Blizzardboy | A Kiwi in Japan

Listening to Radio One (Dunedin / Aotearoa Radio Station) the other night and they had an interesting feature on Damo Suzuki. This is the first I had heard of Damo Suzuki and I liked what I heard. Damo Suzuki, born Kenji Suzuki in 1950, was busking in Munich when approached by 2 of the member of German krautrock legends Can. Asked to join the band, he ended up performing with them that evening. As lead singer for Can, Damo Suzuki went on to become a highly influential force in music. There is an interesting article “I am Damo Suzuki” by Craig Johnson at Spike Magazine that is well worth checking out, as well as a brief wikipedia article if you want to find out more about Damo Suzuki. Damo Suzuki also has a website: http://www.damosuzuki.de (English).

Damo Suzuki is currently on tour, or if I heard correctly, still on tour and has been on tour for 20 years. He is playing three gigs - Auckland tomorrow, Wellington the night after followed by what looks like the highlight - February 24th at Arc Cafe in Dunedin. I haven’t been to a show at Arc Cafe since 1995, but it is a great venue, and with people like Michael Morley, Robbie Yeats and Alistair Galbraith along with 21 other talented musicians from the Dunedin area jamming together it sounds like a night not to be missed.

Following the New Zealand leg of the tour, Damo Suzuki is bringing the Damo network to Japan for 7 gigs - three in Tokyo (March 1-3) followed by Osaka, on the 4th, back to Tokyo on the 8th and then off down to Fukuoka (March 9th), then back again to Tokyo, this time for a show in the back blocks of Tokyo at Kunitachi on the 10th. He home to Europe after that. Quite a full on schedule.

We are planning to check him out at Billy Barews Beer Bar in Aoyama on the third.

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Another video I thought I would share for you. This time it is a documentary piece about British artist Stephen Wiltshire. The video shows him drawing Tokyo from memory whilst at the Mori Gallery in Roppongi.

The video is interesting both for Wiltshire’s prodigious feat of memory - the entire drawing was done from memory after a half hour flight over Tokyo, and also for the uncanny fashion with which he captures the alien landscape of Tokyo, the mass confusion of buildings and humanity interspersed with the odd remnant of nature.

Also it brought back strong memories of the two years we lived in Tokyo. Tokyo in many ways is a machine that draws one in like a magical beast. After a while one forgets that there are mountains and forests in Japan, that there are rice fields and bear tracks in the snow.

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Stephen Wiltshire Draws Tokyo
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From The Stephen Wiltshire Gallery Website:

Stephen Wiltshire was born in London to West Indian parents on 24th April, 1974. His mother, Geneva Wiltshire had come from St Lucia and his father, Colvin, from Barbados. Colvin was killed in a motorcycle accident when Stephen was three years of age. His sister, Annette, is two years older than her brother. He lives with his mother in West London.

As a child, Stephen was mute and did not relate to other human beings. Aged three, he was diagnosed as autistic. He had no language, uncontrolled tantrums and lived entirely in his own world.

At the age of five, Stephen was sent to Queensmill School in London, a school for children with special needs, where it was noticed that the only pastime he enjoyed was drawing. It soon became apparent he communicated with the world through the language of drawing; first animals, then London buses, and finally buildings. These drawings show a masterful perspective, a whimsical line and reveal a natural innate artistry.

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Nice story on firefly’s blog (the site is gone!) about how he was fired on his second lesson teaching English in Japan. The blogger is an Australian living in Japan who initially traveled to the land of the rising sun to learn some martial arts. After being in Tokyo for a little while he realised that he had come to like Japan and decided that he wanted to live here. Funds running a little low he had to find a job. Now finding a job in Japan is pretty easy, but not if you dont have a visa, a degree, Japanese language skills, contacts or any experience. Not impossible - England’s hapless cricket team have it worse - but requiring a fair amount of leg work.

Here is the post: Fired on my second lesson of teaching English.

Update (30/01/2007) Part two has been posted - Applying to 115 companies to try to get a job.

Just as amusing and interesting. The show rolls on!

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They are the back bone of cricket in Japan, and if you are vegetarian they offer choice and variety rarely found in other ethnic food on these pacific isles. Where would we be without our friends from the sub-continent?

Mantra is a restaurant proudly boasting the best the sub-continent has to offer. Located near Omiya Station , (close to Tokyo on the Keihin-Tohoku, Shonan-Shinjuku as well as numerous other lines) this restaurant brings a taste of the Himalayas to both visitors to Tokyo and locals alike - at very reasonable prices.

We were lucky just after returning from our overseas jaunt to visit Mantra while we were on our way back to Akita (the friends we stayed with, and who kindly took us to the restaurant have just finished designing Mantra’s new website). We had had Pakistani food in Kashgar quite some months before, so we were really hanging out to get our chompers around some tasty curry and naan. And they didn’t let us down.

My pick of their menu would have to be the Palak Paneer, a mouth-watering spinach based curry just waiting to be scooped up with their delicious garlic naan (I recently had a similar dish here in Tsukuba, but unfortunately it wasnt quite up to the same standards). For the more knowledgeable patrons out there, they are also quite chuffed when you ask them to prepare something a little more esoteric.

