Hat visits the big city- Tokyo Blur

I LOVED my Tokyo trip. This trip like all the others has furthered my love affair with Japan. I feel like anytime you go into something with a totally open mind, and have few expectations, you'll always be pleasently surprised. A wasn't expecting grandure from Tokyo, I was simply setting out on this little journey totally alone, just hoping to get a glipse of city life and have a look at the art scene in Japan. The city wasn't actually on my list of things to do in Japan list, but it is the capital, so I thought I'd check it out. I stayed in Tokyo for 5 nights, and then moved on to a little city in Nagano called Matsumoto. This trip was more of a cultural pilgrimage than anything else. I think I went to about 7 museums in total, at least one a day. So I'll give the play by play by going through each day.

It all started on a cool fall Wednesday night in Fukui. I boarded the night bus leaving at 10:00 pm, and expecting to arrive in Tokyo at 6:30 am. The night bus was a double decker bus, and i was in the very front at the top. I had what any experienced travellor would have for such long journeys; sleeping bag, ear plugs, eye mask, blow up head cushion, and i-pod. I looked rediculous but slept like a jem. It was difficult at first, but then all of a sudden i woke up at 5:30am almost in Tokyo.

Day 1- Welcome to Tokyo

Okay, so it's 6am...I'm in Tokyo station, tired, hungry, need to pee, and in a desprite search for a Starbucks. This station is so large that it can take half an hour to walk from one end to the other. First on my list of things to do was visit the largest fish market in the world- Tsukiji Fish Market. So eventually I found the right train, got off at the right exit, and with some walking in circles looking lost I found IT! And what a busy bustling site it was, with moterized carts wizzing by me, mini cars, and people dashing this way and that. It was loud, busy, and wet with fish guts and water everywhere. However, it was extremely fasinating watching men saw giant tuna fish two feet in front of me, and also seeing basically every type of fish you could imagine. If i were to describe the market in one word, it would be- HECTIC.

After the market i went to my hostel (Khaosan Tokyo) in Asakusa to drop off my bags, change, and prepare to hit the streets agian. Next I went to Ueno Koen, a park with lots of museums, performers and people walking around enjoying the day. In Ueno I went to the Tokyo National Museum. The museum cronologically explores the development of Japanese art from the early Jomon period, over 12,000 years ago, to the late 19th century. I particularily enjoyed the ink painted screnes, ukiyo-e prints, and the collection of kimonos. Oh, and also hairpins that the geisha used to wear.

Then I was so exhausted I had to go home and take a nap. After that I set out to explore the area I was staying in. Asakusa is an old style area with an interesting shrine in the centre of the entertainment district. That night I ate the most delishious kebob, and got free homemade ice cream from the guys working there. It's the little things that can top off an already great day.

Day 2- Salt slinging Sumos

I met two girls from the hostel that were going to go watch Sumo today. So I figured why the heck not? So we set off to buy the tickets early in the day. After that we slpit up to do different things, and were going to meet up later to watch the tournament.

I went to the Edo Tokyo Museum convieniently located behind the Sumo stadium. The museum was pretty cool. It had lots of diagrams of what Tokyo city looked like during the Edo period. My favorite part of the museum was where they showed the process of how to make a Ukiyo-e print. They also had some prints, as well as a life size model of what a book store looked like during that time.

Ukiyo-e woodblock prints are my favorite form of Japanese art for so many reasons. I'll explain my love for it when I talk about the museum in Matsumoto. Below is the process of many many woodblock carvings being printed onto a piece of paper to form one glorious finishing piece.

They also recreated what a traditional Kabukui stage looked like. Kabuki is a type of theatre performance where all the parts are played by men. There are lots of trap doors, and a revolving circle in the middle of the stage.

Then I went to the Asakusa area to check out the shrine and famous big red lantern.



Sumo, was sooooooooooo cool. Although it is essentially huge fat guys charging at each other to push the other person out of the little circle, it is also steeped in centuries of tradition and cerimony. There are reasons for everything that hark back to centuries ago, like when they stamp their feet, or toss salt into the ring before entering. The three of us were so excited; we had our beers and were ready to have this very Japanese experience.

