January 27, 2008

Tokyo (JAPAN)

The Hara Modern Art Museum, Japanese Pasta (?), and Beef Nachos for the Sumo Finale

Ever since arriving in Japan last September I have intended to visit the Hara Modern Art Museum, which is only 100 meters from my home in Gotenyama. Until today, various activities have always managed to get in the way. (Or perhaps it comes down to sheer laziness.) So, after a breakfast of fresh French croissants from Paul, Kumagai-san and I made the three minute walk to the museum, passing through the unassuming gateway I have strolled by dozens of times, and into the quiet modern estate-turned-museum complex.

The history of the museum itself is interesting enough to warrant an explanation. It was first founded by the Japanese businessman-turned-art-lover, Hara Toshio, in 1979 as the first Japanese museum to focus on post-1950 art (after World War II.) He converted the western-style home his grandfather built in the 1930s, and has thus also preserved on of the few examples of 1930s modern architecture in Japan. Next time I visit I will be sure to take more photos of the building because it is quite attractive.

As for the exhibitions, well, who doesn't love modern art? By being the most difficult to understand it actually becomes the easiest: everything is subjective and people are free to see what they want to see. Whenever I don't understand what the hell the artist is trying to say, I can simply smile, mutter banalities like, "Moving!" or "Creative!" and I blend right in.

Photographs were off-limits inside the museum, but the exhibitions covered a variety of media: painting, graphics, sculpture, mobile art, kinetic art, performance, installations, photography, and multimedia. Most interesting was a small, golf ball-sized screen in the wooden floor of a gallery walkway that ran video of a naked woman pleading - screaming in fact - to be released from her torment. It was kind of like we just happened to catch a glimpse down into hell through this small crack in the floor, and in one of the most unexpected places. (Maybe I do understand modern art, after all!)

Another interesting exhibit was more hands-on, and involved an over-sized couch and remote control along with a normal size television screen. To understand the scale, imagine a dog climbing onto the living room couch, and that is what we humans were like on this mammoth creation. The remote alone must have weighed 5 kg (10 lbs), and with 20 or so channels to choose from I did something I never would have imagined at an art museum: sit on a couch and watch television. (The "point" of this one was clearly to highlight the difference in scale.)

Afterward, we decided to complete a mini-walking tour of "Old Shinagawa" as we headed off for an Italian restaurant near Shinagawa Station. The big attraction of the walk was a shrine dedicated to a whale that washed up on the shores of Tokyo back in the 17th century. This was understandably a big deal at the time, and today there stands a park near the whale's tomb - this area was also featured in this month's "Tokyo Living" magazine.

We ate lunch at an Italian restaurant inside Shinagawa Station - meaning we had to pay 140 yen just to reach the restaurant - but competing with the weekend crowds at good restaurants is never easy in Tokyo. Besides several appetizers of fried calamari, oysters, and vegetables, I ordered a plate of Japanese-style Italian pasta. Before today, I never would have guessed that cracking a raw egg over my pasta would taste so good, but when coupled with more of a tomato paste than a tomato sauce (as was the case), the result is worth trying if the opportunity ever presents itself (which is doubtful.)

Since it was already 3pm, I decided against going out to a bar with several American friends, and instead talked Kumagai-san into making beef nachos for the sumo-finale later this evening. I invited Neil over to watch the televised event, and although he isn't anywhere near as crazy about sumo wrestling as me, the idea of Mexican food made the one-hour train ride worthwhile. (As a small side note, it is worth pointing out that nachos are an American invention. I often struggle to think of truly American dishes, but I am proud to say this is one of them! Can anyone confirm that jambalaya is another?)

Although this was the first time Kumagai-san has ever cooked nachos, I don't think there is a Mexican-food lover out there who isn't salivating right now. (Freshly ground guacamole, spiced beef, freshly baked tortilla chips, a hint of Tabasco hot sauce, home-made salsa, melted cheese, sour cream with a dash of mayonaise, and thin strips of lettuce. Mmm, mmm, good)!

As for the sumo tournament, it fully lived up to expectations, and although I wasn't at the Ryogoku arena, the televised event was every bit as exciting. Both the yokozuna from the East, Hakuho, and the yokozuna from the West, Asashoryu, possessed a record of 12-1, and the winner of tonight's head-to-head match would become the undisputed champion until March. The video below shows the match...

Hakuho, the more honorable and noble of the two, starts on the left, with Asashoryu, the arrogant yet historical champion on the right...