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check out the diary on
September 1-15 | September 16-30 | October 1-15 | October 16th - November 4th
read the personal diary by:
Tjerk | Merlijn

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Diary: October 16th - November 4th

October 16th 2001
Merlijn and Tjerk visit a tea ceremony in the culture centre of the neighboring Tabira. Next Tjerk has a nichibu dance lesson with Kitani-sensei and a karate lesson. At night Merlijn enjoys a rehearsal of koto and shamisen at the house of Machida-san.

October 17th 2001
Tjerk visits a Kagura performance in the open air, in between the rice fields. Next he is invited to join a creativity project using card-board on the Hirado elementary school. In the morning Merlijn presents a music workshop at the Tabira-kita elementary school. Next he visits the Hirado Music School. From 16:00 Tjerk and Merlijn visit the Yûkôji temple for a Za-zen lesson with the monk Tsuchiya-san. At night Tjerk has a rehearsal with the Hiradoshi-man theatre group.

October 18th 2001
Tjerk presents a theatre workshop at the Hirado elementary school. Merlijn, also at the Hirado elementary school, does two composition workshops and enjoys lunch, just like Tjerk, together with the students. After, Merlijn and Tjerk the Yûkôkan highschool to watch the Japanese performances of Rakugo (story telling) and Bunraku (puppet theatre). At night, Merlijn joins rehearsals of the shakuhachi club Chikuyû-kai and the Jagatara chorus group and Tjerk has his sixth karate lesson with Matsumoto-sensei.

October 19th 2001
Today, once more, Merlijn presents two composition workshops at the Hirado elementary school. In the evening he visits the amateur lute player Momoeda-san in Tabira. Tjerk has his second theatre workshop at the Hirado elementary school. After, he has his nichibu dance lesson, and another theatre workshop at the Yûkôkan highschool and at night a rehearsal with the theatre group Hiradoshi-man.

October 20th 2001
Merlijn has a rehearsal with Kadoya-san (shakuhachi) and Gôno-san (koto). At noon, he visits the Kômyoji temple for a short promotion performance for October 27th. Later he does a jam-session together with Tjerk (drums), Emiri (bass koto), Machida-san (flute), Kadoya-san (shakuhachi) at the restaurant Haretari-Kumotari in Hirado. Tjerk travels to Tabira for a Shiatsu massage. Next, he is a guest at the card-board workshop at the Hirado elementary school, where he is dressed up as a robot.

October 21st 2001
Today there is a big flea market organised by the Caron project (who strives for the reconstruction of the former Dutch factory in Hirado). Merlijn has another workshop with the Hirado music ensemble Wind-Ago. Later, Merlijn and Tjerk are invited for the dinner at the house of journalist Mayumi-san.

October 22nd 2001
Tjerk presents his third theatre workshop at the Hirado elementary school for 34 six-years old students (translation by Oseki Eiko-san). Merlijn does a composition workshop at the Nakatsura elementary school. At night, Merlijn and Tjerk, accompanied by several friends, visit a Karaoke-cabin.

October 23rd 2001
After a lunch at the ocean-side with Mayumi Mayumi-san, Tjerk has a next nichibu dance lesson and at night a karate lesson. Merlijn enjoys a Shiatsu massage in the morning. At night he does a viola recital at the Fukuda sake-factory in Tsuyoshi (southern Hirado island). Fukuda Motoko-san, the daughter of the owner of the sake-factory, accompanies him on the piano.

October 24th 2001
Tjerk does his fourth theatre workshop at the Hirado elementary school for 34 eleven-years old students (translation by Oseki Eiko-san). Next, Merlijn and Tjerk have a meeting with teachers of the Tasuke elementary school, where they will present a workshop later this month. Then, Tjerk has to try his costume (black silk kimono with hakama) for his nichibu dance performance on November 3rd. At night, Merlijn does a violin class at the Hirado Music School and Tjerk has a party with his karate friends at the house of their teacher Matsumoto-san.

October 25th 2001
Today, the traditional Kunchi Festival is celebrated in Hirado with various ritual parades and ceremonies. In the evening, Merlijn visits the rehearsal of the Jagatara chorus and Tjerk has another karate lesson.

