Inside Tokyo’s Grillz Scene with Akiyama Tetsuya
Akiyama in his shop│© Johnny Nghiem
Before grillz became a fixture in Japan’s visual culture, Tokyo-based jeweler Tetsuya Akiyama, founder of Grillz Jewelz, was taking his first steps toward grillz-making. More than two decades ago, at a time when the scene barely existed in Tokyo, what began as a subcultural import rooted in hip-hop has since filtered into broader popular culture.
Creating grillz across genres and generations (from A$AP Rocky to Sheena Ringo and Reiji Okamoto), Aki-san played a major role in pioneering Tokyo’s grillz scene and aesthetic.
Our team members Wanda and Johnny sat down with Aki-san to look back upon the early days, the current state of grillz in Japan, and what it means to stay true to the culture that started it all.
View the full feature on our Instagram here.
Video by Johnny Nghiem
Interview by Wanda Kento
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From hip-hop import to Tokyo staple with Grillz Jewelz.