The one on the right was not happy, but the one on the left was pretty nice

Victoria, Elise, and myself


Day 3- ‘the never ending story’ (don’t worry I won’t sing it like Kelly Osborn)

I decided it was time to check out the hip and modern area of Roppongi. First I paid a visit to The National Art Centre, Tokyo, to check out a contemporary Chinese art exhibition- ‘AVANT-GARDE CHINA: Twenty Years of Chinese Contemporary Art’.

What an amazing space. As grandeur on the inside as on the outside, with lots of separate galleries spanning the several floors. There were a series of modern art exhibitions going on as well as the Chinese one.

This is a blurb from artdaily, an online newspaper:
“Artistic expression that departed from socialist realism emerged in the late 1970s, after the country implemented its reform and opening-door policy. In 1979 artists known as the “Star Group” held an exhibition, blazing the trial for much freer forms of expression that put the artists’ individuality front and center.

Starting in the mid-1980s, various avant-garde groups were formed simultaneously throughout the country in the huge groundswell known as the “’85 New Wave Movement.” As the volume of information flowing in from the West increased, these new artists expressed social themes gripping China through not only painting and sculpture but also new forms, such as video performance and installation art. This period also saw the rise of artists like Cai Guoqiang and Huang Yong Ping, who relocated their activities overseas.

In the early 1990s a number of artists began to work in styles like “Political Pop” and “Cynical Realism,” and China’s contemporary art began gaining recognition abroad. Subsequently, more radical works of performance and video art started to emerge. Buoyed by waves of globalization since 2000, an active global art market, and expanding popularity of international exhibitions, contemporary Chinese art has become recognized as a cultural symbol of China’s reforms.

“AVANT-GARDE CHINA: Twenty Years of Chinese Contemporary Art” takes a look at the progression of Chinese art over the past 20 years, starting from the 1980s. The exhibition focuses on representative works from artists deserving of particular attention and includes established artists as well as promising new talent.” (http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=26505)

I was pleasantly surprised with the pieces I saw. I could have told you a few of the facts from above because the museum did actually have pretty good English signage, but it wouldn’t have been so nicely put. One of my favorite works was the 2 person collaboration by Sun Yuan and Peng Yu, called ‘Old Persons Home’ 2007. These two artists are renown for working with controversial materials and subjects. This satirical scene consisted of models of old decrepit world leaders in automatic wheel chairs left to move at snails pace crashing into each other in a slow chaos. I think the sound was most unnerving; it is that buzz and zigzagging sound of the wheel chairs in this otherwise silent and white space. I stood there for quite a while taking it all in. It was also unnerving when they would come speeding towards you and then abruptly stop before hitting the partition. I know taking photographs in a museum is strictly forbidden, but I can’t help sneaking in a shot now and then. I also took a video of this. All in all, a great exhibition.
Sun Yuan and Peng Yu, 'Old Persons Home', 2007

Next I went to the Mori Art Museum in the Roppongi Hills entertainment complex. They were showing an Annette Messager exhibition called The Messengers, as well as an instillation piece by Araki Tamana. Annette Messager is a French artist who has been working since the 1870s. She usually works with found items and items from everyday life to explore various the dichotomies from everyday life. I thought the works were displayed well, and some of the pieces were interesting, but it wasn’t by favorite exhibition. However, the Araki Tamana instillation was fantastic.

Annette Messager

When you buy the ticket for the exhibition, you are also allowed to visit the roof to see an outstanding view of Tokyo city.

After Roppongi I went home to get ready for a dinner out in Shinjuku with my two lovely friends Shane and Sraks. What was supposed to be a quite dinner and drinks, turned out to be an ALL night party at 5 different gay bars in Shinjuku’s Kabukui-cho red light entertainment district. Once you make the commitment to miss the last train home, you basically have to entertain yourself till the wee hours of the morning. And by wee hours I mean 8am.

Shane, myself, and Sraks

The first gay bar was called The Advocate, it is such a small bar that the people amply spill onto the streets. Next we headed for a little bar down the road where we met two of Shane’s friends. Then we headed to another bar to indulge in the champagne special they were offering.
Hosts on the street...take note of the hair

J-bf #1

After that it was time to hit the club called ‘Arty Farty’ (could it have a better name? I think not) Arty Farty was filled to the brim with good looking men of all ages and fashions, I was in gay boy heaven. So while Sraks shook it up on the dance floor I made friends with many topless Japanese boys, hahahaha, just what I like to call a little eye candy.

