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Diary: by Merlijn Twaalfhoven (composition)

Sunday September 30th - Monday October 1st 2001

Japan started unexpectedly at gate B63 in Frankfurt, because we were suddenly surrounded by Japanese travelers and we were photographed like a curiosity. At Osaka airport I was very amazed by the delicate noise everywhere of 10 different kinds of sweet music at the same time. In Fukuoka it was a happy surprise to meet Wil and Junko. They took us to a noodle soup place which confronted myself with the exciting taste of japanese food (maybe too exciting for me because I added by ignorance 10 times too much ginger).
After a beautiful ride through a landscape so unlike anything I know, we arrived finally by ship at the harbor of Hirado. I felt like a kind of pop star that there was a big welcome-meal and I felt soon as if I knew these nice people already for a long time. The meal at Joh-san`s home was again totally new and no taste I had experienced before.
Later I tried to get some sound out of a shakuhachi. This is impossible! I tried very hard for an hour and so I got totally dizzy.
Maybe the nicest thing is that there are a lot of very known elements here (like climate, roads with cars and a modern society) but that really everything feels different in a subtle and nice way.

Tuesday October 2nd 2001

I like the Japanese television programs! They make big fun all time long. This day I was taken on a trip to the supermarket. I can stay a year here with eating something new every day, it`s really exciting. My host Joh san is a very friendly man, it almost feels like I am at home after a long time. His sweet wife showed me in my apartment how to make miso-soup and we filled my fridge with Japanese food. I`ll get very healthy here!
I heard 3 women playing koto at the house of Machida-san, and thought: this is very special music, how is it possible that they play so independent, and it is a nice unity, but it appeared that they were just practicing for themselves, and later they played a song together!
I meet so many people and it`s very nice that everyone is greeting and smiling to each other. Often children come to us and are surprised because we look so tall and strange.

Wednesday October 3rd 2001

We made a historical and nature trip around the island. The nature is so impressive, and the sea appears to be very wild. We wanted to swim, but since we did not carry swimsuit, maybe it`s a bit too surprising to jump in the water naked... Anyway, the weather is so wonderful, and the butterflies sooo big. I adored the old Matsura house. It is so strong and majestic.
I do not feel very close to those Dutch sailors 400 years ago, but I am very impressed that it must have been such an adventure to travel to unknown land, and to meet the friendly Japanese people (carrying verrry sharp swords!). Now I come, also to exchange, but instead of materials it is just ideas and sounds!

Thursday October 4th 2001

We presented the famous Dutch STROOPWAFELS to the mayor, and he gave us in return a very beautiful print of an ancient painting of foreign weird men. Maybe Tjerk and I will be on a future painting as tall, weird men who make strange sounds.
Than I started to practice my viola with my window open, so I became part of the sounds of Hirado like the carillon-bells and the music of the city-hall.
Later I listened to live koto and shakuhachi music at the house of Machida-san. I practiced the shamisen, fortunately I got some sound, unlike when I tried the shakuhachi! Maybe Tjerk and I will perform some Japanese song and dance together....(I guess this will be big fun for all the local people!).

Friday October 5th 2001

Tjerk and I went out fishing with Joh-san. I love being on the water very much, but I never did fish since I was 8 years old and had caught unexpectedly something. This big fish did break my fishing rod and escaped leaving me totally shocked.
So, as a vegetarian I tried again after all this years, and I felt really too sorry to all these beautiful animals. It was so easy to catch 3 at a time! Maybe I would like it more if the fish can fight more (and maybe sometimes eat a human), because now it is really unequal...
I caught some big ones; also a rare, golden beauty. Joh-san told that they came to me because they trusted me more since I do not eat them usually.
Anyway, the water and Hirado Bridge were wonderful, and after the sushi-meal at Joh-san`s home was really sensational.

