Yeah! Social Media rules! I'm on it, you're on it, hell, most people's pets are on it too. After you've been on it for a while though, you tend to notice some disturbing trends. I'm not talking about the people who thrash #every #goddamn #hashtag to fish for followers - but trends amongst the kinds of people who use them. It's always interesting to see what value others seem to hold in social media - whether it's for self gratification, promotion, discussion, or airing vapid statements about their hair/lunch/clothes/friends/work/life. So, add one boring night-in and a desire to write something stupid for a change, here's my 2 minute social media user guide. Not a guide on how to use any of it; but a guide on the personalities who use it based on gross over-generalizations of the number of their followers on four of the most popular platforms out there at the moment - twitter, facebook, instagram, and tumblr. Maybe you even know a few of them yourself.

Which one are you?

The Hot Girl.

You're the hot girl. Your iPhone camera spends more time in face mode than it does pointing the way it should… you know, at like, things that aren't you (mirrors excluded). You still have a twitter account because that's what everyone was on last year, but you still don't "get how it works." You gave up on tumblr in favour of instagram because, like, it's totally, like, easy to get more followers on instagram lollzz <3
Here's a free tip - they're not appreciating you for your photography composition skills.

The Purist.

You self-righteous prick. You only believe in text-based social media networks and speak fondly of the mIRC Undernet days whilst cracking reddit jokes. And how you used to totally pick up chicks on ICQ through the random ICQme chat function. Truth is, nobody gives a shit that you never got laid in high school. You probably write a blog using big words too, you jerk.

The Celebrity.

Dude. Come on. Nobody really gives a shit about what you're doing or what you had for lunch. They're all just waiting for that one moment where you fuck it all up, so they can slam that RT/ReBlog/Share button like a schoolboy on heat. Sorry.

"I'm huge on tumblr".

Yeah, you work a dead end job but you're big on tumblr, but you forget that your 'fame' is purely based on you liking other (people's) things. When the dust settles and people finally realize that tumblr is all make-believe, you'll probably be the one standing there naked. You upload your pictures onto instagram without a caption because you think that's how it works. That's not how it works, dumbass.

The Social Media Consultant

Congratulations. You've found a way to con companies out of their hard earned marketing dollars for lessons in common sense. Trouble is, you also find the incessant need to be 'down' with every new social media platform. Well, that's not the trouble per se, it's more like you suck at instagramming beceause you're too busy drawing diagrams about it instead of using it to, you know, take photos and shit.

The Networker

Holy crapskis do you rape your facebook wall. And you talk way too much on twitter. There is no distinction between your personal life and your work and you act like you care, but really, you don't. People followed you out of curiousity but are now fast tiring of your 24/7 brain diarrhea and 'I swear this isn't a promo, but I love product X' updates/tweets. Dude. We're not blind. You tried starting a tumblr and instagram, but quickly gave that shit up when you realized you couldn't transfer all your friends across so you could look like you were immediately popular.

... and for the record, I'm the second one.

Thanks Ye, Don, Omar, Mike & Crew.

Shot with Panasonic Lumix GF1 + f1.4/50mm (100mm actual)

Thanks fuckers.

Shot with Panasonic Lumix GF1 + f1.4/50mm (100mm actual)

ODD FUTURE x QUBIC STORE / NEW ZEALAND

OFWGKTA fans will no doubt be aware of the controversy that surrounded the announcement of their upcoming first appearance in New Zealand. After being booted rather abruptly from the (now evidently final) BDO12 Auckland line-up, they've been relegated to play a side show instead at Auckland's Powerstation venue on Thursday 19/01/12.

To commemorate this momentous achievement, we had Tyler the Creator design a special limited run print tee; exclusively for Qubic Store and their New Zealand gig to express the general feeling over the debacle.

Releasing on Wednesday 18th January 2012 at Qubic Store in limited quantities. Please stay updated on Qubic Store's facebook or twitter for up to the minute details on release time.

Available exclusively from:

Qubic Store (160 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland)
Qubic Online - shipping available worldwide, free shipping nationwide.
OFWGKTA merchandising stand at Powerstation, Mt Eden, Thursday 19/01/12.
OFWGKTA pop-up shop (Fairfax, LA)

Available in Black, White, Pale Yellow and… Pink.

