Japan2008

March 22, 2008

I arrived in Osaka right on schedule. There was a bit of paperwork to be straightened out before I could leave the airport. I had neither my disembarkation pass nor my customs forms filled out, which was all new stuff to me. The staff and officers were most helpful and courteous and patiently helped me get my papers in order. Soon I was met by Toshio and Tony; after 13 hrs in the air I can't begin to tell you how good it was to be back on the ground and see these great friends again. We had an espresso, got some dollars converted to yen, and then headed to Toshio’s house. My elation and relief at being back on the ground was short lived once we got in the car. I have never been in a country where the driving is done on the left hand side of the road, so as you might imagine, after nearly 50 yrs of being on American roads, this was a shock to the senses and my nerves. This discomfort was soon amplified considerably by how very narrow the roads are; most of them are about as wide as a one lane road back home. Later during our stay I watched Tony walk the width of a normal street out; it was 12 foot across from outside edge to outside edge. The white lines were at least 6 inches wide, leaving no more than 11 feet for two lanes of traffic that moves very fast, sometimes barely dodging each other, motorbikes, bicycles, mothers pushing baby carriages, and pedestrians running about to get to the train stations etcetera on time. My nervousness was soon alleviated by Toshio’s excellent driving; he is one of the very best drivers I have ever been in a car with. On arriving at his home we were welcomed and made to feel very much at home by his wife, sweet wife Kazumi-san, whom I had met in America before as well. Toshio, Tony and I went to a really nice local restaurant, where Tony treated us to a fine meal and I saw quickly why everyone that I know who appreciates sushi and sashimi appreciates the food in Japan so much! It was very fresh, tasty, the waitresses were most kind, and everything was clean as a pin. The floor in this restaurant was cleaner than many tables I’ve eaten from.

Kazumi-san had prepared a room for me with a Japanese style bed (basically a very comfortable mattress on a specially prepared floor, and I slept the best that night 7000 miles away from home that I have slept in a long, long time …

March 23, 2008

there is quiet a time difference here... takes a little getting used to..This country is incredible. we went to the train station here in Takarazuka today. Imagine this; take the Opry Mills Mall, maybe double it, then stack it 4 stories high, and that's about what the train station is like here. There are several 15-20 floor towers atop the train station that contain private homes. Inside are eateries of every kind. Fresh produce and seafood markets, coffee and tea shops, clothing stores where amazing artist hand paint "T" shirts and kimonos, a huge pavilion in the center where brilliant musicians play...I wish you could see it. The shopping is amazing here..Later we boarded the train for Osaka to visit a music store that specializes in acoustic music. The mall this music store was in made the mall in Takarazuka look like a a Mapco service station. UNREAL!! It occupies a full city block, and is over 40 stories tall. The people everywhere here seem to be so gracious-most mindful and reverent of the old folks and children. It is without a doubt the cleanest place I have ever been; You don't see a spot of grease or oil- even around the gas stations. There is no littering whatsoever that I have seen yet. The commodes have heated seats, and with the push of a button you can have a fountain of warm water squirted up to your backside that helps with cleanliness, hygiene, and conservation of toilet paper ... mercy..

March 24th 2008...

...we are seeing some incredible sights indeed. Japan as a country itself is beautiful- some of it very much like the hills of North Carolina. Then you'll pass through a province where you have mountains that seems as high as our Rockies, that are surrounded by a madly swirling Pacific Ocean. We past over a couple of suspension bridges that are bigger and longer by far than our Golden Gate bridge, and went through tunnels cut through mountains that seemed miles long...and then come upon cities that are staggering in their size and population...

