Skating in Tokyo - Understanding a Complex World
On any given weeknight, you may come across a lively bunch of young people standing with a beer in one hand and a skateboard in the other.
That’s as real as Tokyo gets; forget VIP parties, shopping into oblivion, maid cafes, and top-notch public transportation, the gritty side of it is where it's the brightest. Through the grinding of skateboard wheels come out bouts of fashion trends, art, and competition, leaking into a multitude of neighboring subcultures. Despite this, it’s actually one of the hardest cities to skate in, if not completely prohibited.
Being a skater has been regarded as cool in every decade since its birth in the 60s. However, with that comes a lot of responsibility, mostly in Japan; with angry cops on your back at all times, it’s hard to skate in the same spot for very long, and in many public, outdoor places, it’s simply illegal. When a subculture collides with the inherent nature of society, barriers are built almost instantly. Additionally, other cities like Los Angeles, Barcelona, and New York overshadow what Tokyo can offer.
Though the above-mentioned cities and their counterparts are rightfully celebrated for their diverse and active communities, Tokyo does not fall far behind when it comes to its talent and competitiveness. This is backed up by the shiny gold medal that Yuto Horigome skillfully snatched from his opponents - the first-ever Olympic skateboard competition was won by a Japanese skater in 2021. In fact, this gold medal did make the rules that authorities enforced a little more lenient: instead of viewing this culture as vulgar, Japan is starting to consider it a sport. Though these baby steps are well-intentioned, Tokyo is still on the back burner.
The Sabukaru network had to dive into this busy and ever-changing community.
Throughout the heat waves of 2022’s summer, Sabukaru had the honorable opportunity to have a chat with skaters, artists, and skate shop staff. Divulging the upcoming brands as well as the political and cultural aspects in play, members of two uprising crews and the most popular skate shop in Tokyo sat down with us. This article introduces Tokyo’s skateboarding culture as told by KOIAI STUDIOS [@koiaistudios], NEWSIDE [@newside__], and PROV Harajuku [@provtokyo].
Debuting in late 2019, KOIAI STUDIOS was a skate crew founded by Kimi Juds [@yokijidai], in order to bridge the gap between the sporty side of skateboarding and the “other” side; to fully comprehend this subculture, one has to understand that it’s not just about being able to kickflip or not, but the creative engagement.
KOIAI STUDIOS gathers eight like-minded skaters who dabble in filmmaking, fine art, graphic design, photography, and more. They have been featured in Eyescream Magazine, Skate Jawn, and many more. Two members, Sera Kanno [@sera.k1996] and Kosy Yamamoto [@kosyamamoto], who’s also an invested musician, joined Kimi to talk about skateboarding to Sabukaru.
From left to right: Kanta Sugihara, Teppei Okubo, and Daisuke Ikeda, shot by Riku Shibata @_dirtyswan
Following the thread of creativity, NEWSIDE is also on a mission to expand the boundaries of the skate scene. Based in Shin-Yokohama, the crew is made up of a few members, but the numbers aren’t set in stone as they are like a perpetually open door, inviting and recruiting new people.
This time, we were joined by Kanta Sugihara [@kanta.sugihara], Shogo Tanaka [@shogo__tanaka], and the uprising Daisuke Ikeda [@ikeda__daisuke]. NEWSIDE is pushing the exportation of Japanese skate films and strongly advocates for more free creative skateboarding spaces.
On top of that, Teppei Okubo [@savingmrpunk], a prolific skater and up-and-coming independent videographer, helped us connect everything together with his experiences here and overseas. He has worked on many of NEWSIDE’s videos.
On the other hand, PROV is arguably the most popular skate shop in central Tokyo. With customers ranging from globally acclaimed professional athletes to people just browsing for cool tees, the Harajuku-located store has its doors open to everyone and is always willing to promote local zines, host skating video screenings, and fuel Tokyo’s skating legacy. Wataru Hotta [@alldirtymustard], Motoki Sugino [@motoki_sugino], and Takeshi Aso [@goldbonze] were kind enough to walk us through the current trends and talk about their years of experience as staff and as devoted skaters.
One of the burning questions was about the hurdles involved in skating here, and everyone was quick to sigh in defeat: it’s a lot harder than it should be.
Supporting this are the rules put out by members of the local police, so skaters of every corner agree on this one thing unanimously.
In fact, Motoki Sugino from PROV states that it is tricky to get around on a skateboard in peace. He knows a thing or two: dabbling in it for nearly a decade, Motoki is a respected member of the underground crew Youth no Yousu, a Tokyo-based youth group of prolific and vivacious skaters. Before working at PROV, Motoki lived in New York, so comparing both cities is instinctive: the legal issues that skateboarding faces here don’t exist over there.
In most cases, authorities will politely ask them to leave the premises, but this doesn’t rule out the angry law-abiding citizens who violently threaten the unwelcomed skaters or even some police officers who will go as far as lying down and spreading their limbs across the area they are coveting, like a snow angel.
