tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52499306506441978872024-03-14T13:48:58.200+09:00ParrhesiaSearching for a way where my father haven’t seen. This is my challenge for Parrhesia, to speak the truth freely, for the common good, even at personal risk.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-81320144936868836422012-04-27T19:26:00.000+09:002012-04-27T19:26:33.797+09:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Tonight is the opening of <a href="http://www.psm-gallery.com/content/tba-2">Muneteru Ujino's Solo exhibition "Duet" at PSM Gallery in Berlin. </a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PEvlF5xu02Y/T5pz5aprauI/AAAAAAAAA7A/_fOQDFGZmlg/s1600/duet+couple+close+together.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PEvlF5xu02Y/T5pz5aprauI/AAAAAAAAA7A/_fOQDFGZmlg/s320/duet+couple+close+together.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I contributed two essays for this exhibition. <br /><br />
<a href="http://www.shinyawatanabe.net/writings/content553.html">"Ujino’s “Radio Activity” – A Parallel History of the Material Culture of 20th Century Japan"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.shinyawatanabe.net/writings/content545.html">"On Ujino’s 'Duet' – The Reality of Imaginary Existence in Japanese Tradition" </a><br />
<br />
His new video work "Radio Activity" was created as a reaction of the incident of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, which has a parallel history of the development of transistor technology in Japan. Made-in-Japan transistor radios captures worldwide short wave radio broadcasting, and orchestrate the twilight of 20th century material culture. <br />
</div>Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-60902205586577505662011-04-15T15:31:00.003+09:002011-04-15T15:38:19.845+09:00After Fukushima and Taro Okamoto Exhibition Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JyoD84qO3BE/TafnPKnZuMI/AAAAAAAAA3k/qVsfXg5u_dQ/s1600/900x.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JyoD84qO3BE/TafnPKnZuMI/AAAAAAAAA3k/qVsfXg5u_dQ/s400/900x.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595695309764802754" /></a><br />Recently, I contributed two articles, for Artinfo and Japan Times. One is on the incident of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant and the reaction of art world, and the other one is a review on Taro Okamoto exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. So please take a look. Thanks.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/37325/after-fukushima-how-art-can-again-help-japan-find-its-way/">"After Fukushima: How Art Can Again Help Japan Find Its Way"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fa20110415a1.html">"There are oppositions that attract"<br />Review on Taro Okamoto exhibition<br />By SHINYA WATANABE. Special to The Japan Times</a>Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-64703486402711781722011-02-24T18:18:00.004+09:002011-02-24T18:22:31.323+09:00Shinya Watanabe Official Website is Now Open<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GC-LO02PqoI/TWYi3LiioyI/AAAAAAAAA20/uvSP2yBa-N0/s1600/Shinyawatanabe%2Bfirstpage.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 193px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GC-LO02PqoI/TWYi3LiioyI/AAAAAAAAA20/uvSP2yBa-N0/s400/Shinyawatanabe%2Bfirstpage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577183519930753826" /></a><br />I renewed my website, "shinyawatanabe.net". On this site, I will post my new articles and curatorial related activities. Check it out!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shinyawatanabe.net/">http://www.shinyawatanabe.net/</a>Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-41471227791835945162011-01-25T21:23:00.003+09:002011-01-25T21:29:30.849+09:00Two Art Reviews for Japan Times<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TT7B6l4y1wI/AAAAAAAAA1c/A2CoEOiMYx4/s1600/Japan%2BTimes%2BReview%2BBest%2BExhibitions%2Bin%2B2010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 341px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TT7B6l4y1wI/AAAAAAAAA1c/A2CoEOiMYx4/s400/Japan%2BTimes%2BReview%2BBest%2BExhibitions%2Bin%2B2010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566099401823409922" /></a><br />Recently, I contributed some art exhibition reviews for Japan Times. You can read the whole articles on the website below. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fa20101231a1.html">Japanese art has come a long way: a curator's top five 2010 exhibitions</a><br /><br /><a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fa20110121b1.html">Aki Sasamoto: Strange Attractors</a>Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-56866666087748979932011-01-04T03:45:00.002+09:002011-01-04T03:51:22.072+09:00Happy New Year 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TSIZW6Eai5I/AAAAAAAAA1E/0jjMMiUO_bI/s1600/akemashite%2Bomedetou%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TSIZW6Eai5I/AAAAAAAAA1E/0jjMMiUO_bI/s400/akemashite%2Bomedetou%2Bcopy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558032771464203154" /></a><br /><br />For me, year 2010 became the year of change. After moving out from NY, I left my position at the cultural foundation of Tokyo, and became back to independent curator again. Through this process, I could recognize lots of things, such as structural problems of Japanese institutions, and the activities which I should focus on.<br /><br />I would like to make the year of 2011 for the kick-start year of my long-term research and curatorial project called Eurasia (Euro-Asia=Eur-Asia). About the activities, I would like to introduce this blog also.<br /><br />I wish year 2011 will be a wonderful year for all people in the world.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Shinya WatanabeShinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-83066561161738356682010-11-16T11:33:00.005+09:002010-11-17T20:52:40.961+09:00Looking for a temporary working space 1/4~2/12 - 2011 TokyoRome Prize winning architect Thomas Tsang is looking for a temporary space for the workshop of his students of RISD in Tokyo. If you know any nice place for them, please contact them directly.<br /><br />--<br /><br />From Thomas Tsang:<br /><br />Seeking Temporary Workshop in Tokyo for Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)<br /> <br />Looking for a temporary working space between 1/4~2/12 - 2011<br /> <br />To accomodate19 students from RISD doing research on Tsukiji for design studio workshop.<br />Students from various discipline including painter, photographer, textile designer, apparel designer, industrial designer, graphic designer and architects. <br /> <br />500~750 sqft of space the students can use for three weeks during the winter.<br /> <br />Please let me know any lead to help my friend Junichi Satoh, as he have been outside of Japan for many decades.<br /> <br />Junichi Satoh<br />satoh@ete37.comShinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-72197064809048549472010-09-16T12:39:00.002+09:002010-09-16T12:41:43.455+09:00Tokyo Wonder Site: Research Residency Program 2011Tokyo Wonder Site started to announce the Research Residency Program. Please take a look if you are interested in.<br /><br />--<br />Calling of the Research Residency Program 2011<br /><br />Tokyo Wonder Site is calling for both international and local creators who are planning to undergo cultural study or research based in Tokyo.<br />Please apply to stay at TWS Aoyama: Creator-in-Residence taking advantage of<br />the Research Residency Program.<br /> <br />■Residency Period (Subject to change):<br />About 2 months from the beginning of April 2011 to the end of August, 2011 <br /> <br />■Details:<br />Creators who are planning to undergo cultural study or research based in Tokyo more than 30 days.<br /><br />■Application period:<br />From 1 September (Wed) to 31 October (Sun), 2010<br /> <br />■Application Outline and Form:<br />Please download the Application Package from the following URL;<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.tokyo-ws.org/english/application/2010/09/call-for-research-residency-program-2011.shtml">http://www.tokyo-ws.org/english/application/2010/09/call-for-research-residency-program-2011.shtml</a><br /><br />■Inquiries:<br />E-MAIL: residence2010@tokyo-ws.org<br />* Please make inquiries by email no later than 3 October (Sun) 2010. We will send back FAQ on 9 October (Sat) 2010.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-50782121494178883562010-09-14T12:20:00.002+09:002010-09-14T12:28:46.415+09:00"The Art of Loving" by Erich Fromm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TI7qS0VLdmI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/3SXd7V7aSYk/s1600/fromm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TI7qS0VLdmI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/3SXd7V7aSYk/s400/fromm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516604202581456482" /></a><br />I finished reading "The Art of Loving" by Erich Fromm, a classical book on love which has been translated into 28 languages. <br /><br />I this book, From says, "Mature love is union under the condition of preserving one's integrity, one's individuality." By quoting Spinoza, Fromm discusses the differentiation of the affects; between active and passive, "actions" and "passions."<br /><br />--<br />Infantile love follows the principle; "I love because I am loved." Mature love follows the principle: "I am loved because I love." Immature love says: "I love you because I need you." Mature love says: "I need you because I love you."<br />--<br /><br />This statement of Fromm is very clear, and follows perfectly on the logic of Spinoza.<br /><br />--<br />"In erotic love, two people who were separate become one. In motherly love, two people who were one become separate. The mother must not only tolerate, she must wish and support the child's separation."<br />--<br /><br />Fromm also points out that Paradoxical logic in China and India such as "I am the two, the life force and the life material, the two at once" in Rig-Veda leads to the conclusion that the love of God is neither the knowledge of God in thought, nor the thought of one's love of God, but the act of experiencing the oneness with God. This statement of Fromm reminds me Heidegger's "In-der-welt-sein".<br /><br />"Love for God cannot be separated from the love for one's parents." <br />"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence."<br /><br />If there are any of you who want to know more about love in logical sense, I highly recommend you to read this book.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-27248636969603722592010-09-09T23:14:00.003+09:002010-09-09T23:28:59.318+09:00Now, Japan is in Civil War! - Dismissal of Muneo Suzuki's Final Appeal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TIjvGwG7cZI/AAAAAAAAA0I/eHTPr0AL0M8/s1600/muneo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TIjvGwG7cZI/AAAAAAAAA0I/eHTPr0AL0M8/s400/muneo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514920642987389330" /></a><br />Yesterday, Supreme Court dismissed the final appeal of Muneo Suzuki, the chairperson of foreign affairs in Japan’s House of Representatives.<br /><br />The sentence of two years in prison will be shortly announced, then Mr. Suzuki will be imprisoned. Strangely, this unfair dismissal was happened one day before Ichiro Ozawa's speech in Sapporo, hometown of Muneo Suzuki and he was planning to attend for support.