DJ SumiRock: The Timeless Queen of Turntables.
Tokyo is a place where it's really become unsurprising when someone tells you that they're a DJ.
Heck, half of the Sabukaru team has had their time on the stacks. But in the case of Tokyo's DJ Sumirock, it's impossible to not be taken aback. While your grandparents are probably having dinner by 5 and out cold by 8 pm, Sumiko Iwamura's day is just beginning.
Born in 1935, Iwamura first began to pursue DJing at the age of 77, when a friend suggested she try out DJing school. Prior to this, she worked full-time operating her family-owned Gyoza restaurant, as she had been doing for over 50 years.
Fast forward to the present, and DJ Sumirock has defied all conventional notions of age and time. Now at age 88, she reigns as the oldest active DJ in the world. The moniker "Sumirock" isn't just a clever stage name; it embodies the very essence of her performances - a symphony of rock-infused energy that surges through the dance floor, uniting generations under a singular groove.
While basically, Sumirock's style ranges in the techno area, she also mixes anime theme songs, Jazz, French music and many other genres. With gigs having been played in both Paris and New Zealand and a feature on Netflix's Midnight Asia, It seems that Sumirock shows no signs of slowing down.
Spending her days making dumplings and her nights spinning techno tracks Sumirock is definitely living her best life. You can catch her sets twice a month in Kabukicho's Decabar, or head over to her restaurant Gyozasou Mura in Takadanobaba.
