When you’re trying to re-create a cultural moment that happened nearly half a century ago, getting the vibe right is crucial. As Tomorowo Taguchi was shooting the concert scenes for “Street Kingdom,” his energetic account of the birth of Japanese punk and indie music, he realized something was off: There were too many people in the audience.
“Back then, it was totally normal for only 15 or 20 people to turn up for a show,” he says. “We had all these extras, and I kept having to thin them out.”
“Street Kingdom” focuses on what came to be known as the Tokyo Rockers movement, which coalesced around the S-Ken Studio venue in the capital’s Roppongi neighborhood in 1978. Inspired by the sounds and styles emanating from London and New York, ambitious young bands such as Lizard and Friction sought to create something they could call their own.
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