<br /><br />As Masaru Sato, a Russian affairs expert who worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, points out, one of the present judges of Supreme Court is Mr. Yukio Takeuchi. Takeuchi was the then Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs who has been active for anti-Muneo Suzuki campaign in 2002, while Muneo Suzuki was in charge for the return of northern territory with Russia. From here, we can easily read that this is retaliation by the conspiracy of the Supreme Court and the bureaucrats of Foreign Affairs. At the point of appointing the personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who doesn't pass the National Bar Examination and act extremely politically, Japanese Supreme Court has been away from the principle of separation of the three branches.<br /><br />Mr. Yukio Takeuchi was the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs who promoted dispatching the Japan’s Self-Defense Force to Iraq. The first case when the high-ranking officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs was appointed to the judge of the Supreme Court was Takezo Shimoda in 1971, who was the undersecretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the former Japanese Ambassador in the United States. However, what on earth does it mean that former Japanese Ambassador in the U.S. and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs had been appointed to the judges of Supreme Court in Japan?<br /><br />In the entry of September 7th, I wrote about the relationships about Liberal Democratic Party, Japan-US Security Treaty and the CIA Fund, but today, I would like to write about the history of Japanese court and the American rule.<br /><br />While then Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi had been preparing the new Japan-US Security Treaty with President Eisenhower right before 1960, the compulsory measurement for the expansion of the U.S. military base was acted in Sunagawa-cho, Tachikawa City. The workers and the students who opposed this forced measurement break the fence of the U.S. Military base, and many of them who were suspected as entering the base for several meters were arrested. About this case, Tokyo District Court delivered the sentence, "Japan-US Security Treaty is unconstitutional, so all defendants are innocent." (Date Sentence) It was happened in 1959, one year before the 1960 Japan-US Security Treaty Struggle.(60-nen ampo)<br /><br />Douglas MacArthur II, the then US Ambassador and the son of the Supreme Commander of GHQ, thought that this sentence will be a serious trouble for the revision of the security treaty, and made political pressures on the Japanese government including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kotaro Tanaka, the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Within 8 months of discussion, "Japan-US Security Treaty" was approved as constitutional, and these defendants’s guiltiness was decided. (It was in April 2010 that the Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs admit the existence of "Related Document", and opened the document to the public; the conference between then Foreign Minister Fujiyama and the Ambassador Douglas MacArthur II which was held in April, 1959.)<br /><br />In 1994, New York Times reported on the front page that CIA commit millions of dollars wide-range secret maneuvering against Japan in the 1950-60's, centering Liberal-Democratic Party of Japan. <br /><br />The contents are such as CIA approved then Prime Minister Eisaku Sato's request of secret fund to the U.S. Ambassador in Japan for 1958 general election campaign, and since then, this kind of secret fund to the Liberal Democratic Party became routine, and afterwards occupied an important role of American diplomacy toward Japan. Also CIA sneaked into Japan's Socialist Party and the student and the workers union activism. After 1970s, they acquired the supports of LDP cabinet members and all kind of ministries, therefore they could know Japan's attitude before the negotiation about trade friction starts. In addition, the part of this secret maneuvering money is created by the profit that OSS, the antecedent of CIA, together with the groups of Japanese war criminals including Fujio Kodama, smuggled the tungsten which was kept by former Japanese military, and sold to the U.S. Department of Defense. <br /><br />On the back of the reality why the former Foreign Secretary such as Japanese Ambassador in the U.S. and the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs who promoted Iraq War were appointed to the judge of Japanese Supreme Court, there is the will of the United States that tries to control the constitutionality of Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the justification of Iraq War, and currently Japan subordinate to this will.<br /><br />Then, the reason why the appeal of Muneo Suzuki to the Supreme Court was dismissed and the imprisonment was decided in this timing is, if Ozawa's becomes the Prime Minister and promoting Suzuki at the important position of diplomacy, Northern Territories issue will be solved, and Japan and Russia became close, which is a disadvantage for the United States. Therefore, the United States are challenging the final war, by using the Japanese agents of the United States in Japan, such as prosecutors, bureaucrat, and mass media.<br /><br />Now, Japan is in Civil War!<br /><br />Considering the age of judges and the term, Nonconfidence system in the Supreme Court is malfunctioning. The important thing is make the Cabinet function which appoint the judges.<br /><br />To end the period so called "Post-War" and "55-Year System" is not only our right, and our obligation to realize the real democracy of Japan.<br /><br />Don't be puzzled by the mass media. Let's achieve our vision for our own bright future!Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-28422271974975433952010-09-08T19:21:00.004+09:002010-09-08T19:29:28.102+09:00Yanagi Yukinori Artist Book "Inujima Note" Publication Event<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TIdlEvqbPII/AAAAAAAAAz4/qAixje9O_ak/s1600/inujima_note.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 216px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TIdlEvqbPII/AAAAAAAAAz4/qAixje9O_ak/s400/inujima_note.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514487400926755970" /></a><br />Yanagi Yukinori's bilingual artist book "Inujima Note" which I helped editing will be on sale from September 10th. The publication event will be held on September 10th at NADiff APART in Ebisu, and on September 11th, the memorial exhibition "AMERICA" will be held at Miyake Fine Art. Please stop by!<br /><br />Yukinori Yanagi<br />"Inujima Note"<br />ISBN 978-4-9903847-2-2<br />128 pages, full color, J/E billingual<br />Price: 3,360 JPY (Tax included)<br />Published by Miyake Fine Art<br /><br />September 10th from 7PM-<br />Talk Show at <a href="www.nadiff.com">NADiff Apart</a> in Ebisu<br /><br />September 11th, 5-7PM: Yanagi Yukinori Solo Exhibition "AMERICA" at <a href="http://www.miyakefineart.com/">Miyake Fine Art</a>Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-21686452183865899422010-09-08T12:53:00.003+09:002010-09-08T13:05:51.175+09:00The True Termination of the 55-System and the New Dawn of Japan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TIcI4BsIBoI/AAAAAAAAAzw/qYAlgsXY2Oo/s1600/yomiuri+yes+no.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TIcI4BsIBoI/AAAAAAAAAzw/qYAlgsXY2Oo/s400/yomiuri+yes+no.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514386027357668994" /></a><br />As the September 14th election for the representative of Democratic Party (in other word, the selection of Japan’s next prime minister) is approaching, the criticism of major Japanese media such as newspapers and TVs on the candidate Ichiro Ozawa became horrifying. These attacks on Mr. Ozawa by these major media have been severe already, but in this time, it became full scale to crush him completely.<br /><br />As many of independents media point out, the difference of the public-opinion poll hosted by newspapers and internet media became abnormal. In a nationwide public-opinion poll executed by telephone on September 3rd to 5th led by the Yomiuri Shimbun (newspaper) which is the forerunner of anti-Ozawa campaign shows that the percentage of those who thinks that the current Prime Minister Naoto Kan is suitable for the Democratic Party representative for the upcoming election is 66%, compare to the 18% of Ichiro Ozawa, the former chief secretary of Democratic Party. In addition, supporting Mr. Kan who insists on the correction of the Democratic Party’s Manifesto according to the situation is 71%, on the other hand supporting Mr. Ozawa who tries to achieve the Manifest for last year's House of Representatives election is 17%. <br /><a href="http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/news/20100905-OYT1T00635.htm">http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/news/20100905-OYT1T00635.htm</a><br /><br />However, mysteriously, the public-opinion poll on the Internet hosted by the same newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun shows, not only the position of Ozawa and Kan rotates, but Ozawa gets even more supports such as below.<br /><br />【 question 】 In the round-table discussion, about the Manifesto of 2009 for the House of Representatives, Naoto Kan has been taking the standpoint of possible correction. On the other hand, Ichiro Ozawa commented "do our best" to realize the Manifesto. Which policy do you support?<br /><br />【 poll results 】Kan:13% Ozawa:87%<br /><a href="http://sum.qooker.jp/O/election16/ja/sp1.html">http://sum.qooker.jp/O/election16/ja/sp1.html</a><br /><br />Probably the public-opinion poll of the Yomiuri Shimbun has been created by calling the reader of Yomiuri Newspaper who agrees to criticize "Ozawa as a bad politician," and broadcast the result which is only good for its own conservative newspaper. Otherwise, it is not able to explain this huge difference, and this is obviously the manipulation of public opinion. <br /><br />Now, we are witnessing the complete swipe out of the 55-System (J:55-nen taisei) created in postwar Japan. That is, the gradual end of the United States rule after the World War II, and the end of the Kisha Club (press club) that has manipulated post-war Japan’s public opinion.<br /><br />When right and left Socialist Party reunified and became the largest party in 1955, the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party also united under the financial support of CIA which tries to realize the anti-communist policy, and it became the birth of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Japan. The first chief secretary of LDP is the former suspect of Class A War Criminal Nobusuke Kishi, and later when he became the prime minister of Japan, he steamrolled the Japan-US Security Treaty in 1960, and since then, the status quo (so called "sengo" (post-war)) has continued.<br /><br />Through the information disclosure of the United States National Archives and Records, Tetsuo Arima, the professor of Waseda University, proofed that when Matsutaro Shoriki, the owner of the Yomiuri Shimbun and Nippon Television Network Corporation which are the leaders of anti-Ozawa campaign, became not prosecuted and released from Sugamo Prison, he agreed to follow the policy of the CIA.<br /><br />I can imagine that the member of LDP, media, and even Japanese citizens do not want to accept the reality, such as GHQ and CIA created the basis of controlling post-war Japan, and the Japanese agents who were bribed by the USA sold the capital, independence, and even the security of Japan.<br /><br />However, after the end of Cold War, the LDP which followed the instruction of the “Annual Reform Recommendation from the Government of the United States to the Government of Japan” has been collapsed, only the Japan-US Security Treaty has been left. Japan is now in crisis, but at the same time, they are having the biggest chance to change.