Michael J Downey's Blog

I wake up this morning early, as I have been lately. And in contrast to the fog outside, I’m feeling clear. Focused. Calm – almost too calm, considering I’m about to leave for this, my 9^th trip to Japan.The change in me is welcome – all too often lately it’s been me who’s feeling foggy inside amidst the clarity out there. Part of it may be the relatively “unscripted” nature of this trip compared to previous ones. In fact, this will be the first trip since my first in 2004 that I won’t be performing live. I’ll be speaking at an international music conference in Osaka, and  my Non-profit organization – hashi.org– will have a booth at the trade show there.

 ..But other than that, it will be six days of great friends, special places,  and completely recharging my inner batteries. For some people, lying on a beach on a tropical island does that. This trip, I’ll be in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo for 2 days each – traveling on that magic carpet known as the shinkansen (bullet train) between them.

I pull into San Francisco Intl.Airport with plenty of time to spare, and find the only parking space left on the ground floor. Hmmm, this space has a “portal.” And it leads directly to another world – via the elevators…

As I take my seat in 22H, we appear to be on time, yet, as the plane taxis out to the runway, the pilot comes on the speaker saying we had to return to the gate because of a luggage mixup. Ah shigata ga nai, as they say in Japan – “it can’t be helped.”  The 11-hour flight was made more bearable by a friendly denizen of San Francisco sitting next to me, and the remainder of the Haruki Murakami book I’ve been reading – Kafka on the Shore.

I’m looking forward to meeting my friend-Japanese teacher-and hashi.org employee at Osaka airport, but after I get through customs find that she hasn’t arrived. It’s a beautiful airport, but one that I’m not familiar with, and for a gaijin (foreigner) like me, even with modest Japanese-speaking ability, it’s no small feat to purchase tickets and get on the correct train into Osaka…

I rented a cell phone at the airport, and get in touch with my best friend Hiro, and eventually, Atusko. We all agree to meet up tomorrow at the conference.

DAY 2- THE CONFERENCE

Walking into the Conference this morning, they made me feel quite welcome, and as I walked through the meet-and-greet room, could here whispers, in Japanese accents, “ that’s Ma-i-kel J Da-u-ney” as if I was some celebrity or something. If they only knew. But I find it extremely easy to reach out my hand and meet many new friends this morning.

Atusko arrives, and we set up the hashi.org booth,
 and immediately start spreading the word about my non-profit organization - which seeks to further cultural exchange by giving scholarships and guiding people towards these opportunities on our website.
 
I duck out with Hiro and his musical partner, Sola, for a welcome return to delicious Japanese food for lunch – ah…the real thing!
 Hiro was my first and best friend in Japan, and helped me set up my first tour back in early 2005, and we’ve done many shows together since, had a lot of fun, and he’s been such a gracious host with my band and I.

The conference itself was organized extremely well, and I’ve met people from all over the world – Austrailia, New Zealand, England, Cleveland!...and from all over the United States and Japan. The panel I’m speaking on starts around 3pm, and goes over an hour. With about 150 people in attendance, we talk about the music scene in Japan, how to set up tours and get people to our shows, and the importance of the “relationship” in Japan..

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I talk about the personal reasons I come here to play and the ability we all have as musicians to use what we can do in an effort to ‘bridge’ between cultures - that this universal language has the ability to reach out around the world and make friends – between people and between countries. 
 At the end of the day, we go out and meet up with Hiro and Sola, who are playing a show about 10 minutes from the hotel. Before the show, we enjoy some unbelievable soba and ‘yuba’. (a delicacy from Kyoto – sounds awful, but it’s like a congealed, skimmed part of tofu) Oh man, soooo good. Smooth as silk. Then, they do a really moving set, and I’m awash in both good and melancholy memories. I’m reminded of a popular book by a writer here called “Beauty and Sadness” and the warm, touching, unique way that Japanese can embrace these two simultaneously.
 There’s quite a few musicians and other people from the convention there, so it turns out to be a really festive evening. And for the time being, jet lag has not gotten its hooks in me yet…

DAY 3 - TO KYOTO
After a couple of hours at the Convention Center - meeting, greeting, bowing, and shaking hands, I head to the train station. At a friend's recommendation, I forego the swift, smooth Shinkansen, and opt for the more traditional Keihan line. It's slower, and more "like a train" but the opportunity to take in the sights as I pass worth it. I see so many beautiful, Japanese gardens in people's little backyards - it puts my sorry attempt back home to shame. But I get lots of good ideas... Plus, the 45-minute train ride is only about 4 bucks!
After arriving in Kyoto, I hook up with my long-time friend and band supporter - Satomi. We meet for coffee, exchange gifts, and set out on a stroll. You know, in the town I live in - Santa Cruz - we have a beautiful river that runs next to downtown just like Kyoto.

