Tokyo!!!!

I've been back from Tokyo for a few days now, but I've actually been quite busy piloting the Japanese version of my survey and unfortunately preparing a presentation in Japanese on my research. Not exactly fun stuff.

In contrast to my 5-day trip to Tokyo! Which was totally awesome! Despite having to spend 13 hours on a bus each way. But hey, you get what you pay for. So, various thoughts, more or less in chronological order.

Thursday:
A quick trip around Senso-ji in the earlyish hours of the morning, after my arrival. After all, nothing is open until after 10am, except for temples. I dropped my stuff off at my hostel in the Asakusa area, and headed over to the neighboring temple. Pretty, peaceful, got me a little charm to help me "realize my heart's wish." Then, a quick yarn hop ending with a stroll up and down Omotesando and eating fantastically yummy Kyushu style ramen. Really, I didn't think ramen was anything special until I had this bowl. It was amaaazing and giving me some incentive to go visit Kyushu. And finally, to cap off the day, I got all dressed up and met a Toyota bigwig, a managing officer. Despite everyone's reassurances that the meeting would probably be in English, nope! It was in Japanese. And because I am an idiot, despite some amount of preparation in thinking through what I would say during this meeting, it didn't happen at all the way I anticipated and I ended up sounding like a stammering jabbering idiot, anyways. I also realized, 10 minutes before leaving for the meeting, that I forgot to bring some omiyage (souvenirs) from Matsuyama and had to fall for recourse on the Godiva chocolatier that was thankfully downstairs from the JUSEC office. I doubt it made much of a difference in ameliorating the faux pas, considering its lameness in not being from Matsuyama. Oh well. I did get invited to go visit their factory in Nagoya, and so hopefully I can do that and learn some more about the company.

Friday:
First, the conference. After a nice evening with the Fellows, I then met everyone else at the conference where we pow-wowed about our year. Of course, there being 15 of us, mostly very talkative, it took awhile. Even though we read each other's reports and all, I found that seeing everybody face to face was very nice. I actually would have liked to shift focus a bit more from the conceptual to discussing more concrete measures we could take to improve our productivity and to "make every day count." But alas, we didn't get that far. But overall, I think the conference was great, and I came away quite reinvigorated to carry on my research.
Another issue that came up for a lot of people was the issue of Japanese-ness, Asian-ness, etc. in Japan. Some of the fellows talked about struggling with when and with whom to be more Japanese, and when and with whom to act the American. It started me thinking more in depth about why I didn't apply to do a Fulbright in China being more Chinese than Japanese. I think being in Japan is sort of more liberating than China, in a sense. I have enough of a connection to Japan to make it exciting and meaningful, but not enough to really identify with Japanese-ness in myself in any way. On the other hand, my Chinese-ness is constantly reaching out to get me whenever I'm in China. Even though it's a hopeless cause, I'm always trying to "fit in" somehow whenever I'm in China (mostly to avoid getting ripped off). I don't even try in Japan, really, and occasionally I'm mistaken for being Japanese or at least fluent in Japanese. Everything in China seems to implicate me somehow, whether it's pollution, corruption, manners or lack thereof, anything and everything. It's like being embarassed of your lover. Hearing China criticized is the same way, it's like hearing someone badmouthing your significant other. Even if the critic is right, even if China really is polluted and corrupt and dirty, the hackles rise in a guttural emotional way because I still feel like it's an indirect attack on me. Even though I have nothing to do with China as it is really and I can't help being of Chinese descent and I'm American for God's sake! So there's that sense of implication, of identity confusion, of Chinese-ness reaching out its hands to claim me for its own. Fit in! Be Chinese! These are your roots! These are your people! Etc.
No such complications in Japan. I can be a more objective observer and delight in my discoveries and criticize its shortcomings without feeling implicated or guilty. And I can escape some of the identity confusions. Though I always have to explain that I'm Chinese-American and explain what that means, there's nothing interfering with my primary self-identification as American.

Enough of that stuff. Then Friday evening, WICKED!! I saw Wicked in Tokyo because Rick, my friend from high school, is working on it. I wasn't sure how it would work, but it did turn out to be an identical production translated into Japanese. I feel so lame, but it made me cry. Multiple times. The people sitting around me must have thought I was crazy. Just the opening number made me cry. It was odd because the production was identical, but I was comprehending the Japanese at the same time as remembering what the English words were supposed to be, and remembering my first experience seeing the show, which was 5 years ago the last time I saw Rick. Yeah. Tons of sniffles.
But, it was lovely to see Rick again, and he was an awesome host. Later I rushed to meet up with the Fulbright fellows again (and our director) for a quick beer before closing time. Managed to get off at the wrong station once, but otherwise made it in time for Rick to meet some of them and again, to say goodbye to many of them for the time being.

