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Lectures/Workshops

Kanagawa Standing Drinking Culture Talk Vol.4 “Language and Magic”

神奈川・立ち呑み文化放談 Vol.4 「言語と魔術」

2015.2.6 Text: Akiko Inoue Photo: Masamasa Nishino

Chikara FUJIWARA
Editor, critic, director of BricolaQ. Born in Kochi City in 1977. At the age of 12, he moved to Tokyo and started living alone in Tokyo. After that, he moved around a lot, and after working for a publishing company, became a freelancer. Responsible for editing Musashino Art University's public relations magazine "mauleaf" and Setagaya Public Theater "Caromag". Co-edited with Riki Tsujimoto, ``Book Guide as Architecture'' (Meigetsudo Shoten). Co-authored with Kyoko Tokunaga, ``The Strongest Theory of Theater'' (Asuka Shinsha). Currently living in Yokohama. A member of Theater Center F. In addition, he has created ``Geki Quest'' in various places where you walk around cities and peninsulas with game books in hand.

http://bricolaq.com/

Kenji Fujii|Kenji FUJII
Born in Tokyo in 1981, raised in Yokohama.

On the day of the interview, it was a cold and rainy day, with the forecast calling for snow. Hideyoshi Shoten, a 27-year-old corner shop located in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, was founded by the father of the first store manager and his younger brother. Due to the location, Yokosuka has many foreign customers, and ``chu-hai'' has become something of a status quo, but Hideyoshi Shoten is the most famous as a chu-hai stand that serves Navy. This time, the 4th time in the series, we welcomed Kenji Fujii, a Japanese painter and artist, for a free chat on the theme of "Language and Magic" at such a worldwide Kakuuchi event.

Fujii: Actually, I came to Yokosuka for drinks for the first time.

Fujiwara: If you take the Keikyu train, Yokosuka is also quite close. I come here for drinks about once a week, and I've also been to this restaurant several times.
(Looks at the counter) Oh, there's oden too. Limited to winter?

Manager: That's right. Shall we find about 5 of them?

Handmade oden (winter only)

Handmade oden (winter only)

Fujii: That's good, like radish.

Fujiwara: Well then, let's do it while snacking.

Pour beers and have a toast!

Pour beers and have a toast!

Fujii: There are a lot of dollar bills on the walls and ceiling...

dollar bill

Staff: It just so happens that the weather is bad today, so there aren't many people here, but there are usually a few foreigners here and there during lunch. It seems like it's full of them at night. Apparently it was introduced in the US military media with the message, ``If you come to Japan, go here!''

Fujiwara: Eh! US military site?

Dad: The guys from the top of Midway used to come here for drinks, and they said it was a good place to go because they don't cheat and you can get drunk cheaply, so it got featured in the ship's newspaper. Then, anyway, the inside of the store was full, and there were 70 to 80 people outside, so it was difficult for cars or people to pass through.

*Midway: US Navy aircraft carrier. It was deployed at Yokosuka Port from 1972 to 1991.

Manager: Even now, there are many foreigners who come here almost every day. A regular customer of the U.S. military brought his subordinates there, and when I saw them making shochu like this from behind the counter, I said, ``Look, it costs 390 yen for that.How much do you think it costs at other stores?'' (laughs) That's how customers connect with each other and bring in new customers.

First store manager and current store manager

Manager: We live in Japan and have our own homes, but they are stuck on a boat like that and can only go back to their country a few times a year. I think there are times when I get nervous. When the ship returns, some children come to our store right away saying, ``We're back!'' While I was in Japan, I thought this place would be my home.

Fujii: Did you start putting up these dollar bills after foreigners started coming?

Manager: Yes. Everyone puts it up to leave a mark that they came to this store.
I'm thinking of donating this to UNICEF in the future so they can buy vaccines. I want Tetsuko Kuroyanagi to come and pick me up at the end (lol)

Fujiwara: That's good. I would like Tetsuko's room to be made here.

All: Lulu, Lulu

After hearing the familiar opening song, let's get down to business.
But before that, we had a great time talking about local stories.
It turns out that the manager and Mr. Fujii went to the same elementary and junior high school...!

Shaking hands with my senior with a 17 year age difference

Shaking hands with my senior with a 17 year age difference!

