Last month, a well known Shibuya "gaijin bar" closed its doors to the public in a foreseeable rebranding.   This venue's longevity was mostly successful due to  a monthly event of a Hip-Hop basement party vibe called "The Breakdown".  I had the opportunity to visit their very last farewell and convinced the DJs who've kept the scene alive for over a decade to chat with me.   A nostalgic banter & hour-long praise disguised as an interview.  This is a story of three DJs who originally wanted to spin tracks for themselves but later turned out to be hosts of a scene that grew into a collective; a family that shared the love and community to connect foreigners with locals unintentionally.  

Check out their Facebook page for what the future holds for the Breakdown:  https://www.facebook.com/thebreakdownshibuya/

Have you ever wanted to be bilingual or trilingual?  On top of that, try putting yourself on a stage and get your audience's attention with telling jokes outside of your native tongue.  Here we have Kilara Sen  ( @kilaracomedy ) who does this for a living and rocking out in a spotlight where very few Japanese dare to step in.  I was delighted to hear her become a Conan O`Brien stalker as well as traversing the globe testing her English comic routine.  I'm envious of her bravery.  Yet, I hope you all enjoy her charisma and wit as much I did. 

Youtube:   https://www.youtube.com/user/kaoricomedy

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kilaracomedy

Twitter & Instagram:  @kilaracomedy

What’s it like to be “Living the Dream” in Japan? I often receive this hypothetical question (as with many of my foreigner peers who have weathered many cherry blossoms on these shores) and there is never an accurate answer. Some say it’s living a life of self reliance among the communal pressure or others can argue its to be fully assimilated in that same community.  What I do know is that those that  live this life in Japan successfully maintain a healthy balance in between both ends of this spectrum.  But how does one do this while working in Japan’s highly oiled and over intricate corporate machine?  For this question I had a chat with my man, Walter. For those of you wondering what’s it like for a foreigner working deep in the corporate scene, his story gives some clarity. And if you are curious in taking this path in your career, his valuable advice should be considered when you’re searching for your own dreams. 🤘🏻🐼🤘🏻

Japanese Professional Wrestling.  I can't think of another hobby  that blurs the lines of its fan base between otaku game nerds, martial arts enthusiasts and just old fashioned wrestling fanatics...I love it!  Here's Martin Kirby  ( @MKirbyProEgo   : IG & Twitter)  who is a prominent fighter in the  UK wrestling scene and now making a big splash in one of Japan's premier wrestling company, Dragon Gate.  He just landed in Japan a little over a month ago and went straight to work; joining the traveling caravan with other Japanese & foreigner luchadors high flying from ring corners all over Japan.  I was lucky to find some free time and talk about his life and passion of pro wrestling in the UK & Japan.  Even for the uninterested, Martin's hard training and drive is a valuable testament to achieving your hopes and dreams internationally.  It's hard to top that.  For those of you who are slightly keen,  suspend your beliefs and check out a Dragon Gate event.  Why not?

Dragon Gate Official Site  @dragongate_pro

English Twitter : @DragonGateEN

Dragon Gate English on Facebook

Martin Kirby has many highlights on Youtube

Sooner or later I was bound to run into another “Mel-Sensei” in Tokyo. And she is a grammarian badass! Meet Mel, a once veteran English teacher/ translator who decided to take that leap from academia into well...academia!  She works at GLOBIS University, Japan’s top MBA program, but she's the editorial director of its online newsletter, GLOBIS Insights which provides professors and writers an outlet into some in-depth global & domestic analysis of the business realm. We talk about some mutual corporate teaching experiences in Japan as well as some cultural issues that we all can relate to and may even hit close to home.

GLOBIS Insights:  https://e.globis.jp

GLOBIS University :  www.globis.ac.jp

Growth Hacking. I’m sure most people outside of digital marketing have never heard the term including myself.  I’ve only learned about it this year and fortunately I happen to know one individual in Tokyo who belongs in this new field of business growth; a ghost in the social media machine. And he also happens to be prominent with his off-the-beaten path travel blog. Here’s Donny, dropping some relevant insights of the digital world and the Japanese behavior on social media . I also picked his brain for what drives him to travel all of over Japan; interacting and promoting the locals and a plethora of countryside treasures that most foreigner tourist don’t know about. This episode is somewhat of a clamor for all of you visiting Japan to hear and read Donny’s travels if you haven’t yet. The future of Japan’s tourism needs to alleviate the overwhelming traffic of Japan’s typical sightseeing spots and this country has so much more to offer to its ever increasing visitors. It’s good to see Donny is helping lead that charge. 

