Con Te Partiro

This is one of my favorite songs, performed by Andrea Bocelli and it is also sung as the title "Time to Say Goodbye" by him and Sarah Brightman. Tonight we gathered at i-bar to say good-bye to good friends. Losing good firends gives an empty hole in our heart. Actually "Con Te Partiro" is not a song to say good-by at all. But this is the song something new to start. We all have own way to live. Sometimes we come across and sometimes we are apart. But I believe that we will be surely able to meet again as long as we keep wishing and hoping. Good luck to all of my friends who leave here tomorrow. Hope to see you again!

Kimono and Hakama

"KIMONO" is the traditional costume of Japan. However, even if you visit Japan you hardly would see Japanese who is wearing KIMONO. Although many Japanease have pride in KIMONO, they do not put on usually from following reasons;

1) They are so expensive.
2) They are not active clothes.
3) It is difficult to wash them. (Most of them are silk)
4) There are traditional rules to wear. (Most of ppl cannot wear by themselves and need somebody's help to put on!)

However, many Japanese possess some kind of KIMONO and are wearing them in special occasion: wedding ceremony, coming-of-age ceremony, New Year, graduation ceremony, Japanease tea ceremony, summer festival etc. Today was a good chance for me to wear Kimono and Hakama to attend the graduation ceremony!

Taken by James Heneghan.

"Hakama" is a long pleated skirt worn over the kimono, and it is very populer with the students.This style had been populer In the Meiji era and in the Taishou era before. An interesting thing is its footwear. In most of cases, we wear a zori for Kimono. but only in Hakama case, we often wear Western Boots!!! Because of those era, our life had been dramatically westernized since opening country. The style is called "HAIKARA" There're some Japanese Manga called "Haikara san ga to-ru". The story about the woman wearing Hakama and always riding a bike!!! What do you think of Haikara women???

36hrs later

I flew to Yokohama to attend the conference the day after earthquake. Honestly I thought I could be relaxed without thinking my disaster room and suffering from aftershocks at 12F of the building, but it was not true. The hotel in front of Yokohama station gave me a room on the 19th floor and the TV says that next big possibility of earthquake in Japan may be in Yokohama or Shizuoka where has a Mt. Fuji!!! Agh............No relaxzation wherever I am.

Any small sounds and shakings by subway or trains scared me now. So many passengers and many cabs at Yokohama station are busy and crossing street. And beautiful lighted up Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo bay can be seen through the big window of my room. But where can I seek for a peace?

Earthquake

As you already know, we had a big earthquake which had a magnitude of 7.0 and damaged buildings and utility supplies, at 10:53 a.m. on Suday here. I was on the ground and just about to get on the lift to go back to my room 12F at that moment. All of a sudden, I felt a big shaking with incredible noisy sound from the bottom of the earth, and the sound was more bigger than one by a train's passing under the ground. There's something pieces falling down from the ceiling. It was really scared and there's no place to hide by myself. I had to run away immediately and to escape from the shaking and chaose entrance hall of my apartment to the outside road. The escape was like a hell under the big sound and earth shaking. We still have several strong aftershocks here.

My room had no space to walk in, but I had to leave them for a while. Because I had a friends' wedding party to attend on that day and had to leave for it in 10 minutes. It was amazing that wedding party was kept going while we're having aftershocks every 20 min. I played the piano and sang two songs for them even in such a situation. We usually have the second party and third party after the wedding party, but all shops and restaurants were closed by this earthquake. so all the other parties were canceled. Anyway it was an unforgettable wedding party.

Now I have a slight PTSD; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, by this earthquake. I have no idea how many and how long people are/have been suffering from PTSD after the big earth quake in the world. The only thing I can say now is that it wouldn't disappear easily.

A Mystery of Japanese Academic Year

Why we start a new term at school in April in Japan? This was a question by Ms.Albury who's a traveller from Britain. Well it's a good question actually. In Japan, the academic year starts in April, and ends in March of the following year. It's not only academic system but also it happens to the office or companies in most of cases. Some says because our traditional. Since when? Some says because we care of each four seasons so much. Plants and animals get to start to live actively in Spring. All right, who decided spring is the best season to start everything?

Japan started Westernizing during the Meiji era (1868-1912). The idea of school system also came from western countries. Until 1872, there's no new term for the reason there's no grade at school. In 1873, at some school (pre Tokyo University) academic year started in September, and ended in July of the following year influenced by western system. After all, most of shool followed this academic calender. Most of professors at university or college were also from western countries in those periods, so it's very convenient for them to come to Japan to teach.

In 1887, high school started in April. Until 1921, in every (primary, junior high, college) school in Japan, academic year starts in April. Why did they change the system??? According to some historical information, it seems there's a reason for the budget fiscal year in our country in March-April. At that time, all the school expenses were controled by government, so it seemed more convenient and reasonable to do the start of work period as well as the budget siscal year in our country. Since then, Cherry blossam season is the best to say good-bye and start new life!

Nowadays, more our country is globalized and internationalized, more people tend to think this system is inconvenient. Many Japanese study abroad and many foriegn students come to Japan as well. In those situation, Japanese academic year doesn't match to other countries' one. (Or I can say their academic year doesn't fit to ours!) Some says this causes a tough situation to students who want to enter a college in overseas or who wants to enter Japanese college. On the other hands, some says it's an advantage to take a break or to prepare for something before they start college life in different country.

I heard Korean academic year starts in March and it starts in January or February in the southern hemisphere. What do you think the best to start academic year?

Music and Friends at I-bar

Recently I'm having sessions playing the piano with James Heneghan. He usually plays his songs with acoustic guitar. Tonight I joined to his live show at International Bar "James In The House" Unfortunately there's no piano so I had to bring a keyboard to play there. Inspite of electronic sound, the songs we played together seemed succeeded.
I-bar is very small and old type of bar, but the staff there and the atomsphere is good and makes you feel at home. So we're very relaxed at playing. It was also nice to see our good friends there. Thank you for all of your coming even it was late night!!! I was so happy to spend the time with you guys!

Fever got a fever -Live Report-

Tonight was the acoustic live show for FEVER feat. James Heneghan and Buck Natural at Sam & Dave. They are all my favorites so I was excited on that day.

Unfortunately a vocalist of FEVER, Havey got a sick and they canceled to sing as a group. Actually he was there and showed up his face to us, but we all undersood he was trying not to make his voice get worse for the next big show at BLUE NOTE!!! Instead of that, a guitalist Shige who's one of fantastic guitarists played and sang a few songs. Some were arranged by the songs that Havey often sings, and sung by Shige's own style, but it was still a great show.

James Heneghan always gives us a strong punch by his songs. Some of his songs are political or radical, as the titles say "WMD" (大量破壊兵器 : Weapon of Mass Destruction), "Hey Hey I'm gay" (though he's not gay at all)....but sometimes he sings out exactly what we want to speak out. His music and melody is also simple and easy to remember, so it comes to your heart touched easily, which is the most difficult in terms of composing music conversely. Do you know "Hata Yoku, a Japanese guitar Samurai"? Some friend said "James is a British guitar Samurai"!!! hahaha that makes sense.

After the knock out by British Samurai, Buck Natural gave us an energy to be recovered by their GENKI songs! Warren (G) and Jon showed a great gig at that night! We wish we could enjoy the slight fever and reverberations more after their show, but many clubbers started invading all of the floor with loud noisy club music as soon as it ends and it completely smoked away. So I had to leave there with smoky smelled cloths.