Very little accomplished around the house in March as we were busy with foreign films, concerts, dinners with friends and skiing (14 trips to BW this season). At the end of March, M and B (friends from Niagara Falls) came to stay at the house and take care of Taisho during our Japan sojurn. A good time was had by all.
Lots of developments in the neighborhood in our absence. Our neighbors spent 2 years and loads of $ building a very unique house and huge shop and have now decided to sell – not sure why. 500 acres of ranch land nearby will be subdivided into 9 large lots (15 to 40 acres) and the remaining 300 or so acres will be planted to cherries. Another 15 acres lower down is being prepped for grapes. And our road will no longer be a dead end as it will later this year be connected to another road higher up the hill. Progress. Bah.
In Japan for the 1st time in 4 years, my longest absence in 40 years (Mizuho was back last year). Loved it. With our rail pass we toured Kurashiki, Izumo, Kyoto and Kanazawa and saw friends and family in Tokyo. Sakura were a week early but we saw lots of blossoms. Struck again by Japan’s organization and civilized people and the best food in the world. Also by how inexpensive Japan now is (prices have barely changed in 30 years) and how popular it is with foreign tourists. Ancient and modern architecture and interesting design, like the atria of the Kyoto and Kanazawa (town of 400,000) train stations.
Most of the bars, restaurants and buildings I knew and loved while living there are long gone. Below is the lobby of Mid-Town – a 60 story collection of offices, restaurants, bars and galleries – which replaced a warren of small bars and Boeicho, a military base near my apartment in the 1980s where Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima committed seppuku in 1970.
One of the highlights was touring a water catchment facility just north of Tokyo. During typhoons, water is diverted to 5 concrete silos 30m wide and 70m deep. When full, they empty into the “pressure chamber” (pictured below and the size of Toronto’s Sky Dome). When half full, enormous pumps shift the water out to a river and into the sea. It cost $2 billion and suggests Japan will be better able than most to adapt to climate change.
Below is the magnificent Suntory Hall where we enjoyed the Viennese Phil playing Bach and Beethoven. Amazing acoustics – you can hear each instrument clearly, as well as a cough in the far corner of the hall. At the entrance, you are given a folder with 100 promo sheets for classical music concerts in Tokyo over the next 5 months. There are, of course, thousands of blues, jazz, pop and rock concerts as well.
There should be some progress on the house front in May.