Hawken King > home Designer & Illustrator

About The Journal

Photo by: Sebastian Mayer

Hawken King is a designer and illustrator living and working Tokyo. He has been keeping and online journal since 1999 – this is it.

Navigation

foriegner tax

Published 16th of Dec, 2003. Stored under diary

Never really noticing it in the past, as I’ve usually been alone or with japanese, but yesterday and today took the piss.

First off, in the station I went to pick up a newspaper. How much, I asked. 500 yen was the reply. Thats about two pound fifty in uk money, an astronomical amout from some crummy rag. Needless to say I left the stand, feeling like a stupid tourist.

Secondly while I was out with my motly crew from the hotel (a chineese australian, a large aussie girl, a tall black man and myself, a pale tall white man) we got something that I’ve only ever read about, we got refused from a bar! They made excuses about time and how they were closing etc, when they sign said they were open till 2am. Bastards.

More tourist tax the next day, so much so that it almost took the piss! Even the taxi driver grumbled and groaned when we all got in. Now my japanese is not perfect, but this guy was livid that we were wanting to go the wrong way to which he was driving, and he might have to drive all around to get us in the right direction! He was too busy watching a fight outside between two bussiness men to notice that we had all piled in

I shudder to think how badly they take the piss with american tourists, who are notouriously brash here.

Unfortunatly if you are not out with a japanese, you’ll never know for sure if you’re being ripped off or not.

enoshima and zelda

Published 14th of Dec, 2003. Stored under diary

Suddenly I noticed that the temples and shrines in Enoshima have the same mark as used in Zelda, the TRIFORCE. Makes me realise even more, Miyamoto is a ripoff artist Or, just very well inspired.

the love hotel experiment

Published 13th of Dec, 2003. Stored under diary

Something interesting about Japan is the sex industry.
On my travels in outer Tokyo, I happened upon the red light district of a small station city. It amazed me that prostitution is apparent and not really curbed, as I was walking through the little streets trying to get a good deal on a hotel* I saw red light booths and tarts walking about, dildo vending machines and packs of sex hungry men.

Eventually I chose a hotel to stay in and I must say the procedure was interesting. First we had to choose a room from a lit bilboard, press a button on a free room picture, out pops a card to which must be handed over to the counter. The counter was mirrored so you couldn’t see in! We handed in the card and paid the cash, and in reply got a mechanical response arigato gosaimasu from some hidden computerised speaker.

The room was luxurious, big bed, karaoke, bath tub etc. However as this was an experiment for both of us we found everything disgusting to the touch… clean the remote control with tissues. Don’t sit on the chairs or put anything you want to keep clean on there!

* – as we were both trying to stay somewhere, a love hotel worked out much cheaper than staying together at a bussiness hotel, which most of were closed anyway.

Nice, but only usefull when stuck in the middle of nowhere at 2am.

rain

Published 10th of Dec, 2003. Stored under diary

man its tipping down!

I’m spending far too much time on the internet and watching japanese TV (which is a load of crap by the way), planning to visit AKIHABARA today to get a new battery for my laptop. Currently, if I remove the power cable this thing dies. Also, theres many wonderfull gadgets to have a look at, I have my eye on a miniture USB christmas tree.

I’d say that probably, my trip to japan has been a success! I’m so relaxed. And that was my intention, to relax, enjoy life (or watch it happily go by), excersise and eat well.

Soon, I hope to start filling my photo sections of this website… too many snaps, not enough time.

I'm in Tokyo once again

Published 8th of Dec, 2003. Stored under diary

After a rather disturbing flight, I have managed to get my feet back to where they belong… Tokyo!

Yesterday I spent most of my time contemplating my fucked up life, what the hell I’m doing back in this place and why. Actually I still have no answers! Its nice to think that one day I’ll end up here for good again, however the questions for why are not at hand. I’m happy here, I can speak a reasonable amount of japanese, I like japanese food and I have no problems getting around. I still feel the raceism and superficial-ness (spelling hawken, tsk tsk) of the Japanese, but also the love and general well being of life here.

My hotel is in the middle of nowhere, run by some chinese dudes who seem to not speak anything but chinese! Its a run down area, full of old men wandering the streets… or trying to cycle you off the pavement.

There are some interesting areas, as with anywhere. I’d rather be in central tokyo. But for close to Âœ200 for 14 days, this hotel is magic.

Guitar Vader

Published 25th of Nov, 2003. Stored under diary

Went to see Guitar Vader at the Prince Albert pub.
Very entertining indeed.
Guitar Vader are a Japanese band that had a few bits of music in the game Jet Set Radio on the dreamcast (and later on the x-box as Jet Set Radio Future)

http://www.plugs.jp

all hallows eve

Published 30th of Oct, 2003. Stored under diary

Had a party to go to, was very entertaining if a little short. Then we hit the town in force, cramming our bodies into pubs. I wore some small horns made for me by my sister. Lots of freaks out, including someone from work dressed as hanibal… very disturbing.