THINGS MY ASIAN FATHER SAYS TO ME.

If you follow me on any of the other social media platforms, you'll notice that over the past few days I've been posting up random conversation snippets between myself and my father - the venerable Dr. Eric Liew MD. What started off as a simple fb update about him commenting on my exercise regime turned into a game of recording the odd quips he said to me over a short two day trip in Singapore for a rare Liew family gathering. For one reason or another his gems of wisdom seem to be quite popular, so I feel like I need to give a little background information on my father and I to give the whole thing a little more context.

My parents separated when I was quite young, and my mother, brother, and I moved to Singapore from Taipei, Taiwan. I'd see my father every few months as he visited to stay in touch with his boys, and if you know me personally, my father is a bit of a smart-arse (much like me). He's a medical doctor, specializing in the field of anesthesiology… and Pain Management. So along with that territory he's a textbook disciplined/logical/efficient/contrarian/I'm-right-you're-wrong hard-ass (as most doctors are); he's the only child who was sent to college by my grandparents from his family of five (with the exclusion of my youngest uncle, who was awarded a government scholarship in civil engineering); he played with sticks and stones as a kid (or so he says, citing that as a reason why we didn't need a Sega Genesis/NES/Playstation/etc) in Penang growing up; he came from a traditional Chinese family that makes Tiger Moms look like Panda Cubs, and as a child, he'd tell us to behave… or he'd put us to sleep (I had to look up anesthesiology in Encyclopaedia Brittanica to truly appreciate what that meant.. and no, not in a Conrad Murray kind of way). He's not a man of many words so the way I figure it, when he talks; he wants to make it count - I still remember him lecturing us on Swiss efficiency as 10 year olds... and the subsequent punishment I received when I retorted saying we weren't Swiss. When the three of us subsequently moved to New Zealand in the southern hemisphere summer of '94/'95 the visits became more infrequent due to the long commute from Taipei, and a lot of the time we just tried to stay in touch via email or phone calls. Don't get me wrong, he still supported our family and fulfilled all his responsibilities as a father; it was just a little far for him to come often, and I suppose as ratty, spotty-faced awkward teenagers we probably didn't think that it was that important to see him. As you grow up and leave home, naturally, you talk less to your parents as you try and find your own wings. I'm not terribly proud of it, but I did lose contact with him for a number of years during that period. In a way, he missed out on our high-school and college years, as well as the formative years of us leaving school, beginning to find work, and discovering our own paths in life.

Over the past five years as the traveling started, I've had the fortunate chance to see more of my paternal family in Malaysia during stopovers or by just being in the SEA region. With that, I've also been able to see more of my Dad at family gatherings, and it made me quite happy to see that except for the grey hairs, larger spectacles, snake-skin loafers, and what I still suspect is a perm, he's still the same old opinionated joker I remember from my childhood. As most Chinese people will attest to, you'll never be any more than that 10 year old child to your family no matter how old you are, so I think he tries to fit all his lost time in the short 1-3 day slots of seeing me, extolling the three pillars of Chinese parenting wisdom - look after yourself; save money; and don't be an idiot… along with variations of such.

Look up #thingsmyasianfathersaystome on instagram, or I guess you could just find/follow me on @frankliew and click on the images of the notes in my history. With the recent 2 day trip over, I'll be putting more notes up from time to time as I recall them from my childhood.

I love you Dad. Don't ever change.

"We'll just get it on the road first, and go from there."
Auckland, New Zealand

Yes, this is very long overdue. Those with a keener memory might recall that at some point in the distant past we picked up an old shed find down in Cambridge - a very neglected 1969 Mk1 Honda S800. After having sat patiently inside a garage for over two decades awaiting restoration, we thought we had finally come to rescue the poor little bugger and bring him back to life. When we picked up the car it was all brofists, slaps on the back and excessive gusto as we extolled the potential this little project car exhibited. Would it be an original resto? Sunday racer? Street machine? The possibilities were endless. "But, we'll just get it back onto the road first, and go from there. It shouldn't take more than a couple of months."

14 months later...

Although the car still looks like it's ready to hit the junkyard scales, it's been an incredibly long process to get to where it is now. But we're here. Road legal. Complied, registered, VINed, and ready to go.

