Monday, July 5, 2010

Shinjuku-ku

     By my calculation half of the women in Tokyo studied piano at Juilliard, while the other half belongs to a choir. Singing for health, to keep the lungs youthful, is recommended by medical experts in nihon. With so many people making music, weekends are chockablock with concerts. After practicing "Carmina Burana" with her choir all year generous tomodachi san sent me a ticket for the July 4th performance at Tokyo Opera City Concert  Hall. In order to insure timely arrival two other tomodachis agreed to meet at Shinjuku Eki (station) one hour before the concert.

    Most cinema viewers have seen the hectic streets around Shinjuku from the outside, thanks to Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation." Inside the station is another story: A mini city with shops and restaurants galore, it feeds into the Takashimaya and other depatos; by comparison, Grand Central Station appears sleepy. After traveling on the Women Only car of the subway (to deter chikan--gropers-- during rush hour), the plan is to meet at South Exit. This entails leaving the private train line for the JR (Japan Rail) meeting point, which takes about 15 minutes on foot. At the appointed platform packed with wall-to-wall travelers, how to find tomodachis? Via cell phone, of course, which proves that we are a few steps apart.

   One more stop along a third train line leads to the Concert Hall, upstairs in a Lincoln Center type complex. Early birds have created a snakelike queue along the hallway-- seats are first come, first served!  Doors open, a mad dash for seats. Finally, settled together, embraced by the air con a quick check of the audience reveals the majority listening with eyes closed, chins on chests. With 150 on stage, the supportive audience is full of friends and family. Omedetou gozaimasu (congratulations)! Afterwards tomodachis stop for happy hour at the British Pub before rushing home to catch Ryoma-den, the NHK series about the 19th century hero, Sakamoto.  Tanoshikata (fun)!

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