However, Tokyo is extremely peaceful: if you leave your board outside of the convenience store, chances are it will stay there like a dog waiting after its owner. The safety here is often taken for granted, just like clean, smooth roads.
Daisuke Ikeda of NEWSIDE compares this scene to his experience in Brazil; though it was evidently more vivid and pure fuel, going out at night is a no-go, while most of the skating here happens after the sun sets, far from less than eager passersby. In general, citizens of the Nippon archipelagos are less prone to theft and various crimes, and this seems to apply to the skate scene. Shogo Tanaka adds to this: “Things don’t stick to the wheels.” Specifically, chewed gum and feces, which he recounts seeing in ample amounts when he was overseas.
The skate scene here has been established for quite some time here.
During the 80s and 90s, the American sport transported itself into the bright streets of Urahara. Legendary crews like T19 paved the way for skateboarding now in Tokyo. Though the influence is there, it seems like the impact did not single out Tokyo’s skate culture.
In fact, Kimi Juds from KOIAI STUDIOS does mention that the internal systems of skate scenes in various other countries don’t really differ. There seems to be a pattern where Japan-based skaters find that foreign cities are more open to integrating the bustling life of the community though, as he specifically compares to LA, where he spent a few years.
Just because it’s in Tokyo, doesn’t mean that there is immense pride and praise for their OG skaters: the community is imperatively mixed, getting inspiration from overseas and local figures.
It is to say that the scene here is deeply influenced by the Western scene, so trends follow tidally. When the other side of the planet is skating, it seems Tokyo is in parallel, and that includes fashion. Wataru Hotta from PROV only began to have an interest in skateboarding once his closet was full of skate brands at age 18, and he states that he “felt incomplete without the sport.”
Clothing is generally a gateway for starters, just like when that one Thrasher hoodie was the only thing that mattered back in 2017. At PROV, Wataru, Motoki, and Takeshi agree that a big percentage of their customers don’t dabble in the sport, and are simply looking to browse tees instead of trucks.
People outside of Japan see it as a reverent and cohesive society. Skaters don’t have a good reputation here, and it’s understandable.
It’s not like people who skate are welcomed with open arms in the rest of the world either. The wheels make a ton of noise in the cramped up streets, and since there’s already very little space to navigate in Japan, it can get troublesome to have unpredictable semi-pedestrians on wobbly boards.
Shogo Tanaka from NEWSIDE empathetically states that hearing the commotion of skaters while you’re sleeping is definitely annoying. Above all, the groups we’ve interviewed have meekly admitted that skaters can be a big nuisance in terms of vandalism, like graffiti and, more specifically, popping off skatestoppers for ease and spite.
However, it’s hard to judge with the mix of age groups and the size of the scene. Kimi Juds from KOIAI STUDIOS mentions that because of the latter, “[the] statement has less validity [...] because you can say yes, but also no”. Because of the scale of the community, the bad apples within don’t help improve Japan’s narrow view of it. “It holds us weight”, clarifies Juds.
Above all, it’s kind of unfortunate that skaters in Japan get such a bad reputation because skate parks aren’t as widely accessible as the country thinks they are. Police officers who kick them out of public places often ask them to go to these parks, but most are located on the outskirts of Tokyo and may take a couple of hours by train to get to, claims Teppei Okubo.
On top of that, Motoki Sugino from PROV says there are entrance fees and safety regulations that refrain people from fully expressing themselves and experimenting. Komazawa’s Olympic Park, a popular skatepark in the metropolis, gets overcrowded quickly, and free local outdoor skateparks constituted of simple concrete slopes and enough space to roll around, as we often see in Canada and the US, don’t exist.
With the COVID-19 pandemic having effects on multiple spheres of life for everyone, it propelled skating like a second viral disease.
With too much free time on their hands, many teenagers and young adults turned to skateboard to quench their boredom. NEWSIDE’s Kanta Sugihara actually recalls that there were around 20 000 new people joining the community. Though the accuracy of this number is foggy, he isn’t far from the truth. Members of PROV were baffled at the tripling of the demand for boards, which is the wooden plank attached to the wheels. Ironically, because of infection-curbing shipping measures, the orders of the boards didn’t arrive on time and the shop now has a never-ending stock of them.
On a positive note, Sera Kanno from KOIAI STUDIOS recalls the beginning of the pandemic with a huge smile. “It was seriously awesome”, he says, clarifying that because there was no one outside to stop you, you could skate for as long as you wanted. Kanno says the only downside was that there were fewer foreign skaters and events because of the circumstances. Naturally, with activities resuming all over the country, Tokyo is met with a new abundance of skaters, although the numbers dropped a bit because people got busy again.
If we rewind back to the summer of 2021, Yuto Horigome was everywhere on the news.
Winning a gold medal during the 2020 Olympics meant a lot for Japan and for skateboarding everywhere in the world. The boys from NEWSIDE comically mention that the Tokyo-native athlete is like a hero to the nation, but reverently agree that he is responsible for properly reintroducing skateboarding to the country. It certainly popularized skateboarding greatly too, says Teppei, as well as an increase in the production of skate videos.