After the first inspection, it was clear that the idle time had taken its toll on the bottom half of the car. The calipers leaked like a sieve blasted by a shotgun, all the dust boots, mounts, bushes resembled used condoms, and the suspension was as functional as a soggy piece of cardboard in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Enter Josh Strang of BNT Automotive/Autolign, who had the painful task of trying to match up the parts I needed in their universal catalogue... and custom making/reconditioning the parts that they couldn't.

Here's a few bits and bobs that they helped me with.

Re-lined brake shoes (rear).

New brake lines.

Reconditioned rear brake cylinders. Had to send these back twice to get them to stop leaking. Evidently, it took them a while to find the correct size boots/o-rings.

Reconditioned front calipers & new lines. New pistons too, if I'm not mistaken, as they had both seized over time.

Reconditioned master cylinder (+clutch cylinder)

Reconditioned/new shocks & polyurethane suspension bushes. Front & Rear.

The only part that couldn't be sourced locally was a set of front brake discs. The discs that came with the car were worn down and warped; looking more like a pringle chip than an integral part of the vehicle's stopping mechanism. I wish I had a photo of the discs when I found some - simultaneously the most expensive and the smallest brake discs I've ever ordered. In the end, I sourced them from a garage in Brummers (Birmingham, England). Go figure.

Onto the exterior.

My old friend and accomplished panelbeater Tony Hines from Whenuapai Panel & Paint popped round today to have a closer look at tackling the bodywork.. perhaps the most daunting part of the project.

As you can see, it's been through a few colour ops in its time. Looks like the previous owner started to sand the car down at some point during the 20 year storage effort. The top 'blue' coat is incredibly thin - you can literally rub it off with your finger. At some point it was also green, but the original factory colour was a metallic silver.

At some point the car was involved in a small frontal prang on the front LH corner and according to Tony, fixed "70's style" ie - lots of bog and a cheap paint job. However, all factory seams are intact and the damage seems more cosmetic than anything else; the factory crash panel remains unbent with all seams in place, which looks like the external steel panels absorbed the force of the shunt. Overall, aside from a rust spot on the bottom right hand corner of the front guard, the car is remarkably rust free - sills and floors are all intact, welded seams all along the windows and down towards the bonnet are still strong, with only the front windscreen seal/rubber needing factory replacement. The bumpers, headlight surrounds, handles,and hinges may need rechroming, but that's no big deal.

Onto the interior. For the most part everything works.. well, all the gauges except for the thermo gauge. Unless the radiator is really, really, good at doing its job?

A few rips and tears on the factory seats. I'm still impressed as to how much space there is in the cabin of the car once you're seated. The seating position is low (in what I"m assuming is an effort to lower the centre of gravity), but the interior width is a little cramped if you're not used to it. Solution? Just roll down the windows... it makes the engine noise sound better anyways.

Paint has worn off the factory shifter, as well as a cracked shifter boot. No biggie, but expensive to find replacement NOS/OEM parts. It crunches a little downshifting into 2nd gear and occasionally spits out a little transmission fluid through the filler tube during 'energetic' gear changes, but aside from that, the drivetrain feels pretty solid. You just have to refrain from slamming the gearstick like an excited school boy.

All factory. I love the way the switches look aesthetically. So much better than other cars of the same period. The dash mounted mirror I thought was a nice design touch too. It's terribly hard to use, but who cares?

Onto the mechanics.

I'll admit it's been a while since I've gotten my hands grimey, but working under the bonnet was a pretty clumsy experience. For a start, there's almost zero space to do anything under there, making the trouble-shooting process a little like a life-sized game of Tetris.. in reverse. The first issue we had to tackle was a compression leak in cylinder #1. Hans @ E&H motors ended up whipping off the cylinder head and opening up the motor, discovering the fault to be a bent exhaust valve. Where to find (one) exhaust valve for a 42 year old Honda? We ended up sending it off to the machinist's shop to get it straightened, balanced, and then refitted everything... before realizing we had to make custom gaskets for just about everything we took apart. On the way, we also discovered that a previous owner had inadvertently drilled into a water jacket for some reason or another - tapping a new hole for a bolt of some sort. This was quickly filled to prevent any oil/water mix.