The atmosphere is pretty laid back with some cool Buddhist statues on display. The owner is from Nepal, and the chef’s hail from India.

So if you are looking for a change of pace, and are in the Omiya area (some cool parks around there too, if you want to escape the concrete jungle) then head on down to Mantra for some great Indian and Nepali fusion and enjoy. I heartily recommend it!

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http://www.imes.boj.or.jp/cm/english_htmls/index.htm

Another weekend almost over, warm weather last week and up till a couple of hours ago. Not exactly the kind of weather one wants to spend indoors. But the forecast for the next couple of days is for rain and I have a little suggestion for something to do on a rainy day in Tokyo - visit the Currency Museum in Nihonbashi/Mitsukoshimae.

(Old Bank of Japan building on the left, currency museum on the right - as seen coming out of Hanzomon Line Mitsukoshi-mae Station exit B1)

The Currency Museum (KaheiHakubutsukan) is annexed to the main Bank of Japan buildings in Nihonbashi and run by the Institute of Monetary and Economic Studies. Sounds like dry stuff. And it is;) You wont find Minnie Mouse running around debasing herself in front of gasping 20 something Japanese couples. (a little off topic - caught a bit of a programme showcasing Tokyo Disneyland on tv last night).

The museum traces the development of currency in Japan from its beginnings where things such as rice, hemp cloth, arrowheads and gold dust were used as a medium of exchange, through to the current managed currency system. The story of the changing types of money is quite a fascinating one mirroring to a large extent the ebb and flow of political power throughout Japanese history.

The first coins widely circulated in Japan were known as Wado Kaichin or Wado Kaiho were minted during the 8th century. However, over the course of the following 250 years or so the percentage of precious metals was reduced leading to the reintroduction of a commodity money system (eg. rice or hemp cloth). Then, by the 12th century, the use of Chinese coins obtained through trade became widespread. To meet the shortage of currency this caused imitations of the Chinese coins were privately minted. Paper currency was first used in the beginning of the 17th century.

This situation lasted until the 17th century when the Tokugawa shogunate consolidated their rule of Japan. The Tokugawas began the centralisation of the currency system that created the foundation for the system in use today.

During the Meiji Period (from 1868) there were a wide range of monies in use in Japan - gold, silver and copper standards, merchant issued paper money, as well as government issued money denominated in ryo. This situation led to a great deal of confusion due to complicated exchange rate systems and the widespread counterfeiting of coins and notes. This was rectified by the introduction of the yen in 1871 tied to a gold standard of 1.5 grams of gold per gram.

As well as documenting what I have briefly described above, the museum also covers money during the Second World War, ancient methods of hiding money and has a collection of foreign currency. Interesting to see the old New Zealand banknotes.

(Tsuba - sword hilt used to hide stuff)

The best thing about the museum though is that it is free.

Open 9:30-16:30 (last admission 4pm), the museum is closed on Mondays, national holidays (except Saturdays and Sundays) and over New Years.

3 minutes walk from Ginza Line Mitsukoshimae Station A5 exit.
1 minutes walk from Hanzomon Line Mitsukoshimae Station B1 exit.

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http://www.designfesta.com

Coming up next weekend is the 21st iteration of Asia’s biggest international art event. Every year I have seen flyers for this event, but have never been there yet; hopefully this year is the year.

DesignFesta vol.21 runs over the weekend of May 14 (Sat) & 15 (Sun), doors open at 11am and close at 7pm. The event will be held at Tokyo Big Sight - you can take a ferry to get there from near Daimon/Hamamatsucho stations to make for an even more interesting journey.

What is Design Festa?
Please access WHAT page of Design Festa website.
http://www.designfesta.com/02_en/00_df_e/what/

When is the next Design Festa?
Design Festa vol.27 : Tokyo Big Sight, West Hall 1, 2, 3, 4 & Atrium & Outdoor on Saturday
May. 17 & Sunday May. 18, 2008 (11am - 7pm).

Where is Design Festa held?
How long does it take to get to Tokyo Big Sight?
Please access WHEN-WHERE page of Design Festa website.
http://www.designfesta.com/02_en/00_df_e/whenwhere/

How do I exhibit?
How much does it cost to exhibit?
Please access HOW page of Design Festa website.
http://www.designfesta.com/02_en/00_df_e/how/

How big are the booths?
Booths are 1.8m x 1.8m. Mini-booths are 1.8m x 0.9m. Atrium-Booths are 2.1m x 2.1m.
Booth areas are only marked on the floor by tape.

When is the deadline for application?
Booths: Booth location is decided on a first-come, first-served basis. Once all booths are sold out, no further applications will be accepted. Please apply early to avoid disappointment. Artists who apply by March 5 will have their artist name in the Design Festa pamphlet at the event.

Event Areas: The deadline for applications for the Event Areas (Outdoor Live-show Stage/Indoor Stage/Mini-Theater Space) is March 5.

