Attention, chef d’œuvre.
NOTE: THIS FOOTAGE FEATURES RAPIDLY FLASHING LIGHTS
This is Juliana’s Tokyo: British Discotheque in Shibaura: Virtual Rave-NRG (AVLD-80001), a 1992 LaserDisc edit of popular dance, house, & rave tracks set to footage of dancers at the legendary defunct Japanese nightclub, Juliana’s!
Juliana’s was a nightclub located in the industrial Shibaura district of Tokyo during the end of the Japanese Bubble Economy period, between 1991 & 1994. During those three years, the nightclub left an indelible mark on Japanese culture. A club built from 1.5 billion yen in British & Japanese investments with a largely corporate and female attendance along with a regular rotation of international DJs, the club brought about the rise of mainstream afterwork nightlife culture to a new population.
This also brought about exposure to underground and new fashion trends which led to the rise of the « gyaru » fashion subculture & spread of « bodycon » dresses, both of which long-outlasted the club itself. As the club attracted these new groups, it also grew into a more exotic aesthetic, having started with more mainstream italio disco & HiNRG playlists before transitioning to the much more intense techno & hardcore music heard here (and, after that, began to play fast Eurobeat/Happy Hardcore-derived « Hypertechno » playlists). Eventually, the club began to become well-known by the public for their « scandalous » atmosphere and by 1993, under pressure from governmental and residential forces, began to enact dress codes and restrictions quickly leading to it’s demise in 1994.
Over the course of this 45 minute experience, you’ll be warped back to 1992 to see a small glimpse of the incredible Juliana’s Tokyo experience! Enjoy this rare footage of classic Juliana’s Tokyo!
Fun Fact 1: One of the most iconic quirks of Juliana’s Tokyo was the « juri » handheld white feather fans that the women would be given and wave in the air.
Fun Fact 2: All « otachi-dai » raised platforms on the Juliana’s Tokyo club floor were for women only, providing safe spaces to dance.
Fun Fact 3: Located within the nightclub was a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) for hungry guests to dine on.
Fun Fact 4: A number of well-known industry members were noted to be frequent visitors or even DJs at Juliana’s such as legendary video game composer Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, Shenmue, Super Smash Bros.)!
Fun Fact 5: In November 2021, the Shibuya club « Club Camelot » celebrated the 30th anniversary of the opening of Juliana’s Tokyo by « transforming » into the classic club for a weekend. They gave ladies white feather fans, brought back famous Juliana’s DJs such as Marc Panther, John Robinson, DJ Koo, and others. The event was notable for bringing many bubble-era clubbing ladies, now in their 40’s and 50’s, back to the dance floor!