Saturday October 6th 2001

Maybe it`s good that I`ll visit Tokyo next month, because it is hard to imagine that there`s 120 million people living in Japan! Hirado island is really so calm and peaceful. I realized that it must be a good thing to live in a place where you don`t have to lock your house in the night. In other countries maybe people live with more fear and I think fear is the biggest disease...
Anyway, my live turned upside down (as did my geographical position): it`s really relaxed and new. There`s a lot to do, but 5 people care about my schedule and I am picked up at my apartment when I have to go somewhere. Also I am never inpatient because at anytime and anyplace there`s interesting and new things to see, smell and (at Joh-san`s home always something to) taste!
I did the violin lesson with 6 children and two students of my age. I had to be creative, because some players only touched a violin since 1 month and the things i prepared were too difficult.
So I played parts of a melody, and the others imitated. Later they played elements in a loop and together it started to sound like a big orchestra. On top I did some improvisations and it sounded very well! Then we discovered strange sounds on the violin and made an instant composition out of this. Finally I played some requests with Matsuguchi-sensei on the piano and I was embarrassed I could not remember some of the most famous (western) classical pieces!

Sunday October 7th 2001

The Hirado marathon walk was really a big event with 5 television cameras and very professional equipment and famous runners. I wanted to run also the 20 KM run, but during my 5 KM, I realized I would have killed myself! The 5 Km were already tough, and I got beaten by boys and girls no taller than my waist. Later Marc, the american teacher over here, who also just survived while guys of 80 years old were running past him like they where drinking tea, told me in school it`s common to run such distances daily...
In the afternoon I met Motoko, my accompanist. We played a little together. She doesn't`t talk to much, bus i have the impression she plays very well; it will be fine certainly.
With the brass group wind-ago, I did disintegrate a top-hit they knew very well, for example to get the tempo down and than transpose the notes of the chord into something different, and than back into the normal song. We also played like we were on 2 KM distance, and the sound was only now and then taken to the audience by the wind. Than we made a surprise-composition: everyone made a cell of 3 notes and one directed the speed and order in which the cells where played. When I explained my artistic vision, maybe It did not get too clear, but certainly we had a lot of fun!
Although it was already late, I got taken to Joh-san`s home, and was surprised by a shakuhachi performance. This music really spelled me, and I decided to study this music thoroughly. Until late we drank all kinds of tea and ate indescribable, sticky kind of sweets and chocolate cake.

Monday October 8th 2001

On the occasion of a national sports day, I joined some ground-golf competition. Only men of different villages. We had so much fun! No-one could speak English, but the goal of the game was clear enough; to me it was actually a matter of resisting the intention to hit this ball right hard. It's nice, but sometimes you have to get the ball out of the bushes downhill, and you receive some penalty-points. Apparently I didn't't finish on front, so I did not get the fabulous reward: nice mules!
That night Will and Junko left for a journey into China. They say a wild thumpy-flute is living there still, so they gonna find it. We ate in a groovy restaurant with all kinds of Picasso-like paintings and two big basins in the middle. The cook did catch a jellyfish out there and of course he did prepare only the backside of the poor animal, so we were still able to communicate with it on the plate. His/her big green eyes looked at us in despair and it`s movements showed he would have rather stayed at home that unlucky day.

Tuesday October 9th 2001

I was unexpectedly taken by my local dad Joh-san to learn about shakuhachi. I tried to transcribe a tape, but all ornaments of this master-player confused me firmly! Later I learned to read the special shakuhachi notation Very slowly, I can play these exotic signs an characters now, which makes me very proud!
It`s very nice together with Joh-san, and although he can not speak english, we have a good time together and I discover a lot about music. He likes improving to play the songs too, so often we struggle together... His wife is just a miracle! At any moment something tasty appears from the kitchen and even when you think the meal is finished, there`s more coming. During my work and playing exercise, I often got surrounded by all kinds of tea and sticky rice/sweet potato cakes. I wonder why Japanese are not big and fat people; they eat so much and so tasty!

Wednesday October 10th 2001

Every day there`s new genius to discover: like the water to fill the reservoir of the toilet first runs trough the basin to wash your hands, the radiant number signs of the cars in the night, lights in the street on awkward curves, a counting-down device at the traffic lights and the separating of domestic garbage by different colors of plastic bags (with additional tax I suppose...). I read there are 20 million soft drink-machines all over the country! That`s a machine for every 6 people. They contain all kinds of new, interesting tastes. Just the ice-cold coffee is still very weird to me...

