Hindsight

I haven’t had a chance to organize the experiences that I’ve had traveling here in Japan. Nor have I had a chance to properly present the many pictures that I’ve taken. The above were shot yesterday in the world famous electronics district known as Akihabara (aka Electric Town). For personal reasons, this is my favorite place to window shop, reminisce and observe.

Thus far I’ve been to Kyoto, Nagoya, Kitakyushu, Oita and Tokyo. I have met everyone that I wanted to see this time around and still have a few more friends to catch up with. On the 31st, I will return home and continue life as it was. I’ll be able to talk about my time here more when that time comes.

Revisiting Tokyo did not feel as novel as it has before. That doesn’t make it any less interesting - it just seemed familiar again.

It’s been over half a year since I was last in the area. It’s nice to be back for the month.

The Keisei Skyliner runs on one of several train lines directly connected to Narita International Airport. It takes about one hour from Narita to arrive at Nippori Station.

In some chain of coincidence, my journal database and recent images were erased. I say coincidence because I was writing about Japan and now I have returned to California.

In just a month I found myself physically and mentally overwhelmed. To post about the past month would be just the same: overload. For those of you who really want to know, please contact me personally. Let’s just say that I realized that the work there was not for me. I found myself extremely unhappy.

I also sprained my back when I initially arrived to my school. Just yesterday I finally got diagnosed and today had an MRI just to be sure I didn’t break anything.

I’ve been back since Monday and will return to my previous workplace in two weeks.

Last week I received my order from CDJapan. Some of you may not know that CDs in Japan can be pretty expensive: a full album might be, say, 2900 yen.. that’s over $20 for one CD. Thankfully I chose wisely. I’ve been wanting the middle two albums for quite sometime. The first and last albums were icing on the cake…

Joze to Tora to Sakana-tachi (Original Soundtrack)

Artist: Quruli

Although I’ve not seen the film, the soundtrack stands on it’s own. With bits of what are probably dialogues/monologues from the film, the soundtrack to “Joze…” is very relaxed. There is a piano solo which reminded me of solitude. A few of their vocal tracks brought a “road trip”-esque feeling. It’s a wonderful piece of work, easily playable on loop. Highly recommended.

All About Lily Chou-Chou
Original Soundtracks “Arabesque”

Artist: Takeshi Kobayashi

I thought “All About Lily Chou-Chou” (Lily Shou-Shou no Subete) was a raw, amazing film. The tracks on this disc are original compositions for the film as well as a spattering of DeBussy tracks as well. Feelings to best describe this album: despair, exploration, reflection, helplessness, hope, deviancy. Not in that particular order, though. It’s certainly not upbeat - I think of it as something for introspection.

Lily Chou-Chou “Kokyu (Breathe)”

Artist: Takeshi Kobayashi

This is the other soundtrack to the film. However, this features all the vocal tracks that feature the fictional “Lily Chou-Chou” that is portrayed in the film. The first song “Arabesque”, is also the first song that plays as the film begins. This is some very soft but haunting stuff.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex O.S.T.2

Artist: Yoko Kanno, et. al.

I’ve been following Yoko Kanno’s work for quite sometime now. She is probably the only artist whose music is something I’ll actually buy on impulse. I’ve done this for awhile now, and I’ve never really been disappointed. Stand Alone Complex is a science fiction, cyberpunk series of sorts that’s airing in Japan pay per view. So my favorite musician and my favorite subject make for good music. There’s a little bit of everything here: an opening song that injects energy, some edgy electronic songs, ambient music and vocal tracks that almost seem like they don’t belong into the science-fiction theme/mold. I didn’t think too much about this album at first. But I’ve listened to it the most out of the above CDs.

I suppose my iPod is happy. And the four albums above are really quite good, so that makes me happy, too.

I got something in the mail today.

It looks like Mrs. Morizono received the package of pictures I sent her two months ago. I was surprised to find something from her in the mail this evening. There were other letters and drawings inside. New words from the junior high kids that will always bring me back.

My latest project is up:
One Month in a Day

No year-in-review here this year. Just looking forward now, as last month ended rocky. I can only look forward and hope to do better. Happy New Year.

