Two Days in the Life

Fearing I was sharing too much detail about things that might seem trivial to others, I decided to give the blog a rest yesterday. Today and Yesterday both consisted of solo mission-ing to various parts of Tokyo to track down books, art, clothing, and the like. Books were the focus of Tuesday, and I decided it would be pointless to go anywhere but the largest bookstore in Tokyo, the Shinjuku Kinokuniya. A book-lover’s paradise, it houses any and all kinds of reading material on seven massive floors. 

My hand written (more like chicken scratched – my mom thinks my handwriting looks like Asian characters if that tells you anything) lists of ISBN numbers and partial English-Japanese mixed titles in hand, I started in the religious section. I was definitely the only Westerner in this section or on the entire floor of history/philosophy/religion books. I sometimes wonder if the average Japanese person, upon seeing my tall very non-Japanese physical form, thinks I am just pretending to read book titles and peruse tables of contents. More likely, they do not care and it is me projecting my worldview onto them and then back onto myself, but nevertheless that sort of thought amused me for a moment. All in all, it was a delightful couple of hours scouring the stacks, and I found almost all of the requested books. Loaded down with bags I headed out to try to like Shinjuku a little better, with little success. It’s just a weird area I have yet to get a feel for. Back to Shibuya! More walking around, a stop at the depachika (department store basement) for two delicious peaches and aloe yogurt (total: ~$10) and I came home to rest for a minute before heading to Yokohama (natsukashii – nostalgia!) to meet Madoka, my very good friend and cousin’s former girlfriend. 

Before I knew it I was already a bit late to make the intended train, but I decided to go for it anyway and utilize all my years of concert navigation to move as quickly through the snail crowds and meet Madoka on time. At times I was running, and it felt great! Who cares if I frightened some people, amused others, or may have slightly interrupted a sidewalk concert? I was blasting Steely Dan and feeling very smooth…until I realized I missed the train by a lot (thanks to the wrong time on my keitai). Now I had the pleasure of waiting while sweating. Luckily the next train came soon after and I, along with about 10,000 other people, boarded. This was one of the more crowded trains I’ve ridden in Japan (although not the most crowded). It’s a very weird feeling being literally jam-packed together to the point of chest compression with complete strangers. No one talks or makes eye contact. It’s some sort of unspoken rule.

 

Fast forward to Yokohama. I’m supposed to meet Madoka out from of “More’s,” a new department store (gotta love the names!). I should have realized that this place, along with every other store in Japan, has multiple entrances, but it didn’t take us long to find each other. We were so happy!! She is wonderful. I had forgotten how tiny she is, but what she lacks in size she definitely makes up in personality and sparkle. I had brought her MAC makeup from the States (it is half the price of what they charge over here). She made reservations at her favorite restaurant, something with Nana in the title but I cannot remember the rest. It overlooks Yokohama square and all its glimmering lights. Spectacular. I’ve never seen Madoka drink anything but plum wine when we go out and tonight was no exception. I joined her, and we drank kuruzu ume-shū (black vinegar plum wine) that apparently you can only find in restaurants and izakaya in the Yokohama area. If you like kombucha or slightly vinegary drinks, you would LOVE this. I had three glasses on the rocks. We ate konnyaku (devil’s jelly!) with nori (seaweed) and a goma (sesame) sauce, a pickled cucumber, unagi (eel), ginger, and shiso leaf salad, Yamato pork on bamboo leaves and a bed of cabbage with sliced goya (bitter melon) and miso hot paste on the side (along with a beautiful presentation of maple leaves, pebbles, and a pine branch)and a nabe (hotpot) with unagi and gōbō (burdock root). After my plum wine love affair I tried a yuzu (Japanese citrus) wine; it was tasty but extremely suppai (SOUR!). My eyes were glazed over and involuntarily shutting by the end of the meal, and Madoka put me on the train back home. Went to bed. Not too interesting.

Part II

Wednesday, today, was my last free day in Tokyo and I wanted to accomplish several things: revisit the closed art gallery and find Ikeda Manabu works; walk around Jiyugaoka; find the art space that had an Audrey Kawasaki exhibit (thanks to Chris!). I am happy to report that all my missions succeeded today!! I now have a great catalogue of Ikeda’s works, memories of hanging out in Jiyugaoka for most of the afternoon window shopping and lunching at the most adorable French café, and a framed hard-to-find Audrey print. 

I had the least amount of confidence in completing the last mission after trying to find the damn place for over an hour in a neighborhood I am not familiar with at all. I enjoyed the walk regardless, but down the very last street I thought the map indicated there it was, Space Yui. It was now after five and I thought for sure they would have closed right before I got there. Luckily it was still open and I went right in. I think I took the curator off guard when the first thing I said was, “Sekkaku mitsukemashita!” (“At long last, I’ve found it!”). I explained my reasons for coming and asked if there was anything left over from her exhibit, which had ended some time ago. I was thrilled when she smiled and said there was. Apparently Audrey has become so popular that her works are hard to find, and in general, the kind woman said, there are rarely prints leftover for sale. In fact, she continued, many people had contacted her that very day asking for leftover prints. 

She poured me a cup of tea and offered me a chair so I could gaze at the two incredible pieces she still had. We started chatting (surprise!) and she introduced me to the women in the next room over. Turns out one was the illustrator of the current exhibition. I was so glad to have remembered to pack my meishi (business cards) that morning, for they came in quite handy – I think they were quite impressed, in fact! I spent the next half hour or so walking through Chie’s collection of cat drawings. They were very amusing - some of assorted scenes (riding a horse, going to the beach) and others of characters (a KISS rocker, night in shining armor). I didn’t know exactly what to say when I was finished but simply, “Thank you.” I don’t know what I would have said in English, to tell the truth. But the woman was so lovely. She talked about her sister who lives in Arizona and how much she wanted to visit the Western U.S. I told her she should definitely come and email me when she does. Then I bought a framed print entitled "My Dishonest Heart" – there was no way I was leaving the store without it! – and promised the staff I would return before heading back to the States. They walked me out, all of us bowed about five times, and they sent me on my way with warm doumo’s (no good English translation here). Took the subway back, got lost once more in Shibuya station (just when you think you have it figured out…), stopped at a Best-Buy-On-Tweak electronics store for new headphones (with cool graphic designs) and shot home.

Jean and Baby Matthew greeted me at the door and I finally sat down for the first time in hours. My legs hurt (still do). Quiet night here. Jean made quite a feast (she insists she didn’t make most of it, but rather bought the individual dishes at the department store and then heated them up). I don’t care how it all came together; it was so good. Rice, miso soup, onion salad with bonito (dried fish flakes) and soy, konnyaku salad with spicy little peppers and some type of fish, another salad with greens, fish, and a few other vegetables, a block of tofu with shiso, eggplant, cucumber relish, another bowl of mixed grilled vegetables, and mackerel. Top that with a cold Yebisu beer (my new total favorite Japanese brew) and you have pure happiness. Well…finish that with a little white peach ice cream and homemade plum wine and then you are really happy!! I’m now preparing for bed so that I am ready for tomorrow, when the real work/fun begins. Museum exhibits, designer go-sees, meeting lots of contacts, then heading to Kyoto (where it is extremely hot) for the next three weeks. Tokyo, I’m so sad to leave you. Kyoto, my love, be good to me.