The View from Japan

Report from the Road: ACO in Japan II

3 October
This evening the orchestra performed at the Suginami Koukaidou hall which is about a one hour drive west of our hotel in Tokyo. Japanese locals, in particular younger female members of the audience go into hysterics when they get to meet our soloist Emmanuel Pahud at the conclusion of the concert. Little wonder that Emmanuel is in such high demand as a soloist here.

Like the hall in Fukuoka yesterday (Hibiki Hall), the Japanese really know how to build fantastic concert venues with marvellous acoustics. If only other countries like Australia learnt lessons from countries like Japan when it comes to public infrastructure. The NSW Government would be well advised to employ managers and officials from the Japanese rail network to solve our public transport woes back in Sydney. No crippling rail network breakdowns or long delays with trains here.

5 October
The orchestra has just arrived back at our hotel in Tokyo after performing at the Tamashima Cultural Centre in Kurashiki-shi this afternoon.

I know I have already said this but train travel here is really what public transport should be like back in Australia. You hurtle through space at over 200km an hour for 4 hours, leave exactly on time to the second from your point of departure, and arrive to the minute at your final destination even with 4 stops in between.

One curious thing about Japan though is the complete lack of public rubbish bins on the street although ironically the streets are absolutely devoid of any rubbish or waste. Perhaps public littering is as taboo as petty theft - another lesson for the West.

The only things you will never find a shortage of here are vending machines (almost literally on every street corner) and plastic packaging. Open a packet of rice crackers and each individual rice cracker has its own package; get your laundry back from the hotel laundry and each item is individually wrapped in plastic. Good way to keep your socks nice and fresh I guess.

Damien Low
Orchestra Manager

Report from the Road: ACO in Japan

The orchestra is just starting to congregate in the lobby of our hotel in Tokyo (The Tokyo Dome Hotel) before we make the journey onto Fukuoka this afternoon.

Yesterday the orchestra spent the morning rehearsing at the nearby Bunkyo Civic Hall with our soloist for the tour, Emmanuel Pahud. Although it has been just over three years since the orchestra last performed the Vivaldi Concerti with Emmanuel on an ACO Subs tour, it did not take long for the orchestra and Emmanuel to hit their stride together again.

After the rehearsal and after a short rest back at the hotel, the orchestra travelled onto the Australian Embassy in Tokyo where they were hosted by the Australian Ambassador, Murray McLean, and Alf Moufarrige from Servcorp who sponsored this concert. The concert was very well recevied by the Embassy staff, Servcorp guests and other notable dignitaries including four former Japanese Ambassadors to Australia. In particular the audience were particularly impressed by the skillful musician who appeared all too briefly on stage to play the claves during the performance of Arvo Paert's Fratres. (Not bad for an Orchestra Manager.)

Afterward a wonderful reception at the Ambassador's residence, Alf treated the orchestra to a post-post concert reception at the Tokyo Park Hyatt, or as Alf like's to refer to it, his home away from home. Although I am not a film buff I understand this film was featured in the movie "Lost in Translation." Certainly the bar prices were lost in translation...

Thank you again to the Ambassador and his staff especially Akiko, Naoko and Nancy for looking after the orchestra so well at the Embassy, and of course to Alf for presenting the concert and of course for his post-concert reception hospitality.

Damien Low
Orchestra Manager

ACO in Japan

The Orchestra took off for Japan this morning for a two-week tour with super flautist Emmanuel Pahud. Watch the blog for updates from the road.