Thursday October 11th 2001

Sometimes I get all kinds of e-mail from Holland from people that just don't realize I hang down from the bottom side of the earth right now. It's weird to manage my Amsterdam-buisiness from this distance which is also mentally big. I feel more and more at home in Hirado, and it's like I just happened to switch lives with someone else. I do my things in quite a different pace than the usual groove.
Tjerk and I presented our plans to the local elementary school. We'll get 100 kids to develop so that will be exciting. I presented a fresh developed plan for a co-workshop with Tjerk. After some big Japanisation they told me they would have loved it, only my host thinks I'll get a too tight schedule with no time for inspiration, if they admit all I would want to do. WellÅc.. my goodness!

Friday October 12th 2001

Tomorrow is my first solo concert in the wonderful temple of Fumonji. Than I have to proof that I did not just bluff myself into this project (presenting a cool plan and talking interesting is a bigger talent of mine), but that I can make music myself too.... So I did some serious viola playing.
In the afternoon Hirado got an item on the KTN (a commercial tv-channel of the Nagasaki prefecture). I was invited to tell about the specialness of being far from home, resulting in a healthy clearness in my mind, the ever present sea in this place and the calmness of the town. Maybe I got translated like: ñthis picturesque place does inspire me profoundlyî, but my short viola improvisation stayed uninterpreted. It would have been interesting if they tried, anyway...
That night I went to see the Iai-Do exercise. They use real sharp swords and cool skirts. Smiling someone gestured how my head would roll over the floor in case I would approach them too close... Although the exercise was quite short, the concentration and sharpness of mind of these 4 people made big impression.

Saturday October 13th 2001

On a 2nd floor of one of the buildings at the Matsura museum, Tasao Kadoya-sensei gave a shakuhachi recital, accompanied by chique woman on about 10 kotos. Very sweet pieces, in general no more that ten years old, including his Requiem for Unlucky Americans.
Unexpectedly I had to play a little intermission, as a kind of try-out for tonight, when Kadoya-sensei will play an intermission in my performance.
That night,
The stars so bright,
The shim'ring light on Fumonji temples' gardens.
So many people! Aged 4 till 80. 150 shoes in front of the entrance.
I was very relaxed, it felt just wonderful. Some Bach, an improvisation with sound-bowl of the altar, my piece "monotonous" and even some Japanese songs. It was very special that people who didn't know me came and liked it. When I asked which piece they preferred, it became clear that they appreciated the unknown sound of the viola they had never heard before.

Sunday October 14th 2001

I biked to some lands end with a total amazing view, a big snake, an old temple and the most pretty sunshine. There was so much time, I even got to read a book...
That evening I designed some improvisation exercises with the Wind-ago brass-players. I was surprised by some cool results and I look forward to the final concert with confidence.

Monday October 15th 2001

I went out very early to film the sunrise. It was just too cute, I promised my self not to miss this again... Then I wrote this huge article for a Dutch music magazine. It's good to write so much. You have to be sure and more concrete about your opinions, and you will remember more clearly afterwards.
I helped Tjerk to prepare an huge European dinner for the Machida family. It was a cosy night; grandma showed her physical shape by some exercise and little brother did so by eating maybe 1 kilo of spaghetti.

Tuesday October 16th 2001

In some kind of cultural centrum we were invited to celebrate tea this morning. It is a clever and wise idea to state that it might be as valuable to work dedicated at something simple and common as it is to work at important stuff. Maybe the dedication is more important than some result, and it is an interesting thing that once, someone smart did define drinking tea as a way to enlightment. But that this idea survived hundreds of years and that nowadays ritualized tea drinking is performed in every small place in Japan by lots of people is just amazing.
Anyway, we spend some hours and indeed finally drank some good sips of the green gold.
In the evening I attended the rehearsal of some 12 people on traditional instruments. They needed a conductor so badly, and when they asked for maybe some stimulating words, I took the rod and banged in some more order. The die-hards stayed until 23:30 to get introduced into even more principles like loud and soft playing, the transition between these and the possible effect of some contrast.

