Elvis troupe

This looks like the Village People performing West Side Story.

When I first came to Japan in the early 90s there used to be so many of these guys at Yoyogi park (haven't been there for a while on a Sunday now).

Still loads but are they really trying to be Elvis? Think they might get upset by that!

Sad! C'mon fellas! Get a life!

Great to see this again. Redux 80's. So these have gotta be the kids from the earlier groups, right?

serindipity...Agree completely. Just a bunch of guys desparate for attention. In fact, I think the "observer" on the far left of the picture sums up my feelings towards these guys perfectly.

Hey let's do something that makes us happy and entertains others so people who sit behind a computer all day can complain about us.

I wonder how many times this has been the picture of the day on Japan Today; 5, 10, any guesses?

Bad-ass greasers

Elvis just rolled in his grave.

Well, and least they're going with 'Young Elvis' sizes.

Live and let live. They are not telling the pastel and kaki wearing golf crowd not to waste their time chasing tiny white balls around spaces that would be better used as public parks instead of haughty clubs. They are not telling hip hop fans not to dance hip hop style at clubs. Nor are they telling peaceful park goers that their frizbee and picnic blankets are a waste of time.

These guys love the music they listen to. They love to dance. They love the fasion they wear. And they love to perform on the street to bring a smile to a lot of people who enjoy seeing how happy these guys look dancing.

Isn't there enough grim beige life out there in the world? Don't we all spend far too much of our short lives doing things we really would rather not do in order to get by and pay the bills?

If a few people have found something that helps them feel happy then I say more power to them. Let them alone and respect them for having the courage to do what they like to do. Same goes for the gothics at Harajuku, the beige clad golf crowd, the high fashion OLs in Ginza and every other group out there who have something that makes them a little happy.

These guys are great and add a something extra to an already highly entertaining park on a Saturday.

Who really cares if their sound system plays a lot of static?

Just enjoy the moment!

If these guys look like Elvis, then I have to admit that Japanese variety show comedians are hilarious!

WTF... guy on far left of the pic. He must not like Elvis...

I don't think they are trying to look like Elvis. Didn't anyone here watch Happy Days or the movies "The Outsiders" or "American Graffiti"? Or every heard of the musical "Grease?"

This style is "Greaser Style" from the 1950s and early 1960s. It was the punk or hip hop of that era. Actors such as Marlon Brando, John Travolta and Matt Dillon have played greaser characters. It is a part of Americana in line with early motorcycle culture and very early rock that Elvis came to represent.

Elvis was just the most famous of this fashion. These guys and their girls in poodle skirts are reliving a piece of music and fashion history. And having a lot of fun doing it. I'm always happy to see them there and always feel encouraged by them to confidently follow my own dreams and interests.

Maybe you are right tkoind2, who needs Tony Robbins for motivation when we have these individuals for inspiration! Next weekend, off to Yoyogi park to follow the yellow brick road!! Good times!!

too bad they cudnt close down that road by the park & open it up again, back in the early 90s it was a great place to walk around on a sunday, drown a couple beers lots of crazy good & really bad music, quaff some yakisoba.........ahh the good ole days

There's one of these guys living in my neighborhood.

Saw him walking up the street to the station the other weekend.

I've got to say his hair was really imposing to say the least - big, PERFECTLY greased and styled, big black jacket and red hankerchief hanging loosly out of his old jeans pocket.

His entire persona just screamed "LOOK AT MY HAIR!!"

It was like Elvis hair with a human body attached.

Awesome. I felt honored to be in his presence.

A bunch of guys Rockinn Rollin. Nothing wrong with that! And it looks like they are enjoying themselves. Good for them.

Bad Ass Greaser's??? There's no ghetto in Japan.

Viva Yoyogi.

"Don't step on my blue suede geta"

...and other such witticisms

I also remember seeing these guys 10 years ago. Are they the same guys?? Or some youngin's have come up the ranks to perform here? Rockabilly lives forever!

They're called the Tokyo Rockabilly Club, not the "Elvis Guys".

And the music they blast is 1960s rock'n'roll-inspired Japanese music known as "Group Sounds".

pathetic! but if these guys have no other fun in live than trying to look like elvis ... then let'em have it!

The people who don't approve/ think these guys are sad- do you really think the world would be a better place if they stopped? These guys and the other Yoyogi weirdos are one of the highlights of Tokyo in my opinion- long may they continue to ignore the boring people who for some mysterious reason think they are pathetic.

ridiculous but entertaining, let 'em swivel and pick up coins all they want

dr jones

we are all waiting for you to enlighten us with some good hobbies not only for these poor souls but the rest of us here on JT, come on we are waiting!

Apparently in the early nineties these rockabilly blokes beat the crap out of a gaijin (Iranian man) and the police watched and did nothing about it. These guys are scum. And desperate for attention.

They're kind of like folk heroes now. They illegally park their rusting piece of sh*t pink Cadillac on Inokashira Dori with impunity.

These guys' shoes are an artform all to themselves.

These guys' shoes are an artform all to themselves.

You mean when they wrap them in duct tape when they wear a hole in them.. classic look that!

Nothing wrong with personal freedom and expressing some dance moves. But I've seen these idiots step out in the road alongside Yoyogi-koen and halt the busy weekend traffic whilst waiting for their sempai in the Cadillac to drive into the park entrance and park illegally. This skinny guy in leathers and a quiff stepped out into the middle of the road holding his hand out but my cabbie didn't give a damn and drove right past him. I get the impression they are all frustrated and busting for a fight with anyone.

Elvis guys I thought they were running for the PM job

I dig it. I think these guys are funny. I would hardly call them 'Elvis', though... more like Greasers in general.

love these guys!

I agree with 'dagbrown', they are not an "Elvis troupe". I think I was on the other side of this picture when it was taken b/c I was there Sunday watching these same guys, along with a woman who was doing interpretive dance and another group of 50s/60s poodle skirt dancers. While I admire them for doing what they want and letting loose, I also they think they look sort of like pained wannabes. But, oh well, what can you do?

I forgot to say this in my above comment. I don't understand why they make their shoes with black tape and paint. Can't they just buy pointed leather shoes instead of tape and attach a point to regular shoes?

Good luck to them. But they are definately more "Village People" than Elvis...especially the guy with the mo.

They look like they are having fun so i say, let them. There are people like this everyehere in the world but what makes Japanese (or Asians for that matter)stand out is that they really do not fit the whole look of cool so it's kind of cute to watch in my opinion.

they are fun to watch for about 5 minutes. But I wonder if it's the same bunch that I was seeing in the 80s?

I did like the blues duo that used to play there. I'll have to go back and see if they are still there.

Sigh, to be single again...

They look more like the man of Sakikage Otoko Juku from the Shonen Jump's comic series then Elvis himself. Yeah, the ducktail hairstyle resembles Elvis, but they're just trying to promote some good old whim and puns.

They look more like the man of Sakikage Otoko Juku from the Shonen Jump's comic series then Elvis himself. Yeah, the ducktail hairstyle resembles Elvis, but they're just trying to promote some good old whim and puns.

They don't look like Elvis in the least. He never wore his hair in a DA put a pomp.

Actually, they look like rejects from central casting for a Japanese homo-erotic vampire movie.