Category Archives: Nihon Vibes

Tokyo, Japan: Traditional Music in Mejiro

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : CULTURE / MUSIC

Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Lost in the Mejiro small streets

where live aristocrates, I hear the sound. Through a narrow window, the frame of a distant green kimono surrounded by red, amphitheater. Shyly we get in, I take my shoes off to surf to a bunch, the hall is almost empty.

Few scattered people looking at the stage. We are watching a Hogaku concert rehearsal, the Japanese traditional music, Edo music. The exciting meeting with percussionists musicians and the green kimono actress. Picture below: the Uchiwa-ame plays the rain sound.

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Harumi Mochizuki, the excellent Hayashi player (Japanese traditional drums) cames from an artist family: a percussionist mother and a singer father. She played around the world.

On the picture below, a Kotsuzumi on the Harumi‘s shoulder. Kotsuzumi is a small drum shaped like an hourglass and used in Nô theater

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Katada Kisayo, the gifted percussionist, is gratued of Tokyo University in Music, like all the musicians of Ayairobako (the band presented in this post). No “great sound” without “guitare hero”: on picture 5, two Shamisen players.

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Picture above: a traditional gift for Hina Matsuri, the Doll Festival or Girls’ Day (picture above). Mayuko Nakamura is the beautiful actress in the green kimono who declaims on music (picture below).

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Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés. 

Domo arigato gosaimasu to the Ayairobako band and my tomodachi N for the great translation! 

Informations

How to go to Mejiro by metroMejiro is a district in Tokyo.

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DESTINATIONSHOTEL REVIEWS & LIFESTYLE 

Tokyo, Japon: Musique traditionnelle à Mejiro

TOKYO CITY GUIDE : CULTURE / MUSIQUE

Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Perdus dans les petites rues de Mejiro,

quartier résidentiel discret de la noblesse, j’entends le son. L’image d’un kimono vert cerné de rouge, lointain au travers d‘une étroite fenêtre, l’amphithéâtre. Timidement nous entrons, me déchausse, glisser silencieux vers un banc, salle vide.

De rares personnes disséminées, regards rivés sur l‘estrade éclairée. Nous assistons à la répétition d’un concert d’Hogaku, musique traditionnelle japonaise, musique d’Edo. 

Rencontre passionnante avec les musiciennes percussionnistes et l’actrice au kimono vert. Photo ci-dessous : l’Uchiwa-ame reproduit le son de la pluie.

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Harumi Mochizuki, excellente joueuse d’Hayashi (tambours traditionnels japonais), vient d’une famille d’artistes, mère percussionniste et père chanteur. Elle se produit partout dans le monde.

Sur la photo ci-dessous, un Kotsuzumi sur l’épaule d’Harumi. Le Kotsuzumi est un petit tambour en forme de sablier utilisé dans le théâtre Nô.

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La facétieuse Katada Kisayo est une talentueuse percussionniste diplômée de l’Université de Tokyo en musique, comme toutes les autres musiciennes de la formation Ayairobako. No “great sound” without “guitare hero”: on picture 5, two Shamisen players.

Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-8-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-10-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-11-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Photo ci-dessus : cadeau traditionnel pour Hina Matsuri, la fête des petites filles et des poupées. Mayuko Nakamura est la belle actrice au kimono vert qui pose sa voix sur la musique (photo ci-dessous).

Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-12-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-13-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Toyo-Japan-Traditional Music in Mejiro-14-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés. 

Domo arigato gosaimasu à l’ensemble Ayairobako et à mon tomodachi N pour la superbe traduction! 

Informations

Mejiro est un quatier de Tokyo. Comment se rendre à Mejiro en métro

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Tokyo-Illustrations de Christophe Prébois-1-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Tokyo Illustrations of Christophe Prebois

Tokyo-Illustrations de Christophe Prébois-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Coffee shop, short break after a traditional fabrics hunting with Christophe Prebois, the fashion designer of Brutals (stylish shirts for men).

A notebook on table : sketches and draws of Christophe’s travel in Japan. Some sketches look like photos. Others remind me the rythm of fabrics prints. I look at them, take pictures. Such beautiful illustrations!

Tokyo-Illustrations de Christophe Prébois-3-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Tokyo-Illustrations de Christophe Prébois-4-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Street Style

“Let’s walk in the woods, while the little blue hood … there! ” A week of real street looks: snapshots on the board below.

Between kawaii kawaiiiiiiii pink and holder Stockings in Harajuku, multicolored polka dots and green boots in Omotesando and eighties revival with slippers in Yoyogi Park. Coach, I sign for another week!

Tokyo Street Look-Japan-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

The Rockers of Yoyogi Park Vs The Shibuya Girls Fashion Shows

Right, I’ve often met the most xtreme rockers! Here are the dancers rockers of Yoyogi Park. Impressive mix of unique hairstyle with acrobatic jumps. They are the real “characters” of Yoyogi Park.

It was reckoning without the intrusion of Kawaii Land: why do these fashion teens rush with such frenzy? Fashion shows open to public.

Rockers Vs Shibuya Girls Fashion Show-Tokyo-Japan-3-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

If you want to check out the Shibuya girl style (the fashion tribe not the brand): visit the famous department store 109… in Shibuya of course!

Me, I can’t stand the bad techno musics loudly played in the differents shops there. Plus the chorus of non stop « sumimasen » shouted by salespersons. And I don’t like the outfits too, pretty boring. Harajuku is much more fun! 

DOMO ARIGATO TO ALL OF YOU!

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés.

For more about fashion tribes : Tokyo Fashion 

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