Wednesday October 17th 2001

As I noticed by my reluctance to leave I bed, I was up to something exciting this morning; the first workshop at Tabira`s primary school. Just after arrival some teacher did approach me hastily, to get advice how to teach the recorder. Although I did not touch this instrument since I was 10 years old, I gladly explained some Merlijn-method.....
Then the moment: 400 children aged 6 till 11 waited in neat rows sitting in the gymnasium to get a 45 minutes introduction into my conceptions.
First I illustrated the difference of notes music and soundcolour music by a piece of Bach and one of mine. Then I let them sing, manipulated by signs on the blackboard. Finally it became an 8 part instant composition with fat percussion a conductor for every part and myself on viola. It kind of worked great!
After some goodbye song and fresh delicate fishes as a lunch, I got driven back to Hirado. That afternoon I drank tea and played classical music with the violin, piano and choir teacher who also sometimes writes operas. (!!)
Than something cool was going to happen. We visited the local Zah-zen monk; a very solemn and wise man. We sat down in silence for some 30 minutes (and not on some comfortable sofa, but on your knees on the ground). Tjerk was kind of genius to refuse politely when he asked if we would like to sit for another 30 min. We got into some nice interrogation where he had to explain why the temple was so ornamented and we had to answer if we believe in God. I got touched deeply when he replied my question if he`s never longing for female company in his live. Every person dies alone. It`s natural for him to live his live alone. But to be honest sometimes he is a little lonely.

Thursday October 18th 2001

Today I let some primary school classes discover how there drawing on the blackboard affected my violin playing. Then I played sound they had to map down. They also had to design a part of a composition which I later made out of the individual papers by sticking them on the blackboard. It was fun to discover anyone could be a composer. After this I played little elements on the recorder they had to repeat infinite. Several groups played together into some big sound. With contribution of percussion and my viola the result was pretty, so with reason I shaked all hands and distributed my signature. Then I had lunch with them; a very intimate experience.
Tjerk and I speeded to the high school to attend a rakugo and bunraku performance. The image of 1000 children dressed in dark blue and sitting on the ground of the gymnasium was just spectacular. Although this performance was in Japanese, and we still are not capable enough to understand this thouroughly, it was interesting to watch the pupils behaving so well in a situation that maybe would frustrate their biorhythm a little.
I was happy to get the opportunity to play some music for a few girls during a class afterwards, and to explain a little about modern and classical music.
That night the choire did impress by their improvisation capacities.
The shakuhachiplayers wanted me to design things for the final concert while I was more interested in listening to their practise. When I finally launced some idea they decided after dispute that mayde their teacher would like to do it.

Friday October 19th 2001

Again a morning on Hirado primary school. First a single class and then all children of last days workshops gathered in the gym. First I played viola and told again about sound colour as opposed to notes. Then I divided everyone into 8 groups, and started to draw signs and give cues. It was cool to see they are able to discover a lot whithout myself showing first. I could draw things on the blackboard causing direct reaction. Finally I was able to manage 100 children singing or playing recorder, and with help of 8 conductors and a small percussion section it was very diverting real time composing.
During the lunch I got a teacher into conflict with his politeness by asking if I maybe could take one sweet little japanese back to Holland.
I was invited for dinner at the old rural old big old house of a lute playing accountant. I played some Bach, ate a special potato dish which is said to be thaught by Duch sailors to local cooks long ago. I heard a cd of spell binding gagaku, this very nice man played palestrina and his darling wife sung very delicate while their children contributed just every noise they could.

Saturday October 20th 2001

Already early I went to rehears with koto and shakuhachi. Initially just for the interest, but our playing and improvisation appeared to be rather concertproof.
Suddenly I was taken by Machida to perform in huge temple as a mystery guest on a womens seminar about contemporary boudism. It was so great to be in a total special situation again.
Some days ago I proposed in a mood of fun and sympathy for the charming waitress to organise a jam session in Haretari Kumotari. The night life of Hirado consists of obscure nightclubs, expensive karaoke bars, some silent coffee bars a noodle and sushi place and Haretari Kumotari. This old, wooden place is as cool a place can be; unseen in New York or Amsterdam. In the middle two big bassins with the victims still swimming around. Behind this the sturdy cook performs the neccesairy kill and cooks dishes. Walls are decorated by a picassolike paintress and everywhere there is genious to discover. And finally this waitress...
Anyway, I transported a bass koto, drumkit and my viola. After some rehearsal we grooved around. Machida on flute, Emidi at bass and Tjerk kicking ass on percussion. Finally even the shakuhachy-sensei joined and a new piece of history got written.