The image that comes to mind from “Short HOPE” is...

Fujii: Would you like to eat big cutlet?

Manager: It's not very tasty (lol)

Fujii: No, I don't like it...for some reason (Teru)

Manager: 2 pieces for 140 yen.

Choose your favorite big cutlet from a large selection of candy and sweets.

Choose your favorite big cutlet from among the many candy and sweets lined up!

and eat big cutlet

and eat big cutlet

Before we knew it, the number of foreign customers started to increase.
A British customer who can speak Japanese noticed the recorder and was intrigued...

British customer: Newspaper? Ah! Amazing!

Fujiwara: It's a website called MAGCUL.NET. Sorry to bother you (lol)

British customer: No, I'm a foreigner. Don't worry Don't worry. Don't worry. Don't worry.

At this point, Mr. Fujii, for some reason, suddenly grabbed the cigarette that was in front of him...

Fujii: SHORT HOPE!

British customer: I hope it tastes good! (I hope it's delicious!)

All: lol

SHORT HOPE!

Fujii: My Canadian friend who is performer, somehow he likes the concept “Short Hope”, and it is also “Light”. To him, it's just a product name, but to him it means "short hope," so the concept was really interesting. And it's light (lol))

Fujiwara: Certainly. If you take it seriously, it's a short-lived hope.

Fujii: "It's a short hope, and it's light"... (lol)

SHORT HOPE

Fujiwara: I think it's ironic.

Fujii: Short Peace is outrageous.

Fujiwara: That's outrageous! No, really... However, the fact that certain words can have different meanings depending on the context is similar to today's theme.

Manager: Would you both like some sake? Ozeki hot sake with puffer fish bones. I'll serve it if you don't mind the smell of fish.

Grilled blowfish bones and served in hot ozeki

A dish made by grilling the bones of a pufferfish and adding them to hot ozeki. The unique aroma and taste make the usual Ozeki incredibly delicious!
(By the way, this service is only available when you have bones.)

Manager: Please leave it for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Because then the color will change. I think it probably doesn't have the taste of an ozeki anymore.

Fujiwara: Wow, it's a powered up version of fillet sake! I'll enjoy having this!

Manager: How is it?

Fujiwara: Ah, this is great.

Fujii: This is delicious. sweet.

Manager: As expected (lol) All drinkers say it's delicious.
It has a stronger flavor than fillet. This is sold at a normal Ozeki price.

Fujiwara: No, this is good.

Fujii: Um... By the way, where is the toilet?

Manager: Ah, as for the guy, there's a public toilet near Shioiri Station, right?

So, we both went to the bathroom. (rattle, sound of opening the sliding door)

Fujii: It's not snowing yet.

Fujiwara: Huh, is it going to snow today?

Go to the public toilet in front of Shioiri Station, 1 minute from the store (the women's toilet is inside the store)

Go to the public toilet in front of Shioiri Station, 1 minute from the store (the women's toilet is inside the store)

Now that I'm back from the bathroom, let's move on to the next topic.

The true nature of what makes language possible is...

Fujiwara: Mr. Fujii seems to be traveling back and forth between Canada and Japan. In that case, I think the default is that the ``place'' and ``language'' you are currently in are not unique and absolute. But when I live in Japan, I tend to put too much faith in the assumption that people can communicate with each other. When I think about it again, I really feel that it's dangerous that the majority of modern Japanese society is based on common sense, customary behavior, and physicality that are cultivated within this premise. .

Fujii: Well, on the contrary, by defying common sense in words, we can make people laugh.

Fujiwara: Yes. It's the same with laughter, and I think it can be with theater as well. Going a little further, when we talk about ``language,'' we don't just mean Japanese or English, but also the ``language of paintings,'' ``the language of music,'' and ``the language of movies,'' for example. I think humans experience and communicate in a variety of ways as they go through life. But now, I often feel that it's being simplified to things like ``easy to understand,'' and that we're destroying more and more possibilities. At that time, I saw the works written (drawn?) in Mr. Fujii's notebook and wondered what this person was doing. ! (laughs) I was inspired by this work to include "magic" as today's theme...

Works that Mr. Fujii has been working on in recent years

This is a work that Mr. Fujii has been working on in recent years. It is established through the act of copying the form of language (characters).

