Category Archives: Kochi Beat

The only guide you need for Kochi, Japan.

Dewali: Live Concert by Windbeat & DJ Yutaka Dec. 10!

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On a cold, dark night in December

December 10 is scheduled to be a full lunar eclipse here in Kochi.  To make sure the night isn’t completely dark, Windbeat and DJ Yutaka have have put together a live show called Dewali, where you are sure to enjoy some cool music.

This gig is also a great opportunity to check out Attic, an awesome bar downtown that you probably haven’t heard anything about yet as it has been existing in obscurity since it opened about six months ago.  After this night, we are hoping it will become one of your regular chill zones.

In fact, Attic is so underground not even Google maps have discovered it yet.  Check out our lovely hand-drawn map of the location below.

So, come out in the darkness of this  moonless, chilly December night to find yourself among friends in the dimly lit Attic, kicking back to the laid back tunes of Dewali.

details

When:  Dec. 10, 2011

Time:  8:00-11:30

Where:  Attic

Tickets:  1000 yen at the door, no drink

Super Planets 2011: More party to the Halloween party

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Halloween is another time of the year in Kochi where there is no lack of parties to attend.  This year, however, will be super sized!

In addition to the normal mayhem that happens at the Hirome Halloween Bash, you can also join the club circuit of Super Planets 2011.

There will be seven venues hosting sixty DJ’s, transforming downtown Kochi into a Halloween wonderland.  People not in costume may feel more out of place this year than those who are.

One ticket gets you into all venues, and some places have a drink included.  Also, if you’ve got your wristband or ticket, you can get into the Hirome Party for 1000 yen, even if you’re not in costume.

This all night party kicks off at Obiyamachi Park at 6:00 and ends at 8:00.  You can get your wrist band there and enjoy the kick off party for free.  Most other venues open from 9:00 and run til 5:00 in the morning.  Check here for a list of venues, their times, and a map.

details

Official Event Website

Time:  Kick Off Party in Obiyamachi Park at 6:00, everywhere else at 9:00

Price:  Advanced tickets are 3000 yen, at the door it’s 4000 yen

Hirome Halloween Bash: Come strut your alter ego finest

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Come strut your alter ego finest at the annual Hirome Halloween bash.
Lots of live music, dancing, and prime people watching.

Wearing a costume qualifies you for a discounted ticket price AND
entrance to the costume contest. Winners will receive cash prizes and
so much friggin’ notoriety it’s ridiculous.

details

Saturday, October 29th
Doors open at 11:00
Cost is 1000 yen with costume
1500 yen without costume
*to qualify for the contest, please arrive before 12:30

Various stalls will be open and selling food and booze, such as: the
beloved “just beer, no head” Famille, K’s cafe, and Sanctuary Bar.

Brought to you by Dave and Friends.

Sake tasting at Hikaruya

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The sake hempai-ed at you as another enkai draws to a close is NOT good sake. I know many people who have written off this delicate Japanese wine purely on the basis of the rough stuff brought out at weddings and beer gardens. The truth is, that with a bit of guidance, and with the right food, nihonshu is really rather wonderful.

Hikaruya, which has been reviewed on this site as a place for a good bowl of udon at lunch time is also a fine Izakaya by night. On October 16th, you can treat yourself to a little lesson in all things rice wine with some good food to boot!

It is a bit steep at 5000 yen, but that includes six courses and lots of sake!

Call in advance to book your table on 088-855-3344

 

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Friends 4: DJ NOBU

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Oct. 21 – Get your dank dance on

The friends club night is quickly gaining notoriety as Kochi’s most cutting-edge, out-there event on the Kochi night calendar.

If you have had your fill of the slightly more commercial musiq lovers, then head to Otamajaxy on October 21st, for a night of dank mayhem in the presence of Japan’s most respected underground techno DJ, NOBU.

