This Sunday, as it was part of my New Year good resolutions, I went to say hello to the bust of my great, great idol : I give you Mr. Lafcadio Hearn. If afterlife exists, this guy is in my top-ten list of the people I want an appointment with when I arrive. Of course I need to see a few others before, like my grandma I never had the pleasure to meet for example - family first - but I will definitely give a call to Lafcadio right after.

... Okay, you have no clue who this gentleman can be. I know. But he should be a legend for all the people who have a sailor's soul and a neverending apetite for new landscapes. Not only he was an amazing writor who wrote dozens of books including analysis of French peotry, linguistic papers and children tales, but also he was an inspiring globe-trotter and his travel notes are so deep I could have drown when I read it.

To summarize the crazy life of this crazy guy, let's say first that he was born in 1850, from an Irish dad and a Greek mum. Apparently Daddy married Mummy secretly and when she had the baby the father and brother got so hungry they fought Daddy to almost-death; finally the couple could escape and take a boat for Ireland. What a beginning. Unfortunately Daddy abandonned wife and child to make his career in India and the Greek mum got so depressed in this over-raining Ireland she left the child to the tyrannic grand-mother. So he grew up basically without parents, and with few love. In order to make his childhood even a bit more romanesque, he got injuried and became half-blind. No, this is not a Dickens novel, it is the truth.

Anyway, even unappy as a kid, he received a top-level education in France (he he) and started studying the French literature closely. But life was hell and he decided to go and see America, so he took a boat hoping that his brother-in-law (the husband of his sister his Dad had with a second wife) could help him to get in a job in Cincinatti. But when he rang the bell, the nice brother just gave him a 5-dollars note and a "good luck". No money, no family, lost in the US... But Lafcadio was amazingly smart and he got employed by Henry Watkin, a quite progressist printor. Quickly, he revealed himself to be more than a simple assistant and launched his own research project, especially about the black ghettos - an amazing guy, I told you. There, he fall in love with a black woman, and married her, but had to leave her and the city because mixed weddings were forbidden at that time. It could have been enough for one life, but no. Then he went to New-Orleans, Louisiana, and started to write about vaudoo, French Opera, Creole culture and cuisine - the first official Creole cooking book ! En français, s'il vous plait ! This man was so open-minded, so multitasking, especially for the XIX century !... - but also the politic responsability for poverty and diseases, crimes, and so on.

Then Lafcadio was sent to the West Indies, and he has been living there for three years. It's fascinating to read his travel notes and personal diaries and letters at that time, because first his new life seems to free his body : sun, spices and naked bodies opened for him a whole world of new sensation that I can imagine after his previous lives in rainy Ireland, grey Paris and gloomy New Orleans. But finally he found himsself lacking for intellectual challenges ; life was too sweet, too easy, and he needed excitement... So he decided to go to... Japan. Tadaaaaam !

I mean, Japan. In 1890.Can you just imagine how was Japan looking like at that time ?

People like us who had always landed in Narita airport, after a oh-my-god-that-was-too-long 12-hours flight, will never know. We will never know what it could represent for someone to go to Japan at that time. And here appears some of my favorite books about Japan : "Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan" and "Japan : an Attemp at Interpretation", by Lafcadio Hearn. And his travel notes about his "first steps in Asia" are fabulous too. The most crazy is : everything he wrote is still totally true. For example, when he describes his emotion walking on a street covered with "advertisements" painted on the walls, on the roofs, on posters, on fabric; with kanji, kanji, kanji everywhere. And first he could not understand what was written, so he was just amazed by their beauty but he also remarked that it would be something terrible to be able to read them and feel trapped - he imagines them covered with latin letters and he feels bad, ha ha... And it was exaclty what I felt the first times in Shibuya : thanks goodness, the beauty of the writing compensates the commercial pressure !... Another funny story : at one moment he says there is no way to avoid shopping here, and he already bought a full luggage of "souvenirs" so he is anxious to know if he will have to pay an additionnal fee for the weight when he leaves the country... Remind me something... And many random observations that can not leave my heart, like the comparison between the Japanese women's feet in their tabi with the pretty legs of a faun... I think of this image everytime I see tabi now.

