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toco toco is a program where Japanese artists and creators introduce places in Japan that inspire them. No scripted text or guidance, guests speak naturally and are free to choose any place they like. “toco toco” is the onomatopoeia to describe the sound of footsteps in Japanese, for the walks we go on together with our guests.
2014
Digital artist, Yusuke Shigeta is taking us to the Yokosuka art museum in Kanagawa prefecture. An exhibition was held during the 2014 summer holidays called "KiRaKiRa ZaWaZaWa HaRaHaRa" where parents could enjoy art with their children. It showcased Yusuke Shigeta's art pieces and four other contemporary artists' work. Yusuke Shigeta is originally a video creator who makes animation and computer graphics. His work is a video installation that uses the whole space of a room. The video is a pixel animation displayed from a projector set on the ceiling. This animation, "Gaso no Mori" (Pixel Forest) is inspired by ten fairytales that you can see by holding a white book opened while wandering in the room. His other art piece is called "Gaso Sansui" (Pixel Scenery) and is inspired by the series of paintings of Ogawa Usen, "Shunkashuutou".
The tea ceremony master, Soryo Matsumura is taking us to the Sankeien Garden in Yokohama, and to his own teahouse "Shuhally". The Sankeien Garden(三渓園) is an artificial garden built about 100 years ago by Hara Sankei. In this episode, we discover the Rinshunkaku built by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu's son about 350 years ago and other traditional Japanese teahouses such as Kinmokutsu and Shunsoro. Soryo Matsumura also invites us to his teahouse "Shuhally" situated at the 5th floor of a regular condominium in Yokohama.
Michihito Fujii, a film director from Babel Label is taking us to the Akagi Shrine which is one of the most elevated spots in Kagurazaka. Kagurazaka is a very inspiring city for artists and has an atmosphere very similar to Kyoto. The Akagi shrine is a very elegant shrine with walls made of glass that has been rebuilt recently. Flea markets or second-hand markets are held on weekends at the Akagi shrine. Michihito Fujii also invites us to the Babel Bar in Shinjuku, next to the Shinjuku Gyoen park. The Babel Bar has been created by the Babel Label production company, so that creators can gather and talk about cinema.
The designer Hima Kawagoe's brand called "Seitekisatui" (Sex and Death) is showcased at the department store PARCO at Shibuya during the Shibukaru Festival that is featuring female creators. Hima Kawagoe shows us her bestseller "Memeo", an accessory in the shape of an eye with false lashes that has been reblogged over 9000 times on tumblr. Hima Kawagoe also shows us a shop called GYFT that is showcasing some of her creations during the Shibukaru Festival. Then, Hima Kawagoe invites us to her home that she also uses as her atelier. Originally, Hima Kawagoe is an illustrator, but "Memeo" became so famous on tumblr that she decided to make it an accessory. Hima Kawagoe also has her own indie label.
Motohiro Inaba and Rio Asano take us to the publishing house “Cotonoha” situated in the sweet and retro neighborhood of Nagahara. “Machi no Techo Ikegami-sen” is a magazine published by “Cotonoha”. Ikegami line is a railway line that runs through Tokyo from Gotanda to Kamata on the south side of Tokyo. “Machi no Techo Ikegami-sen” is a magazine that introduces culture and shops around the Ikegami line. It featured the Japanese sweets shop “Wagashi Asobi” in one of their publications. The particularity of the Ikegami railway train is that contrary to most of Tokyo’s trains that are long, it’s relatively small as it’s a 3-car train. “Machi no Techo Ikegami-sen” is a magazine that talks about the neighborhood’s history. The Shochiku movie studios were once located in Kamata (end of Ikegami line) where directors such as Ozu Yasujiro used to shoot. This magazine is sold in shops, bars, and book shops along the train tracks and on “Cotonoha’s website”. Then, Motohiro Inaba and Rio Asano invite us to their atelier “Wagashi Asobi”. They make two types of sweets: the dry fruit yokan and the herb-aroma rakugan.
Professor Sakamoto is a composer who has the perfect pitch in his ear. He plays video game musics with a Nintendo console strapped to his head where he inserts cartridges. He also composes original songs in the chiptune or chip sound style. Besides Japan, he recently performed in France at the Japan Expo or also in Sweden and London. Today, Professor Sakamoto invites us to the "Ninety" bar situated at Akebonobashi, two stations away from Shinjuku station. This game bar is situated right next to his music label company, "Lastrum". People can gather at "Ninety" to play games while having a drink. They can even bring their own game consoles such as PS Vita or 3DS. You will find a lot of old games, manga, anime, cards and board games. The decoration of this bar is composed of rare Famicom games and antique consoles. It is the perfect place for people who love games, and want to have fun while eating and drinking.
Kyoka is a musician who creates electronic music. She uses bass and high-pitched sounds in order to bring out the basses. She also creates works using light, reflections and colors where she tries to express the same emotions as with music. Every year, the ICC is hosting the OPEN SPACE exhibition. Today we are going to the 2014 edition. The ICC art center is a place specialized in what we call "multimedia arts". It is a place exhibiting art, but also all kind of technologies that are featured in modern art. ICC's goal is to globally show the relationship between art and technology. In this episode, Kyoka and Mr. Hatanaka, the chief curator at the ICC center are showing us several installations. The first installation is a setting called "video synthesiser" and was created in the 70s by Abe Shuya, the engineer who was working together Nam Jun Paik as part of his research in video art. Three oscilloscopes are connected to the synthesiser in order to interfere with the video signal and obtain multiple patterns and modifications. It is the same type of process as the one used in electronic music, but applied to video. The second installation introduced in this episode is the work of Shimizu Jio. It uses lasers' relflections on water. The third work is called "The Immortal", created by Cohen and Van Balen, two artists active in the United Kingdom. It is a visual and sound installation featuring a series of organ replacement machines. The fourth work we introduce is called "Cube". When we alter the shape of a cube on a computer, it can be done in the blink of an eye. This installation shows how it is done in the real world. Don't hesitate to go take a look at the ICC Art Center!
Today, Arisa Katayama the leader of the "Walking Bicycle" project is taking us to her favorite cafe "Hanabi" situated in Nakameguro. Riding the Walking Bicycle, a new vehicle which mixes the stepping movement with an electric bicycle, she will guide us in the hip area of Nakameguro. Located on the Meguro river bank, "Hanabi" is a polyvalent place to chill out and can be used as a cafe, a restaurant, or a bar. The cafe "Hanabi" is very convenient because it's a place where you can leave your bike in front of the store and come with your dog, which is really rare to find in Tokyo. In summertime, there is also a patio decorated in a Japanese manner. It's a place where you can come and enjoy spending time with your dog, or with your family and friends. Arisa Katayama used to live for a long time in the United States, so she likes to go to Japanese style cafes where she can drink genmaicha or green tea. "Hanabi" also offers a wide array of Japanese dishes and desserts as well as drinks like craft beers or Japanese alcohols in the izakaya and space in the back of the shop. The Walking Bicycle project started in 2009 and was initiated by a 70 years-old car parts company located in Okayama. Its engineering team wanted to create a vehicle simply based on the concept of walking. They also wanted to have all parts "Made in Japan". The walking bicycle is a three-wheeled vehicle so it is very stable and there aren't any balance problems. An electric assist helps you to climb the hills without any trouble. Many prototypes were made and many famous designers worked on this project. Be sure to go to Nakameguro when you visit Japan!
