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bekijk ook het algemene dagverslag van
5 - 19 oktober | 20 oktober - 4 november

lees ook het persoonlijke dagverslag van
Diane | Diangelo | Joris-Jan | Patrick


Persoonlijke Dagboek door Joris-Jan Bos (fotografie)

October 9th 2004
Already day four of our stay here in Hirado. I just finished my dinner with all the participants of this years Hirado 12xholand experience. Am I having good time? Yesss…. The Hai or Yes word is big in Japan. We had a great meal this evening discussing all our experiences of these last four days. This might be a small fishing village, but for us so close to the real life in Japan it is an experience we will cherish the rest of our lives and foremost we all are aware of it.
Tonight we tried recreating some of the dishes we enjoyed eating here and of course Patrick couldn’t stay of the easy track and went all the way, which means all the way. Sitting there in Diana’s living room Patrick opened the kitchen door and some – out of nowhere computervoice in Japanese tells us - smoke being detected, beware! Japanese smoke alarm. The biggest layer of smoke was between Patrick’s head and the ceiling. Minutes later a security guy comes in, fully armed and does the security job. Half an hour later he gets the message: it was a false alarm. This one we won’t forget.

October 10th 2004
Today started off by visiting the Kimiko-san’s sake factory. All you imagine in an 100 year old building where liquor is made is there. And then the Japanese way, clean, sophisticated but still very traditional. Due to various reasons of planning, we made a double appointment, we sadly sort of rushed our way through, I need to go back there with some time on my hands to make some nice pictures, not after quickly enjoying some of the best sake I ever tasted we raced to our restaurant meeting in a sushi restaurant. There awaited us another treat. An extremely skillful but calm chef prepared some real nice sushi for us. He had his own aquaria in the back of the kitchen. This was fresh food.
I sometimes boost about one story that Cora-san, my wife, told me when she was invited with the NDT (Netherlands Dance Theatre) to some chic ambassador’s party in Tokyo. A fish was served, meat was carefully cut from the bones and placed back onto the fish, nothing really special but in this case the fish was still alive and gasping for air to prove that this was indeed fresh. The people from NDT revolted at the fact and rejected the fish. Oohaa. *Namba chotto kaaaaaaaa…… Now this chef here came from the same school. First I didn’t believe or got it, but then I see the fish moving. Yes, we kill animals for food, I believe it. We ordered some abalone and only then I realized we had the shell of this animal in our bathroom as bath decorations in it in our house back in Holland. Very chewy, maybe seen as a delicacy here like we see caviar but if I say chewy…
After a truly great meal we were free I went to solve my wearing my last undie problem in the local wash-inn. There we met up with this very cute and small little 5 year old girl Sarina that welcomed us from the boat at our arrival in Hirado. She was playing the drum along with 15 other children.

from the beginning
I had great time in Tokyo, the fast life. Staying in Ueno downtown Tokyo. I tasted some of Japans secret underground which was thrilling and exciting.
Then off to Hirado. I went to the wrong airport as was made clear by the flight attendant. I overlooked it on the flight schedule. She kindly arranged for me to get on another flight to Fukuoka, way later. It was to late to change back to the other airport. In the airport I stumble on some tourists that don’t know their way around. The type that goes sightseeing in the airport while you are in a rush. For some reason I turn my head, just as I managed to get past them and you guessed right it was the group heading for Hirado, my gangmembers. They fly first, I had kill some time in Narita to get on my flight.
Fukuoka. Waiting for the suitcase I see someone waiving the 12xHolland flag. An awkward situation, waiving back to someone I have never seen while waiting for the suitcase,
I could wave for 20 minutes.
This is where it begins.
Mr. Takeshi-san and Mr. Oseki-san greet me warmly and tell me the others are starving, I feel guilty. Then we arrive at the hotel, in Fukuoka. We go out to eat. Sitting down on a small table being aware of my smelly feet all the time, having left my shoes at the door. I have this great advantage that Cora was here before me, doing the same Hirado-trip. So since she was ‘the big hit’, in a good way of course, goodiegoodcora-san. Everybody is asking about her. I wonder if this is a good thing.
Expectations!
But from the moment I met up with Takeshi-san and Oseki-san I feel we click. Maybe the jetlag helped I don’t know but we ended up drinking so-tsju, strong liquor based on anything, potato, rice, real nice. We talk life and meaning straight away. We are in for a great ride we I think.
Next day I really have problems to open my eyes, all I want to do is sleep more. Mr. Takesi-san, chairman and host is very considerate and not demanding. Considerate. Time for a smoke and drink all included. I feel strong and self-assured in this part of my life, nothing to loose only to gain. Live life now and respect the past. Rastafari. Japan really suits me. Nearly all of it appeals to me; the friendliness, the cleanliness the respect for each other, the sophistication, even the excesses and above all the food. Some people get bored of eating Japanese for a long time, I cannot, cannot imagine, no clue.

