Flapping about in the north

Konban Wa and good evening!

The birds nest tour has begun and Naoto and I have been flapping about in North Japan this last week. I have had some truley Japanese experiences, making me feel very far from home. And too, I have come across some nice familiarities that have made me feel the closest to home I've felt since I've been in Japan.

As we took on miles and miles of motorway putting Tokyo far behind us, the temperature dropped from the high teens to 4degrees C, and the mountains curved and fell in long gentle slopes, rather than the jagged rock and sharp inclines of Japan's younger South Alps. There was still a lot of snow in the mountains which somehow felt confusing. What with the blossom in bloom too, (the last of which was blown from Tokyo's cherry trees over 2 weeks ago), my seasons felt all shuffled about.

We arrived at an Onsen resort in the mountains on our way to Akita quite late on our first night. (I'm sorry I have no names to direct you there...it was a pretty hidden away place...I will try and remember to give clues to the secret map in my next blog.) A little confused and a little chilly on arrival, I was very happy to console myself in the natural hot spring onsen, which was white with minerals, and so gives the area a name meaning nipple! I enjoyed my night time soak so much that I went again in the morning to get some more of those good hot minerals before we had to leave.

Here in Japan the onsen experience is like nothing in England and so it's one of the things I'll miss most about Japan. Everyone goes into the onsen naked. It's nearly always the sexes separate, women go through the red curtain, men go through the blue. I was slightly self-concious when I stepped all bare into my first onsen, but realised quickly how relaxed everyone here is about bare bodies, and it very quickly felt like an overdue liberation. It's so nice to see mothers with their grown daughters, friends together, the young, the very old, sitting about relaxing in their bare skins, chatting, washing, and soaking. There's no embarrasment. And I wish we english weren't so prudish!

The first gig of the birds nest tour was as refreshing as the onsen. We arrived at Aoitoro no Restaurant in Akita as the sun was dropping in the sky and streaming in the windows lighting up the plants, paintings, rocking chair, and shelves covered in antique nick nacks (which I spent a long time sifting through, happy to stumble upon some Czech buttons!)

Everybody was so friendly and there was an atmosphere that got me thinking of Bristol. The boy behind the bar complained about plastic bags which is the first utterance of such a thing I've heard here. (It's depressing how quickly, and often before you can stop it, any bought item, however small and ready wrapped, gets rewrapped and rewrapped in layers like a pass the parcel). Someone else let me play with their kaliedoscope. And the audience were very relaxed and singing and clapping along. Maybe it was these things that made me feel closer to home.

The following day even more Bristol similarities became apparent when we visited friends of Aoitori no Restaurant who ran a cafe, book shop, and textiles shop near by. Such a lovely sense of community!

We then travelled east to Morioka to play at the cosy, wooden, modest cafe, Carta. It was another really enjoyable live experience and some of the audience even brought me presents. A girl made me a bag. I couldn't believe it! I love the Japanese!

Aftarwards Naoto and I went to stay with friends of the cafe. They are from a family of carpenters who have built their own house. It was the most impressive Japanese house I've seen, with huge open plan wood floors, and the traditional fireplace and a grand piano. They even put on concerts there. The acoustics were amazing too (of course I couldn't resist and didn't hesitate when after much ume shou I was asked to play).

They were also the owners of an incredibly clever and incredibly fussy dog, who sat in the middle of the circle while we ate, turning his nose up at fish, waiting to get his bacon, summing up each and every individual!

The next morning after I'd had my jog about the Japanese lanes beneath the mountains, we drove north to Hirosaki for the final gig of the north leg of the tour. I found the same familiarities here. The same sense of community between shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants. Such lovely welcoming people. Thank you all, especially Fumi who organised all three gigs. So Thank you Fumi, and Happy Birthday!

I immediately felt at home in the Stables, where we were to play to an audience of fifty, sitting, shoes off, on rugs on the floor. Standing in my Victorian-esque outfit beneath the clock on the wall in that big old square room, with the exercise books and pens for sale on the tables, and the attentive rows of people, well I felt like an old fashioned school teacher! So later I posed for this photo!

We stuck around the following day and were shown about by Roderick, a very friendly boy from California. He took us to see the remaining turret of the castle, the park with it's final flourish of blossom, and cafes and restaurants, and we were even lucky enough to time our visit with the Spring carnival! It was quite spectacular, all the fleets of brightly lit tissue paper floats and their accompaniaments of many banging drums, many crashing hand cymballs, and many flutes!

Finally in the evening, after much unidentifiable raw sea food washed down with much saki, I exclaimed, in my strongest Bristol accent I could muster, that I though I was most probably Japanese, but that I wasn't entirely certain. Errrrrrrrrrrr!

10:51 AM - 2 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

The effects of Spring, a dress too tight and my chicken hangover

Good day and Konnichi wa!

Oh goodness, I have what I think might be a chicken hangover! Last night I went out to see music (a lot of which was sickly sweet and over emotional), and to eat food. I was invited by a new aquaintance, Dain from America, who came to my workshop and sewed considerably well. Here's the proof: him and his girlfriend both wearing their creations.

To the gig I took along with me another new aquaintance, John from Ireland, whos constant witty sarcasm I find very refreshing, and too it reminds me of certain friends from home who I'm missing.

I was stuck between the two, Dain nodding his head in approval, John aghast and muttering sarcastic remarks.

Needless to say they hated each other. So at dinner, they stopped eating, stone-faced, long before me, and I was left with 3 peoples portions of chicken. Of course I ate them all. Hence what I think can only be described as a chicken hangover!

It's really quite interesting to realise that maybe there are bigger communication barriers then the language you speak. Last night we all spoke the same language, but there were some pretty vast cultural differences in place. But despite the awkwardness I was actually quite entertained and feel I have made some friends.

As well as suffering from the effects of too much chicken, I am, and have been, suffering from the effects of Spring. The sun is shining considerably hotter, the leaves on the trees are sprouting all transparent and green, the sparrows are hopping about shaking their tail feathers at one another on the telegraph wires, and I am seeking any kind of romantic encounter however small or insignificant!

On Sunday night I spied a very fair of face Japanese boy at the Flau Compliation launch that I played at. He was manning the cd stall. Unfortunately he didn't seem to speak any english, and all I could manage at the time was tori (bird), neko (cat), happa (leaves) etc., but I was happy to give him a bagde in return for a cd from him and a split second of eye contact. That was enough for me! I got to shake my tail feathers a little bit!

The launch night was really enjoyable for the people I met rather than my performing experience. Little old me has got quite used to playing in small huts with no amplification, warm lighting, and audiences with faces. However, this was a bigger affair, big stage, loud PA, bright lights, and a black faceless audience. It's jolly hard not being able to see the people you're supposed to be singing your heart out to. And then there was the dress. Oh why I went against my better judgement and wore it I can't say. The night was all female acts and in the end I succumed to being one of the girlier ones, donning on my dress (the one I sewed all manner of things onto: teapot, gramaphone etc.), and I got my come-upance when the dress restricted my breathing across my chest so that I had to strain to sing the long notes. It'll be a tracksuit next time I swear it. That way as well as being able to breath, I will also ward off all the Kawai (cute) comments which I am developing an aversion to!

Here I am in my stupid old tight dress

As for the nice people I met, here are the Popoyans who look like sisters but aren..t and sing lovely songs together.

And here's me with Florecia Ruiz, who's from Argentina.

I particularly liked the songs she played at the end of her set with a band. Her chords and rhythms are so different and the Argentinian influence is really apparent. And she's beautiful in a very nice natural way. Her hair is greying but she has the fresh face of a 20 year old.

I also befriended Serafina Steer who's set I enjoyed the most, mostly for her very english accent. She played harp with one hand and organ with the other and sung about quite sureal things such as a rotten peach heart being made into a girl, but seemed always to come back to something that twanged your heart strings and made you feel empathy. We chatted before hand about lots of things including the difficulties faced by being english and alone in Japan. We also talked about the difficulties of expressing your enjoyment of a persons performance. So for this reason I was happy to see her having to leave for her plane half way through my set. Anyway for all I know she had no enjoyment to express about the girl singing songs in a dress too tight! But I hope she can read this and know how much I liked her music.

A performance that I did enjoy doing was on Saturday in Kamakura out of Tokyo by the sea, in a tiny record shop called Ost. I even got given a hand made candle that smells of apricots and ginger. Arigatoo!

It was a lovely warm day and I got to spend it with Naoki, Miwako and Leon which was so nice. We went for tea at Cafe Goatee. I made friends with the owners 2 year old son over a shared interest in Thomas the Tank Engine. I also bought a hand sewed squeeky goat. There was a photo of Martha Wainwright on the wall. Many international artists play gigs there. So I'm pretty excited about the prospect of playing there in September. They have a piano too.

So a very enjoyable day and I even got to go and dip my feet in the sea at dusk. And it was surprisingly warm. Must get a swim in before the jelly fish come in August. So it will be a birthday swim in May for me then!

To finish here are some nice photos of mother and daughter, Miwako and Leon...

Right I'm off to see if I can't walk off my chicken hangover!

8:46 PM - 1 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

Happily no crows in Hakone

Konban Wa!

Well many days have past in a whirlwind of cotton and cloth and crows and ink. And at times I thought I was well on my way to going mad. So when it was all over I took myself off to see what Hakone looked like and sounded like and smelt like. Far from the jostling, screetching, man-made sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. Here I am above having a little rest after many strides. I had just happily stumbled across a tree in the shape of a U just right for a comfy bed for 5 minutes!

I took a ferry over Lake Ashi, a tele cabin up the mountains, and then I walked, unpeterbed by impractacle footwear, up steep mountain sides, through trees and thick bamboo, over rocky rivers, through much mud, to reach the other telecabin about 10 miles away to take me back down again.

As I walked I felt like I was the only person in the world at times. There really was not another soul about, (well... unless you count the 4 people I met at the summit who I exchanged photo taking duties with). Yes, other than them not a soul...just me and the mountain side, the sky, the sun, and the sound of birds and the smell of volcanic sulphur! The perfect antidote to the stimuli of Tokyo.

And here..s a beautiful mound of bamboo I passed on the way

I felt pretty smug on the way down, mud up to my knees, crammed into the telecabin with people and their clean shoes who..d popped up for a quick snapshot of mount Fuji!

The view was pretty spectacular. Here..s the supreme Mount Fuji in it..s sunny snowy glory!

Unfortunately I didn..t get to stay in Hakone for long enough to completely relax. The hostel was full as it..s holiday season and many people gravitate to the Hakone region which is not far from Tokyo.

But the blossom is out and the sun is getting warmer everyday, so I think I am now managing to unwind and leave the Crow behind. I think I am begining to stop having my waking visions at night of that dark morbid creature flapping above my head while I wait and wait for him to come and pick me up on his black feathery back and carry me into the land of sleep. I have become a little bit more like an owl in that respect!

But all my hard work is not all in vain as I am pleased with my exhibition. It..s all a brilliant opportunity, and even if things aren..t selling much, well I am still a happy owl. So freinds and relatives you know what to expect for birthdays! But today I did sell 2 coasters and quite a few badges so patted myself on the back! Here are some pictures of my work up in the gallery:

I made 16 framed stiched and printed pictured depicting a crow..s journey through an open window, out of a gramaphone...the crow preceded to look about in the teapot, a shoe, and the sewing draw amoung other places...and then the cat...and I wont give the ending away yet! I plan to put the story on my site soon...

And I made aprons, bags, coasters and badges, all depicting things from the story...

And here..s Eri drying the ink on the tickets half an hour before the doors opened!

Eri and the others at Mayfair Gallery did a brilliant job at organising the night and making food for all the guests. It was a very lovely evening. I played some songs and wore the dress I made with the Crow..s story sewn all over it. At times it did all feel a bit self indulgent but no one seemed to mind. It..s nice the things you can get away with in Japan!

Afterwards I partook in some night time fun with some other owls. As it is Cherry Blossom season, it is the time of much celebration. Haname is the very old tradition of celebrating underneath the blossoms. These days it..s an excuse for staying up and drinking! So we went and did just that and it felt a bit like a festival what with the sound systems and the hoards, and the drunkards dancing in very little clothing! I drank down ume-shou which is plum spirit. Very sweet and sour and tasty - it..s my ichiban suki - my favourite!

And here is a day time blossoming tree. You can..t see the full glory of the blossom. It is far more spectacular than our modest english bloom.

And now I will say Oyasumi Nasai! I am off to bed to see what that crow..s up to!

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The Crow`s Journey - EXHIBITION and Yoshitomo Nara`s cafe

Konban wa!

Today I went swimming, and the pool, as most things in Tokyo, was very crowded. Because of these conditions I accidentally kicked a man in the stomach! It was a perculiar experience, being the first form of physical contact I’ve had with someone in a fair while. I was embarassed, but luckily he seemed alright when I asked him, and gave me the international OK hand signal with thumb and first finger. Not an entirely horrible experience!

This week I have been getting very well aquainted with the sewing machine and the crow. I am preparing for my exhibition at Mayfair Studio Gallery, in Tokyo. I am making a story all about a crow’s journey to find a friend.

Here are just a few of the adventures he gets up to along the way:

I’m going to be playing some songs at the opening night on Saturday the 29th March. There will be food included in the ticket price of 3000 Yen. And on Saturday 6th April, I will be running a workshop in the gallery, and will do another small live performance. This also includes food for the ticket price of 3000 yen, and children are welcome for free. Tickets are available from:

MAY FAIR STUDIO GALLERY
mail : info@mayfairstudio.jp
http://www.mayfairstudio.jp

Now that I’ve got that self promotion bit out of the way, (sumimasen, sorry), I can tell you about a few more of my experiences back in Tokyo.

One outing that got me up early and out in the drizzle, but that was ultimately very worthwhile, was a trip around the corner to go and see Leon being a monkey at her nursery school performance. Blearey eyed I stood on tip toes to get a view over the heads of all the eager parents holding up their vidoe cameras at the ready. And then they came hence forth onto the stage, the little monkeys filed in, or rather, emerged in little gaggles, skipping and jumping, and calling ’dada’, all of them dressed in their best brown clothes and each one adorned in a little monkey ear cap! I don’t like to use this word too much, but I think right now it is in order, Kawaii!

An outing of a very different nature, one that got me staying out late and sleeping through the whole of the following morning, was a night at a club with DJ sets from ’The Bristol Massive’ - DJ Die, and Rob Smith, who has releases on Angel..s Egg. So I got to make some friends from my home soil. Thank you Rob Smith for your Bristol accent, it was like celestial harps to my ears!

Yes, it was a pleasure chatting to you, you perked me up no end, just when I was on the brink of sleep! Just after taking this photo!

I did dance hard first though, so don..t feel too bad for flopping.

The following day, after a quickety-split rush to get ready after discovering that my clock had stopped, I went, banjo-on-wheels, to the A-Z cafe for my sound check. 

The A-Z cafe is owned by the artist Yoshitomo Nara. This above is a photo of his little studio, built right in the middle of his cafe out of reused old wood and old windows. All the details of the cafe kept me amused and distracted from my sound check. I especially liked the alphabet cushions made from old fabric. It was a very lovely place indeed.

Also playing on the night was Tate Takako who played piano and sung in Japanese. I enjoyed her songs very much. Yes, they were songs of great strength and beauty. And I found her very interesting, partly because she had shaved her hair. And she was beautiful.

When I played I got to look over the audience and out of the big windows from up high, down onto Tokyo blinking in the night time.

Everything about the evening was very magical.

Arigatoo Gozaimas Yoshitomo Nara. And I haven’t forgotten drunkenly asking you if you’d do a drawing for my next album cover. And I think you said Yes! I hope to get the chance to remind you when I’m sober!

4:24 AM - 3 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

From Kyu-shu back to Tokyo and all the Thank yous!

Konnichi wa!

I am back in Tokyo. Back to my former routine of tea and cereal in the morning (sometimes afternoon!), cycling about, buying rice balls for lunch, going for coffee, stitching stitching stitching, by myself. Yes Tokyo time is much time alone. Tour time was little time alone. Actually I like both, it just always takes some adjusting!

Since my last blog I have been having some technology difficulties and in my frustration I wished a bit too hard for the age of the lettuce, a simple wooden hut and rows of vegetables, and in doing so my computer died it..s final death. And so I have been reduced back to the good old method of paper and ink for communication with my friends and loved ones in England. And so it..s been a while since my last blog, and now I have much to write about!

So I am alone now but occupied by many thoughts and memories of the last month of touring. All the places, all the people, the food, the yama (mountains), all the scenery from the car window, the snow giving way to the spring sunshine, the blosssoming of the plum, the ume saki (plum saki).... yes I can still see and taste it all!

My mum wanted to follow my movements in her atlas but I realise that I haven..t been very efficient at writing place names in my blogs. So here you are Mum, and anyone else who would like to see the route we took.

As we travelled south the snow melted and began to give way to sping. The first days of spring were felt in the Southern Island of Kyu-shu, and with it came the familiar spring smells that spring in England brings, and with those the usual nostalgia. But my pining for English counrtyside and past times was mixed with my excitement for travelling in Japan and all the newness that it was bringing me.

It was during this time that I was dressed in a kimono, by Rie, Keigo..s mother who we stayed with for two nights in Kokura. This day was Ohinisama which is Girls.. Day. Here in Japan they have so many Days. My birthday falls on Childrens.. Day! Not sure how I feel about having to share my birthday with all the children of Japan! 

The kimono is a very complex matter indeed. Much folding and tucking and wrapping and tugging. Much to Rie..s amusement, my feet were far to large for the special socks to be worn with the special shoes. I had to wear her husbands. They were too large and looked a bit rediculous with the very feminine kimono!

Much was squeezed in! Me into the Kimono, and much seeing of the sights of Japan during this month. 

One visit that I want to talk about is our visit to Hiroshima, and to the Peace Memorial Museum. It is hard to talk about such things. Naoto and I walked for a long time in silence after our hours spent in the museum reading about the atom bomb attack, seeing the devastation to bodies and buildings in photographs and models and artefects. Some of them you could touch. Such as the melted roof tiles. Roof tiles melt at 2000 degrees celcius. My knees buckled and I thought I might faint when I ran my fingers over their deformed surfaces.

Here is a watch that stopped at the time of the bomb: 8.15 August 6th 1945

And here is the A Bomb building that has been left standing as a memorial. Everything around was flattened. The reason that this building stands is because the bomb exploded almost directly above it, so the pressure pushed down, instead of sideways. The copper roof melted away and all inside died imediately.

There were some particularly moving stories that stick in my mind from all the desperately sad tales. There was a recent photograph of a mother caring for her mentally handicapped daughter of 50. The daughter was just a foetus at the time of the bomb. She suffered the same fate of many other atom bomb foetuses.

The other story was of a girl who was very young at the time of the bomb. She was in a wooden house far enough away not to be injured. She became strong as she grew up and was part of the athletics team at her school. But she fell ill with Lukemia, a direct after effect of the nuclear exposure. In hospital she made 1000 paper cranes after reading somewhere that if she did this she would live. Some of the cranes were in the museum. They got tinier and tinier leading up to her death. They were so small and fragile and beautiful.

There was a section of the museum that explained the nuclear situation in the world today. England is one of 7 nations to have nuclear weapons. The others are USA, Russia, France, China, India and Pakistan. There are enough nuclear weapons to erradicate all life on earth. Those to survive the initial impact of the bombs, would later die of starvation brought about by a nuclear winter. The sun would be blocked out due to nuclear fall out. The largest nuclear warhead to have been tested so far was (I think I remember correctly) just over 3000 times more powerful than the bomb over Hiroshima. It was tested by Russia.

Everytime there is a nuclear test planned, the Mayor of Hiroshima writes a letter of protest. Here is a letter of protest written to Britain.

It was extremely disturbing how many letters have so far been written to England, let alone all the other nuclear countries. They covered 8 walls.

And then we had to walk through the section of the exhibition with all the photos of the burnt and melted skin. All those people destroyed. All those lives destroyed.

And then back to our apparently cosy secure lives in the 20th century...

All the live shows that we played from the 28th March onwards went better than we could have hoped for. They had been organised really well and many people came along. Also from this point on we managed to get a projector at each gig so I was very happy indeed to get to play along to my siter Betsy’s animation of tap-dancing fish, and my friend Elliot Dear’s animation of riding on the backs of animals through snow.

We also started to project some of our photos from the tour. Naoto’s favourite was a rickety tumble down house. I agreed that this complemented his music very much.

My favourite was a mouse type creature fashioned out of a rice ball and carrot and renkon (lotus flower), made one long car journey!

All of the venues, from cafes to galleries, to hairdressers to trains, have given way, without fail, to very enjoyable experiences. The two places that I felt very attached to were Yugue and Pinon Pinon. They both proved their worth to me, largely on the basis that the evenings spent in each were mood changing experiences. I was feeling quite sad before both of the performances, but the atmosphere and warmth that I felt from those places cured me of my woes! Both were places I could quite happily live out my days in...both had very similar qualities. Modest but beautiful in their homely details, and somehow I felt a warm cosiness from all their bare wood and white washed concrete. And too, of course, great warmth from their owners: Di Chan of Yugue and Jan of Pinon Pinon.

Here is cafe Yugue on waking up the morning after the gig (the second time we played there, as we played here twice):

And here is me and Naoto performing together at Pinion Pinion:

And now I want to say Doomo Arigatoo Gozaimas to everyone who has helped us on this leg of the tour. Toshiro for organising and beautiful ukelele playing and the fermented soya beans, chicken liver and salmon eggs for breakfast! And Hidemi for kindness when I was sad and for the missing bird! And Keigo and his lovely mother Rie. And Di Chan for letting us live in cafe Yugue and letting me sew while you had customers! And all at Sample arigatoo, and Jan and Tomota for feeding us much delicious food and wine and umeshu after the very last performance of the tour.

And finally I would like to thank every person in every audience at every venue. In England sometimes you get talkers, but no talkers in Japan! And you all have such attentive ears! And such good singing from you all. Arigatoo for joining in singing in the song about the goose. Arigatoo for laughing along with me at my japanese/english! Arigatoo Gozaimas! Matane!

And of course thank you, many thank yous, to you Naoto, you have been so brilliantly organised and patient with me going off for walks at the worst times! It was a good fight wasn..t it?! And we did it! And it has been so much fun! I look forward to the Bird..s Nest tour in May when we’ll get to flap our little wings about!

6:48 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

The missing pictues and more unbelievable tales from Nippon

In the words of Meetloaf (if my memory serves me correctly), I have been to hell and back! Actually quite litterally. I bet in a much more litteral sense than the rock-metal-super-star was singing about. Accompanied by Naoto. Here we are dipping our feet in it!




This steaming hot spring is red because of the minerals that come in the water, and the Japanese call it Bloody Hell!!!

The reason I had to go to hell, and Naoto was kind enough to escort me, was because I needed to fire my cup. This was not to be any old cup allowing any old cup of tea. This was to be the finest cup and the finest cup of tea in the world.



To navigate our way to hell and back we had to utilize all sorts of modern methods of transport in order to dupe the devil. And I`m pretty sure he didn`t see us coming, or going. Not only did we use the motor car (for our sins), but we also used the ferry:


And I posed as my shadow




And the train.

To confuse the Devil we had to sing some songs in the train to the other people travelling, who were very kind and posed as our audience.


Here`s Chieko who was helping to smuggle us, telling the travelling public to pretend to be our audience...



And when the train stopped we got out and sung some more songs to the setting sun.


Of course we had to rehearse all of this as it had never been done before. During the rehearsal I became slightly worried that the man in the hat was the devil posing as a train guard.


And to prepare ourselves for the boiling hot climate of hell, first we had to go somewhere nice and freezing cold to cool off...somewhere on the way to heaven...


So here is the proof. Naoto and I were successful. We got in and out unharmed. And the cup...well I`ll let you know the results once I`ve sipped the tea from it. There is just one thing on my mind. I am mildly concerned that since our return I have a strange sensation of not being completely here....although I don`t mind, it feels quite nice to float about.




Nothing a good cup of tea wont fix!

7:25 AM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

The musical train, the icy waterfall, the confused cockrel, and the woes of modern technology

Right now I am finishing my blog in an internet cafe after a whole day long episode of computer related disasters. The stress and anxiety from has formed a ball in my chest. Computers are wonderful when they work, but when the problems occur I wish for a simple life in a time gone by, free from the woes of modern technology. My own computer refuses to switch on...not even a light. This morning I wrote my blog out on Tori`s computer but lost it all before managing to post it. And now this computer will not let me post up my photos. I am actually quite mortified as they are some of the best I have taken so far. I will perservere...

For now no photos but fingers crossed I can show you soon...

This morning I awoke to the rain drumming on the roof of the out house where I had been sleeping cosily tucked up with a hot water bottle. The confused cockrel was still yet to crow, but I arose early enough to record two improvised songs with Namio.

I have been staying in Matsuyama with Namio and his parents Reiko and Tori for five days now. And I have been having such a nice time that I don`t want to leave. Last night to say arigatoo gozaimas, I cooked cottage pie and pancakes and bought wine. Namio and Reiko were naturals when it came to tossing pancakes!

