The Shit We Do To Make Yall Look Fly: Gibbs' in Tokyo (Part Deux)
*This is continued from an earlier blog post. To see part one, go
here.
DAY 5
Still in Kyoto...did I say this already? I love Kyoto, an amazing city. The perfect combination of history (old shit, temples and shrines and shit) and contemporary (new shit, modern architecture, infrastructure and shit). There are city ordinances that limit how you renovate old buildings so people have to be really creative about building...in the end there is a distinctively different vibe all around this city. The way people update but still pay homage to the ancestors is truly incredible...
anyways...first stop in the AM, coffee. I am not sure if this Inoda coffee is world renown or just another tourist trap...but bottom fuck it...the coffee here is great!
On to more temples...this one here is a Shrine for the gods of Business. It's called the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine. It's protected by these fox statues you see all around. It's basically a giant hill of all these Torii's everywhere. Super cool. (said in a bad french accent soupear cooooolllll).
Solomon really got into the praying at all these temples...he was really serious too...I have mad pictures of him praying at different shrines...GO HAM, SON!
Real talk (AM RADIO). On some Pete Rock and CL Smooth type album cover type shit...This looks like it could be the album cover for a mid 90's Kids rap group. Yeah. Here's the back story...
Two kids from Brooklyn have to move to Japan cause they're parents get relocated. They don't know the language, they don't know the culture, they have a tough time fitting in, but they really get into Samurai culture. The oldest, "Young Shinto" has this beat maker with him and he starts sampling and making beats from old Japanese Kung Fu flicks (cause that's all they can watch and understand, you know!). The youngest is a loner...but he can rhyme his ass off. His name is "Hadouken". He got it from Street fighter...and this is the album cover.
...yeah I have issues...
caught Ish praying too...he tried to do it in secret...
the man, they myth, the legend. Thugmoki. He took care of everything for us. Thanks man!!!!!!
OH SHIT! another album cover. This is from there Jr. Album. They were critically acclaimed off the first release and the fame went to their head. For their sophomore album they tried to do some pop shit and the album bombed. For this album they went back to their roots...
yes...I know, I still have problems...
Our Boy Alan brought us to this dope Bamboo Forest. I wish we could have stayed here all day...I felt like I was in "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon".
Just look at these two love birds...
On to another spot. This one was called...Kiyomizu Temple. If i remember correctly there are both Buddhist and Shinto shrines here...The Shinto is the bright orange you see above. Really fresh!
They both burnt themselves....#TOURISTS!
..so here's the deal. We walk up and there is a huge crowd of people surrounding this big metal weapon. I can't speak Japanese so I don't know what it was but I am going to assume it was an old battle axe that samurai used to carry around. I am guessing that they wanted to show you just how strong the Samurai warriors were that they could carry around this big metal axe. Everyone is taking turns trying to lift it and nobody can do it...I think to myself, these weaklings...let a real man thru! So I push through, like an obnoxious American and cut the line (I usually pride myself on being a polite Canadian, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do..). I go to pick up the AXE, assuming it's gonna be easy and FUCK if I don't almost break my back trying to lift this thing...DAMN. I couldn't move it. Everyone laughed at the stupid American...I couldn't tell em I was Canadian after the scene I made....
Ish tried too...WEAKLING!!!
Who would have thought they had the ill Afro Pick game in Kyoto?
DAY 6
Back in Tokyo. I had another day of work to do, this time going to the Soph. offices. I don't want to bring the kids again cause they almost destroyed the NBHD showroom so I had Beth take em to an Arcade. Here we are on the subway starting our day off...what a cute couple!
Soph. Looked great...I made my way, one by one through all of these racks of goodies...Damn! The Shit I Do To Make Yall Look Fly...
Bumped into Poggy and Kiyonaga at the show...I think this hand sign means "I Love You" in Japanese?
Once I was done...picked up the fam from the crazy arcade. Let's just say the Japanese arcade game is crazy. There are the most random of games there and the kids take this shit really seriously. One dude showed up with a whole outfit in his bag and changed before he started to play...And he murdered it. Meanwhile..the three black people with the most SWAG in the country could barely play the DANCE game???
aight...off to Shibuya for a little shopping....Those pink things in the back ground have something to do with Cherry Blossom season...but I don't know what?
Stop at my favorite Gyoza spot for lunch. Kids are getting knackered, it's been a long week and they were starving!!!
this is one of those "fill in your own caption" moments I'll start. "...yo dude, I told you we should have worn our Kimono...I feel mad under-dressed for this...".
DAY 7
This is our last day...we had a great time but ready to go home too...
So on our last day, we took the kids to Odaiba. Which is a man made island in Tokyo that has like amusement parks and malls and...apparently a life size Gundam. Pretty dope! We spent the day there doing kid shit... nothing blog worthy...
..at night we went by the Biotop store. One of my favorite stores in Tokyo. Really well curated. The had my boys OAMC front a center. Good job fellas!!!!
next up..we went to the Tokyo Tower to get some fresh night views of the city skyline...
These guys obviously think they are gangsters??? Look how tired Tomoki looks...he is officially over us at this point.
well that is if the third guy on the podium was a Japanese Anime character...
...cherry Blossoms...
Last stop. My favorite restaurant in Tokyo. Shabu Gen. The dopest Shabu Shabu spot ever!!!!
home sweet home...