Technologically speaking they are exceedingly advanced. They utilize their space to great potential. Take the the hotel room I am in for example; it is about 1/3 the size of one of our hotel rooms, and without a doubt the cleanest one I have ever been in. PLENTY big enough for a single person. Back on the subject of toilets- the handles on their toilets have two symbols, one meaning 'big', and one meaning 'small'...to use a familiar parlance-if you go # 1 you flush the toilet in the direction of 'small', if you go #2 you flush in the direction of 'big'. In this way they conserve water, as of course it dispenses more water if you flush it in the ''big' direction. On entering the room it took me a bit to figure out how to turn the lights on; there is a receptacle of sorts on the wall by the door as you come in. Once you slide your key (which is like a credit card) in the slot the lights will work. Of course you have to take your key with you when you leave, which de-activates the lights, thereby greatly reducing electrical consumption. Inspiring and marvelous as all these wonders and innovations are, the real marvel here is the people. They are, as a whole- the most gracious, accommodating, friendly, humble, hospitable, and generous bunch of folks I have yet to encounter on this planet...

....More on the efficiency and practicality of the Japanese;

many of the motel room doors are held open by a device that rotates on a little spindle-I will make myself one of these gadgets. There are toll roads all over country, but the people that use them purchase cards very much like a credit card that is placed under the steering wheel of the car. The magnetic readers at the toll booths are so strong they can read the cards as the car passes by, so going through a toll booth barely slows travel at all. I've yet to see any of the congestion and traffic associated with toll roads in The States-and there are a lot of cars here. Japan is about the size of California, it has half as many people as the whole of the US combined, and they all occupy less than 20 % of the land so I hear....

...I used to think it strange that anyone would consider leaving the US to live in Japan..I'm beginning to understand now. The people are SO sweet, and beautiful. The care they take of their environment is dear to me as well. For instance,rather than cutting the mountains up to build roads- they build tunnels through the mountains, thereby preserving the beauty of the landscape. Last night as we left the restaurant where the promoter of the show had just treated us all to wonderful meal and some great times, the love and respect of these folks was evidenced again; it was pouring down rain, a torrential downpour really, and our new friends were diligent in covering us with their umbrellas, and seeing we made it in to our waiting vehicles safely and dry...

March 26th 2008-

We arrived back at Toshio’s house, and Kazumi-san was home. We decided to go out and have supper. The place we went to is called a ‘Kaiten Restaurant’. Everyone is seated facing (or in a booth along side) a huge refrigerated and heated stainless steel moving buffet line. There is a continuous line of sushi, sashimi, tofu, tempura, udon, beer, dessert, salad-you name it- all very fresh, and expertly prepared. You grab whatever you see that suits your fancy as it goes by. The bottom of each plate has a barcode imprinted on it, and as the customer finishes with the plates they are sent down a ‘chute’ at the edge of the table.The barcodes are read, and that is how each check is tallied...

Journal March 28th, 2008

we have had a great time the last few days.

Tony and I enjoyed a great time at the train station day before yesterday, and then we went to Osaka played a place called "Another Dream" where we were very kindly received.

Tony was his usual brilliant self, and as a band we played the best this night of any so far. Our old friend Shin came up and played with us on our last set, which was fun. As usual, the proprietor served us up a great meal and plenty of beer, sake, wine and water after the show. I have been really surprised at how many old cd covers people bring to these shows to be signed. Several people wanted to play a tune or two after the show, which was a lot of fun. There are some really great musicians here..

...yesterday Tony and I spent the day at the train station again and it was wonderful. We had lunch at a small place in the mall that was operated by two beautiful young women. The middle of the table was a gas-fired cook top, and after a bit we decided we would try their Japanese pizza, which was basically an omelet with your choice of beef, pork, shrimp, or octopus...Tony chose the beef and I had a the shrimp version. Neither he or I have demonstrated much interest in the octopus or squid that is in abundance here yet it seems. Right around the corner from this restaurant is an establishment that roast coffee beans to their customers specifications. We enjoyed what may well have been the best espresso I have ever had in all my days there.

I'm really enjoying getting to have this time with Tony. It's fun admiring all the scenery with him, and enjoying good food and drink with him, because he appreciates it all so much.

As we were leaving we observed an old lady in the market who must surely have been at least 100 yrs old, with an exceedingly painful looking hump on her back-it looked as though she had spent the better part of her life in the rice fields bent over nearly double…It was heartening to watch as the ladies behind the counter and the other customers in line patiently waited on her and seemed so eager to assist in any way they could. On our return home, we found Kazumi-san was in the middle of preparing what proved to be the very best curry dish I have ever had. If I ever opened a restaurant of any kind, I would do my very best to incorporate Kazumi-san's version of curry into the menu.

