Sakura Sake Japan Tour
Tokyo 東京
Leo Heinert, Brandon “Bonestalone” Bonner, Caroline Duerr, Eugenia Ginepro, JJ Colõn, Jefferson “Yiyo” Obando, Blair Alley, Richie Löffler, Rodrigo Cabrejas & our Taiwanese filmer FIVE would spend a full week in the Far East on a treasure hunt to skate the most elite natural wonders in existence.
Of course without getting locked up by the fuzz.
We arrived in Tokyo early in the spring & the Cherry Blossoms or Sakuras were beginning to bloom.
Yiyo & Blair landed at Narita Airport while the rest of the crew flew into Haneda.
Luckily everyone arrived at the Sakura Hotel with one plan:
Drop our bags off, take a quick shower & jump on the train to Shibuya, the epicenter of modern Japanese culture. I really wanted to film a slow shutter speed intro at the famed Shibuya Crossing in honor of Sofia Coppola’s film Lost In Translation.
Months prior to this tour, Sennichiro Ozawa, the editor of Japan’s elite fashion and skate publication, The Skateboard Journal, linked us up with Toshi to be our official tour guide.
Toshi grew up in Tokyo, but spent his high school years living in Vancouver. Since returning to Edo he founded the vibrant jewelry brand NumbskullJapan & spends his time skating the streets & cruising the hot spots of this illustrious city. Turns out Leo Heinert met Toshi at Tampa Pro a few years back. Needless to say Toshi was the man for the job & deserves a gold medal for his role on this tour.
Bright and early the next day everyone was stretching out & ready for a jam packed day of exploration and street skateboarding. Luck was on our side as our guest skater & Chocolate Skateboards phenom, Leo Takayama, was scheduled for an Asics filming trip later in the week so he arrived in Tokyo a couple days early to roll with the AZ Crew.
It actually snowed just days before our arrival, however the sunshine was blazing and we could practically see the sakuras blooming in front of our eyes as we walked by rows of Japanese Flowering Cherry trees.
Jimbocho 神保町
Nestled in the heart of Tokyo, this charming neighborhood is a sanctuary for book lovers known for it’s visual arts, theater, antiques & literary tradition. The Sakura Hotel was located in this ward & each morning the squad would make its way through tranquil winding streets filled with galleries, arts & craft boutiques, cafe’s, film memorabilia, magazine shops & of course lots of book stores.
Asakusa 浅草
The famed Aka Banks along the Sumidagawa River was the precise location for a team session.
A few solid ledges and a lengthy white embankment varying in height runs along the entire bike path. It’s also a bust free zone, so it was game on!
Leo Heinert & JJ Colõn diced up a few epic combos. Eugenia locked into a golden noseblunt, Caroline kept it steezy with layback grinds & Yiyo popped into a crooks on the waist high ledge. FIVE took a break from filming to kick out a bean plant & Leo Takayama finessed a proper switch blunt. The session lasted for hours & friends of Toshi rolled through to get in on the action. Not far from the Aka Banks we enjoyed our first Japanese 7-ELEVEN experience. Mindblowing to say the least!
We trekked across the bridge to Setagaya on a mission to scope a 14-stair rail located at the grand entrance of a glassy skyscraper. In true fashion, at the golden hour Bonestalone snuck by 3 security guards as Blair, FIVE & our media crew got into postion. Moments later, Stalone took one strong push and floated a stunner of an Ollie over the rail knocking out the first NBD of the trip!
On the way to the train with the vibes hitting an all-time high, Toshi took us to a 12 flat 12 double set with a 10” paved bike ramp down the middle. Yiyo & Bonestalone both hit it from the top which was insane.
That evening we kicked it hard in the streets of Shibuya, filmin’ tricks in the crossing & capp’d the night off with a top tier hip hop performance at Hanchika Bar.
We woke up to another lovely spring morning in Tokyo.
The Sakura Hotel offered delicious homeade vegetable soup, smoothies, eggs & toast for breakfast. After a yoga sesh led by Blair & a jump rope battle the crew skated through the Jinbōchō ward to the first spot of the day located along the river in Kanda.
Jet ski’s were zippin’ by as the crew got creative on an embankment with ridges separating the entrance point. Yiyo took the cake with a kickflip to fakie nose grind down & out.
Tokyo Central Station aka “Red Brick Station” was a truly a mesmerizing experience. Built in 1914 the grand architecture with elegant carves and a striking clock tower represents a true marvel of modern engineering. It’s the heart of Tokyo’s transit system with 4,000 trains arriving and departing daily.
After a team photo in front of the Marunouchi entrance with the Japanese flag waving in the background we ate lunch at one of the markets inside. Sushi & seaweed wrap assortments were the obvious choice. Yiyo filmed a statuesque time lapse of Richie standing in the very center as still as can be for nearly
10 minutes. The curios & puzzling looks on peoples as they walked by was hilarious.
