the day previous

1) Royal Ueno art gallery
Good paintings; stylistically most were representations of the figure and the landscape, with some european flatterings. Overall though, good work and a vast variety. Made me happy to see painting, and reminded me how I miss looking.

2) All-you-can-eat sushi in Ueno.
I realize now that this is actually not such a great idea. I don't even think I ate my money's worth. Firstly, the quality is really low, and the vinegar really pungent and rice, massive. Second, trying to stuff as much poor quality frozen fish down my gullet as I can to "make it worth it", is not worth it and now I hate sushi, which is too bad, because two days ago I loved it enough to go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant in the first place.

3) Cremaster 3, by Matthew Barney is playing in Shibuya.
As a visual and fantastic journey, the film is superb, and despite it's three hour length and love of repetition, not a moment did I find dull. So I naively revelled in it as one does with the sound of an unknown language--it's pure foreigness beautiful and welcome. As a historical, or philosophical, or myth-making exercise, I found less footing; but the delight in abstraction and metaphor is the hermeneutic practice, and was certainly able to find my own place in the film--just don't ask me what it was about, exactly. Regardless of 'getting' the film or not, I suspect it's strength might come in a more basic form, a kind of relatedness, or dare I say, archetypal presence. Regardless, the boundaries of this picture don't start and end with the film reel, but whether or not we glean enough intellectually from the film itself to take our thoughts elsewhere and further is really up to the viewer and likely their own background of ideas.

4) Summer Sonic is sold out.
OH NO!! Will I ever be able to see tool...