Today, Riyoo Kim, a ceramic artist is taking us to "Spiral", a multi-purpose cultural center situated in Omotesando, where he is helding an exhibition. Various exhibitions, salons and other contemporary art projects are held there. Riyoo Kim studied ceramics of the Jomon and Yayoi eras. What is fascinating about ceramics is that it can last for more than fifteen thousand years if buried. What has been made by the hands of humans who lived fifteen thousand years ago still remains today. Riyoo Kim would also like to leave a message to future generations, using ceramics. In this episode, is introducing to us the "Arts Of Jomon" exhibition. The Jomon era is the starting point of Japanese antic culture. It span is over ten thousand years, with no wars or human disasters. The era is famous for its Jomon ceramics which characteristic is the use spiral shapes. Riyoo Kim is presenting his work but also other artist's work, such as Takeya Takayuki's, a figurine sculptor. Takeya Takayuki created a Dogū clay figure with eyes shaped like googles. He is also introducing us to the work of Mr. Ifūrai, a reknown ceramist. We are also discovering the Spiral shop with Riyoo Kim where the item selection is all under the theme of "intemporal design". You can appreciate various aspects of Japanese craftsmanship. It is the perfect place for visitors to find a nice souvenir. In the Spiral center, there is a cafe and a mezzanine floor where you can relax while admiring the view over Omotesando.
In this episode, Fuyuki Kanai, an illustrator is introducing us to PARK SHOP and GALLERY located in Hirai, in the Edogawa ward. He is holding an exhibition called "PARCHIVE" that is commemorating the opening of the gallery. Hirai is an old school neighbourhood that doesn't benefit much from the latest policies in urbanism. However, it is this kind of places that young people choose to open cafes or galleries. This new movement is very interesting and PARK is part of it. The PARK SHOP and GALLERY is very close to the station, about one-minute walk and opened in January 2015. It takes its name from the small park across the street. Both share the purpose of bringing people together. His goal is to create a place where art, culture could mix with the life of the neighbourhood. The exhibition space is in the back. Artists exposing are also making clothes that you can find in the PARK SHOP. Inside the gallery, there are also books, second-hand clothes, and a place where you can quietly read while drinking free coffee. Edogawa is a very traditional area and even though the Tokyo Sky Tree tower is located right next to it, tourism hasn't developed in the area. Fuyuki Kanai finds it interesting to have this new form of culture mixed with the old-style neighbourhoods. He exhibits his work in various places and also publishes a lot of comics. He studied Cinema at university and also did some theater. He did all kind of things but decided to go back to what he loves, drawing. Since Fuyuki did some theater he is sometimes doing dance performances as a hobby.
Today the cookie artist Ayaka Matsuno is taking us to a Korean restaurant called "Pungumu" situated in Shin-Okubo, close to Shinjuku. Shin-Okubo is known as the Korean district. There you can find K-pop and beauty products, and also Korean restaurants. The restaurant Ayaka Matsuno is introducing us is specialised in Samgyeopsal, a Korean dish using grilled meat. The Samgyeopsal is prepared using a hot plate that is placed diagonally in order to dispose of the fat. After grilling the meat, we roll it in lettuce leaves and we add spices and other toppings. As a K-pop fan, Ayaka Matsuno likes to eat at "Pungumu" with her friends, discuss about K-pop bands while eating Korean food. Then, Ayaka will show us how to make cute cookies decorated with sugar icing. For this special occasion, she will feature the show's characters. She uses powdered sugar, egg white and food coloring. Ayaka Matsuno first started making this kind of cookies when one of her friend asked her to make original dishes for an opening event gathering creators. She likes strong visual and that's how she likes to express herself, through cooking and food.
Today the comic duo "Montblancs" is taking us to a neko cafe in Ebisu called "Nyafe Melange" and to "Theater D", a live house where they usually perform. Montblancs (モンブランズ) is a duo composed of Daisuke Kita and Kazutaka Aizawa. They perform on Japanese television, events, live house. The place Montblancs wants to introduce is a very popular place among Japanese people and foreigners: the Neko cafe (cat cafe). It is a place where you can drink coffee while playing with cats. At Nyafe Melange, there is over 20 cats, food and drinks. Then Montblancs introduces us to "Theater D" situated in Shibuya. It is a small live house that can welcome up to 80 people. Every comedian who aspire to become famous perform at "Theater D".
Today Take0920you, a video game streamer on Youtube, is taking us to Akihabara, to the Kanda Myojin Shrine and to the retro game shop "Friends"! The video game streaming culture is growing more and more in Japan and Take has been streaming for 4 years now on many games but mostly on Minecraft. Take is taking us to Akihabara, known as the electric town, where you can find a lot of video games shops. The first place Take wants to introduce is a shrine situated at 5 minutes walk from Akihabara's station, called the Kanda Myojin Shrine. The Kanda Myojin Shrine is famous for people seeking good fortune in business and trade. You will find the ema wooden plates, that are ex-votos on which people write a wish they would like to see come true. As the shrine is situated close to Akihabara, a lot of these plates are decorated with animation character portraits. The second place Take is introducing us is a retro game shop called "Friends" which is a famous store, quite hidden in Akihabara. You will find Game Boy games, Famicom games, Game Gear games but also very recent games as well. Take is looking for a retro game called "Spelunker" known to be one of the hardest game.
Today the photographer Rui Hashimoto is taking us to the Le Déco gallery in Shibuya, where he is holding every year the SOUND SHOOTER exhibition. The Le Déco gallery is on the opposite side of Shibuya's popular locations, such as Center Gai, Udagawacho or Harajuku. With the upcoming Olympics in 2020, this area is being entirely renewed. The building of Le Déco gallery was made at the time of the 1964 Olympics, and it is quite rare in Japan to have one gallery take up a whole building, from ground to the fifth floor. On one floor he is exhibiting landscape photos taken on film. Pictures Rui Hashimoto took when he was travelling a lot for about 6 years, in Europe, America, in places such as Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, but also London or New York. When travelling he used to walk around town about eight hours a day, taking pictures in the streets. During that time, he often listened to the tracks the singer of the band "Straightener", Horie composed for Ent, his solo project. The style is oriented towards folk electronica. When he released his collection of pictures, Rui Hashimoto asked Horie to compose an original soundtrack and also to choose the title of the book : Journey in January The second floor of the SOUND SHOOTER exhibition has all its walls painted in black, which is rare in Japan, to give it the atmosphere of a live house. He is the official photographer of bands such as 9mm Parabellum Bullet, The Black Horn, Straightener, The Bawdies or One Ok Rock, The Hiatus and Nothing's carved in stone.
Today the singer and cosplayer Umikun will be showing us the cosplay event acosta! at Ikebukuro. The organiser of the acosta! event is a company (Acosta) that rent studio to cosplayer who take their pictures there. Everything that a cosplayer is looking for can be found at this event! The event has a reception, cloakrooms where cosplayers can change into their favorite character's clothes, various backgrounds to take pictures, and goods stores. There are plenty of settings that recreate various anime's world. In Japanese anime, there are lot of stories centered around school life or extra-curricular activities, so you can find a grass area that looks like a sport court. There are also classroom setting, costumes and weapons that can be rented at the event as well. You will also find beauty products such as foundation, designed especially for cosplayers. The best part of the event is being able to cosplay outside. As the city supports the event, you can walk freely around the streets of Ikebukuro and there are a lot of stores, restaurants, karaokes, game centers or even aquarium where you can go dressed as your favorite anime character. Cosplay lovers gather at this event to share their passion, meet new friends, and take a lot of pictures.
