Day 15, Tuesday, March 31 – Mitsuike Park

This White-Browed Laughing Thrush wasn't even in our Japan Bird Guide. But he was definitely speaking straight at us. Whether it was laughter or not, however, is seriously debatable! It came across more like: "Mayday Mayday, we've got a situation. Two aliens intent on communication with our avian realm. Mayday Mayday...!"  

Day 15, Tuesday, March 31 – Yokohama

On my next trip here, I want to do rubbings of the utility covers. This one's a beauty. My parents arrived in Yokohama on the Yamato Maru in April 1941, almost 74 years ago to the day. They had planned to stay just long enough for my brother to be born and then continue on to northern China to catch the Trans Siberian Railway into Europe. The Atlantic blockade had prevented the normal route from America. But when Pearl Harbor happened at the end of '41, they were stranded for the duration of the war. My three siblings were born in Kobe. I came along in 1950 in Germany. Yokohama is a name I heard throughout my childhood.  

Day 15, Tuesday, March 31 – At the Shakuhachi Shop

Spending time with Bruce Huebner, expatriate shakuhachi player and long-term resident of Japan, has been a real delight. I'd met him briefly in Boulder, Colorado at the World Shakuhachi Festival in 2000. But this time around, connecting was the result of Ralph giving me a shakuhachi to return to him. The day after I arrived, he came up to Nakano Sakaue to retrieve it and we got a bit more acquainted. I showed him the Birdmachine and bass flute. Turns out Bruce is an avid birder and naturalist with years of experience hiking in the Sierras and other places. He invited me to come down to Yokohama and do some birding and playing in the urban wilderness of a large park in his neighborhood.

Day 14, Monday, March 30 – Konno Hachimangu Photos

Here's part of my solo when Kudo left the stage for a costume and makeup change. Joni has the Tasmanian Ridgeback, a natural born lion killer, securely leashed in hand and I'm about to put my little Yamaha guitar amp into overdrive.

Joni emailed these photos of the Konno Hachimangu performance the other day. They're pretty good, and may have to do for now, since the video from Yuki's antiquated JVC needs to be reformatted to a codec iMovie can read. For now the sound coming out of that remarkable Yamaha amp slung around my shoulder shall remain mute in the face of Kudo's visual splendor. In the meantime, definitely need a hat, a haircut, and a shave... in no particular order! 

Day 13, Sunday, March 29 – Evening Cherry Blossoms

After lugging the Birdmachine around kingdom come yesterday, I took a breather today and rebuilt the instrument with an eye towards more portability and ease of assembly. What would have taken an hour in my shop at home, took all afternoon here. First of all, I needed rudimentary tools. That sent me to the hardware department of Tokyu Hands in Shinjuku. I bought wood, a Japanese razor saw, tubing, screws, pipe clamps, sliding clamps, micro c-clamps, and god knows what else. It wasn't difficult to spend a hundred dollars. On the way back, I encountered a Shiba Inu, the foxiest dog on the planet. Will definitely look into finding a breeder in New England. I also stopped at a flea market near Nakano-Sakaue Station and bought an old SONY cassette tape recorder (great for recording and slowing down bird song on the fly circa twenty years ago), and some 200 year old coins from the Edo period. 

Day 12, Saturday, March 28 – Motomachi Park

Today was Birdmachine's first outing. Yuki and I went up to Motomachi Park near Sudabashi Station and Tokyo Dome City amusement park, the home of the Yomiuri Giants and the Nippon Ham, two professional baseball teams. It was in the low 70s, perfect weather, and everybody was out for cherry blossom celebrations. Beer, sake, and wine were flowing freely, along with elaborate picnics. Many people were totally sloshed. I assume that few are writing haiku or waka. But this is a botanical event of great national importance, along with plum blossoms, going back at least to the Heian court described in Genji Monogatari. It's my first time here during cherry blossom season. What a revelation! Temperature wise, it's the best time to be here. Summer, by contrast, is holy hell, a brew of heat and humidity that only shakuhachis can tolerate.

Day 11, Friday, March 27

Yesterday was the day to rebuild the Birdmachine for portability. It's not perfect, but serviceable and took me the whole day. In the evening went over to Sachiko and Jonathan's. Sachiko is an Orissi dancer. They also invited an American scientist named Dan Sythe who develops high end geiger counters. When he got there, a bit after me, he said "You look familiar." Turned out he'd been watching David Rothenberg's BBC documentary in which I appear a la Birdmachine. Furthermore, David is on Dan's board of trustees for his geiger counter company. Small world. Here's Dan getting "sounded" with Sachiko's magical bowl. And check out my duet with Sachiko after dinner. It's on you tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgcv2RG1eQs&sns=em

Day 10, Thursday, March 26 – Meiji Jingu

Visited Meiji Jingu yesterday with Yuki and Colors. Meiji Jingu boasts the largest Shinto gate in Japan. Once through the gates, Tokyo vanishes except for the helicopters. They, like the crows, are ubiquitous. Birds of a feather....

 

Day 9, Wednesday, March 25 – Cherry Blossoms!

On the way to Shinjuku Gyoen, Yuki and I stopped at a vegetarian restaurant near Nakano-Sakaue Station for lunch. Nice yoga studio with flamingoes.

Day 8, Tuesday, March 24 – Tokyo University

R left for Bali yesterday morning. He'll be back on April 4. Home alone until next Monday when CL flies in from Vancouver. I spent much of the afternoon sleeping and blogging. The jet lag comes in waves of opportunity during my schedule down times. Before I knew it, it was 6PM and I had to be at Tokyo University at 6:30. Kudo had invited me to a dance theater piece called "Bach/black and white" starring the legendary saxophonist and composer, Yasuaki Shimizu; the renown dancer, Setsuko Yamada; the beloved philosophy professor, Yasuo Kobayashi, and Kudo. I hightailed to the subway and got to the university in under twenty-five minutes. Even before the train arrived at the university, I sensed a change of scene and suddenly felt very much at home. I was among students and professors – universal types universally recognizable. But finding campus building #18 was a different matter. No one seemed to know where it was. Finally, someone did and I was standing right in front of it!