In any case, I digress -- back to La Jetée. After getting our bill, I told Ms. Kawai of my intentions, and I asked her if she would do an interview, to which she responded she would "think about it," which of course meant "no." Professor Herrera and I tried a few more bars to no avail. The flamenco bar was our final stop, and we seemed to have more luck there, but I had to leave to catch the last train home. That said, nothing is for certain, and I plan on going back several more times -- I hope I can convince someone to let me film!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Golden Gai: Part II
After a series of scheduling mishaps, Professor Herrera and I decided to go over to Golden Gai last night without my other group members. At around 10, we went to La Jetée, a movie-themed bar owned by Tomoyo Kawai. Known as a haunt for filmmakers from around the world, it is arguably the most famous bar in Golden Gai. Professor Herrera introduced me, and after ordering two ginger ales, Ms. Kawai served us some tofu. Incidentally, this was the first time I had ever been in a bar, since I don't turn 21 for another 3 weeks, and in any case my alcohol consumption has generally been limited to familial occasions such as New Year's, weddings, et cetera. It may seem somewhat counterintuitive for a non-drinker to choose to document an area that comprises hundreds of bars, but I wanted to present myself with a challenge. While I was initially somewhat inclined towards a shopping area, my natural stomping ground, there are several reasons why I decided against this. Firstly, I wanted to maintain as much objectivity as possible; my feelings towards an area like Harajuku are colored by previous experiences and preconceptions, whereas I my knowledge of Golden Gai is mostly factual and unbiased. Secondly, I wanted to place myself outside of my comfort zone -- creating a film is largely about pushing the limits, not necessarily opting for what is safe or easy. The processes of viewing and creating are similar in that ultimately one should learn something from the experience.
In any case, I digress -- back to La Jetée. After getting our bill, I told Ms. Kawai of my intentions, and I asked her if she would do an interview, to which she responded she would "think about it," which of course meant "no." Professor Herrera and I tried a few more bars to no avail. The flamenco bar was our final stop, and we seemed to have more luck there, but I had to leave to catch the last train home. That said, nothing is for certain, and I plan on going back several more times -- I hope I can convince someone to let me film!
In any case, I digress -- back to La Jetée. After getting our bill, I told Ms. Kawai of my intentions, and I asked her if she would do an interview, to which she responded she would "think about it," which of course meant "no." Professor Herrera and I tried a few more bars to no avail. The flamenco bar was our final stop, and we seemed to have more luck there, but I had to leave to catch the last train home. That said, nothing is for certain, and I plan on going back several more times -- I hope I can convince someone to let me film!
Reactions to the Donald Richie Readings/Lectures
I meant to post this a while ago, but I've badly neglected this blog as of late. Anyhow, Donald Richie has been something of an omnipresence since I came to Tokyo. I had read and admired his work back in the States, so it was quite the experience to get to see him lecture. Here are a few reactions:
Readings:
1. Lateral View: This was an interesting and relevant reading that certainly broadened my understanding of Japanese neighborhoods. Coming from a small American city where the streets are named sequentially and addresses are conspicuously displayed on the front of buildings, I found Tokyo overwhelming upon my arrival; I quickly learned that knowing the address of a place proves rather unhelpful in locating it. Thus, I found Richie's essay "Tokyo: The Impermanent Capital" pertinent in explaining the seemingly illogical layout of Tokyo's neighborhoods. As we learned in the Metropolitan Tokyo class, urban design is a rather irrelevant concept in Tokyo; according to Richie, neighborhoods grow and change organically rather than being carefully planned out. Another aspect covered in the article is Tokyo's obsession with constantly tearing down and reconstructing buildings, which was another issue that surprised me upon coming to Japan -- even an Important Cultural Property like Kabuki-za is not exempt from this process. Japan does indeed seem to have an obsession with the new, but Richie argues that the cycle of building/destroying/rebuilding can be attributed to the idea of temporality that lies at the core of traditional Japanese beliefs.
2. Tokyo: This is one of the sources I consulted as research for Golden Gai; when he said that the area prohibited pictures, I had hoped it wasn't true, but alas, the neighborhood is indeed an intensely private one. In any case, this is an interesting and personal view at the city that Richie has called home for most of his life.
