Original image of a man admiring Kuroda Seiki’s Chi Kan Jo (Wisdom, Impression, Sentiment) at the Tokyo National Museum by There Stands the Glass.
Crashing out at Tokyo Station was the nadir of my first visit to Japan this month. Navigating the nation in the initial days of my trip occasionally overwhelmed me. Even after learning the ropes of the train, subway and bus systems I was easily unnerved.
For instance, I gradually moved to the front of a crowded bus as my stop in Kyoto neared. With eyes fixed on the street, I became aware of a disarming silence. I turned to discover the bus remained full. The Japanese insistence on noiselessness on public transportation seems unconditional.
Drivers rarely honk horns, pedestrians communicate in whispers and people form orderly queues. The absence of loud voices and municipal pandemonium was extremely refreshing. My mirroring of Japanese stoicism was rewarded when several locals with whom I interacted suggested I must be Canadian.
Such reticence isn’t pervasive. Discount retailers and ubiquitous convenience stores are filled with deafening motion-sensitive video advertisements on their shelves. I also have a new least-favorite song. The ambiance at a couple ramen corridors I frequented was marred by the insidious ditty “Take Me Out to the Ramen-Koji.”
My experiences at a jazz venue and a jazz kissa will soon be documented at Plastic Sax. Finally, I’d be negligent if I failed to express my gratitude to There Stands the Glass readers who reached out regarding my unexplained absence. Thanks, as always, for reading.