Brotures Harajuku — Fixed Gear Tokyo
(Originally published in 2017)
Intro
I first heard about Brotures shortly after I moved to Tokyo. I had to leave my fixed gear bicycle in London and I thought I would never be able to bring it with me. So I started to look for shops where to get a new one, and it happened that I lived at the time not far from the store in Kichijoji. What a store! Small but incredibly cool. The staff was friendly and gave me good advice on bicycles; sadly and having just arrived, my budget was not quite there. I left with a bittersweet taste and a bunch of stickers.
ピストバイクショップBroturesの存在を知ったのは、東京に住み着いてすぐのことだった。ロンドンからピストバイクを持ってくる訳にもいかず、新調しようと当時の家からそう遠くない、Broturesの吉祥寺店に足を運んだ。小さいが、まさに「Cool！」の一言だった。スタッフの対応は良く、貴重なアドバイスももらったが来日してまだ日も浅く、購入には予算オーバーだった。残念な思いと、手には沢山のステッカーを握りしめてその場を後にした。
Yusuke, Brotures Harajuku Manager
That brings us back to 2016. I met Yusuke, the manager of Brotures Harajuku thanks to my good friend Shunsuke (Who you might know from my post on Mr. Brothers, also in Harajuku). With my Fuji Track Classic back in town thanks to my amazing friends Marta and David, I went straight to visit my new friends and see if they could replace my front wheel, which had been damaged. They did an amazing job, and I had a great time talking to them. After that, we organized a day for taking the portraits during a warm early winter day.
２０１６年、原宿のバーバー「Mr. Brothers」で働く友人のシュンスケの紹介で、Brotures原宿店マネージャーのユウスケと出会う。ちょうど同じ時期に友人のマルタとデイビッドにマイバイクを日本に送ってもらえることに。若干の故障もあったので、早速Brotures原宿店で前輪の修理をお願いした。話も弾み、冬の温かい日に撮影することも決まった。
Brotures Harajuku was established in Harajuku around 2009, during the fixed gear boom. Their staff is a mixed bunch of friendly people with common tastes in BMX, skateboarding, cycling and even musicians. It is a popular destination for bicycle enthusiasts in Japan and abroad and they sometimes receive well-known artists and famous people.
Brotures原宿店は２００９年、ピストバイク・ブームの絶頂の中で暖簾を上げ、今では自転車ファンのデスティネーションとして、著名アーティスト等も足を運ぶ人気スポットとなっている。スタッフには、BMX、スケートボード、サイクリングや音楽等に似たセンスを持った人材が揃う。
This is Yusuke. He has been managing the store since it opened and is 2-wheel enthusiast rider. His main transport for long rides is a motorcycle. When I ask him about what is his goal in life he jokes saying he just wants to be rich, but actually, he says, just wishes to do in life what he is passionate about. He has too many favorite bands to mention…
写真は開店当時よりマネージャーを務めるユウスケ。二輪車の熱狂的ファンであり、オートバイには日常的に乗るそうだ。人生の目標を聞くと、気取らない熱い思いが伝わってきた。音楽に関しては話が尽きない。。。
Kyohei
Kyohei has been riding a bicycle since he was a kid, including MTB dirt-jumpers. Then he started riding fixed gear, although still does a lot of BMX, as he grew up with them. Favorite music? Rock, metal, hardcore, hip-hop…he also loves music and playing the guitar!
キョは幼少期からの自転車乗りで、ダートジャンプMTBも乗りこなすそう。現在は、MTBをはじめ、BMXやピストバイクなど様々なバイクを楽しんでいる。音楽やギターが好きで、お気に入りのジャンルは、ロックやメタル、ヒップホップ。
Arai:
His favorite brand is DOSNOVENTA. He was a customer before and has always loved fixed gear culture.
Arai
DOSNOVENTAがお気に入りのバンド。Broturesでの仕事は元々は原宿店のお客さんで、ピストが好きで働き始めたそう。
Kazama
Kazama joined more than half a year ago. When I ask him about why he joined, he says that Brotures is the coolest store in Harajuku. He is a keen skater and mainly rides a cruiser at the moment, although he is been interested in the skateboarding culture since the times when DOGTOWN(2001) was quite popular. He was playing in a band until recently; the guitar is my bud he says. Kazama also has too many favorite bands. I could not even get one!
カザマは半年ほど前に、Brotures原宿店の仲間入りする。DOGTOWNが人気を集めていた頃からの熱心なスケーターで、現在はクルーザーバイクに乗ることも多い。プライベートでは最近までバンドを組んでいて、バンドの知識には圧倒された。
Kiyo:
His all-time favorite Edwin Delarosa, whose bike was a Leader, inspired him. He started loving fixed gear (also known as “piste” in Japan) and after working for another bicycle store, he joined Brotures. Kiyo has a nice family and a little kid, so I asked him if it was hard in Japan to have a family life while not following the traditional salaryman path. He replies that while it has been difficult sometimes, he sticks to his lifestyle while trying to be a cool dad. “I love my family”. Kiyo cruises a lot and occasionally skates and the fixie is his friend. Listens to a mix of Hard rock, trance, and EDM.
キヨ
リーダーバイクのEdwin Delarosaに惹かれて、ピストの世界に入る。一度違うお店で働いた後にBroturesで働き始めた。サラリーマンとしてありきたりの人生ではなく、自分のライフスタイルを通しながら、小さな子どもと奥さんの３人で素敵な家庭を築いている。ピストは相棒、スケートはクルージングで楽しむ。ハードロック、ロランス、EDMにハマる。
Special thanks to:
All the crew in Brotures Harajuku: Yusuke, Kiyo, Kyo, Kazama and Arai. Shunsuke from Mr. Brothers.
Seiya Watanabe for the English to Japanese translation. Vincent Rijnbeek for supporting and hosting State of Tokyo.
Alvaro Arregui for his honest feedback on all my posts.
About State of Tokyo
Thank you for your dedication to reading this far, and I'm grateful for your interest in this project.
My name is Alex Abian, a Photographer and (aspiring) writer based in Tokyo. State of Tokyo is born out of my deep passion for showcasing the fascinating people and places I've encountered along my journey.