Lectures:
1. Cinema Eclectics: The film covered here was Kore-eda's Distance, a film that I had learned about in my Japanese film class at St. Mary's but never actually watched. I've enjoyed what I've seen of Kore-eda's work, but I have to say that I didn't much care for the film while I was watching it. That said, I appreciated it more after the Q & A session, as many issues were pointed out that I had overlooked. Richie compared the film to L'Avventura, and while I never picked up on the connection before, I can definitely see now how Antonioni influenced Kore-eda. I asked a question during the Q & A, but because of my nerves, I started stumbling over my words and Mr. Richie told me to enunciate. (I made sure to speak as clearly and loudly as possible when I asked a question at the next lecture.)
2. Reasons Behind Reasons: As one of the few English majors who actually enjoys critical theory, I love learning about semiotics, so this lecture was right up my alley. The concept of the signifier/signified is present in all cultures, but it's particularly relevent in Japan, a culture where there is often a marked discrepancy between what a person says and how they truly feel (i.e., honne and tatemae). Yesterday, when we went to Golden Gai (the blog entry is forthcoming), bartenders told us they would "think about it" when asked if they would be interested in doing an interview, which of course means they won't do it. Alas!
Readings:
1. Lateral View: This was an interesting and relevant reading that certainly broadened my understanding of Japanese neighborhoods. Coming from a small American city where the streets are named sequentially and addresses are conspicuously displayed on the front of buildings, I found Tokyo overwhelming upon my arrival; I quickly learned that knowing the address of a place proves rather unhelpful in locating it. Thus, I found Richie's essay "Tokyo: The Impermanent Capital" pertinent in explaining the seemingly illogical layout of Tokyo's neighborhoods. As we learned in the Metropolitan Tokyo class, urban design is a rather irrelevant concept in Tokyo; according to Richie, neighborhoods grow and change organically rather than being carefully planned out. Another aspect covered in the article is Tokyo's obsession with constantly tearing down and reconstructing buildings, which was another issue that surprised me upon coming to Japan -- even an Important Cultural Property like Kabuki-za is not exempt from this process. Japan does indeed seem to have an obsession with the new, but Richie argues that the cycle of building/destroying/rebuilding can be attributed to the idea of temporality that lies at the core of traditional Japanese beliefs.
2. Tokyo: This is one of the sources I consulted as research for Golden Gai; when he said that the area prohibited pictures, I had hoped it wasn't true, but alas, the neighborhood is indeed an intensely private one. In any case, this is an interesting and personal view at the city that Richie has called home for most of his life.
Lectures:
1. Cinema Eclectics: The film covered here was Kore-eda's Distance, a film that I had learned about in my Japanese film class at St. Mary's but never actually watched. I've enjoyed what I've seen of Kore-eda's work, but I have to say that I didn't much care for the film while I was watching it. That said, I appreciated it more after the Q & A session, as many issues were pointed out that I had overlooked. Richie compared the film to L'Avventura, and while I never picked up on the connection before, I can definitely see now how Antonioni influenced Kore-eda. I asked a question during the Q & A, but because of my nerves, I started stumbling over my words and Mr. Richie told me to enunciate. (I made sure to speak as clearly and loudly as possible when I asked a question at the next lecture.)
2. Reasons Behind Reasons: As one of the few English majors who actually enjoys critical theory, I love learning about semiotics, so this lecture was right up my alley. The concept of the signifier/signified is present in all cultures, but it's particularly relevent in Japan, a culture where there is often a marked discrepancy between what a person says and how they truly feel (i.e., honne and tatemae). Yesterday, when we went to Golden Gai (the blog entry is forthcoming), bartenders told us they would "think about it" when asked if they would be interested in doing an interview, which of course means they won't do it. Alas!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Golden Gai: Part I
Last Sunday at around 4 in the afternoon, Tony and I went to Golden Gai to take some pictures. At first we got lost and ended up wandering around Kabuki-cho, so we stopped at a Lawson Station to ask for directions. The guy we initially asked had apparently never heard of Golden Gai, so he gathered 3 or so of his colleagues, and one of them produced a really detailed map of Eastern Shinjuku. It turned out we were only 2 blocks or so away, so it was pretty surprising that none of the workers were familiar with Golden Gai; I felt like we were looking for an esoteric, mythical place.
