a couple videos

Here is Konayuki ("Powdered Snow") live by Remioromen. One of my schools sang me this song at my farewell assembly. I cried.



And here is a new Bobby Mcferrin video with a song from his new album Vocabularies. Certain parts of this song give me goosebumps.

Last week

Here I am sweeping the doorway to the tiny temple dedicated to the holy camphor tree and medicine buddha, Yakushi-nyorai. I want to live here.

There is Peter beneath Matsuyama Castle.

One last look at my shrine.

Sorry I haven't posted anything recently--been so busy finishing work and moving out of my place. I don't know where to start! (Family trauma aside),

I went camping by the Kamo River with Pat, owner of Club Belinnis where I painted the mural, for three days and he provided a hip-hop rave party, bar and coffee...I spent time with great friends and witnessed childish sexuality...

Junya came up from Tokushima to give us a curry party! pure love and affection.





Here are a few commissions I worked on till the last day. They aren't finished, but what can I do?--Sell them as is and pray for the best.

Paintings usually don't ever "finish"though anyway--They just pause at interesting places and then have a life of their own. I hope they work.

I saw the new Ghibli! The Borrower Arritetty. As expected...beautiful, subtle, creative, mature, memorable. I'll write more about it later.

Then Peter and Abigail visited and everything

came alive!!!

What beautiful, glowing, friendly people! I took these Kansans all over my town. It was a hot, sunny day. Ikku Shrine with the 1000 year-old camphor totoro trees,
the river and holy tree with Tasuku,

Emily's preschool, we met some of her kids--heaven on earth. We also went to 4 hours of karaoke!
I finished my teaching work, gave my goodbye speech at some of the schools about the Japanese proverb "Ten People, Ten Colors," cried in front of all the kids, thanked them for teaching me, took lots of pictures and got presents and flowers....

Here is Peter at the tree. What a great tree.

Tokyo Story

I first visited Daifuku in Osaka for one last dinner together. Daifuku gave me the traditionalOmiyage gift to give to Satoru, even though he has never even met him, because Satoru will be taking care of me in Tokyo...I love it.

And here he is! Satoru!!! This boy took good care of me all weekend.

We spent all day Saturday visiting galleries. I got to see most of my favorite contemporary Japanese painters.

Aida Makoto

Art sometimes acts as a spotlight onto the diseased parts of culture, in this case the terrifying objectification of young girls in Japan. He often depicts girls as food, smiling and giggling as they are being destroyed. . . this is a big painting, and the detail is magnificent; each one of those girls is beautifully drawn..

Tenmyouya Hisashi

Machida Kumi

Yoyogi park.
Yoyogi park was having a hippy flee market... look at her hair! real?

And it's right next to Harajuku station, where all the kids dress up and parade around showing off their kickass fashion.
a couple visual-K guys.
harajuku
Here is Kazu talking to his bird, "Bird".
I jammed with some beat-boxers at Yoyogi park.
And i got to finally see a crystal ball guy...Yoyogi park is the best. Ensembles play through the park, so walking around is like listening to a live album, for free! and there are performers who get to shine, and artists, and sports, and...everything.

This beautiful couple was fighting on the train.
We ate dinner with Nic and Namiko, who are getting married next weekend! Yoshi (far right) met us there. It was so great seeing him again.

We met Kazu at this fishing park next to the station. This place was so interesting. pools were filled with carp, and tiny polls were used to catch them. You pay by the hour, and then weigh your catch at the end for points. Hey, even people in the big city need to fish....

Satoru took me to one of his friend's bar, and there we met some traveler's from Spain. We got along very well, spent most of the time talking about Kukai and Yukio Mishima. They invited me to stay with them at their place in Spain!!!

Finished