Coming Sooon...

Even in the dead of winter, this one's gonna be a scorcha.

The Rude Pressures 20th Anniversary Special
Featuring all kinds of wonderful acts and Djs!

The Dreamlets will be opening , and dear friends in Kyoto Kojima-san of Black Ark Records and Inoken of Caribou no Utagoe will be selecting some tunes.

It's happening on Saturday, January 9th 2010, at Club Quattro in Nagoya.

People get ready. Put on your skanking shoes.

45rpm

Outside the 45rpm store was a hand-written sign that read, 4545 Omatsuri (festival)...

I wonder if that means they've started their sale...
Ooo look at this! I tried on a big fluffy coat and it was love at first wear.
Oh no, but I want this too and this and this and this!!!
Desires are endless!

Turns out the omatsuri was a mochi-making party. Out in the little back yard, the staff were pounding away and rolling the gooey mass into little balls.
I was served warm tea and a piece with kinAko (soybean powder) dusted on top. Yummy! Thank you!

45rpm's clothes have a worn, warm look and feel to them. Attention is payed to material and process.
You can read more about the production process here, and also go in and have a look for yourself.

The store is located in a beautiful two-story building on the south side of Sanjo between Takakura and Sakaimachi. Upstairs is the Hernri Cuir shop. Two peas in a pod.

Tis The Season To Eat Nabe

Fa la la la la la la la la

What is nabe?
It’s a big giant pot you put broth inside and heat up on a burner on a table. Then you throw your choice of vegetables and meat in it. Then you grab a bunch of friends and sit around the table and poke your chopsticks in there and grab what you want.
It’s healthy, cheap, delicious, and a gateway to merriment. For the grand finale you can put some noodles or some rice in it.

On this goodbye party evening at the KAZE office, we had a vegetarian-freindly soymilk nabe which transformed into a cheesy risotto.
The combinations are endless.

Tofukuji Flying Temple

Tofukuji is a one of the "Five Great Zen Temples in Kyoto" The sanmon (main gate) is the oldest in Japan. It's so enormous and perfectly joined together it really is breathtaking. This one is a National Treasure for sure.
When you go into the main hall, you can see four gardens that surround each side. My fav. is the pixellated one that was designed in the 30's by landscape artist Mirei Shigemori. For something from dacades ago, it still looks so futuristic and modern.

The blazing momiji (maple leaves) are a big draw so like any seasonal attraction here, it gets crowded. Shoot for a weekday.



You will see plenty of this action everywhere. It's like a hall of mirrors.

Swift, Silent, Deadly

A few weeks ago, the fine, strapping young men at Messenger KAZE were on a news special.
Peep the snippet: