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What I'll do in the US

I’m writing today’s entry (but going to upload later) at a café Adagio near by the downtown bus station. This is one of my favorite places, so I come by here almost every weekday after classes, enjoy a coffee and study a little until the time bus leaves. In spite of much snow, I came here today too, for a nice coffee.
When I came here two weeks ago, I met to a performance of a band composed by six elderly musicians playing the guitar, zither, percussion, wood bass and violin. They played country music like pieces with taking vocal parts in turn. They weren’t necessarily virtuoso players, but their performance, rather their ordinariness impressed me particularly in a different way from that other audiences felt.
I wrote it was country music they played before, though, it can’t be defined easily like categories of CD section. Also, they must not have intended to play “country music” at all, which I supposed as an American music. While they enjoy playing that, audiences naturally expect that too. They just shared their music which penetrated in their blood: that is nothing less than their legacy. As well as Buenos Aires where Tango was born, a significant current of fine arts is born in nation of immigrants. Only people starving their identities manage to acquire their original styles. Those styles have a simple and universal power that even impresses a foreigner such as me.
I mortally jealous them, but their music are just for them. In Japan, we don’t have such the way for expression. Because of long peaceful history, Japanese culture didn’t either stand against or confront American cultural influences, instead took in it in the particular way. I always wonder what our culture gained and what we lost in this crucial turning point of history.
This entry is a sort of reflection or another side of my last essay in class in which I mentioned the recent pop culture without conflicts over national identities. In fact, as I’ll approach to something universal in this way as a musician. I will never hesitate to be conscious of differences and even conflicts: only those tensions must finally lead me to find a new style of expression that represents my, our identities. This is my way... as an independent nationalist.

A Couple of Bach

Everyone who has learned music in school must have at least heard his name. J.S. Bach is one of the greatest composers in the history of classic music. Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms must have been genius and significant composers in the development of western music, so their works attained definite positions in the genealogy of classic music. Most classical musicians have been trying to recreate those ideal sounds. On the other hand, Bach’s works are still living on the cutting edge despite the fact that he flourished in the 16th century. Even now, many musicians in rock, jazz and other genres are influenced directly by Bach rather than by an entire classic music. Astor Piazzolla often made pieces with fugato form after converting from classic music composer to Tango composer.

Anyway, there are a couple impressive performances I listened to in Bellingham.

One day, because it was nice weather, I thought I would go to play the viola around the bridge along shoreline near Fareheaven. After getting off the bus, when I was walking toward shoreline in the town, I heard baroque music like phrases from somewhere. A middle age black man was playing the melodica on a bench at the corner of a flower shop. Once he noticed I had a stringed instrument, he asked me to play together. In fact, he had played just one part in “Inventions (for two voices)” at that time. We shared two parts, picked up some pieces from his score (“Invention” consists of 16 pieces) and enjoyed playing them together until getting dark. I heard he was a jazz pianist and often played on street when there was no concert at night.

http://www.ericvaughnjazz.com/

Another opportunity I heard Bach on street is when I was walking in downtown. In front of the post office, a young man played a flute sonata with the recorder. Not only his performance, but I had never seen such the man, who were fully-tattooed, whose fashion looked like hippy and played Bach’s works with the recorder in front of the post office. I just enjoyed his playing without any questions, so the secret made his performance more attractive.

http://www.oto-no-mori.com/ney/Postoffice.mp3

I never say that playing Bach on street is important. Those independent musicians, who aren’t chained to a particular genre or style, are naturally motivated to play Bach’s works. They aren’t expected to learn Bach’s works as well as music students (they rarely play outside of school.) On the other hand, I can’t imagine those musicians play Beethoven or Brahms although they are doubtlessly great composers. (They might play “Hungarian Dance” or “To Joy from the 9th symphony,” but those are still just “Hungarian Dance” or “To Joy” rather than a Brahms’s work or a Beethoven’s work.)

Since the beginning of this year, I started to play Bach’s cello sonata No.1. That is suit for any situations, alone, in front of audiences, on street or under the quiet shade of a tree. Also, that is a much depthful piece enough to be lifelong piece for me as well as that some people decide “Faust” as the lifelong book.

