Triple Vision: Japan inspired Jaren Jackson Jr. It showed him that he’s not ‘insane’
Jaren Jackson Jr. (above) and his creative team flew across the Pacific Ocean to Tokyo, Japan, for the last hurrah of his summer video series. (Courtesy David Herrera)
‘Triple Vision,’ is a four-part behind-the-scenes look at Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr.’s summer YouTube vlog series. In it, Jackson shares details about his growing passion for videography, its connection to basketball and the unique experiences he produces by pushing creative boundaries.
Act 4, Scene 1 — Not Detroit
Jaren Jackson Jr. boarded the 10-hour flight out of Los Angeles. He took a seat near the front of the plane, popped his headphones in his ears and kicked back.
“Did I want to go on this trip?” Jackson said as he reflected on his final excursion of the 2024 offseason.
“Yeah, I did.
“But, by that point in the summer, I had already traveled so much. I didn’t have it in me to be thinking too hard about it. Like, I wasn’t doing any research before I showed up. I was like, ‘Cool, we’re gonna get some clips, we’re gonna look at some clothes. I’m on the plane sitting on my phone as if we’re going to Detroit.”
They were not going to Detroit.
Jackson and his creative team were flying across the Pacific Ocean to Tokyo, Japan, for the last hurrah of his summer video series.
Jaren Jackson Jr. on the sidewalk in Tokyo. (Courtesy David Herrera)
The Grizzlies All-Star expected to get a fashion education that other cities couldn’t provide. What he didn’t anticipate was that by dabbling in Japanese culture, Jackson would be overcome by a rush different than anything he had felt before.
“Japan is so ahead when it comes to fashion. It’s like the unsung hero of the industry,” Jackson said. “You would think it would be Paris or Milan — and to some degree, it is when it comes to designer clothing — but there are so many other stores in Tokyo that aren’t designer. They start the trends that those places pick up later.
“Japan produces stuff that people aren’t willing to try at times. It’s stuff that I wear. I just wanted to be around that.”
Jackson shopped for several days, but he said he didn’t cover even 10% of what he wanted to see. It would have taken weeks for him to do so.
Instantly, the basketball star was enamored by the way businesses were carved into every nook and cranny. There was an entire underground — literally — fashion world to explore.
“It was crazy,” Jackson said. “It’s like a mixture of high-level fantasy and vintage. Places that were vintage were so weird. There are vending machines with food on the f------ streets, stores built sideways, stores that don’t have websites.”
Some of the Japanese shops were hidden. Jackson had to find them by following arrows pointed toward staircases that took him underneath the city. The element of adventure added to the experience.
Topics
Subscriber Only Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis Grizzlies NBA Triple VisionThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Drew Hill
Drew Hill covers the Memphis Grizzlies and is a top-10 APSE winner. He has worked throughout the South writing about college athletics before landing in Memphis.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.