We awoke this morning to the gentle sound of rain splashing against our window. At first we were optimistic that it would blow over, but a look at the weather forecast told us that the day had something else in store. As the morning wore on the rain grew stronger, and by 10 o'clock we decided that we would have to cancel the musician we had lined up to record. It was disappointing to everyone, but we made the best of it.
Our guide met us at our hotel and we spent the day out and about in Tokyo, getting a sense of the city (and also taking advantage of the opportunity to film everywhere we could). We took the subway to Shibuya and then to mid-city, but the rain's intensity kept increasing! We discussed it over lunch and determined that given the weather, the best use of our time would be to head back to the hotel and work on some of the material that we had already recorded.
The weather tomorrow calls for clouds and a chance of rain. We are crossing our fingers that that chance remains low, and are planning to be on location by 10AM. I'm packing an umbrella, just in case though...
Peace and Love from Tokyo!
We just got back to our hotel after an amazing day of filming. We started the day in Happoen Garden, a lush oasis amidst the urban sprawl of downtown Tokyo. We could not have asked for a more picturesque location to record in than here, amidst the buzz of cicadas, the whisper of the wind through the trees, and the occasional splash of coy from the pond. We almost forgot that we were still in Tokyo-- but nearby skyscrapers occasionally poked their heads through gaps in foliage, reminding us where we were... It was incredibly hot work, but the staff of Happoen Garden were kind and accommodating, even going so far as to supply us with towels soaked in ice water to help combat the sweltering heat.
In the middle of the afternoon we changed locations, trading the natural beauty of Happoen Garden for a view of Tokyo Bay, with the city's majestic skyline rising behind it. We arrived at dusk and filmed into the night, trading natural light for the city's warm tungsten glow. As the sky continued to darken, the bay slowly filled with brightly lit boats enjoying a Summer evening's cruise. At long last we completed our recording for the day, and returned to our hotel to rest up and prepare for what is yet to come.
It is fantastic being able to add Japanese musicians to our new Songs Around the World, and we can't wait to get back to work again tomorrow! And speaking of tomorrow, please stay tuned as we will be launching a new episode in the next 24 hours!
Peace and Love from Tokyo!
Over the course of the past four years the Playing For Change crew has had the privilege of meeting amazing people all over the world. During our travels we have explained PFC's principles, values, and mission to many people in many languages.
Today we had the opportunity to speak with several groups of people who share PFC's goal of connecting the world through music. Our morning began with an interview at InterFM with an amaing radio host, Peter Barakan. On his show Mark explained how Playing For Change began, what we are all about, and where we are going. Following the interview, we returned to our hotel where we spoke with a group of journalists from Sotokoto, a socially conscious magazine based in Tokyo. Later in the evening our hosts here in Japan officially welcomed us with a beautiful reception dinner. We screened some of our new Songs Around the World (that we will be adding Japanese musicians to this week!) and again shared PFC's principles and values, hopes and dreams. All these conversations were made possible by the assistance of amazingly talented translators.
Life is a creative teacher. Over the course of the day something resonated for me in a way that it had not previously-- at least not consciously. Hearing Mark's words translated into Japanese-- his pausing between thoughts to allow for the translator to speak; the light of comprehension sparking to life in his listeners' eyes; the conversation resuming; the pattern repeating again and again-- after so many years of participating in this global movement, I was overwhelmed by its power in a way that I had not been since the first time I watched Stand By Me. The experience occurred to me as a poignant reminder of humanity's desire for connection. And that just as translators make it possible for us to communicate here in Japan, so too can music help unite us all if we choose to listen.
Tomorrow is our first day of recording, and the whole crew is very excited to get under way. I look forward to continuing to share our experiences with the Playing For Change Family all around the world, and enourage you to spread the love and stay engaged.
Oyasumi nasai from Tokyo!
Today was our first full day in Japan, and what a great day it was. We are being hosted by a wonderful group of people here in Tokyo that we have been in communication with for many months, and together we have been working very hard to ensure the success of this trip. Today it was fantastic for everyone finally to meet eachother in person. Over the course of many long distance conversations we have been discusing where would be best to film, not to mention all of the production logistics necessary to execute the shoots. This morning we met up with our Japan-based team, hopped in a bus and had the opportunity to scout half a dozen of the locations that we have been discussing together.
It was a long hot day, but it could not have gone better. We visited beautiful gardens and ancient shrines-- an amazing juxtaposition against the glass and steel backdrop of modern Tokyo. This city is a beautiful blend of the old and the new, and I know that this unique vibration will resonate powerfully in the music that we find. Everyone's hard work these past weeks is beginning to pay off, and the whole crew feels great knowing that we have assembled a collection of beautiful locations for our musicians to perform in.
We have another day of prepration ahead of us tomorrow, and then are scheduled to begin filming on Tuesday. Please stay tuned for more updates, photos, and videos yet to come...
Peace and Love from Tokyo!
After an eleven-hour flight from Los Angeles, the PFC crew has arrived in Tokyo and we couldn't be more excited! Narita airport is pretty far outside the city-- it will take our bus about an hour and a half to reach Tokyo-- but we are in no hurry. The sun has finally set (having departed LA during the day and flown west for so long, we've had nearly 24 hours of straight daylight!) and we're all enjoying the view as the hilly country side passes by. It's hot and humid, but the evening air streaming in through the bus's open windows feels wonderful, and is a welcome change from the recirculated air of our flight.
As we continue to drive the landscape is slowly becoming more urban. The road is getting wider and we are finding ourselves surrounded by more and more cars. Highways merge and cloverleaf off. An elevated train joins the chase. We drive across a beautiful suspension bridge, and suddenly we are in the midst of a massive urban sprawl. What began as a vanguard of brightly lit outlying buildings has now swallowed us, and we are surrounded by cityscape.
Our bus is now slowly wending its way through densely flowing traffic toward our hotel. I am looking forward to a good night's sleep and an early start tomorrow. We are all excited to get to work on a week of amazing music here in Japan. And we can't wait to share the experience with you, so stay tuned!
Peace and Love from Tokyo!
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