J-bf #2

Then we moved on to our final bar of the night (well morning at this point) called Tank Top. Finally, after that I made my way to the subway to go home for a short nap before waking up to explore Harajuku.
This is where days and nights started to blur together quite a bit.

Day 4- Harajuku guys and gals

So I woke up at 12:00, showered, ate, and set off again to go to Tokyo’s famous area called Harajuku. This area near Yoyogi koen is popular with teens for its one of a kind trendy fashion stores, and jingo-bashi bridge where people of all ages go to dress up in various costumes. They call this cos-play (costume play). Mainly I saw a bunch of angry Goths, but there were also people offering free hugs, a truly scary vampire, and an opera singer. I quite liked wandering around and people watching. Japan is by far the most interesting place for people watching I have ever been in. I can sit for hours just watching the variety of contrasting people walking around coexisting together in urban Japan. Then I went back to the Shinjuku area to see the big city lights again (this time totally sober).

Takeshita Dori, famous shopping street
Goths

Day 5 – Rainy Buddha

I really should have spent the day inside somewhere, but I was determined to stick to my itinerary. Rain or shine I was heading to Kamakura today. Kamakura is an hour train ride from Tokyo, and has the most famous seated outside Buddha of Japan. Anyways, bottom line, it was cold, rainy and dark out. When I got to Kamakura I first visited the Buddha. Then I went down the road to a temple called Hase Dera. After that I was so cold and wet I went back into town to have a much needed HOT Indian curry lunch with huge nan bread. After lunch I went to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and a few more, none worth mentioning though And I must say, I really never need to see anymore Buddhas or shines/temples again.... well until S.E.A. that is.

Daibutsu


Its shoes in case it needs to walk around- Buddha is neither male nor female, hence the 'it'
Hese Dera
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine

After a very cultural day, I couldn’t wait to get back into the bustling city. I just felt more at ease with the lights and people and well....Starbucks. I don’t even feel ashamed at craving its delightful hot lattes. In Fukui I live too far away from Starbucks, so when in the big city I take advantage of the abundance. Plus they recharge me for more walking around the cold rainy city- it’s a travel aid. The Shibuya area is famous for the scenes in the movie ‘Lost in Translation’ with actor Bill Murray. I walked around getting lost in the hustle bustle of shoppers all clutching umbrellas.

Day 6- Monks and cloudy mountains

Woke up, packed, set off for yet another city. One of the reasons I love Tokyo, is that it has such a rich blending of old and new, side by side. While waiting for the subway I came across 6 monks fully dressed in the most traditional monk clothing. I’m talking shaved heads, robes, and getta (shoes that are like flip flops but platform with two skinny strips of wood making them platformed). So there we were, side by side waiting for the subway to take us to the busiest subway station in Japan- the curly blond haired Canadian girl, Buddhist monks, and urban business men. The image is seared into my mind. Then I painfully tried to find the highway bus station, and successfully got on my way to Matsumoto. I said goodbye to Tokyo and drifted to sleep with the skyscrapers souring past me….only to wake up not too long after surrounded by extremely beautiful misty mountains. Again the old blending with new, the modern and the traditional, the man made skyscrapers and the lush natural mountains 山.

Matsumoto is a small city in Nagano Prefecture. The reason I was there was to see the famous black castle- Matsumoto-jo- and to also visit the Ukiyo-e museum the next day.
After storing my bags in the station lockers, I made my way through the streets to the castle. When I went through the castle gates a little retired Japanese man approached me and wanted to know if I wanted a free English guided tour of the castle. I say sureeeeee why not, he was so small and cute, and I’m sure I wouldn’t have learned so much without him explaining in detail every mark and artifact. He was actually pretty entertaining telling jokes about tricky guns (guns that looked like knives but could shoot too), and the 3 moons the samurai saw while on the moon viewing terrace (one in the mote, one in the sky, and one in their beer glasses). After the castle I went to Matsumoto City Museum or art. It gave the history of the city, and had many artifacts from daily life over the years. My favorite were the getta skates.

