People warned me when I arrived. ‘Japan is incredibly hot in summer’ they said. And while I was prepared for the worst I must admit that reality is a whole lot worse than anything I could have imagined. And summer hasn’t even technically started yet! :cry:

You see Japanese people are fond of saying that their country has four seasons. Reality is Japan does have some extra ’seasons’ like for example rainy season. Normally a period around mid to late June where it rains pretty regularly for most of the time. This helps ease you into the boiling, sweat-box summer that is supposed to be Japanese summer.

This year though things haven’t been going according to plan much. For a start winter was way hotter and nicer than has ever been recorded. In fact I remember reading somewhere that this was the longest winter without snow since records began. And I arrived in January when this was published and there was no snow in Tokyo all winter. In fact at times in February it felt a lot like spring. Spring was then also quite hot by normal standards, affecting the cherry blossom in turn.

And now rainy season seems to have all but disappeared - a bit of a bugger as it’s been replaced by a seriously hot few weeks. Unbearably hot, and as I’m constantly told this is only the beginning. We’ve had about 4/5 days of rain so far this month, well below the average and for the last week or two the average has been 25 degrees or more daily, with some punishing days at over 30 degrees.

The thing with Tokyo is that, a lot like London, the heat is unbearable - it’s sticky and oppressive and it’s also really humid, factors which combine to make it really unpleasant to do anything but ‘nothing’. What’s more Tokyo’s heat doesn’t seem to disappear at night either, which at least in London it does. So not only are you uncomfortable in the daytime, you’re also uncomfortable at night. Great.

Of course all this is oppressive heat is made easier by the fact that everywhere in Japan is pretty much air conditioned. However while air conditioning is a definite plus in this weather (and a luxury I never really had back home - in the office or at home) it’s also weird to get used to. It’s lovely in public transport though, again something most Londoners aren’t used to, but at work it’s odd because you’re constantly going in between the dead heat outside and cool, breezy air inside. It does nothing for the sweat patches either.

I’ve got an air con unit above me right now - however I’m trying to see how long I can last without turning it on. So far so good, the fan and opening all doors and windows is doing me well. And the other thing keeping me from turning my room into a cool haven is the fact that I have to pay for the electricity bill. Not nice.

What’s more I sweat like a pig at the best of times, so I can see my summer in Tokyo being an oh so enjoyable one. If anyone wants to give me a job in Hokkaido for the summer just say the word.

Popularity: 4%

written by Laurent \\ tags: air conditioner, heat, Japan

‘A one-man army mutating the UK hardcore continuum in Japan’, says Kode 9. A pretty accurate description of what Takeaki Maruyama aka Goth Trad has been up since he started making music about 10 years ago. These mutations are nowhere near more apparent than in his own creation: ‘Mad Rave’, an amalgamation of the musical styles and genres that have influenced him since he first discovered electronic music. From old techno, house and jungle to more recent influences like crunk, grime, drum n bass and 2step, ‘Mad Rave’ is the logical culmination of over 20 years of collecting and listening to records and producing music.
While ‘Mad Rave’ has started to resonate with scenes worldwide in the last few years, from dubstep to drum n bass, breakcore to dub, it’s been a long journey already for Goth Trad. Since first deciding to dabble in production back in the late 90s he’s released 3 albums, appeared on many compilations and remix projects, and released another 3 albums as part of Rebel Familia, a collaboration project with legendary reggae bassist Takeshi ‘Heavy’ Akimoto.
He’s also toured Europe 3 times and has been playing regularly up and down Japan, solo and with Rebel Familia, for the best part of the last 5 years. His live work has only intensified since the release of his last album, and you’ll as easily find him playing at a drum n bass rave as you will a breakcore event, a reggae gig or his own monthly dubstep and grime night in Tokyo, ‘Back To Chill’. The diverse appeal of his music and live shows is reflected in the range of artists he’s played alongside in the last few years: The Mars Volta, Don Letts, The Bug, DJ Krush, Limewax, Toshinori Kondo, Mike Ladd, Bong Ra, Buck 65, Zinc, Doc Scott, Skream, Mala and Iration Steppas.
And so with the increasing interest in his work outside of Japan, following his debut releases on UK labels earlier on this year (including a release on Deep Medi Musik), it’s about time someone got some words from the man down on virtual paper.
What follows is an unedited transcript of an interview I did with Takeaki in May 2007. This interview will appear as a feature in Japanzine (Japan) and Serie B Magazine (Spain) in the summer of 2007. Goth Trad is likely to become a name you’ll hear a lot more of in coming months – he has his first major European tour coming up in September, where he’ll be playing at DMZ in London, a Japan tour with Kode 9 and The Bug, more releases on UK labels and interests for collaborations and releases with artists like Distance amongst many others. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. As things continue to get bigger and better for the man, it seems the summer of 2007 could well prove to be the summer of Mad Rave.
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Popularity: 9%