Sunday October 21th 2001

Some time ago Tjerk and I promised to upgrade the flea marked which was planned for today with some act and music. But honestly we were relieved to discover no flea marked because of today's rain. Since a lot of days we had some time for this diary and housecleaning. But even when rain cancels outdoor activities, Hirado`s sundays are full of activities. The cultural center buzzed of pottery, rice banging, flower sticking, tea drinking and noodle soup. Our physical facts got stated and that was cool because Tjerk and I were always tallest and strongest. We just got little nervous when our heartbeat was proved to be like someone aged 20 (Tjerk) or 33 (me). This is shocking, and no one around to support us dealing with this stunning knowledge.
Yesterday we got invited for dinner by a collection of Hirado women. Since we have to guard our time so strictly we were first hesitating, but it turned out to be a splendid night with delicious food. I tasted sake and more new things. I played "speed"; the most exciting card game with the kids and even gave clarinet advice.
With the brass band I again invented some improvisation exercises and games. We copied phrases from each others sitting in a circle and slowly built to real interaction. Since these musicians maybe never played a note that wasn`t written and still didn`t mean no mistake, it was nice to discover finally everyone made solo`s and had some fun.

Monday October 22th 2001

I got the opportunity to workshop the whole elementary school of Nagatsura at once. My approach worked quite well (you may read: noisy) for all ages and it was a big pleasure. During a extended lunch I had the most amusing time with some crazy teacher.
I experienced the flower of entertainment that night: with charming company Tjerk and I went to some cozy cabin where you could sing songs along with a video clip. It was definitively cool te feel like a famous singer because of the tricky reverb and the loud background music. Indeed you get very musical, you have excessive physical training when you pick out the groovy ones and finally you notice what is the text about of songs you can dream.
This thing is called karaoke and do this, folks! It refreshes your voice and supports all feeble self confidence.

Tuesday October 23th 2001

Joh-san took me on a trip somewhere. Since this man don`t speak english it is always a surprise what will happen. We went to a very nice man, a potter who started to do Japanese massage. I got quite nervous about his power, concerning my viola recital, planned for tonight. It turned out to be very pleasurable.
The concert was in a brewery of sake; property of the father of my sweet pianist Motoko. There was a grand piano, and a nice crowd of audience. So exciting that all these people come to listen to my viola!
It was a very nice concert although I found out during the 4th suite of Bach that 90 minutes performing without interlude needs such real immense mental condition and physical shape I could just not afford completely.
In a sake factory i didn't expect everyone to return home right after the concert (just 8:30 hrs!), but some place was rented for a small selection of friends, a lot of sashimi and a large sake bottle.

Wednesday October 24th 2001

Joh-san is adorable. He stays preferably in a radius of 2 meters from me. He is always there to guide me in the unknown. A little awareness about the way i guide myself in the unknown for some 20 years now would restrict the necessity of this maybe dramatically. Before any appointment he comes checking me some 15 minutes in advance. Sometimes he visit my apartment with a mission that is not fully communicable, often in company of little dog Chibi and Okaasan. I just make some signs that I know about today's schedule and tell him not to worry. In the mean time Okaasan tracks down the laundry and checks if there`s some dishwashing to execute. Finally I have to state clearly that I just have eaten profoundly to avoid a large supper at their place. in public sometimes it is little uncomfortable when, after introducing me to someone, he keeps on telling about me, the viola, Holland and the connection between this all. At the meeting where tjerk and I presented a brand new concept for a cooparative workshop in a revolutionary style, he anticipated on the translators to explain my usual kind of workshop. In spite of all his good intentions I needed to cut his assistance this time.
The violin class learned to walk around during playing to maybe gain some internal beat. Without translator I had to communicate in an exhausting way, but quite a few came clear. Since these kids really just started to play violin I ended up doing some rhythmical game. Just ask me in any intimate moment about it.