Reiko and Tori have been playing in the band Maher Shalal Hash Baz for a long time and they are on Galsgow`s Creation label. Tori has spent his lifetme writing scores straight from his head inspired by the sounds from his surroundings. My favourite song that I`ve heard so far is one about being on a ferry. It transported me straight there, to the glistening water, the rolling waves, the squarking seagulls and the humming engine. When I arrived in Matsuyama I heard his story that will always stay with me. Recently, after a gig in Tokyo, he had forgotten that a satchel containing his lifetime`s work of manuscripts were on the top of his car. Driving home to Matsuyama the scores were scattered over the land. He drove back only to find the battered satchel. He said, sipping his saki, it is more than sad...it is actually funny! Reiko told me that his father who is a potter lost his lifetime`s work, also at 50, when his house burnt down containing all his pottery. So Namio said he knows what to expect when he reaches that same age!

Tori is also a potter. He helped me to make a pot. Well two in actual fact as the first was quite wobbly! In retrospect though I think the first has more charm and I look forward to drinking a wobbly cup of tea from it!

It has been in Matsuyama where the performance on a train has taken place. I think it went very well considering the incredibly inflexible time schedule, making it bit stressful at times, especially for Cheiko the organiser who made every member of the audience pre-ordered hot tea and real coffee with each persons` name written on the cup! It was a very memorable experience, rumbling along the coast looking out over the sea to the setting sun, while singing about a trawler man visiting the ocean bed! Namio, Reiko and Tori also performed and listening to them whilst watching the scenery glide by was quite magical. At our destination we stopped long enough to move the speakers onto the platform and Naoto and I combatted the PA difficulties and chilly climate to perform a few songs each and one together. As the sun set it felt quite like being at a festival, if for a short time only. We hopped back onto the train, managing to get all the audience on board in the nick of time. Finally we arrived back at the station, with all the musicians joining in on a homecoming improvisation along to the trains creaking of the wheels and whirring of the engine! Hopefully I will get some footage soon to put on my site.

Yesterday morning I was betrayed by the confused cockrel who didn`t crow until noon, so I missed a large part of the day`s glorious sunshine. But the afternoon`s adventures more than made up for that. Naoto and I went to find a waterfall that Reiko told us about. We climbed up the mountain until we came to what I thought we were looking for: a modest but beautiful icy trickling of water. After many photos I rounded the rocks, and was met by one of the most breath taking sights my eyes have ever seen! A huge cascading waterfall, most of it frozen, with thousands of shiny dangling icicles and mounds of pummelled snow that had molded to its form. We stood necks craining back in wonder for quite a long time!

Thinking of mountains takes me back to staying at the foot of the mountain in Osaka, which feels like a long time ago now. We stayed with Mick who I met at the Homegame Festival in Fife, Scotland last spring, and his wife Yoko, and there two young sons Tommy and Alfie. We had a lovely time indeed, thanks to their hospitality. I pulled the same trick yet again and made pancakes, this time with strawberries and chocolate. Poor Tommy was ill, but Alfie managed successfully to eat more than enough for two! My pancake pulling trick is getting a bit over done. Let me know any ideas for impressive English cuisine please to save my stomach from any more batter!

Yes, onaka suita, right now I am hungry, and it is nearly time for dinner, and high time I ran far away from all these horrible computers buzzing in my brain! Fingers crossed this is going to work aahhhh....

Oyasumi Nasai!

2:36 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

A new haircut for a little busy ant

Konban-wa

I am writing to you from the bottom of Ikoma-san, it's rocky slopes reaching to the sky, making me feel cradled by nature even when I'm situated wthin the huge expanse of Osaka city. I love mountains! Yama ga suki des!  I hope to live out my days beneath a mountain or overlooking the sea. When you have the perspective of a big natural phenomenen then I think you have a better understanding of what you are. Just a mere mortal - nothing special. But it's a comfort too, feeling like a little ants amoung blades of grass next to the big stone and the big puddle, busying ourselves through our living days!

Naoto and I went for a walk up the mountain and saw a shrine, many birds and trees and other beautiful and interesting things. So here we go...see for your self!






We then crawled down back into the edge of the city and saw some particularly strange and funny signs left by humans!



Along our journey to the mountain and the city of Osaka we have stopped in more cities and towns where we have played our music, and where we have been greeted by different families of each place who have welcomed us with open arms and showed us much hospitality and kindness.

We stayed for three nights in Kyoto and were looked after by Dai and his family in Dai's bagel cafe Yugue. It's here that we played to a cosy and appreciative audience. We also slept upstairs in the cafe, and I got very attached to the place with all it's charms, little handmade toffees wrapped with brightly coloured stamps on them, chocolate cake wrapped in parcels, a little stove burning, oat tea in pottery cups, and lots of interesting and unusual folk music coming from Dai's little stereo! Here's Dai with his family...Sue his son was very fond of my badges!


And Japanese lessons and button necklace making taking place one evening in Yugue:



We played to our smallest audience in cafe Ease in Hemije but it was still a good experience, infact it's always a very personal experience playing to small audiences. You get to all chat together afterwards. On from there we drove to Osaka and played at our most interesting venue yet...410, a hairdressers! I even got a free haircut! Here it is, along with the lovely family who run 410 and fed us strawberries, cheese and buscuits, and apple juice!