This seemingly esoteric nature was elucidated when we reached the location, which is surrounded by run-down and fairly innocuous residences. Golden Gai certainly does not seek to widely advertise itself: as I had read in Donald Richie's Tokyo and other sources, there were indeed several signs saying not to take pictures or videos (we of course took photos anyway). The place was almost like a ghost town; we did encounter a foreign couple wandering around and a Japanese man also stealthily taking pictures. This gave the overall impression of the town being a sort of hidden treasure known only to a select few (though, I've seen it mentioned in several guidebooks, so it's certainly gotten it's share of publicity over the years).
Anyway, the "no photo" photos are not loading in this post, perhaps because of some karmic retribution, so here is the url for them:
Sign 1
Sign 2
And here are a few of the pictures we snapped:
This seemingly esoteric nature was elucidated when we reached the location, which is surrounded by run-down and fairly innocuous residences. Golden Gai certainly does not seek to widely advertise itself: as I had read in Donald Richie's Tokyo and other sources, there were indeed several signs saying not to take pictures or videos (we of course took photos anyway). The place was almost like a ghost town; we did encounter a foreign couple wandering around and a Japanese man also stealthily taking pictures. This gave the overall impression of the town being a sort of hidden treasure known only to a select few (though, I've seen it mentioned in several guidebooks, so it's certainly gotten it's share of publicity over the years).
Anyway, the "no photo" photos are not loading in this post, perhaps because of some karmic retribution, so here is the url for them:
Sign 1
Sign 2
And here are a few of the pictures we snapped:
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Project Proposal
Group members: Kristen VanBlargan, Shinya Sato, Tony Radosti
Topic: Golden Gai
Concept and MethodologyIn the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, incongruities appear abundant: the area presents an image of modernity and tradition simultaneously, and despite its clean-cut and business-oriented façade, it hosts the city’s largest and most infamous entertainment district, Kabuki-cho. Known for its bustling nightlife and sex industry, Kabuki-cho is situated to the east of Shinjuku Station, which separates it from the skyscraper-ridden landscape of western Shinjuku. Within Kabuki-cho lies a small area known as Golden Gai (“Golden Town”) that hosts a number of small bars that have recently gained a reputation for their reputable and bohemian clientele. Unlike the rest of Kabuki-cho, Golden Gai is not associated with the yakuza or with being a red light district, but it has attracted a number of foreign visitors recently. Furthermore, many scholars have commented that Golden Gai exemplifies the city of Edo (old Tokyo) in terms of its structure and atmosphere, and it has remained fairly unchanged since the 1940’s.
For our project, we would like to trace the history of Golden Gai, looking first at how Eastern Shinjuku was transformed from a swampland into the highly urban area of today. To gain a better understanding of the Edo Period and of post-World War II Tokyo, we will consult several academic sources and visit museums, such as the Edo Tokyo Museum and the Shinjuku Historical Museum. We will then investigate the formation of Golden Gai itself by conducting a series of interviews with people who are well-acquainted with the area and its history. Some possible interviewees are tour guides, older locals, and bar owners. In addition to constructing an oral history of the neighborhood, we also plan on consulting archival photographs and materials in order to recreate its evolution. Furthermore, we would like to inquire as to how Golden Gai has managed to remain relatively unchanged despite the constant building and re-building that surrounds it; in a city that is so enamored with temporality, Golden Gai remains something of an anomaly. In this vein, we would also like to speculate about the area’s uncertain future.
As for the technical aspects, we would like make a documentary using video (mini DV), photography, and audio. The documentary will not include the group members in the shots, though some voice-over narration may be employed (in lieu of this, text on a black screen might be used in combination with audio; this will be intercut with footage). The attitude will be one that is intimate, but it will not necessarily reflect the “personal journeys” of the filmmakers; this intimacy should rather arise from the atmosphere of the neighborhood itself. To avoid the chaos of the nightlife, most of the shooting will be accomplished in the afternoon; this will also provide better natural lighting. While postproduction editing always creates a certain amount of manipulation, we hope to adopt a perspective that is as objective as possible. Our aim is to let the history of Golden Gai unfold naturally for the viewer, not to create a sensationalistic or deliberately controversial work. Finally, given the nature of the area (according to some of the sources, filming is prohibited), clearance will likely have to be granted in order to complete our project, so we will need to obtain permission as soon as possible to avoid potential conflicts.
Bibliography
Chaplin, Sarah. Japanese Love Hotels: A Cultural History. London: Routledge, 2007.
Cybriwsky, Roman. Tokyo. London: Belhaven Press, 1991.
