Tokyo, sayonara.

Saturday. Frankfurt airport.
This goes out in english for my english-speaking friends, @ TGU and everywhere.

It is afternoon in Europe. And chaos. Something has been not som good with the weather, so now 600 people are pushing and pulling in line to rebook tickets and flights. I doubt I will get home tonight.
Last night was finishing day and night in Tokyo.
Great day!
Presentation of projects turned out really really well and inspiring, and the getogetherwas turned into dinner party with students and teachers and it was real sweet. Good food and good drinks.
qiute a few good drinks.
dinner party turned into bar night with more food, more drinks, more laughter and the great ideas for the future. Good timing when bars closed I got my stuff and got on the train for Shinjuku - Narita.
Slept on most of the flight, had five bottles of water, some food.

Frankfurt: reality check, flight cancelled.

Winter has killed the easy smooth flight mode, and turned it all into a big sweaty sleep over party (hundreds of beds are set out in hallways).

Looking back: Tuesday; walks in Kichijoji and and check at the Seitei University library, very trekky with bubbles in large void where students can sit and study. Futurama.
After that, long walk to shrine, my feet were crying, and after that a visit at home at my friend/colleague; very nice, to see how he lives and meet his wife and one daughter. I am very happy that happend.

Then hitting the train making my way to Aoyama-Itchitome station and find hotel Asia Center of Japan, very nice place. Wonderful to rest on soft bed and rest my dying feet (event ho I bought new sneakers, AirMax, before the trip to not make the same mistake as last spring in Paris…walked and walked, and fucked my feet up for months after that…).

Post-rest: walked out in the good Tokyo night, walked Tokyo midtown, a large high price west flirt with Starbucks and fancy silk clothing. Shiny cars and shiny people. Qiute boring place in a way, but also nice to have around on your trip for language, money exchange reasons.
In Midtown i did a check at Design Hub, good little place, some floors up i n large buildning. There were some product designers showing things. Interesting.
The two most interesting were these I think, one for its colors, and idea of visualising network, the other for its simplicity. I like simplicity.
Then Mojitos at A971, midtown western style bar with mostly australian buisinessmen.
I walked. For some time. Small streets and alleys. All the time someone wanting to sell me girls. Small bar (no name, only BAR) with 10 seats, almost full, with middle age japanease men and women. Saphire Tonic.
Left and made my way to the hotel, after a stop at Spunky Gold, beer.
Slept like a dead.

(At the airport my line is moving some 1 meter per minute…which is not even close to enough for me to catch my nxt flight in 2,5 hour…)

Wednesday. Just made it to breakfast before 10, then out in the city. Train to Omemotosando to catch a glimpse of the Herzog & Meuron Prada Building, to pass that and happend to find Utrecht, a small graphic design shop/gallery/café, with lots of fanzines, mags, and coffee. I love it and cry over it not being at home.

Dont miss Design Hub, in Midtown.

Then a lots of walking, hours and hours, in Harajuku (stepped by gallery space Vacant, where David Byrne is showing some paintings and things. Ok interesting show, space really nice tho. (also here one could get coffee). Jag gick vilse. Det gjorde inget.
Back to hotel, rest 30 minutes.
Then pull an arrogant stupidity and say ok to meet some friends at Shinjuku, the largest subway station in the world…lost again. (acctually I said, dont worry, how hard can it be…?)
running like a madman to find the right exit out of it seems hundreds.

Get it finally, they only had to wait 30 min (sorry) and then we went for drinks and food i Shinjuku. Very nice. Good food, good talks, good drinks. Caught the last train back,.

Thursday. In time for breakfast. Feet like paté.
Exhibition day:

21_21 Design Sight: reality Lab, where Issey Miaky has put together a team for the project, and then researched for new materials and new ways to do everything, to create new clothes, new ways of looking at clothes (and stuff). To make it in a good environmently friendly way,. The whole research process and how they did it all and folded paper and were hungry to know things…I cried a little bit. Best show in a long time.
Mori Tower: fabulous view. Over the urban sprawl that never ends. Not perticulary interesting art. Odani Motohiko, a manish man that made big stuff. There were som spines, it seeming to be out of bones…making new spieces…I guess it would have been interesting, but it felt like we have seen it. He had made a waterfall tho that was very nice. An octagonal box one walked in to, with waterfall projected on all walls, mirrors on floor and ceiling. A light Bill Viola-ish experience, but still very nice.
ggg: Graphic design playing in 3d with numbers and letters. Kool, and inspiring in a way, but not mindblowing.
Koyanagi: Rioji Ikeda. Hyper minimalist. I saw him first time in Gothenburg art biennale 6 years ago. Liked it hen , liked it now. It is so so minimal, numbers and counting. And a very high pitch sound.
It feels like the airport tody actually. Numbers and numbers, and a sound.
He gives an audio-visual story of humanity.

After that train back to Kokubunji, meeting with friends colleauges and students.
Dinner @ the Hong Kong.

Friday early morning with a little shopping for kids, lunch, then the final presentations of the workshop projects. Impressive.
The rest from Friday and on you already know.

so I am still in line, barely moving. Ofcourse it sucks being here with no flight, but on the other hand, this is the human weak spot; we can not deal with things not working. It will be our fall.

In a public restroom I read:

If time went backwards, we would be raped in our ass by our own shit.

So. I guess thats where it is.
And when it is all good and clear (I havent even started to worry about my luggage), and I get home. Then more things from this exciting experiense will come. Like the hundreds of photos. So great to be able to fire away and not think…wondrful.
and the food.
ahh, the food.
at the sayonara-party there were Hong-Kong-dumplings (world #1!!) brought to the party (Thank you so very much!).

Matane.
I hope to see you soon again.