Bunraku, Lasting Youth, and Tiredness

Today I was lucky enough to see my first Bunraku performance in the village of Seiwa. These dolls are held by people dressed entirely in black, including a black hood that covers each puppetmaster's entire head. I found it an interesting metaphor for society in that the characters of the play are not only completely designed by people but they are also almost completely operated by them. I say almost because they seem to be able to take a life of their own after they have been created. Also, with so many people affecting their incarnation on stage, they may as well be alive.

Above: one of the puppeteers showing off her Bunraku doll after the dramatic performance.

I had a surreal day travelling around the Aso countryside and beyond into Yamato-cho. I even went into a "Tunnel Park," a defunct train tunnel in the middle of a beautiful mountain village (Takamori-machi) that was converted into a kind of amusement park. Right now the tunnel is decorated with countless Christmas trees that hang from the cylindrical tunnel's roof above the flowing spring water where the train tracks would have been.

All the while I was with my supervisor, Yuusuke Nakamura, a delightful human being. We even saw these incredible statues crafted with cedar bark and barley/rice stocks, among other things. Then I went to a sake factory and got to have some free samples...



I wanted to write something today about aging in Japanese culture. Everyone seems to age more slowly here. But I don't necessarily mean that on the level of appearance. I mean that they their outlook and their state of mind seem to age more slowly than anywhere I have ever lived. I cannot fully describe here my evidence for this. It seems that parents let their kids have a long, unrushed childhood in order that they will later provide for them and maybe even live in the house with them as they age. Parents seem to be less over-bearing as they perhaps recognize that treating their children with respect will be most important in helping their children fulfill their duties to them in the future. Filial piety is certainly a very important part of Japanese culture. I would try to say more about my observations of the families here but I am afraid that the simple fact of conditions changing due to them being observed (by a foreigner, no less) probably discount many of my obervations. Everyone knows that families behave a little better when a guest is in the house.


I, myself, am very tired. I could try to elaborate on other topics of interest. Perhaps on technology or the paradoxes of human relationships, but I am afraid that my efforts would be fruitless or, at least, absurd at best. A tired mind does not function very well. That's why we must sleep.

But since I am not asleep yet... I will take this opportunity to say that I made a new friend, a golden retriever outside of this amazing chicken barbecue restaurant (the most divine smell that I a chicken-lover could find). I am always impressed with the heart of these dogs. How do they do it? How are they so friendly and so kind? Certainly humans fall short. Then again, I am not talking about all breeds of dogs (and cats for that matter, those wonderful beasts). But is there something hidden in their affection to us? Is it the recognition that if we were to come between them and their well-being that they would no longer tolerate us, that we would become strangers, or worse? Does this not bear true in most mammalian relationships? The interesting concept of altruism must also contain completely self-interested acts. For obviously, if the self does not take care (of itself) then all selves, the whole, could perish all too soon.