Sunday Afternoon

I went for a stroll along the Sumida river yesterday afternoon, ending up in the Ginza. Along the way I took some photographs.

  Anti-Homeless picnic bench and table by the river.

                             Quite a nice rendering of a skateboarder (erased).

                                                       The hokohsha tengoku (literally pedestrians paradise) on the main Ginza shopping thoroughfare on a Sunday afternoon. There is even a phrase which means ambling along the Ginza - Ginbura. It was here in 1993 that a group of then young art students initiated Ginbuart - a guerrilla street art action for a day involving Tsuyoshi Ozawa, Makoto Aida and Masato Nakamura amongst others. Today, the closure of the street brings out pet-owners parading their dogs and cats, a few registered street performers (The City of Tokyo has made it compulsory for street performers to be registered) and a chance to gaze at the city from the vantage point of a car. As I ambled along I realised how much the city ordinarily forces us to march or propel ourselves along on narrow pavements and public passageways. I was also reminded of how little we actually experience walking on the road - in Japan, where there are hardly any demonstrations or protest marches, this seemed doubly poignant.

Comments

[Dion Laurent]

Is an artist performing on sidewalks and streets really a street performer, and if so, are you authorized to register artists for performances?

Cheers and best,

Dion

[Roger McDonald]

In the case of Tokyo, the Metropolitcan Government enacted a law last year to regulate so called 'street performers'. To perform any artistic act on public roads, one is now required to pass a 'test' and become certified and registered. Under the right wing agenda of Mayor Ishihara, Tokyo has tried to develop a culture-friendly image - opening art spaces, running art competitions and 'supporting' street artists. In practice though, unlike Yokohama city for instance, it is city bureaucrats that dictate what is accepted and who can do what. Yokohama has opened up the running of its cultural centers to non profit organisations and guest curators - much of Tokyo's culture activities remain extensions of personal hobbies and vested interests.

[Dion]

I had originally planned to perform EarthMan
( http://www.dionlaurent.com/earthman.htm ) in Ginza in 1992, but was unable to convince any one to assist . Perhaps a "tactical performance" is due. Would you be interested in assisting?

[dion]

Art Basel - Vernissage Tactical Performance

http://www.dionlaurent.com/art_basel.htm

http://www.dionlaurent.com/EARTHMAN%20WORLD%20TOUR.htm