TOKYODV Video Log

On my way to another shoot in Yoyogi Park, I stumbled upon the Digiko Girls ‘performing’ outside Hachiko exit in Shibuya.

The sun glistened off their shiny black boots as they squeeked out their latest tune..

No one seemed to mind they couldn’t sing since they provided colorful energy on an otherwise monotonous day.
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An interview with Yukako in her jumpsuit on the streets of Harajuku. She has long lashes, checkered shoes, and a warm gaze.

She tells us where she likes to shop, what she’s wearing, and gives specific detail of her desires for Christmas.. In Japanese with English subtitles.Originally released in 2003.
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A good friend scored me seats three rows from the Dohyo at the January Sumo Tournament in Tokyo. A great view looking up at the wrestlers. Aside from my aching knees, it was a perfect day. This is a video nugget from the event.

This match between the rising star Baruto and veteran Asashoryu turned out to be their last; Asashoryu retired after this tournament because of a report he started a fight at a club in Tokyo..
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An interview with a minister of a small church in Chiba, Japan. Mr. Suzuki is tattood, pinkyless, and basking in the glow of God’s love.. Becasue ‘Jesus loves him for who he is’; an ex-member of the feared Japanese mafia – the Yakuza.

See the video interview here and read the article by Captain Japan – From Crime to Christ: Former Yakuza Sees the Light.
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Originally released in 2004.

A good friend of mine was attending Kimono lessons at the Hakubi Kimono School in Tokyo. I went to a demonstration at the school; Here we see two teachers dressing a woman as royalty would be dressed. It’s a kimono with twelve layers. I’ve dubbed it ‘Twelve Layers O’ Fun’..
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My first real clip of effectively mixing sound-loops with video. The Mercedes Benz F400 Carving surprised me when I first saw it; The real-life Batmobile!

Three weeks after I posted this clip, I received an email from Germany. It was from one of the engineers who helped design the front-end steering mechanism for the F400. He liked the video and wanted to know more about what I saw at the Motor Show that day; the crowds, the impressions, the atmosphere at the Mercedes area.

We exchanged a few emails, and I got the first taste of what video could bring to the Internet experience. This was in 2001 and broadband hadn’t matured yet. At the time, everyone was streaming content. I hated streaming video; Downloading small packages of quality video was a much better experience, in my opinion.. and I knew what the viewers were seeing.

You can find more on the F400 Carving at Edmunds.com: “Incorporating drive-by-wire technology, this ‘Benz controls steering and braking through computer-monitored impulses rather than conventional racks and cables. This allows for quicker responses from the car; after all, these computers are smarter than you. They override human inputs that it deems as incorrect (Hal? Hal?)..”
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The Digiko Dunlop Girls perform, what I believe to be a popular Puffy song at the time; Cant remember the title.

There were many girls performing at the Tokyo Motor Show that day, but I was most impressed with this group. They captured the pure, innocent silliness often associated with radial tires. :D.
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Related – WATCH the most recent Digiko Girls performance here..