(Author's note:These are only my impressions. My facts may not be 100% accurate.)

Our programs were not so interesting, but for good reason. Our success with the recordings of the Beethoven Symphonies meant that the Japanese wanted to hear Beethoven. So the 5th and 7th were on every program. "Pacific 231" from Honegger and the Bloch "Schelomo" were our Swiss works. The Schelomo, Haydn C-major and the two violin concertos, Dvorak and Mendelssohn with Kyoko Takesawa. Our cello soloist was the one and only Yo-Yo Ma. David Zinman was conducting. The Concert Halls in Niigita, Sapporo's "Kitara" and of course Tokyo's "Suntory" are outstanding, as good as any in Europe or America, and a pleasure to work in.

We played in Nagoya, Niigata, Omiya, Matsumoto (near Nagano),Tokyo (3 concerts) and Sapporo, Portland Oregon's sister city. The tour was fortunately organized so that we could stay several nightsin key locations and make run-outs. So Nagoya, Nagano, and Tokyo were our base camps.

Nagoya is a modern, bustling city, the mo-town of Japan. It was a good place to get over jet-lag and plunge into Japanese Restaurants. Hours of Yoga practice, most importantly sitting on the floor with a straight back, paid off! The more authentic and reasonably priced restaurants, with only Japanese script used on the menus, have one sit on a cushion on the tatami mat, the omniprecent woven reed carpets .

A free day was spent on a trip to Kyoto, only about 50 minutes away on the Shinkansen, the rapid train. Speed varies between 220-300 km per hour, depending if the train is the most modern or built in the '70's. In any case, the corners are banked, the tunnels long (a la Suisse) and the ride a thrill. Every country should have one. In Kyoto a colleague and guardian spirit, Noriko Yanagita, arranged a tour of the Imperial Gardens. Her sister had gone to Kyoto weeks in advance, made the necessary reservation, and then guided us around before and after the 1 hour tour. Did you ever wonder why the ponds with the enormous goldfish are so green? Apparently, that is the best because the algae filled water contrasts the colors of the fish. We visited a beautiful Zen Temple after lunch. Wonderful aesthetic. Wooden buildings, intimate gardens of stone and/or plants, nestled against the wooded hills. Kyoto is the obligatory city in Japan for all tourists.

Nagano is famous for the Winter Olympics last year and is surrounded by wonderful countryside. On a free day some colleagues and I went to Togakushi. Marvellous mountain scenery and small lakes, plus the old Shinto and Zen Temples hidden in the woods. Maybe hidden is not such an accurate description, because one Shrine had a path bordered by enormous cedars leading to it. These cedars reminded me of small redwoods, but the mountains surrounding us, though not very high, had the classical Asian look that one finds in the famous paintings from Japan and China. The forests in much of Japan are original, with lots of bamboo-like underbrush and a healthy mixture of flora. And once again, most mountains and hills start pretty low, so a 2000 m. mountain looks big.

Outside of Tokyo is the town of Nikko. This is a must, not only for the unique temples and shrines. These could best be described as Japanese Baroque. Highly ornate, multicolored, wooden with lots of gold painted on, these are some of the finest to be found (Kyoto is off course the Mecca of Japan, but Nikko is not to be missed). The setting for the 17th century architecture is perfectly integrated into the hills and forest. We hired a cab to run us up to the Lake and waterfalls above the town, at the foot of Nantai-yama, a 2400 m. volcano. The Lake and waterfall are classic volcano country scenery. Those who know Crater Lake and Multnomah Falls would feel at home.

The last big adventure without the orchestra was a three day adventure with my buddy Robi Merkler in Hokkaido. We said goodbye to our companions of over two weeks in the band, and headed from Sapporo to Otaru and then on to Kutchan.( no fast trains hear- in fact painfully slow) Our goal, YOTEI-ZAN the Fuji-zan of Hokkaido. AT 1890 meters it dominates the many volcanoes surrounding it. It is in a National Park, so the forests are lovely, filled with animals (we saw two fox) and mosquitos. The steep hike to the crater rim entailed 1500 meters of uphill. We started at only 300 meters!!