Today the twin sisters Ema and Eri Tanioku, Harajuku tourism ambasadors introduce us to the not so well known Harajuku, called Ura-Harajuku. First we will visit the cafe Natural Stance, where they usually go after their shopping. For the lunch menu, you can choose 3 delis, and you also get a salad and a soup for 980 yen. They also come sometimes to eat some desserts. There is also brown rice with the menu, which is really healthy. Ema and Eri travel a lot, especially around Asia to promote Harajuku. Harajuku is well known for its famous street, Takeshita-dori, but Ema and Eri want to show that there are plenty of other charming cafes and shops to visit in Harajuku besides Takeshita-dori. The second place we are visiting with Ema and Eri is a second hand shop situated at 1 minute walk away from the Natural Stance cafe. They often shop at HUG because they like the natural style of the shop, and they also love their customised clothes.
In this episode, a Japanese animation legend, Shichiro Kobayashi who worked on more than a hundred animes as an art director and production designer is taking us to Akiruno-shi, situated at one hour from Tokyo. We will first take a walk along the Akigawa river, and then we will go to Shichiro Kobayashi's atelier where he keeps all his amazing illustrations and paintings. Higashi-Akiruno represents very well the charming japanese countryside. Along the Akigawa river, you will find nature and peace. When he was a child, Shichiro Kobayashi use to look at the river for hours imagining all sorts of things. This is simply where all its creativity comes from: Nature. While sketching, he tells us about his childhood and his passion of drawing that became a career at the age of 30 when color television was taking its first steps. Then, Shichiro Kobayashi takes us to his atelier where he lets its creativity express itself on the paper. For forty years, he worked on famous anime such as Nobody's boy: Remi, Gamba no Boken, Treasure island, Aim for the Ace!, Cobra, Angel's Egg, Berserk, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Ashita no Joe, Nodame Cantabile, and many more.
In today's episode, we will meet Showta Mori, a crazy inventor from Japan who also work as a film director Showta Mori will take us to Asakusa where we'll take a ride on a boat and then he will introduce us the Hama-Rikyu garden. From the Tokyo Cruise boat embarking point, you can go directly to the Hama-Rikyu garden. There are a some famous spots such as the Azuma bridge, but also the Asahi Beer buildings and the Tokyo Sky Tree. At the Tokyo Cruise, you can ride the boats that were drawn by Matsumoto Leiji, famous creator of anime and manga series. But thoses boats are not running today so we will be riding a regular boat. While riding the boat, he will show us some of his creations, such as his well-known iPhone Quick Draw System. Showta Mori was originally doing theater acting, and then started to get noticed on Youtube after uploading videos of his iPhone Deployer, and event started to get work offers from big companies.
In today’s episode, we will meet the whole crew of TEMPURA KIDZ, a pop dance group in Japan’s fashion mecca Harajuku. The young and cheerful members of TEMPURA KIDZ will take us to the shop SPINNS, then to the karaoke box located inside the information corner « Moshi Moshi Box ». SPINNS is one of the most emblematic fashion shop chain from Harajuku, with one shop located in the famous street « Takeshita-dōri ». SPINNS offers a mix of original items and vintage clothes at a very low price, thus being very popular among Japanese teenagers who follow the trends of Harajuku fashion. Then TEMPURA KIDZ will introduce the karaoke located in the tourist information center Moshi Moshi Box. This karaoke box can be used for free, offers explanations in many languages and has been designed by Harajuku sensation art director Sebastian Masuda. TEMPURA KIDZ began their career as child back dancers for the famous singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, before forming their own unit upon entering junior high-school. Mixing dance and pop music, they often participate in live events in Japan and Asian countries. In 2015, they will perform outside Asia for the first time, with a live performance in France in October.
In today’s episode, Paranel, an artist and musician will be taking us to visit his friend at animation studio 4℃, in Kichijoji and to the office of his record label. Ten years ago, Paranel created, his own record label, LOW HIGH WHO?. It is one of Japan's first label to offer music in the free download format. At first, the label was doing mostly hip-hop music, one of their artist being Fukashigi / wonderboy who is mixing poetry with rap. Paranel is describing his label as some kind of school for young artists who are starting a career in music, as most of them sign with major labels at some point. He takes care of the office work, the website, the video production and the music composition. He also does sound mixing and CD cover design. LOW HIGH WHO? is interested in music but also in art and culture in general. Paranel has composed the music of a short animation produced at the animation studio 4℃ named Tuzki: Love Assassin. He will be visiting his friends, Hirano Kotaro, CGI director of Tuzki, who works also on movies like Berserk or the upcoming Harmony. The short animation is cool and stylish and was even broadcasted on Time Square's big screen in New York City. The 4℃ studio has also produced anime such as Berserk or Harmony that will be released in November.
In today’s episode, Daijū Ishikawa will take us to the Cultural Center Tokyo Culture Culture situated in Odaiba and he will also introduce us the robot competition Hebocon of which he is the creator. Tokyo Culture Culture is a talk live house in Odaiba where are held events centered around a very specific theme. Today's theme is "dams", and it is the tenth times the event is held there. You can listen to guests talking about dams and its particularities while enjoying food and drinks. There is also a special menu created for the occasion such as the chicken curry rice in the shape of a dam or original cocktails like the "Dam Sour". You can always be surprised by the menu as it changes depending on the event theme. In the second part of the episode, Daijū Ishikawa is introducing us the robot competition called Hebocon that he created for people who have no technical skills. At first, he just wanted to make an exhibition of robots created by people with no skills but as it didn't gather much people, he decided to make it a competition, a battle of robots following the sumo rules. In Hebocon, there are all sorts of robots that shows how creative participants can be. The goal is not necessarily to win the competition but to have fun and to create the most poorly done robot that will catch everyone's attention by its somehow touching weakness.
In today’s episode, singer-songwriter Miku Sawai will guide us in Shimo-kitazawa and introduce us to vintage clothes shop HAIGHT&ASHBURY. Shimo-kitazawa is a popular aera among young people with many music venue, theaters, record shops, cafes and vintage shops. When she came to the capital to embrace a musical career, Miku Sawai was taking vocal training here, that’s why this aera is full of memories for her. Miku Sawai became singer-songwriter and she sings and compose music for many popular anime series like « Kill La Kill », « Akame ga Kill », « Kimi to boku » or « Saenai kanojo no sodatekata » for example. We’ll visit the vintage clothes shop HAIGHT&ASHBURY. which exist for a very long time in Shimokitazawa and is often featured in fashion magazines. Fashion for the Seventies is trendy during summer 2015, especially wide pants and rock t-shirts that Japanese girls like to wear casually everyday. HAIGHT&ASHBURY has a wide selection of vintage clothes for men and women, even wedding dresses and accessories.
In today’s episode, one of Japanese animation’s living legends, Manabu Ōhashi, will take us to Asagaya visit the Laputa Cinema located in Asagaya, a unique cinema showing old Japanese film where he goes often. Laputa, with its unique building design and hidden entrance, is a perfect spot to discover traditional Japanese cinema, or just to relax around a cup of coffee. In the second part of the episode, Manabu Ōhashi takes us to the Laputa Art Animation School, where he is lecturing every week. This school offers a unique curriculum, which as opposed to normal animation schools, is not aimed for students pursuing a career in animation but enrolls students who never did any animation work before. These students get the opportunity to liberate their creativity by overseeing a project from scratch throughout the year. Manabu Ōhashi, who worked on iconic projects such as Ashita no Joe 2, Cobra or Robot Carnival, will then introduce his work as an animator in addition to his vision of the work style in Japanese animation. Lastly, he will introduce " Chibi neko no Tom no daibōken ", an old project directed by Ryōtarō Nakamura, that was brought back to life through crowdfunding.