DJ Nobu has played all Europe and in some of the most highly rated techno clubs of Berlin. He has also released a number of mix CDs. Check out No way back and Berghain for a taste of what is awaiting you!

Expect deep progressive techno, in fitting with the Halloween season.  Yohei, the local Japanese DJ who invited Nobu down, says if you come you will ‘hameru’, sink into the deep and addictive sounds and dance until daybreak.

The details

  • Date:  10/21 (fri)
  • Time: 10pm till morning
  • Ticket: 2000 yen.
  • Place: Otamajaxy


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World Music Night vol. 8 Aug. 24

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The eighth World Music Night concert will be held at Culport as always, and will be featuring Dos Orientales, Rey Tambor, and local band Windbeat.

As many people living in Kochi already know, Windbeat is a five piece ensemble that mixes guitar, various percussion, and shakuhachi (and iPhone!).  If you have not yet been to one of their concerts, check out their homepage.

Ray Tambor are a trio of Tambor drums from Uruguay continuing a 200 year tradition of Afro-Uruguayan rhythm Candombe.  Listening to these guys is not only very enjoyable, but also educational.  Read up more about this musical style at the link above.

Dos Orientales consists of a keyboardist from Brazil and a percussionist from Japan.  They write amazing arrangements that make the music seem so much more than just a piano and percussion.

We hope you’ll make it out to this event as summer vacation is wrapping up.  There will be a lot of food around as well, so come on an empty stomach and enjoy a variety of flavors, sounds and people at this wonderful event that has become another signature event of Kochi.

details

when:  Aug. 24, 2011 (Wed.)

where:  Cul-Port Hall (the smaller one)

time:  doors at 6:00;  music at 6:30

cost:  adv. 2000yen ;  2500 yen on the day

 



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Manifune, the Grooving Shamans: Live at Altec 8.27

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The flyer says something to the effect:

Get ready for this duo on guitar and drums.  The way in which their jazzy rhythms and at points very ethereal melodies seemingly miraculously come together will shake the stuff that supports your sense of individuality, creating a feeling that will flutter through the audience reminding everyone that music is truly the heartbeat and creating force of life.

That unstoppable feeling of epiphany will also create a great sense of oneness between all peoples, as borders of nations and individuals simultaneously seem to vanish.

You can listen to some of their stuff on their My Space page, and they also have a homepage at www.manifune.com.

A very interesting sound and definitely worth going to check out!

details

When:  8.27 (Sat.)

Time:  doors at 7:00,  music from 7:30 to 9:10

Venue:  Altec (Tel.  088 . 883 . 4579)

Cost:  2000 yen, first drink is 500 yen



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Animation World: Cute! Fun! Mystery!

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If Cute! Fun! Mystery! and Animation tickle your fancy, then you may find the Kochi Ken Museum of Art an interesting place August 13th and 14th. The Museum is hosting a film event, titled 「アニメーションの世界」or “Animation World.”

Location: Kochi Museum of Art

When: 08/13 and 08/14

Price: General Tickets (before): 1,000 Yen; (day of): 1,200 Yen

Elementary Students (before): 500 Yen; (day of): 600 Yen

Time: 9:30~6:00

 Animation Schedule

Pomunenka’s Attic: A Program; 10:00-11:20; 75 minutes, 35 millimeter, 2009

Mary and Max: A Program; 11:25-12:59; 94 minutes, BD, 2008

3 Short Animations: B Program; 2:00-3:15

Fairy Tale: 9 minutes, 1984

Carol and Marrin: 24 minutes; 2003

Life Without Gabrielle Ferri: 44 minutes; 2008

3 Short Animations: B Program; 3:25-4:37

Is the World Really Round?: 10 minutes, 1977

The Magician in the Woods: 10 minutes, 1978

Pornography: 52 minutes, 2005

4 Short Animations: B Program; 4:45-6:00

Triangle: 15 minutes, 1982

Hotel E: 30 minutes, 1992

Night Where the Pope Doesn’t Exist: 6 minutes 34 seconds, 2006

The Diver in the Rain: 23 minutes 21 seconds, 2010

For more information on each film and artist, go to the Kochi Museum of Art Website!


