Living Tokyo Vintage

Chuo Cinema, Sangenjaya is the perfect place to chill out after a long day. Tucked away behind the main street it is easily missed, but I am so glad I found it.

There are no premieres here I am afraid, usually films that have just been released for rental. Watching the film is only half the fun.

I just love the atmosphere and intimacy of such a tiny, old cinema. The chairs are so springy and loud.

If you look up, you can see the dust falling through the projector light.

It first opened in early Showa period, wartime Japan. In a country where buildings are not intended to last this long and are constantly rebuilt, I am lucky to have found this secret treasure.

Chuo Cinema SangenjayaVintage

I heard rumours that the first films to be shown here were pornographic. Now though, mainstream or independent films draw in ten or fifteen viewers a showing. I hope there are a few more years left for us to hide away from the bright Tokyo lights.

 

 

Boro: Japanese folk fabric

After buying a boro scarf at a Tokyo flea market I wanted to learn more about the scruffy, stylish fabric. I pulled at a loose thread and unraveled an interesting tale going back hundreds of years.

Boro was born of forgotten values of ‘mottainai’ or ‘too good to waste’. An idea dangerously lacking in the modern consumer lifestyle.

The charm of boro is not only the indigo shades and shabby street chic, or even its eco-friendliness. Sewn together over generations, family sagas are woven through the threads. click below to read on…

Japanese Kokeshi dolls: more than a pretty face

Click photo to buy this item in FurugiStar on Etsy

Traditional kokeshi ningyo are Japanese dolls with a colourful history and controversial reputation.  They have been associated with miscarried babies and infanticide. They were guardians of children and keepers of their souls. Today, the word kokeshi is a sexual innuendo due to the phallic shape.

Kokeshi were originally souvenirs for Japanese tourists and offered entertainment to children but developed into something much more. The dolls are fascinating, shocking, sad or mundane depending on the perspective. click below to read on..