Donnykimball.com 

IG and FB: @donnyjkimball 

Visit Japan promo video:     https://youtu.be/WLIv7HnZ_fE

https://gilesbowkett.com

Real Talk: The Japanese food culture is one of the strongest in the world.  5 years ago, Washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) has been recognized by UNESCO (as well as most of anything Japan-related which may as well be an entire episode to reflect on) as an intangible cultural heritage.  In lay terms and if you don't know by now, most of Japanese society LOVE food.  And not just by consumption but of the time, care and respect they give in preparing meals whether its classic or modern.   Therefore, this country inherently attracts all types of food lovers, chefs and culinary artisans abroad thirsty to soak in whatever morsel Japan has to offer.  In this episode, meet Gizem, a foodie and  entrepreneur who has molded her passion for the perfect bite into a Tokyo food tour guide.  Unlike most Tokyo guides, she has managed to be one of the first to invite all kinds of people with special dietary needs to be able enjoy the Japanese cuisine experience yet stay true to their diet.  Foreseeing the future of Tokyo and the rest of Japan, she knows that more and more foreigners wanting to visit Japan can find frustration when looking for their own perfect bite while immersing in the "Japanese Culture".   This episode is the perfect resource for those of you who feel that anxiety.  If you ever want to visit Tokyo and are interested, Gizem is the perfect hostess with the mostess.

www.FoodieJapan.com

IG & Facebook:   @foodieadventurejapan

I've never been starstruck with musicians or singers (well...except seeing Neutral Milk Hotel or Mineral or The Roots live). Although I AM awestruck meeting people with intense passion, integrity and sincerity.  Here we have Manami who is a Japanese singer that embodies all three characteristics in her life.  We haven't met in at least a decade but I'm proud to have her as a student and as a friend.   Her career rocketed when she won a singing contest organized by @nigo and @pharrell which resulted in two tracks produced by the N.E.R.D. legend himself.  This paved her way to a career spanning seven years in Okinawa with all sorts of local sponsors and collaborations.  She then had the chance to perform at various  overseas venues.  Meanwhile, I would happen glance at her promotional videos that blanketed from the big LED screens of Shibuya to the local television sets in Okinawa homes and to the Japanese youth grasping their smartphones and gawking at her dance routines in her youtube channel.  After all this, she returned to Tokyo this year with renewed vigor and purpose; poised to bring her fans a new sound that I'm sure they will embrace.  I was excited to see her and catch up again but I'm thrilled to watch her talent mature on a new level.  That's just how she rolls.

You can listen and watch Manami perform on iTunes , Spotify, Youtube and follow her on her IG:   @manami_sorafune

Official Website:  https://www.manami-sorafune.com

I wanted to do an episode of something traditionally Japanese; something I honestly had no knowledge or experience about it.  Ikebana was the first thing that came to my mind (It might have to do with recently watching "Lost in Translation" again and that scene with Scarlett Johansson appeared).  I couldn't even finish the film because I knew who my next guest was going to be.  I called Kaz, whom I know through the Shibuya hip hop scene because I needed some enlightenment.  Besides being an old school hip hop DJ, He happens to be a certified Ikebana Teacher from the Sogetsu school.  As you can see from his instagram  @somyaku   , his beautiful ikebana installations made me realized that this was probably not gonna be a something traditional at all!  And that is what made the episode much better!  If you are interested in learning Sogetsu Ikebana and you're planning to visit Tokyo, Kaz is your man to meet. I'm sure he can really give much insight as well as a unique experience from this art form.  

You can contact Kaz on his Instagram and on his website,  www.somyaku.com

 Sogetsu Ikebana

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sōgetsu-ryū