clumsy in tokyo

for a while now ive enjoyed airing the inappropriate opinion that the japanese are the closest thing we have to aliens on earth. of course, as i admire originality and absurdity this is a backward compliment. nows not the time to discuss the contradictory cultural components of hello kitty and kinky sex, but theres plenty else to explain why i am so often confused here in the islands... and me thinks it isnt by accident!

fart discretely

dont forget that despite their pop culture obsession with anything non-japanese (be it western or korean), this is the nation that was forcibly 'opened' by the us navy in 1854 after 200+ years of self-inflicted isolation. even as it ravenously consumes foreign culture i dont get the impression that the japanese want to be anyone else. while here they may be consuming my culture but im made very aware that i am the outsider. this boundary is maintained in part by a seemingly unending number of complex ceremonies for eating to greeting to gift wrapping to bath water saving that every outsider is bound to eventually pervert. once you goof (to everyones embarassment) youve earned the inevitable and insurmountable gaijin (外人 is literally: 'outside person') designation.

its not like koreans are averse to ceremony and im sure that id also misstep in sweden, but japan is where ive felt the most awkward and clumsy even while under the auspices of a native friend. its not just the explicit ceremonies that make me uneasy. its also the goofy expression and high pitched voice of the hotel bellman who delivers any news (be it directions to the atm or disclosing that my bags are lost) with an intonation and facial expression combining rapt fascination, naïveté and surprise!

kami-robo fighters

i like a good joke so part of my awkwardness is wondering if im the center of an elaborate comedy... tho sarcasm doesnt work well here. case in point is an exhibit? store? theatre? gym? on the lower level of the slick omotesando hills shopping complex in aoyama near uber trendy harajuku. posters advertise a 2-day event: a kami-robo 'fight' between maoh and blue killer. the space has an elevated boxing ring in one corner, a huge plasma tv and lots of huge colorful robots photographed in the midst of executing 'body' slams in another. two large glass cases contain hundreds of tiny paper replicas of the giant robos. one line of tables is positioned in the middle of the room. in front of each chair is paper, tape, scissors and a felt pen for passers-by to construct their own mini robo. adults solo and in tandem with their kids take their seats with cameras rolling. its kinda exciting!

ms jpo

i love this weird interactive performance art-ish hands-on exhibit thing. im not sure where reality and fantasy start or end but it sums up japan for me. its time for my rendezvous with jpo so i prepare to leave. ok, im getting ready to go now. ok, slight bow. oh! you are superior to me but bowed longer than i did so i bow again! im smiling, shuffling my feet slowly backwards. still smiling, i bow again, casting my eyes downward briefly. thank you so much! i continue to make progressively lighter bows, smiling, shuffling, nodding, see you again soon! ok, last bow i think. thank you! ok, one more bow! shuffle shuffle. goodbye!
more tokyo photos here.