This morning we are on our way to 3 or 4 days of dates to play. It is strange how few gas pumps there are in relation to how many exits there are off of the roads we have been on so far.

We just stopped at one of the rest stops along the road. These places are exhilarating; throngs of people in and out. Dozens of the machines that dispense hot coffee, tea, water, beer, soft drinks, cigarettes, and cameras. Restaurants where you place your order and pay through a vending machine, and then await your number to be called. Many restaurants in Japan display colorful and very realistic plastic models of their menu behind glass. Sometimes, as is the case with most of the roadside eateries I’ve been to, each dish is represented by a photograph. One must take special care in ordering a meal at some of these places. Number 34 might be a beef curry dish, and number 35 might be a plate full of raw squid. Thankfully, so far the meals that I’ve ordered have been just fine; hot, fresh, and very tasty.

I took note of another thing here I am not accustomed to; in the men’s restroom, it is not unusual for women to be in the bathroom cleaning the floors, toilets, around the sinks, and getting the trash together..Neither the men or the women working pay any attention to each others presence at all...Back in the car Toshio is turning us on to some great music again. He has a great taste in music so far as I'm concerned-today we are listening to Charlie Monroe...,a few days ago it was the Shenandoah Trio with Jimmy Martin..

March 29th 2008

we played a beautiful auditorium in Takaoka last night to a wonderful crowd. The show was promoted by a wonderful man named Shima-san...he is a surveyor by trade, builds instruments, and is a musician as well. He and his beautiful daughter handled the show for us. We met many fascinating people and made great new friends between sets and after the show, many of whom spoke good English. After the show we were taken to a wonderful rustic restaurant where we were joined by many of the people that were present at the show. The food was incredible as usual. Nana (Misha), a pretty young lady that plays bass in the local bluegrass band sat between Tony and I...Toru Mitsui sat in front of me and was most engaging ...I hope to read his book on Jimmie Davis if he ever translates it into English...After the meal Shima-san handed Tony a mandolin he had just completed, and Tony treated the party to a beautiful mandolin piece. The mandolin sounded extraordinary, and the scale seemed as close to perfect to my ears as any acoustic instrument I have ever heard.

We stayed in a wonderful hotel last night, and this morning Shima-san took us to visit a beautiful Buddhist temple in the area. This place is ancient. There's a beautiful rock garden in front, and as you enter the temple there are two vicious looking ancient statues that guard the entrance. The workmanship evident here is remarkable; huge boards 2-3 foot wide make up the walls. The mortise and tenon joints are flawless, and there was one column that had a 4-way dovetail joint at it's base fixing it to a square foundation..`The roofs on the place are of molded lead. Someone said this to make bullets from if necessary.

There are several beautiful shrines within the temple. At the gift shop Shima-san purchased several things for Tony and I both; he paid for our admission as well…

...today Tony and Toshio stayed behind in Nara to visit temples. I spent much of the day at the train station, and later in the day went with Chris to McDonalds. I enjoyed riding the train, and seeing what the McDonalds was like here. They are very similar, but the McDonalds here are much cleaner than most of the ones back home, the service is about twice as fast, and the employees seem delighted to be working there.

One thing I really like about their restaurants here is that there is a separate place to deposit left over drinks, which keeps the trash much cleaner. Another thing I notice all over Japan is the way the sidewalks and handrails are all in Braille for the sight impaired folks-corners, crosswalks etc all have blocks of cement inlayed with raised portions to prevent a blind person from stepping out into traffic. This is very important here, as the streets are barely wide enough for one car, and often there is two way traffic, trains coming and going constantly, and people on bicycles. Even well dressed business men and women are seen riding bikes. Just today I saw beautiful young women dressed really nice riding their bikes in the rain, steering with one hand and holding a parasol in the other..