In today’s episode, we are visiting Osaka with Swery65, creator of the world renowned games Deadly Premonition and D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, who will take us to some of his favorites places, some of which had a large influence on his games. First we will visit the KO-HATSU Arcade, a game center specialized in versus fighting games, that also showcases some of Swery’s first games of his career. After that, we will take a break in Ogimachi park, one of Osaka’s few green spots, before heading to Owl’s Nest, a Canadian bar where Swery has been a regular for more than 10 years. This stop will lead us to the second part of the episode, a drinking session in Swery’s go-to bars, the first of which is the bar Nemuri, held by a former college classmate of his, serving some of Osaka’s finest whiskies and scotches. Lastly, our last stop will be at the bar Cactus, the go-to place for tequila in Osaka, where the night continues…
In today’s episode, Masaki Maenosono, lead vocal and drummer in the Japanese rock band 8otto, is taking us for a visit Sakai, his home town where we will go and have some delicious local delicacies. While introducing us to his career in music and the thrill of stage performances, we will first visit Kanbukuro, a store located near Terajicho Station that is specialized in Kurumi-mochi, a truly Japanese dish made with round rice cakes and a sweet walnut sauce. Kanbukuro is very famous among the locals and has been open for many generations, making the Kurumi-mochi a popular souvenir and dessert shared with friends and family. We will then remain in the Sakai area and head towards Fukasezushi, another old and traditional store that is specialized in Anago-zushi, an exquisite preparation made with boiled eel. Enjoy this traditional gourmet tour, with a few hints of rock!
In today’s episode, Naoko Shinpo, accessory designer and founder of the Ni-Sankaku brand, is taking us to the Yutori-chan bar, located in the Misono Building, home to many mysterious bars. She will introduce us to her work and creations, specialized in cat and animal ears and other headwear, in addition to a "bakeneko", that makes an appearance as a special guest. In the second part of the episode, we will be heading to Rock Star, a Reptile Café located in the Namba area, where customers can freely pet their favorite reptiles, among other animals such as owls, hedgehogs and various insects.
In today’s episode, Chuya Koyama, creator of the worldwide hit manga "Space Brothers", that has been adapted in a feature film and an anime, is taking us to the FabCafe, a café and a digital creative space located in Shibuya. The FabCafe is a global network with locations in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and France; the Tokyo venue is located in Shibuya and holds an open event space for digital creation, with 3D Printers and Laser Printers anyone can use to give life to their digital creations, or engrave their laptops or smartphones. The FabCafe hosted a Space Brothers themed event last year, where fans could buy limited edition goods and attend a panel talk with specialists in spatial exploration. We will then proceed to have an exclusive visit at Chuya Koyama's atelier, where he creates a bi-weekly new chapter of Space Brothers with his five assistants. Chuya Koyama goes back on "Space Brothers"' origins, while giving an explanation of the production process of the manga.
Hikaru Cho is a young artist and designer, which is famous for her ultra realistic body painting work, creating surprising trompe-l'oeil and optical illusions. In today’s episode, she will be taking us to the Cinema Two, located in Tachikawa. Unlike city theaters, this suburb location offers the perfect amount of space and commodity to fully relax and enjoy a film. Hikaru Cho is especially fan of a screen that uses "explosive" sound technology (with speakers originally used for concerts.) Hikaru Cho will then be taking us to her home, which is also her atelier and the place she uses to get inspiration and gather her ideas. We got the chance to take a glimpse at her work with her past achievements, which include collaborations with fashion brands, NGOs or musicians, and a live demo of her truly impressive body painting skills. Take a moment to relax and discover those soothing places, and do not forget to check out the last word!
DE DE MOUSE is an electronic musician based in Tokyo, famous for his psychedelic music universe and dynamic live performances. In today’s episode, DE DE MOUSE will take us to Tama New Town, a recent city that grew from ground up after the activation of an urbanism project in the seventies. Its kitsch style of architecture and urban design made it popular in the eighties, however it suffered a drop in population in the nineties onwards, especially from younger demographics. DE DE MOUSE will then take us to the Tsurumaki-Higashi Park, a very important location to him, where he comes to relax and admire the view over Tama New Town from the top of a lonely hill. He used the city as a location for one of his music videos, composed of more than 100,000 photos. Our last stop will be the Tsurumaki-Daini Park, another elevated location with a view over the city favored by the artist, where DE DE MOUSE will tell us more about his music style and his bond with the town, truly defining his style.
Hiroto Ikeuchi is a Tokyo-based artist, specialized in the creation of dioramas using parts from plastic models. Recently, he also started to create accessories such as earphones or headphones using the same concept. During this episode, Ikeuchi will take us to Tama Art University, one of Japan's most prestigious art universities and his alma mater. We followed him to the university's most recent faculty, the Art Science department, introduced by one of his former professors. In the second part of the episode, we will head towards Asagaya to visit Ikeuchi's atelier, which he also uses to showcase his creations. Ikeuchi will explain his work and most recent collaborations to lay more light on his universe, constantly expanding one diorama at a time.
DJ Mayumi is a Japanese female DJ who is also mixing CD compilations, and track maker specialized in hip hop, R&B, reggae and EDM. She released ten CD at Universal Music Japan and one original album. DJ Mayumi loves to walk and drive in the Minatomirai area in Yokohama. This area is famous for its Ferris wheel and the Landmark Tower, as well as its many malls and attractions. The scenery and sky line are beautiful especially at night, it is perfect spot for a date or hanging out with friends. In the second part, DJ Mayumi takes us to Wang’s Dining, her friend’s bar. Located in Motomachi, Wang’s Dining is a « at-home feeling » bar where you can drink, eat, play darts, party or mix at the DJ booth. DJ Mayumi is a long time friend with Wang, the owner and they like to drink together. She recalls how she started to be interested in DJing after seeing a DJ in a bar for the first time.
Kenji Kawai is a world-renowned music composer who made dozens of soundtrack for movies, anime, TV series or games such as Ghost in the Shell, Avalon, Patlabor, The Ring, Ranma 1/2, and many more. He will introduce us to the Kita-Shinagawa area, where he was born and raised and where he is still living today. First we will visit the Shinagawa Shrine, where he used to play as a child. During the shrine's festival in June, the « mikoshi » (portable shrine) is guided by the sound of a Japanese drum and a flute. It’s quite unusual compared to other festivals in Japan. Kenji Kawai liked the sound of this drums to the point it was his inspiration for the soundtrack of « Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence ». Then, Kenji Kawai takes us to Kita-Shinagawa shopping street. During the Edo period, this street was a part of the Tokaido road, Japan’s most famous central road which was running from Tokyo to Kyoto. This portion was called Shinagawajuku, and it was the first stop for travelers leaving from Tokyo. Kenji Kawai used to walk this street every day to go to school. In the last part, Kenji Kawai take us to his music studio where he spends most of his time composing, recording and mixing music. He’ll tell us about the surprising way he became a composer, his influences, thoughts about composing music. Then, he’ll explain how the famous « Ghost in the Shell » soundtrack which mix drums and Japanese traditional song was born.
Gajumaru is a duo of comedians and "butt-artists" based in Tokyo, part of the prestigious Office Kitano agency. In this episode, they will introduce Shimokitazawa, an area various subcultures cross paths and where aspiring artists come to perform and attempt to achieve their dreams of fame. First, Gajumaru will take us to Pearl Lady, a shop specialized in crepes and bubble tea, to taste their tapioca-flavored delicacies, before heading to the Makino fabric shop, home of hundreds of different fabric designs for all amateurs of cloth-crafting. This is where the two comedians buy the fabric that makes their red fundoshi, the attire in which they perform. In the last part, we will head over to the Shimokita Studio Thrash, a small theater and playhouse where Gajumaru performs for free on Fridays and during the weekends. There, Gajumaru will tell us more about their activities as "butt-artists". Thrash's stage welcomes various artists, where they get the occasion to perform and refine their art, to some day catch their big break into the industry.
