Our concert tonight in Tokyo was definitely a success. The place was crammed, ten thousand people. A very sophisticated audience, almost like it was listening to Beethoven’s Ninth.
That’s neither good nor bad, it is just an observation. The Japanese are so well behaved. Everything is orderly and perfectly organized, you could almost call it anal. I found it strange at first, but now it gives me a feeling of security.
I played on an acoustic harpsichord. Same will apply to the other two concerts in Japan, and also for the entire UK leg. The sound from a real harpsichord is more authentic and charming.
Many people wear white, surgical-looking masks in the street, and there were several in the audience tonight. The mask is worn when you are mildly sick and have a cough, but don’t want to infect others. It was funny seeing masked people swaying to the music. Surgeons on acid - oh yeah!
We played two encores, Oceania and Declare. As we were going on stage for the encores, I said to Björk: “Let’s play Waterloo!”
Now, wouldn’t that be fun?
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February 19th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
thanks for coming tonight!
this show was really marvellous and certainly embedded in my memory as unforgettable precious experience!
thank you very much for splendid show!
well actually i got a stuff with letter for her but i didnt give, this is regretable thing for me…=(
may you enjoy in japan=) xxx
February 19th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Hmm…I would think with atour as high energy and exciting as Björks they place would be rocking, from the videos and concert films I’ve seen the Japanese usually throw themselves into the moment. Any way its funny but very nice with the masks it makes me think of the group Orbital with their miner helmets. Hope your having some time to explore Japan. Thanks for the blogs!
February 19th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
I was at the FujiRock gig in 2003 and I thought the same: the Japanese are very well-behaved and give each other a lot of space. But they can rock the place nonetheless. My favourite crowd to be in. (The Dutch being the toughest, sorry.)
February 20th, 2008 at 2:27 am
I love the Japanese people as a public culture. I live in BC, where many Japanese people come to live, work and study, so I have gone to school, work, and shared living arrangments with many Japanese people.
The grace and coridal nature associated with friendship and social interaction is amazing to me. I can’t wait to visit Japan. Thanks for relating your observations.
February 20th, 2008 at 2:56 am
i always think of the differences between the tokyo & nyc subways & how they reflect their cultures.
usa = marilyn monroe
japan = audrey hepburn
i liked japan very much. it was the first time i ever felt respected as an artist.
in america, if you say you are an artist, you might as well be saying “i am a homeless bum!”
but in japan, even if they are just being polite, people are interested in your work.
there is no value on ettiquette or art in america.
in tokyo, people would leave their bikes unlocked outside the subway station. i asked my friend, “arent they afraid of someone stealing their bikes?”
he looked bewildered by the question, and said, “no one would steal another person’s bike, because then someone would steal *their* bike.”
like, the karma was so instant & obvious, no one would even think of going there.
February 20th, 2008 at 6:02 am
I was in the BUDOKAN last night. Thank you for fantastic show.
> The Japanese are so well behaved.
> Everything is orderly and perfectly organized, you could almost call it anal.
I’m one of the typical Japanese so it’s easy to explain why we were so. Because all seats were reserved seats in the BUDOKAN. We should enjoy within a certain definite range, otherwise we will disturb the next person.
If all tickets were “all standing”, we would be more loudmouthed, I think.
(I’m afraid of that “all standing” makes sense in Japan only.. It means all tickets aren’t assigned specific location)
Anyway, what I want to let you know is that we were absolutely impressed and enthusiastic last night even though we looked too sophisticated. In fact, I saw lots of people were moved to tears after the show. In addition, japanese blogosphere has been full of accolades on Bjork’s performance since last night.
Take care and enjoy the rest of Japanese day.
Please come to Japan again and again.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:47 am
that´s why they wear masks????I tought it was cause pollution.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:50 am
that´s why they wear masks???I tought it was cause pollution.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I was in the BUDOKAN last night. Thank you for fantastic show.
> The Japanese are so well behaved.
> Everything is orderly and perfectly organized, you could almost call it anal.
I’m one of the typical Japanese so it’s easy to explain why we were so. Because all seats were reserved seats in the BUDOKAN. We should enjoy within a certain definite range, otherwise we will disturb the next person.
If all tickets were “all standing”, we would be more loudmouthed, I think.
