After a year of working in Daikanyama, said to be one of Tokyo’s most effortlessly chic neighborhoods of cafés, boutiques, and quiet green back alley charm, I’m still not sure if I agree with any of this. It’s been written about, its reputation precedes itself, and it certainly has brand recognition, but I feel like I often feel like the random foreigners I spot wandering around here, perhaps thinking to themselves “Why did the guidebook recommend coming here?”
But as I keep saying, Daikanyama is growing on me, for many reasons, but also for encounters like the one I made with British graphic designer and illustrator Andy Barron, who I bumped into on a lunch break, strolling down the street with a Tower Records bag in tow. I spotted him carrying a Tower Records bag, and despite not having my usual Canon R5 with which I usually like to do these photos, and only my iPhone instead, I stopped Andy and gave him the Tokyo Record Style pitch. He and his lovely lovely were happy to agree and we got to chatting.
Andy shared with me that he draws a comic book series called OM, with two books, ‘OM’ and ‘MANDALA’, published by ‘The Mansion Press’. I later went and checked them out and, Holy Smokes, be sure to click through – super psychedelic and as delightfully weird as it is poetically beautiful! I really encourage you to check out OM and some great interviews online in which you can hear Andy talking about his approach to the characters and overall concept. REALLY COOL!
Visiting Tokyo from the UK, I asked Andy about some of his highlights from his trip so far and he mentioned seeing original pages by Tezuka Osamu (Astro Boy creator) from his series ‘Phoenix’ on display at Tokyo City View: “Absolutely mind blowing experience!”
After revealing Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Summer Nerves (NICE CHOICE), a recommended but yet to be known gateway record, that I explained that would lead him to YMO and so much more (he later mentioned he scored a copy of Solid State Survivor on my recommendation), Andy shared a story of a CD he had also gifted after stumbling into one Golden Gai bar (大吉 “Dai Kichi” – “Super Good Luck”), and it being his birthday, and the owner (Hiroyuki Tsujimoto) sang Bob Dylan songs and played harmonica to him to celebrate, gifting him a copy of his own CD, “Utakichi Dot”
What another amazing encounter, this time on the streets of Daikanyama. Thanks Andy for sharing your stories! Good luck with OM and stay in touch! More Tokyo Record Style on the way!
Ryuichi Sakamoto & The Kakutougi Session – Summer Nerves
Label: CBS/Sony – 25AH 507
Series: Master Sound 76
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: Japan
Released: Jun 21, 1979
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Disco, Synth-pop, Soul
https://www.discogs.com/release/1949923-%E5%9D%82%E6%9C%AC%E9%BE%8D%E4%B8%80-Ryuichi-Sakamoto-%E8%A7%92%E8%97%A4%E6%9C%A8%E3%82%BB%E3%83%83%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3-The-Kakutougi-Session-%E3%82%B5%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8A%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B4%E3%82%B9-S
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