8am Coffee With Ashley Ogawa Clarke

Japan has seen its fair share of great English-language fashion writers over the last 20 years or so. Martin Webb, Misha Janette and Samuel Thomas have all played their own part in bringing Japanese fashion to the world. Grimsby-born Ashley Ogawa Clarke is the latest writer to take on the fashion mantle and his work with Vogue, GQ, WSJ and several other prestigious publications sees him firmly in the media spotlight. I didn’t know Ogawa Clarke until we met up at the popular Higashi-Nagasaki coffee shop Mia Mia in mid-June to talk about his life in fashion, his background and his thoughts on Tokyo. We got along famously and shared a lot in common. Below is a snippet of the conversation that took place in the latest installment of our 8am Coffee series.

Ashley and his wife, stylist Reina Ogawa Clarke

What do you think about the rise

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The Music and Community of Sado Island’s Earth Celebration Festival

Sado Island’s Earth Celebration, one of Japan’s most anticipated music festivals, welcomes musicians, artists and spectators from around Japan and the world every August. In 2019, the event brought around 35,000 attendees to the island.

This year will mark the festival’s 36th anniversary, and festivalgoers will be spoiled for choice with a myriad of activities and performances planned to take place from August 18 to 20, 2023.

Photo by Kota Yoshida

The Beat of Sado Island

While Earth Celebration is a music festival at its core, the event also features outdoor activities, markets and cultural events inspired by Sado Island. The Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble and Sado city hosted the event, which started as an initiative to showcase and share the unique local culture of this region of Niigata Prefecture. In the fall 1983 edition of “Kodo,” the taiko group’s newsletter, founding member and spiritual pillar Toshio Kawauchi discussed

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Yoyogi Broadway Is a Haven of Hospitality That Follows Its Own Rules

Under the watchful eye of NTT Docomo Yoyogi Tower (Tokyo’s Empire State Building-reminiscent landmark), an east-meets-east coast neighborhood sprawls out just a few steps from Yoyogi Station’s east exit. Previously known as the quiet side of the station, this former residential area has blossomed into Yoyogi Broadway: a smattering of buildings fusing nostalgic Japan exteriors with New York energy to create a hub of art, music and gastronomy in one convenient location.

Center Stage

Yoyogi Broadway’s first point of entry is its flagship venue, Broadway Diner and its neighboring snapshot-worthy open space, Broadway Square. The diner was revamped in April, creating a contemporary movie theater-themed hangout. Events are held frequently and range from illustrator exhibitions and film director talks to jazz concerts. If you prefer singing yourself, head up to Nuts Record on the second floor of the building for a velvet-encased karaoke bar experience.

Broadway Square — complete with

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CA July 4 traffic: AAA predicts record-breaking travel in the US

Fireworks commemorate the Fourth of July holiday celebrations near the ziggurat office building in West Sacramento on Thursday, July 4, 2019. Most fireworks displays have been canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fireworks commemorate the Fourth of July holiday celebrations near the ziggurat office building in West Sacramento on Thursday, July 4, 2019. Most fireworks displays have been canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.


Daniel Kim

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This Fourth of July might be more than just any ordinary holiday. It could be record-breaking.

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More than 5.6 million Californian residents are expected to travel this weekend, according to a recent AAA news release.

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Since gas prices remain significantly lower compared to last year, AAA anticipates that this holiday will set new records for both road and air travel.

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Here’s what you can expect:

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Why are more people traveling this year?

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John Treanor, a AAA spokesperson, said the company usually puts out travel forecasts for Fourth of July and Memorial Day, which are the busiest travel weekends of the summer.

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Last year, Treanor said

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6 Anime Series About Idols to Watch if You Loved Oshi No Ko

Dazzling performances, adorable outfits and a loyal-to-a-fault fan following — this is the world of Japanese idols. While idol culture has long been a mainstay in Japanese entertainment, it’s the catchy music and aspirational stories that have made this setting all the more manga- and anime-worthy. Can’t get enough of Oshi no Ko? Neither can we. Here’s a list of six other idol-themed series to get your cutesy musical group fix.

The Idolmaster

The Idolmaster is one of Japan’s most iconic media franchises when it comes to idols. Starting off with idol simulation and rhythm video games, the brand now spans a variety of game spin-offs including audio dramas and anime. The 2011 series follows the journey of 13 wannabe pop idols who share the same ambition: to become the most popular idol in Japan.

