I never would have dreamed that there was a club scene in the countryside of Japan, but through my travels I have learned that there is an underground scene basically everywhere–you just have to find it! This time I went on a pilgrimage to Shikoku for the purpose of seeing Carpainter and Onjuicy perform at a venue called Outer located in Kochi. I was very surprised to meet some very kind friends and enjoy the sights and sounds of a unique part of the country that I had never been to before!
I flew to Kochi from Tokyo a day before the event started so I had enough time to explore the city by myself. When the plane landed, all I could see was rice fields and I didn’t know exactly where I was, but I knew it was about to be lit. With a short bus ride to the station, I found that most of Kochi’s attractions were accessible by foot or via a cheap bus ride. I grabbed some wine from the convenience store, and began my sightseeing trek around the city!
I first stopped at Kochi Castle, which was quite a lovely sight to see. I’ve been to a lot of white castles in Japan, but I liked this one because it involved a lot of climbing to reach the top and you could walk all around the castle! Often you can only access certain parts of castles in Japan, but this one you can fully explore to your heart’s content.
Nearby the castle is the Harimaya Bridge, which is a super tiny bridge located near souvenir shops and the Sunday Market which is fun to see. I stayed in the Kochi Green Hotel right in this area which my friend helped me get a coupon for only 3000 yen per night.
On the way back I decided to check out the Hirome Market for some delicious sea urchin and egg-like sushi. There was also a disco ball and a giant tower of fries to see, along with many stalls selling beer and other novelties:
This market was very fun to see because it was so lively. At all times of the day, you can see people drinking here. There’s a great selection of seafood, noodles, yakiniku, desserts, and sake! I could tell that the people of Kochi take a lot of pride in this market, because not only is the food good, but it is also a place where a lot of people come together and pass time.
The final destination on my list before the club was Katsurahama Beach! Overlooked by the historic shogun Sakamoto Ryoma, this beach had a garden and stunning scenery. I wouldn’t say it was the most beautiful beach in Japan, but it is definitely worth seeing if you are in Shikoku.
After spending a few hours here, I took a bus back to my hotel and started pregaming for the club. This event was very special because it was the first time that Carpainter and Onjuicy performed together in Kochi, and also the first time Carpainter had ever been a back-up DJ for an MC (original Tweet).
As a foreigner with blonde hair, I definitely stood out but that was okay because everyone was very welcoming to me here. I said hello to my 2 friends from Tokyo and proceeded to get drinks at the bar while they got ready for their set. The event organizer greeted me and personally thanked me for coming all the way here because it was quite a long trip from Tokyo. I thanked him back for having such a great event, and proceeded to be given shots by some locals and also one of the performing DJs.
The environment of Outer is quite different from clubs in Tokyo because everyone there makes an effort to get to know one another, plus with an indoor and outdoor area it’s quite spacious for moving and dancing around. It’s not to say you can’t find a venue like this in Tokyo, but often you will find that the city is overcrowded and full of people who just want to party without paying attention to the music. The crowd here was all very respectful and I really appreciated the time I had here!
During their performance, PAM!!! was played in addition to one of Onjuicy’s unreleased songs:
It was overall extremely fun to be so up-close to the performers and share the thrill with the countryside people of Kochi. I am excited to see the next place I end up following my friend’s tour!