駅ビルのできた大阪駅はすっかり様変わりしていて、びっくり。
夜行バスはおんぼろかと思いきや、きちんと長距離バス用の待合駅のようなものがあり、こちらにもびっくり。
バスは快調に走り、目をさませば、翌朝6時30分。東京駅周辺に降り立っていました。
私の予約したホテルは半蔵門にあり、東京駅からは歩いて行くことも可能だと思い、徒歩で向かうことにしました。
東京は、1年間だけ住んだこともありましたが、人が多く、移動はいつも電車やメトロを使っていたので、地理の把握もいまいちでき無かったので、今回の旅ではできるだけ地上を移動することに決めていました。
朝もまだ明けきらぬ涼しさの中、お堀沿いのランナーたちをよけつつ、ホテルへ向かいました。
桜がほとんど散ってしまっていたのが残念でしたが、爽やかな散歩となりました。
2時間も歩いたでしょうか、のんびりと、途中のコンビニで軽くおにぎりと珈琲の朝食をとり、1度だけ交番で道を確かめて、半蔵門の英国大使館の裏、ダイヤモンド・ホテルへ到着しました。
ホテルはレトロで素敵な雰囲気。案内の方々も上品でした。実はホテルを予約した時から、写真を見てデビット・リンチの映画に登場しそうなホテルだなーなんて、期待していました。
荷物を預けてから、近くの珈琲屋さんに入って少し休憩し、末広町の3331 Arts Chiyodaへ向かいました。
大友克洋さんの原画展を観に行くことは、今回の旅の中でも嬉しいイベントで、チケットを予約した時から興奮は高まり続けていました。
原画展は、入場制限・完全予約制ということもあって、入る際に並びはしたけれど、のんびりと好きなペースで見て回れました。
あまりにも絵がうますぎて、そこにある作品が、もう人の手で為されたものとは思えぬほどの自然さと完成度の高さを誇っているのが、信じられないほどでした。
AKIRAの原稿全ページの展示は圧巻で、とにかく自分の好きなシーンの書かれた原稿の前でうっとりと立ちすくみました。
展示会の最終スペースに、金田のバイクが置かれており(!!!)、私は一人で来ていたので目の前に並んでいた親切そうな3人組に頼んで写真を撮ってもらいました。本当にとても親切な方たちで、快くベスト・ショットを納めてくれました。ありがとう、ケイ、パトリック。
お土産は、欲しかったポストカードやTシャツがほとんど売り切れていて、友人たちに買って行こうと思っていたので残念でした。
面白かったのは、お客さんのほとんどが、とても親切で、譲り合いの精神を持っていたこと。海外からのファンも多かったです。東京の美術館で有名な作品の展示があるとなると、人がどっと詰めかけて、我先に押し合いへしあいで、作品なんて見れたものではないのが通常ですが、大友さんの展覧会は、東日本大震災へのチャリティという主旨や、コアな大友ファン層間に自然に起きた連帯感なのか、知らない人同士で写真撮影をしあったり、展示物の前で『あ、どうぞどうぞ』とポジションを譲り合う光景が見られました。ああ、素敵。
末広町からは再び足を使ってホテルに帰りました。時間は掛かりましたが、迷いもせず、意外とすんなりと帰ることができました。
ホテルの近くにあるインド料理屋さんガンジスにて、マサラチャイと、ムガライクルチャ（レーズン、カシュナッツナッツ、果物の入った甘いナン）を注文し、サラダの添えられたクルチャとチャイを堪能していたら、我がマリオネット作りの師匠よりお電話が入りました。
今回の旅の目的は、師匠（と言うと『止めてくれ！』と言われますが）の展覧会だったので、チェコより来日（帰国？）中の師匠と次の日にお昼を食べる予定を詰め、東京を歩き回っていることを伝えて驚かせ、再びナンに取り掛かりました。とても美味しくて、居心地も良くて、大好きなチャイを薦められるままに3杯もお代わりしてしまいました。
その夜は、以前から連絡をとっていた衣裳関係のお仕事に携わるイギリス人女性とお茶を飲みました。
それまではメールでのやり取りしかしていなかったため、初対面で、慣れぬ東京でのミーティングに、ドキドキしましたが、とても親切な方で、色々とお話を聞けました。
楽しかったです、Mis.D。
行きたかった展覧会に行けて、不安だったミーティングも上手くいき、次の日の予定もしっかりと確定でき、東京1日目はパーフェクトでした。
ホテルのお風呂にゆっくりつかり、ぐっすりと眠ることができました。
大友克洋GENGA展 http://www.otomo-gengaten.jp
(3331 Arts Chiyoda にて5月30日まで開催中。チケット予約をお忘れなく)
After work I, I took a quick shower and had some supper, and headed to a
night bus station. Osaka station had been renovated and I surprised at how
different it looked.
