Dirty Dozen +1 (Around the world...)

[chambo2008]

i think you should revel who said no on the poll vote so i can neg rep!! lol

[mizanation]

interesting thing happened today while i was waiting in line to get on base to teach my mma class. somebody behind me was saying, "yeah, and this is a picture of japanese repro denim from 1979." i turned around with the quickness and asked him if he just said "japanese repro denim." it was an american dude with a girl and another dude looking at pictures of japanese denim on his camera. apparently, he just got into this denim thing and was pretty enthusiastic about it. i asked him if he was on superfuture and he said no. i told him to check it out. this is the first time i've met an american over here who was into repro denim, so it caught me by surprise.

[mizanation]

yesterday, we hung out with nakanishi-san aka "ism."

he was wearing a dope pair of hickory overalls.

for lunch, we went to farmer's market. it was the opening day of our friend's new restaurant, so we went to check it out.

on the way over, we walked over a bridge.

there were fish in there and we also saw a turtle. can you find the turtle? sorry, no prize for this.

[mizanation]

we got to our friend's little restaurant.

we ordered soba. it was only $4 and it was great.

[mizanation]

nakanishi-san took us to his workshop. he is going to move to a much bigger space, but for now, this is the place he has been working out of for the past couple years.

we were greated by a lion-dog.

and then by a dog.

and then by a beautiful garden.

and then by his workshop.

[mizanation]

his workshop was a cluttered mix of tools, paint, vintage americana, and well, junk.

he puts pinstripes on everything. like his toolbox.

he has this ancient jukebox.

and another old jukebox.

[mizanation]

there was an old exhaust pipe hanging from the ceiling. he keeps it just in case the one on his truck falls apart.

to the right is an old-school japanese buoy.

back in the day, all the buoys in japan were made out of green glass. now, they make nice decorations.

his welding helmet.

the door to his welding area.

calculator with pinstripes.

[mizanation]

then, i spotted his old racing helmet. nakanishi-san was an aspiring motorcycle racer in tokyo for 10 years.

he went to the back of his shed and brought out his old race suit.

you could tell it's been through more than a few spills on the asphalt.

this is the shredded up knee of the suit.

[slowdownarthur]

wow! enjoying this thread so much...please continue for another year!

[mizanation]

this is nakanishi-san's truck. it's a type of truck called a "kei-truck." it's small and is very fuel efficient--great for moving stuff around. if you remember, they also have "kei-cars" here which are also very economical.

of course, he put some pinstripes on it.

they have kei-trucks that are also dump trucks! i guess you would call them kei-dump trucks. some of the kei-dump trucks empty out to the side, instead of the back. i would love to get a kei-dump truck, fill the back up with speakers and put it on hydraulics.

[drapygo]

dang! sports bike, i'm actually in the process of trying to get me one.

[mizanation]

on park avenue, there was a crew doing construction. i want to show you what a construction worker in japan wears. check this out, it's fresh.

the pants are really baggy for maximum mobility. when i first saw a japanese construction worker, i thought he was a raver! then, after a while, i started to wonder why all these japanese ravers were carrying around power tools...

oh, and another cool thing that japanese construction workers wear--ninja tabi footwear!

that's right. the tabi boots made legendary by the infamous ninja are still in effect to day in japan. they provide the perfect combination of comfort, support and traction, with an extra helping of bad-ass ninja style.

[mizanation]

that's it for now. see you guys tomorrow.

[shark jacobs]

i'm not sure if its more awesome or insane to work in construction with what is pretty much the least protective footwear you can find

[dandandan]

+rep for construction ninja & for so many great posts!

[Corbin Law]

i am so distraught that i voted yes.

i didnt see the fuck yes i swearrr

[wesc]

hope nothing drops on his toes in that construction . unless dey is steel toed !