So my good playing experiences are clocking up. The most interesting I believe is yet to come as we will be playing in Matsuyama on a moving train! It has been organised by Naoto's old friend Chieko. The train will go to the coast to see the sunset and then back again! So yoku deki mashita to you Chieko!

Oyasumi Nasai! The little ant is off to dream about big human inventions such as the train....
 

8:18 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

May the plum blossom blossom for you!

Konban-wa! I have been on the Plum Blossom Tour with Naoto now for five days and I have a lot to write about...


Here's me and Alice in Wonderland in pop-up form. Well I feel a bit like Alice today. Yes this is certainly a wonderland. A snowy mountainous wonderland.








I'm the only person staying here in this old fairy tale hotel. I've just eaten a 7 course meal of french cuisine! Every course said EAT ME in big tasty letters. So I did. And felt a bit sick. Then I played the grand piano. And later I will go and have a deep bubbling hot bath that looks over the mountains. And maybe there'll be a pea under my matress!  I have Naoto's father to thank for this luxurious experience. Doomo Arigatoo to you Naoto's father!

This morning he showed me how to write old Japanese scriptures.


They are very beautiful.

And here is Naoto's mother.


They, like everyone else who has welcomed me into their home, have been so generous and kind. Yes everyone I've met has been totemo yasashi! I have felt not only like Alice in Wonderland, but also that it is christmas, as not only is the land glistening white with snow, but I have been showered with gifts!

An interesting and touching scenario arose last  night and continued into this-morning. On arriving at Naoto's parents home I gave them my album as a thank you gift. Before going to bed, Taeoko Naoto's mother presented me with some lovely gifts - a japanese style wash bag and a shawl amoung other things. This morning I was given more gifts - a big pile of lovely material. This was then followed by both Naoto's mother and father insisting on paying for three albums. At all this I felt very much indebted so went into the kitchen to hand to them a stitched print of three birds with a japanese/english thank you message. Over ocha (green tea) before leaving I was given a final token of generosity and kindness...Naoto's father pulled a white toy odako (stoat) from their soft toy cabinet. He then tagged it's neck with  it's Japanese name and tied it to my clothes bag, exclaiming that it is his Country's animal. So I am touched through and through. And this scenario is becoming more familiar to me with each stay in each home. And with each live gig too. The Japanese audiences are so nice to sing to...so appreciative! And they buy my cds and badges and bags, and I am very happy and grateful!

The first gig of our tour was at the Fall gallery in Tokyo. Here's me with the lovely audience.


This night was the closing event for "Shigan Higan", work by a cut out artist (who's name I will confirm by tomorrow as i have lost my piece of paper (Japanese names are muzukeshi! Sumimasan!)) So later on in the evening we were shown a live shadow play with intricately cut out characters and sets. It had no words but live music.



The story as I gathered went like this: There was a business man (pictured) who was very greedy and locked all his riches in his safe. Not only was he greedy but mean too. He hit people over the head with his cane if they didn't bring him what he wanted. A band of peculier other-worldly people were iritating him one day so he hit them over the head with his cane but they grabbed his cane and fled with it. He fled after them disappearing down a big hole and into a strange world. Finding a key he opened a trap door and travelled down stone steps to find a blues singer (this is where the live music came in!) The ceiling was covered in treasure which he greedily stuffed into his sack. But on escaping he found himself lost in in darkness and his treasure was stolen. The thief ran away with his treasure up into a lighthouse and used the treasure to make a gleaming beam of light. Light by which to see his way home. And so the greedy business man changed and was greedy no more!

It was brilliant! Totemo Suteki!

The following day Naoto picked me up and we drove to Mito, north of Tokyo.
We arrived and were greeted by two friendly faces belonging to Taminoshi and Junko who are married. We stayed with them is their graphics office/apartment. They are both designers and Taminoshi had helped to organise the gig. We were fed all manner of interesting Japanese dishes, including natto (fermented soya beans) for breakfast, and watered with many cups of delicious green tea. Here are Taminoshi and Junko drinking ocha!


The gig was very enjoyable. I even got to play a song on the piano.Afterwards we all went for a huge meal with all those who had been involved in the organising plus friends. It was a very friendly affair. Everyone helped me out with my Japanese!


The following day we drove South to Tsukuba to play in Shingoster Living, a design shop/cafe/live venue. It was a beautiful venue, a lovely atmosphere and there was a wonderful sense of community.


After Naoto and I  played, the audience, (many of whom were either staff or designers who sold their crafts there) set to turning the live venue back into a shop. It was an amazing sight to see. I was told to sit back. So I watched on in awe. It took them about 15 minutes flat. What lovely team work! Here is one photo of many I took to try and capture the event!


Then we all went for a big traditional Japanese meal of all sorts of chicken parts amoung other things! I ate raw chicken, and chicken liver, and chicken tail! I found out that amoung the community of people involved in Shingoster living there were not only artists and designers, but a fireman, a footballer and a strawberry farmer! The strawberry farmer was the one who bought my apron! Here's me with him and the apron after a lot of beer and shotu (strong rice spirit!)


I am very grateful to Shingo and Yoko who looked after us so well.


