Monthly Archives: February 2013
Pleasant Screams: The Queers @ Koenji High, Tokyo
by joostay
Love him or hate him, Joe Queer is a bit of a legend. He formed The Queers in the year I was born and they are still going strong: playing shitty venues all over the world to a legion of devoted, grubby fans. I missed out on seeing them play Belfa…
Categories: Art Music & Culture • Tags: japan, koenji, nofx, pop punk, punk, punk rock, queers, screeching weasel, tokyo
Setusbun: my bean-throwing pilgrimage to Sensoji
by joostay
Evil spirits, a man with a cat on his shoulder and people throwing beans at each other. It can only be Setsubun ??? Japan’s own unique way of saying hello to spring. When I was nine years old I threw a plate of baked beans over some kid in my class …
Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asakusa, culture, festival, japan, matsuri, setsubun, tokyo
Unforced Creativity #3
by joostay
???You have Artline. I am Artline!??? How a random encounter with a hyperactive salaryman made me fall in love with Japan all over again. Last Sunday was sunny so I decided to take my sketchbook to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa to draw. At one point a sma…
Categories: Art Music & Culture, Art: stuff I've drawn • Tags: art, drawing, japan, street, surreal, tokyo, urban, weird
Japan’s youth culture isn’t a stereotype
by joostay
It’s time to move on. The real fashion in Japan doesn’t come from the tired, played-out subcultures but from the kids on the street. Gyarus, Lolitas, Cosplay…yadda yadda yadda. Like a lot of other subjects, fashion articles on Japan can often be…
Categories: Art Music & Culture • Tags: fashion, goth, harajuku, japan, lolita, shimokitazawa, tokyo
Public shaming: Japan’s (not-so) dirty secret
by joostay
Horrible beyond belief or an honourable extension of the samurai code? Why simply saying ???sorry??? in Japan doesn’t seem to be enough. ???Stop this country, I want to get off??? read a comment on my facebook feed this morning. It was in response to the …
Categories: Art Music & Culture • Tags: akb48, japan, jpop, minami minegishi, shaming, tokyo, yakuza