Well, his books about Japan are pure jewels and you have to read some of them (not all, it's impossible). He even became the first non-Japanese Japanese language teacher at Tokyo University (wow), got the Japanese nationality (wow-WOW) and married a Japanese lady (oh). He is famous in Japan for his traditionnal ghost stories, and legends, but under his Japanese name of Koizumi Yakumo, so many of my Japanese friends even did not know that he was not a native. He stayed in Japan until he died in 1904.

Lafcadio was a pure genius, and a real Japan-lover. Everything he wrote about this country and this society is mind-stricking and soul-opening and I admire this guy more than I can say, especially in English.

This is why, I had to go to this tiny little garden between Shin-Okubo station and Meiji-dori they call "Koizumi Yakumo Garden" and bend the knee in front of my hero. The garden was not especially beautiful but I liked the statue. Next time I will go to his grave.

A few dark clouds, however. Even if Lafcadio Hearn found a real home and a family in Japan, as well as a constant source of inspiration, there were some moments he became sick of being there. A Japanese writor said that in Japan, his Greek temperament and his French culture became froze-bitten like a flower in winter. But my concern is more about these words he had about the Japanese :

"What is large about them? His poems, which are only tiny pictures? his deepest sentiments of heroism which he shares with the ant and the wasp ! his romances, mediaevally tiresome, yet without any of the strength of our own medievalism ! Always details, details infinite in number and variety, infinitesimal in character. And to-day, what is his tendency ? To make everything that he adopts small
philosophy, sciences, material, arts, machinery; everything is modified in many ways, but uni formly diminished for Lilliput. And Lilliput is not tall enough to see far. Cosmic emotions do not come to Lilliputians. Did any Japanese ever feel such an emotion? Will any ever feel one ?" (Letter to Basil Hall Chamberlain)

I am disturbed. Cosmic emotions. That's the point.

Oh Lafcadio, at least I am not alone in this.

(a very complete webpage about Hearn's life in French, here)

Yesterday was the night of the moon eclipse; obviously, I could not take good pictures of the phenomenon, but I also witnessed a few Christmas lights than can give you an idea of the very special atmosphere of the night.

Cosmic show at Roppongi

Solar explosions

Venus Tree

Milky Way

Back on Earth : Nutcracker's Castle (Roppongi Hills) and Gingerbread Village (Muji)

Happy Christmasization !

Human losses... material destruction... forever trauma... but still this sense of saying arigatou.

Thank you Tohoku people, thank you all who teach us dignity and humanity. Love and Courage.

皆さん、こちらこそ、ありがとう！！！頑張れ！！！

At Meguro.

Winter is coming.

Autumne never ends in this country... It's December already, en have a look at what was waiting for me at Rikugien !

Welcome to a typical Edo period garden ! No doubt that the walkers in the ancient times have been inspired by its beauty to write poetry. As fall came late this year, we can enjoy these amazing colors at the fringe of winter. Light is excellent. Contrast is perfect. What else ???

In the mountains, two hours by train from Tokyo (by Tobu line from Asakusa station), there is a holly place which is famous at the same time for buddhism, shinto and political history : Nikko (日光), the "Sunlight" of Japan, the right place to spend a week-end in November, when the leaves are red and the air is so pure. Follow me !

Lucky me : Look at this sky, from my window seat. Nikko is more meaningful when the sun shines, and the autumn sky did not fail to bless the trip.

Up there in the mountain, the climate is definitely fresher ; gloves and scarf are required ! The greatest point of Nikko is, according to me, its natural landscape, with its volcano-shaped mountains, its lakes and its waterfalls. From Nikko station, you can take a bus to Chuzenji lake (two days bus pass available for 2700 yen), and enjoy this scenary :

Chuzenji Lake

Water, stones, sky. Nikko has something solemn that even Nature reflects.

Kogen waterfall

In Japanese, the word for waterfall, taki (滝) means "water dragon". So poetic. In the case of kogen falls, the dragon is long, white, slim and pure, shining in the sunlight like a long clear ribbon.

Senjogahara Plateau

There are many small waterfalls in Senjohara plateau, and beautiful trees too - even if in late November, most of the colors were gone already. It's winter already in these high places ! Still, I could have a nice shot of flaming branches.

Not so bad for a rest of colors.

Toshogu Sanctuary

Toshogu Sancturay is the jewel of Nikko. The site has been finished in 1636, in the memory of Ieyasu, foundator of Tokugawa shogunate. This smart warrior-politician managed to unify the country in the 16th Century (before him, Japan was a patchwork of lands constantly disputed by clans) and to build the base of the Tokugawa's 250-years supremacy in Japan, until Meiji period. He was also the one who chose the Kanto region as the new capital of Japan, over the traditionnal Kyoto.