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Asyukutei: An izakaya style sushi restaurant with a Bali feel

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At the end of April, Asyukutei opened in Chuo Park. Asyukutei’s very simple design and pure white exterior may make it appear to be another little Kochi cafe, but closer inspection of the menu outside the front door reveals that it is a sushi shop in disguise.

Then, you walk in and find yourself even more confused. You discover that it is really a sushi shop disguised as a Bali inspired izakaya cafe… While a little ambiguous, the small space has a good atmosphere and feel to it. The food was just as enjoyable.

While Asyukutei’s main focus is on sushi, they have a daily lunch set that, at least on the day we went, was not sushi–it was gingered pork, red miso soup, rice, and a little side of fish for 850 yen.

The daily sushi plate lunch (1050 yen), was an 8 piece set–each piece was quite a bit bigger than the average kaiten zushi, so the price seemed reasonable. This set also had the red miso soup and side of fish.

Both sets were very good, but if you’re not in a mood for sushi, you might want to make sure the daily lunch set is not sushi.

Oh, and one more point, he cooks all of his rice in an Okama (traditional style Japanese pot [see picture below]).

At night, there is a course meal for 3500 yen which had a lot of goodness on it. It changes daily, and includes an 8 piece sushi plate. If you want more control of what you get, you can order items individually, although it might get expensive fast. Oh, and of course, there is sake.

Talking to the owner, his goal is to make sushi a more accessible food–especially for foreigners who struggle with the typical scribbled kanji menus of other sushi restaurants. He plans to work on an English menu to help with this. Ultimately, I think he wants his place to be known for good sushi in a casual, izakaya-esque atmosphere.

The owner was a very friendly man, so go practice your Japanese conversation skills and learn more about sushi and fish!

Next time you’re downtown and wanting to try something different than your usual, we hope you’ll check out Asyukutei and support their efforts in making a more friendly, social sushi shop.

details

Tel. 088-871-1866

Times:  11:00 am – 2:00 pm;  5:00 ~

 



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SPAZM vol.6: Drum ‘N’ Bass event at X – Point

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Shikoku’s biggest Drum’N’Bass project, SPAZM, will take their latest event out of the club scene and attempt to take ‘the club’ to X-Point, one of Kochi’s best known live houses.

In addition to extremely talented DJ’s from Tokyo, Kyoto, and Fukuoka who will bring the beats and the bass, SPAZM will provide accompanying visual effects, a VJ, and live painting. Combined with the great lighting and sound system of X-Point, a great ‘club/live’ night should ensue–right on to 5:00 in the morning!

The resident DJ’s (Tomoharu, F.B.R.G a.k.a. mo’tzu, Higashikawa, Toshizo, Tsutui&Coffea, Culauti, Bata) will be accompanied by some very impressive special guests. There names are:

MC CARDZ (KAM / TCY RADIO from TOKYO)
DJ MASSIVE (NIGHTLIFE / RAVERS UNITED from KYOTO)
DJ ICHI a.k.a DIGITAL ONE ( BASSRAIN from FUKUOKA)

Be sure and click on the links to check out their music.

Tickets can be bought at ONE LOVE, ONZO, VILLAGE VANGUARD, PLUS BAR, ODD MIX, and 楽や, or reserved by e-mailing here. E-mail reservations will be accepted up to a day before the event, and need to contain your name, phone number, and the number of tickets you need. Tickets will need to be picked up at the door, but will cost the same as tickets bought in advance.

Go dance, and be blinded by the light.

Details
date: 2011.8.6(sat)
time: 21:00 – 5:00
venue: X-pt.クロスポイント
price: Adv. 2,000yen / Door 2,500yen

X-Point website here.

More about SPAZM here.



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