Yuka Fukuma works for the Tokiwa-so project, who supports young mangaka aspiring to become professionals. Named after the famous Tokiwa-so house that hosted Tezuka Osamu, among other worldwide famous mangaka, Tokiwa-so counts 27 residences in the Kanto and Kyoto region that host young mangaka from all over Japan and overseas as well. Residents get to exchange and discuss about their work together, in addition to Tokiwa-so staff regularly visiting to give advice on their work. We will meet with two residents of the Shibamata House, Mr. Kita and Mr. Mikami, who will tell us about their experience living in a Tokiwa-so residence and how it motivates them in their work. In the second part of the episode, we will go to the Edogawa river banks, close by the residence, to take a deep breath out of the city noise and enjoy the river's soothing breeze. The two mangaka often go there to clear their heads and think of new ideas, and to observe scenes they could include in their work.
KYOTARO is an artist based in Tokyo who works in various fields, such as illustration or fashion, and also did collaborations with world-renowned artists such Katsuya Terada. Today she will introduce us to her work by visiting two of her exhibitions that are held in the city. Our first stop will be the mograg gallery, that specializes in "Japanese lowbrow" art and often showcases new artists. KYOTARO's exhibition gathers more than 170 pieces of her work, mostly centered on pencil drawing, made during the past 15 years. After discovering a few landmarks in Ginza, we will head towards the Morioka Book Store to discover KYOTARO's second exhibition, showcasing her manga work. The Morioka Book Store is unique as it only sells one book at a time, in addition to goods related to the book in order to recreate its universe. This is where we will discover MWUAI, an original story drawn fully by pencil showcase a white bear as its main character...
Roa is a rock band founded in 2014 currently based in Tokyo. The band was formed by 6 members, one of them playing the shamisen (Japanese traditional string instrument), adding a Japanese touch to their Western rock influence. Today, we will meet with two members of the band in Sangubashi to visit a ramen restaurant, where the drummer of the band works. After an introduction of the Japanese noodle dish Tsukemen, we will head towards Shibuya to follow the band through the preparation of its first solo concert, that was held at the Shibuya O-crest venue. We will discover the band's members, style and influences, before diving in a concert that will remain in each member's memory. Additionally, the band will be performing its first live overseas in France this July.
Streaming availability information not available
2016
In today’s episode, we spend a day with SUDA51, a world renowned video game creator famous for No More Heroes, killer7 or Lollipop Chainsaw, games produced by his studio, Grasshopper Manufacture. Our first stop is the Jingu Batting Dome, a batting center located in the heart of Tokyo, that SUDA51 visits from time to time. The batting center setting is featured in The Silver Case, SUDA51’s first game with Grasshopper Manufacture, where it is used as a secret meeting place between two detectives. We will then visit Grasshopper Manufacture, SUDA51’s workplace where he will tell us more about his work, and the philosophy behind his studio. For a brief lunch break, we will head to Megumi-ya, a close-by soba noodles restaurant. Megumi-ya, compared to other traditional noodles restaurants, is themed around the rock universe and plays rock music - which is quite unusual for this type of restaurant. Later in the afternoon, SUDA51 will take a few of his colleagues for drinks to Kawakami, a restaurant nearby, where Kazuki Morishita, president of the Gung Ho group, who acquired Grasshopper Manufacture, is a regular. Our night will end in Shinjuku Golden-Gai, famous for its narrow streets and bars, we will head to the bar plastic model (bpm), where SUDA51 is a regular. The bpm was featured in No More Heroes, and its bartender, Mr. Sekine often plays music from the game, among other of his records from the eighties.
In a new Game Creator special, we spend a day with Ishiwatari Daisuke, creator of the world-renowned versus fighting game series “Guilty Gear”. We will first explore Ishiwatari’s work environment, where he not only directs the Guilty Gear games, but also composes the music, writes the scenario and also handles game and character design. During our time at the office, we will also meet with Toshimichi Mori, Ishiwatari’s “comrade-in-arms” and rival, who produces the BlazBlue series. Both will share their visions on game creation and their work. In the second part of the episode, we head over to the Minato Mirai area, to follow Ishiwatari during his favorite pastime, walking. During his long walks, he finds the time to clear his ideas and think of new additions to make to his games. In front of the vistas from the Yamashita and Minato no Mieru Oka parks, Ishiwatari is reminded of his childhood spent in South Africa, and how this scenery is different from the overly urban Tokyo.
In this last episode of our Game Creator special series, we spend a day with Keiichiro Toyama, creator of the Gravity Rush series, the SIREN series and Silent Hill. We will follow Toyama from his commute to work, passing through the traditional Matsubara shopping street, before heading to his work place in Sony Interactive Entertainment’s offices in Shinagawa. Toyama will tell us about his work style, currently extremely busy as the Gravity Rush 2 release is scheduled for early December. At dusk, we will follow Toyama with two of the game’s producers for drinks at an izakaya, where they will discuss their past projects and experiences. At night, we will follow Toyama back to his neighborhood in the Yokohama for a last drink at Cinema Novecento, Japan’s smallest movie theater, that showcases old works on film and also has a bar area.
In this new episode of toco toco, we will spend a day with YellowYellow, a design and contemporary artist based in Tokyo. As his name suggests, YellowYellow’s work is solely oriented toward the use of the yellow colour, and he regularly hold exhibitions showcasing his yellow possessions. Throughout the episode, YellowYellow will explain the philosophy behind his work and what made him take the “yellow” path. First, we will visit REANT, an antique door shop located in the Kami-Soshigaya area, where Mr.Udagawa, the owner, sells antique doors imported from the United Kingdom for the most part. We will then head to Shibuya to discover the Boucherie AmiaBras, a restaurant specialized in smoked meat and delicatessen where YellowYellow created the store logo and posters. Our last stop will be at Li-Po, a bar honoring the Yellow colour, which also held YellowYellow’s latest exhibition.
In this episode, we follow Murahama Shoji, who is an animation producer currently working as a manager at the Emon Studio. After working at Gainax on acclaimed anime series and founding the Gonzo studio, Murahama is now working on several anime series in this new international studio, aiming at bringing globalization to the anime industry. We will follow Murahama during a themed-game of airsoft, where players dressed as characters from various post-apocalyptic universes such as Mad Max or Fallout gather to play. After that, we will visit the Emon studio to learn more about the company's philosophy and its founder, Li Haolin, who will share with us his company mission, one of which is to nullify the borders of the animation industry. As a science-fiction lover, Murahama will also share with us his perception of imaginary worlds, and the thin line that separates them from the ordinary.
KAE is an accessory designer based in Tokyo, working under her brand High-Me Tokyo. In this episode, we will follow her in two unique stores she likes in the city in order to learn more about her inspirations behind her work. Our first stop will be at Nazo no mise, a small shop in Nakano, where Morita, the co-owner and designer for the THUNDERBOX brand, curates and sells various items from the eighties and nineties. We will then head towards the core of Shibuya to BOY, a shop hidden inside an apartment building whose owner, TOMMY creates and sells vintage clothes among other items from the nineties. We will then follow KAE to her atelier to discover her creations and her philosophy behind her accessories.