After driving the car for a couple of weeks it refused to start one morning. OK, so it started, but sounded like a lazy Subaru tractor... firing only on three. Flooded motor, so I pulled out the plugs, replaced them, cranked it over a few times with the coil unplugged, and voila - back to normal. A week after that the car refused to start again at a petrol station. A quick voltmeter reading across the battery terminals showed a stunning 9V, and being a brand new battery it could only be the alternator/generator to blame. Trick is, to get to the alternator I had to remove the intake, dismantle the carb assembly, and drop the radiator supports.

What should've normally been a 20 minute job turned into a four hour curse-a-thon. For some reason the alternator was bolted on with the bolts back to front, meaning that the bottom bolt couldn't be removed with the steering column in the way. In the end, I just removed the bracket itself. After all, as the old adage goes - "if it's stuck... try a bigger hammer." I like how the radiator fan is a fixed unit connected to the alternator and powered by the alternator belt. Less resistance on the crank.. makes you wonder if it was an intentional engineering design. Got the sucker out in the end and on its way to my friend Lin down at CDM Mt Maunganui to inspect and rebuild for me. Fingers crossed it's actually rebuildable though, because I have absolutely no idea on where to go to source another 42 year old Honda alternator. Any ideas?

Aww, lookit the factory Keihin carburetor setup.. ain't it adorable? Quad carbs; measuring in at a gargantuan 30mm intake width... you have to remind yourself that this is essentially a 800cc motorcycle engine mounted onto a car body. I hope the keys give you an indication on their size... for the record, they're pretty small keys too. Hans @ E&H Motors managed to pull them apart during the initial road-legal stage and noticed that the float valves were a little worn/bent, making them dump fuel and throwing the AF mixture out after 6500rpm. Currently tossing up an overhaul (which could be quite expensive considering you have to work on four, not just one), or a set of Keihin CRs to replace them. Thoughts?

Peering down the other end, you can see the choke plate is a little bent across carb #2. Could make idle tuning a little difficult... not that I use the choke much anyways, but still.

My mechanic's assistant checking up on the progress. She gave up after half an hour and opted to lie down on the couch instead. Typical apprentice... you're fired.

Can't wait to hear this again - although a few extra thousand revs won't hurt. I love the way the carbs sound as they climb up the rev range; I've never heard a car like it.. although you might need to turn up the volume to hear it. Yes, I'm well aware it needs a wheel alignment (ahem).

Accomplished:

- Road legal & compliance inspection passed
- Idle & basic tuning (flat spot after 6500rpm, due to carburetor float valves)
- Repaired bent exhaust valve & fixed compression leak
- Filled water jacket leak
- Replaced all plugs to D9EA NGK, unflooded motor
- Suspension, bushes replaced
- New dust boots, tie rod end boot
- Entire brake system overhauled, reconditioned, refitted, tested.
- New brake pads, shoes, lines, rear cylinders.
- All new lines, clutch lines, master cylinders reconditioned.
- New ignition coil
- New fuel filters

To do:

- Rebuild/overhaul carburetors (new o-rings, vacuum piston seals, jets, float valves, general clean)
- Balance wheels/tyres
- Wheel alignment
- Rebuild/refit alternator
- New battery (under warranty)
- Heavier transmission fluid
- Bodywork / Paint
- Repolish/chroeme bumpers, headlight surround, handles, fittings
- Review exhaust system? Need new flange for collector
- Balancing / Wheel Alignment

Every day I have to remind myself how much I like classic cars. I like classic cars. I like classic cars. I hate like classic cars. I like classic cars.

Until the next update. Hope it won't be another 14 months.

The day's almost here - the 2011 JAL Honolulu Marathon.

To keep up with the Team GIRA Honolulu Diary, please check Nike Stadiums - http://nikestadiums.com/ daily for pre & post marathon musings from inside the team camp.

For now, here's a few captures from the past two days.

Cheerio.

"Look! It's me! Oh.. wait."

I'm a little late with this, but after a week of jetting around to various countries, meetings, and marathon training in between, it's been a bit of a blur.

One week ago, at Jun and Nike's request, almost the entire Team GIRA roster (minus Tetsuya, Tetsu, and Ogawa) was summoned to attend the event to launch the Gyakusou collection in Hong Kong, involving a short run and a party featuring DJ Fran-key, Miyashita (Soloist) and Aizawa (White Mountaineering). So off we went, running gear in tow, headed back to Hong Kong island for another GIRA adventure.