Mario Kart Double Dash

Published 29th of Oct, 2003. Stored under diary

A long drive later and we are in East London for Nintendoes launch party for the the new gamecube game: Mario Kart: Double Dash
All the usual faces there, makes me wonder if its just the same bunch of press, developers and freeloaders at all the same gigs. (Luckily I fall into the developers category, I think.)

Met a few wierdoes, a guy who had similar eye lids to me (its a very rare and slight condition), and a guy who works for my old boss at Kleber many many years ago, Dorian. However both too dry to have a fun conversation, hey thats London for you, everyones up thier own arses 50% of the time. Glad I live in a nice down-to-earth place like Brighton.

Got a free copy of the game, 15 days before official launch! (got a mug too, both will probably go on ebay when I get a chance)

antiporn mirror

Published 23rd of Oct, 2003. Stored under diary

omg, I thought this was dead but it looks like its back as a mirror.
if you you’ve never seen antiporns site before (it was live some years ago) do go check it out here

On a side note, while I’m posting link’s in my diary and not actually talking about me, check out the usual friday fun at b3ta. Damn I’m cheap.

one more time!

Published 22nd of Oct, 2003. Stored under diary

Last night I went to Departure Lounge here in brighton, a monthly Japanese culture night with j-pop & anime.
In the line up was The Ghibili’s which was a mix of sketchy artwork and 3d graphics, blended in the most beautiful way, however the best was yet to come, daft punk’s Interstella 5555!

Fucking amazing. However there seems to be a hole in the translation, 5 = go in Japanese so the title really means Interstella go go go go, I suppose this is a pun, you read it here first!
The animation is fantastic and is filled humourous and interesting links to Daft Punk, its a constant joy. It’s also well timed to the Daft Punk album, featuring the single one more time. The animation is directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi & Leiji Matsumoto, so its super retro! (think Ulysses 31, battle of the planets etc)

Go pick up the DVD, its out tomorrow.

Bus Me

Published 19th of Oct, 2003. Stored under diary

While walking back from the local Tesco’s, I was crossing the road with my bag full of munchies.
Look right, Look left, Look right again.
Cross
FUCK!!
A great big bus in my face driving on the WRONG side of the road, choc full of passengers hurlting toward me! Needless to say, I Peter Panned it out of the way with mere milimeters to spare…
Also needless to say, I shaked my Tictacs at that fucker.
Ho hum, dicing with death. Thats me, living on the edge and all that.

Super Mario 3 advance vip items

Published 9th of Oct, 2003. Stored under Journal

Possibly, if not definitely, my best wallpaper ever.

T-hurts

Published 7th of Oct, 2003. Stored under diary

Working long hours on graphics tends do strange things to ones mind. I worked from 9am till 10pm, any normal soul would have gone home straight to bed… not me!
I went home and made some T-Shirts! Check them out!

David Blane

Published 25th of Sep, 2003. Stored under diary

Went up to London for the afternoon, had some free time so I thought I’d take a look at David Blane in his box. Very entertaining indeed! He even waved at me… or it might have been the large chasted beauty behind me, I honestly don’t know.

To make matters worse for him, there’s a hot dog stand under his suspended glass box! (for those not in the know, David Blane is spending 44 days in a suspended glass box near Tower Bridge, with no food)

He looked happy.

I kiss you

Published 17th of Sep, 2003. Stored under diary

got my K|i|S|S dvd player! (finally…)

I bought it from scan.co.uk, although I won’t link their site because they are shit, the first on they sent me was broken and I had to wait two weeks for a replacement.

But IT FUCKING ROCKS!

Specs, for the inner geek;
dual scan
multiregion
plays every format, including DivX!!
Ethernet port for network streaming
Internet radio
4mb firmware scratch mem
200mhz processor

I tried it out with a few movies I downloaded from the internet in Mpeg, Avi and Vcd formats, played them all wonderfully.

mother

Published 8th of Sep, 2003. Stored under diary

mother came to stay

edge

Published 3rd of Sep, 2003. Stored under diary

drove up to Edge 10th birthday party. A pretty empty affair, although I did meet someone who I have admired for a long time; Gazz Top!!

He was going out with “Violet Berlin” another TV presenter and very very grumpy, snooty and otherwise not someone you’d enjoy talking to, so I didn’t.
The other guy in the photo was the editor of Edge magazine, but I think he left the magazine…