Nukeme is a fashion designer based in Tokyo. He works on various creative projects, that recently include a collaboration with Urusei Yatsura license and other projects leveraging new technologies. His latest creations feature glitch art, that he creates by hacking into embroidery software, which generates a random aspect to his works. First we will follow Nukeme to Hayatochiri, a select shop located in the Koenji area, whose owner, Goto is also a creator himself. The store features unique creations made by young local designers, and it was the first to feature Nukeme’s work eight years ago. The store’s walls are fully decorated with manga pages, so the store’s visitors can also enjoy some reading while browsing through its wares. Our second stop will be at House@Mikiri Hasshn, a store and gallery space located in Omotesando area. The store combines original fashion creations from Japanese creators, vintage clothes and a gallery space located in the basement. We will have a peek into the current exhibition, Korisho, featuring items that combine traditional Japanese craftsmanship with new technology, such as laser cutting. Its peculiar interior combined with its concept make the store one of Nukeme’s favorite spots in Tokyo. Lastly, we will head to Nukeme’s atelier, where he will tell us about his work inspiration and creations, some of which involve a unique use of 3D printing…
In this episode, we will spend the day with ShiShi Yamazaki, an animation artist based in Tokyo. First, we will head towards Machida, located in Tokyo's suburbs, where ShiShi was born and raised. Machida, located in the southwest of Tokyo, is a peaceful commuting town surrounded by nature. ShiShi mentions she often comes here to find inspiration, walking alongside the Sakai river while listening to music. ShiShi, now based in the city, works in Nakameguro, one of Tokyo's most popular and trendy areas. She will tell us more about her work and how she discovered the rotoscoping technique, which consists of tracing over live footage frame by frame. Due to her unique animation style, ShiShi has worked for multiple large brands in Japan, in addition to music videos and other animation work. Most of her work showcases a character named ShiShi Girl, made in her image, which she will tell us more about...
In this episode, we will spend the day with KASHIWA Daisuke, a musician and composer based near Tokyo. First, we will head to Hino, located in the Tokyo suburbs to the big temple complex Takahata Fudoson. KASHIWA, having lived just behind the complex for a few years, used to often come here to have a walk alone or with his kids, to pray or find inspiration for his music looking at the buildings and nature. A few minutes away from there, we will head to Fureai bridge, which also was a regular stroll for KASHIWA. While he was struggling with composition on his album « 88 », KASHIWA mentions he would also come to look at the river and think about his approach to music. A few years ago, the animation movie director Makoto Shinkai liked this same album and asked KASHIWA to rearrange it as the soundtrack of the movie « The Garden of Words ». In the second part of the episode, we will head to Yoshida Fish Farms, a shop specialized into Japanese goldfishes and koi carps, as well as tropical fishes and plants. Since he was little, KASHIWA loved to build aquariums, which he qualifies as “small universes”. He compares this to his way to make music by assembling various elements and to create such universes in his work.
In this episode, we will spend the day with Shinji Tsuchimochi, an illustrator based in Tokyo. Tsuchimochi studied Japanese painting in Tama Art University, and cites ukiyo-e painter Hiroshige as one of his favourite artists. He decided to recreate one of Hiroshige's most notable works, the One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, to the modern day using his own contemporary illustration style. After three years working on finding and drawing the locations, he completed his book "100 views of Tokyo". Together we will visit some of the locations Tsuchimochi used in his illustrations, which are centered around Shitamachi, the area that was once the center of Edo. We will then head towards Jimbocho, famous for its old book and record shops, to Saboru, a cafe held for more than 60 years by the same owner, which truly depicts the charm of the area. Our next stop will be Yamada Shoten, a ukiyo-e shop where Tsuchimochi enjoys spending time and looking at paintings. He will tell us more about his vision of ukiyo-e and how he expresses it in his work.
Our first episode of the year features UME, a two-person mangaka unit based in Tokyo composed of writer Takahiro Ozawa and artist Asako Seo. UME is behind the Tokyo Toy Box series, which takes place in the game industry. The manga was a big success in Japan and has also recently been adapted for television. First, we will head towards Akihabara, a place of inspiration for UME as it is where the Tokyo Toy Box story is set. Besides recreating the city’s backgrounds, a few local companies were also taken as reference in the story, one of them being Acquire, a studio that is behind renown series such as Tenchu, Way of the Samurai or Akiba’s trip. UME did several collaborations with the studio, and some of its manga characters were also featured in Acquire’s game Akiba’s Trip 2. We will then head towards the Yanaka Ginza shopping street, where UME often go to take walks and enjoy drinks after a hard week’s work. Its atmosphere is representative of Shitamachi, the Eastern Tokyo, with its small shops and a scenery that remains almost unchanged for the past decades. Our last stop will be at UME’s atelier, where we will learn more about the mangaka’s backgrounds, their work philosophy and their attachment to technology. The latter was a trigger for Ozawa to write the story of UME’s latest series STEVES, a story about Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. UME were also the first mangakas in their magazine to completely switch to digital and more recently they were the first Japanese mangaka to self-publish their work on Kindle.
In this episode, we will follow Fuudo, a pro eSports player, currently playing Street Fighter V, among other titles. Our first stop will be at the Dengeki offices, where Fuudo used to work. Dengeki is one of Japan’s largest gaming media and also publishes various magazines, novels and gaming guides. Fuudo still regularly goes to Dengeki to stream “Game Ningen Gakuen”, in collaboration with Goro, journalist and former room-mate of Fuudo’s. “Game Ningen Gakuen” features multiple gaming titles such as Street Fighter V, Shadowverse and retro games. Our next stop will be Ikebukuro, where Fuudo used to live, we will go to the Saint Tropez Game Center, where Fuudo plays Gunslinger Stratos. Gunslinger Stratos is a gun-fighting game opposing two teams of four players. Fuudo is a regular at the arcade, and strongly participated into growing its player base to become competitive in national tournaments. Fuudo will tell us about his experiences as a gamer, his victory at EVO 2011 which was a trigger for him to turn pro, and his current lifestyle. Our last stop will be at Toriton Kitchen, an izakaya-style restaurant located in Ikebukuro, where Fuudo often goes with fellow gamers to plan on strategy for tournaments. He will meet with BegetaminB, another eSports player and current resident of a gamer-exclusive guest house in Tokyo.
In this episode, we will spend the day with contemporary artist Kazuki Umezawa, also known as UmeLabo, where he will tell us about his inspirations and his work. First, we will follow him to the Chaos*Lounge Gotanda Atelier, a space shared of the Chaos*Lounge artist group, which Umezawa is part of. The multipurpose space is used by the artists as an atelier, but it is also used as a gallery or as event space. Umezawa’s style, strongly influenced by otaku culture and its characters, mixes both analog and digital techniques to create digital collages and paintings. We will learn more about his style at CASHI, an art gallery that represents Umezawa, where he will tell us about the state of collage in Japan, and his positioning as an artist. Our last stop will be at Umezawa’s home atelier, to take another glimpse in his universe and to hear his visions about characters.
In this episode, we follow Katsura Hashino, director of various RPG games including episodes of the world-renown Persona series, he will introduce us to philosophy and his work. Starting from Shibuya’s Center Gai, we will hop on the Den-en-Toshi line over to Sangenjaya, which was the inspiration to create the city of Yongenjaya, a key area in Hashino’s latest title: Persona 5. We will learn more on Hashino’s thinking process that led to creating Yongenjaya, and the overall tone he wanted to apply to Persona 5. We will then head towards the Carrot Tower, one of Sangenjaya’s landmarks, to TSUTAYA, a famous chain store that sells books and games, where Hashino wanders to find inspiration. Hashino likes to read his newly acquired books at the top floor of the tower, that offers a view all over the city. The tower’s observatory is also a place where Hashino can gather his thoughts and find new ideas. Our last stop will be at the Atlus offices, to learn more about Hashino’s vision and future projects.
