One of the best things about Japan is that the arcade scene hasn’t died. In fact, the games here are much more evolved than I ever would have imagined. They actually have a gundam simulator which puts you in the cockpit of a mobile suit. Its probably my favorite way to lose money here. So today, I present to you: So a Black Guy Walks into a Gundam Pod.

Video footage taken inside the store “Grope in the Dark.” Make sure to look at the guy behind the counter.

Sometimes you find a place that is just too amazing to comprehend on your first visit. In Harajuku there’s this place called “Grope in the Dark.” I first visited months ago and I kept telling myself I would have to go back and take pictures. I finally did.

When I first saw that sign, I had to double take. I turned around and walked back to examine it more closely. I thought about the name. Grope in the Dark. What the fuck could that be about? I thought about the claim of having Imports and Originals. Imports of what? I then thought that maybe it was one of those record stores that I had been desperately searching for since I got to Tokyo. That had to be it right?

So I took the small elevator to the 4th floor. As the doors opened, I heard the original sample from Rakim and Eric B’s Paid in Full. This meant that I was in a place that had access to a Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers record. It had to be a record store right?

Wrong. They did have a turntable though.

Grope in the Dark is a boutique of all things hip hop.

Depending on the day that you go in, the owner could be spinning some old school hip hop and soul records, playing random old school music videos and VHS recordings of Yo! MTV Raps, or even watching a documentary on Public Enemy.

When I say this place is a hip hop boutique, I mean its a boutique of mostly Golden Age hip hop. While you may disappointed when you see a “Free Weezy” T-Shirt, the rest of the shop is mostly about hip hop culture and fashion before 1996. There’s also a collection of random stuff that I call 黒物　(Kuromono - Black things). 

Oh yeah. The owner had a high top fade. Video coming soon.

Jay Electronica - The Announcement

One of the dopest songs I’ve heard in a long time… Also, it has nothing to do with Japan. 

I don’t know much about graffiti. I do know that I appreciate it as an art form. I’ve seen this Neckface tag before under an overpass in Philly so I was very surprised to find it in Harajuku. The friend I was with tells me that these tags are all over the place in NYC as well.

I really have no context for why this product exists. I just know that if you see something that says Black Man: Super Bikini, you have to take a picture.

Kenna - Loose Wires

I heard this in an upscale grocery store that sold $50 Grapes, $100 cheese, and, oddly enough $3 plum wine. It was interesting to see the older, more affluent, Japanese customers nodding their heads and tapping their feet in enjoyment.

I love Chinatown. Honestly, a large part of why I love living in Philadelphia is because of its Chinatown. Coming from a city who’s Chinatown sold its soul to Verizon a long time ago (yeah, lookin at you DC), I never knew how important a good Chinatown was. Needless to say, when I found out that there was a Chinatown an hour away from Tokyo in Yokohama, I had to go. But lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Yokohama is Japan’s 2nd largest city by population. It rests in the Tokyo bay which makes it a perfect place for tourists, immigrants, and imported goods. Plus its not too bad to look at.

There was really a lot to enjoy in Yokohama, but I didn’t. I was restless. I needed to get to Chinatown. I didn’t go to the amusement park.

I didn’t buy any fancy imported beer.

I didn’t even hang out with the most ballinest Japanese dude in history.

Nope. I was on a mission.

Chinatown was beautiful. There were lanterns and gates and nearly every street was lit up and bustling. You could buy steamed buns almost anywhere you looked and pushy salesmen would accost you with free roasted chestnuts in the hope that you would buy a bag from their roasting cart. Restaurants were everywhere you turned and there was always a souvenir shop within a stone’s throw. 

Wait… All that is fine a good, cept for the souvenir shops. But what about the random markets? What of the fruit stands? Where the hell were the herb shops? Alas, the Chinatown in Yokohama was just a larger, brighter DC Chinatown. I learned after a bit of research that there weren’t many Chinese people who still lived in the Chinatown of Yokohama (sounds familiar). When they left, so did the places that catered to them (the places I like). It seems that the Chinatown of Yokohama had also become merely a tourist hub. At least it was beautiful.

DJ’s are important. It doesn’t really matter what type of music is your favorite, if you go to a club with a shit DJ, you wont have a good time. I got lost in Harajuku the other day. There, I found a store that caters to DJ’s. Instead of showing you a bunch of pictures of equipment that I can neither use, nor afford, I’ll show you the poster that was hanging up outside the store.

Shizuoka Pt 2: The Model Museum

The other draw of Shizuoka is the fact that it is the home of Japan’s model kit industry. As such, it would have to have a museum to show off the history of said industry. 

I got into anime because of Gundam and I got into Gundam because of Gundam Models. This place was like the mecca for my nerdier side. 

Building Gundam models is a bit like cooking to me. They both satisfy my creative urges and the need to work with my hands even if you do have to follow the instruction booklet/recipe. The slight deviations you make, the attention to detail, the customization and techniques you use; this is where the fun lies for me. Plus, you do get a dope ass robot toy to play with when you’re done.