...Tony and I got up this morning and decided that we had to do some laundry before our next round of dates. Kazumi-san took us to the coin laundry somewhere about 15 miles from here. She is a very good driver, as is every one I’ve been in a car with yet here in Japan. I’m told it is exceedingly difficult to get a drivers license here, and insurance is very expensive, so only very good drivers get to drive around here. Once in the laundromat we looked and looked for soap. Curiously there was none to be found, not even in a vending machine. Kazumi-san finally got Toshio on the phone who explained that the soap was dispensed automatically from within the machine. How nice, and much more economical than the way we do it back home..

We then decide to do a little exploring while our clothes was. We found a little coffee shop/bar up the street, and stopped in for coffee.

After we put our clothes in the dryer, we decided to try to figure out a way back to Toshio’s house. We stop in at a charming looking place called “The Lemon Drop.” We are welcomed by a tall gentleman and then greeted by two absolutely beautiful Japanese ladies. In just a bit we have some of the best espresso we have yet to enjoy here, and a taxi ride is procured for us as well. When the taxi arrived the staff of ‘The Lemon Drop’ helped us get our clothes out to the taxi and bit us a very fond adieu....The taxis in Japan are very nice. Most of them are jet black, large Toyotas-much bigger than any Toyotas we have in the States, almost the size of a Crown Victoria, and operated by drivers who wear very nice suits, and white gloves. You never touch the handles of the doors on these taxis. If the driver wants to grant you his (or her) services, they do so by opening the back door from a lever in the front seat. Exits from the taxis are handled the same way. The rates are very reasonable as well.

I am continuously in awe of the dignity and respect the Japanese seem to possess and manifest, not only between themselves, but even to the stranger like me, who knows very little of their language, and even less of their customs. Their attention to detail and the practical way they approach certain things is most inspiring as well. Their sidewalks and handrails are encoded in Braille for the sight impaired. It's very rare to hear a child (other than a small infant) cry out, and I've yet to hear a parent loudly scold a child, to say nothing of administering public spankings or swats. I’ve noticed this phenomena at Toshio’s house in the relationship he a Kazumi-san have with their dog ‘Speedy’. Speedy comes in through the kitchen entry door, any stays on the bottom step-he NEVER comes any further into the house. When Speedy needs to relieve himself, he makes a whimpering sound, and Toshio or Kazumi-san let him out. They say Speedy has never had an ’accident’ in the house. I asked Toshio about this one evening at the dinner table, as I was most curious what methods that have been employed in attaining this exemplary behavior from Speedy. Toshio says he worked with Speedy a little when he was a pup, and they now have an ‘understanding’. Speedy is a very well behaved dog....

...Most of the next leg of our tour will be by train. It baffles me why we didn't utilize this system in the States instead of building all those roads that are day by day proving to be woefully inadequate for the traffic. People ride the trains from town to town, and it's not at all uncommon to see 80+yr old men and women riding bicycles or motorized bikes around. Day before yesterday I saw very well dressed business men and women riding bicycles in the rain steering with one hand and holding an umbrella in the other...

April 2nd, 2008

Tony and I got up and went to the station for a bit, then we all boarded the train for Kyoto. The trains are very comfortable, and fast. We arrive in about an hour, and are greeted by a lady I had met some years ago in the U.S, Chiackie-san. She escorts us to the club we are playing tonight, a place called “Toga-Toga”. There we are met by our old friend and famous musician Katsu. We do a quick sound check, have a quick bite to eat (during which we are entertained by a local college age bluegrass group that plays ‘Salty Dog Blues’ and another song I don’t believe I’ve heard before) and then we head to our rooms at the Kyoto Central Inn. The young men are insistent that they carry our bags. We have a nice 5 minute walk to our quarters, and a nice little rest that has afforded me the opportunity to write in this journal some, and now we must get ready to go play our gig....

Tony and I stopped in a little coffee shop for a cup of coffee on the way to the gig. It was a very small but very classy place, and as we were finishing our coffee, the waitress expressed an interest in what the case held that Tony was carrying. To their delight he got the mandolin out and play a short but very pretty piece on it. ...

After the gig Chiackie and Katsu and some of their friends took us to a great restaurant where Tony treated everyone in the party to plenty of really good food ..We had to be up and gone early the next morning to catch the train. ..