<br /><br />The Kan Cabinet is currently preparing the “Joint Statement of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee” prior to the President Obama's visit to Japan in November 2010, and this declaration will include the sentence about China as a common security threats for the first time, but this is becoming nothing productive for Japan.<br /><br />When then Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka who re-established the diplomatic relationship between China (that was the long time dream of Japan after WWII), he was plotted a downfall by the scandal of Lockheed corporation led by the Republican Party of the United States. Ichiro Ozawa who is a student of Kakuei Tanaka will try to do some action to realize the soft landing of this military alliance with the United States, which the U.S. conservative politicians afraid the most. Ozawa's past comments that the U.S. 7th fleet is enough to protect Far East shows one of his characteristics, and the USA which afraid to lose the military alliance with Japan is doing the final attack on Ozawa by using Japanese media and Kisha Club, which is on the verge of dissolution by the scandal of classified diplomatic fund.<br /><br />I do not necessarily think that Ichiro Ozawa is a clean politician. However, are there any politicians better than Ichiro Ozawa, while the whole nation of Japan is now on the verge of life-and-death crises?<br /><br />Now, Japanese citizens are required to make a cool judgment with warm heart. Let's remember that people who broke the Berlin Wall from the East Side were the civilians. The newspaper readers should resigns the subscription of these newspapers, and the person who works for these media need to show their spirit as a journalist, and change the company from inside. <br /><br />Yes, for the true termination of 55-system, and the dawn of Japanese future.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-1319350190373561622010-08-03T02:58:00.011+09:002010-08-03T03:23:21.403+09:00Moscow and Yerevan Photo Diary<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJjmsYN0I/AAAAAAAAAzg/uc7VvqhDmyc/s1600/IMG_5702.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJjmsYN0I/AAAAAAAAAzg/uc7VvqhDmyc/s320/IMG_5702.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875977143105346" /></a><br />Moscow recorded the highest temperature in her modern history. The air of Moscow was very foggy, and even hard to breath.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJf4e9_XI/AAAAAAAAAzY/fvx1NT0sk7U/s1600/IMG_5739.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJf4e9_XI/AAAAAAAAAzY/fvx1NT0sk7U/s320/IMG_5739.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875913199222130" /></a><br />One of the icon of Eastern Orthodox, which looks like Mandara<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJbJDPMGI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/FLMI2Y2Tfms/s1600/IMG_5740.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJbJDPMGI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/FLMI2Y2Tfms/s320/IMG_5740.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875831746965602" /></a><br />Eastern Cross in an old church<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJXHRJhlI/AAAAAAAAAzI/RegbYde8g8M/s1600/IMG_5763.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJXHRJhlI/AAAAAAAAAzI/RegbYde8g8M/s320/IMG_5763.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875762548966994" /></a><br />In the national museum, I found interesting pottery, which looks like Japanese Jomon pottery<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJSSXuFSI/AAAAAAAAAzA/sLZ9yZ2XDKc/s1600/IMG_5784.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJSSXuFSI/AAAAAAAAAzA/sLZ9yZ2XDKc/s320/IMG_5784.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875679629972770" /></a><br />Kremlin<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJOO95M2I/AAAAAAAAAy4/wUozKJJSx6w/s1600/IMG_5787.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJOO95M2I/AAAAAAAAAy4/wUozKJJSx6w/s320/IMG_5787.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875609996866402" /></a><br />I was too late to say hi to Lenin. It closes at 1PM!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJJntKahI/AAAAAAAAAyw/Z8N2mgaoaxk/s1600/IMG_5797.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJJntKahI/AAAAAAAAAyw/Z8N2mgaoaxk/s320/IMG_5797.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875530738231826" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJFYdLiwI/AAAAAAAAAyo/kqPOMyGUUT4/s1600/IMG_5798.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcJFYdLiwI/AAAAAAAAAyo/kqPOMyGUUT4/s320/IMG_5798.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875457925188354" /></a><br />When I was walking on the street, a window glass fell just in front of me from the 5th floor of the apartment. Because of high temperature, everyone keep their windows open. Anyway, it was a way too dangerous, and I felt I was not welcomed in Moscow (I could be seriously injured if I walk 2 second earlier)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcI_4hbMII/AAAAAAAAAyg/VEz-Z3UIA8g/s1600/IMG_5819.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcI_4hbMII/AAAAAAAAAyg/VEz-Z3UIA8g/s320/IMG_5819.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875363453710466" /></a><br />Main market street of Moscow<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcI7QcCTWI/AAAAAAAAAyY/EqX6uOf_Zws/s1600/IMG_5824.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcI7QcCTWI/AAAAAAAAAyY/EqX6uOf_Zws/s320/IMG_5824.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875283974212962" /></a><br />Subway in Moscow is so deep!<br /><br /><br />I flew from Moscow to Yerevan, Armenia<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcI2UIBIPI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/CPnVNCCRXnA/s1600/IMG_5843.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcI2UIBIPI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/CPnVNCCRXnA/s320/IMG_5843.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875199064645874" /></a><br />An Aquarius statue in Armenian zodiac<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIxiHjE6I/AAAAAAAAAyI/pg3E-mYZvpQ/s1600/IMG_5846.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIxiHjE6I/AAAAAAAAAyI/pg3E-mYZvpQ/s320/IMG_5846.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875116921426850" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcItOaf8cI/AAAAAAAAAyA/J0-Z6KuksLc/s1600/IMG_5849.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcItOaf8cI/AAAAAAAAAyA/J0-Z6KuksLc/s320/IMG_5849.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500875042912727490" /></a><br />I visited the studio of Ara Haytayan<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIpOnWpYI/AAAAAAAAAx4/Yc1GaF8L6Y8/s1600/IMG_5866.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIpOnWpYI/AAAAAAAAAx4/Yc1GaF8L6Y8/s320/IMG_5866.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874974247167362" /></a><br />Ara welcomed me with his family<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIkIXxZqI/AAAAAAAAAxw/iu99tcV8ZvI/s1600/IMG_5868.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIkIXxZqI/AAAAAAAAAxw/iu99tcV8ZvI/s320/IMG_5868.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874886671853218" /></a><br />Children's graffiti in Armenia, it reminds me the one in Brassai, and also Japanese children's game.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIgC-mu4I/AAAAAAAAAxo/URHSSMyi0v8/s1600/IMG_5874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIgC-mu4I/AAAAAAAAAxo/URHSSMyi0v8/s320/IMG_5874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874816504642434" /></a><br /><br />Illumination of the fountain at the Republic square<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIaysFeeI/AAAAAAAAAxg/MXHYTolwOkk/s1600/IMG_5885.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIaysFeeI/AAAAAAAAAxg/MXHYTolwOkk/s320/IMG_5885.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874726232652258" /></a><br />Blue Mosque in Yerevan, one of the rare mosque in Yerevan<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIVxORGzI/AAAAAAAAAxY/-zHExeRVg6k/s1600/IMG_5891.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIVxORGzI/AAAAAAAAAxY/-zHExeRVg6k/s320/IMG_5891.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874639939803954" /></a><br />View of the old Market<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIRHJDujI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/5QVeasc5oLQ/s1600/IMG_5904.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIRHJDujI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/5QVeasc5oLQ/s320/IMG_5904.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874559924189746" /></a><br />Sergei Parajanov Museum<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIK433_9I/AAAAAAAAAxI/3gINFx-wsNE/s1600/IMG_5918.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIK433_9I/AAAAAAAAAxI/3gINFx-wsNE/s320/IMG_5918.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874453014806482" /></a><br />Excellent collages on La Gioconda<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIFidjHlI/AAAAAAAAAxA/IbjaGPMTdNM/s1600/IMG_5936.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIFidjHlI/AAAAAAAAAxA/IbjaGPMTdNM/s320/IMG_5936.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874361099460178" /></a><br />Parajanov’s drawing while he was in jail<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIAGRvjMI/AAAAAAAAAw4/RO9IFhpAs0Y/s1600/IMG_5950.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcIAGRvjMI/AAAAAAAAAw4/RO9IFhpAs0Y/s320/IMG_5950.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874267634404546" /></a><br />Opening at Modern Art Museum<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcH6IZlq8I/AAAAAAAAAww/YMvfrD9TBMU/s1600/IMG_5964.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcH6IZlq8I/AAAAAAAAAww/YMvfrD9TBMU/s320/IMG_5964.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874165124967362" /></a><br />I visited the ruin of old city<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcH1S1uxrI/AAAAAAAAAwo/MuBK1er6QUw/s1600/IMG_5980.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcH1S1uxrI/AAAAAAAAAwo/MuBK1er6QUw/s320/IMG_5980.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874082028013234" /></a><br />I found the pottery with water line figure<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcHw0mb6DI/AAAAAAAAAwg/0SCxA81AR3M/s1600/IMG_5985.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcHw0mb6DI/AAAAAAAAAwg/0SCxA81AR3M/s320/IMG_5985.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500874005191321650" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcHshF0a8I/AAAAAAAAAwY/xRF21-u5Hag/s1600/IMG_5986.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcHshF0a8I/AAAAAAAAAwY/xRF21-u5Hag/s320/IMG_5986.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500873931234765762" /></a><br />Genocide Memorial on the top of the hill<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcHmnUQQfI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/7sV6j2zFvv0/s1600/IMG_6010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcHmnUQQfI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/7sV6j2zFvv0/s320/IMG_6010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500873829826707954" /></a><br />Oldest Armenian Church built in 318AD<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcHeieTt9I/AAAAAAAAAwI/jB8hArinJjg/s1600/IMG_6013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TFcHeieTt9I/AAAAAAAAAwI/jB8hArinJjg/s320/IMG_6013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500873691087747026" /></a><br />Cupola was an invention of ArmenianShinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-49433365402500353812010-07-28T16:44:00.012+09:002012-08-16T07:51:12.125+09:00Berlin Photo Diary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Day 1<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_giFMNieI/AAAAAAAAAs4/rSidCxUBk1k/s1600/IMG_5466.