Music Districts in Tokyo
 

So I was reading a Japan Times article trying to explain how the author would describe Seiko Oomori to outsiders/why to keep an eye on her- and he went into the fact that while she is outputting an idol sheen, there is no doubt she's a Koenji girl. Which got me reading into the Koenji district- indie-fueled, dirty basements, more extreme music scene than other places around Tokyo. (The main point of the article was about how difficult it is to subvert idol culture, but I've read it all before and was more interested in music districts ;-p)

I know Ringo's main early scene was brought up through Shibuya and Togawa's on the whole was a Shinjuku based styling. Does anyone know of other districts and major acts spawned from them. It's interesting to think that there is such a friendly rivalry between the districts and that each has it's own unique flavor- if on surface level to outsiders it is not noticeable straight away.

Any input or articles you can link me to on this? Or even on areas outside Tokyo. It's interesting to read on how location can change approach and sound to an artist.

Also interested in learning about the districts themselves. What are some of the legendary live clubs/spaces in them, what makes them unique from the others etc.

A few quick thoughts off the top of my head that may prove to be of little value.

I'm pretty sure Ringo once described her music as Shinjuku-kei.

Shibuya-kei was a term coined by journalists to describe the district where "Shibuya-kei" musicians' music was mainly being purchased, not where it was created.

I think Kyary is Harajuku music. Probably some other term is used.

When I worked with an underground theater company in Tokyo, the play was performed in Shimokitazawa, and that area definitely had a youthful, bohemian, creative vibe to it. Music probably comes out of there too.

Akihabara is obviously the realm of AKB48.

counted my old website

places where I went to live music(August 1996 to September 1998)
for avant/improv/prog rock or jazz

Top Districts

Kichijoji 54
Shinjuku 50
Shibuya 40
Roppongi 32
Koenji 25
Hoya/Omori Gakuen 14
Shimokitazawa 9
Minami Aoyama 8
Ichigaya 8
Ekoda 6

Top Venues

Pit-Inn (Shinjuku) 46 // jazz (capacity about 100)
Silver Elephant (Kichijoji) 27 // prog (capacity about 50)
Rumantsch(sp?) Cafe (Roppongi) 27 shut up shop // improv (20)
Manda-La 2 (Kichijoji) 16 // song (100)
20000V (Koenji) 15 moved // noise (50)
La-mama (Shibuya) 14 // song,rock (100)
On-Air West (Shibuya) 14 changed name // larger hall (300)
in'F' (Hoya/Omori Gakuen) 14 // small izakaya, jazz,improv,song (20)
Star Pines Cafe (Kichijoji) 9 // relatively large (150)
Hosei Univ (Ichigaya) 8 may be unavailable now (200)
Manda-La (Minami Aoyama) 8 // relatively large, song (200)
Showboat (Koenji) 7 // song,improv (50)
Buddy (Ekoda) 6 // jazz (50)

------ add

It's actually small triangle area

Kichijoji - Koenji - Shinjuku : JR Chuo Line
Shinjuku - Shibuya (Roppongi/Minami Aoyama) : JR Yamanote Line
Shibuya - Shimokitazawa - Kichijoji : Keio Inokashira Line

a map stolen from somewhere on net

Ha! My friend's band did a show in Koenji. It was totally nasty tiny basement, that still charged me the same amount that the Oomori Seiko show did, even though my friend's band were still totally indies...

Shiina is 100% Shinjuku. I don't know how to describe it, but it just seems so RIGHT! Shinjuku is a really interesting place because you have upscale shops and the seedier parts of Tokyo right next to eachother. All that mixing of young people in suits and people in very dirty suits getting down to 'business' just seems so Ringo to me.

IDK about Togawa. Maybe she's also Shinjuku, but the Shinjuku of HER time? To me, Togawa is like, old-school nostalgia for pre-war Japan mixed with a sort of old-school haughtiness mixed with dirty punk. Where do you think the most "nostalgic" part of Tokyo is?

Nowadays Shibuya has nothing to do with Shibuya-kei. Shibuya used to be the center of Japan's rock scene, but Shibuya AX, one of the most legendary clubs, closed while I was there. The Goto Mariko show was actually the second-to-last show there, and you could tell tensions were high. It was very emotional.

Just as an aside for Oomori: the show I went to was interesting, because while it seemed mostly rock-music fans, there were still some total idol otaku that made me kinda uncomfortable. But I doubt Oomori minded.