Where are the breakdancers?

[Housetek]

Im currently in Tokyo staying for 3 months in Takanawa. And ive been back 6-7 times already and have seen some breakdancers and mostly pop lockers.

My friend tells me they hang out in harajuku on weekends some times and Shinjuku dancing in front of the glass window buildings.

Any other places i should check? I remember seeing flyers for break dance clubs once in Azabajuban but i never end up going to that.

if ya look up housetek on youtube you'll find me break dancing in harajuku and other random places around Tokyo

 

[nice gaijin]

I don't know where break dancers hang out, although I've seen them practicing in Kokubunji station on a Friday night. I have friends in Session and Waseda Breakers, but I think they're limited to students, and kind of ridiculously strict about club activities. Seems like it kind of takes the fun out of dancing.

 

[Arc Light]

Where are the breakdancers?

Uh...they all "beat it!" Ha ha! get it? ☝ OK...I'll leave.

 

[yukio_michael]

Man I hate breakdancers... I never have seen ANY in Japan... but in any club in the United States they all gather in a circle and do things that they're good at because thats THE ONLY THING THEY DO... Sure you're good, I'd be good at golf if I did it every day of my life... what a bore.

 

[Housetek]

.... you obviously know nothing about break dancers, cuz thats not the only thing we do.

SO fAr i've only seen breakers in Harajuku and Azabajuban. In yoyogi park and club warehouse where my friend Sahaya Works at.

 

[yukio_michael]

.... you obviously know nothing about break dancers, cuz thats not the only thing we do.

I hate it when someone's rejoinder is ...you obviously know nothing about... Can't a person have his own opinion? What makes you think I know nothing about breakdancers... Not only did I grow up in an era when it was popular, and did it myself, but also was heavily involved in the dance/night club scene of Florida... so yes, I think I know something about breakdancers.

You may be nothing like what I've described, but those that I have met and those many of my friends have met, are exactly that.

 

[Goldiegirl]

There are breakdancers in Japan? I never saw one in Harajuku or anywhere else.....

 

[Housetek]

I hate it when someone's rejoinder is ...you obviously know nothing about... Can't a person have his own opinion? What makes you think I know nothing about breakdancers... Not only did I grow up in an era when it was popular, and did it myself, but also was heavily involved in the dance/night club scene of Florida... so yes, I think I know something about breakdancers.
You may be nothing like what I've described, but those that I have met and those many of my friends have met, are exactly that.

i guess the scene around FL is pretty lame then.

i see it entirely different in Philadelphia. We dance were ever we can and never try to hurt any one. I dont see why there is a reason to hate breakdancers. Saying that is the ONLY thing we are good at. In fact that a lot of the bboys around my way are very well rounded and surprising a lot of them have respectable jobs and dance as a hobby.

Is it you hate break dancers or the fact that you were never good at it?

Please, i do a lot more things with my life then just breakdance and im very good at it.

In fact it doesn't consume a persons life to be good at breakdancing, I among many others do it in our spare time juggling school and work. For the past 8 years ive danced, and done many other things. so apparently its not the ONLY thing bboys do.

maybe some, but not all its unfair to generalize every breakdancer the same way. many just have been dancing for a long time off and on.

And goldiegirl, have seen breakdancers scarcely in Harajuku, and seen some in Roppongi and in Azabajuban.

usualy on weekdays me and my friend Tony will break dance at Gaspanic b4 it gets too crowded. Currenty he is in greece and is arriving late july. so i have no one to dance with.

Mostly ill meet Poppers/breakdancers.
Seems to me japanese are more into Popping and locking then bboying.

but im still on the look out for them.

I receieved a flyer a few months ago that held a DJ/MC/BBoy event in azabajuban. so that has to mean there out there some where.

Also i heard my friend said they have some Asij dancers that come out to roppongi every once in a while.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

People dancing in front of a glass window of a building in the middle of the night,
I see them in front of a high-rise building of Nakano.

 

[Housetek]

mmm my friend was telling me about a place in Shinjuku they dance in front of the glass buildings on the weekends but i've yet to find any one =(

 

[yukio_michael]

Is it you hate break dancers or the fact that you were never good at it?

Please, i do a lot more things with my life then just breakdance and im very good at it.

