shashasha

A hiphop-inspired lifestyle magazine focusing on grandmas and grandpas

“Tsuru to Kame” began as a free paper started by the brothers Tetsuya and Naohiro Kobayashi after returning to the rural countryside of "Okushinano" (Iiyama in Nagano Prefecture) after going to university in Tokyo. Heavily influenced by hiphop and street culture and armed with the necessary knowhow and sensibilities, in “Tsuru to Kame” they introduce the rural lifestyle of their home region through the lens of Tokyo’s contemporary urban culture.

Featuring grandmas and grandpas living in "Okushinano" in the same way lifestyle magazines feature young models and hiphop performers, “Tsuru to Kame” draws out the perks and attractions of rural life from an entirely fresh, exciting point of view. In humorous (yet never disrespectful) photo spreads, interviews, features and even a short manga, the book takes an interested look at fashion and hobbies of Okushinano’s elderly and draws out commonalities between the lifestyles of older people in rural regions and the street culture of young people in Japan’s urban centers.