With so many live houses across the Tokyo Metropolis, it can be rather hard to choose which one among them all is worth the time and effort to visit. One of the areas in Tokyo brimming with interesting live houses would be none other than Shibuya. Bright and colorful, Shibuya is home to not just several independent fashion stores but also music spots worth checking out. While each live house in Shibuya has something unique to offer, one of the live houses in the area that has achieved much recognition due to a news mistake is known as Eggman.
An Overview of Eggman in Shibuya Until the 1980s
The idea of Eggman, a live house in Shibuya, was first conceptualized by its operator Eggman Co., Ltd. This subsidiary was fully owned by Nippon Columbia. Eggman Co., Ltd. was established to be the company’s business for live houses. However, when the company name of Nippon Columbia was changed to Columbia Music Entertainment in the year 2004, Eggman Co., Ltd. was subsequently sold to a subsidiary of a company based in the United States. This subsidiary is known as Pine Ridge Co., Ltd.
Located in Koen line, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, the live house called Eggman was opened on the 11th of March in the year 1981. The first live performance that opened Eggman was by Kuwata Keisuke on the 21st and 22nd of March. Kumiko Yamashita performed on the 23rd of March at Eggman. There were several major performers in Eggman during its first year, including J-WALK, Haruo Chikada, Hikashu, and Sugi Mari.
Another famous local artist that performed in Eggman that year was Mariya Takeuchi. On its second week, Eggman also welcomed artist Yosui Inoue to perform live on a Saturday. That same year, a John Lennon memorial event entitled “John Lennon Forever” was held at Eggman. This became the start of the annual event in Eggman.
In the year 1984, two notable events transpired in Eggman. The first was in the month of April where an artist staged a 2-day live show. With his “Wine Red Heart” hit,” the venue was packed with his fans. The other was in the month of December when the Coconut Boys performed after being renamed as CCB. After this performance, their song “Romance Does Not Stop” became a hit in the music industry.
Two years later, an artist known as Ichihiro Miyoshi performed for the first time in the day section at Eggman in the year 1986. In the month of March, Eggman celebrated its 5th anniversary by having live performances by J-WALK, Shady Dolls, The Collectors, PaPa. ZIGGY, and De-LAX. Other personality bands also performed during this event to celebrate with Eggman’s milestone.
Princess Princess first performed in Eggman in January of the year 1987. After their first performance, they started to play at Eggman on a monthly basis until the end of the year. In the month of August, sadly, the band Rosa Luxembourg broke up. They found it apt to perform their last live show in Eggman.
Because it was the conclusion to the band, it comes as no wonder that the tickets were all sold out. Some fans even stayed outside Eggman to catch the band in action. This live performance was even released as a live album. It was released by Midi Records. A member of the band started a band of his own after the dissolution of Rosa Luxembourg.
Several notable events occurred in the year 1988 at Eggman. At the beginning of the year, an all-night event called “Street Rockers” occurred at Eggman. Numerous bands performed during this event including GDFLICKERS and Jun Skywalkers. In the month of June, X JAPAN performed at Eggman live for 2 days. A band named The Boom also performed in the venue in the month of December. This band became popular from Harajuku Hoko Heaven.
In the year 1989, there were also other notable bands that performed in the venue. However, during the same year, Eggman had to temporarily close down for renovation. After changes were made, the venue again opened its doors to the public. Some changes during the renovation process included the position of the entrance to the hall.
Events in Shibuya Eggman Beginning in the Year 1990
From the month of February to the month of April in the year 1990, Lindberg performed live at Eggman. A month after, Masaharu Fukuyama played at the venue in May. He performed at Eggman yet again in October and in December. From July to November of the same year, Human Chair also performed at the venue every last Sunday of the month. Eggman was always crowded during his performances.
A year after, Eggman celebrated its 10th anniversary. The staff of Eggman held a commemorative event called “Here We Go Again” in March of the year 1991. The event was held for 22 days. Several performers made appearances throughout the event. These include The Boom, Shady Dolls, J-WALK, and Zabadak. In the month of October, Yoshihiro Ishikawa began his live series called “Koendomen’s 12 Months” at Eggman.
Lindberg made his appearance at Eggman yet again in July of the year 1992. His live performance was a hit and fans clamored to attend the event. Another first-time performer at Eggman was Kazuyoshi Saito, who played in the month of August. One other regular at Eggman in the year 1992 was Ryoko Goshima.
In March of the year 1995, a local artist by the name of Hiki Shiina held her first solo performance at Eggman. A month after, another artist by the name of Mitsuhiro Oikawa also performed at the said venue. Eggman also served as the host for the event of Nippon Broadcasting Corporation entitled “LIVE UFO Shibuya Night” from April to May. One of the performers in the said event was Dojima Kohei. Sasano Michiru also held a monthly live performance from the month of July to the month of September.
