The Microphone and the Willow World
I am a voyeur at heart - I want to know what goes on behind closed doors and drawn curtains...what is whispered into cupped ears and what those plain white envelopes contain...here in Japan, I am constantly intrigued, tantalised by the private bubbles people place around themselves in what is otherwise a very crowded, busy place.
On trains they tap, tap, tap little messages into their mobile phones, whole train carriages of Japanese folk from salarymen to obaasans (grandma's) furtively tapping away for the length of the journey. Walking down the street short curtains section off ramen joints from peering eyes. A breeze might lift a curtain and you may catch a glimpse inside - though the scene is pedestrian, men standing around a bar, eating noodles and drinking beer, the fact that it is shrouded from the street lends the scene an exotic air.
Walking down the streets of Gion and Pontocho, in the geisha (or geiko) districts of Kyoto, this very Japanese tradition of privacy and mystery is magnified. Narrow stone paths lead off the main streets and looking down you can see a wooden door, with a stone lantern and water feature. It seems to beckon you, come closer, but you know that to open such a door requires a certain amount of money and a level of prestige, neither of which you possess. You feel certain that it is down these alleys that you may discover the 'flower and the willow world', where geiko dance the ancient dances of this land and entertain with witty conversation and elegant ceremony.
Since arriving here I have indulged a growing fascination for the world of the geiko, surely bestowing on this group all my wayward and hopelessly romantic notions of Japanese culture - perhaps it was this fascination (and a desire for more piles of yen) that led me to try my hand at the peculiarly Japanese phenomenon of hostessing.
It certainly feels like hostessing is a modern form of the 'flower and the willow world', though perhaps it may be seen as some sort of monstrous offspring! There are hundreds of these bars around Japan, catering to all sorts of tastes and predelictions. Essentially salarymen come to these bars after a long day at the office to drink copious amounts of Suntory Whiskey or Sho-chu (rice spirit) in the company of women (often 'western' women) who light their cigarettes, pour their drinks and engage in conversation.
Many companies bring clients to such bars, to celebrate a deal or as part of negotiations and the binding factor in these interactions is that of the karaoke machine. As faces redden and ties are loosened, these stiff salarymen become consummate performers, belting out Japanese love songs or 'Jazz-u' ballads. As in all interactions in Japan, heirarchy is strictly observed. The underlings will sing first, with little attention given to their heartfelt performance by senior members of staff. But when it comes time for the president to warble out 'Sakura' or 'Sukiyaki' or some other Japanese standard, a hush falls over the table. When he finishes, applause erupts and much kow-towing ensues. Generally the boss falls asleep 5 minutes after this event and the celebrations continue around him. It seems that karaoke is a major vehicle for business development in this country, rather than being the realm of pissed 20-somethings in Moonee Ponds, as it so often is in Australia.
My mama-san employed me on the strength of my confession that I sang professionally. She agreed to give me nights off for gigs, if I increased the number of songs that each party sang (she charges them on a per song basis.) Over the past two weeks I have sung endless versions of 'the titanic song' 'greatest love of all'. 'hero', Barbra Streisands 'Memories' and more, all at the request of my clients. Many duets have been sung and more than a few times I have been obliged to sing songs I might never have heard in my life before, including Japanese songs. (My reading of hiragana continues to improve!) Evidently this approach is working, because now Mama announces to each client that I am 'ohh bigg-u jazz-u sing er' and usually I am singing 'Summertime' about 2.5 minutes later!
The place is small and the clients respectful - It is an excellent place to improve one's Japanese. Many of the other girls who have been working for a year or so speak excellent conversational Japanese. Many clients are learned men who love to chat about Japanese history, politics and the social structure of their nation, so I feel I am gaining some valuable insights. Still, it can be a tough gig when Mama sits you down with 3 men, two of whom are talking business and one who wants to engage you in conversation, when neither of you can speak the other's language. Invariably it goes along the lines of 'Where do you live?' I say 'Imazato ni sunde imasu'. (I live in Imazato). 'AAAAAHH! You speak Japanese?' me: 'Scoshi' (A Little)...'Australia...kangaroo...gold coast.... etc for up to an hour and half.
In other news, we had a gig on Wednesday at this amazing jazz bar - very cool and spacious, kind of NY in the 70's vibe. 3 bands, we were the headliners. The other bands bought no one and we managed to rope in 11 people to come! We played really well and the other band ended up getting up and jamming with us for a couple of songs. The promoter and owner really dug that, and so they let us keep the money for al the tickets we had sold and are going to give us a headline on a big weekend night. yay!