Richie, Donald. Tokyo. London: Reaktion Books, 1999.
Watanabe, Katsume. Gangs of Kabukicho. New York: PPP Editions, 2006.
Online News articles:
Braun, Stuart. "The Fringe Club." Metropolis 364. http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyofeaturestories/364/tokyofeaturestoriesinc.htm
Matsubara, Hiroshi. "Golden-gai drinks in economic and legal changes." The Japan Times 17 12 2002.
Topic: Golden Gai
Concept and MethodologyIn the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, incongruities appear abundant: the area presents an image of modernity and tradition simultaneously, and despite its clean-cut and business-oriented façade, it hosts the city’s largest and most infamous entertainment district, Kabuki-cho. Known for its bustling nightlife and sex industry, Kabuki-cho is situated to the east of Shinjuku Station, which separates it from the skyscraper-ridden landscape of western Shinjuku. Within Kabuki-cho lies a small area known as Golden Gai (“Golden Town”) that hosts a number of small bars that have recently gained a reputation for their reputable and bohemian clientele. Unlike the rest of Kabuki-cho, Golden Gai is not associated with the yakuza or with being a red light district, but it has attracted a number of foreign visitors recently. Furthermore, many scholars have commented that Golden Gai exemplifies the city of Edo (old Tokyo) in terms of its structure and atmosphere, and it has remained fairly unchanged since the 1940’s.
For our project, we would like to trace the history of Golden Gai, looking first at how Eastern Shinjuku was transformed from a swampland into the highly urban area of today. To gain a better understanding of the Edo Period and of post-World War II Tokyo, we will consult several academic sources and visit museums, such as the Edo Tokyo Museum and the Shinjuku Historical Museum. We will then investigate the formation of Golden Gai itself by conducting a series of interviews with people who are well-acquainted with the area and its history. Some possible interviewees are tour guides, older locals, and bar owners. In addition to constructing an oral history of the neighborhood, we also plan on consulting archival photographs and materials in order to recreate its evolution. Furthermore, we would like to inquire as to how Golden Gai has managed to remain relatively unchanged despite the constant building and re-building that surrounds it; in a city that is so enamored with temporality, Golden Gai remains something of an anomaly. In this vein, we would also like to speculate about the area’s uncertain future.
As for the technical aspects, we would like make a documentary using video (mini DV), photography, and audio. The documentary will not include the group members in the shots, though some voice-over narration may be employed (in lieu of this, text on a black screen might be used in combination with audio; this will be intercut with footage). The attitude will be one that is intimate, but it will not necessarily reflect the “personal journeys” of the filmmakers; this intimacy should rather arise from the atmosphere of the neighborhood itself. To avoid the chaos of the nightlife, most of the shooting will be accomplished in the afternoon; this will also provide better natural lighting. While postproduction editing always creates a certain amount of manipulation, we hope to adopt a perspective that is as objective as possible. Our aim is to let the history of Golden Gai unfold naturally for the viewer, not to create a sensationalistic or deliberately controversial work. Finally, given the nature of the area (according to some of the sources, filming is prohibited), clearance will likely have to be granted in order to complete our project, so we will need to obtain permission as soon as possible to avoid potential conflicts.
Bibliography
Chaplin, Sarah. Japanese Love Hotels: A Cultural History. London: Routledge, 2007.
Cybriwsky, Roman. Tokyo. London: Belhaven Press, 1991.
Richie, Donald. Tokyo. London: Reaktion Books, 1999.
Watanabe, Katsume. Gangs of Kabukicho. New York: PPP Editions, 2006.
Online News articles:
Braun, Stuart. "The Fringe Club." Metropolis 364. http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyofeaturestories/364/tokyofeaturestoriesinc.htm
Matsubara, Hiroshi. "Golden-gai drinks in economic and legal changes." The Japan Times 17 12 2002
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Ethnography, Part III
So, I finished the exercise yesterday (Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009). Sadly, I didn't recognize any of the people from previous days except for a homeless man (there was only one today), and I didn't want to rouse him since he was sleeping. The homeless men were the only ones to make multiple appearances throughout the three days. Anyhow, after observing for a while and taking some notes, I began to scout out possible interviewees. I tried to aim for people who were alone, but most people there were on dates or in groups. I first approached a Japanese businessman who was sitting alone reading manga, but he declined. After walking around a bit, I finally decided on a pair of young people, a girl playing guitar, and a guy whom I assumed was her boyfriend. I introduced myself and decided to interview the guy, mostly because I didn't want to interrupt the girl's music. The interview was conducted in Japanese (they seemed to understand what I was saying despite my terrible accent), so I've translated it.