The venue for the launch event was at the Peak - the old vanguard of Hong Kong's colonial history and once the exclusive domain of its ex-pat and upper-crust civil servants. Rumour has it that at one point in the past there was a sign at the bottom of the Peak with one rule: "No Dogs and Chinamen". True? Today, it's a very popular tourist spot and the highest point in Hong Kong; offering spectacular panoramic views of the metropolis below. True to Hong Kong style it is also equipped with a full fledged shopping mall at the lookout point, where one can grab a bite to eat... or even pick up a few pairs of undies they'd forgotten to bring from Tokyo. Aye, geezer?

Aside from the launch party, 60 runners were invited to run alongside the team in a short 3.5km course around the peak. I dashed my guts out at the start, but decided to stop at one of the look outs to see the view... breathtaking. Congratulations to GIRA team mate GO for taking 1st place in the race with 15'30"! I finished almost a minute later... but I swear to God I won the drinks race with Earn.

The event production was handled by my good friend TK and his company Silly Thing. This to me was the most impressive feat of the night - a 'sprinting' game his visuals team developed exclusively for the event. You get to choose between the GIRA team members (Jun, Yas, or Go), and then run a virtual race by running on the spot to beat your opponent, with the speed and momentum of your legs determining the speed of your virtual alter-ego... a very innovative touch. Kero Rilakkuma from the UC HK store wins the best performance award.

Forever14.

Whose brilliant idea was it to consume alcohol after a 3.5km dash? The final memory of the evening.

The next day; lunch at Island Tang.. a lunch of truly epic, record-setting proportions... for all the wrong reasons.

Fran-key NINJA; king of room service, and the one who achieved the most value out of this trip. You rule man. Big ups! *fistpound

Dubai tower fruits?

Nike x GIRA high tea. As you can see, we're a wonderfully social bunch of louts. Fraser-chops takes it to the next level by double teaming his mobile effort.

Yas's Thing T. Thing impersonation. Or Richard Clayderman. I have no idea.

"Can you take a photo of me, with me?"

"Oh, sorry. Wrong one."

How you can possibly confuse a 9ft tall picture of yourself... is completely beyond me.

The biggest goddamn dining table I've ever seen. Don't let the picture fool you - I had to text the other end of the table to communicate with them. Bonkers.

The parting shot. Thank you Elaine, Nike HK, TK, Silly Thing, Fraser le gobbler, Uchi/NikeJP, and of course, the lads - Jun, Go, Yas & the team for a very memorable, window destroying weekend.

9 days to go until Honolulu Marathon. Get me some Aloha soon.

-----------------------------------

T minus 9 Days: Road to Honolulu

Today's menu:
60min LSD/ 6'35"pkm/ 9.2km / 780cal

9 days to go until race day. To be brutally honest, with all the travelling over the past week I've been missing a ton of runs and haven't been feeling the most confident. Hell, my knees hurt, my left ankle still bites, and my calves and ITBs feel pretty worse for wear. Pushed a little hard in HK at the GYAKUSOU launch there and felt that maybe I shouldn't have... Anyways. Went out there for a cruisy 60min today, felt a bit shit at the start but pushed through it. By the end I was feeling a lot more confident, more comfortable with my stride and momentum. It's been a seesaw of emotions lately with running, but im looking forward to it. Bring on Hawaii!

With the Honolulu marathon now only a few weeks away (December 11th) the training is starting to get a little bit more serious. I've been looking forward to and dreading December at the same time - the journey has not only been an effort in the physical sense, but tests you mentally as well... it's been a rollercoaster of a ride.

Here are some quick reviews of the last six training runs, with some personal musings along the way. This week is the peak week, with the 30 hour/30km run scheduled for this weekend before it starts tapering off towards the marathon. I've never done a 30 before, so this will be quite interesting.

I think Jules is coming along OK too - we've been training together in proxy as this is both our first marathon effort. I'm fortunate in this sense - the rest of the GIRA team is aiming for a 3:xx time this year. There isn't too much of a time pressure for Jules and myself, but it would be nice to finish it under 5 hours for our first marathon.... hopefully the start of many to come.

