Anybody go to the Festa-Freakshow last weekend?

[Taro Toporific]

[GomiGirl]

Me - I went. I didn't think it was a good as previous ones though.

[Taro Toporific]

Me - I went. I didn't think it was a good as previous ones though.

I went to the first one... it was like a highschool art fair...so I was wondering to the cosplay and knitted-poodles-out-of-trashbags people now dominate the show.

[GomiGirl]

It still is like a High School art show but with a few gems sprinkled around. For me, I really like the handmade jewelery and especially when I can speak to the artist themselves. Lots of cottage craft stuff which can be hit or miss (usually the latter) but if I have to see another dead-gothic dolly I will scream. It never ceases to amuse me how the non-conformists in Japan tend to all copy each other in their weirdness.

I did notice that weaving is big this year and also the big fabric flower to be worn on the lapel was also a popular item.

[Taro Toporific]

[Catoneinutica]

I have a hunch Steve at Tokyo Damage Report was there. He's done some fine photo essays on the sublime goofiness that is The Festa.

http://www.hellodamage.com/tdr/

[Charles]

I have a hunch Steve at Tokyo Damage Report was there. He's done some fine photo essays on the sublime goofiness that is The Festa.

http://www.hellodamage.com/tdr/

Who let him back in the country? He got deported, I figured he'd be banned for years.

[Mulboyne]

Who let him back in the country? He got deported, I figured he'd be banned for years.

I think he was refused entry which is not quite the same as being deported. He didn't violate the terms of any visa.

[Catoneinutica]

Who let him back in the country? He got deported, I figured he'd be banned for years.

Charles, a quick perusal of his posts will reveal that he's now married to a (highly indulgent and extraordinarily tolerant, one presumes) J-gal and living happily in Tokyo. And his essays are required reading, IMO - witty, intelligent, and perceptive, without being pretentious or sophomoric, as Marxy tends to be on occasion.

[GomiGirl]

Sure - interesting person - I have met him once or twice.

I did find some of his earlier essays un-neccessarily bitter and cynical. Sure this can be funny, but it kinda got up my nose when he was trying to do some really stupid stuff and then getting all pissy and whiney that he couldn't get what he wanted when he wanted. I remember a travel log about a trip to Australia and all I kept thinking was - what a spoiled brat. Haven't read his stuff in a while but it is always a good read. His website was a horrendous monster to navigate though.

When I get a free moment (yeah right!!) I will wander back over there.

Edit - I did get over there and read this article and it was the same sort of pissy rant. He was whinging and whining about Softbank when it turned out that a) he hadn't paid his bill b) didn't have any photo ID on him and c) didn't know his own home address. Not much sympathy for this type rant.

[Catoneinutica]

Sure - interesting person - I have met him once or twice.

I did find some of his earlier essays un-neccessarily bitter and cynical. Sure this can be funny, but it kinda got up my nose when he was trying to do some really stupid stuff and then getting all pissy and whiney that he couldn't get what he wanted when he wanted. I remember a travel log about a trip to Australia and all I kept thinking was - what a spoiled brat. Haven't read his stuff in a while but it is always a good read. His website was a horrendous monster to navigate though.

When I get a free moment (yeah right!!) I will wander back over there.

Edit - I did get over there and read this article and it was the same sort of pissy rant. He was whinging and whining about Softbank when it turned out that a) he hadn't paid his bill b) didn't have any photo ID on him and c) didn't know his own home address. Not much sympathy for this type rant.

Yeah, there was funny one where he was apparently walking around an airplane barefoot, and he may not have bathed for a few days before the flight. A cabin attendant asked him to but on some shoes, telling him he might step on a piece of broken glass or something in his bare feet. Steve wrote in his essay about the flight, "So, the airline's sales pitch should be: Fly NWA - we have broken glass in our aisles!" That's amusing, but the point is his feet were probably grossing out the other passengers, and the CA was just offering him a face-saving way of dealing with the problem.

[Catoneinutica]

Steve doesn't let us down:

http://www.hellodamage.com/tdr/archive/ART/2008%2011%20design%20festa.htm

Everything does look remarkably uniform. There's a lot of first-rate craftsmanship there, but I certainly don't see any of the minimalism for which Japan is apparently famous. Everthing is hyper-cluttered, like a typical Japanese website. You could probably photoshop a couple of vending machine pics into some of the pieces and no one would be the wiser.

[Mulboyne]

Steve doesn't let us down:

http://www.hellodamage.com/tdr/archive/ART/2008%2011%20design%20festa.htm

Everything does look remarkably uniform. There's a lot of first-rate craftsmanship there, but I certainly don't see any of the minimalism for which Japan is apparently famous. Everthing is hyper-cluttered, like a typical Japanese website. You could probably photoshop a couple of vending machine pics into some of the pieces and no one would be the wiser.

Vending machine pop-up cards!