The night bus was fine as I was imagining a really old one. There was a
fine night bus station with a waiting area.The night bus ran smoothly throughout the whole journey and I woke up at Tokyo station around 6:30 am.
I had booked a hotel called Diamond Hotel in Hanzomon, and I thought I could
walk from Tokyo station to there.
When the time I was living in Tokyo about a year, I was always using
underground because there were too many people to deal with on the ground. So I
have no sense of direction in Tokyo. I wanted to improve it on this trip.In the cold morning air, I started to walk to the hotel as I was dodging the runners around the Royal Palace’s trench.
It was such a shame that cherry trees had been almost finished blooming, but the morning walk was refreshing.
I guess I walked about 2 hours. I was relaxed and was taking it very easy. I had a small breakfast at a convenience shop on the way – rice balls and pickles and egg rolls. I checked my direction at a police station once and I arrived at the Diamond Hotel at the back of the British Embassy in Hanzomon.
The hotel had a retro look and the ushers were very polite and elegant. Since
I booked the hotel, I was looking at the pictures of it and thinking it
reminded me of David Lynch film set. I was expecting something wonderful would
happen there.
I left my luggage at the hotel and went to a coffee shop nearby. I took a
quick break and headed to 3331 Arts Chiyoda in Suehiro-cho.
One of the very exciting events of this trip was Otomo Katsuhiro’s original illustrations exhibition at 3331 Arts Chiyoda. I’d been getting more and more excited since I booked a ticket for it.
The exhibition was limiting the number of people to entre in one go so the ticket booking was a must thing to do. People had to queue up, but I could enjoy looking around on my own pace.
Otomo’s illustrations were too amazing to believe that they were drawn by a human hand. Every piece came to perfection in a very natural way -unbelievable beauty.
AKIRA’s comic book illustrations were exhibited too. Every single page was there. A wok lord was immense. I couldn’t move in front of my favourite pages.
At the end of the exhibition, there was a Kaneda’s motorcycle!! I was alone, so I asked a nice-looking bunch of guys queuing in front of me to take my photos and they really were a kind bunch and took some great photos of me, riding on the motorcycle. Thank you so much Kei, Patrick, and Yevonne!
Most of every souvenir I wanted to buy was sold out. I wanted to buy post cards and T-shirts to my friends, so it was a shame.
Interesting thing was that most of the audiences were very kind to each other and had spirits of concession. There were many fans from overseas too. When there was a big exhibition in Tokyo, it’s quite likely to happen that people race to get in without a thought for anyone else, push their ways through a crowd to take a one look at “a famous picture of what's-his-name”, and there was no chance to enjoy the piece at all. However, this time the exhibition was for charity for the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and also there was a natural sense of solidarity among eager Otomo fans. So I saw the scenes like strangers took pictures to each other and giving a best position in front of the exhibits. Ah, wonderful.
I used my legs again on my way back to the hotel from Suehiro-cho. It took some
time, but without getting lost, I went back alright.
I went in an Indian restaurant Ganges near the hotel and ordered masala
chai and mughlai kulcha (sweet naan with raisins, cashew nut, and fruits ).
While I was enjoying naan with salad on the side and chai, I received a call
from my marionette making master.This trip’s main event was my master’s (though he doesn’t like calling him so) exhibition. I arranged a meet-up next day for lunch with him visiting Japan (homing?) for a while, and made him surprised by telling him that I’ve been walking around Tokyo, then I went back to eating naan again. It was very tasty and I had 3 cups of chai as they kindly offered.
That night, I met up with a British lady who is working in costume industry and we’ve been contacting each other via e-mail several times.
As I hadn’t know her at all and meeting at an unfamiliar place like Tokyo, I was nervous, but she was very kind and I enjoyed talking with her about many things. It was a great meeting, Mis. D.
My fist day in Tokyo was perfect. I could go to the exhibition I wanted to
go, the meeting I was worrying about went well, and I could managed to arrange
schedule for next day.
I had a long bath and slept tight.Otomo Katsuhiro Original Pictures http://www.otomo-gengaten.jp
(at 3331 Arts Chiyoda. Still On! Till 30th of May Don't forget to book a ticket.)