Week 7 Day 1: Road to Honolulu
Today's menu:

70min LSD / 10.5km / 6'23" pkm / 800cal

Persistent calf muscle pain, so tried switching my insoles back from my orthotics to the standard Nike issue. After an hour out on the road my calves werent feeling as bad as they have been on previous runs. Perhaps need to book in to see Rob @ Foot Traffic again to have the orthotics checked?

Week 7 Day 3 : Road to Honolulu

Today's menu: 40min

32min / 5'40" pkm / 5.5km / 458cal

Cut run short with rain coming in. Feeling ok, now trying to find my race pace for the marathon. Unsure if I can maintain 5'xx" over 4-5 hours though, probably going to try and maintain a 6' pace. Calves still feeling a little tight, seeing Rob the podiatrist tomorrow.

Week 7 Day 4: (yesterday) Road to Honolulu

Today's menu: 30min / 5'20" pkm / 5.3km / 488cal

Beautiful day out, thought id pick up the pace.
Went to see Rob at Foot Traffic, modified my orthotics a bit and talked about proper muscle recovery - drinking fluids, remembering to eat after runs, and proper post race care. Looks like my calves are just wasted from the spike in training lately. Thanks for the advice mate. The goal now: to make it to the start line in December injury free. http://www.foottraffic.co.nz/

Week 7 Day 7: Road to Honolulu

Today's menu: 2 hour LSD

130 min / 20.1km / 6'30" pkm / 1440cal / 5'20" best pace

First big run since calf issues popped up a week or so ago. My podiatrist Rob Dallimore recommended using Percutane to warm up my muscles and joints before big runs, and Traumitane for after. Tried it today, made an amazing difference - thank you mate! I highly recommend it to anybody else who's going through some issues; it's available at most good pharmacies. Here's a tip though - make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after use. I didn't, and when I went to wipe the sweat out of my eyes... Yeah, burning. Not so much fun halfway through a 20km.

Week 8 Day 2: Road to Honolulu

Today's menu: 40min

45min / 6'00" pkm pace

Peak week is here, with the big 3hour run this weekend. Taking it easy, just trying to pace myself. Weather is starting to get hot, which is helping with the acclimatization! Nike watch ran out of batt halfway so no stats. Does anybody have a suggested loop for a 3hour run?

Week 8 Day 4: Road to Honolulu

Today's menu: 1 hour LSD

70mins / 11km / 6'05" pkm / 853cal

After yesterday's disastrous run I was feeling as low as I could get with the training. 20mins in and everything just stopped working; physically and mentally. Legs hurt, body was sore, and my brain was ready to throw in the towel. I'm more convinced than ever running is 30% strength and 70% mental ability.... Spent last night stretching everything out slowly, icing my legs, and pushed myself back out there for today's 60... And voila, back into the momentum again. The moral: when you feel down, sometimes only you can kick yourself back into line again. Tried energy Gu for the first time today... Not bad! Tastes like you're eating a chocolate cake mid run... just as messy too. 3 hour 30km run this weekend. Wish me luck.

"Unagi... and mustard?!"

On a recent buying trip to Tokyo I was tasked by the NZ Herald and Air New Zealand with seeking out new adventures and discovering new things to see... no small feat after having been there almost 18 times. After a bit of thought (and a lot of shochu), I realized that most of my experiences were contained around one part of town - the Aoyama/Nakame/Shibuya/Harajuku/Sendagaya/Shinjuku area, with the odd trip out to Ginza every so often. Enter Leo Yoshida of Porter Classic - friend, author, screenwriter, director, artist, photographer... who used to joke with me that I've never seen the 'real downtown' - Ginza and Asakusa (not to be confused with Akasaka); an area his father Katsu and him grew up in; the old 'downtown' of Tokyo. A few phone calls and a couple of drunken conversations later, we were off on a quick tour to discover some of Ginza and Asakusa's best hidden secrets.

Although I can't share too much until the print version is published in the NZ Herald, here's a more detailed look at some of the sights that may not make it into the final cut.