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498860546156235234" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_giFMNieI/AAAAAAAAAs4/rSidCxUBk1k/s320/IMG_5466.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Meet up with Biliana, my former collague in NY<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_gIgtlqKI/AAAAAAAAAsg/JG3J76v9uHw/s1600/IMG_5457.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498860106867386530" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_gIgtlqKI/AAAAAAAAAsg/JG3J76v9uHw/s320/IMG_5457.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_iHFEnkiI/AAAAAAAAAvg/Dl12OnzAznk/s1600/IMG_5501.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498862281291174434" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_iHFEnkiI/AAAAAAAAAvg/Dl12OnzAznk/s320/IMG_5501.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Carsten Nicholai's "autoR" at Temporare<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_gN-3nKxI/AAAAAAAAAso/w42lTBite_M/s1600/IMG_5463.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498860200861838098" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_gN-3nKxI/AAAAAAAAAso/w42lTBite_M/s320/IMG_5463.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Final installation of Temporare by John Bock<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_iR4enGyI/AAAAAAAAAvw/uZkXWyxvC6k/s1600/IMG_5492.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498862466889095970" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_iR4enGyI/AAAAAAAAAvw/uZkXWyxvC6k/s320/IMG_5492.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_iK6TDwvI/AAAAAAAAAvo/b5Mysl2GLQU/s1600/IMG_5493.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498862347118428914" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_iK6TDwvI/AAAAAAAAAvo/b5Mysl2GLQU/s320/IMG_5493.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Run into Kota Ezawa by chance<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_iCRJGmtI/AAAAAAAAAvY/tln18RPxPcs/s1600/IMG_5511.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498862198631865042" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_iCRJGmtI/AAAAAAAAAvY/tln18RPxPcs/s320/IMG_5511.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Excellent installation by Yinka Shonibare<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_h-c0dV8I/AAAAAAAAAvQ/XAEc9OJFFYw/s1600/IMG_5527.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498862133047023554" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_h-c0dV8I/AAAAAAAAAvQ/XAEc9OJFFYw/s320/IMG_5527.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Berlin Biennale in Kreuzberg<br />
What is waiting out there<br />
by Katrin Rhomberg<br />
<br />
and dinner with Shimabuku<br />
<br />
<br />
Day 2<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_h5geWBEI/AAAAAAAAAvI/XwN3ngzbSq0/s1600/IMG_5552.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498862048128664642" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_h5geWBEI/AAAAAAAAAvI/XwN3ngzbSq0/s320/IMG_5552.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Installation at Alte Nationalgalerie<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_h1s-2CEI/AAAAAAAAAvA/LpzMbZjJiC4/s1600/IMG_5555.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861982766729282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_h1s-2CEI/AAAAAAAAAvA/LpzMbZjJiC4/s320/IMG_5555.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Adolph Menzel's Extreme Realism curated by Michael Fried<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_jQWs5tgI/AAAAAAAAAv4/yRPFy6KLZSI/s1600/IMG_5567.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498863540153988610" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_jQWs5tgI/AAAAAAAAAv4/yRPFy6KLZSI/s320/IMG_5567.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Studio visit of Kota Ezawa<br />
Kota ordered 1000g Eiswein for lunch!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hxQM6QlI/AAAAAAAAAu4/AK_UVotFXxo/s1600/IMG_5581.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861906321621586" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hxQM6QlI/AAAAAAAAAu4/AK_UVotFXxo/s320/IMG_5581.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Berlin Biennale at Kunstwerke<br />
Installation by Petrit Halilaj<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hrGqYXkI/AAAAAAAAAuw/kGNwMub7GSA/s1600/IMG_5594.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861800681659970" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hrGqYXkI/AAAAAAAAAuw/kGNwMub7GSA/s320/IMG_5594.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Powerful video installation by Mark Boulos<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hm-83xQI/AAAAAAAAAuo/m47iEMp93gA/s1600/IMG_5604.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861729892254978" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hm-83xQI/AAAAAAAAAuo/m47iEMp93gA/s320/IMG_5604.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hhsKHOzI/AAAAAAAAAug/UZfaCkbEhM0/s1600/IMG_5609.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861638948174642" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hhsKHOzI/AAAAAAAAAug/UZfaCkbEhM0/s320/IMG_5609.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Visiting Tachles<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hdV54GZI/AAAAAAAAAuY/v55NgSpZASQ/s1600/IMG_5612.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861564255017362" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hdV54GZI/AAAAAAAAAuY/v55NgSpZASQ/s320/IMG_5612.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
visiting Japanese art exhibition at Bethanien with Manabi Murata<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hWQ0s2EI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/aQac99ICHF4/s1600/IMG_5613.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861442632046658" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hWQ0s2EI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/aQac99ICHF4/s320/IMG_5613.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
visiting Bunker exhibition with Hannah from Galerie Metro<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hSu-P-_I/AAAAAAAAAuI/R2ieivO91FM/s1600/IMG_5623.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861382005685234" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hSu-P-_I/AAAAAAAAAuI/R2ieivO91FM/s320/IMG_5623.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Installations by art students including some from Olafur Eliasson's class<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hOcqMmfI/AAAAAAAAAuA/kCeVeGTvitI/s1600/IMG_5631.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861308370262514" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hOcqMmfI/AAAAAAAAAuA/kCeVeGTvitI/s320/IMG_5631.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hKQ6ylyI/AAAAAAAAAt4/px4TX28gM_k/s1600/IMG_5634.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861236499158818" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hKQ6ylyI/AAAAAAAAAt4/px4TX28gM_k/s320/IMG_5634.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Beautiful Sunset on the bridge in Kreuzberg<br />
<br />
Day 3<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hF3r6aDI/AAAAAAAAAtw/uvMIa_Kties/s1600/IMG_5641.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861161006393394" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hF3r6aDI/AAAAAAAAAtw/uvMIa_Kties/s320/IMG_5641.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Reichstag<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hB-_0EQI/AAAAAAAAAto/9ZuBxxc2i7E/s1600/IMG_5646.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861094249435394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_hB-_0EQI/AAAAAAAAAto/9ZuBxxc2i7E/s320/IMG_5646.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Haus der Kulturen der Welt<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_g9o6T5kI/AAAAAAAAAtg/Ue_OJ5Eu6pc/s1600/IMG_5652.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498861019601299010" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_g9o6T5kI/AAAAAAAAAtg/Ue_OJ5Eu6pc/s320/IMG_5652.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Visiting Olafur Eliasson's exhibition with Yusaku Imamura<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_mJeQhpoI/AAAAAAAAAwA/YZRmrPoyHmI/s1600/IMG_5661.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498866720458253954" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_mJeQhpoI/AAAAAAAAAwA/YZRmrPoyHmI/s320/IMG_5661.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Studio visit of Nina and Torsen Roemer <br />
<br />
and cocktail with Shimabuku<br />
<br />
Day 4<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_gwE9bJPI/AAAAAAAAAtI/QSqMUmudjlo/s1600/IMG_5685.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498860786612380914" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_gwE9bJPI/AAAAAAAAAtI/QSqMUmudjlo/s320/IMG_5685.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_g0-LpyeI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/r4g99Uqc2_0/s1600/IMG_5681.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498860870692358626" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_g0-LpyeI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/r4g99Uqc2_0/s320/IMG_5681.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Visiting Christoph Tannert at Bethanian<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_gWZdeF9I/AAAAAAAAAsw/JzOfEIDxZgw/s1600/IMG_5697.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498860345438902226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TE_gWZdeF9I/AAAAAAAAAsw/JzOfEIDxZgw/s320/IMG_5697.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
With Shiro Masuyama and his friends</div>
Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-88785286365796203202010-07-19T09:44:00.003+09:002010-07-19T09:47:01.800+09:00Thinking “the other” with foreigners in TokyoOn Friday, July 16th, I had a lecture called <span style="font-style:italic;">Thinking “the other” - Inside and Outside of the Nation</span>, as a part of CAMP discussion series at Tokyo Wonder Site.<br /><br />Even though the announcement period was shorter than one week, around 30 people showed up, and the discussion following the lecture became exciting one. Half of the participants are Japanese people who speaks English, and the other half are foreigners; from Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Macedonia, Singapore, United States, Vietnam, etc. <br /><br />For all of the participants, the ideas of nation and nationalism were different, and the concept of “the other” by Emmanuel Levinas was not well comprehended in historical context. Therefore, first, I talked about the historical background of the birth of the nation, mainly through Napoleonic War, and then talked about the nationalism in modernity and artistic production. <br /><br />For me, it was challenging to talk about history which is related to Iran and Israel in front of Iranian and Israeli participants. However, through this challenge, I could expand the possibility of exchanging information, if we do not fully share the idea of nations in their sense.<br /><br />In this lecture, on the issue of nation, I just wanted to avoid the situation that the discussion will be held in Japanese in Japan, and the whole discussion became extremely domestic and nationalistic one. By offering the place where non-Japanese speaking person can join comfortably, I think I could offer the arena of discussing nation and nationalism in Japan for broader participants.