Personal Nationalism

More then 60 years passed after the WWII. There is no day for me without a strong feeling; I’m now living in the country that defeated my country before even if they regard me just as from a part of Orient. I, of course, don’t feel hostile them at all, but it is important for me never to forget this tension.

Let’s say that our ground fathers who fought in the WW are the 1st generation, so our parents who were born after the war are the 2nd generation. They were mirror images of the pre-war 1st generation. In fact, my father used to be a left-wing campus activist and to be arrested sometimes. That might be a represent of his nationalism. On the other hand, the 2nd generation realized the rapid economic growth of Japan. As Japan loaned to America, the value of the yen was getting equal with of the dollar. While they finally obtained wealthy lives in 70’s, Japan seemed to overcome the inferiority complex about America. (At least, economically. Actually, there have been some influences of America, but I’ll mention another in the next week.) The tension of view to America has almost lost. For Japanese, America is no longer a living object but merely a fixed literature though nothing except economic situation has changed, in fact. So, how about us, the 3rd generation?

In Japan, nationalist originally means someone who insists on the maintenance of emperor system until the end of the cold war. However, there still are few possibilities that the emperor system will be exposed to threat. Many people gather without so important reason, make organizations and conflict with left-wing organizations probably in order to their new identity. Also, at the last erection, an extreme right-wing party unexpectedly was supported slightly mainly by young people in spite of its unrealistic policy. As well as recent France and some other countries, that absorbed the sense of frustration over societies. Of course, I’m not interested in those activities and people at all. In fact, politically, I’m rather an anarchist than conservative; I basically hate old vested interests which are established by the 2nd generation people, and hate the 3rd generation people who pursue to get a piece of the act.

Just the sense of boarder which I feel between I and Americans caused my nationalism. I found out this strong feeling once I was among Americans. Compared with people from other countries, Japanese apparently tend to prefer assimilate to another culture. Due to the long history of nationality, though they behave like Americans, they keep something like the root of nationality. They aren’t conscious of it, but they trust it much; it is artfully hidden. Therefore, some of them who wanted to become true Americans often are troubled by it.

I don’t hesitate to show my personal nationalism because I’m enough proud of my grandfathers not to have to share with someone. So, I appreciate any Americans or foreigners who show me their own pride. I must prove my grandfathers were brave. I must share respect to Americans as a descendant of respectable soldiers. This is my way, Tough Communication.

Tough Love

Today, I watched “Buddha’s Lost Children.” This is a documentary film which focuses on a middle age, ex-kick boxer Buddhist. The location is near the border between Thai and Burma in which drug smuggling infests. After he stopped his career as a kick boxer, he began to teach Buddhism, kick boxing (Thai boxing) and the skill to ride on a horse to orphans or children from poor. They live together in an orphanage, study together and often travel to gather donation. Not only to children but to soldiers who protect the border and villagers, he behaves like their father rather than merely a leader. He doesn’t hesitate often to beat children and says “the love I give you is tough love.”

I noticed that I have always been starving and appreciated it. A man who can give tough love are responsible for himself which is far from domestic violence or hysteria. My grandfathers are ex-soldier in WWII. Especially one of them was Kamikaze pilot (fortunately, the war finished before he actually board). Although they often talked about war as a story, they never talked like serious confessions or relied on listeners’ sympathy (sorry, it must not make sense…). I feel particular respect on them. On the other hand, in my father’s generation, men born post-war might relatively be sophisticated and gentle. They completely denied pre-war values. They stood on the same level of eye line as their son, often sympathize and identified. My internal imperative was given by grand fathers while I don’t doubt my father’s love. I’m in the 3rd generation through the WWII and even living in the US my grand fathers fought against. I’ll talk about my nationalism next week.

