A few of weeks ago I went over to Japan to see Shoe-G and to meet up with Yossy from Zen Distribution who takes care of MacNeil over there. I had never been to Japan before which is surprising considering all of the time I’ve spent in Asia over the last decade. It was worth the wait! What an amazing place. All of the things you have heard about Japan are true. Dialed. Advanced. Clean. Friendly. I loved everything. One of the greatest things was riding my cruiser around and seeing how bike friendly Japan is. Bike lanes, official bike parking areas with huge rack systems and just a general acceptance by the drivers.  Progressive city.  I went to a well know commuter/fixie/BMX shop called W-Base.  The owner Moto and his brother Rip have been involved with BMX in Japan since the the early days which explains why the store is as much a BMX museum as it is a shop. We ended up at a great party that brought together people from all types of cycling and a their love of cheap Japanese malt liquor. I also hooked up with Shoe-G at his place so that I could meet his lady and his super cute daughter who was dressed as a cow at dinner. Thanks to Yossy and the boys at W-Base for showing me around and introducing me to Kirin Green Label (good value and quality!) Check the photos and if you ever get a chance, go to Japan. It’s a truly amazing place.

Check out all the photos after the jump –