We change transportation just before entering Hirado. We step into a Miami vice kind of speedboat to get us to Hirado harbor. There a whole group of people are waiting and taking our pictures stepping off from the boat. I feel like Sinterklaas. The welcome committee has plastic seats prepared for the new arrivals and the band plays a tune. Small children, 5 year olds, are giving us a treat on their o-daiko and other small drums. They all wear make up, very blue and red. Really cute and I have problems to control my emotions. This is one event longly planned, a real highlight in Hirado-life. And again expectations, give and take issues running through my brain. After which we get our unofficial gathering with all people involved. The chairman, the supervisors and the hosts. At this time we receive our mobiles to keep and get in touch in Japan. My host is not present, she had to take care of jetlag from her holiday to Canada and her little Johé. He is really cute and Cora’s favorite. Instead of her, Michiru there is Ryuichi, her husband and Photoshop-keeper. He is a sweet, kind, quit guy with good eyes. After the high of our reception I get the down. The sun stopped shining so bright, I was feeling really tired. I walked around Hirado main street to the place where the Dutch had their former Trading House. I spent some time where the lighthouse was, asking myself if this was going to be a long month yes or no, although being quite aware of my clouded state. That evening we get the official reception; we meet all kinds of people involved. This is where I meet my host Michiru. She is a very lovely small Japanese. She traveled to a lot of places and has friends all over the world.

October 15th 2004
So much happened since the last time I wrote. `````It’s so hard to keep up;;;;;;;;; We have quite a bit of work to do. And most of the fun will show through the pictures I took. We had a wonderful experience with the home cooking at the Yamaguchi family where Patrick cooked like a crazy man, no bridge too far. We had Hirado-beef (200 euro per kilo) that was really a treat. First we went tasting Ika, squid, at a sushi restaurant, very kapori yoka. Again the squid still alive when served, so fresh, so goo goo! Really amazing. Then shopping at the supermarket, where Patrick created his recepies. I took a lot of photos of people shopping in the supermarket, that was fun.

Next day I was scheduled for a workshop with Patrick, which means I take pictures while Patrick does the Patrick-show. He was scheduled to do it twice in one day. An afternoon session and an evening session. I tried skipping out of the first one, and… it worked. I had a very intense shooting day at the Yamaguchi house and was working from 12 am till 12 pm. I could use a little brake so I escaped. I escaped to the city hall to do some urgent emails, we met the Mayor here earlier for a formal welcome to Hirado. I renewed my Mac-account, which was cut of all of a sudden. Homepage not working, email account in danger, stress!! It worked and is working now. Then out of nowhere Michiru, turns up and we make a plan for lunch. Into the supermarket to get some delicious ready-mades and into the car. Beach time. We spent a great time on the beach taking pictures and eating our bento. Some countryside and quietness, we had a great chilling time. She is really sweet and now I can see why Cora-san was so fond of her. She brings me breakfast, gives me wake-up calls and joins me in my darkroom stress.

