Shinjuku, too much of everything.
Sunday I met up with Lala, ( she's lala_kamiturugi in lj world) and she showed me some amazing places. Thank you Lala for the wonderful day :)
Lala took me to a special show, Takarazuka, it's impossible to explain what I saw but I'll try. The entire show was about dancing, there were Romeos and Julias dancing in 1980's costumes, Sayan costumes, feathered French cancan costumes (the male roles had the biggest feathers), Latino tango costumes etc. You can't imagine it but they dressed up in it. Now the special thing is, these roles were all played by women, half of them looking like a man. Lala explained they use cushions to hide their slim hips, add shoulder fillings, masculin eyebrows and bright red lipstick, eyelashes that long enough to fan fresh air when batted, high heels and that typical macho attitude of men with a big car. (It was yellow and could have been driven by bob the builder.) I honestly didn't know what I saw, but you can learn more from Lala's explanation in her journal here where she also shows the little comics I made after being inspired by the show. ( 'Aha Erlibnis' hit me with the force of Moody's 'Stupify')
In a very old art supply shop in Ginza I learned how to write my name in Japanese, I would show you but I haven't got a scanner. I used a brush and special grated ink on rice paper. I'm still awed at how very difficult it is to write like this.
After the wonderful evening with Lala, we had a lovely Valentine dinner in a French restaurant, I was forced to pick up work again on monday. It was a beautiful day and I was stuck inside until sunset.
The same happened today, except today I was inside the many department stores in Shinjuku. Shinjuku is a series of shops knit together with bright neon light and slippery white tiles. The shops go in all directions, from basements to top floors, ground zero stretching from North to South, East to West and East again.
For the first time in my life I ate a hamburger. I've had a mos burger before, but it was made from fish so it doesn't really count. This was the real greasy, meaty, Standard Burger. It was fast, delivered to our table outside on the heated terras and it was fat with grease leaking out when I bit in it. I'm not really impressed but at least I got my quick meal. It feels like a stone in my stomach, I don't think I'll be fan.
When I finaly could go home it was already dark, so I took some photos of Tokyo at night:
Inside the taxi.
Big Tokyo, the offices lights and people working late reminds me of Edward Hopper. This is a lonely city.
A traffic jam to Shibuya.
Yoyogi park, the light in the dark.
The Seven Eleven super market.
The soymilk: I can't read the boxes, I don't know what I buy. But it tastes nice, much better than the ones at home.
Greetings from Tokyo, sayonara! ^_^
Lala took me to a special show, Takarazuka, it's impossible to explain what I saw but I'll try. The entire show was about dancing, there were Romeos and Julias dancing in 1980's costumes, Sayan costumes, feathered French cancan costumes (the male roles had the biggest feathers), Latino tango costumes etc. You can't imagine it but they dressed up in it. Now the special thing is, these roles were all played by women, half of them looking like a man. Lala explained they use cushions to hide their slim hips, add shoulder fillings, masculin eyebrows and bright red lipstick, eyelashes that long enough to fan fresh air when batted, high heels and that typical macho attitude of men with a big car. (It was yellow and could have been driven by bob the builder.) I honestly didn't know what I saw, but you can learn more from Lala's explanation in her journal here where she also shows the little comics I made after being inspired by the show. ( 'Aha Erlibnis' hit me with the force of Moody's 'Stupify')
In a very old art supply shop in Ginza I learned how to write my name in Japanese, I would show you but I haven't got a scanner. I used a brush and special grated ink on rice paper. I'm still awed at how very difficult it is to write like this.
After the wonderful evening with Lala, we had a lovely Valentine dinner in a French restaurant, I was forced to pick up work again on monday. It was a beautiful day and I was stuck inside until sunset.
The same happened today, except today I was inside the many department stores in Shinjuku. Shinjuku is a series of shops knit together with bright neon light and slippery white tiles. The shops go in all directions, from basements to top floors, ground zero stretching from North to South, East to West and East again.
For the first time in my life I ate a hamburger. I've had a mos burger before, but it was made from fish so it doesn't really count. This was the real greasy, meaty, Standard Burger. It was fast, delivered to our table outside on the heated terras and it was fat with grease leaking out when I bit in it. I'm not really impressed but at least I got my quick meal. It feels like a stone in my stomach, I don't think I'll be fan.
When I finaly could go home it was already dark, so I took some photos of Tokyo at night:
Inside the taxi.
Big Tokyo, the offices lights and people working late reminds me of Edward Hopper. This is a lonely city.
A traffic jam to Shibuya.
Yoyogi park, the light in the dark.
The Seven Eleven super market.
The soymilk: I can't read the boxes, I don't know what I buy. But it tastes nice, much better than the ones at home.
Greetings from Tokyo, sayonara! ^_^