On trains they tap, tap, tap little messages into their mobile phones, whole train carriages of Japanese folk from salarymen to obaasans (grandma's) furtively tapping away for the length of the journey. Walking down the street short curtains section off ramen joints from peering eyes. A breeze might lift a curtain and you may catch a glimpse inside - though the scene is pedestrian, men standing around a bar, eating noodles and drinking beer, the fact that it is shrouded from the street lends the scene an exotic air.
Walking down the streets of Gion and Pontocho, in the geisha (or geiko) districts of Kyoto, this very Japanese tradition of privacy and mystery is magnified. Narrow stone paths lead off the main streets and looking down you can see a wooden door, with a stone lantern and water feature. It seems to beckon you, come closer, but you know that to open such a door requires a certain amount of money and a level of prestige, neither of which you possess. You feel certain that it is down these alleys that you may discover the 'flower and the willow world', where geiko dance the ancient dances of this land and entertain with witty conversation and elegant ceremony.
Since arriving here I have indulged a growing fascination for the world of the geiko, surely bestowing on this group all my wayward and hopelessly romantic notions of Japanese culture - perhaps it was this fascination (and a desire for more piles of yen) that led me to try my hand at the peculiarly Japanese phenomenon of hostessing.
It certainly feels like hostessing is a modern form of the 'flower and the willow world', though perhaps it may be seen as some sort of monstrous offspring! There are hundreds of these bars around Japan, catering to all sorts of tastes and predelictions. Essentially salarymen come to these bars after a long day at the office to drink copious amounts of Suntory Whiskey or Sho-chu (rice spirit) in the company of women (often 'western' women) who light their cigarettes, pour their drinks and engage in conversation.
Many companies bring clients to such bars, to celebrate a deal or as part of negotiations and the binding factor in these interactions is that of the karaoke machine. As faces redden and ties are loosened, these stiff salarymen become consummate performers, belting out Japanese love songs or 'Jazz-u' ballads. As in all interactions in Japan, heirarchy is strictly observed. The underlings will sing first, with little attention given to their heartfelt performance by senior members of staff. But when it comes time for the president to warble out 'Sakura' or 'Sukiyaki' or some other Japanese standard, a hush falls over the table. When he finishes, applause erupts and much kow-towing ensues. Generally the boss falls asleep 5 minutes after this event and the celebrations continue around him. It seems that karaoke is a major vehicle for business development in this country, rather than being the realm of pissed 20-somethings in Moonee Ponds, as it so often is in Australia.
My mama-san employed me on the strength of my confession that I sang professionally. She agreed to give me nights off for gigs, if I increased the number of songs that each party sang (she charges them on a per song basis.) Over the past two weeks I have sung endless versions of 'the titanic song' 'greatest love of all'. 'hero', Barbra Streisands 'Memories' and more, all at the request of my clients. Many duets have been sung and more than a few times I have been obliged to sing songs I might never have heard in my life before, including Japanese songs. (My reading of hiragana continues to improve!) Evidently this approach is working, because now Mama announces to each client that I am 'ohh bigg-u jazz-u sing er' and usually I am singing 'Summertime' about 2.5 minutes later!
The place is small and the clients respectful - It is an excellent place to improve one's Japanese. Many of the other girls who have been working for a year or so speak excellent conversational Japanese. Many clients are learned men who love to chat about Japanese history, politics and the social structure of their nation, so I feel I am gaining some valuable insights. Still, it can be a tough gig when Mama sits you down with 3 men, two of whom are talking business and one who wants to engage you in conversation, when neither of you can speak the other's language. Invariably it goes along the lines of 'Where do you live?' I say 'Imazato ni sunde imasu'. (I live in Imazato). 'AAAAAHH! You speak Japanese?' me: 'Scoshi' (A Little)...'Australia...kangaroo...gold coast.... etc for up to an hour and half.
In other news, we had a gig on Wednesday at this amazing jazz bar - very cool and spacious, kind of NY in the 70's vibe. 3 bands, we were the headliners. The other bands bought no one and we managed to rope in 11 people to come! We played really well and the other band ended up getting up and jamming with us for a couple of songs. The promoter and owner really dug that, and so they let us keep the money for al the tickets we had sold and are going to give us a headline on a big weekend night. yay!
posted by kimba at 9:33 PM
Meet your hosts: Kimba and Ryryry
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