In this episode, we spend the day with Manao Kagawa, a young shogi professional player. Shogi, that we can simply describe as Japanese chess, is a Japanese board strategy game that shares the same roots as chess. Kagawa started playing in 3rd grade and turned pro when she was still 15 years old. As it is a traditional game, players, especially professionals, wear a kimono when playing. Our first stop with Kagawa will be at Shirataki Gofukuten, a kimono shop that traditionally provides kimonos for shogi players since more than 150 years. It also organizes a yearly shogi tournament for women, where the winner is awarded with a kimono. We will then head towards the Sendagaya area to the Hatonomori shrine, which is a shrine dedicated to shogi. Many shogi players gather here at the start of each year for a traditional ceremony where they pray to the shogi gods. Close to the shrine lies the Shogi Kaikan, which are the headquarters of the Japan Shogi Association and the main practice center for most shogi players, including Kagawa. As a pro, she now plays on the upper floors of the building, where each of her game results is archived and contributes to her rank. Our last stop will be at the Jinro room in Shibuya, one of the rare spaces in Tokyo dedicated to the Werewolf game, one of Kagawa’s passions. She will tell us more about her vision about games and the importance they play in her life.
In this episode, we spend the day in Osaka with Yoko Taro, director of the famous Drakengard and NieR series. Our first stop will be at PlatinumGames, the studio that was in charge of developing Yoko’s most recent title: NieR: Automata. During development, Yoko Taro lived between Tokyo and Osaka, often meeting in Tokyo with Square Enix’s producer Yosuke Saito, who first suggested the game to be developed by PlatinumGames. Yoko will introduce us to his rather peculiar work style, before taking us to Shinsaibashi at THE SILVER BALL PLANET, an arcade specialized in vintage pinball machines. He will share with us his fascination for pinball and the little universes contained within each machine. We will then continue our conversation at his apartment where he will tell us more about his philosophy and his work. After dusk, we will head with Yoko to Osaka’s dynamic Dotombori area for drinks with the producer Yosuke Saito and Takahisa Taura, who worked as a game designer and had a key role on NieR: Automata according to Yoko; the three of them will recall fun stories from the development of the game.
In this episode, we follow Enami Masaaki, creator and designer at EDITMODE, which produces THE KING OF GAMES brand, and Chikano, who handles photography and the brand’s website. THE KING OF GAMES is a brand that creates original apparel under an official Nintendo license, ranging from tee shirts, to various types of hoodies or shirts. Our first stop will be at Hedgehog Book and Gallery, a shop showcasing books from various countries overseas, in addition to a gallery space that organizes exhibitions for artists from Kyoto and other regions, including THE KING OF GAMES. We will then head towards the NISHITOMIYA Croquette STORE, a restaurant close to EDITMODE’s offices where the two often go, sometimes together with clients. Our last stop will be at EDITMODE’s offices, where we will learn more about their brand’s origins, and its creative approach and style.
In this episode, we spend the day with Etsuko Ichihara, media artist and self-proclaimed “fantasy director”. Ichihara has worked on various projects combining Japanese tradition to modern technologies to create unique interactive experiences. Our first stop will be in the Kawashima shopping street, where Ichihara handled art direction for a local festival, curating and showcasing some of her original works, such as her unconventional “Sexual Harassment Interface”. We will then follow her to the Akasaka Hikawa shrine, where we will hear more about her “Digital Shaman Project”, a project that combines humanoid robots to the mourning process, which was heavily influenced by Buddhism and her personal experience. Ichihara also takes her inspiration from Japanese traditional folklore; she will tell us more about her “Namahage in Tokyo” project, which unleashes a Japanese traditional creature in the streets of Tokyo.
In this episode, we follow Kazutoshi Iida, the creator of the Aquanaut’s Holiday, Tail of the Sun and Doshin the Giant games, and lecturer at Ritsumeikan university, located in Kyoto. Our first stop will be at Rissei Cinema Project, a former elementary school built in 1928 reconverted in a cultural center, currently hosting various events. Iida especially likes it theatre area, which features a selection of documentaries and art films from all over the world. We will then follow him to the Kyoto Art Center, which also happens to be a former elementary school, that constantly features new exhibitions and artists. One room gathers flyers from the art events held in the city, acting as an analog portal for all art manifestations. Iida will then tell us more about his influences at his research lab at Ritsumeikan university, where we will learn more about the universes he created in his titles and his teaching work.
This episode features Tetsuya Noguchi, a Japanese artist who create 2D and 3D works, all centered around the samurai theme. He is currently based in Machida, where we will follow him to Tokyu Hands, a famous supply store chain, that Noguchi visits more than three times a week to gather art supplies and raw materials for his work. We will then follow him to his atelier, to learn more about his work process and what led him to place samurai models and paintings at the center of his work. Noguchi’s realistic samurai figures mix in modern elements, portraying his philosophy that men do not fundamentally change despite evolving times and culture. One hour train ride later, we follow Noguchi to Omotesando at the Gyokuei Gallery, the gallery that represents him where we will hear more about his thoughts, while exchanging with Mr. Tamaya, the gallery’s owner.
In this episode, we follow Ei Wada, a young artist evolving in Tokyo, whose universe revolves between music and contemporary art. The instruments he uses for his compositions vary between open reel recorders and all types of old appliances, such as electric fans or televisions. Wada performs in a band named “Open Reel Ensemble”, and also works on various solo projects such as “Electronicos Fantasticos!”, he is also in charge of music for the shows of world-renown brand Issey Miyake during the Paris Fashion Week. We will follow him in the Sumida district, located in Eastern Tokyo, where Wada has an atelier for one of his projects. Our first stop will be at Retro Enterprises, an old camera shop, which is also the only place in Asia where one can develop 8mm film, Wada often goes there to find inspiration and learn the staff’s techniques to preserve old media. We will then head towards the Yoshinari steel factory, a local workshop that specializes in a specific type of part for daily-use objects, before heading over Topping East, where Wada does part of his work. He will share more about his universe, his inspirations and his motivations behind giving a new life to appliances that have become obsolete with time.
Our last episode of the season features Tetsuya Mizuguchi, game creator and founder of the Enhance Games studio. Mizuguchi is the creator behind the iconic Rez, recently remastered as Rez Infinite, he also created Lumines, Child of Eden or Space Channel 5, which are all gaming experiences strongly influenced by music. Always ahead of his time, Mizuguchi will tell us more about his motivations behind Rez Infinite, and his pursuit of new forms of perception, supported by new technologies such as virtual reality, or through original concepts such as the Synesthesia Suit. Our day with Mizuguchi will take us to the heights of Mori Tower, then to the intimacy of the Restaurant Bohemian, where we will learn more about his philosophy and his work.
2017
toco toco’s new season starts with Mangaka & Illustrator legend Hisashi Eguchi. Our glimpse into Eguchi’s universe starts at Jimbocho, home of Shuheisha, one of Japan’s top publishing companies. We will follow Eguchi through the streets and places that made the memories of the start of his career, which now extends to almost forty years. One train ride later, we will head to Kichijoji, Eguchi’s long-time home and current place of work, where we will discover more about his works and find some hints behind his peculiar style. The night will take us to Sasanoha, a small authentic restaurant in the back alleys of Harmonica Yokocho, where Eguchi meets with fellow mangaka, illustrators and editors.
This episode features Soichi Terada, composer, arranger and one of Japan's house music pioneers. Under the beat of his music, we will learn more about his career, which was marked by music creation for the Ape Escape game or encounters with the iconic DJ Larry Levan. We will head first to Wakasu Park, on the outlines of Tokyo, a place Terada used to visit during his pursuit of inspiration, before heading to Koenji, where Terada did countless performances under his alter-ego project Omodaka.