Japan has the most efficient public transportation system I’ve ever seen. There are many local trains that provide service from one town to the next. These trains travel at speeds between 20-maybe 50 mph. There are other trains that stop at only the bigger towns and cities that reach speeds upwards of 150mhp. These trains are very much like being on a commercial flight. The seats are very comfortable, there is plenty of room for luggage and our instruments, and there are waitresses that continually push carts from one car to the other offering beer, water , tea, coffee, soft drinks, potato chips, nuts, and even complete lunch trays. The bathrooms in these trains are very nice and spacious. Everyone from the conductor to the waitresses

always bow to the passengers upon entering and exiting each car. It is quiet a proposition changing trains at times, especially for me with my back the way it is. Toshio, Tony and Chris have been very helpful, yet even still it is tough and tiring. The trains wait for no one-when the doors close, the train takes off, ready or not. A couple of times we had only 5 minutes to change trains. Recalling how impressed I was with the size of the train station in Takarazuka, I see now that in comparison to a lot of train stations here, it is very small. To put it in perspective for the un-initiated, it would be like carrying a banjo, a mandolin, a couple of guitars, as well as luggage for four people from one end of the Opry Mills Mall to the other, climbing two or three flights of stairs, or riding an elevator or escalators and crossing bridges in order to get to where you have to be in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, by the time we get to the island of Kyushu, I am sore and very tired. Again, as so often happens here, we arrive at the hotel at around 2-2:30 PM only to be informed that our rooms are not quiet ready yet. These lodging establishments are also firm in insisting that you be out of the room by 10:00am.

The rooms are exceedingly nice and clean, though very small (people as tall as Tony and I must be constantly on guard to prevent a head on collision with a doorway or shower curtain rod.

Toshio, Tony and I walk down to a restaurant recommended by one of

the ladies Tony befriended at the desk-Café Mer. The view was incredible. We were seated at a table that overlooked the ocean right over a man made harbor. Hawks and gulls flew round about, and the water was so blue it was almost purple. We each had a steak and coffee. The food was really good, but the presentation of the coffee was extra nice; cubed brown and white sugar was offered on one small tray, and a big clump of freshly whipped cream was served over ice in a nice long stemmed serving goblet. Soon we were joined by a couple of new friends, one who was celebrating a birthday. They were both most pleasant, one showed me on his mp-3 player where he had been listening to “A Touch Of The Past”. They had cd covers from ASH&W and some of my work as well that they wanted signed. When we were finished with our meal they insisted on paying for our meal, and then escorted us back to our hotel, where we were met by Mr. Yamamoto, the promoter of the show. The crowd that night was really great. It was one of the best sounding rooms I’ve ever played in anywhere to my ear. There was a table of ladies sitting directly in front of us that were beautiful and most encouraging. I think we encored 2 or 3 times. After the show a nice meal was presented to us at a table upstairs.

April 4th, 2008

I am awakened by a knock on the door-it’s Tony telling me it’s 10:00am and time to go…we’re back on the trains again! So far today the trip back has been nowhere near as hard as the trip down was. It’s nice to have today and tomorrow off as well….

These trains are really easy to rest on, especially the faster ones. Everything goes by so fast it seems like I get hypnotized and lulled into frequent naps. Our trip back to Takarazuka was pleasant and the scenery was incredible. The cherry trees are really blooming now, and everyone seems happy. We got back in time for Tony and I to take a stroll over to the train station…

April 5th,2008

Tony leaves today with a friend named Danno to go to Kobe, and I decide to do some exploring. I go to the train station for a bit, then head over to the Takarazuka Theater, a world famous showplace known for its all-female cast-(yes, this means they play the men's parts as well, even donning beards and mustaches for some of the characters). The cherry trees are in full bloom along the river, and people everywhere are posing in front of them for pictures. I stop in at the relaxation station for some reflexology, then head home. Kazumi-san has prepared another of her fabulous meals-this one was really fun; there’s a big round electric skillet with a temperature control placed in the middle of the table, and she has sliced, chopped and peeled beef, shrimp, asparagus, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and cabbage, and we cook what we want as we want it. A most practical way to prepare a great meal. As always, time with Toshio and Kazumi- san is special and always fun. Even though Kazumi-san and I are able to speak to each other directly very little, we have no trouble laughing together. She soon decides we should move upstairs for some sake and chocolates. Tony arrives from his trip and seems illuminated from his adventures in Kobe. We marveled at the hospitality of his host for the day, Danno, who not only boarded the train in Kobe to come to Toshio's house to get Tony, and spent the day with him showing him around-but then, despite the late hour and his having to go to work early the next morning, insisted on riding the train BACK to Takarazuka with Tony and walking him to the Watanabe home before he himself turned in for the night....

