Akira Shimada: Life is Edit. #21 Bohemian in New York
Akira Shimada | Life is Edit.
#021 Bohemian in New York
New "somethings" are spun and born through encounters with people.
New "somethings" are attracted and born through things.
An editor's job is precisely to create such "encounters."
And life itself is precisely editing.
──Editor Akira Shimada introduces the people, things, and events that have moved him.
It’s been a while since my last contribution. This time, it’s my annual year-end visit to New York. I’ll share some random thoughts and feelings from the snowy street corners, as they come to me.
By Akira Shimada
What New York Has That Tokyo Doesn't
For me, who usually gets around by car in Tokyo, my year-end trip to New York is the time of year I walk the most on my own two feet.
Every year, starting around November, I increase my running distance at the gym to prepare (laughs). This year, New York was compounded by snow and extreme cold, but I managed to wander around aimlessly.
And what I felt most strongly.
It was the unique "looseness" of this city.
Snowy Brooklyn, unlike in the past, is more of a stylish town than bohemian. Like comparing old and new Daikanyama?
A car I saw in Brooklyn. It seemed to be running properly. A truly bohemian way for a car to be (laughs).
The lobby of "ACE HOTEL," with its high ceilings, giant columns, and a tattered, dirty Stars and Stripes flag hanging down. At night, there was acoustic music, Kurt Cobain-style, which felt great.
Since I was staying in the SoHo area this time, I had breakfast every morning at the talked-about "ACE HOTEL" near my hotel. There was a bohemian "looseness" that permeated the air from morning till night, and it felt good.
The bellhops wore casual, loose outfits of peacoats, knit caps, and denim. The front desk staff, both with full tattoos, looked like musicians and were very good-looking. The staff at the adjacent coffee shop, "STUMPTOWN COFFEE," who wore matching hats and ties, were also quite stylish.
Not too long ago, places like "RUGBBY" near New York University were meccas for stylish boys, but for me, the current vibe is definitely here.
As Morgan Collett said, "There are good waves to catch in New York too." True to his word, surfboards were waiting in the backyard, ready for action.
The quiet here makes you forget you're in SoHo.
I was taken by KEN, who lives there, to "SATURDAYS," a surf shop right in the heart of SoHo. You order coffee near the entrance, pass through the shop, and find a courtyard in the back, a place to chill out away from the hustle and bustle. All the staff are surfers, and Morgan Collett, in particular, is a nice guy with a great vibe.
When I asked him, "Is the name of this shop a parody of the movie 'Big Wednesday'?" he gave me the expected laid-back surfer answer: "I don't really know. It just sounded good (laughs)."
KEN's friend, "JYUMONJI," whom I met by chance on the streets of SoHo, is apparently a legendary figure respected by skaters all over the US. He's a tough guy who recently survived a brush with death due to drug addiction. Yet, despite his intimidating appearance, he exuded a unique "loose" aura as he sped past us.
At "darr," an interior shop in Brooklyn co-owned by Turbo, who is currently excelling at expressing bohemian "looseness" (like at the Tribeca Hotel), I saw taxidermy, scrap metal, and old anatomical models – all sources of inspiration for Turbo's work with old things. It was a parade of bohemian elements (laughs).
KEN (left) was also excited about encountering JYUMONJI (laughs). And rightly so, he's a legend. Clueless me didn't know who he was, but I was thrilled by his extraordinary presence (laughs).
The exterior of "darr" perfectly captures the atmosphere of a mad scientist's mansion. The staff lurking inside are also bohemian.
Shop managers, staff member Tsuruta-kun and his partner. The combination of traditional wardrobes with hip-hop is very current.
The golden bicycle at "THE BROOKLYN CIRCUS." It's so cool, it looks like it could be in a Snoop Dogg music video.
And "THE BROOKLYN CIRCUS," located alone in a quiet residential area near "darr," is run by a Black man from Haiti. When I visited, all the customers were stylish Black men in skinny pants, like outcasts. And running the shop is Kohei Tsuruta from Kagoshima's Tsurumaru High School, who really adds a unique flavor (laughs). Ah, I was reminded that Koki Ogi of United Arrows (Liquor, woman&tears) wanted to run a shop like this.
After encountering so many "loose" shops and being influenced by their atmosphere, I realized something.
This atmosphere is what Japan needs most right now, but it's quite difficult to express.
You can create a loose "container," but ultimately, the atmosphere is created by "people." It's the mood of the customers enjoying themselves, their mental capacity. I felt that the soil for adults to understand this is still lacking in Japanese cities. (Wealthy adults still tend to lean towards luxury in Japan.)
After all, both Ralph Lauren's "RUGBBY" and J. Crew's "LIQUOR STORE" skillfully blend this bohemian looseness with their clothing.
But, I vaguely thought that I'd like to try running a bohemian-style shop like this someday.
The Ultimate Bohemian Bookstore
Separate from those stylish bohemians, there was a bookstore where I could enjoy a bohemian mood in a truly comfortable way. That was "HOUSING WORKS BOOKSTORE CAFE."
It's a typical used bookstore, but in the back, there's a cafe, which is not uncommon in New York, where you can take books and browse freely. I dropped in to kill time and bought two art books. When I went to the register, the old cash register was broken. The staff said, "Sorry, can you wait until I fix it?" I replied, "No problem, I have plenty of time." And I waited for 20 minutes (laughs).
The sweating staff member called me over from my seat on the sofa to the register. An elderly man, who seemed to be the owner, came out and said, "Thank you for your patience." He peeled off a sticker marked $10, replaced it with one marked $8, and then gave me an additional 10% discount.
When I thanked him and said, "Thank you. I'll come again," he responded with a big smile.
Ah, I thought, we don't have conversations like this in Japan. I realized that to be bohemian, you need mutual emotional space – looseness – to make it work. I felt this deeply on a snowy New York day.
And my theme for this year is "Let's be bohemian!" (laughs).
To do that, I need to start by meeting many people and feeling many things.
My journey as an editor continues.