<br /><br />Because of its geographical separation, Japan as a island country had no need to build a strong relationship with surrounding countries, and this situation created Japan conservative, or even nationalistic, and generated lacks of communication with “the other”. To change this situation, everybody needs to work hard to understand the others, and join the community of the world. I would like to keep working hard to make Japan more open country to outside nations.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-30047247913557644322010-07-10T11:21:00.003+09:002010-07-10T11:38:46.078+09:00Lecture: Thinking "the other" - Inside and Outside of the Nation 18:00 - 21:00 Friday, 16 July 2010 in Tokyo<span style="font-weight:bold;">Talk & Discussion Series:<br />Nationalism and Artistic Production<br /></span><br />"Nationalism and Artistic Production" is a series of five talks organized by CAMP with invited curators, artists and thinkers. This is not only an attempt to look at different phenomena of nationalism in Japan - including xenophobia and exclusive nationalism - and various cultural production that enunciates, represents or challenges nationalism. It also aims to contemplate, through discussion, on participants' own sense of nationalism and views on community, identity, and otherness. In order for that, the talk series will explore and analyze what a nation is and how we as subjects relate to a nation, and further reflect on the potential in which artistic production can critically engage with nationalism formed by various kinds of power.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Thinking "the other" - Inside and Outside of the Nation</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">18:00 - 21:00 Friday, 16 July 2010<br /></span><br />[ Speaker ]<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Shinya Watanabe (independent curator)<br /></span>[ Moderator ]<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Che Kyongfa (independent curator)<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Venue: Tokyo Wonder Site Aoyama: Creator-in-Residence (Map)<br /></span>Language: English<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Admission: Free<br /></span>Capacity: 30 (Booking Required)<br />Booking: Send an email with its subject as Thinking "the other" to<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">notesoncamp@gmail.com</span><br />, including your name and E-mail address.<br />Supported by: Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, Tokyo Wonder Site / Otto Mainzheim Gallery<br /><br />[ Outline ]<br />The nation-state and nationalism are complex constructs that have an influence on art making and evaluation of it. The concept of "nation" has been created in the process of modernity, but the recognition of its historical structure is not simple in contemporary society. The aim of this lecture is to clarify the origin of the nations, and its influence on modern and contemporary art making.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Part 1: Inside and Outside of the Nation<br /></span>The impact of Napoleonic War and the Formation of Yugoslavia<br />Part 2: Nation and Artistic Production<br />Pablo Picasso, Tony Shafrazy, Jean Mitchell Basquiat and Brassai<br />Francisco Franco and Victor Erice's "The Spirit of the Beehive"<br />Hayao Miyazaki's Anagram of Nations – Totoro, Lupin the III, Poco Rosso and Ponyo<br />Soseki Natsume and Japanese Modernity<br />Isamu Noguchi, Kenzo Tange and Li Xianglan<br />Allgiero Boetti and Juxtaposition<br />Bruce Lee in Bosnia<br />Elmgreen and Dragset<br />Tellervo and Oliver Karlinen<br />Yukinori Yanagi, Yuken Teruya and Kota Ezawa<br /><br />Related Books and Writings:<br />"Totality and Infinity" by Emmanuel Levinas<br />The Influence of the Nation-State on Art - The Case of the Former Yugoslavian Countries<br /><a href="http://www.spikyart.org/nationstate/nationstateintroduction.htm">http://www.spikyart.org/nationstate/nationstateintroduction.htm</a><br />The Breakaway from the Century of War - Article 9 as the Overcoming of European Modernism<br /><a href="http://www.spikyart.org/atomicsunshine/ny/article9textbyshinya.html">http://www.spikyart.org/atomicsunshine/ny/article9textbyshinya.html</a><br />Why Japanese People Hunt Whales? Whale Mound and Shinto Religion in Shinagawa, Tokyo<br /><a href="http://parrhesia-shinya.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-japanese-people-hunt-whales-whale.html">http://parrhesia-shinya.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-japanese-people-hunt-whales-whale.html</a><br /><br />Related Movies:<br />"The Spirit of the Beehive" Directed by Victor Erice<br />"Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro" by Hayao Miyazaki<br /><br />[ Biography ]<span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Shinya Watanabe</span><br />Born 1980 in Shizuoka, Japan, Shinya Watanabe is an independent curator based in Tokyo/New York. After acquiring his MA at New York University, Watanabe have traveled thirty-six countries mainly as a backpacker, and started to curate contemporary art exhibitions, mainly focusing on the issues of the relationships between nation-state and art. His curatorial exhibition are "Another Expo—Beyond the Nation-States" (White Box, NY, 2005), "Action Painting Street Battle! Ushio Shinohara vs. Ryoga Katsuma" (Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, NY 2006), "Into the Atomic Sunshine — Post-War Art under Japanese Peace Constitution Article 9" (Puffin Room, NY, 2008, Hillside Forum, Tokyo, 2008, Okinawa Prefectural Art Museum, Okinawa, Japan 2009), and "Volcano Lovers - From Iceland and Japan" (Ise Cultural Foundation, NY, 2009-10).<br /><br />Che Kyongfa<br />Che Kyongfa is an independent curator based in Tokyo. Her curatorial projects include "Fog Dossier" (2010, Seoul), a collaborative project with the artist Jeuno Kim; a two-year project called "Electric Palm Tree" (2009, Amsterdam & Jakarta), co-curated with Binna Choi and Cosmin Costinas; "Recycled" (2008, Oslo) an exhibition by Oslo-based artist unit Danger Museum; and "OK Video Festival" (2005, Jakarta) co-curated with Jakarta-based artists' initiative Ruangrupa. She also organizes workshops, lectures, and discussions.<br /><br /><br />Check out this ustream Show: <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/notes-on-camp">http://www.ustream.tv/channel/notes-on-camp</a>Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-31948959720525234512010-07-07T17:02:00.004+09:002010-07-07T17:13:13.328+09:00Picturesque Takamagahara - Ireland and Japan as a PeripheryWhile I was doing a research on the concept of "Picturesque", I found some interesting descriptions. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TDQ07CzHY2I/AAAAAAAAAsI/ln_6xiqD0uE/s1600/Turner_Tintern1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 227px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TDQ07CzHY2I/AAAAAAAAAsI/ln_6xiqD0uE/s320/Turner_Tintern1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491072034639668066" /></a><br /><br />As an idea of romantic appreciation of beauty, the concept of "picturesque" was established in England in the 18th century, and at that time, there was a reflection toward modern aesthetics which went too far by rationalism. <br /><br />A philosopher Edmund Burke who debuted as an esthetician such as discussing the issue of picturesque thought that the experience of appreciating beauty is not simply a rational judgment, but a person's basic instinct. He thought that comparing the "system" which is created as a result of piling up ancestor's wisdom, rational intelligence of human is so small with full of defects. <br /><br />Through such an aesthetics approach, Burke advocated the foundational danger of overconfidence of Cartesian rationalism and suggested the re-consideration; it will be easy for us to understand this by comparing the continental rationalism (= Cartesian) and British empiricism (= Irish Burke). Moreover, Burke is well known from his denial of French Revolution, and that is because he values not the "Social Contract" proposed by the French Revolution, but the "Fundamental Contract". <br /><br />One interesting thing is that Masaru Sato, a well known Japanese author nicknamed "Rasputin of the foreign ministry" pointed that Berke's philosophy is similar to the philosophy of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takamagahara">Takamagahara</a>" (translated as the "High Plain of Heaven), Japanese Shinto’s philosophy. As a Christian went through the history and politics of Russia, Masaru Sato became able to acquire this long view. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/2/16/1234806269290/Waiting-for-Godot-Play-Pa-001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 276px;" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/2/16/1234806269290/Waiting-for-Godot-Play-Pa-001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I think why Irish artists such as James Joyce and Samuel Beckett could bring cultural impacts to the 20th century European continent is that when continental rationalism came to the deadlock, the periphery, from the perspective of Rome, was able to bring the fundamental collapse to the center. Finnegans Wake, Waiting for Godot, Francis Bacon's paintings, etc... These fundamental collapse were well contextualized by the continental rationalism, and I could feel that when I saw the video installation of "Waiting for Godot" performed in Paris, in the corner of the dawn of contemporary art, as the permanent exhibition of ZKM in Karlsruhe.<br /><br />It is easy to imagine that the tendency of empiricism is stronger than rationalism in these islands, which is located geographically far from of Rome, and the flow of Christianity is comparatively delayed.<br /><br />Moreover, after the concept of picturesque had been established, compare to the rational, geometrical garden in France, Britain developed British style garden which tries to pursuit the spectacle of the natural beauty, and on that extension, the aesthetics of "Ruins" such as rusty gardens emerged. I think that today’s boom of industrial ruins in Japan might be a picturesque Natural recurrence with modern essence, but I think one of the prototypes of the aesthetics of ruins might be able to find in Ginkakuji temple, the symbol of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higashiyama">Higashiyama</a> (literally means east mountain) culture. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TDQ14wzoDbI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/0M3cSRfr2QE/s1600/588px-Ginkakuji-M1981.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TDQ14wzoDbI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/0M3cSRfr2QE/s320/588px-Ginkakuji-M1981.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491073094961860018" /></a><br /><br />Shogun Yoshimasa Ashikaga transferred his royal authority to his infancy son Yoshihisa in 1473, during the harsh battle of Ounin. After the battle end in 1477, he started to create Ginkakuji temple as a retirement house in 1482.<br /><br />In 1460, about 82,000 people died of hunger only in two months, and Kyoto was such as hell. In this tragic situation in Kyoto, Yoshimasa Ashikaga proceeded the aesthetics called Higashiyama, which is such as zen gardening, paintings, writings, the Japanese poem, the linked poem, the Noh music, flower arrangements, and tea ceremonies; in other words, I think that the culture of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi">wabi-sabi</a> had been created as an empirical aesthetics, and also the beauty of ruins. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TDQ2As9FPOI/AAAAAAAAAsY/yv40rQD0GqI/s1600/kyoto+garden.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TDQ2As9FPOI/AAAAAAAAAsY/yv40rQD0GqI/s320/kyoto+garden.