Riding the Yurikamome line to Ariake was incredible. Sitting front row we zipped through Tokyo Bay, Tokyo Rinkai Satellite City Center & witnessed a massive street car exhibition at Tokyo Big Site. It was an epic ride!
Toshi controlled the traffic as Bonestalone, Leo, JJ & Yiyo all stomped tricks out of the gate on a perfectly sculpted hip.
After an express ride on the JR East we reached our final destination; the famed brick cornered hip along the river. The sky was filled with red and gold tones as the sun was about to set.
It was time to sizzle!
Yiyo hit top speed before lofting the heaviest tre flip of the trip. Moments later Stalone caught a monstrous fs flip. FIVE got the perfect angle as he was perched up high on the walkway railing of the bridge. A big celebration followed with high five’s all around. After scoping the flicks shot by Blair and Rodrigo the squad was even more hyped.
Moments like this really enhance the comaradarie among the team.
The Sakura Sake Tour was still in the early stages and a ton of footy was already locked down!
Later that evening right near the Tokyo Tower Eugenia snuck into a plaza and blasted a big heelflip off a picture perfect bump.
The crew was kickin’ back outside the 7-ELEVEN when JJ spotted a black widow spider crawling up my hoody!
Tokyo was beginning to feel like home. Our crew had located their favorite coffee shops, restaurants, the closest Family Mart & more. Thanks to Hideya Kojima and the Fabric Skate Shop Crew an official skate demo was lined up in Yokyohama. The park was amazing, lots of young rippers showed up & our posse lit up the joint. Skateboards, grip, sunglasses, hats, t-shirts, wheels & stickers were given out to all the little shredders in a best trick contest. A memorable session for sure.
After a team hill bomb Toshi directed us to the perfect set of flat rails bordered by a range of white & pink Sakuras. The sun was setting as Yiyo, Leo & Bonestalone stomped lines on the flat bars. The footage & photos were simply exquisite. Unfortunately the fuzz didn’t see it that way. We quickly shared an instagram flyer from the AriZona skate event. They apologized and told us to enjoy Yokohama.
Social media saved the day!
What happend next was surreal.
Toshi knew of a private skateopia with a sushi restaurant on the property.
We couldn’t believe our eyes as we approached the Sherl Shin Yokohama bowl.
Hideya Kojima arrived along with the owners & their son Koh, a young ripper with killer steeze. The team skated the enchanted clover til midnight using the force of “EL FUA.” Yokohama delivered!
On the way home Leo Heinert nicknamed Yokohama the “Philly of Japan.”
Shinjuku 新宿
Stories were going around about a gigantic GodZilla located on top of a 50-story building in Shinjuku that breathes fire every hour. Naturally everyone was interested to check out Shinjuku’s historical district laced with niche anime culture shops.
Sure enough at 11am sharp GodZilla took center stage and let out a monstrous roar that was truly frightening. Leo skated as fast as he could through the tourists screamin’ with fear as Bonestalone was yelling out “Oh no, it’s GodZilla.”
It was comical seeing tourists’ reactions. Perhaps a few of them actually thought this Ecuadorian kid was running for his life!
After souvenir shopping & a bite to eat we jumped back on the train to the Setagaya district to hit up the famed sculpture wallride & a gap to flat rail with the Tokyo Tower in the background. The mission was a success.
On our fifth and final day in Tokyo Toshi took us on the Yamanote metro line to the University of Tokyo in Meguro City. It was an impressive bank spot tucked along the river covered with Sakuras. Two skater kids with their parents were excited to see the team light up the spot. Fortunately Eugenia, Caroline, JJ & Five all copp’d clips in the first few minutes before the boys in blue shut it down.
The crew ventured to Shibuya Skate Park for a proper warm up and a grassroots demo for the local rippers. Toshi and the team slayed the mini ramp & the kids were hyped!
Bonestalone closed the sesh in style by launching off a small kicker over a tall fence into a bank ramp.
Our bullet train to Osaka was scheduled to leave in a few hours so the crew split up to grab last minute momentos, etc.
Bonetalone had two high profile spots left on the hit list so Five, Toshi, Blair, JJ, Rodrigo & I headed to Komazawa to scope a massive rail Ollie with a very challenging run up. Within a couple of tries Bonestalone rolled away from this NBD. It was madness!
We jumped back on the metro to Nihonbashi which is the central business district of Chūō, Tokyo. Obviously security was tight, but they couldn’t stop the sizzle. Stalone was in true jedi mode & full cabbed the crispy marble 11 first try!
Toshi dabbed him up and everyone linked back up underground.
Osaka 大阪
We arrived at Tokyo Station & hopped on the bullet train for a quick ride to Osaka.
Leo Takayama knew a choice sushi spot so we enjoyed an essential team dinner.