Several notable events occurred at Eggman in the year 1996. In the month of January, the voluntary label “Eggman Disc” began. Around the same time, the album of Metrofall entitled “LIMBO Island” was also released. This album was featured in numerous music magazines, making a name for itself. Two months later, Masayoshi Yamazaki played at Eggman for the first time.
It was also in the year 1996 that Eggman celebrated its 15th anniversary. They held an event that lasted for 12 days. Several performers played throughout the event. These include Nomura Yoshio, KERA, and Human Chair. From the month of August to the month of December, several well-known artists performed live at Eggman. These include the Red Warriors, Toshiki Kadomatsu, and Yokoji Shobo.
A year following the 15th anniversary of the music spot, an artist by the name of Tsuruku Masaharu performed live at Eggman in April of the year 1997. Tsuruku was formerly a member of Checkers. Another band by the name of Something Else was introduced at Eggman. After which, this band appeared and played in the venue on a regular basis until the following year.
It was in October in the year 2003 that the venue was finally renamed as Shibuya Eggman. Eight years and numerous performances later, Shibuya Eggman celebrated its 30th anniversary in the year 2011. To commemorate this milestone, Shibuya Eggman produced “Tamagota Mujyuku” by Ishihara Yuki Ko and Ubu Koji.
Eggman Mistaken As A Nuclear Power Plant by Fox News
Aside from being famous as a music spot in Shibuya, Eggman further gained popularity due to a misrepresentation by a news channel in the United States. Fox News presented a map that supposedly shows the different locations of nuclear plants in Japan. However, there were discrepancies in the map that circulated online.
Probably the biggest mistake presented by the map was stating that Shibuya Eggman was a nuclear power plant. This is far from the truth. To the locals in Japan, they clearly know that Shibuya Eggman is a music venue located in, of course, Shibuya. However, probably due to lack of research, the news network released a map listing Shibuya Eggman as something else entirely.
After news of this was released, the website of Shibuya Eggman expressed its heartfelt sadness regarding the victims and the lives lost as a result of natural disasters. However, it also clearly stated, in the English language no less, that “Shibuya Eggman has no nuclear power plant.” It even added that its electricity is only powered “by music.”
Many people found it strange that Fox News did not even find the name of a nuclear plant being “Shibuya Eggman” weird. After all, most, if not all, nuclear power plants, are usually named only based on its location and followed by the words “plant” or “power plant.” Such a mistake was unheard of for some people.
When made aware of the mistake, Andy Levy from Fox News conceded and responded to Jake Adelstein at Japan Subculture. However, such a mistake also showed how news channels, in general, were overlooking, if not ignoring, the plight of the victims of the earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan at the time. While coverage of the natural disasters is important, so are the victims of these catastrophes.
News channels in Japan showed better coverage of the cause and effects of the naturals disasters that happened in the country at the time. Coverage showed children holding up signs while they looked for their classmates who disappeared during the commotion. It even showed an old man holding up a flashlight while looking for his wife.
Instead of just focusing on nuclear reactors like what the Western counterpart of news networks did, Japanese news channels focused more on the effects of these adversities on the victims and how they are struggling to survive. After all, what matters are the effects of these disasters on the lives of the people and how these people will cope and stand up once again.
Ticket Rules and Regulations for Day and Night Time Events
Going back to the events at Shibuya Eggman, there are certain rules and regulations that surround ticket reservation and fees. For one, the drink fee is not included in the ticket fee. Hence, a customer would have to pay cash for the drink fee at the reception on the day of the event. The tickets are released from 3 PM to 8 PM at Shibuya Eggman. Cancellation of tickets is not allowed after a ticket has already been purchased. Hence, no tickets would be refunded.
Detaching or assigning tickets would also mark them invalid. Tickets would also not be reissued should this happen. For daytime events, a ticket is compulsory for elementary school students and above. Preschool children also cannot enter the premises if they are not accompanied by a guardian or an adult. Should a person have any inquiries, they can call Shibuya Eggman at 03-3496-1561 to learn more.
As for the night time events, only guests aged 18 and above can enter the premises. Because of age restriction, the staff of Shibuya Eggman may ask for an ID to confirm the age of the guest. Hence, it is important to bring a valid ID when going to Shibuya Eggman. Valid IDs must contain the person’s full name, photo, and date of birth. Alcoholic beverages would also not be served to minors. To ensure this, bartenders or servers may ask guests to show their IDs just to verify the age of the guest.
When visiting Shibuya, definitely check out the schedule of Shibuya Eggman so that one can set a date on when one wants to visit the music spot. It is best to buy the tickets in advance before they sell out. After all, Shibuya Eggman is one of the most popular live houses in the area. As one of the hippest music venues in the metro, visiting Shibuya Eggman is a must for music enthusiasts who wish to discover new artists, enjoy live music, and party after a full day of work or shopping.