Thursday October 25th 2001

Huge sound systems got carried trough the streets. Black men performed dragon dance and many, many obscure personalities walked weird or beautiful dressed in procession. Bamboo flute players, a horse riding someone, shinto shrines and samurai fighters. Sometimes fire crackers and loud toms and gongs. Of course a splendid occasion but also mysterious why this all happened in quiet Hirado. Yes indeed it is time for rice-harvest but in this telephonized society with its 20 million soft drink machines all this solemnity works pretty confusing.

Friday October 26th 2001

Accompanied by a considerable delegation Tjerk and I attended a Kagura ritual in the big shinto shrine of Hirado. A very impressive situation with monks playing bamboo flutes and a loud tom, singing and dancing in enormous dresses. We did not understand more than the harvest was worth some celebration, but it was a unique chance we could watch this all. There was a huge interlude with a lot of food, sake and beer. A monk told us he is, unlike the za zen monk, not in search for his own enlightment, but just forms some interface between mankind and the gods. Some priests appeared to hardly 20 years old, and fulfill this family traditionbecause of this familytradition.
Joh-san drove me to a kind of hotel or healingcentre to prepare for a concert.
A very silent place, so very nice to concentrate on violaplaying again and to eat some noodle soup. Again some 50 people showed up to experience viola sound. Motoko had just a clavinova to express her interpretation of Andriessens sonatine, but it worked out. A little anxious for a moment thinking of tomorrows BIG concert, I played well and the atmosphere was intimate.

Saturday October 27th 2001

I met Kadoya-san and his charming koto accompanist to drink tea and talk about the shakuhachi. We prepared a little for tonight until he had to leave for a wedding ceremony. I rehearsed on with koto. Tonight will be exciting!
The temple appeared in full preparation for the concert. A piano got moved by 8 men and tuned, food was prepared and information put on panels and tables and. It was up to me to give all this activity sense finally.
In improvisation with kadoya san and directly succeeding a speech about the architectonic value of temples in general and the plea for more money to Koumiouji in particular, the concert started calmly. The improvisation transformed towards the prelude of the first suite of Bach. I started to feel comfortable after a little uneasiness in the beginning. A little interlude by shakuhachi and a tea break contributed to a kind of clear mind and strong arms to face the 4th suite too. Because of the glory of passing this barrier rather decent, I got very happy and confident during improvisations on a theme by Faure (Machida-san on flute), a jam with Tjerk on the temple bowl and finally a lovely dialogue with shakuhachi.
After this a huge dinner appeared to be prepared, maybe it ruined the raised charity funds again, but since I neglected the need for food during this day I enjoyed this very well. Interesting talks, bowing monks, pineapple, a karaoke date for tokyo and a Noh performance. Maybe kind of climax already of my stay....

Sunday October 28th 2001

I was carried to Tabira to support the recorder performance of the mayor with my viola sound. Between an oldladieschoir, a duo with guitar and voice, a high school harmony orchestra (maybe playing of scores without the right transposition) and kimonodancers, we were maybe a kind of freaky surprise act. But the hall was totally silent and it was again special to introduce violamusic in this place.
later I had tea and talks with Jeroen. Apparently not a real japanese guy, but when this man talks you would not believe that. He lives here for some years now and knows so many inside stories about this society; just too hard to come on time for my workshop with wind-ago... We improvised again and also performed a tune these players know very well in weird ways as a preparation for next saturday.

