Jodie Yates

Cutting through the noise, certain local creatives are striving to make sure the cultural landmarks that influence and inform their experiences stand tall. We teamed up with adidas Originals for the launch of their ‘Home of Classics’ pack to explore the spaces a new class of young Tokyoites are forging that are helping shape the cultural landscape of the city. Together, we link up with singer, illustrator and DJ Yuki Matsuda for a trip to Orbit Bar, experiencing a more low-octane way to club within a nightlife scene known for its frenzied energy.

Orbit stands out for resisting the M.O. of clubbing in Tokyo, notable for having one of the more lively nightlife scenes compared to other major Asian hubs. In contrast to the hyperactivity of the Tokyo cityscape, these locales offer opportunity to revel and recharge at a more relaxed pace. Clubbing in Tokyo has an elusive and extensive history; many house and techno stalwarts emerging in the early 90s resided in the city. Japanese heavyweights such as Fumiya Tanaka and Soichi Terada are now global names in minimal and house.

“Against the backdrop of heavy labour, boltholes such as Orbit function as the perfect chill-out zones”

However, things are changing and the club scene in Tokyo looks set to evolve. Japan used to be subject to restrictions on the kind of entertainment offerings that were available: venues faced size restrictions if they wanted to allow customers to dance. As recently as 2016, “anti- dancing” laws (

 in Japanese) were in place to curtail any festivity after midnight. The clubs in the city - now afforded more freedom - offer vital opportunity for submersion away from the rigidity of Japan’s notoriously intense work culture, where 80 hours of (usually unpaid) overtime a month is commonplace. Against the backdrop of heavy labour, boltholes such as Orbit function as the perfect chill-out zones.

Despite this, the Tokyo nightlife scene had been considered fairly inaccessible, mostly owing to the language barrier (information in English can be outdated or incomplete) and because of the transient nature of many of the bars, clubs and other venues. Things come and go quickly here. Yosuke - the owner of Orbit - agrees that you have to come to Toyko 

“with a clear sight of what you want”

“aimlessly fooling around. You gotta have a sense of purpose to fight off other desires swirling around town”

"Come to Tokyo with a clear sight of what you want"

In opposition with the scene-at-large, Orbit’s approach is a little more low-key. Yosuke says “the people in Tokyo are always hectic. I want them to relax here”. The floors are carpeted, and guests are asked to take off their shoes before entering. This ensures that it “feels more like a home”. By refiguring the rules for a club night, Orbit have been able to broaden their horizons and offer opportunities not often seen in your run-of-the-mill venue. Yuki was drawn to Orbit for this divergent approach: she says her mindset is always geared toward “being original...you have to be unique”. Going against the grain of Japan is not always easy: “you have to be ordinary and do the same thing as each other, but I like to do things that nobody else does”. In Orbit, Yuki and her peers are able to resist the norm and feel a little freer. The underground feel to nightlife can be conducive, as Yuki tells us. She was able to meet friends and other industry heads who shared the same passion for electronic music thanks to the dedication of certain spaces in promoting these sounds between them.

Orbit further challenges expectations by taking the focus is taken off dancing - “this is not a dance club” - and onto other forms of sensory experience. Japanese outputs of techno and house are known for their synth-heavy texture, and a ghostly or dream-like sound permeates through much of the production output. Orbit nods to this both with its name, the setting and the kind of nights that appear here: it regularly runs nights involving modular synth shows, Ableton hands-on workshops for music production, and ambient DJ sets. Located in Tokyo’s Sangenjaya district - known for its quaint, tree-lined streets - Orbit aims to provide an intimate oasis of calm for revellers. The relaxed vibe and downtempo sounds may surprise tourists, but as Yuki reminds us: “Tokyo has so many layers”

The relaxed vibe and downtempo sounds may surprise visitors, but as Yuki reminds us: “Tokyo has so many layers”

In a culture that, until recently, kept its electronic music scene to the very depths of the underground, venues like Orbit are helping to redefine nightlife with its brand of chilled-out party going. With the archaic curfew now lifted, Tokyoites like Yuki have the chance to both recharge and rebel from the potentially stifling power of the city. For Yuki, her Tokyo means you have to pursue a meaning that's personal and unique: “Tokyo is everything, but nothing unless you feel like you have something to prove your worth”.

