Kamakura Day 12 May 31, 2008

I woke up in day 13 in kamakura. I was allowed a room in Yamada residence, in front of inamura. It was wet from an incoming typhoon. Today, we, Jonas Kaku, Yuri Shibuya, Kumetani Satoshi and I were to meet at InamuraGaSaki Eki and pile into the Kaku family cruiser and head west to Osaka for Greenroom Osaka Music Festival. The plan was a seven hour drive to osaka from shonan Kamakura to set up for the next Music venue. We were not planning on an extensive art wall installation like the one in yokohama but something a little bit more mellow and more showcasing goods as well as art works. It is a show and sell. The drive down was a rain storm. The excitement in the drive was whether there are going to be waves in the west or whether there are going to be waves in the east. Will there be a storm that can create swells to last until tuesday june 3rd,
when we get back from osaka or should we detour south to catch the swell when it is just arriving? We all had schedules and we all had to be somewhere on june 3rd.. this was a sticky call. We would think about it later as we watched the storm's progress. We left for Osaka at 8 am and we arrived at 4 pm. We took an hour rest for lunch and multiple random stops to get gas and food and drinks. Gas prices were rising in japan as the day wore on. Can you imagine? It took almost $75-$95 to fill up the ride. The highway system is also quite taxing, almost $100 on the highway to get to osaka. When we arrived, it was right to setting up and getting the wall done. By 8pm, the art was up and we were ready. We only needed to get some hangers for our shirts. Easy breezy. Being in Osaka is not being in Tokyo. Even this is the same country, the west is .. well, let us say the people here are more vocal and feels alot more warm. Osaka is known for all the great comediens and entertainers. It is a place, they can sell you your shirt off your back and offer their shirt for free as well. Doesn't make sense, it is alright. It is well worth the visit. It is like the whole city was like an East Village. You got your artists and entertainers, your gangsters and your suits and every type of people all rubbing elbows down the street and just being themselves. It can get pretty hot. After the set up was the break time. We ended up at an 'Obake' party. Obake is ghost. Did I know we were going to an obake party? Were there people dressed up as obake? Was the interior done up all spooky? NO. Yes. YES. When we first arrived, it was already a bit after midnight and it was my birthday! There was some Drum and Bass and Jungle and it was fun! We got in and just jumped right into the mix. The next thing I know as I start acclamaiting to the dark room is all the heads hanging off the ceiling, the look of a burned down-run down room, fake blood and all the costumes. It was like a halloween in the summer. Which actually seems like a better time to have halloween. Something about the heat and costumes and dancing and drinking.
There were ghost-esque dancers and half animal half people dancers and 2Yang, a member of Ichiban-Boshi Crew in Osaka. He just kept telling me that Osaka was 'aho-ya!! Minna Osaka Aho~ya!!' while laughing. He is true Osakaite and I think he really loves that shit! It was good to see 2Yang, since its been about 8 years... crazy. After the DJ set was a band from london, Dokkebi Q! Kinda like the MIA style SOunds and Vocals. It is an awesome two person crew with one chatting and one on the mixing with effects and computers. They were pretty awesome!! IF you ever hear of Dokkebi Q coming to your local stage, I highly recommend it! Didn t understand all the blood on the shirt, but that s before I realized that it was a ghost party. It was getting late and the last set I checked out for a minute was a DJ guy who got all the ladies and freaks out on the floor. Ahh.. the power of music. It was a pretty full night and the travelers, never get to sleep! At the party, we even had a chance to meet up with some core skate crew riders, all 30 plus crew!! hahaha. Crazy. We had accommodations in osaka from a friend of Jonas. His name was Hiro and him and his family were generous to allow us to stay at their home. They own an awesome surf theme bar and restaurant called 'kulu kulu'. If you are out in Osaka, please check it out!! Hiro would also be traveling with us to the Greenroom Festival because he is also a member and works with the Surfrider Foundation, Osaka Japan. Surfing is traveling. The more points you are welcome, the more blessed you get. And the more humble and opened eyed. Bless!!