High-Tech Cyber Adventures in JAPAN

The population of Japan is 120 million. 1/10th of this is living in Tokyo. Japanese speak Japanese and although they learn english in School not many speak it.

Japan is a big Island. You find almost everything you may want, from traditional to high-tech culture, from ocean to mountain. If you want to see traditional things, go to Kyoto, Nara, Kamakura, etc... If you want to see the big city, go to Tokyo (Roppongi, this place doesnt sleep... there are many places for night time - all night cafes, bars, clubs etc... and it’s the most international place in japan.Nice shopping areas with nice price are in Shibuya, Daikanyama, Shimokitazawa, Kichijoji etc… in Akihabara there are many  shops for electric appliances). Also Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka are an option. An important place is Okinawa in the south with many small islands surrounding it. Very beautiful ocean and not so cold even in winter season. Check it out!

There are unlimited things to do, many adventures to happen and a lot of fun to have but living there on the other side is a whole different story!

It's the place of unexpected opportunities, if you want to stay or work though, you should take some preparations before.

There are 3(or more) ways to do Japan:

• You buy a plane ticket to Tokyo, expect a lot of fun and start to meet people. Most of the time people find themselves staying longer and getting lots of cool things to do. It seems that when you expect nothing, you get the most! Latest after 3 months you need to worry about this because your visa is about to run out. There are many people in Tokyo that have been solving this problem by renewing the visa by simply leave and come back. This is getting A LOT HARDER recently and myself as well as friends of mine were hold in the airport for one (or more!) nights and deported back to where we came from. The solution to this is:
• You get a “holiday working visa”. Many European countries have the opportunity to apply for a visa that allows you to live and work in Japan. For this you have to be between 18 and 25(exceptional until 30!), have about 3000€ to show on your account and have an insurance. There are some things you have to explain and you have to be culturally interested in the country and cannot plan to work in the nightlife scene (officially!)
• If you are planning or interested to work as a teacher there are many programs in each country that support that. To find out more in each case you should check your local Japanese embassy.

Tokyo today has the biggest trance scene in the world! Every weekend you have 2 or 3 big parties where one of them has up to 2500 people. In the summer (May-September) they are outside of Tokyo, mostly in ski resorts with up to 12000 people (3 years ago) and in the winter in huge clubs. New Year 2002/2003 was the biggest party in the last 2 years with about 10000 people indoors. Many artists sell as many or more of their records in Japan as they do in the rest of the world.

Japanese are the most peaceful people, that’s why Tokyo is the safest city in the world compared to other big cities with more than a million people, Tokyo has 12 million people with a population density of 5500 people per sq. km.. You don't have to be afraid at all to walk on any street at any part of the night, even as a girl!

Foreigners or “Gaijin” are very obvious, which can be annoying and helpful at the same time. You will always stand out, wherever you go, kind of like an alien on earth (99.2% are born Japanese) but as an artist people are more curious about you as well. Unfortunately this doesn't automatically mean that you can survive as a trance artist immediately because in Japan your “name” is the most important thing and to get that in Tokyo can be a long and lonely way.

Organisation is number one in Japan and their system is relying on that (with train stations with a flow of 3 million people per day)! The only people who ever break the rules are “Gaijin”, which makes the Japanese slowly more suspicious of letting everybody in and develops some kind of unagressive ignorance against them.

Japan’s claim for success and technical superiority often results in a lack of identity and people sometimes live a very anonymous life. It's a place with no more religion, where following orders seems more important than believing in yourself!

Their respect in rules can be more than frustrating when in a café where they serve coffee and cake as a set, you would not be able to get just cake! On the other hand, to work with Japanese artists and creative organisations is the biggest pleasure and their professionalism and respect in their position is unique! If you get that chance you should use it because in the trance scene that can be hard to find.

So, Tokyo’s pulsating lifestyle with colourful, busy streets, parties 24/7, the best sound technology, monitors for DJ´s that are bigger than most of the sound systems in Europe, is very energising. Whoever feels that you are missing out on something should go to Tokyo!

Doc Sonic informs

Drug Policies are very strict. Drugs are illegal and generally there is no difference between smoking M and taking S. Please notice this. Still you can find everything but for extremely high prices.

Links

• www.vision34.de (Videos, pictures and stories about Japan)
• www.superfuture.com (Maps and shops)
• www.anoyo.net (Organisation)
• www.solstice23.com (Organisation)
• www.arcadia-music.net (Organisation)
• www.visionquest-tokyo.com (Organisation)
• www.techno.to
• www.trancecafe.com (Organisation)
• www.wakyo.jp (Distributor)

Contacts

• kyoko@chaishop.com
• buzztea@chaishop.com

Date: Apr 21, 2005
Text: Basti alias BuzzT, Kyoko
Photos: Basti alias BuzzT, Kyoko
Taken from: The Trancers Guide to the Galaxy 2004

Text

Basti alias BuzzT

DJ, VJ and video maker

basti@vision34.de

Kyoko

kyoko@chaishop.com

I love to see and to feel Life. The global Trance scene it's part of my life.

We are on this world and our life is progressing! arigato!!