Hisashiburi...

Long Time No See...

Manekineko Statues at Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo

The Japanese title of this post is the word:

久しぶり (hisashiburi)

Rough Meaning: Long Time No See

A very common word in Japanese culture, and a fitting one. Can also be used in the context of having not done something in a while, so it doesn’t just mean the act of not having seen someone in a while. It might also be used in a context such as:

久しぶりにサブスタックを書きました。

hisaburi ni Substack o kakimashita.

It’s been a while since I wrote a Substack.

I started this Substack not long ago. I started a Substack with an express idea in mind that I would start a Substack so that I might neglect writing it. Thus I would create one more thing in my life that I could neglect and feel guilty about. It’s good to have these things, and it’s good to neglect them, and just like I feel about writing, it’s good to set things like Substack aside for a little while, so that one might return to them with feelings of happiness and joy.

Recently, I’ve been extremely overworked and too busy. I didn’t have space in my life to sit down and write a post like this, and I’m feeling a deep sense of gratitude that the task that consumed every waking moment of my life until recently has finally come to an end, and so I am now able to sit here and enjoy the present moment, sipping on my espresso – I’m able to write. And writing brings me joy.

I do want to write more Substack posts, but I am also realistic in knowing that I have a lot of commitments in my life that will prevent me from writing these posts a lot. However, I know I’ll keep coming back to this kind of thing, because it’s refreshing.

Anyway, enough throat clearing.

Back in May, I took a trip out to Tokyo and stayed there for a couple of weeks as part of a research trip. I worked every morning on a project until the afternoon, then I would get on my Brompton and cycle the city into the late evening. Ah, I’m getting ahead of myself, because I didn’t mention that I took my Brompton out to Tokyo with me. Here’s how I packed it in my suitcase:

And here’s my cat, Weasel, before I packed, trying to get me to take him instead of my Brompton:

Unfortunately, Weasel couldn’t come along with me.

I had an absolutely amazing time in Tokyo – cycling the city was a new experience for me. Although I lived and worked in Tokyo for a number of years, I only ever navigated the place by using trains, taxis, and my feet. It was an entirely new experience for me to get around on bicycle. Before I went, I was a little worried about the vast size of the city, and also the traffic, but it didn’t take long to settle into the way things operate out there, and by the end of my trip, I would without a doubt say that I felt much safer cycling in Tokyo than I do in most cities in the UK (in general). And that’s not a massive claim, because I feel fairly safe cycling in cities in the UK, anyway.

I did a lot on this trip, and as one would expect I took stacks and stacks of photos, so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to share some of these on my Substack over the coming year or so.

I suffer from a little bit of an issue when it comes to sharing photos, though. I wonder if anyone else can relate? In a past life, I was very much obsessed with photography; I did it as a job, and I took A LOT of photos. I still do take a lot of photos, but it was during the peak of my photomania that I developed a very harsh inner critic. I would agonize over which photos I should use in my job, and I was an extremely tough editor. In one year, I might take 75,000 photos or something, but on a personal level, I would probably only be satisfied with about 3 of those (in a good year). And so, I think I carry over with me a reticence to share ANY of my photos with anyone anymore. As ever, perfection becomes the enemy of progress. I hesitate over sharing anything on the Internet. At times I question even the very act of sharing a photo. I like to look over my camera roll on my phone from time to time, but merely to serve as a reminder to myself as to what I’ve done in my life. The terribly cynical voice in my head (and let’s call him CyNick) says stupid things like: Is it egotistical for me to upload photos to the Internet? I think about all those data banks in the world storing all these digital images we fling up into the cloud, and I picture those data banks whirring away in massive warehouse, storing landfills of information.

But what is this information, ultimately? It’s probably representational of a very human urge to connect, isn’t it? And what’s wrong with wanting to connect? Absolutely nothing. So, please do be quiet, CyNick.

From now on, I’m going to try to get over my inner critic, and just share some images I think might make people smile, or might show them something they haven’t seen before, or might never get the chance to see in real life. I’m basically not going to overthink things, because overthinking tends to end in inaction.

When I write my novels, approaching a first draft, I do my best not to think at all. I return to the childlike state that resides within us all, and I do my very best to harness that spirit of joy and playfulness which brings about creativity. There’s a time in life to invite the adult in the room, and to pick apart what you’ve done, but you can only go through that process once you’ve actually got the thing in front of you. If you never DO the thing in the first place, there’s nothing to pick apart, anyway. Being scared of making mistakes is what prevents us from making anything, half the time.

My Trusty Brompton, at the gates of Gotokuji Temple

So here are some photos of Gotokuji Temple, which is a famous Cat Temple in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. (for anyone unfamiliar, a “ku” 区 is a ward/district of Tokyo and there are 23 of them total, of which Setagaya is one). I’d never been to the Temple before, so this was quite the treat for me.

For anyone wondering what those wooden decorated boards hanging up are – those are called ema (絵馬) and you buy them from the Temple and then write prayers on the back and hang them with the others. At Gotokuji, you can also buy cat statues and leave them out as an offering at the temple (as pictured). They cost varying amounts, and the larger ones are obviously more expensive. Apparently if you arrive late in the day, they often sell out, so if you really want to buy one and put it out, I’d advise arriving early in the day.

For any cat lovers visiting Tokyo, I would highly recommend a trip to Gotokuji. It’s not far from trendy Shimokitazawa, so you can always make a trip there at the same time. I for sure did that, and grabbed some tasty udon for lunch.

I also bought some souvenirs:

On the left is a cat tote for my wife, in the middle is some tasty ミケ・ブレンド (mike blend) Calico blend coffee beans I got from a stylish coffee shop in Shimokitazawa called Ex Libris. The barista working there was really friendly. On the right, is something secret, which I might talk about another time.

So, that’s all I have for today, but below are a couple of features involving my two cats, which I want to make a regular feature in future posts.

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Rosie’s Reads

Rosie is a queen, and a keen reader. She likes nothing better than to curl up on the sofa with a book and rest her head on her soft bushy tail. Each post will be an opportunity for her to share something she’s read recently that she’d recommend.

Kinshu: Autumn Brocade by Miyamoto Teru (1982)

An epistolary novel, told in the form of a correspondence of letters between two ex-lovers. An interesting and different novel.

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Weasel’s Watchlist

Sure, Weasel only has one eye, but he takes life in his stride. He likes to think he has an eye for the mews-en-scene, and he likes nothing better than to sit on the sofa next to me and watch films. And so in this section he’s going to recommend a film he saw recently that he enjoyed.

Perfect Days (2023) dir. Wim Wenders

This film was almost purr-fect. The day-to-day life of a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. As we see each day, we learn more and more about his personal history.