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It was a quite long day. I left Hakone for Tokyo at three o'clock in morning. On my way, I stopped at the Ebina rest area. It was a dazzle of bright lights. People are busy for buying souvenirs, taking snacks and some of them are resting like in town park of midday. Usually I never buy souvenirs at all, but this morning I bought a pack of preserved wasabi (Japanese horse-radish) and a small box of Abekawa mochi (rice-cake sweet) from Shizuoka, kamaboko on a plate (boiled fish paste) and salted ume (Japanese plum) from Odawara. I had a breakfast with a piece of melon bread and a cup of fresh milk from Asagiri plateau. All these costed me more than seven thousands yen. I stayed here for forty five minutes. It was five thirty when I got back to my home in Tokyo.
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At ten thirty, I left my home to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Modern Japanese Literature at Komazawa park. I took a train of Inokashira line from Shibuya after years. I was surprised to find the station has been renewed splendidly. The museum in the park is located in the former Maeda house, which was built in 1929 by a descendant of Maeda lord family who held the most prosperous domain in Japan.
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The building was designed in English Tudor style. From 1954, Tokyo Metropolis has owned it.
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I came over there to see a special exhibition "Koda family." The family of late Mr. Rohan Koda, the first literary scholar who was awarded an Order of Cultural Merit Medal, has been well known in Japan as one of the most talented family. Every one of them has been very active in music, fine arts or literature. Their genealogy and their accomplishments were shown in details at the exhibition. I learned many things about them. But it was regrettable that I saw only two aged men who visited the exhibition other than me.
In late afternoon, I went to the Yaesu Book Center to get a book titled as "Not to die from the prostate cancer-- to male persons over fifty years old" written by Mr. Tadao Kakizoe, published by the Yomiuri News Paper in June 30, 1998 which I placed the order few days ago. The author is the director of National Cancer Center Central Hospital where I go. Immediately I looked at the book and found the author is of the opinion that if the cancer is discovered earlier, it would be cured easily by surgical operation ( I was told at the hospital I was too old for it.)
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Then I went to the Santory Hall to attend the special concert by NHK Symphony Orchestra (at the entrance of underground parking lots of the hall, I was surrounded by a few guardsman and was asked to show my driver license and also to open my car's trunk. It was the first time for me to be asked to open a trunk lid after the terrorism attack.) It was a concert commemorating 75th year anniversary of NHK Symphony Orchestra and also 15th year anniversary of Santory Hall. Maestro Wolfgang Sawallisch conducted Felix Mendelssohn's Oratorio 'Elias' with Chorus group of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (more than a hundred thirty male and female singers,) Jan-Hendrik Rootering (bass), Herbert Lippert (tenor), Akie Amou (soprano), Marjana Lipovsek (mezzo-soprano) and Members of the Little Singers of Tokyo (boy soprano.) I was excited by the overwhelming power of big chorus and by the brilliant songs of solo singers. The mezzo-soprano was excellent. The very clear voice of boy soprano was impressive. The maestro conducted the orchestra and singers while he himself were singing as usual. I was impressed by his unending energy and activation to challenge to play such a big music in Tokyo. I have never imagined that I could listen to such a wonderful music in Tokyo.
Japanese translations of songs on the side screen helped me to understand the outline of music. The expressions somewhat like " If you do not obey me, you will be killed" came up a few times. On the basis of western cultures, I thought there was a philosophy which demands always the answer of "yes" or "no." President George Bush of U.S.A. has been demanding yes or no answer from countries in the world right now. It is quite natural for western people to force other nations to choose one of the alternatives because it is a traditional western way of behaviors. The orientals including Japanese do not hesitate to answer not "No" and at the same time not "Yes." This may be a big difference between east- and west- cultures.
It was after eleven when I got back to Hakone.