Monday October 29th 2001

A day escape with Tjerk from the lovely activity of Hirado. We crossed the bridge by bike, and took some mini mini train from Tabira to Nagasaki. It must have been hard for our friends to hand us over to the insecure world. After a debate our friends had decided to let us travel Just Completely Alone. There was a local acquaintance to support us entering the train (and he guarded our bikes during the night at his garage, to put them at the station bach the next morning) and on the Nagasaki railway station we were to be picked up by a new member of the Machida family. But the time in the train, and even the switch af trains at Sasebo, we did totally by ourselves and UNACCOMPANIED. Just too exciting. During the journey I doubted my sanity when I saw a phenomenon that must have been a hallucination because of 4 weeks rice and green tea. Suddenly, between the Japanese mountains, the cliffs and the bamboo trees, Amsterdam Central Station appeared with the church of Utrecht right behind. This appeared to be a kind of Holland leisure park. Extremely amusing, especially to see Tjerk`s reactions.
In the past Nagasaki was wiped away radically by the impact of an nuclear bomb. In the lovely company of Yoriko Machida, we visited a park with many peace statues. A school class came to donate a mass of paper crane birds, read aloud some statement (I just understood the word Afghanistan) and prayed, standing in straight lines. In the museum it got clear the way this explosion had been unbelievable effective and disastrous. An impressive collection of witnesses and (still radiating?) remains, horrible pictures and the detailed history of the nuclear bomb until the Chirac times. Of course heavy stuff. I actually got kind of uncomfortable by the way it was presented (scary music in the background) and I was confused by the total absence of background information concerning the war history of Japan. Everything was very well supported by english subtitles and explanation, except a panel with a time line about historical war events located in some obscure corner.
After a walk in a very shiny shopping arcade, we suddenly found ourselves at a very quiet tea table of a old temple. To visit this monk was a hint by Wil and Junko and indeed it was very good company!
Tjerk got totally spell bound by a guitar when we visited the music shop where Yoriko usually sells pianos and stuff. So we two left Tjerk and drank coffee. Very nice talks although she hardly speaks english; very nice talks. Long after closing time the people of the shop succeeded in removing Tjerk from his guitar. Now he had a very unstable mood, and doubted seriously about buying the expensive instrument. He started to harass street musicians, so we took him to a karaoke cabin to get rid of his energy. Later we had dinner and drinks with monk Houdo and some friends. In the bright starry night we returned to the big old temple te spend the night. Excessive good luck again...

Tuesday October 30th 2001

Just at the opening of the music shop, Tjerk continued checking the guitar after a night being in big doubt. I entertained myself to act as if I wanted to buy the grand piano (maybe airplane difficult? Maybe heavy?). Finally Tjerk bought the thing, we missed our trains already long ago but turned home (yes it feels this way). Tjerk handed over our position by calling to Hirado, so we got picked up... I just found a way to escape on my bike, not to miss the Hirado bridge.
With the rehearsal of the koto orchestra they made clear I am really needed for the performance on a drum. I think it sounds ugly, but because tempowise, they`re really unstable so it is fine with me.

Wednesday October 31st 2001

A really challenging workshop on an elementary school today. Tjerk and I had a combiplan and we were as shameless to presume 2 hours to be OK to make some big performance in front of the whole school including press and parents, involving 60 children. When you just do it, it is really possible!
Of course Tjerk kept on with warming up 3 times too long, and some children appeared not to be capable of a single sound in reaction on my begging for just a response. Some little girl started even crying when I asked her sweetly to look angry. Nevertheless it turned out to be a real story with a group people of a court reacting on a royal orchestra, a king which mood was influenced by a viola and 5 delegations with special missions. They did proposals or showed something special, followed by the reactions of music and royal household, the viola and the final judgment of the king: jail or tea table. Fortunately some princess finally proposed to finish with a dance together which by accident still had never been rehearsed. I myself would not see this as a problem, but Tjerk thought this would be fully unacceptable, so some speeches did the finalizing work.
Kind of a release we made it!
Tjerk got taken to a hotel-bath by a female fan, and I to some viewpoint by Oseki-san. A snake. Very cool. You couldn't see Korea, but it is somewhere to that direction. Groovy!

Thursday November 1st 2001

The final days of the project. Everyday I change plans for the concert at the Culture Festival (Nov.3rd). I process my sound recorders into some reports for the Dutch radio. A huge dinner at the Joh-sans with impressive present-giving of their side. Some don`t worry workshops with musicians who do feel pretty insecure about saturdays performance.

