DAVID HICKEY

Wading for Western wasabi

Michael Woodford: Japan has worst structural problems in the world

The whistleblower sees parallels between Olympus and TEPCO, the troubled firm behind the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant

Dave Boyle: community defender

A government pledge designed to boost community-led football club ownership could protect the game and aid local areas, says the movement's chief.

Peace follows turbulent times

It took Tokyo-based author David Peace six novels before he wrote about his adopted city. Now he can't stop, reports David Hickey.

Barking practice

The surreal twists in Kan Mikami's musical 'heresies' alienated him from Japan's 1970s acid-folk scene. But since the 1990s he has released a deluge of defiantly raw albums and embarked on genre-defying collaborations.

Tokyo's 'song and dance' man

He looks and plays the parts so well, that Tokyo Bob could almost be the Bard of Hibbing himself

Japan resident, get set for your date with the dentist

They were four simple words that I never wanted to hear: "Ha wo warimasu, ne (歯を割りますね, I'm going to split your tooth, OK?)."

'It’s a great stress reliever, I can tell you'

David Hickey endures 150bm cyber-rave music at Tokyo's Hell's Gate, home to goth girls in Victorian nightgowns sporting phlebotomy kits and male fake-haired blondies flashing devil horns.

Tonsorial tutorial: Tokyo's best male grooming

These three grooming salons are top of the chops for the increasingly large number of Japanese men choosing facials over fancy cars

Vinyl idyll

Even as some record shops close, Tokyo remains a haven for vinyl junkies. Here are five of the best