Japan

Tokyo

Tapping into Tokyo's Underground

In today’s Tokyo, eating becomes indicative of kinship, comfort and closeness, and between the tiny hole-in-the-wall bars, old-time wineries and traditional cafes, the city’s underground food scene manifests as the glue for a fragmented generation living in a sometimes isolating world. We teamed up with adidas Originals for the release of their 

 pack, a collection dedicated to glorifying classic styles, designed to be worn and loved by journeyers the world over. Guided by Tokyoites, 

, we went Trippin to two of Tokyo’s most treasured eateries which are bringing old-school Japanese spirit of hope and regeneration to the here-and-now.

“The trends move very fast and everyone keeps trying to follow them. We stay the same but remain great”

Traverse around the globe and you’re met with the inescapable fact that food undoubtedly defines a place, its people and their culture. The role of food is multifaceted, defining and reflecting struggle, prosperity, celebration, history and religion - Tokyo’s cuisine is no different.

Japan has experienced seismic regrowth in the last seventy years to become the third largest economy in the world, but iconic dishes have remained a constant. Tokyo’s food largely follows the ‘fast food’ style: readily available, freshly-cooked foods sold on street corners, hailing back to the feeding of merchant workers in the Edo period of 1603-1868. Tokyo, then known as Edo, was a bustling merchant centre, whereby quick and nourishing meals for the myriad sailors and salesman were required, including 

 - foods that have grown to become much-loved staples of Japanese cuisine.

Scattered across Tokyo are izakayas, traditional Japanese pubs serving up Edo-style snacks and drinks in a relaxed, informal setting. One of these is Hanbey, whose old-school concept harks back to the post-war period of regeneration for the people of Japan. Located in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s famous red-light district in the heart of the Shinjuku neighbourhood, Hanbey is plastered with the past, from its menu to its games selection. Izakaya favourites such as yakitori (chicken skewers), age-pan (fried bread) and octopus weiner take pride of place here.


The Showa (post-war) period is transported to the present day, with pop culture iconographic figures displayed proudly and a soundtrack that pays homage to 60s pop. The owner of Hanbey defined the concept as 

“travelling back to a time when Japan was rebuilding the country after losing the war in 1945”

. Looking around, it’s not a space that evokes the destruction of an immediate post-war environment, but rather exudes a spirit of progress, despite being firmly inspired by the past.

In a period where life seems ephemeral and trends constantly emerge and disappear, Hanbey stands resistant: 

“the trends move very fast and everyone keeps trying to follow them. We stay the same but remain great”,

The old inspires the new - this spot is favoured by the more progressive younger generations in Tokyo - and Hanbey constitutes a perfect springboard for further inspiration, so it's of no surprise that Tokyo’s creative elite are passing their precious downtime hours here. As Keem tells us, current youth culture champion new and exciting spaces while still helping to preserve the more traditional institutions and practices.

He says that hang-outs like Hanbey become always transcendental: the power of a good 

, showing just how important spots like these are to the subcultural geography of Tokyo.

Sober takes its name from Japanese soba noodles, a traditional Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, hailing from the Edo era of Japan, a time in which Japan was mobilised under one rule, and where arts, culture and economic stability began to surface.

The city finds ways to transform itself from one day to the next: 

, Yesbowy notes. Locales like Sober and Hanbey take on a new significance as beacons of a different way of life.

On our visit, we spoke to the owner of Sober, Terrine, who was keen to tell us more about how both locals and tourists alike flock to Sober to experience real soulful Japanese dishes, in a break from homogeneity. Incorporating the spirit of an 

, in which food and drink are served and enjoyed side-by-side, but with a unique menu comprising soba, including funori soba, a regional food from Niigata, a city on the west coast of Japan. Guests use this space to recharge and play rounds of 

 a tabletop game similar to Rummikub that uses intricately-patterned tiles, but the atmosphere remains convivial, rather than competitive - 

. Designed for fast food to be enjoyed in a slower setting, spots like Sober redress the frantic pace usually associated with street food eating to allow guests to absorb and take in the setting.

Emerging relatively recently in June 2018, Sober was founded by local designer Kaito Yamamoto, director of concept store Son of the Cheese. Terrine tells us the main focus for Sober was to 

“provide a private hang-out place for people exploring the street of Dogenzaka”

. Away from the busy street, Sober has tried to cultivate a feeling of exclusivity, and its own separate subculture. There is an ornamental key situated near the entrance, 

, but this really emphasises the individual character of the joint.

By bringing the more concealed cultural mores to the foreground in spots like these, Tokyo residents can really celebrate their history while still relishing in fresh takes on Japanese spirit as they emerge throughout the city. 