favourite teenage memories is hanging out with my mates Bibs & Smiff in Underground Music – a tiny independent record store in my hometown. Dressed like tramps, we’d spend the afternoon sifting…
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Uncategorized
by joostay
“Hello to the people of Japan…” The 8th floor of an upmarket shopping mall in Shibuya is not exactly the first place you’d expect to hear David Lynch’s voice, but there it is, quietly looping on a wall-mounted TV in the corner of the room. Errat…
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Uncategorized
by joostay
No matter how hard I try, that’s the first thing that pops into my head every time I see a statue of Japan’s favourite character (not counting Pikachu). It’s a line from a drunken Jim Jeffries rant on religion – and while it technically is true, i…
Categories: Travel: Inside Japan, Uncategorized