The shrines here are shinto, but so colourful, red and gold just as Chinese buddhist temples.

This is the symbol of Nikko : the 3 monkeys of wisdom. One does not hear what he shouldn't ; one does not tell what he shouldn't; one does not see what he shouldn't. This was a free lesson for the lords and politicians who had to wait for the shogun's leave to enter the Yomeimon gate and expose their demands or projects.

Yomeimon gate

Ieyasu's tomb

200 steps to reach the tomb. Yalla.

Ieyasu's tomb is very impressive, at the top of the hill, and all made in carved bronze which was much more precious than gold in Japan at this period.

The holly forest

The surrounding forest was just amazing : 16 000 cedars, most of them more than 300 years. Tall and magnificent trees...

This one is a kami, a Japanese god, as shown by the characteristic rope around it. People were sending money in its empty trunk and praying.

The giants of the forest...

... and color gifts everywhere.

World Heritage Park

The sanctuary belongs to a larger area classified as World Heritage by the Unesco. The park is full of old stone walls, ancient gardens and beautifully carved roofs. And trees. Trees. Trees !

Shinkyo Bridge

During Edo period, only the Emperor could walk on this bridge across the Daiya river. It is still closed to the public, but only because of its historical value, I guess. I hope. Whatever.

The Monkey Experience

Alright : my most striking memory of Nikko will be... the monkey I saw in the woods. A baboon, to be more precise, and big like a medium-sized dog, with a pink face and long grey-brown hair. Like this. Unfortunately the meeting was too short and I could not take a picture. I was astonished to see it like that, randomly, in this familiar-looking forest, and the Japanese around me saying "Why, this is nature, there are trees, so there are monkeys...". Hey, for a French, monkeys are in the zoo, not in the forest !  Come on, guys, that is so exotic !...

Can't believe I saw this, in its big version, and in real, a few meters from me... 

... everything is normal.

To the question "what should we eat at Nikko?", unfortunately, I don't have the answer. Only kakis, there were so many on the trees. For the rest, I found no typical food but this steaming "shogun curry", super-black and sweet type, that made my day...

Shogun curry !

Anecdote : In Nikko hotel, no Bible in your drawer but the Teaching of Buddha.

And that was my Nikko experience. Nature, History, Colors... What else ?

This is my third birthday in Japan, far from my beloved family but close to all the others. Having your birthday on a weekday is never funny, because usually no one is keen on partying very late. Except this year : the famous and controversial Beaujolais Nouveau was to be opened all over the world on this same day... which means, a big party with the Tokyo French community & friends to celebrate the event. Happy birthday Noemi, Happy birthday Beaujolais !

First present of the day : a smiling sunny blue sky

My dear family sent me a hundred gifts... love you guys.

Sweet messages from my two little fairies A. & G.

Who said co-workers can not be true friends ? Mine had a huge birthday cake waiting for me after lunch.

My first Japanese-style birthday cake

The Malian-Japanese-French-Pakistanese dream-team (and so what ?!...)

Last but not least : the buffet party at Pachon Daikanyama with Beaujolais Nouveau all-you-can-drink and friendly funny people around.

Master Chef in action

Pâté, rillettes... Only saucisson was missing

Great atmosphere at Pachon's this night, thanks to the AFJ (them again!!) who did a splendid work as usual.

Ishinomaki champions

One of our brave super-mummy volunteers

O. and S., definitely the good people met thanks to Ishinomaki volunteering experience

(I know, my lips are black, have you tried to drink Beaujolais Nouveau once in your life ?...)

Ok, flying time can be a good thing after all. As long as it gives you the opportunity to get so many great love and friendship prooves... Let's go on aging with a light heart.

Love you all !

For urbanism and urbanity lovers.

This amazing website provide pictures of the same places in Tohoku just after the earthquake from now. The progresses are incredible, even if when you are in the area, you feel like there is too much left to do... So, have a look at these pictures and cheer up, because our action there is useful for sure !

Ishinomaki - March 12 / June 03 / September 06 2011

Ishinomaki - March 15 / June 04 / September 05 2011

"otsukaresamas deshita !"

Well done, guys. Impressive, isn't it ?