(Team member, Artist)
It was the President of the Rotary Club in Karlshamn who recommended me to apply for this years GSE-scholarship. He knew about me and my work and thought that an artist would have great benefit out of a visit to Japan. I found the selection of the team quite stressful--I'm not used to stand in front of a lot of people talking about myself. I usually meet my "audience" indirect through my paintings, and this direct contact made me afraid and nervous. Obviously no one noticed since I was selected for this year's team.
The team members lived in quite a distance from each other and I thought it involved long and expensive trips to meet as we did 7 times before we left for Osaka. In our preparation much time was spent on making and rehearsing our program. We had got an information that we had 30 minutes at our disposal. We filled this half an hour with a wide information about Sweden, based on our professions and interests. We attached great importance to use many slides and a simple language, since we knew English is not widespread in the host country. Late in the spring it came to our knowledge that we had only 15 minutes at our disposal, because interpreters were a necessity. It was difficult to cut down text and sort out slides and still afford an interesting information. In this context I must point out the problem with the slide projector. We had at several times expressed a wish to lend a projector during our stay in Osakabut it didn't succeed--there were different machines every time and they had the most varying quality. Since I'd made an effort to choose and present slides of high qualityshowing works of art--it was a source of irritation which I think easily could have been prevented.
On our preparation meetings we occasionally had guests who had visited or lived in Japan for quite a long time. We were taught about how to behave and about the worst western pieces of tactlessness, which we ought to avoid. My own preparation consisted in a lot of reading about Japan--everything from novels to travel books and not at least looking in art books.
We got our itinerary some weeks before departure and it was with increasing excitement that I studied the impressive schedule.
We got 2 and a half days to become acclimatized to Japan, booked in the New Otani Hotel--a splendid hotel close to Osaka Castle Park. We stayed at this hotel in the weekends as wellfrom Saturday to Sunday. It was incredibly pleasantly to clear ones mind from the thoughts and experiences of the week and to prepare oneself mentally for the meeting with your new host family and for the next week's coming events. I appreciated this kind of weekend stay a lot.
Among our common visits I think the real highlights were the Kaiyukan Aquarium, the day in Nara and the Expo 70 site with the National Museum of Ethnology and the Japanese Garden. Some of the visits left a feeling of frustration since we didn't have professional interpreters and it was difficult for me to keep interest in technical equipment when I only understood parts of the exposition. Unfortunately this concerns my own vocational days as well. My visits were among others to painters, ceramists and dancers. Areas were discussion on professional level demanded an interpreterwho doesn't need to work in these artistic fields, but--who has a large vocabulary. I discussed the problem with a GSE committee member, but he considered it would be too expensive with interpreters for all of us. Suggestion: Fewer visits but visits you benefit more from.
The confusion of languages was constantly the big problem--in the host families as well. Conversations over and above the common phrases were almost impossible and I think that it was a pity. Of course there were several occasions of contact--heart to heart--but there were so many questions I'd have liked to ask and so many issues I'd liked to discuss now when I'd got this rare opportunity to stay in a Japanese family.
The family life was very intensive the first week. I was invited for dinners with friends and relations. I visited a karaoke bar, a kabuki rehearsal, tried on kimonos, did some grocery shopping and lent a hand in the kitchen. As a final I accompanied my host lady to a kabuki performance in Kyoto, which was a fantastic experience--the four hours passes before I knew where I was.
It was the first time this family was engaged as a host family and they really tried hard to make this week an unforgettable memory for me. Unfortunately the evening activities became more and more rare as the weeks past. I spent many evenings by myself and I felt the interest in me was very low. Of course, this could also be due to the confusion of languages.
My vocational days were of course very important to me. How is the situation for Japanese artists? Their possibilities for exhibitions, public decorations? What is happening in the Japanese art life today? Trends? Ideas? Modern techniques in relation to traditional style? The opportunity to get an answer to my question was reducedas I mentioned beforelack of interpreters, but also; meetings with active masters--this was a great honor to me and I'm most grateful for these meetings--but I'd have welcomed some visits to younger professional artists, to get an idea about the contemporary cultural life in Japan.
During our many visits to companies, offices and institutions it struck me that there were no or very few pictures on the walls in contrast to Swedish work rooms, which often are cluttered up with works of art. In Sweden we have an idea that cultural life ought to be a living and strong part of the social life and an active cultural life contribute to other social progress. In this progress the artists' ideas, comment and vision are an important part.
The great benefit of my vocation days was meeting Mr. Takeda and his family. He made, during one day, a great attempt to teach me the elements of traditional Japanese dance. Except leaving ache in legs and risible muscles, the meeting with this enthusiastic, cheerful and generous artist left a big and warm memory in my heart. Another person who gave a lasting impression was the American Buddhist Priest, Susan Nobel, at Daifuku-ji Temple. She talked fast, intensively and with fervent eyes about her life, her plans for the Temple and her experience as a woman and foreigner in Japan. It was most enjoyable to meet such a forceful and independent women in such an unusual profession. She needed some help to get the Temple garden in order and I'm quite tempted.
Many people had told us we would lose some weight during our 5 weeks stay--due to our constantly running about between the items of our schedule I thought it would be the result too. But oh no! ! ! This food!
I had experienced it some years ago on a Japanese cookery course, but to enjoy it in the right place, in the right atmosphere with the right ingredients and accompaniment was fantastic! There were many beautiful, tasteful and long dinners which I took part in. I think this is the way Japan will stay in my memory; --Cheerful people gathered round a beautifully laid low table, which is constantly provided with imaginative courses, perfect compositions in colors, shape and taste.
Thank you very much indeed all of you who arranged it so that I got the possibility to experience the Japanese society from all sides!