The Idolmaster is not the first series from this franchise, though. Idolmaster: Xenoglossia, released

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The Nature of Kyoto: Writers in Kyoto Anthology

Japan’s ancient capital is loved as much for its nature as for its culture. The myriad of temples are revered for their stunning green gardens as much as they’re respected for their venerable history. Anyone sitting on the banks of the Kamo River flowing through Kyoto would agree that the city has maintained an enabling balance of the natural and the urban. Coincidentally, that is exactly where the fifth anthology of the Writers in Kyoto (WiK) had its al fresco book launch this May.

Coming out of a pandemic, I’d be remiss not to remark on the fact that so many of us turned to nature more than ever, whether it was the plant-buying craze, or the walks and picnics. WiK too have selected nature as a theme of their fifth anthology. This refers both to the physical nature around us, but also to the “inner nature,” or the spirit

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5 Iconic Tokyo Crossings (That Aren’t Shibuya Scramble)

Shibuya Scramble is one of Tokyo’s incomparable sights and perhaps the most photographed location in the capital — and not without good reason. There’s something about the towering commercial buildings, dozens of advertising billboards, and the sheer number of pedestrians that give this particular crossing a truly magical atmosphere. But street photographers, both amateur and professional, might want to consider looking into lesser-known alternatives that have similar levels of oomph with a portion of the crowd. Below are five Tokyo crossings that we feel deserve some love.

Photo by structuresxx via Shutterstock

Sukiyabashi Crossing

Probably as close to Shibuya Scramble as you can get in Tokyo (without actually being in Shibuya) is Ginza’s Sukiyabashi Crossing. In addition to the crisp white pedestrian lines, Ginza Sony Park’s outdoor hangout, and the nearby Sukiyabashi Park provide all the visual and auditory stimulation to create that neo-Tokyo feeling. But what makes this crossing

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The Destruction of Japan’s Spiritual Home of Rugby

The first time I watched a game of rugby at Chichibunomiya Stadium, I was immediately taken back. Not by the narrow loss the Tokyo Sunwolves sustained that day — such was the quotidian condition of their short tenure in Super Rugby — but by how much the stadium felt like a thread in the greater fabric of Tokyo.

Constructed in 1947, and later named in memory of Japan’s “Sporting Prince,” Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu, the stadium is bound by the skyscrapers of Aoyama on one side and a famous avenue of centenarian gingko trees on the other. In a metropolis where every inch of real estate comes at a premium, it feels apt to be sandwiched between sacred green space and the towering symbols of modernity.

Chichibunomiya is characterized more by this setting than by any inherent aesthetic, or even utilitarian, values. It’s creaking under its 76-year-old weight, lacking in modern

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Free bus rides in Greater Victoria on Clean Air Day

Bus riders in Greater Victoria can travel for free on public transit on Wednesdays as BC Transit marks Clean Air Day.

The move is in part to encourage more environmentally-friendly transportation options, BC Transit and the Victoria Regional Transit commission said in a joint statement. HandyDART users will also receive free service Wednesdays.

Transit was free for those who boarded their bus with a bike helmet last week as part of a Go By Bike Week initiative.

Children up to age 12 have been able to ride on the BC Transit system for free without fare or identification since 2021, with supervision required for those five and under.

A number of transit systems across Canada will be offering free transit on Wednesday as well, including Prince George in BC as well as Fredericton and St. John in New Brunswick.

Clean Air Day was first declared in 1999 by the federal

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How To Travel To 7 Or More Countries In Europe By Train For Less Than $300

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Are you traveling Europe this summer and still can’t make up your mind on where to go now that the entire continent is open restriction-free for the first time in three years? We might have just the solution for you.

You can travel to 7 or more European countries by train in under a month paying less than $300. Here’s how:

The Amazing Benefits Of An Eurail Pass

Traditional Red Tourist Train Traveling Through A Picturesque Region Of Switzerland, By The Alps, Where A Small Swiss Village And Alpine Lake Is Located, Central Europe

We know planning a Euro trip can be challenging. With so many fairytale towns, world-class city breaks, and iconic landmarks to pick from, we always get huge FOMO (fear of missing out) when flying across the pond.

While it’s impossible to cramp every single European highlight into a single trip, you can cover a lot of ground, and easily tick off as many as seven countries, during a month of traveling. Thanks to

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