3. “Shibuya (渋谷) is one of the twenty-three city wards
of Tokyo, but often refers to just the popular
Shibuya
shopping and entertainment area found around
Shibuya Station. In this regard, Shibuya is one of
Tokyo’s most colorful and busy districts, packed with
shopping, dining and nightclubs serving swarms of
visitors that come to the district everyday.
Shibuya in the morning
I grew up in Shibuya. Back then, in the early 80’s, Shibuya was
a hot area of Tokyo. Brands like Van Jacket, Domon, Jun, etc.
and the “Shibuya Casual” or “shibukazi” scene were getting a
lot of attention. Shibuya was full of bars, clubs, restaurants,
clothing shops and places to just hang out on the street.
As a teenager, I spent a lot of time “on the street” buying
liquor from vending machines, chasing rats and going to game
centers and clubs. Back then, it didn’t really matter if you were
underaged and the discos were packed with Jr. High School
aged kids. I went to my first nightclub in 9th grade. You could
buy bottles of whiskey, Suntory White, in vending machines.
During summers I hung out in the fashion buildings,
sometimes helping in the shops and always going out with the
designers, shop staff and hair dressers after work. The
Japanese bubble was just getting going and everything felt
like an endless drunken party and a explosion of consumer
brands and excess.
Later, after I first dropped out of college, I returned to Shibuya
to run an after hours club at the end of Center Gai. Walking
around Shibuya at 7AM this morning brought back memories
of all-nighters and the craziness of my teenage years in Tokyo.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
12. Each story related to the
Scan the QR code to view the story
neighborhood comes with a box
with QR code embedded and trinket
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
14. Consumer
To discover stories and share their own.
City
To preserve the memories of cherished neighborhoods
using modern technology.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