Have you received my application form?
Booth : Design Festa Office will contact you once your application has been received and your payment has been confirmed.
Event Areas (Outdoor and Indoor Stage/Mini-Theater Space) : Design Festa Office will contact you when your booking is confirmed. Please make your payment after receiving this confirmation.

What’s the difference between Design Festa and Design Festa Gallery?
Design Festa is the biannual international art event held at Tokyo Big Sight. Design Festa Gallery East & West (http://www.designfesta.com/02_en/00_g_e/), located in Harajuku/Omotesando Area, is an art exhibition space open year-round (except on the Design Festa event days).

Where is Design Festa Gallery East & West /Design Festa Office?
Please access WHAT’s DFG page of Design Festa Gallery website.
http://www.designfesta.com/02_en/00_g_e/whats_e/

How do I exhibit at Design Festa Gallery?
Please access HOW page of Design Festa Gallery website.
http://www.designfesta.com/02_en/00_g_e/how_e/

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No, not that American ‘punk’ skate band, Green Day is Japan’s newest public holiday. Otherwise known as midori no hi (day of green for all you norml supporters), Green Day marks the start of Golden Week.

Green Day originally celebrated the birthday of the Emperor Hirohito (Born: 29-Apr-1901) and on his death in 1989 the name was changed to Green Day to celebrate the former emperors love for the environment.

This year Golden Week runs for about 10 days. Of course this depends on where you work as some people have to work Monday and Friday which means a three day weekend and then back to work, then 3 days off then another day of work and another weekend. A lot of people in Japan travel during this time so ticket prices become a great deal more expensive and it is advisable to make any travel bookings at least 3 months in advance.

Most business, financial markets and government agencies are closed over the Golden Week period, so it is also a good idea to get some money out before the holiday. Although the banking system is slowly entering the 20th century, ATM’s still close and especially in more rural areas getting money can be a problem at this time of year.

(The Emperor Hirohito)

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Currently outside Roppongi Hills literally hundreds of bears are roaming around. Well not roaming, but painted to the nines by artists from around the world. A project of Buddy Bär Berlin GmbH, “United Buddy Bears” was opened by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Horst Köhler, on the fourth of April. Altogether 140 nations are participating in this exhibition aimed at working towards tolerance and peaceful co-existance. Even New Zealand is there - our bear has a wonderful moko!

(buddy bears all in a row)

(fuzzy wuzzy kiwi buddy bear)

(riddled with bullets - serbia-croatia buddy bear)

Official site:
www.united-buddy-bears.com
Jackie Chan for Kids
(bet you didn’t know there was a Jackie Chan kids site)

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With Tokyo being the world’s tenth largest city (officially clocking in at 8,130,408 - but that would be living here, not coming in to work from the bed towns of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa) it can appear that the only nature inhabiting this sprawling concrete jungle are the few trees in the city’s parks, the evil looking crows and the multiple instantiations of salarymen. I have been here a couple of years now, and I have seen a lot of carp, the odd turtle, a giant toad, some rats and a diverse range of insects.

So it was nice to pick up Nature in Tokyo by American naturalist Kevin
Short. He writes with humor, and insight, as he explores the explores the intricacies of Japan’s ecosystems with  a keen eye for details. He reveals an abundance of plant life and some intriguing animal species - many of which are unknown in the West outside of zoos and botanical gardens.

Highlights include the unique breeding habits of the indigenous Japanese fire-bellied newt, the nocturnal mischief of Japan’s raccoon dog, the mating rituals of the red dragonfly, and the lush swirl of life on Tokyo’s tidal flats and coastal marshes.

A good read if you want to find more in the way of nature in Tokyo -
beyond that cockroach crawling through your kitchen.

Nature In Tokyo
Kevin Short

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha
  International (JPN) (February 1, 2001)
• ISBN: 4770025351

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Forgot to mention yesterday that we also went to the Tobacco & Salt Museum, which is located between Shibuya Station (take the Hachiko exit) and Yoyogi Park. Combined with the NHK Studios in Yoyogi Park and a prowl around the streets of Shibuya this makes for a very interesting, and cheap afternoon out in Tokyo.

Admission is only 100 yen for adults and 50 yen for kids (although thinking about that, taking kids to a tobacco museum does sound kind of sick unless they are someone elses). You start your tour on the fourth floor which is an exhibition space for touring works - currently there is an extensive range of Japanese prints depicting scenes from the Tokkaido Road (North Sea Coast). Interestingly, one can compare works by various artists treating the same themes.

The third floor houses the Japanese Salt and Foreign Salt display. Probably the most boring part of the whole museum - but you can look at the kaleidoscopic salt crystals. And use the buttons which light up sections of the displays to create your own light show.

On the second floor there is a display of an old tobacco merchant and, what I found the most interesting, a collection of cigarette packets through the history of the industry in Japan. It is quite fascinating to see how the designs have changed over the years. The highlight for me were the 1920’s packets.

Image showing a 19th century pipe and tobacco set.

On the mezzanine floor there is a wide range of pipes. One wonders if some of these were actually used to smoke tobacco or not.

The museum itself is non-smoking (???) but there is a smoking area on the first floor - complete with vending machine.

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