日本
you're strange and you're beautifulNYCoo gallery / Kinokuniya bookstore
I had an unexpectedly brilliant Friday, with a gallery exhibition and premier, plus my first visit to otaku-haven in NYC, Kinokuniya.
My review of Toshiko Tochihara’s beautiful exhibition at the chic NYCoo Gallery is just waiting for the film to be processed and the pictures – hopefully – ready to give a sense of the atmosphere. The work on display caught my imagination so much and the atmosphere was so welcoming that the experience deserves a higher quality post than my usual. So, to be continued…
紅葉: McClay Park, Florida USA
I finally got round to dropping off 3 rolls of film for processing, barely remembering what was on the two colour rolls. I’ve inherited a love of photography from my mother that practically makes my cameras into extra limbs. I’m not brilliant by any means, but with persistence and patience I occasionally turn out the goods.
ハゲタカ です! The Drama of Japanese Politics
don't you wish your PM was hot like me? dontcha.
As I’ve mentioned before, my lack of knowledge about Japanese popular culture is always a surprise to anyone who knows about my obsession with Japan. My time is still devoted as much as possible to Japan studies: history, literature, poetry, movies, the language and politics keep me plenty busy. Politics in particular has surprised me with its grip on my imagination. That’s right: politics… imagination.
Now, I take my copy of Foreign Policy and try to keep track of the mad world around me, but I’ve never been particularly political. Having lived abroad and suffered the effects of the Bush years outside the protective membrane of xenophobia surrounding America at the time, I became briefly passionate solely about getting anyone else into power. But aside from performing my voting duties, I find the world of politics too infuriating – especially since moving back to the States.
godzilla: the new bi-partisan financial stimulus monster
Not being a blind or indiscriminate Japan obsessive, I hadn’t assumed much better about Japanese current affairs. I wasn’t prepared to melt my brain on it simply because it was Japanese politics.
How quickly did my mind change: it is absolutely riveting. The scandals, the power plays, the characters. And I’m not talking ‘grinning buffoons’ or ‘court jester’ characters like here in the US, or the wiltingly ineffectual red-tapers of the UK. I mean real primetime drama stuff. Reputations are broken, victories against all odds are won (occasionally), financial plots are exposed, bureaucrats roasted on an open fire. Just get yourself a newsfeed from JapanTimes or the like and you’ll find yourself drawn into each news story, following Yukio Hatoyama and Ichiro Ozawa like a troubled soap opera romance.
The fast pace and turbulent history of Japanese governance since WWII is probably only second to my language studies now – and there’s a lot to learn. The private thrill of seeing my Hatobama/Obayama wordplay being used in a few outside sources made me feel at least the tiniest bit involved as well. Only the tiniest bit, I realise. As weird as it is to my family, I know more about Japan’s political and financial situation than I do the US or UK.
So, for those who are gorging on pop culture but feel a little savory current affairs is necessary, here are a few of my favourite places for news and opinion:
Observing Japan
Minoru Morita unravels Japan
Japan without the sugar
Shisaku
Note: the kana title of this post is from financial drama Hagetaka (The Vulture)
Ustream, I stream, we all…well, you get it
First of all an apology to the readers coming back and seeing nothing but twitter updates. With my Japanese class beginning 8th of Feb, I’ve been studying even more in earnest (and not just in my insomniac hours!) and staying up to date with my ever-increasing news reader. Speaking of which – *ahem* - “How do you solve a problem like Ozawa? How do you hold several million yen in your haaand?” Oh, will the scandals never cease.
Anyway, my travels on Twitter took me to Jason Gray’s (@jgtokyo) new live broadcasts on Ustream and from there I did a quick search for similar videos. It’s not easy for a newbie like me to navigate, but I happened upon xojapan’s stream. It’s done by an adorable duo who want to bring Japanese culture and perspective to the rest of the world, from a native point of view. The vivacious Kaoru’s personality alternates pretty seamlessly between speaking Japanese and English. Mr. Idee is the quiet man behind the concept who represents the non-English speaking Japanese person who still wants to communicate his culture to the outside world. I haven’t come across many of his kind so far: generally, the blogs that I can read (as my Japanese is still that of a 1 year-old) are by foreigners fluent in Japanese. The live translation between Kaoru and Mr. Idee is much more personal and friendly than those you see at international film premiers and such, so the pilot video was a very interesting.