College, Education and Soseki Natsume

No one can objet the fact Glenn Gould isn’t only one of the genius pianists but also one of the greatest artists. He mentioned, as the master piece in 20 century, “The Magic Mountain” by Thomas Mann and “The Three-Cornered World” by Soseki Natsume; that original title “Kusa-makura” means “the pillow of grass.” In that work, I was much impressed by the tranquillo atmosphere same as Haiku caused by completely abandoning obsessions, which he considered as the result of relationships. However, about 10 years ago, Ministry of Education in Japan decided a new policy that they would gradually replace his works in official text books, such as “Kokoro,” by pieces written by today’s novelists. As well the works of another great writer Ogai Mori, such as “The Dancing Doll,” has disappeared in text books.

Most international students in the US intent to major in business or computer major. Also, broachers of universities focus on achievements of business or computer area. The reason why 20 years old or thereabout boys and girls decide to major in business or computer, of course, is gain a high payment job to survive in the jungle of business. On the other hand, I was thinking major in music or philosophy. In fact, I didn’t have to be worried about it because many universities no longer have philosophy major. At last, I decided to major in music and minor in philosophy or religious study.

Once before, literature department was taking a larger part in colleges, and students used to philosophize and discuss about politics, society, civilization and other abstract issues as well as ancient Greece used to do; afterwards, they took important positions in governments and each industry. Colleges used to be considered the place in which young people sought for their individual answers to their interests. I often see a discussion about college in a magazine or newspaper, but the contents of those discussions mainly are whether or not increasing tuition would bring students more profit than the tuition. The worth of college education can be replaced by value. Now, a lot more high students are given chances to advance to college than once before. However, is the significance of college still consistent? Can we really say that higher education have spread a lot of people?

After Soseki returned from London where he went to study abroad in 19C and ended up in failure, he pointed out contradictions of modern age by describing people struggling in the modern society. Despite the fact no one has not found out a clear answer to get over it, his legacy are likely to be thrown into the past. Most young people glow up while they don’t meet opportunities to be interested in those questions, so they even aren’t going to have to seek for answers.

Flood of information forces us to manage to control it, and science has been regarded absolutely as only truth. In spite of the technology, we are rather getting busier to survive in the modern society. What have the progress of civilization brought us?

Atomic Bomb

On July, Defense Minister, Kyuma was forced to resign for a slip; he said in an address at a university, “I now have come to accept in my mind that in order to end the war, it could not be helped that an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and that countless numbers of people suffered great tragedy."　His resignation finally resulted in a big reason of general resignation of the Abe cabinet in September.

This was an interested incident which represented a few particular aspects of Japan. On the other hand, I wonder if the foreign press exactly understood how significant this was. In my view, most Japanese citizen privately agrees with Kyuma and feels the atomic bombing partly is inevitable as he said (except for people actually influenced by atomic bombing). Also, we feel others think in the same way, so we share a kind of consensus. However, he confused that “private consensus” with the “public consensus.” The atomic bomb is never accepted publicly even if most we accept it by each privately. Therefore, it could be a misunderstanding, in spite of his resignation, that Japanese never accept the atomic bombing.

It is a particular tendency of Japanese culture to separate private consensus and public consensus, but that isn’t the main topics now (You can see a more explanation in “The Anatomy of Self” written by Takeo Doi).

Anyway, most Japanese actually understand what Kyuma said; if the war had been more protracted, Japan might have been divided by Soviet Union as well as Berlin. Moreover, this probably is the biggest reason; we suppose if Japan had been in the US’s situation, we still must have decided to use the atomic bomb. On the other hand, when Korea and China forcefully demand an apology for the damage during the war, Japan always is embarrassed. The reason is just that those invasions are “inevitable” in order to protect its interest from the influences of European imperialism at that time. Japan expects them to behave in the same way as that we behave toward the US. As long as you don’t understand this particular tendency of Japanese, you can’t exactly understand several conflicts concerned with Japan.

It isn’t clearly distinguished between my own stance and other’s stances under this tendency. While one sympathizes with other’s stance, the other is expected to understand one’s stance in order to share each other’s stance. In such the relationships, the idea of “responsibility” is no longer necessary. I think this is a great Buddhist thought, which can be developed in an Island country with relatively peaceful long history.