October 26th 2001
Merlijn and Tjerk watch a Kagura performance (traditional ritual dance) at the Kameoka shrine. Later, Tjerk has a nichibu lesson and a second workshop with the theatre club of the Yûkôkan highschool. At night, Merlijn presents a viola mini-concert at the Healing Centre in Tsuyoshi (south Hirado) accompanied by Fukuda Motoko (piano) and Machida Masayuki (flute). Tjerk visits the rehearsal of the Hiradoshi-man theatre group.

October 27th 2001
Tjerk is preparing for his November 3rd performance. Merlijn visits shakuhachi player Kadoya-san. Next he rehearses with koto player Gôno-san on the piece Hana-Fubuki. At night is the final viola concert at the Kômyôji temple in Hirado. Other performers are Gôno-san, Kadoya-san and the pianist Fukuda-san. On the program are pieces by Bach, Grieg, Fauré, Henrik Andriessen, Merlijn's compositions and improvisations and Japanese music. The concert was combined with a lecture concerning historical buildings in Hirado by professor Nishi Kazuo of the Kanagawa University.

October 28th 2001
Tjerk watches some Kendo tournament in Himosashi and enjoys some horse-riding at the Sea View Ranch. Merlijn is invited bij the major of Tabira to listen his recorder concert at the Tabira Cultural Festival. Later he does an improvisation workshop with the ensemble Wind-Ago.

October 29th 2001
Today - after 4 weeks of living in Hirado island - Merlijn and Tjerk visit Nagasaki-city (about 4 hours by train). they are guided around the city by Machida Yoriko-san and visit the Peace Park, the Atomic-bomb Memorial Museum and the Chinese temple Kôfuku-ji, where they are invited by the monk Matsuo Hôdô-san to have dinner and to stay for the night.

October 30th 2001
Tjerk and Merlijn return to Hirado by train. During the ride they develop a plan for their combined workshop of tomorrow at the Tasuke elementary school. Back in Hirado, Tjerk has a nichibu dance les and later a meeting with theater group Hiradoshi-man and a karate lesson. Merlijn joins a rehearsal of a koto-ensemble.

October 31st 2001
Tjerk and Merlijn present a combined theatre-music workshop for about 60 kinderen at the age of eleven on the Tasuke elementary school (interpreters: Yukari-san and Aki-san). They present the result to parents and friends of the students.


Later that day, Tjerk visits the hot spring at the Rampu hotel and does a workshop with his theatre group, which he intends to perform with on November 3rd (interpreter: Rinako-san and Yukari-san). Merlijn climbs mount Shiratake with Oseki-san.

November 1st 2001
Tjerk has a nichibu dance rehearsal, this time at the Bunka Cultural Centre and fully dressed up. Merlijn works on preparations for his big concert piece on November 3rd and has a rehearsal with the Jagatara chorus.

November 2nd 2001
Merlijn and Tjerk have a second Za-Zen lesson at the Yûkôji temple of Tsuchiya-san. Tjerk has a final rehearsal for his nichibu dance and does an open theatre workshop at night in the Bunka Culture Centre. Merlijn has a rehearsal with Machida Emiri-san (bass koto).

November 3rd 2001
Today the well-known annual Hirado Cultural Festival takes place in the Bunka Cultural Centre. Here all cultural organisations and many citizens of Hirado are involved. 12xHolland has a special participation with presentations around Merlijn and Tjerk. Tjerk presenta his nichibu dance, Yari-Sabi, which he studies with Kitani-sensei. Also he does his Gorilla-solo (which he prepared in Holland) as well as an open theatre workshop with audience participation. Finally he sings a song and plays the guitar. Merlijn does a viola recital and presents his new composition "Colours of Autumn", which is performed by a 12xHolland-ensemble. At night is a big farewell party for Merlijn and Tjerk in the Chôbô-tei of the Matsura Historical Museum. Tomorrow they will both leave Hirado and the 12xHolland editie 2001 project will come to an exciting ending.

November 4th 2001
Today will be the last day of 12xHolland editie 2001. Around 16:00 Merlijn and Tjerk leave by boat from the Hirado harbour. in an excited atmosphere, many citizens have gathered to say bye-bye to both. Tjerk will fly back to Holland tomorrow from Fukuoka. Merlijn will first visit Tokyo for a few weeks before returning to Holland on November 30th. We may look back on a most successful project with an overwhelming energy flowing over the island of Hirado. We would like to thank the participators of this year, the Hirado City Hall, all citizens of Hirado as well as you and all our internet readers for their interest. We are looking forward to welcome you again next year with the 12xHolland edition 2002.