When you do a search for the word “creator” you find the following: God; founder; people involved in general production; ad designers. That is to say, photographers, designers, stylists and makeup artists are all creators. Musicians undoubtedly qualify. Recently, my team shot a video of the 4-member band “Nakamura Parking”. Making music videos is the collaborative effort of a variety of “creators”. Striking a delicate balance between everyone’s creative input is a challenge. This can be a blast if everyone is on the same page, but if not, it can be a grueling process. I produced another video a few…
Author: Seasider
Every year Yokohama hosts one of the biggest and best craft beer festivals in the country, called Japan Brewers Cup. Yokohama seems like an appropriate host city, as it was home to Japan’s first beer breweries, including Spring Valley Brewery (now Kirin), which opened in 1870. Yokohama also has several respectable craft breweries, and roughly two dozen craft beer specialty bars, most of them within a few blocks of each other in Naka-ku. Shinya Suzuki, founder-brewer of Yokohama Bay Brewing, is the festival’s organizer–yep, it’s locally run and not exactly corporate. It’s not a dull three days, either. 32 Japanese…
Noge has been an entertainment district for decades, known for cheap eats and drinks… and also for being a little decadent. It has largely cleaned up, due partly to new entrepreneurs moving in with updated restaurants that appeal to a newer generation, such as Noge West End. This cozy little joint a minute from Miyakobashi offers tasty grilled food, craft beer and domestic cider–yes, you heard that right. Japan’s fine alcohol producers (sake, whisky, craft beer) are making headlines internationally. Perhaps domestic cider producers will achieve the same. It’s time to explore. The menu features five rotating ciders for ¥900.…
When searching for a place to set up base, many entrepreneurs and small business operators immediately flock to Tokyo and end up spending excessively on rent and operations costs. Unfortunately, most are unaware of the quality workspaces Yokohama has to offer due to a notable lack of publicity, especially in languages other than Japanese. One place in the city that we can recommend in particular is Work Factory Yokohama. It was founded by Yokohama native, real estate guru, and entrepreneur Tomoya Yamada. Yamada wanted people to be “proud of their lifestyle”. He opened the space to enable people to optimize…
2017 marks the 350th anniversary of the Yoshidamachi area of Yokohama. Originally a field of rice paddies built on reclaimed land, it flourished when the Port of Yokohama was opened to the West in 1859. Like many historic parts of Yokohama, this lead to large-scale, cross-cultural exchange which transformed these areas into what they are today. Yoshidamachi is full of bars, restaurants, galleries and shops of all sorts. You can experience everything from the traditional to the modern in a highly concentrated area. It’s a particularly popular place for Hamakko (Yokohama locals) to hang out. A short 5-minute walk from…
It’s been about twenty years since I met Yoichiro Furuya. We were the same age and in our 30s. If you’re a cameraman in your 30s, you’re basically just getting started and don’t really know as much as you think. But at the time, I wanted to look cool so I talked about photography with swagger. I’m rather embarrassed to reflect now on how ignorant I actually was. But it was during this time that I met him. Now, as then, when fellow cameramen talk, they try to figure out how each other is doing, they engage in posturing to…
Turkish cuisine is richly flavored and quite varied, the result of being a confluence of many other cuisines, from the Balkans and Central Europe to the ancient cultures of the Middle East and Central Asia. Throughout Turkey, travelers can even enjoy a diverse array of regional foods. Yokohama residents can try many of these dishes in Ishikawa-cho at Ceyhan, a charming little restaurant run by friendly chef-owner Kemal Basmaci. Fluent in English and Japanese, Basmaci has created a menu that will please guests of many different tastes and dietary restrictions. If you’re timid and just want to test it out,…
It’s a gift-giving season for many people in Yokohama. There are sales at shopping malls, department stores and in retail districts like Motomachi. The city is lit up with special illumination in all of its popular districts. Special events–like concerts or extravagant dinners–are everywhere. For gifts, it’s easy these days to go online and order something. We’re not against that convenience, but please consider visiting a small, privately owned local shop for a unique gift. Yokohama has quite an array of original goods that are associated with the city nationwide, especially food items like Kiyoken’s shumai (Yokohama-style dumplings) or Ariake’s…
For those that aren’t up for a long ride out of the city, Yokohama is fortunate enough to have its very own onsen right in Minatomirai. The Manyo Club, located right on the harbor across from the Pacifico Yokohama, offers easy access from area hotels, and both Sakuragicho and Minatomirai Stations. Instead of you going to the onsen, they bring the onsen to you with authentic hot spring water brought in from Yugawara Onsen in western Kanagawa. I spent many relaxing hours exploring the impressive selection of baths this “urban onsen” has to offer, comfortably roaming the facilities in a…
Mutekiro sets the standard for fine dining in Yokohama. The word “muteki” means foghorn, symbolizing Yokohama’s identity as a port city. The character “ro” literally means “a many-storied building”, i.e. a “grand maison”. Since its opening at a former Motomachi factory site in 1981, the restaurant has achieved landmark status. Suzuki Nobuharu, owner and Yokohama native, aims to create priceless memories for his guests. All facets of the restaurant embrace the concept of wakon yosai–a blending of Japanese spirit with Western modernity. The interior is adorned with fine works of art including a woodblock print by Yokohama ukiyo-e artist Go’untei…