On their way back to the hotel in Tokyo from Makuhari Messe (about 50-minute drive), one of the most influential rock scribes in Japan interviewed Wayne Kramer in the car. Gaku Torii, an all-time maverick writer with all his fame as rock critic/producer since the 70's, exchanged candid opinions and honest views with Wayne, which was published on the September 1st issue of a major Japanese rock magazine, "Rock Jet" (below).

Gaku wrote on his weblog for the day as follows (reprinted in English by permission of the author);

"The contemporary young bands may be reviwed by the writers of their generation. However, we must never forget, long before the present rock scene was formed, there were true pioneers of rock'n'roll who exploited the path that nobody had ever trodden. No Beastie Boys nor Green Day or Melo-Core would exist in the present world were it not for MC5 or Stooges. I'm not a nostalgist; yet, someone must pass the historical facts and the spirit of the great forerunners on to this frivolous world in the present. I'm more than happy to take the role."

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The picture below was taken at a cafe at the hotel, where they were so kind as to let me join. From left to right: Angela Davis, Deniz Tek, Mike Davis, Gaku Torii, and myself in one of the MC5 items introduced by Hysteric Glamour this year.