For other newbies to Japanese out there, check this episode out for some excellent ‘Real Japanese’ vocab and grammar tips, as well as real-time translation with a genuinely compatible translator and speaker. There promises to be many more topics covered like fashion, otaku, trends, etc.
The show is very new, so I hope they carry on with it!
I’ve been sick :(
Something wicked into my bowels comes. Or came.
Haven’t eaten in days. Cats look highly put out. Had to cancel an awesome class on Edufire. Not. Very. Happy.
On a brighter note, this might be a kick-start to my attempt at Japanese clothing sizes. A half-Japanese friend warned me of the mono-sizes in Tokyo especially, so I must become at least half the woman I currently am to fit those doll clothes! I also want to wear a kimono properly one day, and I don’t want my arse to look like a couple of Christmas puddings wrapped in an expensive silk tent, now do I?
More sleep. Posts soon.
The Wrath of Kana
Against 'Mi' (like my MSPaint skills?)
There are many turns at which a student of Japanese could give up on themselves and quit. For example, trying to learn Japanese without knowing hiragana and katakana is like riding a bicycle through Times Square: so full of misdirection and chaos that you should really just slow down like everyone else. (nice way to crowbar an NYC reference)
No matter how infuriating this first stage of learning may be, it simply has to be done. As illustrated so artistically there, one of my kana nemeses is み or ‘mi’. Don’t ask me why because I do not know, but this little bugger just mocks me with my inability to recognise it properly. That’s the problem with all repetition-based study – at some point your brain starts to spasm and creates a little blind spot over a crucial piece of information.
Japan Exhibition at NYC’s American Museum of Natural History
On one of the coldest days this winter in NYC, my husband and I crossed an icy Central Park to visit the Natural History Museum (yes, the one where Ben Stiller worked). We both share a fanaticism for museums, and ended up staying for 5 and a half hours with only a 15 minute break for lunch in the cafe. We missed some reptiles on Floor 3, but covered most of the exhibits. The walk back was bitterly cold and exhausting (we forgot about the 79th street bus and had to basically double our journey) but well worth it.
The Hall of Asian Peoples especially got my attention of course, and I snapped more pictures of the Japanese artefacts than the Japanese tourists. Well, seemed like it. Here is a little selection of my favourite pieces. The lighting in most of the museum is almost pitch black, so I had to use my digi cam on pretty grainy settings. Click them for larger sizes – apologies ahead of time for the quality, but I had to share.
Hatobama or Obayama? The give and take.
I won’t pretend to any expertise on politics, but this particular post has been several weeks in the making. It’s a fairly simple observation, but one I’ve found more and more interesting.
Why the cutesy nameplay in the title? Aside of course from the fact that they were both elected this year just gone, following extensive periods of conservative dominance (8 years for the US, 54 for Japan). Well, because despite the gulf between their personalities and tactics, I’ve noticed an identical trend in public and journalistic opinion of both.
Supporters and critics of Japan’s PM Hatoyama and US President Obama all seem to agree: both are allowing the revolutionary momentum of their historic election victories to slip away and their political mettle to weaken.
恋、義、and my inferiority complex
It may sound strange, but I am very glad that my love affair with Japan began after I got married. Because no way could I cope with the pressure of – inevitably – falling in love with a real Japanese person.
The reason is in the title: my crippling inferiority complex toward the finer East Asian gentility. It’s tiny-footed, pure as white rice, stiff with layers of tradition heritage, so stark in comparison to my rough-and-ready southern American upbringing. Japan for me has always been a jewel perched precariously upon a plinth, and other such high-flown words beginning with ‘p’. A delicately aspirated ‘p’, mind you.
My Song for this Christmas & New Year
One might assume that this would be Fairytale in New York as it’s my first in the city, and I am indeed a massive Pogues fan. But none of this quite fits into my parallel life – the one happily enslaved to everything Japanese. [Though it should be mentioned that The Pogues have always enjoyed success in Japan, and one of my favorite Japanese groups, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, cited them as an influence. And the accent rather lends itself to Shane MacGowan's vocals.] Read the rest of this entry »