I don't even really 'hate' break dancers, that's a pretty strong emotion that I don't really have for anyone... But, When I grew up I was passably good at breakdancing... If I tried to do a windmill now I would break my neck, back then I was maybe 14-15... Keep in mind I grew up in the eighties, when breakdancing just became popular, or at least became popular in the subburbs...

In florida, we had a lot of manfactured boy-bands... a'la Lou Perlman, and a lot of the guys who would come out and do, really not the old-school break dancing (though sometimes they'd bust out a few oldies), but pop/lock sort of stuff... Basically they were all professional dancers, who toured with this or that band... Their arogance annoyed me more than anything else... They put on this big show for people and, my brother, who also was heavily into the dance scene, remarked on the same idea independantly from me... weren't all that impressed because basically--- this is what they did for a living...

I know there are independant and non-corporate break dancers, but I always wound up with the corporate ones... granted I say that they are professional 'dancers' but the moves they were doing were more like the pop/lock style of breakdancing.

All I'm saying is that if you are doing it for fun, or the love of it, that's one thing, but when you're doing it in a club to impress a croud... it becomes a whole different thing....

 

[Housetek]

I don't even really 'hate' break dancers, that's a pretty strong emotion that I don't really have for anyone... But, When I grew up I was passably good at breakdancing... If I tried to do a windmill now I would break my neck, back then I was maybe 14-15... Keep in mind I grew up in the eighties, when breakdancing just became popular, or at least became popular in the subburbs...
In florida, we had a lot of manfactured boy-bands... a'la Lou Perlman, and a lot of the guys who would come out and do, really not the old-school break dancing (though sometimes they'd bust out a few oldies), but pop/lock sort of stuff... Basically they were all professional dancers, who toured with this or that band... Their arogance annoyed me more than anything else... They put on this big show for people and, my brother, who also was heavily into the dance scene, remarked on the same idea independantly from me... weren't all that impressed because basically--- this is what they did for a living...
I know there are independant and non-corporate break dancers, but I always wound up with the corporate ones... granted I say that they are professional 'dancers' but the moves they were doing were more like the pop/lock style of breakdancing.
All I'm saying is that if you are doing it for fun, or the love of it, that's one thing, but when you're doing it in a club to impress a croud... it becomes a whole different thing....

Okay that i can respect, but i Philadelphia is entirely different. Its all about the art.
For example once a month in 40th and Walnut in Philly theres a event called the gathering which is all about hip hop lifestyles. Bboy, graffiti, mc, and djs jus come and do their thing.

I've been offered numerous jobs dancing and such but i pursued school instead, and end up teaching hip hop classes at Penn State for 2 years.

Although it is true we like to go to clubs and dance and stuff, but i don't take requests from the crowd to do moves, that annoys me. and when it gets too crowded we just chill or start locking then move to the next uncrowded club.

 

[Housetek]

weeeeeeeee i hit the jackpot =) theres a place called topnation in Shibuya that has list of Bboy events and where they breakdance and practice and also they sell clothing and videos and all sorts of things. Theres gona be a big break dance event in August also according to bboypark.com. im gona go there today and check it out and hopefully i can meet up with some local bboys.

I found all of this info on bboyworld.com they have a section where people meet up in different countries to dance.

Im also goin to Vietnam in December and found out theres bboys in my hometown! crazy where bboys are poping up now adays

 

[Housetek]

So i found Topnation and the Armory *another bboy/hiphop store*

they guided me to where all the places the break dancers hang out and dance.

One spot is in Shinjuku ST. West exit at the Yasudakasai Building

mainly poppers and lockers and all mixed style of dance.

Then the main BBoy hang out is Mizonokuchi Sta. from 6 to 8 every night just about.

Good stuff. im gona go check it out tonight and join in the fun.

 

[xerxes99]

People dancing in front of a glass window of a building in the middle of the night,
I see them in front of a high-rise building of Nakano.

I see the same thing in Kobe where I live. I pass dozens of them every night.

 

[Chris K]

in my breif stay i noticed some kid practicing a ew moves on some 6th story roof top in Shibuya when i looked out of my hotel window.
Saw a hell of a lot on Japanese MTV that boosted my respect of the Japanese Hip Hop scene.

As an aside, anyone know any good turntablism clubs/nights in Tokyo??