“He represents all of us,” states Keijyu, a childhood friend of underground rapper Anarchy, the focus of a documentary from directors Jonathan Turner and Sam Cole that exposes a little-seen side of Japan.

The historical city of Kyoto is famed for its ancient, beautiful Shinto shrines, yet on the outskirts lies Mukaijima Danchi, an insular area made up of huge industrial housing projects. Built between the 1950s and 1980s, the “danchi” are often glossed over in society, representing the country’s poverty, crime and unemployment.

Anarchy is now signed to major Japanese label Avex, and Danchi No Yume: Dreams of the Projects rewinds a few years with him scribbling introspective lyrics that speak of a misspent and isolated youth within the high-rise blocks. 

How did you originally hear about Anarchy?
Jonathan Turner: We were introduced to Anarchy’s label head Ryuzo on the occasion he was visiting New York in 2006. Sam and I had worked on a few Japanese hip-hop music videos for a crew called Nitro. He brought up Anarchy, an artist who was the “real deal.” Someone like Nas, from the projects and rapping about his experience. 

Sam Cole: [Anarchy] had something to say beyond the usual clichés that typically permeate foreign hip-hop scenes, and it was very clear to me that he was a very important part of Japanese hip-hop history. I bought a ticket to Kyoto and flew out to meet him within a month.

Did you understand the lyrics before you met him?
JT: We were lucky to already be working with several Japanese employees, and Sam had a great ability to interpret Japanese (which never makes sense with a literal translation). Later we worked with writer and filmmaker Atsushi Numata, who was the first person to translate Nas’s lyrics on Illmatic for the Japanese market.

What were your first feelings upon encountering the “danchi”?
SC: The silence. The size. They are not like US projects. It is a much different atmosphere, yet they kind of look similar. The real pain and suffering is behind closed doors. It rarely spills out into the public.

How does the hip-hop scene in Japan compare to that of America?
SC: The Japanese hip-hop scene was born out of Charlie Ahearn’s trip to Tokyo in the early 1980s when he took his film Wildstyle on the road. Kids in Japan were instantly transfixed. However, initially it seemed to be only for kids with resources or family wealth. It didn’t come from the pain and suffering of the minority class. That came nearly 20 years later with Anarchy. Anarchy comes from nothing. He is now the biggest hip-hop star in Japan. He started from the bottom and now he’s here, truthfully.

Check out Danchi No Yume featuring Anarchy for future screening dates.