Andrea Chénier ( Tokyo I )

.
Japanese love their manga and anime (manga animation) to that extent that even All Nippon Airways has decided to feature Pokemon on its 747. Quite a sight..........

It was pouring down with rain when I finally came out of Ueno Park JR station in my 'smart-casual' attire to go and see Andrea Chénier by Umberto Giordano at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan 東京文化会館 .
I had thought to go first to the hotel in Shinjuku but Tokyo is a lot bigger than I once again thought, so schlepping my carry-on from Haneda airport I arrived wet and sweaty. My contact for the Opera, Minoru, was there to hand me the ticket and up I went to the gods. I hadn't been sitting up that high up since going to Covent Garden in the seventies. But at least then it was only a fiver instead of the 27000 Yen (€191) I had to pay now for the same pleasure. José Cura was wonderfull though and Giordano's music mesmerizing to say the least. This horrid looking typical 60-ies building was finished in 1961 and has an Egyptian feel about it on the inside. Maybe something to do with Aida as the opening performance?

Friday was museum day and I decided to go and see the "Contemporary Paintings and Prints from China" Exhibition in the Japan-China Friendship Centre in Bunkyo-ku in the morning. Quite close to the Tokyo Dome and you have to exit the IIdabashi station.

I'ts a tiny place but the paintings and prints are huge (mostly 200 x 185) and basically realistic. Very interesting indeed and ofcourse nobody there so I had the place to myself.

My favourite painting is one in the Tea House Series by by Chen Anjien.

My Student card came in handy and would so for all the other places to come too. 'A penny saved is a penny earned' so the saying goes......