[mizanation]

i'm not sure if its more awesome or insane to work in construction with what is pretty much the least protective footwear you can find

hope nothing drops on his toes in that construction . unless dey is steel toed !

yeah, construction in japan is on another level. safety is at such a high level that construction workers have no need to wear steel toed shoes. here is an article about the japanese construction industry.

http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=583&storycode=3111274&c=3

the history of japanese construction workers and carpenters is pretty sick. back in the day, houses were made without using nails. the would cut the wood so that everything would fit perfectly together like a huge 3D jigsaw puzzle. this allowed the wood to expand and contract with the changes in the humidity.

the tabi boots and big pants are remnants from that era. the boots provide flexibility that helps in getting up on scaffolding and walking on beams high up in the air. they use safety practices that prevent things from falling on their feet, so no need for steel toes. 92% of japanese construction projects have a zero-accident rate, according to the article. compare that with 62% in the UK.

here's another article i found on japanese construction fashion.

http://pingmag.jp/2006/01/18/construction-worker-fashion/

[Akira]

ps: that construction worker's uniform is the shit

[mizanation]

good job, akira! you have successfully found the turtle.

[sybaritical]

You can buy steel toe Jika-tabi a whole bunch of places and they're dead cheap! We all went mental for them a couple years ago .... remember this thread?

[drapygo]

I want some of those sandals miz!

[mizanation]

I want some of those sandals miz!

working on it, drapygo!

[mizanation]

You can buy steel toe Jika-tabi a whole bunch of places and they're dead cheap! We all went mental for them a couple years ago .... remember this thread?

did anyone get a pair of these?

[dopamine]

I have to say, I started reading this thread and I haven't been able to stop - it's now 4:55 AM and I'm on page 175. Mizanation's posts in particular really stood out, I'm a college student right now and I think after all that, I've pretty much decided to study abroad next year (although not in Japan, as my knowledge of Japanese is basically nil). Thanks for an inspiring thread, and I hope to get in on one of these world tours someday!

Hah - I didn't even realize this was my first post - I guess I've just been pretty much lurking around here forever.

*edit*

And now It's 5:47 AM, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to finish the thread! Yay!

[mizanation]

today, i went to the local 100 yen shop. these are similar to the dollar shops we have in the states except that they are 100 TIMES BETTER! the stuff that you can buy at the 100 yen shops is mind boggling. it's crazy. they have everything and anything you could ever imagine and it's all for 100 yen (cheaper than a dollar).

there are books in japan on how to build all sorts of incredible shit using ONLY materials bought from 100 yen shops. there are magazines that show you how to remodel your entire house using 100 yen shop items. honestly, i would have moved to japan JUST FOR the 100 yen shops, believe it or not. they are that fucking dope.

welcome to wonderland.

we've got figurines.

we've got tools and hardware.

we've got gift boxes and gift bags.

we've got stationary.

we've got office supplies.

we've got wrapping paper.

we've got laundry supplies.

we've got dozens of different types of plastic containers.

[mizanation]

we've got slippers.

we've got vacuum storage bags in every possible size. and air freshners.

we've got multi-toed socks! i have yet to try these, but a lot of people swear by them. they say they keep your feet from getting funky. i will try these out sometime and of course, take pictures.

we've got tons of plates, cups, mugs, bowls, etc....

we've got kitchen supplies.

we've got silverware and knives.

we've got mutherfuckin' tupperware, bitch!

we've got panties!

and finally we've got snacks and drinks!

they have a lot more stuff at these 100 yen shops, but i think you get the picture. i love this place. later, if i find an item that i particularly love, i will showcase it on my blog. ok, gotta work on the store and hit up a party. peace.

[chambo2008]

damn maybe you could proxy me a japanese chef knife, i use katsumi or globel ...

[sybaritical]

did anyone get a pair of these?

I had a pair, but I found myself stepping on and destroying my hems so I got annoyed and ditched them.

You could always pin roll your jeans, I guess. But it might just look wrong.

[mizanation]

working ninja tabi-boots into your everyday ensemble has always been a nagging problem for the fashion conscious modern ninja.

ooh, how bout a ninja tabi boot in the form of an AF1 or a chuck taylor? i said it first!