 But unlike Kyoto, where folks stroll, and relax along its peaceful riverbanks, the Santa Cruz river is closed to mere mortals, yet somehow the homeless population carries out their activities with impunity... 
But I'm here. Now. 

 Eventually we head to a traditional (kaiseki-style) restaurant next to a creek and awesome Japanese garden, where I've been before, and almost always return to when I'm here. 
After a lovely dinner, a stroll in the garden makes it complete. 
                                   
Hard to believe all this co-exists with the bustling, humming nightlife of Kyoto. It's a late summer evening, and the weather is perfect. And so is this return to my epicenter of the "real Japan"...

 

DAY 4 – ....KYOTO....

Finally, a good night’s sleep. Waking up at ..6:30.., rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I open the curtains to a flood of golden sunlight coming from just above the mountains to the east. And as my morning unfolded, I experienced that same “flood” of culture and spirit again and again throughout the day.

 At least once, each trip, I have to go down to the river banks of the Kamogawa and wash my hands – in a practical and symbolic kind of way. From there, I meander the streets in the general direction of my favorite temple – Chion-in. There is always an overwhelming feeling when I sit on the tatami mats and offer incense in the main hall or “hondo” and this day was no exception. It’s “Silver Week” in ....Japan.... – a 5-day holiday – and the streets, trains, and popular temples are bustling with people.
                          I take in a 1-hour service at the temple as monks file in, chanting, followed by ever-more colorfully robed monks until the obvious leader, the last in line, makes his way into the room. It seems that while the chanting and instrument are playing, they are taking “prayer requests” from the masses of people in attendance – praying for their children, or success in business, or an ailing loved one…..B..eautiful.

Later, I meet my friend Tomoko, who I’ve known for over 3 years now. She works as a tourguide, much to my delight, but moreover, a delightful friend. We start out our day as we have before, at a noodle shop for a delicious lunch, and with no particular plans, make our way to, in her words, the most famous tea-shop in ....Kyoto..... This should be good…

 And it doesn’t disappoint. We make our way to the “tasting counter” and as luck would have it, a girl whose mother she’s know for decades is working there. We taste the very high-end, special powdered tea called “macha” and I’m weak in the knees at its robust power and flavor. Then, my favorite – houji cha – or roasted green tea. And theirs truly is the best. I buy a stash of both to keep me tided over until my next trip

                                     Then it’s over to the hustle-bustle of Nishiki Market – a kind of  semi-open-air market with a roof but open-air at its ends and intersections, where every kind of traditional Japanese food, tea, clothing, etc. can be found. And again, I stock up for the coming year…

At night, Tomoko has made reservations at one of the most exclusive traditional-style Japanese restaurants that serve in the “omikase”-style – loosely translated as “chef’s choice.” It was a 2-hour non-stop feast with small dishes of what would more aptly be described as “art” rather than food. The sake served was from a local brewery so exclusive there is no ‘brand-name’ – it’s only sold to restaurants. And it goes down like golden sunlight – with a ‘kick” – it’s 17% alcohol (sake is usually around 14%). I notice the difference…J. The weather on this trip has been fabulous – around 80 in the day, and 70 at night. Perfect strolling weather. And we stroll our way into the Kyoto evening.

DAY 5 –  TO ....TOKYO....

After a relaxed morning, I make my way to Kyoto’s train station, buy a “Shinkansen” ticket and board this bullet-train just after noon. The smooth, 2 ½ hour ride gives me time to catch my breath, to take in and digest all that I’m experiencing.

 Time for a bento lunch, a little reading, and time enough to watch the tightly-packed cities wisk by as the stately, green rolling hills in the distance move by more slowly – as if relatively impervious to the passage of time.

I get to my hotel – the Shinjuku Prince Hotel – around 4 and, once again (but in a very different way) feel like I’ve come home to familiar territory – ultra-modern hi-end, surrounded by the  flashing-lights and bustling streets of the hurly-burly Kabuki-Cho area of Shinuku, where the hum of human beings in search of entertainment, distraction, or oblivion is palpable.    Since I’m not doing any live shows this trip, it seemed the best way to see some of my ....Tokyo.... friends all in one place was to throw a little party. My room in Shinjuku on the 22^nd floor overlooks most of Tokyo, and is big enough to accommodate the festivities. Among them, Nancy and Shotaro – Nancy asked me to write some English lyrics last year and I sent them to her, and she wrote a beautiful song from them.
 We got a chance to play the song together tonight. Man, that’s the essence of what I love about this – a real, human connection, half a world away, that comes together in a moment like this. Again, my friend Hiro, and Neil Young-loving friend – Okano – are there as well as others…