Fujii: That's beautiful, isn't it? I like ``writing/drawing'', not just letters. Most of the things I've shown are Japanese and English, but recently I've been working on languages I don't know at all.

Fujiwara: Among the works you showed me, there was one written in sealed calligraphy and another language that I couldn't read.

Fujii: That's Timsyan, a language of Canada's indigenous people. Writing characters that you can't read is just the act of ``writing'' because you can't understand the meaning. What I've learned from doing this is that if there are no conventions, the characters cannot stand as characters. Therefore, I think that the words themselves have no meaning. With society, words finally have meaning.

Fujiwara: Did you like copying things?

Fujii: I like it. When I was in kindergarten, I used to copy Tibetan mandalas. For example, no matter how ridiculous something is written in a sentence, if you don't understand the meaning and just take it for how it looks, I think you can be moved by what it looks like.

Fujiwara: I like the shape of the letters more than the meaning or content. Lately, I've been writing, but when I saw Fujii's work, I felt like I wasn't really doing the actual writing.

Fujii: Letters have meaning, right? However, when you just follow the form, there comes a point where you lose touch with the meaning. I don't know what to say...I'm not sure if it's a unique "world" or a "center of gravity," but the brush feels heavy. I like that sense of unity with the characters. When you get a clear line, it's when you're immersed in it, and it's when you change the channel a little.

Fujiwara: It makes you feel more stable...like?

Fujii: That's right. That brings me an indescribable sense of relief. It's more of an exercise than a meaning. However, what really bothers me is the dilemma between immersing myself in the feeling because I like it, and presenting it to others as an expression.

Fujiwara: I see. How do you resolve that dilemma yourself?

Fujii: In my case, I try to immerse myself in it and pursue the feeling that feels good.

To send words far away = to go beyond context

Fujiwara: I would also like to ask you about Picture Letter, which was exhibited at the Yokohama Museum of Art's ``Japan/Art Exhibition'' * . In the exhibition statement, curator Tomoo Kashiwagi quoted Natsume Soseki's comment that he once criticized Bunten * , saying, ``No matter how you look at it, it's sloppy.'' According to Mr. Kashiwagi's interpretation, Japanese painting is something that was "normalized" by incorporating Western culture during the Meiji Restoration, which took "inherent painting techniques and styles that were originally rooted in various regions." If there. The picture letter that you created in Amami was invited to the exhibition, which raises questions about the very concept of ``Japanese painting.''

*Japan/Art Exhibition A special exhibition held at the Yokohama Museum of Art in 2006. In addition to Fujii, the exhibitors include Fuyuko Matsui, Hisashi Shiriagari, Kengo Nakamura, Mami Kosemura, and Kiyoshi Nakagami.

*Bunten = Ministry of Education Art Exhibition/Predecessor of the current Nitten

picture letter

《Picture letter》 (part)

Fujii: Picture Letters is a series that is still ongoing. At that time, I sent it to myself at my parents' home, and now I send it to my companion in Canada.

Fujiwara: Ah, letters have the function of ``covering distance'' after all. It also means going beyond the local context...

Fujii: Moreover, I have a rule that I must never open those ``picture letters.'' That's why no one can read the words inside.

Fujiwara: Huh? ! Can't the person who received it read it?

Fujii: Yes, that's the only rule.
Of course, I can see the front of the envelope, which is a picture of my experience at that time, but I don't show the words inside. In terms of exhibitions, we are showing what we don't want to show. I don't even remember much of what I wrote. It's already over 1,000 pieces.

Fujiwara: I feel like the more you go out of your way to write a letter, the more you want someone to read the content, no matter how big or small...

Fujii: For me, it was really difficult at that time, so I went to Amami with just 100 yen.

Fujiwara: 100 yen...

Fujii: I wanted to go to Amami, but I only had about 100 yen.

Fujiwara: ... Anyway, if I can't go home...

Fujii: I can't go home. I finally arrived, but I was in a situation where I was wondering if I should eat or buy some cigarettes. At that time, Short PEACE cigarettes cost around 130 yen, so it was something I could barely afford.

Fujiwara: That's crazy... It's definitely Short PEACE... Very Short PEACE.

Fujii: That's right (lol)
In the end, through a connection I made with an old lady I happened to meet on the beach where I was camping, I was able to live and work for a pongee craftsman. At that time, I came up with the idea of ``Illustrated Letters'' as a way to show my parents who were away from me that I was doing well and that I was doing my best. But I thought there was no need to convey it in writing. However, there are some things I would like to put into writing. It's really easy to write about it if you pretend that no one will read it. It's okay to have typos, and there's no need to act. It was a time when I was tired of acting, so perhaps I had a desire to be freed from that.

Fujiwara: It really makes sense to me. You imposed rules on yourself. And now, nine years have passed since the exhibition at the Yokohama Museum of Art, but I think those sealed words are still important, and in fact, I think they are even more important now.

Fujii: That's right. With the enactment of the Specified Secrets Protection Act, I feel like I've come to see a different perspective than I originally expected.

Fujiwara: Most things, including the internet, can now be censored.
However, ``picture letters'' are strange. I have a destination, but I don't know if I want to convey it to them. Nowadays, we tend to speak to an unspecified number of people, but it's like throwing words into a swamp, isn't it? On the other hand, in the picture letters sent by Mr. Fujii to his family and partners, although the words inside the envelope cannot be read, at least the pictures have reached the recipient.

Fujii: On the other hand, the picture shown on the outside might be more true. Words are very limited, but pictures are more vague and may say more than words. I think this is a powerful piece of work because of its eloquence. Actually, Saussure's last lecture was just spoken, he didn't write it down himself. I wonder if visual images are closer to parole * , including facial expressions... It's complicated though.

*Parole: A term in linguistics and philosophy. The meaning varies depending on the context, but here it generally refers to ``spoken words'' as opposed to ``written words.'' It has the characteristic of being more personal. By the way, written language is called écriture and has the characteristic of being more social.

Fujiwara: There is a traditional dichotomy between parole (spoken language) and écriture (written language). I'm a bit of a writer, so I tend to lean towards écriture, but as I became more deeply involved in theater, I realized that, for example, a ``play'' goes back and forth between parole and écriture. Moreover, as the internet became filled with text, I feel that the imitation of Écriture has progressed too quickly. Crude formal imitation has gone too far. In other words, it is a re-enactment of someone's already existing writing, and it becomes a degraded copy. I am keenly aware that I too have not escaped the influence of this imitation. Perhaps, back when modern thought was talking about écriture, there was authority in the fact that words were published and read, and I think that's why écriture could have the power to shine.

Fujii: However, if you go back to ancient Greece, the performer had more power. In other words, parole was superior to écriture.

Fujiwara: That may be true. When you think about it, the era of Écriture's dominance may be surprisingly short. However, from the perspective of records = archives, I think that writing is also important. There was also the problem that with the switch from VHS to DVD, many video works could no longer be viewed.

Fujii: Yeah. But I think that's the same as whether the mural will remain forever or not. One thing I can say is ``passing on the legacy.'' Even if the situation changes and society changes to a place where the previous context no longer applies, even if the shape of something is no longer visible in the process of people who watch it making reference to it. , I don't think we can necessarily say that it no longer exists. Such activities are like a message game, so it is natural that there will be misunderstandings during the transmission, but I wonder if they will continue to change their expression methods in a way that fits nature and society. That's what I'm thinking.

Kenji Fujii/Chikara Fujiwara

What comes first, the name or the reality?

Fujiwara: By the way, Mr. Fujii changed back to his real name, ``Kenji Fujii,'' from ``Rai Fujii.''
People's names are also mysterious, and while some people cherish them, others find it difficult to accept them. However, in Japan, names are now given as surnames and given names, but in China, names are written as ``azana'' * , and depending on the culture, names are also given as middle names. For example, soccer coach Mourinho's real name is Jose Mario dos Santos Mourinho Felix... When you say it several times, it seems like some kind of spell...

*A name given to adult men in China in the past in addition to their real names. Also, a name that is used in addition to one's real name.

Fujii: However, surnames exist in almost every culture. I read Freud's ``Totems and Taboos,'' and it said that to avoid incest, people should put their tribe name before their name.

Fujiwara: I see. To avoid incest, surnames are used to some extent to separate people. If you think about it in that sense, the use of family names and swords * may have been a special culture in the Edo period.

*Last name and sword: A symbol of social status in the Edo period. Farmers and townspeople were prohibited from using their family names in public in order to differentiate themselves.

Fujii: Yes. He didn't have a last name, come to think of it.

Fujiwara: Then, in the Meiji era, people suddenly started creating surnames...
It's strange and interesting that human names are based to a large extent on cultural customs. ...Ah, speaking of names, I heard that you've been interested in Umberto Eco recently.

Fujii: No, I just read it out...

Fujiwara: When I was in college, I saw the movie ``The Name of the Rose,'' an original work by Eco, and that may have been the first time I started to have doubts about the names of things. To put it simply, does the name "rose" come first? Or does the existence of "roses" come first? That's one of the themes running through the series.

Fujii: So, my first opportunity was when I was in the first grade of elementary school. There was a girl in my class called Keiko Suzuki (pseudonym), and although I don't really understand her, she was called ``Julie-chan.''

Fujiwara: ...huh...? ? ? Keiko Suzuki is Julie-chan?

Fujii: No, I thought of her face, especially her lips, as "Julie-chan" (lol) I don't know why that word came to mind, but I've always called her Julie-chan in my heart. I got it. Even when I was actually calling her ``Suzuki-san,'' I was thinking in my heart, ``But it's actually Julie-chan.''

Fujiwara: ...We just talked about a lot of things to get into, but first of all, why did you name Julie-chan?

Fujii: Mood.

Fujiwara: Does it come from Juliet?

Fujii: It was at a time when even Juliet was unknown, so I think the word was simply based on the shape of the word. The shape of her lips was particularly Julie's.

Fujiwara: Even if you say she has Julie's lips, it doesn't mean you've never seen Julie's lips before, right?

Fujii: No, that's the kind of sound his lips had.

Fujiwara: Julie?

Fujii: Yes, Julie.

Fujiwara: I feel like the moment I hear it, I can imagine the shapes of various people's lips. (Looking around the store)

Fujii: If you look closely, it's interesting because it's different from the real name. So, it was around that time that I began to doubt words. "This girl is definitely Julie. Why are you calling her Keiko Suzuki?" (laughs) There was a discrepancy in my mind between the signifier and the signifier * .

*Signifier and signifier: Linguistic terms defined by Saussure. Signifier = the very thing that is signified (actual state). Signifier = what is meant (name).

Fujiwara: Even though the signifier is Julie, the signifier is Keiko Suzuki. Well, it might be a nuisance to Keiko Suzuki, but I totally agree with her (lol). The story is similar to Le Guin's "Gedo Senki." It's set in a world where there is a ``true name,'' and if that is known, a wizard will manipulate you at will.

Fujii: I wonder if Mr. Suzuki was like that too...

When I first introduced myself, I thought I'd definitely say Julie, but when she said, ``I'm Keiko Suzuki,'' I thought, ``That's totally different from the shape of my lips!''

Everyone: LOL

Meanwhile, the night was getting late...

Hideyoshi store
A lively interior

The inside of the store is lively.

Another theme is magic...

Fujiwara: I feel like we were able to talk about language quite a bit, but we didn't really talk about magical magic... There's already been a lot of blowfish sake being passed around, but... after all, blowfish sake starts to work after 2:00 p.m.... What's going on now?

Fujii: But in a way, language itself is magic. After all, I don't understand anything about the language. That's why it's magical.

The rattling sound of a shutter closing. Before I knew it, it was closing time at 10pm. Customers leaving in pieces. “Hello, thank you! Thank you.
Bye. ''The smiling manager greets them as they see them off, and they all head off to Yokosuka for the night.
Language and magic are endless topics once we start talking about them, but now that we've gotten the hang of it, we start getting ready to go home...

And at the end, we took a commemorative photo with the two remaining customers!

Commemorative photo with everyone

Here are the snacks I received today

The snacks I received today

And today's recommendation is...

Today's recommendation

*Menu changes depending on the situation that day

《Store information》
Hideyoshi store
2-45 Shioiri-cho, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture
TEL: 046-825-0550
Business hours: Mon-Sat 9:00-22:00
Closed: Sunday
Access: 84m from Shioiri Station on the Keikyu Line
Click here for details

Notice 2

“Geki Quest Yokohama Twilight Edition” designed and edited by Chikara Fujiwara will be held from February 9th to February 15th.
<This event has ended. 〉

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