Saturday:
Day on my own, spent in Kichijoji doing more of the yarn thing, then Shinjuku and Ginza and Akihabara for dinner. Anyways, so I HAD to stop by Yuzawaya in Kichijoji, which turned out to be everything it was cracked up to be. Huge emporium, big half of a floor devoted to all kinds of yarn, including the first Noro I've see in Japan. And...gorgeous, gorgeous 50% cashmere 50% silk yarn. Ah! Couldn't resist. Also had to get the whole set of cute and useful 30cm plastic circulars, and finally a set crochet hooks for those pesky dropped stitches and zillions of stitches to be picked up. I was all yarned out and didn't even make it to Avril (aka Habu textiles), so I just spent a few more hours wandering around the Kichijoji neighborhood, which I really loved. It's small, cute, boutiquey. Definitely want to go back next time I'm in Tokyo.
Then Shinjuku, wandering around. Not terribly impressed, but by then it was already dark. Lots of food places, cheap places, flashy young clothing (ugh) and I dunno. General uncuteness. (It was better on Monday when I visited with Rick. Apparently I was wandering around the wrong area of Shinjuku). Then Ginza to pass some time before meeting up with Rick again, and by then it was dark and late and everything was closed. But I did see lots of amazing store fronts and very high end stores. Meh. Nothing I can afford or would buy even if I could, anyways, so...yeah. Kichijoji wins for neighborhood with the most personality, I think.
Then, dinner with Rick in Akihabara, at the top of Yodobashi at a Chinese restaurant. OMG!!!! GOOD CHINESE FOOD!!! totally hard to come by in Japan. They are known for their Dandan noodles, or spicy Szechuan style noodles. MmmMmmm.

Saturday was ALL ABOUT DISNEY!!
Rick is a big Disney fan and has been since I could remember him, so of course we went to Disney. I picked DisneySea instead of DisneyLand, because apparently DisneySea is a unique experience only in Tokyo. Ordinarily it would not occur to me to spend a day at Disneyland, but with Rick's buoyant enthusiasm, I had a great time. Because he goes several times a week, he's got all the insider information, the ins and outs, the knowhow about avoiding lines, which lines are worth waiting for, what food is good, etc. It was sooo incredibly relaxing to just put away the maps and the planning and to go along with the ride, doing anything worth doing. Disney really is quite magical. Entering the park is certainly entering a different world, getting away for a day. I can see it being addictive! The landscape, of course, is a different world. It requires a bit of a suspension of disbelief and a kind of acceptance of man-made artificiality (a la Las Vegas, which I know lots of people really dislike), but nonetheless I enjoyed myself. We ran around all day and did pretty much everything--all the big rides, and some of the small ones too. Yeah. Happy. I was really smiley all day. I think you can see on the pictures Rick posted--just exuberantly smiley and happy. Okay, enough gushing about Disney.

Monday's highlights included Kabuki theater and the Imperial Palace. Yeah. Rick and I went to one act of a Kabuki show which was about 45 minutes long and made of three separate dances. I won't even go into that much, except that I enjoyed it a lot, especially the female dances. As someone appreciative of traditional Japanese dance, seeing Kabuki in a theater was incredibly exciting to me. Also, the English explanations broadcasted through headphone receivers were really useful too :-D
Then, we had MEXICAN FOOD for lunch!!!! AHHHHH!!! I have been in mexican food withdrawal for awhile now. It's like...a visceral need, and there is NO MEXICAN FOOD IN MATSUYAMA. Yayyy El Torito!! Finally, an afternoon stroll through the outer grounds of the Imperial Palace. Right in the middle of a ridiculously busy city (okay, I don't know if it's the middle, but it feels like it) there's this huge huge space full of trees that's almost completely dead silent. In it's own way, like Disney it's a different world. The difference is you can see the cars rushing by and the sky scrapers just maybe a few hundred meters away, but you're standing in gravel surrounded by trees and it's nearly silent. It was amazing. Couldn't get very close though :-(

Phew! Done. I had a great couple of days, especially since Rick was such a hospitable host. It was so great to catch up with him and talk to him about Japan, theater, and all kinds of random stuff. Yep. I've changed my mind about hating Tokyo :-P If only it weren't so expensive to go there...