The following day they took us for soba noodles, with duck that you had to cook yourself on the heated pan that came on your dinner tray! Oshii!




Yes, I am feeling like a sort of Alice, certainly, as Japan is seeming to be some sort of a wonderland to me. It is the Plum Blossom, season (Ume). Naoto took me to see a Plum Blossom park in Mito and I was quite awe struck at the beauty of all the trees, the blossom only just starting to flower.


Here's me and Naoto under a tree:


Tanoshimi Da! I am looking forward to seeing all the blossom blossom!

Doomo arigatoo gozaimas to all you lovely people who I'm meeting along the way. May the blossom blossom for you!!!

xxx

4:06 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Cooking miso soup to the falling snow

Yuki Dayo! It has snowed and the sun has shone bright, and the snow has dripped and fallen from roofs in wet powdery clods. Yuki ga suki des! I love snow! It is disliked by many in Tokyo for the same reasons that it is disliked in England. It slows up traffic and trains. You slip and you slide, and it can turn to a grey slush. But I have a great nostalgia for snow from my childhood when we were lucky to get to play in the snow drifts and build igloos. I am sad that if I have children they wont have this experience, unless the climate takes another disturbing turn.

Leon likes the snow too and yesterday we sang a song together about it and we recorded it. She has very good rhythm for a 2 year old! I think I'll put the song up on myspace.


I like winter here. It is much brighter than our English winters. It means that the snow doesn't stay for long but it makes for very pleasant outings. I have been taking photos around Setagya Ku which is this area of Tokyo where I am living with Naoki, Miwako and Leon. Here are some of the lovely sights I have been coming across on my meanderings...





A few days ago I decided to properly stretch my my legs and shake out my pins and needles (a result of kneeling on the floor at my computer and sewing machine for hours on end each day), and take myself off to find the jogging park. This time I hoped to hit the jack pot. Steering my bike well away from the horse park I found the right park in all its glory, stretching out in the sunshine for miles in all directions. There were evergreen trees dotted about, streams and sandy hills and  many other joggers as well as dog walkers, and to my joy, people practicing  their musical instruments. So I had the pleasure of running about  in circles to the accompaniment of piccalo and tuba. I think I may have got lost if it wasn't for the music on the wind for me to position myself to. Here I am very out of breath taking a break on a bridge over a stream. I am sporting my new sporty jumper that I got for 200yen (80p) from a thrift shop!


As I ran about I thought about exercise and sport and the differences I have observed on the subject of sport while in Japan. So at this point I must talk about Sumo Wrestling. Something that I think is not fully understood by Europeans such as myself. I went to see Sumo last week as there has been a very big tournament taking place in Tokyo. I watched four tournaments, starting with the lower ranking sumo wrestlers and finishing with the highest ranking wrestlers known as makuuchi. It was all very entertaining especially washed down with saki.

Above is the ceremonial entrance of the makuuchi wrestlers. When they reach this rank they are given kesho-mawashi (ceremonial aprons) by their sponsors. These are embroidered with gold and silver threads and embedded with diamonds and precious pearls and gems. Each costs at least 2 million Yen (about £9000).

And here are two about to fight after stamping the ground to rid themselves of bad spirits.

I came away from the experience with only a tourists' appreciation of Sumo, as I discovered the next day when I was made aware that it is very rude to use the term 'fat' to describe a sumo wrestler. I felt ashamed and at that moment very conscious of the void between Japanese culture and my own. So I have done a bit more reading to try to understand the Sumo tradition a bit better. I have learnt that the life of a Sumo wrestler is very tough and is a life time dedication. The sumo tradition is very ancient, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt for purification, from the days sumo was used in the Shinto Religion. They must join a training Stable where all aspects of their daily lives - from meals to their manner of dress - are dictated by strict tradition. Everyday they must eat a huge amount of food washed down with beer so that they can meet the right weight requirements. Their most common meal is chankonabe which consists of a simmering stew cooked at the table which contains various fish, meat, and vegetables, and is eaten with rice. The life is highly regimented where the wrestlers in the lower ranks are the servers and the higher ranking wrestlers are the served. It's a very tough life indeed for those in the lower ranks.

As I came to the natural end of my jog (only about 20 minutes after the start), I felt pleased that I could choose at which point to stop pushing my body around. I am realising more and more how much the Japanese treasure their traditions. It is sad how in england we are forgetting to treasure ours I think.

And for a bit more on the differences on the subject of sport (although this is a tenuous link)...they are all allowed/encouraged to cycle on the pavements and the bikes are very comfortable sit-up-and-beg-style. Much more preferable to mountain bikes and racer bikes I think! Here's Naoki's bike which I've been peddling about a fair bit!


And I will finish my blog with a cup of coffee with Eri and a bowl of miso soup that I cooked all by myself!


Here's how to make Miso soup written for me by Eri on the train home!


And the real thing simmering away...Doomo arigatoo Eri!


And as an end note here's Leon eating a pancake....one I made earlier from the blue peter recipe!


If you ever want to impress someone in Japan then toss a pancake! Now there's one English tradition I can say wholeheartedly that we haven't forgotten!

Oshii!

9:01 AM - 4 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment