Japanese Days - Back in Tokyo and hot sake

02/12/2007 Sunday

 

Back in Tokyo. Spent most of yesterday resting at home, then in the evening went out and found a cheap nearby restaurant which served up huge portions of Japanese food. Walked further on  to a bridge which crosses Sumida gawa and along the wide toe path which borders the river. Saturday night and so quiet - nobody to be seen except for a flotilla of river boats with dimly lit lanterns on each side going up and down the river. Lit up statue of Basho visible, despite its small size, on the far side of the river.

03/12/2007 Monday

 

Met Akira san at the metro and went to the open air antique market not far from where we are living on Suitengumae and set in the grounds of a temple. Prices quite high but numerous relics form bygone Japanese times, even an ancient saddle was for sale as well as old Japanese tools ( I have no idea what they might be used for) and vases and prints. What took my eye was old scrolls of Japanese writing which look as if they have come straight out of the Heian Period of the middle ages. They only cost a hundred yen and without doubt were produced a lot later but they would make good props in any film. We will return there another Sunday ourselves and buy some more items. Natasha already bought some old lacquered boxes and bowls.

 

Then we took Akira san for a meal and I handed him a copy of the film "David Burliuk and the Japanese Avant-garde". We met (at our apartment) later in the day after he saw the film at home and gave his approval. I think now he saw the sense of what I was trying to do and his comments showed that he did in fact understand the main structure and ideas behind the film. I think he was pleased that he played a prominent role in the film's structure. He made mention of  Mary Holt who I think is Burliuk's Granddaughter and lives in America. He thought she would be very interested in the film. She takes an interest in Burliuk's work and has many of his works to which she owns the rights. He also believed that the Ogasawara Island archive might be interested in the film. Next year is the 40th anniversary of the handing over of the administration of the Island to Japan after the war. We all then went for a second meal nearby. The restaurant was more traditional than the one we had been to earlier which had been in a department store. This restaurant was split up into little rooms for only 8 or so people. Very intimate and comfortable. We ordered hot sake which tasted very good.