Takeshi Aso, PROV staff and skater, wonders why the country does not celebrate the sport more since it won the first-ever gold medal in the Olympian category. He also mentions that women who skate have increased, at least in terms of visibility, since this subculture has a bigger percentage of men partaking in Tokyo.
Differing from other areas, the city does not have any iconic skating spots like other cities, says Ikeda Daisuke. Teppei jumps back on this statement and adds that he believes that, if more Japanese skate videos made waves overseas, Tokyo would have a bigger place on the map. Daisuke clarifies that although they get penalized for skating, they don't get penalized for uploading videos, which is essentially why YouTuber skaters are such a sought-out career because it is easier to get attention and sponsorships, therefore income, through the accessibility of the net.
Although, in terms of spots, different crews go to different places. The interviewed members of KOIAI STUDIOS are familiar with Tokyo’s business district, as it’s pretty calm outside of office hours, around Shinjuku or Otemachi, but they don’t restrict themselves.
In fact, Motoki from PROV says that, since Tokyo’s skating community is so small, people can skate virtually anywhere regardless of their group, because, inevitably, all skaters are connected. It is to say that while the Japanese capital is extremely influential culturally, it’s a small city geographically.
On the other hand, though they like to go wherever suits their mood, NEWSIDE favors Shin-Yokohama, since its the neighborhood that connected the members of the crew. It makes sense that people prefer proximity and familiarity, but that doesn’t enclose their decisions. It also goes back to the fact that authorities would rather have them off public areas, so it sometimes boils down to whatever is accessible.
All in all, skating in Tokyo is very much alive. Through all of its unspoken rules, vivacity, and ever-changing nature, it created a home for itself in this bustling city.
There are many up-and-coming brands and names that have not yet made their way out of the city, notably Equal [@equal.jp], which was actually founded by Takeshi from PROV and his friend Taisei Hirai [@ask.much]. It really takes in the edgy and ironic component of skateboarding and turns it into one-of-a-kind, practical and durable items.
Equal stickers
On top of that, trying to engage with Tokyo’s community without being familiar with Creation Printing Service [@creationprintingservice] is a debutant mistake. Established around 2020, it’s one of the fastest-growing brands in the scene. Founded by Raku Endo [@raku_endo], it specializes in high-quality screen printed goods and has been observed in local magazines, such as Popeye.
As seen on Ollie Magazine
The Instagram account Confession Video [@confession_video] is a Tokyo-based skate video archive and resell platform. It is actually said that the owner of the account has the biggest collection in the city. Rare finds are regularly posted.
A previous pop-up flyer
In addition, besides the effervescent crews that are KOIAI STUDIOS and NEWSIDE, Youth no Yousu [@youthnoyousu] is an uprising crew who’s continuously inspiring the current generation of skaters with their veracious energy, as well as the crew BUGGYE [@buggye_], who is as talented as they are genuine and vivid.
Lola’s Hardware [@lolas_hardware] is one that goes down into the books. Based in Tokyo and Australia, it was founded in 2017, and Lola’s Hardware has it all, from tools, beanies, and patches, to curated mixes of all genres. Their videos are also incredibly popular in the street skate scene.
Last but not least, Evisen [@evisenskateco] is a definitive favorite of the scene. They’ve reached legendary status thanks to the brain behind it, Katsumi Minami. Whether it’s boards or apparel, Evisen has done it all, including collaborations with big-name brands such as Adidas. They are easily considered to be Japan’s top skate brand.
Starring hyperskater Kento Yoshioka, alias Japanese Super Rat
It is to say that, although it faces some challenges, Tokyo’s skate scene is still incredibly animated and is home to many people, regardless of age and background.
It would be a lie to say that it doesn’t have an impact on the rest of the world, especially when it comes to art and fashion. Though the structures of the country shun it, the sound of skateboard wheels rolling on the city’s asphalt will forever be a cherished part of living in this city.
THANK YOU TO
Photography:
Riku Shibata @_dirtyswan
Interviewees:
Kimi Juds @yokijidai (KOIAI STUDIOS)
Kosy Yamamoto @kosyamamoto (KOIAI STUDIOS)
Sera Kanno @sera.k1996 (KOIAI STUDIOS)
Takeshi Aso @goldbonze (PROV)
Motoki Sugino @motoki_sugino (PROV)
Wataru Hotta @alldirtymustard (PROV)
Daisuke Ikeda @ikeda__daisuke (NEWSIDE)
Kanta Sugihara @kanta.sugihara (NEWSIDE)
Shogo Tanaka @shogo__tanaka (NEWSIDE)
Teppei Okubo @savingmrpunk
Special thanks to:
Hikaru Nishihara @hkrnishi
In loving memory of cherished friends and celebrated skaters, S.B. and A.S. Rest in peace.
About the Author:
Mizuki Khoury
Born in Montreal, based in Tokyo. Sabukaru’s senior writer and works as an artist under Exit Number Five.
