Stranger in a Strange Land

Thus marks my return to this sadly neglected blog. For two months now, I have been living in Tokyo, Japan. My escape from America has been successful thus far, each passing moment being enjoyable, enlightening, educational and even a bit of cultural dissonance. In order to properly enjoy such a country, one must familiarize oneself with the history, basic customs, manners, and of course, language. Japan possesses a very unique contemporary culture, and yet so much of it is heavily influenced by its past. I have just finished reading Japan: A Short Cultural History by G.B. Samson. A good read, yet it reminds me why I prefer to learn history through art and not through written documents. His style is a bit dry, I do have to agree with him that Japan has a special and deep aesthetic appreciation, which indeed ruled the court of Kyoto during the Heian period.



Now I have began Lafcadio Hearn's In Ghostly Japan, written by one of Japan's oldest assimilated foreigners. Though the man himself is endlessly fascinating, the ghost stories of Japan are beyond any ability to be elegantly eerie and filled with mystery. The film Kwaidan (1965) by Masaki Kobayashi was based on his masterful retellings of some of Japan's most beloved ghostly tales. Hoichi the Earless (耳なし芳一: Mimi-nashi Hoichi) is arguably one of the best ghost stories of all time, and captured brilliantly in the film.



Tokyo is a much greener place than I had imagined, but the plant life is found mostly in the details, not in wide open spaces. Flowers are not only plentiful, but well taken care of. The city is so large, it envelopes both bustling city center as well as serene temples and shrines. The people keep to themselves, and there are many peaceful havens within the city. Traditions are very much alive and the Japanese have a strong sense of cultural identity, but most of all respect for public space. All this I hoped to find in leaving the US, and for now, it shall be a charming retreat for as long as I can stay. がんばります！