Basic Information (recorded in my notebook):
Name: Keiji
Age: 21
Occupation: Student at a senmon gakkou (I didn't recognize what type of school this was. Senmon means major and gakkou means school, so at first I thought he was saying his major was education or something; upon seeing that I didn't understand, he turned to his girlfriend asking how he should explain it, but I said that it was okay. Later I asked my host mother and she said that a senmon gakkou is a vocational school)
Hometown: Saga Prefecture
Current Town: Tokyo
Questions (recorded on my cell phone; he seemed rather entertained by this. His answers were very short, I think partially because he wanted to make it simple since I'm obviously not a fluent speaker):
Do you often come to Yoyogi Park? When? Sundays. Holidays. (He said this part in English.)
Why do you come? Because it's fun.
What do you think of homeless people? They're dirty. It seems like a hard life.
Do you think that Yoyogi Park has changed at all recently? Yes, it's become more beautiful.
After I was done, I thanked him and apologized for my terrible Japanese (naturally, he politely said, "No, no, you're very good"). Here you can listen to the interview (again, I'm really bad at speaking Japanese):
Basic Information (recorded in my notebook):
Name: Keiji
Age: 21
Occupation: Student at a senmon gakkou (I didn't recognize what type of school this was. Senmon means major and gakkou means school, so at first I thought he was saying his major was education or something; upon seeing that I didn't understand, he turned to his girlfriend asking how he should explain it, but I said that it was okay. Later I asked my host mother and she said that a senmon gakkou is a vocational school)
Hometown: Saga Prefecture
Current Town: Tokyo
Questions (recorded on my cell phone; he seemed rather entertained by this. His answers were very short, I think partially because he wanted to make it simple since I'm obviously not a fluent speaker):
Do you often come to Yoyogi Park? When? Sundays. Holidays. (He said this part in English.)
Why do you come? Because it's fun.
What do you think of homeless people? They're dirty. It seems like a hard life.
Do you think that Yoyogi Park has changed at all recently? Yes, it's become more beautiful.
After I was done, I thanked him and apologized for my terrible Japanese (naturally, he politely said, "No, no, you're very good"). Here you can listen to the interview (again, I'm really bad at speaking Japanese):
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Ethnography, Parts I & II
Hello again! This time I'll be posting about my observances of Yoyogi Park. I went Monday, June 1, and today (Tuesday, June 2). Both times I sat by a field of clovers on a park bench that provided a good view of the surrounding areas, and I sat on the bench from around 3-4 pm. On Monday, I did not take notes, but rather just observed. It was quite a relaxing experience. Anyhow, the weather was not bad, but there were some light sunshowers (my favorite kind of precipitation). Numerous people passed through on the path in front of me, but I mostly concentrated on the people who remained in the area for the whole time/most of the time I was there. I noticed those who weren't passing through tended to stay in the same area for the duration of their time, claiming there own little spaces in a way. I was mostly interested in the area to my left, where a few homeless men slept underneath a line of trees. Meanwhile, two children played by the men while their grandmother sat nearby. I felt a little bit like Humbert Humbert watching children at play, but I suppose that's neither here nor there. The children didn't really pay any heed to the homeless men. The men mostly slept the whole time, but one of them did get up briefly to look through the trash (he didn't take anything, though). Anyway, there was a lot going on besides this, and my general observation was that the demographics were very mixed -- young/old, natives/tourists, impoverished/privileged, that sort of thing.
So, on to the next day! As per the assignment, this time I took notes detailing my observations. They're a little cursory, but I'll try to transcribe them verbatim nonetheless (for authenticity and what have you):
Time: 3:15-4:15
Location: Yoyogi Park, by clover fields
Weather: Clear, very sunny - temperature is lovely (not that humid -- a miracle!), light breeze.
