Tokyo Story
I was in Tokyo during the disastrous US election. This was a relief in some ways - the Japanese don’t discuss politics, generally, and many seem to see it as something that just happens out there somewhere. Since I have no fascists in my personal orbit, that’s pretty much how this feels. For now. Though we all know there’s a lot of ugliness ahead.
This respite from the onslaught of national news and anxiety gave me a bit of space to think about what I want from the coming years in society. I want community. I want a nice venue where I can see friends play music, and play music myself with friends. I want to keep building an advocacy group of musicians working together, UMAW. I want to be in a peaceful environment that is as green as possible. And yes I want a fascist-free government, but that I know we cannot have. For now.
I did get to talk some politics in Tokyo, not with our Japanese friends but with friends who were also visiting from abroad – and who come from a country long troubled by authoritarianism. They had advice for us newbies: don’t let them make you jump at every outrage. There will simply be too many, because what they want is to occupy all your time. Don’t let them.
I will try and put this advice to work. It’s already hard, because the provocations are real, and destructive when linked to power. But they are also ridiculous beyond satire. They are disgusting, petty, pointless and above all cruel. They oppose everything that I look for in society and value. Which is what I believe my friends with experience in this regard were urging: keep looking to what you value, and to one another.
And so I will work to keep aspects of my Tokyo idyll going, even through the chaos we know lies ahead. To walk by a quiet river in the middle of a noisy city. To enter a studio with friends and close the doors so we can listen just to one another. To stand on a stage or in an audience and share the space. To eat a meal with care, to present one another with gifts no matter how small, to show more than the usual respect to everything and everyone around you. These are pleasures of being in Japan for me, and I want to keep them close.
I will write here as usual, sometimes no doubt with anger or outrage at what we will witness. But I don’t want to neglect writing about what I value most. If you continue to read this newsletter, let me know when I get too lost in the provocations. I’ll do my best to remind you, too.
Listening to: “Symphony of the Insects” - a CD I bought thinking ambient music, but which turned out to be straight-up field recordings of insects in Japan
Cooking: green tea gifted by friends
I want the same things. Thank you saying what you said so simply and elegantly.
We got back from Tokyo about two and a half weeks ago (or is it longer), and I'm sorry to miss you there. This particular Japanese trip was unusual because there were so many Americans there, and/or people I know from Los Angeles. Even when I was standing in line at Immigration at Hanada Airport, I heard a voice from the crowd yell out "Tosh, Tosh," and it was my dentist. This was unthinkable that something like that could have happened on previous trips. But yes, Japan is a remarkable spot. I suspect somewhere down the line (not far off) we will move there. But we will see.