When Golden Bomber released the single Memeshikute in 2009, the four-man visual kei “air band” never expected the grand success they are living off today. It became such a major turning point that it put them on the map and paved the way to the top spot on a plethora of music charts, all this while continuously attracting TV commercial deals on a regular basis. And as vocalist Shou revealed, it even earned him “about 100 million yen”!
Considering today is October 21, a little over a decade since the release of Memeshikute, we thought it would be a cool idea to swing by the location where the popular music video was filmed. Besides showing off the place, we’ll also share the directions on how to get to the famous “Bar StarDust”—the one in the music video—in case you want to visit the place once the pandemic has settled down.
Before we begin, have a look at the music video again to refresh your memories:
Preparation
We all know how vocalist Kiryuin Shou is a big fan of the T-shirt with two stars, also known as the Tamiya T-shirt, we picked one up in Akihabara to get ourselves in the mood!
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- Tamiya T-shirt
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- Pretty comfortable
Kiryuin Shou wearing the Tamiya T-shirt. With Golden Bomber, GACKT, and masato (SuG).
We were also planning on grabbing one of these kabuki masks from Don Quijote’s cosplay section, but we ended up forgetting about it…
The Kabuki mask resembling Golden Bomber’s drummer Kenji.
The journey
While we obviously suggest using a mapping service like Google Maps to lead the way, we thought it would still be useful to pinpoint some of the “landmarks” in order to make your journey easier—if you ever wanted to visit.
The Memeshikute filming location is located at Bar StarDust, in Yokohama, about an hour away from Tokyo. The nearest station is Keikyu Higashi-kanagawa Station (京急東神奈川駅) via the Keikyu line, previously known as Nakakido Station. From here, it’s only about a 10–15-minute walk.
From Keikyu Higashi-kanagawa Station to Bar StarDust.
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- 1. Get off at Keikyu Higashi-kanagawa Station, take the exit leading down.
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- 2. You’re in the right direction if you can spot a 7-Eleven on the other side of the street.
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- 3. You will have to cross the overpass to get around.
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- 4. As you get closer, a pale-colored bridge will appear.
Right by the bridge, that’s where Memeshikute was filmed!
At the Memeshikute filming location
When we arrived at Bar StarDust, our first thought was that the building itself looked way smaller than the impression we got from the music video. It actually looked quite humble. Too bad a truck was standing in our way from getting a good view.
Bar StarDust looks a lot smaller in real life!
So what is Bar StarDust? According to their official website, this is how they describe the place:
StarDust is a bar so famous here in Yokohama that has been featured in movies, television dramas, and even music videos. Open for around half a century, its charm lies in the completely unchanged atmosphere.
The bar counter and wooden floor give off a strong “American” vibe, and with music from the 60s and 70s crooning from the jukebox, it’s a venue steeped in nostalgia. The ocean is just below the window, with boats cruising by and the fresh ocean breeze permeating the air… Truly an outstanding atmosphere.
Warm and friendly even to fresh-faces, and safe for ladies who wish to visit by themselves. Resident handsome tomcat Minato is also here to keep you company for an innocent drink.
Over 100 cocktails are available to order. More standard items are the core of our menu. Friendly and warm, this is a bar where you can practically feel the nostalgia, and from the moment you step inside, you’ll feel like it fits you perfectly.
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- Inside Bar StarDustBar StarDust
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- “Memeshikute” cover artworks, shot inside the bar.
Comparing to the music video
The title of the song Memeshikute can be translated to “effeminate”, or essentially “unmanly”. This is what we see portrayed during the intro when the male protagonist is begging for his former girlfriend not to leave him.
Before the woman walks out of the frame, she exclaims “Don’t touch me, why are you acting like this, are you a woman or what?”. As she walks away, the man stands there in misery while a passerby gives him the stare.
Music starts, “Memeshikute, memeshikute, tsurai yo”!
“Memeshikute, memeshikute! Hikari wo abite”.
It’s too bad time was of the essence this day, as such, we weren’t able to stay long enough to enter the bar. But nonetheless, it was a worthwhile trip and a slightly surreal experience.
Seeing the big Bar StarDust logo with our own eyes really validated that this indeed is where Golden Bomber filmed its most iconic music video, Memeshikute.
Bar StarDust
- Address: 2 Chome-1 Chiwakacho,
Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi,
Kanagawa-ken (Map) - Opening hours: 17:00 – 02:00
- Open every day, even during holidays.
- Payment: Accepts cash only
- Seats: Around 20 seats