(I’m afraid that “all standing” makes sense in Japan only.. It means no tickets are assigned specific location)
Anyway, what I want to let you know is that we were absolutely impressed and enthusiastic last night even though we looked too sophisticated. In fact, I saw lots of people were moved to tears after the show. In addition, japanese blogosphere has been full of accolades on Bjork’s performance since last night.
Take care and enjoy the rest of Japanese day.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
“The Japanese are so well behaved. Everything is orderly and perfectly organized, you could almost call it anal. I found it strange at first, but now it gives me a feeling of security.”
And that’s coming from a Scandinavian man, wow. I, as a latin guy, would surely cry out of despair in your situation.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:29 am
They care who follows the rules or who don’t. People are programmed in Japan:P Japanese are well-behaved, but sometimes I feel petty mind.
I saw several people who are taking pictures at 19th night, are hassled by other person.
People give each other a lot of space, because they don’t want to hassle.
I, as a Japanese, we all enjoyed 19th night definitely. I hope that people feel free to dance, shout, sing in this decade:)
Anyway, thanks for coming to Japan!
February 21st, 2008 at 1:52 pm
beethoven’s 9th, you say?
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I know it might be a bit too late to leave a comment on this post,
but I personally think you might need an “observation” from
Japanese side as well, just to make it fair!
I believe it’s true in a way that the Japanese audience
behaved almost like they were listening to Beethoven’s 9th,
which might have made you think that we were a bit too, say, “quiet”.
But does that mean that people in the far east can never “rock”??? No way!!!
It’s just that we go extreme, compared to people from the west.
e.g. A girl who sat right next to me actually burst into tears
and hysterically welcomed the opening of the show,
but at the next moment she was holding her breath and didn’t even say a word.
Why? because she didn’t want to miss
every single sound, move, or whatever that was presented from Bjork and her band!
And at the end of each song, she screamed and sent
an enormous applause…
Okay, that maybe a bit too polite/odd manner to be in a rock(pop) show,
But does that mean she didn’t really “rock”???
I think she was truly, a responding audience!
Same could be said to other people who were in Budokan on 19th.
Let me put it simple…
WE Japanese enjoyed the show soooooooo much,
and we don’t want you to underestimate our love for Bjork’s music!
And as for the mask…there’s some other reasons we wear it recently.
1. Pollen. there are many people who are allergic to cedar pollen,
and it’s out in the air already. To avoid the pollen we put the mask. Simple solution.
2. Flu(influenza)….don’t want to infect others? haha..
We’re not that extremely generous and nice all the time.
We don’t want to get sick ourselves by getting someone’s virus!
(though I think it’s a bit weird to wear it in a relaxing situation, like a concert. hmmm)
Well I hope you enjoy your rest of your stay in Japan.
I’ll see you in Osaka!
(I’ll be travelling to Osaka from Tokyo with my 2 yr old daughter
just to get to see the concert!)
February 23rd, 2008 at 3:15 am
last night was beautiful. the japanese are well behaved for sure but can rock out nonetheless. i kind of felt like the venue didn’t help much. not an easy place to loosen up in.
February 25th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I was born and raised in Japan, and I am a full blooded Japanese. So I know how things are here very well naturally.
The reason why you saw so many people wearing a white mask is partly because of what you have mentioned, but mostly because it is a pollen allergy season. Many of us became allergic to cider pollen which started falling a few days prior to you guys arrived here. If we breath in pollen, those of us who has such allergy starts sneezing and having runny nose. In my case, my eyes start itching also. We need to avoid pollen as much as possible. Sometimes you see people wearing sky goggle type of glasses. That is to avoid contacting pollen in your eyes. This allergy can bother you very much and actually very painful. That is why the white masks.
Now about the Ninth of Beethoven, well, come and see a classical concert in Japan. You are not even allowed to cough during performance… I mean you do not get punished, but you will receive uncomfortable attention from those sitting around you if you even make a smallest noise. If Bjork show is like listening to a classical music, imagine how a real classical performance would be like.
I was able to attend second Budokan show in Tokyo. Fantastic! I was dancing and rocking the whole time, but not necessary screaming or making any noise other than clapping. We were to “listen” to her music and see her perform. That does not need to involve screaming and shouting or drinking. It is an opportunity to REALLY see her perform and LISTEN. When we want to listen, we listen. That is just as simple.