Unless in search of a cheap, dusty souvenir for a relative, Tokyo's historic Asakusa district isn't on the radar of too many folks under the age of 70. But Asakusa Jinta, a seven-piece band that mixes elements of ska, swing, punk and chindonya (traditional street performance), is hoping to bring the area's time-honored sensibilities to the international stage.
"There are old but good things," says vocalist Osho via e-mail about the Asakusa area. "The undeveloped image of the place is as if the clock stopped. The same Edo spirit has been there for years. Our music is out of respect for our ancestors of the area."
Osho doesn't say if his own ancestors were ever part of a jinta, street bands that once roved Japan's streets advertising shows or sales. They were popular in the Meiji Period (1868-1912) -- a time when the ideas of giri (duty) and ninjo (empathy) were much more valued than today, according to Osho.