INTERNATIONAL ARCADE - PORTER CLASSIC, M&M, GALLERY, PAWNSHOP

No better place to start the tour than Leo and Katsu's flagship store, tucked away underneath the Yurakucho rail-line. In case their names sound vaguely familiar, they are part of the Yoshida family from "Yoshida & Co." Porter company, which they parted ways with a few years ago to set up Porter Classic. They chose this site, first constructed in the 60's for the '64 Tokyo Olympic games due to Katsu's fond memories of Miyuki-dori, which runs directly outside the store. During the 60's, Miyuki-dori was the style hub of Tokyo's downtown fashion scene with vintage stores, fashion boutiques and camera stores a-plenty. Youths would crowd the streets dressed in "Ivy League style-ru", similar to the Shibuya/Harajuku crowd of today. Unfortunately with the introduction of luxury labels and gigantic flagship stores the sky-rocketing rent in Ginza forced many of these independent boutiques to turn elsewhere, turning the street into the Ginza that is known today; commercial, bland, and lacking in character. Fueled by nostalgia, Leo and Katsu wanted to revive the Miyuki-dori experience of yesteryear by getting their friends to revive the aging International Arcade.

Aside from their flagship store there's also their Porter Classic gallery space. Currently featuring bespoke jackets and caps made from vintage French and English fabrics, circa 1920's..

.. and Katsu's Pawn shop, featuring some of his most prized possessions. There are many things in there that I've only ever seen in books. If you have deep pockets, be sure to come in and give your best offer.

Down the hallway, there's also a small boutique built and run by famed interior designers M&M, along with collaborative products between Porter Classic, Grok Leathers, and Rats.

Going deeper into the belly of the beast - the Grok Leather workshop. You can see the entrance to their atelier in the title image. Look at the image a little closer and see if you notice something strange about the picture. These workshops are dotted all over the rail line, and is not dissimilar to what Leo's grandfather Kichizo Yoshida (Founder, Yoshida & Co/Porter) started out in, peddling his bags from a street cart around Ginza. Speaking of the Yoshidas, there's also a very famous story; that after Kichizo suffered a stroke, he was still sewing bags with the unparalyzed side of his body on his hospital bed. And you complain about not being able to pull a sickie at work...

PORTER CLASSIC GINZA
International Arcade, 1-7 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5512-0150
MAP

Moving on.

YUKARI ANTIQUE STORE.

Ginza was once the heart of Tokyo culture and one of its oldest suburbs, so many historical artifacts and antiques end up making their way there. Here's Katsu's favourite antique store, in the Ginza 5 shopping mall a few minutes walk away from Miyuki dori. It's interesting seeing the Japanese fascination with nostalgia and the past... always looking forward, but reminiscing about the past. There's some kind of philosophical truth behind it all, but that's for another blog.

Tobacco pipes from the Meiji period. (1868-1912).

Kabuki doll, from the Edo/Tokugawa Shogunate period. (1603-1868)

Believe or not none of these items were restored; a testament to Japanese craftsmanship and a glimpse into the mentality they carry (til this day) in terms of production quality and the appreciation of finite details. There's something unique about the way the Japanese admire the visual aesthetic... perhaps why I still consider that the best visual merchandising in the world is in Tokyo's stores and windows.

Next stop.

OKADA CAMERA BAR

Some of you may remember Okada-san from a previous blog entry; one of the best kept secrets of Ginza. I'm always rather conflicted whether or not I want to post up information surrounding him and his 'boutique', if you could even call it that. It's almost a museum of sorts, dedicated to some of the most mind-bending collector's items I've ever seen. Total geek's paradise - the moment you walk in, you're offered a beer by a young girl behind the counter... impressive considering the store is probably only 20sqm big. Sure, everything's for sale in the store, but only if Okada likes you; he's turned down some big offers for some of his most prized possessions. Here are some new oddities I saw this time round -

Custom-made Platinum soft shutter release button for his M9. This was custom tooled for him, and costed almost as much as the body. Okada is flown to antique camera auctions in Vienna to advise on the legitimacy of certain items, the authenticity of its parts and serial numbers. This man may joke around a lot, but he's deadly serious when it comes to his gadgets. Next, he shows me his most prized recent acquisition.

This is the Yallu Flex 35mm TLR camera. Doesn't sound familiar? Established in 1947, this is one of the rarest camera finds for serious Japanese camera collectors. With only 20 made in the prototype stage, the Yallu company went bust during the sell-in, and subsequently, all 20 were lost to history. It's so rare that most collectors have never seen one in person; and only 5 working models are known to exist. This is one of them. Not a bad piece of kit for Y5,000,000.