We were staying in a hotel close to Teradacho Station
on the O (Osaka Loop Line).
The area is called Tennōji-ku which is just a few blocks from Shitennō-ji,
四天王寺, the very first buddist temple of Japen which translates to Four Heavenly Kings.
The next morning the squad met up at 7-ELEVEN after getting breakfast at neighborhood cafe’s. The stunning city of Osaka would treat us to an incredible day of epic spots!
Leo took us to Japan’s super secret polka dotted playground bowl tucked deep inside a residential neighborhood 80km away.
We walked along a gorgeous path lined with rose bushes and finally approached the gem in pure silence. After taking a few deep breaths we prepared for a quick, yet dreamy session.
Blair, Rodrigo & Five took their positions as Yiyo, Caroline, Bonestalone, Leo, JJ, Richie & I enjoyed the magestic colorful trannies. The pure rhythmic sounds of skateboarding were the only thing you could hear during this 10 minute heist.
It was magical. That is until the police were giving us the boot.
We quickly obliged and walked back to the train knowing we got to skate one of the illest natural wonders of the world.
Herbis Plaza ハービスプラザ
Bonestalone Ollied the gap over the block and down the stairs first go. Leo Takayama was trippin.’ Clips were being knocked off left and right. Caroline hit a heavy frontside wallride off the bank between the flat bars. Leo brought out the salsa dance to get amped for the front tail 270 out on the curved marble hubba. JJ steezed out a front blunt transfer on the mosaic snake. Yiyo & Bonestalone hardflipped and tre flipped the gap over the bar into the gutter landing. Blair took a break from shooting to hit a wall ride tre flip line. The team was excited to be in a new city skatin’ next level spots.
There was so much creative energy in this plaza: kung fu, juggling, football, baseball, break dancing & more.
Leo Takayama had one more zone for us to hit. It was rush hour which made it challenging, however JJ conquered an NBD thread the needle nose bonk to set it off. The chaos stirred up excitement on the street. Business men and women were lined up to witness Caroline launch a boneless from the stair set all the way to the street. Hugs and high fives all around!
Shinsekai 新世界
After a tasty dinner Caroline & Brandon earned Samuri certificates knockin’ multiples arrows in the bullseye. Leo broke the bow while Yiyo wizzed one right through the wall!
Everyone lined up at the rifle zone shooting corks at boxes of candy and stuffies. Shinsekai rocks!
Such a stellar way to end a phenominal day of skating in Japan’s third largest city.
Spending time in Kyoto at Iwatayama Monkey Park was a real treat & a much needed break from skateboarding. As we hiked up Mount Arashiyama snow monkeys were hangin’ from the trees, playing with each other and running free in the wild. Some of the friendlier monkeys came right up to us to say what’s up. I saw one monkey give Richie a fist bump. Crazy. Yiyo styled out some of the young monkeys with AZ bandanas & sunglasses. We walked across the bridge to the Oi River street vendors offering takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yakitori & tōmorokoshi.
Surrounded by Sakuras it was easy to feel the calmness among our crew.
Richie, Eugenia, Caroline & Bonestalone even caught a quick session on a slanted bolder near Kyoto Station. Five left early in the morning to Taiwan, so Leo Takayama’s close friend and elite filmer, Momijiman captured all the footy on this adventure.
Time was of the essence. Momijiman had a premiere list of spots we could skate starting with Kema Sakuranomija Park along the Ogawa River, which is a cherry blossom extravaganza! The park is lined with Sakuras and was a truly surreal setting to witness Yiyo front 50 the kinked silver 12.
It’s no surprise Osaka’s Cheese Koozies annual hanami (Sakura picnics) are held at Kema. Besides the pure beauty of the park it offers a wide variety of manual obstacles. Eugenia, Caroline, JJ, Yiyo & I committed to the task at hand and came away with clips.
A very high energy dinner followed with Momijiman & Leo Takayama ordering a wide range of dishes for the crew. Sushi, sashimi, kushikatsu, gyoza, oden, salads & even raw chicken! Wowzers! Too craze for me, that’s fa sho!
Our adventure in Japan felt like one of the most fascinating trips of a lifetime.
Besides appreciating the serene beauty Japan offers including the Zen gardens, ancient temples & neon lights you could feel the respect, kindness and interest from each person we crossed paths with throughout our journey.
A simple exchange of a pure smile and a slight bow is a thing of beauty.
One inspirational takeaway from this expedition is the admiration & understanding of Japan’s iconic Sakura.
This precious flower burst into bloom once a year for just 14 days.
The short lived beauty mirrors mono no aware which embraces the gentle sadness of lifes impermanence.
It capturess the bittersweet feeling when something beautiful passes.
A little reminder to cherish the moment.
Blossoms are meant to fall.
花は散りぬべし