Yesterday we had an appointment to good fishing with a fisherman boat, the one with the big nets. Success guaranteed. It was hard getting up so early, I was supposed to get a wake up call from Takeshi-san but he saw light burning at my place, he lives really close I guess, and assumed I was awake, not so. I had a discussion with my dear buddy Patrick about which direction to take with our project and after a lot of beer and sho-sju, our favorite, we went to bed at 2:00 in the morning. At 5:05 I get my wakeup call from Takeshi-san, I am in front of your apartment, come out Isogi! (hurry). I was still naked as a baby, toothbrush in the mouth. Personally morning-time is not really my time, although I love the morning light and the quite, I also love my bed. Luckily it was quite a drive to the meeting point with the boat so I had a chance to slowly open one eye and then the other. No coffee allowed here in Hirado, only soup from coffee beans, do I smell a market? I was so glad to made the effort. This was a thing not to be missed. On the boat there were, I think, 5 men working. It was still dark when we sailed and we were given boots and lifejackets and gloves to feel somewhat comfortable. I was weaponed with my analogue-camera and shot like 5 rolls on this trip. We caught a little hammerhead shark. Some fly-fish, Ago they call it here, found it’s way right into my calf. What the hell… It was so good to see the sun coming up, it was a clear day. After the trip, still trembling and feeling the boat in the knees, we enjoyed fisherman’s-breakfast, fresh Ika (baby squid), some grilled Saba (macquerel) and some good miso soup. Being with the local people really felt good and everyone tried to give us a good time and were/still are so very friendly to us. It is very warmheartedly.
After the breakfast we head off to the fish market, another treat, very visually attractive. I shoot more film. We were just in time to see the doors open to the public, we were already inside and the clients rush in to get the daily special as quick as they can, as bees to honey, really! Not caring at all about any camera. Fresh fish is important!
Then we head of to the fish museum, where we got an impression of how life was here in Hirado and it’s close islands of how life must have looked like. We learned that whale fishing was big here one time and we saw the tools and the maquettes of how such a big animal was caught. Impressive.

Today I had an easy day, worked at home and then Michiru came and brought me some nice noodle-breakfast. With her husband we organized the darkroom and all the necessary equipment. Then I went to Mrs. Ehara . She was giving us a party and was cooking for us some nice Miso soup, some Agedashi Dofu and some Okonomiake, the Japanese pancake, osakastyle. Boy, it was a pleasure to see her cook and explaining (in Japanese) what she was doing and putting so much love and effort into her dishes. To suck a point to it, as we say in Dutch. Really great to watch such skill by this Japanese Housewife. She will easily leave some Dutch chefs yawning in the shadow with her cooking. Most japans women have such knowledge and skill, as I experienced on Patrick’s workshops. And then they are not chocked or disgusted by any of his somewhat weird combinations, on the contrary, they are willing try anything.

So now I am writing this at 3:00 in the morning. I have to give a black and white workshop at 7:00. I just come back from Mr. and Mrs. Ehara. So friendly. Such good sho-sju, really nice company. In between my shooting of the preparation I got my first shodo lesson, which was also very interesting. The japanse calligraphy. I enjoyed that a lot. Thick pencil, lots of ink and then in one go write your word. I choose for the character ‘carpe diem’ and he translated it into moment or blink of the eye. That is all of my profession in a nutshell. It was beautiful and my first Shodo is now on Mr. Ehara's wall, I gave it to him. He and Michiru walked us home; it was hard to keep a straight line.

Back in Holland
Since that day, I haven’t written anymore and now I am back home looking back at life in Hirado. It seems already long ago and feels a bit like a dream I had. Life here in Holland is back at full speed. And I have a hard time to recollect all the impressions I had during my stay in Hirado.

My analogue workshop turned out to be a really nice fieldtrip with 7 participant, more than imagined beforehand. I was happy sharing all my tricks and knowledge with the people gathered. We started really early, again, to get the early morning light. It was nice to feel some people were really into it. They always used the program mode of the camera and most of them didn’t have a clue about all other possibilities. We shots some films in the rice fields had a picnic at the hilltops of Hirado with a superb view. Then of to the Sake factory where we shoot some films in low light conditions. It was a nice day.

Another highlight was the mountain hike we did to Sjijiki Mountain. This once was a religious mountain and women are only allowed there since some years. Now there are only ruins left on this mountain, the remains of Temples and shrines. On the way back we loose our 3 guides in a hurry to get home and we do some mayor off-tracking. Then the cell phone comes to the rescue and we are all saved.

Next on the schedule is the sunset cruise. We step on the boat and go immediately to the sundeck. Here so high you really feel every wave could overthrow the boat and it gets really excited at points. An amazing view. Beautiful islands rough sea and sun.

I do apologize for the things I missed in this report.

So many people, so many impressions. I hope my photo’s will tell and show the full picture.


bekijk ook het algemene dagverslag van
5 - 19 oktober | 20 oktober - 4 november

lees ook het persoonlijke dagverslag van
Diane | Diangelo | Joris-Jan | Patrick


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