Arts of All Sorts

Last week allowed me to see much of the modern arts that Tokyo has to offer. There was, of course, the art on the back of our Corn Flakes box (that I have since completed - and I must say that the roaster is looking quite handsome).
During the week Cameron, who runs for Cornell, and I went to Komizawa Park to scout out places to workout and run. The park was pretty impressive (it was used when Tokyo hosted the Olympics). The most exciting part was seeing a group of kids breakdancing in the park. I approached them and tried to ask them to take a picture. Only one of them understood English, and he didn't really know all that much. They were kind of weirded out (as I have been in the past when someone interrupts me when I'm getting my groove on), but I was simply amazed by their dancing abilities. It was neat to see them out there just having a good time. After I got the picture, I thanked them. As I was walking off, one of the boys who didn't know much English proudly used one of his well-rehearsed phrases: "Bye! See you next time!"

I joined the Shihan Moto Kyudo club. It was a type of archery that was created by farmers 400 years ago. It involves shooting a bamboo arrow from a shooting position. The group was really small, and we actually were shooting in a room in the school. Our club leader is really nice, and from the e-mail I think her name is Jennifer Jennifer, but I could be mistaken. Regardless, I was able to get it down the first night and hit the target. I also restrung the bow without injury. But it's not about that stuff; Shihan Moto Kyudo is practiced for its meditative qualities. The only down-side was sitting in that position for extended periods of time.

The next art experienced was karaoke. You pay by the hour and get a room with your group for that time. The room that we got had an interesting invitation printed on the front...You just look up the song you want in a book and punch in the number into the remote, and it automatically cues it on the playlist. It was exactly what one would expect, and a lot of fun.

On Sunday, we hit what I guess one would call "real" modern art. After getting caught in a downpour, we made it to the MOMAT - The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. There were many interesting art works, although I'm not too refined in my artistic tastes. We did get to see an original Picasso.
The above was my favorite piece in the museum. It wasn't even an exhibit, but it was just a really innovative concept. Just goes to show you how cultured I truly am. I didn't think it was possible, but there was actually a piece that was a canvas painted black in a frame. I thought for a moment that perhaps there was a fading effect with different shades of black, and that there was more to it than first met the eye. Upon further inspection, I realized that this wasn't the case. My first impression was correct - it was just all black.

After MOMAT, we headed to the Imperial Palace. You can only enter on two days of the year, and it just so happened that we came on one of the 363 that nobody is admitted. I got some pictures from afar. The place is guarded by a moat and looks immaculately manicured from where we stood.

Afterwards, we took the subway back to Jiyugaoka (the ward in which we live). We got dinner at a sushi-go-round. I thought I would include a picture of what I ate because it was certainly interesting. The plates are color-coded, and each color indicates a different price. The one on the right was more expensive, and I believe it was octopus. When I saw the one on the left, I knew that I had to try it. The taste was ... distinct. I'm not sure what it was. All that I know is that those little white things on top were fish, with a healthy topping of garlic.
Dinner ended and we headed to the 100 yen shop, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to visit. For some reason, they have American top 40 blasting, and it definitely is a money-saver. The place is much nicer than dollar stores back home. It has a very Pier-1 feel to it, and, just like in the States, there are a wide variety of products to be purchased. I took a picture of one of the shopping bags for sale; if anyone can tell me what exactly this means, there's a hefty share of Japanese yen with your name on it.
This past weekend allowed for a lot of good times, and the coming weekend promises even more.