"Made in..." Cool.

It's not all cameras with Okada. Here is his collection of first press records, including a rare cover for Stevie Wonder's "Hotter than July", complete with its mint condition sleeve liner tribute to MLK.

Records and cameras aside, Okada is also an avid timepiece collector. Here's an early 60's Oyster, with radium markings. What's so interesting about radium?

Geiger counter.

... f@#$%^! (I almost dropped the watch)

Aside from cameras, first press records, and vintage timepieces, what about some WWII camera store signs from Austria? Bullet holes optional.

Not a fan of cameras, first press records, vintage timepieces, or WWII camera signs? What about bikes then. Like this 100% original Moulton Stowaway, 1962. Beautiful resto job, no? No. Original paint, fenders, et al. I asked him rather cheekily how much it costed him, and he blushed. Ouch.

The tour continues.

MINDBENDERS & CLASSICS

Up and into quite possibly the smallest lift I've ever been in (if I had a backpack, I would not have been able to fit into this lift), it opens up to a rooftop boutique that specializes in vintage French and English clothing. The owners travel to Europe about 3 times a year to scour markets and vintage stores for men's and women's clothing, some dating all the way back to the 1700's-1800's. This takes the notion of 'op-shopping' to a whole new level.

Brilliantly executed and very well curated; the owners can recite the history and origin of almost every single piece in store. Tommy, have you been here?

Moving on: by this stage, we were already deep into Asakusa territory; the old 'downtown' of Tokyo and playground of some rather... questionable underworld characters.

I'm sure plenty of tourists will know this temple; the big Asakusa shrine (Sanja-sama). This is where the big Sanja Matsuri festival takes place every year; miniature versions of the shrines are taken out of the temple and paraded around the streets of Asakusa with much noise and fanfare. The festival is made notorious by the hundreds of yakuza members who strip down to their underwear, bare their tattoos in public (a very rare sight), and literally fight each other for the right to lead the processions. Every year there are a few casualties, sometimes fatal. Japan eh.

What some may not know is that there are secret underground passages leading into and out of the temple; built as escape routes for the Emperor and the temple's abbots for emergencies. Leo and his father have been given the rare privilege of seeing these secret passages. I asked. He said no. Bummed.

I did learn one important rule walking around Asakusa at night though - try not to stare at men in suits. It could be quite dangerous for your health.

PIPPO STUDIO/GALLERY

Tucked right in the middle of Asakusa is PIPPO, reknowned photographer Itaru Hirama's studio and gallery space. This is one of the very few studios left in Tokyo that develops medium and large format film, and Itaru hosts workshops for the local student community to come and use his facilities in an effort to preserve the artform.

When he's not using it to develop and print his own work, students come and perform walk-abouts in groups, develop the film, and then get together in a group critique of their work. There's also a gallery space that hosts some of Itaru's work or the work of other photographers - if my memory serves me correctly, they just pulled down an Ansel Adams show... incredible.

BAR DUTE

We finished the tour in the wee hours of the night at one of the most surprising places I've been to in Tokyo to date - Bar Dute. Open until 5am almost every night, it's a tiny little hole in the wall 12-seater bar tucked away at the entrance of the "Yoshiwara" (ask a local what this means) and a popular hang out for the downtown crowd; a place where you can find some interesting characters in the evenings being so close to the... action. It's also Leo and Katsu's favourite hangout in Tokyo, which says a lot, considering these men span two generations of exploring Tokyo's 'other side'.

Owner Kenta-san has had no formal chef training, but produces some of the most amazing food I've ever tasted in Tokyo. Fact. We're not talking pub fare here - it's chicken liver with a reduced red wine chutney and smoked chicken wings, grape/mint/rocket salad, and Unagi (eel)... with mustard; all original creations. Believe me, it's incredible. If you're in Tokyo you need to head over there on an excursion one night and give it a go. It's a little far out, but trust me; it's worth the trip. He also mixes some pretty killer drinks, as well as boasting a very impressive liquor cabinet. An amazing way to end the night.

BAR DUTE
2-28-10 Higashi Asakusa, Taito-ku
東京都台東区東浅草2-28-10
03-3875-9122

Thank you to Leo and Katsu, my favourite Tokyo dynamic duo. お疲れ様でした ! !

こんばんは. . . .