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491073231366733026" /></a><br /><br />In our time of developed media, these themes need to be considered as a transcontinental level, in multilingual arena.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-4424741587221321792010-06-30T16:35:00.001+09:002010-06-30T16:38:07.669+09:00How much happiness can we carry? - FIFA World Cup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TCrz8xtEqaI/AAAAAAAAAr8/ociI5jMwaeI/s1600/maradona.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TCrz8xtEqaI/AAAAAAAAAr8/ociI5jMwaeI/s320/maradona.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488467321364457890" /></a><br />How much happiness can we carry? That is the question. For this question, I want to think through, and act for it.<br /><br />I love soccer more than any other sports. In FIFA World Cup, when I see Diego Maradona hustling and directing on the pitch, I could feel that he always do his best, and enjoying the every single moments of his life. Showing his surging passion on soccer, Maradona must have the great happiness than any others.<br /><br />As if proving the existence of the self, coach and the players desperately try to do their own best. Toward the high which you've never seen, and even try to get higher, the players show the whole faces of happiness of life. The chain of the happiness of life creates the touching aspect of soccer as a team play.<br /><br />Yesterday, Japan lost against Paraguay, but Japan showed their best without doubt. The wall of the world class soccer is still thick and high, but Japan gained the experience of world class soccer. Congratulations, and thank you!Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-61645494054313693832010-06-19T02:04:00.004+09:002010-06-19T10:37:17.283+09:00Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro and the dress of Princess Norinomiya<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TBunmINORXI/AAAAAAAAArk/XX-l6DZGWK0/s1600/200px-The_Castle_of_Cagliostro.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 283px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TBunmINORXI/AAAAAAAAArk/XX-l6DZGWK0/s320/200px-The_Castle_of_Cagliostro.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484161244733523314" /></a><br />Recently, I joined the service of Tsutaya Discas, the Japanese version of Netflix. So, I rented the Hayao Miyazaki's 1979 film "Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro" which I’ve never seen before.<br /><br />In this film, I could examine then 38 years old Hayao Miyazaki's profound resources of his animation making. The movie is based on the thief Lupin the III, a Japanese manga character who supposed to be the grandson to French master thief Arsene Lupin in Maurice Leblanc’s novel. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Castle_of_Cagliostro">for more details, please read here</a>)<br /><br />In the last scene, Lupin finds final treasure of Cagliostro, the ruin of Roman City under the lake next to the castle, and Lupin could not steal this treasure, since “this treasure is too big to my pocket”. This scene is a citation from Maurice Leblanc's "The Girl with the Green Eyes", and Miyazaki's exciting re-interpretation of Leblanc is that Roman ruins had been saved by Gothe tribe for last 400 years. The final battle of Lupin and Cagliostro held on the clock tower is a quote from Kuroiwa Ruiko and Edogawa Rampo's "Ghost Tower", which is also Japanese adaptation of Alice Muriel Williamson's "A Woman in Grey" in Meiji era.<br /><br />There is a longstanding rumor in American anime circles that Steven Spielberg considered Castle of Cagliostro "the best action movie ever made", and I also think that Spielberg got a lot of influence from this film. <br /><br />When Stephen Spielberg released the new prints of E.T. as its 20th anniversary, he modified the last scene; when the children on the bicycles with E.T. in the basket flying to the full moon sky, the policemen point the guns to them. However, in the 20th anniversary print, by using CG technology, the gun was turned into walkie-talkie. I think one of the reasons why Spielberg edited the last scene of the policemen is that comparing the last scene in Miyazaki's animation, the one of E.T. is too harsh for children.<br /><br />In Lupin the III, the police leader Mr. Zenigata tries to arrest Lupin, but the heroin princess Clarisse in white wedding dress asks him not to capture Lupin, since he did not steal anything. Then, Zenigata reply to Clarisse, “Yes, he did steal - your heart”. Then, all the Japanese police members under the leader Mr. Zenigata smiles to the princess Clarisse, then they start chasing Lupin who left Clarisse. This smile shows so much personality of Miyazaki, and his characteristic continues to appear in his next film “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”. <br /><br />After I watched the film, I read an interesting story about Princess Norinomiya, the 3rd child and the only daughter of Emperor Akihito. In the interview of NHK, one of her classmate told that <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20051124175711/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/news/nov/o20051115_15.htm">Princess Norinomiya was a big fun of Miyazaki's Cagliostro film, and she made a drawing of princess Clarisse in the white wedding dress with Lupin</a>(In the film, Lupin stole Clarisse on the wedding day). Norinomiya wore a white dress, which is almost the same one as Clarisse on the wedding day. Had worked as an ornithologist specialized in kingfisher, her sensitivity had an antenna to catch Miyazaki’s thoughtful and touchy message.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-68180172410504026882010-06-08T01:10:00.018+09:002010-06-08T10:05:24.041+09:00Why Japanese People Hunt Whales? Whale Mound and Shinto Religion in Shinagawa, TokyoI often think that Japanese people are not good at explaining their own cultures to non-Japanese people in English. The issue of whale hunting is the good example which is caused by luck of explanation and mutual understanding. So today's entry, I would like to try to make an effort to make non-Japanese people able to understand, or at least able to imagine, why Japanese people persist in their culture of whale hunting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0a9A_OfYI/AAAAAAAAAps/UJtue0eUXiM/s1600/Shinagawa-ku.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 128px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0a9A_OfYI/AAAAAAAAAps/UJtue0eUXiM/s320/Shinagawa-ku.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480065957119294850" /></a><br /><br />To renew my driver's license, today I went Shinagawa, the waterfront of Tokyo. Shinagawa had been the 1st stop of the Tōkaidō (東海道, which literally means East Sea Road, the most important routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo (=Tokyo) to Kyoto) which is famous for Hokusai's Ukiyo-e prints, so there are many lodgings and sushi restaurants.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0awnIIlAI/AAAAAAAAApk/c0-fHjz6-mA/s1600/tokaido.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0awnIIlAI/AAAAAAAAApk/c0-fHjz6-mA/s320/tokaido.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480065744018904066" /></a><br /><br />On the way back, I visited Shinagawa Shrine. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0bV-ER8mI/AAAAAAAAAp0/HCwJdoaODdQ/s1600/shrine+entrance.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0bV-ER8mI/AAAAAAAAAp0/HCwJdoaODdQ/s320/shrine+entrance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480066385831916130" /></a><br /><br />At the entrance, Daikokuten (<a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E9%BB%92%E5%A4%A9">大黒天</a>=god of great Darkness) welcomed me, and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Lucky_Gods">The Seven Gods of Fortune</a>" (七福神, pronounced Shichi Fukujin) including Daikokuten was installed at the site of the Shrine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0blX-S9DI/AAAAAAAAAp8/M4b1r3uHYY4/s1600/daikoku.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0blX-S9DI/AAAAAAAAAp8/M4b1r3uHYY4/s320/daikoku.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480066650484175922" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0cDHbY8CI/AAAAAAAAAqE/3a7g6okoDDg/s1600/shichifuku.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0cDHbY8CI/AAAAAAAAAqE/3a7g6okoDDg/s320/shichifuku.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480067161438875682" /></a><br /><br />The seven gods are often depicted on their treasure ship called "Takarabune". This is the Japanese mythology, but the hilarious thing is that six out of seven gods are foreign gods, from China and India; in other words, the god of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. After importing from India, Daikokuten in Japan became a mixture of Shiva and <a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E5%9B%BD%E4%B8%BB">Ohkuninushinomikoto, the god of Earth</a> and the counterpart of Amaterasu, the god of Sun. By importing these foreign gods and the structure of religion, Japan formulated the structure of Shintoism. The only Japanese original god of these seven gods is Ebisu, famous from Yebisu Beer. Believe it or not, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_worship">Ebisu is the god of Whale</a>.<br /><br />One of the biggest attraction of Shinagawa Shrine is Fujizuka (<a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AF%8C%E5%A3%AB%E5%A1%9A">富士塚</a>), a replica of Mt. Fuji, the holy mountain, made from volcanic stones. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0cbLxbyqI/AAAAAAAAAqM/3A-MMYyF2wo/s1600/fujizuka.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0cbLxbyqI/AAAAAAAAAqM/3A-MMYyF2wo/s320/fujizuka.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480067574921939618" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0c7QNOmZI/AAAAAAAAAqU/ActhcacKC6k/s1600/ichigoume.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0c7QNOmZI/AAAAAAAAAqU/ActhcacKC6k/s320/ichigoume.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480068125868071314" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0dD53moyI/AAAAAAAAAqc/9KdEMiX6JHw/s1600/rokugoume.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0dD53moyI/AAAAAAAAAqc/9KdEMiX6JHw/s320/rokugoume.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480068274490614562" /></a><br /><br />As I mentioned, Shinagawa was the first stop of Tōkaidō Road, and Mt. Fuji is located approximately 100km away. Fujizuka was created for the local civilians who cannot visit Mt. Fuji to pray. Therefore, local people climbed this imitation Mt. Fuji to pray. The oldest Fujizuka is created in 1780, and the one in Shinagawa Shrine was built in 1869, one year after Meiji Restoration.<br /><br />In the process of climbing, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarutahiko_Okami">Sarutahiko Ōkami</a> (猿田彦大神), a powerful guardian kami (god), was dedicated.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0dXAiIkhI/AAAAAAAAAqk/AqHoSp9aq68/s1600/saru.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0dXAiIkhI/AAAAAAAAAqk/AqHoSp9aq68/s320/saru.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480068602697126418" /></a><br /><br />On the back of this Fujizuka, there is a sculpture of Kaeru (frog) with Japanese joke, "Buji Kaeru (can be read as “Mt. Fuji’s frog" in Japanese), which means “safely back”.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0dzQuijnI/AAAAAAAAAqs/vlC6EMCDLpE/s1600/kaeru.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0dzQuijnI/AAAAAAAAAqs/vlC6EMCDLpE/s320/kaeru.