The park is somewhat more crowded today (probably because of the weather). My bench is occupied by a salaryman reading, so I moved slightly to a picnic table with a similar view. Homeless are here again, sleeping. There are 5 today; 4 sleep by trees lining the path, each under a different tree. Another sleeps farther away out in the open. The general set-up of their "homes" is the same -- sleeping on tarp mats surrounded by duffle bags. Shoes are outside by sides of tarp. There are more lackadaisical youth here today as one might expect. By homeless, a guy is playing guitar while a high school girl wearing skirt and leggings and carrying shopping bags sends text messages. Another guy is sitting on picnic table with guitar but not playing. He sits with a young mother. They aren't talking much. They leave now.
On the bench in front of me are two young people (one is male, the other androgynous). On the same bench sits a businessman, so perhaps because of his presence they are not talking. He leaves shortly after I get there. A women (in her 50's, wearing floppy hat, T-shirt, blazer, slacks, and big bag) approaches and starts talking to them. Two of her friends are nearby; one is dressed very similarly to her, the other is wearing striped sweater with backpack. The young people reply -- okay, the androgynous one is a guy. By the way, he's dressed like Diane Keaton in Annie Hall -- fedora, vest over white shirt:
His friend is wearing polo shirt, khakis, and boots. They're talking with the old ladies, but I can't really hear -- something about butts, I think. Ah -- my bench is free again -- I reclaim it. I'm closer to them now. Anyway, the ladies and Keaton are doing some stretches now for some reason, while khakis guy takes pictures with cell phone. Very weird. Toy dog suddenly runs over and they pet it, but master quickly comes over and takes dog away. Ladies and Keaton are posing for a picture now; one of the women puts her arms over him without actually touching him while the third women is doing some kind of weird movement with her arms. What on earth? Guy has a mildly entertained expression. They mention Kansai (wish I could hear them better/knew more Japanese).
Over to homeless -- a teenage boy and girl are pitching/catching a baseball by the men. Neither group pay seach other heed. Across the street a little boy and girl are playing with bushes (they're sort of smacking them). I think the kids are part of a nearby picnic (all women).
Back to scene next to me. The ladies are rolling their heads (like a theater warm-up) with khakis guy now. They start taking pictures again from a different angle (their backs are towards me) and with khakis guy now, but doing the same weird pose/movements. Even after Keaton is done taking pictures, they keep doing the movements. A gust of wind comes through, and one of the ladies starts flapping her arms like a bird. Now they're stretching again. More pictures.
3:45
The guys sit down and light up cigarettes; they hold the cigarettes by their knees and stay still while one of the ladies leans over them; they look like statues. At 3:46, ladies leave. Boys stay on bench, look at pictures on cell phone. They are laughing. The ladies move over behind me to the picnic table I was at before; it's now occupied by a girl wearing a red & white striped shirt, red baseball hat, overalls, and two big round spots of rouge on her cheeks (she looks like either a rag doll or a clown, I can't decide), and her friend who is wearing a striped shirt and jeans. They do the same poses and talk to the girls. They ask some questions - rag doll girl keeps saying "hai" quite loudly. They leave, bowing (arigatou gozaimashita). They start walking down the path away from the field and out of sight.Boys are done looking at pictures now -- they start imitating the ladies and laugh. One of them comments that it was omoshiroi. Couple playing baseball leaves.
Girl with striped shirt gets up and leaves, walks towards wooded area; rag doll stays.
4:00
Picnic with small children is still going on, guys still on bench talking, girls still at picnic table, homeless still asleep. In a new development, there is a small group behind me at another picnic bench:P three college-aged people (two male, one female) practice lines in a play while middle-aged man and women watch (the directors, perhaps?). The older woman gets up and demonstrates some kind of jumping movement for the guy.
Khakis guy gets up off the bench, walks two feet or so, and crouches down. He's watching a woman doing martial arts in the distance, I think; Keaton is still on the bench. Khakis goes back to bench. Girl with striped shirt returns. She hands something to her friend who gets up and heads over in the direction from whence the other girl just came. Meanwhile her friend starts to text and smoke. A couple in their 20's sits down at another picnic table; they have a picnic, man smokes.
One of the homeless men wakes, puts on his shoes. He walks over towards the bathroom; no one really looks at him (at one point the police had also come through on their bikes, but just ignored them). Rag doll returns and starts texting too.
So, on to the next day! As per the assignment, this time I took notes detailing my observations. They're a little cursory, but I'll try to transcribe them verbatim nonetheless (for authenticity and what have you):
Time: 3:15-4:15
Location: Yoyogi Park, by clover fields
Weather: Clear, very sunny - temperature is lovely (not that humid -- a miracle!), light breeze.
