1st Set: Damo Suzuki with Dead Pan Speakers
2nd Set: Damo Suzuki with Astro (Analog Synth), Jyunzo Suzuki (Guitar) and Tomo (Hurdy-Gurdy)
3rd Set: Damo Suzuki with kazuhide Yamaji (Guitar) and Leningrad Blues Machine: Mitsuru Tabata (Guitar), Masahiko Shimaji (Bass) and Yasuyuki Watanabe (Drums)
One day Love-san took us for driving to Oku-Tama area of Tokyo to see plum-tree, it’s before cherry blossoms season. Between February to March, people go to see before cherry blossom season. On the hill was a lots of Ume tree…sea of plum flowers in pink and white color. This is small local fest. but still thousands of people visit, make picnic.
Oku-Tama is wonderful place, it’s very difficult to imagine this a part of Tokyo. Totally in nature. Tama is name of a river run through Tokyo..on the way we had amazing local landscape. Last night we had appointment with my Canadian sound carrier friend Cal, was cooking and made empty bottles and had a bit hangover, so I wanted to eat MEAT…as late breakfast at Korean style steak house. We visited also Sake manufacturer’s garden and tried local Sake in beside Tama-river. In the evening went to one of nicest chain restaurant enjoyed Japanese food. (This E-report is means not Electric report now…Eat-Report, ha, ha….)
An another I went to my uncle’s grave. He died early this year… after visited his widow, it was emotional moment that my tears didn’t stop. but, it’s doesn’t matter ..just let my feel go if I could see him alive….My father died when I was 5 years old, since then my uncle was just like my father to me, he advised me, gave my job at his company until I left Japan. She put her man’s photo on chair. He looks so happy and like together with us if he is alive.
Then after spend 3 days in Kyoto, one of my favorite cities in this planet!!!!. East and west of Japan foods taste different. East (Tokyo, Yokohama) taste stronger taste, West (Osaka, Kyoto) make it tender, soft taste…much tasty to me. Highlight of this tour department foods were “Syoujin-Ryouri” I experienced at Arashiyama, a bit outside of Kyoto city, a silence meditation area. Syoujin-Ryouri is zen-buddism food, so it IS veg food..but, in Japanese traditional sense. I love food which you can enjoy material pure without oil or butter even I enjoy just any kind of food, you know. It’s crazy good to my tongue then my body and soul, you feel something healthy things rules your body and soul, so a couple of days later I bought 2 Syoujin-Ryouri cooking books. I have many cooking book at home. really many. As usually I visited many temples. my favorite temple is “Ryoanji” famous for its rock garden. This place I visit every time whenever I come to Kyoto. Meditative place. I could sit there and watch rock garden for whole day. Kyoto has also nice downtown and foods shopping market which is like street of mouse, small shops are tight together if you are not too late, you can try many different Japanese traditional foods. snacks and drink sake here and there.
Naturally we went to many different touristy spot as well…Kiyomizu-Temple, Nijyo-Jyou Castle, Kinkaku-Ji Temple…Sure if you are in Kyoto, don’t forget to go to Gion area where Maiko’s in Kimono, you can find ..also here is THE heart of Kyoto. Performance day, Elke went back to home.. Sakamoto is my school mate, runs the venue in Shinjyuju “Uruga” Shinjyuku area is one of most busy area in Tokyo day and night. At day time full of business people and shopping people, in the night change her face to pub, night club goers , also a lots of criminal efforts…
This is 3rd time I perform at my ol’ pals venue…he has always 3sets for me. Tabata is funny lovely guy, once I disappointed him as I said him there is no aliens in this universe… There are many story about him, he is very respected from many people so does my Canadian sound carrier friend Cal live just close to this venue. After show we hang around in the venue for a while, Sakamoto booked Hotel close to here in Kabuki-cho as I have to take airplane from Haneda, inland flight (also to China and Korea) airport in Tokyo, I fly to Kyusyu, southern island. Kabuki-cho is heart of Shinjuku area, one of highlight in Tokyo specially deep in the night…Night clubs, restaurant, telephone bar, bars…place for adult…imagine Reeperbahn in Hamburg. Sometimes people are fighting with knives, siren of police cars, etc…..
Tsujimoto is interesting nice guy who is kind of poet, musician. who releases monthly CD magazine called Hermitage. I met him this time at an another performance as well. Each time he brought me snacks he was meaning after show I have to eat small bit…Normally he is working at Japanese car industry. He came to my performance, he stayed until late so he missed his last train and tomorrow he have to wake up so early…I had space in my hotel room, he slept there… When I wake up..he was already away.