April 7th, 2008

The past few days have been wonderful. Tony and I have spent a great deal of time at the train station. We found a wonderful Italian restaurant that has incredible food and a very sweet waitress that befriends us right away-her name is Yuko. We also discovered another endearing thing about the Japanese; twice we have asked people about where we might found something, and both times-in one case a beautiful woman working at a nice coffee shop, the other time a young lady at ticket counter-they left their post with no hesitation, no notification of any ‘managers or supervisors’ and cheerfully walked us to where we needed to go. Amazing!! We have enjoyed a couple of great meals at Yuko-sans Italian place 'IsoLabella' (the second night we were there, she told us she was anxious for our health, and hoped we weren‘t having too much wine!!), and lots of great coffee, lots of incredible scenery (the women here are absolutely incredible and a sight to behold), and pleasant walks and talks. Yesterday we went to Ashya with Toshio for a wonderful time at the cherry blossom festival. Along the way we stop at a Royal Host restaurant. This is a chain restaurant in Japan-Toshio says that back in the 1950’s Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio made a trip to one of these restaurants. It doesn't’ take long to see why. As usual, everything is clean as can be, the staff is incredibly friendly, and the food is awesome. This place has one of the most extensive menus of any place I’ve ever been- all pictured beautifully in the glossy menu, and even accompanied by an English version of the menu. We each order a steak, and it is served still sizzling furiously (the steaks are cooked on their own mini grill which is then placed into a serving plate, topped with asparagus, carrots, and potatoes) and then surrounded by a light cardboard barrier that is about 10inches wide that prevents the server from breathing on the food and prevents the sizzling steak from getting hot grease on any of the patrons.

There are hundreds of people lined up and down the river, sharing sake, wine, champagne and beer, and a stage is set up across the river where we are to play. The cherry trees are in full bloom everywhere, and barefooted children playing in the water. A beautiful scene indeed...As mush as I enjoyed the people and festivities, our show there was perhaps the most difficult for me. The neuro condition that sometimes adversely affects my hands was acting up, and to make matters worse-and this is going to sound ridiculous to most musicians I'm sure-for the first time in a good many years, 10-15 years-I played over a conventional sound system. By that I mean everyone has a microphone for vocals and one for the instruments as well, and is depending on whatever sounds are (or are not) coming through the monitors facing them to play along with the rest of the band. It didn't dawn on me until we got started on the first song that I was not used to this at all. Years ago, when I went to work with Larry Cordle, Glen Duncan, and Lonesome Standard Time, I encouraged the group to get rid of all the microphones and monitors and use an old RCA 77DX microphone I had for us all to play into. After years of being at the mercy of a soundman and being un-naturally all spread out across the stage to play, I really wanted to go back to the one microphone method that worked so well for everyone from Louis Armstrong to Flatt and Scruggs. As long as I was with that group we played together this way, and this is the way we worked as John Hartford and the Hartford String Band as well. I have enjoyed playing this way on this tour as well. This experience by the river has not improved my opinion of the big sound system for our music at all-I still like the choreography that comes with huddling around one or two good mics in the center of the stage and playing with each other for the people much better than standing in front of a microphone playing to or with monitor feedback. Of course I know that a well rehearsed band working with an attentive, well rehearsed sound person can be a great experience as well..anyway-

After we get back home, Kazumi-san invites us all upstairs for delectable slices of cheese, apple pie and wine, and we enjoy a nice visit there. We are up at 8:00am this morning, and caught the very fast train to Tokyo, where we will be the next couple of days.....