Burlesque Booming in Tokyo!

In these last ten ~ twenty years, there’s been a boom in younger Japanese girls getting into Geisha. They aren’t “TRUE” geisha, of course. Long ago, many of the "true" geisha were sold like slaves into geisha agencies usually to pay off massive family debts. Today’s young geisha likes the fashion and costume and make up of old Japan and the world of the geisha. To today’s geisha it is fun and an art form more than it is a lifestyle or a life’s work as it was to traditional geisha in a feudalistic society.

Miwa Rock

But, along with the art of geisha, today’s young Japanese Tokyoite woman has fallen into love with another sort of dancing and art form that was popular in the west from the late 1890s until the late 1950s and that is Burlesque.

Burlesque has found a great comeback in the west, and now in Japan too due to recent Hollywood movies like Burlesque from 2010. Burlesque starred Cher, Christina Aguilera, Alan Cumming, Eric Dane. It was about a small-town girl who ventured to Los Angeles and finds her place in a neo-burlesque club run by a former dancer.

Movies like this, is it said, have been inspired by modern burlesque superstars like Dita Von Tease. Dita is the Michael Jackson Superstar of Burlesque dancing! Maybe some of you haven’t heard of her, but look her up. She has to be one of the most beautiful women in the entire world today! (Photos of Dita Von Teese here Va-Va-Va Voom!) 

Oh, and a funny note is that she was married to Marilyn Manson!

Anyway, because of Dita and the movie “Burlesque” this kind of art form has a revival boom going on in Tokyo today.

One of the Top dancers is a girl who goes by the name of Miwa Rock. Miwa tells me that there are 14 Burlesque dancers in Tokyo today but only five (and she’s one of them) who gets paid for her efforts.

I saw her dancing once and the guys and girls were going crazy and giving her 1000 yen (about $10) tips!

It really blew my mind to see younger Japanese people today mimicking these sorts of western styles and dance fashions that were so popular 70 years ago.

It just goes to show that these trends come and go in cycles and one must always keep and eye open for them to catch them while they are going and see them real time.

(Here's a video that I made with my best friend Ken Nishikawa of a Psychobilly rock band named Bobby's Bar that Miwa Rock appeared in for us. The entire atmosphere of the entire event was breath-taking.!)

Here's Miwa Rock's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/miwa.rock.5?fref=ts

Here's her blog (Japanese only): http://ameblo.jp/miwa-rock1025/

Bobby's Bar - Cool Japanese Psychobilly Rock Band from Tokyo!

I just made the debut video for a Japanese Rock-a-Billy, er, I mean, Psychobilly band from Tokyo named Bobby's Bar. These folks are tight as hell and have an awesome look.

Bobby's Bar

I've mentioned before that I make promotion videos for free for bands to help them (they don't have any money) and I want to pay back to music for the great life it has given me.

Bobby's Bar is a trio with Naoya on guitar, Sharky of stand-up bass and Mira Kuru on drums....

On, and by the way, there is a burlesque dancer in the video too. Her name is Miwa Rock. When we saw her perform we were blown away. It reminded me of the throwback to strip or burlesque dancing from the 1940 or 50s. She says that there is a burlesque boom going on with the young people in Tokyo and it is, in part, due to to the film "Burlesque" featuring Dita Von Teese. Miwa Rock isn't just your average everyday sexy Japanese girl stripper... Er, maybe that didn't come out right... Anyway, Miwa Rock is cool!

Miwa asked Ken and I to make her demo video and we probably will. We might feature Miwa Rock along with making a documentary about youth culture in Japan - we also met an awesome bluegrass banjo player the night of the video shoot too! It's fascinating what the Japanese youth are into these days!)

Here's Bobby's Bar and "Weirdo Jungle".... Enjoy!