#18. The Japanese Issue
"There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen
All of a sudden I am massively into all things Japanese. I think this may be down to the influence of my nieces who have recently introduced my daughter to anime. She has since flooded my Netflix profile with anime recommendations and I, like the dutifully passive consumer I am, just accept whatever Netflix throws at me and now I’m hooked.
Not only does anime present a different aesthetic and storytelling style to all the American fare on offer, but the ones I have watched offer a slower pace of storytelling accompanied by minimalist classical music by credible Japanese composers who can be found on Spotify.
Fast forward a month and I am now slowing down my own storytelling by journaling in a leather bound notebook system by Japanese stationers The Traveler’s Company, with a Japanese Pilot Lightive fountain pen fuelled by Kuretake ink.
The Japanese commitment to craft and longevity is inspiring and seems like part of the answer to our disposable culture. Now that Japan has opened up again, I may need to book a ticket and take my Traveler’s Notebook with me.
Mooreish Japanese Words
In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature. It is prevalent throughout all forms of Japanese art and it is explained, in detail, in a slim volume entitled ‘Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers’. The book has not only helped me find a way into appreciating Japanese culture but has also taught me to let go of an impossible ideal and enjoy the process more:
Another new word for you is yokochos, which are little alleyways hidden from the main streets of Japan’s cities that form the backbone of neighbourhoods and communities. Milky Cities is a Substack about urban planning - stay with me - by a writer whose main focus is how to make cities happier. Here she explains why yokochos are the perfect third place and why every city should have them - its lovely.
Mooreish Sounds
OK, not Japanese BUT I recently discovered that my favourite ambient label, A Strangely Isolated Place, has an online radio station accessible here, https://9128.live/, or through their app called ‘9128’. It is a beautifully minimalist interface that, when opened, plays a 24 hour stream of ambient electronic and deep techno music from ASIP and friends. Try it!
Mooreish Visions
So, on to anime, and I was ‘spirited away’ recently by a 2013 film on Netflix called ‘The Garden of Words’, a wonderfully nostalgic story famous for its gorgeous depictions of rain. Slow and sentimental, it pairs well with the gloomy days we’ve been having lately.
If that’s a bit placid for you then 2022’s ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’, also on Netflix, is an 18 cert, highly stylised and binge worthy gore fest with a killer soundtrack!
Mooreish Art
I have previously recommended IG account @bladerunnerrealworld, which has featured the work of director, game designer and photographer Liam Wong whose book TO:KY:OO I discovered at Bashir Graphic Books in Bras Basah Complex this weekend. The coffee table tome is filled with rain soaked, neon lit scenes of Japan’s capital, which you can also enjoy on his Instagram @liamwong.
Liam’s latest book, After Dark: A Cinematic Exploration of Cities After Midnight, is out December 6th at Bashir, Kinokuniya or Amazon and I think I’m going to need a bigger coffee table!
Mooreish Happenings
If you fancy loading up on your own Japanese stationery head to ‘THINK’ in Funan Mall and make sure you head to the fountain pen counter where a brilliantly eccentric Japanese man will go out of his way to find you the perfect pen and ink combination - it’s an experience!
Visit https://thinkshop.sg.
Local rock fest Baybeats is back outside the Esplanade this weekend against the backdrop of the stunning Singapore skyline. Completely FREE and with proper rock-fest vibes this is always a great gig: https://www.esplanade.com/whats-on/festivals-and-series/festivals/2022/baybeats.
I’m a bit late to the party but the Japanese Film Festival is still in Singapore until 5th November with tons to see. Check out the full screen schedule at https://jff.sg.
Singapore Writer’s Festival has an overwhelming line up of wordsmiths on the theme of ‘IF’: https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com.
Henry Rollins’ gig on 25th November is off (perhaps the authorities remembered the riot he caused here in 1992?), so I am diverting my attention to Jack White at Star Theatre on 14th November instead: https://ticketmaster.sg/activity/detail/22_jackwhite.
The man described by Herbie Hancock as the modern day Stravinsky, certified genius and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier is playing The Esplanade on 19th November: https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/djeese1122.
That’s all from me, not quite weekly but, in the spirit of wabi-sabi, I am embracing imperfection. Until next time, sayonara!