Yoshiro Kimura is a game creator now turned indie, known for his work on moon, Chulip, Rule of Rose and more recently Dandy Dungeon and Million Onion Hotel. In this episode, Kimura will tell us about his career, a lifelong journey marked by many twists, companies and travels overseas. We will follow him to some of his favorite places in the city, including Mikado, a retro game center that still showcases many games from Kimura’s childhood.
Akira Yasuda is a renowned illustrator and character design, known under the pen name “Akiman”, standing on a 30-year career working in the game and animation industry and as a freelance illustrator. He is known as the father of iconic characters such as Chun-Li, Guile or Cammy from the Street Fighter series and his work on other classic Capcom titles such as Final Fight or Darkstalkers. His work in animation includes character design on Turn A Gundam and mecha design on the Code Geass series. This episode focuses on Akiman’s career and his countless contributions to the industry - he will also give us his viewpoint on the Shinjuku area, and introduce Piman, a 30-year old cold-press vegetable juice shop ahead of its time.
Emi Kusano is the singer of the band Satellite Young, a “synthwave” music unit strongly inspired by the 80s, which she discovered through old music, clips and videos. We will follow her to Marubell-Do, a sanctuary of old photos of idols, singers and other celebrities, that still shoots 80s style photos to this day, before going to Harajuku and its iconic Boutique Takenoko, symbol of Japanese fashion and its “takenoko-zoku” fashion tribe. We will discover more about Kusano’s vision of a “retro-future”, a past vision of the future she is trying to recreate through her universe, combined to modern technology, and how it drives our lifestyle. Our last stop will be in the traditional district of Noge, in Yokohama, where we will head to Oeuf, a bar that features everyday performances ranging from juggling, pole dancing to tightrope walking.
AKI INOMATA is contemporary artist whose universe revolves around creating original works with animals and living creatures. Some of her most distinctive work includes building original "shelter" art pieces for hermit crabs or creating pieces of material from clothes to give them to bagworms. We will follow her to DMM.make AKIBA, a hardware development studio that hosts the latest 3D printers, laser cutters, among other technologies, where INOMATA works on her designs. We will then head over to HUNCH, her studio, before going to Terrada Art Complex, where INOMATA's work is showcased as part of the Asian Art Award finalists. INOMATA will tell us more about her views on living creatures and the relationships humans hold with their pets and animals, while on a tour a Intermediatheque, a museum with a focus on natural history born from a collaboration between Japan Post and Tokyo University.
Jiro Ishii is a game creator, known for 428: Shibuya Scramble, a unique visual novel adventure game using live action sequences. His work extends beyond games as he is also an author and scenario writer, working on both anime, film and theater projects. Ishii will take us to Cocomaru, a new theater that recently opened in the Kichijoji area, offering a curated selection of films in addition to an event space where Ishii and his friends gather to organize screenings. Long-time resident of the area, we will follow him to the Inokashira Park, where he often wanders looking for new ideas. Many of Ishii’s projects, in addition to 428, are set in Shibuya, which he sees as an area that is fit for any type of story. We will learn more about his career and his views on creative storytelling while exploring the city.
Yoshitoshi ABe is an illustrator, who also works as a mangaka, character designer, scriptwriter, in addition to teaching in university. He is renowned for his work in character design on iconic anime such as serial experiments lain or NieA_7, he is also the author of Haibane Renmei, a manga which was also turned into anime. We will first follow ABe to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Achitectural Museum, which features an outdoors display of real-size traditional Japanese buildings, where ABe practices his recent passion for photography. He explains his struggles on the medium compared to the illustration process. ABe will then take us to the Jindaiji Temple and Botanical Garden, before telling us more about his 25-year long career and the encounters he made along the way.
Chihei Hatakeyama is an ambient musician originally from the Kanagawa prefecture, now based in Tokyo. We will follow him to the roots of his universe, in the Kamakura and Enoshima areas, where he grew up. Originally inspired by bands such as The Velvet Underground or My Bloody Valentine, Hatakeyama progressively eliminated both vocals and rhythm from his music creation process, leading to his ambient style, taking listeners on an acoustic journey. His work holds a deep relation with nature, as both visual scenery and sounds are translated into his music, as his continues to pursue new sounds.
Max Watanabe is a modeler, writer and founder of Max Factory, one of Japan’s leading figure manufacturing companies. Starting his career as a writer at a young age, we will learn about the beginnings of Max Factory, which started as a gathering of friends in a small apartment. We will then head towards Yellow Submarine in Akihabara, a store specialized in figures and plastic models, that Max has known since the early days of Max Factory. Besides being passionate for figures and plastic models, Max also actively practices triathlon, training at the Cittec cycling gym to improve his bike times, essential for a better race, one of which we followed Max to in Choshi, on the eastern side of Chiba prefecture.
Koji Yamamura is an independent animator known for his short films such as Mount Head, A Country's Doctor or more recently Muybridge's Strings. After visiting his atelier, we will follow Yamamura in the Jiyugaoka area, where he set his atelier and opened the Au Praxinoscope store, which aspires to diffuse independent animation culture and sells DVDs, books and illustrations. As a professor at Tokyo Arts University, Koji Yamamura was a founding member of the animation department where he supports post-graduate students in the creation of their worlds.
Known for his work on alpinism manga “Kokou no Hito” or “Innocent”, set in the French Revolution, Shinichi Sakamoto is a mangaka with a unique approach, we spent time with him to discover the themes & motivations behind his work.
In this special episode of toco toco, we headed west to Osaka to follow Hideaki Itsuno, director of the upcoming Devil May Cry 5 and the duo Yasuhiro Anpo & Kazunori Kadoi, directors of the critically acclaimed and recently released Resident Evil 2 remake. Separated between two floors, the three game directors opened their doors to their respective development areas and introduced us to the places that inspire them, ranging from book stores to retro gaming shops in Osaka’s Nipponbashi area, over the course of two days.
AC-bu is an animator unit formed by Toru Adachi and Shunsuke Itakura, celebrating this year their 20th career anniversary. Their work spans over psychedelic music videos, commercials and animations that all share the unit’s concept of providing an unexpected, strange feeling to its audience. The pair will take us to a Royal Host in the Yoga Area, which served as a location in one of their segments for Bobunemimimi, derived for the manga Pop Team Epic and one of the unit’s most acclaimed works. They will tell us how they incorporate locations into their work as we follow them to the Futako-Tamagawa river banks, which appeared in the animated music video they produced for the band group_inou for their song HEART. The unit will explain the philosophy behind their unique work, far from the traditional concepts of animation.
Atsushi Kaneko is a mangaka known for his work on Bambi, Soil, Wet Moon or Deathco. With a singular style rallying strong influences that range from punk rock and cinema to lowbrow art, Kaneko created his own universe, with themes including rage, loss of control and an adversity against the world. His passion for cinema also led him to direct “Mushi”, a segment part of the anthology film “Rampo Noir”, where he leveraged his past mangaka experience, which in turn influenced his manga career onwards. Working completely alone, Kaneko will introduce us to his process and the balance he creates with his free time, as we followed him to a rock concert, one his DJ events or a dinner with friends, while he also tries to keep an open window on the world walking alongside Meguro river.
Keiichi Okabe is a music composer who started his career at Namco. He is renowned for his work on the NieR series and Drakengard 3 game soundtracks. This is the final episode of the toco toco series. Thank you for supporting toco toco over the years, we hope you'll enjoy what's coming next.