Very hard work, and the weather permitted us to reach the crater. Just as we got there the clouds lowered onto us, the wind roared around us, and though the true summit was about 200 meters away and only a bit of elevation gain, we descended, in a white out. Do not forget, all trail markings are in Japanese, that means you have to really pay attention to which turns to make at the junctions (or be able to read the script). With patches of snow and our caveman language skills we figured we should play it safe, and the wind and clouds remained on the last 400 meters of the mountain the rest of the day. In fact the wind kept the mosquitoes away for our descent.

So what does one do in Japan after battling mosquitos, sweating liters, and pounding ones legs into the ground? You find a sulfuric volcanic boil with an adjoining hot spring and of course a bath house. If you go to one, do not forget to take a small towel. It is used to cover your crotch as you walk around from pool to pool, but most importantly you put it on your head to keep it warm as you sit in the water. After a few minutes of sighing and moaning in the barely tolerable hot liquid all pains and worries are forgotten. Now, how did we get to the base of the mountain, the hot springs and get a tour of the mountain country by car as the sun set? Our host Toshihiro Funjii-san, from whom we rented two modest rooms plus breakfast and dinner, was deeply concerned at our apparent helplessness. Out of his genuine sense of courtesy, he gave us nearly royal attention. After dinner paper, pen and maps were taken out and the painful process of trying to communicate with us began. His Herculean efforts to speak our language brought sweat to his brow. Though all Japanese study around six years in school our language, the practice of speaking English and feeling comfortable in it is sadly lacking. Hours and hours of memorising grammer rules ain't enough.

He and his lovely family allowed us a brief but invaluble opportunity to see a bit of Japanese family life, though to draw any grand conclusion after only this one extremely pleasant experience would be unfair. I must add that after showing family pictures, the few Robi and I had in our wallets, (Robi getting the usual oos and awes for looking such a young 55 and having children who are already young adults-- this being a routine when meeting new people, especially women. ) The Fujii's formal album was shown, kimono clad and serious, tradition still strong for preserving memorable moments. When I showed them my family, they were intrigued by Patricia's looks. When I mentioned that my children were born with the mongolian spots, the bruise-like birth mark of the Asian peoples which of course all Japanese babies have, the family gasped in unison. I was in the club.

Hokkaido is only about as far north as Boston Mass. to northern Maine, but due to Asian winds charging over the Sea of Japan, they experience severe winters with huge snowfall and lots of wind in the mountains. Since its colonisation from the Japanese is all fairly recent, the houses and buildings look like those of the American West, with no old cultural monuments. In fact the Japanese treated the natives Ainu's to the same rough treatment we gave our Native Americans. Their aboriginal music sounds hauntingly similar to what our Plains Indians produce. It is also relatively under-populated with huge tracts of mountains, lakes and forests. Good for skiing in winter and hiking in the summer and fall. The Japanese frontier.

Japan is a fascinating country. Where else would it be so difficult to find a litter basket and yet have clean streets? Bicycles and pedestrians share the same side walks; and nobody screams and insults each other. Traffic is heavy, often on three leveled freeways in downtown Tokyo, but order is maintained. That is until a few hours before dawn, when the motorbikes roar around on the freeways, racing their motors at unbelievable RPM's`(Harley-Davison owners nightmare) and using the few remaining cars on the road for a slolem course.

Hard to define, because it is a world unto itself.

It maintains its old culture, its sense of aesthetic and harmony, its nature and courtesy. Yet its cities and towns can be horrible and impersonal, the consumer society driven by tastes even more outrageous than the USA, with the combination of kitch, waste of paper, and drunken businessmen simply revolting. Yet it is safe, the people honest and courteous, their patience with each other in overcrowded streets and subways unimaginable in our western egotistical societies. It is ultra- modern and old fashioned, conservative and outrageous; i.e. always the opposite side of every coin. So how can you put it in a capsule? The language, its island mentality make it too homogeneous for my taste, but its energy and search for perfection are highly admirable. It would be a great place to get to know on a deeper level.

Why look for another planet, when we have Japan?


(June, 19, 1999)

GCN wish to express our gratitude to Miss Noriko Yanagida for release of this article.