The park is somewhat more crowded today (probably because of the weather). My bench is occupied by a salaryman reading, so I moved slightly to a picnic table with a similar view. Homeless are here again, sleeping. There are 5 today; 4 sleep by trees lining the path, each under a different tree. Another sleeps farther away out in the open. The general set-up of their "homes" is the same -- sleeping on tarp mats surrounded by duffle bags. Shoes are outside by sides of tarp. There are more lackadaisical youth here today as one might expect. By homeless, a guy is playing guitar while a high school girl wearing skirt and leggings and carrying shopping bags sends text messages. Another guy is sitting on picnic table with guitar but not playing. He sits with a young mother. They aren't talking much. They leave now.
On the bench in front of me are two young people (one is male, the other androgynous). On the same bench sits a businessman, so perhaps because of his presence they are not talking. He leaves shortly after I get there. A women (in her 50's, wearing floppy hat, T-shirt, blazer, slacks, and big bag) approaches and starts talking to them. Two of her friends are nearby; one is dressed very similarly to her, the other is wearing striped sweater with backpack. The young people reply -- okay, the androgynous one is a guy. By the way, he's dressed like Diane Keaton in Annie Hall -- fedora, vest over white shirt:
His friend is wearing polo shirt, khakis, and boots. They're talking with the old ladies, but I can't really hear -- something about butts, I think. Ah -- my bench is free again -- I reclaim it. I'm closer to them now. Anyway, the ladies and Keaton are doing some stretches now for some reason, while khakis guy takes pictures with cell phone. Very weird. Toy dog suddenly runs over and they pet it, but master quickly comes over and takes dog away. Ladies and Keaton are posing for a picture now; one of the women puts her arms over him without actually touching him while the third women is doing some kind of weird movement with her arms. What on earth? Guy has a mildly entertained expression. They mention Kansai (wish I could hear them better/knew more Japanese).
Over to homeless -- a teenage boy and girl are pitching/catching a baseball by the men. Neither group pay seach other heed. Across the street a little boy and girl are playing with bushes (they're sort of smacking them). I think the kids are part of a nearby picnic (all women).
Back to scene next to me. The ladies are rolling their heads (like a theater warm-up) with khakis guy now. They start taking pictures again from a different angle (their backs are towards me) and with khakis guy now, but doing the same weird pose/movements. Even after Keaton is done taking pictures, they keep doing the movements. A gust of wind comes through, and one of the ladies starts flapping her arms like a bird. Now they're stretching again. More pictures.
3:45
The guys sit down and light up cigarettes; they hold the cigarettes by their knees and stay still while one of the ladies leans over them; they look like statues. At 3:46, ladies leave. Boys stay on bench, look at pictures on cell phone. They are laughing. The ladies move over behind me to the picnic table I was at before; it's now occupied by a girl wearing a red & white striped shirt, red baseball hat, overalls, and two big round spots of rouge on her cheeks (she looks like either a rag doll or a clown, I can't decide), and her friend who is wearing a striped shirt and jeans. They do the same poses and talk to the girls. They ask some questions - rag doll girl keeps saying "hai" quite loudly. They leave, bowing (arigatou gozaimashita). They start walking down the path away from the field and out of sight.Boys are done looking at pictures now -- they start imitating the ladies and laugh. One of them comments that it was omoshiroi. Couple playing baseball leaves.
Girl with striped shirt gets up and leaves, walks towards wooded area; rag doll stays.
4:00
Picnic with small children is still going on, guys still on bench talking, girls still at picnic table, homeless still asleep. In a new development, there is a small group behind me at another picnic bench:P three college-aged people (two male, one female) practice lines in a play while middle-aged man and women watch (the directors, perhaps?). The older woman gets up and demonstrates some kind of jumping movement for the guy.
Khakis guy gets up off the bench, walks two feet or so, and crouches down. He's watching a woman doing martial arts in the distance, I think; Keaton is still on the bench. Khakis goes back to bench. Girl with striped shirt returns. She hands something to her friend who gets up and heads over in the direction from whence the other girl just came. Meanwhile her friend starts to text and smoke. A couple in their 20's sits down at another picnic table; they have a picnic, man smokes.
One of the homeless men wakes, puts on his shoes. He walks over towards the bathroom; no one really looks at him (at one point the police had also come through on their bikes, but just ignored them). Rag doll returns and starts texting too.
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