Where do I start?
Again, everything you’ve most probably heard is quite possibly true. It’s a living, breathing Bladerunner set, part futuristic shopping district, part tacky tourist attraction, where funky dressed hipsters and short skirted schoolgirls mix with suited Hiro Nakamura otaku clones and cosplaying flyer girls. The main strip, Chuo Dori, feels like an endless strip of arcades, manga shops, PC component markets and porno stores – probably because it is. DVD players like you’ve never seen before nestle next to retro games consoles from the early 80s. Jumble sale like shops filled with cheap Chinese Gundam knock offs and priceless Star Wars rarities are stacked on top of sushi bars and maid cafes. It’s almost too much. I shot over 200 photos there alone today, and I’m still processing what I saw. And it’s going to take me a while, trust me. In time I’ll post up my thoughts here in chunks, some after I get home, but for now here’s a very small selection of images to whet your appetite.
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If you want to escape from the concrete and steel for a day, bizarrely one of the best places to head to is the centre of Tokyo, and the area surrounding the Imperial Palace. The gardens are huge, and took as a good five hours to fully explore yesterday. You can’t get in the Palace itself, obviously, but the architecture and gardens are beautiful. Even then you’re never far from the corporate futurism; the Palace lies in the middle of Tokyo’s financial district, and is circled by the usual skyscrapers and communication towers. Even though, its nice to have the usual background noise of crowds, traffic and electronics replaced by birdsong for a few hours.
If you’re in the area, and have even a passing interest in Japanese visual arts, it’s worth checking out the National Museum of Modern Art and it’s satellite building the Crafts Gallery. There’s some great work there from the likes of Yasuki Hiramatsu, Julian Opie and Makoto Kamatsu, all elegantly presented in a modern, minimalist building.
So we’re here. Finally.
Actually, we arrived about 48 hours ago, after what seemed like a week of travelling. Hellish. But, of course, with hindsight completely worth it. Shinjuku is everything all the cliches say it is - Akira, Bladerunner and Neuromancer all rolled into one, but somehow weirder for not actually feeling that futuristic. Or at least, it’s a kind of retro futuristic, a reminder of the that 80’s cyberpunk vision that it inspired but never quite happened anywhere else. Like all sci-fi, they got some things wrong. Example? Well, it seems damn near impossible to find any public Wi-Fi round here. But why would you need it when everyone’s had 3G capable phones for over ten years?
Anyway, there’s another cliche about pictures and word counts…
Ugghh, maybe I’m finally getting too old for this shit.
Feeling more than a little battered this morning, after my regular monthly session down at Intrigue @ The Dojo Lounge here in Bristol. Run by local producers/DJs The Insiders, it’s getting a rep as not only the best DnB night in Brizzle but also one of the finest nights for deep, progressive, future-thinking vibes in the country. With term just over and no students around the crowd was perhaps a little subdued last night with few regulars to be seen, but that didn’t stop Marcus Intalex rolling out a blinding set that covered everything from soulful, jazzy beats and the Detroit influenced sound he’s best known for, to dark, glitchy, bass heavy rumblers. Plus DRS on mike duties made for a killer-combo. And not forgetting it was Ben from The Insiders’ Birthday, it was a buzzing night. I set out to take a pile of photos, but I kinda got, erm, distracted. So all I have is the handful below. Thanks to Ben and Joe for a great night (as always), and to Marcus for sorting out the guest list.
Now I’m off to find somewhere quiet to lie down…
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