Very calm. Met Kathleen and went to Kabuki in Ginza. I was afraid I couldn't handle 4 hours of performance. I am TV/Movie person. But no problem. Kabuki is amazing. First the costumes are just beautiful. Roots for Comme des Garçons and Miyake. Then the narration is intricate. The rhythm is very disturbing. It is full of humor, freedom and eroticism. And eccentric, maybe for an occidental person. But in a way this madness is very informative of the Japanese way of living, from Akira cartoons to a meeting in a museum. Time stops, time flies, time lasts, time poses. I loved it. The spectacle is also in the audience--they bring food into the theater during the breaks and scream at the actors. It is like opera in the 19th century.

After Kabuki, Sushi. We met my friend Emmanuelle who took us to Akihabara, or the Paradise of electronic consumption. Difficult to imagine, but once you are inside, you want to purchase, possess everything, from a micro TV to a massage chair. Bought a digital camera in order to send the Walker my images.

Back to IH, dinner with friends. Made it on time before 1am (this a pain in the...).

End of the first week. Exhausted. Without the language everything is an effort and at the same time a game. It changes your perception of the world. You are mute. You are the one asking for help. You have to play with that. And I have to say that the Japanese people are very, very helpful.