My Guide

The skates

TAYA- this museum and the castle aswell TOTALLY reminded me of Coach Mambie, remember how small and funny it was to see stuff that people had used only a few decades ago.

I then wandered the streets looking for the shin-shu soba restaurant that the tourist information desk told me to go to. Mmmmmmmm, hot Kake soba. Resturant owners always give you a weary look when you walk in, I guess they are sick of tourists, but as soon as you speak Japanese to them they lighten up. After that I caught a bus to my hostel Kaze no Yasuyado, where I was the only guest for the night. It was as if I had rented a private cottage for the night, all to myself.

Day 7- Some other beginnings end

Today I packed up, got a ride to the station from the lovely owner of the hostel, and set off to find the Matsumoto Ukiyo-e museum. The museum is only a five minute train ride from the station. BUT once you get off at the right stop, you have to walk about 25 minutes through rice patties, and wheat fields to get there.
Currently the museum had an exhibition on Yoshia Ichiyuusai Kuni. I must say, it really was not impressive at all. The museum boasts to have more than a hundred thousand ukiyo-e prints, paintings, screens, and books. So when I researched this particular museum I was very excited to be able to see all these wonderful prints and original artwork. However I was sorely disappointed when the artist they chose really wasn’t at all interesting. His scenes depicted mythical and real people throughout Japanese history, and had a very distinctive style which proved no comparison to Hokusai or Hiroshige. And the prints they displayed as part of their permanent collection were mostly copies, not the originals. However, it did give me ample time to analyze why I have fallen in love with this form of Japanese art above all else.
The term Ukiyo-e essentially means ‘pictures from the floating world’, because the images were usually of Japanese courtesans, geisha, sumo wrestles, and kabuki actors, who were all apart of this secret world that only the rich could be an integral part of. However, there was an emerging middle class during the Edo era (17th-19th c), so merchants and prosperous people looked for more ways to entertain themselves. Ukiyo-e prints are created by screening ink onto woodblocks and printing them onto pieces of paper, and also by hand painting the scenes. My favorite artists worked mainly with landscapes, but I sometimes enjoy their geisha pictures.

My favorite print is by Hokusai, ‘Kanagawa oki namiura’ 1830, which means great wave. The Japanese word ‘namiura’ means the underside of a wave. It is from his ‘Thirty-six views of mount Fuji’ series. I love this print for so many reasons. The first being his unique way of manipulating the movement of the water. Although the colors are almost completely flat and have a cubist nature to them, he still manages to show the swells and movement of the wave. The little people in the boat look so small and vulnerable to this wave, as does the tiny mount Fuji in the background. Mount Fuji can also be seen mirrored in the smaller wave. The clouds in the sky also reflect the movement happening below. Although there are few colors, they are vibrant, especially the deep blue of the ocean. And my other favorite is ‘Caifuu Kaisei’ (Mount Fuji in red) by Hiroshige. The colors are mostly flat with very little shading, so these artists use perspective to create depth. I did see an original of this one in a gallery in Hiroshima last January, and it was magnificent.
These ukiyo-e artists had a great influence on European artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, because of the prints impressionist and cubist properties.

I’d say 19 times out of 20 I get on the right train, BUT when I screw up, I royally screw up. Coming back from the museum, what was supposed to be a 5 minute train ride turned into an hour and a half of lost time. Because there is only one platform I got on the train going in the other direction. I had REALLY tried to look at the bright side of things- lovely Japanese Alps surrounding us, cool hay stacks everywhere- BUT really, there wasn’t anything good about wasting my time like that. The museum wasn’t up to my expectations either, and the train mishap soured my day. Maybe because directly after that I would then have to take 2 consecutive busses home lasting 8 hours in total. Oh well, in travel and in life, these unexpected inconveniences sometimes happen. Traveling isn’t always peaches and cream.

I did eventually get home. I took a bus to Nagoya city, waited for an hour and then took another bus to Fukui. On the bus I listened to a lot of music, and had a lot of time to ponder the fact that I’m leaving Japan very soon. One song that came on was Green Day’s Closing Time, and its words are very true, every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end. A very good trip indeed たしかに, and the last of my Japanese adventures for a very long time. The countdown to Australia begins....