Research in Tokyo part 12:
Yesterday was Bunka-no-hi (“Culture Day”), a national holiday, which renders everybody the opportunity to watch the trees changing colour.
My friend Tari and I went out of Tokyo to an art exhibition in the countryside. Hectic Tokyo was far away and while walking between the rice and lotus fields we talked about the role of women in Japanese society. Later that same day I had an interview with a woman who herself was part of the women’s movement in Japan. Again we talked about this male dominated island.
Today I dived back into my own history. The whole day I was guest of Banýu-Inryoku, the theatre group that I have worked with 18 years ago.
It was like 18 years ago, nothing seemed to have changed. Still they were all wearing black, still they had endless discussions about small problems, still the same sets and props. And still they had that amazing body control and athletic capacity.
While digesting my day I ended up in a little rancid bar in Shibuja with the artist Shuzo Azuchi Gulliver. Drinking sake together was a perfect ending of the day.