Today I have been very blue. So I am thinking about the pasts which have been cheerful and fascinating.

Here is more reminiscence. Associated with the memories is an iPod, the inseparable device I brought with me while walking and living in Japan last year.

“A Sorta Fairytale”

Tori Amos

Minamikusami bus from Kokura, in front of the MOVE building, to Kokura Higashi Koko Mae (Kokura East HS) stop near Tahara JHS. Also linked to Murakami-san in that I made her a copy of the “Scarlet’s Walk” album and she loved it.

“Monochrome”

Yoko Kanno, vocals by Ilaria Graziano

Isolation in the colder months. (lyrics)

“Pete Standing Alone” and “Everything You Do Is a Balloon”

Boards of Canada

These two songs are intimately linked with my memories of exploring Akihabara for the very first time.

EssGee

Underworld

What the Statement of Agreement video might have sounded like. The song that brings it all back to me.

Work was full of wackiness. A bit more than usual, which can be equated to almost far too much. But all of us got a bit done and it was just another day at work with good company.

When I come home from these night shifts I sometimes get the day’s mail. Sometimes I’ll procrastinate until the next day. Maybe it was the hope that I actually would get something.

I parked at the designated lot and walked to the mailboxes. Sifted through the mail and what do you know… something from my Board of Education supervisor. From Kitakyushu. I literally smiled at it for a few seconds, out in the cold.

After throwing my shoes to the side, near the front door, I opened up the envelope. A Christmas card. “Various Japanese Foods” - I could actually discern the Japanese still.

How subtle a task this might of been for her, to mail this card out to me. Not someone necessarily close to me, but someone who just brought themselves in touch by way of a simple message; a message that didn’t go by way of e-mail, but by a tangible piece of paper. It may sound awkward, but I am moved by this.

Merry Christmas.

One year ago today I was at Fukuoka Dome with Amber, Dion, Stacey and Tim at a U.S. versus Japan All Star Game. Just before the game was a fine trial of keroscene. You’d have to read the post I made just about a year ago.

I was at work, thinking about Japan again during the long load times of the game I was assigned to test. It was pretty productive this evening. That’s all I’ll mention of work for now.

My routine has solidified a bit more. It’s rather comforting at times. Lonely, yes. But nothing out of the ordinary. I have my entertainment and my way of keeping in touch with everyone. For everything else that slips through, no big deal.

I’ve always got big plans.

My Saturday was not so relaxed. The morning consisted of getting my car jump started, driving back home to La Verne, noticing the copper sky and then realizing that fires were breaking out all over southern California, and spending the rest of the day fixing my nephew’s PC and cursing over setting his computer over wireless network.

Today, Sunday, seemed a little better. Daylight savings time ended, allowing me an extra hour to stay up and tend to my web hobbies.

And then I popped in “Lily Chou-Chou no Subete”, or “All About Lily Chou-Chou“. A film by Shunji Iwai.

I’ve not seen Iwai’s previous works, but I can relate to this one on several levels.

“All About…” revolves around the world of Japanese junior high school students. The bullying, confusion, peer pressure. And a few other Japanese JHS phenomenon. Well, mostly the darker side if it exists in the kids’ lives. On top of this is the connection of every character to Lily Chou-Chou (Riri Shushu as pronounced by the cast). Her music creates a web (pun intended) of interaction between everyone. The film ends in an anti-climax which I found satisfying. But that’s just me.

I wanted to see this film when I heard about it sometime a year and a half ago. Recently it showed up on eBay: it was officially released in Hong Kong. I got my hands on a region 3 copy. The transfer is a little dim, but generally acceptable. The subtitiles are pretty decent - I never found myself doing any major double takes trying to re interpret any badly translated text

Because a lot is taped on school locations, I found myself nodding or smiling when I saw something familiar. Namely, a rebellious school kid here and there, or the uniformity of the gym (I really do think that most school gyms I’ve seen in Japanese junior high schools look exactly the same). So those who have had some experience seeing school life in Japan will see glimpses here.

Opinions are mixed. Still…

For a film that is full of sadness, it was extremely uplifting for me.