Japan does not exist

[Taro Toporific]

Moscow is illegible
by MOMUS Mrs Tsk * (blog by Momus) | 16th November 2012

1. I’m on deadline to write two pieces of journalism:
. . .a) An account of my visit to Moscow, the one you’re reading right now ...
<big snip>
10. In Moscow, I think of myself as the most trustworthy person present. In Osaka, I feel like the least trustworthy person; an immigrant, a potential criminal. I’m not sure which is worse, to lack trust in the people around you, or to feel like a criminal yourself. I think I’d rather be the only criminal in a world of honest people than the only honest person in a world of criminals.

11. The first thing I did when I arrived in Moscow this time -- straight from the airport, in fact -- was deliver a performative lecture entitled 'Japan: True and False'. In the airport train (being a criminal I hadn't prepared anything) I chose a couple of hundred photos of life in Japan, readying them for projection at Artplay. The lecture was highly successful, in that I was able to improvise some interesting lies about Japan. The audience laughed, and I wedged some truths about Japan in between the untruths (the first lie was that 'Japan does not exist'*). But some Japanese people left halfway through, apparently exasperated by my falsehoods. Perhaps they were staff from the Embassy.
More...

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* This seems to be an homage to Oscar Wilde's observation:
"...the whole of Japan is a pure invention.
There is no such country, there are no such people."

[fgz]

Good read. Thanks for that..

[Taro Toporific]

Good read. Thanks for that..

Yeah,I suppose it's healthy to post something a bit more nuanced about Japan than just the regular day-to-day snarkiness.

[McTojo]

I read most of it, but found it dry and uninteresting. I didn't see the sarcasm when you mentioned " Japan does not exist!" Neither did I find it funny. I'm a nationalist. Other then that, your portrayal of modern day Russia is just a tad bit interesting, especially how you talk about the crime and how people live. Try leaving out the references to Russian thinkers next time as it adds nothing to what you want to convey

[wagyl]

The poor lad. He is so used to being ignored that he now seeks it, addressing comments here to people who are not members and who do not read this board. And there is was, thinking that he actually had some depth to him, riding jukujo every day.

[McTojo]

The poor lad. He is so used to being ignored that he now seeks it, addressing comments here to people who are not members and who do not read this board. And there is was, thinking that he actually had some depth to him, riding jukujo every day.

Huh? The essay was OK, just a little drawn out.

[Taro Toporific]

... Try leaving out the references to Russian thinkers ...

Err, um, Momus was specifically writing this for an audience with more interest in “Russian thinkers.”

http://mrstsk.tumblr.com/post/35850602453
"This is the English version of a new column I’m writing from Moscow webzine Look At Me. The Russian version is here…"

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