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480069088080465522" /></a><br /><br />In this shrine, there is one more interesting monument. This monument is called <a href="http://www.google.co.jp/images?hl=ja&q=%E5%8C%85%E4%B8%81%E5%A1%9A&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi">Houchou Zuka (包丁塚</a>), a tombstone dedicated for kitchen knife.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0eKVYdiqI/AAAAAAAAAq0/26o-0Ysc-Co/s1600/houcyou.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0eKVYdiqI/AAAAAAAAAq0/26o-0Ysc-Co/s320/houcyou.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480069484467030690" /></a><br /><br />In Edo period, Shinagawa was the important lodging, so there are many chefs cooking Japanese foods for the travelers. These chefs believed that the cooking knife has a spirit of the chef, so when the cooking knife became old, chefs buried their cooking knifes in the shrine. In Japanese animism, not only Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto god, but also whale, mountain, or even kitchen knife has a spirit, and became the objects to pray.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA2U2dvvyfI/AAAAAAAAArc/EBN00Dkbe-0/s1600/whale+drawing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA2U2dvvyfI/AAAAAAAAArc/EBN00Dkbe-0/s320/whale+drawing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480199984998500850" /></a><br /><br />I left Shinagawa Shrine, passing a clinic with an cute illustration of whale and walked 10 minutes, I found Whale Mound(<a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AF%A8%E5%A1%9A">鯨塚</a>)in Kagata Shrine. Whale Mound is located approximately 100 places all over Japan, but Shinagawa is the only one existing in Tokyo. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0eonZFgyI/AAAAAAAAArE/EGjQZ4d0URU/s1600/kagata.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0eonZFgyI/AAAAAAAAArE/EGjQZ4d0URU/s320/kagata.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480070004697563938" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0elGGflWI/AAAAAAAAAq8/odQZzJNFGFE/s1600/kujirazuka.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0elGGflWI/AAAAAAAAAq8/odQZzJNFGFE/s320/kujirazuka.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480069944221603170" /></a><br /><br />In 1798, because of the typhoon, 17 meter whale lost in the cove of Shinagawa was hunted by local fishermen. The whale became news, so even Shogun from Tokugawa family visited the whale in Hama Rikyu Park. The whale was sold, and the head bone was buried here, then the Whale Mound was built for commemoration.<br /><br />Japanese people appreciated the stray whales as a god, and they made a monument, for the gift of nature. Whaling skill has been sophisticated in Japan, and all parts of Whale were used for their living.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0fFdnqv7I/AAAAAAAAArU/41HmEzRzKP4/s1600/public+art.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0fFdnqv7I/AAAAAAAAArU/41HmEzRzKP4/s320/public+art.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480070500290576306" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0fA3XrwzI/AAAAAAAAArM/k5MgZDik5qM/s1600/toy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TA0fA3XrwzI/AAAAAAAAArM/k5MgZDik5qM/s320/toy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480070421303509810" /></a><br /><br />Right next to this Whale Mound, there is a public art of whale with children's toys. Maybe some westerner may get confused why people appreciate whale as a god, and eat and pray at the same time. However, this is all related to the history of Japanese animism, or in other word, the absence of monotheism. The dividend of subject and object was imported to Japan at the time of Meiji restoration, but this dividend is still somewhat unclear in Japanese society, therefore the self and the nature is still not completely divided. Therefore, the whale is sometimes the object of worship, and sometimes the object of worship could be considered a gift of nature, so people eat this, with lots of appreciation for nature.<br /><br />For some of the Japanese traditional people, the denial of whale hunting could mean the denial of their own tradition and religion. These people can get frantic by the criticism of non-Japanese people, since they do not have a word or media to explain their thought.<br /><br />To explain own culture is challenging. However, it cannot be an excuse of the fact that most of the Japanese people did not make an enough effort to explain. On the other hand, many of the non-Japanese people did not have a patience to hear someone different, and accept the difference. As a person born in a fisherman's family in Japan and receive education in the U.S., I wanted to speak out a little on this issue.<br /><br />I do not want to judge what is right or wrong, but I would like to share the information, and would like to think the possible future. To end this essay, I would like to quote my favorite prayer, which might have a universal meaning.<br /><br />The Serenity Prayer<br />by Reinhold Niebuhr<br /><br />God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;<br />the courage to change the things I can;<br />and the wisdom to know the difference.<br /><br />PS: Do you know Godzilla is a mutant Kujira (whale in Japanese)? Whale get radiated by the U.S. nuclear test in Bikini Island, and the radiated whale (kujira) became Godzilla (Pronounced as Gojira, this is kind of anagram in Japanese).Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-63450487308215488832010-06-04T10:15:00.002+09:002010-06-04T10:18:01.155+09:00Year 1936 at Marienbad - Lacan and Modernity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TAhT9vqm-VI/AAAAAAAAApc/EgrKg3oPmqw/s1600/morel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/TAhT9vqm-VI/AAAAAAAAApc/EgrKg3oPmqw/s320/morel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478721266928515410" /></a><br />When I visited my Austrian curator friend Walter Seidl’s exhibition “Psychoanalysis” at Tokyo Wonder Site, I suddenly started to wonder why a philosopher Masato Goda intentionally wrote the part that the presentation of Jacque Lacan’s “Mirror Stage” was held in year 1936 in Marienbad. Then, I started to think that in the film “Last Year at Marienbad” by Alain Resnais, the word “Last Year” may refer the year “1936”.<br /><br />The original name of Marienbad, a spa town in Czech, is Mariánské Lázně. The city became German speaking area between World War I and World War II, and the city had been called “Marienbad”. Therefore, the setting of the film “Last Year at Marienbad” supposed to be in this period.<br /><br />In the film “Last Year at Marienbad”, truth and fiction are difficult to distinguish, and the temporal and spatial relationship of the events is open to question. The screenplay may have been based on “The Invention of Morel”, a science fiction novel published in 1940 by an Argentine writer Adolfo Bioy Casares, since the review of the French translated version of this book was written in 1953 by Alain Robbe-Grillet, the scriptwriter of the film.<br /><br />As we can read in the novel “The Invention of Morel”, the metaphors of dream and mirror are repeated often, which also appears in the film. These metaphors create the characteristics of trick novel, and show fictions in fictions such as nest box.<br /><br />When Jacque Lacan did the first analytic report of the “Mirror Phase” at the Congress of the International Psychoanalytical Association in Marienbad in 1936, Ernest Jones, the chairman and the Freud’s biographer, interrupted and ended Lacan's reporting. Lacan left the congress with anger, and it became his trauma for quarter century.<br /><br />In the novel, the part of dreams show the symbolic phase of the story, which is almost such as a footnote. As story continues, these dreams started to create the dramatic impact, such as.<br /><br />1. I was at the mental hospital.<br />2. At certain moment, I was the director of the hospital.<br /><br />In the novel, the storyteller Morel’s “self” and the “other” became unstable, and it became similar to the one of “Mirror Phase”. In modernity, the self and the other is divided, therefore the topic of “love”, to be united with others, became the special topic. The Invention of Morel is the answer to this dividend as a novel, and the self, which is inside, was absorbed into outside, and only the outside continues to exist permanently.<br /><br />In conclusion, I think Masato Goda metaphysically tried to show the challenge of Europe for overcoming of modernity, and this challenge was well curbed in the film, in the setting of Marienbad during World War I and World War II, where Europe reached the zenith of the contradiction of modernity, and lost its otherness.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-38427120671358924172010-05-28T11:58:00.003+09:002010-05-28T12:03:38.685+09:00Eye is the Most Naked Organ – Arthur Danto on Marina Abramovic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/S_8yaIhEJeI/AAAAAAAAApU/7nMl0NTYVFQ/s1600/Marina.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/S_8yaIhEJeI/AAAAAAAAApU/7nMl0NTYVFQ/s320/Marina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476151096449967586" /></a><br />Marina Abramovic’s exhibition "<a href="http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/965">The Artist is Present</a>" at MoMA has received lots of attention. Everyone who saw this exhibition talks about the show, and all comments on this exhibitions are so personal, and also interesting.<br /><br /><a href="http://spikyart.org/seveneasypiecese.html">I have written some articles on Marina, such as "Seven Easy Pieces</a>" which was held in Guggenheim Museum, and also my MA thesis "<a href="http://spikyart.org/nationstate/nationstateintroduction.htm">The Influence of the Nation-State on Art - The Case of the Former Yugoslavian Countries</a>".(the part on Marina is <a href="http://spikyart.org/nationstate/thesis5.htm">here</a>) so I have a strong interest on her work, especially from historical perspectives. <br /><br />The article on Abramovic's performance by Arthur Danto on NY Times <br />"<a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/sitting-with-marina/?th&emc=th">Sitting With Marina" by ARTHUR C. DANTO</a><br />is quite well written, and I liked it, particularly the parts which he saw her performance through his filter of personal experience. <br /><br />Until I read this article, I did not know that Mr. Danto was in Yugoslavia in the 1970s for teaching philosophical seminars as a Fulbright professor at the Inter-University Center of Postgraduate Studies in Dubrovnik.<br /><br />Marina was born in 1946 between the parents of partisan heroes, but few years before Marina was born, Danto was in Italy as a young soldier, and sailed to the Dalmatian coast (currently called Croatia) with some partisans on dark night. It seems like that Danto has a lot to share with Marina. <br /><br />In this article, Danto talks about the performance of Marina Abramovic, which is “eye-communication” between the two, and it seems quite personal, and touching. Also the photos of the person who sit in front of the artist have variety of faces, and most of them were crying. <br /><br />Emmanuel Levinas says that eye is the most naked organ. As a performance, Marina Abramovic is doing the exchange only through her eye, most naked organ, without being naked as "usual".<br /><br />As Japanese proverb says “目は口ほどにものを言う” (The eyes are eloquent as the tongue), Marina successfully convey her message through her naked eyes.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-29505919909583265362010-05-22T00:09:00.004+09:002010-05-22T00:34:06.487+09:00"Communicating the Nation" by communicating the nation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/S_anOp8blmI/AAAAAAAAApM/AAC1_TrM1gc/s1600/communicating+the+nation.