9 Reasons Why You Should Visit Tokyo Today

1.  They like Americans here.  I’ve been cursed in France, elbowed in Seoul, gypped in Italy, distained in Holland and refused use of the toilet in London.  That doesn’t happen in Tokyo.  School kids want to speak English with you and have their picture taken with you and stores and restaurants unfailingly greet you with a loud “Irrashaimase”  (welcome!) when you enter.  People are actually helpful.  Try asking for directions in Paris and see what that gets you.

2.  Great food.  Americans squeamish about raw seafood need have no fear.  Food and Wine magazine rates Tokyo the Planet’s #1 Food City and the Michelin Guide rated Tokyo twice as high as Paris! The cuisines of the world are here in abundance.  Fabulous Chinese food, great Italian and Indian food are nearby.  They use knives and forks.  There are over 500 McDonald’s restaurants and uncountable Starbucks so there is comfort when needed.  About the only cuisine that is in short supply is Mexican.  I don’t know why.

3.  Beautiful parks/public spaces.  The Japanese love nature and the outdoors.  That is why Tokyo is full of parks and gardens.  The plazas around restaurants are spacious, clean, safe and graffiti-free.

4.  Western Arts/Museums/Music.  Since the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800’s) the Japanese have had an interest in Western culture.  But it really flourished during the boom years of the 70’s and 80’s.  If you love Western art this is the place for you.  The orchestras of the world make Tokyo a regular stop, not to mention jazz and pop artists.

(This is my orchestra.  Come hear us!)

 
5.  Japanese Culture.  You can get the real lowdown on the samaurai.  So also Kamakura, Japan’s ancient capital is a short bus trip away.  There are interesting Buddhist and Shinto Shrines and temples all over the place.  If you’re looking for a dried-out squid I know where you can get one.  Beyond that I have only 2 words to say: Kabuki Za.

               (音楽 = "music")

6.  Natural beauty.  Mount Fuji stands in the distance and can be visited easily by tour bus or train.   The countryside is a rich tapestry of rice paddies, orchards and tea fields.  Giant swaying bamboo forests and craggy mountains.

7.  It’s safe here.  There are police but they don’t seem to have much to do.  That’s good for you.  Bring granny and the kids.

8.  Shopping.  I’m not much of a shopper but whatever you’re looking for there’s probably a district in Tokyo which specializes in it.  Cool flea markets where you can buy a kimono or interesting pottery.  Did I mention dried-out whole squid? Elsewhere they have Asian fabrics to die for and you can buy plastic food indistinguishable from the real thing.  What more can I say?

9. It’s different.  I mean, really, do you need another trip to Orlando?

Disney On Classic 2009 - Day 2

Rehearsals have begun in earnest.  Sunday we had sectional rehearsals with just the singers, followed by rhythm section with percussion.  Yesterday we had the full orchestra read-through.  This is everyone’s first time actually playing the music, including me, and it is hard work since the music is complex and technically challenging and there are the inevitable mistakes in the score to be found and corrected.  The orchestra is godlike in their ability to find every mistake in the millions of notations I have made.  As the bible says, "There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed." Generally if the problem is obvious they just fix it.  But if not, they converge on the podium when we go to break and either ask me or grab the scores and check it out for themselves.  One can hardly overstate how dedicated they are to doing their best and how supportive they are toward me.  Yesterday was 6 hours of hard work and we were all whipped at the end.  And we get to do it again today!

Disney on Classic 2009 - Room With a View

Having spent so much of my life in hotels I have developed a strategy to be comfortable therein.  The first thing I do is unpack everything, hang it up or put it in drawers and then stow my suitcases where I’m not stumbling over them.  Then I like to hit the street and get some food.  There is something reassuring when you eat that assures you that the place will sustain you.  All of a sudden it’s not so alien. (“Amazing! People eat food here too! I wonder if they use the toilet???”)  I also bring some favorite comfort food from home if I can.  Here in Japan the food can be bland to the debased American palate, so it’s nice to bring something with some serious salt, fat and crunch factor which can go a long way to restoring my sense of equilibrium.  My friend Jack has provided me with the Gardetto’s (Photo) which are lovingly packed and then consumed during the 3-5am “I’m still getting used to Japan time” wakefulness.  To the Japanese this is food from Mars.  Once my Mother visited and brought some Mackinaw Island fudge to share with the Japanese orchestra members.  They cut it up into teeny-tiny cubes and dutifully ate it but it was way too sweet for them to enjoy.  Another time, my son DJ shared his “Warheads” with the Japanese staff and about killed 3 of them.  For me, a piece of sweet bean candy at 4am just doesn’t get the job done.  But that’s what makes the world go ‘round.  I bring along my favorite, most comfortable clothes to wear when I’m awake in the middle of the night and feeling bereft. At that point you might see me sitting in a chair, reading my bible with my hood up.  This is comfort.

Disney on Classic 2009 - Week 1

The rehearsal week is always the toughest.  First of all, we’re all a bit jetlagged and discombobulated from being 16 hours out of kilter.  Tokyo and the Japanese culture are a bit mindboggling for those for whom this is their first trip here.  We’re all getting to know each other.  No one knows where anything is so every decision, from where to eat, do laundry or remembering where my wife packed my deodorant requires some research before it can be accomplished.  So we’re coping with all that and trying to be productive over the course of relatively long days.

The rehearsals the first day are a bit tedious because we’re working on pieces of the puzzle which won’t mean much until they’re all assembled with the orchestra.
Actually, preparation for the tour begins before we ever leave home.  After the writing is done the are 3-4 weeks of learning the music and figuring out exactly how I’m going to conduct it.  Not to be simplistic, but most popular music starts with a certain time signature and tempo and pretty much does that from beginning to the end.  Film music is not so constituted.  Drastic meter and tempo changes can occur in rapid succession as the music is chasing the action on screen.  For instance, there is an 11-measure passage in “The Lion King” where the meter changes 8 times!  The wise conductor tries to internalize these shifts before mounting the podium lest he become a living example of “the blind leading the blind.”  In the same way, the singers rehearse in NYC for a few days before coming to Tokyo on music and even create some fun choreography.