NIGHT SHOP AT NAKO 2025

NIGHT SHOP AT NAKO 2025

I'm always looking for new ways to present GT at events. This year I decided to switch it up both visually and conceptually.  I didn't want to be behind a booth all day watching the event go by.  I didn't want to have GT be just "another Booth" amongst all the other vendors.  I wanted to stand out and break the norm.  NIGHT SHOP is the idea to have the booth closed during the day. It would be up but appear as more of an art installation. At night it comes alive as a shop and a spot to party.  The visual inspiration was late night Shibuya Tokyo corner store sessions. Bright neon lights, big over head lights, wheat pasted posters, and music from the bluetooth speaker.  Everyone gathering around kendama. Each day the booths appearance would evolve.  Posters would come down, get torn, tagged, new posters would go up, and things would get moved around. Players would come by at night to see what changed and what was going down at the Night Shop. Saturday night was the BEYBLADE X fight club.  33 people signed up to throw down in the stadium.  URBOIN8 brought the decks in from the main room adding a live DJ element and it POPPED OFF!  GT supplied a 32 rack of free beer, G wagons, and the space to be free and creative and the players provided the energy and hype.  It was amazing.

Photos By Gucci Moon Boots 

The posters were designed in the car on the way from Chicago to Minneapolis. I had an idea of what I wanted but nothing solid yet. Clay took the wheel and I cranked out the posters with my photography, a style idea, and some help from Chat GPT. Ideas come when they come. I've learned not to force it.  Instead I just open myself to inspiration and try to have confidence in my own vision and concept.  I love how the posters came out. Grungy, dark, and bold.  I was nervous about the one of me with both my middle fingers up. I've never presented myself this way in the kendama world.  It was a choice to really drive home the idea of breaking the norm and just sending it.  Asking for forgiveness instead of permission. 
Each night was a party. It was the NAKO late night spot. 
Yasu threw down on Beyblade!Kampai!Chinko DamaWild Bonz spotted.
NAKO VANDALS!ROD AND JEWBACCA
In the end we needed to dispose of the wall. So we did what any normal brand would do. 

Thank you NAKO for allowing me to be creative, bold, and take risks.  Kendama is a place where I feel that I have the support to be me. 

-Jake


 

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