written by Laurent \\ tags: goth trad, Japan, portfolio, writing

I went back to the big temple/shrine which is down the road from my flat last week. Ella wanted to take some pictures so I thought I’d tag along and go check the cemetary properly as I didn’t get a chance to do so the first time we went - I was too busy checking out the rest of the site.

I don’t know what it is about cemetaries in this country, but I find them to be deeply fascinating places. I guess the way people treat their dead is a certain indication as to how the society itself is - for example in Mexico the dead are treated like normal people, and their lives celebrated with music and festivities rather than silence and sombre. I’ve always felt that was a more fitting way to celebrate the lives of those who passed than the more traditional European celebrations, which are pretty sober affairs generally.

The Japanese do have a lot of respect for their dead - and the cemetaries display that with stones, statues, incense pots, drinks and plants which are neatly arranged and kept for the most part. I don’t think Japanese cemetaries are necessarily all that different to cemetaries everywhere else, but for some reason they just interest me. Maybe it’s the fact that Shinto and Buddhism co-habit in seeming peace in this country and so the cemetaries have features and displays which I’ve never seen anywhere else. What’s more they don’t have the same aura that cemetaries back home emanate. They feel a lot more peaceful and inviting.

Anyways I took a bunch of pictures of stones, markings, statues and interesting little bits whilst I was there. You can see them here:

Cemetary Stones - Flickr Set

Popularity: 6%

written by Laurent \\ tags: cemetaries, Japan, pictures

I’ll start my long overdue ramblings on Japanese food dishes with grilled food, which includes many of my favourite dishes. Grilled food in Japan comes in a variety of sizes, shapes and origins. Most dishes are tasty, cheap and quick - a winning combination as far as I’m concerned.

Yakitori

Probably the most common grilled dish (literally meaning grilled bird or chicken) - yakitori are skewers of grilled chicken bits which are generally available from stalls located pretty much everywhere. And if you don’t know where the nearest one is you can just follow the smell of the smoke emanating from it.

I’ve not seen many yakitori stalls in the more central areas of Tokyo, though I remember someone mentioning that in Shinjuku there is a fairly famous back street filled with yakitori and other similar stalls. Yakitori are also served in dedicated restaurants and generally available in izakayas as well, where you eat them as snacks while drinking.

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Popularity: 8%

written by Laurent \\ tags: grilled food, Japanese Food, yakiniku, yakitori

Some people come to Japan for the experience. Some come to discover a different culture and experience life in what is at times a different world. And some people, like myself, come for the food. Ok I didn’t just come for the food, but it was a big incentive let’s say.

I’ve always had a thing for Asian cooking - coming from a French/Italian background it’s fair to say that food has always played a big part in my life. I don’t just love eating good food, I also love cooking. And while I’ve spent the best part of my adult life mastering various dishes and food from my own background I’ve always wanted to try my hand at Asian food. I’ve just never really had the chance or incentive to do it. I can cook a mean stir fry and a more than decent Thai curry, but that’s about it really :sad: .

So living in Japan has been an absolute blast so far when it comes to food. Not only has the cooking been great, even if my sink-sized kitchen has been interfering with my attempts, but the eating has been truly next level. Japanese goes a lot deeper than what you see in Europe - and discovering its many pleasures and aspects has been excellent.

In Tokyo eating is incredibly cheap compared to London. I was having this discussion with a friend who’s been here a few years, where I was saying how cheap eating out in Tokyo is. Which he claimed wasn’t entirely true - eating out can be as expensive as London or any major city, but fast food or just grabbing some food is definitely ridiculously cheap. And fair enough, a dinner in a nice restaurant, will probably set you back a fair bit, though from my own experience so far I’ve found that a lot of restaurants are still a little cheaper when you consider quality and service.

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Popularity: 5%

written by Laurent \\ tags: Japanese Food