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/S_anOp8blmI/AAAAAAAAApM/AAC1_TrM1gc/s400/communicating+the+nation.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473746267334743650" /></a><br />Yesterday, I received a book which was published by University of Gotenburg in Sweden. Edited by Anna Roosvall & Inka Salovaara-Moring, the book "Communicating the Nation" investigates the plural national logics of interpreting the politics, sports, cultural events and more. <br /><br />Through her research on the issue of the nation-state, Anna visited my website <a href="http://www.spikyart.org/anotherexpo/">“Another Expo – Beyond the Nation-States”</a> which I curated 5 years ago. Then, Ana and Inka became interested in the art work “Remote Control”, and asked me who the artist is, and whether she can use this image for the upcoming publication or not. So I asked the permission to the artist Nebojsa Seric Shoba from Sarajevo, and then he kindly allowed them for the usage of his art work for the publication. This is, literally, such a good example of “Communicating the nation” between Sweden, Japan and Bosnia-Herzegovina/Yugoslavia. <br /><br />I am simply happy that even 5 years after the exhibition, some people become aware of my curatorial exhibition and the art works which I exhibited. As long as the art work deals with some universal issues, if these art works get old, these conceptual works reach broader audience for a long period of time, I believe. I want to keep communicating the nation to find the new horizon of parrhesia.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-63641472060202446282010-05-17T19:32:00.004+09:002010-05-17T19:46:13.975+09:00Reflections - Hello Kitty and Noh Theater Mask<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/S_EcSv7eywI/AAAAAAAAAoc/xnlMgI1JVKU/s1600/hello+kitty.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 285px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/S_EcSv7eywI/AAAAAAAAAoc/xnlMgI1JVKU/s320/hello+kitty.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472186130661034754" /></a><br />The symbol of “kawaii” aesthetic, Hello Kitty, a white cat born in 1974, is ending her career.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/15/business/global/15kitty.html?th&emc=th">In Search of Adorable, as Hello Kitty Gets Closer to Goodbye</a><br /><br />The sales of hello kitty goods reached $5 billion per year. The year 2002 was the zenith of her popularity, and has never recovered. Many of my friends in NY had Hello Kitty goods, and I have been interested in why she could gain such popularity in the global market. <br /><br />One of the unique characteristics of Hello Kitty is the non-existence of mouth. (It made Sanrio difficult to make her into TV animation, one of the main source of the company's revenue.) Probably this characteristic of her is related to Hello Kitty's global popularity.<br /><br />Since there is no mouth, Hello Kitty does not smile, laugh nor cry. The way of the interpretation of the doll is all depends on the viewers. When the viewer is depressed, the face of Hello Kitty might seems sad, or even cheerful. When the viewer feel happy, the facial expression of Hello Kitty may seems different.<br /><br />In other word, by eliminating the mouth and facial expression, Hello Kitty invokes multitude of personalities by reflecting of viewer's inner self, from a singular source.<br /><br />I find this formation similar to Japanese traditional Noh theater mask.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/S_EcaXKLzvI/AAAAAAAAAok/u6MXvafM5T0/s1600/noh+mask.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 153px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_J6GJP21dQ/S_EcaXKLzvI/AAAAAAAAAok/u6MXvafM5T0/s320/noh+mask.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472186261450772210" /></a><br />The Noh mask is worn by the main actor, called “Site,” who expresses the features of gods and souls of the dead with magnificent naturalism. Noh mask itself does not contain any facial expression, but the actor expresses joy, by tilting the mask upwards (terasu = shine), and expresses sorrow, by drawn downwards, (kumorasu = cloudy). The slightest movements from side to side project a bewitching effect (furu = swing). Furthermore, the Noh masks themselves are smaller than the face of the actor, and delineating a boundary that traces the pretenses of reality (= nothingness).<br /><br />I think these are all related to the historical structure of Japanese society. Since Japan did not create its own history of monotheism but maintained strong influence of animism, the idea of “subject”, or “self” could not be identified till the Meiji Restoration. Switching the “subject” or the “self” became possible in both Japanese language structure and social communication in many different ways, which is the uniqueness of Japanese modernity.<br /><br />Hello Kitty is remarkably "Japanese" character. Let’s say “goodbye” to the kitty, and let’s say “Hello” to the world, by our own way.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-75599887608752278252010-05-14T10:05:00.001+09:002010-05-14T10:09:02.466+09:00Japan as a big “Stamp Rally” countryFor the payment of national pension of Japan, I visited my primary bank in Tokyo, with the transaction document and my stamp, says “Watanabe” in Chinese character.<br /><br />While completing the transaction, the operator of the bank pointed out that the stamp which I carried today is not the one which I used for opening the account.<br /><br />In Japan, most of the people maintain plural number of stamps, and keep these at their office, house and other places for their convenience. They have to remember which stamp is used for which transaction, but if you have more than two bank accounts and other transactions, it becomes hard to memorize each of these combinations. It is such as the management of password, if you have more than two e-mail accounts.<br /><br />I replied to the operator, and said that I have that particular stamp at the office, and I did not bring that exact stamp with me today. Then, the operator asked me to come back to the bank again with the right stamp. Then, I said that I, Shinya Watanabe, is present with my proofs of document including my bank card, drivers license and some others, and I can “sign” my family name as a proof of this transaction, instead of the conventional stamp.<br /><br />The operator made face, and says that I understand that you are the person who maintains this bank account, but the operator cannot complete the transaction without the exact stamp which I used for opening the account. I was just curious, and kept asking if non-Japanese person tries to open the bank account, what they need to do? The operator reply, “they need to have a stamp which declares his or her own family name in Japanese character.” It means that this Japanese bank applies its own rule to the non-Japanese clients.<br /><br />For these people who are working for the larger institution, their priority is just to follow the rule, but they could not made a rational, or even creative judgment. For this institution, the ownership of the right stamp is the proof more than the presence of the exact person in front of them. If so, what will happen if someone carry my stamp and go to the bank? I think, they might follow the rule, and accept this transaction, and if some problem happens, they claim that they followed the rule, and it was no way to avoid this.<br /><br />About the transaction of the bank in Japan, I have one more interesting story. I have a Citibank account in Japan, and I need to complete one deposit, while I was in the United States. To complete the transaction via snail mail, the Citibank required a proof of agreement, which could be the signature or stamp, and this proof is determined when the person opens the account. In my case, I use my signature as a proof, not my stamps.<br /><br />Before I sent the snail mail to complete this transaction, I suddenly felt uncertain whether I did a signature in English or Japanese, since I opened the account years ago. I made a phone call to Citibank in Japan, and confirmed whether my signature was in English or Japanese. Then, the operator replied that they cannot tell that to me, because of the security reason.<br /><br />I had no option to do, so I sent the letter with my English signature. Then, the bank sent me a letter via air mail, says, “Your signature supposed to be in Japanese. Please send that back to us again.” By doing this, the transaction takes extra 2 weeks. It was just my own mistake, but since then, I became extremely careful about my own signature.<br /><br />Everyone knows that Japanese culture of using stamp as a proof became only a convention, and no one believes that this is the actual proof of the agreement completed by the stamp holder. To copy the stamp is quite easy, and any person can make the fake one, if they want. As a proof of the agreement, theoretically, the credibility of stamp is quite low. Only the “trust”, that people expect each other that no one uses any other persons’ stamp, has been the proof of this convention.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5249930650644197887.post-80956810644585534952010-05-12T23:31:00.002+09:002010-05-13T01:33:29.440+09:00Where have all the garbage cans gone?I live in the old “shitamachi (literally means “downtown”)” district of Tokyo, which attract lots of tourists from oversea. One day in my neighborhood, I saw a young tourist, wondering around with a vinyl bag in his hand which may contain some garbage. After looking all around, he threw away the vinyl bag on the corner of residential building, and ran away.<br /><br />Probably he was looking for a garbage can to throw his garbage away. He thought that there must be garbage can on the street in central Tokyo, but he simply could not find one.<br /><br />When I returned from NY to Tokyo, I also could not find the garbage can, and thought something is wrong. The disappearance of garbage can had been quietly progressed after the incident in 1995; the Sarin Gas Attack on the Tokyo Subway led by the religious group Aum Shinrikyo. First, only the garbage cans in the subway had been removed, and it has been slowly spread on the ground level, and today, I cannot locate any garbage can on the street of Tokyo.<br /><br />15 years had been passed after that incident, and people do not wonder why there is no garbage can on the street. Furthermore, the worst thing is, by accepting the removal of these garbage cans, the citizens of Tokyo automatically accept the possibility that their neighbor could be a terrorist.<br /><br />The possibility of terrorist attack on the old neighborhood of Tokyo can never be zero, but it is quite low. If we could share a community’s garbage can which everyone can use, the benefit is bigger than the one of avoiding possible terrorism. Furthermore, if the residents start to place garbage can in their own will and share the same garbage can, it could break the fear which comes from the result of common illusion, and will create the better community. However, the citizens stop their process of thinking, and just follow the decision of the government.<br /><br />The history of democracy in Japan is quite new. Current democracy had been “given” by the U.S. during the occupation of Japan after 1945, so the Japanese people take democracy for granted, and does not think that they are the subjective decision makers. The subjective act is necessary, but if you act subjectively, the conservative society of Japan will attack you. Something is wrong in this country. We need to think through these problems, and we should solve it by subjective act.Shinya Watanabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03878550745666529225noreply@blogger.com2