Experiencing Art

The island of Naoshima in Kagawa, Japan offers many surprises. Reached only by ferry, Naoshima's charm comes from its partial isolation and intimacy. The streets are lined with a mix of traditional and modern Japanese homes, emphasis on the traditional. As we walked through the small town, we received tickets to what they said would be 6 recreated Edo period homes. The first one we entered honestly bored me, but only because I didn't understand what I was looking at..

The next home had a wonderful Japanese garden in front. After admiring the nicely trimmed landscaping, we removed our shoes and entered a dark room. Once my eyes adjusted I realized the center of the room was missing the bamboo floor and instead had a giant black pool. In the pool were many one-digit digital displays producing a seemingly random progression on numbers and letters. I was mesmerized. It didn't take long to realize these recreated Edo homes we fused with contemporary art! It was no wonder the first home was so confusing!

My favorite of the buildings held an installation by James Turrell. No more than eight people could enter the large building at any one time. Each person is led into the building by assistants because inside it is pitch black (it's very scary not being able to see your hands in front of you). They sit you down on a bench after winding through the dark hallways. I sat staring into the darkness wondering what would come next. My eyes played tricks on me. Blobs of blacks floated around as my eyes attempted to cope with the darkness. After three minutes a gray rectangle suddenly appeared in the distance. Then we stood up very quietly and began to walk through the darkness to the faint light in the distance. The assistants stopped us a few feet from the box and proceed to tell us what we just experienced. The gray box had actually been on since we entered the room, but it was so faint it took multiple minutes for our eyes to adjust to seeing it. To top it off it really wasn't a gray rectangle it was a window into another giant room, lit too look like an even toned shade of gray.

From the experience I realized you don't always see what is right in front of you and when you do sometimes you can't understand the depth. I've never experienced art in such an all encompassing and profound way. By looking at light on a wall, I found a new appreciation for the world and how I see it.

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Credits

The cinemas in Osaka are of the highest quality. The other day I went to see Terminator 4 (not my choice) at Toho Cinemas in Umeda (A). I was blown away by the cleanliness and quality of the experience, although that is what I should expect for a ticket that costs ¥1,800 (about $18). They use all digital projectors which produces the best quality image I've seen at a theater. Though impressed by the experience, I realize you can get the same in the US. What really surprised me was what happened after the movie.

The final scene ended and the screen went blank. I began to get up when I realized everyone else in the theater was still seated. Not only did they remain in their seats, they also stayed as quiet as they were during the movie (during which I didn't hear one cell phone). The entire audience quietly watched the all 6 minutes of credits roll by. Once the credits ended, the lights finally went up and the theater quitely emptied. As you left (being careful to pick up any and all trash you produced) a group of friendly employees collected your garbage at the door at sorted the cups, straws, lids, wrappers, bags, etc. into the proper recycling bins.

The experience highlighted a strong contrast between the culture in the US and Japan. Out of respect and tradition the Japanese watch the names of everyone involved in making a movie. It doesn't matter what type of movie, or its quality, each is shown it's proper respect. In the US you would be given evil stares by the cleaning staff if you were to watch all the credits.

For the same reasons as watching the credits, the theater is kept spotless. As I walked out I didn't see one misplaced piece of popcorn or forgotten napkin. The theater was left in the same condition it was found. The pride the Japanese show for their country and surroundings inspires me.