Friday November 2nd 2001

Some calm down morning with again a tough 30 minutes on the floor of the Buddhist temple, tea with questions about Good and Evil with this Za Zen monk and a walk down the big stairs to the sea. I shaped the final performance more and decided also to play a koto solo myself. Although I planned the rehearsal of school kids to be Saturday in the early afternoon, at 6:30 I got a call of the Bunka Center about 30 kids arriving to go workshopping with me. Well, no problem of course... After this also the violin class and Wind-ago did get the preparation for tomorrow. This hall is huge, and they put some serious reverb on your viola. Pretty cool!

Saturday November 3rd 2001

Early, early in the rain with the koto... After a short meeting with my piano playing concert companion, the rehearsal for all together started. I realize that these months workshops and in particular the final day are also very pleasant and learning for myself, since I can paint with a pallet of colors which are all there! Some people only can play a few notes. For example last week the violin children thought their contribution to be just noise, but since I scanned all possibilities in the last weeks quite well, I can now freely collect sounds from this big range. Also some school classes appeared during the concert to perform things right on stage they never did before. The festival was quite a weird event to me. At 9 am it started with the hand out of all kinds of prizes, diplomas and stuff. During lunch time all people appeared to carry big lunch boxes and the hall was big picnic place. Than at 1 pm the more spectacular part started with ballroom dance, serious singers, the koto/shamisen/shakuhachi orchestra (with my support on conga), kimono dancers (including Tjerk!!) and a kind of karaoke on mechanized koto-like instruments. Tjerk scared the hall by spinning around on stage as a gorilla. Than he provoked a mass-warming up with all audience. After this I started in front of the curtain to play viola. School kids did create instant graphics on the blackboard behind. After a while I walked up to the stage. When the curtain went up, some 30 people of the choir, the violin class, brass band Wind-ago, my piano accompanist Motoko, Joh-san on shakuhachi, Emeri on bass koto, Tjerk on percussion appeared on stage. Without stop (I succeeded to avoid applause) I guided them to sound in different colors, often improvising with each other or my viola. After the violin children walked around the stage, an additional 50 schoolchildren started at random to play recorder between the audience in the hall. While they kept on playing, they walked to the stage and got available for further use in the bigger whole. Sometimes I switched to a solo piece from my concert program, I did a small solo on koto and told a Dutch fairy tail. The composition ended suddenly when Wind ago gradually switched over on a famous tune with some distinguished end. About more than 45 minutes sounds got created in a rather free and easy way, covered by the title: "Colors of Autumn". With this the festival got to an end about 5 pm. The audience itself cleaned the entire hall in 10 minutes after this. Upstairs the Matsura Museum, an intimate final party was organized with a lot of food, some informal speeches and excessive photo taking. Later we visited Haretari Kumotari again for a jam session and more delicious things. I had some cozy fiddling with Kadoya-sensei and also Joh-san joined (while his wife re attached a releasing button on my shirt).

Sunday November 4th 2001

Already very early my house got visited by the Joh-sans in a mood for serious cleaning. They were not to be stopped so I focused on closing my suitcase which was not easy because all presents and extra clothes I received from okaasan Joh. With Yoriko, Tjerk, Emiri and Noriko I visited a friend who lost her husband this week in a accident on the sea. In the middle of a blast of twinkling lights, artificial flowers and incense we wished her all courage and strength. Then we sailed away, after being hugged and photographed for the last time. It is very impressive the way one can get connected to a community in just a month. All these friendships and contacts are deep and moving. Especially when you worked and left some traces it is really a mutual connection which is not soon to be forgotten. When you look from Amsterdam, Hirado might be quite far away, but a stay here is so much more interesting and valuable than some touristic tour or relaxing resort.
In Fukuoka we said the Joh and Machida family goodbye and although Joh-san did call the hotel at night to propose to drive me to the airport next morning (so some 6 hours of driving and maybe 6000 yen toll way), we where free and on our own again. That night even no one asked for our signature anymore...

This month will not soon loose its effect on me. I will return often and possibly for longer than a month... A lot of plans mature already inside me. Thank God live is still long!